Sandor didn't choose to meet the raging beast head-on.
His feet moved with agility, exploiting the reach advantage of his longsword, constantly probing for new openings in the Mountain's defense.
The blade scraped across Gregor's armor again and again, throwing up showers of sparks.
But Gregor seemed to have abandoned defense entirely, focused only on getting his hands on Sandor.
Blood seeped from wounds all over his body. His steps staggered from the leg injury.
But that only made him more frenzied. More reckless!
The tension in the stands reached its peak.
Everyone held their breath, eyes glued to the two figures locked in combat.
One heavy and savage as a mountain. The other agile and lethal.
BANG!
After one dangerous dodge, the Mountain's massive fist grazed past Sandor's cheek and slammed into the stone railing behind him.
A thunderous crash!
To avoid that devastating blow, Sandor stumbled, his body lurching uncontrollably toward a massive brazier used for lighting!
Scorching heat rushed toward his face.
Those roaring flames expanded instantly in Sandor's pupils!
WHOOSH—!
Sandor's mind went blank.
Time seemed to stop in that moment.
The roar of the crowd around him seemed to vanish.
Gregor's twisted, savage face disappeared.
His world contained nothing but that all-consuming orange-red flame.
The night from twenty years ago surfaced clearly before his eyes once more.
Just because his young self had played with Gregor's toy, Gregor had pressed his face into the fire, burning it beyond recognition!
He seemed to smell his own flesh cooking.
He heard Gregor's excited, cruel laughter.
He felt that bone-deep, inescapable agony that would haunt him forever!
"Ah..."
A moan filled with endless terror escaped Sandor's throat.
His sword hand began to tremble uncontrollably.
Those gray eyes, usually filled with violence and contempt, now showed nothing but childlike terror and helplessness.
He feared fire.
This was the deepest fear in his heart.
The nightmare he could never escape!
The Mountain noticed Sandor's change.
In those eyes hidden beneath his helmet, a flash of cruel satisfaction appeared.
He'd found it!
He'd found his bastard brother's fatal weakness!
"Ha ha... HAHAHAHA!"
The Mountain let out a low, manic laugh.
He didn't press the attack. Instead, he stepped back, ignoring the heat, and grabbed the massive brazier with both hands!
"WHOOSH—!"
With all his strength, he hurled the entire brazier toward Sandor!
Burning coals and roaring flames instantly turned the ground around Sandor into a sea of fire!
"NO!!"
Sandor let out a desperate scream.
Instinctively, he stumbled backward, trying to escape that sea of flames that made his very soul tremble.
But the faster he retreated, the faster the fear spread through him!
His movements became stiff. His breathing grew ragged. His fighting spirit burned away completely in that moment!
"It's over."
On the high platform, the rigid expression on Petyr Baelish's face melted instantly, replaced by that confident smile once more.
He raised his wine cup, offering a distant toast in Lynn's direction.
The curve of his lips dripped with contempt and mockery.
See that? That's the difference.
He admitted it—Sandor was strong. He'd underestimated the Hound before.
But in the face of true fear, the most brilliant schemes and the most impressive martial prowess were nothing but a joke.
Sandor would lose. No question.
The Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna Tyrell, frowned slightly and murmured to Margaery beside her.
"It seems our northern friend is about to lose his first piece."
Margaery said nothing.
Her beautiful brown eyes remained locked on Lynn.
A trace of concern flickered in her gaze.
But she was shocked to discover that Lynn's face showed no panic or distress whatsoever.
He had even... closed his eyes.
What is he doing? Has he given up?
The thought disappointed Margaery.
Just when everyone thought the outcome was decided, all the noise around Lynn—Petyr's smug face, Robert's anxious roar, Sansa's worried gaze—all of it faded from his senses in that moment.
His consciousness transformed into an invisible thread, piercing through the barriers of space, precisely entering the mental world of Sandor that was filled with terror and flames.
Warg!
Lynn's trump card wasn't the more sinister ice magic.
He chose to use his warg ability.
What he wanted wasn't a Sandor with weaknesses.
He wanted a warrior who truly feared nothing!
To fear nothing, Sandor had to face his fear!
[SANDOR!]
A cold, commanding voice exploded like thunder in Sandor's chaotic mind!
Sandor, tormented by childhood nightmares, jerked violently.
That voice... Lord Lynn?! Why is he in my head??
[Lift your head!]
Lynn's voice forcibly dragged Sandor out of that sea of fire in his memories.
[Look in front of you!]
[That's not the brazier from twenty years ago!]
[That fire isn't your nightmare—it's your enemy's weapon!]
Sandor's consciousness struggled violently.
He saw it. Beyond the dancing flames, Gregor was advancing toward him step by step.
Gregor's face wore the cruel smile of a cat toying with a mouse.
[Do you want to live in his shadow forever?]
[Do you want everyone to watch you die like a dog, killed by the thing you fear most?]
[What about your twenty years of hatred? Your twenty years of daily torment?!]
[Just because of a little fire, you're going to give up?!]
Lynn's voice seared into the depths of Sandor's soul.
No! I don't want that! I won't be a coward anymore!
An even hotter, more violent emotion exploded from Sandor's chest!
It was hatred—suppressed for twenty years, hot enough to burn everything!
[That's it!]
Lynn's consciousness sensed the shift in Sandor's emotions.
[Your hatred burns hotter than that fire. Cuts sharper than any sword!]
[That's not the flame that burned you, Sandor!]
Lynn's consciousness guided Sandor, making him look at the sea of fire again.
[That's the flame of your revenge!]
[Go! Take it! Use it to ignite your sword! Use it to cut down everything before you!]
[Let your brother Gregor, let all your enemies, let the entire world see!]
[You are not a dog!]
The instant those words fell, under Lynn's guidance, Sandor's gray eyes—scattered by fear—snapped back into focus!
All the terror and cowardice had vanished.
In their place was a near-mad resolve!
He stopped retreating.
In the disbelieving eyes of everyone watching, he actually stepped forward, planting one foot into that burning sea of fire!
His longsword plunged into a burning coal on the ground!
Sandor slowly raised his head. Through the dancing flames, he looked at the brother advancing toward him.
On that half-burned, grotesque face, a grim smile spread.
"Gregor."
"You like fire, don't you?"
"Today, I'll let you taste what it's like to burn!"
Sandor ripped the red-hot sword from the flames and charged straight at the Mountain!
What he held was no longer an ordinary knight's longsword.
It was a branding iron blazing with the fire of vengeance!
On the high platform, Petyr Baelish's smile froze once more.
The wine cup in his hand clattered to the ground, shattering into pieces.
He stared at Sandor, bathed in flames like a demon returned from hell, and those gray-green eyes—always so calculating—now showed fear!
What the fuck is happening to this world? Wasn't Sandor supposed to be broken? Who gave him the courage to stand back up?
Even the Mountain was stunned by Sandor's shocking transformation.
Faced with that red-hot blade stabbing toward him with scorching heat and endless hatred, the Mountain instinctively raised his arm to block.
"SQUELCH!"
The glowing blade tore through the thick leather armor on his arm with ease.
The tip drove deep into his flesh!
"SSSSS—!!!"
The stench of burning meat instantly filled the air.
"AAAARGH—!!!"
The Mountain let out a scream more agonized than any before!
It was the searing pain of flesh being cooked alive!
That fucking dog hurt me again!
Gregor thrashed wildly, trying to shake Sandor off, but Sandor clung to him like a starving wolf that had latched onto its prey's throat—refusing to let go even unto death!
He used every ounce of strength to twist that red-hot blade deeper into Gregor's flesh!
"AAAAAAHHH!!!"
The Mountain lost his mind completely!
He abandoned all defense. His other good arm swung down viciously toward Sandor's skull!
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Sandor's eyes!
He didn't dodge. He didn't evade. He gave up defense entirely, using his shoulder to take the blow head-on!
CRACK!
The sound of shattering bone rang out clearly.
Sandor's left shoulder caved in instantly. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
But he didn't fall!
Life for life!
Sandor had dragged this unstoppable beast down to his level in the most brutal way possible!
"Madmen! They're all madmen!"
Petyr Baelish completely lost his composure.
Lynn slowly opened his eyes and looked at him calmly, as if looking at a dead man.
In the arena, the battle had entered its final, most savage phase.
Both men stripped away useless armor.
Even gravely wounded, they still tore at each other like wild beasts.
The Mountain had lost the advantage of both arms—only one remained functional. Sandor, too, had only one working arm.
The Mountain headbutted. He bit with his teeth!
Sandor smashed with his sword hilt. He kicked!
Blood stained the ground. Blood stained everyone's eyes.
This was no longer a duel.
This was a blood feud to the death!
Finally, after one savage collision, the Mountain's massive body—drained by blood loss and pain—could no longer hold itself up.
He collapsed with a thunderous crash!
Sandor dragged his broken body over to Gregor.
He looked down at the brother he'd hated for twenty years. In those gray eyes burned the satisfaction of vengeance.
He raised his longsword high.
"It's over."
Sandor said softly. Then, with the last of his strength, he aimed the blade at the eye slit in the Mountain's helmet and drove it down!
But just as the tip was about to pierce through—
The Mountain, who should have had no strength left, suddenly erupted with a terrifying gleam in his bloodshot eyes!
With his last ounce of power, his injured arm shot up and grabbed Sandor's wrist!
At the same time, his other hand clamped around Sandor's throat!
"If I die... WE DIE TOGETHER!!!"
The Mountain let out a roar like a demon from hell.
With all the strength left in his body, he yanked Sandor's head viciously toward his own savage face!