Everything was ready, and the day to summon Hakkar had finally arrived.
The future of the Zandalari Empire rests on this one move, Yeh'kinya feels the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The summoning ceremony was presided over by Yeh'kinya, with the Zandalari Empire's finest Priests as assistants, and Emperor Ata personally overseeing it.
Yeh'kinya knelt on the Altar, before which lay the Hakkar's Egg, infused with the soul of the Wind Serpent, and bit his finger to draw symbols upon it.
A Wind Serpent spirit emerged from Hakkar's Egg, stained red with blood.
Yeh'kinya chanted incantations, and the Zandalar Priests knelt on the ground, joining Yeh'kinya in reciting the incantation. After a while, a blood-red full moon appeared at the top of the Altar.
Yeh'kinya was overjoyed, as this meant the summoning ritual had been successful.
A sense of joy washed over him; it was the pleasure of Hakkar the Soulflayer. After all, each summons meant a massive amount of offerings, especially in unfamiliar worlds he had never set foot in before, where he always encountered very generous patrons.
Hakkar's phantom appeared on the Blood Moon, unfurling a pair of beautiful, intricate wings. His serpentine body twisted and turned, and two sharp eyes pierced the world.
In that instant, everyone, including Emperor Ata, felt as if they had been seen through; they could not hide any thoughts from the gods.
Hakkar is now separated from the Material Plane by only one barrier. Although Hakkar's true form cannot descend, communicating directly with him is perfectly feasible.
Yeh'kinya stopped the ceremony, stood up, and bowed to Emperor Ata:
"Your Excellency Emperor Ata, it is time to make a trade with Hakkar the Soulflayer."
Yeh'kinya still held back. Since Emperor Ata only wanted to know the meaning of the symbols on the Crystal Firmament, there was no need to send Hakkar to Azeroth. Offering sacrifices in exchange for information would suffice.
Emperor Ata's eyes shone with intense light as he gazed eagerly at Hakkar's imposing body:
"I felt an unparalleled power; the power of the Loa is not even a fraction of his. My God, is this the great Soulflayer Hakkar?"
The majestic voice of Hakkar echoed across the Altar:
"Emperor of the Zandalari Empire, Atal'tar, I know what you desire. Only by crossing the final barrier and descending upon Azeroth in your true form can I grant your wish."
Yeh'kinya's face changed instantly. The worst had happened. His vision went black, his body swayed, and he almost fainted. This meant that Emperor Ata was deceiving him again.
Emperor Ata, intoxicated by Hakkar's power, commanded without a second thought:
"Yeh'kinya, complete the final summons and welcome the arrival of the great Hakkar."
"You're lying to me, aren't you?" Yeh'kinya asked painfully.
Emperor Ata roared:
"Humble Yeh'kinya, who do you think you are, challenging the majesty of an emperor time and time again? You have no idea what I have sacrificed for Zandalar. I am the great Emperor Ata, and everything I have done is for Azeroth, for the Zandalari Empire."
Tears streaming down her face, Yeh'kinya said sadly, "Even now, you're still deceiving me, saying pretty words. I won't serve you anymore, you lying liar."
"I am the great Emperor Ata, my words are the highest truth in the world, I am the embodiment of truth," Emperor Ata said, his face ashen.
"Yeh'kinya, you will pay the price for your stupidity."
Several tall Zandalar guards stepped forward and captured Yeh'kinya. At the same time, countless Court Mages hidden in the shadows cast spells, binding Yeh'kinya with layers of restrictions and shackles.
Yeh'kinya said coldly, "Without me, you cannot complete the final summons."
Immediately, Yeh'kinya thought of a possibility, and his face turned deathly pale.
The worst fears had come true. Hakkar whispered, "Zandalar Priests, cooperate with my spell. I will tell you how to help me descend upon Azeroth."
Everything is over.
Yeh'kinya was filled with remorse, finding his own naiveté laughable, and slowly closed his eyes.
What talk of serving the country and its people, or the common people? These are merely excuses to cover up selfishness and greed.
Emperor Ata was overjoyed and looked at Yeh'kinya with a mocking gaze.
With the assistance of the Zandalar Mage Corps, the final barrier gradually blurred, and Hakkar's true form drew ever closer to this world.
Yeh'kinya still did not give up.
He had long understood that the mages of this era merely cast spells mechanically, without understanding the true mysteries of magic. All magic has flaws, and the magic left behind by the Old Gods is no exception.
Yeh'kinya is the mysterious Hexxer Jin'do, also known as the Godbreaker. He managed to escape from the siege of numerous top adventurers, demonstrating his exceptional understanding of magic.
The Court Mages cast far too many restrictive spells, simply piling them all on Yeh'kinya without considering the mutual restraint between different spells.
Yeh'kinya found a weakness and used the mutual restraint between magics to break through the shackles layer by layer. He had to race against time to gain his freedom before Hakkar arrived.
A powerful aura appeared at the top of the Altar, revealing a towering figure that blotted out the sky.
Yeh'kinya was secretly saddened, but it was too late; almost simultaneously, he broke free of the restraints.
He was unwilling to admit defeat so easily.
His target was Emperor Ata.
At the most critical moment, Yeh'kinya displayed his true power as the Hexxer Jin'do. To the astonishment of Emperor Ata, countless souls emerged from Yeh'kinya's body, forming a straight line and crashing into Emperor Ata.
As the souls collided, colorful magical ripples appeared on Emperor Ata's body. These were magical shields cast upon him by the Court Mages. Yeh'kinya had too many Restless Souls within him, and after consuming hundreds of Restless Souls, Emperor Ata's last shield shattered.
Before the palace guards could react, Yeh'kinya suddenly rushed forward and bit Emperor Ata's neck. Emperor Ata hurriedly dodged, but Yeh'kinya bit his left shoulder.
At this moment, Yeh'kinya's eyes were bloodshot, and he appeared to be insane, constantly tearing at Emperor Ata's flesh.
"No, save me!" Emperor Ata cried out.
Hidden in the shadows, the court mages swiftly cast spells, countless magic spells whistling towards Yeh'kinya. Because the Emperor was right beneath Yeh'kinya, the Court Mages were worried about accidentally harming him, so they used single-target spells that weren't particularly powerful.
Yeh'kinya erected a silver Magic Shield, one of Hexxer Jin'do's most prized spells, capable of reducing most magical and physical damage.
"Emperor Ata, no one can save you now. I will devour you."
Yeh'kinya continued to tear at Emperor Ata's flesh:
"I understand. You are a descendant of Man-eating Tusk; you have their blood in you."
Emperor Ata screamed in agony, countless pieces of flesh and blood splattered everywhere. Yeh'kinya did not kill him outright, but instead used every means to torture Emperor Ata.
Emperor Ata's will and dignity crumbled, and he pleaded in anguish:
"Spare me! I was wrong. I shouldn't have lied to you. I'll give you anything you want. All the treasures in the palace are yours, and the entire Skyreach City is yours. Do you want to become the Great Emperor?"
More and more palace guards rushed over, and more mages joined in the spellcasting, but they were helpless against Yeh'kinya's Magic Shield.
Finally, it was all over. Emperor Ata was on his deathbed, his body devoid of any intact flesh, with bones exposed in many places.
Covered in blood, Yeh'kinya stood up, looked up at the towering Soulflayer Hakkar, and laughed heartily with satisfaction, tears streaming down his face.
"When a mortal is enraged, blood will splatter five steps away. I admire your courage, but why don't you just kill him?" Hakkar asked.
Yeh'kinya bowed and said, "I cannot kill anyone in your presence."