Chapter 23 - Rookie Mistake

Arthur burst from the inky shadows, his new wings unfurling like jagged obsidian blades, propelling him forward with a force that churned the dark waters behind him. His molten claws ignited mid-strike, glowing like twin suns dragged from the depths of hell, and he drove them toward the exposed underside of the Serpent—a vulnerable patch hidden beneath layers of sulfur-stained armor. The water around him roiled, boiling in response to the sheer heat radiating from his talons.