Meteor Kingdom Declares!
Phinx allowed a smug smile to play at his lips as he spoke, the resonance of his voice claiming the attention of everyone in the room. "We are here to deliver a message. Meteor City, from this day forward, shall be known as the Meteor Kingdom under King Haruto. Whether you acknowledge it or not."
The room stirred, the unease palpable. The president started to speak, "Emissaries of Meteor City-"
"Kingdom," Franklin interrupted, his deep voice cutting through the room like a knife.
The president chuckled, amusement flickering in his eyes, but it didn't reach the stern lines of his mouth. "Right, Meteor Kingdom. Your self-proclamation doesn't automatically translate to global acceptance."
Another emissary chimed in, this time from the Republic of West Gorteau, "Your Kingdom is but a week old. You possess no army, no firepower, no deterrents. If a country were to wage war, you'd crumble within a day. A single nuclear weapon would raze your 'Kingdom' to the ground. And you expect us to recognize you?"
The room fell into an eerie silence, eyes shifting from the Gorteauan to the trio from Meteor City. Phinx merely smiled, his aura flaring subtly. Suddenly, Nen masters who had been hidden in the shadows rushed forth, moving to stand protectively beside their respective leaders. But their movements were jerky, their faces pinched with unease.
"As you've noted, we are fledgling in our statehood. But do not mistake our age for weakness," Phinx said, his voice as steady as ever. His eyes held a challenge that was understood by all. "Your point about the Zoldyck family is quite apt. What keeps them from being threatened is not an army but the undeniable power they wield. The Meteor Kingdom, I assure you, is not without its deterrents."
Uvogin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He smirked, clearly amused at the discomfort displayed by the esteemed gathering. Franklin, with his arms crossed and his gaze locked on the president, didn't say a word, but his stern face was enough to send an undercurrent of unease through the room.
The president, recovering from the shock of the sudden show of Nen, cleared his throat. He took a moment to survey the room, his eyes lingering on the trio from Meteor City. "All right," he finally said, his voice hard. "Assuming we recognize Meteor City as Meteor Kingdom, how does that affect our international relations? And why should we even consider such recognition? There's no precedent of a nation claiming sovereignty without having any semblance of an administrative or military structure."
As he spoke, Uvogin's fingers twitched slightly, betraying his impatience. But Phinx didn't seem perturbed. He remained poised, his gaze locked on the president. "It's a matter of evolution, President," Phinx replied calmly. "Old precedents will have to make way for new ones. Meteor City, now the Meteor Kingdom, is evolving, with or without your recognition."
Phinx's statement caused a murmur to sweep across the room, the discordant whispers echoing in the grand hall. Each representative seemed to mull over his words, the uncertainty palpable.
"And if we refuse to acknowledge this 'evolution'?" asked the emissary from the Republic of Padokia, her gaze unyielding as she met Phinx's eyes.
Phinx simply smiled, a gleam in his eyes that spoke of hidden power. "Your refusal will not halt our progress," he answered confidently. "Recognition or not, the Meteor Kingdom will rise."
"We didn't come here to beg for recognition," Phinx said, the temperature in the room seeming to drop. "We are declaring, here and now, that the Meteor Kingdom will no longer serve as a garbage dump for your nations. If you have an issue with that..." His gaze swept across the room, each nation's representative squirming under his piercing gaze. "You're welcome to test the might of the Meteor Kingdom for yourself."
A murmur erupted amongst the delegates. They whispered amongst themselves, their uneasy glances flicking between Phinx, Franklin, and Uvogin.
Phinx stood tall, his posture exuding a controlled, dangerous calm. His suit, the symbol of Haruto's authority, seemed to take on a more commanding aura. To his right, Franklin. His fingers tapping an unknown rhythm against the polished mahogany table. His eyes flitted around the room, keeping tabs on every whispered conversation.
On Phinx's left, Uvogin glared at the delegates. His clenched fists rested on the table, his threatening aura practically visible. He broke the tense silence, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "You're all just afraid. Afraid of the change the Meteor Kingdom—represents."
The Rokarian president glared at Uvogin. "Meteor Kingdom, you say? A kingdom needs a king. Yet all we see are a group of adolescents trying to play grownups." His mocking words rang out, evoking scattered laughter from the room.
The Rokarian president's words, while aimed at Uvogin, bore a snide insult toward King Haruto. The laughter that followed felt like a slap in the face. Phinx's eyes grew icy, his aura of calm shattered.
The room's air pressure seemed to spike in response to their fury. Nen flared from the three of them, thick and oppressive, making the air heavy and suffocating. Even the seasoned Nen masters in the room, whose job was to protect their respective representatives, began to gasp, their faces turning white.
Phinx stood up slowly, his suit seeming to absorb the light around him, leaving him an ominous figure of shadow and menace. He fixed the Rokarian president with an icy stare, his voice like the winter wind slicing through the silence. "Do not dare to disrespect King Haruto."
His words were like a bucket of icy water over the room. The laughter died abruptly, and the room fell into a sudden hush. Uvogin echoed Phinx's sentiments with a low, dangerous growl, his aura of raw power making some delegates shift uncomfortably.
Beside them, Franklin sat quietly, his eyes locked onto the Padokian emissary. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished mahogany table, an intimidating beat that marked the ticking seconds of silence that followed Phinx's declaration.
"We are done here. Let's go," Phinx declared. There was no room for argument in his voice; it was a command, not a suggestion. He rose from his seat, his tall form exuding a chilling sense of authority. As if on cue, Franklin and Uvogin also stood, their movements synchronized, echoing their unity.
The room's atmosphere transformed instantly. It was as if a biting wind had swept through the hall, chilling the hearts of the representatives. The heavy silence that followed their departure seemed to amplify the soft creaking of the mahogany doors as they closed behind them. They had come not to beg for recognition but to demand respect, and that was exactly what they achieved.
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