Disbelief gave way to concentration on Michael's face. If the copy could do it, then he could too.
The logic was already clear. Decay a body part, letting it cross the threshold into dead tissue, then use Corpse Explosion. Simple. At least in theory.
Michael looked down at his left hand.
"This is going to hurt."
He placed his right palm over his forearm and forcefully infused it with dark energy while actively limiting his regeneration. His skin darkened and his muscle withered as sensation in the arm began disappearing.
"…Huh."
He had expected a bit of pain. Instead, the pain weakened the further the decay progressed. That made sense. The tissue was dying. By the time his forearm had fully crossed that line, he could barely feel it at all.
The discomfort came more from knowing it was his own arm than from the dead flesh itself.
Michael stared at it for half a second. Then he activated Corpse Explosion at the approaching copy.
BOOM!
