The Martial Unity

'...Besides, there's still something I have to do during the banquet.' Rui narrowed his eyes.

Once he completed that, he would have no qualms about running as far away from the Virodhabhasa Faith as he could. Finally, the angsty meeting with the three Martial Masters ended as the remaining two also disappeared, wishing him a good day.

Rui heaved a sigh with furrowed eyebrows, glancing at Master Deivon.

He took looked weary. "Master Uma is not all up there. But she was right about one thing..."

He glanced at Rui. "I cannot protect you forever. You need to grow stronger. Gain power. Higher Realms of power. Only then can you exert your sovereign. The only reason you could even engage in a dialogue with her is because I was standing beside you. In the future, you must be able to do that by yourself."

Rui understood this dynamic quite well.

It was no different from caretakers and other staff assigned to care of an infant heir of a powerful emperor, tasked with shaping him into a powerful person worthy of succeeding the throne.

They essentially revered him as the future emperor, but they nonetheless would not accommodate his autonomy in order to nurture and train him to shape him to be exactly what a nation needed.

The resistance of a child was futile, in that regard.

Rui knew that something similar was going through the mind of Master Uma at the moment. A twenty-four-year-old Martial Squire may as well be a child in the eyes of a grandma who had lived for more than two centuries. She had addressed him as boy before she came to believe he was the Virodhabhasa.

in this world.'

And now he could feel the true importance of it, especially

when he pursued his Martial Path purely for the sake of Project Water. But it was undeniable that he was a lot more driven

stronger than

world

rest..." Master Deivon told him, earning a nod. "Ah,

Rui glanced at him.

extraordinary Martial Artists I have ever seen. Your dedication to your Martial Art is inspiring. Your determination to tread your Martial Path is admirable. The individuality you have generated to propel yourself forward is humbling. Your devotion to those you care about

smiled, closing his eyes before walking

he felt a surge

days.' He sighed as he made a spontaneous decision after scanning the limits of the full-range Riemannian Echo for any espionage technology or spies, before whispering in a

Deivon froze on the spot, turning

is my real

Rui for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "You... I see.

me regret this decision," Rui

that the trust

day, as he prepared for what was shaping up to be

the ceiling, lost in his thoughts before

tournament. He had gone above and beyond just the VOID algorithm in two of the three fights he fought, and while he most certainly enjoyed every minute, it did take

had abused techniques like