Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 518, Section 57: Power and Duty: The Showdown at the Throne and the "Pirate King's" Descent from the Sky
The dragons are locked in a fierce battle high in the sky, where the millennia-old feud between the Order and the Fallen must be settled today. The Black Dragons and the Twilight Dragons are fighting to the death, while the Red, Blue, and Green Dragons are calling for reinforcements.

On average, several dragons join the battle every minute.

These fantastical behemoths, rarely seen in this world, are now crammed together in the narrow skies above Lordaeron, fighting and battling, while Deathwing's minions struggle against their cruel fate on the ground.

Those dragonkin, dragon beasts, and some die-hard high-ranking dragonborn occupy the Black Dragon Tower, but the opponents they face are no weaker than the dragons in the sky.

Lothar's allied army has entered the city, and the wrath of the entire eastern continent has united and poured into this "dark axis" that has lasted for the past six months. Even the usually mild-mannered priests have now transformed into "battle priests".

They raised their swords and staffs high, chanting the mantras of holy light, leading their warriors into battle like political commissars.

This divine wrath stems from their witnessing of the tragedies that befell humanity in the city.

Terenas needed more dragonborn to defend the city, so before the allied forces broke through Silverpine Forest, a large-scale "forced conversion" began in the city, in which those humans who were originally deemed unqualified were also forced to drink the blood of the black dragon.

To help them become excellent warriors more quickly, Xalatas also added the Ancient God's Black Blood, which he obtained from the Rustwater Goblins.

The combination of these two extremely poisonous substances certainly led to a rapid increase in the number of dragonborn, but it also caused the common people to suffer torture akin to being skinned alive.

The experience of growing scales on one's skin is not as simple as just sleeping it off. The Dragonborn's generally volatile and uncontrollable emotions are also related to these torturous sufferings they endure. These horrific scenes led Archbishop Fao, who entered the city with the army, to exclaim that they had fallen into depravity.

Priest Benedictus, who had been appointed Archbishop of Lordaeron, burst into tears on the spot.

He was supposed to protect the city's believers with the Holy Light, but instead he made them suffer such torment. However, his empathy for the victims only fueled his even more intense anger.

These horrific scenes further enraged the priests and paladins, and even the veterans of the Hand of Argus who would not normally have entered the "Oath of the Demon Slayer" for any enemy other than demons were enraged by this terrible crime.

Shouting the name of "Divine Retribution," they destroyed the Black Dragon Towers in the eruption of the Demon-Slaying Oath, binding the resisting Dragonborn warlocks to wooden frames and burning them to death with holy flames.

Such brutality went unchallenged; instead, it drew cheers from the warriors during their lulls in the fighting. They even emulated the veterans of the Hand of Argus, purifying the irredeemable fallen with holy flames.

In the 2,800 years since the founding of human empires, has any city ever been reduced to a den of darkness as Lordaeron is today?

Some radical fighters even began to think that the extreme ideology of the previously deceased General Garethus was right!

There's nothing good about alien races!

Those alien races lurking in the darkness deserve to die!

Perhaps Osmar Garithos also witnessed the dark transformation in the city, which is why he became so extreme?
The dwarves and gnomes who followed the army into the city were filled with lingering fear. If they treated their fellow humans this way, what good would it do for them, these alien races, if King Terenas were to unify the eastern continent?
Indeed, joining Lothar in rebellion was the right thing to do; the rise of the Lordaeron Dragonborn Empire will affect far more than just humanity.

However, Lordaeron is a very large city.

As the foremost stronghold in the northern frontier, Lothar's allied forces still need to continue fighting in order to take down this city that is resisting from all sides, but the most urgent task is to breach King Terenas's palace.

As long as the "King of Dragons" continues to issue commands, the city's resistance will not cease.

"Come here! Come with us!"

Lothar's "King Capture Squad" was rushing toward the ritual platform beneath the void rift, but they were blocked by a sinister human who jumped out.

Kael'thas grabbed his sword and summoned fire, but the other party quickly waved his hand and said:

“I am not your enemy. My name is ‘Saberian.’ Have you heard of that name? I am your ‘Good Black Dragon.’ Come with me!”
Terenas isn't there, and that's not a place for you. The Vigilantes will be in charge there themselves.

The Dragon King is in his throne room. My followers have already cleansed out the most stubborn and powerful high-ranking dragonborn for you, but the Vigilant says that humanity's internal affairs must be resolved by you yourselves.

Therefore, King Terenas and his 'Imperial Advisors' are entrusted to you.

"What kind of imperial advisor?"

As the breakthrough player for the King Capture Squad, Muradin Bronzebeard, who had fought his way through, shouted:
"How come I've never heard of this strange organization?"

"Because it's not time to announce it yet. Our esteemed 'Dragon King' originally intended to introduce them to claim the rightful title only after the foundation of the Lordaeron Empire was solidified."

Sabrian curled his lip, flicked three fingers, and said:
"His Majesty Aiden Perenold of the Kingdom of Alterac, Darius Crowley, the Northern Lord of Gilneas, and Drandon, a former member of the Council of Six from Dalaran."

"wrong!"

Kael'thas shook his head and said:
“Master Drandon fell during the Burning Legion’s invasion of Dalaran, and Master Ansrem Ruinvivol succeeded him in his position in the Council of Dalaran.”

"Heh, then let me ask you, how do you think those undead in the Stratholme region got in touch with the Lordaeronians?"

Sabrian sneered and said:
"The Lich King's power is in Northrend, which is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from here. There must be a channel of communication between him and our beloved Dragon King."

Delandon is indeed long dead, but it is clear that the Dalaran mages' method of simply digging a hole and burying the dead is no longer suitable for this terrible era.

That's a lich!
In fact, this is the reason why King Terenas dared to launch a decapitation strike against Quel'Thalas at your wedding, an act that would enrage all the forces. If your advance had been slower, you might have witnessed the spectacular sight of the dead rising from their graves to guard the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

Terenas didn't offend all the factions in a moment of impulsiveness; he had the Lich King as a potential ally who wasn't afraid of numerical superiority.

The harder you fight, the greater his advantage becomes.

Unfortunately, the Lich King, that scoundrel, seemed to have foreseen Lordaeron's impending doom. He unilaterally broke the agreement and staged that foolish act of 'killing the goose that lays the golden eggs' in Stratholme.

I think the Lich King may have confirmed that the Vigilantes were also active in the Northlands, and he was worried about angering the saint.

In short, those three high-ranking individuals are now your troublesome ones.

The cunning black dragon led these powerful warriors from various races to the throne room.

As it said, its black dragon followers had already cleared out the powerful dragonkin in the vicinity for Lothar and his companions, greatly saving them "exploration time".

"please."

The black dragon made a "please" gesture, then signaled its black dragons to spread out and defend the area, before speaking to the king-capturing leader before it:

“After you go in, I will seal off this place to prevent Terenas and his advisors from escaping, so you’d better come out alive, or I’ll have to collect your corpses.”

You must fully understand my concerns; after all, the process of stitching a dismembered body back together is truly disgusting.

"Black Dragon! Say less."

General Shandris Feathermoon, who had been silent during the war, gave a reprimand, with Watchers Commander Elisana Ravencrest beside her.

This is the only daughter of the Black Crow King; she will definitely participate in the righteous revenge to avenge her father.

The two of them are the "Kingslayers" of the Kaldorei.

In addition to Lothar and Daenerys, representing humanity; Kael'thas, the Sun King, and Alleria Windrunner, representing the Sin'dorei; and Muradin Bronzebeard, representing the dwarves, all the races of the Alliance Oath are present here.

We're still missing a dwarf.

But everyone knows the situation with dwarfs, so it's really a bit much to ask those small guys who can only swing a wrench when they fight each other to participate in this kind of decapitation operation.

The dwarfs are currently driving steam tanks and gyroplanes around the city to provide cover for the soldiers.

It is said that they have modified their steam tanks, eager to compete with the "Tiger" mechs sent by the goblins on the battlefield. This is a major showdown between gnome engineering and goblin engineering, and any gnome with a conscience will do their utmost.

"Lothar, you can go without worry."

Durotan, the Mag'har orc warlord carrying a battle axe, stroked his Frostwolf companion and said in a deep voice:

"I've brought men here; I'll definitely guard your retreat!"

He was clearly uneasy about these shadowy black dragons, and Lothar trusted Durotan greatly. The orc warlord indeed kept his promise, and he and his warriors followed Lothar all the way to Lordaeron, fighting almost the entire length of the Northern Expedition.

Having such a soldier who values ​​his oath guard the rear would obviously put everyone at ease.

"The Watchers and Phoenix Guardians will stay here. The Throne Room isn't big; too many people going in would actually hinder the battle."

Kael'thas made a suggestion, and General Feathermoon nodded.

A moment later, led by Lothar, the group entered the throne room, which was littered with corpses. They proceeded without exchanging words until Kael'thas blasted open the door to the throne room with a large fireball. Once inside, they saw the "Mad King" Terenas sitting on the throne.

There were three imperial advisors in front of him.

There were only the four of them; there was no one else there.

“Lothar, I knew it. Your willingness to lead from the front would bring you to my attention.”

Terenas rested his hands on the dark, ethereal sword Salamaine on his throne. A purplish-black orb of light had been ignited within the unique indentation of the elven sword's blade.

This is a sign that the Holy Sword has been awakened.

Compared to its silence in the hands of the White Soldier, the sword clearly "came alive" in Terenas's hands, with the inscriptions on its blade flashing with unsettling light.

His dark eyes were fixed on Lothar, who was wielding the War Destroyer, and a smile appeared on his face, as if this was all part of his plan.

"You gathered the bravest warriors from the entire continent, you bound them together, you tempered them into steel, and finally, you brought them before me!"

Your warriors fought in my city, weeding out the weak from the dragonborn army, and after I took control, I believe the immense power they unleashed after drinking dragon blood will be enough to conquer the entire continent. Even the whole world!

King Terenas rose from his throne, took the black dragon helmet from the obsequious Aiden Perenold, and put it on his head. As the helmet and black dragon armor clicked together, the voice of the "Dragon King" deepened.

他 说:

“I want to thank you, Lothar, I want to thank you for always following my plan.”

"So, your plan is to suffer a complete rout, using your own massive casualties to lure me into the 'trap' you've set for me?"

Losa couldn't stand this nonsense about "winning, winning, winning" anymore.

He shouted:

"You have already lost! Terenas Menethil, wake up! Even if you survive today, all your dreams of becoming king have vanished. Your uncontrollable ambition has harmed too many people, and you have turned the entire Northern Frontier into a hell in the shadows."

enough!

Let's be more dignified.

I did not come here for your power.

After defeating you, I still have to clean up the mess you made. The obligations symbolized by that so-called emperor's throne are giving me the creeps.

Don't make any more mistakes.

"You do not want?"

Terenas was enraged, and he roared:
"If you don't want it, then give it to me! Lothar, you hypocrite who spouts nothing but righteousness and morality, if you don't want to ascend the throne, why did you come here?"

"To stop someone like you from climbing up!"

The Marshal charged forward with his holy blade amidst a roar of battle, while the Dragon King spread his wings in fury and charged down with his divine sword, just like a replica of the fierce battle between the two in Quel'Thalas.

Three imperial advisors wanted to assist their king, but Kael'thas's "Gravity Field" forcibly separated them to the four sides of the throne room. The king hunters rushed forward to fight, and at this point, no language was needed. Their will and decisions were to be finally interpreted in the clash of weapons.

Outside the throne room, Durotan, who was fighting the approaching dragonborn, heard the shaman's exclamation behind him.

The valiant orc cut down the dragonborn warrior in front of him and turned around to see Diakum, transformed into a giant of light, striding across the ruins of the palace.

The radiant giant raised Ashbringer for the first time, smashing the holy blade against the summoning altar beneath the void rift, shattering the dense, intertwined void barrier.

This attack caused the Naga sea witches who were maintaining their defense to scream as they were devoured by the backlash of energy, and then, amidst the righteous condemnation of the little angels, they were ignited and burned by the holy flames that rained down from the sky.

In the very center of the summoning platform, Xalatas was single-handedly maintaining the ritual.

Energy from the Sea of ​​No Light surrounded her, making her impervious to all external forces. And in the rift before her, Deathwing, the Executioner who had returned to the material world from the Sea of ​​No Light, was already visible to the naked eye.

It was just one step away from returning to the material world, and the terrifying power fluctuations terrified Durotan.

Lesser gods.
A lesser god personally crafted and infused by the Void Lords of the Sea of ​​No Light, it was no longer simply "Deathwing," but a monster that used Deathwing as a vessel and was filled with other things.

It answered the call of Saratas and came to the material world for one purpose only.

"You have no way to stop its return!"

Saratas rebuked in Shasyar:
"Just as you have no way to escape your judgment, you traitor to the void, you who disregard our interests, have no right to call yourself a 'pioneer'!"

Faced with this provocation, Diakum did not raise his holy blade, but simply pointed his finger at the sky.

Amidst the flashing light, a magnificent, enormous "floating island" appeared above the summoning ceremony, propelled by the dazzling light of the super teleportation.

Xalatas, protected by the void energy, stared wide-eyed.

In the reflection of her dark eyes, the roar from the Sunwell transformed into a dazzling golden stream of light, like an "orbital strike," which swept across Xalatas's body and shield.

That was the most furious response from Dath'Remar Sunstrider, the spirit of the Sunwell, to the “pain of losing his son” and the suffering of his nation.

The lament of the Void Herald echoed throughout Lordaeron at that moment, the uncontrolled release of the Sunwell's energy even tearing apart her meticulously crafted, alluring body.

Amidst the oppressive torment of the arcane energy, she vaguely heard Diakum's calm response:

“Anser’s pathetic, rebellious son, you can’t even get close to me, so how are you going to stop me from igniting the sun?”

"It's back!"

Saratas screamed.

Amidst the eruption of that void rift, Deathwing, returning to the material world in an even more terrifying form, swung its claws, imbued with entropy energy, and slammed them down upon the giant of light.

Diakum's reaction was to start moving forward.
Holy Light Destroyer!
Let it erupt.

"boom"

The energy ring generated by the initial collision between the giant and the dragon flattened the entire Imperial Garden, much like a nuclear bomb exploding there, submerging everything near the impact point in the collision of light and darkness.

At this moment, Durotan could only raise his hands and cross them in front of him to block. The dragonborn around him screamed and fled, but were burned to ashes by the pursuing light. However, the orc warlord was not harmed.

After being burned, one can no longer feel the energy release in front of them.

He lowered his arm in surprise and saw that the energy beams below the Sunwell floating island had transformed into a four-sided barrier, trapping the battlefield where the Vigilant and Deathwing were fighting, sealing the destructive energy within to prevent it from taking the entire city down with them.

On the floating island, four demigod mages—Aegwynn, Headmaster Blue Moon, Lady Verara, and Phoenix Guardian Farodis—worked together to maintain the protective barrier.

They didn't even have the energy to mobilize the Sunwell to strengthen the surrounding warriors; simply holding off the aftershocks of the battle required them to exert all their strength.

This is also one of the reasons why Diakum doesn't easily start wars in the material world; his destructive power when he fights at full strength is quite strong, capable of damaging continental shelves and celestial bodies.

But even the aftershocks of the first outbreak blew the roofs off buildings all around the palace.

The same applies to the throne room, but the battle within remains undisturbed.

Lothar and Terenas are still fighting.

The return of Deathwing caused the Dragon King's power to rise steadily. Since the blood he drank came from Deathwing, he naturally received a greater resonance of power.

"boom"

The Salamaine Warsword, which was swung down, was blocked by the War Destroyer, but the next second, with a strange sword cry, Lothar's eyes widened as the two-handed greatsword was transformed into two one-handed swords, one long and one short, by Terenas's swing.

Is this the true way to use the Elf Sword?
"boom"

Lothar's helmet was blown off by the Dragon King's swift strike, leaving a dangerous gash across his face.

Terenas pressed his advantage, but just as the others were about to provide support, they suddenly heard a familiar yet strange laugh. As a bottle of rum fell from the sky and hit the Dragon King squarely on the shoulder, a strangely dressed figure carrying a knife jumped into the battlefield.

The scorching sun's flames erupted from high above, forcefully separating the battlefield.

The sudden chaos brought the battle to a halt, and after the flames subsided, Lothar looked at the drunken man who had jumped down beside him with a strange expression.

他 说:

"Daelin? Why are you dressed like that? What's that thing on you? You fucking...you're a pirate?"

"Who said I became a pirate?"

The "admiral," dressed in classic pirate attire, let out a burp. Behind him, Rexxar, now in human form, and a young troll wielding a Loa spear landed on the battlefield.

"I just took down a few pirate ships along the way and seized their best stuff. The captain should enjoy the best! That's always been the rule at sea."

The wild sailor laughed heartily, took an orange from his pocket, and without peeling it, took a bite. Amidst the splashing juice, he pointed his sword at Terenas.

他 说:

"My mind is still foggy, but I heard from that little witch who claims to be my 'daughter' on the way that you, this dark guy, caused all of this, right?"

Ha, I finally made it after rushing for so long. Very well, then let's settle our score here, you bastard.

My 'pilot' Wojnarowski, what are you waiting for?

"Hurry up and unleash your powerful voodoo! Doesn't your Loa want you to come here and embrace your destiny?"

"No, Captain."

The young troll slammed down several ancient totems, sprinkling dark red voodoo powder as he spoke, his expression hard but hard to maintain:
"I am merely here on behalf of the 'Dark Spear Elves' to support the Forest Elves and the Magic Elves, nothing more! In short! The Loa of the Zandalari Elven Empire have sent me to fight! Dragon King, your evil reign is over!"

(End of this chapter)