As Alaric pointed toward Malakas, four divine beasts charged at the shadow barrier.
There were no elemental attacks like storms or flames, nor savage techniques of fangs and claws—only the most primal collision, imbued with the surging divine power of nature.
These creations, modeled after four demigods, carried the might of their divine progenitors as they enacted vengeance upon the sorcery lord who had betrayed his faith.
As divine power clashed violently with the shadows, the barrier—already at its weakest—shattered instantly.
With his final defense destroyed, the frail body of the sorcery lord was laid bare before his enemies.
In that same instant, Malakas collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from his nose due to the backlash of his own magic. It seemed he would require a long time to recover.
Yet, despite having the ability to do so, Alaric did not strike him down immediately.
He believed that there were others with a far greater desire to take revenge on the sorcery lord.
All he needed to do was release them.
With the shadow energies no longer obstructing him, Alaric could finally unleash his magic near Malakas.
Arcane energy, shimmering with a violet glow, began to gather above the blood ritual formation. Moments later, the arcane power erupted.
The fragile formation was utterly obliterated by the raging energy, and Malakas' sinister ritual came to an abrupt halt.
In that instant, time itself seemed to freeze.
And then, everything changed.
Within the Emerald Dream, the four demigods—once bound by chains—suddenly realized that their shackles had disappeared, as if they had never existed in the first place.
Meanwhile, in another realm, countless souls, long tormented, felt an unprecedented liberation. Malakas no longer held them captive. His power over them had vanished.
They were finally free to pass into true eternal rest, as all souls should.
Raising their voices in praise, they offered prayers to the Loa gods they had once worshipped. Because of Alaric's actions, they now firmly believed that their gods had seen their suffering, acknowledged their faith, and forgiven their past betrayals.
Yet, for these spirits, it was not yet time to pass on.
Glaring at the collapsed Malakas, they had other ideas.
Before the sorcery lord could recover, they resolved to give the one who had slaughtered them a lesson he would never forget.
Thus, tens of thousands of vengeful souls surged toward the wicked troll.
Back in the material plane, the Alliance's warriors were stunned.
Their commander, Alaric—silent for a time in a manner they could not comprehend—had suddenly awoken. Without hesitation, he had summoned four divine beasts, each mirroring their god-powered adversaries, and directed them to crash into Malakas' barrier.
And then, in an instant, the barrier shattered, taking the four summoned beasts with it.
Malakas fell, and his ritual was halted.
The sudden, almost effortless conclusion left the warriors in disbelief.
Had everything they had just witnessed been an illusion?
Had their commander been idly toying with them all along? Was the so-called crisis nothing more than a joke?
Regardless, Malakas' downfall signified a turning point—the dawn of their victory.
Just as the warriors prepared to focus their strength and crush the four divine warriors, now in disarray due to Malakas' failure, an unexpected shift occurred on the battlefield.
Four colossal beasts manifested at its center as if emerging from the ether.
A giant eagle, a bear, a dragonhawk, and a lynx.
Their forms dwarfed any similar creatures the warriors had ever seen. More than just their immense size, they radiated an overwhelming presence that no ordinary beast could possess.
Through their piercing eyes, the warriors discerned wisdom and intelligence far beyond any mundane animal.
At first, the Alliance warriors assumed these creatures were yet another trick of the trolls. After all, the animals bore an uncanny resemblance to those the trolls revered.
Instinctively, the warriors braced themselves, dread creeping into their hearts.
These creatures looked even more formidable than the divine warriors.
But something was amiss.
The beasts paid no heed to the Alliance forces. Their attention was locked solely on the divine warriors, and their fury was palpable.
Meanwhile, the divine warriors, upon seeing these creatures, were overcome with visible panic.
"Could it be… these creatures are the enemies of the trolls? Are they on our side?"
This thought began circulating among the Alliance ranks.
Their suspicions were soon confirmed.
"So these are the vessels of our stolen power—the chosen of the Lady of the Dreaming?"
The colossal eagle spoke, addressing none other than Alaric.
"As you can see, demigod, these four trolls are the ones who have been sealed with your power," Alaric replied. "They are Malakas' test subjects, though it seems he had ambitions far greater than this."
"Blasphemer!" The mighty bear demigod bellowed in rage. "The betrayer must pay the price! But before that, these defilers must be eradicated!"
With that, it charged at Nalorakk with thunderous might.
Behind it, the other three demigods followed suit, launching a relentless assault against the trolls who had imprisoned their divine essence.
"It looks like we no longer have to intervene," Alaric remarked casually as he rejoined his allies. "These trolls have offended beings far beyond their reckoning. Now, we simply sit back and enjoy the show."
"What are those creatures?" Sylvanas asked, puzzled. Next to her, Alleria also cast a curious gaze at the mage.
"Surely, you've already guessed, haven't you?" Alaric responded with a cryptic smile.
"They… they are the Loa gods the trolls worship?" The rangers could hardly believe it. "The Loa… aren't they supposed to be divine entities? How could they…"
They left the rest of the sentence unspoken, but Alaric understood their hesitation.
The Loa gods were supposed to be exalted beings, sacred and powerful.
At the very least, they should possess a more divine presence—yet they had taken the form of mere beasts, albeit ones far grander and mightier than any normal animal.
"The Loa are, for the most part, demigods of nature," Alaric explained. "They are the very embodiment of natural forces, so it is not unusual for them to take the forms of animals."
The Windrunner sisters reluctantly accepted this explanation, though their curiosity remained—who exactly was the Lady of the Dreaming? And why was Alaric her chosen one?
Alaric could only sigh helplessly at their inquisitiveness, while the sisters, in contrast, seemed utterly serious about uncovering the truth.