With renewed resolve, Alden transformed into a shadow, reappearing behind Lucian. He delivered a powerful punch, driving Lucian into the ground.

Aurelius materialized in front of me, but in a flash, I struck him in the chest with a force that caved it in. He collapsed to the ground with a wheeze, the wind knocked out of him.

“I’ll never lose again,” we said in unison, our voices echoing through the colosseum as we fixed our gaze on Ember. “We’re gonna get you back.”

The crowd's jeers and boos faded into the background as our words resonated with a fierce promise. Ember's expression wavered, a flicker of doubt crossing her features. The once distant and cold demeanor showed a glimmer of the old Ember, the one who had fought alongside us.

Around us, the arena's atmosphere crackled with tension. The king's face twisted with fury, while the queen's eyes narrowed in disdain. But our focus remained unbroken, locked onto Ember. We would not be deterred. No matter the odds, we were determined to reclaim our friend and ally.

Alden and I stood side by side, our resolve unwavering. Lucian and Aurelius faced us, their breaths heavy from the exertion. Lucian's voice cut through the silence, dripping with contempt. "Do you think this changes anything? Do you think Ember would choose you over her family? Despite our parents' abuse, she never failed to have fun with us. Even as just a normal owl, she always protected us."

I looked up at Ember, who stood beside the king, his hand resting affectionately on her shoulder. "It makes sense why she did this," I murmured, more to myself than anyone else. "She's just a girl who wants her parents' love. I don’t want to take that away from her."

I approached Lucian, my steps deliberate. He looked up at me, his expression a mix of defiance and confusion. “So, you understand, right?” he asked, a flicker of hope in his voice.

I didn't respond with words. Instead, I drove my knee into his side with brutal force, a loud crack echoing through the arena. Lucian coughed up blood, his eyes rolling back as the devastating blow took its toll. "Sorry," I said, my voice cold and resolute. "But now I have a new goal. We're gonna take down this fucked up kingdom."

Lucian crumpled to the ground, clutching his side in agony. I barely had time to register his fall before Aurelius charged at me, his eyes blazing with fury. He moved with incredible speed, his fists a blur as he aimed a flurry of punches at my head.

Alden appeared behind me in mid-air, pushing my head down as his foot, engulfed in dark magic, connected with Aurelius. The force of the kick sent Aurelius flying, a scream of agony tearing from his throat as he crashed to the ground, clutching his chest.

“Shit, I forgot you’re not Orion,” Alden muttered, extinguishing the dark flames. We turned our attention to Ember, who was retreating into the castle with the king. I spread my golden wings, and Alden unfurled his dark ones. With a burst of speed, we launched ourselves towards them. “You’re not getting away that easy!” we yelled in unison.

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Just then, a striped blur shot in front of us, and before we could react, we were blitzed into the ground. The impact left us dazed and disoriented. I groaned, shaking my head to clear the haze, while Alden struggled to his feet beside me.

I coughed, struggling to catch my breath. "What was that?" I managed to say before I was assaulted by the blur again. It felt like I was being hit a thousand times in an instant.

"We don’t have time for another plot twist!" I gritted my teeth, feeling blood trickle from my mouth. Each blow registered painfully. "Wait, this actually hurts!"

The queen spoke gracefully into the mic. “Wow folks, it seems like Glimmerfen’s vessel is doing better than I expected.”

"Glimmerfen’s vessel?" I coughed out, struggling to stay upright. My eyes locked onto the figure standing in front of me. Its form flickered so fast that it was hard to make out any details.

“That’s right,” the queen chuckled. The figure suddenly stopped, revealing itself to be a tigress. But this one was different—bigger, stronger, with a silver aura and fur that shimmered like moonlight.

“Zira, queen of the tigresses, is the vessel of the Falcon of Speed, Zephyra!”

Both Alden and I stared in disbelief. “The vessel of speed…is a tigress?!” I exclaimed. Before we could react, Zira blitzed us both, her speed overwhelming and impossible to counter.

Zira’s silver aura shimmered as she moved with lightning speed, appearing behind Alden in an instant. She struck him with a flurry of powerful blows, each one landing with precision. Alden tried to fight back, but his movements were sluggish compared to her blinding speed. With a final, devastating strike, she sent him crashing into the ground, the impact reverberating through the arena. He struggled to rise, only for Zira to pounce on him again, her claws tearing through his defenses.

Alden’s wings flared as he attempted to take to the skies, hoping to gain an advantage from the air. But Zira was relentless, leaping after him with ease. She caught him mid-flight, dragging him back down with a brutal swipe. As he hit the ground once more, she pinned him there, her strength and speed proving too much for him to overcome. Each attempt he made to escape was met with another punishing blow, leaving him battered and exhausted.

Meanwhile, I barely had time to register Zira’s attack before she was upon me. Her first strike knocked the wind out of me, and I staggered back, trying to regain my footing. She didn’t give me a chance. With a series of rapid strikes, she had me reeling, my vision blurring from the force of her blows. I attempted to counter, but she was always one step ahead, her movements a blur of silver and fury.

I tried to spread my wings and gain some distance, but Zira was too fast. She closed the gap in an instant, slamming me to the ground with a powerful kick. Pain shot through my body as she continued her assault, her claws raking across my skin. I could feel my strength waning, each hit pushing me closer to the edge of unconsciousness. Despite my best efforts, Zira’s speed and ferocity were too much to handle, leaving me at her mercy.

Zira growled, her weight pressing us into the ground as she perched atop our toppled bodies. “You’re the vessels of the Divine Owl, Sagea, and Nocturne Raven?” she taunted, her voice dripping with contempt. “You just lost to the speed of the Celestial Birds, a forbidden vessel that wasn’t even supposed to exist, and I did it with only one arm.”

She yawned, a casual display of her dominance, before glaring at us.