1562 Beyond
Rui found himself on the defensive.
Kane had evaded his counter, disappearing at an astonishing speed while also simultaneously almost killing him.
Rui knew that he had swung with the intent to kill. If Rui hadn't leaped away, he would have died.
The realization melted away every ounce of restraint that Rui had. Kane had reached a level of power that was second only to Rui and Ieyasu before they broke through. Since he wasn't using his Martial Senior at the moment, he was effectively a Martial Squire at the moment barring his senses.
He had already told Kane to attack with the intent to kill. Kane could not afford to hold back. Kane had conditioned himself mentally to be prepared just for that. He was not going to hold back at this juncture.
Kane swung his daggers in strange manners as his speed continuously increased reaching levels that Rui didn't think was possible within the Squire Realm.
He grew faster and faster.
His agility had skyrocketed.
The speed gap between them increased continuously, so much so that Rui didn't even feel like he was using Neo Godspeed.
Despite suffering from Temporal Disharmony that hampered his own perception of time, he still relied on the reflexes that he gained from Fulminata to flub up his own techniques. The grade-ten technique was able to edge out the grade-nine hypnotic technique narrowly, allowing Kane to keep up with his own movements.
WHOOSH!
Kane's dagger slashed at Rui in a strange manner almost lopping his head off. The dagger also created a gust of vacuum on one side of Kane, while directing air currents on the other end. The massive pressure differential propelled Kane forward at the astonishing speeds that he was displaying.
Rui's eyes widened as he understood the mechanism of the technique. Kane had developed a technique centered around his daggers, one that allowed him to generate a pressure differential from one side to the other, to thrust to him reach higher speeds than he alone would ever reach.
The most impressive part was that he only needed to attack as he normally did while relying on the movements of the attacking daggers to generate the pressure differential allowing him to maneuver at extremely high speeds.
It was free speed!
It was a powerful technique that integrated the daggers deeper into his Martial Art, truly making it a part of his Dancing Shadow Style. The individuality of the technique had elevated the individuality of his Martial Path past a critical threshold.
Kane launched a flurry of dagger blows at Rui, who promptly evaded them, leaping away.
WHOOSH!
Kane was already at his side, launching an onslaught of blade swings at him.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Rui evaded each and every single one of them, yet Kane never let up a single time. His eyes were fixed on Rui as he rushed forward.
His blades turned into circles of cleaving pressure, threatening to hack away at Rui, generating pressure differentials that turned Kane into blurs even in Rui's eyes.
He had become a fleeting shadow of death.
And yet, not even that reached Rui.
POW!
Rui's fist crashed his jaw. Kane grimaced, leaping away as he beheld Rui with wide eyes.
The void had arrived.
He had temporarily managed to gain an upper hand as Rui acclimatized to his new technique. But it wasn't too long before he had adapted even to this new powerful technique.
It was novel, but decoding it had been easy once Rui realized the mechanics of the technique.
He just needed to find the patterns in the causal relationship between Kane's dagger movements and the resulting pressure differentials that propelled him. Once he found the patterns between the cause and effect, he was able to predict the effect from the cause with remarkable accuracy.
Rui donned the strongest Mind Mask that he could muster without a Martial Heart. A mountain of murderous pressure pressed down on Kane's shoulders.
A deep sense of desperation overcame as his instincts and emotions took control. He forgot that this was a merely an exercise to trigger his Martial Heart.
Rui didn't allow him to remember.
He needed to push Kane to the absolute limit.
The threat to his life needed to be, and was, palpable.
The critical phase had arrived.
WHOOSH!
Kane gritted his teeth with sharpened eyes as he rushed forward as his dagger chased after Rui's throat.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Rui evaded each and every single blow with ease.
BAM!
Kane blocked his heavy blow as surged forward, moving even faster. His blades disappeared, flashing at Rui with blinding speeds.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Rui cleanly evaded them as his fist flew forward, exploiting a blindspot.
WHOOSH!
Kane barely managed to evade the well-timed attack, leaping to the side.
And despite that-
BAM!
A swift blow had already arrived, slamming into him. Kane grimaced, yet he persevered, as he pushed himself to the absolute limit.
His skin tore.
His muscle burned.
His joints creaked.
He pushed himself to the absolute limit reaching speeds he had never reached before.
And yet, it was for naught.
WHOOSH!
Rui evaded his attack as his foot found its target, a powerful kick crashing into Kane's guard.
Their eyes met mid-clash.
Time seemed to slow down in his eyes despite Temporal Disharmony.
He gazed into Rui's eyes.
The endless void gazed back into him
It had arrived.
It hungered.
It threatened to consume the very path that Kane stood on.
One that he had tread for most of his life.
Despair seemed to slowly creep up from within his heart. A part of him wanted to allow it to consume him.
A part of him wanted to cease his effort.
Why did he fight anyway?
'Why do I fight…?' The question echoed in his mind.
He beheld Rui before him.
'Ah…'
A small smile cracked at the edge of his mouth.
His eyes surged with determination as he faced Rui head-on, pushing himself to the absolute limit…and beyond.
BADUMP!
