Rui could feel his heart beating fast. A slight grin of excitement crept up on his face.
It had been several years since he stepped into the Squire Realm, and today he was a high-grade Martial Squire without a doubt, he finally had come across an opportunity to learn about the Squire Realm.
"Unlike with the secret to the Squire Realm, the truth about the Senior Realm is not something that is universally divulged at one particular stage," She began. "Different nations, organizations, and groups have their own ideas of what stage to inform Martial Squires about the truth of the Senior Realm. There are many who go to extremes in the opposite direction, some believe that Martial Squires never ought to be told about the truth. Others believe that all Martial Squires should be told everything the second they step into the Squire Realm."
Rui raised an eyebrow at those words. That was quite interesting to know, he hadn't expected that the Martial World would be so divided on this matter. He wasn't in a position to have an informed opinion on the matter, but the two extremes did sound… extreme.
"Never telling versus telling all of them immediately," Rui pondered aloud. "Surely there has to be a reasonable middle in between."
"I agree," She nodded. "As does the majority. Most nations and groups inform Martial Squires about the necessity of becoming a Senior seed. I'm sure you have already been informed of this by whoever it is that performed the Squire breakthrough process on your body."
Rui nodded. He recalled being informed of the importance of developing the individuality of Martial Arts as a Martial Squire. That it was the path forward to higher Realms. However, that was very vague and general advice. It was just enough to set them on the right path.
"An even bigger controversy exists on whether Martial Squires should be told about the trigger to the Senior Realm," She continued.
"That's different from the truth about the Senior Realm?" Rui raised an eyebrow.
She nodded. "Informing you about what the Senior Realm is about serves to increase your motivation to achieve it, arguably, but the trigger of how to reach it is a separate matter."
"Hmmm…" Rui's eyes narrowed. "And what do you intend to do?"
She smiled, her eyes closed. She turned around, facing her back towards him.
Rui's widened as she began slowly undressing, taking off her one-piece garment.
Rui liked to think that he had a lot of control over his body. But he soon realized he was overestimating himself a bit. His twenty-one-year-old body begged to differ.
It had other ideas.
Yet just as her garment lowered to her glutes, Rui's eyes narrowed as he came across scattered scars on her lower back.
They were light, as though time had eroded them away. They were messy and they crumpled her skin mildly, turning it into a darker shade than the rest of her body.
"When I was fourteen, a great storm ravaged are village, seemingly appearing out of nowhere," She began. "My grandmother and I escaped, trying to get as far as possible. Yet, unfortunately… a tree collapsed on my body, injuring me gravely… Being the young girl that I was back then, I hadn't even been able to so much as even budge the trunk an inch."
Rui grew solemn.
It wasn't just the tragedy in the story.
It was her voice. It carried over profound emotions in its gentle melodies, permeating through Rui's body. It was as though she was imbuing her emotion into her environment with her voice alone.
He couldn't help but feel overcome with a sense of grave severity.
"I should have died that day," She murmured with a soft voice. "Yet, I didn't."
She turned to Rui, facing him, uncaring for her inappropriate exposure.
Yet Rui hadn't even noticed.
He was too busy staring into her open eyes.
They were completely white.
('She's… blind!')
"The injuries it gave me scarred my body, it led to the loss of my vision due to the injuries to my head. It should have led to my death as well. Yet, I didn't die."
Rui stared into her eyes with bewildered anticipation.
He had so many questions.
Yet he bit them back.
He could feel it. It was as though the atmosphere had held its breath because of what was to come. What she was to say.
"Do you know why I didn't die?" She asked, pausing for a moment, before looking into Rui's eyes. "Because my decrepit grandmother lifted the tree with her bare hands, and threw it away."
"…What?"
"It was an experience that shaped me into the warrior that I am today." She murmured. "Witnessing my grandmother lift a heavy tree off of me as though she was a Martial Artist, throwing it away, before picking me up and running away."
Rui's stared at her with an open jaw. "…"
"Her arms and fingers had broken in the process, and she died soon after, but she saved my life by summoning power hidden deep within her. All to protect her granddaughter who she loved with all her heart, who she desired to protect with all her heart. Her Heart." She murmured. "She is the reason I became Martial Artist despite my disability."
Rui's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. The reason she was telling this story, was the secret of the Senior Realm.
It all came to him in a thunderous flash.
"Oh, look at you," She giggled. "You have already figured it out, despite having yet to have it explained to you. I like intelligent men."
"The secret to the Senior Realm is…" Rui whispered, shocked.
She stepped forward, blushing a bit as she recalled she was naked.
"That's right…" She spoke softly as she stopped right before him, placing her hand on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat. "The secret to the Senior Realm is the discovery of the Martial Heart. Every human possesses a well of untapped physical power within their heart that, in times of grave crisis, they are able to surpass their limits with great will and perseverance at a great cost. That well of power does not vanish with the advent of the Martial body, nay, it is even stronger. However, it is difficult to access, and requires many things, self-awareness, individuality, the ability to survive and endure the Martial Heart, and unfortunately; luck."
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