The Martial Unity

"..."

"..."

Rui stared at him.

Nel stared back at him.

"You... what?"

"Broke through without em."

"No, surely..."

"Nope."

Rui tilted his head with incredulous confusion.

Broke through to Martial Apprentice without learning a single technique? What sort of nonsense was that?

Rui wasn't even sure what to say to that.

He wasn't even sure he believed him.

Was he lying to get Rui to lower his guard so he could later unveil them?

Looking at his sincere clueless expression, Rui shook his head, this guy was serious.

But wasn't that even more absurd?

"You... What is your Martial Path?"

"Take your stances." The supervisor had arrived, and quickly told them to be ready.

"Heh." Nel chuckled as he crouched, letting his arms dangle freely.

"My Martial Path is to beat everyone up using my body alone." He declared, his aura growing more feral by the second.

"..."

Rui's eyes flew wide open at those words.

For the very first time, he had run into someone with a Martial Path even more obtuse than his own!

"Take your stance." The supervisor insisted to Rui.

"I see..." Rui ignored him, staring straight at Nel with a boundless fascination and excitement.

He just couldn't wait!

"...My Martial Path is to beat everyone up with my VOID alone."

Rui adopted a neutral all-rounder stance, dividing his weight perfectly, positioning his arms and legs to be equally conducive to offense, defense and maneuvering.

"Fuuu..." He exhaled.

His mind went blank.

There was nothing.

And slowly...

He focused.

mental energy his mind had

He focused.

ounce of physical energy his body could

amazement despite

by the second, pouring onto him from a boundless abyss. It was almost

strong was

Nel wanted to know.

is stronger void boy!" He grinned as the savage weight of an apex predator oozed out of

of mental pressure the two boys generated burdened

one could

person could draw

supervisor commenced the

RUMBLE

with which Nel had launched himself sent

He snarled as he launched

WHOOSH

powerful swing crashed into a

BAM!

the side, but Nel simply blocked it, pushing the

POW POW POW

swift jabs. Rui leapt back, having calmly mitigated

combination of two mid-grade defensive

He grinned.

if ordinary

capable of

WHOOSH

shocking explosive speed, launching

BAM

bruised his arm visibly despite his

long suspected it, but only now had he confirmed that he could not take too many of Nel's more

another loaded

going to try and tank it

WHOOSH

feint. He used Balanced Direction and Parallel

BAM BAM BAM

launched a flurry of

was powered with

was not

too quick to allow Rui to land a clean strike on a

"Tsk." Rui retreated.

ordinary attacks aren't doing

WHOOSH

help of Primordial Instinct, stepping

Or so everyone thought.

at him with a punch, Rui charged right back

BOOM!!

clash shook the

at the sheer display of

his momentum to the max with Balanced Direction and Parallel Walk, and launched a Flowing Canon attack amplified with Outer Convergence and Vital

Nel's fist hadn't backed

the power of five Apprentice-level techniques with his

The boys furiously fought.

Fists were exchanged.

Kicks were dodged.

Attacks were endured.

And defenses were sieged!

and speed were lower than Nel's. A symmetric battle was not in his

things up with Phantom Step and

his speed did, and allowed him to land more