Part 7: Chapter 6

    Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars.
    Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Swinging his sword, Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw.
    It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body.
    Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit.
    It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space. The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind.
    But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space!
    Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly.
    Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over.
    Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent.
    Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward.
    Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him.
    The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima.
    I'd better do something quick; I don't stand a chance against all these demons if they keep materializing...
    Even those demons that managed to materialize fully had trouble maintaining their existence in the Assiah world without a powerful magnetic field. For Set, who was aiming for a full-on invasion of Earth, destroying Star Scorpion would probably be a heavy blow. And in contrast to Set, who could not leave the satellite, Nakajima appeared to have the upper hand, being able to fly about wherever he willed. However, the longer the battle proceeded without reaching a conclusion, the more clear the difference in latent power between the two became. Nakajima's sword seemed heavy in his tired arms, and even appeared to be gradually losing its shine.
    However, he could not stop fighting. As minor demons from Set's world continued wriggling while trying to enter the Assiah world, an unmistakably familiar voice echoed in Nakajima's mind.
    Nakajima! I'm here! Aim for here!
    Yumiko! Is that you!?
    The instant Nakajima heard the voice, the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi regained a shine like a nova as it tore through the air.
    Stab your sword in the direction of my voice!
    Nakajima quickly noticed a pale, white, phosphorescent glow on a part of the enormous serpent's scale-encased body.
    Yes, I'm inside the demon! If we attack from inside him and outside him at the same time, we might be able to defeat Set...
    Led by Yumiko's voice, Nakajima stabbed his blade toward the phosphorescent glow. But an instant before the tip reached it, the tail of the giant snake forcefully knocked the blade aside and sent Nakajima flying far back. Flipping over and regaining his composure, robe fluttering behind him, Nakajima saw the rolling form of Set uncoiling, as if swimming through the vacuum.
    Foolish girl! To think you would let me know that you still live! Now I no longer have to depend on this irritating machine!
    Set's thick tail crushed Star Scorpion's wings. The satellite in dead orbit with all its accumulated human knowledge stored on it, exposed to space like a broken toy, was burned to metal junk with a flash. Just like the satellite had, Yumiko's powerful biological Magnetite formed a powerful magnetic field capable of summoning a demon. So long as she lived inside him, Set no longer had to depend on the magnetic field generated by the satellite. Nothing could have pleased Set more than learning of her survival.
    Freed from his spatial constraints, Set could now fly freely throughout space. One moment he seemed to be attacking with his foul, enormous mouth, and the next instant he appeared to vanish into the vacuum, reappearing to strike with his thick, heavy tail; dodging alone took all of Nakajima's concentration.
    However, Set's movements appeared to be slowing. Looking closely, it seemed that the minor demons had amassed at one point of the giant serpent's body, clawing at it. Now that the satellite had been destroyed, they had lost the artificially generated magnetic field and were now competing with each other to cling to Set's body in an attempt to materialize in this world. Dodging the now-slowed Set's fangs, Nakajima quickly dove beneath the body of the snake.
    Now, Nakajima!
    Encouraged by Yumiko's voice, Nakajima stabbed his sword into the throng of lesser demons.
    SPLUTCH!
    For an instant, as if time had stopped, Set's movements ceased. Like thick glass that had been penetrated by a bullet, cracks started spreading over the scales covering the body of the enormous serpent, centering around the sword lodged in its trunk. After an instant of silence, Set's body shattered into tiny fragments and dispersed into space. Reflected in the light of the sword, Yumiko floated off into space, still tied to the Egyptian cross, floating in a mass of scale fragments that looked like snowflakes.
    Yumiko!
    As Nakajima anxiously swam through space, Yumiko drifted further and further away in his field of vision. The swarm of minor demons trying desperately to remain in this world clawed at their last hope: Yumiko and the cross she was tied to. But having used the last bits of her power to defeat Set, Yumiko had no way of fighting them off. At this rate, she would be pulled into the demon world along with them.
    It's all right, Nakajima. It's best this way... Yumiko's voice echoed in Nakajima's mind.
    Don't talk like that! I'll come save you, just hang in there!
    No! Please, don't try to save me! If I am pulled into the demon world with these demons, no demons will ever come to Earth again...
    Wait! Wait!
    Fueled by a determination greater than that of his to fight Set, Nakajima bridged the distance between himself and Yumiko. Nearly within arm's reach, he started wildly swinging the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi at the demons clinging to her. Its tip grazed the cross, producing pale sparks. At that moment, Nakajima thought he heard cries of joy erupting from the mouths of the demons.
    No, Nakajima! Right now this cross is acting like a door between the demon and human worlds. If I leave it, that door will...
    Yumiko had no way of knowing how the demon and human worlds were connected. But her intuition told her that an enormous power, clearly different from that of Set's, was held in the cross she was tied to. Yumiko unconsciously realized what awful things might happen should that terrible power be unleashed upon the earth. And she felt that if she died, then such things would be prevented. She bet her life on it.
    But Nakajima, focused entirely on Yumiko, had no way of knowing what she was feeling.
    "I pick you over the five billion other humans!" Letting out a terrible cry, Nakajima embraced Yumiko's body and sliced the cross in two with the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi.
    The vacuum appeared to burn to Nakajima. An incredible flash shone throughout space.

    Still holding each other, the two flew through the vacuum. Nakajima's chest was wet with an endless stream of hot drops. Her eyelids shut tight, covering the eyes crushed by Set, Yumiko stroked Nakajima's cheek as if trying to remember the contours of his face. Her lips trembled slightly. Even though he could not hear her voice, Nakajima knew what those lips were trying to say.
    You really, you...
    Another pair of warm lips prevented them from continuing any further. Alongside the couple, several red shooting stars cut through space. One let forth a voice of joy, and another let forth a loud laugh. It was a crowd of demons that had been able to make it through the open door for a moment and take form in the human world. But presently that door closed quietly amongst the echoes of the curses of the demons left behind. The two bodies enshrouded by Izanami's robe were already near the blue planet.