Chapter 2: The Awakening of the Nephilim

Alex opened his eyes and looked around. He was no longer on the roof but inside one of the Japanese-style homes that had been turned into a museum. Sitting up, he touched his chest and noticed the wound was gone.

“What the...? It’s gone,” he muttered.

Alex stood up and quietly walked out of the building into the destroyed and burnt garden that once stood there. Following the path out, he saw the entire Tsuruga Castle and the surrounding area in ruins, craters everywhere, half the castle wall missing as if it had been torn apart. Flames still burned, ash slowly fell from the sky, and demon corpses littered the ground. Angels moved among them, cleaning up the battlefield and ensuring each demon was dead.

Then he saw the angel who had saved him. She plunged her spear into a fallen demon’s chest as it groaned and convulsed until it stopped moving. When she noticed Alex, she flicked her cracked and damaged spear, its radiance lost from the intense battle, and began to approach him with a serious look.

She stopped right in front of him, her bright blue eyes piercing into his very being as she spoke.

“You! Human, how did you get here?”

Alex looked confused, then spoke. “I traveled from the USA to Japan and then took a trip to get to this historic si...”

The angel cut him off. “No, how did you get here, to the neutral layer?”

Alex blinked in confusion. “Sorry, I have no idea what this neutral layer is. Like I said before you cut me off, I was visiting Tsuruga Castle. Then I got hit by a shockwave, and the next thing I knew, all the visitors and workers were gone. Then I saw explosions all throughout the sky, and I got chased by that damned demon before you saved me.”

The angel leaned forward, getting right in his face as she looked him over with an appraising gaze. “Are you sure you’re human? Something is really off about you.”

Suddenly the sky turned shades of red as a massive red rift opened up in the sky and more demons began flooding the area. The angels took off toward the newly arrived demons, and the angel beside Alex spoke with irritation.

“Again? What is going on?” She looked at Alex. “Go run and hide. I don’t have time to take you back to Earth at the moment. We’re in a bit of a crisis, so keep out of the way. I’ll be back to fetch you once this is over.”

She turned to take flight, but then a godly radiant light flashed as God descended. All the demons crashed to the ground, engulfed in radiant fire. As the divine light touched the earth, it began to fade, revealing a human stepping out from its brilliance, dressed in white robes.

Alex looked at him, but he could not make out his face, as if his mind could not perceive the being standing before him.

The angel quickly approached and spoke, “God, what are you doing here?”

God’s heavenly voice replied, “Something I cannot see has been manipulating these attacks. The walls between the many hells have weakened, and demons from all pantheons are breaking through. Soon all chaos will break loose. I have even stopped suppressing the magic of the world so that humans will not be totally powerless against this upcoming struggle they will face. The gods of the other pantheons will also be allowed to set foot on Earth once again.”

The angel spoke, surprised. “There is something even you cannot see?”

God looked at his child with a warm smile and continued. “Yes, it has always been hard to see into the deepest layers of Hell, and I cannot see what is happening in the eighth layer of Hell.”

Alex’s curiosity kicked in, and he spoke. “Eight layers of Hell? I thought there were only seven.”

God replied, “Yes, that is true, but there is a final layer. The eighth layer, that’s where Satan’s throne is located, where he rules over Hell. I cannot peer into this place, but I have a feeling something bad has happened.”

Alex continued after noticing God didn’t mind him speaking. “But you, God, can’t you just pop on down there and check it out yourself?”

God’s warm, fatherly smile never left his face, though Alex could only see a blur. “I wish I could, but I have no control over that place, and mine and Satan’s contract is still in place, so I cannot intervene. I must stay here to deal with the oncoming chaos. But that’s not to say that I don’t have my ways. You, Alex, will travel through the eight layers of Hell and get to the bottom of this. As I cannot intervene, I can still have someone else go in my place.”

Alex looked dumbfounded and froze for a moment before speaking again. “Me? How can I even help? I almost got killed by an injured demon. There’s no way I’ll survive down there all by myself. I’m just human.”

God gave a hearty laugh. “My boy Alex, you are no ordinary human. You are a very special soul. In your previous reincarnation, you were a strong, powerful Nephilim. That’s how you were able to pass between the layers of the world now that the walls have weakened.”

Alex thought for a moment, taking in everything God had said, then spoke. “I see that I was a Nephilim in my past life, but I’m human now. How will knowing that help?”

God replied in his kind, caring tone. “Right now, your Nephilim soul is dormant. All it will take is for me to awaken it. Doing so will make your body go through a qualitative change as the Nephilim blood flows through you again. Magic will return to your body. You will grow stronger, faster, and more durable.”

Alex asked curiously, “So how do we do that?”

God’s hand flashed, and a cup appeared in his grasp. He held it out. “Here, take a drink.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Is this what I think it is?”

God replied, “Yes, the Holy Grail. Many searched for it, but I had it all along, keeping it out of reach from those who would cause harm to the world. Now drink, my child.”

Alex looked at the cup, then took a big drink, emptying it in a few seconds.

He stood there for a few moments and spoke. “Hmm... you sure? I don’t feel anything.”

But then it happened. Alex dropped the Grail as he fell to his hands and knees. His body burned from within, his muscles bursting in pain, tearing and rebuilding themselves. Alex gritted his teeth as the agony spread throughout his entire body. After what felt like hours, the pain had finally subsided. He stood with his aching body, amazed at how much he had changed.

His mind felt clear and focused, and he could feel an unfamiliar power radiating from within. Then he tensed up as he looked down and noticed the Grail on the ground.

“Crap!” he thought, quickly picking it up and handing it back to God. “Thank you, but will this really be enough to help me get through Hell?”

God smiled as the Grail vanished from his hand. He snapped his fingers, and several floating weapons appeared before Alex. The area filled with unfamiliar energy, and Alex could feel the energy radiating from each one.

“What is this power I’m feeling from them?” he asked.

God replied, “That is magic. Now that your Nephilim blood is active, you can feel the magic all around you. It’s something you’ll have to get used to, but these weapons will help you on this long journey you have ahead of you.”

As God called out their names, the weapons floated in front of Alex: Masamune, Muramasa, Onimaru, Excalibur, Bunyan’s Axe, the Staff of Moses, Santa’s Sack, the Armor of Achilles, the Fast Walker Boots, and Kirikindad Gloves.

Alex looked at the weapons and spoke, half in disbelief. “Aren’t these mostly just weapons and armor from myth, folklore, and history?”

God laughed. “Yes, and most of those myths and legends are real. At one point, I suppressed the magic on Earth, sealing away the power these relics once held. But now, their power has been restored. Take them.”

Alex examined Santa’s Sack, the Kirikindad Gloves, the Armor of Achilles, and the Fast Walker Boots. “Am I really going to wear these?”

God smiled and snapped his fingers. The armor merged with Alex’s shirt, the sack fused with his backpack, the gloves reshaped into fingerless gloves, and the boots melded with his own. A surge of power flowed through him. One by one, Alex stored each weapon into his now bottomless backpack before slinging it over his shoulder again.

“So, what now? How do I get to Hell?” he asked.

God replied, “Now that I’ve unlocked your Nephilim blood, you should be able to see the entrance. Inside that castle is a gateway leading to the first layer of Hell.”

He snapped his fingers again, and a bright light surrounded Alex before fading into his body.

“What was that?” Alex asked, looking down at himself.

God answered, “You will be my eyes. I cannot see into the eighth layer of Hell, but if you make it there, I will be able to intervene.”

Alex nodded. “Good. So I won’t be alone in this.”

God smiled. “Speaking of going alone, you won’t be. This will be a long and difficult journey.”

He turned to the angel who had been beside Alex when He arrived. “Celeste, you will accompany him. You are relieved of your duties for now.”

Hundreds of portals opened in the sky as God looked toward them. “I must go. I’ve been away from Heaven for too long. There are many things I must do.”

And with that, God vanished in a radiant light.

Celeste then shouted to the disappearing God, “But wha...!” But before she could finish, He was gone.

She turned to Alex and said, “Looks like we’ll be teaming up for a while. My name is Celeste, nice to meet you.”

Alex smiled. “My name’s Alex, nice to meet you too.”

He looked up toward the red portals above. “Then shall we leave quickly before we get caught up in the battle?”

Celeste turned to glance at the demons and angels still clashing. “Yes, let’s get moving,” she replied as the two of them disappeared into Tsuruga Castle.