Without warning, Ethel materialized behind him, her tail whipping out with lethal force. She struck with a fierce kick, her claws raking across his back, leaving marks of dark energy that seethed like poison. The Emperor grunted, spinning away from her blow, but she was already on him, her shadowy form an inescapable vortex of energy.
He raised his sword in a defensive stance, but Ethel had already summoned more tendrils to attack. They shot out from all directions, slithering and twisting, trying to bind his body and weaken his resolve. The Emperor blocked some with his sword, but others slithered around his limbs, pulling him off balance.
