Infernal Entity: Evolving With My Demonic System-Chapter 77: Demon Slayer

Axel wasn’t mistaken. What stood before him and Kinsey was a portal. Not the kind people only talked about in history lessons, but the real thing. A circular frame stood upright in the hidden room, taller than most people and wide enough to swallow several people at once.

Its surface wasn’t exactly solid. It moved slowly, like liquid glass, rippling inward on itself in endless layers with bits of faint light pulsing from its edges.

This kind of technology didn’t come out of nowhere, of course. During the early years, when portals first began appearing across the world and Mythic Beasts poured out of them, humanity had almost collapsed again.

Then technology caught up. Scientists learned how to stabilize portals and how to shut them down and eventually how to force them open under controlled conditions using certain pass codes, witches, and interface panels.

Some people pushed further. They asked dangerous questions like if portals could be controlled, then why not copied. Why not build artificial and portable ones? Portals that could be moved around with ease.

It took years, massive funding, and countless failures, but it worked. The new world thrived on advancement, and this was one of its darkest successes.

What Axel was looking at was the result of that progress.

"Okay, why do you have something like this in your possession?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the portal.

It was a fair question. Devices like this cost more than most academies earned in a year. So unless Dasha was some rich interplanetary businesswoman, her possession of something like this ought to be illegal.

"I stole it," Dasha answered, smiling.

That wasn’t surprising to Axel. He expected it at least. "Figures," he said. "People don’t just buy these."

"You’re right," Dasha replied. "Even I couldn’t buy one legally."

Axel studied her more closely now. Stealing something like this meant connections, power, or both. "So who are you really?" he asked.

Dasha waved a hand dismissively. "Someone who knows how to take opportunities when they appear. You got one thing wrong, though. This isn’t an interdimensional portal."

"Really?" Axel asked with fake amusement. "I could have sworn it was a portal."

"It’s a domain actually," she said. "A closed combat space."

She turned back to them. "The underground fights you’ve been part of are just a front for the real deal. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

"There’s a network," Dasha explained. "An online domain where fighters from all over the world gather. Humans, mutants, collectors, and sponsors. They fight, they bet, and they profit. It isn’t tied to one academy or one city. It’s global."

"This place," Dasha went on, "is where talent is filtered. Where fighters like you are noticed."

Axel’s heart beat faster, even though his face stayed calm.

"You made ten thousand CNTs here," Dasha said. "In that domain, you could make a hundred thousand in nothing less than two matches."

The word hundred thousand echoed in Axel’s head and he imagined the system telling him something like his greed task progress has been completed and all he had to do was win just two matches.

He felt it surge inside him, hot and sharp, clawing at his chest. He didn’t fight it. He actually wanted it badly.

Dasha watched him closely as if she had been expecting this reaction. It was almost like she knew the right words to say to entice him.

Axel, as greedy as he was, still had questions.

"If it’s not interdimensional," he said slowly, "how does it work?" He looked at the portal again. "And why do you call it a domain?"

"I call it a domain because that’s what it is. A portal takes you to a place, right? Well, this large piece of junk doesn’t exactly take you anywhere. It keeps you inside a space that exists between spaces," Dasha explained.

From Axel’s expression, it was obvious he didn’t fully understand what she was trying to say.

Dasha sighed. "Okay. Are you familiar with those old Japanese cartoons from the twenty-first century?" she asked. "I think people called them anime."

"Yes. I’m familiar..." Axel replied. "And uh... anime aren’t cartoons. Don’t call it that, both things are very different."

One of the Apex guards scoffed loudly. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that. They’re cartoons. Simple and short," he said.

Dasha pinched the bridge of her nose. She clearly wasn’t here to argue about old animated shows. She was here to talk business.

"Enough. Drop the debate," Dasha said flatly. "My point is this. In those anime, there’s something called a domain, right? Where someone creates a space and inside it, they control the rules. That’s exactly what this is."

She pointed toward the portal.

Something clicked inside Axel’s mind. It wasn’t an interdimensional portal at all. It was a controlled space.

"So it’s similar to the Framework from that old show, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Axel asked.

Dasha nodded. "Yes. Exactly. Now you’re getting it. You must be familiar with old movies, I see."

Kinsey stood behind Axel, completely lost in their conversation. She didn’t understand the references to the movies, but she understood the danger. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t normal. A Nexus Field in the possession of a student... this is bad, she thought.

"People from all over the world enter this space every once in a while," Dasha continued. "They fight, they bet, and they profit. We call it the Nexus Field."

She looked straight at Axel. "When you fight and win there, you’re going to make a lot of money. A ridiculous amount. I promise you."

"When do we begin?" Axel asked.

"In a few days," Dasha replied. "I’ll contact you. For now, train, get stronger, and heal properly. I still haven’t seen you use your real ability, and I’m curious."

A small smile formed on her lips. "I can’t wait, Red Imp."

She turned toward the guards. "Show them out, Kade."

Axel and Kinsey were escorted out of the room and led out of the underground entirely. Moments later, they emerged back onto the academy grounds, the night air hitting them softly.

Once again, they were back on the surface.

"Axel," Kinsey called out. "You need to be careful." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"About what?"

"About Dasha," Kinsey replied. "She’s not what she seems. People like her don’t just offer opportunities for free. There’s always a cost, even if you can’t see it yet."

Axel listened without interrupting. He already knew Dasha was dangerous, just not how dangerous.

"I know," he said finally. "I won’t let my guard down."

"Promise me you won’t rush in blindly. Money makes people stupid. Especially when it comes easy."

"I promise. I’ll be careful."

That seemed to ease her slightly. She stepped back and gave him a short wave.

"Good. I’ll see you tomorrow," she said.

Then she turned and walked off into the darkness, her figure slowly disappearing between the buildings.

Axel stood there for a moment, alone. He exhaled and then turned to leave. That was when someone brushed past him. A girl.

Her golden hair caught his eye. It shimmered faintly under the lights as the girl walked by without slowing down. Axel turned his head out of curiosity.

The clothes she was wearing weren’t Oval Academy issued. They didn’t match any uniform he had seen before. But that wasn’t what made him intrigued.

She was carrying a sword, and not just any sword. The blade was strange. Gold and polished and glowing faintly as if something alive was moving inside it. Axel had seen Mythic weapons before, but this one felt different.

< [Warning!] >

< [Extreme Threat Detected!] >

The system flared up all of a sudden.

< [Danger Level: Critical] >

Axel’s steps stopped completely.

< [Level Five Slayer Detected] >

"What...?" Axel thought.

He didn’t even understand what that meant before a familiar voice spoke for the first time since he woke up.

"Axel!" Aurora panicked inside Axel’s mind. "Do not approach her!"

His eyes stayed locked on the girl’s back as she continued walking away.

"That is a demon slayer!"