But Jelo couldn't focus on that victory for more than an instant, because the leopard was already lunging at him from his other side. The spotted predator came in low and fast, its jaws open wide enough to close around his entire torso, aiming to crush his ribcage and spine in a single bite.
Jelo briefly thought about taking the hit head-on, activating Scaled Guard and testing whether his defensive ability could withstand that kind of crushing force. But the thought was dismissed almost as quickly as it formed. He decided against such suicidal action immediately.
His Scaled Guard was powerful, yes, but it had limits, and he'd already learned during the previous fight that repeated impacts could overwhelm it. Better to avoid damage entirely than rely on defenses that might fail at a critical moment.
