Stripped of the power supply from the Well of Eternity, Sargeras thrust Gorribal into the ground, attempting to anchor himself to Azeroth.
However, as the final sanctuary blessed by the Titans of the Pantheon, the subconscious repulsive force of Azeroth's world-soul began to take effect. A violent suction erupted from the portal behind Sargeras, which had not yet closed.
"No!"
As the demon closest to the portal, Sargeras was the first to be pulled back. His screams of unwilling and utter fury grew increasingly distant.
"My crusade will not end like this! I will return!"
Following the predetermined plan, Andreas and the others used the spatial coordinates they had previously inscribed to teleport directly to the highest region in all of Azeroth—the holy Mount Hyjal.
The chain reaction triggered by the destruction of the Well of Eternity was severe. The tremors across the entire continent grew more violent by the second, forcing Andreas and the others to lean against the dense trees of Mount Hyjal to maintain their balance.
"Oh no!"
Andreas suddenly remembered something. He turned to look at Dath'Remar, who was staring blankly toward the distant Zin-Azshari with a pale face.
"Dath'Remar, did you make arrangements for Lady Felice and the Moonsong family?"
A bitter smile appeared on Dath'Remar's face. "The Burning Legion kept too close a watch. For the sake of the greater good, I didn't have time to make arrangements for them. Even my wife and Salais were left behind in the city."
"Then why didn't you—"
"It's useless."
In this instant, Dath'Remar seemed to age several decades. He looked at his hands numbly.
"That teleportation just now used up the last of our mana. We can no longer draw Arcane energy from the Well of Eternity. It's all too late..."
Andreas opened his mouth to say something, but any words now felt hollow and powerless. Knowing how much Dath'Remar doted on his young daughter from previous observations, Andreas knew he must be suffering more than anyone right now at the thought of losing her.
Flash!
At that moment, a small flicker of teleportation light appeared before the group. A young girl, as delicate as carved jade, appeared before them with a look of utter bewilderment.
"Salais?!"
Dath'Remar, who had been filled with despair, suddenly leaped up at the sight. He rushed to his precious daughter in joyful surprise and held her tight.
"How did you... wait, where is Mother?"
The little girl, Salais, pouted her small mouth and shook her head, reaching out to wipe the tears from the face of her weeping father.
"Mother told me I have to grow up healthy. She and Aunt Felice activated the only single-person teleportation artifact to send me out."
Though Salais was young, being raised in a noble family had made her precocious. The young girl clearly realized what was happening. Tucking herself into her father's embrace, she asked anxiously with tears in her eyes, "Father, are we never going to see Mother again?"
"This..."
Dath'Remar's lips quivered. After a moment of somber silence amidst his joy, he sighed. "Don't think about that for now. Hold onto Father tightly; the great earthquake is coming."
"Mm..."
Andreas looked as far as he could toward the now-invisible capital of Zin-Azshari, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Lady Felice, full of hatred as she was, chose at the very end to send out Salais—the representative of future hope. In a way, it's a form of closure.
Please rest assured; I will take good care of Leticia. I won't let your sacrifice go to waste.
...
The resistance forces led by Jarod Shadowsong had completely crushed the Burning Legion's offensive. However, according to the plan made before the battle, Jarod did not rashly order the army forward. Instead, he waited for a signal regarding the success or failure of the strike team.
Furthermore, given the condition of the main resistance force, it would have been difficult for them to advance even if they wanted to.
Archimonde had fought a grueling battle with the strongest demigod, Malorne. In the end, he had managed to snap Malorne's neck to claim victory. But the fight had not been easy; even one as powerful as Archimonde had been severely wounded by Malorne's final counterattack.
Seeing the tide of the battle turn completely in favor of his army, the grief-stricken Cenarius finally followed his own heart. He set aside his duties as the army's support and, seizing the opportunity while Archimonde was weakened by heavy injuries, personally charged to the front lines to avenge his father.
By this time, almost all the demigods who participated in the final battle had been decimated. They had used their lives to pin down the main forces of the Burning Legion on the primary battlefield, preventing them from reinforcing Zin-Azshari.
Agamaggan, Ursoc, Ursol, Ashamane, Aviana, and Ohn'ahra had all fallen. Although the Wolf God Goldrinn had managed to escape, his injuries were severe, leaving him on the brink of death. Even the hardiest, Tortolla, was exhausted from overexertion. Like Goldrinn, it would be difficult for him to regain combat effectiveness without a long period of rest.
However, the Burning Legion had not gotten off easy. Through the suicidal bravery of the demigods and the assistance of mortals, the Alliance had killed nearly all of the Legion's high-ranking officers. Counting Mannoroth, who died by the Well, this expedition was a disastrous loss for the Legion; it would take them thousands of years to recover.
Cenarius was the only demigod who remained in relatively good condition as the battle entered its final phase, yet even against a heavily wounded Archimonde, he could not gain the upper hand. Unable to defeat Archimonde, Jarod could only patiently order the lines to be held, keeping the demon army occupied.
When the Well of Eternity was destroyed, triggering the massive earthquake, Jarod finally received the signal he sought.
The suction coming from the direction of Zin-Azshari began to pull away every demon that did not belong to this world. Even Sargeras could not resist Azeroth's repulsion; naturally, these lower demons were no exception. Archimonde was also sucked back into the portal and washed away amidst his roars of unwilling fury.
The powerful enemy had finally been banished from Azeroth. Upon receiving confirmation from Commander Jarod, the multi-racial coalition erupted in thunderous cheers of victory.
Amidst the celebrations of the mortals, Cenarius sadly yet proudly lifted Malorne's body. "Father, do you see? We succeeded."
Though deeply saddened by the death of Malorne and his fellow demigods, Cenarius did not wallow in it. As primordial spirits tied to Azeroth, the demigods would not truly die just because their physical bodies were destroyed. Their souls would enter the Emerald Dream to await a long period of resurrection.
Jarod, who had already prepared for the aftermath, did not give the army much time to celebrate. After the Burning Legion was banished, he immediately ordered the troops to withdraw and had the mages activate a super-large teleportation array.
Just as the main body of the coalition finished evacuating through the array, the earth-shattering cataclysm finally began to sweep across the entire continent.