As the former ruler of an entire galactic sector, Krypton was naturally no stranger to the Green Lantern Corps, the interstellar police force of the universe.
In fact, the two sides had crossed paths many times—after all, Zod had once been Krypton's supreme military commander.
However, those Lanterns all radiated green light.
Although Zod had heard rumors of Lantern Rings in other colors, this was the first time he had ever seen a red one.
But how could a Lantern Ring appear on Earth?
"No matter what—prepare for battle!"
Zod barked the order in a low voice.
At this point, the situation had already spiraled beyond control.
Clark, consumed by rage, obtaining a Lantern Ring was now unavoidable.
The red light slowly dissipated, revealing a completely transformed Clark.
His once-blue bodysuit had turned into a deep, furious crimson.
The S emblem on his chest had become red on a black background, the symbol twisting and flickering like living flames.
On his finger gleamed a Red Lantern Ring.
Clark clenched his fist, then lifted his gaze toward Zod.
In that instant, Zod felt as though he were being stared down by an incomparably massive beast.
Those blood-red eyes filled his entire field of vision, rage burning as if it would consume the worlds themselves.
"You will all die."
Clark instantly transformed into a streak of crimson flame and appeared before Zod.
A straight punch—faster than perception—slammed into Zod's chest.
Red flames surged outward, instantly igniting Zod's body.
Zod screamed in agony.
Because this fire did not burn flesh—
It burned the soul.
Clark turned toward the remaining seven Kryptonians charging at him and plunged straight into battle.
At this moment, his explosive power, defense, and endurance had all surpassed his former limits.
In less than three exchanges, all seven Kryptonians were crushed effortlessly.
Red soul-flames ignited across their bodies as they collapsed.
"Suffer."
"Despair."
"You will all die!"
"You will pay for Lois with your lives!"
"I will destroy everything!"
Clark roared toward the void.
His heat vision erupted—thicker and fiercer than ever before—sweeping across the Kryptonian mothership and tearing it apart as he moved.
"No, Clark—stop!"
Enduring the agony of his soul burning, Zod reached out desperately, trying to halt the destruction.
"When you killed Lois, did you stop?"
Clark halted his heat vision and glared at Zod.
"Now you want me to stop?."
Zod shouted urgently,
"Clark! Those are Krypton's last embryos! You cannot destroy them! If you do, our entire race will go extinct!"
"You are a Kryptonian—not an Earthling! You cannot betray your own people!"
Clark fell silent for three seconds.
Hope flickered in Zod's eyes.
Then Clark spoke calmly:
"After Lois died, I stopped caring about race."
"You will all die. Whether Kryptonians survive or not is meaningless to me."
At that moment, the bald Kryptonian charged in, attempting a sneak attack.
Clark caught him by the throat.
Crack.
Without hesitation, Clark crushed his neck.
He then turned and fired two beams of heat vision straight into Non, melting two massive holes through his body.
"No!"
Zod roared in fury as he charged Clark again, trying desperately to stop the slaughter.
Clark turned and swept a leg into Zod's abdomen.
The impact folded Zod in half, blood pouring from his mouth.
With that single strike, Zod's internal organs ruptured.
His body was sent flying once more into the alloy wall.
Clark spun and punched Ken, the blow detonating his head like a watermelon smashed by a hammer.
Blood, flesh, and fragments sprayed across the chamber.
He followed with another burst of heat vision, completely melting Claire as she rushed in from the other side.
The final three Kryptonians inhaled sharply and unleashed freezing breath.
But under the influence of the Red Lantern Ring, it transformed into infernal flames.
In an instant, all three were reduced to blazing fireballs.
The horrific scene left Zod staring in disbelief.
In mere moments, eight of his eleven subordinates were dead.
Only Zod, Faora, and the two Kryptonians stationed on Earth remained.
Thankfully, Faora had been dispatched to the Moon to investigate an old Kryptonian outpost—otherwise, she would have died here as well.
"Do you feel it now?"
Clark turned to Zod, his voice cold.
"The rage I endured?"
"You bastard!" Zod cursed.
"You are unworthy of bearing the symbol of the House of El!"
At the same time, he secretly transmitted a message through the ship's systems to Faora:
[Hide. Do not return. Do not seek revenge. Hide—you are Krypton's last hope.]
"This?"
Clark looked down at the S on his chest.
With a finger wreathed in red flame, he slashed across it.
A diagonal scar split the emblem.
"It once stood for hope."
"Now—it stands for despair."
He looked back at Zod.
"And what I give you now… is the despair of vengeance."
His eyes flared crimson.
Heat vision burst forth.
"You betrayed Krypton. You betrayed your people, your family, and your father's expectations!"
"You will remember this day forever!"
"I curse you to be imprisoned in despair for all eternity!"
As Zod's furious curse echoed, Clark incinerated him completely.
Not even ash remained.
"Clark?"
At that moment, Lucas burst into the ship.
Clark turned and looked at him.
"You're back, Lucas."
Seeing Clark's crimson armor, the Red Lantern Ring on his finger, and the devastation around them—
Lucas understood immediately.
Clark had been claimed by the Red Lantern Ring.
This made the situation extremely dangerous.
Unlike Green Lantern Rings, removing a Red Lantern Ring was equivalent to ripping out the wearer's heart.
There was only one outcome—death.
"Why…?" Clark asked quietly.
"Why couldn't you come back sooner? If you had… Lois wouldn't have died."
Lucas turned toward the breach in the hull.
There, Lois's body floated silently in the vacuum of space.
Now he understood why the Red Lantern Ring had chosen Clark.
And he also understood—
This situation had become extremely complicated.
_____
T/N:
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