"Congratulations on your first victory, Master Gerlos."
"What's there to congratulate? It was to be expected, wasn't it?"
"Master Gerlos, you didn't seem to use any Astral Armor weaponry during the battle. The armor on your hand was likely just to mask the true nature of your attack, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. Otherwise, if I—a martial artist—defeated an Astral Armor pilot with pure martial techniques in a competition designed for Astral Armor pilots, what would that look like?"
Muria chuckled. If he had slapped that teenager into the ground barehanded, someone might have tried to manipulate the rules to disqualify him.
"It's not an issue. As long as you have the strength, the family will handle everything else for you."
"It's better to play it safe."
"Will you maintain this same approach throughout the tournament, sweeping through as you did today?"
"Yes." Muria nodded. He knew that the truly formidable Astral Armor pilots had already secured direct qualifications for the main competition and wouldn't waste time in the preliminaries.
"Then I wish you success in battle."
"Ha, I don't need any luck."
---
While Muria was casually chatting with his butler, footage of his match began spreading like wildfire across the Federation. Several families even convened meetings in response to what they had seen.
"Is this some new type of Astral Armor developed by the Douglas family? It seems quite powerful." In a brightly lit conference room, a middle-aged man spoke indifferently after watching the brief, twenty-second video of Muria's battle. "It's reached the level of a mid-tier Astral Armor pilot."
"Astral Armor weaponry? Hmph. According to our intelligence, Gerlos is only a six-star Astral Armor pilot. In other words, if this attack were caused by a piece of equipment, it could only be mid-tier armor. Are you suggesting that the Douglas family has mastered technology so advanced it completely outclasses our own? Have we fallen behind the times?"
"Of course not. The Maluca family still holds the Federation's cutting-edge Astral Armor manufacturing technology. Even if the Douglas family is slightly ahead, they could never surpass us to such an extent."
"So this destruction wasn't caused by Astral Armor weaponry?"
"Exactly."
"That's even more absurd. If this wasn't the result of Astral Armor equipment, then what could it be? The pilot himself?"
"Not an Astral Armor pilot. Strictly speaking, it's the work of a martial artist. This palm imprint was created by a powerful martial artist."
"What do you mean?"
"Just as I said. Gerlos Douglas is not just an Astral Armor pilot; he's also a formidable martial artist. I've already confirmed this with our family's experts. The destruction was caused by his martial arts techniques."
"So, the Douglas family sent a martial artist to compete in a tournament meant for Astral Armor pilots?" An elderly man narrowed his eyes, sensing the threat posed by Muria. "This martial artist seems excessively powerful. What is our assessment of his capabilities?"
"At minimum, he rivals a ninth-star Astral Armor pilot—possibly even a tenth-star pilot."
"That strong? At this level, he's destined to make it to the semifinals, isn't he?"
"No, likely even further. With this level of power, he might have the strength to win the championship. Martial artists are fundamentally different from Astral Armor pilots, and their destructive potential is much higher."
"Sending such a powerful martial artist into this competition is a joke. We could find a way to disqualify him. This Douglas kid has no business being here."
"Forget it. It's pointless. A family like the Douglas clan would never leave such an obvious loophole. I've already said, he's a martial artist and an Astral Armor pilot. He's fully qualified to participate."
"Then let's push to ensure he can only use Astral Armor techniques, barring his martial arts abilities."
"Stop dreaming. This is the Douglas family we're talking about, not some lesser group. Your little tricks won't work on them."
"Instead of fixating on him, we should focus on the other Douglas family prodigies. They are the real threats to our own family's young talents."
"Are the Douglas family's seeds different this time compared to before?"
"Very much so. According to my sources, the Douglas family's newly emerged martial arts prodigy, Gerlos Douglas, has been acting as a combat instructor for their seeds. No one doubts the authority of a martial artist in this area."
"So our seeds need to watch out for close combat against the Douglas seeds? Anything else?"
"Not just close combat. There's more to worry about." The woman speaking projected a special photograph into the center of the room, capturing everyone's attention.
"This... this is someone from the Douglas family?" Someone stared at the image in confusion, his expression frozen in disbelief.
"Yes, this is Betty and Robert from the Douglas family, photographed after a sparring session."
"They got this beat up in a spar? Are you sure there's no grudge between them?" A young man stroked his chin as he examined the photo.
The image depicted a girl clad in sleek Astral Armor violently dragging a bloodied Robert by the hair across a lawn.
"It's just normal sparring, nothing personal."
"Since when has the Douglas family become so ruthless? Don't they worry about accidental deaths from such injuries?"
"That's precisely what we need to be cautious about. The Douglas family's combat style this time is completely different from before."
"Are they trying to emulate the Empire's madmen or the Church's fanatics?"
"Seems like it. Their approach is eerily similar."
"How should we counter this?"
"What can we do? Sabotage them outside the arena? That's obviously impossible."
"This tournament belongs to our family's seeds. All we can do is provide intelligence and let them prepare mentally. That's it."
---
As the footage of Muria's brief battle spread, its impact grew exponentially. Discussions about Muria's performance dominated the Federation's news, especially during the Star Armor Masters Tournament, where every incident became a hot topic.
"Wow, has the Federation developed a new type of weapon? It's so powerful and cool! When will they release a civilian version so I can buy one?"
"Dream on. This type of armor is bound to be restricted. At most, they'll release a nerfed version."
"A nerfed version is still fun to play with."
For most of the Federation's citizens, Muria's attack was attributed to a special Astral Armor weapon. Nobody imagined the attack came purely from his own strength.
---
"Gerlos, have you grown this strong already? You've completely surpassed me. That's wonderful."
In the Yakub Province capital of Dovalir, a young woman in an empty villa gazed at the projection screen, her eyes filled with pride.
Meanwhile, outside the villa in a nearby restaurant, a blonde woman lounging on a soft couch smirked confidently.
"Ansoal, Muria has started making waves. It's time for you to prepare."
"Mm, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Ansoal sat cross-legged, wisps of golden mist swirling around him. The energy outlined faint patterns in the air behind him, shimmering with an ethereal majesty.
"I've already chosen your targets. Just challenge them one by one in order."
"Understood."
"By the time you're done, every family in the Federation will be vying to recruit you."
"Not interested. I'd rather visit the battlefield where the Silver Empire clashes with the Descended."
"Stop joking. That place has legendary-level combatants. You're not ready yet. Use the families' resources to reach that level first."
"I know. No need to nag."
Closing his eyes, Ansoal radiated an aura of newfound power. He had broken through the most critical barrier of martial arts, entering a realm that placed him among the world's top combatants—all within just twenty-five years.
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