On a high tower in a side wing of the royal palace, a male Night Elf—his body etched with Fel-infused runic tattoos and his eyes bound with a black cloth—rested his back against a stone pillar, arms crossed. He gazed vacantly at the Well of Eternity, which had turned almost entirely green.
Following his "gaze," a small golden disk floated directly above the Well. Highborne mages were collectively channeling spells, driving the golden disk to release immense energy to accelerate the expansion of the portal.
"Regret giving the Dragon Soul to the demons after achieving such a great feat yet failing to save High Priestess Whisperwind?"
The sudden inquiry from behind did not startle the man. He remained motionless, still "looking" at the surging waters of the lake in the distance.
A Highborne man with shoulder-length golden hair and dressed in impeccable finery suddenly appeared beside him. This man's figure was translucent, clearly not present in his physical form.
The blindfolded man seemed completely unaffected by the black cloth. He turned his head toward the phantom and snorted, "Dath'Remar, if you're here to mock me, vanish now. I have no time for your verbal sparring."
Dath'Remar wore a playful smile and politely performed a noble bow, hand to chest. "Hehe~ Then I must apologize for my rudeness, Lord Demon Hunter."
"Back to business." Dath'Remar's phantom turned solemn. "Illidan Stormrage, although I still do not trust a man as fickle as you, there are those outside the city willing to place their bets on you."
Illidan's expression shifted, a flicker of complex emotion passing through his eyes. "Malfurion? Or Tyrande?"
"Neither. You don't need to guess who it is; I will simply deliver his message to you." Dath'Remar spoke gravely. "Wait for the signal to start the battle. The Resistance outside the city will dispatch an elite strike team to infiltrate Zin-Azshari."
"We need you to handle the reception and ensure the strike team enters the palace smoothly." A mocking smile flashed across Dath'Remar's lips. "Now that you've performed a great service and received commendations from both the Burning Legion and Queen Azshara, it shouldn't be difficult for you to manage that, should it?"
"Enough! Get to the point!" Illidan had never been one for patience, and Dath'Remar's repeated barbs were starting to irritate him.
"Hmph~ Very well." Dath'Remar composed himself. "As long as you can get the elite team into the capital, the rest will be my job. Since our positions in this great war have been decided, I hope we both remain firm in our convictions. You wouldn't want your beloved Priestess Whisperwind to perish at the hands of the Burning Legion, would you?"
After saying this, Dath'Remar's phantom dissolved into a stream of blue arcane particles and vanished with the wind. Illidan's crossed arms suddenly tightened into fists as he looked back at the main palace complex with frustration.
"Tyrande..."
...
The period spent waiting for the reinforcements to assemble was an ordeal for everyone. Watching the battle situation deteriorate day by day, even Jarod, the supreme commander, had been forced to take to the field in person.
"Roar!"
A sturdy black bear, its body etched with numerous purple runic patterns, shattered the upper torso of a Felguard with a single swipe. It then launched a Wild Charge, rescuing a Night Elf girl from the grasp of a six-armed female demon.
As the bear knocked the demon back, the Shivarra didn't forget to swing its six weapons toward the bear's head in a frantic flurry.
Clang!
The bear's bristling, hardened fur blocked the Shivarra's attacks head-on. With its left claw wreathed in dark energy, the bear followed up on the momentum, smashing the Shivarra's head despite her counterattacks.
"Leticia! Why are you dazing out on the battlefield? You were the one who demanded to join the front line. Don't tell me your legs have gone soft from fear already!"
The rescued girl gripped a beautiful short one-handed staff with both hands. Facing a demon for the first time, her body was inevitably trembling. Hearing the roar of the big black bear—Andreas—Leticia stubbornly bit her lower lip. With the help of a sturdy young Pandaren beside her, she stood up again.
"I'm fine! I just slipped! I can still fight!"
Andreas was like a heavy tank, charging through the demon hordes relying on his exceptionally resilient fur. Every swipe of his bear claws brought forth streaks of dark purple light and shadow. The erosion of the Shadow power on the mind combined with the heavy physical impact dealt severe damage to the enemies' souls and bodies alike.
Seeing more and more demons swarming around, Andreas took a deep breath and gathered Shadow energy in his throat.
"ROAR!!"
A shockwave from the sonic blast radiated outward from Andreas. Except for Leticia's squad, which was intentionally spared, all demons within a dozens-meter radius were affected by the sonic attack, kneeling on the ground in agony while clutching their heads.
With their brains crudely invaded by Shadow energy, even physically powerful demons could not immune themselves to this damage. After all, demons, chaotic by nature, were not known for their mental defenses.
"Well done. You learn quickly." A snickering female voice appeared in Andreas' mind, completely unheard by Leticia and the others behind him.
Normally, all of a Druid's weapons and equipment would merge into their form during shapeshifting. However, on the outside of the big black bear's left hind leg, a strange, curved scimitar hung eerily.
As the surrounding demons died one after another from the soul-deep erosion, their translucent souls were inhaled in large quantities by the scimitar.
"Burp~ It's been a long time since I've eaten this much."
The most terrifying thing about demons was their ability to resurrect after death, provided their souls could flee back to the Twisting Nether. The demons preyed upon by Xal'atath clearly lost their chance at resurrection. However, due to her own current limits, the souls she devoured were only a tiny fraction of those dying on the battlefield, not even enough to catch the attention of the Burning Legion's officers.
After clearing a large area, Andreas leaped back and transformed into his original form, letting out a sigh of relief under the admiring gazes of Leticia's squad.
He reached out and tapped Leticia on the head, saying reproachfully, "Let this be the last time. Dazing out on a battlefield is a death wish. If I catch you slacking off again..."
"I won't! I definitely won't!"
"Hmph~" Moving his gaze to the two new friends beside Leticia , Andreas gave them a similar warning. "Feren, Qu, you and Leticia both lack practical experience. You must heighten your focus on the battlefield."
Feren was the first to snap to attention and shout, "Yes, sir!"
The young Pandaren scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Moonshade. I'll definitely be more careful next time."
Technically, this Pandaren was not a member of the diplomatic mission. He had taken advantage of his elders' lack of attention and accidentally tumbled into the portal while watching the crowd.
Qu Stormstout—a descendant of the renowned Pandaren brewing clan, the Stormstouts. He had inherited the restless nature of his family and had been a constant source of worry for his elders since childhood.
Under Andreas's watch, the squad of three fledglings formed a formation and engaged the Burning Legion. Their clumsy coordination was gradually becoming seamless.
At that moment, a Stormcrow covered in green blood flew across the battlefield and landed in front of Andreas, transforming into a bare-chested, tall Night Elf—Fandral Staghelm.
"Andreas, it's time for the rotation. The mentor says you've done a wonderful job."
"The Pandaren and Tauren reinforcements are almost here. The final battle will break out very soon."
"Is that so..." Andreas led the three juniors back as Shaun Moonclaw, who was responsible for taking over his position, immediately transformed into a fierce Feral form and charged into the fray.
Looking over the corpse-strewn battlefield, Andreas spoke with a heavy heart, "The final battle... it's finally about to begin."