The Martial Unity

Funnily enough, this hadn't been the first time Rui had been defeated by a Squire-level technique. He, along with Kane, had been knocked by Squire Kyrie with a Squire-level technique. Although, she had done it in an extremely safe manner with the precision of a surgeon while Squire Dylon had done it in the most extreme way possible.

Of course, their circumstances had been extremely different.

Rui had woken in the medical wing of the Academy later. The first thing he did was glance at his arms.

"All healed up." He sighed with relief. They had been crushed by a single attack from a Martial Squire. "Man, he's so strong."

Rui muttered, sighing as he tried to squash his increasingly intense desire to break through into the Squire Realm. But alas, it wasn't time yet.

He closed his eyes as he directed his thoughts toward his Martial Art. He didn't quite feel the instinctive certainty about the maturity of his Martial Art that he had been told he would feel once his Martial Art reached maturity.

He shook his head. "Perhaps it will come once I cement my current level of power with experience."

It wasn't impossible after all.

He put those thoughts aside as he considered his situation at the moment. ('What to do from here?')

His immediate goals were, of course, still Squire candidacy and the Squire Realm, but he still had to plan and take steps to reach that level.

"For now... it's time to leave the Martial Academy." Rui murmured.

nearly a perfect three years since he first joined the Martial Academy.

Stage that had honed his body and bare basic hand-to-hand capabilities. The Exploration Stage had given him a taste of what Martial Art really was like and soon after he had discovered his Martial

experiencing the world through his many missions. The Martial Contest had been a highlight, allowing him to compare himself with his many peers across the Kandrian Empire. He had stepped outside the Kandrian Empire for the first time only when he had accepted his very first international commission, learning more about the world outside

him any meaningful value. He did not want

nurse noticed him awake. "I see

replied. "My arms

nurse replied. "We've completely treated and healed all your wounds. We'll just conduct a final check-up, and then you'll be discharged

in his sparring uniform, heading straight to the offensive technique training

exclaimed when he saw

smiled in response. "Instructor

for what I did, my boy." Dylon sighed as he apologized. "I lost

a much better understanding of what Martial Squires actually are capable of. Squire Kyrie has always held back and the Martial Squire my friends and I defeated could not

Rui nodded, consoling Dylon.

"Though I wouldn't hold it against you

shook his head, chuckling. The two bantered some more as Rui revealed that he was going to be leaving

Dylon sighed, with a mixed smile.

as an instructor?" Rui knitted his

head. "But, the accident in our spar might

see... Don't worry, I'm sure that the Martial Academy will recognize that this isn't something worth losing a Martial Squire instructor of your caliber. I have learned a lot from you, and

to bring tears to the eyes of this old man." Squire Dylon chuckled, before gesturing Rui away. "Good

goodbye before immediately heading to the