Meanwhile…
——
While Cedric lunged forward to attack the Sleeping Queen, Athena moved to intercept the twenty-eight Lemures that had suddenly risen from the shattered debris. Without a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and stepped directly into their path, determined to stop them from advancing to protect their queen.
But rather than taking flight, she dropped into a low crouch with one leg behind her. And then, with a sudden, loud boom, she propelled herself forward, lunging straight toward the closest creature, which was already gathering a heavy mass of darkness in its open mouth to strike.
By the time Athena closed the distance, the Lemure unleashed a concentrated beam of dark energy. She cleanly sidestepped the initial blast, but before the creature could adjust its aim, she dropped and slid low across the ground, passing seamlessly right beneath its legs.
