The Martial Unity

Throughout the fight, Rui had wondered.

How hadn't they lost yet?

She was a Martial Squire, was she not?

What exactly was happening?

Based on the power and speed she had displayed the first time when she had missed, she should have been able to mangle them with just a few attacks, if not one.

Yet when she fought the second time, she was noticeably inferior.

Rui had been able to dodge her attack, as had Kane. Nel had been able to withstand her attack without losing consciousness the first time, although he did the second time.

It was only after a few exchanges that Rui understood.

('She's given up on using techniques entirely.')

Her proficiency with her body was sub-optimal, adding on top of that incompatible Apprentice-level techniques and these two elements sabotaged her accuracy too much.

She could not fix the proficiency with her body on the spot, that would require a lot of time, experience, and training. But she could get rid of the incompatible techniques sabotaging her accuracy.

But only if she stopped using them entirely.

It was a tough choice. But ultimately, she chose control over raw power, as a good Martial Artist would.

Once she stopped using incompatible techniques, her power dipped well below the Squire Realm, but her accuracy and precision had risen.

Once Rui realized this, he realized that maybe, just maybe, victory wasn't too far-fetched.

But only if they used everything they had. Throughout the fight, he watched her like a hawk. He documented everything about her.

Every twitch.

Every shift.

Every attack.

Every block.

All of it.

Large volumes of information entered his Mind Palace as he watched her toying with his friends with gritted teeth.

prolong the battle for his sake made

He was almost there.

So close.

He closed his eyes.

death in the eyes?" She had asked.

a click

had finally fallen in

He was ready.

right blitz

WHOOSH

BAM!

most accurate and perfect counter to the maneuver as he adapted to her

power combined, yet she didn't suffer more

a huge gap in physical parameters between her and them individually. If she was fighting against

have been easy for her

and for some reason, none of

were still alive through their seismic signatures. Yet

to vent it out on

die."

even bother

was warping the environment itself. She widened her eyes as she experienced a mental pressure that exceeded that

first time

she felt

a mere

"You... You will die."

it back as she propelled herself forward at a speed that beggared the

atmosphere wailed woefully as she

Yet.

WHOOSH

Rui avoided.

and adaptive models the VOID algorithm, Primordial Instinct,

he avoided it

BAM!!

into her chest with a titanic collision fueled by both

strike was beyond even Fae, even

they crashed into empty air as Rui

aggressive offense was not something she was comfortable with. On

Artist. These flaws made it easier for Rui to predict her. It

was doing merely just that;