Infernal Entity: Evolving With My Demonic System

Chapter 90: Planet Thaldor

Axel found himself worrying about everything Ares had just told him. It sat heavy in his mind, refusing to settle. He wondered why, out of all the things that could have happened to him, out of all the possible systems he could have gotten, fate had decided to grant him the one that turned him into a demon. And somehow, demons just happened to be one of the most hated races in the entire universe.

It felt unfair. No, it was unfair.

"Why?" Axel asked quietly. His voice cracked before he could stop it. "Why is there so much hate against... what I am?"

Ares stepped closer, his expression serious now. "You need to understand something, Axel," Ares said. "Demons aren’t exactly known for doing good. They’re beings of chaos, Inferno, destruction, manipulation, and so many other bad things that I’d rather not get into."

Axel turned sharply. "Is that how you see me?" he asked, and that question made Ares pause for a second.

"No," he answered honestly. "From the first day I saw you and Rick, I knew something was off about you."

Axel frowned slightly at that comment.

"I didn’t know what it was," Ares continued. "Not at first, but the moment I saw you use infernal energy... everything finally made sense. You’re not evil, but that doesn’t make you any less of a demon. And it doesn’t mean you won’t turn into an evil one."

"Every demon eventually becomes the embodiment of evil," Ares said. "That’s just how it ends."

Axel looked away. Ares didn’t need to say it out loud, because Axel himself already knew. His Corruption level was at sixty percent. It wasn’t just a number anymore, it was a countdown. He had no idea what would happen when it reached one hundred, but deep down, he knew it wouldn’t be good.

The thought made something stir up inside him. It was anger.

Axel turned back to Ares, his eyes now cold.

"Then let them come," he said. "Let these so-called demon slayers hunt me down. I’ll defend myself when the time comes. Sounds easy. I’m growing more powerful every day."

Ares studied him for a second, then placed a hand on Axel’s shoulder.

"Those demon slayers are very strong, but when that time comes," Ares said, "I’ll stand with you."

Axel was shocked as to why Ares had just said that. A brother to a demon slayer was willing to fight for a demon?

"Why?" Axel asked.

"You saved me when Luke Fern burned my ass at the second-year block. You stepped in when you didn’t have to," Ares said as he smirked faintly. "You’re my friend, and the enemy of my friend is my enemy."

"Besides, most demon slayers are annoying assholes who think they own the universe. I’d love to remind them who a Thaldorian really is."

Axel almost smiled, because Ares had a way of making a joke out of every serious situation. Replaying what Ares had just said, a question came to Axel’s mind.

"What if a Thaldorian is the one who comes for me?" he asked.

It was then Ares’ expression changed. For the first time, he didn’t have an answer. He looked away instead.

"I don’t know," he admitted.

Axel nodded slowly. "That’s fine. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that..."

Axel remembered something far more important immediately.

"Rick, Jayden, and Kora... What happens to them?"

That was the question on everyone’s mind. Ares’ face hardened. "I don’t know," he said. "And I’m not planning to find out the hard way. I have a plan for them. No offense, Axel, but I’m not letting you take their souls or whatever."

"What does that mean?"

"It means Rick isn’t going to some fire pit," Ares said. "Everything has loopholes, and I’m sure that even demonic contracts have theirs."

"I’m going to find that loophole, I promise," Ares continued. "The answer should be back home on Thaldor. I need to go back home."

Axel’s eyes widened. "You can’t go home, and you also can’t get answers in twenty days. I don’t think it’s possible."

"Yes," Ares said. "It’s possible."

"But your banishment—"

Ares waved it off. "That doesn’t matter," he said.

He looked at Axel firmly.

"I’m going back to save our friend."

Axel didn’t say anything as a tiny flicker of hope found its way and settled in his chest.

He just stood there, watching as the weight on his chest shifted slightly.

---

"How do you plan on returning back home?" Axel asked as he and Ares stepped out of the gym.

"Follow me," Ares said without slowing down.

The night air was cold and sharp, but neither of them paid it any attention. Axel kept pace beside him, though his thoughts were still tangled in everything they had talked about inside.

"Where are we going?" Axel asked.

"I didn’t just appear on this planet out of nowhere," Ares replied. "I had to come through something."

Axel’s eyes narrowed slightly. "A portal?"

Ares glanced at him. "Good guess... that was the only possible guess, to be honest."

They moved through the academy grounds, carefully and quietly. Oval patrols were still active at night, moving in pairs and scanning the area like always. Axel and Ares stayed in the shadows, slipping between buildings, timing their movements until they reached the west wall of the academy.

There, hidden behind reinforced panels, was a tunnel entrance. Ares opened the hatch and climbed in. Axel followed suit.

The tunnel was narrow and dim, stretching deeper than one would have expected. They both walked in silence until they reached a door at the end. Ares pressed his palm against it, and it slid open.

Behind it was a small chamber, and in the center of that chamber stood a portable portal.

Axel stared at it, bewildered. "How did you hide something like this from Oval Corp?!"

Ares simply smiled at him. "This portal has been here for centuries. One of many gateways planted on Earth for Thaldorian access."

He waved a hand around. "It’s well hidden, secured, and layered. Anyone who isn’t meant to be here wouldn’t even know this place exists." He laughed lightly. "Perfect, right?"

"How can you be so confident in yourself, yet so wrong?"

A voice said from behind them, causing both of them to freeze.

Before Axel could even turn, he already heard the faint crackle of electricity. He also smelled ozone in the air. That alone made him realize who it was. The question was, how did she get here?

Ares’ face went pale immediately. "In the Supreme Ruler’s name... what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice raised.

Nile stepped out of the shadows as sparks danced lazily around her fingers.

"How did you find this place?" Ares demanded.

She simply shrugged like it was nothing. "I followed you. You’re easy to follow."

Axel turned fully now. "You’ve been following us?"

"Since the little field trip to my planet," Nile said casually.

"Why have you been following us?" Axel asked again.

Nile looked at him like he’d asked the dumbest question possible. "Why wouldn’t I? One of you is a literal demon, and the other is a freaking alien."

Electricity flickered brighter along her fingers before fading as she dropped her hand.

She pointed at Axel. "You’re a dumbass, for the record."

Then she turned to Ares. "And you? You’re worse than a dumbass. Calling you a dumbass would be an insult to the dumbasses out there. Why would you bring a demon to a nexus point between Earth and a planet full of I don’t know... demon slayers?"

"What if someone from your world came through right now?" Nile continued. "What if they saw him?"

Nile knew Ares was a Thaldorian because she had listened to their conversations back at the gym without them knowing or sensing her.

"Since you’re such a nosy electrokinetic, you should know the word demon isn’t written on his face!" Ares snapped.

"Enough," Axel said sharply. "Both of you."

What bothered him more than her words was her tone. Nile wasn’t scared. She wasn’t panicking. She knew what he was, knew what Ares was, and yet she was standing there like this was just another problem to manage.

Ares turned back to the portal and pressed the strange symbols embedded into its frame. Then, the portal came alive.

Energy swirled inward, light folded into itself until it settled into a golden, bioluminescent glow. It filled the chamber with warmth. It looked almost godly.

Ares looked back at Axel. Then he glanced at Nile, smirking one last time before he stepped into the portal and vanished.

The glow dimmed as the portal shut down, leaving the chamber silent again. Nile slowly walked up and stopped beside Axel, folding her arms.

"You should know something..." she started. "I’m cool with the fact that you’re a literal demon and all, but don’t think for a second I’m not watching you."

She turned her head slightly toward him, her eyes sharp.

"If you hurt any human," she said, "I’ll kill you."