Thrum-thrum-thrum.
At the sound of the horn, Arthur didn't hesitate for a second. Gritting his teeth, he clamped his legs tight against the saddle and spurred Violet forward. He leaned his body slightly over the neck of the horse, leveling his lance.
Violet, already champing at the bit, surged forward. Hooves tearing up the earth, the mare accelerated with a speed that far outstripped the other mounts in the lists.
> [Violet]: Optimized Courser (-1 Distance). Temperament: Volatile and highly aggressive. Possesses exceptional explosive power and speed. Velocity increases during charges and pursuit.
Arthur watched the Red Viper's silhouette grow larger in his vision. Oberyn rode a sand-steed as red as blood, his lance tip angled high—seemingly aiming for Arthur's visor.
But Arthur knew the Red Viper's game. He wants to force me to guard my head. If I flinch to protect my face, my center of gravity will shift, exposing my torso.
In the space of a heartbeat, there was no time to second-guess. Arthur swallowed his fear and held his form, refusing to adjust his guard.
CRACK!
Wood met steel in a violent collision. Both lances shattered simultaneously, sending splinters flying through the air.
Arthur's homework had paid off. At the moment of impact, the Red Viper didn't strike at the head; it was a feint. Instead, he drove his point hard into Arthur's shield.
Even having anticipated it, the sheer kinetic force transmitted through the shield nearly knocked Arthur sideways. It took every ounce of his strength to steady himself as Violet carried him thundering to the northern end of the lists.
Hearing the cheers erupting from all sides, Arthur tossed aside the jagged remains of his lance. He shook his shield arm, which was numb to the elbow, and sighed inwardly.
Practice and reality really are two different beasts. Watching a joust was nothing like riding in one.
At the other end, the Red Viper steadied his horse, feeling a tightness in his own chest. Force is reciprocal, after all; Arthur's hit had not been gentle.
Oberyn exhaled a long breath, his eyes narrowing with a mix of surprise and gravity.
He knew the mystery knight was Arthur Snow. That strike just now had been full force—Oberyn hadn't held back. He had intended to teach this upstart kid a lesson for daring to challenge him.
He hadn't expected the boy to have such talent. After taking a direct hit, Arthur had merely swayed before locking back into his saddle. And that purple horse... it was fast. Terrifyingly fast. The boy had borrowed the beast's momentum to deliver a heavy blow.
---
After the first tilt, Arthur rode back to the starting line. Passing the stands, he waved to Edric Dayne.
Edric's face was flushed with excitement as he shouted back, "Long live Starfall!"
Jimmy ran up to hand him a fresh lance. "My lord, I have a feeling this duel with the Red Viper is going to be the talk of the tourney."
Jimmy's prediction proved true. Over the next four courses, while other challengers were unhorsed and other champions toppled, the lists cleared out until only Arthur and the Red Viper remained.
Under the gaze of every spectator behind the barriers, the purple rider and the red rider collided again and again.
They broke nine lances each.
The legend of a tourney is often measured by the timber splintered. The higher the number, the greater the skill of the combatants and the greater the glory of the victor.
When Arthur tossed aside the shattered remains of his ninth lance and circled back to the southern start, he realized the stands had gone silent.
Through the slit of his visor, he could see the tension in the eyes of the crowd. They were holding their breath.
"Lance!"
Back at the southern end, Arthur fought down the aching soreness in his body. He barked the order to a stunned-looking Jimmy.
As he gripped the tenth lance, waiting for the horn, Arthur felt his back and arms stiffening like stone from absorbing the repeated shocks. His hand trembled slightly from exhaustion and the recoil.
But beneath him, Violet showed no fatigue. The mare whinnied, pawing the dust impatiently.
The horn blew. Before Arthur even spurred her, Violet launched into the charge, knowing the drill by heart.
Freed from managing the horse, Arthur focused entirely on his lance—and on the Red Viper's.
This time, just like the first, Oberyn's lance tip flicked up like a viper's tongue.
But this was no feint. The point drove straight for Arthur's face.
Arthur barely managed to twist his head, the lance glancing hard off his pauldron instead of his visor. Simultaneously, Arthur's own lance slid past the Red Viper's sun-and-spear shield and slammed solidly into his breastplate.
BANG!
Amidst the screaming of horses, both men were torn from their saddles.
"Give me a spear!" the Red Viper shouted, leaping from the ground and tossing aside his shield.
Arthur scrambled to his feet. He wrenched his arm free from his shield straps, discarding it as well. In one fluid motion, he drew the two longswords at his waist.
[Skill Triggered: Assault]
With a sword in each hand, Arthur felt a surge of energy. The heavy armor that had been weighing him down suddenly felt as light as silk.
"No shield?" Oberyn asked, catching a spear thrown by his squire. He spun the weapon, loosening up his limbs and adjusting to the new weight.
"Neither are you!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Arthur lunged. He stepped in fast, his wrist turning to send a blade arcing toward the Red Viper in a blur of light.
Oberyn was ready. He slid backward with serpentine grace, dodging the edge. At the same time, his spear thrust out at a wicked angle, aiming for Arthur's chest.
Facing the thrust, Arthur's body twisted unnaturally.
[Card Used: Dodge]
He side-stepped the deadly point at an impossible angle, refusing to retreat. Instead, he pressed the advantage, closing the distance to force a melee.
Arthur knew the spear's advantage lay in its reach. If he let Oberyn keep him at bay, he was done for. He had to get inside the guard, even if it cost him a valuable card.
For a full minute, they danced in a tight, deadly circle. Arthur's twin swords wove a wall of steel so dense that the Red Viper was forced entirely on the defensive.
Arthur saw his opening.
With a savage cross-cut, he sheared through the shaft of Oberyn's spear, which was already battered from the exchange. Arthur froze, checking his swing. He didn't pursue. He let the Red Viper step back, holding a useless stick.
"Kid... you win. Damn fine work."
The Red Viper pulled off his helm, sweat matting his hair. He raised a hand in surrender.
"Nym has a good eye, indeed."
"The Mystery Knight... The Knight of Hearts is the victor!" the herald bellowed, seeing Oberyn yield. "After breaking ten lances and concluding the contest with sword and spear, he has defeated Prince Oberyn Martell!"
There was a heartbeat of silence, and then the Shadow City exploded into thunderous cheers.
Prince Doran, grimacing against the pain in his gouty legs, stood up involuntarily. His face remained an impassive mask, but his brow furrowed. Oberyn's defeat by a mystery knight was clearly not in his calculations.
Beside him, Princess Arianne wore a mask of solemnity, seemingly mourning the elimination of her champion. But she couldn't quite suppress the curve of her lips, and the gleam in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.