Old Chen's fiery breath washed over Kel'Thuzad, but the archlich, anticipating the attack, had erected a shimmering, multi-layered ice shield, deflecting the flames harmlessly!
Before the assembled heroes could react, Kel'Thuzad unleashed a devastating wave of frost, infused with a potent aura of death, that swept across the chamber!
"Frost Nova!" Kel'Thuzad intoned, his voice a chilling whisper that carried the weight of centuries. He recognized the key figures before him, the leaders and champions of the Alliance. By eliminating them, he could cripple the Alliance's war effort, sowing chaos and despair among their ranks!
Kel'Thuzad's movements were lightning-fast, a testament to his mastery of necromantic magic. Only Rhonin, with his honed reflexes and arcane expertise, managed to conjure a blazing Flame Shield around himself in time, the fiery barrier crackling with intense heat. Rexxar, with Misha at his side, reacted quickly, retreating back into the narrow passage, the bear's powerful muscles propelling them to safety.
The rest of the team, however, was caught off guard. Varian, Liam, Rellian, Baine, Mayla, and the others watched helplessly as the overwhelming wave of frost engulfed them, encasing them in solid ice!
"Haha!" Kel'Thuzad cackled, his voice a triumphant rasp, his skeletal form radiating an aura of malevolent power. "Your souls are mine now! I shall offer you as tribute to the Lich King, and the great master will transform you into his elite Death Knights and necromancers, to be unleashed upon those pathetic Alliance fools!"
"Don't even think about it, you abomination!" Rhonin roared, his voice filled with righteous fury.
With a surge of arcane energy, he forced himself to cast Pyroblast, a spell he had learned from his enigmatic mentor, Gandalf. The resulting fireball was colossal, as large as a millstone, a swirling vortex of raw arcane power - Rhonin's most potent attack!
BOOM!
The Pyroblast struck Kel'Thuzad's ice shield with devastating force, shattering the crystalline barrier into a thousand glittering shards!
The sheer power of the attack surprised Kel'Thuzad. Had Rhonin unleashed two such blasts in quick succession, the archlich knew he would have sustained serious injury!
"It seems Gandalf taught you well, Rhonin!" Kel'Thuzad hissed, his gaze narrowing on the red-haired mage. "I remember you from Dalaran, a promising talent. But those short-sighted councilors of the Kirin Tor deemed you an... unfortunate influence and chose to distance themselves from you!"
Kel'Thuzad's gaze swept over the young mage, recalling the events of a decade past. The once-callow youth had grown into a legendary archmage, a testament to Gandalf's tutelage. The archlich couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness.
"You, Khadgar, Jaina... such exceptional apprentices! Yet, Antonidas could not retain any of you. You were all... snatched away by your enigmatic mentor. How utterly pathetic!"
"..." Rhonin remained silent, his expression grim. Kel'Thuzad's words struck a nerve. The archlich spoke the truth. The Kirin Tor had been bleeding talent in recent years, with the most gifted of the younger generation gravitating towards Gandalf's unconventional teachings.
"And do you even comprehend the true majesty of necromancy?" Kel'Thuzad continued, his voice dropping to a low, menacing growl, the chilling aura around him intensifying. Rhonin's Flame Shield flickered precariously, threatening to collapse under the oppressive cold.
"But those narrow-minded Kirin Tor councilors branded necromancy as a taboo! They forbade its study, its very existence! How ignorant! How utterly corrupt!"
Rhonin found himself torn. The first part of Kel'Thuzad's rant resonated with his own experiences. He and Khadgar, mages from humble backgrounds, had often felt marginalized within the elitist circles of the Kirin Tor. But the second half of the archlich's tirade was utterly reprehensible!
The Kirin Tor was right to condemn the necromantic arts, a perversion of life and death that threatened the very fabric of existence!
"Silence, you traitor!"
The sound of shattering ice filled the chamber, followed by Varian's enraged roar. The fire mage watched in astonishment as the King of Stormwind, with a display of sheer willpower and raw strength, shattered the icy prison that had held him captive!
"The people of Lordaeron will never condone your twisted philosophy. You merely seek to justify your own selfish lust for power!" Varian bellowed, his eyes blazing with righteous fury.
With a mighty leap, fueled by his Heroic Leap ability, Varian launched himself towards Kel'Thuzad's skeletal form, a whirlwind of righteous vengeance!
Shalamayne, now separated into its twin blades, Shadow's Edge and Light's Vengeance, were aimed directly at the archlich's neck, their edges gleaming with deadly intent!
Kel'Thuzad's shield was gone, shattered by Rhonin's Pyroblast. His skeletal body was exposed, vulnerable!
Despite his lich form, Varian was certain that a well-aimed strike would sever Kel'Thuzad's head from his shoulders!
"Varian! You pathetic prince of Stormwind! You are delusional!" Kel'Thuzad snarled, his voice a hiss of contempt.
He began to gather a potent single-target Frostbolt, intending to strike down Varian mid-air, a single, devastating blow to end the king's assault!
"Serpent Kick!"
Another roar echoed through the chamber! The pandaren, Chen Stormstout, had also broken free from the icy prison, his movements a blur of martial grace and raw power. A flying kick, imbued with mystical energy, propelled him towards Kel'Thuzad with incredible speed. Upon landing, he executed a swift and deadly throat-cutting maneuver, disrupting the archlich's spellcasting and dispersing the Frostbolt aimed at Varian!
Varian landed a heartbeat later, his twin blades flashing in the dim light. Shadow's Edge and Light's Vengeance pierced Kel'Thuzad's skeletal chest, while a third strike slashed across his shoulder blade, severing his left arm!
"No! This... this is impossible!" Kel'Thuzad gasped, his voice a strangled whisper.
He could accept Varian's escape from the Frost Nova. The King of Stormwind possessed a fierce determination and an indomitable spirit. But that the simple-minded, bumbling pandaren could also break free from his icy grip?
Who was this creature!
Kel'Thuzad had absolute confidence in the Frost Nova he had developed. It was his signature move, a devastating combination of frost and death magic. The frost would paralyze the victim, while the death energy would erode their very essence!
BOOM!
Kel'Thuzad, using his remaining right arm, unleashed a desperate Shadow Fissure, a burst of dark energy, forcing Varian and Chen back. His glowing eyes scanned the chamber, searching for the source of this unexpected resistance!
A hulking tauren warrior?
No!
A fiery mage, an icy mage, an arcane mage?
Impossible!
An orcish hunter and a high elven ranger?
No!
That left only two individuals: a human prince and a noblewoman, clad in elegant robes.
Kel'Thuzad dismissed the prince, Liam, who wielded a rapier and a primitive-looking firearm. His attention turned to the mysterious woman.
"Who are you? I have never heard of such a powerful healer within the ranks of the Church of the Holy Light!"
Katrana did not respond. Her lord had repeatedly warned her: Villains perish by their own words. Seizing the opportunity presented by Kel'Thuzad's injuries, she abandoned her subtle healing and unleashed a surge of pure Holy Light, channeling a Greater Heal upon Jaina and Stellagosa!
SHATTER!
Jaina, infused with the divine energy, also broke free from the ice! Drawing upon the residual frost power that clung to her form, she manipulated the shattered ice fragments, condensing them into a swirling vortex of razor-sharp crystalline shards!
Jaina's latent frost magic, a power inherited from her lineage as the Daughter of the Sea, erupted forth, her cheeks adorned with delicate frost patterns, her golden hair dancing in the frigid air, her very presence radiating an aura of chilling power!
"Frozen Orb!" she cried out, her voice a glacial whisper.
A massive orb of swirling ice surged forward, slamming into Kel'Thuzad and encasing his lower body in a prison of solid ice!
Stellagosa, seizing the moment, transformed into her majestic blue dragon form, her scales shimmering like a thousand sapphires. She unleashed a torrent of azure dragon breath upon the frozen lich, a devastating blast of pure arcane energy!
This was Stellagosa's ultimate attack, a force comparable to the infamous Deep Breath of Onyxia!
Kel'Thuzad's eyes widened in horror. He attempted to evade the incoming blast, but his lower body remained frozen, his movements restricted!
The next moment, a surge of potent arcane energy erupted from Rhonin's hands, striking Kel'Thuzad's upper body with devastating force!