It wasn't that Andreas looked down on Cenarius, but there was indeed a gap in absolute combat capability between this Forest Lord and other powerful demigods.
His role was closer to that of a support; his diverse healing, summons, and various control methods gave Cenarius exceptional utility on the battlefield. Forcing him to act as the primary damage dealer was a bit of a tall order... yet, he himself seemed entirely oblivious to this.
The current state of the battle vividly illustrated Cenarius' characteristics.
Although he could command tough vines to restrict Mannoroth's movements, summon nearby Ancient Protectors to assist in combat, and even find moments to support other demigod allies across the battlefield, all of his attacks were mere scratches to Mannoroth.
Whether it was an enhanced Wrath of Nature, a Starfire with several times the power of a Moonfire, or even Starfall—the ultimate move of the Balance specialization—none could pose a fatal threat to a Pit Lord coursing with high concentrations of Fel energy.
The previous round of Starfall had not only failed to incapacitate Mannoroth but had instead incited his feral nature through the intense pain.
The double-headed spear, several meters long and swathed in Fel energy, launched a series of ferocious thrusts at Cenarius. Whenever Cenarius' Ironbark shields were even grazed by the edges, they would immediately ignite with green flames.
Spells were proving ineffective, so after Mannoroth managed to close the distance, Cenarius simply relied on his resilient demigod physique to engage in a melee brawl.
"Annoying planet-parasite, die!"
Entering his most proficient combat rhythm, Mannoroth grew ecstatic. His massive hands swung the Fel-infused double-headed spear, raining down savage cleaves and smashes upon Cenarius.
"It is you who shall die, filthy invaders!"
Cenarius was not to be outdone. The fingers of his hands transformed into sharp branches, lashed at Mannoroth while encased in emerald natural energy that rivaled the Fel in intensity.
On defense, he relied entirely on the Thorns Aura slowly rotating around his body. If the battle continued at this pace, Mannoroth's attacks likely wouldn't be able to pierce Cenarius' defense in the short term.
However, as Archimonde's most valued vanguard general and the Destructor of countless worlds, Mannoroth was by no means someone who relied solely on brute force to dominate the battlefield.
Seeing that he couldn't overcome Cenarius for the moment, Mannoroth endured the pain of being pierced by natural energy. He roared and raised his spear to the sky, gathering a massive amount of sickly green Fel energy at the tip of his weapon.
"Witness the power of Mannoroth the Destructor!"
Boom!
A ferocious Fel blast struck Cenarius, who was unable to dodge in time. In the nick of time, Cenarius infused his arms with natural energy and crossed them before his chest, attempting to tank Mannoroth's attack head-on.
The erupting Fel beam collided with the hastily erected natural barrier. The immense impact pushed Cenarius backward, his four hooves plowing deep furrows into the earth where they were rooted.
"Now!"
As a warm male voice shouted, the grinning Mannoroth suddenly felt the ground beneath his right hind leg shift.
The previously solid layer of earth suddenly became as hollow as if burrowed through by gophers, turning the ground soft. Given the Pit Lord's excessive weight, his body immediately lost balance due to this sudden change.
The sustained Fel beam drifted upward as Mannoroth tilted; several unlucky eagles and Felbats grazed by the beam were instantly reduced to ash.
The terrifying power left Malfurion and the others, who had just completed the assist, with lingering fear. Only a demigod like Cenarius could face Mannoroth's full power head-on; had an ordinary mortal been grazed even slightly, their fate would have been no better than the vaporized eagles.
With the heavy pressure momentarily lifted, Cenarius let out a long sigh of relief.
He took a moment to glance at the Druids led by Malfurion, nodding to them with a smile of gratitude before galloping forward once more to tangle with Mannoroth.
His killing blow having been interrupted, Mannoroth's eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Malfurion. "Insects! How dare you sneak-attack the mighty Mannoroth!"
The vengeful Pit Lord raised his spear, intending to fire a Fel blast at the Druids, but Cenarius certainly wouldn't allow his disciples and descendants to face the Destructor's wrath.
"Demon, your opponent is me!"
An Ancient Protector, burning with Fel-green flames, smashed its fist into Mannoroth's face under Cenarius' control. Although it interrupted the Pit Lord's attack, the Ancient itself crumbled into ash from absorbing too much Fel energy.
The tone of the battle was thus set. With the assistance of high-ranking Druids like Malfurion, Cenarius was able to survive narrow brushes with death at critical moments and even find openings to land heavy blows on Mannoroth.
Although he sustained no fatal damage, the infuriated Mannoroth found himself unable to successfully kill Cenarius due to the harassment of the mortal Druids. This caused the short-tempered Pit Lord to lose control of his rage more and more.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, although other demigods were also being held at a disadvantage by specific Legion generals, it seemed they wouldn't be easily killed in the short term. The battle had fallen into a temporary stalemate.
"Inng!"
At that moment, a sharp bird cry echoed from behind the Burning Legion's encirclement. Countless birds, summoned by a snow-white avian figure, burst into the battlefield like a cloud covering the sky.
A look of joy flashed in Malfurion's eyes when he saw the female avian. "Aviana! It seems she has completed her mission. The reinforcements are coming!"
Just as Malfurion suspected, while the myriad birds launched their assault on the Legion's aerial forces, a desolate and distant horn blast echoed from the distant mountains and forests.
Heaven-shaking war cries resounded through the fields, and the swaying of massive trees and rising dust created the spectacle of a charging army of thousands.
The simple-minded Mannoroth couldn't immediately grasp the situation. Cenarius, his morale greatly boosted, seized the moment his opponent was distracted to launch a counterattack, forcing Mannoroth back for the first time since the duel began.
A Dreadlord flapped its wings and arrived beside Mannoroth, seemingly trying its best to persuade the furious Destructor.
Hiding behind Malfurion, Andreas narrowed his eyes as he watched the Dreadlord. It doesn't look like Tichondrius, but where did this guy pop up from?
Among the Legion generals previously fighting the demigods, there were no Dreadlords. Andreas, who had been keeping a watchful eye on all sides, hadn't even seen any non-fodder Nathrezim in the frontal Legion formations. This unknown "large bat" looked more like...
Coming from the direction of the vanguard camp? I see...
A look of realization appeared on Andreas' face. He finally knew exactly who was responsible for intercepting and killing Aviana's messengers. Such work fit the Nathrezim style perfectly.
"Curse you!"
Mannoroth let out an unwilling and angry roar. The terrifying soundwaves, amplified by a trace of Fel energy, rippled outward. The shockwave, akin to a sonic attack, brushed past the area where Andreas and the others stood, causing temporary tinnitus and deafness in all mortals present.
After venting his rage, Mannoroth pointed his double-headed spear at Cenarius, Malfurion, and the others.
"Parasites and insects, consider yourselves lucky today. The next time we meet on the battlefield, I swear by the great Sargeras, I will personally cut off your heads!"
"Retreat!"