Chapter 27: Battle at the Aokigahara Portal

Then, from somewhere within the forest, a deep cracking sound echoed, like the snapping of massive trees. The ground trembled. A slow, dragging noise followed, as if something enormous was crawling its way toward them. The sound grew louder, branches breaking, trunks splitting one after another. Whatever it was, it was close and getting closer.

Suddenly, the trees beside them exploded towards them as something massive charged through the forest, slamming into the trees and sending them flying toward the group. Alex reacted instantly. He spun around and swung Bunyan’s Axe, the flat of the blade meeting one of the oncoming trees with a thunderous impact. The tree shattered into splinters, and the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air toward whatever was charging towards them.

Natsumi wasn’t as lucky. She barely had time to react before several massive trees crashed into her, knocking her off her feet and burying her under their weight. “Natsumi!” Alex and Celeste shouted in unison as they turned toward her. “Natsumi, are you okay?”

When Alex and Celeste saw her, their hearts sank. The giant tree pinning her down wasn’t the only thing restraining her. Countless pale arms were bursting from the soil, gripping her legs, arms, and torso. Even through the cracks of the fallen tree, more hands were emerging, pressing her deeper into the dirt. Natsumi struggled and screamed, fear taking over as the writhing limbs held her down.

Celeste’s eyes widened. “They’re sealing her movements!”

Alex’s pulse quickened. “Damn it!” he cursed, rushing toward her to help her.

But before either could reach her, the forest floor shook again. The massive shape that had torn through the trees now burst into view, a hulking, creeping abomination, its body like a mound of muscle and distorted flesh, eyes gleaming within the twisted flesh. It bulldozed toward them, tearing the forest apart as it came.

Alex turned sharply to Celeste. “Help her! I’ll hold this thing off!” he shouted, gripping both his weapons and readying himself for the charge.

Celeste ran toward Natsumi, light gathering in Excalibur, but before she could reach her, something else lashed out. A sharp thorn-like tentacle shot from the creature’s side, wrapping tightly around her arm and jerking her to a stop. She gasped in pain, trying to free herself as the tentacle tightened its grip and blood dripped down her arm.

Then, from behind the monstrous abomination, a massive tail swung out, crashing into the fallen tree that pinned Natsumi. The impact struck directly on top of her, forcing a cry from Natsumi's lips. Again and again, the tail came down, each strike shaking the ground and deepening the crater beneath her. The creature, this twisted form of Legion, was deliberately targeting her, knowing she was the most durable of the three and trying to break her strength before the real fight began.

Alex roared in anger and charged forward with full force, his eyes locked on the towering abomination. He gripped Bunyan’s Axe tightly and leapt, bringing it high above his head. The moment he swung, the creature’s massive body twisted and opened like a cavernous maw, its flesh parting and shifting aside as if anticipating the strike. The axe cleaved through empty air.

From Alex’s side, a grotesque face emerged from the shifting mass, half-human, half-corpse, its many eyes focusing on him. “Did you think those tricks would keep working on us?” it spoke, its voice a chorus of distorted tones. “We have learned. As long as that weapon does not strike us, you cannot stop us.”

The abomination’s lips twisted into a sickening grin.

Alex steadied his breathing, scanning its grotesque form. Then he saw it, a human upper body emerging from the creature’s head, the flesh around it twitching and pulsating like veins feeding it life. “That’s it,” Alex muttered, realization hardening in his eyes. “That must be its main body.”

He landed hard, dirt scattering beneath his boots as he gripped both weapons again. “Then this is where we end it,” he grunted, lowering his stance and preparing for another strike.

Celeste then slashed through the tentacle restraining her arm, freeing herself with a burst of radiant light. She jumped back, landing with precision as she also drew Masamune and turned her focus toward the main body of Legion. Keeping a sharp eye on the writhing tentacles, she shifted her stance, ready to move the instant they attacked again.

Her gaze flicked toward Natsumi’s position, where the massive tail continued to hammer down on the spot she was trapped. Each impact sent shockwaves through the ground, dust and splinters flying into the air. Celeste clenched her teeth, her eyes flickering with holy energy as she prepared to strike back.

“Damn,” Alex muttered under his breath. “We were so close. I can feel the portal nearby. If Legion hadn’t cut us off, we’d already be out of here.” He glanced toward Celeste, locking eyes with her. With a firm nod, he spoke clearly, “Try to save her. I’ll continue to keep Legion busy.”

Celeste nodded back and darted toward Natsumi once again. Tentacles shot out from Legion’s body, lashing toward her like whips, but she met each one with precision, slicing them down one after another as she advanced toward the fallen Natsumi.

Alex charged forward again, his focus locked on Legion’s grotesque frame. He swung Onimaru in one hand and brought down the flat end of Bunyan’s Axe with the other, aiming for any solid point he could reach. But every time his blades neared the creature, the shifting mass of bodies pulled apart, opening gaps that rendered each strike useless. The countless forms that made up Legion recoiled and flowed like a living tide, dodging his every blow.

Meanwhile, Celeste reached Natsumi just as the monstrous tail came down again. Blue light flared around her as she empowered Masamune, blue energy running along its edge. With a sharp cry, she swung upward, the blade cleaving clean through the tail. The severed limb fell beside Natsumi, thrashing violently before collapsing to the ground, twitching and writhing in the dirt.

Celeste then noticed the tail was covered in sharp spikes. Her eyes widened, and she quickly turned to look down at Natsumi, unconscious and lying motionless beneath the shattered tree. Natsumi’s body was riddled with dozens of deep puncture wounds, blood soaking through her torn clothes, though the holes were slowly knitting back together as her regenerative power worked to heal her.

Before Celeste could move, a storm of tentacles came whipping toward her. She spun, blades flashing as she cut through them one after another, magic lighting up the air with every swing. But they wouldn’t relent. Wave after wave, the tentacles struck at her, never giving her a moment’s rest. Still, Celeste refused to back down, her movements relentless as she stood between Natsumi and the onslaught.

Then, the severed masses of Legion’s body scattered across the battlefield began to convulse. The piles of flesh and limbs burst upward all at once, reforming into a towering wall around them. Within seconds, a dome of living, writhing flesh sealed over Celeste and Natsumi, trapping them inside.

Celeste reacted instantly, channeling divine energy through Excalibur and slashing upward. The holy blade struck the inner wall, searing a deep mark into it, but before she could pull back for another strike, countless tentacles shot out from the fleshy dome walls, wrapping around her arms and legs. She struggled, but more emerged, coiling around her body until she was completely restrained as the tentacle thorns tore into her body.

The fleshy walls began to close in, inch by inch. The dome tightened, its grotesque surface pulsating as if alive, shrinking steadily to crush them both within Legion’s growing mass.

“Natsumi! Natsumi! Wake up! We need your help!” Celeste shouted, her voice echoing through the tightening chamber. There was no response. She looked down at Natsumi again and nearly gagged. The tentacles had burrowed into Natsumi’s regenerating wounds, preventing them from healing. They slithered through her body, bulging beneath her skin as they tore into her muscles from the inside. Her arms and legs were sunken, twitching helplessly as Legion’s corruption sought to halt her regeneration entirely. Even if she woke, she would not be able to move.

“Natsumi!” Celeste screamed again, her voice breaking. “Alex is fighting, wake up!”

Outside, Alex heard her scream just as a massive arm of Legion came crashing down toward him. He twisted aside, the blow grazing him and nearly taking his arm clean off. He stumbled, gritting his teeth as Legion’s mocking voice reverberated through the forest.

“Don’t be worried, Nephilim,” it taunted him. “They are already in our grasp. All that’s left is you. Keep your eyes on us, or you may not see your end coming.”

Alex glared at Legion, fury surging through him. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered, channeling mana into Onimaru. The blade pulsed with golden light as power built up around him.

He charged straight at Legion and swung as he spun sharply, twisting as if preparing a wide slash. Instead, he continued to spin past Legion and hurled Onimaru, now brimming with magic, straight toward the fleshy dome imprisoning Celeste and Natsumi.

The sword struck its surface and detonated with a flash of radiant power. The dome convulsed, swelling outward before bursting apart in a massive explosion of blood, gore, and severed flesh that rained across the battlefield.

But doing this maneuver was a mistake for Alex. The moment he turned his back to Legion, it retaliated in a blur of motion, its claws slashing across his back with tremendous force. The impact sent Alex tumbling through the air before he crashed against the ground, dirt and blood spraying outward as deep claw marks tore through his flesh. Blood gushed freely down his back, but even through the pain, Alex still wore a faint grin, because his plan had worked. Celeste and Natsumi were free.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself onto one knee, raising a trembling hand. A faint pulse of energy rippled from his palm as he cast his vibrating heal. The wounds began to close, twisting and warping the flesh in uneven patterns. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.

He pushed himself back to his feet, Bunyan’s Axe in hand, the weapon heavy and steady in his grasp. He exhaled sharply, locking eyes with the monstrous Legion. “Alright,” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s continue.”