"Maybe there are beasts in the Beast Domain who can suit my needs." Rui pondered aloud. If Martial Artists weren't able to cut it, then maybe powerful Apprentice-level beasts could.
After all, wasn't the whole purpose of purchasing the Reverberating Lance technique to be able to harm beasts with great body mass?
Rui shrugged. "Alright, why not?"
He put that on his checklist. He had planned to enter the Beast Domain before he entered his last training stage.
"But there's still something left to do before that..." Rui murmured.
A week passed.
The many Martial Apprentices of the Martial Academy had gathered at the main hall of the Martial Academy before the elevated podium. Upon the podium was Headmaster Aronian. He gazed at all the Martial Apprentices before him, before addressing them.
"Today we gather to celebrate the graduation of a peer of all of you. A fellow peer who joined the Academy and is now ready to step out and move forward with his life." He began, before continuing. "The Martial Academy is a haven for Martial Art. It fosters the foundations needed for Martial Art in the Foundation Stage while also creating an environment within which all of you could immerse yourselves within yourselves and Martial Art before discovering your Martial Path."
He paused, before continuing. "Yet there comes a time when your Martial Path grows too deep for a mere academy to contain. Someday all of you will depart this place that has sustained your growth, as you follow your Martial Path. Someday this place will cease to be a haven and turn more into a shackle. When that day comes, you will leave, as you must. Today is that day for Apprentice Rui Quarrier. He joined this Academy three years ago, and today is that day. The day he departs this Academy and becomes a true full-fledged and independent Martial Artist. Please welcome Apprentice Rui Quarrier for his farewell with a round of applause."
Headmaster Aronian gestured at Rui as he walked on stage, drowned by a wave of loud applause. It took more than just several seconds for the applause to die down. The Martial Apprentices of the Martial Academy had come to develop an immense amount of respect and admiration for him, and it reflected. He was a source of inspiration for many who had witnessed his astronomical rise in the span of three years in the Academy. There were more than just a few Martial Apprentices in the crowd who were part of his batch of students of the Martial Academy, although that fact did not matter once students reached the Explorer Stage.
"Ahem." Rui cleared his throat as the applause finally died down. "I won't bore all of you with a super long boring speech, especially since this will probably be the last time I see many of you. In the past three years, I have shared countless spars with all of you. We have all forged ourselves with the heat of our peers and we have all grown stronger as a result. I do believe that I would not be here today if not for you, my peers, and especially those of you that I truly consider friends."
He said as he grinned at the beaming faces of his Kane, Fae, Nel, Hever, Milliana, and Dalen down at the crowd.
"I would like to thank all of you, not just my peers and friends, but also all of the Squire instructors of our Academy for all the tutelage and guidance you have showered me with as I pursued my Martial Path and developed my Martial Art. I would like to extend a special thanks to instructor Kyrie and instructor Dylon for the aid they have provided me with in my time in the Academy." Rui mentioned both of them. "I would like to thank headmaster Aronian who has aided me with his wisdom whenever I was in need of it. I would like to thank all of the staff of the Martial Academy for ensuring this gigantic and complex institute is always running smoothly. Thank you all for all you've done for me. I will now be taking the next step into the next phase of my life and I hope that all of you succeed in the pursuit of your Martial Path. Thank you, and farewell."
He bowed deeply as not only the Martial Apprentices but all those who had attended the convocation began clapping loudly. A thunderous applause resonated across the hall as Rui rose before making his way off the podium and into the crowd.
He interacted with all of them, accepting their congratulations and well wishes until he reached his friends.
"So." Kane sighed. "You're leaving already huh?"
"You're supposed to say 'congratulations Rui' there." Fae threw a disapproving look at him.
"Wait till I graduate!" Nel grinned. "I'll be even stronger than you!"
"Good luck with your further endeavors." Hever calmly wished him, nodding.
"It feels quite surreal to think that you'll be leaving the Academy," Dalen muttered.
"Congratulations." even the normally mute Milliana wished him.
"Thanks." Rui laughed, before reassuring all of them. "Nothing much changes, if you ask me. We can still hang out and even complete missions together regardless."
They bantered a bit before he bade them an emotional farewell before heading back to his dorm room with Kane.
On his bed lay the same old cloth back that he had brought with him when he first joined the Martial Academy three years ago. The sight of it still brought back waves of nostalgia from back then. He felt wistful about leaving the Martial Academy, yet his eagerness of being an independent full-fledged Martial Artist was even greater.
"So you're really leaving huh?" Kane sighed.
Rui turned to face him. "Hey man, cheer up. You're still my best friend. We can still hang out and do missions together."
"Yeah, it's just going to get duller without you here anymore." Kane sighed. "Maybe I ought to leave the Martial Academy too."
