Under the relentless bombardment of the Allied forces, the first portal was swiftly seized. Illidan immediately descended, landing right in the center of the gateway.
Channeling immense Fel energy through both hands, he began the process of sealing the portal. Sensing that Illidan was about to sever their lifeline and cut off the connection to the Twisting Nether, the surrounding demonic entities charged toward him with suicidal desperation, intent on stopping the closure at any cost.
"Feel the wrath of the heavens and shatter these demons! Destiny is on our side!"—[Chain Lightning]!
Rhodes pointed a single finger toward the sky, striking a legendary "pointing to the heavens" pose as if possessed by a certain red "holy beetle."
A thick bolt of lightning tore through the Fel-choked firmament like a divine lash. It struck the dense demonic cluster near one of the portals with a thunderous crack. Electrical snakes danced wildly, the air filled with the stench of ozone and charred flesh, instantly clearing a massive radius.
Unlike the Magic Arrow, Chain Lightning belonged to the Air school, making it difficult to infuse with the powers of Azeroth. However, its raw power was already formidable; it didn't need bells and whistles. Simple and brutal was enough.
Boom! Boom! Boom! One bolt after another struck down, inflicting staggering casualties on the demon army.
"Well done, Rhodes! Buy me ten minutes, and I can close these portals. Let no one disturb me during this time," Illidan said, nodding toward Rhodes.
"Leave it to me. Don't worry about ten minutes; I'll hold them off for ten hours if you need," Rhodes said with an easy air.
It wasn't a big deal—he still hadn't played his trump cards. Titans, Archangels, and Phoenixes were all still waiting in the wings.
"Beings of the Light, heed my call! Powerful Light Elementals, come forth and fight!" Rhodes chanted again, and an even more massive surge of Holy energy manifested.
Several Light Elementals with radiant wings and majestic, graceful forms coalesced around him. The spears of light in their hands were like invitations from death itself, hurled with pinpoint accuracy at distant Observers and Succubi. These winged Light Elementals were larger, faster, and cast holy spells with far more ferocity.
Simultaneously, a taller Archangel of Light, wielding a flaming holy sword, appeared above Rhodes. She let out a clear cry that echoed across the battlefield, beat her wings, and turned into a streak of light that plunged into the enemy ranks. Where her holy blade swung, demons fell like wheat before a scythe; Fel was purged and the Light was restored wherever she went.
Rhodes noticed that while his Light Elementals previously maintained a golden, feminine human form, some had begun to evolve into an angelic appearance, growing two pairs of radiant wings. This increased their movement speed, boosted their attack power by 2 points, added 10 points to their health (bringing them to around 60 HP), and surged their speed to 12. They were now stronger than some of the "garbage" Tier 7 units.
Rhodes was beginning to suspect that Holy Light might actually possess a form of self-awareness, and its attention on him was growing. Can the Naaru truly represent the Light? he wondered.
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Over a dozen Light Elementals and two Archangels were already dominating the sky.
"Hold the line! Let no demon interrupt Illidan!" Mograine shouted, continuously casting [Divine Shield] and [Blessing of Might] to bolster the frontline Paladins. Priests chanted holy prayers, their warm healing waves and flickers of [Dispel Magic] ensuring the warriors could sustain the fight.
The Ashbringer proved its terrifying combat capability. Buffed by Rhodes's spells, Mograine waded into the demon ranks like a tiger among sheep. He carved through them effortlessly; no demon could withstand even a second before the blade burned them to ash. No wonder Kel'Thuzad feared this weapon so much.
With the tight coordination between the Alliance, Blood Elves, and Dalaran mages, the demons around the first portal were rapidly eradicated. Illidan Stormrage seized the moment, beating his wings to hover above the gateway. He released a mix of Arcane and Fel energy, forming complex runic chains that forcibly dismantled the portal's core structure. Green energy collided violently with his power, creating a piercing sizzle.
"BE... CLOSED!"
Whirr—!
The massive portal let out an unwilling moan. The green Fel curtain flickered violently before shattering like glass, finally vanishing into nothingness. Leaving only a distorted, empty frame behind, Illidan fired a Fel shockwave to disintegrate the remains, ensuring the demons could never rebuild it.
"First one finished!" Illidan retracted his energy and looked at Rhodes. "Moving on. Next!"
"No problem, Illidan. Target: the second portal! Maintain formation, steady advance!" Rhodes' voice boomed across the battlefield via magic. "Paladins in the front, mages in the center, Rangers and Spellbreakers on the flanks!"
The Allied forces moved like a precision war machine. This time, the demonic resistance was noticeably more frantic. Numbers swelled, and high-ranking demons like Pit Lords and Infernal units began to appear.
"For the glory of Quel'Thalas!" A Blood Elf mage danced his hands through the air, perfectly blending Arcane and Fire to form arrows of burning energy—[Arcane Pyro-Bolts]! These arrows swerved around the Paladins and struck the densest part of the demon swarm.
"We can't let our Blood Elf friends have all the fun! Paladins, Priests, show these demons the true power of the Light!" Rhodes roared. He summoned a massive amount of Holy energy and finally released his ace: the Holy Fire Phoenix.
The great Phoenix let out a piercing cry and dived, snatching several Infernals in its talons and hauling them into the sky. The massive Infernals were helpless; in an instant, the intense Holy energy turned them into ordinary Fel-stones that rained back down to the ground. Rhodes briefly regretted not being able to harvest the Fel-iron for smithing, but with his Iron, Gold, and Diamond Golems producing anti-magic metals, he didn't care that much.
"The Light is not just gentle; it brings judgment and destruction—[Gate of Babylon: Light Edition]!"
With a wave of his hand, dozens of miniature Holy Magic Arrows shot out like a swarm of golden hornets. While individually weaker than a full spell, their coverage was immense, specialized in wiping out swarms of Imps and Felhunters. Rhodes had modeled the attack after a legendary king's treasury. It might not have the same lore, but its visual splendor was peerless.
A massive magic circle appeared in the sky, and countless golden weapons—swords, spears, axes—condensed from Holy energy. They rained down like a meteor shower, causing catastrophic damage. The morale of the Allied forces caught fire once more. Paladins and Priests looked at Rhodes with eyes full of worship and fanaticism.
Rhodes truly is the favorite son of the Light, they thought. How else could he perform such unimaginable miracles?
"Praise your greatness, Lord Rhodes!" Whitemane cheered, now a total "fangirl." When will I be able to cast something that cool? she wondered.