The Martial Unity

In the battle arena of a colosseum, stood a man.

A man surrounded by many Martial Artists.

All of them were unconscious.

All but one.

"You've truly grown stronger," He murmured softly.

His pitch-black eyes peered at the blue-haired Martial Artist wielding two daggers, standing before him amidst a sea of bodies. "Then again... you did manage to become the guardian of the second chamber in just a year..."

Kane stood before him, panting. His body was heavily bruised and cut, in sharp contrast to his opponent. Out of all the one hundred guardians of the first class, he was the only one who had managed to remain standing.

In the past year that Rui had left, Kane had resolved to develop a powerful foundation with daggers. It turned out that his previous inhibitions with the issues that came with adding an element that completely altered a Martial Art were unwarranted.

He experienced a shocking growth in lethality. Especially when he chose a dagger made out of esoteric substances that could conduct electricity, allowing him to employ the current that his Fulminata technique generated.

In the past month, he had challenged guardians one after the other, he had even managed to usurp the second-ranked guardian in an extremely intense fight. The successes had validated his choice. The lethality that his dagger presented him allowed him to become a major threat to others without needing to learn powerful techniques.

Of course, just holding a dagger prevented him from being able to use other forms of offense, but he wasn't an all-rounder like Rui, so he didn't care if his flexibility fell. Ultimately, the decision turned out to be worth more than its weight in gold.

And yet.

'He's too damn strong!' Kane gritted his teeth.

He had managed to just barely get the better of the grade-ten Martial Squire that used to occupy the second rank, but against Ieyasu, he was helpless.

Ieyasu paused, turning his head as he peered in a particular direction with sharp eyes.

A small smile broke onto his face.

"Let us put an end to this battle. I do not care for this dull battle anymore." Ieyasu turned his back towards Kane uncautiously, heading towards the exit.

"What, you're just gonna walk out and let me slander you instead of just beating me?" Kane frowned.

"An important development has just occurred. Important to both you and me. If I were you, I would accept this mercy gratefully. Your friend would not be pleased to find you battered and bruised the moment he arrives." Ieyasu spoke. "Then again..."

He turned towards Kane, almost whispering. "Maybe that is all the more reason to kill you."

Kane's eyes widened as he felt his hair standing on edge, chills crawled up his spine as saw himself in the black of the man's dark eyes.

Pure peril oozed out from the man, clogging the air around them.

"Do not make me repeat myself." He turned around, walking towards the exit.

Kane heaved a sigh as he relaxed, furrowing his eyebrows. 'Friend...'

His eyes widened as he belatedly realized who he was talking about, feeling stupid. The bloodlust had overshadowed his words there for a moment, delaying Kane's realization. A grin emerged on his face as he shot out of the battle arena himself, rushing out the battle arena.

Meanwhile, Rui was getting up to speed on the circumstances of the Floating Sect. Much had happened, and Senior Sarak had begun explaining everything to Rui without compunctions "The medical team did their due diligence alright, I made sure of that. If not for the fact that they bore the seal that I gave you. I would not have allowed them to operate on Senior Xanarn."

"And the result?" Rui asked.

"See for yourself." Senior Sarak smiled as they entered a chamber.

Rui briefly smiled when he saw a lone figure standing at the center of the chamber.

Her Martial Heart blazed into life as streaks of glowing red lines coursed throughout her entire body from her chest. The power of a Martial Senior radiated from her unabashedly.

The sight of it was bittersweet for Rui. He was happy that she had regained the power that she had earned with her own efforts. But he was not in a state of mind where his burning desire for it could be prevented from clouding his happiness.

She maintained it for several seconds before switching it off, heaving a deep sigh.

She opened her eyes, which was uncharacteristic for her. The two of them gazed at each other wordlessly.

"Ahem, I shall give you some private time." Senior Sarak smirked as he closed the door to her training facility, leaving them alone.

Yet, neither uttered a word.

"In the many years that I have been a guardian of the Floating Sect..." She began. "I have stepped forth to protect it many times. I have stood guard over it for many, many years. It is not a duty that I will shirk away from. Yet as a result... I have almost forgotten what it feels like to be protected."

A smile bloomed on her face as she bowed deeply. "Thank you for protecting me. Thank you for saving my life, and more importantly, my ability to pursue my Martial Path... Words cannot convey the weight of my gratitude."

Rui could sense that.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I did it because I wanted to. That's all."

For a moment there was silence.

She didn't know what to say.

She walked towards him, putting her hands on his cheeks and leaning in until their foreheads touched. "...What happened?"

"Hm?"

"You... have changed. Your voice has grown sharper." She murmured. "So much so that it almost hurts to listen to. Like a chalk on a blackboard."

"Ouch," Rui murmured. "Ruthless."

She smirked in response.

"You've grown stronger, too."

"Hardly." His eyes sharpened.

Her smile fell.

She didn't know what to make of those words.

"Do you yearn for power that much?"

"More." Rui's voice came out sharper than he intended. A melancholic expression occupied her face.

"I do not know how to help you with that," She murmured. "However, now that I have regained my power... you can treat it as your own. All of it belongs to you. My life would have ceased had it not been for your efforts, it may very well belong to you. That... is the weight of my conviction. Only then can I possibly pay off my debt."

She leaned in, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

It was a soothing gesture, one that he reciprocated with greater vigor than he had expected to be able to muster up. As much as he wanted to head out and fight Ieyasu to the death, he was too tired after a week of non-stop travel. He couldn't help but indulge in the soothing relief that she offered him as their bodies entangled.