The Martial Unity

The two dashed towards each other.

('I'm faster.') Rui realized.

Yet despite this, Gale's strike reached first.

WHOOSH

Rui dodged the strike.

Gale continued dishing an onslaught of strikes and Rui avoided all of them cleanly. Ever since he mastered Primordial Instinct, his timing had grown much sharper and more accurate. Its synergy with the VOID algorithm was truly impressive.

Gale didn't stop, his strikes were straight forward and had a huge range. He launched all of them from outside Rui's striking range, so Rui wasn't able to do much.

('He's a long-range striking specialist.') Rui realized. Each strike had a huge reach, and he launched them in a way that deliberately prevented Rui from reaching close enough to launch his own attacks.

Rui keenly observed this before making a decision, he stopped avoiding Gale and instead dashed against him once more.

A flash of surprise morphed into Gale's expression as he quickly launched a straight jab at Rui, growing even more surprised when he saw Rui didn't avoid them, and instead ran into it even faster. Just as the strike was about to hit Rui

WHOOSH

Rui disappeared.

('A feint!') Gale realized.

BAM

meteoric impact

to draw his strike away while

reeling. He just barely managed to

Gale leaped back, grimacing.

recuperate and regain his bearings, he rushed in. Gale panicked when he saw Rui dashing in, feeling an immense

at Rui, expecting another feint. This time he was a bit more prepared, he didn't want to be

didn't dodge or

CLASP

the strike hit him, moving with it to reduce the impact while simultaneously grasping Gale's arm with

The Binding Lash technique.

outside the realm of striking

CRACK

Binding Lash technique allowed the user to

these

accuracy of his timing immensely. The VOID algorithm allowed him to consciously and actively analyze, evaluate and make a decision, while

physically stronger by virtue of being much older, but Rui had nailed the timing too well, that shoulder's fate was already

struggling with everything he had. Despite the advantageous position Rui had, he didn't give up and ruthless pressed and twisted the already dislocated joint,

might have been a career ending injury, but in the world of Gaea, within the Martial Art, this wasn't much of a big deal. Healing potions ensured

indicating his resignation. The pain was far too excruciating and even if Gale somehow broke through, he had no chance of winning with a mangled

sigh of relief. He did not enjoy the act of inflicting

exhaled deeply, getting up slowly, before throwing

He meant it.

the gap between them was. Gale had spent a long time in the Academy, and even with his mediocre growth, he had come to accumulate more power than most Apprentices in the Academy currently. But Rui still beat him cleanly, while

a hand to Gale's good hand.

had lost to Rui this cleanly, even if he won every other fight, he almost would not be chosen as the representative of the Academy. "I haven't