The Martial Unity

Rui opened his eyes slowly. An clear sky entered his field of vision.

He frowned.

Where was he?

He got up to his feet as he gazed forward, squinting as his eyes adjusted. A beautiful landscape extended as far as the eye could see as he gazed down at the breathtaking sight, appreciating its beauty.

But he was still confused.

He turned around, glancing at what was behind him, yet what he saw shook him to his very core.

He saw a path.

A path with profound depth.

A path he was on.

Yet what shook him wasn't the path itself.

No.

What truly shook him was treacherous calamities the path winded through.

Monsters.

Earthquakes.

Meteorites.

Land-breaks.

A torrent of devastating catastrophes littered his path.

It was a horrifying sight that inspired primal terror.

And yet, it inspired awe.

Through his terror, he could see profound boundless beauty in that path.

path enchanted him, mesmerizing him, whispering to

he wanted to walk

yet, when he took his first step, the

woke up a shock, jerking upright as he gasped

glanced around spotting his squire

dazed, completely confused. It took him a few moments to

again...') He thought

to my match?" His eyes widened as he glanced at

both silent for

get her with the Stinger, inflicting a critical wound. But the damage you took from her last strike had crossed the threshold, you fell unconscious not fifteen

see." Rui sighed, closing his

He had given that fight his everything, but

took a deep breath as he exhaled deeply, shaking

monstrous prodigy that has been cultivating techniques for six years. The odds were stacked against you in every way, in every possible parameter, yet you managed to not only push her going all-out but inflicted a critical

Your Martial Path extends far beyond the Martial Contest, this is merely

Yet, she wasn't lying. The fact that Rui was already half-way to being a Squire Candidate at the age of fourteen was truly astonishing. Furthermore, he had

a genius back in her era, yet even she couldn't

Voidbringer...') She mused. ('How

hold me back."

his hands, as a slight smile cracked

Contest had shattered and reforged his world view of what was possible and what wasn't. It expanded his view of Martial

all the various techniques he would master in his

dark eyes had already left

* * * * * * *

on a chair as she gazed outside the window of her room, as

a table some distance away,

honour and a matter of boundless prestige, yet

a pensive mood, unsure

knew what she felt. She wasn't sure about how she felt of

declared the Martial Champion and given that cup as the crowd went berserk with

KNOCK KNOCK

She

"Miss." Her butler bowed.

"What is it?"

has summoned you." He

nodded,

she walked towards the center of the

study of