The Broken Sword

"Crack!"

This time, it wasn't just a soundless image. The noise rang in everyone's ears. Those standing behind the wall of thorns looked around, trying to find its source, but had no clue. Even Cenarius, a mighty demigod, thought the intense tension had made him hear things. But soon, they heard another, much sharper "crack."

"Crack—crack—crack—"

The sound rang out again and again, and at last everyone found its source. The shield surrounding Nordrassil was beginning to show countless cracks, which continued to spread upward.

"Wonderful!"

"The moonlight shines upon us!"

"Strength and Glory!"

"We did it!"

The crowd embraced and cheered, overcome with excitement. For the moment, there were no divisions between races or factions. Everyone was celebrating the achievement of a shared goal. This was a victory for Azeroth.

"Careful! We still don't know what's happening inside Nordrassil! Stay alert!"

After the cheering, Leiluo and Malfurion issued the same order at the same time. No one knew what was happening inside the shield. Its destruction meant only that they had broken through the enemy's defenses. To claim a true victory, they might still have to fight a great battle.

"Boom—boom—boom!"

A tiny crack could sink a mighty dam, and the shield—whose height was impossible to guess—was covered in cracks. Leiluo and the others didn't need to do a thing. At last, the entire shield shattered and crashed down like broken glass. But as the pieces fell, they quickly disintegrated, and not a single fragment struck anyone in the allied army.

The smoke and dust that had been trapped inside the shield also found an outlet. With a whoosh, it burst out in a powerful shockwave. It was hard to believe that the tiny wisps of sprites had unleashed such force when they exploded. Even the wall of thorns