The defeat, in some ways humiliating, suffered at the hands of the new mega-alliance during the second round of the Siege of Winterfell was hard to digest, especially for proud warriors like Neik. His goal of striving to do his best so that his deeds on the battlefield would be remembered made it difficult for him to accept being crushed as had happened in the last match.

The leaders, along with the members, had time to study what went wrong during the days of rest following the second round to try to apply a different strategy in case their paths crossed again. However, sometimes, as their leader himself admitted, one had to acknowledge that an opponent was far superior and that even with the best intentions, they could not be defeated.

The time for brooding, however, was over, and today required maximum concentration to try to get a season that had not started in the best way back on track. Winning the third round was already of vital importance to achieve a good placement at the end of the season.

Neik and his companions found themselves on the battlefield, waiting to discover who their next opponent would be. The young alliance member couldn't wait to unleash his fury on them.

And finally, the mysterious rival arrived on the battlefield. It was...

SKR

The long-awaited rival alliance finally made their arrival. They weren't one of the most well-known groups in the lands of Westeros, but led by Rashkasha and flanked by the formidable Xarsh and Floho, they had managed to secure two victories in their first two outings of the season. They were definitely a group to watch.

Ready to clash, the two alliances studied their strategies before the start of the battle:

"Since our rivals don't have a high-profile name, we don't know much about them. I've decided that we'll split up as we did in the first battle to cover as much ground and buildings as possible while waiting for our opponents' move," was the strategy Grombold wanted to adopt against them.

The baton was then passed to Depravity, who called his group members to himself:

"We'll go to give support at HotSprings in the initial phase and then decide what to do from there until the first loot of the match is available."

The orders from the leaders and group captains had been given. Neik, in this last group, had his nerves on edge, both due to the strange cold air on an almost summer evening and the anxiety that gripped him since he knew they could not come out defeated from a match like this, or it would be very tough for them for the rest of the season.

As the minutes passed, darkness fell over the battlefield, with a slight rise in mist obscuring the vision of the warriors ready to fight to the last.

The initial phase of the match saw HOH divide themselves between Armory and Hotsprings, the most important buildings in the match after the loot gathered in Winterfell, in a balanced manner. The potential of the opponent was a factor to keep under control, so the group leaders were in close contact in case they needed to suggest a new strategy if things went badly for one of them.

Neik's clash began in the vicinity of Hotsprings:

Upon his arrival at the post, Neik noticed a strong allied presence there that was giving their rivals a hard time.

After a brief skirmish, the coveted building came under HOH's control, securing the buff it provided—a good start for them. Seeing how things had settled there, Neik began his personal offensive from the early stages toward Base 2, where the rivals were regrouping to attack together, which had to be prevented. Initially, he was put in a tough spot, suffering some minor injuries, but once his loyal comrades arrived to assist, Rashkasha could do nothing but call for a strategic retreat!

The initial phase of combat thus saw the groups led by HOH's leaders doing as they pleased on the battlefield, likely aiming to prove something after the recent defeat suffered, fighting with great fervor—a tough blow for SKR.

The strategic retreat by the opposing leader had a different effect than intended. After a quick discussion among HOH's leaders, the order came to push towards the outskirts of the enemy base!

Grombold's strategy in practice was to block every exit for the rivals and then conquer the remaining undisturbed buildings.

It was a risky tactic because this way the groups were divided and couldn't leverage their numerical superiority to prevent enemy escapes. Indeed, one who ended up injured was Neik himself!

Once the young warrior reached the southern path of the enemy base, he was assaulted by a good number of warriors, resulting in a painful personal defeat.

At the last moment, his allies arrived to his rescue, forcing the opponents into retreat.

"You need to be more careful and avoid separating from your comrades," reprimanded group leader Depravity, who, despite knowing Neik's good intentions, advised him to be more cautious next time.

It was Depravity himself who was tasked with safely bringing back the loot obtained from a Winterfell completely under HOH's control.

In the mid-game phase, which at this point could be described as one-sided, Grombold's men and women were seen exerting total control, shutting down any potential rival offense by closing off the roads near their base.

Among them returned Neik himself.

After recovering from his injuries, he decided to return to his post, determined not to let his task weigh on the heads of his alliance comrades. He wanted to contribute to achieving the final victory, this time more determined than ever!

From the very beginning, the young fighter found himself facing Bower, a formidable rival who relied on his skills with the Inf as his trump card. The prolonged battle concluded with a strategic retreat by the SKR member after enduring Neik's combat prowess.

In the remaining time until the end of the skirmish, other adversaries also came face to face with the fighter among the ranks of HOH, but none managed to overpower him. This time, he cautiously followed the group leader's advice, facing his rivals with the support of his alliance comrades.

Nothing changed, no plot twist affected the final outcome of the match. After an initial battle to the last drop of blood, influenced by the difference in presence on the battlefield, Rashkasha's decision was to conserve the strength of his comrades. He knew that despite HOH and SKR facing off directly, the level of the two alliances was on completely different levels. Additionally, considering the absurd idea of confronting 95 members with only 61 available, which the rival leaders didn't even consider.

Thus, the alliance that claimed victory in the match was... HOH!

MVP's

The standout fighters of the battle were:

For HOH, SukunA. His cavalry were the first to reach HotSprings and delivered a harsh lesson to those in their path.

For SKR, Floho. One of the last to throw in the towel among his peers, who eventually realized that his efforts were in vain, finding himself fighting purely for personal satisfaction and to test himself.

"Today went well for us; the match was straightforward and just what we needed to get back on track from where we abruptly halted in the last round. Now we have time to prepare properly and be ready for the fourth round, which will be on a completely different level," were the final words from the leaders of HOH.

Satisfied with his 12th place in the elimination rankings, Neik was surprised by the performance of his friend, LadyOfThrons, who managed to surpass him. Without hesitation, he went to congratulate her on this incredible achievement despite her limited battlefield experience. "You were phenomenal," he said before leaving the battlefield to return to K345.

Thus concluded today's challenge, which saw HOH secure its second seasonal victory. Would they manage to start a winning streak, or would a surprise await them in the fourth round? We will find out together!