The Martial Unity

The next day, Rui opened his eyes to a warm and pleasant sensation across his body. Amare dozed off with her head resting on his chest, and her arms and legs wrapped around his body, pulling him closer against her bare body under their blanket.

The sensation of her warm, bare skin pressing against his was so comfortable that he almost regretted keeping the royal coronation for today. The bright light of the morning sun had begun to illuminate the skies as the cool, fresh morning air tingled on his skin.

A distinct smell hung in the air, no doubt a product of a night filled with passion and pleasure. He twirled his finger, using a little bit of heaven manipulation to clear the air as he enjoyed the waft of freshness from the early morning, before turning his attention back to Amare.

He kissed her forehead gently and affectionately, causing her to stir lightly.

“Mmh…” Her eyes slowly opened, filled with satisfaction, comfort, and peace.

She turned towards Rui with a deeply relaxed expression and eyes filled with fulfillment. “Good morning.”

Rui smiled. “Did you get a good night’s sleep?”

“Surprisingly… yes,” she murmured. “Even though we went to sleep very late, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep instantly.”

Her expression grew a little bashful. “Your stamina is too much.”

“My stamina is infinite.” He mused with a proud expression and an amused smile. “That was our best night together since the first night.”

“Mmm…” Her hand moved to her belly with a knowing expression of bliss and satisfaction. “We… are going to become a family.”

He smiled at her as his hand overlapped hers. “A happy family.”

Her expression grew a little anxious. “…I hope.”

He could feel her anxiety rising.

She had many worries that were, admittedly, quite reasonable and rational.

“You are going to become Emperor, Rui,” she murmured with a troubled expression. “You’re going to ascend the throne and be swamped with work for a while as you learn the ropes and get used to your new responsibilities and identity as Emperor of Kandria.”

“I’ll be there for you, Amare.” He promised.

She gazed at him with a serious expression. “Rui, don’t make promises you can’t keep. I know you’re going to be busy. It is impossible for you to make time for the throne and your family.”

“Ordinarily, yes.” He admitted. “But I’m not ordinary.”

“Your Martial prowess will not help you with being Emperor,” she reminded him with a pointed tone. “It can only be activated when you’re doing Martial Art. Or activities relevant to Martial Art. The further away the activity is from Martial Art, the less you can tap into your power.”

It was why Martial Artists couldn’t simply blaze through paperwork or intellectual activities at super speed.

“What you haven’t accounted for is that I’m only half martialus,” Rui reminded her. “The other half of me is Anthean. I am no longer bound by the limitations of the Martial Path even as I tread it. I am a perfect hybrid, just like sentinels. I have gotten rid of my shortcomings of the two halves of me with the strengths of the other.”

Her concerns were assuaged by those words. Indeed, she knew Rui could use his power for things other than Martial Art. He had proven that last night when he showed her what it meant to adaptively evolve in sexual intercourse.

Her cheeks reddened at the memory.

She didn’t know it was possible to experience such pleasure.

“Hehehe, you want to go again?”

“We have a ceremony to get ready for. No time to play now…” Her voice grew embarrassed. “…but maybe later.”

“Hehehe…” Rui grinned at her bashful expression. “But you see? I will be there for you. Pregnancy is more complicated for a Martial Artist, and there are more challenges involved.”

His expression grew serious. “I will not make you face those challenges by yourself. I will be there for you every step of the way, and I will hold your hand. I will protect you when you are vulnerable.”

She smiled at Rui warmly as she surrendered herself to his warmth and protective arms. She knew that the next nine months were going to be difficult.

She couldn’t use her Martial Heart because it was too much for the fetus to bear. It would instantly kill their unborn child. Which meant that, for the duration of pregnancy, she would be limited to the Squire Realm. It was why his little sister had told Rui hat she would rather Amare didn’t get pregnant at all, for it would incapacitate a Transcendent Candidate.

“There is no better period for your pregnancy than right now,” Rui remarked with a serious tone of voice. “The world has just come out of a highly intense world war that lasted a year. It had been dialed up to the maximum intensity from the very get-go because NOVA escalated it to that level from the start. It has made everybody sick of war, probably our sworn enemies as well. Nobody will start a war, and nobody will tolerate anybody starting a major conflict for a while. The Evolutionary Army never wanted war since all they wanted was time for their generation of miracles to mature. That leaves NOVA as our sole remaining enemy. She is too smart to pick a head-on fight.”

He turned towards Amare with an expression of certainty and confidence. “So don’t worry about not being able to exercise power and just focus on yourself. I will call Bodhisattva Maitreyi here to be with you during this time for the period of the day when I will have no choice but to focus on work. But rest assured, Amare, I will be there for you. I love you.”

The words dispelled her fears as she simply appreciated his protective presence, allowing herself to be at peace in his arms. Rui knew his commitment wouldn’t be easy, even with his abilities. But he was deeply resolved to bear the burdens he had taken upon himself.

“Today… Today I become an Emperor and an expectant father.”