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.
The Emperor barely had time to register the movement before a fist as hard as iron struck his side.
The impact was like a thunderclap, resonating through the air with a force that seemed to shake the very foundations of the city below.
The Emperor's eyes widened in shock as pain lanced through his body. He staggered back, a wicked grin spreading across his lips.
He wasn't given a moment to recover. Black Mamba was relentless, pressing the attack with a series of rapid strikes, though the Emperor was accurately blocking his attacks with one hand.
Before Black Mamba's fists could land, the Emperor's defense was already in place.
Each blow was precise, calculated, and delivered with the kind of efficiency that only something not bound by human limitations could achieve.
Yet there was also a savage, primal energy behind each hit, as if the creature was testing its own strength, discovering its potential in real time.
But yes, all the blows-no matter how fast, strong, or precise-were met with the Emperor's brutal defense.
As the onslaught continued, the Emperor's grin widened, a feral gleam in his eyes.
He had faced countless opponents, but none quite like this.
The thrill of a true challenge coursed through his veins, igniting a fire that had long lain dormant.
With a sudden shift in stance, the Emperor launched his counterattack.
His fist shot out like a coiled viper, aimed at Black Mamba's midsection.
The creature twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, but the Emperor's other hand was already in motion.
It connected with Black Mamba's jaw, the impact reverberating through the air.
Black Mamba reeled back, its head snapping to the side, but it managed to brace itself before sliding off the roof.
For a moment, it seemed stunned, but then its eyes locked onto the Emperor with renewed intensity.
The white lines across its body pulsed brighter and began to change, forming sharp edges like a zigzag pattern.
The circle in the middle of Black Mamba's torso shifted into a lightning shape.
Suddenly, Black Mamba lunged forward, its arm stretching impossibly long.
The Emperor's eyes widened in surprise, barely managing to duck under the elongated limb.
He felt the rush of air as it passed over his head, the creature's hand grazing his hair. Taking advantage of the moment, the Emperor surged upward, driving his shoulder into Black Mamba's chest.
The creature let out a hiss of pain, its body bending backward at an unnatural angle.
But instead of falling, it used the momentum to flip over the Emperor's head, landing gracefully behind him.
The Emperor spun around, his fist already in motion, but Black Mamba was ready.
It caught the Emperor's wrist, its grip like steel.
For a moment, they were locked in a contest of strength, neither willing to yield.
The air around them crackled with energy, the very atmosphere seeming to warp and twist.
With a roar of effort, the Emperor broke free, simultaneously delivering a devastating kick to Black Mamba's midsection.
The creature flew backward, crashing through the wall of a nearby building.
Debris rained down, dust and concrete filling the air.
For a moment, all was still. The Emperor stood, his eyes fixed on the hole in the wall.
Then, a low, rumbling sound emerged from the darkness.
It started soft, almost imperceptible, but quickly grew in volume and intensity.
Black Mamba burst from the rubble, its body now covered in a swirling, inky darkness. The white lines on its skin glowed and then...
Whoosh
It moved with impossible speed, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The Emperor barely had time to raise his arms in defense before Black Mamba was upon him. Its fists were a blur, striking with a force that seemed to defy physics.
Each impact sent shockwaves through the Emperor's body, threatening to shatter bone.
Finally, one last blow sent the Emperor flying off the roof, crashing to the ground-yet landing on his feet.
The Emperor cocked his head to the right and then to the left, releasing his clenched fists, folding and unfolding them, repeating the motion a couple of times to ease the tension in his
joints.
Then he fixed his eyes on Black Mamba as it floated down.
All the other nobles didn't need to be told before they fled the area as fast and as far as
possible.
Black Mamba softly landed on the ground and slowly walked toward the Emperor, who now began to overflow with a crimson red aura.
It had the appearance of flame but none of its properties; it was like clean water burning like
fire.
And it subtly shifted the atmosphere.
At first, it was unnoticeable, but suddenly some soldiers who had gathered to help the nobles began to collapse, even though they were over four hundred meters away.
Even older nobles who were Masters, Savants, and Sages felt it equally, though they had the soul capacity and mental fortitude to withstand the damage it did to the lower ranks.
But that didn't mean the strain was any easier on them.
In fact, they couldn't help but wonder how vicious and devastating the pressure would be within a hundred meters of the Emperor.
The Emperor looked intensely at Black Mamba, who had stopped in its tracks as the pressure began to dry out the air. The environment felt hot and vaporizing.
"I gave you ample opportunities to walk away, but still you chose to throw your glorious life away. How foolish," the Emperor groaned, malice dripping from his voice.