Interlude

The representatives of Azuria and Lumora were meeting. The fact they called me, Aris Valen, an Ascendant Tier Regalia user, to be here was a testament to the importance of the situation at hand. Not to mention HE was here. 

The representative of Lumora called this meeting, claiming it was urgent. Lumora is a very small country; naturally, a country with such a small population should be taken over by a larger one nowadays, but they were the sole exception to the rule. They produced a small but elite Regalia squadron, and not to mention they possessed the strongest of our time. After the formal introductions, HE spoke up. 

"Alright, enough chit chat. Where are you guys hiding the Supreme Level Regalia user? Or what do you call them? The King Tier user?" His tone was casual, almost dismissive, and his own country's representatives seemed to be bickering with him, urging him not to get carried away. But I guess when you're considered the strongest modern Regalia user, you get to be conceited and speak to everyone as if they are beneath you. 

"What are you talking about?" our representative responded, a note of irritation creeping into his voice. 

"I know damn well you are hiding a Supreme Level user in your military. It was foretold," he insisted. Apparently, he was not supposed to divulge too much because then his representatives began lecturing him, but completely ignoring them, he continued. "The treaty of the world powers agreed that no 'King' or 'Supreme' users are to be allowed to live. It is far too dangerous for everyone." 

"We have no King Tier user, Dimitri. If we did, we would have disclosed that to the world powers already," our representative countered firmly. 

"Fine. If you won't talk... I guess I'll beat it out of you." Never in my life had I seen Dimitri act this way. It must have been the desperation of thinking we were hiding a King Tier Regalia user. I knew he was wrong, but I questioned where he got this information that he was confident enough to threaten our representative. 

I soon realized it was not a threat though. I could tell in an instant that he was ready to attack. "Zhu Yuan!!! NOW!!!" I shouted. Zhu Yuan then teleported me and Dimitri to a desert. We were falling from the sky; I began levitating halfway through, while Dimitri landed without even a scratch on him. 

The desert stretched endlessly around us, the sun beating down mercilessly. The sand dunes rolled like waves frozen in time, and the heat distorted the air, making the horizon shimmer. Dimitri stood there, his feet firmly planted on the scorching sand, his eyes locked onto mine. 

"So, this is how you want to play it?" I asked, my voice steady but my mind racing to figure out his next move. 

"You leave me no choice," Dimitri replied, his tone calm but laced with a menacing edge. "If you won't tell me where the King Tier user is, I'll make you show me." 

"Give it your best shot," I said tauntingly. I then grabbed a massive rock from a distance far beyond our sight, compressing it into a lance-like figure and launching it toward him at an incredible speed. Even with his supposedly limitless reservoir of energy, Dimitri couldn't react in time. 

His left arm was completely blown off. In an instant, Dimitri's regenerative powers kicked in. The flesh, bone, and nerves began to reassemble themselves, knitting together at an astonishing speed. The bone emerged first, forming a skeletal framework that was quickly enveloped by muscles and tendons. Flesh grew over the exposed tissues, and within moments, his arm was as good as new, not a scar in sight. 

Dimitri looked up at me, a malevolent smile on his face. "As they say, an eye for an eye." 

Despite knowing Dimitri's immense speed and power, I felt confident. I was flying and had erected a barrier around my body with my psychic powers granted by my Regalia. Even if he wanted to, it should be impossible for him to breach my defenses before backup arrived. I had the upper hand in this fight. "Go ahead, Dimitri. Try... We will win this fight." 

"I guess it's as good a time as any to try this," he muttered. He raised his arms and formed a strange hand sign with both hands. "Supreme Art," he said, looking me dead in the eye as he finished his sentence. "Immortal Cell Burst." 

Before I could comprehend what was happening, a searing pain shot through my left arm. Blood splattered across my vision, and when I wiped my face, I realized my left arm was gone. "HAHAHAHAHA! IT WORKED!!" Dimitri's laughter echoed around me. "I warned you, didn't I? You can't beat me, Aris. You are weak." 

Panic surged through me as I witnessed the terrifying extent of Dimitri's Regalia. My remaining hand flew to my ear, activating my headgear. "ZHU YUAN, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!" 

In that instant, Dimitri appeared in front of me. I was hovering in the middle of the sky, yet within seconds, he had reached me. Dimitri couldn't fly; he had jumped. His fist was about to land on me when, suddenly, I found myself on the ground where I had been standing mere minutes ago, next to both representatives once again. Blood spilled all over the floor. 

"WHAT HAPPENED?" our representative shouted, his eyes wide with shock and concern. 

I gasped, struggling to speak through the pain and shock. "Dimitri... he's too powerful..." 

The representatives exchanged worried glances, the gravity of the situation settling in. I lay there, my mind reeling from the encounter, realizing just how dire our circumstances had become. 

• 

The meeting ended soon after I returned from the fight. I underwent surgery, but I was left without a left arm. Thanks to our immense advances in technology, I was to have a robotic arm installed that would help me with daily activities, though it would never have its original dexterity. Dimitri was never teleported back to Lumora by Zhu Yuan; he was left to find his way back on his own. Lumora probably had a tracker in his clothes in case something like this happened and would likely pick him up soon. Either way, he was fine. He could be left in that desert alone without food or water for a decade and still survive. 

A massive compensation was given to Azuria by the Lumorian representatives to avoid further conflict and de-escalate the situation. Our country's representatives accepted the compensation, but their faces betrayed their displeasure. Both sides wanted to avoid a full-scale conflict. Azuria did not want to face Dimitri, and Lumora did not want to face our wide arsenal of Ascendant Tier users, especially the formidable Cecil Astor, Azuria's strongest user. Tensions were growing high. Our countries might go to war soon if this King Tier farce was not resolved quickly.