We exchanged a flurry of blows, each strike more desperate and powerful than the last. The ground around us cracked and shattered under the force of our battle. Just as he seemed to gain the upper hand, I summoned a burst of energy, driving him back with a powerful wave of light.
“You’re tough, I’ll give you that,” he said, panting and clutching his side. “But you’re not going to win.”
“Watch me,” I retorted, charging forward with renewed determination. Our fight raged on, each of us pushing our limits, neither willing to back down.
Zira was bound by the lightning, her screams growing louder as the electricity coursed through her body. Ravyn smirked, stepping closer with a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Don’t move," she warned, her voice dripping with malice. "Any sudden movements will trigger the lightning to strike again, and each time it does, it causes more damage. This is my magical power; lightning binds.”
Ravyn cackled with cruel delight as Zira's screams echoed around them. "You might as well give up," she taunted. "You’re an anomaly, not even meant to be a vessel. You’re a monster!" Her mocking voice faltered as she noticed Zira’s sudden stillness. “Is she dead?” Ravyn moved closer, only to see Zira’s body crackling with silver energy. “What—?!” Ravyn’s exclamation was cut short as Zira blitzed her with nearly a hundred lightning-fast strikes.
Ravyn collapsed to her knees, gasping in shock as Zira stood over her, a cold smirk on her face. “Nobody could survive that many lightning strikes!” Ravyn shouted, her voice tinged with disbelief. Zira raised her foot and delivered a series of rapid, blindingly fast kicks. “You tried to kill a speedster with lightning? Are you stupid?!” She chuckled as Ravyn crumpled from the relentless assault. “What was that? I barely saw her move,” Ravyn muttered, dazed.
Zira’s smirk widened. “That’s my magical power—Blink Strikes.”
Ravyn, tears streaming down her face, began banging her head against the wall in frustration. “You cheated! I want a rematch!” she wailed. Zira turned to face her again, concern etched in her expression, but felt a menacing energy emanating from Ravyn. “You really shouldn’t—”
“Don’t touch me!” Ravyn screamed, her voice trembling with rage. Her body crackled with dark lightning, flickering ominously. “I’m the vessel of Zephyr, the Dark Albatross! Zephyr killed Zephyra, so why are you winning?!” With a furious roar, she transformed into a streak of black lightning and teleported behind Zira, delivering a vicious kick that sent her crashing into a nearby building.
Zira slammed into the wall with a grunt, her mind racing. “The vessel of Zephyr?” she muttered, trying to piece together the implications. “So the prince was right... Does this mean she was holding back all along?”
Before she could fully process it, Ravyn lunged at her with lightning speed, delivering a barrage of rapid strikes that Zira could barely track. Each strike was followed by a burst of black lightning, crackling violently with every hit.
I leaped at Vex, toppling him and raking my talons across his face. He deftly dodged the attack and kicked me away. As I struggled to regain my footing, I saw Zira being pummeled by Ravyn. Vex glanced up with a chuckle.
“I can’t stand that girl,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “She’s only useful when she’s on the losing end. And here she is, the vessel of Zephyr, the Dark Albatross. We’ve got ourselves quite the rivalry, don’t we? Umbra, the shadow owl—whom I serve—killed Zephyra, the divine owl whom you’re the vessel of. And Zephyr took down Zephyra. What a day, huh?”
I dropped into my stance, watching as Vex’s form began glowing golden from my Eclipse Surge. “What stance is that?” he asked, his eyes widening in surprise. Without hesitation, I activated my technique and, in an instant, charged at him, unleashing a flurry of lightning-fast strikes. Vex was propelled backward, grimacing in pain as he clutched his battered body. “Wow! That was like CQC*!” he gasped, astonished by the sheer speed and precision of the assault.
Panting heavily, I noticed Vex assuming a stance, his eyes widening as he observed the dark aura surrounding me. “Wait, don’t tell me—!” I began, but before I could finish, he executed a move identical to my Eclipse Surge, sending me crashing into a building. I coughed and struggled to my feet, my body aching from the impact. “Y-you can use Eclipse Surge too?!” I gasped, gripping my bruised side. “I prefer to call it Midnight Surge,” Vex chuckled darkly. “Surprised? Umbra’s techniques were just imitations of Sagea’s,” he said with a sadistic grin.
“Goodbye!” Vex shouted, unleashing his Midnight Surge once more. But this time, his attack was intercepted by Alden’s shadow assassin. “You again?!” Vex snarled, just as Alden appeared from nowhere, slicing through the air with his feathered sword and severing Vex’s arm.
On the ground, Zira lay battered as Ravyn prepared to strike her with a bolt of black lightning. Before she could launch her attack, Ember’s Ark crystals encased Ravyn’s hand. There was a blinding explosion as the crystals detonated, causing Ravyn to scream in agony. “AHH!”
Zira collapsed onto me as Ember and Alden emerged, standing resolute in front of us. Ravyn and Vex, battered but defiant, positioned themselves opposite. Ember summoned her Ark, which materialized in the center of the kingdom, her figure towering above on the platform. “You came back?” I rasped, struggling to shift Zira off me as I glanced at Ember and Alden with a mix of relief and exhaustion.
“I’m only protecting my kingdom,” Ember said coldly. “I haven’t decided whether I’ll return with you. These are my people.” Alden nodded in agreement. “Sorry, Gaian,” he said.
I gritted my teeth, lifted Zira onto my shoulder, and said, “You hold them off; I’ll go find Zira’s sister, Kira!” With a determined shout, I started running. “You’re not the smallest tigress in the world, Zira!” I grunted under the strain. “This is payback for when you rode me earlier,” she replied through clenched teeth, wincing in pain.
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I burst into the throne room, where King Bali, Queen Silvia, and the winged knights, led by Orion, were gathered. “O-Orion, I’m not here to fight,” I said, dropping Zira onto the floor. “I’m just looking for Zira’s sister.”
The laughter from King Bali, Queen Silvia, and the winged knights struck me like a physical blow. Queen Silvia covered her mouth, struggling to control her mirth. “I’m sorry,” she said with a twisted grin. “Kira died years ago. We left her body in the forest, and it was devoured by the creatures there.” Her laughter grew louder and more mocking.
I sank to my knees, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. “What the hell is wrong with these kingdoms?!” I roared, my voice echoing through the room.
Turning, I saw Zira rising, her face a mask of fury, blood smeared across her body. The winged knights lay sprawled on the floor, lifeless. Zira had struck them down with blinding speed, her claws and fur stained crimson. Her gaze was locked onto King Bali, Queen Silvia, and Orion, seething with a fierce, unrelenting rage.
“All these years! I’ve fought for your Coliseum, believing you had my sister!” Zira’s roar echoed through the hall, forcing everyone to cover their ears.
With a burst of fury, she lunged at them, but I leaped onto her, struggling to hold her down. She elbowed me sharply in the face and kicked me away, her rage unabated. Roaring once more, she shot towards the king, slashing at him with fierce precision.
I intervened, appearing above the king and pressing his head down to intercept the attack. The king’s eyes widened in shock as he gasped for breath. “Thank you!” he managed, a shaky smile on his face.
I growled and kicked him forcefully across the room since Zira was about to punch him. “I wasn’t saving you!” I snapped, my voice laced with anger. I turned back to Zira, who was still seething with rage. “You need to calm down!”
Zira’s eyes, blazing with fury, locked onto me. Her fur was matted with blood, and her claws dripped with the remnants of her battle. “Calm down?!” she roared, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. “They took everything from me—my sister, my home, my purpose!”
She began slicing at me with blinding speed, her claws a blur. I relied on Avian weaving, my body moving fluidly to dodge her strikes. Suddenly, pain exploded in my back as Orion’s elbow struck me, and I crumpled to the ground.
“Didn’t I say I hate when people cross the line of attacking my parents?!” he snarled.
Fueled by adrenaline and anger, I growled and unleashed Eclipse Surge, my attacks a flurry of golden energy. Orion was knocked back, his eyes wide with shock before he collapsed.
“I-I thought you were weak…” he murmured before falling unconscious.
Zira lunged at me again, but I quickly countered with the Luminous Talon Technique, delivering a powerful palm strike to her chest. She fell back, momentarily immobilized.
“NOW EVERYBODY CUT IT OUT!” I roared, my voice echoing through the room. “ZIRA, WHAT THEY DID TO KIRA WAS WRONG, BUT KILLING EVERYONE WON’T MAKE IT RIGHT!”
Alden and Ember entered the room, looking a bit roughed up. As they took in the sight of the dead winged knights, I expected anger, but instead, their faces showed understanding. Alden walked up to me and embraced me, while Ember perched on my shoulder, hugging my face. “You’ve been fighting this battle all by yourself.”
“What about everyone? What happened?” I asked, glancing outside. Ravyn, Vex, and the shadow minions were gone, leaving only the remains of the fight. “It was strange,” Alden said. “They all left after looking up at the sky.”
“So, you’re not staying here?” My voice cracked, fear and hope mingling.
They shook their heads. “We’re not staying here, Gaian. We heard what my parents did to Kira,” Alden said. “We tried to stay, but you fought to bring us back on your own. You truly are our leader.”
Ember smiled and added, “We’re with you, Gaian.”
I turned around and noticed the king, queen, Orion, Lucian, and Aurelius were gone. “They must have fled. But how did they escape so quickly?”
I looked at Zira, who was starting to stir. “Oh right! Guys, you need to meet Zira.” I ran to her and helped her up. “This is Zira, the vessel of Zephyra, the Falcon of Speed!” I introduced her, and Zira sighed.
“Sorry for attacking you, Gaian,” she apologized, standing up.
“It’s not a problem. This group does it a lot,” I chuckled. Ember glanced at my battered body and hurriedly began to heal me. I sighed in relief as the pain began to fade. “Thank God. I felt like one more punch and I’d be a dead man. My healing powers haven’t been working for some reason.” I glanced over at Zira, who looked completely recovered. “You’re already healed?!”
Zira folded her arms and nodded. “I’m a speedster—rapid healing comes with the territory.”
I stood atop the throne and surveyed the room. “Alright, everyone. I have a declaration to make: I want to start a kingdom!” The room fell into a hush as they exchanged bewildered glances and murmurs filled the air.
“What are you talking about?” Alden asked, stepping forward with a puzzled expression.
I smirked and leaned back on the throne, letting the weight of the moment settle on my shoulders. “I’m glad you asked,” I began, raising my hands to clear away the dead bodies with a sweep of magic.
“I have a vision of a new kingdom,” I continued, my voice resonating with conviction. “A place where it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what your past holds. A kingdom where avian people, tigresses, and everyone else can live together in harmony! Well maybe it matters a little what you did in the past but still!”
Alden spoke up, “Wait, You want this hunk of junk to be your new kingdom?” Alden looked outside and signaled to the destroyed building and the hurt patrons.
He turned back to us, his eyes widening with alarm. “Uhh, guys, you’re gonna wanna see this!” His voice trembled with urgency. We rushed to the window, my heart pounding in my chest.
“What the hell?” I muttered, narrowing my eyes at the scene unfolding before us.
To our astonishment, two massive armies stood on the horizon, each teeming with winged knights. At the forefront of each army stood a king, their regal presence unmistakable. The king on the left was a towering figure clad in gleaming gold armor, his crimson cape billowing in the wind. His crown, encrusted with rubies, shone with a fierce light, and he held a massive golden scepter, radiating power. The army behind him was disciplined, their armor and weapons reflecting the sunlight, creating a dazzling display.
Opposite them, the second king was a stark contrast. Dressed in dark, obsidian armor that seemed to absorb the light, he exuded an aura of menace. His silver crown was adorned with black diamonds, and he wielded a wickedly sharp, double-edged sword. His army, cloaked in shadows, moved with a predatory grace, their eyes glowing with a cold, steely determination.
The tension in the air was palpable, and the sight of these two formidable forces, each led by a powerful king, left us speechless. The future of our kingdom hung in the balance, and the impending clash promised to be nothing short of cataclysmic.
The two kings stepped forward, their voices booming in perfect unison. "People of Glimmerfen! We have heard of the recent fall of your king and queen. But do not despair! For this signifies the end of the war among the three major kingdoms. Victory will be mine as I claim your kingdom!" Their declarations echoed through the air, each king's voice filled with confident authority, as they each vied for dominance.