Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 676, Section 44: The Eldest Daughter of the "Duty-Hungry" Feels Like a Raw Recruit in Diakum's Footsteps - Bonus Chapter [35]

(Bonus chapter for the "Hand in Hand" brothers [3/5])
The five Eternals of the Shadowlands each possess unique skills.

They were born as gods, and at the moment of their awakening, they possessed the power bestowed by the Firstborn. It can be said that from birth, they stood at the "top of the food chain," a position coveted by all living beings in the six realms.

The Shadowlands were created by the Firstborn, and the rules called "Destiny" are fixed. This results in the Eternals being rulers who take on "management roles" rather than fighters like Sassa.

Although the Titans of the Pantheon were born as gods, they occasionally encountered demons and ancient gods while spreading order throughout the stars, and had to deal with them themselves, thus accumulating some combat experience.

Guardians like Sargeras and Aggramar are either fighting or on their way to fight every day.

Therefore, it is expected that General Sa is a formidable fighter.

But the Eternals don't have this problem. They don't need to fight at all, and there is no power within the Shadowlands to challenge them. This makes it difficult for the Eternals to exert their full potential despite their great power.

It's like you were born with the courage of Xiang Yu, but you've never had a proper training day in your life. You can easily crush newbies with your talent, but if you encounter a real tough opponent, you'll probably get slapped hard in the face.

Of course, the "lack of combat experience" mentioned here is in comparison to the Titans of the Pantheon; it doesn't mean that all Eternals are bad at combat.

The Lord of War, responsible for conquering, always experiences various battles in order to protect the safety of the Shadowlands, making Him the most warlike individual among the Eternals.

Zovar, the former Arbiter and now Lord of the Maw, is a man who once rebelled against the Destiny system and has fought against other Eternals, so he has a wealth of combat experience.

But the remaining three Eternals were somewhat disappointing.

Although Revendreth and Bastion had both been invaded by other Forces, Emperor Denathrius and his eldest daughter Grace did not actually fight on the front lines; they primarily directed their respective minions in battle.

Furthermore, although the Eternals possess the status of "true gods," due to some "special reasons," the true combat power ceiling of the Eternals who die is actually at most that of a powerful secondary god.

Perhaps because the First Creators felt that they were born to uphold and preside over "Heaven's Mandate" and there was no need for them to fight and kill, they just randomly filled in a value for "maximum combat power".
In short, when he saw his eldest daughter charging towards him with the Archon's spear, Diakum felt nothing; he even felt a little amused.

No, ladies!
You are full of murderous intent, relying on the majesty of being the incarnation of the Fortress Nation and the oppressive power of the Eternals. You can be rated ten out of ten in terms of "momentum". But are you serious about the posture of holding a spear and charging at full strength?

Although it looks quite professional, if you can actually fight more than ten times, I, the Vigilant, will sell out the High Heaven and follow you from now on!

"bang"

Diakum transformed into a flash of light, blinking sideways to easily dodge the eldest daughter's "Pig Charge," allowing the powerful Archon's spear to shatter the statue of the eldest daughter standing atop Heaven.

As the sacred statue shattered and flew through the air, the eldest daughter swiftly turned around, her sacred wings folding to form a shield to block the attack. Then, a Crusader strike, accompanied by both black and gold afterimages, struck the eldest daughter's wings squarely.

The terrifying release of energy was like a sun bursting between the two, sending the eldest daughter flying. She spun in the air, flapping her wings to regain her balance. Just as she was about to lock onto Diakum and launch another counterattack, she saw the Vigilant clench his left fist and strike downwards fiercely.

Then, a fully charged Sun Fist roared and tore through the sky, striking the eldest daughter in mid-air.

The Sun Fist, bursting with holy light, slammed into Grace's body, making her feel as if she had been thrown onto the surface of a star, and for a second it seemed as if the blood in her body was about to be completely evaporated.

Fortunately, as an Eternal being, her "stats" were powerful enough. When she fell into a disadvantageous position, the eldest daughter did not try to fight back. Instead, she transformed into a dazzling beam of light and returned to her throne before the final explosion of the Solar Fist.

Before she could even catch her breath, the blinding light from the Solar Fist erupting in the air was transformed into millions of flaming swords under Diakum's control. Like "Unlimited Blade Works + Ten Thousand Swords Return to One," they swept across all obstacles in the path of Heaven's Peak, once again enveloping the eldest daughter in millions of sharp blades.

"enough!!!"

Graceia roared as she gripped the Archon's spear with both hands and slammed it onto the throne.

At that moment, the power of Bastion converged in her hands, and with a Force burst that required no skill whatsoever, she forcefully completed a simple and brutal "Force clash," completely annihilating Diakum's Holy Light strike.

She had realized that she could not fight this "monster of holy light" that had been shaped by countless battles.

Whether in terms of combat skills, combat experience, or fighting spirit, he is at a disadvantage. His only advantage is his simple and brutal "stats".

But the problem is that this Diakum is clearly a mechanic monster.

Simply attacking him with numerical damage won't work.

Before the eldest daughter could figure out how to fight next, Diakum had already quietly appeared in the last wisp of dissipating holy light, his hands holding the Sunstrider warhammer and having completed "maximum charge".

Under the eldest daughter's wide-eyed gaze, the magnificent "True Solar Storm" was once again engulfed in millions of streaks of light as the warhammer struck.

Amidst the sweeping solar storm, there was also a series of unadorned yet destructive bursts of the "Blazing Sun - Holy Slash." In just a few seconds, the terrifying energy output, in the energy clash that the eldest daughter was resisting, shattered, swept, tore, ground, and buried all the magnificent buildings on the highest level of Paradise Castle.

As the energy burst that shook the battlefield, causing the Forsworn and Kyrians to cease fighting and turn back to look at the dissipation of the summit of heaven, the eldest daughter's sacred throne had been shattered into a hellish place even more dilapidated than the unfinished construction site of the High Heavens.

Oh, so you, "Lord of the Highest Heaven," aren't just here to poach people today, but also to carry out demolition work at a "competitive company," right?
The "President" of Supreme Heaven personally transformed into a holy light excavator and demolished the iconic and magnificent office building of a rival company. So, is this the legendary, unpretentious business war?

Diakum's smooth combo left the eldest daughter completely helpless. As he stood there, holding the burning torch warhammer, ready for a second battle after "warming up," although he wasn't seriously injured, his golden Archon's Crown was mercilessly melted, leaving the disheveled eldest daughter shivering and cold as she floated amidst a pile of ruins.

The Eternal One's physical strength was indeed somewhat excessive; his ceremonial armor and robes had been almost completely melted, but his eldest daughter's blue skin remained untouched by even a single burn or battle scar.

His dignified image was completely gone.

With her hair disheveled and clothes tattered, she looked exactly like the long-legged, sexy older sister dancing energetically in the "Shadowlands Ballroom".

You know what, the eldest daughter's long, blue hair, adorned with sparkles, is quite pretty, at least much better than that wretched triangular helmet with seven spikes.

But she was indeed enraged.

She grabbed her spear and was about to charge again, but as soon as she raised her hand, the exaggerated golden archon spear in her hand, which was both powerful and ceremonial, shattered from the top ring with a crack, leaving only the "pure bell" inside, which was emitting a sound of being overwhelmed.

Judging from its design, this spear is clearly not intended for combat!
Who would have such a large ring shaped at the top of their spear used in battle?

There's even a clock inside, what's up?
Every time you swing it, are you sending the enemy to their doom?
The meaning is good, but this thing clearly falls into the category of "ritual objects," right?
Having traversed the stars for so many years, Diakum had experienced countless wars, large and small. The only class he had ever seen who could fight with a ritual weapon without suffering defeat was called "Moonlight War God." Unfortunately, his eldest daughter's overall combat strength was nowhere near that of the Moonlight War God.

Even a powerful demon lord like Sachiel could easily defeat her if he came, especially if he were connected to the Fel Force.

"okay."

The opponent's weapon was broken, and she was a "woman." Diakum shrugged, slung the Sunstrider Warhammer back behind him, and let the heat from its recent "ignition" dissipate.

He waved his hand and said:

“Fighting you is not challenging at all. It neither satisfies my desire as a warrior to ‘challenge strong enemies’ nor does it challenge my principle as a priest to ‘not bully the weak’.”

Stop humiliating yourself!

"The 'vessel' bestowed upon you by the First One is practically invincible, but I am not without ways to destroy it. So, let's try another method."

He made a "stop" gesture and said:

"The most powerful force you possess is your 'rules,' use it to attack me! If you can't control me even if I stand here and let you hit me at will, then for the sake of the Fortress's future..."
I advise you to just surrender.

"What do you take this for?!"

The eldest daughter threw away the broken spear and roared in fury:

“This is not about winning or losing. You are challenging the destiny of the Shadowlands! That is the fundamental rule of the Force of Death. As a part of destiny, how could I surrender just because I lost to you?”

You can kill me!

You can destroy the Fortress of Ascension, but Destiny will not fall because of it.

"Of course it won't collapse because of my battle. After all, if you're not blind or deaf, you can see that even if I didn't come, this pathetic destiny would definitely collapse on its own within the next fifty years!"

Diakum scoffed, “If you are truly as dutiful as you claim, then you should be the first Eternal to discover this trend. After the Firstborn left, the destiny of the Death Force has been heading toward ‘out of control.’”

Zovar's rebellion, the conspiracy imposed on the material world, the abnormal expansion of the power of death, the loss of psionic energy, the withering of Ardenweald, and the disappearance of the Lord of War.
How much more evidence do you need to convince yourself that you are just protecting an order that is destined to collapse?
Or did you actually realize it a long time ago?
You are powerless to change it, so you can only convince yourself that while the other Eternals are prepared for this, you and the entire Fortress of Ascension should close your eyes and ears, not look, not care, not pay attention, and pretend that as long as you continue to do your duty, the destiny you serve will continue to exist.
Excuse me, Ms. Gracey
Are you burying your head in the sand?

Are you the kind of person who closes their eyes and pretends it's dark, indulging in self-pity all day long?

"Shut up! You vicious bastard!"

The eldest daughter's rebuke, breaking her guard, resounded throughout the battlefield at that moment.

This statement stunned all the saints, including Devos. If they remembered correctly, this was the first time in all the years they had served their eldest daughter that their leader had uttered such obscene words.

Is this really something an Eternal of Bastion should say?
Hey, none of the Kyrians who have completed their promotions would speak like that, eldest daughter. Where is your manners and dignity?

Is she planning to ruin her public image today?

But the eldest daughter had no time to care about her followers' thoughts. With a feeling of "her mind being exposed" and a sense of vulnerability, she used the concept of power that Diakum had expected, which came directly from the Firstborn.

The power of "dedication to duty" is like a mountain weighing tens of millions of tons crashing down.

The concept of power sounds obscure, but its content is actually super simple. Literally, "duty" means "fulfilling one's responsibilities," which also aligns with the eldest daughter's requirements for the entire Ascension Fortress.

Therefore, the way the eldest daughter releases her power concept is actually a rigorous "work review" of the target.

Did the target fulfill his or her responsibilities well?
Does the target meet the various standards required for this responsibility?
Does the method or approach used by the target in fulfilling their responsibilities align with the moral principles they uphold?
Most importantly, is the goal genuinely to complete this job, rather than being driven by some other impure motive?

This interrogation did not sound harsh; at least it sounded much milder than the "pardon" power held by Denathrius the Great or the "conquest" power held by the Lord of War.

However, upon closer examination, it is not difficult to find that the concept of the eldest daughter's power has no destructive power, but it is almost at the level of a rule, and it can be applied to all living beings without restraint!
Most importantly, this interrogation is really difficult to pass perfectly.

After all, even Sargeras couldn't honestly say that he was doing his utmost to fulfill the destructive duty bestowed upon him by fel energy. In fact, if Sargeras had actually been present at this "interrogation," he probably wouldn't have even passed the first question.

Diakum was basically certain that Sargeras was "fel-skinned, order-hearted," wielding the power given by fel energy and pursuing the goals set forth by order.

This is not "dereliction of duty"!

This is blatant NTR!

So, what was the outcome of Diakum's "job review" while she was being interrogated by her eldest daughter?

"bang"

A terrifying weight pressed down on Diakum's shoulders, making the Watcher feel as if he were carrying an ever-increasing mountain, bending his back.

This was not a physical pressure, but a rule-based impact formed after the release of the concept of power, which only affected him.

“I am doing my best to fulfill my goals and responsibilities. I want to ignite the sun, and I am trying to ignite Him! I want to lead my people home, and I walk the road home every day.”

Dick stared at his eldest daughter, a ferocious smile appearing on his face, which was contorted by the immense force suppressing his muscles.

He struggled to lift his foot and said, word by word:
“I sincerely want to accomplish these goals! Because I know that once the sun rises, the entire starry sea will benefit from it. This is the duty that the Holy Light has given me, this is the work that the Holy Light has given me.”

I have never strayed from this path.

"buzz"

The power exerted by his eldest daughter dissipated somewhat, allowing Diakum to straighten his back with difficulty.

His foot moved forward smoothly, causing his eldest daughter to take a step back with a hint of "fear." Clearly, this outcome was beyond Grace's expectations.

“I uphold the doctrines and teachings of the Holy Light. I have never forced anything that I cannot accept onto others, nor have I ever forced them to accept my views in the name of ‘doing what is best for others’.”

I have never forced others to join my cause in the name of glory and victory.

I obeyed all the rules the Holy Light required of me, even when walking in the shadows; I fulfilled all the morals of light and shadow!

Diakum roared again, and the heavy pressure on his body dissipated once more.

So he went forward again.

This time, the eldest daughter took an even bigger step back.

But behind her was the broken throne cliff, which caused her and her wings to stick to the broken wall.

In that instant, it was as if Diakum was the one putting pressure on her, rather than her exerting power to interrogate the madman before her.

"I have always been dedicated to my duties and never thought of using the wrong but quick way to replace the difficult path I should take. I regard all the setbacks and pressures I encounter as tests and find joy in constantly pushing myself forward."

I carry the eclipse forward, so that darkness will no longer fall upon the innocent!

"I no longer feel the tragedy of all living beings in my heart; I see everything as a miracle of light and shadow."

Diakum responded once again.

This time, he burst forth with light, shattering all the protective power his eldest daughter had exerted. His own light and shadow caused his wings to flutter, carrying endless feathers of light that swirled around the ruins.

The torture ended there, and the eldest daughter's body was trembling.

She had realized that her power was useless against the guy in front of her.

It wasn't that his own power had failed, but rather that the guy in front of him was more like a "duty-bearer" than he was. Compared to what the guy was doing, he was practically a greenhorn.

But while her interrogation ended, Diakum's interrogation had only just begun.

Amidst the scattering of light feathers, the vigilant shouted:

"Then answer me, Grace!"
Do you fulfill your duties faithfully? Do you genuinely uphold the Mandate of Heaven? Do you firmly believe that the order of death established by the Firstborn is flawless? Do you, as you appear, truly believe that the Shadowlands should proceed to their end according to the flawed plan set forth by the Creator?

"I"

The eldest daughter swallowed hard.

She crossed her arms, trying to stop Diakum from getting any closer.

But under repeated questioning, Graceia finally lowered her head.

As the Saints who rushed into the ruins behind them stared in disbelief, their leader's wings converged, causing the eldest daughter, whose will had finally collapsed, to slump helplessly. She curled up beneath the ruins and cliffs atop the Fortress of Ascension.

Amidst the streaks of white feathers that silently turned into black stains, her body emitted a series of shattering sounds.

Finally, under Diakum's compassionate gaze, the eldest daughter sighed.

She covered her face and eyes, and said in a hoarse voice:

"I've tried, I've made every effort, but I can't change it."

The harder I try, the more exhausted I become; the more exhausted I become, the more desperate I feel. Fate is not perfect; it has shaped me, made me who I am, enlightened me, confused me, trapped me, and ultimately crushed me.
"There is perhaps no worse order in the entire universe."

Ps:

Eldest daughter Grace:
(End of this chapter)