"Pfft!"
Mephisto suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His aura and complexion instantly weakened, and his face turned pale. He slumped slightly, visibly shaken.
Had Mephisto been cautious and handled the dimensional lords one at a time, he might have avoided this severe backlash. Unfortunately, he had not been so prudent.
In his haste, he failed to detect all of the Ancient One's intricate traps, let alone the hidden measures left behind by the two dimensional consciousnesses.
Normally, Mephisto wouldn't make such an amateurish mistake. However, the series of upheavals he had experienced recently left his mind unsettled.
The most pressing issue was the growing gap between him and the other Hell lords, driving Mephisto into desperation. Even though the ten dimensional lords he captured weren't enough to close the gap, he was determined to minimize it as much as possible.
"Good! Very good! Ancient One, you've outdone yourself!" Mephisto growled through clenched teeth after stabilizing his condition. Glaring in the direction of Earth's dimension, his voice dripped with venom.
Indeed, Mephisto had been severely affected. The Ancient One's and the dimensional consciousnesses' methods were both insidious and brutal, leaving him in a state comparable to when Robert had first injured him.
In other words, it was as if he had just fought another grueling battle with Robert, but without any meaningful results.
Actually, the outcome might have been worse had Mephisto fought Robert again. Even if Robert held back, allowing Mephisto to survive, Mephisto's subsequent study of the dimensional lords would still have triggered these traps, likely leaving him in an even more dire state.
"Cough, cough!" Mephisto coughed up more blood as his thoughts churned. His expression darkened, and his eyes burned with rage as he gazed toward two distant dimensions. "You dared to conspire against me! I may not be able to touch the Saiyan or Earth's dimension, but you two dimensions are far from invincible!"
Mephisto recognized that targeting the Ancient One was impossible. As long as she remained in Earth's dimension, protected by its rules, and with Robert around, she was untouchable.
But those two dimensions, lacking Earth's defenses and Robert's presence, were a different story.
Still, Mephisto wasn't foolish enough to seek immediate revenge. In his current weakened state, stepping into those dimensions would be tantamount to suicide.
Reluctantly, Mephisto fortified his domain and focused entirely on recovery. He knew it would take an extended period to heal fully, but he had no choice.
Moreover, Mephisto was acutely aware that the other Hell lords, having reaped significant gains from the recent conflict, had pulled ahead of him. This realization filled him with bitter resentment, though there was little he could do.
Meanwhile, at Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One smirked as if sensing something. "Mephisto has triggered the traps," she remarked lightly.
"Really? That's great!" Doom exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement.
Although Mephisto had severed his ties with Cynthia, freeing her, Doom still harbored a deep grudge against him. Cynthia had suffered greatly as a demon under Mephisto, and her actions during that time, though coerced, were an indirect result of Mephisto's manipulation.
Moreover, Doom knew that Cynthia's freedom was only secured thanks to Robert's intervention. Without him, Doom doubted he'd have even seen his mother again. Thus, Doom wished Mephisto's suffering to be as severe as possible.
"How badly is he hurt? Is it serious?" Doom pressed, turning eagerly to the Ancient One.
"I can't say for sure," she admitted, shaking her head. "I only sensed that some of my traps have been triggered. I don't know the exact extent of his injuries."
"Let's hope it's serious!" Doom muttered, silently cursing Mephisto in his mind. He knew killing Mephisto outright was a pipe dream, but he longed for the day when he could confront him as an equal, just as Robert had done.
The Ancient One shifted her focus to Cynthia. "Her residence is now your responsibility," she told Doom. "She is still a Hell demon, and while she means no harm, her presence could draw unwanted attention."
"Hell demons are among the most well-documented threats for official agencies. If she ventures too far into civilian areas, it's only a matter of time before she's detected."
"I've already decided to let her stay at Kamar-Taj," Doom replied confidently. "There's a small village nearby that should suffice for her needs. With the internet being so widespread now, Cynthia won't feel isolated."
Cynthia, who had already discussed this plan with Doom, offered no objections. She was grateful to return to Earth and content with a quiet life near Kamar-Taj.
Robert, having ensured everything was settled, decided it was time to leave. With Doom and Cynthia in a stable situation, there was no reason to linger. He wanted to return home and take a break from the chaos.
With a flicker, he vanished, leaving no chance for Doom to offer his thanks.
Elsewhere, Clark, who had noticed Robert's brief return to Earth, glanced in the direction of Kamar-Taj before resuming his self-imposed mission.
Despite advances in technology, the world remained rife with danger. Earth's progress had largely focused on weaponry, leaving civilian advancements lagging behind. People still faced numerous daily perils, and Clark dedicated himself to mitigating them.
One of his primary tasks was curbing the misconduct of members of the "Black Cape Watchmen," a group of rogue superheroes whose powers often caused more harm than good.
Clark wasn't alone in this endeavor. Sentry, too, worked to keep the Watchmen in check. Their warnings and overwhelming power forced many of the Watchmen into relative compliance.
However, their efforts did not sit well with the Watchmen or their corporate backers, particularly Vought International.
In the wake of the Avengers' withdrawal and Earth's encounter with Galactus, many factions had begun seeing Earth as their personal playground. Clark and Sentry's actions had thrown a wrench into these plans, earning them powerful enemies.
Vought, emboldened by secret projects initiated by Lex Luthor, began producing Kryptonian mechs and Doomsday clones.
These weapons, originally developed as a desperate measure against Galactus, had proven devastatingly effective during their initial deployment, though they ultimately failed. Now, with Earth no longer under immediate threat, these assets were being rebuilt and weaponized for control rather than defense.
Even official agencies, flush with resources after a period of recovery, resumed production of these deadly machines, each vying for dominance.
When Kryptonian mechs began moving again, Clark immediately took notice. After contacting JARVIS for intel, he learned the full extent of Vought's plans.
"Lex Luthor, even in death, you've left quite a legacy," Clark mused, both impressed and concerned. "To arm humanity with such power… it's a double-edged sword."
"Wielding power so great, the desire to kill inevitably follows. If people's minds waver with something as simple as firearms, how can they handle this level of force?"
Clark's thoughts darkened. "These agencies claim to protect Earth, but are they truly capable of maintaining order? Or have they already succumbed to the allure of domination?"
He knew the balance of power was fragile. Without an external threat, internal strife among Earth's factions seemed inevitable. And with these new weapons in play, the stakes were higher than ever.
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