Chapter 6: The Demon of Komagawa Station

They awoke the next morning, ate their breakfast, got up, and went outside.

Then Alex spoke. “So, where is the next portal to the next layer of Hell that we're supposed to go to?”

Celeste looked at him and said, “God said you should be able to feel them. So, you just need to concentrate and sense it. See if you can feel anything odd by focusing on your surroundings, and then we’ll head in that direction.”

Alex then concentrated, and concentrated again, growing frustrated. But finally, he felt something, almost like a tug.

He said, “We head southwest. That’s all I can say for now. Maybe we should stop at a store and grab a map.”

Then he paused and thought, Oh, damn. This is Hell. There are no maps.

“I guess we’ll just have to walk it and figure it out for ourselves,” he muttered.

So they left the warehouse and started heading down the corrupted road toward that tugging feeling he felt.

They traveled for quite a while, felling many demons along the way as Alex started to gain more experience with fighting and using his magic. Eventually, they came to a giant ravine where corrupted flames burst from the ground, and the haunting sound of screams echoed from below.

The only path they could see to cross was a railway station. The rusted tracks stretched across the ravine, barely hanging in place, looking as though they could collapse at any moment.

Alex and Celeste approached the station and looked up at the cracked sign that read Komagawa Station.

They started to walk into the station when Alex suddenly stopped, looking confused. “How the heck can I read Japanese?” he asked. Celeste replied, “God’s blessing that He bestowed upon you it doesn’t only allow Him to see what you see, but it has other beneficial effects like being able to read different languages.”

“So,” Alex said, “let’s head to the tracks from here and cross.”

They walked inside the corrupted station. The walls were barely standing, and the corruption was spread everywhere. As they made their way toward the railways, they noticed eyes following their every step, eyes opening from the pulsing corruption clinging to the walls and ceiling.

Alex shivered. “This place is really creepy. Let’s hurry on through.”

But before they could reach the railcars, something emerged. A giant pile of corruption bubbled up from the ground, covered in countless eyes. The fleshy mound rose higher, recalling all the corruption that had been stuck to the walls. It twisted and shifted until it almost looked like a giant octopus made of rotting flesh with eyes scattered across its limbs and face.

Then the fleshy corruption began to distort as horns sprouted from the top, and a mouth formed, its features seemingly made from bone and the remains of old demons it had devoured. The creature resembled a demonic octopus, its tentacles lined with jagged bones that jutted out like blades. It was nothing but a writhing mass of flesh and bone.

And then it roared, the sound echoing through the broken station, as it began to approach them.

Celeste already had Masamune and Excalibur drawn, while Alex pulled Muramasa from his bag as they prepared for battle. Celeste glanced at him and said, “Stay focused. Watch out for the limbs.”

Alex nodded, gripping his katana tightly as the giant mass of corruption and bone came crawling toward them.

Then the demonic corruption swung one of its bladed tentacles, swiping in a wide arc toward them. Alex quickly ducked while Celeste leapt over it. The tentacle slammed into the wall, embedding deep within it; the bones were so strong they pierced straight through, but became stuck.

Celeste wasted no time. She swung down on the trapped tentacle, her blades cutting deep until she finally severed it completely.

After Alex ducked under the tentacle, he continued forward, charging at the demonic mass. As he rushed in, several tentacles slammed down toward him. He dodged left and right, narrowly avoiding each strike as he tried to get close enough to aim for its head.

Once within reach, he swung Muramasa with all his strength, aiming for the creature’s face, hoping to slice through. But just as his blade was about to sink in, the bones on its face shifted toward the impact point. The sword dug in, but not deep enough to deal real damage.

A tentacle came crashing toward him, ready to crush him while he was still in position. But Celeste darted in from the side, slicing vertically down through the tentacle with Masamune, severing it cleanly.

The attack gave Alex enough time to step back a few steps, regaining his footing as the creature’s roar filled the air once again.

Alex cursed. “Damn, what is that bone made of? That’s not normal.”

Celeste flicked her blade and said, “Nothing is normal down here. Just because it’s bone doesn’t mean it’s weak. Demons’ bones get stronger and harder to break the older they are.”

Then the corrupted demon opened its mouth, and the air around it began to shimmer with heat. Flames and fire built up inside its gaping jaws.

“Watch out!” Celeste shouted.

A blast of fire erupted, launching forward like a massive beam. Both of them sprinted in opposite directions, dodging the scorching stream as it swept across the station. The ground melted where it struck, and chunks of burning debris rained down from the ceiling.

When the beam finally died down, Alex stopped, panting hard. His jacket was smoking on one side, singed but not burned through.

“That,” he said, catching his breath, “was way too close.”

But they couldn’t stop. Tentacles, heavy and bladed, whipped through the air toward them. They were forced to keep moving, dodging and weaving between strikes. As they evaded, they countered, slicing through the tentacles one by one.

Celeste and Alex pressed forward together, closing the distance to the corrupted demon's head

“Use Muramasa’s power and slice it up!” Celeste shouted.

Alex gripped Muramasa tightly, channeling his energy into the blade. He swung hard, sending out wave after wave of dark energy slashes toward the corrupted demon.

But all the bones in its head shifted again, forming a shield. The blades of darkness struck, digging deep into the bone, but none were able to penetrate.

From the monster’s side, Celeste appeared in a flash, plunging both Masamune and Excalibur straight into its head. The corrupted demon let out a piercing scream as the holy flames burned its insides as its insides started to burn then a tentacle came swinging down onto celeste as the demon tried to make her back up. She tried to kick off its body to retreat, but her foot sank in; the creature’s flesh turned soft, its consistency shifting as it sucked her leg inward as she lost her grip on the weapons then the weapons oozed out of the demons head clattering to the ground..

The corrupted mass tightened around her, trapping her in place as she struggled to pull free.

Then the corrupted demon slowly began to pull her deeper into its body, trying to devour her whole.

Alex noticed and prepared to charge forward, but the remaining eyes on the creature’s body suddenly began to glow, just like its mouth did before.

“Oh, damn,” Alex muttered, realizing what was about to happen.

He had to start moving immediately as beams of concentrated fire burst from the glowing eyes. He zigzagged across the ground, dodging shot after shot, doing everything he could to avoid the burning blasts as he advanced toward the demon. Panic rose in his chest; Celeste was still being dragged in.

He had to think fast.

Charging Muramasa again, he held the energy inside this time instead of releasing it. The beams finally stopped as he closed the distance. In one swift motion, Alex thrust Muramasa deep into the demon’s head.

The instant the blade struck bone, he unleashed its full power.

Dark energy exploded from the katana at point-blank range. The bones shattered under the force, and the corrupted demon split apart like a blooming flower, its body bursting open and collapsing into pieces.

Celeste fell free, hitting the ground hard.

The corrupted demon writhed in pain, letting out one final roar before its body dissolved into a puddle of corruption. The bones clattered to the ground as the last of its body melted away.

Alex turned and saw Celeste’s left leg burned, the flesh almost melting from the heat and her metal greave slightly melted. He rushed to her side.

“Are you okay? Here, let me help you.”

He picked her up and carried her to a corner of the ruined station, leaning her carefully against a cracked wall.

“Will you be all right to travel with this?” he asked.

“Just give me a moment,” she said, her voice strained. “I’ll have to use some healing magic. Keep an eye out for any other monsters.”

Alex nodded and retrieved Masamune and Excalibur, bringing them back to her side. Then he stood guard, gripping Muramasa tightly while Celeste began to heal her leg.

Celeste then held out her hand and whispered, “Healing Light.” Two radiant orbs appeared in her palms, glowing with a soft, holy energy. She pressed both hands gently against her melted, burnt leg. Flesh began to slowly heal as light surrounded the burnt skin, repairing every fiber and cell.

The glow grew brighter as the skin sealed, leaving no scar behind. When it was done, her leg was completely restored.

Celeste stood, picked up Masamune and Excalibur, and looked at Alex. “Alright, I’m done. We can go now.”

Alex nodded, giving a faint smile. Together, they continued toward the trains tracks.

When they reached the ravine, they looked out over the burning pit below. The only way to cross was the fractured railway track stretching across the chasm, unstable, rusted, and half-collapsed.

They climbed onto one of the railcars and slowly walked across its roof as they crossed the ravine. The track beneath them creaked and groaned, threatening to give way at any moment.

When they reached the end of the first car, they took a running start and jumped to the next one on a separate track leading across. The impact of their landing made the car shake violently as metal groaned as bolts snapped loose.

Their eyes widened, and they ran forward as fast as they could, leaping to the next piece of track just as the car and the track behind them collapsed into the abyss.

Alex barely caught the edge, his fingers gripping the cold metal, while Celeste landed gracefully beside him. She turned, reached out, and pulled him up onto the track.

They both looked ahead; there was still a long way to go.

Jumping from track to track, they slowly moved forward, getting closer to the other side until finally, the edge came into view.

When they made it across, Alex dropped to the ground with a sigh of relief. “Man, I’m never crossing that again. That was terrifying.”

Celeste glanced back as the track groaned behind them. The section they had just crossed gave one last shudder and then crumbled into the abyss below.

“Well,” she said, brushing the dust off her clothes, “it looks like we won’t have to worry about crossing it again. There’s no way back now.”

Alex and Celeste caught their breath, then stood. Alex closed his eyes, concentrating on that faint, tingling pull that guided him toward the next portal.

Once he felt it again, they continued down the broken path together.