The Martial Unity

It was a tremendous boost to the next power of the Kandrian Empire and Panamic Civilization internationally, for even the threat of a generation of Antheas of the Evolutionary Army seemed to be much more manageable than it ever had been in the past. It wouldn’t be easy, even with this measure, to fight a billion neo-evolutionaries with Anthean-level skill and experience, but it was much, much more manageable than it ever had been in the past.

It lit up the future of the Panamic Civilization to be one that was extremely prosperous.

However, it was also a cause for concern.

It shifted the balance of power.

Over the past few years, Martial Art had lost some of their vitality and influence over the fate of human civilization as technological solutions in all sectors of society began growing more and more powerful. The emergence of MECHAs directly attacked the primacy of classical independent Martial Artists, while the blood children seemed to spell a dead future for Martial Art.

But the spike in the number of Martial Sages had reversed those trends. Now, the number of Martial Sages was destined to balloon to such an extent that it could threaten to destabilize the entire regime of law and order that existed across human civilization.

“And brings us to the main agenda of this meeting,” Minister Ru’s expression grew profoundly serious as her golden eyes sharpened. “The regime of law and order over the Martial World.”

The air grew tense as the sense of jubilance in the atmosphere disappeared. The expressions of various government officials tightened as their eyes grew serious.

Minister Ru continued with an equally serious tone of voice. “The development of the Void Order has reached one hundred percent. The organization has fleshed out its structure, its protocols, its base. Its various departments, from the judiciary and its Martial courts, to the Martial Enforcers and Inquisitors, have been established. Soon, we will be fully equipped to enforce law and order across the entire Martial World. As you all know, the launch date for this new regime is…”

Her gaze swept across the meeting room. “…tomorrow. There are no delays to the schedule of implementation, barring the prolonged absence of the Emperor. We will be entering an era of law and order in a sector of society that was always beyond it. We predict that there will be immense turbulence initially, but once the dust settles, the Panama Continent will enter a new era.”

The Void Order was the organization that Rui had commissioned the Kandrian Empire to create to enforce his vision of the Martial World. Over the past eight months, it had been fleshed out rapidly as it expanded with mass hirings from bureaucrats and managers from across the continent, as well as large swathes of Martial Artists of four Realms, from Apprentice to Master.

The Emperor had long resolved to subjugate Martial Sages by himself. Many, including Minister Ru and Secretary Claris, had tried to convince him otherwise. To have more than himself, to avail the help of the Reverend of Reckonin,g who was more than willing to impose order on the entire Martial World. And yet, the Emperor had refused.

He would subjugate the Sage Realm and thus the Martial World all by himself.

With his own fist.

It was a chilling resolution.

The very thought of that made several ministers and government officials shift uncomfortably in their chairs as they exchanged grim glances with each other. It was one thing for Rui to subjugate Martial Sages before, for there were only three hundred and fifty or so such Martial Sages.

However, over the past eight months, the number of Martial Sages had ballooned to over one thousand.

One thousand Martial Sages.

Against one man.

Indeed, an extraordinary man, and the most powerful Martial Artist alive.

But still, it was one man. Even with all the blinding brilliance of his Water, each and every single one of them struggled to imagine any one person subjugating one thousand Martial Sages.

So much so that it was hard to picture the almost mythical Martial Transcendents successfully doing so. Each Martial Sage was a force of nature, a natural disaster in human form. Armed with materia prima, they could bring ruination to an entire nation with just a single fist. A single attack.

With the absence of Martial Transcendents, it was these Martial Sages who were the protagonists of human civilization. That was what the Water Emperor had pledged to subjugate.

“…and the worst part is that we can’t proceed with the plan because he isn’t even here.”

They turned to the empty chair at the head of the conference table.

One reserved for an absent emperor.

He had missed yet another meeting in the past three months, completely immersed in Martial Art.

This was what they feared when they coronated him, and it had partially materialized. In the first five months of his regime as Emperor, he had been diligent, but in the past three months, he had grown absorbed with something else.

Where the only way to get to him was through Secretary Claris, who had effectively taken over the role of the chief minister that she had searched candidates for.

He still worked, of course. He still did his duties as Emperor, from what they could tell. After all, paperwork was approved, signed, or reviewed, flowing in and out of the manifold, of all places.

But nobody had seen him in the past three months.

Minister Ru simply heaved a sigh, shaking her head lightly. “…If His Majesty is preoccupied, however, then we will need to postpone the implementation of the Void Order. With that out of the way, this meeting comes to an en—”

CLACK

The door opened, much to their surprise. Nobody was allowed to enter the meeting after it had started. They shifted their attention to the door with furrowed eyebrows and frowning faces.

Then, they froze.

Their eyes widened.

They widened with recognition even as they failed to recognize him.

His royal attire was gone, and in its place was the simple yet powerful Martial attire that was almost synonymous with his image. His appearance was ungroomed, while his hair and beard had grown with inattentiveness. However, the biggest change was not his appearance.

No.

The biggest change was in the weight of his presence.

They couldn’t sense it.

His presence was oppressive even when he held back with all of his might. He constantly made everybody feel like a mountain was hanging just inches above his head, all but ready to be let go and fall on them.

Now, however, it was gone. Not suppressed, but erased entirely, as if it did not exist at all.

But beyond that, an even greater, ephemeral change seemed to have occurred within his existence. One that they could vaguely sense, but one that was beyond their fathoming.

STEP

STEP

STEP

A faint tension hung in the air as he made his way to his seat, sitting at the head of the table. His ethereal eyes swept across the cabinet of ministers and government officials gathered in the meeting.

The first words that came out of his mouth sent chills across their skin.

“We are sorry.”

It sent shivers down their spine.

“We are sorry to have kept all of you waiting.”

In that moment, each and every single one of them instinctively understood.

They understood that they were looking at a new kind of existence, unlike anything they had ever seen before.