Part 7: Chapter 2

    A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration.
    A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight.
    An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked.
    Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile.
    Nakajima pictured the blue spheres within his mind. His body was wreathed in a scorching wind, and then in his right hand he gripped the sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi. Gripping the hilt with both hands and holding it forward, Nakajima cut through the air, charging toward the summit of the tower.
    GRAAAAGH!
    Nakajima's attack appeared to have given his target a shock it could not ignore; the demon Set, formerly engrossed in absorbing humans into his own body, turned his attention toward Nakajima and interrupted his mind control of the people he had been manipulating. As a result, the people advancing toward the tower were suddenly freed from their trances. Around the tower, an ocean of ghastly protoplasm spread out, its gelatinous walls crashing down like a tsunami. Far above, the fighters darted amongst themselves and an attack helicopter plummeted to the ground in a ball of fire, having being hit by an attack from Set.
    The hellish sight now standing before the people suddenly brought back to their senses was far too much for them to handle. Instinct overpowered them, and a cruelty far greater than when they had been controlled by the demon possessed them as in their efforts to save themselves they blindly knocked over others, trampling their naked backs and stomachs underfoot. Seeking new victims, an ocean of blood and bile let off a great stench.
    So, you really did come after all.
    Already inside the tower of flesh, a powerful psychic wave assaulted Nakajima's mind. As if trying to shake off the headsplitting pain, Nakajima slashed his sword around. The inside of Set's body was torn up by the sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi surprisingly easily.
    What you are so gleefully cutting up are the bodies of the humans that have become a part of me. Dice them up to your heart's content.
    Set's scornful psychic wave seemed to be almost pleased that a somewhat worthy opponent had appeared.
    Where is Yumiko! Give her back!
    There was no response.
    Instead, it appeared as if the space in front of Nakajima suddenly opened up, and with a sickening sound, there stood a boiling swamp of blood. One of the sticky bubbles burst, and a human hand extended out. As if on cue, one by one, naked, stooped-over humans came crawling out of the swamp dripping with fresh blood.
    Kill us, kill us! End our misery...
    As they pulled themselves out of the swamp, they pulled up their heads with one hand by their blood-matted hair. The faces of those advancing, murmuring as if chanting a spell, were clearly those of Kondo, Takai...all classmates that had lost their lives to the demon Nakajima had summoned, Loki.