As Judai's vision was blinded by the blinding flash of light, he couldn't help but revel in silent triumph. He had done it; after everything he had been through, he had finally exacted his revenge on Yoshino. In that singular moment, Judai felt a profound sense of catharsis wash over him, as though he had finally achieved a long-sought peace of mind.
THUD
The sharp sound sliced through his brief celebration, brutally yanking Judai back to the present. As his vision gradually cleared, he felt a jolt of shock when he saw Yoshino leaning her back against the wall, coughing and gasping for air. Her body, remarkably unscathed, showed no signs of Nozomi's attack. Huh!? How is she alive? I definitely saw her get shot in the face!
A chilling realization gripped him. Wait... why is she lying on the floor? Shouldn't my arm still be holding her? His eyes moved away from Yoshino, each second stretching into an agonizing eternity. He finally glanced at where his arm should have been—and froze. The limb that once gripped Yoshino's throat was now nothing but a wisp of black smoke.
Judai inhaled sharply, his mind whirling as he fought to remain calm. It... it has happened again... WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?! Panic surged through him, a hot wave that mingled with an icy dread. The pain was a familiar, loathsome sensation that dragged dark memories up from the depths of his psyche—memories he once thought buried resurfaced and made him spiral. No, no, no, No, No, No, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!
In a desperate attempt to regain control, Judai clenched his teeth so tightly they began to grind, the sound grating against the silence even as his teeth fractured and regenerated moments later. As his entire body trembled with rage and pain, it took a Herculean effort to regain and maintain focus on the immediate threats.
When he looked back at Yoshino, she was taking in ragged breaths, her chest heaving with effort. When their eyes met, a weak but undeniably cocky smile grew on her face that infuriated Judai. "What... did you do?!"
Yoshino, taking a few moments to savor her enemy's shock, raised her unbroken hand and slowly pointed to her left eye. Her voice, though soft, carried an edge of defiance and triumph. "Guess~."
Judai's mind raced, trying to decode her gesture. Huh, why is she pointing at herself? And then it hit him, like a bolt of lightning—he remembered a similar occurrence involving Nozomi earlier on, when he was spying on them before ambushing them. "Wait! No way you... just reflected her attack back at me with your eyes?!"
Yoshino's smile changed into a smirk."Bingo... heh. If I hadn't seen her magic get reflected off that metal wall before, I would definitely be a goner."
Her eyes flicked to the spot where Judai's arm had once been before she let out a dry, mirthless chuckle. "Although... if I knew it would cause this much damage, I would've made sure it hit you square in the head!"
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While Yoshino and Judai talked, Life watched from the privacy of his mask with a grin that stretched wider than it had since arriving in this world. Oh, yes! That's good! I'll admit, Yoshino... you didn't seem to contribute much beyond being Nozomi's motivation. But after this, I can see how I might've been too quick to judge you...
Calming himself from the initial excitement, his thoughts turned critical. Although I have to deduct points for telling the enemy how you outsmarted them. I get the appeal, I've done it often in the past, but I can afford it most of the time. You...not so much. Yet.
Life decided it was time to act. Unfazed by Judai's earlier assault, he got up from the ground and took in the scene around him, ignoring the oblivious couple who continued their mundane activities, unaware of the chaos. Now, what to do, what to do, hmm, maybe...
As a silvery liquid started to seep from his glove, it formed into a Tommy gun hidden beneath his cloak. He casually circled around Judai while the latter had been distracted until the former stopped at an angle where the exit and darkspawn lined up.
Hmm, yes... this will do. Life nodded to himself.
Judai gritted his teeth and clenched his remaining hand in pain. "You wench!"
But before Judai could retaliate, Life interjected. "[Perfect Copy: Tommy Gun!]" With dramatic flair, Life revealed the Tommy gun from beneath his cloak and unleashed a barrage of bullets at Judai.
The sheer force of the attack pushed Judai back until the kitchen door shattered under the impact, and both Judai and the door fell, creating a cloud of sawdust.
"Excuse me, but she appears uncomfortable with you. Would you be so kind as to give her some space?" Life's tampered voice held an air of polite menace as the gun clicked empty in his hand. He wasn't entirely sure if this was the persona he wanted to adopt for this storyline, but he figured he could always change it if inspiration struck.
Yoshino, once defiant, had now turned her attention to Seiza, her face etched with worry as she saw the pup's battered form. "H-hey, Seiza, are you okay?!"
As Yoshino rushed to Seiza's aid, Life used his "Medical Pack Bundle" to assess their injuries quickly. Broken hand and bruised neck for Yoshino; several broken bones for Seiza. They aren't okay, but they will live. They were lucky Judai chose to take their sweet time with them.
Amid his analysis, Life's attention was drawn to Nozomi, who stood outside the house, her face a mask of shock and tears at what she had almost done. Well, well... things just keep getting more interesting...
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With each ragged breath Seiza took and each tear that fell from his face, Yoshino's heart sank further. Despite the pain and ineffectiveness of his bites against Judai, Seiza had tried everything to save her.
Yoshino bit her lip in anger, her rage towards Judai reaching a new high. If only I weren't so weak, so useless...I wouldn't need everyone to protect me.
Seiza's voice, weak yet determined, pulled her from her spiraling thoughts. "Y-yes, just... give me... a minute..." He closed his eyes, and before long, he was enveloped in a green aura that healed his injuries.
When Seiza opened his eyes and struggled to stand, he drew a tired yet heartfelt breath. "Sorry... for that... I... couldn't concentrate enough to heal with all the pain and..." His eyes widened when they landed on the girl's hand. "Your hand!"
Despite Yoshino wanting to wave it off, Seiza didn't want to hear it as he healed her hand. The pain in her bruised neck started to dissipate, a heavy sigh of relief escaping her lips. She briefly flexed her fingers before giving Seiza a nod and a weak smile. "Thanks."
Seiza returned her smile, though it was visibly strained. "Don't mention it. Now, what about—"
His words were cut short by a soft, tearful voice. "Yoshino...?"
Both turned to see Nozomi approaching, her eyes glistening with tears, her steps hesitant and shaky. Despite the wounds she bore, Nozomi didn't appear as injured as Yoshino would have expected from getting thrown through a wall, likely a benefit of her magical girl powers that no one else was so lucky to have.
Yoshino felt a wave of mixed emotions crash over her—relief that Nozomi was relatively unhurt, sadness for the pain evident in her friend's eyes, and shame for having been so helpless.
Nozomi's hesitation was almost palpable; it was clear she wanted to reach out, but the weight of their recent ordeal rendered her speechless.
Equally exhausted, Yoshino felt the accumulative toll of the past days without much time for rest—it was more than physical fatigue; it was a bone-deep weariness that threatened to crush her spirit. Only her will prevented such a thing from happening.
Her mind raced, grasping for the right response, the right way to provide the comfort Nozomi so desperately needed. She considered hugging her but feared it might come off wrong since she was the one doing it. If only I were more like her, I could...
Then, suddenly, an idea struck her like a lightning bolt. I'm such an idiot. All this time, I've been trying to comfort her like she would me. I need to be myself for her.
Yoshino reached out, placing firm yet gentle hands on Nozomi's shoulders. Nozomi's surprised expression mirrored Yoshino's unyielding determination.
"It's his fault."
"W-what?" Nozomi stammered, clearly taken aback.
Yoshino pressed on, her voice steady and unwavering. "Judai knew you wouldn't be able to see me from where you were and planned to get me killed by dodging at the last second." She locked eyes with Nozomi with an intense gaze, so there was no room for misunderstanding. "So if you're going to blame someone, blame him!"
Nozomi's eyes welled up with fresh tears, but there was a shift—a softening of the self-loathing that had been so evident moments before. She nodded slowly. "I... I see. Y-yeah, you're right."
Yoshino saw the subtle change, the faint spark of understanding. She knew it wouldn't fix everything, but for now, with the time they had, it would need to do.
Their focus was interrupted by Outsider, pointing towards the kitchen's exit. "Hey, where's Judai?"
Yoshino's eyes widened, and she turned to the kitchen door where Judai had collapsed. The door lay in splinters, but Judai's body was nowhere to be seen.
Panic surged, and Yoshino pulled away from Nozomi, rushing outside the now-ruined kitchen. Frantically, she scanned the surroundings for any sign of Judai. Where are you? What hole are you hiding in? Her gaze landed on movement at the end of the stairs leading to the house's second floor. Gotcha! You're not escaping that easily!
Nozomi's voice called out, "Y-Yoshino!"
Turning to Nozomi, Yoshino's eyes widened in sheer horror at the swarm of insects cascading from holes in the walls formed by them. The once ordinary kitchen had transformed into a nightmarish scene as a writhing mass of bugs surged through, devouring everything in their path.
The couple who had previously greeted them so warmly were now engulfed by the relentless swarm. Their flesh was torn away in seconds, revealing muscle and sinew that were just as swiftly devoured.
Yoshino's stomach turned, barely holding back vomit as she witnessed the grotesque horror.
Their faces were the last to disappear, expressions frozen in an uncanny cheerfulness that creeped Yoshino out. Eyes glazed over as insects crawled across them, into them, reducing these windows of the soul to empty, hollow sockets.
"What are you people waiting for? Let's go!" Yelled Outsider, his mechanized voice promptly snapping Yoshino and everyone else out of their shocked horror. Soon, they all bolted their way straight for the door.
They exited the kitchen one by one, Outsider bringing up the rear. Yoshino noted, almost absently, that the Tommy gun Life had used earlier was gone.
As he exited last, Outsider lifted the door and seemingly reset it in its frame. Though the door should have fallen, it held firm. Yoshino raised an eyebrow but had no time to ponder the strangeness before her attention was taken by the small holes in the walls around them, insects pouring out by the dozen.
A swarm of them had already blocked the way that Yoshino and her friends entered the house.
Instinctively, Yoshino pointed to the stairs. "The stairs, now!" Without hesitation, everyone complied.
As they raced upwards, Yoshino's mind roared with determination. That bastard is leading us into another trap. Well, if I get my hands on him, I don't know how, but I'll make sure it's his last one!