Chapter 2247: Broken

Kane knew that he couldn't beat Rui.

Even with the Realm of Thunder domain massively amplifying his reflexes, he knew that he would most likely fall short of actually defeating for the first time in decades.

And he was proven to be right.

He was able to match Rui in the hypnotic combat zone that Rui projected in his mind. However, it required a level of exertion that was fundamentally unsustainable to someone who didn't have high energy reserves and whose energy consumption was supposed to be low as an evasive, maneuvering-oriented Martial Artist.

However, he knew that there were some minor circumstances in which he could pull a victory. One of them was when Rui was off-guard.

He saved his greatest trump card for the very end.

The simultaneous activation of Void Step and Fulminata integrated together by a system of thought that allowed him to fuse the speed and reflexes of the former to amplify the latter.

The Void Step technique was a grade ten stealth technique, one that relied on a maneuvering-derived misdirection. It functioned by misdirecting one's attention in the opposite direction that one maneuvered; the faster one was, the greater the stealth effect.

So what if he could use the speed of his True Fulminata Godspeed to further amplify the stealth effect of the Void Step technique seamlessly and smoothly?

That was one of the projects he set out to accomplish after Rui broke through to the Master Realm.

It took seven years to master the fusion and a system of thought that compensated for his lagging conscious reactions with a system of thought specifically designed to allow him to fluidly wield the two greatest halves of his Shadow Wind Style Martial Art.

The result?

An extraordinary technique that allowed him to cross the vast expanses between Realms for just a moment, depleting almost all his remaining stamina in the blink of an eye. One that he had yet to entirely succeed in pulling off.

One that demanded more power than he possessed in the Senior Realm.

He had waited the entire battle.

He had waited the entire battle for the moment when Rui made the blunder of lowering his guard down. And then the moment came. Kane summoned every ounce of his remaining power as his eyes grew bloodshot from the sheer amount of strain his mind experienced.

"True Fulminata Godspeed."

Rui instinctively leaped with shock as he felt unfathomable peril emerging from his best friend.

But it was too late.

In that moment, Kane didn't just harness lightning.

No.

He became lightning.

WHOOSH!!!!!

He disappeared.

For a moment, he disappeared from all of heaven and earth, surging forward at astronomical speeds forbidden within the Senior Realm. His dagger flashed forward, fiercely driven by Kane's intense will not to be left behind by his friend. A will that pushed him past him beyond his limits.

STEP

He arrived behind Rui with a silent grace in the blink of an eye.

For a moment, nothing happened.

"Hahaha..." A weak laugh escaped Rui as a smile emerged on his face. "Congratulations, you did it."

SPLAT!!!!!

Rui's illusionary severed head fell off as a fountain of blood erupted from his neck. Kane's daggers had cleanly decapitated him in a timeframe so short that even Rui's illusionary body had been late in realizing it. The illusion quickly disappeared as the battle came to an end.

An overwhelming victory.

Yet, it wasn't his victory that Rui had congratulated him on.

No.

He congratulated him on something much more significant.

Kane opened his eyes as he beheld the world for what felt like the first time.

He saw reality itself, stripped from all its veils of mystery.

He bore witness to heaven and earth itself to the depths of their being, comprehending forces beyond comprehension.

A world beyond a world.

His gaze swept beyond the material world as he witnessed the fabric of space and time contort and stretch under the weight of materia.

His senses stretched in all dimensions of the world, allowing him to peer at its roots and its vast expanses.

Time slowed down to a crawl in his eyes as his thoughts surged, reaching realms of power he didn't know was possible. This was the power of the Martial Mind.

"So this..." A faint murmur escaped him, 'is the Master Realm."

It was surreal.

A comfortable sensation of power that Kane felt like he could lose himself in forever.

Yet, the world demanded his attention.

Suddenly, he became aware of his immediate surroundings.

He became aware of his immediate circumstances.

In the distance ahead of him, the Gatekeeper singlehandedly held off a hoard of Martial Masters by his lonesome as he unleashed an onslaught of power that kept them where they were while he weathered his attacks where he stood.

Yet, they gazed at Kane with fear, having sensed his Martial Mind awakening and were on the verge of retreat. He fully intended to repay them for what they had done to him in the prior battle, yet there were more important things to Kane.

THUD

Rui fell flat to the ground, heaving a deep sigh, immediately drawing Kane's attention and alarm.

"Hey." Kane's powerful voice was calm and composed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Rui's winced as he closed his bloodshot eyes. "I'm just tired as hell."

Kane gazed at him in a calm silence.

"Thank you."

His voice was deep with sincere gratitude.

Frankly, if Rui wasn't there, he didn't know if he would have been able to break through to the Master Realm. Words could not begin to describe how indebted he was to Rui.

Rui shook his head. "I didn't break you through. You broke yourself through; I just gave you the opportunity. I guess..."

He turned to Kane with knowing eyes, "...you really want to catch up to me, huh?"

Kane smiled wryly. "Well..." Rui heaved a tired sigh as his eyelids grew heavy. "You're here now, so go kick some ass. I think I'll get some long-awaited sleep."

Kane's gaze shifted towards the enemy Martial Masters that had already begun retreating.

"You bet."