The Martial Unity

Word of Prince Raijun's champion spread through the upper echelons of the Kandrian Empire.

It shook them.

"Sir Armstrong has decided to act as Prince Raijun's champion?!"

"How long has it been since he's done that?"

"Centuries. We will gain the honor of witnessing the might of the man who led Kandria to glory in conquest in its first century before the advent of the Emperor of Harmony."

"Who do you think will win?"

"I have my money on the Final Prince. He's the most prodigious Senior in history!"

"I bid one million gold coins on the Gatekeeper. He's older than the Kandrian Empire! You can't beat that kind of experience with talent."

Many of the laymen were limited to surface-level analysis. They possessed neither the understanding nor expertise to make informed guesses on the outcome of the battle. Yet, the rich gambling sector, both legal and illegal, revved into action, capitalizing on the opportunity.

Yet, while the public could only gamble, the Martial Union possessed much greater insight into the battle.

An emergency meeting had been called in the Martial Union, once more dragging many Martial Masters to consider the latest battle that the Void Prince had gotten himself into.

"This is untenable!" One Martial Master roared. "Sir Armstrong is one of the very strongest of the strongest Martial Seniors in existence! The Final Prince was last recorded to be grade-thirteen before consuming the Roaring Dragon Blood Potion around two years ago; how could he possibly think to fight the Gatekeeper and emerge victorious?!"

"Do not hold the Void Prince to the standards of growth of other Martial Seniors," One Martial Master growled. "He reached the high grades in just seven years. Considering this growth rate, he is undoubtedly far higher than merely grade thirteen in the two years since his last confirmed grade!"

"On top of that, it is a well-documented fact that His Highness grows stronger the more he prepares for his opponent," Another Martial Master remarked.

"That only applies to actually witnessing him in combat!" Another rebutted. "Simply providing him a profile does not get the job done."

"It's still better than nothing," he countered. "His Martial Path is Adaptive Evolution! If you think he cannot make progress with the rich information that the Martial Union has, then you're sorely mistaken!"

"Even if he can, this is Sir Armstrong we are speaking about!" Another Martial Master glared at them. "This is a man who cannot be defeated without the power of the Upper Realms! If all of us sealed our Martial Minds and attacked him simultaneously, I am not entirely confident we would be able to down him!"

"It is true that the Gatekeeper has amassed immense power, but it is also true that his Martial Art is not particularly potent. The reason for his strength is the continuous progress made over five hundred years of relentless training and combat. In the Void Prince's case, it's the opposite. His accumulation is paltry, given that he is only thirty-two years old. It is his Martial Art that is extraordinarily potent, more potent than anything else I have ever seen!"

"The only question is whether it is enough to overcome the sheer accumulation that the Gatekeeper has engaged in?"

"…"

The question paused the momentum of the discussion as each Martial Master earnestly considered the question.

"Frankly…none of the old data is really relevant to predicting either of these two Martial Artists," one Martial Master heaved a sigh. "It has been a long time since the Gatekeeper has gone all out against one of us, largely because none of us are able to force his very best without our Martial Minds. And while we have relatively recent battle data of the Void Prince from two years ago, he grows so fast that it is probably already irrelevant."

"…Well, the Void Prince has indicated that he will not be withdrawing in any form whatsoever," another Martial Master heaved a sigh. "Let's just hope he can win."

While the Martial Union deliberated on the decision that Rui had made, another group had also been shaken by his decision.

"I demand to speak to His Highness!" One man garbed in business attire strongly insisted.

"He is answerable to us, his stakeholders, for actions that cause damage to his campaign," Another woman remarked. "We did not invest in him for him to take such a gamble and squander all our investments."

"What does His Highness intend to do if he loses?!"

The patrons, benefactors, and allies of the Rui Faction were riled up by the seemingly irresponsible actions of the Void Prince.

"Distinguished members of the Rui Faction, I have a message from the Final Prince himself," Mikhaila, his chief of staff, calmly addressed them. "He says that he will see to it that none of you are affected by the consequences of this battle. Yet, he also hopes that each of you has confidence in His Highness and will be ready to celebrate when he wins."

She closed her eyes. "And win he intends to. That is why he is not here. He has instructed me not to disturb him with anything while he prepares for the battle to ensure that he is at his absolute best when the battle arrives."

This assuaged the concerns of the stakeholders to a certain extent.

"…I shall hold His Highness accountable should he fail to overcome this challenge."

"I hope that His Highness will adhere to those words in the event that he loses."

"I look forward to His Highness' victory."

While many people had many different thoughts and reactions, none of it changed what was to unfold. The Martial duel would unfold, and the future of the Kandrian Empire would be decided.

Many people with great power, authority, and influence managed to procure permission to dispatch one of their Martial Seniors, or even Masters, to bear witness to the historic battle that would unfold in the depths of North Kandria.

Soon enough, the day of the battle had arrived.