Chapter 198: Bleeding Star

The night had fully fallen, cloaking the sea in darkness. Viserys estimated that the Silence was just over 20 meters away from his flagship. Scanning the deck, he spotted a bundle of ropes. With a quick calculation, he guessed they were about 13 or 14 meters long. There was no time to hesitate—he couldn't let Euron escape. The Moon's Revelation had already shown him the horrifying consequences if he did.

Viserys tied the rope to his halberd and moved to the center of the warship. Regis, uncertain of Viserys's intentions, watched with growing concern, thinking, 'Is this even possible?'

Viserys grasped the rope in one hand and hefted the halberd onto his shoulder with the other, preparing to launch himself. Through the eyes of a crow, Euron saw Viserys's figure on the Silence, but he remained skeptical—no one could possibly leap across a gap of over twenty meters.

But Viserys was determined. He gathered all his strength, and with a sudden burst of speed, sprinted toward the bow of the ship. In a single, fluid motion, he stepped onto the bow rudder and leaped high into the air, arcing gracefully toward the Silence.

At the peak of his jump, he hurled the halberd with all his might. The weapon flew through the night air, its cold steel glinting as it pierced the darkness. The halberd struck true, embedding itself into the mast of the Silence and anchoring the rope firmly.

But the distance was too great—Viserys couldn't land directly on Euron's deck. Instead, he found himself dangling from the side of the Silence, clutching the taut rope.

Without hesitation, he drew his sword and slashed through the rope with a swift, decisive stroke.

Swish—

The rope, once taut, went slack and dropped.

"Did he fall?" Euron muttered to himself, relief starting to wash over him. But caution nagged at him, and he stepped forward to confirm.

He hadn't taken more than two steps when Viserys suddenly vaulted from the rigging, landing hard on the deck of the Silence.

He rose to his feet and scanned his surroundings. About thirty sailors stood around Euron, their eyes wide with fear. Their expressions mirrored those of the soldiers on his own flagship who had just witnessed the Kraken—one terrorized by a monster of the deep, the other by the human monster standing before them.

"Kill him!" Euron barked, and the mute sailors charged at Viserys with spears and knives.

Viserys drew his Valyrian steel sword, running his left hand lightly along the blade. Instantly, orange-red flames erupted along its length, engulfing the sword in fire. Euron's eyes narrowed—he recognized this as the fire magic he had seen in Volantis. It was clear that Viserys had made significant strides in magic during this time.

The flaming sword sliced through the air, leaving trails of fire in its wake. The mute sailors, despite their ferocity, couldn't get close to Viserys. His swordsmanship was impeccable, each swing of the blade carving arcs of flame that kept his attackers at bay. With the limited space on the deck, Viserys weaved left and right, cutting down five or six mute sailors in quick succession.

But Viserys's focus was singular—he knew there was only one man he had to kill today: Euron. Raising his voice, he shouted, "I'm here to kill Euron! Stay out of my way, and I'll grant you your freedom after he's dead!"

The mute sailors, however, didn't falter. They advanced with unwavering loyalty, as if they hadn't heard him at all. Viserys wasn't surprised; through his many Dragon Dreams, he had learned just how fiercely devoted these men were to Euron.

Euron glanced over his shoulder, seeing several warships rapidly closing in. Without hesitation, he drew a black spear from his side, its material unmistakable—Dragonbone. It was clear he intended to fight Viserys directly.

This move caught Viserys off guard. 'Does Euron really think he can match me?' he wondered. But with the enemy confronting him, there was no choice but to engage.

The two clashed, Viserys's flaming sword meeting Euron's Dragonbone spear. With a powerful swing, Viserys knocked the spear aside and swept his sword toward Euron. Euron instinctively dodged backward, but he hadn't anticipated what happened next—the blade suddenly extended, the flames stretching out and striking him squarely in the chest.

But instead of cutting through, the sword stopped as if it had hit a stone wall. Viserys realized with a jolt what was protecting Euron: Valyrian armor, renowned for its extreme resistance to magic.

'Valyrian armor!' Viserys thought, suddenly understanding why his attack had been ineffective.

The armor's magical resistance was formidable, far beyond what his current abilities could overcome. This was the same armor that had allowed Euron to capture several powerful Warlocks after leaving Valyria—it was his key to withstanding even the most potent magic.

Euron finally grasped the true power of his Valyrian armor. Though his swordsmanship and martial prowess were no match for Viserys, this enchanted armor made him nearly invincible. The realization bolstered his confidence—despite being outmatched in skill, he had the upper hand.

Seeing this, Euron's sailors seemed to come to the same conclusion. Though Viserys still pressed the attack, the mute sailors understood that, with Euron's armor, their captain would eventually prevail. One by one, they picked up their weapons and began to encircle Viserys once more.

Years of servitude had stripped them of any hope for freedom. Euron's words had burrowed deep into their minds, like nails driven into their bones, extinguishing any thoughts of rebellion. The absence of the Kraken, which had not resurfaced, further emboldened them.

Euron, however, felt a twinge of anxiety. He couldn't afford to waste any more time with Viserys—he needed to find a way to escape, and quickly.

Just then, Euron noticed something strange: a red glow on Viserys's face. Glancing around, he saw that his sailors were also bathed in a crimson light. The entire deck and sails were reflecting the same eerie glow.

Viserys looked up and saw a red object streaking through the clouds. His first thought was that it might be a missile, but he quickly dismissed the idea—there were no missiles in this world. It was a comet—a blood-red comet, a Bleeding Star.

Viserys knew immediately what this omen signified. The tide of magic was rising, and the time dragons will hatch was near.

For a brief moment, the red comet broke through the clouds, its fiery light spilling across the sea and capturing everyone's attention. Even as they maintained their fighting stances, both Viserys and Euron looked up in awe.

"My gods, what is that?" a soldier whispered.

"A red meteor?" murmured another.

But whatever it was, Viserys and Euron now had only one goal in mind: to kill each other. The appearance of the comet only heightened their resolve, each understanding that only one of them would walk away from this battle.