The Martial Unity

His beckon hung in the air as several moments of silence passed. Each and every single occupant gazed at him with a deep gaze and an intense expression.

In the depths of his ethereal eyes, they found complete conviction. His determination and his resolve were unyielding. They could sense his sheer sincerity this time.

His words were the absolute truth.

A hint of uncertainty hung in the air as they struggled to process his words. His vision for the Kandrian Empire was… unlike anything they had ever heard in their lives. There were Martial Artist rulers who ruled their nations in a highly individualistic manner, but this was perhaps the first time they had ever seen a Martial Artist try to tie his Martial Path to his political platform and regime to such an extent.

Most of them did not have a full understanding of what Rui’s vision entailed when it came to details, which was where the devil often lay. A regime that ’accepted, embraced, and harnessed change’ could be a regime that was chaotically unstable with all the changes it underwent or a highly forward-looking regime that ensured that its nation was always compatible with the times.

“I sense your uncertainty.”

His ethereal voice was calm and comforting.

Almost as if his very acknowledgment of the uncertainty dispelled it.

“Your uncertainty impedes you,” he continued with a knowing tone. “It breeds fear. Fear for the future. But rest assured…”

His eyes intensified.

“…My vision for the future is anything but uncertain. I have a very clear vision of the changes I want to bring to our civilization, and at the very top of that list is…”

His eyes sharpened. “…the change that the Martial World needs to undergo.”

The Martial Sages in the audience stiffened.

Their well-honed instincts told them that they weren’t going to like what was coming.

“For much of the Age of Martial Art, Martial Artists have been lawless,” Rui began, revisiting old history. “And even when they were slightly under the shackles of some semblance of law and order, it was highly limited and hardly enforced. This trend reached its zenith during the Reign of the Master Realm, where they completely escaped the reach of law enforcement, and only slightly cooled after the Martial Primordial broke through to the Sage Realm and subjugated the chaos of the Martial World.”

The air grew tense as several Martial Sages gritted their teeth with hardened expressions.

They understood exactly where Rui was going with this.

A small smile emerged on Rui’s face.

“The birth of the Panama Martial Federation brought some relief to it, but… it was ultimately an organization for Martial Artists, by Martial Artists, and of Martial Artists. It never truly worked against the interests of Martial Artists for the greater good.”

The atmosphere grew electric as the non-Martial guests of honor began sweating bullets as the full weight of Rui’s radical proposal began to weigh down on everybody.

Each and every single person stared at him with wide eyes, dropped mouths, and stunned expressions.

It reflected the sheer weight of the topic that Rui was broaching.

“What we need is true law and order.”

He declared with an even more determined voice.

“A regime of law and order that encompasses all people.”

He spread his arms, gesturing to the gathered leaders of human civilization.

“A regime of law and order that captures even the Martial World.”

His ethereal eyes blazed with conviction. “That is the first change that needs to occur in this continent and civilization, more than anything else relating to the true world. Prosperity only arises in a stable environment. An unstable environment where some groups of people are above the law is an environment that is unworthy of the blessing of prosperity. That is why our civilization is the most primitive civilization in the true world after the giants of Samarkha, who are even more unstable than us. But no more…”

His tone grew more determined.

“No more will we be unstable, and no more will we impede our own prosperity. I hereby declare that upon becoming Emperor of the Kandrian Empire and Supreme Commander of the Panamic Alliance, I will enforce law and order upon the most powerful Martial Artists and upon the weakest. No one will be above the law, and no one will simply be allowed to do as they please any longer. Everybody will be accountable for their actions. That is the change our civilization needs the most!”

His deafening declaration hung in the air as he shifted gears.

“…However.” His tone softened. “Do not assume that I seek to oppress the Martial World. I am a Martial Artist. And when Martial Art grows stronger, I grow stronger. I do not intend to extract labor, punish power, or chastise growth. I will even go as far as to endowing powerful gifts, including but not limited to even more triggered breakthroughs for even more Realms, including the Sage Realm to incentivize growth and power.. I will offer powerful gifts, such as immortality and true longevity, to those I deem worthy of them. The prosperity of law and order does not come at the cost of Martial Art, but to its benefit.”

Not a single person moved.

Not a single person made a sound.

They simply gazed at him with a shocked expression.

The Martial Sages were more shocked than anybody else. When they had learned of Rui’s bid for the throne, even the ones who supported other princes and princesses were at least relieved in the knowledge that his regime would be beneficial to them.

They had not expected, even in their wildest dreams, that he would turn around and enforce law and order on them, even if he insisted it would be to their benefit. They weren’t even able to muster any rage or hatred, still dizzy from the shock.

“That is part of my vision as an aspirant for the throne,” Rui’s voice softened, reducing in intensity as his expression relaxed. “A vision of change for our civilization and change for our Martial World, more than anything. A civilization of water, that is what I offer to you. Now then…”

He stretched out his arm once more, beckoning them yet again.

“Who among you supports me?”

It was a calm, grounded question devoid of any rhetorical meaning. It broke the frozen atmosphere in the air, seemingly. causing time to flow once more.

“I will!” Amare’s enthusiastic voice cut through the tense atmosphere in the air as she teleported to his side, reaching for his hand with hers.

Rui smiled with affection at her alacrity before holding her hand. “Thank you, Amare.”

A Transcendent Candidate supporting the regime that he had proposed was odd to many people, but it added up, considering that the two of them were in a well-known romantic relationship.

“I will join you.”

A strong female voice hung in the air as it drew everybody’s attention.

It was none other than Princess Ranea.