In the Dark Dimension where time held no meaning, no one could tell how long had passed. The blinding flashes of light gradually dimmed, and the tsunami-like shockwaves quietly dissipated...
The golden radiance covering Sean's body slowly condensed and receded, replaced by a deep darkness. He raised his right hand, the three gems on the metal gauntlet flickering faintly, emitting a dreamlike glow.
Sean gazed at the colossal illusory head looming over the dimension. Those enormous eyes, brimming with destructive light, now rippled violently like raging tides.
Fierce mental impulses continuously flooded his mind like high-frequency electronic signals.
It was Dormammu's voice, "I must retract my earlier judgment. You are far stronger than an insect, human. Even if you've earned my acknowledgment, you should understand this battle is meaningless. You cannot kill me unless you destroy the entire Dark Dimension, something a lifeform like you, who hasn't even fully ascended to a universal scale, could never achieve."
Even for an entity of Dormammu's level, one law of the mortal realm still applied: to sit at the negotiation table, one must first demonstrate their fists.
As the Iron Chancellor Bismarck once said:"The truth lies within the range of artillery."
This statement remained accurate even when applied to the vast cosmic landscape. Realizing he couldn't simply crush this insignificant insect, Dormammu subtly shifted his attitude.
"So now you're willing to sit down and talk properly, oh great ruler of the Dark Dimension?" Sean remarked, a hint of mockery escaping his lips.
'It seems even these beings who transcend time and death have principles no more valuable than a human's...' he thought.
As if sensing Sean's thoughts, Dormammu's colossal eyes churned with destructive light, "Do not overstep, human."
The Dark Lord's gaze fixed hungrily on the golden gauntlet, its dazzling radiance pulsing violently.
Dormammu adopted his old human way of thinking, attempting to sway Sean's resolve, "Even if the Ancient One defeats the six lords of hell, it won't change Earth's fate of falling into the Dark Dimension. You cannot kill me, which means you cannot stop the Dark Dimension's erosion. This is an inevitability."
With the three Sanctums destroyed, the material world's defenses had crumbled. Not even the Sorcerer Supreme could withstand the Dark Dimension's corrupting power.
Earth's doom was all but sealed.
"My terms remain unchanged. Hand over those three stones, and on my honor, I will spare Earth." Dormammu's voice boomed like thunder in Sean's consciousness.
The ruler of the Dark Dimension had shifted his covetous desires from Earth to the Infinity Stones. These manifestations of cosmic law might elevate him to an even higher plane of existence.
Just as Sean was about to refuse, a blinding white light pierced the darkness. The Ancient One, adorned with a radiant crown, appeared abruptly.
Having battled through hell, her white robes were stained with dark marks, her face pale as paper. The once-intense flames of her soul now flickered dimly.
"Dormammu, since when did you have honor to speak of?" The Ancient One showed no courtesy to the Dark Lord. Her eyes blazed with divine light, repelling the encroaching darkness.
"How much longer can you last, Ancient One? You are no omniscient deity, no savior with infinite power. You're just a mortal." Dormammu's voice pulsed with triumph. He could see the Sorcerer Supreme was at her limit, her life force flickering like a dying candle, "Entering the Dark Dimension now is suicide!"
Dormammu's massive eyes bore down on the Ancient One.
Though her white-robed figure seemed insignificant, she stood like an unshakable colossus, radiating indomitable might.
He continued, "Let me see... A curse from hell? Abaddon's handiwork, no doubt. The shadows of plague and death will cling to you forever, never to be dispelled! The Eye of Agamotto devours your lifespan, leaving you weaker than ever. This is my opportunity!"
The dark energy erupted like a furious tide. Violet light exploded outward, its violent force akin to a volcanic eruption, instantly reducing the Ancient One to ashes.
"So... easy?" The effortless victory left Dormammu bewildered.
Had the mightiest Sorcerer Supreme in history truly fallen so easily? The archmage who had barred the Dark Dimension from the material world for centuries... gone just like that?
Sean watched silently as the raging light consumed the Ancient One, her human form disintegrating into dust. He stood motionless, making no move to intervene.
"So cold-hearted, are we?" Dormammu sneered.
It seemed humans were no better than demons, showing no pity for their own kind's demise.
Ignoring the taunt, Sean's lips curled into a faint smile, one that gradually widened into genuine amusement. He gazed up at the colossal spectral head and whispered, "Your end has come."
Dormammu scoffed. Being merged with the Dark Dimension, he was virtually indestructible. He was immortal!
'Who could possibly–' His thoughts froze mid-sentence.
Sean raised his right hand. A golden light, bright as the sun, suddenly surged forth.
The Mind Stone ignited like a colossal torch, its blinding white radiance erupting upward, coalescing into a towering humanoid figure.
"Ancient One!" Dormammu's shock sent ripples through his luminous form.
The Sorcerer Supreme, who should have been at death's door, now blazed with soul flames so intense, they illuminated the entire Dark Dimension.
"What have you done?! My power– No! I am the true master of the Dark Dimension!" Dormammu's roar shook existence as his psychic assault crashed against Sean's mind.
But the human's eyes merely gleamed with golden light, effortlessly deflecting the Dark Lord's mental onslaught.
"I can't destroy the Dark Dimension... but I can kill you." Sean grinned serenely as he watched the towering figure take shape.
Like Dormammu before her, the Ancient One had shed her mortal shell to merge with the Dark Dimension itself.
Empowered by the Mind Stone, she began wresting control of the realm. The Ancient One now resembled a deity, her colossal form wreathed in blinding white light, spanning the infinite dimension.
Meanwhile, no matter how violently Dormammu stirred the dark energies, his efforts to repel the Sorcerer Supreme's invasion proved futile.
The Ancient One had once drawn power from the Dark Dimension. As Earth's mightiest sorcerer, she had devoted centuries to studying the arcane, mastering the secrets of souls and dimensions.
Having overused the Eye of Agamotto, her life had neared its end. Yet she chose to forsake her humanity, embracing a new form of existence.
The Mind Stone blazed as Sean channeled its full power. Radiant light poured into the Ancient One's spectral form like divine blessings, transforming her into a vast, nebulous entity; a white celestial cloud with no end in sight.
Across the infinite Dark Dimension, Dormammu and the Sorcerer Supreme now stood as opposing sovereigns.
The boundless dark forces clashed against the pure, blinding white light. It was a cosmic duality that illuminated the abyss...