The sudden arrival of the guardian dragons not only left Neltharion, who had believed everything was under his control, in utter shock but also astonished everyone present.
The red dragons, Tyranastrasz and Onyxia, were completely overwhelmed with joy. Initially, faced with the mighty Deathwing, these two dragons had already steeled themselves for a glorious last stand.
In their view, even if Alaric was fortunate enough to know one or two Dragon Aspects and request their aid, it would still be impossible to stop the powerful Black Dragon King.
But they never expected all the Dragon Aspects to come to their aid.
Or rather, this had been a carefully laid trap by the five guardian dragons to ensnare Neltharion all along.
A trap meticulously crafted to lure out this long-hidden enemy, and because the foundation of this trap was built upon Neltharion's own schemes, this counterploy never aroused the Black Dragon King's suspicion.
As for Alaric's three other companions, they were completely dumbfounded.
From the moment Alaric launched his assault on Nekros, they realized that everything was spiraling out of their expectations. The situation was fluctuating like a roller coaster ride.
First, their infiltration into Grim Batol and attack on Nekros went surprisingly smoothly. But the moment they succeeded, the Black Dragon King appeared.
To them, the massive black dragon was an invincible foe—its enormous body seemed impossible to fell with mere blades and swords.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the massive black dragon vanished.
Just as they thought everything had been a mere illusion, reality struck them hard—Deathwing had only transformed into a human form to toy with them.
From the secrets Alaric had previously revealed, the three of them were well aware of the Black Dragon King's terrifying nature.
Facing such an opponent, they knew they couldn't win. Yet, despite this certainty, they had all resolved to fight to the death, hoping that through their sacrifice, Alaric could survive and complete his mission.
However, just when they had steeled themselves for a tragic battle, the tide turned once more.
The sworn enemies of the Black Dragon King—the five guardian dragons of Azeroth—appeared before them, one by one. These ancient protectors, who had stood watch over the world for hundreds of thousands of years, had truly come to life before their very eyes.
In addition to the immense relief of surviving, the three felt an unparalleled sense of honor.
Understanding the significance of the guardian dragons, they finally recognized the insignificance of their own races.
For thousands of years, humans, high elves, and dwarves had thrived across the Eastern Kingdoms, creating civilizations of grand splendor.
Yet, in the eyes of the dragons, they were still but young races. Countless kings, nobles, and legendary heroes had lived and died without ever witnessing the majesty of a guardian dragon.
And now, they were witnessing the gathering of these great beings with their own eyes.
Indeed, at this moment, Grim Batol was hosting the most powerful beings still active on Azeroth.
Since the end of the War of the Ancients ten thousand years ago, this marked the first time that all six guardian dragons had reunited.
"It has been a long time... my brothers and sisters." Deathwing gazed at the Dragon Aspects surrounding him and let out a deep sigh.
"So, you've all been waiting for me here, haven't you?"
"Yes. We are here to stop you from continuing your evil deeds, to prevent you from harming my children and kin!" Alexstrasza roared in anger.
"It is time to put an end to your madness, Neltharion," Ysera said calmly, her eyes closed.
"Madness? Open your eyes and face reality. No one can stop me from creating a new era for our kind!" Neltharion retorted.
"You only seek an era ruled by your own tyranny," Ysera scoffed.
Her words only made the Black Dragon King nod slightly. "In my eyes, freedom and tyranny are practically the same.
You should go back to sleep. And you, Nozdormu? Finally pulled your head out of the sand?"
"Your end has come!" Nozdormu growled, his gemstone-like eyes shining brightly. "Come! You shall be added to my collection!"
Deathwing sneered and turned toward the fourth Dragon Aspect. "And you, Malygos? Have nothing to say to your old friend?"
Malygos did not speak. Instead, he answered with action. The dragon who hated Neltharion the most raised his hand, unleashing a blast of frost and lightning at the Black Dragon King.
Yet despite his betrayal, Neltharion remained the Earth-Warder.
In response to the spell-weaving dragon's assault, the ground before him rose into a stone wall, effortlessly blocking the terrifying elemental attack.
Malygos did not press forward, and Neltharion did not counterattack. Instead, he turned to the final Dragon Aspect.
"Talonixa..."
When he uttered this name, Neltharion's tone was laden with complex emotions. Alaric could hear deep fear, wariness... and dread.
As the mightiest of the Dragon Aspects and the only one who had not fallen under the influence of the Dragon Soul, Talonixa was undeniably Neltharion's greatest adversary.
"You used to call me elder sister," Talonixa looked at him, her gaze tinged with nostalgia.
"In the past, when we stood together against the enemies of Azeroth, you were always my greatest ally.
I have long regretted not seeing the signs of your fall sooner, not stopping you in time."
"The past is the past!" Neltharion declared coldly.
"Yes, the past is merely the past," Talonixa's tone also grew cold.
"From the moment you betrayed your siblings and attacked them with the Dragon Soul, I ceased to be your elder sister.
It was my failure in leadership that allowed my brethren to suffer such great harm at your hands. And now, I will personally judge you, to make amends for my past mistakes!"
"Want to make amends? Then try and stop me!"
No more words were needed.
After a brief "reunion" with his former comrades—now his enemies—Neltharion finally lost his patience.
He let out an earth-shattering roar as his body expanded, reverting to his original form—a colossal black dragon nearly two hundred meters long.
Yet, in response, the other four Dragon Aspects also reverted to their true forms. Red, green, blue, and bronze—four dragons, each over a hundred meters long, surrounded him.
Even in the vast halls of Grim Batol, the presence of these majestic beings made the space feel suffocatingly narrow.
The battle between the Dragon Aspects was about to erupt—only Talonixa had yet to transform.
She walked toward Alaric.
.
.
.
Guys, do leave some power stones and reviews.
✌patreon.com/bobthewriter✌
If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to 30 Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.