Kahn was taken aback by the display of skills and power by Celine. By no means was she faster or more agile than Veronica. But the control over the aura that she used to create her aura blades and then even changing their shapes to different weapons was something Kahn hadn't even thought of before.
Niklaus was indeed on par with Veronica, just that he focused more on power than speed. So from Kahn's perspective, the match was indeed worthwhile.
This in a way, ended up encouraging Kahn to do better and fight fiercely in the semifinals. Because if he held off his hand against the semi-saints who had a plethora of skills and combat techniques at their disposal, his loss would be confirmed for sure.
With his eidetic memory, he remembered every single attacking move, defensive skill and even Celine's body movements when she attacked the opponent. So he wanted to prepare and look for countermeasures in case he had to face her in the next round.
