The battle raged on, growing wilder with every heartbeat. The earth shook under the weight of monsters and machines colliding, sorcery clashing with alien tech, screams and explosions echoing across New York like an apocalyptic storm.

Even the Avengers, who at first had hesitated, were now fully engaged. Iron Man streaked through the sky, blasting apart clusters of Thanos's vanguard. Thor swung Stormbreaker with lightning-filled rage, carving entire swaths of the battlefield clean. Captain America led human soldiers where he could, though the reality was grim, as mortals were little more than kindling in this inferno.

Yet, in the very center of the chaos, three figures remained untouched.

Luke stood still, almost eerily calm, his hands clasped casually behind his back. He had no glowing aura, no weapon raised, no spell forming at his fingertips. He looked like an observer rather than a combatant, yet not a single enemy dared approach him.

At his side, Gul'dan hovered like a shadow, staff in hand, eyes burning. Every time a stray enemy wandered too close, a casual flick of his wrist unleashed a surge of green Fel fire that incinerated them to ash before they even had time to scream.

He circled Luke subtly, always keeping himself between his master and the battlefield, a guardian with bloodlust just beneath the surface.

It was loyalty of the most dangerous kind, born not of duty, but of complete surrender.

…

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the situation for S.H.I.E.L.D. was dire.

Among the clashing titans, the agents and soldiers of Earth were little more than cannon fodder. Men and women armed with rifles and courage were swallowed whole by the tide of vanguard soldiers. Their bullets barely slowed the aliens down; their screams filled the air as bones snapped and bodies were tossed aside like rags.

From the command room above, Fury's single eye darkened. His knuckles tightened on the railing as he barked, "Hill! Get them out of there now! Pull everyone back to a safe perimeter!"

Hill's face tightened. She was already shouting into her comms, her voice hard with urgency. "All units, retreat! Fall back! Do not engage! I repeat, do not engage! Move to safe positions immediately!"

But evacuation in such chaos was easier said than done.

The moment the agents turned to retreat, they were marked. Vanguard soldiers roared and surged after them like wolves chasing prey. Fury's lips pressed into a grim line as he watched his people fall in clusters, some ripped apart by claws, others trampled beneath alien beasts.

Worse still, Fury noticed something far darker. Green streaks of Fel magic sometimes lashed out, not at the vanguard, but at the retreating humans. Corpses burned where they fell, their screams joining the chorus of war.

"Accidents," one might call them. But Fury had seen too much in his life to believe in so many coincidences. His jaw clenched. "Those damn magicians…"

It was true that they struck down their enemies with efficiency, but their 'stray' blasts always seemed to find their way into human lines. Only Luke's direct companions were spared from their cruelty. Whatever corruption drove them, they still feared his authority.

…

On the battlefield, Thanos finally rose.

He had watched from his vantage point with detached interest. At first, he had remained patient, letting his vanguard overwhelm through sheer numbers. But the tide had turned far too quickly. His soldiers were being drained, crushed, and incinerated at a pace too quick for his liking. The battlefield was tilting, and clearly not in his favor.

A faint growl escaped his throat as the bad premonition in his heart solidified. This was unlike any conquest he had ever waged.

He had thought Earth a backwater planet. Weak and fragile. A world to be crushed like any other.

But now, with every passing moment, it seemed like this world had been hiding its teeth.

If his army fell here, he would stand alone against tens of thousands. Even with two Infinity Stones, such odds were far from ideal.

No… this had to end swiftly.

Thanos's gaze swept across the battlefield and locked onto Luke. The unremarkable human stood still amidst the storm, soldiers kneeling, gods rallying, monsters circling him like hounds. Even the Ancient One and Hela deferred to his presence.

"That one…" Thanos rumbled softly, his golden gauntlet flexing. "The boy is the key."

His eyes shifted to Gul'dan, who hovered close at Luke's side. He could sense the power in the warlock, a danger that prickled against his instincts. But there was no doubt, this creature was nothing more than a servant before that man, a guard.

If he could cut through him, Luke would be exposed. And with the leader broken, the army would crumble.

The corner of Thanos's lips curved into the faintest smirk, this was his breakthrough point.

He finally began to walk, each step deliberate and heavy, the ground cracking beneath his weight. Soldiers who dared block his path were obliterated casually, a single sweep of his arm sent orcs flying, a pulse from the Gauntlet reduced undead warriors to dust.

His presence cut a bloody swath across the battlefield until, at last, he stood mere meters from Luke.

The chaos around them seemed to dim, the sounds muffled as if the world itself held its breath. Soldiers on both sides instinctively gave space, their fighting drifting outward in a widening ring. A circle of silence formed, broken only by the distant roars of battle.

Luke looked up at the Titan with calm, unblinking eyes.

In another life, he might have felt awe at seeing the infamous Mad Titan in person. But those days were long behind him. After all he had endured, after ascending to the system's highest level, there was no fear left. No excitement either. Just… dull inevitability.

It was like a seasoned fighter watching amateurs spar. Entertaining, perhaps, but hardly threatening.

Luke's voice was quiet, almost bored. "Go. Get rid of him."

He didn't even address Thanos directly. He simply gave the order.

Gul'dan's lips twisted into a smile at last, sharp and hungry. His eyes burned brighter, and the Fel energy in his staff began to coil and hiss like a serpent eager for release.

"Gladly, Master…" the warlock rasped, his gravelly voice thick with bloodlust.

He stepped forward, planting himself between Luke and Thanos. His body bent slightly, his grin widening as if savoring the anticipation. The Fel energy inside him surged wildly, sensing the Titan's life force, the richest, most intoxicating feast Gul'dan had ever laid eyes upon.

For the first time in centuries, Thanos felt eyes upon him that regarded him not with fear… but with hunger.

…