How powerful had Sachiel truly been?
History never offered a definitive answer.
Yet his legacy spoke for itself.
Archimonde, the Defiler who destroyed the magical city of Dalaran with a single spell, had once been his student.
Kil’jaeden the Deceiver, corrupter of the orcs and architect behind the Lich King, belonged to a later generation.
Compared to figures like those, even Gul’dan seemed far less extraordinary.
So the moment Sachiel decided to intervene, the outcome of this contest was already decided.
Sachiel laughed, his hollow voice echoing across the ritual site.
"Watch closely."
"The First Awakened still remembers a few tricks."
The horned skull opened its jaws.
Though it possessed no lungs, Evenson had the uncanny impression that it had taken an impossibly deep breath.
Every soul crystal embedded throughout the ritual arrays rose into the air.
One after another, they dissolved into streams of violet light that poured into Sachiel’s waiting mouth.
A few seconds later, he exhaled.
A brilliant sphere of condensed soul energy shot from his jaws and landed squarely in the center of the primary summoning circle.
The instant it struck, the sphere detonated in a flash of purple radiance.
A demonic gateway tore open.
Two silhouettes stood within.
Sachiel chuckled with unmistakable satisfaction.
"Done."
"For me, that was effortless."
Whatever warlock had tried to keep those demons imprisoned had been completely overwhelmed.
The bindings shattered almost instantly.
The summons now belonged solely to Evenson.
Sachiel drifted until he hovered beside Evenson’s shoulder, both of them watching the figures approach through the portal.
"...Interesting."
"I know those two."
His tone carried genuine surprise.
"They smell familiar."
Evenson’s expression immediately tightened.
"You know them?"
That wasn’t reassuring.
Demons remembered by Sachiel tended to occupy terrifying positions within the Burning Legion.
If the portal happened to produce someone on the level of Mephistroth...
Well.
The players on Azeroth were probably still getting massacred by him.
Thankfully, the approaching silhouettes appeared relatively slender.
At least they weren’t massive dreadlords.
"I prepared for this..."
Evenson reached toward the suppression arrays surrounding the ritual.
Then froze.
"...Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me."
Every suppression circle was dead.
The soul crystals powering them had all been consumed by Sachiel moments earlier.
The ancient warlock had eaten every last one.
"...We’re in trouble."
There was no canceling the ritual now.
The distinctive sound of cloven hooves echoed through the portal.
The summoned demons were already crossing into this world under their own power.
Even shutting down the ritual wouldn’t stop them anymore.
Evenson planted his staff firmly against the ground.
If diplomacy failed...
He’d fight.
If fighting failed...
He’d immediately activate the emergency teleportation circle he’d prepared beforehand and leave.
As for whatever happened after that...
Someone else could deal with it.
There was no shame in retreat.
Warlocks and mages throughout history had followed the same rule.
If you accidentally summoned something beyond your ability to control...
Run.
Some had even surrendered on the spot and declared themselves servants of the creature they’d summoned.
Compared to that, tactical withdrawal was downright respectable.
Besides...
If these demons truly caused chaos on Earth, someone would inevitably intervene.
There was, after all, a certain Sorcerer Supreme protecting this world.
Evenson doubted the Sorcerer Supreme rivaled Medivh at his peak.
Then again...
The demons emerging from the gateway weren’t Legion commanders either.
Hopefully.
Probably.
Maybe.
The figures grew clearer.
Female.
Eredar.
Just before they stepped through the gateway completely, two voices rang out in perfect harmony.
"Pain..."
"Betrayal..."
"Confusion..."
"Hatred..."
"Distrust..."
"Chaos..."
"They are the foundation of all things."
"They are the pillars upon which everything stands."
The portal flared.
Two nearly identical eredar women emerged side by side.
They could have passed for twins.
Both possessed graceful, athletic figures, backward-jointed hooves, short hair, elegantly curved ram-like horns, and revealing armor suited more to intimidation than protection.
Only one obvious difference distinguished them.
The woman carrying a staff had crimson skin that burned like living fire.
The other, armed with a pair of wicked short blades, possessed skin as dark as midnight blue.
The moment Evenson saw them clearly, recognition dawned.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"I thought so."
"It really is you."
The Eredar Twins.
Grand Warlock Alythess.
Lady Sacrolash.
Kil’jaeden’s personal lieutenants.
Once, they had defended the Sunwell Plateau to prepare Kil’jaeden’s arrival on Azeroth.
They’d fallen during the assault by the Shattered Sun Offensive.
Death, however, hadn’t been the end.
Like many powerful demons, their souls eventually regenerated within the Twisting Nether.
When the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth once again, the twins returned.
Unfortunately for them, their second career had attracted the attention of the Council of the Black Harvest.
The council had eventually succeeded in summoning and enslaving both sisters.
So that explained everything.
The magical interference Evenson had encountered hadn’t come directly from another warlock.
It had been the Council of the Black Harvest’s binding magic.
Fortunately, Sachiel had shattered those restraints as casually as brushing away cobwebs.
Thinking about it...
Evenson almost felt guilty.
Almost.
He’d already walked away with all three of the Council’s legendary warlock artifacts.
Now he’d stolen their most powerful demonic servants as well.
The poor Council of the Black Harvest was having a truly terrible day.
Alythess inhaled deeply, savoring the air.
"What a wonderful feeling."
"Freedom again, Sacrolash."
Sacrolash slowly surveyed the unfamiliar landscape.
"We’ve finally escaped those parasites."
She glanced toward the night sky.
"And this..."
"...doesn’t appear to be Azeroth."
At last, both sisters turned their attention to Evenson.
Sacrolash inclined her head slightly.
"Warlock."
"You have our gratitude for freeing us."
Alythess raised her staff.
"But don’t mistake gratitude for submission."
"You will never control us."
Sacrolash smiled coldly.
"Never."
Evenson narrowed his eyes.
"I see."
The assembled demons behind him instinctively tensed.
Surely their master was about to invoke the ritual’s bindings.
Or launch an attack.
Or threaten them.
Instead, Evenson simply shrugged.
"...In that case."
"Let’s leave it at that."
Silence settled across the ritual ground.
Even the twins looked momentarily caught off guard.
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