The Armor-Stripping Magic Array
A doomsday declaration emanated from the metallic shell. Alexstrasza couldn't comprehend how things had turned out so badly; her all-out battle had been utterly fruitless. Deathwing's power was beyond comprehension. Suddenly, Alexstrasza realized a grave mistake; she had severely underestimated Neltharion's current strength. Many years ago in Grim Batol, the four Guardians had successfully repelled the Black Dragon Aspect. Since then, the Lifebinder had firmly believed that Deathwing was not Invincible; that he too could fear and flee. That was why the Queen of Dragons dared to face him alone today. As it turned out, this was a complete blunder.
"His power...is now vastly different from what it once was," Alexstrasza uttered, trembling with fear.
Kaelen stood in her way, but couldn't stop Neltharion from approaching. "You must leave here immediately, Mother!"
"Leave? Ha, what a pathetic insect." Deathwing flapped his wings, hovering in mid-air. The scorching winds from his massive wings amplified the Queen of Dragons's pain several times over. "Our final battle is the best illustration of life and death, Arahat's Sargeras. Now, life is about to perish, and death will rule all!"
In the past, Alexstrasza would have responded fiercely to Deathwing, but now, she could only sit on the ground, her mind blank, heavily injured, not knowing what to do to escape unscathed.
"Someone will stand up to stop you, Neltharion."
"Soon there will be none more. Today... the Queen of Dragons, a symbol of life and hope, will become the second fallen dragon guardian. Your death is the beginning of the Twilight Judgment."
Searing flames, imbued with curses and hatred, spewed from Neltharion's mouth. This strike was enough to kill!
Alexstrasza's eyes were slightly closed. In the crimson sunlight, her fiery red hair shimmered, like the last rays of the setting sun. No spell, not even the most powerful ones, had harmed the black dragon in the slightest. Therefore, nothing could defeat Deathwing.
The Lifebinder watched as the black dragon's flames drew ever closer. She had been nothing but an arrogant fool. From the very beginning, she had no hope of defeating Deathwing. And her Recklessness might have cost her not only her own life, but also her child Kaelen, and all the Red Dragon within Crimson Sanctuary.
Hope, the intoxicating hope that filled his heart, was extinguished from the heart of the Lifebinder.
In her final moments before the flames consumed her, Alexstrasza bowed her head, accepting death. She thought that perhaps this was the destiny of the Guardian Dragons. The Queen of Dragons was not afraid of falling, but the unfulfilled duty filled her heart with regret and self-reproach.
"Mother?"
Alexstrasza heard Kaelen's voice. That's right, her children were still standing in front of her, calling out to her. How could this be? They should be burned to a crisp by now. Had they already arrived in the afterlife? If so, then death wasn't so terrible; at least Alexstrasza felt no pain.
"Mother!"
The sound was so real. The Queen of Dragons unconsciously tightened her grip, and the sensation in her palms made her gasp. She could still touch the earth, feel its temperature, and experience the tingling sensation from the tiny pebbles.
All these details made Alexstrasza realize that she was still alive!
The Life-Binder opened her eyes, wanting to know why this was happening. Neltharion would not let her go.
"What... what's going on?"
What she saw before her shocked her. The black dragon's flames hadn't disappeared; they still enveloped her, but a visible layer of black mist separated her from the flames, like a whirlwind at dusk. Alexstrasza sensed a powerful aura of death, different from the chaos of Neltharion's; this aura was purer, exactly like that of the Lich King.
Deathwing's breath stopped, and he also stared at the sudden anomaly. It wasn't Red Dragon's spell; it could only mean that some guy had dared to challenge him again.
"Who is it?" Neltharion roared.
The black mist slowly gathered before the Queen of Dragons and Kaelen, and a human figure appeared. Nathanos raised his head, his eyes meeting those of the Black Dragon Aspect.
"A... Undead!" Deathwing was somewhat surprised. The cunning man had not anticipated this scene.
"We meet again, Neltharion."
"How dare you stop me!" Deathwing glared at the ant-like creature below. "Who are you?"
"I'm not here to introduce myself, I'm here to show you a gift."
"A gift?" The former Earth-Warder was still confused. Nathanos had already raised his sword and plunged it into the ground. In an instant, blue and purple rays of light extended from the tip of the sword to both sides, forming a hexagonal array that perfectly enveloped the Black Dragon Aspect flying in mid-air.
Deathwing sensed it was a magic circle. He looked at Nathanos and scoffed. "Using magic against me?" the dragon mocked, his eyes like those of a delighted cat. "How arrogant. Even the most powerful spells wielded by the queen behind you cannot harm me, don't you realize that?" But the magic circle's effects began to manifest, and the dragon's eyes widened, filled with wariness. "You... in! Don't even think about it!" He slammed to the ground and lunged at Nathanos, opening his gaping maw to bite him.
Just then, something terrifying happened to Deathwing. A creaking sound came from the dragon's body. Deathwing screamed in pain as the armor covering him began to loosen. Some of the joints even broke, leaving large and small wounds on the black dragon's body.
"No!" Deathwing cried out in horror. Alexstrasza, who had witnessed everything, had never seen Neltharion so terrified; he seemed completely horrified. Deathwing bent his neck to examine his wounds, then turned his golden-red eyes to Nathanos. "How dare you do this!" The armor was meant to hold Deathwing together, and just as Nathanos's magic circle activated, the Black Dragon Aspect found himself unable to stabilize the power within him.
The Witherer ignored what the black dragon was saying, for he quickly realized that Deathwing would spread his wings and fly away from the magic circle. "Now, seize him."
Five miniature metal devices flew in from different directions, activating immediately upon landing. Resembling landmines, they emitted lightning-shaped chains that tightly bound the Black Dragon Aspect's neck, forelegs, and hind legs. Neltharion was trapped within the magic circle. The Goblins squad rushed out, slowly approaching the colossal creature, hundreds of times their size.
Deathwing took a deep breath, unable to tear his gaze away from the Undead.
"You, I'll remember you! You're not Scourge, you're Forsaken!" Deathwing continued, his voice echoing in Nathanos's ears. "You dare to oppose me? You will pay the price. I will come for you. Prepare for your doom!"
The dragon unleashed its chaotic flames once more. Its movements were restricted, but it could still attack.
"Get behind me quickly!" Nathanos reacted swiftly, his hands transforming into black mist to pull the Goblins squad behind him, and then using the momentum to shield himself from the deadly flames.
The attack was about as powerful as when Deathwing attacked the Queen of Dragons. Neltharion wasn't trying to kill the Witherer, but rather to escape. His tail slammed into the ground, the shockwave destroying one of the lightning-emitting devices. His left forepaw was freed, and he tore through the flesh in the gaps of his right arm armor.
A magma-like liquid slowly flowed from it. It was blood, yet there was no sign of life. The liquid dripped onto the magic circle, instantly destroying its effects. Deathwing's pain vanished instantly, but he had lost the will to fight. Once again, mortals were using the same methods against him. He had once been a mage; now he was an Undead. His armor was a formidable weapon, but also a fatal weakness.
Neltharion glanced at the Undead. His enormous wings unfurled once more, his claws spread, and he broke free of the remaining restraints, soaring into the air again, flapping his wings continuously, and leaving Grim Batol without looking back.