Regalia Power of the King

The fight raged on, a blur of motion and precision as Ethan darted around Takeshi. My Regalia allowed me to track their movements, but even with the enhanced perception, I felt paralyzed. The chaos of the battle swirled around me, each passing moment a glaring reminder of my inability to act.

I clenched my fists, scanning the battlefield. Takeshi's movements were sharp and calculated, his defensive stance like an impenetrable wall against Ethan's relentless speed. But the strain was evident in his tightening jaw and the slight tremor in his arms with each block. How long could he keep this up?

My thoughts raced. Could I create something to stop Ethan? No—his speed would let him evade before I even finished forming it. What about a weapon to throw? But his movements were too erratic; I'd never hit him. The ideas kept coming, each one discarded as quickly as it surfaced.

"Come on, think," I muttered under my breath, frustration mounting. My mind jumped to creating an area of distraction, something that might throw Ethan off his rhythm. But what? A blinding light? Too slow. A decoy? He'd see through it in seconds. Nothing felt fast enough, effective enough.

A punch from Ethan slipped past Takeshi's defense, grazing his shoulder. The sight of Takeshi stumbling slightly sent a wave of panic crashing over me. My chest tightened as I wracked my brain for a solution, the desperation almost choking me. If I didn't act now, Takeshi might—

"Speed up."

The words cut through my spiraling thoughts like a blade. I snapped my head toward Jin, who was already in motion. His Regalia activated with a flash of energy, his body glowing faintly as he surged forward. It was the first time I'd seen him fully unleash his power, and the transformation was startling.

Jin's movements blurred as he intercepted Ethan's next strike. His hands glowed brighter, the energy of his Regalia amplifying his speed and strength. "You're not the only one who can move fast," he said, his voice steady, almost taunting.

Takeshi steadied himself, his breathing heavy but his focus unwavering. He and Jin began working in tandem, their movements synchronizing as they pressured Ethan. For the first time, the speedster looked cornered, his usual confidence slipping.

But Ethan wasn't finished. With a sudden burst of energy, he darted backward, retreating toward the edge of the battlefield. His breath came in sharp gasps, the strain of the fight finally catching up to him. Takeshi moved to pursue, but Jin held up a hand.

"Let him go," Jin said, his tone firm. "We've held him off for now."

Takeshi gritted his teeth, his frustration palpable as he watched Ethan disappear over the hill. "Damn it," he muttered, slamming his fist into the ground.

I stood frozen, my heart sinking. While Takeshi had fought tirelessly and Jin had stepped in without hesitation, I had done nothing. My mind had raced with ideas, but I'd been too slow, too unsure. The weight of my inaction felt suffocating.

Jin, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by a calm seriousness, asked, "You okay, Takeshi?"

Takeshi nodded, though his jaw was tight. "Fine. Just pissed he got away."

Jin turned to me, his gaze softer. "You good, Natsuya?"

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come. What could I say? That I had frozen? That I'd let them down? I nodded weakly, avoiding his eyes.

•

We regrouped a few paces from the battlefield, huddling near a low outcropping to discuss our next steps.

Takeshi knelt, sketching a rough diagram in the dirt with quick, precise movements. His focus was unshakable, his piercing blue eyes scanning the map he had hastily drawn. "Ethan's retreating. He'll head back to his team to regroup. They'll push together next time. It's their best shot."

Jin crouched beside him, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by a rare intensity. He folded his arms, leaning closer to examine the drawing. "Can't we just have someone break away and target their flag while they're regrouping? If we move fast enough, they might not see it coming."

Takeshi shook his head, his voice firm. "Too risky. Ethan's fast enough to intercept anyone who breaks away."

I leaned closer, studying the crude map. It showed a rough outline of the battlefield—trees, hills, and open fields—marked with simple scratches. My mind raced as I tried to think of a way to counter Ethan's relentless speed. "So how do we handle Ethan? His speed is still their biggest edge. If he's moving as fast as he was earlier, we'll never be able to stop him."

Takeshi glanced at me, his gaze sharp and calculating. "Your Regalia. Can you figure out a way to stop him?"

The weight of their expectations pressed down on me, and I hesitated. I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for an answer. "If I can get close enough to touch him, I might be able to create something to immobilize him—ropes or binds around his legs. But if I'm not precise, it might not hold. And at his speed, getting close is… complicated."

Jin's lips curved into a grin, his excitement barely contained. "So we get you close. Takeshi can bait him, and I'll cover any gaps. Once you've got a clear shot, you take it."

"That's a gamble," I said, my voice tinged with doubt. "If I miss, we'll lose our chance to stop him."

"That's true," Takeshi said, nodding. "But it's the best shot we have. If we let him run free, he'll tear through our defenses or flank us. We force him into a confrontation. You just focus on making your shot count."

The plan was taking shape, but doubts lingered in my mind. I thought back to Ethan's movements, how effortlessly he had outmaneuvered Takeshi and how close we had come to losing control of the fight. Could I really create something precise enough to stop him?

"What about Alex and Lina?" I asked, glancing between Takeshi and Jin. "If Ethan's regrouping, they'll probably come in together. How do we handle them without spreading ourselves too thin?"

Takeshi frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. "Ethan's their spearhead. I'll push and hold him first while you two take on Alex and Lina."

Jin gave a quick nod, leaning in. "So you're going to stall him? Sounds risky. If they're regrouping, they might just swarm you."

Takeshi's expression hardened. "That's why I'll position the fight to draw Ethan away. While I'm keeping him busy, you and Natsuya focus on Alex and Lina. Once they're handled, we'll shift. Jin, you and Natsuya break away for a quick moment to target Ethan together. It'll be difficult, but if each of us does our part, it can work."

I studied the diagram Takeshi had drawn, the plan forming in my mind. "If we're splitting like that, we'll need to move fast. The longer Ethan has free rein, the harder it'll be to stop him."

"That's why timing is key," Takeshi said, his voice steady. "No hesitation. Every move has to count."

Jin stretched his arms, a confident smirk tugging at his lips. "Guess we're all pulling double duty then. Let's just hope Ethan doesn't see it coming."

"Alright," I said, forcing confidence into my voice. "Let's do this."

Takeshi stood, brushing dirt from his hands. 

Jin smirked, stretching his arms. "No pressure, right?"

•

We stationed ourselves where we had initially set the trap for Ethan, keeping our strategy in mind. As expected, after a few tense minutes, they appeared. The match began with Ethan charging straight at us, his speed creating a gust of wind that whipped past. His target was Jin, but Takeshi intercepted him in an instant, moving with practiced precision. The two clashed, Ethan's erratic strikes countered by Takeshi's unyielding defense. It was like watching chaos meet order.

I turned my attention back to the field, only to see Alex moving toward me with a calm but focused gait. Before I could react, shards shot through the air, glowing faintly as they streaked toward me. I dodged the first volley, the shards embedding themselves into the ground with an audible crack. My focus darted between Alex, steadily closing the distance with deliberate steps, and the trajectory of the projectiles streaking through the air toward me.

Alex smirked as he approached, the air around him shimmering in an unnatural way. I couldn't tell what was happening, but something about his movements and the distortion in the air set off alarms in my mind. He extended his hand, and to my shock, the trajectory of the shards shifted mid-air, curving toward me from unexpected angles. I threw myself to the side, narrowly avoiding one that would have struck my shoulder.

"You're not bad at dodging," Alex said, his tone almost mocking. "But let's see how long you can keep up."

I clenched my fists, focusing my Regalia to form a shield, but before I could solidify it, Alex's distortion rippled toward me, forcing me to break my stance to avoid it. "How?" I shouted, frustration boiling over. How had he anticipated my move so perfectly?

"How what?" Alex replied with a smug grin, his tone laced with mockery. His movements remained calculated, and he didn't even glance toward Takeshi and Jin, who were still locked in combat with Ethan.

"How did you know I was creating?" I demanded, the words spilling out before I could think.

Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "Are you serious? Your eyes glow every time you use your Regalia. I don't know exactly what you're planning, but I'm not about to let you pull whatever stunt you were trying."

The shards continued their relentless assault, one grazing my arm and burning with residual energy. My mind raced for a solution, but their coordinated attack left little room for countering.

Alex rushed toward me, his movements unnervingly swift and purposeful. Each step he took seemed to warp the air around him, subtle ripples distorting the space between us. His speed wasn't at Ethan's level or even Takeshi's, but it was far beyond what a normal human could achieve. It wasn't just speed; there was power behind his movements too. Could this be part of his Regalia? It didn't seem possible. My instincts screamed at me to move, and I barely ducked under his first punch.

The blow passed inches above my head, the sheer force of it whipping the air around me. I twisted away, raising my arms to block as he pivoted with unnatural fluidity, his fist darting toward my side. My enhanced reflexes kicked in, allowing me to shift just in time. The punch missed, or so I thought, until an invisible ripple of force twisted the air and slammed into my ribs.

"What the—?!" I gasped, stumbling back. My mind reeled, trying to process what had just happened. Did his Regalia bend the space around his strikes? That had to be it. Every attack seemed to hit from an angle I couldn't predict.

Alex smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Surprised? You'll get used to it… probably."

He lunged again, a flurry of punches aimed at my torso and head. I weaved and ducked, every ounce of focus directed at avoiding his blows. But each time I thought I had dodged cleanly, the distortions twisted his strikes into impossible trajectories. A glancing hit landed on my shoulder, then another on my thigh, each one throwing me further off balance.

I gritted my teeth, trying to fight through the disorientation. If I couldn't predict his attacks, I needed to disrupt his rhythm. Timing my movement, I stepped in close, aiming a counterpunch at his chest. The strike felt perfect, the angle and force lined up—but just as my fist was about to connect, the space around him rippled, and my punch veered off course, grazing air instead.

"Nice try," Alex taunted, stepping back effortlessly. "But you're going to have to do better than that."

Before I could recover, another volley of shards arrived, which I could only guess originated from Lina. Their trajectories bent mid-air, twisting unpredictably as Alex's ripples distorted their path. The shards came at me from impossible angles, forcing me to dive and roll to avoid them. One sliced across my calf, a burning sting that nearly made me lose my footing.

Breathing hard, I pushed myself upright, my mind racing. The distortions weren't just protecting Alex—they were turning Lina's projectiles into precision-guided weapons. I couldn't even get close without being completely overwhelmed.

"What's the matter?" Alex said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Getting tired already?"

I didn't respond, my focus locked on his movements. He stepped forward again, closing the gap with a quick feint before throwing another punch. This time, I barely dodged, the ripple of force grazing my cheek. My counterstrike was equally futile, redirected by another distortion that left me wide open.

Lina seized the opportunity, unleashing another barrage of shards. I managed to summon a makeshift shield, but the shards exploded on impact, forcing me to stagger backward. My vision blurred for a moment, and I knew I couldn't keep this up much longer.

Just as Alex pressed the attack, a familiar voice rang out. "Hold on, Natsuya!"

Jin's energy surged as he broke free from Ethan, sprinting toward us with blazing speed. Ethan tried to intercept, but Takeshi caught him mid-stride, forcing the speedster to halt and engage Takeshi once more.

Jin reached my side in a flash, his presence a wave of relief. "Looks like you could use some help."

Alex's smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing at the sudden shift in momentum. For the first time, I saw hesitation in his movements, and it was all I needed to regain my footing.

"Let's even the odds," Jin said. Together, we turned to face Alex and Lina, the battle far from over but no longer feeling insurmountable.