Thanos saw Sukuna and immediately went on high alert.

The shadow figure radiated power that seemed equal to Lucien's, and Lucien had already proven troublesome enough on his own. Two opponents of this caliber fighting in coordination was a threat he couldn't ignore.

With a roar of effort, Thanos pulled his feet from the ground, tearing through the binding magic through sheer force. Chunks of stone and earth flew in all directions as he broke free from the restraint that had been slowing his movements.

"So you are a necromancer?" Thanos said, his voice carrying a new edge of hostility. "I have a different hate for your kind."

Lucien said nothing, simply readying his remaining daggers.

"I was going to add you to my Black Order," Thanos continued, brushing debris from his arms. "But now you die."

Thanos launched himself forward with explosive speed, his massive fists aimed at Lucien's head.

Lucien did not move at all, he just watched Thanos coming at him. He could react as Thanos's speed was nothing to him, yet for some reason, he did not, as Thanos nearly reached him.

But before he could reach his target, a bolt of lightning crackled through the air, striking him in the chest.

The attack came from Sukuna, who had raised one of his four hands to cast the spell. The lightning didn't harm Thanos significantly, but it disrupted his charge and forced him to adjust his trajectory.

In that moment of distraction, Lucien struck. His mana-fortified fist connected with Thanos's face with tremendous force, the impact creating a shockwave that shattered windows in the nearby buildings.

For the first time in the fight, Thanos actually stepped backward from the blow. Blood trickled from his nose, and his eyes showed genuine surprise at the power behind the punch.

Sukuna moved with fluid grace, his four arms allowing him to attack from multiple angles simultaneously.

His claws raked across Thanos's back, opening deep gashes that bled freely. The King of Curses fought with the experience of someone who had battled for millennia, each strike aimed for maximum damage.

Lucien coordinated with his shadow, attacking whenever Thanos's attention was divided. His speed allowed him to dart in and out of the Mad Titan's range, landing blows on exposed areas while avoiding devastating counters.

Thanos adapted quickly to fighting two opponents, his combat experience showing as he began to predict their coordination. He caught one of Sukuna's strikes and used the shadow's momentum to throw him into Lucien, forcing both attackers to disengage.

"Impressive," Thanos admitted, wiping blood from multiple cuts. "But you cannot maintain this pace forever."

He was right. Lucien could feel his Mana Fortification draining his reserves rapidly. Maybe thirty seconds left before his enhanced abilities would fade entirely.

Sukuna seemed to understand the urgency without being told. The King of Curses abandoned his slashing attacks and instead moved to engage Thanos in direct physical combat, his four fists moving in patterns that forced the Mad Titan to focus entirely on defense.

The exchange was brutal. Sukuna's strikes landed with bone-crushing force, each blow accompanied by the sound of impact that echoed across the ruined city center.

But Thanos gave as good as he got, his own punches sending the shadow staggering backward despite his supernatural durability.

Lucien circled around behind Thanos while the Mad Titan was engaged with Sukuna. This was their chance—maybe their only chance—to end the fight before his abilities faded.

Thanos caught one of Sukuna's punches and used it to throw the shadow to the ground. But before he could follow up with a finishing blow, he felt arms wrap around him from behind.

Sukuna had used the throw to position himself perfectly, his four arms now locked around Thanos's torso and upper arms, restraining the Mad Titan's movement. It was a grappling hold that even someone of Thanos's strength would need a moment to break.

Sukuna looked at his master as if telling him something.

Lucien didn't hesitate. He leaped onto Thanos's back, planting his feet firmly on the Mad Titan's broad shoulders. His hands found their grip around Thanos's head, fingers digging into the purple skin.

Thanos realized what was happening and began to struggle violently, but Sukuna's hold was too strong to break quickly. The King of Curses had timed the restraint perfectly.

"You cannot—" Thanos began.

Lucien pulled backward with every ounce of his strength. The resistance was incredible—Thanos's neck muscles and durability fought against the separation.

But Lucien's power, combined with the leverage from his position, gradually began to overcome even the Mad Titan's incredible constitution.

Thanos's struggles became more desperate as he felt his vertebrae beginning to separate. He tried to reach back and grab Lucien, but Sukuna adjusted his hold to prevent the counterattack.

"Impossible," Thanos gasped, his voice strained by the pressure on his neck. "I am... eternal..."

"Nothing is eternal," Lucien replied.

With a final surge of strength, Lucien ripped Thanos's head from his shoulders. The separation happened all at once—vertebrae, muscles, and arteries tearing apart as the Mad Titan's body went limp in Sukuna's arms.

The head came free with a wet sound that seemed unnaturally loud in the sudden silence. Purple blood sprayed across the crater as Thanos's body collapsed forward, no longer supported by Sukuna's hold.

Lucien dropped down from the shoulders of the corpse, still holding the severed head. Thanos's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, the expression frozen in the moment of his death.

The Mad Titan who had conquered galaxies, who had wielded Infinity Stones and faced countless beings was dead.

Killed by a human teenager and his shadow.

Sukuna released the body and stepped back, his four eyes regarding their fallen enemy with satisfaction. The King of Curses had fought many powerful opponents, Thanos was nothing to him... if only he had his full power, he could have killed him in a second.

Lucien felt his Mana Fortification finally fade, the enhanced strength leaving his body as his mana reserves bottomed out. The sudden return to normal power levels made him stagger slightly, but he remained standing.

"I guess I did what Thor did not... went for the head." Lucien mused a bit.

Around them, the shadow army that had been maintaining the perimeter began to dissolve back into darkness. Their task was complete, and their master no longer needed their protection.

The city of Attilan was silent except for the sound of settling debris and the distant groans of damaged buildings. The floating city had been scarred by their battle, but it remained intact and airborne.

Lucien looked down at Thanos's head, then let it drop to the ground where it rolled a few feet before coming to rest against a piece of rubble. The Mad Titan's reign of terror was over.

But even in victory, Lucien felt no satisfaction. This had been necessity, not pleasure. Thanos had been a threat that needed to be eliminated, nothing more.

Sukuna approached and knelt before Lucien, his head bowed in acknowledgment of his master's victory. The shadow had played his part perfectly, providing the restraint needed for the killing blow.

"Good work," Lucien said simply.

Sukuna then disolved back into Lucien's shadow as Lucien walked towards Thanos's corpse.

No way was he going to leave the chance of adding the Mad Titan to his army.

.....

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