A torrent of dragonfire surged downward, crashing furiously against the translucent shield protecting the blood-red ritual circle.
Cracks began to spiderweb across the shield, spreading ominously.
Despite this, Euron Greyjoy remained unfazed, his confident, arrogant grin fixed in place.
Crack!
With a sharp shattering sound, the shield exploded.
Dragonfire rained down, engulfing the blood-red circle in a roaring inferno. The surrounding hundred meters became a sea of flames, with Euron at its center.
Yet, despite the intense heat, Euron stood unharmed. The strange black armor he wore emitted tendrils of dark smoke that shielded him from the flames.
"You can't kill me, Caesar," Euron crowed with maniacal laughter. "Valyrian fire once burned through my veins, and still, I live. You have no idea what you're up against!"
Cleopatra, the white dragon, ceased her fiery assault and roared in frustration.
Samwell narrowed his eyes, preparing to adjust his strategy when a childlike voice echoed in his mind:
"Beware of the sea monster!"
Bran Stark? Samwell's thoughts churned as realization struck.
BOOM!
The ocean erupted. A massive tentacle shot out of the blackened waters, coiling toward Cleopatra's legs.
But thanks to Bran's warning, Samwell had already directed Cleopatra higher into the sky, evading the tentacle's grasp.
He looked down and saw the churning waves below. Rising from the stormy sea was an enormous kraken, its monstrous form emerging from the frothing waves like the heart of the storm itself.
Countless writhing tentacles flailed in the tempest, issuing a challenge to the white dragon above.
Cleopatra dove, unleashing a fiery spear of orange-red flame at the beast.
The kraken opened a massive maw, spewing a putrid jet of black water that reeked of rot and decay.
The two attacks collided midair. Fire overwhelmed water, cascading down to scorch the kraken's dark flesh.
A chilling, piercing shriek erupted from the sea monster, echoing through the storm and clawing at the nerves of all who heard it.
Samwell watched as the dragonfire seared the kraken's flesh, causing it to blister and decay—only for fresh tissue to regenerate almost instantly.
The beast roared in fury, thrashing its tentacles wildly, sending towering waves crashing into the cliffs and shattering rocks into deadly shrapnel.
Cleopatra dove again, her fiery breath sweeping over the thrashing sea monster.
Tentacles lashed out, grasping for the dragon, only to be incinerated into ash by her flames.
There was nothing in this world that could withstand dragonfire.
And yet, the kraken's resilience was extraordinary. Despite the relentless flames, it regenerated ceaselessly, sprouting new tentacles as though it were an endless forest of flesh.
Finally, one tentacle coiled tightly around Cleopatra's leg, pulling her off balance and dragging her down.
CRASH!
The two titanic creatures collided.
The kraken's bulk was larger, but Cleopatra's power was unmatched. She pinned the beast beneath her claws, unleashing volcanic streams of dragonfire at point-blank range.
The kraken's head exploded in a shower of black ichor, the putrid liquid evaporating instantly in the heat of the flames.
Even so, the beast refused to die. It retaliated, coiling its writhing limbs around the dragon.
Samwell leapt from Cleopatra's back, severing one of the tentacles with his massive sword. The foul stench of the ichor made him gag, but he pressed on.
The kraken was vile, its strength overwhelming, and its life seemingly infinite.
Samwell turned his gaze to the shore, where Euron stood at the center of the ritual circle. He made a decision.
If he couldn't kill the kraken, he would kill its master.
Leaping from the dragon's back, Samwell charged at Euron.
Seeing the advancing figure, Euron unsheathed a curved blade and smirked.
"Are you sure you want to fight me, Caesar?"
"You were the one who chose to fight me," Samwell retorted.
Before Euron could respond, Samwell shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their blades clashed in a flurry of strikes. Samwell's strength and speed overwhelmed Euron, whose curved blade shattered after several blows.
Though his strange armor absorbed much of the impact, Euron was clearly struggling. Blood seeped through the cracks of his battered armor.
"It's over," Samwell said coldly. His dark eyes burned with killing intent as he thrust his sword toward Euron's heart.
CLANG!
The blade struck Euron's chest, but his armor emitted tendrils of black smoke, repelling the strike.
"Die!" Samwell roared, channeling all his mental spirit to strength.
His heartbeat thundered, his muscles swelled, and his blood surged, making Samwell look a lot bigger. He became a whirlwind of raw power, knocking Euron backward.
CRASH!
Euron slammed into a cliffside, the black smoke surrounding him flickering violently.
Before Euron could recover, Samwell closed the distance, his sword emitting dazzling flames, blazing with fiery runes.
SCHLUNK!
The blade pierced Euron's chest effortlessly, as though slicing through butter.
But instead of dying, Euron let out a mad laugh.
"You can't kill me, Caesar!"
Thicker black smoke poured from Euron's wounds, twisting toward Samwell like living shadows.
Samwell withdrew his blade and retreated, eyeing the unkillable foe warily.
"His weakness is in his eye," Bran's voice echoed again.
Samwell's gaze shifted to Euron's face. His left eye was hidden beneath a patch.
Understanding dawned.
"Yes," Bran's voice confirmed. "The hidden eye."
Euron's smirk faltered as he realized Samwell had discovered his secret.
Before Euron could react, Samwell charged again.
Euron tried to dodge, but Samwell's flaming sword cleaved through the storm, its brilliance cutting through the blackness.
BOOM!
The cliffside exploded as Euron staggered back.
Before he could recover, Samwell's hand shot forward, gripping Euron's face.
"No!" Euron howled in despair as the black smoke surrounding him boiled violently.
SPLAT!
A single, blood-red eye tumbled from Euron's socket, landing on the ground with a wet plop.
Samwell stood up, with a blood-red, crystal eyeball pinched between his left fingertips.
The storm, once raging with unstoppable fury, suddenly stilled.
(End of Chapter)
TL; Entertained are you?