"Let's move!" Illidan let out a low growl, his wings snapping open with a powerful beat. Clutching the Eye of Sargeras, he rocketed into the sky, soaring toward the vast horizon of the Great Sea!
Simultaneously, the Naga army dived collectively into the waves, while the dozen or so Night Elves loyal to Illidan set off once more in their small boats.
Watching Illidan depart, Rhodes rolled his eyes. Look at you, playing the cool guy with your big dramatic takeoff.
You're still going to have to land on a boat eventually, aren't you? If you're so tough, why don't you just fly all the way back to the Eastern Kingdoms!
"Illidan! You won't escape!" Maiev, consumed by shock and rage, immediately moved to give chase.
But Rhodes' silhouette flickered, appearing instantly in her path once more. At the same time, Jaina unleashed her frost magic, and a massive wall of ice surged from the ground, cutting off the Wardens' pursuit.
"Lady Maiev," Rhodes' voice turned cold, "my patience is limited. Illidan is my responsibility now. Please take your people and leave. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind letting my companions help you and your subordinates stretch your legs."
The Archangels raised their blades wreathed in holy flame. The gazes of a dozen Phoenixes locked onto Maiev. The Magic Elements flung back their robes as prismatic light began to coalesce, and the Gold and Diamond Golems stepped forward with heavy, rhythmic thuds, forming a wall of metal and stone before the Warden forces.
The sheer pressure of the formation made it impossible for Maiev and her Wardens to move forward. In terms of numbers, the Wardens had about a hundred sisters, but in terms of quality, they weren't even in the same league as Rhodes' entourage.
The dozen Phoenixes circling above alone could have wiped out Maiev's entire squad. That wasn't even counting the swarm of Magic Elements and the rest of the elemental army Rhodes hadn't even called out yet.
Maiev Shadowsong looked at the absurdly high-tier roster before her, then at the horizon where Illidan had vanished. She bit her lip in bitter frustration. She knew that today, she couldn't keep Illidan here. This human mage had completely derailed her plans.
"Give me some face and let this go today. Otherwise, you know the consequences," Rhodes said, crossing his arms with an arrogant smirk. Sometimes, he had to admit, acting like he had the "Face-Face Fruit" power was quite a thrill.
If it were anyone else surrounded by such an army, they wouldn't dare move. But the person surrounded wasn't a normal person—she was a madwoman.
"You think you've won, mage? You released Illidan and let him escape my grasp again. Since you want to stand up for him, I'll kill you first." Maiev's expression was ice-cold, and the Wardens behind her stared back at Rhodes with equal defiance.
If there were powerful melee fighters in the group, they might have been wary, but they were Wardens—the natural predators of mages. They were the elite assassins of the Night Elves: masters of the Shadow, experts with poison daggers and Blink, peerless archers, and the most agile warriors in existence. Once they closed the distance, a spellcaster was usually helpless.
However, Maiev failed to notice that the Magic Elements were actually melee combatants. Furthermore, Rhodes was guarded by Gold and Diamond Golems, a hidden reserve of Iron Golems, and the Archangels standing vigil by his side.
"Oh? If you're looking for a beating, I don't mind. Kill them!" Rhodes commanded, his face hardening.
To make this madwoman listen, he had to use drastic measures. He wasn't worried about the long-term fallout; he had Resurrection, the ultimate revival spell, to fix any "mistakes" later. For now, he wanted Maiev to watch her subordinates fall one by one, bringing her to the brink of despair, before humbling her and then bringing them back.
Jaina tugged at Rhodes' sleeve, her expression worried. Wait, are you really going to kill them?
"Don't worry, dear. I have resurrection magic," Rhodes whispered back to her.
With his command, the battle exploded.
The Phoenixes struck first. With ear-piercing cries, they beat their wings, raining fire from the sky. The orange-red flames didn't strike the Wardens directly but instead ignited the ground around them, creating a searing barrier of fire. The heat was so intense the air distorted, making it impossible for the Wardens to scatter or flank.
"Sisters! Defensive formation!" Maiev barked. The Wardens huddled together, using their specialized Umbra Crescents and enchanted shields to ward off the heat and stray fireballs. But Phoenix fire is no ordinary flame; the shields quickly turned cherry-red under the constant heat. Several Wardens groaned in pain as the metal sizzled against their armored arms.
Simultaneously, the Magic Elements charged with heavy strides. These creatures were massive, with health and defense stats that surpassed even the Diamond Golems. They weren't ranged units—they were melee juggernauts.
They ignored the arrows loosed by the Huntresses. Infused with natural energy, the projectiles simply bounced off the distorted magic fields surrounding the Elements as if they had lost all momentum. They smashed into the panicked ranks and flung open their robes!
Prismatic magical radiance exploded outward—a raw, psychic shockwave. The Wardens in the front row were hit hardest; their movements froze, their eyes glazed over, and they stood paralyzed. In the next moment, they were swatted aside by the invisible, crushing force of the Elements, falling dead instantly.
"No! Sisters! Damn you, you monster!" Maiev roared.
The Gold and Diamond Golems moved like mobile fortresses. Their targets were the Wardens attempting to use their agility to circle behind. Every heavy footfall shook the earth. When the giant metal arms swung, they created a howling wind.
The Wardens' moon-blades struck the Golems in a shower of sparks, but they only left faint white scratches, failing to deal any real damage. Once caught in those massive palms, even the nimblest Warden would have their bones crushed. Against these heavy units, the Night Elves were incredibly fragile.
Jaina didn't stay idle. She unleashed a wide-scale Blizzard and Frost Nova. She wasn't trying to kill, but rather to cripple their movement speed, stripping them of the agility they relied on and turning them into sitting ducks within a cage of ice and fire. Now that she knew Rhodes could resurrect them, she didn't hold back.
Maiev was livid. She attempted a "Beheading" tactic, using Blink to strike at Rhodes. She believed that if she could kill the summoner, the army would vanish. Her silhouette vanished in a puff of shadow and reappeared eerily behind Rhodes, her Umbra Crescent wreathed in shadow energy and aimed straight for his neck!
However, the moment she appeared, the two Archangels who had been standing silently behind Rhodes moved. Their speed exceeded Maiev's perception. In a flash of gold, two blades of holy fire crossed, catching Maiev's "sure-kill" strike.
CLANG!
The screech of metal on metal echoed as Shadow and Light collided, resulting in a sizzling sound of corruption meeting purification. Maiev felt an irresistible holy force surge through her weapon, numbing her arms and throwing her backward. She barely managed to land on her feet, staggering several paces before steadying herself. Her hands trembled as she stared at the majestic, divine beings.
The combat power of these creatures was terrifying; she couldn't gain an inch in melee. No wonder this mage was so confident.
Rhodes snorted. I haven't even used debuffs yet. If I hit you with Blind, you'd be on the ground in a second. But he wanted to play this out. He wanted to break this madwoman's psychological defenses completely.
"Your shadow arts are meaningless before pure Light," one of the Archangels intoned, its voice ethereal and cold. Its golden eyes were devoid of emotion. (Though usually mindless, under Rhodes' control, high-tier units like Titans and Angels could speak.)
The battle became a one-sided slaughter. Despite their individual prowess, the Wardens were systematically countered in quality, quantity, and utility. Fire limited their movement, magic immunity negated their ranged attacks, psychic blasts broke their ranks, golems blocked their path, and the Archangels guarded the core.
Maiev's elite troops were being dismantled. One Warden was dazed by a psychic blast and then sent flying by a Golem's fist, coughing blood. Another tried to blink through the fire wall but was caught by a Phoenix's tail-flame, turning into a screaming human torch before collapsing. Naisha, trying to protect Maiev, was struck by a Diamond Golem; though she parried with her blade, the force pinned her to the ground. A Gold Golem loomed over her, its heavy foot descending to crush her spine.
"Damn you! You bastard! Sisters, hold on!"
"Useless struggling," Rhodes sneered. "I want you to watch every single one of your sisters die here, until not one is left."
Did you really think I was a pushover?