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 peace 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 lying on the ground, 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. The destruction extended to his shoulder, the flesh and bone gone as if it had never existed.

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. His thoughts spiraled. 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. His entire body trembled with a cocktail of intense rage and searing pain. But with a Herculean effort, he managed to focus, his mind narrowing in on the immediate threats.

When he looked back at Yoshino, he saw that her breathing had somewhat stabilized. She lay on the ground, taking in ragged breaths, her chest heaving with effort. Their eyes met, and to his utter astonishment, she caught his gaze and managed a weak but undeniably cocky smile. The sight was infuriating, making the black blood in his veins boil with rage. "What... did you do?!"

Yoshino, taking a few moments to savor his shock, raised her unbroken hand and slowly pointed to her left eye, which still glistened with the trail of tears. 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. "Wait! No way you... just reflected her attack back at me with your eyes?!" His voice rose with incredulity, utterly baffled by the realization.

"Bingo... heh. If I hadn't seen her attack reflected off that metal wall before, I would definitely be a goner." Yoshino's 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!" Her voice softened as she looked down, gathering her strength.

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While Yoshino and Judai exchanged words, 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 there's potential...

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 back up my trash-talking. You...not so much. Yet. So, points deducted.

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. Whatever their deal is, I have more interesting things to focus on.

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, putting the kitchen door in front of him. Life raised his hand, calculating Judai's position relative to the exit. Hmm, yes... this will do.

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, aiming it directly at Judai before unleashing a barrage of bullets.

The gunfire was relentless, turning Judai's body into Swiss cheese as each bullet tore through him with brutal precision. The sheer force 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 step back?" Life's tampered voice held an air of polite menace as the gun clicked empty. 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, 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?!"

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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, directing her rage toward Judai, the darkspawn who, despite resembling a human, was far from one in her eyes. If only I wasn'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..." A faint, green aura enveloped him briefly as he closed his eyes, in an attempt to muster the strength to heal.

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 as he noticed her 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 flexed her fingers, ensuring their mobility 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, likely a benefit of her magical girl powers. The juxtaposition of her physical resilience and the raw vulnerability in her eyes was hard to ignore.

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 guilt for having been so helpless. Nozomi's hesitation was almost palpable; it was clear she wanted to reach out, to bridge the emotional chasm between them, but the weight of their recent ordeal rendered her speechless.

Equally exhausted, Yoshino felt the accumulative toll of the past days—it was more than physical fatigue; it was a bone-deep weariness, a soul-crushing heaviness that made even standing a monumental task. Her body trembled, the sheer force of willpower the only thing preventing her from collapsing.

Nozomi's presence unearthed a fresh flood of emotions within Yoshino. 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. It was so obvious, she almost wanted to slap herself for not realizing it sooner. The sound startled both Seiza and Nozomi; the latter's eyes widened even further, now filled to the brim with tears. 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. Drawing strength from somewhere deep within, Yoshino took a deep breath, letting her resolve to harden like steel.

"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, her gaze intensely focused, making sure 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, her need for an anchor reflected in her gaze. "I... I see. Okay."

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 Life, pointing towards the kitchen's exit. "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. Organs were next, a grotesque sight as beetles, roaches, and ants burrowed and gnawed away, leaving hollows where vital organs once were. Yoshino could almost hear the sickening crunch as bones were stripped clean, splintering under the abrasive onslaught. 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. Mouths hung open in eternal silent screams as bugs scuttled in and out.

"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, Life bringing up the rear. Yoshino noted, almost absently, that the Tommy gun Life had used earlier was gone.

As he exited last, Life 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.

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!