The Martial Unity

CLASP

Rui managed to get hold of his opponent from the back. The two were flailing around in the air as Rui desperately tried to get a chokehold on his opponent. His opponent, on the other hand, recognized the gravity of the situation.

His rubbery physique and corresponding defensive techniques were only useful against striking-based attacks and other collisions. They were not useful against strangling-based attacks. Furthermore, at this range, his whip attacks were also not able to serve as a viable defense. He realized that Rui had purposely endured raw damage from his attacks that he normally would have dodged in order to ensure that he would not have to deter from his path.

Yet his panic set in only once Rui successfully maneuvered behind him and managed to latch his arms around his opponent's neck and head. Rui gritted his teeth as he exerted a tremendous amount of force on his opponent with Outer Convergence. His left arm was wrapped around his opponent's neck while his right arm pushed down on his opponent's head. He squeezed as though his life depended on it.

His opponent struggled like a madman. He turned away, facing Rui who was on his back to the ground, and charged straight downwards. The two of them were fighting in what was effectively in the troposphere, several kilometers above the ground. His opponent continuously used Sky Walking to push the both of them increasingly faster straight downwards.

('Shit, this is going to be rough.') Rui gritted his teeth.

Considering the altitude that they were at, the impact, when they hit the ground, would be tremendous!

('Furthermore, I'm going to be the one to take all the damage!')

His opponent was highly resistant to collisions. Even if he crashed into the ground plummeting downwards at top speed from the clouds, he would most likely be fine enough. Especially since Rui would be the one hitting the ground and serving as a cushion for his opponent since he was the one facing the ground with his opponent above him.

('Just faint already!') Rui urged.

Unfortunately, things weren't that easy. The normal human body could maintain consciousness for several seconds to minutes depending on how perfectly executed the chokehold was. This was even longer for a Martial Squire thanks to their evolved constitution. Meaning Rui was going to have to hold him for quite some time in real-time.

Furthermore, Martial Squires perceived time to be flowing much slower thanks to their superhuman cognition and speed, they were effectively slowing down time from their perspective. One second was a few minutes.

Meaning, Rui would have to hold out for a long time from both of their perspective of time!

Rui gritted his teeth as he prepared Inner Divergence for the incoming impact. They were just a few seconds from crashing into the ground.

BOOM!!!

RUMBLE

The very earth beneath them shook as a crater of unparalleled proportions was formed from the impact. The sheer energy in the collision was so great that a minor Richter-one Earthquake reverberated through the ground into the forest, disrupting the natural wildlife that existed in the environment.

"ARGH!" Rui grimaced as he gritted his teeth, never once easing up on his grip. The moment he let go, all of his progress would be undone while the damage his opponent exerted would not be going anywhere for a while. Even though Rui had a respectable healing factor, the damage would very likely be just enough to turn the tables around.

His opponent continued thrashing on the ground, his arms stretched back as he did everything he could. He ripped at Rui's hair, clawed at his skin, and even tried gauging his eyes. Yet Rui mitigated all of his attempts as best as he could while still maintaining a tremendously strong hold on his opponent.

Both Martial Squires grew extremely desperate as the critical decisive point of the match was soon going to arrive. If his opponent could break free of the stranglehold, then Rui could most likely forget about winning. Although Rui was still confident of surviving, he will likely have lost too much to be able to guarantee to win against his opponent, who was almost entirely unharmed, unlikely Rui.

The Zurtun Rebel Group was as good as dead if that happened, the Martial Squire would return once Rui would inevitably be forced to retreat. He could clearly imagine the onslaught that would occur. The Martial Squire would have zero difficulties whatsoever in annihilating the Zurtun Rebel army. Rui would also face the blemish of having failed his first Squire-level mission, which would break any hopes of having a perfect record in the Squire Realm.

Yet, even as these thoughts faintly passed away, he didn't immediately notice the increasingly weakening resistance from his opponent. His attempts to pull Rui's arm away grew softer, and his attempts to inflict upon Rui as much damage as he could grew feebler.

Until they finally ceased.

THUD

His limbs collapsed as his body buckled and fell loose, weight down on Rui's body. Yet Rui didn't let go, he didn't dare to even take that risk. He could sense that his heart was still beating, he had merely lost consciousness because his brain finally shut down due to the lack of supply of oxygen.

It was nearly two minutes later that even his heart decided to call it a day and stopped beating as well. Only then did Rui have the certainty of his victory, letting him go.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..." He panted heavily as he evaluated his own condition.

He was hemorrhaging somewhere inside, having coughed up blood. He had also probably broken a rib in that earlier collision that produced a deep crater a dozen meters wide. Even his body could not take such a devastating impact without significant damage.

Rui quickly consumed a potion as he sighed under the tremendous relief that spread through his body. It was a rough battle, yet he couldn't help but feel a great sense of accomplishment after having won it.