Hajin drove his fist into Maren's rebuilt breastplate as the Ring packed his current tight, ripping leaves from nearby branches. The overlapping scales didn't budge an inch, and the force bounced straight back through his wrist into the wrecked shoulder.
"Ow, fuck—okay, that's a wall, that's just a wall wearing a face!"
A torn leaf stuck to his lip as he spat blood between clenched teeth and shook out the hand.
Skin split across his knuckles while Maren tipped that enormous head slowly to study the red smear on his chest. The amusement under that lowered skull made Hajin smile through his cracked ribs, wondering whether the neck survived its laughter.
Maren lowered his face toward the blood on his armor, "Was that meant to hurt?"
"It was a knock on the door, checking who's home," Hajin snorted, shaking feeling back into his fingers, "turns out nobody smart lives there."
His eyes dropped to the feet beneath that chest before the bigger hand could reach him.
