The Martial Unity

"It is time for the second round to commence," The new Master announced once everybody had been rejuvenated. "I am Bishop Uma, and I am the organizer of the second round."

She snapped her fingers and a ring table appeared around her on the podium.

Rui noticed a bunch of paper slips on the table that she was the center of when he studied it.

"As you can see, there are about forty passes on this table," She explained mundanely. "Each pass guarantees a contestant a spot in the third round. The forty of you who manage to get your hands on a pass, one way or another, will pass through to the next round, the rest will all be eliminated."

The Martial Squires frowned when they heard such a strange contest, the passes were right there in front of them, were they not?

Didn't that mean the fastest of them would get the passes first? Was she trying to filter away the slowest Martial Squires out of the competition?

Many of the heavier power or defense-oriented Martial Squires looked upset at this possibility, the contest was supposed to judge who was the strongest, not who was the fastest.

The part about the objective of getting a pass or item to select the winner was not unheard of. It was not an uncommon way to have a more open-ended competition where contestants had much greater freedom and choice on how they wanted to complete the objective of the contest.

"I haven't finished," She sternly remarked. "I have no interest in wasting time overlooking this round, thus I have decided to resume my training even while the round is underway. The contest will begin once I have begun my training technique. Note that there is no strict need for there to be forty winners."

This was another thing that stumped them. Were the rounds supposed to filter away only eighty percent of the contestants?

"I have already corresponded with the organizer of the next round and have obtained an agreement for reducing the number of victors to any degree if need be," She informed them with a stern expression. "If none of you pass through, then that's that. The Martial Contest will end right here."

evoked considerable surprise from the

underestimated how much power these bishop Masters have,') Rui narrowed his eyes. ('It seems they have absolute authority to organize the rounds however they wish to please with no checks or balances. That makes sense, I guess, considering

tribulations to obtain the passes, you will pass through, if not, you won't. Regardless, I shall engage in my training no matter

even more of a strange thing to say. Why was she the organizer if she did not even intend to oversee

feel the need to

off the ground, sitting midair as her cane settled on her

the middle of a contest round after organizing such

Godspeed, which would guarantee that he would reach

he abstained after thinking

and he did intend to at least gain a greater understanding before making any choice in regards

turns out, that

She activated a breathing

Immediately, everybody rushed in.

of people stepped

them, as was Squire Meera, and the grandma Squire and a

as well…') Rui mused as he fixed his eyes on the Martial Master. ('…of the storm that

WHOOOOOOOSH!!!

a gigantic tornado was born around the table the moment she began her mysterious meditation training with her breathing technique. The sheer intensity of the tornado blew away all of the

"Waaah!"