Kil'jaeden's Final Sacrifice

The first batch of Naaru starships to leave Argus did not immediately head into deep space.

Instead, these gem-shaped ships of varying sizes remained in orbit around Argus as planned.

This was for safety.

To bring more Eredar away, the Naaru had essentially arrived in empty ships. But now every starship was fully loaded, and relying solely on the Naaru themselves as a power source was no longer enough to keep the ships traveling through the stars at maximum speed.

They needed to wait for the "Mother of Light," Xe'ra, to conduct a large-scale divination, resetting the return routes for each starship and allowing them to avoid potential dangers along the way.

Although the Burning Legion had yet to recruit enough Morthal war-smiths or uncover a genius of destruction like Golganneth to design destructive starships suited to demonic habits, meaning the current sea of stars was generally safe, the Burning Legion not rampaging everywhere did not mean the stars held no danger at all.

Whether unpredictable stellar vortices or suddenly emerging Void horrors, either could place ships in peril.

The most direct example was the Void calamity that had erupted on the planet Karkora.

Corrupt power from the Sea of Darkness had instantly swallowed that world and its small star system. Had a passing Naaru not sacrificed itself to purify the contamination, Karkora would likely have become a festering wound in the physical universe, endlessly spreading Void corruption.

Oh, right. The Naaru that had sacrificed itself to save Karkora was called T'uure. Its remains had been fashioned into a Holy Light staff, which Velen now held in his hand.

So, while the Naaru had all sorts of bad habits, if you truly lived in the universe of Azeroth and your world faced an apocalyptic crisis, you had better pray that a Naaru out for a stroll happened to be passing through the nearby stars.

Among all mythical beings in the physical universe, only the Naaru would selflessly sacrifice themselves to save strangers wholly unrelated to them. By comparison, even the dragon Aspects appointed by the Pantheon seemed selfish, while every one of those Titan Keepers was an obnoxious miser.

This lofty desire for sacrifice came from the original intent instilled in the Naaru by the primal force of the Holy Light. It was an instinct none of them could defy.

Even the most vile, maddened, and extreme Naaru in history, the "Mother of Light" Xe'ra, had created that massive incident of "mental infection lunatics" with the original intention of saving the entire sea of stars from disaster.

Thus, she could only be judged a madwoman, not a bad person.

While the first batch of Naaru ships moved in relative orbit and the second batch arrived on schedule to land upon Argus for their desperate rescue mission, Grand Executor Kil'jaeden, who had just endured a stifling "Xibi Xibi coup," finally broke free from the seal Velen had placed upon him aboard one of the starships.

It had taken so long partly because Kil'jaeden had indeed suffered severe injuries in battle. Even with the Star Soul nourishing him, he needed time to recover. More importantly, the "ill-intentioned" navigation Naaru aboard the ship had secretly maintained the seal all along.

It had probably reached some sort of agreement with Velen.

In any case, Kil'jaeden felt deeply humiliated and furious. The instant he broke free, he expressed his mood through action.

Bang!

Aquinus, one of the chosen of the Light guarding the Grand Executor, was sent flying out of the cabin by a savage punch. Even the sturdy cabin door was torn apart by Kil'jaeden's wrath.

Before receiving the Star Soul's blessing, the Grand Executor had already been an outstanding legend-class warrior. Now, while still within Argus's starry skies and bearing the World Power's blessing, he had long surpassed the demigod realm. Beating up a few chosen of the Light was as easy as playing around.

But rage did not consume Kil'jaeden's mind. He did not follow up with several more punches against the chosen one he had knocked down.

He panted, suppressing his anger as he strode from the cabin.

Several chosen ones who rushed over tried to stop him, only to be sent flying one punch at a time by the Grand Executor. By the time the priests arrived, Kil'jaeden had already reached the plaza on the first level of the starship.

As a starship, its interior was naturally not something an ordinary boat could compare to.

In truth, the interior of a Naaru ship resembled a tiered city. Even at full capacity, it had not reached the point of people being packed shoulder to shoulder. At this moment, the grieving civilians could even be assigned cabins for eight people each.

Their living conditions were certainly worse than before, but not by much. After all, this was a rescue operation, not an attempt to sell the Eredar off as livestock.

"It's the Grand Executor! It's Lord Kil'jaeden! We're saved!"

Someone shouted, and the civilians praying to the Holy Light in the plaza immediately gathered around him.

Weeping and grieving, they begged for the Grand Executor's blessing. Once Kil'jaeden was surrounded by his people, no matter how great his fury was, he could no longer vent it.

He could only straighten his face and reach out to touch these panicked people, using this gesture to show that he stood with them and calm hearts filled with fear.

The Eredar governor assigned to this Naaru ship was old Hutton. Upon hearing that Commander Kil'jaeden had awakened, Hutton hurried over, only to be rebuked by the commander for showing no concern for the people's mental state.

But Hutton had his own hardships.

Nearly one hundred and ten thousand people from Krokuun had been settled here. His administrative staff had yet to be assembled, and the only reason no chaos had erupted was the Eredar's inherently civilized habits. Yet he did not explain any of this to the Grand Executor. He merely earnestly urged Kil'jaeden not to take risks again.

"Velen foresaw your dark fate, Grand Executor!"

Unable to persuade Kil'jaeden any further, Hutton could only grit his teeth and reveal the truth.

He took Kil'jaeden's hand and said in a low voice:

"When I left the Seat of the Triumvirate, Velen specifically instructed me that I must not allow you to return to Argus. He said you would fall into a dark conspiracy, and that in every future prophetic fragment concerning the Eredar, you would play a terrifying role!

"As your friend and brother, Velen does not want you to walk toward that fate... For this, he defied a prophet's obedience to destiny for the first time in his life.

"Please do not betray his painstaking efforts!"

"Do you and he truly see me as such a coward?"

Kil'jaeden could no longer suppress his fury. He roared:

"Even if that is my fate, I will never choose to flee! I am the leader of the vindicators, Hutton! I am the guardian of the people and this world! Yet now you ask me to stand by and watch my people be slaughtered by demons, and you want me to flee without fighting?

"Do you want Eredar history to remember me as a coward?

"And how could you expect me to allow my brother to bear such a terrible future in my place?

"Move aside!

"I know the Naaru ships carry escape pods. I will not take anyone else with me. I will return alone!

"I made up my mind long ago.

"Even if I must die, I will die upon the land that bore and raised me!

"How can a leader die in a foreign land?"

"But this act that appears brave is actually an abandonment of your responsibility as Grand Executor!"

Hutton erupted as well.

Ever since Krokuun had fallen, the governor had lived in painful self-reproach. Now, with bloodshot eyes, he roared at Kil'jaeden:

"Is dying difficult? I could strangle you to death right now and make sure it is painful and slow! But you are not an ordinary man, Kil'jaeden! You are our leader!

"Now the people of this entire world must be sent to different worlds among the stars, where they will struggle to multiply and preserve the last spark of our race. At a time like this, we need you. Only you and Velen possess enough prestige and foresight to lead us.

"Returning to Argus is a beautiful vision for the future, but without you two, we could never accomplish such a difficult undertaking!

"Do you want to fulfill your own personal virtue and glorious reputation at the cost of leaving your people to face the unknown dangers of the stars alone? Wake up!"

Slap!

A furious slap landed across Kil'jaeden's face.

Hutton pointed at the people in the hall below and roared at Kil'jaeden:

"Look at them! Look at them, Kil'jaeden! Tell me, will you become one man's hero, or everyone's hero? You cannot abandon your duty... I'm begging you."

Kil'jaeden wanted desperately to argue.

But when he looked at the Eredar in the plaza, it was like looking upon a flock of sheep that had lost its shepherd.

Without words or questions, he could feel the confusion and pain in their hearts. Every one of them was enduring no less torment than he, their Grand Executor, was at this moment.

Kil'jaeden felt as though his courage and the flames within his heart had been wrapped and bound by coil after coil of rope. How he wished he truly were a heartless madman, so that he could choose what he wanted to do in this difficult choice without any burden on his conscience.

But regrettably, he was not.

At least, not yet.

"You need to calm down."

Hutton panted as he persuaded him:

"Through the link between this starship and the Genedar docked at the Seat of the Triumvirate, we have maintained communication with the surface.

"Lord Talgas sent word several hours ago. The evacuation of Mac'Aree has reached its final stage. Grand Executor Velen and the people of the Seat of the Triumvirate are boarding the Genedar, guarded by the Naaru K'ure and Lady Lura.

"The civilians across the Eredath Sea have also begun evacuating under the protection of the great starship Tempest Keep.

"Everything is proceeding smoothly!

"The demons lack commanders and higher-ranking forces. Their chaotic assaults cannot break through the dual defenses raised by the vindicators and the Naaru.

"If we are lucky enough, we may complete the full evacuation before the Dark Titan reaches Argus."

"How long until the thirty-day declaration of doom ends?"

Kil'jaeden asked. Hutton pulled out a jeweled pocket watch with a timer, glanced at it, and said:

"Only six hours remain. The Naaru aboard the starships have still detected no sign of the Dark Titan approaching. Perhaps... perhaps it was merely a deception?"

Kil'jaeden shook his head.

He did not believe that an existence standing at the pinnacle of the physical universe would use a deception to frighten the Eredar.

It would come.

At the very moment the declaration of doom ended, it certainly would...

"Report! Commander, we have discovered something strange on the surface!"

An Arcane Mage serving as a temporary lookout rushed over in panic. Pointing toward the starship's viewing window, he shouted at Kil'jaeden and Hutton.

The two exchanged a glance and immediately hurried toward the starship's observation tower. Before the crystal-forged control console, a beam-magic simulation of Argus's surface was showing deep green changes spreading across various regions.

"It's a fel storm! Like an energy tide sweeping across the entire surface world!"

A one-armed senior Arcane Mage explained with a pale face:

"Just now, the fel concentration across Argus's surface began rising irrationally. We have no idea what has gone wrong, but the reinforcement of the World Power is weakening. It seems some even greater force has suppressed the Argus Star Soul's resistance.

"Most critically, Commander, look here!"

He enlarged the beam projection before him and pointed to the region of Mac'Aree.

"The fel echoes here expanded a thousandfold within minutes. They are exactly the same as the echoes of the fel demigods we detected on the Antoran battlefield! They should be dead. They were slain by our bravest warriors!

"But they have appeared again!

"There is no explanation for it. It is as if they were instantly recreated and resurrected from the Twisting Nether, then cast back into our world, right near the Seat of the Triumvirate!

"At least seven fel demigod echoes are pulsing. The demons are rebuilding their offensive... At this rate, Grand Executor Velen and the final batch of civilians will be annihilated before they can board the evacuation ships."

Kil'jaeden stared at the dark green radiance rippling through the projection. He clenched his fists and said:

"It is Him!

"The Dark Titan has arrived!

"He is the Overmind of the fel domain. If the Argus Star Soul can create demigod world guardians, then He can likewise control the demons' resurrection process in the Twisting Nether.

"That bastard!

"Hm? What is happening?

"Why is the starship moving?"

The commander immediately felt the starship's violent shuddering.

He rushed to the viewing window and saw the gem-like starships orbiting Argus through the sea of stars accelerate into faster-than-light travel one after another. In the dark expanse, they became elongated beams of light, beginning their desperate long voyage toward different directions in the cosmic coordinate system.

Kil'jaeden soon received the news.

"The Naaru aboard this ship say they have received a warning from the Mother of Light, Xe'ra. She completed their route divinations and ordered them to leave Argus's star system as quickly as possible. She also said that the Dark Titan's path of destruction among the stars has extended here. His approach has warped the physical laws of this region of space. All light in this star system is being captured, and even our sun is going out!

"If we do not leave now, we will not be able to leave at all!"

Hutton was drenched in sweat with anxiety.

Now that he knew Velen and the final batch of civilians might be annihilated, his determination to return to the surface and provide support was even more urgent than Kil'jaeden's. Among those final civilians were the Talbuk hunter-rider regiment from Krokuun, his child Jaide, and his other child, Dick.

The Eredar could not endure the desperate loss of a Grand Executor, much less allow themselves to face the despair of having all their efforts come to nothing after pushing self-rescue to such extremes.

"Tell that Naaru to stop for a moment. I want to speak with it!"

Kil'jaeden immediately made his decision.

Escorted by the chosen of the Light and several vindicators, he strode toward the navigation platform where the Naaru was located. These starships were powered and navigated by Naaru, so once they entered travel mode, the Naaru remained there.

When Kil'jaeden arrived, this Naaru, whose entire body was wreathed in holy light yet whose form was not golden but a more beautiful azure, seemed to already know why they had come.

Amid its ethereal, lingering Naaru song, it said to Kil'jaeden:

"As a descendant of the primal Naaru Xe'ra, while receiving the route divination sent back by the Mother of Light, I also received a prophecy from her. That dark prophecy is for you, Lord Kil'jaeden, leader of the Eredar."

"Oh?"

Kil'jaeden looked at the holy being before him and said:

"Then I ought to be the one to open this 'gift.' Let me see it."

Hum.

A beam of light shot from the Naaru's lightly spinning form and enveloped Kil'jaeden.

It lasted only a few seconds, but Kil'jaeden's expression became extraordinarily complicated. His presence changed from pure sharp-edged fury into something far harder to describe.

No one knew what Kil'jaeden had seen in the Mother of Light's prophecy.

But one thing was certain: it had changed him.

"So one Grand Executor must embrace this heavy fate?"

Kil'jaeden asked hoarsely. The Naaru before him did not answer.

But its silence was deafening. Its meaning was already clear: the Dark Titan would inevitably take one Eredar leader as His adjutant in carrying out His great work of destruction.

If it was not Kil'jaeden, then it could only be Velen.

"If you leave this starship..."

The Naaru said softly:

"You will be abandoning all Velen has done to resist fate for you. As an outstanding prophet, the resolve he showed in doing so is beyond your imagination. Personally, I hope you will not betray this—"

"Enough!"

Kil'jaeden interrupted the Naaru's persuasion.

He raised his head and answered earnestly:

"If the great man destined to shine through the ages is not me, then I should send my brother to center stage with a smile, then withdraw in contentment! Rather than shamelessly stealing the glory he was meant to wear, as I am doing now.

"My brother is the finest prophet in the sea of stars! Does he not know what sending me away means? Can he not see this hopeless future?

"To save me from a dark future, he would rather offer himself as a sacrifice to cold fate! Ah, born into such a great world, blessed with Clan members of such unwavering resolve, and with such a brother by my side, what regrets could I possibly have in this life?

"If my brother can make such a sacrifice for me, then how should I repay his earnest hopes?

"The Eredar must now recuperate and rebuild, yet all I excel at is battle and war. In the Dark Night Era that is destined to descend, the people do not need a bellicose, wrathful, obsessive leader. They need a symbol of hope.

"They need Velen!

"More importantly, if Velen's fall or passing away allowed me to survive, I cannot even guarantee what horrors I would commit while shrouded in darkness and despair! If my fall can secure Velen's survival...

"Prepare an escape pod!

"I am returning to my world!

"I will face my fate as Commander of the Vindicators and Grand Executor, save my brother, and protect my people!

"Hutton, will you still stop me this time?"

"No, Commander Kil'jaeden."

Governor Hutton accepted an ancient shamanic totem from his adjutant and said quietly:

"It is not only you who have seen fate. I too have foreseen that inevitably tragic future. By emotion and by reason alike, I cannot allow you to return to the battlefield alone. Please allow me to serve as your temporary adjutant and return with you to Mac'Aree, to save our people and our prophet."

"Then let us go."

Kil'jaeden could not even be bothered to say another word to the Naaru before him.

Though he did not fully understand the ways of that Mother of Holy Light, sending such a prophecy at this moment carried an obvious "hint."

She did not want the future she saw as predetermined to keep being disrupted...

In Diakum's words, this legendary "Mother of Holy Light" was probably the kind of prophet who blindly followed prophecy wherever it led.

The commander strode out of the navigation deck. The chosen of the Light guarding the door handed him his helmet and weapons, while the last of them fastened Kil'jaeden's tabard and cloak.

He headed for the escape pod.

It was a small craft.

But it was still built to starship specifications, and in theory, it could carry a small unit back with it.

Thus, Kil'jaeden stopped. Looking at the civilians in the square watching him with worried eyes, he said loudly:

"The demons and their master are about to reach our world. They want to trap Grand Executor Velen and our people in Mac'Aree. I will not allow that to happen! I will return there and rescue the last batch of our people! This is a journey with no return, but as commander, I cannot go to the battlefield alone. So, warriors! I cruelly ask that you accompany me. All warriors who took part in the war against the demons, step forward!"

Whoosh

Nearly a hundred people immediately strode out from the crowd.

Their families tried to hold them back, but they only embraced their parents, comforted their wives, kissed their children one last time, and joined Commander Kil'jaeden's ranks without hesitation.

They knew there would be no return...

But like the heroic spirits buried in Krokuun and the Antoran Wastes, they chose sacrifice so that more people could live in peace.

"Commander, before I became an acolyte priest, I was only a farmer."

A young Eredar stepped forward awkwardly with his two war scythes. Trembling with nerves, he said to Kil'jaeden:

"But I have received militia training too. I hope... I hope I can..."

"Come with me, child."

Kil'jaeden nodded, patted the young man's shoulder, and said:

"In war against demons, strength is the least important part. Courage is the spear we drive into the Dark Titan's heart... What is your name?"

"Akama, Commander! My name is Akama!" the young acolyte priest shouted. "I am from the Antoran Wastes. I saw with my own eyes what those demons did to our world. I want to fight them to the end!"

"Very good, Private Akama! Take courage, and hold tight to your weapon."

Kil'jaeden led the warriors toward the escape pod that was about to make a landing, saying:

"I hear this thing moves very fast when it enters the atmosphere. We'll have to squeeze together, so let's hope you don't throw up on me."

The joke drew smiles from the veterans.

Amid tears, silence, and blessings, they walked toward the "gate of glory" fate had bestowed upon them.

More people continuously joined them from the crowd. Perhaps they were only farmers, tailors, or jewelers. Perhaps they had never fought in any real sense before, but in this moment, the surge of courage still filled them with boundless fervor.

They would make one final offering for the world that would fall into darkness today.

"Holy Light!"

The Seat of the Triumvirate had already been surrounded by endless demons.

Even Velen, a spellcaster, had been forced to personally take to the front line, gripping his holy staff and relying on the empowerment of World Power to fight fiercely in close combat.

Well, one should not underestimate this old prophet's fists and feet.

He had been a formidable figure trained in Jed'hin Training since childhood. It was said that in his youth, he had even won the Eredar Nude Wrestling Championship.

Though his fighting skills were naturally not as practiced as Diakum's and Malderan's, who held the more forward positions, ordinary demons simply could not withstand a punch from the old prophet.

Yet the demigod demons, whose resurrection had been accelerated by fel energy, would not indulge Velen.

As he attempted to call upon the Holy Light to heal the warriors around him, the Dreadlord Tichondrius suddenly burst from a warrior's shadow amid a sinister chuckle. Its claws, wrapped in a swarm of putrid insects, struck the old prophet viciously.

Though it was driven back the next instant by an eruption of Holy Light, the prophet still clutched his chest in agony amid the Dreadlord's cold laughter.

"Ah, radiant Velen, this is your answer to the Holy Light burns you gave me before! You! You are destined to belong to the Burning Legion! You will become the Polluter! Hahaha, that is a title already bestowed upon you."

"Ha, Diakum! Get over here! Stop running! Come and die!"

Doom Lord Kazzak was exceptionally arrogant right now.

Wielding his greatsword of destruction, he was furiously assaulting Dick's defensive line. He was determined to strangle this damned garrison commander, who had brought him humiliation, with his own hands, lest the bravery of this man attract the notice of Lord Sargeras and earn him the gift of fel power.

Well, demons held grudges, and they knew to eliminate their "competitors" in advance.

"I must call upon Argus's might."

In pain, Velen looked back at the still-defended Seat of the Triumvirate. The Genedar was docked in the residential district behind it.

Tens of thousands of civilians were still waiting to be evacuated there. The Atama Crystal used by Lura had raised a shield to withstand the demons' relentless bombardment, while fel-enhanced Destroyers rampaged across the battlefield.

He knew that he had to make a choice.

It might burn away his life, but Velen knew the moment of decision had arrived. Just as he grasped the Argus Heart, Talgas beside him suddenly cried out.

"There is something in the sky... What is that? A bird? A meteor?"

"No, it is a ray of light... I defied fate, but Kil'jaeden defied fate as well. Ah, my brother."

Velen sighed.

He had already seen its true form. A Naaru escape pod was plummeting toward the battlefield like a meteor at maximum speed.

His brother Kil'jaeden had still broken free of fate—or perhaps embraced it. At the dawn of this Dark Night Era among the stars, he had returned as a blinding streak of light to the world he loved, at the cost of himself, returning to his brother's side.

Boom

The falling escape pod struck the center of the battlefield, like fate's retaliatory fist, smashing the massive Doom Lord Kazzak—too slow to evade—into a crippled wreck.

Amid the Doom Lord's incomparably frustrated roar, it saw Dick, empowered by World Power, dragging an executioner's axe designed for hunting colossal beasts. In his other hand, he carried a war spear made from Kazzak's own horn. Without expression, he walked toward it through the blazing fire blessed by the Holy Light.

Countless demons tried to stop the "Butcher of the Holy Light" from approaching their beloved demon commander, but every demon that neared Dick was burned into ash by cascading eruptions of Holy Light. In his wake, there remained only a scorched yet sacred road of ashes.

So brilliant, so terrifying, so merciless, so insane!

Fuck!

Is this never going to end?

You're seriously picking on one demon, aren't you?

Diakum Zastinus! Are you even human anymore?!

Yet the entire battlefield fell silent for a moment because of that extreme impact. No one even paid attention to the miserable sight of the Doom Lord about to be beheaded by the same Eredar garrison commander for a second time.

As the escape pod's hatch was kicked open, a flying war scythe wreathed in Holy Light struck a felguard squarely in the head. Amid its dying wail as it fell, Kil'jaeden strode out of the damaged cabin with sword and shield in hand, while Akama, whose legs were shaking, followed behind him.

"Fine ambush, child. Argus will remember your offering."

The commander, his body stained with vomit, praised him sternly, making Akama, who had just claimed his first kill, chuckle sheepishly.

But then Kil'jaeden raised his jeweled war sword high. As his presence surged steadily under the empowerment of World Power, he shouted to the entire battlefield:

"Do not be afraid! Eredar, your commander has returned! Children, I have returned... Eredar, keep fighting!"

After a brief silence, the response was a counterattack roar like erupting magma, like mountains collapsing and seas roaring.

Even Diakum, who was about to kill Kazzak for the second time, joined in. Like the other Eredar warriors, he shouted Kil'jaeden's name, only more fervently, more excitedly, and more angrily than they were.

Look, there stood their greatest commander!

Cold, merciless fate laughed madly in Diakum's ear. It was about to reclaim a tragedy that filled it with eager anticipation.

But at least in this instant, Kil'jaeden was the true hero of this world!

Well, salute to you, Commander.

PS:

A lot of you had great fun with the archbishop memes yesterday. Do you believe the archbishop will hand each of you a solar-powered battle axe and let you embrace the glory of battle soon enough?

Ha, jokes aside, the setting for the Immortals was not something I pulled out of nowhere.

The Eredar really did possess this technology. The Draenei in the Warlords of Draenor expansion even had many Eternal Guardians like this. Their bravest warriors would embrace their fate when death came, placing their souls into mechanical bodies to continue protecting their people. The Auchindoun graveyard dungeon description contains records of this. The Soulbinders under Maladaar were specifically responsible for this work.

It is said that Blizzard drew heavily upon Protoss cultural traits when designing the Draenei. Both games have many hidden Easter eggs paying tribute to each other.

As for why this chapter has this explanatory appendix.

I actually considered having Kil'jaeden and Velen fly away together or fall together in this chapter, but unfortunately, that would have made the Burning Legion's advantage absurdly overwhelming. As many readers pointed out yesterday, logically speaking, if a hardline war advocate like Kil'jaeden had led the Eredar away, they probably would not have even survived until they landed on Draenor. Under Kil'jaeden's leadership, they would have all joined the Army of the Light and blown Sargeras away.

He was too radical.

That kind of development would have been cool too, but this is fanfiction after all. The Eredar storyline in particular can basically be considered the "hidden main plot" of the Azeroth universe. Changing too much here would mean abandoning the original framework and writing an original story, but my original work results...

Sigh, never mind.

My current ability truly cannot handle such a drastic revision from the ground up. I can try it if I get the chance in the future. After all, I have not written DH yet, right? There is still a chance.

Also, yesterday's controversial scene has been revised. I apologize to any readers who were offended. I will pay closer attention to this in the future.