After Hayden's impressive performance, the atmosphere in the training yard changed as everyone was hyped about his display of skills.
It was the first time someone managed to get a sure passing score!
Even if Hayden's strike wasn't that strong, the fact that he was able to touch a Knight Candidate at the age of nine was definitely impressive. Furthermore, they knew that Seraphine wasn't going easy on him...
Of course, she didn't use any Aura in that match and only relied on her Aura's physical enhancement but that was the same for others.
"This is incredible… Hayden actually did it."
"He's only nine years old too! How is he so good? I also trained with a Knight for at least a month."
"It's all about talent. He must be gifted to possess such ability."
The crowd was filled with excitement…
Soon, the crowd glanced at the top students of their class. They all wanted to see how they would perform after seeing Hayden's impressive skills.
Well, the top three students were Naya, Rufus, and Clark. They were widely regarded as the most talented of their peers. They were even capable of beating those in the higher years with their swordsmanship.
"He really took the spotlight from us…" Naya muttered as she looked at Hayden's back.
Soon, Naya was called to step into the arena. She was also a ten-year-old girl known for her rapier skills.
"Begin," Sir Roland announced.
Naya shifted into her stance as she held her sword lightly but firmly pointed at her opponent.
Well, after reaching Grade 4 in the Academy, they should've learned various sword techniques that might suit their style. The Dawn Swordsmanship was simply the easiest to learn and everyone was aware of it. After learning the Dawn Swordsmanship, they would switch to other styles that suited their qualities.
This also happened with Naya as her skills greatly improved the moment she shifted to a Rapier Technique.
"I'll go first then…"
Seraphine moved first, as she realized that Naya's sword style was a counter technique. It would be easier for Naya to show her skills with this method…
As expected, when her sword got closer, Naya sidestepped as she began to counter and tried to attack Seraphine's head.
Unfortunately, the counter was easily dodged by a single step back.
The crowd watched in awe as Naya continued to do this. She would always counter Seraphine's strikes with incredible movements.
She would use something similar to Circular Stance to evade attacks and the Counter Stance to redirect Seraphine's momentum.
This way, Naya didn't get easily tired.
At one point, Naya feinted to the left, then spun to the right, delivering a quick strike aimed at Seraphine's shoulder.
Her blade almost grazed Seraphine's sleeve, which should've been a great achievement similar to what Hayden had done. However, it was simply not enough…
"Tsk…"
Naya could only helplessly smile as she looked at the sword almost steadily pointed at her face.
She had already lost the battle.
However, Naya's performance earned her a nod of approval from the Knight Candidate.
"Impressive," Seraphine said. This wasn't lip service but a genuine appreciation of talent.
Naya was definitely skillful with her sword but she was eventually overwhelmed by Seraphine's quick attack.
A quick thrust almost killed her, ending the match.
"You have excellent control and timing when you attack…" Seraphine said as Elena bowed. "With more training, you could become a master duelist."
Naya smiled. She was happy to be acknowledged by this famous individual. "Thank you, Seraphine. I'll keep improving."
***
The next student to be called was Rufus.
He was another ten-year-old boy known for his aggressive fighting style. He stepped into the arena with a grin on his face. He was probably the number 1 student in their class.
"Begin," the instructor announced.
Rufus charged forward this time instead of waiting to be attacked. He had a different sword style compared to many others.
He aimed to strike at Seraphine's side but the latter deflected the strike with ease…
'As expected, she only deflects when attacked this low…'
Rufus thought as he followed up with a series of heavy blows on her lower body, each one forcing Seraphine to step back.
The crowd cheered as Rufus pressed the attack…
They also realized that Rufus was just aiming at her lower body for some reason.
Perhaps, aside from Hayden, no one else realized why Rufus was doing that.
However, despite his display of strength and determination to execute his plans, he still made a mistake…
He tried to attack with an Overhead Strike to deliver powerful downward strikes and to surprise Seraphine with the sudden change of tactic…
Rufus even used his Charging Stance to close the distance quickly.
Unfortunately for Rufus, Seraphine's combat sense was at its heightened phase after battling against Hayden… Right now, she could see every movement of her opponent.
Seraphine used the back of her sword to block the overhead attack and effortlessly flicked her sword to tap Rufus's wrist.
Pah!
Just like that, his sword fell from his hand, and the match was over.
"Focus on refining your technique," Seraphine whispered as Rufus picked up his sword. "You have potential, but you need to channel your strength more effectively."
Rufus nodded. He wasn't embarrassed or disappointed at all "I'll work on it."
As he stepped out of the arena, he looked at Hayden who was also looking at him…
There was a desire in him to also fight against Hayden… He was curious if he was simply not a good match against a taller opponent like Seraphine…
'If I'm fighting against someone my size, I'm sure I'm not going to be defeated.' Rufus thought as he considered a plan to have a match against Hayden that would be watched by many students…