The Martial Unity

Rui stood at the center of the battlefield.

His eyes were closed.

Before him were the five Martial Masters assigned to invigilate the battle.

They awaited the Gatekeeper.

They awaited his arrival.

VMMMM…

The land around them quivered ever so slightly.

Rui opened his eyes.

His instincts tingled.

A profound power radiated from some distance behind him.

It was different from the power of higher Realms.

It was less muted.

It lacked the sophistication of a Martial Mind that obscured the depth of its power. The Martial Mind deeply empowered one's combat prowess, yet its depth was not nearly as easy to comprehend or become aware of.

It did not inspire as much raw fear.

After all, one could not fear what one was unaware of.

This was different.

Every human and every beast, every creature, every lifeform, sentient or otherwise, understood.

They all understood the power of physicality.

They understood the power of size.

They understood the power of weight.

Darwinian evolution had long baked many psychogenetic danger evaluation systems in the brain that were all centered around physicality.

It begged the question.

How much fear would a Martial Artist, who could shake heaven and earth with each step, inspire?

RUMBLE

Rui was about to find out.

"I have arrived."

The depth of the Gatekeeper's voice stirred the hearts of those it graced.

Rui turned, beholding the behemoth of a man standing before him.

The very air boiled.

the

the

by the Senior Realm, radiated from the

murmur escaped the Gatekeeper

beheld the endless void that stirred in the depth of Rui's pitch-black

single word

"Magnificent."

profound intensity entered Sir

"Forsooth, you are worthy."

RUMBLE

The very lands shook.

shook under the weight of the

no

THUD

through the lands beneath them. He tucked his right fist to his side as it coiled with

RUMBLE

unimaginable amount of

were partially divided, with an equal

tsunami of horrifying peril radiated from

engulfed Rui, the invigilators, and

the very

very world in its

Rui. It threatened to consume him whole. It

question

"Why do you fight?"

Gatekeeper with a

narrowed his

stepped down from the forefront of Kandria," Rui continued. "Why do you fight now? What is about this duel that it managed to earn

closed his eyes. "I am unable to imagine that Raijun earned your approval or your respect. I am unable to imagine that any

He opened his eyes.

bored into

endless darkness within them

Raijun, then there can be one

His eyes narrowed. "Me."

at

"Why do you fight?"

eyes, heaving

He opened them.

the revelation of your

his eyes

that Rael had chosen to unveil your royal

depth of his voice conveyed sorrow and

would become seduced by the

would cast aside the path that you would have trodden had

have been given

Rui's eyes

Gatekeeper affirmed. "I realized how much of a miracle of a Martial Artist you are after I successfully integrated your Hungry Pain technique into the configuration of my Martial

widened with shock.

harnessed its power in