Sylvanas

When Aiden and the others fought their way to the Sunstrider Royal Court, the aerial bombardment had already ended. The Sunwell Plateau had been razed to the ground. Archimonde stood alone in the ruins, a dark green portal in front of him.

Archimonde had succeeded.

The great demon had shrunk by half. When he had first arrived, he was over twenty meters tall, and Aiden could only reach his ankles. But now, Archimonde was only a dozen meters tall. Although still enormous, compared to his previous body, which was full of explosive power and absolute pressure, this was a great relief to the heroes who opposed him.

For Archimonde, size was almost synonymous with power. For this summoning, Archimonde's power had been drastically reduced by half.

He looked incredibly wretched now. He couldn't move while summoning the portal, and he had to protect the magical energy that was distorting space-time from being disturbed, so he had to withstand most of the twenty-plus mana bombs head-on. As a result, he was blasted with arcane energy until his skin was torn and his flesh was rent.

Seeing Aiden and the others appear, the hatred and anger in Archimonde's eyes almost burst forth: "I have succeeded. Your doom has arrived!"

The portal behind him had stabilized, and perhaps demons were already entering this world through the portal on the other side of the Twisting Nether. However, the material world and the immaterial world were not instantaneous. No one knew how long it would take for the Burning Legion to enter this world. Perhaps the first demon would emerge in the next instant, or perhaps it would take three to five days, or even half a month.

Aiden felt a pang of anxiety. Had they still failed to stop Archimonde?

At this moment, Anna flew down from the sky and came to their side.

"This is not a long-term teleportation array!" She was confident in her judgment. "I can sense that the energy contained in this portal is more than half less than before the bombardment."

Only then did everyone relax. If the Burning Legion could enter Azeroth without limit, even if everyone united, they would not be able to win.

"So you're just bluffing!" Aiden taunted loudly, "Archimonde, you seem a little insecure now!"

Archimonde immediately retorted: "Does the Burning Legion need to go all out to conquer this tiny world? You overestimate yourselves! One percent of our power is enough to crush this world more than a dozen times!"

He did not rashly leave the portal to attack because he hated these people. Now that the Burning Legion had not yet arrived, everything was unknown. If these people were to use some method to destroy it, then his act of sacrificing half of his power to protect the portal would be meaningless.

"We need to think of a way to destroy the portal," Aiden said in a low voice.

Everyone knew that this was the key to stopping the Burning Legion. If they could destroy the portal before the Burning Legion's reinforcements arrived, Archimonde would face the predicament of fighting alone. He might not even be able to leave Lordaeron. Without enough minions to help and without being able to replenish his power, he would eventually be exhausted to death.

"Let's use the Focusing Iris again!" Anna took out her magical artifact.

Last time, she used a Disintegration Ray to severely damage Archimonde's body. Now, this guy didn't dare to leave the portal, so he had to withstand such an attack.

The archmages in the sky descended one after another.

"We're here to lend you a hand!"

Krasus was also among them. He knew very well the origin of the Focusing Iris. This was an artifact that the Blue Dragonflight had guarded for generations, possessing incredible power. But the Blue Dragonflight would definitely oppose anyone other than them possessing the Focusing Iris.

When the news that Anna had mastered its secrets reached the ears of the Blue Dragon King Malygos, he would definitely bring his children to reclaim the artifact that should have been guarded by them—even if the Focusing Iris in this world was still in Malygos's control.

Malygos had disrupted Aiden's plans during the Battle of Icecrown, and now the Alliance only had ill feelings towards him and Nozdormu. Krasus could imagine that the Blue Dragonflight would definitely move to the opposite side of mortals in the future—but what could he do? Krasus could only try to keep this secret and let the Blue Dragons learn about it later.

More than twenty powerful spellcasters poured their magic into the Focusing Iris. The immense energy gathered in this artifact, and even the surrounding space became unstable as a result. Last time, Anna's power alone, amplified by it, was able to cause damage to Archimonde. One could imagine what kind of power more than twenty of Azeroth's top mages would unleash from it.

That power made even Archimonde's heart tremble.

He called upon the Legion's servants to protect him, but few responded. Now, the Burning Legion had been utterly defeated, and the remaining demons were being besieged by the Allied forces, who outnumbered them several times, living in constant fear.

The loyal Dreadlords prepared to return to the rescue, but they themselves were trapped.

Mal'Ganis transformed into an ordinary human and prepared to sneak into the Sunstrider Royal Court to respond to Archimonde's call. But before he could go far, shouts came from all directions from the Allied soldiers:

"Over there!"

"That auburn-haired, chainmail-clad man!"

"It's him! Quick, surround him!"

"Don't let him escape!"

Mal'Ganis felt a pang of anxiety. These people weren't here to find him, were they? He looked at the chainmail on his body and the auburn hair on his forehead, and he was scared out of his wits.

Sure enough, these natives had a way to see through their disguises!

Mal'Ganis didn't know that the one commanding everyone to encircle and intercept him was his former good brother, Varimathras. Now he was in high spirits, shamelessly acting as the Allied forces' "guide." He had personally witnessed the destruction of the Scourge and the great defeat of the Burning Legion, and the Sunwell Plateau where Archimonde was had been bombed into the ground. In his opinion, it was clear that the Burning Legion's momentum was gone. Wasn't now a good time for him to atone for his sins?

Cunning and vicious demons had no loyalty or sense of honor. They only submitted to the strong. Now that the Burning Legion had failed, Varimathras didn't mind kicking them when they were down.

So Mal'Ganis and many of the Nathrezim demons died in confusion under the ubiquitous pursuit. In the end, only the clever Anetheron escaped—but he didn't go to support his master either. Ever since he discovered that these natives could see through his disguise, he only had one thought—escape, the farther the better!

As for going to Archimonde's side? Only a fool would go there to die! Running far away might still give him a chance to survive, but going to Sunwell Plateau would definitely be a death sentence!

After joining the Burning Legion for over ten thousand years, Anetheron was hearing Archimonde calling for his subordinates to protect him for the first time. Didn't this indicate that the great demon couldn't hold on any longer? Anetheron knew that Archimonde could crush him as easily as crushing an ant. Since Archimonde couldn't handle the difficulty, wouldn't it be useless for him to go?

Anetheron ultimately chose the direction of Northrend. The Alliance had long since retreated from the frozen soil, perhaps only that place was left where he could barely survive.

The Lich King Arthas saw the violent explosion of the Sunfury Spire. Seeing that the Burning Legion's defeat was inevitable and that he was powerless to resist, he rode Invincible into the sky and fled north. He planned to return to Icecrown Glacier to start anew, and come back after accumulating enough power in a few years!

Unintentionally, he and Anetheron went in the same direction.

—

The Banshee Queen Sylvanas had also reached her end. She was already struggling when the dreadlord attempted to help her kill Rhonin. After the dreadlord was killed, her physical body was quickly shattered, turning her into a banshee. At this time, the Scourge was already defeated. Even though she emitted a devastating banshee wail, Blitz, the steam golem, was completely unaffected. He rushed up and released a powerful electric current to disrupt the banshee, interrupting her wail. Then, the angel Pamyel and Ophiel joined forces and purified her with holy fire.

Returning to her soul state, Sylvanas finally regained consciousness. She saw herself as a high elf again, as healthy and beautiful as she was in this world, her heart still beating, and her blood still warm. This was the feeling she missed the most after becoming undead.

And her sister Vereesa, leaning on her lover Rhonin's side, inadvertently revealed a happiness and dependence that was enviable.

How happy they are!

"Thank you, my sisters... I am finally freed from endless pain..."

Vereesa felt a little uncomfortable. This was her sister from another world, a tragic sister. Fortunately, everything in this world had not happened yet, and Sylvanas was still normal. She couldn't help but reach out and grab Sylvanas's hand, feeling the warmth of her palm.

But now her palm felt a little cold.

Sylvanas knew that this was another version of herself. She had heard that she was killed by the death knight Arthas and resurrected as the Banshee Queen.

Since Mograine spoke the names of the three Scourge heroes summoned to this world at the Alliance meeting after the end of the Battle for Icecrown, Sylvanas had been tormented all the time. Perhaps Arthas and Kael'thas were the same. However, she had just seen Prince Kael'thas personally kill the corrupted version of himself and get the result he wanted.

She wanted to prove to people that she would not become like that. She wanted to wash away the shame that had not yet happened. It was as if she was living well, and suddenly a prophet told her: On a certain day, in a certain month, in a certain year, you will die in such and such a way.

That feeling was really terrible.

After killing the banshee version of herself, Sylvanas only felt mixed feelings in her heart.

She reached out to touch the banshee's soul, barely managing a smile: "I am also free."

This was the result she had been looking forward to, but she didn't feel happy at all, but felt incredibly heavy inside.

"Cherish everything in front of you and find your happiness!" The banshee Sylvanas smiled hopefully.

"Do... do you have any regrets?" Sylvanas couldn't help but ask.

"Regrets?" The banshee tilted her head and thought. Seeing Vereesa and Rhonin, she realized what it was. She said softly, "There is one... I have never been in love... so you must find someone you love and marry him, alright?"

"...alright." Sylvanas blushed a little. She had thought about getting married. When she was little, she even threw a gold coin into the wishing well in Dalaran and wished to grow up and get married with her sisters. But her eldest sister Alleria already had children, and Vereesa had a lover, but she hadn't found a suitable partner until now.

"That's great!" The banshee was satisfied, with a hint of nostalgia for the beauty of the mortal world, but her soul could not exist alone in the sunlight. After giving up the negative energy that protected the banshee's body, she would soon dissipate into the world. She knew it was time to say goodbye, "Thank you!"

Sylvanas suddenly felt extremely reluctant. This was another version of herself. Leaving aside that identity, they were the same person—just with different fates.

Now she felt like she was watching herself die, or seeing a close relative about to pass away. Two lines of tears flowed from her sore eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She felt that a part of her heart, like the banshee that was about to disappear, was gradually losing its vitality.

"I—"

"What deep sisterly love," a terrifying and sinister ghost appeared beside her, it was Thresh holding a lantern, "If you are so reluctant, I can preserve her soul. Or you can ask Karthus for a solution. There will be a place for this banshee in the Forsaken army."

"No, thank you. I don't want to live that kind of life again. My hands are stained with sins, and being able to be freed like this is already Light's mercy. Please don't do this. Just consider it my last wish, alright?"

The banshee also saw the hope that had just ignited in Vereesa and Sylvanas's eyes and the disappointment after her rejection, but she had once been the queen of the Forsaken. The gap between the dead and the living will never disappear. She had no hatred now, nor any ambition, she just wanted to sleep quietly, to disappear quietly.

"I love you!" The banshee looked at the two sisters affectionately.

Her soul, as if weightless, began to float slowly into the air, gradually turning into mottled spots of light under the exposure of the sun.

Sylvanas threw herself into Vereesa's arms, sobbing softly. Vereesa comforted her while wiping away tears herself. Rhonin sighed, he also felt a little uncomfortable. Separation of life and death always makes people feel extremely sad.

But these invisible soul fragments did not completely dissipate. Attracted by something, they rushed towards Sylvanas. She only felt a sudden warmth all over her body, and some memories that did not belong to her, but that she felt she should have experienced, slowly appeared in her mind.

Sylvanas was stunned. Were those the memories of another version of her?

They are now one…

She suddenly felt that her life had become extraordinary. She had to live not only for herself, but also for another version of herself.

Thresh shook his head and walked away. He was going to collect more souls.