It didn't lunge like the others. It rose up, towering above me, its coils tightening. It studied me, cold and calculating. Then it came crashing down, jaws wide enough to swallow me whole.
I didn't flinch.
Essence pulsed through my spine and flooded outward.
I spun, gathering momentum, and lashed out with a crescent strike just before impact. But this wasn't just a physical blow—wind howled from my staff like a hurricane blade. It slammed into the serpent's head mid-charge and sent it veering off course, smashing into the side of the clearing.
Its hiss was more rage than pain.
It writhed back up, glaring at me with molten fury.
I centered myself. Focused.
My muscles compressed, strength flooding through every fiber. I let go of the staff, there was no need for it now.
My body burst forward, vanishing in a blur.
The world snapped back into focus as I reappeared high above the serpent's rising head.
Flames erupted from my feet, launching me downward like a comet.
