With a thunderous boom, the giant sword of Holy Light cleaved into Onyxia. The Dragon Princess let out a pained wail and staggered, collapsing to her knees.
Rhodes took a step forward. The brickwork of the city walls beneath his feet began to glow with golden radiance, and even more Holy Light surged from his body, forming the faint, flickering silhouette of a pair of massive wings made of pure light behind him. The overwhelming pressure was so great that it momentarily dispersed Onyxia's dragon awe, allowing the spectators to breathe much more easily.
"Bind!"
At Rhodes's command, the Holy Light chains wrapped around Onyxia suddenly tightened. They emitted intense heat, searing her scales with a sharp "sizzling" sound and releasing clouds of black smoke. Onyxia let out a pained roar and struggled frantically, but the chains didn't budge an inch.
"Punish!"
Again, the chains tightened further.
"Curse you! You wretched human, how dare you harm me like this?"
Rhodes let out a cold laugh. Harm? You haven't seen anything yet. I'm not done playing—you'd better hold out a little longer.
Rhodes slammed his fists together. A terrifying surge of Holy Light radiated outward with him at the center, gradually forming a giant composed of pure energy. First, a golden skeleton standing twenty meters tall appeared on the battlefield.
Then, a massive network of blood vessels and muscle fibers wove themselves over the bones, followed by skin made of light and a suit of heavy plate armor. However, this giant consisted only of a torso—no waist or legs.
This was a new technique Rhodes had developed. Sometimes, one has to be flexible with energy constructs. He had always been envious of the Susanoo from Naruto, and this was his version: a magnificent energy giant possessing both absolute defense and horrifying offensive power.
The spectators were stunned by its sheer scale and the raw power it exuded. Moreover, a giant forged of Holy Light was far more beautiful and awe-inspiring than its shadowy counterparts.
"Wha... what is that thing?"
"Great Light! Is... is this a miracle?"
"Praise the Holy Light! Praise be!"
A golden giant of such proportions brought an unimaginable level of shock and pressure to the crowd, far outshining the arrival of the four black dragons. To the people of Stormwind—a race that worshipped the Light—this pure construct looked like the descent of a god.
"How... how is this possible? Since when does the Light have such spells? What kind of monster are you?" Onyxia stammered. Had she stayed in Stormwind so long that she had lost touch with the era? Was this terrifying monster-like spell something humans had actually invented? No, it wasn't even a spell; he hadn't uttered an incantation. This was pure, raw manipulation of the Light's essence.
"I call this move 'Giant of Light.' It's still a work in progress," Rhodes said with a grin. "If I finish the full version, I should be able to wipe the floor with your old man."
The completed version would be fifty or sixty meters tall—maybe even a hundred if he had enough energy. Maybe I should give it a warning light on its chest and an egg-shaped head?
0He imagined finding Deathwing, striking a pose with his arms in an "L" shape, and blasting him with a Specium Ray. He really wanted to lean into the "Ultraman beats the monster" role-play.
The Light should thank me, he thought. Look how creatively I'm using it. No one plays with the Light better than me.
"Lady Dragon, do you like boxing?"
"???" Several question marks appeared over Onyxia's head. She had no idea what he meant, but a sudden, sinking feeling told her she was in for a very bad time.
"Let me teach you. You be the sandbag, and I'll be the boxer," Rhodes laughed wildly. As he moved his own body, the Holy Light giant perfectly mirrored his actions.
"You—you wouldn't dare!" Onyxia's pupils contracted in fear. She struggled to rise, but between the Holy Light chains and the Blue Dragon's arcane bindings, she was like a fly trapped in amber.
Rhodes grinned, his expression looking particularly flamboyant against the backdrop of the golden giant. "Lesson one: The Jab!"
Rhodes thrust his right fist forward. High in the air, the twenty-meter-tall golden giant synchronized perfectly. Its massive fist, carrying the whistling roar of displaced air, slammed into Onyxia's jaw like a golden wrecking ball.
BOOM!!!
The impact sounded like a clap of thunder. Onyxia's massive head was snapped back by the force. Hard dragon scales shattered instantly, and the golden energy burrowed into the wounds like a parasite, searing her flesh and sending up more black smoke. She let out a muffled whimper of pain and dizziness, her entire body swaying.
"Not done yet! Lesson two: The Uppercut!" Rhodes swung his left fist upward. The giant's fist followed with peerless force, smashing heavily into the soft scales of Onyxia's exposed underbelly.
"Gah—!" Onyxia felt as if her internal organs had been displaced. The agony almost made her black out, and she uncontrollably coughed up a mixture of sulfuric saliva and dark blood.
"Left hook! Right hook! Uppercut! Body blow!" Rhodes shouted excitedly, his fists becoming a blur of motion.
The Holy Light giant turned into a berserk boxer. Its golden fists became a dazzling storm of light, landing relentlessly on Onyxia's head, neck, and chest.
Thud! Crack! Boom! Thud!
The sounds of meat and bone being struck echoed like war drums, vibrating in the hearts of every bystander. Onyxia's roars of pain quickly dwindled into intermittent whimpers.
She tried to shield herself with her wings, but the giant's fists punched right through the membranes and snapped the wing-bones. She tried to strike back with her claws, but the giant simply brushed them aside with a casual swing, causing her talons to shatter.
It was pure "violence as an art form." Every strike Rhodes landed was packed with power. The men in the crowd watched with blood-pumping excitement—what man doesn't dream of beating a dragon like this? The ladies, however, tended to close their eyes; it was a bit too brutal.
Even some of the more clear-headed nobles began to pump their fists and cheer.
"Yes! Like that! Hit her in the face!"
"Kill the beast that deceived us!"
"Beat her! Beat her! Beat her!"
Dragon blood rained down upon the city walls, staining the stones dark red before the Light quickly evaporated and purified it. Broken scales flew everywhere. The once-majestic and terrifying Black Dragon Princess was now nothing more than a dragon-shaped punching bag, pinned against the wall and subjected to an unadorned, brutal beatdown.
"My... God..." Jaina whispered, covering her mouth. She knew Rhodes was strong, but this display of raw, crushing power was beyond her imagination. Does this guy have a serious violent streak? But using Holy Light like this... it's either genius or completely insane. She started to worry—was he going to kill her? How could she be a mount if she was dead?
Tyrygosa's lip twitched. As a Blue Dragon, she loved seeing a Black Dragon suffer, but this was just... too much. It was so humiliating. She actually felt a tiny bit of pity for Onyxia. She was getting wrecked.
King Varian and Duke Bolvar stood agape, their weapons hanging uselessly at their sides. They had imagined many ways to slay a dragon, but they never expected a... boxing match? But they had to admit—it was a hell of a show.
"Ugh... enough! Stop! I... I yield! Please... stop! Don't hit me anymore!" Onyxia finally broke. Blood-streaked tears fell from her massive eyes as she let out a humiliated plea for mercy. Her draconic pride had been pulverized by those merciless iron fists of light. She had never experienced such physical agony or spiritual humiliation in her life.
Even her father had never hit her that hard!
Rhodes let out a cold laugh and finally stopped. The giant's fists hovered in the air before slowly dissolving into golden motes of light. Rhodes brushed off his hands as if he'd just finished a light warm-up.
"You're a bit fragile, aren't you? You couldn't even take a few hits. Next time, bring your dad; I promise I'll beat him into a state of 'ecstasy,'" Rhodes said, cracking his neck.
"........" Onyxia didn't say anything, but strangely, she felt a bizarre sense of relief that it was over.
"Well then. Are you willing to submit to me now?"
"I... I am," Onyxia whispered, bowing her proud head to the ground.
Rhodes nodded in satisfaction and turned to King Varian, who was still in a state of shock. "Your Majesty, as you can see, I have 'persuaded' her through physical means. Now, may I take her with me? I guarantee she will pay for her crimes, and... her existence will serve a much higher purpose."
Varian's lip twitched. That's one hell of a "persuasion" technique.