A fair distance from the cinema where Henry's barrier was located, Judai waited in a mostly empty alleyway. He was expecting the currently injured Henry to emerge at any moment. Outsider had instructed Judai telepathically to meet Henry there and aid his escape. This instruction reminded Judai that he had never asked Outsider for his real name, although he had a hunch about what it might be.

Outsider had tasked Judai with opening an escape path for Henry by distracting the cinema staff and cutting off the security camera feeds with his insects. Judai had already been in the middle of executing this plan when Outsider contacted him, which only served to distract him.

He should be outside by now... What's taking him so long? Just as Judai pondered this, he saw one of Henry's crew members exit the cinema's front door, looking frantic. The man scanned his surroundings until he spotted Judai, then ran up to him. Before Judai could feign concern and ask why the man was in distress, the crew member ran past him. The man then disappeared, reappearing with Henry—who was missing an arm and a leg—alongside two other members of Henry's crew. Judai guessed they had been carrying Henry due to his injuries.

"What the—are you okay? What happened?" Judai asked Henry, genuine worry coloring his voice. Seeing Henry in such a pitiful state took Judai by surprise. Though Outsider had warned him that Henry would be wounded, witnessing it firsthand stirred something within him. Is this what humans call empathy? It feels odd.

Henry didn't reply, too shaken to speak. He took deep, labored breaths. Tom, one of the crew members, answered instead, his expression a mix of anger and distress. "This idiot bit off more than he could chew, that's what happened!"

"We need to get him to Kurai. She might be able to heal... this," Charlie, the other crew member, added, his voice more worried than angry but equally distressed.

Even though Judai knew they were likely pretending, he couldn't help but be affected by their reactions. Nodding in brief panic, he followed them as they made their way back to Kurai, leaping from building to building under the cover of night.

----------------------------------------

Ten minutes after Judai and the others had left to return to Kurai, Yoshino, Nozomi, and Seiza finally exited Henry's barrier. They headed straight to a nearby park, finding solace on one of its many empty benches. They hoped for some peace to decompress after the day’s events and revelations.

Though they had only spent about an hour inside Henry's barrier, Yoshino, who sat in the middle of the bench, felt as if an entire year had passed. She was mentally exhausted from the revelations and the stress of watching her uncle temporarily lose his mind after Nozomi's attack severed his limbs.

To think I was tempted to walk away from that, to pretend that everything was fine while Henry suffered for my sake... Yoshino briefly glanced to her left at Seiza. She knew his opinion of darkspawns, not just from what he said but from how he said it. Even when things appeared fine with Henry, there was always a hint of unease in Seiza's demeanor, as if he was constantly bracing for something to go wrong. It was a wariness Yoshino understood, especially after their encounter with Judai.

Something she had purposely ignored at the time, believing it to be a good idea to have someone always on guard. However, without any prompting, Seiza had taken it upon himself to relieve her uncle's suffering—a moment that left a profound impression on her.

I wonder what kind of present he would like... maybe a chew toy? Yoshino guessed. I should look up later when I'm home for the kind of presents dogs like, just to be sure. Stroking Seiza's chest, Yoshino felt the puppy briefly tense before relaxing into her touch.

She then glanced to her right at Nozomi, who had reverted from her magical girl form. Nozomi looked no better than Yoshino. Her gaze was distant, her brown eyes dull—a stark contrast to their usual gem-like brilliance whenever she smiled.

Yoshino understood why. Although Nozomi had only met Henry today, Yoshino had mentioned her uncles to her best friend before. Nozomi felt ashamed of what she did, even if Yoshino didn’t blame her.

Considering how to comfort her friend, Yoshino took a deep, tired breath and leaned her head against Nozomi's shoulder. It took Nozomi a few extra seconds to notice. "Y-Yoshino?!" Nozomi asked, startled.

"Sorry, I’m just... so tired. You wouldn’t mind it, right?" Yoshino asked, barely managing to contain her embarrassment. She told herself that Nozomi needed this.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Nozomi stared for a few moments before she smiled softly and leaned her head against Yoshino’s. "No, I... I’m also feeling tired."

They stayed like that in silent companionship for a while before Nozomi broke the silence. "Yoshino... about what happened back there on the train... I'm..."

"I know." Yoshino gave Nozomi an awkward but sincere side hug. "And I want you to know I won’t blame or hate you for it. And... I would also like it if you did the same for yourself."

Nozomi glanced at her in surprise but then closed her eyes and slowly nodded. "I... will try but..." Nozomi hesitated before continuing. "...only if you promise me you will not think badly of your family for hiding the truth from you."

That caught Yoshino off guard. She understood why her family hid the truth but wouldn’t lie and say it didn’t affect her trust in them. There might be more secrets they were hiding for her safety, and she didn’t know how to feel about it. But for Nozomi’s sake, she would try to see it positively. After some hesitation, she gave a small nod. "Okay... that’s fair."

That seemed enough for Nozomi, who moved closer and rested her head against Yoshino's.

After a while, Yoshino ended the hug, and the trio got up from the bench. She knew if she came home late again, her mom would never let her hear the end of it.

The trip home was uneventful, with barely any words exchanged. Just like the first time she returned by flight, Nozomi and Seiza left Yoshino in the same alley they had left her before.

Yoshino soon found herself staring at the door to her home. She paused at the handle, taking a deep breath before daring to open it and face her family. Think positively, for Nozomi.

With a determined look, she opened the door and stepped inside. "I’m home!" she announced.

As she made her way to the kitchen, the smell of food hit her, a small comfort in its familiarity. She hoped the same could be said for her family. In the kitchen, Yoshino was met by two people she once thought she knew: her mom and brother. They now seemed like strangers, their identities shaken by the truth she had learned. They were still arranging the table for dinner.

Yoshino stood at the entryway, staring silently at them as they pretended everything was normal. She felt insulted by their actions, even if it wasn't on purpose. But she resolved to look past it and try to be positive.

Her mother, noticing her, turned with plates in hand. "Oh, Yoshino, right on time. Could you arrange the plates on the table?" Kurai asked, handing her the plates. Snapping out of her thoughts, Yoshino did as asked.

Once seated, Yoshino noticed the lack of a fourth plate. "Where’s Uncle Henry?" she asked, knowing why but wanting to hear her mother’s excuse.

"Oh, he’s resting. The trip was more exhausting than he anticipated," Kurai explained, looking down at her food instead of directly at Yoshino. Despite her mother's composed tone, Yoshino couldn't help but notice this detail. How many times have you hidden the truth from me like this?

Yoshino also noticed her brother’s reaction. Though he remained silent, he briefly raised an eyebrow at Kurai before letting it go when he saw Yoshino’s glance. That's... weird. Why is he reacting like that? Wasn’t he aware of Uncle Henry’s condition? Shouldn't he already know the truth too?

These questions fueled her frustration. Even when she knew the truth, she still had more questions than answers. "Do you want me to bring dinner to him?" Yoshino offered, expecting to be denied.

"No need. He... has already eaten. I made sure he had a little before he went to rest for the night. How was your day, Yoshino?"

Another excuse and a subject change to prevent further pushing. "It was... fine," Yoshino pushed out, annoyed at the question even if it came from concern. "Nozomi and I went to watch a movie."

Kurai’s expression brightened. "Oh~, and what was the name of the movie?" she asked expectantly, continuing to eat.

"Eldritch Cowboys. It was pretty cool, although I could do without the cliffhanger for a part two." Now that she thought about it, Yoshino had already forgotten most of the film. 'Pretty cool' was the best she could come up with.

"See, that’s why I stick with the classics. At least they told the whole story in one movie without needing a sequel. Modern films today stretch a story into parts to make more money!" her mother ranted. "If at least they gave a discount to those who saw the previous movie, but nooo~, they make you pay full price again!"

Yoshino blinked at her mother’s rant. She knew her mom was passionate about movies but couldn’t tell if this was a distraction from Henry or genuine. Either way, it helped distract Yoshino from her troubles.

"How would they do that?" Tsuyoi, her brother, asked, baffled. "A movie takes at least two years to make. How could they know after such a long time?"

"You're missing the point. If they don't want complaints, they should—" Yoshino tuned out the rest of the conversation, focusing on eating before her food got cold.

Even if built on a lie, the distraction helped her cope with her complicated situation, bringing a small but genuine smile to her face. After dinner, Yoshino went straight to her room without another word. She walked to her bed and fell face-first onto the mattress, then turned to face the ceiling. She pulled out the bright pink gloves Outsider had given her to defend herself. She would have preferred them in white like Outsider’s, but she liked pink, so it wasn’t a big deal.

These gloves wouldn’t be as useful without the ability to harm monsters like that feline abomination, Judai, and... Yoshino thought. The memory of her uncle’s condition flashed in her mind, realizing she indirectly called him a monster. Biting her lip in frustration, she decided she would apologize to him when he had rested enough.