Beacon Fires of War

The mages rapidly chanted their spells. The once-bright sky dimmed as dark clouds slowly gathered. Before long, the clouds grew dense, then gradually began to glow crimson.

The mages shouted in unison, "Meteor Fall!"

The clouds turned increasingly fiery red. Suddenly, they bulged one bump after another. Massive meteors burst through those bulges, wrapped in flames as they streaked through the air with long tails and slammed into the Horde army.

Seeing this, the commanders hurriedly yelled, "Spread out! Spread out, damn it!" But their reactions were ultimately limited. Huge meteors exploded among the crowd. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. Even Alliance forces outside the blast radius were caught in the shockwaves from the impacts. The battle flags whipped violently in the wind.

When the smoke cleared, the Horde had suffered devastating losses, with countless dead and wounded. Garrosh looked at his fallen and injured soldiers and roared, "Damn it, Varian, well played. Charge while they're still preparing their spells! I don't believe he dares cast them among his own men!" Upon receiving the order, the messenger immediately beat the drums to relay it. Thrall, watching the scene beside him, was also stunned. At that moment, he understood that the hatred between the Alliance and Horde had deepened once more.

Varian was very satisfied with the mages' handiwork and ordered, "Tell the mages to stop using area attacks. Begin targeting individuals." "Yes," the messenger replied.

The result was obvious. When the fully intact Alliance army met the severely battered Horde, it was like a lion entering a flock of sheep. The Horde was instantly crushed.

Just as Alliance soldiers were harvesting Horde lives, a hook flew through the air and snatched one of them away. A scream rang out. After being dragged over, the soldier was cut in half at the waist by a cleaver. The people around him were shocked. One soldier shouted, "It's the Abominations! Those monsters weren't blown up! Spread out, quickly—" His words faded into the air as another man was hooked away. Though the Abominations moved slowly, their hooks never missed. The Alliance advance was gradually halted.

"Ah!" A soldier screamed as a hook caught him and began dragging him away. Just as he was about to be pulled over, a greatsword came down and severed the chain. A voice called out, "Get out of this area!" The soldier raised his head and first saw a white steed, with four long, powerful legs and a sturdy build. Mounted upon it was a knight clad in silver-white armor, holding a two-handed sword. A matching silver-white helmet concealed his face, but his sharp eyes left a deep impression. The knight snapped, "Why are you still standing there? Get moving." "Yes!" The soldier hurriedly climbed up, grabbed his weapon, and ran away.

Another knight came over and said, "Why are these soldiers so weak? If they were from our ranks, they'd have died long ago." The first knight cut apart another hook flying toward them and said, "It's not their fault. Who would have expected to encounter these Abominations now? Enough nonsense. Take it down." With that, he spurred his horse toward the Abomination. "Yes. Since you're the boss." The other knight charged after him.

As the two knights rode forward, they silently recited spells. As their chanting accelerated, the silver-white greatswords gradually emitted a golden glow. When they reached the Abomination, they aimed at its arms and swung their greatswords. Their figures flashed past, and the Abomination's arms separated from its body. Golden flames burned at the severed wounds. As if it felt no pain, the Abomination let out a roar and turned, intending to slash at the two targets before it with its remaining two arms. But the two figures flashed again, and its last two arms flew away as well. Then golden flames engulfed the Abomination's entire body. The massive figure, blazing with golden fire, collapsed. The two knights did not pause for even a moment before charging toward another Abomination.

After shooting an Alliance soldier dead, Sylvanas looked at the golden flames across the battlefield and gritted her teeth. "Damn Silver Hand. Those hateful knights." "I see you, Sylvanas." Hearing that voice, Sylvanas instinctively turned and raised her bow. Clang! Sharp claws raked fiercely across the bow. Looking into those pale blue eyes, she said, "Alpha, long time no see. How is that old man Genn doing?" Alpha looked at the banshee before him and replied, "King Greymane is slowly recovering. Sorry to disappoint you, but don't worry. I'll personally capture you and let King Greymane deal with you himself." The two began fighting once more.

The worgen were no longer as inexperienced as they had been in the previous war. They began finding their own battles. Those skilled in stealth hid themselves as they hunted undead, while those with great strength began confronting Orc soldiers head-on.

The mages began using single-target spells. Fireballs, frostbolts, and arcane missiles created dazzling scenes across the battlefield.

After suffering heavy losses at the start, the Horde gradually stabilized its position. The shamans began communing with the elements. Spectral wolf spirits tore apart enemies who tried to approach, chain lightning leaped through the Alliance soldiers, and the appearance of fire elementals made the entire area scorching hot. Then rings of blood-red light spread over the ground. The Orcs' eyes filled with red light, and the strength in their hands grew greater and greater. "Damn it, these Orcs have gone berserk."

Though the Blood Elves did not particularly like the Orcs, they also disliked those Night Elves who feared arcane power. They decided to give those elves a proper lesson with their arcane magic.

Seeing the Blood Elves using arcane magic, the elves began drawing upon the power of nature as well. The two sides launched into fierce combat.

Although Malfurion did not agree with this war, they were still part of the Alliance. He began leading the Druids in casting Tranquility in an attempt to reduce the casualties.

Thrall also began deploying healing totems. After all, those dying were his own people.

Flames and lightning tangled across the battlefield as the Alliance and Horde, these two opposing powers, fought fiercely here. The fall of comrades and the spray of blood and flesh drove both sides into a killing frenzy.

Garrosh said, "Have the bat riders drop incendiary bombs from the air." Vol'jin beside him tried to stop him. "That will hit our own people." Garrosh said, "What are a few sacrifices? Relay the order. If you say one more word of nonsense, you'll die." Soon, the bat riders charged toward the battlefield carrying incendiary bombs.

Watching flames erupt across the battlefield, Varian smashed the railing before him. "Damn Garrosh, that madman! Does he not care about his own men? Bring them down!" Tyrande was equally furious. "Sentinels, mount your hippogryphs and bring them down! If the gryphon riders hadn't been tied up by the enemy wind riders, those things would have been shot down long ago."

Just as Alpha and Sylvanas were locked in battle, a strange enormous sphere fell beside them and suddenly exploded the instant it hit the ground. Both were immediately blasted away. Alpha shook his dazed head and climbed to his feet, only to find flames burning where he had just stood. Half his body had been injured, with several gashes torn open. Sylvanas was no less injured than Alpha. During the explosion, she had been facing away from the blast. Her cloak had long since burned away, and her back had been blown into a bloody mess. "Damn Garrosh, that idiot." Before she could react, Alpha suddenly pounced on her and knocked her away. Sylvanas only felt searing pain explode across her back.

The Silver Hand knights were not so fortunate. Their mounts were blasted away. If not for the protection of their armor, the knights might have been blown to death like their mounts. Before they could recover, they were immediately hooked away by the Abominations.

The battle shifted once again.

A war like hell on earth raged here. Every second, dozens or even hundreds of people died. On another continent, the Kirin Tor mages of Dalaran had also begun preparing for battle.

A few hours earlier, that same mage had reported another message. "That energy has appeared again, and it has become even larger." The archmage put down his work and asked, "Where is it now?" The mage glanced at the information and his eyes widened. "It's in Northrend. It's so close to us—no, it's moving toward us." "What?" The documents in the archmage's hands scattered across the floor. "Quick, sound the highest-level alarm! Whether that energy is targeting us or not, activate the alarm first. Go!" Soon, Dalaran's alarm rang out, and the entire city descended into chaos.