Cyttorak?
The Cyttorak who created Juggernaut?
Dante frowned as he stared at the towering "figure" clad head-to-toe in crimson—armor, skin, and the energy swirling around him, all the same blood-red hue.
Even among the infamous Dimensional Devil Gods and Plane Lords, Cyttorak was one of the absolute strongest.
His mastery over the Crimson Cosmos was unmatched among the dimensional pantheon.
But Cyttorak wasn't like that flashy troublemaker Mephisto. Mephisto loved nothing more than showing up in person to meddle in cosmic and historical events.
He was the guy who planted maggots on Celestials, tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of wisdom, created Ghost Rider, and convinced baby Thanos to start his Earth invasion arc...
Basically, Mephisto was the devil in humanity's Wikipedia edits.
By contrast, Cyttorak was the complete opposite.
He had a mild curiosity about the world beyond his Crimson Throne, but not enough to actually leave it.
Instead, his influence came in the form of manifesting fragments of his power into objects and launching them into reality like eldritch care packages.
Case in point: the Crimson Gem that turned Cain Marko into Juggernaut.
As Professor X's non-blood-related brother, Marko gained divine-tier strength by touching the gem. The result? Juggernaut—Cyttorak's Earth-side tank.
On paper, Juggernaut could brawl with Savage Hulk. Some even said he could go a few rounds with Green Scar on a good day.
But in practice? Juggernaut didn't make the A-list.
Part of that was the editor's fault… but mostly it was because Cyttorak's power was severely nerfed once it left the Crimson Cosmos.
Still, that only applied to Juggernaut—and that one gem.
According to legend, Cyttorak had cast eight Crimson Gems into the physical universe.
Maybe when they were all gathered, Juggernaut's true potential—or even a direct Cyttorak avatar—would finally emerge.
And the being in front of him? Easily over four meters tall. Juggernaut-adjacent in look, but clearly something else entirely.
Dante could already tell: this crimson titan was stronger than the current Hela.
And that was... ridiculous.
Almost as ridiculous as him claiming to be Cyttorak.
Dante wasn't buying it. There was no way the actual Crimson Cosmos overlord just randomly dropped into Earth to hassle an Asgardian.
"Dear Guardian! Do you feel that terrifying red energy coming off that person in the distance?"
"How could I not? It's basically screaming, 'Look at me!' like a spotlight at midnight."
"That is the red of the Emotional Spectrum—the energy of Rage and hatred."
Ion Shark's voice echoed in Dante's mind.
Dante inhaled, closed his eyes, and focused...
Sure enough, the red aura seeping from the figure was faintly reacting with the uncontrolled Green Willpower energy within him.
That confirmed it. This wasn't just red. It was Rage—pure Red Lantern Rage.
But...
"Ion Shark, besides the Emotional Spectrum energy, isn't there another dimensional or universal power fused into it?"
"Yes. In addition to the Rage Red Light, these crimson energies also contain a different power—just as red, just as potent. And it makes up a substantial portion. Its properties are so compatible with the Rage Red Light that even without a Red Lantern Corps to channel it, it can absorb and control the Rage energy naturally."
Ion Shark was young, but as a naturally born Lantern Beast, he came preloaded with more knowledge than most interdimensional scholars would ever collect.
So hearing that the Crimson Cosmos energy had this kind of compatibility with Rage? Totally on brand.
Juggernaut types always fell into rage-fueled destruction. Even if their willpower could suppress it for a while, eventually they gave in.
The Crimson Cosmos wasn't just a source of power—it was a black hole of violent obsession.
And now, with Ion Shark confirming everything, Dante had a pretty clear read on the monster in front of them.
This guy didn't just tap into one Crimson Gem.
He probably had several.
Add to that a method of channeling the Rage Red Light, and this combination must've caught the eye of the real Cyttorak, lounging on his eldritch throne across the dimensional divide.
Result? Temporary dimensional overlay.
This fusion of Crimson Cosmos energy and Emotional Spectrum Rage had become a perfect vessel for a piece of Cyttorak's will.
So yeah—he wasn't lying when he said he was Cyttorak.
But he definitely wasn't the Cyttorak.
His power level came not from his own merit, but from Cyttorak being just curious enough to sponsor him like some kind of multiverse influencer.
Otherwise? He'd be stuck on the same level as Hela.
If before, Dante was banking on Ion Shark as a last-minute Hail Mary, now he was just... confident.
Sure, fusion powers were usually insane.
But they also shared the same fatal flaw: instability.
Ion Shark had said the Rage Red Light was being controlled—but only because no Red Lanterns existed yet. There were no ring-bearers to push back.
Unclaimed energy was easy to manipulate.
But what if it became claimed?
In canon, Atrocitus had to use cosmic blood magic to forge the first Red Lantern Ring.
But Dante had another method in mind...
If the Crimson Gem could attract and stabilize Rage Red Light—then why not use the gem itself as a foundation for a Red Lantern Corps?
The idea lit a fire in Dante's mind.
Wasn't that basically stealing Cyttorak's lunch money and building his own empire with it?
Multiversal NTR?
Hell yeah.
"Hela, what are our odds against that guy? You, your brothers, and me."
"It's razor-thin," Hela replied as she strode forward through the hole Thor had smashed. "Energy levels don't dictate combat performance. But one thing's clear—this fight will drag on."
With every step she took, a Nightsword shimmered into existence beside her, floating ominously.
"My sister! Let me lend you a hand!"
Thor came flying after her, Mjolnir spinning like a jet turbine. Lightning sparked wildly, blue arcs flashing across his eyes.
Compared to the golden himbo who just got pummeled earlier, this version of Thor actually looked like the God of Thunder.
But unlike his two battle-happy siblings, Loki was more of a thinker.
"Dante, do you really think that guy's the real Cyttorak?"
"What do you think?"
"Well... he's strong. But if this were the true body of a Dimensional Devil God... wouldn't he be stronger?"
"Exactly. He's just a puppet—carrying a sliver of Cyttorak's gaze."
Dante patted Loki's shoulder.
"As your sister said: power doesn't equal skill. You three Asgardians should be able to hold him off. So... go! Pokémon!"
Loki snapped. Then blinked. "Wait, what do you mean we can handle him? What about you?"
"I'm a senior FBI agent. I supervise. Delegation is my superpower."
Loki was still mid-sarcastic explosion when a blur crashed into the wall beside them.
"For the name of Odinson! What a powerful foe!"
Thor leapt to his feet, stretching like he just pulled a muscle, not like he just got swatted by a god.
Dante silently gave him a nod of respect. Not even All Father-tier yet, and the guy tanked a hit from a top-tier rage fusion without a scratch. Just a few wrinkles in his golden hair.
"Huh? Loki, why are you still here?"
Thor spotted his brother and immediately grabbed him by the collar.
"THOR! YOU #$%...&*!!!"
Watching the two soar into battle.
"Ah. Sibling love. So moving."
Then Dante stepped out of the breach.
But unlike the Asgard trio, Dante didn't charge into the fight.
He took a sharp turn and entered the blood-red building behind the crimson giant.
Fight?
Please.
He was an agent. Not a gladiator.
He didn't need to throw hands in every encounter.
And his team had just completed Death Goddess boot camp. Wasn't it only fair to test their training results?
As an FBI agent, efficiency mattered. Solve problems. Complete objectives. Don't waste time.
And right now?
His goal was to hit the enemy's soft underbelly while the siblings distracted the big red boss.
He had a hunch this building—now pulsing with crimson energy—was the real key to the whole mess.
And sure enough, the moment Dante slipped through a side entrance.
Cyttorak, mid-fight with the Asgard trio, snapped his attention toward him and immediately charged.
But he didn't make it.
Hela stepped in and blocked him.
"Hela, he's guarding something. Hold him back—I'll take care of what's inside."
Even in the middle of a high-tier battle, Hela's voice reached Dante like it was whispered in his ear.
"Be careful, my Queen."
"Of course."
(To be continued.)
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