Chapter 25: Reunion Amid Ruin

When Alex was taken by Legion, he struggled to break free, but he could not as Onimaru was ripped from his hand. The giant split off again, dragging him away. Alex fought against the pull.

“Damn, I need to get out of this to help them,” he said, trying to force his body to move.

Legion spoke. “No, Nephilim, there will be no getting away from us this time.”

Two arms popped out and grabbed Alex’s legs, snapping both of them.

“Ah, damn!” Alex shouted in pain.

Legion chuckled. “Now you cannot get away. Once we have your friends, we will take you all to the main body and assimilate you.”

Alex gritted his teeth as pain pulsed through his legs. He forced his head up just enough to see bone jutting from the side of his leg, blood leaking where Legion had violently snapped it.

He focused through the pain. I need to find a way out of here. If he takes me, the other two will have no choice but to come after me. I’ve got to get out of here.

He closed his eyes, thinking fast. “I guess there’s no other choice. Let’s see what happens.”

He focused on his hands. “Hands of Death.” Freezing energy pulsed from his palms as Legion’s body around him began to ice over. The mass continued to freeze until it turned solid, but Alex had to stop as the cold bit into his skin.

When the mass hardened, he thought, Okay, now to get out of here. He concentrated and cast his spell. “Updraft!”

The burst of wind hit his back, driving him into the frozen mass and shattering it, launching him into the air as pieces of frozen skin tore free.

He tumbled through the air and slammed into the ground. Pain exploded when his broken legs hit the cement. He panted and dragged himself up on his arms. The shattered chunk of Legion did not move, still broken into jagged ice. He knew once it melted, it would come for him again.

Alex cast his Vibration Healing spell to mend the cuts and tears across his body, leaving faint scars. It did nothing for his legs. He did not have the skill to set broken bones yet, not ones this bad.

Alright, what next? I’m free, but it won’t be long before Legion comes after me. I need to find the others. That’s our only chance.

He crawled on his elbows away from the frozen mass, dragging himself into a nearby alley. Each pull sent fresh waves of pain through his body.

“Where should I go?” he muttered. In the distance he heard explosions and the crash of toppling buildings. That must be where Celeste and Natsumi are. If I head that way, I might run into one of them.

He pressed on, crawling across cracked streets and narrow alleys toward the chaos.

Meanwhile, Natsumi remained in her enraged state, dual-wielding both katanas as she cut down every abomination that approached.

“Give up, Oni,” they mocked as they swarmed. “It is only a matter of time before you run out of energy. You cannot stop us.”

Their words fueled her fury. She roared and swung harder, blades flashing as limbs and torsos fell. The abominations kept coming, trying to overwhelm her until she weakened.

During this time, Alex crawled closer to the sounds of battle. As he moved through an alley, a voice came from above.

“So this is where you crawled off to, Nephilim.” An abomination clung to the wall, many eyes staring down at him.

Alex turned and tried to cast Earth Bullet, but the abomination lunged first. It grabbed his raised arm and slammed him to the ground.

“This time, there will be no getting away,” Legion’s voice echoed through it. “It looks like more than legs are needed to keep you in place.”

The grip tightened. A sharp crack sounded as Alex’s arm snapped and fell limp. He groaned as the creature formed new hands to reach for his other arm.

“Updraft!” Alex shouted.

A spiral of air blasted beneath him, hurling the abomination high into the sky.

While it ascended, Alex held out his remaining good hand and focused. “I need to get rid of this now. Earth Bullet won’t do it. Let’s make something bigger.”

He drew on the same concept, imagining a gun’s chamber and pressure. A massive sphere of earth formed before him, spinning rapidly as energy condensed within.

“Earth Cannon!”

The basketball-sized mass shot forward at tremendous speed and smashed into the airborne abomination. It detonated with a deafening blast, scattering flesh and black mist that rained around Alex.

He panted and cast Vibration Heal to dull the pain, then dragged himself forward with his one good arm toward the roaring battle beyond the next building.

After only a few feet, the abomination he had destroyed began to reform, stitching itself back together. Others slipped out of walls and rubble. They knew exactly where he was.

“Damn,” Alex muttered. There was no getting away this time. He gambled on one last reckless move. As the abominations closed in, he gathered the last of his strength and cast a powerful Updraft beneath himself.

The blast launched him high, wind howling around him. As he climbed, he cast the first spell he had ever learned, the simple flame copied from a lighter, but he flooded it with mana until it flared like a beacon.

“Natsumi!” he screamed, hoping she would hear and see the fire.

Natsumi cut down abominations as they swarmed, then heard it.

“Natsumi!”

She snapped out of her rage and turned toward the voice. A giant flare burned in the sky, and Alex tumbled beneath it. Another shout reached her.

“Catch me!”

She dropped into a crouch and launched herself upward. She sprang off a rooftop, tiles shattering beneath her feet as she leapt again, catching Alex before he hit the ground.

The impact jolted them both. Alex groaned. “Oh, that hurt.”

They landed hard as abominations closed in. Natsumi’s eyes widened. “You’re safe!”

Tears welled in Alex’s eyes as he winced. “We’re not safe yet. Let’s get out of here. I can’t fight anymore.”

Her face blanched when she saw bone jutting from his legs and his arm hanging limp, blood running down his side. “Alright.” She slid Onimaru back into Alex’s bag and tightened her grip around him. “Hold on.”

He wrapped his good arm around her waist. She gathered her strength and leapt, bounding from street to street toward the outskirts.

Behind them, the giant abomination moved again, sheer mass closing the distance as it roared and gave chase.

“You will not get away from us!”

With each step, scattered abominations merged into its growing body. Legion swelled larger, strides lengthening until it closed in on Natsumi and Alex.

When it drew close enough, a colossal hand reached for them. A voice rang out.

“Radiant Beam!”

A blinding ray of holy energy carved across the sky and struck Legion’s hand, disintegrating it to ash. The creature howled as smoke poured from the wound.

Celeste stood on a nearby rooftop, breathing hard as traces of holy light faded around her. “Thank God... I made it in time,” she whispered.

“Good,” Alex said. “Celeste is safe. Head toward her. Dig through my backpack and pull out Bunyan’s Axe.”

“I don’t have any magic power left,” Natsumi said, breathing hard.

“Don’t worry,” Alex replied. “We don’t need magic. Now that we know where Celeste is, we can halt Legion in his tracks.”

As they sped toward Celeste, he continued, “When I tell you, turn and hit the ground with the axe. No magic needed.”

Natsumi nodded, reached into Alex’s backpack, stowed Muramasa, and pulled out Bunyan’s Axe.

“Now!” Alex yelled.

With a fierce cry, she spun and slammed the massive weapon into the ground. The impact sent a deep tremor through the earth. Cracks split the streets and widened as the ground gave way.

The city began to collapse into the cavern below where rivers of black, tar-like blood flowed. Buildings crumbled and the earth groaned as the terrain fell away, dragging countless abominations into the dark.

“Quickly,” Alex shouted. “Grab Celeste and let’s go. I’m not sure how big this cavern is. If this part started to fall, it might take the whole city with it.”

Natsumi stowed the axe, leapt to the rooftop where Celeste stood, and pulled her close. Alex held tight with his good arm as Natsumi launched herself again, racing across the collapsing city. The ground kept crumbling, whole blocks sinking into the chasm as they fled.

A massive shadow loomed behind them. The giant abomination still pursued, clinging to the last stretch of solid ground. Its enormous hand reached for them.

The ground beneath its feet gave way. Its balance broke as the earth crumbled, and the towering form of Legion plunged into the chasm.

As it fell, its roar shook the air. Its massive shape vanished into the dark.

They made it out of the city and kept moving until the chaos was far behind. Then they stopped and turned back, watching as the ruins slowly sank into the abyss.

Fujiyoshida City was no more.