Astra, her crimson robes now streaked with dirt and a few lacerations from the thorns, responded with equal determination. Her eyes, like freshly spilled blood, flared with a ferocious hunger. She outstretched her gloved hands, and tendrils of shadow manifested, coiling around her form. The shadows absorbed the sun's light, leaving her in an inky shroud.
The Nature Commander's foliage weaponry thrashed wildly, lashing at Astra, who danced gracefully amid the onslaught. The vines and branches collided with the shadows, producing eerie, ethereal sparks as they interacted. The air grew heavy with the scent of damp earth and the tang of Astra's blood magic.
Astra, realizing that this battle could not be won through physical endurance alone, tapped into her vampiric heritage. She sent a pulse of energy through her gloves of transfusion. The shadows darkened and expanded, their grip on the thorny vegetation tightening.
