"Devastate!" Leonidas bellowed. "Son of Hercules!"
"Pierce the Void!" Lux shouted. "Spear of Longinus!"
Two powerful attacks clashed with each other, creating an ear-piercing screeching noise that nearly made everyone in the coliseum cover their ears.
The ground under Leonidas' feet shattered, and blood flowed from the corner of his lips. But he held firm and gazed steadily at the giant spear point that threatened to erase his very existence.
The only thing that prevented that from happening was the indestructible spear in his hand, which held firm despite the fact that the weapon it was fighting against was countless times bigger than it.
Suddenly, the loud sound of something breaking reached Leonidas' ears.
Behind his back, he heard one of the Golden Shields shatter, and it was soon followed by another.
A few seconds later, three more shields exploded into a shower of lights. These light particles flew towards Leonidas as if passing their wishes to him.
Ten seconds later, twenty more shields exploded.
At that exact moment, a blood mist erupted on Leonidas' right side.
Blood had come out from the pores of his body as if it was being squeezed from the inside of his body.
It was painful, but Leonidas paid it no heed and stood his ground, despite dealing with a force so strong that the ground under his feet was breaking, creating an ever-expanding crater as the Mercenary Leader held on with everything he had.
The Golden Shields behind his back had now turned blood red, and three to five of them exploded with each passing second.
Even so, with every shield that exploded, the lights on the remaining shields became brighter, until they had become nearly blinding.
The aura around Leonidas' body had now also turned crimson, reflecting the blood that was oozing out from nearly every pore of his body.
250 Shields.
238 Shields.
194 Shields.
135 Shields.
99 Shields.
77 Shields.
69 Shields.
41 Shields.
28 Shields.
13 Shields.
4 Shields.
1 Shield.
The last remaining shield behind Leonidas' back cracked ever-so-slowly as it reached its limit.
This was also the moment that Leonidas was waiting for.
The moment the last shield broke, he would also unleash his strongest attack.
When the shield behind his back finally broke, Leonidas' eyes that were glowing crimson shone even brighter.
"Defy the Heavens!" Leonidas roared. "Battle of Thermopylae!"
Suddenly, the spear in the Mercenary Leader's hand slowly pushed back the Spear of Longinus.
Leonidas took a step forward as if he was stepping on a stair, slowly but surely gaining momentum as he pushed back the Giant Spear that had turned him into a bloody mess.
The Agarthians watched with bated breath as they saw countless Ethereal Warriors pushing Leonidas back, prompting him forward.
With each step the Mercenary Leader took, Ethereal Warriors, holding shields, knelt and created a platform that he could walk upon, bearing the weight of the man who was now fighting while the embers of his life blazed until they were extinguished.
Suddenly, from within the crowd, a young man stood up and shouted with all of his might.
"Leonidas! Go!"
This shout spread far and wide within the Coliseum, pulling everyone out of their daze.
Soon, countless shouts permeated the entirety of the arena as countless Agarthians poured out their hearts, passionately calling out the name of the man that defied all expectations.
"Don't lose! Leonidas! Beat him!"
"You can do it! Go!"
"Fight! Don't lose hope!"
"""Leonidas!"""
"""Leonidas!"""
"""Leonidas!"""
"""Leonidas!"""
Cheers once again erupted, and with it, Leonidas took one painful step at a time, rising higher and higher, pushing the giant spear back as he continued to walk toward the blue jewel in the Skeleton King's Chest, where his foe currently stood.
The current Leonidas was soaked with his own blood from head to toe, and he could no longer see what was in front of him.
However, the hands that were pushing his back, and the shouts from the people who were cheering for him edged him forward.
Even King Septimius, who was seated in the highest seat of honor, had his fists clenched, while silently urging the Mercenary Leader in his heart to create a miracle.
After what felt like Eternity, Leonidas had breached the insurmountable gap and was only a few meters away from the blue crystal.
Lux, who was inside it, watched the amazing man, who had defied all odds in order to reach him.
When the Mercenary Leader had reached the waist of the Giant Skeleton King, Lux had ceased his attack, for he knew that Leonidas could no longer bear the strength of his Divine Weapon.
As someone who had defied the Heavens and had become the Progenitor of a Sacred Class, he wanted to see the power of Faith manifest itself in front of him.
For Leonidas to successfully push the Spear of Longinus back until he reached the waist area of the Giant Skeleton King, the Half-Elf was thoroughly impressed by his tenacity.
A few minutes later, a faint clinking sound reached everyone's ears.
The Coliseum was so silent that even the smallest of sounds could be heard.
"Did I… reach… you?" Leonidas asked hoarsely.
"Yes," Lux replied with a tone filled with admiration. "You reached me."
The tip of Leonidas' spear had finally touched the blue jewel on the Skeleton's Chest, but there was no longer any strength behind it.
The sound earlier was like the sound of two wine glasses clinking each other, which was shared between two old friends that hadn't seen each other for a long time.
A faint smile appeared on Leonidas' blood-soaked lips as all the strength in his body disappeared like it finally gave up on him.
He had done what he was supposed to do, and now… he could finally rest.
"I'll… reserve a place… for you… in Hell," Leonidas said softly. "Make sure… to bring… good wine… for me."
"Hell can wait for a bit," Lux replied. "I still have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep."
The Ethereal Warriors who had helped Leonidas reach his destination all disappeared, and with them, the Mercenary Leader fell from the sky.
However, his body didn't even touch the ground, for a certain Black Coffin caught him cautiously as if he was something very precious.
It would be a waste for such a courageous man to disappear from this world completely.
Even if the Gods allowed it…
Blackfire wouldn't allow it!
Lux smiled at the Black Coffin, who had started to greedily swallow the remaining 250 Rankers that had materialized in the arena after Leonidas fell from the sky.
Michael, who was the organizer of the event, tried to stop it because the Rankers were still alive and only half-dead. After such an amazing match, he decided that he would plead with the King of Agartha to spare them and let them continue to fight as Gladiators.
However, the Black Coffin wouldn't allow anyone to stop it, so it smacked Michael and sent him flying in the opposite direction of the arena.
It then released several black tendril-like tentacles from its body, which attached themselves to all the Rankers who were lying helplessly on the ground, unable to do anything.
Blackfire then pulled all of the Rankers inside of it before disappearing completely.
That was how the Death Match between the 300 Gladiators and Lux ended, making it the most memorable Gladiator Battle in Agartha, which would be remembered for years to come.
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on (f)reeweb(n)ovel.com