Rui stood at the center of the battlefield.
His eyes were closed.
Before him were the five Martial Masters assigned to invigilate the battle.
They awaited the Gatekeeper.
They awaited his arrival.
VMMMM…
The land around them quivered ever so slightly.
Rui opened his eyes.
His instincts tingled.
A profound power radiated from some distance behind him.
It was different from the power of higher Realms.
It was less muted.
It lacked the sophistication of a Martial Mind that obscured the depth of its power. The Martial Mind deeply empowered one's combat prowess, yet its depth was not nearly as easy to comprehend or become aware of.
It did not inspire as much raw fear.
After all, one could not fear what one was unaware of.
This was different.
Every human and every beast, every creature, every lifeform, sentient or otherwise, understood.
They all understood the power of physicality.
They understood the power of size.
They understood the power of weight.
Darwinian evolution had long baked many psychogenetic danger evaluation systems in the brain that were all centered around physicality.
It begged the question.
How much fear would a Martial Artist, who could shake heaven and earth with each step, inspire?
RUMBLE
Rui was about to find out.
"I have arrived."
The depth of the Gatekeeper's voice stirred the hearts of those it graced.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Rui turned, beholding the behemoth of a man standing before him.
The very air boiled.
It boiled under the pressure of physicality.
It crackled under the weight of mind.
Peril, hardly bound by the Senior Realm, radiated from the duo collectively.
"Hooo…" A murmur escaped the Gatekeeper as he beheld Rui's eyes.
He beheld the endless void that stirred in the depth of Rui's pitch-black eyes.
A single word escaped his mouth.
"Magnificent."
A profound intensity entered Sir Armstrong's eyes.
"Forsooth, you are worthy."
RUMBLE
The very lands shook.
They shook under the weight of the Gatekeeper's emotion.
"I seek no further delay."
THUD
A single step from the gargantuan mountain of a man caused a seismic shockwave to radiate through the lands beneath them. He tucked his right fist to his side as it coiled with power.
RUMBLE
An unimaginable amount of power.
His left poised before him, serving as a guard. His legs were partially divided, with an equal amount of weight divided between them.
A tsunami of horrifying peril radiated from him.
It engulfed Rui, the invigilators, and the spectators.
It engulfed the very world.
It engulfed the very world in its unfathomable depth.
It threatened to crush Rui. It threatened to consume him whole. It threatened to deliver him death.
Yet, a single question escaped his mouth.
"Why do you fight?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Rui gazed at the Gatekeeper with a tranquil serenity.
The Gatekeeper narrowed his eyes.
"You have denied serving as a champion ever since you stepped down from the forefront of Kandria," Rui continued. "Why do you fight now? What is about this duel that it managed to earn you as a champion?"
Rui closed his eyes. "I am unable to imagine that Raijun earned your approval or your respect. I am unable to imagine that any offer or threat he could have made would have moved your heart."
He opened his eyes.
They bored into the Gatekeeper's.
The endless darkness within them stirred.
"…If not Raijun, then there can be one and only one reason."
His eyes narrowed. "Me."
The Gatekeeper stared at him in silence.
"Why do you fight?"
Sir Armstrong closed his eyes, heaving a soft sigh.
He opened them.
"I mourned at the revelation of your princehood."
Rui sharpened his eyes at those words.
"I mourned that Rael had chosen to unveil your royal bloodship."
The depth of his voice conveyed sorrow and regret.
"I feared that you would become seduced by the power of the throne."
His eyes bored deep into Rui's. "I feared that you would cast aside the path that you would have trodden had it not happened. And when you declared your campaign for the throne, my fears were realized. But…"
He clenched his fist harder. "…I have been given an opportunity to prevent catastrophe."
The depth in Rui's eyes intensified. "Catastrophe?"
"Catastrophe," the Gatekeeper affirmed. "I realized how much of a miracle of a Martial Artist you are after I successfully integrated your Hungry Pain technique into the configuration of my Martial Body."
Rui's eyes widened with shock. "…What?"
A small smile emerged on the Gatepeer's face. "It wasn't easy, but I have successfully harnessed its power in a manner akin to Martial Bodies born with its power embedded into it."
He closed his eyes. "You have my gratitude, Rui Quarrier Kandria, for elevating my Martial Body to a higher echelon of power. I will express my gratitude to you by defeating you in this duel."
He opened his eyes.
They flared with power.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})They bore into Rui's eyes.
"I cannot allow the catastrophe of your ascension to the throne to unfold."
His voice grew stronger.
"As I behold you, I am even more convinced of this truth."
He narrowed his eyes.
"The Age of Martial Art needs you, Rui Quarrier Kandria."
RUMBLE!
The very lands around them shook.
"It needs you too much. Too much to allow you to squander your Martial Path atop the throne."
His body brimmed with energy. His muscles quivered with power. His stance radiated peril.
"Now then," He growled. "Are you done stalling?"
A smirk emerged on Rui's face. "Was it that obvious?"
"Transparent," the Gatekeeper narrowed his eyes. "Allowing it is a token of my gratitude for your contribution to the power that you will personally experie-"
He froze as a maelstrom of peril erupted from Rui.
His eyes sharpened as he beheld Rui's.
He saw but one thing.
An endless darkness.
A void.
One that sought to consume the entire world.
STEP
Rui took his stance. Two fists were poised before him while his legs were centered, lightly bobbing.
"I'm ready."
The Gatekeeper closed his eyes.
"So be it."
That was the signal.
"Begin!" The invigilators commenced the battle.
BOOM!!!!!
All hell broke loose.
