After a complete failure to take Rui Quarrier down, NOVA had readjusted her estimates of Rui's power. She understood what he had done to his body and why that had produced such a powerful outcome, although she didn't understand how Rui displayed such mastery of his evosapien side, as if he had been using it for an entire lifetime.
'It doesn't matter. Martial Artists have absolute stamina limits, unlike other pathwalkers. The price of the Martial Mind and Martial Soul isn't something that even the Dawnbringer can avoid. If we keep pressuring him over a sustained period of time, then we can take him down.'
She had completely abandoned any idea of defeating Rui through a dominant, overwhelming offensive initiative.
Even when they had Tokugawa Ieyasu on their side, they weren't able to inflict any meaningful damage on him. He had managed to ignore the attacks of two top-ten powerhouses and focused entirely on Ieyasu before he eliminated the traitor.
