Before long, above Dragonstone, massive figures took to the sky one after another.
Ghidorah took the lead, its golden scales shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight. Viserys sat firmly between the dragon's necks, his black and red armor also emitting a cold glint.
Rhaenys rode on Melyas's back. The crimson dragon now had a wingspan of fifteen meters, carrying the young girl into the air with a light take-off.
She gripped the handles of the dragon saddle tightly, her heart racing with excitement, but as she felt Melyas's thoughts, she gradually calmed down.
This dragon saddle was commissioned by Viserys, crafted by artisans based on ancient Valyrian texts he had collected. It allowed dragon riders to sit more securely; while he didn't need it himself, he had to ensure the safety of these girls.
Following closely behind were Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes, three slightly larger dragons. They seemed to sense the impending battle and let out excited roars.
Higher in the clouds, Black Flame's massive silhouette loomed. It had long been waiting in the sky, its dark red vertical pupils looking down coldly at the pirate fleet on the sea.
Duke William's Imperial Navy fleet had already deployed in the designated waters, surrounding the pirate fleet from a distance.
When the silhouettes of the dragons appeared on the horizon, a thunderous cheer erupted from the fleet.
In contrast, the pirate fleet opposite them instantly fell into a state of massive panic.
When the "silence" was surrounded by the Imperial Navy, the fleet in the harbor had only just begun to mobilize. At that time, several pirate leaders who saw it all were arguing fiercely: should they fight or flee?
But because of their long-standing fear of Captain Euron, they remained in place waiting for the "Crows Eye's" signal.
Now they had guessed that something might have happened to Euron, but they no longer had the luxury of choice.
They saw the legendary three-headed dragon and even more flying dragon shadows.
Some tried to turn and flee, some frantically operated the crude ballistae on their ships, while many more were stunned like wooden chickens, kneeling on the decks to pray to the gods they respectively believed in.
Viserys gave them no more time to react. Ghidorah began a direct dive, its middle head tilting slightly upward as golden light gathered deep in its throat.
A brilliant Golden Ray, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, swept through the large ships in the pirate fleet that were equipped with heavy ballistae.
The large ships seemed to be swallowed by an invisible giant mouth. Wherever the golden light touched, it vanished instantly without a trace, leaving only mirror-smooth cross-sections as they rapidly sank.
This devastating strike directly destroyed the pirates' only remaining weapons capable of harming the Young Dragons.
Immediately after, Ghidorah's left head breathed Frost Breath, freezing several ships trying to group together into giant ice sculptures. The right head breathed scorching Dragonfire, igniting another area.
The command and counterattack capabilities of the pirate fleet disintegrated under Ghidorah's first round of attacks.
"Black Flame, clear that area," Viserys ordered through their mental link.
From high in the clouds, a massive pitch-black figure dove down at high speed—it was Black Flame.
It plunged straight toward the densest area of the pirate fleet. When it dove to a low enough altitude, it suddenly opened its maw, and a thick, terrifying pillar of fire, dark red like magma, poured violently into a large pirate ship attempting to resist.
"Boom!"
The violent explosion was deafening. The ship seemed to be torn apart from the inside. Flames and thick smoke, carrying shattered hull fragments and human remains, surged dozens of meters high, forming a terrifying fireball.
The shockwave from the fireball's heat even capsized two nearby small boats.
This strike completely shattered the pirates' remaining will to resist. Wealth and orders alike became a joke in the face of this natural disaster-like power.
The surviving pirates only wanted to flee, frantically turning their prows in an attempt to break out of this sea of death.
"Now is the time," Viserys issued instructions to Rhaenys. "Act according to the plan. Watch out for stray arrows, and prioritize attacking sails and deck personnel."
Rhaenys gritted her teeth and guided Melyas into a dive. She could feel the battle intent and the excitement of the dragon beneath her as it participated in a battle of this scale for the first time. She locked onto a medium-sized sailing ship to the front-left that was attempting to escape.
"Melyas, Dracarys," Rhaenys shouted in Valyrian, her voice trembling slightly with tension.
Melyas let out a resonant dragon roar, extended its neck, and a blast of scorching crimson Dragonfire erupted, precisely sweeping across the main sail and deck of that sailing ship.
The ship's sails instantly burst into a raging fire. The cargo piled on the deck and the pirates who didn't have time to hide were also swallowed by the flames, turning into human-shaped fireballs as they screamed.
It was a success, and Rhaenys felt a surge of joy. But immediately after, she saw those figures rolling and wailing in the flames on the deck, and saw the charred, twisted corpses.
Her stomach churned, and her joy was replaced by discomfort and a faint sense of guilt. She looked away, her breathing becoming somewhat rapid.
Melyas seemed to sense its rider's emotions. It let out a low, soothing croon, then turned again to lunge at the next target.
The people on this pirate ship noticed the incoming dragon, and scattered arrows flew toward them, but most were swept away by the dragon's wings or struck harmlessly against its scales.
As the distance closed, Melyas tilted its head up again, and a blast of scorching crimson Dragonfire gushed out, sweeping over the sailing ship.
"Pull up, Melyas, go up!" Rhaenys quickly ordered. Melyas soared upward nimbly, avoiding the arrows shot at Rhaenys from below.
Rhaenys looked back and saw that the ship was also engulfed in a sea of fire, but this time she forced down the discomfort in her heart and continued to pursue the next target, executing Viserys's orders.
At that moment, Viserys commanded Balerion and Vhagar to dive into the battlefield from the left. Both dragons breathed Dragonfire simultaneously.
Although the scale of their flames was not as large as an adult dragon's, the temperature was still staggering. The pirate ship's canvas burned instantly, and the masts carbonized and snapped in the high heat.
Balerion's flames were laced with corrosive substances; wherever they passed, strange signs of corrosion appeared.
Meanwhile, Vhagar's Dragonfire, which carried golden threads, possessed incredible destructive power. It could penetrate wooden decks directly, not only burning but also allowing seawater to pour in, accelerating the sinking.
Meraxes swept in from the right. Its fire was relatively cold. A condensed pillar of fire with a blue tint directly covered the cabins of two smaller ships, igniting them, but the inherent chill of the flames made the people on board feel a sensation of both ice and fire.
"Fire! Fire the arrows!"
Some pirates tried to resist in desperation, shooting arrows sparsely toward the sky. But the arrows hit the dragon scales with only a clinking sound, leaving behind stray sparks, unable to even break through the defense.
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