No one knew what the situation was like inside the Burning Throne, except for Sargeras and his confidants, but Arthas could confirm one thing: the environment around the Throne was definitely no longer suitable for mortals to survive.
Even a Dragon like Chromie almost died after peeking into the Dark Titan's secrets; the terror within the Burning Throne was unimaginable. Without powerful strength or the protection of an artifact, ordinary soldiers would be overwhelmed by the Titan's agony the moment they entered the Throne.
"Ordinary armies are useless here, Arthas. Do you understand that?" Eonar reminded him.
"I understand that very well, but we cannot retreat yet. The forces of Azeroth are united, and we only just managed to conquer Antorus. If we retreat now, the retreating demons will return like a rapid tide, and once they reoccupy Antorus, all our sacrifices will have been in vain."
Arthas held an unshakeable conviction; even if everything might lead to the worst possible outcome, he believed that they should absolutely not retreat a single step now.
"Pass on my orders: continue to hold Antorus, clear out all threats here and in the surroundings, until we thoroughly defeat Sargeras and his lackeys."
The King of Lordaeron, the leader of the Alliance, Arthas, conveyed his thoughts to all the soldiers without hesitation, and their response was unanimous agreement and affirmation.
All the people of Azeroth had sacrificed too much for this moment today; the bloodshed, sacrifices, and heroic dedication along the way should not be easily declared over now.
After receiving the new orders, almost everyone hurried out of the meeting room. The previously noisy hall instantly became silent. Now, only three people remained.
Chromie, Arthas, Jaina, and Xal'atath, who had remained silent the entire time.
Arthas's hands rested on the command table, his body leaning slightly forward, gazing at the repaired Throne model, lost in thought.
Chromie felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward and was about to say something when she heard a light cough beside her. Xal'atath lifted the Bronze Dragon and whispered, "Don't disturb him yet. Come with me, little Dragon. You probably need to rest for a while too."
Chromie didn't get angry about being picked up by Xal'atath in such a manner; she always felt that her dignity as a Dragon wasn't particularly great anyway. So, when the two of them returned to the hallway, she straightforwardly asked, "How many chances do you think we have?"
Xal'atath chuckled. She pointed to herself, "You're asking me? How would I know that? I'm just someone who was forcibly tied to that scoundrel king's chariot."
Chromie didn't give up because of Xal'atath's evasion; she still insisted, "I'm a Bronze Dragon. You know that very well."
Xal'atath looked at Chromie's calm eyes, which didn't match her cheerful words, and suddenly understood something. So, she narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled, "I don't know what you've seen, but for now, I will be loyal to Arthas because he has indeed helped me a lot."
After speaking, Xal'atath said no more about these matters. She looked out at the vast star sea through the viewport. Even though Argus's fel energy permeated the surrounding space like an endless fountain, the cold universe remained completely unchanged.
"Oh, well, fine, fine. I'm just an ordinary little Dragon anyway. In times like these, caution is always a good thing."
Chromie seemed to have forgotten that she had almost lost her life just now. Xal'atath glanced at her again: this Bronze Dragon loved her duties more than most Dragons; she truly considered protecting Azeroth her responsibility.
---
Inside the meeting room, Arthas remained silent. Jaina looked at him and probed, "Is the situation very bad?"
"Not too bad yet."
Arthas frowned, meticulously observing the structure of the Burning Throne. "Actually, in my initial plan, most people wouldn't be able to participate in the final battle."
This was not Arthas denying the capabilities of the allied forces, but rather a very objective and accurate judgment—even the Burning Legion's army would appear vulnerable when facing a Void Lord like Dimensius.
If there wasn't a true power that could contend with Dimensius, the demons would eventually be defeated; it was only a matter of time.
And when dealing with Sargeras and the Titans, they would face a predicament similar to that of the demon Legion that was annihilated on Kalesh—if they could rescue the other Titans, with the Titans' blessings and containment, the allied forces should be able to contend with the corrupted Aggramar.
Although he had been completely twisted and corrupted by Sargeras, it was still unknown how much power Aggramar could exert. The will of a Titan was not so easily subdued; even if he had fallen, it would take a considerable amount of time to fully unleash his original power.
Not to mention that Aggramar's body had already suffered severe damage from Sargeras. With his current pieced-together body, Aggramar would certainly be much weaker than he was when he was the Pantheon's avenger.
As for the Death Titan Argus, Arthas had also pre-designed forces to counter him. It should be known that there was still a power originating from The Jailer that Arthas had never used. It would not be difficult for the armies of The Maw to hold back Argus. The only problem with this plan might be that Arthas would have to face the pressure from the remaining Eternals in the Shadowlands.
However, the Eternals were not beings who could completely remain uninvolved. They had been able to sit so peacefully in the Shadowlands not only because they upheld their duties but also because their destined fate would not be greatly affected.
But once Sargeras devoured the other Titans, his threat level would likely far exceed that of The Jailer in the past. If the Eternals did not want the entire universe to suffer an outcome more terrifying than a reset, they would certainly acquiesce to Arthas's approach.
"I don't know how long it will take Sargeras to seize Aman'thul's power—or perhaps he has already succeeded. But now, we can no longer afford to make thorough preparations. If we don't act quickly, it will be too late once Sargeras takes away the power of the other Titans as well."
Jaina understood Arthas's unspoken meaning, but as someone who had always been by Arthas's side, she was no longer the ignorant young Archmage she once was.
She knew that her job was to trust Arthas and always stand by his side.
"I believe in you. Your choices have never disappointed any of us. Do everything you want to do, Arthas. I will wait for you to return."
Arthas looked at Jaina, his right hand caressing her cheek, and gently pressed his forehead against Jaina's. Before leaving, he whispered a sentence that instantly made Jaina's pupils contract, but by then, the Archmage had no time to stop him.
Her outstretched hand failed to touch Arthas's body; her fingers passed through a gentle curtain of light. Arthas had already disappeared with the Holy Light, leaving only streams of light passing through Jaina's fingers.