The entire arena fell into silence.
In the spectator stands, one could hear a pin drop.
Some people instinctively stood up, their faces filled with astonishment as they gazed at the scene unfolding in the arena. Others sat in their seats, dumbfounded, clutching their own faces.
It seemed as if no one could believe what they were witnessing.
It was too shocking.
Too unexpected.
Before coming to watch the match, who could have imagined that what was initially thought to be a predictable contest would result in such a spectacle?
Even Char's acquaintances and friends had no inkling of what was about to unfold.
So when they saw the handsome young man in knight attire, gripping his sword and standing firmly in place, casually declaring that his warm-up was complete, it felt somewhat unreal.
The dazzling sword dance, which seemed like a performance, had left a profound impact on them.
Perhaps there were many people who could replicate such a scene.
But it definitely shouldn't be such a young newcomer!
That was the kind of damage that rivaled the three-ring magic's destructive range. Even if the power was slightly weaker, it was still beyond what a quasi-knight could withstand.
Despite such an attack, all of it surged toward that young man, but he didn't retreat or dodge. He simply stood on the arena, unabashedly facing all the assaults head-on!
quasi-knight?
Are you kidding me!
"A-Are you a... Grand Knight?"
On the spectator stands, it was unclear who broke the silence first.
The students looked around, their confused and astonished eyes meeting with others in the same state.
Then, a wave of intense discussions and exclamations erupted, belatedly, like a tide, reverberating throughout the entire arena!
"How is this possible?!"
"A first-year? A newcomer? A Grand Knight?!"
"Oh my goodness, my rationality tells me that this is simply impossible, but reality is right here... I must be dreaming!"
"Are there any other students in the knight department of the academy who hold the rank of a Grand Knight?"
"As far as I know, there aren't any!"
"With this level of strength, even entering the Holy Knights Order would guarantee a direct promotion, right?"
"I heard that Nia Adelaide, the rumored youngest Three-Ring Mage in the academy's history... could that surname be related to him?"
"Does the entire family possess such talent?"
After discussing this topic, many eyes secretly turned towards a certain corner of the spectator stands.
There sat a master and disciple.
"I see." Lady Mevis had already snapped out of her brief astonishment. Ignoring the surrounding gazes, she furrowed her brows slightly. "So, that means the guy from the Night Shadow Association should be dead by now."
After saying those words, Lady Mevis, dressed in a moon-white mage robe, looked up at Nia, who stood beside her.
After observing her for a while and noticing no change in her emotions, Lady Mevis continued speaking, "Although being a Grand Knight is indeed impressive, at the moment, it's just a one-star level, still far behind Angelica's Three-Ring power."
"Furthermore, the Ice Vine Spear is merely a basic Three-Ring magic. She has many more powers to unleash, including magical artifacts and ancient charms."
"I mentioned earlier that there might be some setbacks in the process, although this particular setback was quite unexpected... But the final result, without a doubt, won't change."
Nia stood quietly in place, like a lifeless puppet, neither agreeing nor objecting.
After a moment, her small hand, hidden beneath the loose mage robe, clenched gently.
.....
"Good lad!"
After witnessing Char's performance that shook the entire arena, Sitar's face was filled with astonishment and wild joy. He vigorously applauded twice and stood up.
He never would have thought that Char's declaration of "guaranteed victory" meant this.
Incredible.
He initially believed that a quasi-knight had reached the pinnacle, but now it seemed that Char was at least a one-star Grand Knight!
To achieve such a level with just the everyday knight training?
Sitar couldn't believe it at all, but there didn't seem to be any other explanation.
It could only be attributed to innate talent.
On the other hand, Judge Rode, who had been sitting in his original position all along, looked at his old friend with some confusion.
Wasn't it only natural for a Grand Knight to be in the realm of facing off against Angelica, a Three-Ring Mage?
Although Char was indeed a rare genius, why did he, as his teacher, seem more excited than himself?
Rode shook his head, his curious gaze subsequently shifting to the center of the arena
.....
"Cough cough cough—"
Accompanied by a deep cough, headmaster Lucius's beard was lifted up by the force of it.
Archbishop Edmund supported the old man while expressing astonishment, "Impressive. It seems that your Norton Academy is about to produce another prodigy... A 16-year-old Grand Knight? Unheard of."
"It seems that I'm not needed at all," Edmund said with surprise, finally catching his breath. headmaster Lucius laughed heartily, patting his knee forcefully. "Those knights from the Order kept saying that the mainstream of the academy has shifted towards magic, departing from the original intention of the founding headmaster to establish a knight academy... Now I can confidently tell them that Norton Academy might close down, but it will never lose its essence!"
Edmund spoke gently, "Actually, the Holy See has many hidden martial techniques and numerous powerful Holy See knights who can teach the students."
"Pah!" headmaster Lucius glared at him fiercely. "Don't even think about poaching Norton Academy's talent!"
The Archbishop smiled and shifted his gaze back to the arena. "For him, winning this match is still difficult, or rather, almost impossible."
headmaster Lucius sighed as well. "Although I agree with what he said earlier, the talent of that young lady is also a once-in-a-century occurrence... Moreover, how can we easily overcome the class barriers brought by the influential noble families?"
"Let's continue watching."
.....
"So handsome!"
Sylvasta lightly covered her rosy lips, incredulously watching the scene before her. Her delicate face blushed, and she couldn't help but blurt out.
"What did you say?"
Dahlia looked over, her face also tinged with a blush, as if she hadn't heard clearly.
At this moment, the woman who was much older than Shaya revealed a trace of girlish shyness, something she had never shown before. She resembled a successful fangirl who had just caught her idol.
"Uh... it's nothing."
Sylvasta turned her head, feeling guilty, her expression shy.
But he really is so handsome.
Especially the way he decisively dismantled her sister's attack!
Is he really a Grand Knight?
Sylvasta's heart raced rapidly.
At this moment, the black-haired youth in the arena gripped his longsword and lightly unbuttoned the first button on his collar, seeming to feel a bit overheated after warming up.
"!!"
A faint glimpse of his collarbone caught Sylvasta's eye.
Sylvasta trembled as if she had been shocked, quickly covering her eyes with her hands, her face turning red.
A lady should not see such things!
At most, just a quick glance!
.....
On the other side.
The members of the Blood Rose Society were also completely shocked by Char's counterattack.
Their gazes met with a dark intensity, without saying a word.
Clearly, they were not shocked by the complete dismantling of their leader's attack, but rather by the method used by their opponent.
It felt more like a slap in the face.
Don't you, the Blood Rose Society, like to dominate with power?
Bring it on, I'll take it all!
This was the underlying meaning behind Char's actions.
Among all those present, only the purple-dressed girl, Sally Violet, showed a hint of interest in her eyes, watching the black-haired youth in the arena, wondering what was going through her mind.
She glanced at the prince sitting not far away, intending to ask him a few questions about Char, but suddenly noticed that he was bowing his head and trembling.
At this moment, Tyrus felt a suppressed surge of intense emotions within his body.
On ordinary days, he pretended to be an ordinary student, concealing his immense power that far surpassed his peers. He never revealed a hint of it, as if burdened by some kind of past.
But in the end, in the eagerly anticipated arena, under the gaze of the entire school, it erupted in an instant.
This... Isn't this scene exactly what I had imagined in my secret diary?
Char, you're so cool!
.....
Back in the arena.
For the audience in the stands, it might have felt like a long time had passed, but for Char, it was only a few short seconds.
Under Angelica's control, the remaining ice spears in the air completed their mission and shattered, turning into drifting ice fragments carried by the wind.
Although she had experienced a brief moment of shock just now, and even felt a barely perceptible trace of unease in her heart, her strong mental resilience quickly kicked in.
Angelica pursed her red lips, taking a couple of steps forward in her mid-calf boots, slightly narrowing the distance between them.
Starry-like ice shards brushed against her side, accentuating her radiance.
She slowly surveyed Char, her eyes narrowing into slender and piercing lines.
"I see."
"A One Star Great Knight? It seems this is where your confidence in challenging me comes from."
"Although I'm not sure how you managed to achieve it... but you don't think that with just this level of power, you can defeat me, do you?"
Char smiled, remaining silent as he withdrew the broadsword he held with a single hand, pointing the tip of the sword towards his opponent.
Upon seeing this, a graceful smile suddenly blossomed on Angelica's face.
"I admit, you did excite me earlier, which means you're not entirely useless as I initially thought. I take back my initial words."
"But please don't hold excessive expectations, because—"
"—what awaits you is inevitable defeat!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the rainbow-colored gem radiated a dazzling brilliance!