Since it was a busy day for Klaus, he said goodbye to Ashley after he finished eating and hurried to the Fencing Department.
On that sunny afternoon, the campus Fencing Department was much busier than on Klaus' last visit.
With a backpack on his shoulder, Klaus walked down the corridor, greeting a few colleagues who passed by and recognized him.
Upon entering the training room on the top floor of the tower, Klaus was greeted by the department leader, Lucas, a tall young man with an imposing stance and a penetrating gaze. He was surrounded by students warming up and stretching their bodies before training.
"Good afternoon, Klaus," Lucas greeted, smiling warmly. "Are you ready for your first practical lesson?"
"That's what I'm here for!" replied Klaus enthusiastically, spreading his arms wide. He enjoyed his last fighting experience with Lucas, as it was an opportunity to hone his combat skills, something that helped him a lot in Rise Online.
This training room was different from the others, it didn't have holographic technology, but it had a polished wooden floor and large windows that allowed natural light in and a great view of the woods that surrounded the department building.
Shelves full of swords, spears and other weapons adorned the walls, giving the place the atmosphere of an authentic fencing academy.
Klaus' classmates formed a line, facing their leader, who positioned himself in the center. He began to instruct the students on defense and attack techniques, demonstrating the movements with precision and elegance. The goal was to touch Lucas' body with only two or three movements. In this way, each gesture had to be executed with maximum mastery and efficiency to achieve success.
As they practiced, the sound of clashing wooden swords echoed through the room, mingling with the echoes of the instructor's instructions and encouragement. The air was imbued with an electric energy, fueled by the students' passion for the art of fighting.
As the line was rotating, everyone had several chances. Klaus moved with dexterity, using his instincts in his movements. He sought the balance between precision and strength, keeping his eyes fixed on the instructor so as not to miss any details.
"That's right, Klaus! You're fine, but keep your arm steady when making the cut."
"Excellent! Next time, focus on body posture and force me to dodge instead of being able to block you!"
"That's it, you are progressing very well!"
Lucas was a great instructor and always pointed out the mistakes and successes of his colleagues.
As Klaus and the others continued to train, he also observed the other classmates.
Some excelled in brute strength, while others in agility and strategy. It was fascinating to see the variety of styles and approaches each employed on their swords.
After an intense series of drills, Lucas suggested that the students practice with each other.
Klaus was approached by a boy named Alex, who was tall and outgoing. Alex asked to be Klaus' sparring partner, who accepted.
The confrontations would be watched by everyone, since Lucas needed to give suggestions, point out the points where each one needed to improve and play the role of judge.
Klaus and Alex stood facing each other, their wooden swords raised in combat position. The atmosphere was charged with energy and excitement as the rest of their colleagues watched, forming a circle around Klaus and Alex and all seemed eager to see this duel.
Luke stood in the center of the circle, ready to give directions and act as judge if necessary.
"Ready? Begin!" announced Lucas, starting the fight.
Klaus and Alex began to move, their feet gliding gracefully across the wooden floor. They both had their swords raised and began to walk in a circle, one looking for a gap in the other's defense. Suddenly, Alex lunged forward, swinging his sword diagonally.
Without delay, Klaus also moved and, as he wanted to gauge his opponent's strength, decided to block the attack. He put his sword in front of him and used the strength of his muscles to stop Alex's blow. The two's swords clashed, but they immediately moved apart, demonstrating skill, agility and experience. With one swift movement, Klaus took advantage of a moment of Alex's imbalance as he stepped back and tried to hit his shoulder, but Alex managed to deftly dodge, stepping back a few more paces to get out of Klaus' sword's reach.
"Nice try, Klaus!" encouraged Lucas. "Keep it up!"
Klaus and Alex continued their duel, exchanging swift, calculated blows. Klaus realized that Alex was agile and had a good dodging ability, which made the fight even more challenging.
The other colleagues watched intently, some applauding the successful blows, while others murmured words of encouragement to Alex, because he was a member of the department.
In a moment of opportunity, Klaus landed a side blow, but Alex deftly sidestepped and, in one fluid motion, tried to counterattack. Klaus backed away quickly to get out of range of Alex's blow.
"You're doing very well, Klaus!" praised Lucas, recognizing the student's progress. "Take advantage of your opponent's moments of vulnerability!"
Lucas' frequent compliments to Klaus irritated Alex a little, so the young man decided to be more aggressive. In the next move, Alex advanced with a series of quick blows. Klaus found himself in a defensive position, trying to block each attack deftly. The intensity of the duel increased, and the blows echoed around the room, creating a mesmerizing rhythm.
Klaus concentrated on staying calm and focused, looking for opportunities to counterattack. Thus, he noticed a gap in Alex's guard, which was very low, and decided to take advantage of it. With a well-timed move, Klaus locked Alex's sword and then slammed his sword down, opening Alex's guard even more. Finally, he delivered an upward blow, aiming for his opponent's chest. However, before the Sword hit Alex's chest, Klaus stopped the wooden sword so as not to hurt him.
The departmental colleagues were stunned for a few seconds, and everything went silent. The series of movements made by Klaus was simply beautiful.
Alex was stunned too and only realized that the battle was indeed over when Lucas exclaimed:
"Well done, Klaus won. Now, the next pair! Come Mark and Clara!"