The group duel began in the afternoon. When the Mountain and his companions stepped into the battle, the audience booed. The Mountain was in front, and beside and behind him, there were five people protecting him—five people, five swords, and five round shields. The black round shields, those who were close could see that the edges were as sharp as knives, gleaming with a faint cold light.
This shield was the first of its kind people had ever seen, and it inspired fear in people.
No one could launch a surprise attack on Demon Mountain; five pairs of eyes were watching him from behind and to the sides.
This is a battle group.
The Mountain's own warband.
Beside the Mountain was a trio: Leonard Westerling, the Mountain's brother-in-law; Lofo Spicer, the Mountain's brother-in-law; and Zerigelda, Jenny's handmaid. The three formed a triangular formation, joining forces with the Mountain's crew.
Duke Renly and Knight Balon of the Stormlands; Sir Loras Tyrell, Ser Redwyn, and Earl Randyll of the Reach; Barristan and Jaime of the Kingsguard; the Hound of the Queen's Guard; Ilyn and Thoros, courtiers and generals of the Royal Court; Edmure and Jason of the Reach; Robert and Lynn of the Vale; and Marble, Farman, and Kreeher of the Westerlands—none of these great nobles and renowned generals participated. They remained on horseback, observing from the sidelines.
No one wanted to go head-to-head with the Black Iron Spiked Hammer of the Demon Mountain, because it would likely cost them their lives.
The black iron spiked hammer is a testament to the Mountain's bloody slaughter. Different people use different weapons. For safety's sake, or perhaps because they disdain to stoop to the level of a brute like the Mountain, the nobles and famous generals all refrained from participating.
Not a single guard from the North, including Jori, Harwin, and Elin, participated in the group tournament.
The nobles and famous generals refused to participate, and none of the royal courtiers or the prime minister's guards joined in, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of others. In the end, nearly forty people entered the ring of the group duel.
These men were mostly free riders seeking a position in the royal guard, mercenary knights aspiring to become courtiers or generals, and warriors newly appointed as squires of high-ranking nobles, for whom participating in tournaments would showcase their names and strength, thus offering opportunities for advancement. There were also illegitimate children, who always worked harder than others to gain respect and recognition through tournaments.
Even in tournaments involving the Mountain, free riders, mercenary knights, noble squires, and bastards showed no fear. Their fate depended on seizing every opportunity to gain exposure.
Although the absence of renowned generals and nobles made the competition even more dangerous. Those who dared to enter the arena were mostly desperate men, unlike the renowned generals and nobles who valued their lives. They shouted loudly, formed several teams, and created a semi-circle, surrounding the Mountain and Leonard's two squads.
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, indicating that people were happy to see this unfair scene unfold.
Duke Renly and Loras Tyrell, on horseback, directed these groups to form a larger alliance and besiege the Mountain.
Duke Renly shouted, "Whoever can defeat the Mountain, I will give him a reward of one hundred gold dragons."
"I'll give you two hundred gold dragons!" the Knight of Flowers shouted. "Anyone who performs bravely may join my guard."
"I will recommend someone with superior martial skills for a place in the capital's garrison," Duke Renly shouted.
Many free riders and mercenary knights travel thousands of miles to participate in the tournament, hoping to gain a position among the high nobles through their combat prowess. Aside from working as mercenaries, proletarian knights were essentially a group of impoverished nobles who lacked basic necessities.
Tournaments were also a very important channel for royal officials to observe, promote, and recruit skilled free riders and knights to supplement the royal forces.
The promises of Duke Renly and the Knight of Flowers made the eyes of these riders and knights, eager for fame and fortune, gleam. Their goals quickly aligned; they all set their sights on the Mountain and his party.
The shouts of Lanley and Blossoms spurred some hesitant riders and knights into the fray, all sharing the same goal: to take on the Mountain.
Elephants are terrifying, but they can't withstand the sheer number of wild dogs. On the grasslands, even shadowy lynxes, leopards, and lions will flee at the sight of a pack of wild dogs.
The battle circle, which originally consisted of less than forty people, suddenly expanded to more than sixty.
This greatly excited Bighead Chiswick, Sweet-Talking Ralph, Executioner Dunson, Neurotic Polliver, and adopted daughter Julie, their eyes blazing with a frenzied fighting spirit. Meanwhile, Leonard, Ralph, and Zelly looked tense, their backs instinctively turned to the Mountain's team.
They were also being targeted by other contestants.
Jenny didn't make a sound, but the crown of love and beauty on her head trembled very slightly.
More than fifty ravenous men set their sights on the Mountain and Leonard's two teams, which together consisted of only nine people.
The battle broke out prematurely before the king had even announced the start of the duel.
The Demon Mountain ignited the battle.
He shouted: "Wedge formation!"
The six-person formation has been transformed into a wedge formation, which is an absolutely effective formation for charging and breaking through enemy lines.
Offensive formation!
Almost simultaneously, Leonard, Rolf, and Zeli entered the formation.
They cannot stay behind and fight alone, or they will be overwhelmed by the combined forces of others, just like a rabbit encountering a pack of wolves, which will be devoured without a trace.
Leonard, a rookie participating in the tournament for the first time, and Zelly, an even less experienced rookie, were so nervous that their hands and feet trembled. Zelly's lips began to turn pale, and Bernie kept encouraging her from the sidelines. Veteran Rover was also breathing heavily; if he hadn't joined the Mountain, he wouldn't have been able to carry two rookies on his own.
The worst thing you can do in a team battle is to incur the wrath of everyone and become the target of everyone's attention.
The wedge formation, like a sharp knife, is the most efficient formation for charging into enemy lines on the battlefield. The person leading the charge must be exceptionally brave to ensure that this formation can effectively pierce through the enemy lines like a sharp knife.
The Mountain charged forward, and with his first blow, sent a tall, burly man flying. The man's oak shield shattered, his arm was wounded by spikes, and the immense impact propelled him into the middle of a group of people, knocking several of them to the ground. Painful groans filled the air.
King Robert cursed and had no choice but to declare the tournament open.
The Demon Mountain's team rushed into the crowd at an extremely fast speed.
The clanging of swords and blades was as dense as falling pearls, figures moved swiftly, and shouts filled the air. In an instant, the Demon Mountain's forces were surrounded from all sides, with shield bearers, swordsmen, spearmen, dagger bearers, and mace-wielders on all sides. The others deliberately avoided the Demon Mountain, targeting only the weaker ones.
A short while later, Zeli, whose movements were sluggish and slow and unable to keep up with the pace of the group, was brutally knocked down.
According to the rules, being knocked down means defeat, and the attacker must stop.
However, it seemed that everyone had found an outlet for their hostility and resentment towards the Mountain. They all seemed to have reached a tacit understanding and were united in their hatred. After Zeli was knocked down, in the chaos, someone stepped forward and slashed at her helmet.
This is a clear foul.
Leonard, also a rookie, was a boy who would never abandon his comrades. Without hesitation, he rushed out of the formation to shield Zeli from at least seven sword strikes. However, without protection on his left and right, Leonard was quickly knocked down from behind. A longsword sliced through the armor on his shoulder, and a spear pierced his calf. Leonard fell to the ground.
Leonard's scream brought a halt to the momentum of the Mountain's unstoppable charge.
In group combat, broken arms and legs are common, and serious injuries are also possible, but actual deaths are rare.
Despite being knocked down, Zeli bravely got up, swung her sword to force back several people, and then threw herself on Leonard's body.
Several swords and blades struck Zeli's plate armor.
Off the court, Bernie and Jenny screamed in alarm.
The officials supervising from the sidelines glanced at King Robert, who was watching with great interest, shouting and yelling as he joined the ranks of those besieging the Mountain, his voice booming. He was delighted that the Mountain's men were being defeated and crushed. The officials then glanced at the upright Prime Minister Eddard, who, unusually, had lost his composure and remained silent, his face tense.
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The oversight officials understood perfectly; no one wanted the Mountain to win, and the downfall of his team was something they were all delighted with. Prime Minister Eddard looked grim, but he continued to watch without uttering a word of criticism.
So the oversight officials turned a blind eye.
The Mountain whirled around, and his army followed him in a whirl, like the tail of a dragon.
However, under the command of Duke Renly and Loras Tyrell, the knights quickly formed several layers of shields to defend against the Mountain.
More than ten shields were arranged in threes, closely packed together, with more than ten people behind them helping to push them forward. Meanwhile, even more people circled around to the sides and rear of the Demon Mountain, taking care of its minions first.
Of the eight henchmen of the Mountain, two have already been killed.
Jenny was incredulous that, in front of the King and the Prime Minister, the oversight officials turned a blind eye and did not order an end to the riders' attack on the fallen Leonard and Zelly.
Jenny, still a sixteen-year-old girl, had a beautiful fantasy about the just laws of the royal family that was high above her, which was like a dam breaking down.
There is a great distance between real reality and the idealized image we have.
The Mountain was wicked, but Jenny didn't feel it deeply; it was these elegant and noble royals who made her feel even more wicked. What Jenny found unacceptable was that the King and the Prime Minister didn't speak up to stop it.
Although Zeli and Jenny haven't known each other for long, their relationship is already like that of sisters. Zeli is a kind person with no ill intentions.
Only when Zeli stopped moving completely did these people cease their attack.
Jenny felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if a giant pair of pincers were squeezing her internal organs.
Bernie had stopped shouting, his eyes bloodshot, while the nobles and generals around him laughed and joked. Some nobles looked at Bernie with curiosity, finding the dwarf-like man ridiculous and suggesting he should be a comedian or a nobleman's moon boy, not hanging out with scum like the Mountain.
"Mountain, what are you waiting for?" Jenny suddenly stood up and shouted, "Kill them!"
This was the first time Jenny had called the Mountain "The Mountain"; she always called him Sir Gregor!
Jenny's words shocked Sansa, Sister Mordan, the noblewomen, and the ladies of the court. They could hardly believe it. The Westerling family was an ancient and great noble family, and Jenny Westerling was shouting "The Mountain is killing people" outside the arena. This was too horrifying!
This is a martial arts arena, not a battlefield!
Although killing someone is not a crime here, it is prohibited. It's a customary practice.
Countless noblewomen and ladies stared in shock at Jenny, her beauty instantly turning sinister.
Only such an wicked woman would marry the most notorious villain in the Seven Kingdoms.
Even the King and the Prime Minister couldn't help but glance at Jenny, who wore the crown of love and beauty. Because she was the Queen of Love and Beauty in this tournament, her words and actions would be recorded in history.
choke!
The unstoppable Demon Mountain lowered his mask.
Before this, the Demon Mountain had never taken off his mask.
Demon Mountain roared, like a thunderclap in a clear sky.
Like a galloping horse or a raging dragon, he charged towards the array of shields, his black iron spiked hammer slamming upwards in an arc along the ground against the oak shields.
Several spears suddenly thrust towards the Demon Mountain from the gaps in the shield formation.