Hearing Aurora call the girl a demon slayer almost made Axel want to laugh.
She didn’t look dangerous. She didn’t look ancient or terrifying or anything close to what he imagined an actual demon slayer, if they were even real, would be. She looked young. Around his age. Maybe seventeen at best.
But he didn’t laugh, because the system warnings were still burning in his vision, and Aurora’s tone hadn’t left room for doubt.
"A demon slayer?" Axel asked quietly in his head. "Are those real?"
Aurora scoffed at that question. "Of course they are. What, you thought demons just existed and everyone clapped for them? Demons are not exactly humanity’s favorite beings, Axel. Naturally, there are other people who dedicate their lives to killing them."
Axel frowned as he watched the girl walk farther ahead. "Then why hasn’t she noticed yet or even detected a demonic presence? Am I being too careful, or is she just terrible at her job?"
Aurora paused for a mont, then answered, "Demons emit demonic energy. It leaks from their Demonic Core and Infernal Core. That’s how slayers detect them."
Axel’s eyes narrowed. "Then why can’t she sense mine?"
"Because your cores are damaged, you infernal moron!" Aurora replied harshly. "Rember? They’re inactive right now. You barely register as a demon at all."
That explanation didn’t make him feel better.
Axel slowed his steps, thinking. "Then why is a demon slayer still here? At Oval Academy?"
"There could be another demon," Aurora said flatly.
Axel shook his head slightly. "That seems unlikely," he said.
Aurora let out a small laugh. "You exist, don’t you? So no. It’s not unlikely at all."
Axel’s gaze hardened as he looked at the girl again. She turned down one of the quieter paths, away from the main dorms, so he decided to follow.
"Don’t," Aurora warned imdiately. "You are in no condition to deal with a Level Five slayer."
"If there really is another demon here," Axel replied, "and she’s after them, I can’t just ignore it."
"How noble. And how stupid. You’re powerless against her," Aurora mocked openly.
Axel almost smiled. "You know," he said, "I actually enjoyed it when you were silent back in that portal chamber."
"That entire expedition with Dasha was a hellish bore," Aurora replied without hesitation.
Axel continued walking. The girl led him to an old building near the edge of the academy grounds. The lights were dim, and the place looked abandoned. The sign above the entrance was worn and cracked. It was known as the old gym.
No one really used it anymore. The equipnt inside was outdated, and most students avoided the place in favor of the new and improved gym. As the girl entered, Axel followed her inside quietly.
The air slled of dust and old tal. The lights flickered faintly above. Surprisingly, soone was already inside, and he looked like he had been training because he was huffing and panting.
That person didn’t look threatening or scared at all. In fact, he stepped forward calmly.
His blonde hair caught the light, and Axel noticed it. Not just the hair—the eyes were familiar.
"Ares?"
It was none other than Ares Godson.
Is Ares a demon?
That would explain so many strange things about him. But Ares was an Absorber. How could he be a demon?
Before Axel could think further, the girl spoke.
"Hello, brother."
---
"Brother? What the hell does she an, brother?"
Axel stayed frozen where he was, hidden just enough to listen without being seen. His eyes moved between the two of them as the word echoed in his head.
"They’re siblings, obviously. See? I told you. I told you not to trust him. He was hiding sothing after all!"
Axel didn’t respond right away. He wasn’t ready to jump to conclusions. Being related to a demon slayer didn’t automatically make Ares a threat. For all he knew, Ares might not even be aware of what his sister truly was.
Still, he listened carefully.
Ares exhaled slowly and rubbed his forehead.
"What are you doing here, Diana?" he asked.
The girl chuckled softly. "Is that any way to greet your sister? I ca to see you. I missed you." She tilted her head slightly. "Is it so wrong to check up on my own brother?"
"You don’t do little stop-bys like this just to see , so cut the bullshit."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Bullshit?" she repeated. "You’ve spent too much ti with these people, to the point where you’re now picking up their diocre slang."
Ares shrugged slightly. "Not my fault. If Father hadn’t sent here, I wouldn’t be anywhere near this place." He looked at her again, more serious now. "Why are you really here, Diana?"
"Okay, okay. You caught . A few days ago," she started, "the Infernal Beacon picked up the presence of an Infernal Entity. Not just any Infernal Entity, but a demon. Here. On Earth."
Ares didn’t react at all. He didn’t look surprised. Diana noticed it. "You’re not surprised..." she said slowly.
Axel’s thoughts raced. "Did he know? Did Ares know all along that I was a demon?"
"Have you co into contact with any of them?" Diana asked.
"No," Ares replied calmly.
"Then why aren’t you shocked?"
Ares looked away slightly. "Nothing surprises these days," he said. "Why Oval Academy? Is the demon here?"
"I don’t know yet. I just know they’re sowhere on this hellscape of a planet. I stopped by to see you first. Whoever this demon is, they’ve managed to hide their Demonic and Infernal energy. That shouldn’t be possible, brother."
"If Infernal Entities have found a way to mask their energy completely, that’s a problem. A big one. They could move under the radar and cause chaos without being identified."
Axel felt a chill run through him as he realized they were actually talking about him.
He finally understood it clearly.
He wasn’t hiding anything.
His Demonic and Infernal energy weren’t masked.
They were just inactive.
His damaged cores had apparently saved him.
Axel clenched his fist quietly.
Using Infernal Overload. Losing his Infernal Core. Almost dying.
It had been worth it.
Because if his energy were active right now, he wouldn’t be standing here.
He would already be dead.
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