Inside the Hall of Valor, everyone—the players, the onlookers, Fordring whose mind was half-occupied by the teleportation rune, and even Wayne, who had visited this place many times in the single-player version before transmigrating—was stunned by the sight before them.
If there truly were a heaven in this world, it would look like this.
Ysgramor, who once led the Five Hundred Companions to drive out the Snow Elves and was hailed as the "Harbinger" by later Nords; Jurgen Windcaller, the founder of the Greybeards; Olaf One-Eye, who defeated a dragon, ended the civil war, and unified Skyrim...
All the heroes the Dragonborn had heard of, read about, and seen throughout their quests were gathered here, waiting for the arrival of the Dragonborn to end the World-Eater's tyranny once and for all.
The three ancient heroes who had once banished Alduin told the party that to clear the mist Alduin had spread over Sovngarde, they had to work together. They needed to repeatedly use the "Clear Skies" shout to weaken Alduin's power until he could no longer summon the fog and was forced to show his true form.
Seeing this, Wayne felt it was a pity that Chen wasn't here. The mist he saw now was a direct parallel to the greatest obstacle Chen would face in the future when searching for his own homeland.
The four Dragonborn left the Hall of Valor with the three heroes. They crossed the long Whalebone Bridge over the bottomless abyss once more and returned to the fields of Sovngarde. At that moment, a line of text appeared on all four players' screens: "Defeat Alduin."
The crowd erupted into discussion:
Raymond: "It's finally happening!"
Hicks: "Will they actually beat him this time? Or is it another banishment or temporary retreat with more quests later?"
Hudson: "They're in Sovngarde. If they can't beat him here, there's probably no way to stop him at all."
Zaldimar: "Do you think... in our world, do the souls of the dead go to a place like this?"
Anita: "I believe so. Especially the kind, righteous, and brave. They enter heaven after death."
Samuel: "...Don't you think 'Alduin' sounds a lot like 'Anduin,' the little prince's name? Could that be a coincidence?"
Verdan: "Don't talk nonsense. Anduin is named after Sir Anduin Lothar."
Samuel: "Then how did Sir Lothar get his name? Do you think the heroes of his generation... also visited a net cafe somewhere?"
Verdan: "Go ask the Marshal yourself..."
Rainier: "Shh... the Marshal is watching recordings of Age of Empires II. He says he's analyzing Alos' tactics. You know how he is, don't disturb him."
Samuel leaned in closer and whispered, "Commander, I heard that under the King's orders, Duke Bolvar is preparing for an offensive on Blackrock Mountain. Have you heard anything?"
Verdan gave him a look. "Where did you hear that?"
Samuel: "Boss, stop pretending. Everyone knows. The guys from the Second Legion mentioned it a few days ago."
The disciplined Verdan didn't care for rumors. "Just because they said it doesn't mean it's true. They only return to Stormwind once every few years; what would they know?"
Anita chimed in. "I'll ask. Boss, just tell us: should we start practicing against black dragons in the game to prepare?"
Verdan nodded slightly. The expressions of those listening turned from excitement to grim determination. Verdan added, "I didn't say anything, so don't go spreading rumors."
"LOK-VAH-KOOR!!!"
Guided by the three ancient heroes, the four Dragonborn issued a collective shout that shook the heavens and earth, instantly pulling everyone's attention back to the screens.
Even with the combined power of four, Alduin attempted to summon the mist again as soon as it was cleared. But by the fourth shout, Alduin realized he could no longer hide. He had to face the Dragonborn head-on. As the mist vanished from Sovngarde, the earth trembled and the sky changed color. Meteors fell like rain, and the Great Wyrm's roar echoed through the realm of souls as he breathed scorching flames toward the ground.
The three ancient heroes and Tsun held the Whalebone Bridge, entrusting the final battle to this generation's Dragonborn.
Wayne: "Stay with me! When he flies close, use Dragonrend to bring him down!" Rainier: "Right! Everyone dodge the meteors. Spread out, but stay within range!" Verdan and De Vries replied instantly: "Understood, sir!"
Alduin didn't want to let them get close. He circled above, breathing rings of fire to trap them in a small area before attempting to finish them with meteors or lethal dragon breath.
Zaldimar joined the conversation among the Northshire group. "Did you hear about what happened in Stormwind?"
Anita: "About Marshal Windsor?"
Zaldimar: "Yes. I heard that in Stormwind Keep, he stood before that woman and shouted in the Dragon tongue, forcing her to reveal her true form as a black dragon."
Samuel: "You mean... there are Shouts in our world too?!" Zaldimar: "If the story about Marshal Windsor is true, then Shouts are real."
Verdan: "You guys... didn't you already use a Shout with Wayne when we drove off the black dragon at the construction site?"
Raymond, who had been listening, interjected: "True, but Marshal Windsor never came to the net cafe. I used to be in charge of... well, I saw the logs. He's not on the list."
Wayne: "He's coming! Get ready!"
As Alduin dove toward them, spewing dragonfire, the four Dragonborn shouted in unison: "JOOR-ZAH-FRUL!"
Four waves of purple energy surged toward Alduin, tearing at his wings like talons. Alduin flapped violently, trying to break free from the power of the Shout.
"JOOR-ZAH-FRUL!"
At that moment, the three ancient heroes rushed forward, pooling their strength to add their own ancient Dragonrend to the mix. The power of two generations of Dragonborn combined, forcibly dragging Alduin to the ground.
"AWESOME!!!!" The crowd cheered wildly.
The ensuing slaughter was relatively straightforward. Though Alduin was powerful, the combat skills of these Dragonborn had already transcended the limits of Skyrim. They had commanded Titans to strike down black dragons with lightning bolts in Heroes of Might and Magic III, and they had hunted Fatalis in the volcanic depths of Monster Hunter G. To them, Alduin was just another evil entity from another world that had to be overcome.
Finally, the World-Eater, who existed outside of time and had destroyed countless worlds, was slain by the party. But his dragon soul did not get absorbed; instead, it flew directly into the sky.
The three ancient heroes celebrated but warned the Dragonborn that as the first-born of Akatosh, they could only destroy Alduin's physical form. His soul would return to its origin, perhaps to reappear in a few hundred years. But that would be for the people of that era to handle.
Wayne knew Tirion Fordring was watching the livestream. He believed that even a legendary Paladin like him would find this scene incredibly moving.
The ancient heroes bid the party farewell. "We have waited in Sovngarde for centuries, doubting if heroes would ever be born again to finish what we started. Clearly, our fears were misplaced. You have done far better than we ever did. It's good to know us old bones could still be of use."
Wayne spoke for the group, thanking them. He noted that without the clues they left in the Elder Scrolls, this generation could never have found a way to break Alduin's immortality.
"No matter where you are, the world still needs you," Wayne said.
With a flash of light, the Dragonborn were teleported back to the Throat of the World in Skyrim. They were greeted by a gathering of dragons who acknowledged their victory, marking the end of Alduin's tyranny.
As the dragons flew away, De Vries asked Wayne, "If we had killed all the dragons just now, would that mean the world would never face their threat again?"
Wayne laughed. "You can't kill them all. These dragons will always need a ruler to keep them in check. Fortunately, becoming such a ruler doesn't require bearing a terrible curse."
"Curse? Why would there be a curse for becoming a ruler?" Wayne smiled and didn't answer.
"It's lit! It's lit!" Marlin shouted from the luxury box.
Fordring, still reflecting on Wayne's words, took off his glasses. This time, the runestone was truly glowing with a brilliant blue light.