Andreas never relaxed his vigilance against Deathwing. N'Zoth had placed high hopes on him, spending decades to transform him, so it wouldn't be as simple as just repairing Deathwing's heart.
Although it hadn't manifested yet, Andreas speculated that Deathwing likely had other trump cards.
However, this trump card might not be something Deathwing himself desired; once used, it might be impossible to turn back.
The Blue Dragonflight, led by Malygos, was the first to teleport from Wyrmrest Temple to the scene. They were currently observing the situation from outside the gravity barrier.
Malygos, who would usually go mad at the sight of Neltharion, was remarkably calm this time. The experience of almost killing Deathwing last time seemed to have completely removed his inner demons.
Having experienced Kalecgos' death, Malygos repeatedly reminded himself to think twice before acting. He didn't want to lose important members of his clan again due to his impulsiveness.
Next to arrive was the Black Dragonflight, personally led by Dragon Queen Sinestra.
Unlike Onyxia and Nefarian, who looked at Deathwing with complicated emotions, Ebysian felt a hint of curiosity towards Deathwing, in addition to his vigilance.
"Mother, is this deformed Black Dragon my father?"
Sinestra replied with icy eyes, "That's right, that creature, neither dragon nor ghost, is Neltharion."
"Ebysian, prepare for battle. Although he has completely fallen, Deathwing's strength has increased instead of decreased. This battle will be extremely difficult."
...As Shandris led the Second Flying Fleet to reinforce the western coastlines as a mobile force, the Fourth Flying Fleet, stationed in Northrend, also moved south with the large-scale departure of the Dragonflights, heading to the Broken Isles to assist in defending against the Naga's assault.
The Lost Isles were also under attack by swarming Naga. The Draenei, who had previously fought the Naga, calmly responded under Yrel's command.
Tempest Keep, acting as a fixed artillery platform, tore a vacuum channel in the ocean with every shot. The powerful barrage prevented the landing Naga from advancing further... The Impact of countless Naga greatly annoyed Andreas, but he could only forcibly suppress the turmoil in his heart and continue to command from the center.
Azshara had not yet appeared, so Andreas had to stay in the rear to guard against the Naga Queen's actions, with both sides effectively neutralizing each other.
"Aow hoo!"
A piercing shriek interrupted Andreas' thoughts. The Highborne, who were gathering to cast spells in Astranaar' mage tower, sent someone to report at that moment.
"Speaker! The barrier can't hold! Deathwing's size and power form are undergoing abnormal changes!"
Andreas frowned. "Let's go take a look."
With the help of the mage's teleportation spell, Andreas and Maiev arrived at the official mage tower's top-floor observatory, observing the scene from afar through high-powered telescopes.
The Twilight Dragon lying on the ground seemed relatively normal, but Deathwing's armor plates had almost completely peeled off.
The gushing lava and collapsing body caused Deathwing to continuously let out tragic howls.
As Deathwing's body gradually cracked, more disgusting tentacles and fleshy growths sprouted from his wounds.
"Tsk!" Maiev clicked her tongue in disgust. "This guy can no longer be considered a dragon. After being excessively modified by N'Zoth, he has become an unspeakable, deformed creature."
Just as Maiev complained, Deathwing at this moment was completely unrecognizable as a dragon.
His chest split open down the middle, making his entire dragon body appear extremely bizarre.
The lava flowing onto the ground rapidly corroded the lush green grass. The split in his chest gradually affected his entire body. Except for his head, which barely still wore the Elementium jaw, his entire body began to undergo incredibly disgusting mutations.
Large numbers of purplish-black tentacles stretched out menacingly from all over Deathwing's body. The gravity barrier seemed to have no effect on these tentacles at all.
"No! It's going to collapse!"
With the shouts coming from below the mage tower, the gravity barrier restraining Deathwing finally shattered, and the aura that had been contained within the barrier around Deathwing was released all at once.
"Roar!"
Finally free from its restraints, the Twilight Dragon let out a joyful roar, spread its wings, and took flight from the ground once more.
"Attack!"
Hidden by the towering trees of Mount Hyjal, the five-colored Dragonflights, who had been ambushed, simultaneously spewed dragon breaths of various colors at the group of Twilight Dragons.
The overwhelming attack severely damaged the unprepared Twilight Dragons. If not for their modified scales having considerable resistance to the five-colored Dragonflights' attacks, these deformed dragons would have been completely annihilated.
The Dragon Aspects, outnumbering the Twilight Dragons several times over, successively entered the battlefield. The thick-skinned Black Dragons served as tanks and physical damage dealers, the Blue Dragons as magic damage dealers, and the other three-colored Dragonflights provided support and secondary damage.
While Chromie and Arygos, along with other younger dragons, engaged the Twilight Dragons, the four Aspects and Sinestra surrounded Deathwing.
"Roar!"
Alexstrasza was the first to unleash a blast of Life-Flame at Deathwing. The tentacles all over the fallen Black Dragon King's body twitched violently under the impact of the life energy.
"Ow!"
Deathwing also thrashed his only intact head, howling in pain. As his tail forcefully struck the ground, a dozen large tentacles emerged from underground, making muffled whooshing sounds as they lashed out at the Aspects.
Malygos spat out Arcane blades, similar to boomerangs, cutting these tentacles in half.
Just like when Varian and others fought Benedictus, the powerful self-healing ability of the Old God system allowed the severed tentacles to quickly regrow.
Malygos, while constructing a large spell, reminded the Bronze Dragon King.
"Nozdormu!"
"I know, don't rush."
Nozdormu's expression remained calm. His eyes glowed golden, and a faint phantom of a time hourglass appeared within them.
"Tick-tock~"
The sound of a clock hand turning echoed, and the battleground where Deathwing was fighting was completely separated from the outside world, pulled into another timeline.
Nozdormu flapped his wings, bestowing Time Protection upon his companions. "Attack freely. This is an abandoned timeline, so there's no need to worry about harming Azeroth."
"Hmph! Perfect."
Malygos' grand spell was fully charged, and countless tiny Arcane particles appeared around Deathwing.
"You all fall back!"
After the other four dragons moved out of the attack range, the hovering Arcane particles successively expanded and exploded, connecting from points to lines, and then lines gradually forming surfaces and space. A deep blue Arcane light enveloped Deathwing.
"Starlight Annihilation!"
The spell that Andreas had almost endured was unleashed upon Deathwing, its power several times greater than what Andreas had experienced.
The timeline within a certain range vibrated violently amidst the eruption of Arcane energy. Nozdormu hurriedly cast a spell to stabilize space-time.
Deathwing, who reappeared before the Dragon Kings, looked extremely pathetic, with many parts of his body hollowed out, his flesh barely connected, and his entire body seemingly on the verge of falling apart at any moment.
"Aow aow aow!"
Since his form changed, Deathwing had almost completely lost his sanity. He roared madly with his head thrown back, and the wounds on his body regenerated and healed at an incredible speed.
"Are you kidding me?"
Malygos muttered, looking at Deathwing as he gradually recovered, "I absolutely held nothing back. Even this can't destroy him?"
As the Guardian of Magic among the Dragon Aspects, Malygos was very confident in his offensive power.
In terms of destructive power alone, he was the undisputed first among the Dragon Aspects; no one could surpass him.
The Starlight Extinction spell just now was Malygos' maximum output, yet it still couldn't eliminate the mutated Deathwing.
Ysera constructed a dream illusion to temporarily trap Deathwing, and the five dragons gathered to discuss.
"This battle will likely be very difficult. Deathwing already possesses some characteristics of the Old Gods. If we can't destroy his body in one go, he will continuously regenerate."
While the other Dragon Kings discussed with furrowed brows, Sinestra looked at Deathwing, who was wildly attacking in the illusion, her eyes flickering... Andreas couldn't observe what was happening on another timeline, but Malygos' spell caused spatiotemporal tremors that he did notice.
The battle between the Twilight Dragons and the Dragon Aspects was almost one-sided.
The five color Dragons, working in perfect harmony, continuously overwhelmed and thrashed the Twilight Dragons from start to finish. With both numerical and qualitative advantages, it didn't take long to end the battle.
After dispatching the Twilight Dragons, all the Dragon Aspects, like Andreas, quietly watched the battlefield where Deathwing and the Dragon Kings had disappeared, awaiting the final outcome.
"Whoosh!"
When Nozdormu finally reset the timeline, the unexpected development made many of the present Dragon Aspects instinctively retreat two steps.
Deathwing, battered all over, was still alive. Although the Black Dragon Queen and the four Dragon Aspects looked somewhat tired, they still retained their fighting strength.
"This..."
Kalecgos muttered to himself in disbelief, "The four Dragon Kings at their peak, plus Sinestra, still can't take down Deathwing?"
Andreas, atop Nordrassil, also frowned. He vaguely guessed the reason why Deathwing was still alive.
'As expected, was he endowed with some of N'Zoth's characteristics?'
"Owoo!"
Deathwing let out a strange cry from his torn vocal cords. Andreas subconsciously placed his left hand on the hilt of the sword of the dark empire, but then immediately withdrew his hand.
Xal'atath had not yet awakened from his slumber, so the sword of the dark empire could not deliver a fatal blow at this moment.
Sinestra once again spewed Shadowflame Dragonbreath at Deathwing, who was attempting to attack. Damage was dealt, but his powerful physical regeneration quickly rendered Sinestra's efforts useless.
"There's no other way."
While Nozdormu was immobilizing Deathwing, Sinestra took a breath and retreated to the Red Dragon Queen's side.
"Alexstrasza, do you remember the ultimate solution I mentioned before?"
Alexstrasza was startled. "You plan to... No! Don't be impulsive! There must be another way."
"Krasus, go find Andr..."
"It's useless," Sinestra said with a bitter smile. "From what I know of Andreas, if he had a way to remove Deathwing's immortality, he would have already taken action."
Malygos looked at Sinestra with a complicated expression. "I guessed as much. The demonic sword probably hasn't awakened yet... Are you really determined to do this?"
Sinestra turned her head and looked gently at her three bewildered children. Onyxia and her siblings saw a mixture of reluctance and farewell in their mother's eyes.
"Could it be!"
Before Onyxia could rush forward to stop her, Sinestra had already withdrawn her gaze and threw herself into Deathwing.
"Roar! Alexstrasza, do it!"
With the arrow already nocked, the Red Dragon Queen gritted her teeth and spewed Life-Flame, enveloping both Sinestra and Deathwing.
The Life-Flame burned Deathwing without harming Sinestra; instead, it catalyzed her vitality, granting her super regeneration similar to an Old God's for a certain period.
Of course, there was a price.
"Owoo!"
Deathwing's claws and wings frantically scratched at Sinestra, but the wounds that had just bled rapidly healed in the next second.
"Sigh~" Malygos sighed. "I'll help you too."
The Guardian of Magic constructed a thin Arcane crystal body to cover Sinestra's surface, while Nozdormu and Ysera also successively cast their large auxiliary spells on the Black Dragon Queen.
"Thank you. I entrust the Black Dragonflight to your care."
Sinestra's four claws dug tightly into Deathwing's corrupted flesh, and she flapped her wings, carrying Deathwing with her as they flew skyward.
"Ascend!"
"Ooh roar!"
Deathwing, now driven only by instinct, sensed an ominous atmosphere and frantically bit at Sinestra, who clung to him.
Sinestra, overdrawing her life force, healed even faster than Deathwing, who was infused with the Old God's essence. The countless new pains instead brought a relieved smile to her dragon face.
"You will leave this world with me. Consider this the Black Dragonflight's final atonement for Azeroth!"
Andreas and Maiev looked up at Sinestra, who was ascending higher and higher, and quickly understood her plan.
"So that's it."
Andreas looked at the three Black Dragon siblings, who were struggling under the other dragons' restraint, trying to stop Sinestra, and let out a soft sigh.
"The parasitic Old Gods' regeneration on Azeroth is sustained by absorbing Azeroth's essence. Once they leave this planet, the power infused by the Old Gods can no longer take effect."
Maiev also shook her head with a bitter smile. "Atonement? I believe the Black Dragonflight's contributions over the years are already enough to offset the destruction caused by Deathwing."
Andreas said helplessly, "Deathwing has always been an unshakeable nightmare in Sinestra's heart. Perhaps this ending, going together to the Shadowlands, is a form of liberation for her."
Sinestra, pressed tightly against Neltharion, vaguely heard N'Zoth's hysterical screams. With Ysera's Dream Ward, she barely maintained her sanity, and a ferocious smile curled on Sinestra's lips.
"N'Zoth, you were the one who tempted my husband to fall. This time, I'll make you taste a pain that pierces the soul!"
Ignoring Deathwing's attacks, Sinestra flapped her wings one last time to accelerate, finally breaking through Azeroth's atmosphere a few seconds later.
N'Zoth's omnipresent whispers finally vanished in the serene and vacuum of space, and Deathwing's mind welcomed a long-lost tranquility.
"I... what is this?"
Orange-red light began to flash on Sinestra's body. Her dragon form gradually disintegrated from her tail, but in her final moments, the Dragon Queen wore a gentle smile on her face.
"This is the hour of your and my demise."
"Is... is that so...?"
Andreas and the others on the ground saw a dazzling flash of light erupt from the direction Sinestra flew, and a piercing shriek simultaneously echoed in everyone's minds.
While others painfully clutched their heads, Andreas calmly looked towards the sea east of Mount Hyjal.
"N'Zoth, you didn't expect incorporating parts of your soul and flesh into Deathwing's body to cause such consequences, did you? This is called being hoisted by your own petard."
Even after being transformed by the Old Gods, Deathwing was ultimately not an Old God. Logically, his regeneration should have limits.
For example, Benedictus, even after becoming a Faceless One, could not regenerate indefinitely without conditions. When his internal energy was depleted, all regenerative abilities would cease to be effective.
N'Zoth established a connection between Deathwing's body and himself through his own flesh and soul, achieving infinite regeneration by absorbing the essence of Azeroth.
However, doing so also had a drawback.
Once Deathwing was eliminated, N'Zoth's soul would also suffer irreversible damage.
N'Zoth had calculated Xal'atath's revival time, which would take at least another three months.
During these three months, Deathwing could rampage across Azeroth. Unless the Keepers wasted energy sealing him, no one could kill him.
But N'Zoth, for all his calculations, never anticipated Sinestra finding a way to sever his blessing.
Not only was Deathwing, his pawn, rendered useless, but his soul also suffered significant damage as a result.
The three Black Dragon siblings stared blankly at the gradually fading light in the sky.
Nefarian, who usually found Sinestra's discipline annoying, was sobbing softly. Onyxia's gaze was vacant, unable to recover for a long time.
Ebysian suppressed his grief and heavily flapped his wings against his siblings.
"Please pull yourselves together! Mother entrusted the future of the Black Dragonflight entirely to us. We must not disappoint her!"
The four Dragon Kings, entrusted by Sinestra, felt a heavy burden. Seeing Ebysian bravely comforting the other Black Dragons, they finally found some solace. At least the Black Dragonflight had a successor.
"Ahem~ Excuse me for interrupting."
Just as the scene was immersed in the sorrow of parting, a crude small flying machine appeared above the dragons, emitting a sharp mechanical sound from its speaker.
Andreas raised an eyebrow, "That voice... Mimiron?"
Mimiron didn't hear Andreas' whispered words from far away in Astranaar and continued speaking to himself, "Everyone, I am Mimiron, a Keeper from Ulduar. My colleague Hodir has a message he asked me to convey to you, especially the Black Dragonflight."
"Ahem~"
Mimiron adjusted the tone of his mechanical voice, trying to simulate Hodir's deep voice.
"I am the Forge Keeper Hodir. I apologize for disturbing you at this sad moment, but I have good news for the Black Dragonflight."
"Mimiron's outer space monitoring equipment witnessed the fall of the Earth-Warder. With the help of the azeroth world-soul, Neltharion's Earth-Warder power has been recovered."
"Please, the Black Dragonflight, determine a successor as soon as possible. At that time, I will go to the Wyrmrest Temple to bestow the new Black Dragon King with the Earth-Warder power you lost years ago."
Mimiron's voice returned to its original sharpness, "Hodir's message ends here. Thank you, Black Dragonflight, for your sacrifice in protecting Azeroth. The late Tyr would surely be proud of you."
Mimiron's sudden intrusion made Andreas somewhat dumbfounded, but his interruption finally diluted the sorrowful atmosphere and brought good news to the heavily damaged Black Dragonflight.
Andreas didn't have time to mourn Sinestra. After confirming Deathwing's demise, he immediately turned his attention to the overwhelming Naga near the coastline.
Sen'jin's coastal defense line was crumbling under the combined assault of the Twilight Dragons and Naga. Andreas urgently dispatched another 100,000 troops to reinforce it.
As the dragons adjusted their mindset and joined the battlefield, the precarious situation finally eased. The number of Twilight Dragons dwindled daily under the furious attacks of the dragons, who were filled with suppressed emotions.
Within a month, the focus of the defense shifted from the Twilight Dragons to the Naga.
These fish-tailed creatures not only had a massive population themselves, but they also deployed even more numerous Murloc cannon fodder troops to exhaust the stamina and magic of the defenders when they assaulted the beaches.
When the good news of AlAkir and Ragnaros being successfully defeated arrived consecutively, reinforcements from various races in the Eastern Kingdoms finally reached the vicinity of the Broken Isles.
The massive numbers of Naga blocked their further westward journey to reinforce Kalimdor, so the reinforcements from major organizations and nations could only temporarily remain in the Broken Isles, helping the Tirisifal Council resolve the local Naga crisis.
As a large island in the sea, all areas of the Broken Isles were subject to Naga attacks.
Valsharah, with the forces of Black Rook Hold, blocked the Naga on the western coast, and Suramar also possessed powerful arcane magic, so the Naga attacks on these two areas caused little damage.
The Tauren of Highmountain and the Drogbar united could also keep the Naga from landing near the northern shore, and Odyn's Valhalla provided strong support for Stormheim.
However, Azsuna, which had previously been ignored, suffered the most damage, with Naga and Murlocs visible everywhere on its beaches.
The Ghost Wardens led by Farondis could only barely hold the central Nalath Academy area with the Tirisifal Council, and Watcher's Isle remained impregnable under the defense led by Sela Moonwarden.
But other areas completely became a Naga paradise, and the reinforcements from the Eastern Kingdoms mainly provided support to Azsuna.
Sometimes, sheer numbers can also lead to a qualitative change; the countless Naga also brought immense pressure to Kalimdor.
The ancient Night Elf Republic, under the endless Naga assaults of Azshara, fully activated its military potential. Every day, countless arcane golems rolled off the production lines and immediately rushed to the front lines.
Although the situation was very dangerous, Andreas, who was coordinating from the center, managed to barely maintain the battle situation through his hair-losing long nights, holding out until Jarod led one of the main forces back from the south as reinforcements.
The Firelands were breached under the charge led by Freya, Hodir, and Thorim. Ragnaros, who had retreated to his palace, met his end in despair.
The Ice Keeper Hodir, seizing the opportunity while Ragnaros was weakened, forcibly froze him with his Frost War Hammer, granting the Fire Elemental Lord death in the most humiliating way—frozen to death.
Not all Fire Elementals were loyal to Ragnaros. With the intervention of the three Keepers, a new Fire Elemental Lord, reportedly named Smolderon, who was relatively friendly to Mortals, was quickly chosen.
On the Wind Elemental side, AlAkir, who was foolishly loyal to the Old Gods, finally died at the hands of Thunderaan, bringing the drama of a filial son and father to an end.
After changing their leaders, the Wind Elementals and Fire Elementals immediately defected, joining the ranks of the Azeroth Keepers and launching attacks against the Naga invading the coastline.
The end of the two-front war not only freed up more Night Elves but also gained them two powerful allies.
Meanwhile, good news also came from the Vashjir underwater forces, who helped the Water Elementals repel the Naga.
With the submersible carrier at the vanguard, the Night Elf underwater forces finally broke through the Naga defenses and officially entered the Throne of the Tides, which was under attack from Naga and sea monsters.
On another front, Go'el and other Earthen Ring shamans also sent the latest intelligence.
After the Earthen Ring completed the repair of the World-Pillars, Therazane the Stonemother agreed to join the Azeroth Keepers faction and collectively defeat the last Old God, N'Zoth.
Andreas, who had been working overtime until his hair fell out, let out a long sigh and leaned softly back in his chair.
Celeste, who had long since left the shelter, tenderly massaged his temples. Andreas closed his eyes in relaxation, a smile on his face.
"The situation is finally looking up."
"Speaker! Azshara... Azshara has finally made a high-profile appearance!"
Andreas: "..."
"Damn it, can't you just let me rest for a bit?!"
Although quite annoyed, Andreas ultimately teleported with Celeste to the top floor of the Astranaar mage tower, looking out at the Endless Sea to the east through the telescope on the Stargazing Platform.
As the report stated, Azshara indeed made a "high-profile" appearance.
The Naga Queen, through some unknown method, opened a vacuum channel directly to the seabed, and her incredibly magnificent Coral Throne rose from the depths of the sea to the surface.
Azshara, with three split tails, leaned languidly on her throne, a striking golden crown resting firmly on her head.
Due to her racial transformation, Azshara's appearance had changed somewhat, but her Naga face, covered in delicate scales, instead added a touch of exotic charm, and her demeanor remained as graceful and noble as before.
Near the Coral Throne floating on the sea surface, three female Naga spellcasters in opulent attire guarded her. They were likely all transformed from Azshara's most trusted handmaidens.
Ten thousand years ago, during the mission to Suramar to rescue Tyrande, Andreas had briefly visited Azshara's bedchamber.
The self-admiring Azshara never placed male guards in her bedchamber; these Court Handmaidens were her most trusted and relied-upon confidantes, with Vashj being the highest-ranking female official.
Just as Andreas was carefully observing Azshara's changes over the past ten thousand years, Celeste suddenly grabbed Andreas' sleeve forcefully.
"Th-that's..."
Celeste, her lips trembling slightly, stared intently at one of the Queen's close guards through another telescope.
Having lived through the War of the Ancients and ten thousand long years, Celeste was no longer the naive little girl she once was.
But her behavior at this moment was extremely unusual, and her anxious look made Andreas temporarily shift his attention from Azshara.
Following Celeste's guidance, Andreas adjusted the telescope and carefully observed the female Naga.
Due to the dense scales covering their bodies and the need for prolonged activity in the sea, Naga, regardless of gender, do not wear clothes, only installing some metal decorations on certain key areas for concealment.
In this situation, the quantity and extravagance of the metal decorations on a Naga indicate their identity and status.
Male Naga typically have tentacles on their chins, and their identity can be determined by the material of the metal rings worn on these tentacles.
The female Naga Celeste was staring at had four arms, unlike ordinary spellcasters, with six arms naturally resting at her sides, two of which held a staff and a longbow respectively.
Metal decorations, resistant to water oxidation, bound her serpentine hair, and each arm wore golden double bracelets that seemed to emit a crisp clinking sound.
Andreas felt as if he had seen the face of this female Naga somewhere before, but perhaps too much time had passed, and he couldn't recall it immediately.
"Faelithris... that's Lady Faelithris, Leticia's mother!"
Celeste's exclamation startled Andreas, and the memories buried deep in his mind finally began to resurface.
"Th-this... no way?"
Although Andreas had once told Leticia that Faelithris might not have died during the fall into the sea, he himself didn't believe that statement at the time; it was merely a conventional social comfort.
Many years had passed, and Leticia had long accepted the fact of her mother's death. She kept all the tragedies that had occurred in her heart, allowing these experiences to become catalysts for her growth.
It was no wonder Celeste was acting so unusually, with a figure from ancient memories suddenly appearing before her eyes.
Andreas knew what Celeste was nervous about. Ten thousand years ago, to safely send Celeste away from the collapsing Suramar, her mother and Faelithris had left their only Escape Teleporter to the young Celeste.
With Faelithris, who had sunk into the sea, surviving as a Naga, Celeste couldn't help but feel a surge of hope that perhaps her own mother had also survived in the same way.
The telescope swept over the other two female Naga, and Celeste was disappointed; neither of them was her mother.
Andreas, with some concern, refocused the telescope towards the Sen'jin beach defense line and quickly spotted Leticia riding Gomu.
Due to Azshara's appearance, the Naga had temporarily halted their relentless, surging offensive. Leticia was reminding her soldiers not to let down their guard and had not yet noticed the Naga with the familiar face in the distant sea.
Shaking his head to compose himself, Andreas instructed the disappointed Celeste, "I'm going to the front line to check the situation. The Council will temporarily be managed by you and Maiev. If an emergency arises that cannot be resolved, you can only awaken Malfurion and Tyrande from their seclusion."
Celeste took a deep breath, forcing her agitated emotions to calm down again.
"I understand. Be careful. Queen Azshara's strength is probably not much weaker than Kiljaeden's or Archimonde's."
...Andreas knew Azshara's strength, having fought her before.
With the Well of Eternity's blessing, Azshara could display combat power comparable to, or even subtly surpassing, Archimonde's.
But away from the Well of Eternity, her raw strength was still somewhat weaker compared to the two Eredar giants of the Burning Legion.
However, this didn't mean Andreas could underestimate Azshara. Who knew if this exceptionally talented queen had made another breakthrough in the past ten thousand years?
Celeste used a teleportation spell to send her husband directly to the Sen'jin coastal front. This barren red land was originally a faint reddish-brown, but now it had long been stained dark red by the blood of both warring sides.
In terms of casualty ratio, the number of Naga killed was dozens, even scores of times greater than that of the Night Elves and Tauren defenders, but the sheer size of their total forces was overwhelming. This war, where quantity overwhelmed quality, had already become extremely brutal.
The Flying Fleet hovering over the battlefield had returned to Mount Hyjal multiple times for recharging, and the arcane cannons on the ships had been replaced several times due to wear and tear. Coastal Defense Weapons along the coastline had suffered losses of up to 70%.
If the fighting continued without pause, the defenders would eventually lose all their defensive armaments, forced to block Naga attacks through close combat, at which point the Allied Forces' casualties would further expand.
The Azeroth Allied Forces had made great sacrifices, and the Naga also suffered heavy losses. A month ago, the overwhelming Naga tide's impact had significantly weakened, and the number of reinforcements emerging from the depths of the sea was continuously decreasing.
Azshara appeared at just the right time. If she hadn't shown up, Andreas had planned to actively go to the battlefield to lure her out.
"Andreas?" Leticia looked in surprise at her adoptive father emerging from the portal. "Why are you here? Is it to deal with Azshara?"
Andreas, after a long time, rubbed Leticia's hair, which was stiff with Naga blood, and managed to comb out the tangled strands.
"Leticia, remember my words: no matter what happens next, you must remain calm."
"Huh?"
Leticia half-closed her eyes like a cat, enjoying Andreas' warm hand stroking her. She was quite puzzled by Andreas' sudden reminder.
"I don't know what you're talking about... Alright, I'll control my emotions."
"Good."
Finally patting Leticia's head, Andreas' smile faded, and with a serious expression, he ascended into the sky, lifted by the wind.
"Azshara! I am Andreas, come out and face me!"
With the Amplification Spell, Andreas' call echoed far out over the sea.
Azshara, who was leaning on her Coral Throne and savoring fine wine, paused. A profound smile appeared on her dazzlingly beautiful face.
"It seems our little friend can't wait, wouldn't you say, Faelithris?"
Faelithris' eyes flickered. She respectfully lowered her head and replied, "Your Majesty, please give your command."
"Hehe~"
Azshara's three Naga tails propped her up from her seat. With a flash of Arcane light and shadow, the Naga-form Azshara vanished, replaced by her former appearance as a Night Elf.
Gently caressing her pale purple skin, which glowed with a cool radiance under the moonlight, Azshara's exquisite face showed satisfaction.
"Indeed, this form is the most familiar."
Stepping with her long, slender legs, she gracefully walked towards the suddenly opening portal. Azshara playfully beckoned with a finger behind her, "Come, Faelithris, join me in meeting an old acquaintance after such a long time."
"Yes."
...In the Naga front-line position, a Dark blue portal opened. First, a pair of delicate, shoeless feet emerged from within, followed by a stunning beauty with a confident and elegant smile on her face, who stepped out of the portal.
The Tauren and darkspear trolls had question marks all over their foreheads. They didn't understand why a Night Elf woman would appear in the Naga position.
In the Night Elf camp, some veteran officers suddenly froze. They stared in horror at the tall, proud woman with her arms crossed over her chest.
"No... impossible!"
One general, with a full beard, muttered in disbelief, "Queen Azshara has already become a Naga. How could she appear in this form again...?"
"Stay calm! Don't be deceived by appearances!"
A cool, low shout echoed across the entire defense line. Andreas also stared intently at Azshara, who wore a half-smile on her face.
Leticia finally understood what her adoptive father's earlier warning meant. She stared blankly at the female Naga who was looking at her with complex eyes.
"Mother?"
As the queen arrived at the front line, the previously chaotic Naga quickly formed ranks, leaving a passage for Azshara in the center of the sea.
Her bare, pristine feet stepped lightly on the temporarily calm sea surface, stirring ripples that spread outwards. Azshara walked directly to the front of the Naga army, completely unafraid of the shore defenses the Allied Forces had aimed at her.
Tossing her silver hair back over her shoulder, Azshara's golden eyes teasingly watched Andreas, who was floating in the air.
"I've come as invited, little Andreas. Speak your mind."
Given Andreas' current age and status, it had been a long time since anyone had addressed him that way. Azshara's slightly flippant words stirred a slight ripple in the Night Elf army, which had just managed to calm down.
With the other party being so direct, Andreas naturally couldn't falter in front of countless citizens and allies.
Slowly descending from the air, Andreas' boots also firmly touched the water. Under the gaze of countless people from both sides of the battlefield, he walked to a position about five meters in front of Azshara.
"Long time no see, Queen Azshara."
Andreas saluted Azshara with a humble yet dignified chest-pat, "I am Andreas, Speaker of the High Council of the Night Elf Republic."
"Hehe~" Azshara chuckled softly with a slightly husky, enchanting voice. "So formal? Very well, I'll introduce myself too."
She scanned the Allied soldiers standing ready for battle, and two pairs of similar golden eyes finally met.
"I am Azshara, the destined Queen of the Night Elf Empire! My subjects, you should have heard my name, more or less."
"Of course..." Azshara looked at Andreas, a meaningful smile on her face, "Provided your historical records haven't been tampered with."
During Tyrande's reign, to diminish Azshara's lingering influence among the Highborne, there was indeed a period when Azshara's records in historical texts were deliberately erased.
However, after Andreas took office, he ordered the abolition of these petty actions by Tyrande.
History that has already occurred cannot be erased or distorted. With the Night Elves' immortal lifespan, Azshara's memory would always be etched in the hearts of most of the older generation; this could not be eliminated by whitewashing history.
Andreas responded with a faint smile, "Please rest assured, even without your leadership, the Night Elves will not forget the hardships they've endured. We will always keep the lessons of the Night Elf Empire in mind, constantly reminding ourselves not to repeat the same foolish mistakes."
"Oh?" Azshara hooked her lips with interest. "Little Andreas, after ten thousand years, you've become quite sharp-tongued compared to before."
"Heh~ People always have to grow, don't they?"
Andreas smiled in response, then straightened his face and brought the conversation back to the main topic.
"Getting back to the point, Queen Azshara, do you truly intend to fight us to the last Naga?"
Azshara crossed her hands over her magnificent chest and elegantly shrugged. "Otherwise? My ally hopes to eliminate the last vestiges of resistance on Azeroth, and 'your' Night Elf Republic is a stubborn rock blocking our path forward."
"Ally?"
Andreas retorted with a hint of sarcasm, "Or master?"
"Ally!"
Azshara's expression turned somewhat displeased. She emphasized with a heavier tone, "I am Azshara, the destined Queen of the Night Elf Empire! I will not submit to anyone, nor can the Old Gods ever be my masters, never!"
Andreas nodded noncommittally. "So, do you intend to follow your 'ally's' instructions and fight the Azeroth Allied Forces to the death?"
"Well..." Azshara said meaningfully, "that depends on your attitude."
"If you are willing to submit to N'Zoth and return to my rule, the High Council will still retain its structure, and you will continue to govern the vast land and underwater kingdoms."
Andreas calmly asked, "What are the conditions? And what role will you play in this nation?"
Azshara's face bloomed with a radiant smile; her natural, non-magical charm captivated many present.
"You will be responsible for governing the nation, but the most crucial decision-making power will be in my hands."
"I will reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to me. The entirety of Azeroth is my private garden; inferior races have no right to exist in my territory."
Andreas stared intently into Azshara's similar golden eyes, trying to discern the true intentions of this Naga Queen from her gaze.
"I'm afraid it seems we can't reach an agreement."
Andreas shifted his gaze to Faelithris, whose eyes had been fixed on the coastline. "Then let both sides continue to settle this on the battlefield, Queen Azshara, do you intend to make a move as well?"
"Hehe~"
Azshara was not surprised by Andreas' reply. She covered her crimson lips with the back of her hand and chuckled softly, "It's rare to come out for a trip; a little exercise would be good. You can play with me."
Turning gracefully 360 degrees in place, Azshara was covered in an exquisitely ornate moon-white gown, and in her hand, she held a staff with a female statue carved into its head.
The female statue was Azshara herself. As energy surged from the staff, red, blue, and white orbs rotated uniformly around the statue at the staff's head. Azshara's demeanor also shifted from lazy and casual to dignified and solemn.
"Come, little Andreas, let me see how much you've progressed in these ten thousand years."
The destructive power caused by the battle between two Demigods was unbearable for ordinary people.
Faelithris, as Azshara's Aide, retracted her gaze from the coastline and commanded the arrayed Naga to retreat into the sea, clearing space for Andreas and Azshara to fight.
Leticia also took a deep breath. Remembering Andreas' reminder, she barely managed to suppress the turbulent emotions in her heart and calmly ordered the defensive line to retreat.
Most of the Night Elves' Coastal Defense Weapons were modular. Agile craftsmen quickly dismantled the heavy Coastal Defense Cannons, and the components were transported backward in batches by Kodo Beasts with excellent load capacity and transport arcane golems.
The high-intensity battle that had lasted for a month temporarily ceased. The craftsmen took this opportunity to repair and replace coastal defense weapon parts, aiming to restore the operational efficiency of the Coastal Defense Weapons as much as possible while Speaker Moonshadow bought time.
"Boom!"
Azshara casually waved her staff, and a highly compressed Arcane Magic Projectile smashed into the sea beside Andreas, kicking up a large spray of seawater.
Andreas, holding the Staff of Ganir, ignored the obscured vision after dodging the magic projectile, and instead used the cover of the mist to release the Curtain of Holy Light.
Azshara's eyes were flashed by the light refracted through the seawater. At the same time, her left hand, which had just raised her staff, suddenly paused for an extremely short moment, and her body lost control for an instant.
A look of surprise flashed in Azshara's eyes, but she did not panic. Her free right hand hooked upward, and a thick, long column of water rapidly pierced toward Andreas from the sea surface.
The column of water froze the moment it left the sea, and its sharp tip was about to hit the target.
"Clang!"
The light blade of the Staff of Ganir sliced off the tip of the Ice column. Andreas, who had finished casting simultaneously, summoned a large shower of golden energy meteors in the sky.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The large-scale spell caused the sea surface where the two were fighting to explode with splashing water. Surging waves heavily pounded the beach, making the recently evacuated Allied Soldiers feel fortunate amid their shock that they had retreated in time.
The continuous meteor shower completely obscured the view of the sea surface. Since Andreas was not a sea creature, he used wind power to float into the air as the meteor shower fell.
"Hehe~ Not bad."
A large golden-red fireball ignored the influence of the seawater and rushed out rapidly from the water curtain. Water droplets near the fireball were quickly vaporized, and the high temperature contained within was evident.
Andreas pulled out the Multi-functional Magic-Conductive Gun from his waist, adjusted it to the Single-Shot Beam Gun mode, infused it with Shadow Magic Power, and fired.
"Bang!"
The Fireball Spell, which had been pierced through the center, lost stability in mid-air, gradually disintegrated, and fell into the sea. The temperature in the small area rose sharply, causing the surface seawater to even start boiling. The high-temperature steam forced Andreas to retreat several meters to create distance.
"Ah~"
Azshara's bare feet stepped directly onto the boiling seawater. Any boiling water that touched her smooth, moist feet was immediately frozen. As she advanced, a small frozen area quickly appeared on the sea surface.
The Fire and Ice spells cast by Mages are not completed by calling upon the aid of the elements like Shaman Priests do. Essentially, they use Arcane energy to control temperature and property changes within a unit range; ultimately, it is just one method of applying Arcane.
As the first Demigod-level Arcanist in history, Azshara's control over Ice and Fire was masterful, causing Andreas to experience the intensity of both Fire and Ice in a short period.
The focus of an Arcanist is the study of Arcane power. As one of the six great fundamental forces of the universe, Arcane represents Order.
However, Arcane, the symbol of Order, is not so "orderly" in the hands of a novice. An Arcanist with only a superficial understanding can easily use Arcane to tear open an Astral Channel, inadvertently introducing Extraterrestrial Visitors into their world.
Compared to the Night Elves and High Elves, who had the Well of Eternity and the Sunwell to conceal the traces of Arcane usage, the human novices of Dalaran committed this great taboo when they were first established.
A large number of Demons and Void Creatures entered Azeroth through the Astral Channels inadvertently opened by the Mages, which was the most important reason for the initial formation of the Tirisifal Council.
Arcane is dangerous and uncontrollable in the hands of a novice, easily leading to devastating backlash. But in the hands of high-level experts, the power and docility they exhibit seem like something happening in another dimension.
Azshara wielded Arcane as easily as moving her own arm; the Three Schools of Magic seemed to have zero casting time for her.
One second it was an ultra-high-temperature flame baptism, and the next it could turn into an Ice Storm hitting the face, interspersed with some strange spells unheard of by others. Gravity Spell was one of them.
Compared to the last time he was completely defeated by Azshara, Andreas was no longer the same. Although he could feel pressure from battling Azshara, it was not like facing Kiljaeden and Archimonde, where he barely managed to hold on by relying on allies and Artifacts.
Azshara's staff and Robes were extraordinary items. Although their names were unknown, they were likely Artifacts custom-made by her.
Aided by that narcissistic staff carved with her own likeness, Azshara's switching between the Three Schools of Magic was almost seamless.
When first fighting Azshara, who was acting as a fully activated turret, Andreas was somewhat unaccustomed, and it took him a while to adapt to her combat rhythm.
But the experienced Azshara immediately changed her rhythm. Leveraging her understanding of Andreas gained from years of secret observation, she managed to suppress him to a certain extent in a short time.
"Light and Shadow. To skillfully utilize two opposing energies, even I must express admiration for your talent."
Azshara used a Localized Gravity Spell to temporarily control Andreas' staff-holding left hand, seizing the opportunity to launch a volley of Arcane Missiles toward Andreas.
Although he broke free from Azshara's gravity control in just one second, the Arcane Missiles were already upon him, leaving no time to set up Defensive Spells.
Andreas infused the Staff of Ganir with Holy Light Power, rotating the staff with both hands to form a Whirlwind Barrier. The Arcane Missiles hitting the Holy Light Shield were deflected randomly.
"However..."
Azshara, who had blinked behind Andreas, smiled, "Light and Shadow are ultimately two distinct energies. Even if you can switch between them seamlessly, it only adds one more means of attack and defense, and cannot fundamentally improve your strength."
"Tss!"
A condensed, ultra-small Arcane Light Projectile flew out from Azshara's right index finger, narrowly grazing Andreas' body from behind.
Although it didn't hit directly due to Andreas' dodge, this surprise attack caused a shift in the mindset of those following this Demigod battle.
"Hahaha! Truly worthy of being the Night Queen upon whom I placed great hopes!"
N'Zoth, hiding in Nyalotha and repairing his Soul Wounds, laughed heartily, "Continue! Press the advantage! As long as you kill him, the Night Elves' defense will collapse halfway!"
Leticia and Celeste, who was watching the battle from the crown of Nordrassil, simultaneously felt concern. Celeste, with her hands clasped tightly to her chest, wondered in confusion, 'Why isn't Andreas using Chaos Power? Could it be... intentionally holding back?'