(Chapter 39 The Purge VI Father and Son)
"That's my condition. I don't want to turn my own home into a bloody battlefield. Too much blood has already been spilled. This duel will decide the future of Stormwind without further unnecessary casualties. Let it be a fight of honor and skill, a battle between father and son to determine who truly deserves to lead this dutchy."
Tempest said as he approached the head butler who was standing in the front of the vanguard, wielding a sword.
"Young Master, this is too risky, have me fight the duel."
Constantine said.
"What your Teacher, said is true, Tempest. Let him fight this."
Gardon agreed with Constantine, in response, Tempest turned around and spoke.
"No, this is my battle, and I will win."
Tempest responded, he then turned his back, to the head butler, then putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Please, step aside, Alfred. None of you should have to die for my Father's ambition. Let us settle this with honor, not more bloodshed."
Tempest said to the butler. The older man stared at him for a moment, then gave a short bow and stepped aside, signaling the other maids and butlers to do the same.
"This fight is between my Father and me. Let us settle it without further bloodshed. Stand down, and I swear to the seven Archons, no harm will come to you."
Tempest raised his voice, addressing the remaining Knights of the Golden Hand.
The knights hesitated, glancing at each other and at Pierre, who stood seething with rage. But the weight of their weapons and the fear in their hearts led them to lower their swords, one by one.
"Traitors! Cowards! Ghosts! Take him down!"
Pierre shouted in rage, signaling the Ghosts who were hidden and invisible in the courtyard to shoot Tempest. However, nothing happened. The silence was deafening as Pierre's command went unheeded.
"Stone! You damn traitors! I will have your heads! Meks! Kill him!"
Pierre shouted, and the three Meks, who had been standing on standby with the Knights of the Golden Hand, activated and charged at Tempest. Without hesitation, Tempest manifested a Pyro sword in his right hand, effortlessly dodging the Meks attacks. With swift, clean slashes, he destroyed each Mek in turn, their mechanical parts scattering across the courtyard.
Pierre's face turned pale, his confidence wavering as he realized the extent of Tempest's strength.
"This is your last chance, Pierre. Surrender now, and no more lives need to be lost."
Tempest declared, his voice echoing through the courtyard.
"I do not take orders from you child! Do you want a duel?! Fine!"
Pierre shouted, his voice echoing with defiance. With a swift motion, he unsheathed his sword.
"Come at me you filthy whelp! I'll have your head! You- Augh!"
Before Pierre could charge at Tempest, Stone disabled his cloaking and revealed himself. With a swift, calculated move, he struck Pierre in the back of the head with the butt of his musket, causing Pierre to lose consciousness and collapse to the ground. The courtyard fell silent, everyone momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
"You..."
Tempest narrowed his eyes, at Stone, as this was the person and his Ghosts, responsible for massacring the entire musketeers and Gatling gunners.
"I know what you're thinking."
Stone met Tempest's gaze unflinchingly.
"And you're right. I led the Ghosts against your men. But I didn't sign up to fight for the losing side. I've seen enough death to last a lifetime, and it's my first day on the job, and I've already regretted working with your Father."
Tempest's grip tightened on his Pyro sword, the flames flickering with his rising anger.
"You expect me to believe you've had a change of heart?"
Tempest asked, his tone cold and distrustful.
Stone nodded.
"Believe what you want, but I'm here to help now. We can continue to fight, or we can focus on the real enemy."
Stone said.
Gardon stepped forward, placing a hand on Tempest's shoulder to calm him.
"Tempest, we need all the help we can get. If this Ghost is sincere, he could be a valuable ally in the fight against Mengsk."
Gardon said.
Tempest took a deep breath, the anger still simmering beneath the surface.
"Fine, But know this, Ghost, I'll be watching you closely. Any sign of betrayal, and you'll wish you'd stayed invisible. Bring my Father to the courtyard."
Tempest warned Stone.
"Understood. Now, let's finish this."
Stone nodded in acknowledgment, he then reverted back to invisible.
"Tempest, I have a gift for you."
Gardon said as Tempest turned around to see one of Gardon's knights approaching. The knight, bearing a solemn expression, extended his arm and presented Gardon with a sheathed sword.
"This was a gift from your Father to House Vance when he married your Mother. It is called Dawn, The Sword of the Morning. This blade once belonged to your ancestor, Daelin Proudmoore, the last wielder of Ra's power during Egeria's reign. The technique used to forge this sword has long been lost to time. Its light never rusts, and it surpasses all other swords in both craftsmanship and strength. This sword is yours by right, my nephew."
Gardon carefully handed Tempest the sword, his expression a mixture of pride and solemnity.
"Thank you, Uncle..."
Tempest unsheathed the sword, revealing its magnificent blade. The edges were adorned with intricate golden linings that shimmered in the light, while the pommel bore the sigil of the sun, symbolizing its storied legacy.
'My champion... Use my power...'
Tempest's eyes widened, and he knelt down, with his left hand on his head, as the otherworldly voice, rang and echoed on his mind.
"Tempest? Are you alright?!"
Gardon asked concern evident in his voice.
"Mm, I'm fine, just a little tired..."
Tempest replied as he got up from the floor.
"You can rest all you want later, my nephew, for now, you have a duel to win, you must win, Tempest."
Gardon said with a serious expression, and Tempest nodded in response.
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Mengsk paced back and forth in his dimly lit room, his frustration palpable as he awaited news from Pierre. The icy remnants from his earlier outburst had nearly melted, leaving puddles. His anger and anxiety were evident in every step he took, the tension in the air thick with anticipation for the report he desperately needed.
Finally, the door to his office opened...
"Pierre! Tell me that insolent whelp! Is dead!"
Mengsk's voice echoed in the silence as he shouted, but his anger only grew when he saw the door open and no one entered.
"Stone?!"
Mengsk shouted in frustration, expecting Stone to deactivate his cloaking and reveal himself. However, instead of Stone, multiple footsteps echoed in his office. Before he could react, several Ghosts appeared from the shadows, seizing his arms with firm grips. They swiftly disarmed him, stripping him of his sword and forcibly taking his Delusion. As the Ghosts tightened their hold, Mengsk's rage and disbelief mounted, realizing he was now at their mercy.
"What the fuck are you all doing?! Unhand me this instant!"
Mengsk commanded fiercely, but his orders fell on deaf ears as the Ghosts, still cloaked, remained unresponsive. His frustration mounted as he squirmed and thrashed, struggling desperately to break free from their ironclad grips.
"Shit... Finally lost juice... Tsk, take him to the courtyard."
Stone's suit finally depleted its power, and with a faint, electrical hum, it deactivated, revealing him.
"Stone?! What the fuck is the meaning of this?!"
Mengsk shouted at Stone.
"Sorry, Your Grace, but I don't take orders, from the losers."
tone replied with a cold, detached tone, his expression hidden behind the remnants of his suit. With a decisive turn of his head, he signaled the other Ghosts to drag Mengsk out of the office. They began to haul him towards the courtyard, where Tempest was waiting.
"You fucking traitor! I'll have your head!"
Mengsk's shouts grew increasingly frantic as he was dragged forcefully by the Ghosts. Despite his desperate attempts to free himself, his squirming and struggling proved futile against their unyielding grip. His curses echoed through the mansion's corridors, but the Ghosts remained resolute, their expressions hidden behind their cloaking as they continued to drag him towards the courtyard.
When they finally arrived in the courtyard, Mengsk's gaze swept across the scene before him. To his dismay, none of his Knights were actively engaging, instead, they stood passively on the sidelines, weapons sheathed. The staff, now lingered on the edges, refusing to take part in the conflict against Tempest's forces. Pierre, tied and unconscious, guarded by Constantine. Meanwhile, Gardon's knights had formed an imposing circle around the area. On one side of the courtyard, Tempest waited calmly, his expression emotionless and unreadable as ever.
"What the fuck are you all doing?! You damn traitors!"
Mengsk shouted in frustration and anger, his voice echoing across the courtyard. Gardon's knights, standing in a disciplined formation, made way to allow the Ghosts to enter the circle. With practiced efficiency, the Ghosts dragged Mengsk to the center of the circle, and with a forceful heave, they threw him roughly onto the ground.
"Mmpf! You will all pay for this!"
Mengsk shouted.
"Here's his sword, and here's his Delusion, your choice to give it to him."
Stone said as he dropped Mengsk's sword and Delusion on Tempest's feet.
"We'll let's see how this turns out."
Stone said as he moved away from the circle.
Tempest grabbed his Father's Cryo Delusion and threw it at his reach, he then threw his Father's sword, the sword thrust at the ground, near Mengsk's reach.
"Get up and fight me, Father."
Tempest's voice rang out, icy and laced with contempt.
"You ungrateful, son of a bitch..."
Mengsk seized his Cryo Delusion and sprang to his feet. Without hesitation, he thrust his right arm forward, summoning jagged spikes of ice that shot toward Tempest with lethal speed. Tempest, with a swift and precise sidestep, evaded the icy projectiles effortlessly.
"Hyahh! Die you fucking disappointment!"
Mengsk swiftly grasped his sword and charged at Tempest with fierce determination. His every movement was driven by a mix of fury and desperation.
Tempest intercepted Mengsk's furious slash with his own sword, their blades clashing with a resounding impact. As their eyes locked, Mengsk's gaze burned with intense anger and frustration, while Tempest remained composed and resolute.
"This is for Mother!"
Tempest spoke as he skillfully slid his sword across Mengsk's blade, creating a shower of sparks that momentarily distracted his Father. Taking advantage of the opening, Mengsk staggered backward, trying to regain his composure.
"Mmpf!"
"This is for Penance!"
Tempest charged at his father with relentless fury, swinging his sword in rapid succession. Each strike was precise and powerful, forcing Mengsk to parry and block with increasing difficulty. Despite his efforts, Mengsk gradually began to lose ground, his movements becoming more desperate as Tempest pressed the attack.
"You're no son of mine!"
Mengsk shouted in fury, channeling his Cryo Delusion to conjure a trident made entirely of ice in his left hand. With a fierce thrust, he aimed it directly at Tempest's head. Reacting swiftly, Tempest ducked and pulled his head back, narrowly avoiding the deadly weapon. He then jumped backward.
"You think this House will survive without me?! Well, You're fucking wrong Tempest!"
Mengsk charged at Tempest with deadly intent, wielding his sword in his right hand and the icy trident in his left. Tempest danced around the assault, skillfully dodging the sweeping thrusts of the trident while parrying each of Mengsk's aggressive sword strikes.
Mengsk quickly reshaped the trident into a sword and executed a scissor attack, aiming to catch Tempest off guard. Tempest leaped high into the air, landing on Mengsk's exposed back. With a swift thrust, he aimed to drive his sword into Mengsk's vulnerable spot.
"This is for the people you have used!"
Tempest shouted. However, Mengsk's reflexes were sharp he summoned an icy plate just in time to shield his back. The sword's blade struck the ice with a resounding clash, narrowly missing a fatal blow.
Mengsk swiftly spun around, discarding his icy sword with a quick motion. He then extended his hand and unleashed a powerful blast of freezing wind at Tempest. The icy gust struck Tempest with force, causing him to stagger and take a reluctant step back to regain his balance.
"You will fucking die here! Tempest!"
Mengsk let out a defiant shout as Tempest charged toward him, his sword raised high. Just as Tempest was about to strike, Mengsk's face twisted into a wicked grin. In a swift, chilling motion, ice-encased him like a cocoon, forming an impenetrable barrier.
'What the? I have to melt it... Huh? Why isn't Delusion working? Damn it! Why now?!'
Tempest's mind raced as he realized his Delusion was refusing to activate. Despite the setback, he remained unfazed. With determined resolve, he raised his sword and began hacking at the encasing ice, working to thaw Mengsk's icy cocoon. The effort was intense, and as he worked, the sky above them began to transform, casting a golden hue over the horizon.
Finally, the icy cocoon began to show cracks, but it wasn't due to Tempest's relentless efforts alone. His instincts warned him to step back.
As he did, the icy cocoon exploded into a storm of shards, scattering fragments everywhere. The knights who were observing the intense duel quickly raised their shields to protect themselves from the barrage of icy debris.
What emerged from the shattered icy cocoon was Mengsk, his body nearly entirely encased in a thick layer of ice, leaving only half of his face exposed. This visible half revealed a twisted, wicked smile that seemed to taunt Tempest. In this form, Mengsk had grown taller, and his arms were now replaced with sharp, ice-like blades. His presence was more imposing than ever, and his eyes glinted with a malevolent gleam, signaling the next, dangerous phase of their battle.
"I will fucking kill you, Tempest!"
Mengsk shouted in a distorted, otherworldly voice and charged at Tempest with a fierce intensity.
Tempest raised his sword, struggling to parry his father's relentless attacks. Each strike from Mengsk's ice-encrusted blades was heavier and more unyielding than the last, forcing Tempest to steadily lose ground with every parry. The sheer force behind each blow threatened to overwhelm him, and he could feel his defenses weakening under the relentless assault.
'Damn it! I need Pyro! But my Delusion isn't working!'
"Mmpf!"
Tempest groaned in pain as his father finally landed a solid hit. Mengsk's icy leg struck him with brutal force, sending him sprawling backward. He crashed to the ground, the impact jolting through his body and leaving him momentarily stunned.
"Grgf!"
Blood trickled from Tempest's mouth as he lay on the ground, every inch of his body aching from the brutal impact. The pain was sharp and pervasive, a harsh reminder of the ferocity of his Father's assault.
'Get up! My champion!'
The otherworldly voice rang and echoed in Tempest's head.
'I won't let you die here!'
Mengsk charged at Tempest, his sharp ice blade, high up in the sky. With fierce determination, he aimed to impale Tempest with a powerful thrust, intending to end the battle decisively.
"This ends here Tempest!"
Mengsk shouted.
'Get up!'
Suddenly, Tempest's sword crackled with raw energy, lightning of pure light dancing along its length. The blade flared into a golden flame. Tempest's eyes burned with a fierce, otherworldly light. With a swift and decisive motion, he swung his sword with effortless precision, cleaving through his Father's icy blade and shattering it into fragments. The once menacing ice weapon was reduced to mere shards, scattered across the ground, as Tempest stood up from the ground, radiating an aura, of that of a god.
A brief silence, the knights eyes widened at the scene, and even his Father paused to process the information. Finally, Gardon broke the silence.
"Ra, Is with us!"
Gardon's voice rang out with a mixture of reverence and awe as he shouted, he bowed his head in profound respect. The magnitude of the moment was not lost on anyone present. One by one, the knights, soldiers, staff, and even the Ghosts, in the courtyard followed suit, kneeling down in solemn homage.
"You..."
Mengsk said as he stared at his son his eyes glowing with a fierce golden light. The blade of Tempest's sword was ablaze with a brilliant golden flame.
"This ends here... Father."
"You are no Paladin! You are nothing!"
Tempest charged at Mengsk, his newfound power radiating with every movement. As he swiftly dodged his Father's desperate attacks, Tempest's strikes were precise and unyielding. He sliced through Mengsk's remaining icy sword with ease, then focused on his father's legs, cutting them down and leaving Mengsk incapacitated and with no means of escape.
In a final act of force, Tempest used his left hand to punch through the remaining ice armor, smoke billowing out as the ice began to melt from the intense heat. With a powerful yank, Tempest pulled his father from the fractured armor and, with a display of sheer strength, threw Mengsk aside.
"Remember, my son... It was I who raised you, molded you into what you are today..."
Mengsk said, his voice heavy with a mix of sadness and resignation. His eyes, though fierce, now reflected a deep sorrow as he looked at Tempest.
"I haven't forgotten, Father, I remember, how you raised me..."
Tempest said as he walked closer to his Father, ready to end it here.
"I was only trying to pave a path for you! When you will one day, become Duke of House Proudmoore!"
His tone was filled with a profound sense of heaviness and regret.
"You succeded."
Tempest grabbed his father with a determined grip, lifting him from the ground. With a grim resolve, he drove his sword through Mengsk's chest, impaling him decisively.
"I should have killed you, the moment you came out, from your Mother's womb..."
Mengsk's last words....
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In the Palais Mermonia. Furina on her balcony, was enjoying a break, from her work.
"What strange weather..."
Furina muttered to herself, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon where the sky was transforming into a golden hue. The radiant light seemed to signal a profound change, casting an otherworldly glow.