She had mastered several dozens of techniques, techniques Rui had never heard of or seen before. She was constantly using several techniques at once, at a minimum and that number could rise to double digits very often.
Her speed was blurringly fast, and it took Rui everything with the VOID algorithm, Primordial instinct, and the Mindmirror Symbiote to be able to keep up. Had he lacked even a single one of those elements, he would not have been able to keep up with her, even in a passive position.
However, he was no quitter. He racked his brain for a path to victory as he desperately defended and evaded her onslaught. The problem with all-rounders was that they didn't have an obvious weakness. Thus, there wasn't a particularly obvious or straightforward avenue that he could exploit in order to gain an advantage against her.
('I need to turn the battle into a grappling one.') Rui knew. The VOID algorithm agreed with him. A grappling battle mitigated the effectiveness of her speed advantage. Of course, as an all-rounder, grappling as far from her weakness, however, would likely end up being a better outcome than allowing her to capitalize on her best asset.
The only problem was that he hadn't mastered any Squire-level grappling techniques.
POW POW POW!
Rui guarded against a flurry of jabs.
('I'll have to go for basic grapples but apply Outer Convergence and hope for the best.')
He waited patiently as the optimal moment showed itself. In the meantime, his body had already begun aching immensely as her staggering blows and soon enough it did.
WHOOSH
Rui evaded a hook as he crouched, dashing for her hip, using Outer Convergence for power and Wind Breathing for speed.
BAM!!
A tremendous and blindingly fast elbow crashed onto his head.
The sheer impact rattled his head and his brain. Despite all the evolution that he had undergone, he was still very much susceptible to blunt-force trauma.
He staggered, disoriented, yet before he could regain his bearings:
POW!
A swift kick landed on his chin, sealing the deal.
THUD
Rui collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
When he woke up, he found himself staring at a white ceiling.
('An unfamiliar ceiling.') he thought, jokingly, before getting up and looking around. He was in a medical bay, occupied by several other nurses and patients.
"Squire Quarrier." A voice addressed him. A doctor walked towards him. "Glad to see you've woken up."
"Where exactly am I?" Rui scratched his head.
"Within the medical wing of the Hajin branch of the Martial Union, of course." The doctor replied. "I'm pleased to inform you that you've made a complete recovery. You have an unnaturally high healing capability for your particular Martial body, by the time you were brought to the hospital, all your physical wounds had completely healed. We didn't even need to administer any healing potions."
Of course, Rui was not surprised by this. The Mind Switch technique that he had mastered triggered autophagy, which supplied the energy for the higher rate of healing his Martial body had evolved to have.
"You have access to the data of my Martial body, doctor?" Rui asked.
"Of course." The doctor replied casually. "Medical treatment of Martial Squires is more complicated than that of medical treatment of normal humans due to your evolved and inhuman parameters. We require your personal data in order to ensure you receive personalized medication and treatment."
Martial Squires had evolved genes, which meant that the field of medicine had to develop an additional branch that allowed them to treat different kinds of Martial bodies. Changes in genes produced changes in the metabolism of the Martial Squire. Ordinary medicine that was not personalized to suit Martial Squires was not only effective but also dangerous and risky.
"You said I've fully healed up, correct? Does that mean I can be discharged immediately?" Rui asked.
"Of course, you just need to sign some paperwork and you're set to go." He informed Rui.
Rui obliged, and soon he found himself leaving the Martial Union, heading home.
"I got my ass beat." Rui sighed. He wasn't surprised, of course. Squire Kyrie may have been retired for quite some time, but physically, she was still in great shape. Furthermore, she was an extremely strong Martial Squire who had been dubbed the Berserker of Hajin. She had also won the Martial Contest when she was a Martial Apprentice of the Martial Academy.
If the Squire Realm was as large and wide as the Apprentice Realm, then it made perfect sense. He had only just begun his journey in the Squire Realm, he was still at the bottom of the ladder. It was no different from when he first broke through into the Apprentice Realm. Any grade-ten Martial Apprentice would have annihilated him with ease. The same could certainly be said for Martial Squires.
"Her speed and power were ridiculous." Rui sighed. "She didn't use an enormous number of techniques, but the techniques she did use were extremely potent. Either she mastered some crazy grade eight and nine techniques or..."
Or she had developed her own personal techniques. Personal techniques that made the best of her own particular Martial body and its unique parameters and quirks. Allowing her to exhibit a level of efficiency that techniques created by the Martial Union, which weren't customized for her, simply couldn't.
('Maybe I should prioritize individuality a little more than I did before.') Rui sighed.
This partly gave him a bit of a goal to aspire to as he continued his training. The primary goal, of course, was to elevate his Flowing Void Style and the VOID algorithm to absolute perfection, if such a thing was even possible, and master it. He would need to pursue his Martial Path deeper.
He glanced up to the sky, closing his eyes. He could see his elevating Martial Path overlapping with the blue sky, illuminated by the brilliant blinding sun.
"Step by step... and eventually I'll get there."
