Demon Form

The voice wasn't that of the Lich King, but rather that of the mysterious person who had given him the hint. For some reason, Nathanos felt more inclined to accept this person's words; at least he wouldn't utter phrases like "obey orders."

Nathanos desperately needed answers, but why was he being asked to witness everything Illidan was about to do? This was something he couldn't understand.

The Night Elf was cunning; he infiltrated the demon camp and managed to close the demonic portal. Then... he arrived before the pedestal of Skull of Gul'dan. Even from a great distance, Nathanos could feel the terrifying power emanating from Skull of Gul'dan, a power perfectly manifested in the surrounding corrosive, withered land.

Not just Illidan, Nathanos could guarantee that anyone who absorbed this power would become exceptionally powerful. But what happened after absorption? At this moment Illidan reminded Nathanos of Arthas, yet the Night Elf hesitated when faced with such immense power.

"Now, at least the demons can no longer pollute the forest." Illidan turned his face toward the Skull of Gul'dan, as if speaking to it. The Fel Flame burning on the pedestal tested Illidan's resolve. The skull seemed to mock him, ridicule his weakness.

"If I take this power for myself, my demonic power will increase, but I will also become just like those guys." He took a step back, reluctantly taking the first step. "Damn it! What am I hesitating for? I will become more powerful than Archimonde's servants."

He raised the gleaming battle blade in his hand. "Yes, this power belongs to me!"

Nathanos would never forget what happened next. Illidan's weapon left a tooth mark on the pedestal; he hadn't destroyed Skull of Gul'dan, but instantly, a chaotic dark storm surged from the pedestal. Nathanos had to shield his eyes; he couldn't see clearly, only hear the thunder and lightning in the sky, and several bolts of lightning even struck the grass around Illidan.

The Night Elf didn't flee, nor could he; he was at the center of the chaotic energy. The gale tore at him. Gradually, Nathanos could no longer see him clearly, only his outline remaining. Illidan knelt on one knee, waiting for something. Then, many green fireballs flashed from the storm, surging towards the culprit who had caused all this.

The commotion attracted many winged demons, as well as some Undead creatures.

'Is this a punishment, or a ritual?' Nathanos gripped the tree trunk beside him, waiting, his eyes glued to the scene. The final result was the latter!

The chaos was far from over when a terrifying, deep laugh echoed from the storm. Nathanos heard Illidan's voice even before he saw him.

'Is he still alive?'

The answer was obvious: the Night Elf was still alive. No! He could no longer be called Night Elf. Nathanos's eyes widened. He could no longer find even a trace of a Night Elf in Illidan, and he wasn't even sure if this guy was still Illidan. The other man was several times taller and larger, with black wings sprouting from his back, horns on his head almost indistinguishable from a demon's, and his face was shrouded in darkness, completely unrecognizable. But what he said next convinced Nathanos that he was indeed Illidan.

"Now, I am perfect!" Illidan laughed wildly, flapping his wings, not even paying attention to the demons around him. But the enemies surrounding him dared to attack him, wanting to punish this uninvited guest who had disrupted the Legion's plans.

Thus, Nathanos witnessed one of the most overwhelming battles of his life. The demons charged forward, but they soon discovered that the moment they got close to Illidan, they were engulfed in flames—the demonized Night Elf was protected by a layer of Fel Flame. It was only then that Nathanos realized the demons were actually afraid of his own power, a truly dramatic turn of events.

Unable to get close, they could only attack from a distance. But for some unknown reason, when the demon's magic flew towards Illidan, it was absorbed by the layer of black substance on his body, making Illidan like a sponge.

Finally, the battle turned into a one-sided massacre, alarming the demon commander here— the Demon Lord Tichondrius. When the leader of the Nathrezim appeared above Illidan, they both spotted each other.

Seeing the demons beneath his feet slain by Illidan, Tichondrius was enraged, but he didn't immediately attack Illidan. He noticed that the man was radiating demonic power. Question overshadowed his anger.

"What? Who... are you?"

Before becoming a demon, Illidan wore an eyepatch, but after receiving new power, his eyes became visible. Upon facing Tichondrius, he immediately recognized him— the Demon Lord defeated by a Tauren ten thousand years ago. This guy was actually the commander Archimonde sent here?

Illidan ignored the question; he had more important things to do and once again sent Tichondrius back to the Twisted Void.

"Let's see how confident you are in dealing with your own kind, Demon Lord."

'He admitted he was a demon?' Nathanos wondered in surprise.

Tichondrius cast aside his doubts; all he felt now was anger. This mortal who had stolen the power of Skull of Gul'dan dared to speak so arrogantly before him, and with such an overbearing tone.

This crawler must be punished!

Tichondrius leaped down; he would personally carry out the man's execution and use it to deter those who dared to challenge the Burning Legion.

The battle raged from the ground to the sky, sweeping away trees and rocks below. Fel fire scattered in their clashes, leaving irreparable wounds on the earth. The wind and rain cheered them on like an arena spectator. Each flash of lightning heralded a new round of combat... and then the impossible happened. Illidan's legendary weapon Warglaives of Azzinoth, pierced Tichondrius's chest, etching a mark into the heart of the Nathrezim leader.

Tichondrius's face was contorted with pain, and his eyes filled with shock and terror as he saw Illidan's victorious smile. He had failed, defeated by a mortal, a fate that foreshadowed his eventual banishment back to the Twisted Void.

"No!!!" The Demon Lord screamed in despair, feeling his lower body disappearing. Indeed, starting from his feet, his torso was slowly turning into a bat. In his despair, Tichondrius raised his right hand, intending to drag Illidan down with him before disappearing! This was something Illidan hadn't anticipated. Just as the demon's hand was about to pierce his heart, an arrow pierced Tichondrius's palm, helping Illidan avoid the fatal blow.

Illidan looked down and saw the Undead he had seen before; clearly, he had been there all along.

Tichondrius lost his last chance; he vanished before Illidan's eyes. The Warglaives of Azzinoth still bore the blood of the Demon Lord, and its master landed safely on the ground.

Someone was already waiting for him below, but it wasn't the Undead who had helped him; instead, it was two more familiar faces—his brother and his beloved.

"Filthy demon!" Malfurion slammed his oak staff into the ground, crushing a stone. "What have you done to my brother?" he roared. He had arrived here without finding Illidan, but instead saw two demons killing each other in the sky.

For a fleeting moment, Nathanos felt a surge of happiness for Illidan; it seemed the brothers' earlier quarrels and disagreements in the underground prison were nothing more than playful banter. Malfurion, at that moment, was deeply concerned about Illidan's fate. But this thought was quickly extinguished.

"It is I, brother." Illidan readily admitted his identity, telling them that he was the demon before them. "This is what I have become."

"No!" Tyrande exclaimed, gasping in disbelief. "Illidan, how could you..."

"The leader of the Burning Legion has been slain. The corruption of this land has ended. The forest will recover in due time." Illidan uttered each word carefully; this was the result of his choice, yet his voice was filled with sorrow. Nathanos found this strange. Illidan should be revered as a hero, so why did he show no joy? He soon learned the answer to this question.

"At the cost of your soul?" Malfurion ignored everything his brother had done for this place and instead asked directly. A silence fell over the room, broken only by the crackling of flames burning the trees.

Nathanos reached out and gripped the bark of the tree beside him tightly, tearing a piece off with his bare hands. How could the Elf standing with Tyrande say such a thing? How could he possibly say such a thing?

Malfurion's subsequent words and actions almost completely overturned Nathanos's worldview.

"You are no longer my brother. Leave this place and never set foot on our territory again!"

Illidan was already quite tall, and standing at such a high vantage point made him appear even more imposing. He could clearly see the anger and shame on his brother Malfurion's face—anger at his demonic transformation and shame at sharing the same surname.

He also saw Tyrande's expression. His beloved was sitting behind her white crescent leopard, Eskadar, with her head down, shaking her head and sighing helplessly. She was clearly utterly disappointed in his actions, just like... ten thousand years ago.

Illidan felt good after transforming into his Demon Form. Not because he had gained immense power, but because others couldn't see his expression, couldn't see the utterly helpless, bitter smile on his face.

"That's it, brother. That's it!" He turned around and strode off on his new journey.

The author personally likes the character Illidan very much, sympathizes with his plight, and doesn't understand Malfurion and Tyrande's attitude towards him.