Alternate

Crimson Realm – Dazai's Encounter with "L"

A suffocating silence blanketed the realm, the air thick with crimson mist that stretched endlessly in all directions. Dazai stood at the center of it, his coat stained and torn, yet his sharp gaze remained intact as he exhaled a frustrated sigh.

"Where the hell am I…?" His voice echoed faintly, swallowed by the oppressive air. "Did I die? Or did Athena decide to redecorate? Either way, this isn't where I'm supposed to be. I still have unfinished business… I can't just disappear like this."

Before he could finish his train of thought, a soft, almost melodic voice cut through the silence. There was no warmth in it — only the faintest hint of amusement, laced with underlying malice.

"Well, this is a surprise."

A figure emerged from the mist — a humanoid silhouette, veiled entirely in shifting crimson fog. No features, no face, just a vague presence wrapped in crimson energy.

"Oh? My apologies — wrong guy." The figure tilted its head slightly. "But you do carry his scent… his traits."

Dazai narrowed his eyes, his stance defensive, though curiosity flickered beneath the surface.

"And you are?"

"Me?" The mist-clad being chuckled lightly — not mockery, but something close. "I go by many names, but for now, just call me 'L.' After all, I am the Crimson Moon — though I much prefer the name my creator gave me."

Dazai's brow furrowed. The explanation raised more questions than answers, but he'd seen enough madness to play along, for now.

"Dazai Carnag—"

"Oh, I know exactly who you are," L interrupted smoothly. "You're the one carrying not one, not two, but three of my abilities. Though… do you even know why you were chosen to wield them?"

Dazai's silence gave the answer away.

"It's simple," L continued, voice soft but certain. "You, my dear Dazai, are an alternate version of my creator — the man who stood beside Athena and helped shape this world at its inception."

The crimson mist pulsed faintly as L stepped closer, his presence pressing down like a weight on Dazai's chest.

"There are countless realms, each with their own variations of him. You just happen to be one of them — lucky enough to end up here."

Dazai forced a thin smile. "Lucky isn't exactly how I'd describe my current situation."

"Ah, yes. That little… complication." L's tone turned almost sympathetic. "The conflict between your natural mana and the foreign mana inside you. No one bothered to warn you that could happen, did they?"

Dazai's jaw clenched slightly.

"Since you seem to know everything, I'm guessing you can answer a few questions of mine." He crossed his arms. "For starters — how the hell did Akatsuki manage to fight and defeat a god? And not just any god, but Poseidon?"

L let out a low laugh, the mist around him flickering like dying embers.

"That one? Oh, it's a deliciously complicated story." He raised a single finger. "Let me simplify it for you."

The mist shifted, forming vague shapes — stars, chains, and the clash of divine and infernal forces.

"Divine power exists within every star. That much, you probably knew."

Dazai nodded slightly.

"But here's the twist — divine power isn't pure." L's voice dipped, almost conspiratorial. "Every star also carries a trace of negative mana — demon mana, if you prefer. Opposites attract, after all."

The shapes dissolved back into the mist.

"That's why Athena and her so-called 'demigod' worked together to veil this world from the eyes of Olympus. The 'gateway' you've heard about? It was never intended to be a portal. It was the heart of Athena's world — the third power source. The first two are me — the Crimson Moon — and the Silver Moon."

Dazai's expression hardened. "And what about Akatsuki? Why does he have no stars at all?"

L wagged his finger playfully. "Patience. That… is a special case."

The mist shifted again, forming a silhouette — Akatsuki's shape flickering between human and something far more sinister.

"Ordinary mortals in this world are bound to the star system — but Akatsuki? He's a half-breed. A child born with demon blood in his veins."

Dazai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Half-breed?"

"Correct." L's voice was calm, yet the weight of the revelation hung heavy. "One of his parents must be a demon. And not just any demon — a lineage tied to the Seven Deadly Sins themselves."

Dazai's breath hitched for a moment. "The Sins…"

"The very same," L confirmed. "They weren't always monsters. They were gods once, before they fell. Their power didn't fade — it simply… twisted. Akatsuki carries that power in his blood, a living contradiction — divine and demonic, locked in constant conflict."

L's form began to fade, his voice echoing as if from a distance.

"You're wondering if Akatsuki is directly descended from one of the Seven, aren't you? The answer is yes. He carries both the Sin of Deception and traces of another's power — bound to his very soul."

The mist swirled violently, as if responding to L's departure.

"Ordinary mortals, even those born with stars, could never hope to challenge a god. But those who embrace both their divine light and their demonic shadows? They can bend fate itself."

L's voice dropped to a whisper. "Just like your family did, Dazai. Your grandfather, a mere 3-star, survived things he never should have… because he learned how to wield both."

Dazai's mind raced with questions, but the crimson mist was already beginning to recede.

"One last warning," L said, his voice now nearly lost in the void. "Don't get any ideas about storming Olympus. The moment you step foot in that realm, your powers — all of them — will be stripped away. This system only works here, within Athena's domain."

Dazai took a step forward, hand reaching into the void, but L's laughter echoed faintly.

"You remind me so much of him… my creator. Whether he's smiling right now or has become something far worse — only time will tell."

The mist coiled around Dazai's feet, dragging him down into the crimson abyss.

"Before I go — consider this a gift."

A surge of power flooded into Dazai's chest, burning through his veins like liquid fire.

"Another ability… just for you."

The last of L's voice was almost fond.

"When you wake, you'll have more questions than answers. And that's good. Because the future is far darker than you can possibly imagine."