The thunder of hooves and the crowd's startled cries put William on alert. His eyes darted, spotting a warhorse and its knight bearing down on him like a speeding train.
He moved to leap aside, but a tremendous force yanked him back, holding him fast. Looking down, he saw the knight who had pulled him from his saddle now clinging desperately to his leg. Through the slit of the visor, the knight's gaze was fixed on William, filled with desperation and madness. A thought flashed through William's mind: 'This one has no fear of death.'
*Boom!*
The knight charging at William was violently sideswiped by another horse that suddenly surged from the side. Man and steed were sent tumbling; the knight was thrown high into the air before crashing heavily to the ground. The fallen horse, carried by its momentum, slid past William, missing him by a hair's breadth.
The knight on the ground lay motionless, his condition unknown. The two injured horses struggled and whinnied pitifully.
The brutal collision drew all eyes. Ladies screamed, and lords watched with grimaced concern.
Before the dust could settle, another rider charged forward, showing no regard for the wounded men and horses on the ground. But now, with the crowd's attention focused there, his actions drew a wave of shock and disapproval.
On the dais, Lord Paxter Redwyne slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair, visibly angered, and muttered a low curse, "Outrageous!"
From the rows behind, an angry voice rang out—it was Garlan's. "How can they do this?"
"Indeed, this is most dishonorable," Barristan Selmy added, his expression displeased.
The other lords remained silent.
Then, William was seen driving his fist deep into the visor of the knight clinging to his leg. He grabbed the knight's now-limp body and hurled him forward like an arrow shot from a bow. The body slammed straight into the lead charging knight with a loud *thud*, sending both men flying through the air, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the crowd.
Those who witnessed this were horrified. Renly Baratheon shot to his feet. Feeling the curious gazes of the lords on the dais upon him, he declared righteously, his voice sharp and severe, "Mounted combat in a melee does not permit riding down a dismounted man! They have broken the rules!"
Lord Paxter Redwyne also stood, pointing towards the field. "That one... and that one, and these others... they wear no identifiers. They must be hedge knights, or even sellswords."
Lord Paxter cleared his throat. "It seems future tourneys must enforce stricter checks on participants' credentials."
The lords on the dais murmured their agreement. Only then did Renly sit back down, with deliberate composure.
Mathis Rowan leaned close to Randyll Tarl's ear and asked in a low voice, "That knight wore only half-armor, yet man and steel together must weigh at least fifteen stone... What do you make of the Magic Knight's throw?"
Randyll's expression remained unchanged. "He possesses truly formidable strength."
In the arena, William rushed to the side of the fallen knight of House Whent. Pushing up the visor, he saw the pale face of the master-at-arms of Harrenhal. Too weak to speak, the knight managed a strained smile.
'Good, it seems his life isn't in danger.'
William felt a wave of relief. Using a charge of 'Absorb' was one thing, but it would have been a heavy price to pay if it had cost the life of a capable knight.
Seeing several men with rose sigils vaulting the fence into the arena, he knew help was arriving. "Ser, don't move. Help is coming," William said softly.
After a quick glance around—he saw Rosso holding his own against two opponents not far away—he spotted his own horse, which had wandered near the fence during the chaos, pacing leisurely. Deciding it was best to remount, as being on foot amidst charging horses was too disadvantageous, William stepped over the wounded, weaving through the melee until he reached his steed. He swung himself into the saddle and then charged towards the two knights besieging Rosso, quickly unseating both.
By now, few knights remained in the arena. William ceased avoiding combat and began actively clearing the field. With Rosso covering his back, he spurred his horse into a gallop, brandishing his massive greatsword. Not a single knight he encountered could withstand a single blow from him. Amid a series of loud "Clang!" sounds, six or seven knights along William's charge path were swiftly unhorsed.
This display set the crowd's blood racing. Cheers for the Magic Knight soared to the skies.
Both Garlan and Willas couldn't help but applaud and cheer.
Willas clapped repeatedly, sighing in admiration, "The Magic Knight, the Magic Knight!"
Garlan said earnestly, "It's more than that, Willas. Look at William's control of his horse, every swing of his sword. All his movements are perfectly executed. It's clearly the result of relentless, arduous practice, not mere luck."
Willas nodded, "Indeed, not mere luck!"
Nearby, the Knight of Flowers' expression grew solemn. 'So his strength is as legendary as they say, and his horsemanship is exceptionally skilled too. He is a formidable opponent.'
On the main dais, Lord Paxter Redwyne looked astonished. The expressions of the lords around him varied, but a touch of peculiarity lingered in their brows.
Only the laughing Baelor cheered loudly without restraint, asking, "Ser Barristan, what do you think of William's skill? I find him practically unstoppable."
A gratified smile appeared on Barristan's face. "William is exceptionally gifted and tirelessly dedicated to his training. To be honest, facing him, I fear even I would have to admit defeat."
These words caused widespread surprise among the listeners. Although Barristan was advanced in years, his skills had not declined significantly; his combat prowess still firmly placed him in Westeros's top tier. This assessment was exceedingly high praise.
Renly laughed heartily, "It seems you truly have grown old, 'The Bold' Barristan, to fear a mere boy."
Barristan and Renly often bantered, so he took no offense and replied with a smile, "That depends on which boy. For example, I certainly don't fear a boy like you."
The lords on the dais laughed.
Renly chuckled and shook his head, then asked, "Lord Randyll, this is the second time you've watched Ser William in a tourney, isn't it? What is your view? Do you see any weaknesses in him?"
Randyll maintained his usual stern expression. Upon hearing the question, he frowned slightly as if in thought, and after a moment said, "If we're speaking of weaknesses, I believe there is only one."
"Oh?" Renly's eyes lit up, and he looked at Randyll eagerly.
Randyll said seriously, "He is not a knight of the Reach."
Silence fell upon the dais, making the sounds from the arena seem especially loud.
After a pause, Baelor's booming laughter broke the silence. "Lord Randyll, I never knew you had such a sense of humor!"
Joyful laughter once again erupted from the lords on the dais, and even Lord Paxter roared with laughter.
But soon, his face darkened again. In the arena, only five riders remained, facing off: the Red Viper and his two guards on one side, and William and Rosso on the other. All the knights of the Reach had been eliminated.
However, although the vast majority of the spectators were from the Reach, they weren't disheartened. Instead, they cheered for William with great enthusiasm. Shouts of "Magic Knight, take down the Red Viper!" and the like were incessant.
The Red Viper pushed up his visor, a wild, arrogant smile on his face. "I'm glad you haven't disappointed me, Magic Knight."
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