In the courtyard of Winterfell, the crowd thronged, forming a large circle around Jon Stark and Jaime Lannister. Both men stood facing each other with serious expressions, though Jon seemed more serious than Jaime.
Robert stood to one side, peering between the two before snorting.
"No serious injuries or mutilations. Understood?"
"Clear, Your Grace," Jon replied before nodding.
"Understood," Jaime said before drawing his sword from its scabbard at his waist. He took his stance as he watched Jon draw his blade, his eyes widening. The crowd gasped and cheered at the sight of Jon's magnificent sword.
This was not a Valyrian steel sword, but it was superior in every way. It was a great two-handed sword, its blade an almost gleaming silver, with a guard that extended to either side, ending in a shape similar to an arrowhead. In the center of the guard was a golden cross that extended slightly toward the base of the blade.
When everyone saw the sword, one question was on the minds of almost every spectator:
Was that thing even created by a human?
The magnificence and size of the sword made it one of the most beautiful and deadly things they had ever seen.
Jaime said nothing, but he was impressed. Jon didn't seem to have any trouble wielding a sword that looked large and heavy. He figured Jon had trained hard for it, and he wasn't wrong. The extensive training Jon had undergone made him capable of wielding almost any sword.
"Now!" Robert shouted, snapping everyone out of their thoughts.
Jaime immediately began to circle slowly.
Jon stood where he was, looking indifferently at Jaime Lannister, almost as if he didn't care about this battle. No, it was more as if he didn't care about Jaime himself.
The Lannister knew this could be a tactic to unsettle him, but he simply moved close enough before attacking with considerable speed. He swung his sword downward toward Jon, but Jon took a step back before positioning his greatsword to block, the point of the blade pointing toward the ground before drawing it upward, causing Jaime to immediately recoil, his stance broken.
That was enough for Jon. Seeing Jaime retreat, he charged forward and swung his sword.
The clash of steel echoed across the courtyard as Jaime blocked the attack from above, but he couldn't dodge the punch that snapped his head to the side.
Shaking his head slightly as he backed away, Jaime realized that Jon hadn't continued his attack, but had stood where he was, staring at him with indifferent eyes.
That angered him. The next attack could have decided the battle, but his opponent did nothing. To Jaime, it was an insult. Clearly, they were underestimating him.
Though that was incorrect. Jon wasn't underestimating him; he was sizing him up. His gaze was due to the way he fought, discarding almost all his feelings to deliver the most lethal cut possible.
When he fought, there were no other people but him and his sword. In the end, the target was nothing more than something he had to cut at all costs. But he knew that not everyone was an object he could cut, and this was the case with Jaime. He was a person he couldn't kill. Nor could he inflict wounds that were too serious.
It was the only reason Jon wasn't fighting like he usually did. If this were a fight to the death, Jaime Lannister would already be hacked to pieces on the ground.
Jon's eyes flashed as Jaime charged forward at full speed. He took a step back and tilted his head back slightly to avoid a cut near his throat. Jon's greatsword swung instantly, striking Jaime's blade and sending his arms flying from the force.
In that moment of disadvantage, Jon slashed swiftly. First, a cut across each forearm, then a slash from above to slice through his opponent's armor. Finally, his blade lodged at Jaime's neck.
The onlookers barely saw the three cuts. They only caught a glimpse of Jaime's blade before it fell to the ground and his chest armor split slightly. Finally, they saw Jon's greatsword at the Kingslayer's neck.
"You lose, Ser Lannister."
Jaime glared at him angrily for a moment before throwing up his hands in pain. Those two cuts hadn't just pierced his arm armor; they'd cut through his skin, which was why he dropped his sword.
"Jon wins!" Arya's joyful voice echoed across the courtyard before several other voices erupted in cheers. They hadn't just seen an incredible sword, but also a swordsman who moved too fast for normal eyes to perceive. It was likely this would be the talk of Winterfell for days, and the voices of the visitors from the south would spread a bit in the capital, especially among the Kingsguard.
"I hope I didn't hurt him too badly, Ser Jaime Lannister."
Snorting, Jaime simply shook his head.
"You're good, boy. How much have you trained?"
"For years I've trained every day. Morning and night, I've never stopped practicing with the sword."
"You have talent..." Jaime said before drawing his sword and turning away.
"Jon!" Arya approached with Robb, Theon, and Bran.
"That was great! You moved so fast!"
Jon smiled at his sister before ruffling her hair.
"That sword is new." "You didn't have it before," Robb commented, eyeing the sword.
"I've been lucky since I arrived at the New Gift. Not only did I find Father's gift, but there was this thing too. It even had a name on a scroll near it when I found it buried."
"It had a name? What kind of name can a monstrosity like that have?" Theon asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Greatsword Ghost: Balmung," Jon replied, passing it to Robb. His brother looked at the sword before taking it and pointing it skyward in admiration, but then handed it back immediately.
"Damn weird thing!" he exclaimed, clearly surprised.
Jon just smiled, knowing that only he could wield Balmung, at least in this world. He had spent all his points on this sword and the protection it held for his family, but it had been worth it. Worth every single point!
"What's wrong?" Arya asked, confused.
"I felt like the sword was rejecting me." It was... strange, almost like feeling the sword wasn't meant for me.
"You have some weird things going on, Jon," Arya said with a crooked smile.
Jon just snorted.
"Seeing as you won, I think it's time for a little wine. To celebrate that you're stronger than Ser Jaime Lannister," Robb said quietly, glancing to the side. Jon looked in that direction and met the queen's angry gaze. Though he immediately shifted his gaze to Myrcella, flashing a small smile.
Robb and Theon's eyes widened in shock as the princess blushed slightly before looking away from Jon.
The heir and the kraken exchanged a glance before nodding and immediately dragging Jon away.
"What's wrong?" Jon asked, confused.
"I can't believe a guy like you can make a princess blush with just a smile. What a joke!"
"Alright. We need a few answers, right now," Robb nodded before saying seriously.
Jon looked around before rolling his eyes.
"You're just too desperate."
"Shut up!" they both shouted angrily.
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