Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 495, Section 34. Demon King Kurul: The Vigilant won't participate in the battle? Then am I invincible?

A blinding arcane light descended from the sky as Dalaran launched another ground bombardment, this time to support Lothar's attack on the inner city.

This arcane bombardment was personally controlled by Archmage Antonidas, and its target was extremely precise. It landed right in front of the battlefield where Lothar was fighting, sweeping across and destroying all the demonic positions that were blocking Lothar from getting close to the Fel Tower.

Almost the instant the arcane bombardment ended, while a large amount of arcane interference remained on the ground, Lothar and his Iron Horse Knights broke through the demons' entanglement, stepping over the crystallized earth and charging into the base of the Fel Tower.

This fel tower is a giant fortress built by demons around the former Stromgarde Palace. The cold fel steel surrounding it completely isolates it from the outside world. In the past, it was filled with elite demons of all kinds, and anyone who dared to break in would definitely die.

But now the Seventh Legion and the Guardians have entered the city, and the high-ranking demons in the tower have long been scattered to resist in various places.

Only the Demon King Kurul and his Ereduin Doomsday Guardians remain to guard this tower.

"I'll stay here to hold off the demons! Marshal, you lead the troops in!"

The commander of the Guardians, "Dragon Slayer" Fordring, wielding the Silver Hand Hammer, stood in formation with his elite paladins. Battle priests had already cast "Great Dispel" in three locations simultaneously to block the connection between the fel energy and the tower.

The number of Christian defenders who attacked was not large, but they were all elite troops.

The holy light they studied had a special effect against demons, and many of them possessed "Ash Blades" made from sacred crystals bestowed by His Holiness Volos.

This thing is a divine force inherited from Ashbringer, making the execution of demons incredibly easy.

And Fording wasn't alone here.

The Mag'har tribe's "mercenaries" were led by Durotan, who had volunteered to become Lothar's general. The most powerful heavy infantry among the orcs, combined with the buffs and healing from the priests, and the mass bloodlust cast by the war shamans, were enough to allow them to form ranks and resist the demons' onslaught.

The Mag'har Horde and Stormwind Kingdom are sworn brothers, and many orc warriors admire Marshal Lothar's war-fighting spirit of "punishing the wicked and relieving the people." Given the orcs' warlike tradition, being able to participate in such a war that is destined to be remembered for generations is truly an honor for them.

As Tirion Fordring roared with holy light, and under the cover of the wolf riders' charge and battle cries, charged towards the surging demons, the Kul Tiran fleet, arrayed on the sea off the coast of Stromgarde, finally opened fire.

Logically speaking, the cannons of such wooden warships could not possibly be accurately launched over the tens of meters of city wall, but Prince Drake's ship had the unreasonable assistance of the Tide Sage.

They invoked the sea breeze to accelerate the shells, making them more accurate in their impact, longer in their range, and even breaking through the performance limitations of the naval guns themselves.

The Kul Tiran fleet relied on the Tide Sage's absurd assistance in naval battles to traverse the seas. Therefore, under Prince Drake's orders, the ship's cannons destroyed the demon cannon positions on the coastal walls of Stromgarde in the first salvo, and the second salvo even flew over the walls and bombarded the vicinity of the Fel Tower.

The barrage of scorching high-explosive shells that landed swept away the demons near the tower with astonishing power. The only problem was that because it was aided by magic, the Sea Sages needed time to cast spells and take a short rest.

With this firepower support, Lothar and the Iron Horse Knights were able to charge into the fel fortress without any worries.

They slaughtered the elite demons guarding the tower, then broke through the desolate felsteel passageway towards the center. After blowing up a sealed gate, Lothar and the White Pawn saw what was in the center of the fel tower.

A stone coffin!
The Arathi-style sarcophagus, radiating holy energy, features a sword-wielding seraph that appears and disappears within the flowing light, making it stand out from the surrounding demonic creations.

It's clear that the demons really want to destroy this thing.

As Lothar and his men rushed in, a group of Man'ari sorcerers were still casting spells, attempting to corrupt the Holy Coffin.

But this thing was carried here by Diakum himself. The blessing of the Vigilant filled this sarcophagus with divine power, and the demons could only suppress it with magic, but could not get close.

The thick layer of ash near the sarcophagus indicates that the demons have indeed made many failed attempts over the past six months.

"His Majesty Solas Torbane rests here."

Lothar said to the knights around him:

"The demons feared his oath, and they built this evil fortress specifically to suppress the dead. Yet the Holy Light protects the remains of Solas, and even in this place like the heart of hell, the Holy Light still shines."

"His Majesty Solas is waiting for us."

The white soldier adjusted his helmet, strode forward carrying his thunder axe, and roared:

"The king who fell on the land of Arathi longed to see the warriors of the Empire reclaim his city. He watched over it day and night, and now we have finally arrived! We have not disappointed the king of this city."

Knights, advance!

Execute these demons, lest they disturb this holy soul any longer.

He launched a charge, crashing into the evil ritual of the Man'ari sorcerers amidst a shower of thunder, slaying the charging hellhounds, and then the Iron Horse Knights, their morale soaring.

The divine energy left by Saint Diakum on the sarcophagus is inspiring them.

The radiant light draped the knights in golden crusader cloaks, making even the most powerful demons unable to withstand their onslaught. Lothar, sword in hand, charged forward, slaying several demon guards along the way, and approached the holy coffin.

The seraphim guarding the coffin did not attack him, allowing Lothar to place his hand on the coffin.

"Soras, we're back."

Amidst the surrounding demonic roars and warrior bellows, Lothar whispered:

"The united warriors you hoped to see, I have brought you. But Stromgarde is not the end. I will plant the Empire's battle flag on the top of this tower. However, after reclaiming this city, I will continue my journey north."

The next time I come back.
"Soras, I will bring you news of victory. Please bless us."

"The Demon King Kurul reigns atop the tower, where his throne is located. The war at Stromgarde will not end until this demon commander is defeated."

Daenerys's voice rang out behind Lothar.

The marshal turned around and saw his fiancée leading the eccentric Garin Thorbein into the hall. Garin saw his father's sarcophagus, and for a moment he seemed to regain some of his senses.

He rushed over, weeping, and knelt down beneath the stone coffin to repent.

Daenerys was covered in blood, clearly having fought her way through. She briefly told Lothar about Garin's situation, and the Marshal's eyes widened in fury after hearing it.

He looked with pity at the prince, who had already gone mad, shook his head, and whispered:

"Terenas can no longer harm people! We will soon destroy his ambitions."

"Go, kill Kurul, let the Empire's battle flag fly over Stromgarde, let your victory spread throughout the Northern Frontier, and toll the death knell for the Dragonborn Empire."

Daenerys also seemed to be enraged by the tragic history of her family.

Encouraging her fiancé, the haughty elf stopped Lothar as he prepared to leave. Under Lothar's astonished gaze, Daenerys gestured for him to bend down, then stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on Lothar's cheek.

This was their first intimate encounter.

"Don't think too much."

Daenerys said:
"I just think you need a little encouragement."

You're just sad.

Losa chuckled and said:

"You don't have to pretend to be strong all the time. You consider the Thorbane family as family, so their plight will naturally break your heart. You can tell me about it after this battle is over. If you can't even trust me, who else in this world can you trust?"

Daenerys glared at Lothar.

You weak-willed man, you get all cocky after just a few compliments, huh?
Be serious!
There's a war going on.

She donned her helmet, blushed, and grabbed the Tokaral sword, indicating that she would guard the area and block the endless stream of demons attacking from all sides, urging Lothar to hurry up and do what he had to do personally.

"White Pawn!"

The marshal shouted:

"Follow me to annihilate the demon commander!"

"Huh? Just the two of us, Marshal?"

Varian was startled.

He rushed over, grabbed Lothar's hand, and whispered:

"Although the Vigilant can kill Greater Demons like it's nothing, we can't compare to him! For us, any Greater Demon is deadly. Neither of us are exaggerated warriors like Grom Hellscream; the two of us would die there."

"You talk too much!"

Lothar glared at the white pawn, took a magic runestone from his robes, handed it to Varian, and said:
"Once you get up there, smash it to pieces, and reinforcements will naturally come. This is a glorious battle for humanity; how can we be the only two involved?"

"Oh, you should have said so earlier."

The white soldier carefully put away the runestone, taking one last look at the holy coffin of Solas radiating holy light and Prince Galin kneeling there in repentance.

He had sharp ears, and although he had been fighting, he had overheard Brigadier General Daenerys's story. He was also a prince, and he felt genuine regret for what had happened to Garin Trollbane.

Garin may be less capable, but his integrity certainly befits his status.

Witnessing this tragic event ignited a fire of rage within Varian. Although the Prosperity Ritual prevented him from growing stronger, the control of anger was the source of a warrior's power.

Varian felt he was undergoing a transformation.

Especially after Salamani was taken away, he was eager to avenge himself. This intrinsic motivation, combined with the transformation of his mentality, made the White Soldier increasingly adept at controlling his anger.

He even felt that his understanding of the Way of the Sword Saint was increasing day by day.

He is not afraid of demons.

All he wants is to see this city, ravaged by demons, reclaim its trampled glory today!

The Thunder Axe that once belonged to the Thunder God Emperor seemed to sense this change in will, causing the blinding lightning to wrap around the axe blade, allowing the white soldiers to more fiercely break through the defenses of the attacking demons and cut off their hideous heads.

"up!"

Emperor Thoradin also stepped forward as the "Guardian of Ancestors," wielding a greatsword made of holy light, and together with his descendants, he launched a fierce attack.

This city was founded by Emperor Thoradin himself after he dreamt of a "black wolf guiding the way." The identity of that mysterious black wolf is another matter, but he certainly had deep feelings for this city. Thoradin may not say it, but his ruthless actions clearly demonstrate his anger.

"Slay that foolish demon and teach it the price of provoking the Arathor barbarians!"

The emperor roared.

Driven to the edge, Lothar used a burst of holy light to self-destruct, blasting away the fel lord before him. He then used the holy sword of Stromkar to execute the high-ranking demons and finally stormed into the top of the tower.

Beneath the gloomy sky where fel energy gathered, on this massive fel steel platform, the Demon King Kurul leaned on his Doomblade, his back to Lothar and the White Soldier. He seemed unconcerned about the demons' humiliating defeats throughout the city, instead appreciating it all with an air of "enjoying war."

Destruction, war, ruin!
The Fel Force yearns to see this, and as the Blessed One of Fel, it has brought forth a truly spectacular war for its source of power today.

Even if this war ends in the defeat of the devil.

This is really no big deal; destruction and devastation are what fel energy craves, not victory.
Therefore, as long as the fel energy is appeased, this defeat will still be transformed into the next victory. This is the true essence of the "Legion's Path". Demons can fail countless times, but a world like Azeroth will never recover after just one failure.

Behind Kurul, beneath its fiery, burning throne of demonic steel, two scorched hounds had risen to their feet.

However, considering that Kurul did not share the same preference for training hellhounds as "Haka the Dog King", these two rare scorched hounds were most likely toys he used to embellish his status.

"The awe-inspiring 'Butcher of the Holy Light' Diakum will not participate in this war; I have confirmed that."

Kurul let out a low laugh.

it says:

"The inner city walls are a boundary. The Guardians will leave today's glory entirely to you, humans, oh, what an incomprehensible folly!"
After all, without his involvement, how could you weaklings possibly be a match for the legion?

"We, the weak, are winning victory after victory, while the mighty demons are scattering and fleeing."

Lothar stepped forward, sword in hand, and taunted:

"This self-important demon lord, you can donate your eyes to those in need if you no longer need them. I participated in the Battle of Mount Hyjal and I personally witnessed thousands of demons losing their will to fight and fleeing in all directions."

you!

You are no different from other living beings!
You will be afraid, just as you will be afraid of humanity in the future. You fear the Watchers, just as you will fear humanity in the future.

Enough talk, pick up your weapons and let's fight!
After you fall, this city will return to our hands.

"Okay, I'll grant your wish."

Kurul grabbed the Blade of Doom and swung it casually. The flames of Sargeras surrounded the giant blade. As it stepped down from the throne, the two ferocious, scorched hounds roared and pounced on Lothar and the White Soldier.

With lightning speed, Varian threw the runestone, which shattered behind the hound. The instant the crystal broke, a portal suddenly opened.

Khadgar and Rhonin, the two archmages who were the saviors, rushed in one after the other. Together with Lothar, they formed a triangle that surrounded Krull. Faced with this ferocious demigod demon, the three of them didn't care about any martial ethics.

The Heart of Azeroth is activated, allowing them to enter the realm of enhanced world power.

After Lothar withstood Krull's brutal attack, Khadgar and Rhonin each cast spells, one defending and the other attacking, instantly leaving magical rips on Krull's body.

Khadgar even had time to provide assistance to Varian, allowing the White Pawn to hold his own against the two ferocious dogs.

But the Demon King was, after all, a worldly and powerful demon. He knew that it was impossible for him to win against the three saviors. In addition, he was certain that the Vigilant would not intervene in the human battle. Therefore, the "method" that was originally reserved for Diakum could be used with confidence.

"Fel energy! Enhance me!"

The Demon King roared.

The fel energy that the Man'ari shamans had gathered in the tower erupted at this moment, and pure primal force surged into Kurul's body, causing it to quickly enter the "secondary forging" state.

Its demonic horns, claws, and wings quickly transformed into "fel crystals".

This is clearly the same state Kazzak was in when he challenged Diakum in front of Shattrath City. Not all demons can be so brutally reforged, but Ereduin, as a special demon, obviously can.

They are much more energy-adaptable than other demons.

"bang"

Kurul's crystallized wings closed, forming a shield to withstand Rhonin's relentless bombardment. The enhancement of the world's power directly clashed with the blessing of fel energy, escalating this life-or-death battle into an even more brutal phase.

The collision of holy light, arcane energy, and fel energy even interfered with the "Eye of the Demon" at the top of the fel tower, causing the fel energy spectacle, resembling the "Eye of Sauron," to sway in the energy clash.

"Without the vigilant present, I am invincible on this battlefield!"

Kuru savagely wielded the Doomblade in his hand, slashing three times in succession. Each strike was accompanied by raging flames, forcing Lothar to retreat continuously. Wherever Kuru went, the fel energy turned into churning lava, making the tower as scorching as hell.

The boiling fel energy completely sealed off the area outside the platform, blocking all possibilities of escape for the three and turning the place into a gladiatorial arena for a deadly duel.

"Kneel down, mortal."

After confirming that Diakum would not participate in the battle, Demon Lord Kurul felt increasingly excited as the fight progressed.

Its slashes were difficult for Lothar to withstand, and the Sargeras Flames it unleashed would send the two mages leaping about. With the power of fel energy, it could easily raze the city to the ground.

Let the humans do it; they'll all strangle themselves!
Yeah!

This is the Burning Legion it remembers; no matter how resolute mortals are, they will tremble before the power of demons.

The Holy Light Butcher is a heretic!

In the 20,000-year Burning Crusade, only one anomaly emerged.

He would brutally kill three human heroes here, drown the saviors of Azeroth in fel energy, and reclaim his place in the star food chain to the natives of this world.

"click"

A sharp crack interrupted Kurul's cruel reverie.

It turned around in surprise and saw a crystallized claw burning with holy light tear open the fel energy barrier it had set up. Then, a creature that made it gasp stepped in.

"Lord Kazzak!"

Kurul roared:

"You're still alive? How did you end up like this? Damn it! The Holy Light has corrupted you."

Faced with Kurul's exclamation, the Dawn Overlord ignored it. Back when Kurul was his adjutant, it wasn't very bright, and now that it had absorbed too much evil energy, its intelligence seemed to be even more precarious.

What does it mean that "the holy light has corrupted me"?
Look at what you're saying!

How disrespectful!
It is clearly I who have abandoned darkness for light, been purified in the holy light, glimpsed the true meaning of great power, and embarked on the path of the Lightforger. What do you know, you little devil?
Besides, Kazzak wasn't there to fight.

The Dawn Overlord tore apart the fel barrier, then reached out and lifted something from the outside, placing it on Kurul's Felflame Throne.

Diakum, stepping off the giant claw of the Dawn Overlord, waved his hand, indicating that Kazzak did not need to be so respectful.

Faced with the cowardly act of the Demon King Kurul turning and running away, the Guardian sighed and said:

"I'm not here to fight. As you said, I won't get involved in the war for humanity to reclaim Stromgarde. I'm just here to observe. Kurul, keep fighting."

I promise you, whether I win or lose today, I will not purify you!

"you sure?"

Having already made a move to flee, Kurul, whose cowardice even made Kazak cover his eyes, no longer cared about being ashamed. He said suspiciously:

"Would the legendary, cold-blooded Holy Light Butcher really let the demon appear before you go?"

"Just assume I'm in a good mood today."

Diakum looked Kurul up and down, rubbing his chin. He thought that this guy had some brains and his strength was also decent. He was the perfect candidate to be used for the twins' "good (holy) elevation (fall).

"You sign a document!"

Kurul roared:

"Otherwise, I won't believe you."

This request left Diakum speechless.

He realized that he seemed to have underestimated his power to intimidate the demons. Did they really think he was that scary?

Ugh, I was clearly being kind to everyone.

Then Diakum drew a triangular emblem on his chest and solemnly said:

"In the name of the Holy Light, I swear I will not purify you today. If you win, you may leave in style. If you lose, I will watch you return to the Twisting Nether."

“Good! Believers of the Holy Light cannot lie. Remember your oath, Diakum.”

Kurul grinned, and under Kazzak's disdainful gaze, he grabbed the Doomblade again and roared at the three humans before him:

"Then come on! Keep fighting, I'll strangle you all in front of the Vigilantes! Ha, I'll become a legend of the Twisting Nether! Lord Sargeras will reward me for it."

Come, humans.

Come and challenge me, crying and howling; challenge the legion, filled with despair; then die a miserable death!

Ps:

Requesting monthly votes on the last day of May. Bonus chapters of 3+10 tomorrow for Children's Day.

(End of this chapter)