However, the man proved far more resilient than expected. Midair, he twisted his body with astonishing agility, flipping so that instead of his back slamming into the trunk and shattering his spine, his feet struck it first.
Using the tree as leverage, he pushed off in a burst of speed, propelling himself straight back toward Maxwell, his claws extending from beneath the folds of his cloak, gleaming like blades in the dim light.
But this time, Maxwell didn't dodge. Instead, he made the deliberate choice to take the hit, letting the enemy's claws sink deep into his flesh. He angled his body just enough to keep the blow from striking any vital spot that would kill him outright.
There was a saying: to kill your greatest enemy, you must be willing to lose an arm or a leg. And Maxwell was prepared to do just that.
