Capítulo 17: Chapter 17: Melee
[ Arthur ]
Arthur glared at me with a hateful look, now that was unavoidable. If he knew what I and his sister did, then it wouldn't be surprising that he might even go for the kill here since I dishonored his sister. Now, this might seem kind of over the top in a modern world, but here it would bring shame to him if he didn't at least do that much.
It would make it seem like someone could just go and fuck his sister and he wouldn't say anything about it. This world was ruled by fear, you wouldn't want anyone to start having any silly ideas.
Though there was another big problem in the Melee, there were eighty-six people participating in it. While the stadium was open and big, it didn't mean much, because if I stood out as weak, then I might get swarmed. If I stood out as too strong, I might get swarmed too since I would seem as too big of a threat to handle alone.
I looked towards my healer "Give me the greatsword."
"Yes, my lord," he obliged and handed it to me. It was a beautiful sword with a red hawk carved at the end of the handle. It wasn't valyrian steel, but it was very well made and kept in perfect condition.
This weapon was mostly to draw attention because if I was in a real pinch, I still had two daggers hidden under my armor in the lower back.
Arthur's gaze didn't leave and he kept staring at me like a predator would his prey. Secretly, I took out a small vial of the potion and drank it. Even if someone noticed this, it wouldn't seem strange as it was just a fighter hydrating himself before a battle.
Immediately I felt the potion travel through my veins like molten lava attacking my muscles. I immediately took a pill after that, which lessened the pain. This was a Strength Potion, it increased my physical strength by quite a lot.
Initially, the potion would cut off a huge chunk of lifespan for an increase in physical strength. Essentially it was useless as it couldn't even be mass-produced and took too many precious ingredients to make.
The lifespan drainage was taken care of by the pill I made myself. Still, it was a shame that the pill also weakened the Strength Potion's effects too, but it was better than being in pain while fighting and losing a chunk of my lifespan.
"Ugh…" I winced and almost felt like throwing up. I took another pain-soothing potion and the excruciating pain disappeared. Now I was in perfect fighting form, and confident in beating Arthur. But the potion's effect will only last for half an hour and after that, I will be weakened for the next three days. So I had to finish this as fast as I could.
Only I knew just how much of a lie the Undefeated Knight facade was. My natural fighting power at best was around that of a good Kingsguard, but nowhere near the likes of Barristan Selmy or Arthur Dayne.
This reputation was something I had planned to build ever since a young age. Even when I was a kid, I always chose to fight with the other squires when they were at their weakest, drunk. I even made the advantage myself by putting weakening and sleeping medicine in the food of anyone I wasn't certain of beating.
...
It didn't take long for the others to get ready and the melee to begin. With this many people fighting, it was bound to be a bloodbath. Especially since we were using real weapons, after all, dull weapons were for children's training.
As knights, they "obviously" knew when to not cut their enemy with their sword. Having them not use real swords would be an insult to them. At least that's what the knights believed here.
I looked around, not many people were willing to pick me as their first opponent as I was still fresh and not tired. That reputation finally came to good use. My pupils dilated as adrenaline rushed through my body and I concentrated on one of the people closest to me.
"A -Ah!" he yelled in panic and stumbled back. I used my greatsword and tipped him by hitting his foot with the bling side.
When he was about to get up, I just kicked him in the head with all my strength. The sound of his helmet meeting my steel boot rang out and he was knocked unconscious. I kept the greatsword in my hand and pointed it around and looked out for anyone who might try and attack me.
An armored knight came toward me, his movements were a bit sluggish and he had a normal sword. But I used the size and weight of my great sword to smash his sword aside, and hit him with a strike that caved in his helmet.
Clang!
He dropped to his knees and fell unconscious too… or he might have died as in that strike I didn't hold back at all. Having this enhanced strength was amazing because as long as I hit my enemy, techniques become useless and even detrimental.
I just needed to bash at them, whether they tried to parry or block, it would be the same as they would stumble and give me an opening to beat them.
No matter the hit, or where it landed it would incapacitate them. Since my hawk was sitting in one of the high trenches, it was looking straight at me and by sharing our vision I could see my back too.
A sword came from behind me as an opponent thought they were being sneaky, but the attack failed as I swung backward and hit his neck, instantly dropping him to the ground dead. Oh well, accidents like this happen all the time and from his armor, he wasn't anyone too important.
"Uaahhh!" Three guys charged at me, and I pulled all of the strength I could muster into a two-handed swing. The power behind my attack pushed the men back and knocked down two of them, the crowd went wild once they saw that.
"WOOAAHH!"
"That's the undefeated knight for you!"
"Wait, so the rumors were true then?!"
I charged on the one who was left standing but an enemy swung at my midsection from behind me. I sucked low, dodged the swing, and punched the attacker in the face with an iron gauntlet. The man hadn't been wearing a helmet so half of his teeth broke with that punch, I felt the crunch under my fist.
By now, I was unbeatable by the rabble as they panicked when getting close and it made them easier to put down. Also looking at the sharp giant sword in my hand, scared some men as they didn't want to "accidentally" die during the competition.
Seeing that not many were approaching me anymore I looked around and smirked. "C'mon, are you scared? Don't be, it will make me look bad if I don't fight more here."
Though I said those words of provocation, I didn't want to fight anymore because while my strength was increased by the potion, my stamina stood the same. I was carrying a heavy greatsword and heavy armor, I would get tired very fast if I moved recklessly.
One of the younger men was brave enough to stand forward and try to fight me, he had leather gear and was very poor as even his sword seemed to be second hand. "I -I will take your challenge, Ser Arthur."
I looked at him like a hawk and my gaze sharpened, he flinched back fearfully. "H -Here I come." he stuttered fearfully. He was not experienced in real battle.
Taking advantage of his inexperience, I charged at him and he instinctively stepped backward.
I must make an example out of him, or else these fights will tire me out. By now anyone else would have been tired, but I wasn't. Though it wasn't long till I will be.
My sword went toward his midsection, he tried to block poorly.
*Clang!*
Our swords clashed and mine broke straight through his, also getting straight through his arm and yet not stopping. The young man was bisected just right up from his belly button.
"I -I don't want to die! Mother!" He cried out in fear as his body fell to the ground and his intestines spilled on the ground. Looking at me fearfully and tears in his eyes, the light drained from his eyes. The heavy smell of blood adorned the stage.
The rest of the people who planned to fight me stepped away in fear, I had shown my monstrous strength now and they didn't want to fight me. As planned, the young man's death had pushed any competitors away from me.
This was good, the other fighters wouldn't dare and try to fight against me. Still though, unlike I, other fighters fought against each other and even Arthur Dayne was swarmed by a couple of people. If he defeated one, two others would take his place. Seems like he wasn't as aggressive as I had been and that was good for me.
...
At the end of it, as expected, only Arthur Dayne was left as one of my last opponents. He had taken care of any man who got too close to him. Sometimes he was swarmed by two or even three people at once, yet he had taken care of all of them.
"Fuck!" Suddenly a yell brought my attention to another opponent who had survived in the field. It was Robert Baratheon. He had some shallow cuts all over his body and he seemed to be very tired. Unlike Arthur Dayne, he couldn't block all of his opponent's attacks with his hammer.
Amongst us, the one who was the least injured seemed to be Arthur Dayne, that fucking monster. He had fought most people yet was able to come out unscathed, the only thing he seemed to show was that he was breathing heavily and seemed to be out of stamina. Even I had a light cut in my hand. Still, though, his ability to take on three opponents at once was remarkable.
In the end, I had to admit. Arthur Dayne was extremely talented, and with the thousand hours of training, he had put on the sword even his stamina wasn't that bad. Especially since in this world exercises to increase stamina were almost nonexistent.
I trained with modern exercises and yet, this guy's inefficient methods surpassed me. To me, it was a clear show of who amongst us trained the most. The only way this guy was probably even gaining stamina was to train a lot during the day since he didn't know the basics of how to build cardio and muscle intensity.
Though he was still tired, I could tell due to the movements of his throat as he seemed hungry for air. Normally no one would be able to notice that, but my hawk vision could be used in many ways other than just looking far away.
Still, another problem had arisen, I only had around ten minutes in my strength potion. I can't waste time like this.
Taking a deep breath, I charged toward Arthur. Robert, like the predictable brute he was, wanted to join in and I stopped mid-charge, immediately changing direction and attacking Robert.
Clang!
He barely blocked my sword with his hammer and I could tell that he was tired too. It was only his sense of pride of wanting to win that was making him still stand up.
Jumping back, he pulls back his hammer and his gaze wanders towards Lyanna for a split second, and from that Robert seems to gain a renewed vigor.
Clang!
His hammer hit my sword, and my weapon snapped in two like a twig due to the power exerted into it. Shit. I paid a lot for that sword, so I knew it was hard to break, but this just showed just how Robert's brute strength was commendable. Also, he seemed to want to show off in front of Lyanna.
Still, though, I knew that my current strength should be somewhere around that of future Gregor Clagane, the Mountain. Yet, Robert still seemed to handle my attacks with moderate tiredness.
I might lose against Robert as I had no weapon at hand. He swung his hammer at me, and it was only due to my good eyesight that I was able to lean back. I felt the wind of his after blow came through the openings in my helmet.
No, losing was unacceptable for my image. I had worked too hard for my title as the Undefeated Knight to lose it here.
"Hehehe~ seems like you don't have a weapon," Robert commented friendlily, though we were still fighting, it didn't mean that he doesn't consider me as his friend.
"Fuck. Can't you be an honorable cunt and let me pick a weapon from the ground?" I joked back, trying to sound equally casual and as if I wasn't in a pinch.
"Nah, I wanna show my betrothed my warrior side." He seemed amused by the situation, as he kept swinging at me and I kept dodging. Due to his armor, I knew that punches wouldn't do any good and would just leave me open for a hammer to the ribs. "Also I heard you calling me a cunt. I am a little drunk, but not deaf. Bahaha~"
"Well, ready to get beat again then?" I said assertively. Seeing no other choice, I whispered under my breath. "Athmovezar."
My words came out like a snake crawling in my ear. Even I, as the user, got a chill down my spine. Even during all this, I kept eye contact with Robert, hypnosis was easy to use when the target was drunk and the action ordered wasn't something unnatural, that he wouldn't do.
Robert swung at me again, this swing to the outside eye would seem like one of his normal attacks. But I knew exactly where it would go, as I had hypnotized him to hit my left shoulder.
He was attacking quite fast, for his hammer's weight. Just as his attack was about to land, I sidestep and his hammer hits the ground. I put my foot over the hammer and pulled out the knife I had hidden in the sheath on my lower back.
Swish!
Within an instant, my knife was pointed at the crack of his throat, the opening where his chest plate and helmet meet. Attacking my shoulder was a "good" idea in the eyes of anyone as it was a clear weak point. Sadly the move kind of loses its effectiveness if one knew about it already, any kind of move loses effectiveness if someone knew about it.
"Fuck," he swore, annoyed at this.
I smirked at him and kept the knife in place even as he raised his arms in surrender. "You owe me a good brothel whore… you cunt."
"Fuck you," he cursed at me again. But this time I could see the smile he tried to hide while taking off his helmet. "But yeah, I will pay for five of the best whores in the Seven Kingdoms. Also, now I am a soon-to-be-married man, so I can't be seen doing that anymore."
At the same time, I kept an eye on Arthur Dayne, but the man hadn't attacked while we were fighting. "Well, don't worry, Robert. Think of this loss as losing to the best knight in the Seven Kingdoms."
"I actually have quite a lot of money bet on him, so… we are good friends, but money is still money." He said jokingly and walked off.
"Wait, what?"
"Puahahaha! I can't hear you now due to the sound of the crowd."
He definitely could hear me. But it seems like I should have bet on myself more. After all, I was going to win this match no matter what. Turning towards Arthur, I clenched the dagger in my hand tightly. The swords in the ground were all poorly made so they might shatter if they clashed with Dawn, the sword of House Dayne. Better a reliable dagger than a shitty sword.
"Ready to fight?" I smirked at him, changing the grasp on my knife into a reverse grip. Since Arthur had left the face part of his helmet open, I could drop my dagger as soon as the clash between our weapons happened and then punch him in the face.
He only looked at me and then the dagger in my hand. He knew just how important it was to have well-made weapons and any properly made weapons wouldn't have been abandoned by the contestants and left in the ground.
"Ser Darry!" Arthur called towards one of his fellow King's Guard. He was next to the Mad King who seemed to gleefully anticipate our battle. "Give me a sword!"
The fellow Kingsguard seemed to get the message and threw a sheathed sword on the melee grounds, just right between us. "I want to beat you at your best..." said Arthur, taking out his dual swords and getting ready for a fair fight.
I nodded and went and took the sword, pulling it out of its sheath, it was quite amazing. Probably even better than my initial; sword. Where did he even get this? It isn't valyrian steel, but it was still quite good.
The crowd goes into deafening cheers at his honor and sense of fairness.
"Amazing!"
"As expected of Ser Arthur!"
"Well, he is the most honorable knight in the Kingdom."
The yells of the people about his honor quilted down until they were but simple whispers. I nodded thankfully and got in a fighting stance. Since I fucked his sister, I didn't think he would still be honorable.
Time to fight the best knight in the Seven Kingdoms…
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