Vangeance’s move precise and swift, was enough to knock Kevin out of the circle. It was the same for the other squires. Despite overwhelming the other party in numbers, they were all blown back, suffering the same humiliating defeat.
Vangeance moved with measured steps, not slashing, but redirecting. He used the momentum of the squires’ strikes against them, catching blades with the edge, then rolling his wrist to slide along their steel, disrupting their balance and dealing swift strikes.
In the blink of an eye, it was only Rolan now remaining standing.
"It’s just you after all. e, let me see how much you have learned," the knight beckoned with his fingers.
The former took a deep breath, posed his stance, and rushed forward. Rolan attacked from the front, a lunge aiming at his opponent’s shoulder.
The knight easily parried his sword; however, it was something he expected. Immediately, he followed his attack with another one. When even that one was dodged, Rolan twisted his hips, letting the momentum carry him into a reverse slash, low and fast.
In response, Vangeance stepped back— just enough to avoid it.
"Is that all?" the latter then struck back with a diagonal slash, fast and precise.
Rolan gritted his teeth and ducked low, letting the blade pass inches above his head, then rolling away sideways to create some distance.
"Running away?" Vangeance followed, this time with a feint, then a real thrust.
The squire who was caught off-balance, barely managed to use the flat of his blade to slap the knight’s sword aside. It was not clean and by far not elegant, but it was effective.
Stumbling and backing down every time, Rolan still managed to stay in the fight.
"Impressive, you have definitely improved. However, you still have a long way to go before you can master the weapon in your hand." The knight stepped forward with a diagonal cut.
When his opponent tried to guard, Vangeance moved his wrist with an abnormal reflex. At that very instant, his diagonal cut changed into something else. His sword tracing a tight spiral, hooked Rolan’s sword and flung it wide.
Then a quick kick to the chest sent the latter stumbling backwards. And just like that, all ten of the squires were sent out of the circle.
Kevin, Gwen, and the others were all surprised. The knight’s footwork and swings were so clean that they couldn’t even see any gaps in them. Not only that, his awareness, knowledge, and swordplay all surpass them.
"H-How is he so strong?"
Kevin got up and questioned. Fighting the knight, he felt like he was a baby holding a weapon. Next to him, Gwen and the others had the same question.
He knew that there was a big gap in their stats thanks to their level; however, the handicap was set precisely for that.
"If you think that a knight only relies on his stats, then you are wrong."
As the eldest in the group and someone who had joined the order for more than 2 years now, he knew better than anyone how strong the knights of the Order of the Temple of Light were.
"Look at that guy, he is adjusting his stats to better match ours".
"What?" The squiress were shocked, "Then how e we are unable to get an edge over him?"
"That is because he is a Knight. What do you think is the difference between a knight of the Order of the Temple of Light and knights from other orders?"
Rolan asked a question to his rades as they slowly picked themselves up and entered the circle again.
"Um, Level?"
"Experience?"
"Training?"
The squires’ answers were simple and varied. Rolan smiled. There was also a time when he thought just like them. However, after training with the knight order for more than 2 years now, meeting with different knights and reaching level 5, he was starting to understand what the key difference between a knight of the Order of the Temple of Light and other knights was.
"Is it [One with the Sword]?"
Surprisingly, one of the new squires actually managed to give the right answer.
"Correct," Rolan looked at Gwen, amazed by her talent.
"The true difference between our knights and other knight orders is that all the knights of the Temple of Light have mastered the [One with the Sword]. They are, in the real sense True Knights."
As long as one reaches level 6, pass the trial set by the Altar, and goes through the dubbing ceremony held by the crown, they can call themselves a knight.
However, when it es to real strength, they cannot even hold a candle to a True Knight who has at least mastered one transcendent state, [One with the Sword].
"True Knight? [One with the Sword]?"
The squires looked askance. What did he mean by those words?
"Well, even if you ask me, I haven’t achieved the [One with the Sword]. All I can tell you is that it is neither a skill nor a trait but a state that one can only enter with extreme training and talent. What’s more, the higher level knights of the order have mastered even the more powerful states that e after that".
Rolan explained, a helpless smile on his face. Once upon a time, he considered himself a great talent and dreamed about being the strongest knight in the kingdom.
However, after going through the magic knight exam where he met more talented people than him, and joining a knight order, where he saw the rigorous training and life and death battles the knights go through, he understood how naïve his thought process was.
To bee a true knight, only talent alone wasn’t enough.
"You don’t seem that surprised? Did you already know about this?" he looked at Kevin, who seemed to be mulling over something. T
he latter did not reply and continued to stare at his sword.
"Oi.. you people, are you just going to stand there and talk?"
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