The Martial Unity

"You're a Martial Apprentice already??" Kane gaped in shock.

Rui laughed at his reaction. "That's an exaggerated reaction."

"No way, you just reached the Exploration Stage in two months! Finding your Martial Path is tough and tiring. You need to dedicate your everything to Martial Art for you to have a chance of discovering it. How did you skip all that?"

('Skip?') Rui mused inwardly. ('I did nothing but that for forty years.')

"Maybe I got lucky." Is what Rui actually replied.

Kane scoffed. "There is no such thing as luck when it comes to discovering your Martial Path. You either achieve it or you don't."

Rui shrugged. He had no intention of revealing the truth, Kane would have to settle with having unanswered questions.

"Anyways, I'm happy for you man. I know how much effort and energy you've dedicated and invested in Martial Art." Kane smiled. "Congratulations. You've begun your journey down your Martial Path."

"Thanks for that, and also for the help you've given me." Rui replied.

"Don't worry about it." Kane waved.  "Ah, do you wanna spar?"

"Actually, I was about to ask you just that." Rui informed. "I'm curious about how well I stack up against you."

Kane nodded. "You free now?"

"Sure."

Rui hadn't yet transferred to the Apprentice dormitory. He had just finished the paperwork and had proceeded to head to straight to Kane.

"My paperwork is not yet submitted." Rui noted. "I wonder if we can still spar in the Apprentice sparring centre."

"It shouldn't be too much of an issue."

When they inquired the Martial Squire instructor in the facility, she acquiesced.

"I've been notified of your breakthrough, Rui Quarrier." She spoke. "Although it isn't official, it's not an issue. You can begin using the Apprentice facilities and resources right away."

"Thank you instructor Kyrie!" Kane exclaimed.

"Thank you, instructor." Rui followed. He recognized her, she was the same instructor the Apprentices fought against the other day.

She nodded, before walking away.

Rui and Kane warmed up a bit before entering the ring.

"Alright, you ready?" Kane asked with a smirk. "I won't use Apprentice level techniques unless I'm forced to, to be fair."

Rui nodded, taking his stance. "Let's begin."

As soon as the supervisors began the spar, Rui dashed against Kane with Balance Direction, hoping to close the distance as much as possible. He knew exactly how slippery Kane was. He threw several jabs once he reached striking distance of Kane. Who cleanly avoided them, before throwing a kick of his own.

To his greatest surprise, Rui cleanly and confidently avoided the kick almost as Kane had even launched it closing the distance. He was caught off-guard.

FOOM

Kane just barely managed to dodge a powerful straight punch from Rui, leaping back a few steps.

He glanced at Rui in surprise.

"How did you do that?" Kane asked, surprised. "Is this your Martial Path?"

Rui smirked. He was merely partially applying the range/balance system of prediction and countering moves. This was the Mark I VOID algorithm.

"Yeah, this is my Martial Path."

Rui dashed at Kane again, determined in getting a clean hit. He used both Balance Direction and Harmonic Breathing to maximize his speed.

Once he reached striking range, he threw a flurry of jabs with Collision Optimization. Kane dodged all of those with remarkable agility. He had grown wary of how Rui casually avoided his strike and almost managed to land a strike on him. This was a bit of a blow to his pride as an evasive maneuverer. He decided to stop holding back, and used multiple Exploration level maneuvering techniques.

Each and every single strike Rui threw missed Kane.

('He's going almost all out asides from the Apprentice level techniques') Rui marveled as he observed Kane. He had even recognized several of those techniques, having run into them as he browsed the Apprentice database.

In addition to Balance Direction, Kane was using Feint Shift and Axis Oscillation. The former was a maneuvering technique that improved the quality of feints using realistic shifts in center of gravity, while the latter was a technique that allowed the user to avoid strikes without being pushed back by shifting the axis of the center of gravity by as little as could be managed to evade the strike while returning to the original position.

These in combination allowed Kane to cleanly avoid every strike while not allowing Rui to push him back and corner him.

BAM

Rui grimaced, Kane had managed to exploit an opening in the position and launched a kick to the gut while evading Rui's strikes

The limitations of the Mark I VOID algorithm were not small, experienced evaders like Kane could overwhelm his style of fighting by sheer proficiency and utility of even Exploration techniques, let alone Apprentice level techniques. Another important thing was that Rui had only known these techniques for two months, he hadn't been using the Mark I algorithm for much longer either. He wasn't used to using either sets of techniques, whereas Kane had been using them for years now. The gap in experience could not be overcome easily. Not even with his potent Martial Path.

However, the nature of the VOID algorithm was to allow the user adapt and evolve. Although Rui was rough and inexperienced. He was still able to improve his timing as he got more and more used to and comfortable against Kane's fighting style.

BAM

FOOM

THWACK

WOOSH

A flurry of attacks and maneuvers peppered the ring, many bystanders grew absorbed by the intense eye-drawing battle. The intensity of the fight had escalated as an hour passed by. Rui's timing, coordination and response time was improving, while Kane grew more and more serious, using every ounce of his speed and skill. Neither side was willing to lose.

Strike

Dodge

Kick

Parry

Dodge

For a period of time, it was difficult for onlookers to understand who had the upper hand. Kane's biggest advantages were his superior speed, agility and maneuvering. Yet, for some strange reason, despite possessing inferior speed and mobility; Rui was somehow vaguely keeping up! The onlookers were unable to put their fingers on it. Even the Martial Squire, Kyrie, frowned at the sight. The placement and timing of Rui's movements, the accuracy of his decision and tactical approach were somehow so well chosen to suit the situation that they largely alleviated the advantage Kane inherently possessed.

('Kane's movements are faster... But Rui's movements are... better placed and better timed.')

She focused her eyes on Rui. She could see every time Kane moved, Rui moved almost immediately after Kane moved and moved in manner that correctly dealt with Kane's movements. If Kane began attack, Rui would begin to dodge almost immediately after Kane began his attack.

('He's not reacting to the attacks as they come... He's partially predicting them before Kane launches them, allowing him to react earlier.') She realized.

('But this level of foresight should be impossible in someone who just reached Apprentice level.') She didn't understand how Rui was able to execute such high-level decision making.

Furthermore, she could see that his tactical course of actions was changing, not in sharp intervals, but almost... smoothly. Every minute he would make slight changes to the manner in which he fought; these changes made his course of actions more suited to handling Kane. She could almost see his fighting style smoothly shaping and flowing to a greater and more suited style of combat to counter Kane.

('Almost like... water.')

The intensity of the fight had peaked. The tension in the air was so taut, one could almost cut it with a knife. The two boys were intensely focused. Every ounce of their mind was consumed into their fight. Their fight had cast a spell on those who beheld it, enrapturing them, they almost wished it would never end,

Yet, all good things came to an end in this cosmos.

BAM

Kane landed a powerful strike against Rui's diaphragm. He had smoothly ducked right under Rui's punch and launched his most powerful attack on the latter's abdomen.

Rui collapsed, gasping for air as his diaphragm froze for a few seconds out of shock, before returning to normal.

Both of them were sweating and panting. Yet the winner was clear.

"Let's...*pant*... call it a day." Rui panted. "As expected, you're still ridiculously strong even without Apprentice level techniques." Rui laughed shakily, still gathering his breath.

Kane shook his head. "Your rate of growth is ridiculous, seriously, you're amazing. I'm gonna be honest with you, I didn't think you could push me this far man." Kane sincerely complimented.

"You didn't use any Apprentice level techniques though." Rui chuckled.

"I swear I came damn near close to. I dunno what you did, but you scared the shit out of me at times."

"Thanks man." Rui valued those words, especially when they came from Kane.

"Your style of fighting shifted a lot from the start to end... Is this related to your Martial Path?" Kane asked with great curiosity.

Rui nodded. "Help me up, I'll tell you all about it on the way back."