The Martial Unity

Kane found the arguments very speculative to merit the guilt that Rui seemed to be feeling, but he ultimately understood why Rui felt this way.

There were things he could have done that would have helped.

And he didn’t, because he got too amped up on his latest amazing project and got into a one-track-mindset that made him essentially ignore everything else except for the thing that had captured his attention.

And admittedly, based on the outcome, it was an incredible project. Kane hadn’t even understood what Rui had done to achieve such a qualitative and astronomical boost in power. Rui seemed to have upgraded the very fundamental fabric of his existence.

Knowing Rui as well as he did, he knew that his best friend never stood a chance once he fully understood the revolutionary potential of this project. It was perhaps the most significant project that Rui had ever set on after the original VOID algorithm and perhaps the Forge of Creation.

Kane heaved a sigh, shaking his head. “You can’t live a life without making mistakes, man. Especially mistakes you will regret for the rest of your life. Nobody is perfect. With you, however, those mistakes tend to be extremely disastrous in their impact because of how important you are and how important your every action is. It magnifies the ramifications of every decision you make. If you make a good decision, then that good is amplified. But if you make a bad decision, then…”

He patted Rui on his shoulder. “…then the impact of that bad decision is also amplified.”

Such as nearly a quarter of the Kandrian Empire being destroyed. The death of the most important leader of the Panama Continent, and the death of several other powerful and important Martial Sages.

“I just…” Rui gritted his teeth. “I just wish I had been a bit more careful. Just a bit more thoughtful. But… after I talked to the Divine Doctor and got super excited about the evosapien biological integration and miracles it would bring about… I just leaped in without a second thought because I was so driven. There were so many better ways to go about it, even if I did go through with it. I could have done it side by side. I could have taken precautionary measures. I could have delayed the final part of the project until after the war.”

In fact, the largest reason he hadn’t made it in time was due to the fact that he was trapped, living out Anthea’s entire life inside his mind over the span of several days.

If not for that, he would have arrived shortly before the Suneater. Shortly before his father contacted NOVA, he would have been able to avert the crisis perfectly while ensuring his father lived without sacrificing too much power.

All these what-ifs, possible actions, and the countless scenarios where he could have done better continuously flooded his mind, making him feel more and more guilty.

Kane simply put his arm behind Rui, patting his other shoulder in a friendly manner to offer silent support to his friend.

“I’m truly sorry for your loss, Rui. I know that you had developed a deep bond with your father, even if you met him much later in your life,” Kane continued. “I don’t know how he felt, but… I can only imagine that, as a father, he was deeply proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished. Trust me, man… that is priceless.”

Kane’s words were wistful as his green eyes thought back to his relationship with his own father.

For most of his life, his father didn’t have too much respect for him. He especially disdained Kane’s drive to follow another man, seeing it as a pathetic weakness. He also disdained Kane’s Martial Path itself, seeing it as the manifestation of cowardice that he perceived as defining his genius son.

It had taken a very, very long time for Kane to earn even the grudging respect from his father in the Central Highlands of the Beast Domain, shortly before Damian broke through to Transcendence and disappeared, according to Rui.

Rui directed a knowing glance at his best friend as his expression softened.

PAT

He returned the gesture, resting his hand on his shoulder.

“…Not to, you know, be tactless or whatever, but uh…” A wry smile cracked at the edge of Kane’s mouth. “There’s a supernation and continent in silent political chaos that kinda needs someone to grab the reins. So… if you don’t mind…”

A small smile emerged on Rui’s face at those words, for the first time since he learned of his father’s death. “You’re right, that was very tactless of you.”

He didn’t mind, though.

Kane was reminding him of the storm that was about to, or already had begun, blowing over all of Panama.

A storm Rui knew he was responsible for.

It didn’t ameliorate the guilt he felt.

But the guilt he felt drove him to do anything in his power to clean the mess that he had created.

Including options that he would never have accepted in the past.

“But before that…

” Rui got up with a determined expression, turning eastwards. “There are some things that I need to clean up. Tell the others that I will return to the Kandrian Empire as soon as I’m done.”

RUMBLE

He activated his Realms of Power.

“Hey!” Kane’s expression grew alarmed. “Don’t activate your Martial Mind and Soul now!”

Rui frowned. “Why not?”

Kane stared at him like he was an idiot.

“…You just fought with all your power for a sustained period of time. You want to get a brain aneurysm or seizure or something? I know you feel guilty, but don’t do suicidal shit, man!”

“Ah…” A faint murmur of realization emerged from Rui. “I haven’t told anybody, now that I think of it.”

Kane stared at Rui with deep confusion. “Told anybody about what?”

“I have overcome the price of Realms ever since I turned myself into a half-evosapien.”

Kane’s green eyes widened with shock. “…what?”

“I got rid of them,” Rui replied nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. “I can use a combination of genetic adaptive evolution and quantum tweezing to instantly achieve the biochemical effects that sleeping causes, allowing me to abuse my Martial Mind without the need for sleep or sleep in general. And I use chemical cell memory to store all my memories to overcome the amnesia of my Martial Soul. In other words…”

His tone was one of deep certainty.

“My stamina is infinite. I can fight for all of eternity without ever needing to stop.”