Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 708, Section 76: A Battle to the Death - Who Can Understand the Sorrow of This King?
Many Venthyrs believe that "torture" is their sacred duty, and that extracting sin and anima is a divine mission bestowed upon them by divine decree.

This understanding is not wrong; it could even be described as Revendres's "political correctness."

Without the Venthyrs' millennia-long interrogation, pardoning, and exploitation of the souls of sinners, the Shadowlands would not have been able to obtain sufficient anima for the development and prosperity of their respective covenants and subordinate kingdoms.

The Venthyrs prided themselves on being the foundation of the Shadowlands, but unfortunately, when Denathrius the Great, the progenitor of the Venthyrs, went astray and began to blur the delicate boundaries between "judgment," "torture," and "sadness," the collective depravity of the punishers was already an irreversible sign.

Their depravity is vividly embodied in this Naaru imprisoned in the Crimson Abyss.

Regardless of the purpose, the attempt to turn the Naaru into "living monuments of sin" goes beyond the definition of "torture." It is blatant sadism and the opening act of a terrible conspiracy against the Holy Light Force.

However, even Diakum had to admire the series of achievements these Venthyr had made in the field of sinful anima power research.

For example, right now, after Diakum swung his warhammer and burned most of the Venthyr Punishers who were trying to manipulate the poor Naaru prisoners to fight for them, the remaining ones actually managed to manipulate the Naaru prisoners under the pressure of death.

"Stop him! I command you!"

Lady Belylia, the "University Supervisor" who oversees all the corruption research in the Crimson Abyss, is completely oblivious to the ash scorched by the sun. She hides on the ritual platform, manipulating the laws she has developed, and using her sinful inner energy to control the ancient naaru to launch an attack on Diakum.

The Naru named "Zlari" was very reluctant to attack her own people.

However, she was covered in sinful runes and had no control over herself. Under the orders of the university proctor, she could only unleash her most destructive holy light as a lightsaber at the vigilant in front of her.

Diakum did not resist.

He carried his warhammer, walking through piles of Venthyr ashes, letting Z'Lali's arrows of holy light pelt him.

The destructive light that fell into Diakum's corona was like a stone thrown into the sea; the light broke free from Zlari's control and accepted Diakum's command in a joyful embrace.

This forced the university supervisor to exert all his strength to control Naru's attack, but not only did he fail to harm Diakum, he also gave the fully-equipped Dick a boost of energy.

Hey, you're actually a pretty good person, you heart-sucking vampire villain.

The closer Diakum got to Z'llari, the more violent the holy light unleashed at him by the ancient naaru manipulated by Venthyr became. But the Vigilant did not stop. When he stood before Z'llari, braving the swirling fists of holy light, he heard his kin from the naaru utter an apology amidst their cries of sorrow:
"I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself."

The Naaru who once followed the ancient Naaru on their expedition against Revendreth said in the hymn:
“They corrupted me with their sinful hearts. Denathrius is no longer satisfied with planting His spies among us. He arrogantly wants to manipulate the Holy Light, steal the name of justice, and bring more suffering to the material world.”

I've held on for far too long; I can't take it anymore.

"It's not your fault, so why apologize? Why should you take the blame for other people's mistakes? The biggest problem with the Naru is that they are too fond of reflecting."

Despite enduring the ancient naaru's almost frenzied holy light, Dick remained unharmed and reached out to place his hand on Zlari's battered crystal body, which was covered with the marks of Venthyr's sins.

The sacred crystals are the rings of the Naaru's life, recording all the pain and beauty that each holy life has experienced and encountered throughout its long life.

The Lightwalkers of all realms believe that life is a trial of faith, and for the Naaru born in the Light, their lives are also a long and arduous journey.

The Naaru once did not know where they came from or where they were going. They could only find their origin and destination by traveling through the stars and protecting their beautiful lives.

But now, with the High Heavens having opened their doors to these holy beings, the Naaru's arduous journey and trials have finally gained meaning.

“I’m not here to punish you, Zlari, and I’m not here to destroy you. I’m here to take you home.”

The Vigilant unleashed his blazing sunlight like a waterfall into Z'rali's crystalline body, purifying her filth and washing away the marks that symbolized shame.

Perhaps due to the legacy of the sun god, when Diakum responded to Zlari's tragic past with warm holy light, the filthy marks etched on her crystal body were actually covered up in a "melting" manner.

In the warm, corona-like light and heat, Zlari's platinum crystal seemed to be reshaped.

Let the pain and tragedy of the past come to an end at this moment, and let those years of suffering come to a close on this day.

The Vigilantes didn't even need to bother targeting the vicious university proctor. As the sinful runes on Z'rali's body were continuously filled and repaired, the Venthyr Sinner Master desperately found himself increasingly powerless to control the ancient naaru.

The other party was resisting, and the anger accumulated over tens of thousands of years of imprisonment and torture had been ignited.

You're done!

This was the last thought that crossed the sadist's mind at that moment. She gritted her teeth and prepared to fight to the death, using the last bit of power she had left to demand that the Naru in front of her "self-destruct".

Although this could directly cause the collapse of the area above Fort Nathria, and the uncontrolled holy light would undoubtedly sweep away all the Venthyr in the entire blast zone, at this point, who cares about that now!

"Blow him up!"

The university supervisor's entire body was covered in visible ash from the backlash of the high temperature, making her look like a desperate person thrown into an incinerator. Her skin was burning, and her inner energy was churning as if it were on fire.

The simultaneous heating from the outside and inside made this Winshire master feel like he was being steamed in lava.

She won't survive.

Neither the vigilantes nor the Naru prisoners who had been tortured by her for years could allow her to live.

She gave the order and sensed the surge of Z'raly's Holy Light power. However, the next second, as Diakum's Holy Light covered more of the Sin Marks, the Grand Warden's forced manipulation of the Ancient Naaru completely went out of control, and the Holy Light that should have harmed the Vigilant with an explosion surged back instead.

Under Dick's indifferent gaze, the university proctor, who had brought trouble upon himself, immediately jumped up.

Her hair, skin, flesh, and bones began to burn in the golden flames.

She screamed in agony, running wildly in place, rushing towards the terrified Venthyrs, trying to get help from them, but in the end, she could only spread the flames of her sins, which had been ignited, to the other Venthyrs like sparks.

But miraculously, they did not die immediately.

Burned away all the dignity of being a Venthyr, the body was charred and covered in ashes, the reason was burned away, leaving only the most instinctive devouring and painful screams.

Golden flames still flickered on their bodies.

That was the fire of punishment, allowing those who had become "ash ghouls" to continue wandering the gloomy lands of Revendreth, seeking out guilty but exonerated souls, setting them ablaze to share their suffering.

This was Diakum's punishment for them.

A curse from the Holy Light.

"999!"

The vigilant said indifferently:
"Only after each of you has found 999 sinful souls who have escaped judgment will the Holy Light allow you to turn to ashes and find peace. Until then, you will have to endure the torment of burning your bodies and souls."

Never to be free!

"Ow"

His response was a beastly roar. Under Diakum's gaze, the Ash Ghouls screamed and fled into the shadows, rushing through the rifts of the Crimson Abyss toward the now chaotic grounds of Nathria Castle.

Guilty but escaped trial?

Such souls could not have existed in Revendreth before, but under the perverse rule of Emperor Denathrius, Revendreth is now filled with such corrupt souls! The Ash Ghouls yearn for liberation, and they will stop at nothing to achieve it.

"Thank you for saving us."

With most of her crystal body melted away, completely covering the marks of sin, Zlari weakly spun around, feeling a freedom she had never experienced in tens of thousands of years.

She thanked her sincerely, but then, with a hint of reluctance, said:
"However, isn't such a terrible curse a bit too much? They are indeed guilty, and perhaps giving them a quick execution would be a better choice."

"You really are a kind person."

Dick felt despair at the "saintly complex" that was so prevalent among the Naru.

But it is precisely because of the Naaru's selflessness and integrity that they have become the embodiment of holy light recognized by countless people throughout the universe.

Dick had no intention of correcting this tolerance; he could distinguish between a "saintly mother" and a "saintly hypocrite."

The vigilant shook his head and said:

"But the abuse the Venthyrs inflicted on you is not just a personal tragedy for you, Zlari. They are trying to use you to create living monuments of sin to manipulate other Naaru. This is the Force of Death challenging the Force of Light."

As the representative of the Radiant Sun, I must respond to this forcefully and decisively, which has little to do with your own experience.

Let's go.

Come with me to witness the downfall of the very person who instigated your own tragedy.

Diakum stood in the hall of the completely purified Crimson Abyss, stepping onto the corridor devoid of any chilling aura, and said:
“We still have some time, so describe to me that ‘Expedition of the Holy Light’.”

------

"The army of stonesmiths is launching a fierce attack on Nathria Castle, and there is also an extraordinary burst of holy light in the Crimson Abyss. Your loyal Accuser was blocked by Azshara on his way to provide reinforcements."

Your Majesty, the situation is now extremely dangerous.

General Karl, a trusted lieutenant of the Stone Legion and a member of the Emperor's inner circle, reported to His Majesty before the solemn Throne of Sin:

"The rebels within the Stone Legion have been completely driven out of the palace defenses by General Graciel and me, but the rebels led by Draven have no intention of giving up. They have recruited many mud servants to create giants for the assault, and an even more brutal battle will definitely break out when the Stonemasters arrive at the front lines in person."

Your Majesty, we will be loyal to you until the very end, but please also be prepared to participate in the battle.

"Oh, how could the situation have deteriorated so suddenly?"

Emperor Denathus sat on his throne, speaking solemnly but maintaining a very languid posture.

He was not flustered at all, as if waiting for something, and the Nathrezim who had been hiding under the Emperor's throne no longer needed to pretend.

The moment the stonesmiths "revolted," the Emperor lost all leverage, meaning that even if He didn't want to, He had to rely on the Nathrezim.

Fortunately, the emperor himself loved his "children" very much.

The Venthyr are the "eldest sons" created by Emperor Denathus, while the Nathrezim are the "second sons" of the emperor. The two races have too many similarities in appearance because they each took a part of the appearance of Emperor Denathus.

Although Denathius has a lot of bad habits, it is undeniable that he is the most "human" of all the Eternals.

He is truly good to his children.

Back then, the Nathrezim caused chaos in the material world, angering the Naaru of the Light who nearly razed Revendreth to the ground. After the Stonesmiths intervened and repelled the Naaru, they demanded that the Emperor execute the Nathrezim, who were the source of the calamity.

Despite the pressure, the Emperor did not kill them, but merely banished them to the physical planet Nathreza. The Nathrezim joined the Burning Legion long after that.

In short, besides his loyal Stoneborn, the Nathrezim gathered here have become Emperor Denathus's right-hand men.

After General Karl left, Balnazzar, the leader of the Dreadlords, addressed the Emperor with utmost deference:

“We have found you a perfect hiding place in the material world, Father. If you intend to leave, now is the best time. With all due respect, you should not fight Diakum.”

"You think I'm no match for him?"

The emperor looked at the child he had created with his own hands, and after a moment's hesitation, Banazar nodded and said:
“That’s right, he could easily defeat you with just one hand! The two are not even on the same level, Father. It’s best to avoid confrontation for now!”

You have nowhere to hide in the Shadowlands, but in the material world, Diakum can't move around freely either, as Sargeras is above him.

You are the king of the night; fighting in the light is never your domain!

"You're really straightforward. You could at least say a few auspicious words to cover it up."

The Emperor was somewhat taken aback by Banazzar's answer.

He knows he's lacking in direct combat strength, but you can't be so blunt about it, can you?
Just as the two sides were discussing, one of the magic mirrors scattered throughout the throne room suddenly lit up. Under the expectant gaze of Emperor Denathrius, Sachiel strode out from the crimson vortex, carrying a magnificent weapon box on his back.

Not just him.

An entire force of Abyssal Lords appeared in the Emperor's court as a supporter. The Warden spared no expense in supporting his allies, even sending the six remaining Nine War Gods under Hela's command.

These guys are clearly no match for the Watchers, but they don't face enemies as formidable as the Watchers on the battlefield either.

"I have fulfilled my mission, Your Majesty!"

Sachiel strode forward, unlocked the chains of dominion in front of him, picked up the weapon box on his back with both hands, and knelt on one knee to present it to his master.

As the weapon case was opened, a dark, somber, evil yet magnificent two-handed sword appeared before Denathrius.

The emperor suddenly stood up.

This is the treasure He has been waiting for!
This weapon, embodying the power of life and death, the dominion over all things, and the power of forgiveness, was certainly no match for Diakum when he was unarmed. But this sword before him combined the power of three Eternals.
If the quality isn't good enough, then make up for it with quantity!
The Emperor stroked the demonic sword called "King's Mourning," a sharp, crimson glint appearing in his eyes.

If the probability of one Eternal being stopping Diakum is 70%, then wouldn't the power of three Eternals combined be 270%?

Even if I can't beat you, can't I at least hold you off?

You call yourself the Holy Light Walker, the true Good One and the Light of Dawn. Let us see if you can bear the death of the rebels you incited, if you can wait for time to pass during the judgment ceremony of the Forgivers, and if you can harden your heart and continue this "unjust war" when you see all the living people you protected die in the war.

The emperor was very interested in this.

As the pardoner, He has seen far too many outwardly upright but inwardly wicked souls. He no longer believes in personal morality or so-called justice. So, is Diakum truly as he says?

Ah, let Him weigh it for Himself.

(End of this chapter)