Bloodflame 1

The thunderous clash of metal erupted through the underground hall, sending sparks raining down.

Aegon twisted aside from a crushing downward blow. The battle-axe scraped across his breastplate with an ear-splitting screech against the Valyrian steel, yet left only a faint white mark that vanished almost at once.

He turned with the motion, his long blade flicking diagonally upward like a striking snake.

Its tip slipped precisely into the gap beneath the Ironborn's leather-armored armpit-one of the deadliest angles against an armored opponent, learned through countless fights to the death.

"Aaargh-" The Ironborn staggered back screaming, blood gushing from his armpit and splashing dark red across the black floor.

But the attacks did not stop. They came one after another.

Another curved blade swept in from the right, whistling straight toward his neck.

Aegon had no time to bring his blade back to parry. He could only raise his left arm and take the blow.

The curved blade slammed into his vambrace hard enough to numb his arm, but the Valyrian steel remained unscathed.

He seized the opening to kick his attacker in the lower belly. As the Ironborn stumbled backward, Aegon's long blade stabbed toward his face like lightning-only a thin layer of leather armor protected it.

A third, a fourth... the Ironborn surged forward like a tide.

Aegon twisted and dodged within the encirclement, the Valyrian steel armor granting him peerless protection.

Yet every dodge tugged at the unhealed wound in his left leg, and every parry drained his already dwindling strength.

The armor could stop blades, but it could not entirely absorb the force behind them. Heavy blows struck like hammers, jolting his insides.

Clang!

A two-handed battle-axe struck Aegon's shoulder with full force. He grunted and staggered half a step, thrusting his long blade into his attacker's throat as he moved.

Warm blood sprayed across his visor, blurring his sight.

How many was that? Seven? Eight? Aegon no longer had time to count.

His breathing rasped like worn-out bellows, every inhalation thick with the smell of blood and rust.

The shirt beneath his armor was already soaked with sweat and clung to his skin, a stark contrast to the biting cold outside.

The advantages and their price had never been clearer.

The Valyrian steel armor let him move through a forest of blades with near-invincible protection, but it also placed an immense burden on his stamina.

Every Ironborn who fell depleted his scant remaining strength.

"Henry! Carl! Get to me!" Aegon roared, his voice muffled and distant beneath his visor.

Not far away, Henry's bulky body stood firm as a reef. He swung a battle-axe snatched from some Ironborn, every stroke carrying enough force to split mountains and shatter stone.

Carl moved like a ghost along the edges of the battlefield, her lean figure extraordinarily nimble as she targeted the Ironborn's legs and joints.

Under their leadership, the dozens of surviving mercenaries summoned their courage and fought the Ironborn.

For a time, clashing weapons, furious roars, and screams rose one after another, shattering the hall's thousand-year silence.

Yet their disadvantage in numbers and equipment could not be overcome.

The Ironborn were battle-hardened and well equipped. Each wore sturdy leather armor or mail, and some even wore heavy plate.

For every Ironborn the mercenaries killed, they often paid several times the price. Bodies soon covered the ground, and blood stained the smooth obsidian floor red.

No one noticed that the flowing blood did not spread freely, but seemed drawn by some invisible force.

It seeped eerily toward the depths of the hall, into dark corners and the crevices of ancient runes on the walls, without a sound.

Crow's Eye remained outside the fighting, like a spectator enjoying a play.

His single eye stayed almost constantly fixed on Aegon, and he sneered at the mercenaries' resistance.

From time to time, he issued brief orders, directing the Ironborn to concentrate on surrounding Aegon while sending only a few men to stop Henry and Carl from breaking through.

"Wear him down." Crow's Eye's voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

Aegon fought as he retreated, trying to join Henry and Carl.

But the Ironborn clung to him like shadows, their assaults rising wave after wave.

An Ironborn captain in full plate charged fearlessly toward him. Aegon's long blade struck the man's pauldron, producing only a shower of sparks.

The captain seized the chance to ram him. Aegon staggered backward again and again, nearly falling.

"Hayne!" Henry roared and tried to charge over, but two Ironborn kept him pinned down.

A cold gleam flashed in Aegon's eyes. Abandoning his slashes at the plate, he ducked low and thrust his long blade like a snake toward the armor joint behind his opponent's knee.

That was the plate armor's weak point!

The blade's tip pierced the mail, and the Ironborn captain screamed as he dropped to his knees.

Without mercy, Aegon delivered another thrust through the gap between the helmet and neck armor.

The tenth.

But more Ironborn closed in.

Aegon heard Carl's cries vanish beneath the din of battle and saw Henry still fighting desperately, covered in blood.

The tide of enemies drove them farther and farther apart.

Crack!

With a sharp snap, Aegon's long blade finally gave out, breaking in half during a parry.

The broken half spun away and embedded itself in a nearby stone pillar, humming as it quivered.

Without hesitation, Aegon discarded the hilt and bent to scoop up a longsword dropped by a dead Ironborn soldier.

Thick blood coated the blade, and the grip was slick.

Three more Ironborn rushed him in a triangular formation.

Aegon swept his sword across, forcing one back, then twisted aside to narrowly evade another vicious thrust. The third attacker's battle-axe landed squarely on his back.

Thud!

The blow hit like a collapsing mountain. Aegon's vision went black, and a strong, metallic sweetness surged into his throat.

He clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and forced the mouthful of blood back down. I can't bleed. I absolutely cannot bleed here!

The system's warning echoed sharply in his mind.

He struck backward with his sword, driving its tip through the eye socket of the Ironborn who had relaxed slightly after landing his blow, finishing his eleventh opponent.

But their numbers kept growing.

Crow's Eye was like the most patient of hunters. Every time he waved his hand, fresh Ironborn filled the gaps.

They no longer rushed to overwhelm him, instead skirmishing and wearing him down, ramming him with shields and battering him with blunt weapons.

The Valyrian steel armor stopped the deadly blades, but the relentless impacts made Aegon's breathing increasingly ragged and his arms increasingly heavy.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Heavy shield blows slammed into his breastplate one after another, producing deep, thunderous crashes.

Aegon kept stumbling backward, every step making his lungs feel as though they were burning.

He could clearly feel the bruises covering his body beneath the armor. His old left-leg wound stabbed with agonizing pain, and the edges of his vision began to darken and flicker with stars.

Henry's and Carl's shouts seemed farther and farther away, separated from him by countless swinging weapons and the Ironborn's savage faces.

Aegon caught sight of Henry, drenched in blood but still fighting desperately toward him. Carl tried to circle around the flank, only to be firmly blocked.

Utter isolation.

Aegon realized that Crow's Eye's plan had succeeded.

Distract him with the mercenaries, then use overwhelming numbers and relentless attacks to wear him-the guardian within this steel fortress-to death in this hopeless place.

Just then-

RUMBLE-!!!

A roar far louder than any sound of battle before it thundered from the depths of the hall. The entire underground space shook violently!

It was as though some sleeping behemoth had been startled awake and let out a roar of pain.

Dust and debris showered from the vaulted ceiling, and the eerie blue moss glowing on the walls instantly went dark.

The earth heaved and shook!