The words that ca out of Rui’s mouth were nothing short of absurd.
She shook her head. "Love is not Martial Art."
Rui raised an eyebrow. "I thought everything is Martial Art?"
She frowned. "It is, but that is not the sa as Martial Art being everything. Love is Martial Art, but Martial Art is not love."
"Adaptive evolution is more than Martial Art," Rui replied. "I don’t intend to tinker with my brain with a Martial Art technique."
Though he did try to look for sothing like that.
She raised an eyebrow as curiosity erged in her amber eyes.
"Then how do you intend to adaptively evolve to love , Rui Quarrier?"
Rui shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I just need to grow. To grow with you. Alongside you. The faster I grow, the stronger I grow, the more I can change to love you. The more I can adaptively evolve to love you. After all, isn’t that what love is? It is nothing but simple adaptive evolution. And I intend to prove that..."
He gazed deep into her eyes.
"By falling in love with you once more."
"...You are insane." She shook her head. "Completely mad."
Rui smiled. "That didn’t deter you until now."
Her expression softened.
"Is this all a part of Project Water?" she raised an eyebrow. "Am I a part of Project Water?"
Rui remained silent at those words.
He gazed deep into her eyes.
"Project Water is everything to ."
He shrugged lightly.
"Would you reject being part of it, knowing that it is everything to ?"
She heaved a deep, shaky breath at those words.
"You always knew that I would never waver on what is the most important thing in my life," he continued with a calm tone. "You always knew that you could never beco the most important thing to . So if you cannot displace Project Water, then..."
He smirked. "Why not beco a part of it? That way, there will be no conflict. It’s a win-win, don’t you think?"
She gazed at him with a dumbfounded expression as she ca to understand sothing.
This was the kind of madness it took to reach the pinnacle of Martial Art.
Perhaps this was the reason that neither her grandmother nor the Reverend of Reckoning had reached Transcendence yet, despite the forr being nearly seven hundred years old, having t with the original Progenitor as a little child.
One needed to warp one’s very mind with one’s Martial Art.
In comparison to Rui’s willingness to let Project Water swallow the world, she understood that she and every other Martial Artist paled in comparison.
"...you have grown even more driven down your Martial Path than when you were a Martial Master," she realized belatedly.
"Well, I didn’t know who I was back then," Rui replied in a calm tone. "Now, I do. There is nothing holding back from completing my ambition, and for that, I need you. I want you. I want to love you."
He smiled affectionately at her.
"Those years we spent with each other traveling the world were among the best tis of my life."
His words ward her heart.
They soothed her soul.
"I fell in love with you because you ward my life as well as my voyage through this world in a way that even Martial Art never could," he spoke to her with sincerity. "Give a chance. Give a chance to love you once more."
She felt a wave of jubilance and warmth washing over her entire body.
It was euphoric.
And yet, a part of her was scared.
Terrified
"...I can’t take a second rejection," her voice grew shaky. "If you fail... I don’t know what I would do."
That was a lie.
She knew exactly what she would do.
And it was precisely because her Enlightennt of Self allowed her to know what she would do that she feared taking his hand.
"Amare."
Rui’s voice was one of unyielding certainty.
He gazed deep into her eyes.
"Do you believe that I would fail in achieving Project Water?"
She gazed deep into the boundless darkness in her pitch-black eyes as a small, lancholic smile erged on her face.
"No."
Ever since Rui overca death itself to bring her back and reunite with her, she knew in her heart that there was nothing that could stop him.
A confident smile erged on his face.
"Then have faith in . I will succeed. No matter what."
Her expression softened as her amber eyes bore deep into his eyes with longing affection.
She drew closer, feeling his warmth despite the chilly blizzard of the northern mountains.
Her palm rested on his chest as she felt his powerful heartbeat.
BADUMP
It beat with drive.
BADUMP
It would not stop.
BADUMP
It would never stop.
Not before he achieved his life’s purpose.
She closed her eyes, heaving a deep breath.
"I accept."
A hope erged deep within her with those words.
A hope that she was right to trust him.
To place her faith in his words.
To give him a chance.
To open her heart him once more.
"Thank you." Rui enthusiastically smiled at her with clear eyes. "I’m going to be going on a journey soon. A journey across the true world. I’m going to explore the unknown mysteries of the six continents and obtain the power of the six paths. And..."
His hand brushed against the bronze skin on her face.
"I want you to join ."
His tone was welcoming.
"I want you to join in the true world."
He gazed deep into her eyes.
"I want to go on a journey with you once more."
She nodded with greater enthusiasm and ecstasy.
Her amber eyes began regaining the vigor of life and warmth they had lost.
"A journey... I would love nothing more, but..." she hesitated. "Aren’t we needed on the continent now more than ever before? In a ti of intercontinental war? We are two of the four powerhouses. If we leave this continent, won’t the Panama Continent fall?"
Rui shook his head.
"Human civilization desperately needs allies more than anything else at this mont. We are surrounded by six continents in all directions. And anybody who isn’t an ally will necessarily beco an enemy, for they too will need to plunder our esoterics lest the others gain an advantage that can be used against them," he continued. "We need allies to trade with, to militarily ally with, friends who can ensure that we find our place in the true world. That is more important than either of us at this mont."
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