An explosion erupted the very moment the blood made contact with Ria’s body as a tremendous wave of pressure emerged from Ria’s body, blasting into the wave of pressure outwards, causing her blood to splatter away with great force.

More force than any Martial Master should have been capable of.

SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT!!!

Arastia watched with a stunned expression as her blood splattered away across the walls of the training room, gazing at a panting Ria with wounds across her entire body.

She knew what she had felt.

That surge of radiation could only mean one thing.

"Materia prima..." Arastia murmured. "But she’s only a Martial Master..."

There was only one other Martial Master in history who had managed to tap into materia prima.

Arastia simply smiled with an amazed expression. "Truly, like father, like daughter."

Her shining blood-red eyes bore deep into Ria’s amber irises. They were defiant and fierce, still willing to go on. She heaved a sigh as she snapped a finger, causing all the blood around her to sizzle and boil away in a strange steam.

Ria frowned as she felt the power in Arastia’s eyes and body leaving. "...Why are we stopping?"

"The goal was to test whether you two were fit to come along," Arastia replied calmly. "And I have ascertained your abilities, especially yours, Ria, but certainly you two Runark."

"Man..." Runark watched Arastia’s blood disappear from his body with a hint of relief. "So we get to come along?"

"Of course," Arastia replied.

Ria’s expression grew a little dissatisfied as she deactivated her Realms of power, her wounds automatically healing thanks to a biotechnological healing factor programmed into her body during her Body Evolution process. "I wanted to fight to the end."

Arastia heaved an exasperated sigh. "Martial Artists."

"How well do you think we did?" Runark asked eagerly.

"Hm, you’re growing very well as a Martial Artist, young man," Arastia replied thoughtfully. "Your speed and your maneuvering are very good, but you need more experience. You clearly have a very limited ability to think on your feet. I would also recommend improving your defense; you cannot evade everything, especially if you’re not an evasive specialist like your father. As for you..."

She turned towards Ria with a knowing expression, sizing the young lady up.

Ria had grown more than she had expected, especially when she juxtaposed the current confident lady before her with the young girl she had played and sparred with all those years ago.

Her amber eyes reflected a toughness, as well as hints of the distress and angst that plagued her young heart. Her power, for her age and even her Realm, was overwhelming. She was already stronger than almost any Martial Master that Arastia knew.

But there was more to it.

"Do you mind if we have a minute, Runark?" She turned towards him with a smile. "It’s quite personal."

He grew more serious, directing a glance at Ria, before nodding and leaving the combat room.

VMMM

The door shut behind him as the jamming field appeared, isolating them.

"Why do you need to have him go away for just an evaluation of my combat prowess?" Ria frowned at her aunt.

Arastia directed a knowing gaze at her niece. "How much has your father told you about your... talent?"

Ria tilted her head, knitting her eyebrows in confusion. "What? What does that mean?"

"Your talent," Arastia repeated. "Do you understand why you are talented?"

Ria frowned.

She knew she was talented, of course. She was supposedly the most talented Martial Artist in terms of the rate of her Martial progress. It was one of the best and worst parts of her life, one of the things that made her want to leave Gaia Prime in the first place.

"Luck?" she shrugged lightly. "Because my parents are extraordinary?"

Arastia stared into her niece’s eyes, not saying anything.

Ria didn’t like how she was acting. Like she knew something, but chose not to say it, acting in a mysterious way.

"I see, that’s probably it," she smiled at Ria. "Your father was a monster among monsters and your mother was extremely extraordinary as well. It makes sense that you would also be a truly miraculous talent."

Ria got the sense that Arastia was keeping something from her, but her expression softened at the thought of her parents. Arastia sensed her thoughts, smiling at her.

"How was your visit home after more than two years?"

Ria heaved a deep breath as she recalled the memories. "...Awkward."

Arastia chuckled. "I can imagine that. But I’m sure that you would have enjoyed speaking to your parents."

"It was nice... at first," Ria spoke with a solemn tone of voice. Her expression grew crestfallen as her amber eyes remained fixed on the floor. "But then..."

Her expression darkened a little. "I was reminded of why I left. More than anything, I hate being addressed in accordance with royal protocols."

The very thought of being called something as pompous as Her Highness or Your Highness was very irritating. It made her feel like she wasn’t even a person. It felt strangely dehumanizing, despite supposedly being an utterance used to regard a person’s greatness.

She didn’t understand how her father could stand being called stuff like that all day, every day, for years and years on end.

She didn’t care to understand either.

She wanted nothing to do with it.

She loved her parents, but she hated the environment around them.

She hesitated as her expression grew complicated. Her fists clenched. "I just... I just wish things could go back to how they were when I was a kid."

Arastia regarded her niece with a sympathetic expression as she drew forth, pulling her into a deep hug, pressing her into her chest. "The past is forever beyond reach, but the future is yet to be. You cannot go back to how things were when you were a child, but you can move towards a future you want."

She slowly pulled away, gazing her niece in the eyes.

"So tell me, what kind of life do you want for yourself?"