Huh?
What?!
Throughout history, a classic romance isn't complete without a love triangle.
But isn't this twist a bit abrupt?
Isn't love rivalry usually signified by drawing a line, setting a date, and then dueling?
Why the sudden aggression?
Wasn't this supposed to be a romance? How did it turn into a horror film?
Four guards, seemingly presenting gifts beside Duke, suddenly opened their boxes, emitting a blinding light.
This light, controlled by funnel-like reflectors, directly shone on Lord Prestor's face, momentarily blinding him.
Half the kings were stupefied.
Why only half? Because the other half, those allied with Duke and their entourage, heard a frantic warning from Aurelia just before the ambush: "Beware! Prestor is Deathwing!"
This warning was cut off just half a second before Duke shouted it out loud.
Dalin, Magni, Kael'thas, and others are formidable fighters. For heroes of their caliber, half a second is plenty.
As the situation suddenly changed, Dalin drew his scimitar, the Muradin brothers invoked their godly forms, and Kael'thas instantly summoned three magical shields around himself…
Not to mention the prepared Llane and Anduin. Duke entering the scene was a clear signal. The moment the name 'Deathwing' left his lips, Aurelia, bolstered by stormy powers, pulled Llane by his collar and grabbed Anduin. In less than half a second, they were out of the throne room.
Inside, the most critical moment.
Those four, having transformed their appearances, finally revealed their true selves!
First was Sera, the elf druid who always kept her eyes closed. When she opened them, her eyes emitted two eerie rays, piercing Lord Prestor. His towering frame shuddered.
Then there was Legolas. In a split second, her high elf eyes melted into a golden hue, and her forehead sprouted long, red scales. Horns emerged from her head, and her arms grew longer and thicker, revealing razor-sharp claws.
Without hesitation, she lunged at Prestor in the center.
Not just her, the other two 'guards' joined in. The one with bronze skin wielded a crab-legged hammer and struck. The one with blue hair conjured a magnificent staff, casting a blue protective barrier in front of all the kings.
Duke, using a classic protective stance, shielded the terrified Princess Calia within the barrier.
All of this transpired in half a second. The situation changed so rapidly that no one could grasp the full scope.
And then, Prestor, or should I say, Neltharion, the true form of Deathwing, finally reacted.
At the last moment, his countless years of battle experience and instincts made him twist his body, narrowly evading a fatal blow.
However, he wasn't safe from the combined ambush of the guardian dragons – Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, and Malygos.
In the end, even with his masterful disguise, Neltharion couldn't hide from Duke's perception.
Roars echoed in the throne room, with Neltharion's being the most haunting.