The Martial Unity

"They've grown a lot stronger," Rui murmured to himself as he watched from afar. "I guess they're really suited to spending extended periods of time in the manifold."

Rui was envious of them.

He couldn't spend that much time isolated from the outer world.

He needed exposure as Adaptive Evolution was a reactive phenomena. He couldn't spend an eternity in there and emerge stronger than if he dedicated that time to exposing himself to things to adapt to.

Someone like Nel was particularly suited to grinding in the manifold.

However, the one whose growth impressed Rui the most was neither Kane nor Nel.

It was actually the one he expected the least amount of growth from.

"What has he been doing…?" Rui frowned as he studied the monster that was the Gatekeeper.

BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM!!

"Run! He's too strong to face in our conditions!"

"He's stopping us from consuming our potions!"

He was a menace on the battlefield, wreaking havoc everywhere he went.

"He hasn't experienced the most drastic growth, but how the hell is he still growing so much stronger at his age?!" Rui stared at him in shock.

Rate of growth declined when one was old and approaching the end of their lifespan. This should have been true for the Gatekeeper as well.

Yet it was as though the man had found a way to defy this trend.

"He's much stronger than when I fought him," Rui realized with a hint of wariness in his eyes. "Specifically, his Martial Body has."

Rui didn't understand.

"He'd been in a coma for about three years until the Divine Doctor healed him." Rui watched him mopped up Martial Masters one after another. "So, he should be weaker if anything."

Yet, he was undoubtedly much stronger, faster, and more durable than during his duel with Rui. Even if Rui considered the standard Martial Body boost that all Upper Realm Martial Masters had gotten from the Divine Doctor, the Gatekeeper's growth was too drastic. He had reached a stage of power that was comparable to his forbidden technique Ragnarok in his regular state.

Naturally, it begged the ensuing question.

"Could I have beaten him as he is now when I was Senior?" Rui clenched his fists.

In truth, he wasn't sure.

Even if he took him at his strongest, which was shortly before he battled the chimera in the Mellow Dungeon, it was not something that he was confident in saying he would win.

Suddenly, operation clean-up left his field of senses as they followed the retreating Sekigaharan Masters far away from the battlefield.

"Your Highness, where are you going?" Master Zentra noticed him leaping and heading in the direction of the Operation Clean-up. "You're exhausted."

"I'll consume a potion," Rui promised as he smiled with excitement at seeing his old friends fight. "Hell, maybe I can join them."

"You can't use your Martial Mind a second time." Master Zentra narrowed his eyes. "You'll die from a brain aneurysm or a seizure. Don't."

"I won't need to, I can just use my Heart and still dominate them after I consume a potion."

"You need sleep." Master Zentra refused to compromise. "You cannot stress your mind with more combat. Have you forgotten the drawbacks of the Martial Mind? Why do you think we are not also leaping into battle after consuming some potions? It's because we cannot afford to stress our minds and brains more than we already have. You cannot use your system of thought or hypnosis, Martial Mind or not, until you've fully rested."

Rui paused, turning back.

Behind him, the Masters of Kandria took several minutes of reprieve, consuming potions as they slowly recovered from the drawbacks of the battle.

The dead were covered with large cloths, due to be moved back to the Kandrian Empire where they would be given a glorious memorial dedicated for their sacrifices.

He heaved a sigh.

"Fine. I won't fight."

Master Zentra heaved a sigh. "Good, then let's—"

"But I will watch."

Rui took off, consuming a potion as he ran in pursuit of the squad. A smile appeared on his face.

He couldn't wait to see what they would show him in this battle. He wanted to see the fruit of seven years of labor.

Meanwhile, Kane fought laboriously as he struggled to overwhelm the defenses of Master Inyen. He had to admit that her offensive lethality was so high that it served as a potent defense that deterred him from trying to attack her carelessly.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Kane evaded a series of her incredibly fast sword draws, avoiding her lethal piercing power.

Unlike Rui, Kane didn't need to predict her attacks to avoid them.

His reactions, reflexes, speed, and agility were far superior to that of Rui. He could evade her attacks with his innate abilities.

But with Fulminata Godspeed, it was almost easy, especially in her condition.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

He weaved around her sword combinations as he surged to her back, trying to take her out where she was unarmed with some of his fastest attacks.

CLANG CLANG!

His eyes widened as her sword found itself blocking his blindingly fast dagger attacks faster than he even realized. SPLAT!

His expression grew alarmed as a superficial wound appeared on his neck.

She had swung her sword so fast that even he barely had time to react to her.

'…Is she growing stronger faster?' Kane narrowed his eyes as he took stock of the situation. Her eyes were fixed on him.

Yet, it was strange.

It was almost as though she was unconscious.

Her breathing grew calmer as her body grew more relaxed.

The sense of peril she gave off only grew more intense.

"Ah…" Kane's eyes lit up with realization. "She's… entered the flow state."

It was an elusive state of mind where the mind was free of all distractions and superfluous thought, focused on one and only one task or objective.

Kane narrowed his eyes as he grew wary.

Anybody in this state of mind was far stronger than they would otherwise be.

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