As Kairos finished speaking, a terrifying burst of psionic lightning erupted from his staff. With a single strike, two Immortals within the Protoss ranks were obliterated.
"As expected of the most powerful Greater Demon of Tzeentch." This attack was on a completely different level of power compared to other Lords of Change.
Seeing this, Alexei took a deep breath. The current situation was heavily stacked against him, but there was still a chance.
Kairos's psionic power was indeed formidable, but close-quarters combat was his weakness. This meant that if he could break through the infinite demonic horde and reach Kairos to slay him, everything could be reversed.
It sounded like an impossible task, but Alexei looked down at the shadow on his interface; he might still have a chance.
Among all Protoss, this was the Hero unit most proficient in the art of assassination, one of the oldest Dark Templar—the Dark Prelate, Zeratul.
As one of his favorite Protoss heroes, Zeratul had given everything for the Protoss race. It could be said that he spent his entire life exemplifying the meaning of the Dark Templar's path.
Alexei hesitated no longer. With a thought, a figure blended perfectly into the surrounding environment appeared in an unnoticed shadow nearby.
Unlike the dazzling white light of a standard Protoss warp-in, no one discovered Zeratul's arrival except for the summoner, Alexei.
"Zeratul at your service."
Alexei smiled imperceptibly, then looked toward Kairos, who was busy casting spells to annihilate the Protoss army.
"Please, help me kill it."
"As you wish."
As the words fell, Zeratul utilized his unique ability to quietly approach Kairos through void-folding. He was like a predator waiting for the perfect opportunity.
The sounds of slaughter continuously reached Anna's ears. The frantic whispers of the Warp tortured her spirit; she felt she would never leave this place alive.
But perhaps it was for the best. At least they had eliminated most of the demons. The remaining survivors might hold out until the Imperium noticed something was wrong and dispatched reinforcements.
Suddenly, a roar nearby caught Anna's attention. She saw Alexei remove his faceplate, revealing a face full of fury as his power sword swept through the demons surrounding him in a single arc.
Then, he pointed his power sword toward the Lord of Change, his face contorted with grim resolve. "KILL!" He charged into the demon horde like a wild beast.
"Are you insane?!" Anna screamed, immediately turning her weapon to provide cover fire for Alexei's charge.
She didn't understand why this man would suddenly launch such a suicidal attack. It was completely different from his previous calm and rational demeanor.
Had he been corrupted by the Warp? Regardless, all surviving PDF soldiers began firing under Anna's command to relieve the pressure around Alexei.
Seeing this from a distance, Kairos couldn't help but laugh out loud. Foolish and weak mortals could never resist the fear within their hearts.
"Pointless courage. Welcome your death."
"Pitiful mortal, you shall be shredded by my psionic power."
The Book of Names in Kairos's hand flipped rapidly, while the Staff of Tomorrow in his other hand began to coalesce a terrifying amount of energy.
As his concentration peaked, just at the moment the attack brimming with boundless psionic energy was about to fire, a sudden premonition of death flashed through Kairos's mind.
A green strike filled with Void Energy slashed toward one of Kairos's heads from an extremely cunning angle.
As the strike was about to hit, Kairos frantically threw up a psionic shield and moved with all his might to dodge the lethal blow.
Squelch. "ROAR!!!!" As Kairos's roar erupted, his psionic shield was sliced open like paper. The arm holding the Book of Names was severed cleanly at the shoulder and fell to the ground.
He fell into a frenzy, unleashing chaotic psionic attacks in every direction. However, other than killing countless demons that had come to protect him, Kairos still could not find his attacker.
He stopped his attacks and let out a furious shriek: "VERMIN!!! SHOW YOURSELF!!!" He couldn't understand why he hadn't foreseen this attack.
The Lord of Change was so enraged that he didn't even notice the second silent strike. The Warp Blade instantly sliced through his psionic shield and swept across one of Kairos's heads.
Thud. "ROAR!!!" The immense pain and anger caused Kairos's body to writhe. He couldn't understand why he couldn't detect this cursed assassin, or why his psionic shield couldn't stop the enemy's attacks!
Unfortunately, Zeratul wouldn't give him any more time to think. A final, lethal strike severed Kairos's remaining head along with the right arm he used for defense.
With the roar cut short, the Lord of Change, Kairos Fateweaver, was banished.
With Kairos's demise, the remaining Tzeentchian demons were like fish on a chopping block, while the human morale surged.
Anna watched in shock as the terrifying Lord of Change was slain by an unknown entity. What had just happened was beyond her comprehension. "What on earth occurred..."
But she knew now wasn't the time for answers. She immediately regained her focus and began eliminating the remaining Warp demons.
Alexei, who had been fighting in the thick of the horde, gradually retreated to the center of the Protoss army. He breathed heavily, his power armor punctured in several places.
He seemed to be injured, but an excited smile remained on his face. It had worked; Zeratul had not disappointed him.
As expected of the warrior who could assassinate Cerebrates during the Brood War. He had originally considered summoning Hierarch Artanis, but after considering the situation, "Uncle Zeratul" was the safer bet.
The result was the same. The Warp demons could no longer cause any trouble; the war was nearing its end.
In the shadows in the distance, Hordem Isaac's twisted face showed an expression of pure shock. "How is it possible... No!!! Impossible..."
How could his Master fail? Was his Master not invincible? Why couldn't he even see who had slain his Master?
He kept backing away, trying to flee the area, when he suddenly lost his footing and fell hard on his backside.
"Then what was the point of everything I lost..." he muttered in despair, before suddenly bursting into maniacal laughter. "It's over, hahahaha, it's over!"
Amidst the maddening laughter, his body began to swell and twist, until finally, a violent explosion echoed from the rear of the demonic army.
Alexei looked up in confusion, standing up from Anna's side as she supported him. "What was that sound?"
It didn't matter anymore. Victory was decided. The number of demons was steadily decreasing. As the Archon reached the final altar, the Hordem family's conspiracy was thoroughly crushed.
Everyone present felt a wave of dizziness. When they opened their eyes again, dazzling sunlight pierced through the clouds. Looking around, they realized they were back on the palace plaza.
Alexei walked slowly to the edge of the plaza. Everywhere he looked was endless ruin. He finally stood at the pinnacle of this world.
"It's over," he said to Anna beside him. Behind him, the Protoss warriors gradually faded away in pillars of brilliant white light.
A figure suddenly appeared before Alexei. Zeratul knelt on one knee, his Warp Blade retracted. "I shall take my leave first. If you have need, Excellency, you may summon me at any time."
Alexei nodded. Zeratul vanished back into the shadows under the sunlight. He turned to look at the devastated Upper Hive. "It's time to start planning the reconstruction. There's still so much to do..."