Split seconds were all Iolanthe had to work with, they were more than enough, her guard was fluid and could adapt to the situation instantaneously. Had Sigurd been looking past the visor of Iolanthe's legionnaire helm, he'd bare witness to how swiftly the hoplite's eyes worked. Bouncing from point to point, her pupils shot down once, then to each side of her foe, before rolling upwards to track the sudden movements of that longsword. Every action made was entered in to her mind's database, and instantly she reacted, throughout the entire skirmish, from the first clash of steel, to the last.
As Sigurd's arm swung high, Iolanthe needn't retract or stop the attack made by her spear-arm, instead she'd simply continue with the original plan. As the Viking's hand raised, even if but half a foot, it would give Iolanthe enough time to reposition her left handed hoplon right beneath the man's elbow, as intended from the beginning. To do this, she'd have to duck slightly, whilst twisting her arm so that the shield's central fuss point faced the sky, she'd continue her original punching motion upwards from below the fuller, and deny Sigurd's arm the momentum and path it needed to deal damage. In fact, as long as Iolanthe continued pushing her shield at different angles towards his chest at arm-pit level, it would be utterly impossible for him to use his sword whatsoever. This entire action required Iolanthe continue pivoting her right leg behind her left, so that once again, she fully lead with her hoplon. She leaned back a bit, to give the side of her shield closest to her head room to thrust up, and would begin ducking under her shield afterwards. What Sigurd didn't know now was the threat her gladius posed to his ribcage or bicep, if he attempted to pull his arm around the shield's far side, or if Iolanthe finished pushing it against his chest.
Hyperion's full length made it easy to make powerful and dangerous attacks whilst being held behind the wielder, Iolanthe never allowed her arm to be stricken, pivoting and continuously blocking protected herself whilst maintaining her offense. Even after the pivot, Hyperion's drawn length would be enough to strike at Sigurd's leg, and he made no effort to properly protect himself. With his shield behind him, nothing stood between Iolanthe's lance, and Sigurd's lower torso. The sweeping slash grew ever closer to those leather boots, but the minute that dragonhide shield stopped serving its purpose, Iolanth twisted her hand so that her gleaming blade's side snuck between Sigurd's shifting legs, and she brought it up with enough force to sever the thigh artery of his right leg, whilst simultaneously stabbing the blade forward to ensure the attack did not falter, it should've already struck him at this point, given its prior swing
Iolanthe was expecting a loud clang off her hoplon shield, but instead felt a strange sting in her arm. Her opponent was much faster than her, even from her ducked dodged position, the tip of his spear was long enough to engrave a single line in her bracer, whilst her hand pushed forward with her stab. Blood would trickle out from the wound, but Iolanthe still felt her fingertips, meaning her block was enough to at least stop Sigurd from severing the arm, or stopping her own attack. The end result, a somewhat sacrificial attack, Iolanthe continued to watch as her blade inched ever closer between her enemy's legs, she'd wind up trading blood for blood.
