The Martial Unity

The air on Ajanta Island grew heavy.

Heavier than it already was.

A strange sense of turmoil put everybody on edge.

The reason for it had been obvious.

Everybody had heard tales of the Martial Squire who killed a Martial Senior. Everybody had heard tales of the Martial Squire said to be chosen alongside the strongest and second-strongest guardians to fight off the Martial Seniors of the Kaddar Region. Everybody had heard tales of the Martial Squire that defeated Senior Xanarn alongside the second-ranked guardian.

Yet no one had seen him in more than a year.

Many of the new guardians that had emerged from the new influx of Martial Squires to the Floating Sect had never seen him. They did not know what weight these rumors held. It was easy to dismiss them as exaggerations.

A Martial Squire killing a Martial Senior? What kind of nonsense was that?

What really shocked many guardians was when Nake, the second strongest guardian swore on his life that this mysterious Martial Squire was stronger than him, and not by a small margin.

Such was the legend of Squire Falken in the Floating Sect.

And now, that legend had returned.

All of the guardians listened in rapt attention as guardian Rel-Ivon gushed about her meeting with the famed Martial Squire.

"I'm serious! Senior Sarak himself came all the way to greet Squire Falken!" She insisted.

The other guardians narrowed their eyes. "...A Martial Senior personally traveled to greet a Martial Squire?"

"Not only that..." Squire Rel-Ivon continued with an excited expression. "I have only seen Senior Sarak that respectful with Guardian Ieyasu."

She paused for a moment, as she gathered her words. "I can see why too...They look nothing alike, but they did have one thing in common."

She clenched her fists. "...An unfathomable depth of power. One that could easily be mistaken for a higher Realm if one was not careful."

Her words were grave.

Their severity could not be denied.

The guardians stiffened at those words. They wanted to refute them, however, she was, unfortunately, a credible source as a high-grade Martial Squire. Her words could not be dismissed easily. All of the guardians wondered what was going to happen now that this famed figure had returned to the Floating Sect.

Coincidentally, it had been announced that Senior Xanarn had finally exited her year-long isolated deep training session, making her first public appearance in a year. Many couldn't help but wonder whether the timing was not a coincidence. Many were convinced it was not.

It became evident that Squire Falken was so important that even Senior Xanarn exited her isolated training session to greet the Martial Squire.

bracket on the scheduled fights had

Tokugawa Ieyasu

sect stirred in the wake of this

suspected this would

would happen less than twenty-four hours after Squire Falken's return

of the Floating Sect, all one thousand guardians gathered

history of the sect, all three

the first time in its history, a duel would be arbitrated by Senior

fool could tell that what was to ensue was nothing short

was when the air

Every guardian froze.

down at her

stood on

Her skin tingled.

to contain the excitement in his voice when he

STEP

STEP

STEP

as he entered the colosseum with

seen him

as though they were seeing him for

they were

there

to its very

this

For this battle.

This moment.

would not

stand in his way, it

Senior Sarak was unable to

STEP

STEP

STEP

with shock as a profoundly sharp sense of peril

profound realization dawned on

did not

No.

They understated.

Every movement he made.