Desperate Strike

The fierce exchange between the two had lasted only a few seconds, but with Red Hare's incredible speed, they had already raced more than a hundred meters across the ice. With Lu Fengxian's full-force blow, the powerfully built warrior seemed to have a jet engine mounted in his chest, hurtling backward like a human cannonball!

Whether by intent or coincidence, Leonidas flew directly toward the spot where he had previously planted his spear!

Though Leonidas felt that he probably had not thought that far ahead at the time.

His ribs had first been struck by Lu Fengxian's iron fist, then he had taken Lu Bu's midair reverse kick. Intense pain spread through Leonidas's entire body, yet it brought a savage, exhilarated expression to his face.

Just as Lu Bu relished the thrill of fighting a powerful foe, Leonidas rarely had the chance to battle an opponent of this caliber.

As Sparta's strongest warrior, war had meant nothing more than endlessly slaughtering the weak, until accumulated injuries dragged his body down or he killed everything weaker than himself. Even Xerxes's invincible army had only possessed an advantage in "numbers." Within that near-endless sea of soldiers, there had been no warrior who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Leonidas.

As he flew backward at high speed, Leonidas sharply reached out and caught his own spear in midair. He hung from it like a flag on a pole, and under his enormous momentum, the spear embedded in the ice field rapidly tilted backward. With a tremendous cracking sound, black, tortoise-shell fractures nearly instantly spread across the white ice field...

This ice field was one of magical ice created by Abner according to the flow of the Dragon Vein, far sturdier than ordinary ice. Even so, it could not withstand a frontal clash between two Servants. To cancel out his momentum, Leonidas's grasp on the spear tore up a huge slab of ice. Carried by the force, he skidded backward more than ten meters, his feet and spear gouging three furrows into the smooth ice.

The two Servants separated once more after that exchange.

What a fierce warrior!

Both silently praised the other.

Leonidas stopped himself, gripped his spear, and spun it once. A flash of silvery light passed by as his bare chest rose and fell twice, exhaling a great breath of scorching air. Short sword in his left hand and spear in his right, he looked at his hands, then at Lu Bu. The crimson cavalryman was merely facing him from some three hundred meters away, with no intention of charging over.

"Giving me time to retrieve my weapon?" Leonidas keenly read Lu Bu's intentions.

So he sheathed his short sword at his waist and walked over to his golden Great Shield, lifting it up once more. After a moment's thought, Leonidas ultimately set the shield aside, then tore off his helmet as well. His dark brown, medium-length curls scattered casually through the air.

After setting the helmet firmly atop the shield, the brawny Heroic Spirit drew a deep breath, and surging battle intent erupted from his body.

Leonidas hated magecraft, so he did not know that the armaments of Heroic Spirits could freely enter Spirit Form. There had been no need to discard them at all.

That helmet could protect his head... but before such a fierce warrior, that defense was meaningless. It could not even hinder that halberd for a second.

The Great Shield could indeed block the Fangtian Halberd's attacks, but it also eliminated Leonidas's ability to counterattack, making it difficult for the massive warrior to keep track of his opponent.

So why keep such cumbersome things?

The young warrior's youthful, bold face was exposed to the air. The Spartan infantry helmet had offered extensive protection, but its drawback was its narrow field of view. Without it, Leonidas could see farther and wider.

Some indescribable power filled his body, leaving Leonidas utterly exhilarated. He had never experienced such exhilaration before. What he did not know was that this was his magical energy, the protection bestowed upon him by the "Holy Grail?" The more injured he became, the greater his combat power grew—an ability perfectly suited to his nature.

"Are you ready?"

Lu Fengxian's provocative shout carried over the bitterly cold ice, seemingly entwined with the chill of the ice field until it became as sharp as a blade. Leonidas raised an eyebrow disdainfully, spat, and replied, "You can attack whenever you like! You're the one who needs to rest, aren't you?!"

That was not mere provocation. Leonidas knew his own strength very well.

Lu Bu could not have emerged unscathed after blocking Leonidas's kick with one hand. That left wrist had first blocked several of Leonidas's fierce kicks, then stopped the short sword Leonidas had swung with all his strength. Such powerful collisions naturally placed a considerable burden on the body.

The Fangtian Halberd used in mounted combat was too long; only by wielding it with both hands could one execute flexible techniques. Lu Bu had probably not charged in just now because he was easing the numbness in his arm.

Lu Bu smiled, though the veins on his forehead visibly throbbed. Leonidas had guessed correctly. Lu Bu valued profit more than reputation. Respecting Leonidas was one matter, but winning was another. He had not pressed the advantage simply because he had judged that a sneak attack would gain him nothing.

Having his thoughts exposed by his opponent, Lu Bu's embarrassed fury made his eyelids twitch incessantly. His beast-headed helmet rose and fell with him, its tiny metal plates scraping together.

"Then, round two!"

Pouring all his resentment into those words, Lu Bu urged his warhorse forward, seized his halberd in both hands, and raised it over his head!

Leonidas did not dare let his guard down either. Holding his spear in both hands, the Servant who had manifested as a Lancer picked up his spear to fight alone for the first time. Along the line extending from its icy spearpoint stood the crimson cavalryman, the strongest rider, like a red lotus blooming across the ice field.

In the span of a blink, the crimson cavalryman crossed three hundred meters. Leonidas could see every ripple of muscle across Red Hare's body with perfect clarity. Man and horse moved as one, and the cavalryman's high-speed charge was brought to its fullest potential.

Leonidas silently praised his speed, and then—

"Hah!"

He made a small flying hop to the side!

A small hop was faster than stepping during lateral movement, more flexible than a leap, and covered slightly more distance. He pulled away sideways with that hop, and his feet landed heavily on the ice. Under the force coursing through him, his feet sank straight into the ice field, fully supporting Leonidas. The spear-wielding Servant swiftly braced the weapon against his neck, using it as an axis. The muscles at his waist bulged, his legs drew power from the ice field, and it traveled through the muscles of his waist and ribs into his arms. With a furious roar, he whipped the spear around like a lash! A sharp howl tore through the air as the all-out sweep, carrying the force of thunder, made up for the difference in their parameters.

Meanwhile, Lu Bu drove his warhorse into a jump, naturally intending to harness the potential energy generated by the fall at its highest point!

A downward slash was inherently more powerful. Add the potential energy of the descent and Lu Bu's already superior Strength parameter compared to Leonidas's...

Both had been driven into a bloodthirsty frenzy. Fond of frontal clashes, neither hesitated to choose an all-out strike to determine the victor.

Boom!

An explosive roar!

Spear and halberd collided at full force, and the surge of magical energy against magical energy raised a tornado-like storm!

The ice field, already fractured by Leonidas's earlier blow, could no longer endure. With a crack, their clash officially became the culprit behind the ice field's destruction. Pure-white ice shattered into irregular pieces, revealing deep-blue lake water beneath that reflected a blackish hue under the night sky, where moonlight could faintly be seen.

"Hmph... always playing clever little tricks!"

Lu Bu immediately understood Leonidas's intent: if he insisted on testing strength against him here, the most likely outcome would be Leonidas getting hurt while he fell into the water.

Could a horse swim? Of course not.

Even the famed Red Hare was still a horse, not some demonic beast. Once it fell into the water, Red Hare would lose its ability to gallop, and no matter how exceptional Lu Bu's horsemanship was, he would be unable to use it.

I see. He calculated that my first strike would be a high leaping chop? He forced me to hold back and search for a place to land!

Being outmaneuvered was never pleasant. Lu Bu snorted unhappily, gradually withdrew the strength in his hands, carefully adjusted his position in midair, then shoved his weapon with all his might to knock Leonidas's spear aside. Using the recoil, he landed on a large ice floe.

The battlefield... had changed!

The plains were simply too favorable for cavalry!

Thus, this clever warrior had immediately thought of a way to destroy the terrain! What wisdom!

The terror of Heroic Spirits lay not only in their combat power, but also in their experience. So long as they were not mindless beings like Berserkers, the combat experience accumulated through a lifetime of brutal battles was a Servant's strongest weapon!

"Clever little tricks? Heh, say that after you've won!"

Leonidas likewise chuckled in midair. He too used the force from having his weapon knocked aside to adjust his position, landing on an ice floe. The two faced off once again.

But this time... the plain where Lu Bu could gallop freely was gone! In its place was the special terrain of a river!