The battle between the Dragon Aspects was supposed to be a clash of equals, but with the exception of Neltharion, all the other Dragon Kings had a portion of their power siphoned away by the Dragon Soul.
Although Malygos had initially fought with the ferocity of a tiger, catching Neltharion off guard with a relentless barrage of attacks, the tide in the sky instantly reversed once the equally half-mad Black Dragon King regained his bearings. The raw disparity in strength became apparent.
Bitten by the neck by Neltharion, Malygos let out a roar of agony. Despite his inferior strength, he managed to wrench himself free from the fallen Black Dragon King's grip through sheer, mad persistence. Using his thick hind legs to kick Neltharion away, the Blue Dragon King unleashed a torrent of azure Arcane breath.
Not to be outdone, Neltharion retaliated with Shadowflame. The two opposing energies clashed in mid-air, locked in a desperate struggle, but it was clear at a glance that Neltharion still held the upper hand.
Seeing Malygos on the verge of defeat, Andreas considered his options and raised the Dragon Soul, aiming it at the Black Dragon King in the sky. However, a series of dragon roars echoing from the distance interrupted him again. The Red, Bronze, and Green Dragon Aspects had arrived just in time.
In his state of madness, Malygos had no concept of cooperation. He ignored Alexstrasza's pleas to open his barrier. Left with no choice, Nozdormu breathed out the Sands of Time, using the rapidly accelerating flow of time to corrode a gap in the barrier.
The shockwaves from the battle between the five Dragon Kings sent massive ripples across the surface of the Well of Eternity. Realizing that the entangled Dragon Aspects would not reach a conclusion anytime soon, Andreas shook his head and refocused his attention.
Perhaps sensing that the situation on Azeroth's side was abnormal, the portal above the Well of Eternity—which had already expanded to over thirty meters in height—suddenly rippled violently. A world-consuming amount of Fel energy began to pour in frantically from the other side of the portal.
"This is bad!" Malfurion's face changed drastically. "Someone on the other side is trying to force their way through. It's likely..."
Andreas nodded grimly. "The Fallen Titan, Sargeras."
Holding the Dragon Soul high above his head, Andreas funneled his own energy into the small golden disc, activating the artifact that held the gathered protective essence of the four Dragon Kings.
Illidan was currently on the periphery, taking the initiative to suppress the counterattacks of the Burning Legion and the Highborne. However, a sudden disturbance coming from within the city of Zin-Azshari caught his attention.
The orderly architecture of the Night Elf capital was being decimated. A gargantuan, four-legged subterranean demon, leading a small contingent of elite subordinates, was charging in a straight line from the city outskirts toward the Well of Eternity.
The houses along its path were crushed without exception by this Pit Lord, whose body surged with powerful Fel energy. An ugly scar was being carved across the beautiful capital of the Night Empire, and the screams of the casualties echoed through the night.
Boom!
A beam of Fel energy shot out from the tip of the Pit Lord's twin-headed spear. Andreas and the others were forced to dive for cover, each using their own methods to evade the Fel impact.
The golden eagle, clutching the Dragon Soul as it took flight, stared intently at the seemingly bloated and clumsy Pit Lord.
"Mannoroth? To think the Burning Legion would have him fall back to the Well of Eternity when the front lines are in such a precarious state... Are they putting all their eggs in one basket?"
As Archimonde's top general, Mannoroth might not have been the brightest, but he had destroyed countless worlds for the Burning Legion through his overwhelming individual strength, earning him the prestigious title of "The Destructor."
"Insects! Hand over the Dragon Soul and accept the purification of the Burning Legion! Lord Sargeras shall descend!"
Bolstered by Mannoroth's war cry, hundreds of elite demons charged toward the strike team with blood-curdling screeches. This group was Archimonde's personal guard, consisting primarily of Eredar. Their class composition was perfectly balanced and their coordination was seamless; their sheer momentum made it clear they would be difficult to handle.
"Tch! Of all times..."
Landing and shifting back into his humanoid form, Andreas raised the Dragon Soul with a hint of agitation. He intended to race against time, hoping to gather enough power to strike the Well of Eternity and close the portal before the elite demons arrived.
But Mannoroth, burdened with his mission, clearly would not give him that chance. Seeing Andreas begin to charge the Dragon Soul, he unleashed another Fel blast.
Lightly dodging Mannoroth's attack, Tyrande looked at the Tears of Elune on her chest with a hesitant expression. The High Priestess's repeated warnings echoed in her mind as she considered activating the artifact's power regardless of the cost.
Mannoroth's attacks looked devastating, but they were far slower than Archimonde's Finger of Death and moved in a straight line, making them relatively easy to dodge. However, under the constant interference of this charging Pit Lord, Andreas could not find enough time to complete the Dragon Soul's charging sequence.
Malfurion clenched his fists with a determined expression. "We must buy enough time for the one holding the Dragon Soul. I will temporarily restrain Mannoroth."
"Hmph~"
After reaping a harvest among the enemy ranks, Illidan used Blink to teleport to Malfurion's side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him. "Don't talk big, brother. Not even Cenarius would dare claim he could defeat Mannoroth in a head-on fight. Do you have what it takes?"
"Even if I don't, I must!"
Malfurion, usually known for his gentle temperament, revealed his hardened side at this critical juncture. He looked seriously at Illidan. "Illidan, I don't know what you've done before, or if you've truly betrayed our people. But if you still feel even a shred of responsibility for this world, then help me. We must hold back Mannoroth!"
Illidan turned back to look at Tyrande, who was lost in a conflict of emotions, with a tender gaze. Then, he let out a short, disdainful snort. "Stop trying to be the lone hero. At least for now, I am standing with you. Enough talk, let's go!"
Upon hearing Illidan's uncharacteristic and indirect answer, a fleeting smile of relief appeared on Malfurion's face. He then opened his arms to the sky. The Archdruid, who usually advocated for keeping a low profile, finally unleashed his full potential in this final moment of crisis.
Massive amounts of Nature energy flowed through Malfurion's arms and merged into the environment. The sky he summoned began to churn with wind and clouds. As a prelude, a gale swept through, and the colliding clouds sparked with streaks of lightning.
"Mannoroth the Destructor! Feel the majesty of Nature!"
Countless bolts of lightning descended from the sky, the flashing electric light illuminating the entire night. Even the five entangled Dragon Kings were startled by this sudden celestial phenomenon.
Mannoroth swung his twin-headed spear, using the Fel energy coating the weapon to block most of the lightning strikes. However, the occasional stray bolt still caused the massive Pit Lord to shudder uncontrollably.
While in his casting state, Malfurion was unable to move, making him a perfect target for the Eredar sorcerers. Just as the Fel spells launched by the Eredar were about to hit him, Illidan, who had been guarding him, stepped forward.
The Twin Blades of Azzinoth flared with full power. Under Illidan's agile movements, the Fel blades even sliced directly through the incoming spells, perfectly blocking the first wave of attacks.
A wicked, charming smile quirked the corner of Illidan's mouth. The glowing green Fel tattoos on his body seemed to pulse with a light of their own as he entered a desperate, all-out combat mode.
"You shall not pass!"