The Martial Unity

p “I wonder what Headmaster Aronian wants from you…” Fae pondered out aloud. “Probably not going to be as simple as superficial congratulations and pep talk.”

“I’ll find out soon enough.” He shrugged. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

He left after they bade him goodbye, heading towards the Headmaster’s office.

It had been a month since Rui had spoken to him, he had consulted him once before the preliminary contest had begun and now, he was visiting him as the representative of the entire Academy.

He had arrived.

The large doors to the Headmaster’s office opened.

A large office came into his view as he gazed at the figure seated at the headmaster’s table.

“Headmaster.” Rui bowed deeply, partly because of the great awe and respect he had for vaunted Martial Masters, partly because the sheer weight of Headmaster Aronian’s mind pushing down on Rui, compelling him to bow.

Every time Rui encountered him, he was reminded about how deep the Martial Path extended, and how shallow his own depths were. Any arrogance one might have incurred as a result of winning the preliminary contest would certainly been thoroughly dispelled.

“Rui Quarrier.” He spoke, stroking his flowing beard. “Come in.”

Rui walked in as the doors closed behind him.

“First.” He said, flashing Rui a smile. “Allow me to congratulate you on your victory in the preliminary contest. Congratulations on being chosen as the representative of the Hajin branch of the Martial Academies in the Martial Contest.”

“Thank you, Headmaster.” Rui bowed once more.

“Not at all, young man.” He said dismissively. “You have truly earned it.”

Rui simply smiled at those words.

“The reasons I summoned you, however…” Headmaster Aronian continued. “…are more than just merely congratulating you.”

Rui simply listened, waiting for Headmaster Aronian to elaborate.

“There is some paperwork that goes into being the representative, nothing burdensome rest assured. However, there are several personal details that need to be submitted. The one I want to bring to your attention is the fact that every representative generally submits the name of their Martial Art.” Headmaster Aronian. “We will be requesting one from you, as well.”

Rui’s eyes flashed at those words. He knew that Martial Artists named their Martial Art at some point. However, he had never paid too much attention to it. The VOID algorithm had always been his Martial Art in his mind.

“As I’m sure you’re aware…” Headmaster Aronian told him. “We generally don’t hasten this process, which is why it’s never brought up in the Martial Academy by your instructors. The process of naming one’s Martial Art is rather profound, important and even sacred. The name you name it must truly resonate with you on a fundamental level. After all, the name of your Martial Art affects not just how others perceive your Martial Art, but also how you yourself perceive it. Such is the nature of the human mind. Names have power.”

Rui nodded, engrossed.

The name of his Martial Art.

Could he just call it the VOID algorithm? Perhaps.

“There exist naming conventions in the Martial Community.” Headmaster Aronian informed him. “Generally, the names of Martial Art begin with the actual core name of your Martial Art, followed by nouns that encapsulate how you view your Martial Art. Many view their Martial Art as an Art, and call it as such. Many view their Martial Art as styles of combat, and thus name it as such. Many wish to emphasize on particular elements of their Martial Art and thus name it as such. So on and so forth.”

Rui nodded. “I understand.

“I wished to inform you before you filled the paperwork.” Headmaster Aronian told him. “Lest you be caught off-guard and hastily choose a name, and you’ll likely end up regretting it in the future.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Not at all.” Headmaster Aronian.

Rui thought to himself.

The name of his Martial Art.

From the way Headmaster Aronian spoke about the matter, it certainly wasn’t going to be a light issue. He wanted to be careful about the matter. If names affected the way in which one viewed one’s Martial Art, then it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that an unsatisfactory name may even negatively affect one’s journey down their Martial Path.

Which meant this wasn’t a light decision to be made.

“Do I have to decide now?” He scratched his head.

“Oh no, not at all.” Headmaster Aronian denied. “Frankly, you have the right to refuse if you really want to. Refusing is a much better outcome than just hastily coming up with a name and regreting your choice later. Anything but the latter is fine.”

Rui nodded. “Then I will take time and make a decision on the matter.”

“That you should.” Headmaster Aronian stroked his beard. “Make sure you’re truly satisfied with the name, and if you aren’t satisfied, then there’s no need to rush it. But your Martial Art has matured to the point where you may already possess a name you’re satisfied with. I get the sense that you’ve tread deeper than most of your peers in your generation.”

“You flatter me.”

“Hoho… Am I?” He threw a knowing glance at Rui.

Rui didn’t reply, simply wryly smiling. Frankly, he wasn’t sure what to name his Martial Art. He would need to engage in deeper introspection before he could possible even come close to making a decision.

“There are some more matters…” Headmaster Aronian said. “But one of them sticks out.”

Rui raised an eyebrow. “What matter is that, Headmaster?”

“The Martial Union is not monolithic.” The Headmaster seemingly randomly stated. “Like all human entities, it is subject to tribalism driven by differing mutual interests between different people within the upper echelons of the Martial Union. These different groups band together and work together and strive to fulfill the common interests they all hold.”

Rui tilted his head, confused. Why did the Headmaster randomly delve into such a topic?

“Normally, it’s not something I would have taken upon myself to inform you of… But now that you have taken the position of representative, I do believe this is the best course of action.” He said, before taking a deep look into Rui.”

“Tell me, what do you know of the Martial Sects?”