As the strongest knight of King Arthur's Round Table, Lancelot showed no fear in facing the Campione who challenged her with a replica sword. To her, the divine spear in her hand was more than enough to crush her opponent. Another Divine Authority? Unnecessary. She wanted to prove her superiority in a weapon duel.
On the other side, Ren stood calmly. With a faint smile on his face, he provoked his opponent.
"Come on, beautiful. Let's see how well you fight without that mist."
*WHOOSH!*
Lancelot didn't respond with words but instead launched an immediate attack, her spear thrusting straight toward Ren's heart. Her speed was extraordinary.
*CLANG!*
Ready, Ren raised his sword with precision. The clang of metal echoed as the spear and sword met, sparks flying in all directions.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Their figures blurred to anyone trying to observe. Only the sound of clashing metal and traces of destruction marked their movements.
Lancelot attacked relentlessly, her spear moving with a mesmerizing fluidity, like a flowing river bringing destruction. Her strikes came from all directions—thrusts, slashes, spins—all aimed at forcing Ren to retreat. Yet, Ren remained calm. The sword in his hand moved like a dance, deflecting each attack with perfect precision.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
The ground beneath them began to crack and crumble. Shockwaves from each collision spread in all directions. Dust and smoke billowed high, enveloping the battlefield.
Still, both of them remained visible amidst the destruction—two figures exchanging relentless attacks.
*SHUA!*
Ren leaped into the air, his sword spinning in a deadly slash that split the air. However, Lancelot deftly twisted her spear, deflecting the attack with full force.
*BOOM!*
The next collision was even more devastating. The red energy wave from Ren's sword clashed with the golden energy from Lancelot's spear, creating a massive explosion that shook the battlefield. The blast swept across the ground around them, leaving an even larger crater.
*WHOOSH!*
Lancelot gave Ren no time to breathe. She immediately lunged forward, her spear slashing horizontally. Ren had only a fraction of a second to raise his sword, blocking the attack.
*CLING!*
Sparks flew once more, but the force of Lancelot's strike pushed Ren back several steps.
However, Lancelot began to notice something unusual. Although she clearly dominated the confrontation, her opponent showed no signs of defeat. Instead, Ren quickly adjusted his stance, advancing again with new attacks just as precise.
'How is this man able to fight this far without using his Divine Authority, relying solely on pure swordsmanship?' Lancelot thought to herself as she continued her relentless assault.
*CLANG!*
*SWOOSH!*
She spun her spear skillfully, blocking Ren's slash aimed at her shoulder before following up with a quick thrust toward his chest.
*CLANG!*
Ren deflected the attack perfectly, though the force of the impact was enough to shake the ground beneath their feet.
'This man is truly insane. He's using me as a whetstone, which is why his swordsmanship keeps improving during the fight. Even I have to admit, his talent with the sword is extraordinary. Perhaps his talent rivals Salvatore Doni's.' Lancelot thought, her eyes scanning Ren's every move sharply.
*SHUA!*
She leaped back, creating some distance between them to assess the situation.
On the opposite side, Ren stood tall, the sword in his hand still glowing bright red. Sweat dripped from his temples, but the wide smile on his face made him look like a warrior truly enjoying every second of the battle.
'Indeed, no ordinary human could become a Campione... Rokuhara Ren... Is he the same type as Luo Hao? A Campione whose martial arts can rival the Divine Authorities of gods?'
*WHOOSH!*
Lancelot dashed forward again, her spear strikes now faster and stronger than before. She wanted to test her theory. Could Ren continue to withstand her increasingly ferocious rhythm?
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
Ren raised his sword, deflecting each attack with near-perfect precision. His body moved without hesitation, utilizing every moment to counterattack in the small gaps in Lancelot's defense.
'Perhaps this is the effect of a Campione's adrenaline? Well, their instincts and physiology are indeed extraordinary. But talent is innate; becoming a Campione doesn't enhance one's talent.'
Unaware of Lancelot's high opinion of him, Ren continued to swing his sword.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
The energy waves from each clash of their sword and spear continued to ravage the battlefield around them. But neither cared. In their eyes, only their opponent mattered.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
The intense battle lasted for ten minutes, with the clanging of metal deafening and sparks burning the air around them.
However, after what felt like an eternity, the first to grow impatient was Ren. As a Campione, he always enjoyed a challenge, but he wasn't foolish enough to risk everything for pride alone.
His main goal was the Holy Grail, not defeating Lancelot. Gaining experience fighting a Heretic God was only a secondary objective.
'That's enough. If I delay any longer, there's a chance of unwanted variables. Besides, England is in Europe. This is the territory of Marquis Voban, Doni, and Alec. The arrival of a Campione from East Asia might already be known to them, but they haven't directly intervened or observed from the shadows. No, if it were Doni, he'd probably already be on his way from Italy to England to challenge me.' Ren thought to himself.
After satisfying his desire to fight and realizing he currently stood no chance of defeating Lancelot, he leaped back, decisively creating distance with a light movement.
On the other side, Lancelot didn't pursue. Her divine spear remained raised, but she stood tall, her eyes coldly fixed on Ren.
"A fake will never defeat the real thing."
Ren glanced at his sword, the replica Excalibur now riddled with cracks, as if it could shatter at any moment. The clashes with Lancelot's divine spear had pushed the replica to its limits.
"You're right, I agree with you. In the end, a fake is still a fake; it can't match the real thing."
Then, he stored the sword back into his dimensional storage magic and casually stepped back.
*BUZZ!*
With a wave of his hand, a bow materialized.
"Your Divine Authority won't be enough to defeat me." Lancelot wasn't being arrogant, merely stating a fact.
"Though I'm reluctant to admit it, that's the truth. Lancelot, it seems you've forgotten my purpose for coming here."
After saying that, Ren drew his bow to its fullest, and in less than a blink of an eye, dozens of arrows shot out.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
But they weren't aimed at Lancelot. No, the real target was the woman in the distance, Guinevere, who sat calmly on a white horse flying in the air, watching the battle from afar.
Lancelot's eyes widened instantly. Not anticipating that Ren would redirect his attacks toward Guinevere, she felt rage boiling within her.
"Shameless bastard!"
*WHOOSH!*
Her body shot forward immediately, surpassing the limits of human speed to chase after Ren.
Meanwhile, Guinevere looked momentarily surprised, but her face remained calm.
"That man is truly irritating." She said with disgust.
"Neighhhh...!!!"
The white horse immediately maneuvered sharply, spinning, leaping, and diving to avoid the rain of arrows shooting at supersonic speeds.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Each arrow carried an immense threat of destruction. Some passed by Guinevere with only inches to spare, leaving trails of heat that burned the air.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Other arrows exploded mid-air, creating shockwaves that shook the white horse and caused it to lose balance momentarily before stabilizing again.