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.

the battle for his sake

He was almost there.

So close.

He closed his eyes.

wish to look death in the eyes?" She had asked.

heard a click in

piece had finally

He was ready.

right blitz

WHOOSH

BAM!

the most accurate and perfect counter to the maneuver as he adapted to her attack with the help of the adaptive

both of their power combined, yet she

that there was a huge

should have been

time had passed since the fight began and

feel that Nel, Fae, and Hever were still alive through their seismic signatures. Yet

to vent it out

die." She glowered

even

his bloodlust. It was almost as if his desire to kill her was warping the environment itself. She widened her eyes as she experienced a mental pressure that exceeded that of anything she had

first time since

then she felt

mere Martial

"You... You will die."

pushing it back as she propelled herself forward at a

as she tore it apart with every

Yet.

WHOOSH

Rui avoided.

models the VOID algorithm, Primordial Instinct,

he avoided

BAM!!

elbow crashed into her chest with a titanic collision fueled by both their

as blink. She unfurled a flurry of strikes at him, the power of each strike was

into empty air

tell that an aggressive offense was not something she was comfortable with. On top of that, she was

a Martial Artist. These flaws made it easier for Rui to predict her. It was part of the reason he was coping

doing merely just