Lynch's fingers had already pierced through the serpent's robe, penetrating the soft armor hidden beneath. A layer of natural scales covered the surface of the serpent's skin, sturdier even than the armor of an ancient giant dragon. Yet, before the silver-white magic flames, they melted away like candles placed next to the sun, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
The scent of burning had not yet dissipated, nor had the sizzling sound of snake oil being roasted emerged, when Lynch's five fingers had already grasped the serpent's heart. Regardless of the true form of the serpent's body, Lynch was confident that he could spread the power of the magic origin through the heart he now held, dispersing it to every corner of its flesh, until the hidden soul was found and evaporated from the world.
If only his fingers could tighten around that heart, it would all be over. Lynch could even feel the pulse of the serpent's blood, likely the last heartbeat of this ambitious creature.
