Invitation

"To think that you would come back after all these years…" Her detached voice contained a hint of emotion as her hand reached for his shoulder patting him. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back," Rui smiled. "Thank you for looking after Mana and Max…"

"It was a pleasure, not to mention a duty," She replied. "They were earnest and driven. After you disappeared, their resolve had only grown stronger and sturdier, allowing them to graduate and become Martial Squires at quite a remarkable pace."

"Yeah…I've witnessed their growth after returning home," Rui smiled. "They're fine Martial Artists if a little green."

Squire Kyrie studied him, narrowing her eyes as her senses tried to evaluate Rui's current level of power. She was well out of her prime, but she was still a veteran high-grade Martial Squire with decades of experience.

"This…" Her eyes widened with shock as she managed to get a read on Rui's masked power. "This is impossible."