The Emperor's gaze sharpened, his muscles tensing as Black Mamba descended from the air.
There was no sign of damage on the creature's body, no indication that the powerful strike he had delivered had made any impact.
This puzzled the Emperor, a man who had felled countless adversaries with his bare hands.
For a moment, time seemed to stretch as the two stood in a silent standoff, the night around them thick with an air of impending violence.
The Emperor's brow furrowed in concentration, his combat instincts flaring as he tried to anticipate Black Mamba's next move.
But there was something disturbingly unpredictable about this creature.
The intricate white lines on its obsidian skin pulsed with rhythmic energy, and the circle on its chest seemed to throb in sync, as though drawing power from some unknown source.
Then, without warning, Black Mamba moved.
The creature's speed was unimaginable, a blur of black against the night.
