The Martial Unity

RUMBLE…

"Get in!"

"Take shelter!"

"Make sure the kids are safe!"

The Quarrier Orphanage was in a state of panic when the earthquake ensued; the Kandrian Disaster Management Authority had issued emergency announcements to the northernmost parts of the Kandrian Empire, warning them about potential earthquakes throughout the entire day.

RUMBLE…

Lashara held on to the kitchen counter with fear in her eyes.

For some reason, despite all the chaos, a single thought rang in her head.

A single person.

"Rui…" She whispered.

"Be safe."

Alas, it was questionable whether her wish would be granted.

The Gatekeeper pushed his leg into the ground, launching himself forward at more than twice his previous speed.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The very act caused mountains to erupt in the air behind him. The battlefield shook as the Gatekeeper launched himself at speeds that were not supposed to be possible in the Senior Realm.

WHOOSH!!!!!

In the briefest fraction of a millisecond, he had already arrived before Rui. Instantly, the most powerful and fastest attack of the battle converged on him.

It threatened to crush him.

Ragnarok was originally a forbidden technique that relied on the metabolic immolation of the cells of his own body to generate power that exceeded the Senior Realm. Unfortunately, while the power of the technique made him more than twice as fast and strong, it was a technique that would extract his life should he actually use it.

With the advent of the Hungry Pain technique, Sir Armstrong discovered it was possible to significantly offset the worst consequences of the technique. It was his ultimate trump card. As far as he was concerned, there was no force in the Lower Realms that could withstand the power of the technique.

That was why he was shocked when Rui evaded the attack cleanly once more.

WHOOSH

His fist just barely missed him as Rui evaded the blow with an enormous surge of speed.

At that moment, their eyes met.

A single whisper escaped Rui.

"You're not the only one with forbidden techniques."

It was his only hope.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The evaded attack shook the heavens. The enormous wind currents and pressure imbalances it released began to coalesce.

It gave birth to something new.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!

An enormous hurricane was born.

It engulfed the entire battle and beyond.

Yet even as it grew at an alarming rate, not a single person paid it any heed. Each and every single one of them focused on one and only one thing.

The escalating battle between the two Martial Artists.

Even though Rui evaded the attack, he was unable to evade the destructive shockwave it produced.

"Rgh!" Rui grimaced, simultaneously using a maximum Weaving Blood to heal wounds that his maximum Nemean Blossom had been unable to prevent.

"HYARGH!" The Gatekeeper surged forth with even greater vigor and power, determined to overcome Rui with his newfound power; a powerful fist converged into Rui's position, threatening to crush him.

WHOOSH!!!

Rui would have died if not for his maximum Neo Godspeed.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instantly, a crater even larger than any Rui had ever seen was formed. Yet, his eyes were fixed on one and only one target, surging forward to exploit a rare opportunity.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!

A flurry of blows landed on the Gatekeeper's jaw even as he ignored them. His body coiled as it hurtled a titanic attack at his opponent at blinding speeds.

Yet, not even that could reach Rui.

WHOOSH

Yet, while the attack could not reach Rui, the destructive shockwaves certainly did.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Rgh!" Rui grimaced, gritting his teeth, surviving purely because of the grace of two Metabody techniques working hand-in-hand.

Yet the Gatekeeper did not intend to give him reprieve. A barrage of devastating titanic blows had surged forth toward Rui in a blinding flash.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Rui's eyes sharpened as he evaded each and every single blow within an inch of death. The gatekeeper's speed was so extraordinarily high that dodging before the attacks were launched was almost not enough!

In truth, Rui's eyes were unable to perceive the man's movements despite a maximum Neo Godspeed. There was one and only one reason that he was able to evade the Gatekeeper's devastating attacks over and over.

"Your patterns are more elementary than any I've ever seen."

Perhaps it was the price to be paid to abandon thought forever. In the absence of sophistication, simplicity was the only thing that could fill the void.

And fill the Void it did.

BAM BAM BAM!

A swift flurry of blows crashed harmlessly against the Gatekeeper's jaw even as the Gatekeeper launched yet another titanic attack surging forth at astronomical speeds.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The world roared agonously as the powerful attack inflicted a gigantic wound on its body.

Yet, it hadn't so much as touched Rui.

But the destructive shockwave did.

"Rgh!" Rui grimaced even as Weaving Blood healed the wounds that Nemean Blossom could not prevent.

Yet, neither of them had failed to notice that his regeneration speed had grown slower.

Rui had suffered a huge amount of damage throughout the entire battle. Not just from the two times that the Gatekeeper lightly managed to touch him but also from the omnidirectional destructive shockwave that constantly emerged from the man's fists.

As for the Gatekeeper, Rui failed to hurt him even a single time.

Their eyes met for a moment, and a mutual understanding flashed between them.

Both of them had used forbidden techniques, yet only one of them had suffered immense damage. It did not require a genius to figure out who would succumb to the effects of their forbidden technique first.

The impetus was on Rui.

His eyes narrowed as he flashed forward at blinding speeds, empowered by a maximum Neo Godspeed, Gale Force Breathing, and Outer Convergence.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He weaved through the Gatekeeper's devastating attacks, launching a flurry of powerful blows to the man's jaw one after another.

POW POW POW!

Yet, not even a speck of damage was inflicted upon the man. Rui gritted his teeth as he sharply evaded more attacks from the Gatekeeper. He didn't have much time left. He had lasted only thirty-four seconds when he had used four metabodies simultaneously. This time, given that he used only three, he estimated he only had forty-five seconds.

Yet, their perception of time was so high that not even a second had passed in real time since the Gatekeeper had unveiled his trump card.