The duel between Damian and Noel was of a higher caliber than any that had taken place during the Sacred Festival thus far. They weren’t magicians, but the swordsmanship displayed by the two provided an awe akin to magic, eliciting gasps of admiration from the spectators.

In fact, it was the first time anyone had witnessed such skill from them at the Sacred Festival, which contributed to the excitement in the air.

From the very first match, Damian had taken down all his opponents without using his sword, a feat only matched by Reinhardt and Noel among the students of the Department of Knights.

As soon as these two faced off, the audience felt a wave of exhilaration at the sight of them drawing their swords without hesitation.

Their mutual recognition of one another resembled the illustrations of knights from fairy tales. At the same time, having previously shown remarkable skill without drawing their swords, many were eager to see what they would display now that weapons were involved. The spectacle they provided more than met those expectations.

Noel, even without unleashing her Divine Power, was holding her own against Damian purely with her techniques. It wasn’t surprising that Damian wasn’t going all out, but it served to show how much Noel had grown compared to before.

Noel was indeed regarded as a star of the current generation, yet compared to Reinhardt and Damian, she often received comparatively lower praise. Thus, the audience was captivated by her impressive performance, which was equally true for Damian.

While Noel was considered a genius, she still lacked the brilliance of Reinhardt, who was a genius among geniuses. However, this was because Reinhardt possessed a talent in swordsmanship that could be compared to that of a deity, so there was nothing to be ashamed of. That being said, even for Damian, who was gaining confidence in his duel with Reinhardt, Noel’s current movements were remarkable.

The Noel who Damian remembered had a highly instinctive fighting style. Her ability to move her body based on superior intuition resembled that of an animal more than a human. Although she had refined her learned sword techniques to avoid appearing chaotic, it was clear that Noel still relied heavily on her instinctual actions.

In combat, instinctive actions are indeed advantageous, but the most crucial aspect is how well one can use them. If having good instincts alone were enough to win fights, then the strongest being in the world would not be a human, but rather a carnivore with superior instincts.

The line between reason and instinct is thin. One must think rationally while also acting instinctively, never relinquishing control to either side. Those who can maintain this balance during combat are the true masters.

As far as Damian knew, only Reinhardt could maneuver in such a way. Yet now, Noel was showcasing the same ability.

Not only was she still utilizing her exceptional instincts, but her movements also demonstrated a greater breadth of foresight compared to before. While her attacks had always been sharp, this transformation made Noel a far more challenging opponent than she had been previously.

Such advancements cannot be easily achieved even with days of training; what Noel was displaying was not different from the genius of Reinhardt.

‘To be able to reach this point without using Divine Power…’

Damian was still relatively calm, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t tense.

Although he felt more relaxed knowing that Altair had not entered the fray, Noel was not an opponent to be underestimated.

Even without using Divine Power, it felt as though Noel was genuinely wielding her sword. It seemed that as he adjusted his responses, she too was adapting her actions accordingly. Thus, what appeared to the crowd as a grand duel was merely a mere probing exercise for these two.

In fact, Noel’s growth was largely due to the memories given to her by Altair. These memories encompassed not only emotions but also experiences from future battles that Noel had never experienced herself. Having fully integrated these memories, just a few days had felt like years’ worth of change for her.

Though the situation was unexpected, Damian composed himself and smiled.

While Noel’s growth was indeed impressive, he had originally considered Altair his true opponent, so he had already prepared for the worst-case scenario. However, the reason he smiled during this duel with Noel was simply that he found it enjoyable.

There are many reasons one might find joy in a duel, but what Damian felt was undoubtedly driven by his desire to win. Little did he know, this also signified that he recognized Noel as a true contender, one of the very things she had hoped for.

How long had they been clashing? After a while, when neither side could claim victory in their probing session, they both stepped back as if they had made a prearranged signal.

With a satisfied expression, Damian addressed Noel.

“When did you become so strong? Were you avoiding me all this time just to surprise me like this?”

“Surprise? You should check your reflection, Damian. You hardly look surprised. But it’s nice to receive such praise from you. So, professor? What score do I get? I feel like I won’t have to worry about dying anymore!”

With an exuberant grin, Noel questioned him, and Damian chuckled in response.

“I don’t have any authority, but from my perspective, you’ve passed. As for your last question, I suppose we’ll see about that from now on!”

Though they were separated by a fair distance, Damian appeared before Noel in an instant, as if using a magician’s spell.

Noel responded without flinching, immediately swinging her sword against him, but it wasn’t speed she lacked; it was strength. As their swords clashed, she felt an overwhelming force traveling along the blade, one she couldn’t even begin to compare with earlier encounters. In haste, Noel tapped into her Divine Power to resist, but even then, Damian’s strength sent her soaring like a baseball struck by a bat.

In the blink of an eye, as Noel was flung toward the wall of the venue, she realized that hitting the wall would disrupt her momentum, prompting her to swiftly regain her stance in mid-air and use the wall as leverage to counter Damian, who was charging at her.

“You surprised me by coming in so sudden!”

The sword descending toward Damian gleamed with the brightness of the sun. He countered with his own blade, which seemed to embody the darkness of the night sky, much like the summer sun radiating its dazzling light.

In that moment when their swords collided, the arena shook with a resounding bang, and for a brief moment, it was engulfed in blinding light.

When the light faded and the spectators regained their sight, they beheld the scene: a perfectly dome-shaped indentation on the floor of the arena, as if space had been cleaved away, with both duelists gripping swords that had lost their blades.

A mere instant had passed, yet the positions of the two were markedly different, along with the numerous sword marks etched on the ground, giving the onlookers a glimpse of the chaos that had transpired in that fleeting moment.

The atmosphere between Noel and Damian had transformed so drastically that one could believe they were entirely different people compared to before the flash of light. Though they both wore smiles, no one in the crowd felt reassured by it.

“It seems I’m not the only one who broke something this time.”

Noel glanced at her sword without a blade, murmuring softly before discarding it and unleashing her Divine Power.

As her Divine Power enveloped her, Noel radiated a golden aura, emanating a divine atmosphere unlike anything before. The overflowing divinity around her resembled golden waves, and her appearance, bathed in sunlight, instilled a sense of awe in those who looked upon her.

The Divine Power extending from Noel began to take the form of a sword, and as she grasped that light, it solidified, revealing itself as a complete sword. There was no one present who didn’t recognize the identity of that sword.

Earlier that day, someone had performed a similar miracle, but it was Noel wielding the Holy Sword that summoned images of legendary heroes. Even Damian, albeit momentarily, could have mistaken her for Altair, making it clear what thoughts filled the minds of the others.

While Noel had always worn a worried expression during practice with the Holy Sword, now there was not a trace of such on her face. Instead, her countenance radiated pure joy as she raised the Holy Sword high into the sky and addressed Damian.

“Is there no more holding back from now on?”