At this point, the Naga forces had closed in, forming a pincer movement with the Phoenix. Jaina, in her Naga form, remained close to Vashj.
"Vashj! I knew you would be here!" Maiev's eyes flashed with a cold intensity upon seeing her old rival. "You and your fallen Queen truly go to great lengths for Illidan!"
"Maiev Shadowsong, your hunt ends here," Vashj hissed in her characteristic sibilant tone. "These waters do not welcome your kind."
The two arch-enemies engaged immediately, eyes burning with hatred. Vashj unleashed powerful Lightning Bolts while firing enchanted arrows from the safety of her Naga army. No one but Illidan dared to engage Maiev in melee; to do so was a death sentence.
"Is hiding all you've learned in ten thousand years, Vashj?" Maiev agilely dodged the attacks. With a sudden Blink, she lunged into the heart of the Naga formation, unleashing a Fan of Knives that cut down several low-level Naga instantly.
"Enough talk! I will never let you obstruct Lord Illidan's plans!" Though her words were defiant, Vashj instinctively retreated.
Suddenly, a five-meter-tall creature shimmering with prismatic light and draped in a heavy robe appeared before Maiev. This was an elemental form never before seen on Azeroth.
The Magic Element flung open its robe—a "stripping" attack of kaleidoscopic magical brilliance that forced the Warden leader back. The strange assault combined raw magic with a wave of psychic pressure, leaving Maiev momentary dazed. She quickly Blinked away to recover.
Nearby Wardens loosed a volley of arrows at the elemental, but Jaina quickly reacted, layering the Magic Element with Frost Armor and Arcane Shielding to deflect the projectiles.
"Well done," Vashj nodded to Jaina, before unleashing a surge of lightning that charred three approaching Wardens. Jaina offered an awkward smile; these two clearly shared a blood feud, showing no mercy to each other's subordinates. It was also obvious that Vashj lacked the strength to face Maiev head-on.
"Sisters, stay calm and maintain distance!" Maiev commanded. With the giant Phoenix blocking the Tomb's entrance and the Naga pressing them from the rear, the Wardens' situation was becoming dire.
Deep within the Tomb of Sargeras, Rhodes was unaware that Jaina's stalling tactics had been pierced by the veteran Maiev. He was focused on clearing the demonic inhabitants. "I wonder how things are going outside?"
Rhodes muttered to himself as he used a Magic Arrow to pick off a Shivarra assassin attempting a sneak attack. His Light Elementals and Archangel were diligently purifying everything in their path. Where they passed, demons turned to ash.
The loot, however, was massive. Rhodes had already dispatched several "Hero" level entities. "Truly, raiding dungeons is the fastest way to get rich," he noted, continuing his advance.
Suddenly, a violent surge of Fel energy erupted ahead, accompanied by Illidan's roar and the pained screech of a massive creature. Rhodes sprinted toward a hall covered in demonic runes. He found Illidan locked in a fierce struggle with a gargantuan Pit Lord. The Annihilan swung a twin-headed polearm wreathed in Fel flame, his massive body filling half the chamber. Illidan moved like a ghost, the Twin Blades of Azzinoth spinning in a green blur, carving deep wounds into the demon's armor.
"An Annihilan lieutenant? Sargeras left quite the 'surprise,'" Illidan spat, dodging a lethal strike and severing the demon's hamstring in one fluid motion.
"Invader! You dare step into the domain of Sargeras?" the Pit Lord roared, trying to crush Illidan under his hooves.
Rhodes didn't join the fray immediately. His eyes were drawn to the end of the hall, where a massive, terrifying eyeball made of green flame floated atop a platform: the Eye of Sargeras. Its energy was so potent that merely looking at it brought whispers of demons to one's mind.
"Illidan, need a hand?" Rhodes shouted, signaling his Archangel.
"Mind your own business, Rhodes! This prey is mine!" Illidan barked, his battle lust fully ignited.
Rhodes didn't argue. He could see Illidan had the upper hand. If "Lord Egg" wanted the solo kill, Rhodes was happy to relax—he'd just save a Lightning Bolt for the final hit to steal the experience later. He directed his Golems to escort him toward the platform.
"It's mine, Rhodes," Illidan warned while parrying. "Don't touch it. For your own good."
"Don't worry, friend. I'm just... keeping it safe," Rhodes lied, moving forward. As he neared the Eye, the pressure became immense. Fel energy tried to erode his will, but his high Spirit and the surrounding Light units held it at bay.
The platform was covered in ancient Arcane seals left by Aegwynn, now unstable after centuries of decay. Rhodes spotted the weak points. Magic Arrow is too volatile for this... I'll use physical force. He pulled out a specialized anti-magic alloy sword forged by dwarves.
Clang! He drove the blade into a rune node. The light flickered and died. He repeated the process until the barrier shattered. Without the seal, the Eye's power was terrifying—capable of tearing a continent apart.
Rhodes reached out to touch the artifact. A system prompt appeared:
[Artifact Detected: Eye of Sargeras]
Stats: +100% Fel Magic Damage, +20 Power.
Cost: Constantly drains life force. All spells cast will be converted to Fel-imbued magic.
Holy cow, this thing is insane! +20 Power? Rhodes felt a surge of greed. With his life magic, he could probably mitigate the health drain. He reached out to wrap his mana around the Eye.
The moment he made contact, a cold, titanic will surged into his mind. It was a fragment of the Dark Titan himself.
"Submit to me, Mage... and I shall grant you power beyond imagination!"
"Get out of my head!" Rhodes growled. He unleashed his mental strength as his Archangels flooded him with pure Holy Light. A second Archangel was summoned to bolster the purification. The holy radiance clashed violently with the cold will until the fragment retreated back into the Eye, silenced.
Rhodes exhaled, sweat beading on his brow. No wonder Illidan needed a special altar to channel this thing rather than holding it. +20 Power isn't worth being a puppet.
"We shall meet again, Mage," the lingering echo of Sargeras whispered before vanishing.
"I told you not to touch it," Illidan grumbled, finally landing the finishing blow. He leapt into the air, channeling Fel energy into his blades and piercing through the Pit Lord's throat. The demon collapsed into a pile of ash.
Illidan approached the Eye, using a specialized spell to levitate it without direct contact. "We need to leave, Rhodes. I feel the madwoman breaking through Vashj's line."
Just as they turned to leave, the Tomb began to shake violently. Rumble! Huge stones crashed from the ceiling.
"What did you trigger?" Illidan demanded.
"It wasn't me! I was careful!" Rhodes stopped, realizing the truth. "It's Maiev! She's attacking the support pillars! She's trying to bury us alive!"
Illidan's face darkened. "That crazy woman!"
Outside, Maiev watched her Wardens struggle against the Naga and the Phoenix. "No more delays! Sisters, target the support pillars! If they want to stay inside, they can stay there forever!"
The Wardens threw explosive charges and Moon Glaives at the cracked pillars flanking the entrance. BOOM! The entrance began to collapse.