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.

three years since he first joined the Martial Academy. He had already become sixteen years old. "So much has happened

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

many peers across the Kandrian

Academy could no longer provide him any meaningful value. He did not

A nurse noticed him awake. "I see you're awake. How

replied. "My

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

the medical wing in his sparring uniform, heading

back!" Squire Dylon exclaimed when he

smiled in

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

gave me 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 be

Rui nodded, consoling Dylon.

Dylon sighed in relief. "Though I wouldn't hold it against you if you were resentful. A direct hit with a Squire-level attack would kill most

The two bantered some more as Rui revealed that he

mixed smile. "I might be joining

you plan to retire as an instructor?" Rui knitted his eyebrows in

the accident in our spar

a Martial Squire instructor of your caliber. I have learned a lot from you, and I'm grateful

of this old man." Squire Dylon chuckled,

after bidding him goodbye before immediately heading to