The clash between Thanos and Gul'dan was like watching two different worlds collide; raw, brutal strength against insidious, corrupting sorcery.

Thanos was every inch the warrior. The Titan's very existence radiated indomitable power, his body wrapped in defenses forged through centuries of battle. Few beings in the universe could endure a direct confrontation with him. Magic especially was all but useless. Spells that would level cities usually struck him like harmless sparks, repelled by the natural resistance of his Titan flesh.

But Gul'dan was no ordinary sorcerer.

In this universe, magicians and sorcerers were known as wielders of mystical energy, protectors of cosmic balance. In Azeroth, however, there was another path, one much darker. Gul'dan was no simple magician, he was a warlock. And not just any warlock, but one who had drowned himself in Fel, the most corrosive and dangerous of all energies.

Even among warlocks, Gul'dan's name carried dread.

Thanos, unaware of who he faced, assumed the withered figure before him would behave like the magicians he had crushed before. When Gul'dan lifted his staff and a sickly green ray burst forth, the Titan sneered. He didn't even bother to defend. In his eyes, it was futile, as no spellcaster could pierce the armor of a Titan.

But the moment the green light licked his skin, the grin froze on his face.

It didn't bounce off, it didn't even sting. It simply went through.

The Fel seeped past his defenses, burrowing beneath his flesh like liquid fire, spreading with horrifying speed. His veins burned as if molten acid was pouring through them. His breath caught. Even his mind shuddered, as if shadowed claws had reached into his very brain.

For the first time in years, Thanos felt something unfamiliar: helplessness.

His massive frame trembled. Muscles hardened through centuries of battle refused to obey his will. And then he felt it, his strength wasn't just being ignored. It was being taken from him.

His life force.

Thanos's eyes widened in disbelief. His vitality, a reservoir so vast that he had thought inexhaustible, was being drained away. Slowly at first, then faster, like a river sucked dry. The Titan who had defied gods felt himself aging. Just slightly, almost imperceptibly, but for a being with a life as long as him, that meant the drain was unimaginably fast.

One percent. In seconds, Gul'dan had stolen away one percent of his essence.

Panic, raw and primal, flashed across his face. If this continued, he would be nothing more than a husk in minutes.

Across from him, Gul'dan's withered lips stretched into a grotesque grin. His eyes burned like twin emerald lanterns, and the skull atop his staff flared brighter, vomiting torrents of Fel energy. The storm intensified, green fire wrapping around Thanos like serpents tightening their coils.

Inwardly, Gul'dan laughed. This was no careless assault. He had baited the Titan, showing only a sliver of power at first to trick him into arrogance.

And Thanos had taken the bait, letting Fel seep into his flesh without resistance. Now, Gul'dan unleashed his true strength, expanding that thread of corruption into an avalanche that engulfed his prey.

Thanos staggered as the Fel roared higher, coating his body in a storm of green flame. The Infinity Gauntlet, that symbol of ultimate control, trembled uselessly on his hand. His fingers twitched as if to snap, but the energy constricting his mind smothered even the thought of resistance.

The Titan, breaker of worlds, stood motionless as he was consumed.

All across the battlefield, warriors paused. When Gul'dan's Fel surged, the very air seemed to warp around him. A suffocating pressure rolled out like a shockwave, crushing the lungs of friend and foe alike.

The Ancient One and Strange both whipped their heads toward the source. Their pupils dilated in shock.

"This power…" Strange whispered hoarsely, his throat suddenly dry.

The Ancient One's usually serene face was drawn with awe, and fear. She had tasted Fel herself and thought she grasped its depths. But compared to Gul'dan's release, her own was a candle next to a burning sun. The arrogance that had crept into her since learning to wield Fel shriveled away.

This is what true corruption looks like, she thought grimly. Even if she drained every soul in this city, she would not touch that level.

Closer to the eye of the storm, the carnage worsened. Fel energy lashed outward, indiscriminate and ravenous. Thanos's soldiers, Luke's enemies, even stray orcs were caught in the green torrent.

Flesh rotted, bones blackened, and screams were cut short as bodies crumpled into puppets, their eyes flaring green before they rose again, twisted in service to Gul'dan.

No one was spared. Friend or foe, all who drew too near were consumed.

All but one.

Luke stood calmly at the center of it all, untouched. The system's protection held the storm at bay, and Gul'dan, loyal even in madness, dared not let a single tendril brush against his master.

Within the storm, Thanos faltered. His thoughts fractured, his vision blurred. For the first time in millennia, the Titan felt chains around his will. His fists slackened. The Gauntlet's glow dimmed.

He hadn't even managed to close the distance.

…

The battlefield raged on, but every warrior who caught sight of the Titan wrapped in green fire felt their blood run cold. Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, the Black Order froze mid-strike.

Their invincible leader was not fighting. He was trapped.

They tried to reassure themselves. It's temporary. He'll break free. He must. But unease gnawed at their hearts. They had never seen Thanos in such a dangerous situation.

And none of them knew the truth, that their master's will was no longer his own. That the Titan they revered was being hollowed out, consumed from the inside, his strength twisted into fuel for the warlock who smiled at his suffering.

If they had known, they would not have fought harder. They would have run with all their might.

Unfortunately, there was no escape for them. As soon as they set foot on Earth, their fate had already been sealed.

…