Inside the Throne Room.
There were no frenzied commoners, no vast open spaces.
Only cold stone pillars, the menacing Iron Throne, and the nobles around with their varied expressions.
The trial felt exceptionally oppressive.
Robert Baratheon, like an enraged bull, breathed heavily, his murky eyes burning with a thirst for blood.
Cersei Lannister stood not far away, her face ashen, her fists clenched tightly.
Her only hope rested on Lynn, who was clad in a black cloak.
Lynn and Donner walked to the center of the hall.
They stood ten paces apart, facing each other.
Donner's face bore a pious resolve, as if he truly were a loyal subject fighting for the King's glory.
But his hand, clutching the sword hilt and trembling slightly, betrayed his inner fear.
All the poisoned needles hidden on his body, his renowned killing moves, were gone.
He was now just a swordsman with decent skills.
Nothing more.
Lynn, on the other hand, was much calmer.
He slowly drew his weapons.
In his left hand was longclaw, his usual sword, its wolf-head pommel lifelike in the firelight.
His right hand also gripped a sword.
It was a sword entirely black, shorter and more slender than a typical longsword.
The blade was narrow, its design ancient, without any superfluous decoration, yet it exuded an indescribable sharpness.
dark sister.
He had already had a craftsman disguise it.
"Two swords?"
A low murmur ran through the nobles.
Knights who wielded two longswords were not unheard of, but those who could use them well were few and far between.
Jaime Lannister had been leaning idly against a stone pillar.
When he saw Lynn draw a second sword, his brow furrowed unconsciously.
He felt that the black, slender sword looked somewhat familiar.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Begin for your King immediately!"
Robert's roar thundered through the hall.
The moment his words fell, Donner moved!
Like a hunting leopard, he suddenly lowered his body, the stone bricks beneath his feet issue a dull thud as he lunged straight for Lynn!
He had discarded his armor, not even wearing leather armor.
Only to pursue ultimate speed.
Fast!
Faster than anyone could have imagined!
The longsword in his hand had no flashy moves.
It was just the simplest, yet most lethal, direct thrust!
Aiming straight for Lynn's heart!
This was not a knight's swordsmanship; this was an assassin's swordsmanship!
No wide, sweeping movements, only simple, direct thrusts!
Clang—!
A crisp sound of metal clashing.
Lynn's longclaw in his left hand precisely parried Donner's blade.
The sword tip scraped past his rib armor, sending a shower of dazzling sparks.
Missing his strike, Donner flicked his wrist, and the longsword swept upwards, aiming for Lynn's seemingly undefended neck!
Vicious, tricky!
However, he was fast, but Lynn's second sword was faster!
dark sister arrived first.
With a "clang," it precisely blocked Donner's sword path!
Sparks flew!
Jaime Lannister's pupils contracted sharply!
That was not a simple block!
The moment Lynn's second sword made contact with the opponent's blade, his wrist made an extremely subtle twisting motion.
Not only did he deflect the opponent's force, but he also leveraged it to guide the opponent's sword aside, creating a perfect attack opening for his main weapon!
longclaw chopped down, but Donner agilely dodged it.
This swordsmanship... this incredible coordination of two swords... Jaime's mind went blank instantly!
He had seen this swordsmanship!
In his youth, he had witnessed it firsthand from his idol, the Sword of the Morning, Arthur Dayne!
Arthur Dayne, the legend of the Kingsguard, the strongest knight in all Seven Kingdoms!
He used this very dual-wielding technique!
One sword for offense, one for defense, combining both, without any flaws!
This is impossible!
Sir Arthur Dayne is dead!
His swordsmanship has long been lost!
Lynn... how could he?
Under Jaime's shocked gaze, the situation on the field changed rapidly.
Donner launched a series of close-range attacks again, but Lynn effortlessly neutralized them all with his two swords.
Lynn was like a reef.
No matter how the waves crashed, he remained steadfast.
His feet did not even move an inch.
The longclaw in his left hand moved with broad, sweeping strokes, steady as a mountain, responsible for frontal blocks and chops.
The dark sister in his right hand, however, waited for an opportunity, always appearing from the most incredible angles, sealing off all of Donner's insidious follow-up moves.
The more Donner fought, the more his heart trembled!
His boasted speed and skill were like child's play in front of his opponent!
Every block, every counterattack by Lynn seemed to anticipate his movements, precisely hitting every one of his rhythm points!
He felt as if he wasn't dueling one person.
But fighting two master swordsmen at once!
Moreover, this swordsmanship, which completely saw through his style, astonished him even more.
As if Lynn was very familiar with him.
Fear began to spread in Donner's heart.
No, he could not lose!
The consequence of failure was only death!
"Ah ah ah ah!"
Donner let out a beast-like roar, going all out!
He abandoned all defense, and with a suicidal posture, he fiercely swung his sword down at Lynn's head!
This was his last gamble!
He bet that Lynn would not dare to trade his life for his!
However, Lynn's face remained as calm as an ancient well.
Facing this thunderous strike, Lynn's longclaw in his left hand met it head-on.
Clang—!
Another loud crash!
Donner felt an irresistible immense force transmit from the sword blade, numbing his tiger's mouth!
His sword slipped from his hand!
Now!
Lynn's body suddenly surged forward.
The black dark sister did not stab at Donner's vital points.
Instead, it precisely sliced across Donner's sword-wielding wrist!
Pfft!
A muffled sound.
Donner's right wrist was severed cleanly!
The severed hand and warm blood splattered in an arc in the air, finally landing on the ground not far away.
"Ah—!"
The belated excruciating pain made Donner let out a shrill, inhuman scream!
He staggered backward, his left hand desperately clutching his profusely bleeding wrist, his face filled with fear and despair.
Everything happened in a flash.
The nobles present had not even reacted yet.
The battle was already over.
Lynn gave him no chance to breathe.
He darted in front of Donner.
His left hand grabbed his sweat-soaked hair, pulling his head back forcefully, exposing his vulnerable neck.
Donner's screams abruptly ceased.
He felt the cold touch on his neck.
His pupils, dilated with fear, reflected Lynn's expressionless face.
The next second.
Lynn's dark sister in his right hand cleanly sliced across Donner's throat.
A line of blood bloomed on Donner's neck.
Warm blood gushed out, splattering on the ground.
Lynn released his hand.
Donner's body slumped softly, twitched a few times on the cold stone slab, and then was still.
The entire Throne Room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was too shocked by this bloody and decisive scene to speak.
Lynn stood beside the still-warm corpse, letting the blood from the sword tip drip onto the ground, blooming into crimson flowers.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on Cersei.
Cersei's body trembled violently.
She saw Lynn's eyes.
There was no joy of victory in those eyes, nor the pleasure of slaughter.
Only a condescending scrutiny, a cold indifference as if looking at his private property.
She had survived.
But she had also completely lost her freedom.
And Jaime Lannister, still staring intently at the two swords in Lynn's hands, was utterly distraught.
He muttered to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear it.
"Sword of the Morning, Arthur Dayne?"
"Who... is he, exactly?"
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