Can the demigods grant them salvation?
Of course not.
Not to mention that the liberation of souls falls under the domain of val'kyr and soul healers, a power beyond the reach of nature-bound demigods.
Even if they did possess such abilities, they were currently preoccupied with their own survival and had no capacity to aid the departed souls.
However, demigods were far from ordinary beings—they were once the gods these souls had fervently worshipped.
As deities, they had the right to test their followers in any way they saw fit—though this was often euphemistically referred to as a "trial."
Thus, as soon as the demigods made their presence known, Alaric began his persuasion.
"Souls of the departed, faithful followers of the four Loa gods," Alaric called out loudly, drawing their attention. Then, he proclaimed, "The gods are aware of your tragic fate. In fact, they have descended upon this place precisely to deal with the vile betrayer responsible for your suffering."
"Praise the Loa gods! This is wonderful!"
Many of the souls erupted in cheers.
"Are the gods truly here to save us?"
"The great Loa gods would never abandon their faithful," Alaric affirmed. "However, before that, you must prove your loyalty and devotion to them."
"We have always been devoted to the Loa gods!" a spirit cried out. "It was because of our faith that we were deceived, betrayed, and murdered by our priests! Does that not prove our loyalty?"
"Oh, I grieve for your plight," Alaric said with a sorrowful expression. "But I must reveal a truth: you are not the only ones who have been betrayed.
The great Loa gods, out of compassion for their followers, granted powerful divine magic.
Yet, the witch doctor Malakass betrayed them, usurping and abusing their power.
The Loa gods have come to punish him—and as for you, though your faith is unwavering, your deaths have inadvertently made you accomplices in Malakass' betrayal.
Therefore, the Loa gods must test you once more."
At these words, the spirits gasped in shock, and many devout followers broke into grief-stricken wails of guilt and remorse.
Others could not wait to ask, "What must we do to earn the gods' forgiveness?"
"Resist!" Alaric declared. "Resist the one who betrayed and killed you. Resist his shackles. Do not let yourselves continue to be his unwitting accomplices.
Though resistance will bring pain and hardship, the Loa gods see all, and they will pass their righteous judgment upon you."
Under Alaric's guidance and rhetoric, the souls began to unite in shared hatred and purpose.
These departed spirits had once been the lowest-class citizens of the Amani trolls and also their most devout believers. Otherwise, Malakass would not have found it so easy to sacrifice them.
In contrast, they lacked clear-headed wisdom and intelligence—few among them could see through Alaric's scheme.
Of course, some questioned Alaric's position—why would a commander of the Alliance be aligned with the enemy gods of the trolls?
"The Amani trolls' betrayal of the Loa gods is indisputable," Alaric scoffed. "Though the Loa gods favor trolls, they do not support traitors. That is why I am here."
Ultimately, with the divine authority of the Loa gods as validation, Alaric's words won over all the spirits.
Every soul here was a Loa believer, and now that Alaric had conveyed the gods' decree, how could they not obey?
Thus, despite the shadow chains that bound them and the potential punishment they might face, they collectively rose in rebellion against Malakass.
Malakass' ritual depended on the energy drawn from the corpses and souls of the dead. He then used a portion of this power to bind the spirits themselves.
This overwhelming force meant that any lone resister would be crushed beneath the weight of the amassed dark energy of tens of thousands of souls.
However, when all the spirits resisted at once, the situation changed drastically.
Throughout history, whether in slave societies, feudal systems, or modern civilizations, the foundation of rule has always relied on controlling information and manipulating power dynamics.
Rulers derive their strength from fragments taken from each individual.
Because most people do not resist, the few who do find themselves crushed beneath the overwhelming power of the ruling class.
However, if enough individuals rise up together, the rulers' strength proves insufficient. Yet, the very existence of information asymmetry ensures that such large-scale uprisings rarely occur.
But now, with the collective defiance of the spirits, Malakass was in deep trouble.
He was forced to halt his ritual and divert all his energy into suppressing the rebelling souls. However, without the continued influx of shadow energy from the spirits, this suppression could not last long.
He had to resolve this crisis before his power was depleted.
Thus, he hastily examined the spiritual realm and quickly detected Alaric's presence within it.
"Damn it! How did that wretch get in there?"
Seeing Alaric, and recalling his sleeping physical body, Malakass immediately realized what had happened. Panicked, the witch doctor barked an urgent command to his elite warriors imbued with divine power:
"Stop wasting time with those wretched ants! This is all a scheme by those cursed pale-skinned devils! Attack that mage—he is the key!"
Following Malakass' orders, the four warriors empowered by Loa magic immediately disengaged from their battles and charged toward the still-slumbering Alaric.
"Stop them! Do not let them disrupt the commander's plan!" Alleria shouted in alarm.
"The fate of this battle hinges on this moment—give it everything you've got!"
Understanding the stakes, the warriors of the Alliance abandoned their cautious skirmishing tactics and launched full-scale assaults on the divine warriors.
Though their attacks had limited effect, the mages cast spells of slowing and mire to hinder the warriors' approach.
The fighters chose to forgo defensive maneuvers and instead launched aggressive counterattacks, hoping to draw attention away from Alaric.
Garona erupted with ghostly speed, weaving between the divine warriors, leaving wound after wound upon them with her deadly daggers.
Alleria and Sylvanas exchanged a determined glance before fully unleashing both their personal power and the strength of their enchanted weapons.
The Windrunner sisters were formidable in every sense. In history, each of them had left a significant mark, shaping the course of events.
Likewise, the weapons they wielded were far from ordinary.
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