Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar all struck at once—an electrified punch, a spiraling saw of ice, and a devastating axe strike.
Feiyu barely had time to react before he was overwhelmed. He crashed to the ground, gasping for air.
Zofia tried to fight back, but Connor appeared behind her, slamming his elbow into the back of her head, sending her tumbling forward into Zohar's waiting axe handle, knocking the wind out of her.
She fell to her knees, panting heavily. Feiyu tried to rise, but his body wouldn't obey.
Silence fell over the arena.
Raiden, Zohar, Kaito, and Connor stood victorious—exhausted, broken, but victorious.
The Colosseum erupted into cheers.
Feiyu lay there, staring at the sky, his body numb. I lost.
Zofia clenched her fists, trying to contain her frustration. Damn it.
Raiden exhaled, wiping sweat from his forehead. He looked down at Feiyu and Zofia, then turned to his teammates. "It's over."
Connor collapsed to one knee, still clutching his ribs. "Good. Because I don't think I can fight another damn round."
Zohar smirked, his lightning dimming. "Took you long enough to admit it."
Kaito chuckled weakly, shaking his head. "Let's just hope we don't have to do this again anytime soon."
Feiyu, still lying in the dirt, stared at them for a moment before closing his eyes.
For the first time, he didn't feel anger.
He felt something else.
Respect.
Zohar, panting and bruised, wipes the sweat and blood from his cheek as he glares at Feiyu and Zofia, both now defeated and on their knees. He breathes heavily, fists clenched, electricity still buzzing faintly off his skin.
He steps forward, his voice tired but sharp.
"He's just a kid, man…" He points at Feiyu, who keeps his head low, gritting his teeth.
Then his gaze turns to Zofia. "And is she even one of us? She's fast as a cheetah and strong as an ox, but she didn't use any powers. Not once. What's going on here?"
A low, reverberating clap echoes through the Colosseum.
The All Mighty stands from his throne. The crowd goes silent.
"Zofia… is not chosen by any god."
The silence deepens.
"She was a captive of war. A soldier from Lithuania captured by the Russian army during the global conflicts. They beat her, tortured her, and did unspeakable things… turning her into their pet project. A weapon. They injected her with a serum meant to create a super soldier—one without fear, one without mercy. It made her fast, strong… violent."
Zofia closes her eyes, jaw trembling faintly. She doesn't speak. She doesn't need to.
"But she broke free. Tore through their camp like a storm. Killed every last one of them. And when the blood was done spilling, she dropped to her knees… and begged for forgiveness."
He looks at her with a rare softness.
"I heard her cries. I gave her purpose again. I told her that what broke her could be used to protect humanity. That she could be more than what they made her."
Zofia finally looks up, her eyes not filled with rage this time—but sadness… and maybe a little hope.
"She's not evil. Just lost. But even the lost can find their way."
Silence once again.
Zohar nods slowly, the electricity fading from his hands.
"…Alright."
Raiden steps beside him, battered and burnt but still standing. Kaito leans on his spear, bloodied but breathing. Connor stands a few feet away, quiet—his face bruised, body aching, but his pride still intact.
They all say nothing more.
The Colosseum watches in stillness as the dust settles.