Infernal Entity: Evolving With My Demonic System-Chapter 75 - 0 HP

"You..."

Luke stared down at Axel. His eyes were burning hotter than the fire that usually surrounded his fists.

"You cheated a month ago..." Luke said slowly. "You humiliated me in front of everyone!"

His voice shook, not with fear, but with rage. This was not the controlled Apex from before. This was a man whose pride had been crushed in front of a few hundred people.

Up in the viewing room, Kinsey clenched her fists at her sides.

"I knew it..." she said quietly. "I knew something like this would happen."

Dasha didn’t take her eyes off the glass wall. Her arms were crossed and for some reason, her posture was relaxed.

"Be quiet," Dasha said simply. "Seeing his face changes nothing. If Axel is as good as he claims, he can still win."

Kinsey looked at her in disbelief but said nothing. Back in the cage, Axel wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Goddamn it," he muttered.

Aurora’s voice was no longer playful in his head. "This is bad," she said. "Very, very infernal-like bad."

Luke took a step forward. "You ruined my life," he said. "You beat me once and turned me into a joke. Everyone laughed and everyone talked about it for weeks all because of you."

He raised his hand slowly. "So since you cheated back then... it’s only fair if I cheat now, right?"

Fire burst to life around his arm. Axel’s and everyone’s eyes in the audience widened.

"He’s using his ability," he thought. "The dampener—"

Luke didn’t give him time to finish the thought. He hurled a massive fireball straight at Axel and it slammed into his chest.

The heat was unbearable. The force lifted him up his feet and sent him crashing into the cage wall.

< [–7HP] >

< [HP: 3 / 20] >

The crowd gasped loudly. Smoke rose from Axel’s chest as he dropped to one knee, coughing.

The commentator shouted in shock.

"HEY! HE’S USING FIRE! THAT’S FOUL PLAY! THE PYRO TYRANT IS CHEATING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!"

Luke laughed. He just laughed.

Then, the announcer’s voice cut in sharply.

"THE MATCH IS HALTED! FOUL PLAY DETECTED! SECURITY—"

Axel let out a shaky breath.

"So it’s over," he thought. "They stopped it?"

Officially, the fight was stopped, but Luke wasn’t backing away. He wasn’t playing by the underground rules.

He raised his hand again and another fireball formed.

"Move!" Aurora screamed.

Axel rolled to the side just as the fireball blasted past him and smashed into the cage.

Guards rushed toward the cage entrance. Two of them reached for the lock then Luke turned and hurled three fireballs in quick succession.

The explosions forced the guards back, flames licking across the metal floor.

"No entry!" the commentator shouted. "Someone stop him!"

Luke walked calmly to the cage door, then, he placed his flaming hot hand on the lock. The metal glowed red, then melted. The lock dripped onto the floor like liquid and the cage was sealed shut.

Axel’s heart sank because one thing was obvious to him now. This was no longer a knockout match. It was a full-blown deathmatch.

A full-blown deathmatch with a pyrokinetic. Except this time, he didn’t have any active lethal skill. No Hellrand Slash, no Blood Bullets, and certainly no Infernal Overload to help him this time.

He was powerless.

And standing in front of him was a firestarter who now wanted him dead.

< [Warning! Hostile Mutant Detected!] >

< [Emergency Mission Generated: Survive an encounter with the Firestarter known as Luke Fern] >

< [Reward: 200 EXP] >

---

The moment Axel rolled back to his feet, another fireball came flying toward him. Axel threw himself to the side. The fire scraped past his shoulder and slammed into the cage wall behind him, exploding in a burst of heat.

"Run!" Luke shouted while laughing. "That’s all you’re good at after all, cheater!"

Axel kept moving. He ducked left and right, then dropped low as another fireball passed over his head. His boots scraped against the metal floor. Sweat ran down his face and his lungs burned.

His HP stayed the same, but his body was slowing down.

’I can’t keep this up! What is this guy’s problem anyways?’ Axel thought.

Aurora’s voice was tense. "Well, you bruised his fragile ego," she said. "Axel... you’re getting tired. He isn’t."

Luke rushed forward this time instead of throwing fire. His fist was coated in flames and he swung hard. Axel blocked with both arms.

Pain exploded inside his bones as the impact sent him sliding backward across the floor.

Luke followed immediately. He kicked Axel in the ribs. Axel felt something crack. He gasped and rolled away just as Luke stomped down where his head had been.

"Stay down!" Luke yelled.

Axel forced himself up. His legs shook, but he moved anyway. He darted forward, low and fast, and slammed his shoulder into Luke’s stomach. Luke grunted and staggered back half a step.

Axel continued by punching Luke in the ribs again and again, then kicked his thigh.

The crowd roared in surprise.

"Why isn’t he using his ability to defend himself?" Dasha asked back at the viewing area.

"I... I don’t know," Kinsey stuttered.

Dasha turned to look at her. "What do you mean you don’t know? Isn’t he your friend?"

Back at the cage, Luke growled and swung wildly. Axel ducked under the punch and drove his elbow straight into Luke’s jaw.

Luke was distracted, this was an opportunity for Axel to try and slow him down.

He immediately activated the [Stun] skill.

Nothing happened.

< [Stun—Activated] >

< [Stun failed] >

Luke turned his focus back to Axel.

"Shit!"

Luke grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the cage. Axel’s head bounced off the metal.

< [–1 HP] >

< [HP: 2 / 20] >

Axel barely stayed on his feet.

Luke punched him in the stomach then slammed a flaming knee into his chest.

Axel flew backward and crashed onto the floor.

< [–1 HP] >

Axel tried to push himself up but his arms gave out.

Luke raised both hands. Fire gathered between them, larger than before.

"This ends now," Luke said.

Axel crawled forward, dragging himself across the floor. He threw a weak punch at Luke’s leg but Luke kicked him away like trash.

< [HP: 0 / 20] >

The world around Axel dimmed and blurred and the system screen, now flaring red, filled Axel’s vision.

< [Host is in Critical Condition] >

< [System Emergency Protocol Initiated] >

< [Shutting down in 10...] >

Axel’s body stopped responding instantly.

"...9..."

He could barely hear the crowd anymore.

"...8..."

Aurora’s voice sounded distant. "Axel... stay awake."

"...7..."

Luke stepped closer and his shadow fell over Axel.

"...6..."

Axel tried to move his fingers. Nothing happened.

"...5..."

Luke lifted his flaming hand high above his head.

"...4..."

Heat washed over Axel’s face.

"...3..."

Luke smiled a dark sinister smile.

"...2..."

The last thing Axel saw was fire rushing toward him.

"...1..."

Then, everything went dark.