The ability of 'Trial' is very special. It is both a trial for the enemy and a trial for the user. It is an ability that can only be used when facing an enemy whose strength comprehensively exceeds one's own. It can be said that using this ability means Lancer has placed himself in the position of a 'weakling.'
But so what?
Strong? Weak?
These labels are meaningless on the battlefield, for on the battlefield, there are only the living and the dead!
Blackhand hadn't expected Lancer strength to be at least double that of their previous encounter. When their weapons clashed, he even wondered if he had mistaken the person. However, seeing the frost gradually covering the blood-red long spear, which was different from before, his expression became even more bloodthirsty, for he knew he had found his target.
This time, there was no one Lancer needed to worry about behind him, so he fought with even greater wildness, even using the surrounding Orcs as springboards. Blackhand, whose battle intent was aroused, or rather, whose savage instinct driven by the demon blood was triggered, also stopped caring about the lives of his subordinates.
Soon, the battlefield between the two expanded several times, and the surrounding Orcs spontaneously dispersed.
Bloodthirsty Orcs revere combat. It was their wish to personally witness the battle between two powerful warriors, but when faced with death, they had to be cautious.
"Why are you running! Human! Fight me!!"
Lancer couldn't understand Blackhand's roar, but based on the current situation, he could guess the meaning. However, he didn't care at all, because his 'time' was running out.
He had only one chance. If his killing blow missed, the opponent would definitely not give him another opportunity to strike.
The opponent's anger was the best opportunity for him!
The swinging warhammer kicked up countless sparks, and the swinging long spear also raised a large amount of ice shards. After they collided, the ensuing steam made the battlefield between the two smoky. Suddenly, Blackhand slammed his hammer fiercely against the horizontally held long spear, but surprisingly, Lancer seemed to fly quite far away?
Quite far? That was naturally because Lancer did not use his full strength to engage the opponent. In fact, he used the opponent's power to create distance.
A long spear is different from a warhammer; it is a medium-range weapon, so many moves require a certain distance to execute, such as the simplest one —————— the thrust.
「Decisive Strike」
The moment the two pulled apart, Lancer immediately used his trump card without hesitation.
All the muscles in his body tensed up, and the blood aura that had been overflowing was retracted. Lancer himself seemed to transform into a long spear poised for attack. As Blackhand burst through the smoke, a fierce light flashed in his eyes.
His right foot stomped forward violently, leaving several cracks forced into the stone ground by Lancer. His left hand, however, gripped the butt of the spear and pushed it forward with a rotational motion. The friction between the spear shaft and his gauntlet scattered countless ice shards, and this long spear, carrying Lancer entire force, shot straight toward Blackhand's heart.
"Your life! I claim it!!"
Blackhand had previously thought that Lancer sudden drop in momentum was the result of a backlash from forcefully boosting his power. However, when he crossed through the smoke and saw Lancer, he realized something was wrong. Despite the complete lack of external aura, his instinct told him that the man in front of him was extremely dangerous.
He held his warhammer in front of his chest without hesitation, but it was too late.
"Sizzle~!!"
The long spear drew a spark across the black warhammer, but this hasty defense was clearly unable to stop Lancer full-power strike. The warhammer was deflected, and the blood-red long spear directly pierced through the opponent's black right hand gripping the warhammer.
"Crack~!"
Even the black, stone-like right hand, petrified by the Fire element, could not stop this relentless strike. It shattered piece by piece due to the ice on the long spear. But at this moment, Blackhand no longer had time to worry about his right hand, because he had already seen Lancer fervent eyes hidden beneath his faceguard.
"Poof~!!"
The long spear brutally pierced through Blackhand's heart and his body, and then ——————
"Bang!!"
The warhammer, which had been held in his hand, fell to the ground along with his severed arm, and his sturdy body crashed directly onto the ground like a small mountain.
The originally chaotic battlefield instantly fell silent. No one had expected that the outcome of the two who had been fighting back and forth would be decided in an instant. At the same time, they were even more shocked that the loser was their Great Chieftain.
But Lancer didn't pay any attention to the reactions of the others. He walked somewhat weakly to Blackhand's side, retrieved Llane's gold sword with the Lion Head engraved on it from the Orc's back, and then walked toward Blackhand's warhammer. But just at this moment ——————
"..."
Accompanied by a roar in Orcish, countless spells rained down onto the battlefield where he and Blackhand were.
"Boom!!!"
The explosion kicked up endless smoke and dust. When the smoke cleared, only the mutilated body of Blackhand, blasted by magic, remained in the crater. As for his warhammer and Lancer, they had vanished without a trace.
——————
Lothar, standing at the stern of the ship, unconsciously placed his hands on the shoulders of a young boy. He silently stared in the direction of the harbor.
He saw the moment the final battle line collapsed. He saw his friend, his King, being killed by that tall Orc. He also saw the warriors of Stormwind City being completely swallowed by the green tide...
"Varian."
"Uncle Lothar?"
Varian, standing in front of Lothar, seemed not to have processed what had happened, or perhaps his father had not told him everything, so his voice carried clear confusion.
"Look again!"
Lothar seemed to have forgotten that due to the distance between the warship and the harbor, the young Varian couldn't see clearly, but his voice didn't stop.
"That is where your home once was! The person standing there is your father! The ruler of the Kingdom of Stormwind! A man worthy of the name 'King'! Remember his posture! Never forget it! Until the day we set foot upon this land again!!"
"Uncle?"
Even as a child, Varian noticed the abnormal increase in strength on his shoulders and sensed Lothar's distress.
"I'm fine."
'Farewell! My homeland! My hometown! My comrades!'
At this moment, Lothar felt as if he saw the time he spent with Llane and Medivh in his youth, but then that vision was replaced by the time he and Lancer killed Medivh together, and finally, it transformed into the moment Llane gently entrusted his son to him. His eyes unconsciously became moist.
'When I set foot upon this land again, it will be the time for the Kingdom of Stormwind to rise again!'
After making a solemn vow, he decisively left the stern of the ship with Varian and walked toward where Khadgar and the others were. There was no doubt that the days ahead would be incredibly difficult for Lothar, but he was already prepared!
For the Kingdom of Stormwind!
For that King!
For those selfless warriors!
He would absolutely fulfill this oath!