Arthas chose not to block it head-on. If he had, his shield might have been shattered. He chose to charge! Faced with the furious assault, he didn't even retreat but rushed forward at high speed.
Clang!
He used the side of his shield to strike the descending great axe, and the very air seemed to pause. The ear-piercing sound of metal colliding made the surrounding soldiers' ears ring, but it only made Grom roar with even greater fury!
Squelch!
Arthas delivered a knee strike, slamming it into Grom's groin with the force of a thunderbolt. A squelching sound was heard!
The sound of testicles being crushed sent a chill down the spine of every soldier. Even the women couldn't help but instinctively clamp their legs together. The sound alone was enough to give anyone goosebumps!
Thud!
"Aargh!"
Grom roared, squeezing his legs together, his eyes a mixture of agony and fury. He had never imagined his opponent would be so despicable as to launch a sneak attack on a sixty-nine-year-old comrade like him!
Arthas looked at Grom with a savage grin.
"You demon's lapdog, you are not worthy to speak of honor with me! The Orcs' heritage is to believe in the elements. Look what you are all doing! Invading, destroying... how many vengeful souls have died at your hands? You are a sinner!"
"I am not! Aargh! I'll kill you! Stop spouting nonsense!" Grom flew into a rage once more!
Ignoring Pain! He suppressed the agony with Rage, temporarily blocking his pain receptors to continue fighting with fierce and fearless resolve!
His muscular arm, veins bulging, gripped the bloody battle axe. He leaped up again, using Charge to lock onto Arthas. This time, Arthas had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide!
"Ardent Defender!"
"Defensive Stance!"
"Guardian of Ancient Kings!"
With three layers of protection activated, a dazzling Holy Light erupted from Arthas's body, making it painful to look directly at him. He was illuminated as if a god had descended to the mortal realm.
"Die!" With Grom's roar, the battle axe tore through the air, faintly distorting and collapsing the space around it. The axe slammed viciously onto the shield, the Rage-fueled power pressing down once more.
Arthas winced in pain, feeling his arm go numb as if the bones had fractured. But the shield remained motionless, shining with golden light, and the Consecration on the ground beneath his feet began to restore his health, slowly healing his injuries.
Only Grom was left kneeling on the ground, his hands hanging limply. The moment he struck Arthas, an even stronger force had struck back.
The powerful force shattered the limits of his Ignore Pain, and the agony of his crushed testicles rushed to his brain. The bulging muscles all over his body began to tear, and blood started to seep out. His eyes began to lose focus.
Thud!
Grom collapsed, dead! In a one-on-one duel with Arthas, he had been killed by a counterattack. The strongest offense against the strongest defense—the result was that he couldn't break the turtle shell and was completely played to death.
The entire process took no more than three minutes, which was quite long for a duel between experts. Often, a killing blow could decide the outcome in an instant, with one side falling. The Warsong clan had never imagined that Grom, hailed as the strongest Orc, would be defeated so easily!
When the Blackrock Clan and the Smolderthorn Trolls arrived on the scene and witnessed this, their fear of Arthas reached an extreme.
At the same time, a morbid sense of worship grew within their fear—worship of the strong! With such a strong leader to guide them, their future would surely not be miserable; it would always be better!
Arthas endured the pain, raised his longsword high, and shouted, "For Lordaeron! For the Alliance! For Azeroth! Charge! Kill them all!"
"Kill!"
At that moment, all the soldiers began to charge, their morale ignited to its peak. Every soldier's blood was boiling. Even the mages watching felt their hearts surge, wishing they could grab their staves and charge in!
"Left side, five hundred meters, begin channeling Meteor!"
Lady Jandice's eyes grew moist as she watched. This was the backer she had chosen! To preserve the Barov family's bloodline, she had to rely on Arthas! She focused, calmed her emotions, and began to command.
She had to display her own abilities, so Arthas wouldn't think she was just a voluptuous, mature woman who was only good for bending over and getting screwed!
Boom!
A dozen meteors fell from the sky, crashing into the Orcs' catapults with searing flames, incidentally smashing the supply train behind them to pieces.
Arthas stood his ground as the Blademaster Samuro protected him at all times. Any Orc soldier who tried to avenge Grom had their throat slit by his sword!
Honor! To protect the honor of the Orcs and revitalize the clans, he could only rely on his master. Therefore, he had to protect his master well!
Azuka transformed into a Blade Storm, her blades beginning to reap the lives of the Warsong clan soldiers. Everywhere she went, only a field of corpses remained.
The muscles on her arms alone were enough to make any man feel ashamed. Her exquisite swordsmanship often struck her enemies before they could even block or dodge, killing them with a single strike!
Thump, thump, thump!
A vast, resonant war drum sounded. Blackrock Orc cavalry beat the war drums atop their Kodo Beasts. The unique rhythm greatly boosted the Expeditionary Force's morale, sweeping away their fatigue and making them fight with increasing valor.
The Warsong clan, with over ten thousand members, held on for less than half an hour before collapsing. Only the soldiers who were still in an extreme frenzy due to the Demon Blood fought on. Some soldiers were already succumbing to fear.
The Alliance soldiers before them were impossible to kill, with priests healing them. There was also enemy magic striking them with precision from the sky. Where were their spellcasters? They had none. They were at a complete disadvantage!
The collapse of the Warsong clan caused the Horde's defensive line to waver. The sounds of battle shook the heavens as the local disturbance spread across the entire battlefield.
In the center, Orgrim led a small squad and charged, finding Lothar's position. At that moment, the Commander of the Alliance and the Warchief of the Horde began a sacred duel!
The surrounding soldiers tacitly stopped fighting; only the troops on the periphery were still locked in combat.
Lothar was also a legendary warrior, but his hair was already white. An aged human against an Orc warrior in his prime. The result was predictable. The two fought back and forth in a very fierce exchange.
Ultimately, due to his stamina, Lothar's shield was shattered by Orgrim, and his head was crushed by the massive warhammer! But before he died, Lothar managed to slash open Orgrim's stomach with his sword. The duel ended with Lothar's death and Orgrim's pyrrhic victory!