Before the demon guards of the Well could extinguish the strike team's momentum, an internal conflict erupted among the Highborne tasked with expanding the portal.
Inspired by Dath'Remar's impassioned speech, a large number of Highborne, who had had enough of this suffocating life, joined his side. They bravely used their dwindling mana to launch attacks against the well-dressed sycophants of the demons.
The sudden rebellion in the rear drew away some of the guards' attention. The members of the strike team seized the opportunity, launching an aggressive assault that suppressed the numerically superior demons.
With the Highborne no longer maintaining it, the portal stopped expanding. However, as Andreas and the others charged the guards, two more nearly identical Fel warships entered Azeroth.
"Mind Flay!"
Andreas pointed his staff at a Felguard who was clearly the leader. The invisible and continuous mental assault caused the demon's movements with its polearm to gradually slow. The chaotic thoughts flooding his mind gave him a splitting headache.
By nature, demons—who embraced chaos and indulged in their desires—had low resistance to mental attacks. With the amplification of G'Hanir and Xal'atath, ordinary demon officers stood no chance against the psychic pressure of Andreas's Shadow spells.
"Illidan, use your speed to break through! Help Dath'Remar tear through their defensive line from the rear and reclaim the Dragon Soul!"
In this strike team, only Illidan was a true agility-type combatant. As the battle fell into a stalemate, Andreas could only try to direct Illidan to take the initiative.
"Don't command me!" The defiant Demon Hunter nimbly dashed behind a Dreadguard, his twin blades crossing to decapitate the massive creature. "You are but Malfurion's apprentice; you have no right to—"
Tyrande, who had just provided archery support for Malfurion, interrupted Illidan's irritable protest: "Illidan, do as he says!"
"Huh? But..."
"Don't argue! It's an emergency, go now!"
"Tsk! Fine, I get it."
Andreas spared Tyrande a peculiar glance. As expected, everything in this world has its master. Only Tyrande can manage that extremely egotistical Demon Hunter.
...
While Andreas and the others fought by the Well of Eternity, the situation on the main battlefield was complex.
In the transcendent theater, no Demigod could withstand the overwhelming power of Archimonde. Aviana, the Mother of Birds and messenger of the Demigods, who was not particularly strong in direct combat, was the first to perish under the onslaught of swarming flying demons. She was followed by Onu'hara the Eagle, whose injuries had never fully healed.
Had the four Dragon Aspects not withdrawn from their duel with Archimonde to join the aerial battle, the balance of power in the sky would likely have collapsed entirely.
"There are too many flying demons!" Leticia struggled to squeeze out her remaining mana, using a Mind Blast to knock a Felbat out of the sky. Feron and the young Pandaren, Chu, each used their own skills—one using Nature's Wrath and the other utilizing Chi Waves for anti-air attacks—to barely hold a small outpost of dozens of people.
As the highest-ranking officer in this squad, Shandris's bow never ceased firing. However, with the three Fel warships entering the fray, a massive number of flying demons were launched from the ships. The aerial pressure on the resistance surged. No matter how many Shandris killed, the demons in the sky seemed as if they weren't decreasing at all.
What Shandris feared most was still Archimonde. Although he was temporarily pinned down by the Turtle Demigod Tortolla's impenetrable defense and Cenarius's support, Tortolla lacked offensive power. The battle-hardened Archimonde had already noticed this flaw. He stopped hammering the sturdy shell and attempted to bypass Tortolla to attack Cenarius directly.
A large Doomguard spotted Shandris's squad and descended toward them with a low, sinister laugh. "Ants, face your fear! I am Omo'lor the Unscarred!"
Whiz!
Shandris had no interest in the demon's name; she didn't recognize low-level Burning Legion officers anyway. Her arrows struck first, a rain of consecutive shots aimed at the membranes of Omo'lor's wings.
Thud! Thud!
The wing membranes were pierced repeatedly. Omo'lor's ventilated wings could no longer support his heavy body, and he plummeted miserably from the sky.
Stepping onto Omo'lor's hand, Shandris spoke coldly, "Unscarred? You have scars now."
With a single arrow, she executed Omo'lor with a headshot. Green blood and white brain matter splattered onto Shandris's leather boots, making the already multicolored boots from the long battle even messier.
"Enough! You annoying turtle!"
Archimonde's roar drew everyone's attention. The Defiler was finally fed up with the harassment of this "troublemaker" and fired a Finger of Death at Tortolla. The Turtle Demigod retracted his head and limbs into his shell at the last second. The shell, inscribed with countless magical runes, blocked Archimonde's lethal move almost without damage, though the impact forced him back a significant distance.
But this was the opportunity Archimonde had been waiting for. With Tortolla knocked away, Cenarius was left directly exposed.
"Die! No one can save you this time!"
"Nee-yo!"
A long, melodic stag's call echoed through the entire forest. A massive, pure white stag suddenly burst from the woods. The surrounding trees seemed to welcome his arrival, tilting to both sides. The white stag did not stop, lowering his head to aim his sharp antlers at Archimonde. After a burst of speed, he appeared before Archimonde as if teleporting, slamming into the Defiler and sending him flying.
This was the first time the invincible Archimonde had been truly pushed back. The appearance of the Great White Stag immensely boosted the morale of the Allied forces.
"Father!" Cenarius, saved from the brink of death, looked joyfully at the elegantly treading stag. He was none other than Malorne, hailed as the strongest Demigod of Azeroth.
When gathering the Demigod Legion, Malorne had been the first person Cenarius thought of, but at that time Malorne was away traveling, and Cenarius had no idea where in the world he was.
"Apologies, everyone. I am late." Malorne looked solemnly at Archimonde, who was standing up and rubbing his chest. He had not held back that strike, yet the opponent did not seem severely injured.
"Hmph~" Archimonde sneered, glancing at the wound on his chest and licking the green blood from his finger with a distorted expression. "Finally, someone of substance has arrived. I shall use the head of a formidable foe like you to welcome the arrival of Lord Sargeras!"
Though no one knew how long the strongest Demigod Malorne could hold off Archimonde, his participation eased the pressure on other parts of the front.
Jarod seized the moment to command: "Now is the time! Attack from both flanks! The rested Tauren are to commit fully to the battlefield! Tear through the demon lines—we cannot let those three floating warships continue their long-range bombardment unchecked!"