Chapter 29: The Demon of a Thousand Bodies

Forcing herself up, Celeste sat for a moment, then looked toward the portal. She rose to her feet, staggered forward, and collapsed to one knee. Her skin paled to a lighter shade, and her halo dimmed slightly, but she refused to stop. Pushing herself up again, she stumbled toward the portal and pressed her hand against it, only for it to halt midair. Though the swirling portal glowed before her, nothing could pass through. She banged her fist against it several times, but it was as solid as a wall.

Then she yelled out, “Alex, you stupid idiot!” Her voice echoed throughout the forest. A few moments later, she remembered his last words: Take care of Natsumi. Celeste turned around and saw Natsumi still lying there, her body pierced by severed tentacles jutting from deep wounds.

Not wanting to let Natsumi suffer any longer, Celeste slowly walked over and knelt beside her. One by one, she began pulling the tentacles out. Each time she tugged, blood seeped from the wounds. She continued until all of them were removed, then raised her trembling hand and cast a healing spell.

A radiant light enveloped Natsumi’s body, her flesh knitting together rapidly as Celeste’s magic merged with the Oni’s own regeneration. The glow intensified until every wound sealed completely. When the light faded, Natsumi lay perfectly healed but still unconscious.

Celeste sighed and sat down beside her, saving her remaining strength while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. She waited silently, hoping the portal would return to normal and that Alex would come back through it.

She whispered, “You better come back alive, you idiot.”

Alex stood there with Bunyan's Axe in one hand and Onimaru in the other, staring up at the massive form of Legion looming before him. Man, how am I going to deal with this? he thought. The only thing I can think of is to get a clean hit with Bunyan’s Axe, but now he knows how to avoid it.

He exhaled, tightening his grip on both weapons. I’m just going to have to outsmart him, I guess.

Alex’s mind raced, trying to come up with a way to land a surefire strike. His body ached, his mana reserves running low, barely half left. The sheer size of Legion meant he would have to keep the Fast Walker Boots active just to dodge each incoming blow. He could already feel the tension in the air, the overwhelming pressure of facing the fully fused Legion alone.

“Well,” Alex said with a faint grin, “at least I know he can’t kill me since he needs me alive. That’s a plus, I guess. Anyway, let’s get this started. Celeste and Natsumi are probably worried sick.”

He poured mana into the Fast Walker Boots and dashed forward at full speed toward Legion. The monstrous being swung its massive arm down, aiming to crush him, but Alex’s enhanced speed carried him clear as the colossal hand smashed into the forest below. He glanced back at the crater left behind, the shockwave tearing trees apart.

From the arm towering above, hundreds of tentacles shot out, each tipped with clawed ends that whipped toward him in a blur. Alex infused mana into Onimaru, conjuring a protective barrier that deflected the storm of strikes. The tentacles slammed against the shield, sparking with dark energy before bouncing away.

Closing the distance, Alex gritted his teeth, shifted his stance, and swung Bunyan’s Axe, turning it to the flat side as he struck at Legion’s leg. But just like before, the bodies composing Legion rippled and shifted away. The massive cavity opened up, and the axe sliced through empty air, missing entirely.

The moment he missed, more tentacles shot toward him. Alex activated Onimaru again, repelling the clawed tendrils with another pulse of force. But then the massive leg before him kicked forward, aiming to crush him completely. It moved slowly, yet with such immense mass behind it that even a glancing blow could be catastrophic.

Alex raised his hands, the divine gloves gifted by God, the Kirikindad Gloves, shimmering faintly. He activated the magical protection ward built into them, something he had never done before due to their high mana cost. But now, he had no choice.

A glowing barrier appeared before him just as the colossal foot connected. The shield held for a few moments, the surroundings trembling from the impact, before the barrier shattered in a burst of light. The blow still caught Alex, though most of the momentum had been absorbed. He was sent tumbling violently through the forest, crashing through branches and bouncing across the ground several times before coming to a painful stop.

Alex gasped for air as he tried to sit up, only to feel a sharp pain stab through his back. One of the broken tree branches he had crashed through had impaled him. He reached for it but could not get the right angle to pull it out. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright despite the agony.

As he lifted his head, he saw Legion’s enormous foot rising again, ready to crush him completely. Panic surged through him. He funneled mana into the Fast Walker Boots and burst forward, sprinting through the pain. The ground shook violently as the massive foot came down just behind him, the impact creating a deafening boom. The shockwave hurled him to the side, slamming him into the ground once more.

Groaning, Alex triggered his Vibrating Healing spell even with the shard of wood still embedded in his back. The energy rippled through his body, painfully knitting his torn muscles together. Ignoring the pain, he forced himself to his feet and began sprinting again, refusing to give Legion another chance to land a direct hit.

As Alex ran at full speed, weaving in and out of the trees, he tried to buy time to think. His lungs burned, his mind racing for an answer. Maybe if I block his next attack with Bunyan’s Axe, he thought, that might be enough to cause some damage, to scatter part of his body.

He darted between thick trees as more tentacles lashed toward him, their clawed ends slicing through the air. Most of them pierced through trees, splintering bark and wood, while Alex swung Onimaru to cleave through the few that got close. Each strike sent dark fluids spraying across the forest floor as he continued to sprint, determined to turn the tide.

Then, throughout the forest and from above, he heard Legion’s voice echoing mockingly. “You can’t win this, Nephilim. Just give up. Make it easy on yourself. You will feel so much better once you become one with us. There is nothing you can do. I know all of your moves and your weapons. That little axe of yours can do nothing to us.”

Alex smirked faintly. “We’ll see about that.”

Legion’s massive fist came crashing down toward him, full force. But instead of running, Alex planted his feet and swung Bunyan’s Axe, flat side first, toward the incoming blow.

The moment they collided, a tremendous shockwave erupted. It rippled through Legion’s towering body, but instead of tearing him apart, the energy rebounded. The backlash blasted straight into Alex, launching him backward like a ragdoll. He tumbled through the forest again, smashing through trees before skidding across the dirt and coming to a stop, the wind knocked completely out of him.

Alex sighed heavily, coughing as he forced himself to move. Activating Vibrating Healing once more, he struggled to his feet, grimacing as the warmth of regeneration coursed through his battered body. I’m glad I reactivated the Kirikindad Gloves, he thought, or that would have been fatal.

The faint glow of a barrier shimmered around him before it finally cracked and shattered like glass, fading into the air. He exhaled, relieved to have survived with only minor injuries.

From above, Legion’s mocking voice thundered again. “You see, little Nephilim, in our full-powered form, not even your precious axe can harm me. So just give up.”

Before Alex could respond, another colossal fist came crashing down toward him, blotting out the light above. Alex then readied himself for the next attack.