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

impact

Phantom Step to draw his strike away while simultaneously using Flowing Canon once he reached

crashed into Gale, leaving him reeling. He just barely managed to throw up a guard as Rui

Gale leaped back, grimacing.

recuperate and regain his bearings, he rushed in. Gale panicked

a cautious strike at Rui, expecting another feint. This time he was a bit more prepared, he didn't want to be caught off-guard yet

Rui didn't dodge

CLASP

reduce the impact

The Binding Lash technique.

grapple counter as the most apt way of defeating Gale, dragging outside the realm of striking

CRACK

arm. The Binding Lash technique allowed the user to dislocate and break arms as long as the timing

these conditions

but counter-offense as well, allowing him to increase the accuracy of his timing immensely. The VOID algorithm allowed him to consciously and actively analyze, evaluate

older, but Rui had nailed the timing too

the advantageous position Rui had, he didn't give up and ruthless pressed

been on Earth, this might have been a career ending injury, but in the world of Gaea, within the Martial Art, this wasn't much of a big

too excruciating and even if Gale somehow broke through, he had no chance

the act of inflicting pain

Gale exhaled deeply, getting up slowly, before throwing a bitter smile at

He meant it.

the gap between them was. Gale had spent a

hand to Gale's good hand.

he almost would not be chosen as the representative of the Academy. "I