Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 494, Section 33: Under the highlanders' battle flags, Thorbein marches...

"High Archbishop! Something strange has appeared at the Stromgarde front! Send out Lightforged War Machines immediately!"

Captain Faria's report rang out on the Exodar's navigation console, causing Commander Nelly to blink in surprise.

She didn't think the intensity of the battle at Stromgarde would necessitate the deployment of Lightforged war machines, but a veteran like Faria would never misreport military intelligence, so Nellie readily agreed to the request.

After giving the order, she rushed to the observation window of the navigation station and looked down, where she discovered those "strange things".

Those are magical machines!
Almost at the same time that Lothar's legion stormed into the inner city, the demon tower below launched these things into the battlefields of various parts of the city using the "Gundam Strike" catapult.

They crashed into the scorched land like fel meteorites, then stretched out their bodies in mechanical rhythms.

Forged from fel steel, with a robust build, powered by a fel engine, and equipped with a series of insane siege weapons from the Burning Legion, its dark green flames symbolize the wrath of fel energy. The fel flames spewing from the mechanical cracks on its heavy body are enough to melt armor and body instantly.

Nelly witnessed a demonic creation crash into the outer city battlefield. Upon landing, the first shot fired by her fel-powered molten cannon wiped out a squad of heavily armored knights who were charging forward.

More importantly, these magical mechanical creations always give people a very familiar feeling.

"It's our Lightforged War Machine!"

The archbishop angrily rebuked:

"The shameless demons have stolen our art of war. They forged these fel-powered machines to counter the heavy weaponry of the Holy Light Legion. Damn it!"

"The Magic Steel Annihilator is truly a classic design."

Diakum, sitting on the golden throne, accurately uttered the name of this thing.

He stared at the rapidly spinning hot melt cannon on the arm of the Felsteel Destroyer, and then saw the dismantling steel claws of the other hand of these mechanical creations easily tear apart the dwarf's steam tank.

The Seventh Legion responded aptly, choosing heavy artillery to counter the rampaging Felsteel Annihilators. However, these demonic creatures were highly mobile, equipped with fel engines that allowed them to fly short distances.

It's really hard for artillery shells to hit them.

"Are you going to use this level of weaponry against humans? The Burning Legion is really going backwards. It's not like you're facing a 'humanoid Gundam' like Huon Takane. What are you afraid of?"
I've already said I won't participate in today's war, so why be so cowardly?

The vigilant complained:

"However, I suspect that the Burning Legion's 'Apocalypse Engineer' Kingaros has already created something even more dangerous, but it hasn't been deployed to the battlefield of Stromgarde."

"This precisely demonstrates their importance to Azeroth."

Nelly frowned and said:
"I think the next demon attack will definitely not be just a small-scale skirmish like the Corruptors'. They might also use fel-powered starships in conjunction with these war machines to advance on the ground. The war situation is really not optimistic."

Hmm, now I think I understand why you wanted the goblins and gnomes to crack Titan technology as quickly as possible.

Faced with the Burning Legion's 'mechanized forces,' Azeroth's overall strength is indeed insufficient. In a direct confrontation, thirty Felsteel Annihilators would be enough to destroy Lothar's painstakingly built Seventh Legion.

"You underestimate the hidden potential of Azeroth."

Diakum does not support this argument.

He had no intention of getting up and joining the battle; the mere Demon Steel Annihilator was not enough to make the Vigilant take action.

As the Lightforged War Machines aboard the Exodar were deployed to the battlefield, the Felsteel Annihilators were quickly held off. The two were very similar in purpose, size, and attack methods.

Thus, the battlefield presented an absurd scene of magic and heavy artillery roaring, knights and demons clashing, and holy light mechs and fel energy mechs colliding.

The art style was suddenly shifted from a high-magic world to a fantasy sci-fi world, and then the world-famous scenes of "barbarians dismantling mechs" and "tearing apart Gundams" that Diakum had been longing for appeared.

Using the Arbiter Cannon of a Lightforged Warframe as cover, Darnass Trollbane rode the Dragon Kirin close to the Felsteel Annihilator. He unleashed the power of a Barbarian Lord and swung forward, using the sharpness of his ancestral battle axe to dismantle the Felframe's dismantling claws.

The valiant general circled the battlefield, hacking down the lower-ranking demons who tried to stop him, before launching another charge.

The Felsteel Annihilator, which had just been knocked over by the Lightforged mech, was wobbling as it got up, activated its engine, and tried to take off into the air when Danas used a Heroic Leap to get close, hurling his Barbarian Lord's Battle Axe, which whistled down and struck the Felsteel Annihilator's ferocious head.

However, for machines, the head is merely an "ornament," something a "big shot" like Danas would obviously not understand.

His mistaken choice to behead him brought him trouble.

After its head was shattered, the Demon Steel Annihilator did not stop moving. Instead, it carried Danas, who was clinging to it, into the air before crashing erratically into the other side of the city.

Like a falling meteorite, trailing a long, obviously environmentally unfriendly green tail, it crashed into a city fortress besieged by demons.

It smashed through two layers of flooring and dragged General Danas to the ground.

The barbarian lord groggily got up, and just as he picked up his battle axe, the paralyzed fel armor on his back exploded. The terrifyingly high-temperature flames engulfed him and then blasted him away, sending Danas crashing through the wall and landing on the street outside.

His long, flowing hair and imposing beard, which he had painstakingly grown, were all burned away! Now he's bald again!

These demons' attacks are truly vicious!
This unintentional predicament caused the still-burning Danas to curse and roll several times to extinguish the flames on its body, but the Magic Steel Annihilator also had a "Demon Pilot"—the mech exploded, but it survived.

The red-skinned Man'ari warrior, dragging a demonic sword, charged out of the burning ruins and pounced on Danas, howling as he tried to behead the human general.

The other party's ferocious expression was filled with anger and madness, and Danas roared that he would kill this demon brat right here.

The struggle between the two did not last long before a low gunshot rang out. A deadly bullet entered the back of the Manari demon's head, blasting open its skull and splashing disgusting demonic blood all over Danas.

He kicked the headless corpse away, picked up his battle axe, jumped up, and looked ahead.

Riding a dragon-scaled steed, Garin Thorbane stood on the battlefield, guarded by several dragonborn. In his hand was a rather exquisite dwarven musket, its bayonet adorned with dragon teeth.

"It's really strange."

A unique smile shone on Galin's face, which bore a striking resemblance to King Solas but was younger. He looked at Danas Trollbane, who had seemingly "descended from the sky," and said coldly:
"Cousin, what are you doing on my battlefield? Are you conveying some message to that ambitious Lothar?"

"I didn't know you were here."

Danas wiped the soot off his face and said in a somewhat disheveled voice:

"I only know that you brought the Dragonborn into Stromgarde, but I don't know your exact location. It seems you're trapped here?"

"Besieging? No! We are recapturing the city!"

Garin grinned, pointed around, and said:

"The entire surrounding city is now under my control, and my loyal knights and I are preparing a decapitation strike against the inner city controlled by demons."

But you've come to cause trouble at this crucial moment?

"What right do you have to set foot in the capital of the Stromgarde? This is my city, Danath! Get Lothar out! The Arathi don't need your help to reclaim their city."

"Are you serious?"

General Danas sighed and said:
"You've been in the city with your knights for four days now, but you've only managed to capture three blocks. You only achieved this by taking advantage of the chaos caused by our attack on the demons."

I can tell from the wounds on your body that you and your dragonborn were being besieged by demons before we came in!

Face reality, Garin.

"If you threw your small force into Stromgarde now, it wouldn't even make a ripple, unless every Dragonborn under your command was a warrior like Grom Hellscream!"

Garin did not answer.

The dragonborn warriors around him were all wearing heavy helmets that obscured their faces and expressions, but Danas noticed that although these dragonborn were wearing Lordaeron-style armor, their robes still belonged to the Kingdom of Stromgarde.

Furthermore, Galin, a foreign prince who had surrendered to Lordaeron, insisted on returning to Stromgarde with an army of only two thousand men at this critical juncture when the two sides were at war.

This is absolutely baffling.

If he really was the vanguard sent by King Terenas to retake Stromgarde, he couldn't have had so few men under his command. So, the truth is actually quite obvious.

"You and Terenas had a falling out?"

Danas said:

"You've returned to your homeland with your knights? You're no longer the battle commander of the Lordaeron dragonborn. No wonder you suffered such a crushing defeat."

But why didn't you come looking for me? Garin!

You know perfectly well that my warriors are stationed on the Wall of Thoradin, and that I could come to fetch you immediately if you sent me a letter, yet you insist on wasting their precious lives on a reconquest that is impossible to achieve.

Do you really know what you're doing?

Garin Torbairn still did not answer.

This uncooperative and stubborn attitude enraged Danas, who roared as he raised his battle axe and strode toward Prince Garin, who was riding a dragon-scaled warhorse.

Two dragonborn guards tried to stop him, but Danas knocked them down one by one with the fists of a barbarian lord.

Dragonborn do indeed gain the power of the black dragon, but this only raises the minimum level of human warriors to the point where they can fight against lower-ranking demons like demon guards. To truly gain formidable combat power, they still need constant honing and a certain amount of talent.

"Tell me, Garin! What did you and Terenas talk about? What did he ask of you that made you break off relations with him?"

Danas swung his battle axe, but Garin blocked it with his dragonblood black sword.

The magnificent dragon-scaled warhorse let out a mournful cry. The barbarian lord's strength was so exaggerated that even the dragon-blood-enhanced warhorse could not withstand it. It raised its hoof to kick Danas, but the general grabbed its neck and slammed it to the ground.

Garin was also thrown out in a disheveled state, then spread his dragon wings in mid-air to land safely.

He raised his dwarven musket, aimed it at Danas, and shouted:

"Get out of my territory! Danath, I am the prince of Stromgarde, I have the right to inherit the land left by my father, Stromgarde is mine. You, the demon, and Lothar are all out!"

Whom are you ordering around?

Danas launched his charge with a cold smile, dodging the incoming bullets with a sidestep. This was a basic skill for tough warriors; their lightning-fast reflexes made them difficult to hit, not to mention that Garin wasn't some outstanding hunter who could predict the future and fire bullets with unerring accuracy.

The fierce charge nearly knocked the prince of Stromgarde away, but due to his different status, he naturally received more care, and the power of the Dragonborn was clearly developed more profoundly within him.

With a roar, Garin's feet slammed into the shattered ground, blocking Danas's charge with his black sword. He then raised his head and spewed out scorching shadow flames, nearly burning Danas into a "flame-headed captain."

The general retreated.

He stared at Garin, and as he released his power, black dragon scales appeared on his cousin's cheeks and neck, and even strange horns pierced through his skin and grew out of his forehead.

Garin's eyes transformed from human pupils into the serpentine eyes of a dragonborn, while scorching flames covered his wings and flowed onto his weapon as he raised his black sword.

He is already a high-ranking dragonborn.

According to those dragons, humans who have been corrupted to this extent by the tainted dragon blood are basically beyond saving, and it's only a matter of time before Garin's mind is corrupted into madness by the chaos inherent in the black dragon.

But it is not beyond saving.

If the corrosion in his body is removed, Garin can at least retain a sliver of sanity.

"You've turned yourself into a monster."

Danas sighed and said:

"I guess Terenas wants you to endorse his imperial cause as the Crown Prince of Stromgarde, and maybe even has you write the official letter yourself, which is why you fell out with him, right?"
You are unwilling to hand over the legitimacy of Stromgarde to that mad king who is dominated by ambition and power.

So you returned to your homeland with your knights as monsters, and you launched this desperate battle, but each of you knew very well that you could not survive in Stromgarde.

Am i right?
You didn't come here to reclaim lost territory.

You're here to die! You've found no other way.

"Shut up! Shut up!!! This is the capital of Stromgarde, this is the territory of House Thorbane. We are the proud Arathi, we have the blood of Ignatius flowing in our veins, and we will never submit to the ridiculous rule of Menethil or Wrynn."

Garin roared.

He flapped his dragon wings and pounced on Danas, the dragon fire spewing from his mouth burning everything in its path, trying to incinerate this "traitor" on the battlefield.

But he was not a good soldier.

Even the incredibly powerful Shadowflame couldn't harm Darnas in his hands. After several rolls, Darnas created distance and then swung the Thorbene Battle Axe at Garin.

The barbarian lord's battle axe flew over like lightning, precisely slicing into the base of Garin's wing, a common weakness of all "winged creatures".

Garin screamed and fell to the ground after being hit hard, and then Danas pounced on him and punched him hard in the nose.

As Longsil once said, the Dragonborn are imperfect creations; they are merely enhanced versions of humans, possessing all the flaws that humans have.

Garin tried to unleash dragon fire, but Danas punched him in the lung, interrupting his deep breath. Then the general covered his mouth, causing the dragon fire to explode inside him.

This blow caused Garin's eyes to widen, and then black smoke billowed from his bleeding nostrils.

Despite being a powerful dragonborn, she remains as vulnerable as ever when facing her cousin. Her cousin can lead a force to reclaim their father's city, while she is trapped here and brutally beaten by demons.

This fueled Garin's resentment to the extreme, like the last string snapping.

He's gone mad.

He brandished his dragon claws that pierced through the gauntlets, wanting to die with Danas, but was driven back by the general's punches and kicks. Danas could have ended his cousin's life right now, but looking at Garin's tearful, bloodshot eyes, he really couldn't bring himself to do it.

He was well aware that Garin had lived in his shadow since childhood.

Although he was a prince, King Solas had always favored the brave and resourceful Danas as his successor to the throne. Galin had been trying his best to prove his abilities, but the fall of Stromgarde made him lose all hope.

But Garin still held on to his principles until the very end.

Faced with King Terenas's threats and inducements, Galin chose the most direct way to resist.

He did not betray his country for personal gain!
This alone was enough to make Danas show mercy to his cousin, but now Garin has clearly lost control and may have been driven to the brink.

This was his final outburst.
"What the hell are you doing?!"

Brigadier General Daenerys's shout came from afar, causing Danas, who was constantly dodging Garin's attacks, to turn around and see his elder flying towards him like an arrow released from a bow. He raised the holy sword Tokaral in his hand, and with a swift stroke as it landed, he severed Garin's wings and then grabbed him by the neck and threw him away.

"That's Garin!"

Danas shouted:
"That's my brother, he's no longer a threat!"

"Snapped"

A slap landed on Danas's face.

Daenerys struck with extreme force, sending bloody shattered teeth flying from Danas's mouth. She roared:

"Our soldiers are fighting a bloody battle! Every demon in the city wants to strangle us. Is this the time for you to play games with them?"

Get out there and lead your troops to continue the breakthrough!

Lothar needs your support. Stromgarde must be recaptured today. If anything goes wrong because of your foolishness, I will personally strangle you!

“Galin did not betray his country for personal gain. He brought his knights back here to die here. He did not tarnish the little dignity that the Thorbein family had left.”

Danas picked up the battle axe and said to his elder:
"Don't kill him! He's not a monster, he's just... he's been deceived."

"Go."

Daenerys waved her hand weakly and walked toward her junior in the area near the inner city.

Danas turned around and looked at the exhausted, wounded dragonborn around him.

Anger gleamed in his eyes, and he shouted:

"Prince Galin brought you back to reclaim this city! I don't care what you've become, as long as you still identify as Arathi, follow me to the battlefield. In the name of Thorbane, this city must be reclaimed today!"

"General, we are dragon descendants now, we have become the monsters you speak of."

A major who had lost his left arm stepped forward and said with some shame:
"Can we, in this state, still fight alongside you?"

"So what if you're a dragonborn? Hold your head high!"

Danas cursed:
"Marshal Lothar acknowledges that Dragonborn and werewolves are citizens of the Empire! We will resolve the troubles you face, but this requires your active cooperation. Who you are is not determined by appearances, you fools!"

follow me.

Now that you have power, you should use it wisely; the demons are just outside.

If you kill one demon, you are a qualified Arathi warrior; if you can kill ten demons, you are a hero of Stromgarde! If you can conquer the ancient capital for humanity, you are a hero of the Empire!
Don't let this city down, don't betray Garin's final resolve.

We are proud Arathi, and we will fight on the land of our ancestors until victory, even if it means going to Hell, we will become the fiercest demons!

After saying that, he picked up the Arathi Banner that had fallen into the ruins, tied it to his back, and strode out of the street.

The major stared blankly at the blood-stained battle flag that had been raised in the war, then drew the black sword from his back with his one arm. He called out, and the dragonborn in the surrounding ruins followed suit.

At the end of the block, amidst the ruins of collapsed walls, Daenerys removed her helmet and tossed her long hair.

She bent down and pulled the muttering Garin from the ruins.

“I tried. I wanted to borrow troops to reclaim Stromgarde. He made me drink dragon blood, which I did. Then he made me hand over my country and acknowledge him as emperor on behalf of the Torbjörn family.”

I.
I can't do that.
He is not our emperor!

Garin was stunned by the blow; perhaps the shock of despair and the corrosive filth had caused his mind to become disordered.

He sobbed in Daenerys's arms.

他 说:

"I am the prince of Stromgarde, I uphold the rule of Torbjörn, I am the sole king of this city. Grandma? Is that you? Are you here to help me reclaim the city? I knew you were a trustworthy elder!"

You are the 'pillar' of our Thorbein family, our support.

Help me reclaim the city, and then you can be the queen!
"I'll just continue being a useless prince."

"Stromgarde is about to be recaptured, Garin."

Daenerys reached out and stroked the hideous dragon scales on Garin's face, whispering:

"But you need to rest. You're exhausted. Rest now. Stromgarde won't fall again."

"I really tried my best, but I'm no match for Danas. I'm not as good as him, nor as brave. I'm not as good as my cousin; I'm a good-for-nothing who can't even protect my father's grave."

Garin cried very miserably, with bright red tears of blood streaming from the corners of his eyes.

This awkward posture made Daenerys clench her fists. She looked at the fel-powered tower and said:

"Grandma will take you to see your father now, stop crying! Follow me, we have to fight our way in, Solas, he's been waiting for you."

Ps:

The following are the Felsteel Destroyer and Lightforged War Machines:

(End of this chapter)