Yoshino and Nozomi's eyes widened in horror at Seiza's words.
"W-wait, what?! Another one of those things? Here right now? It hasn't even been a day yet!" Yoshino exclaimed, gripping Nozomi's hand tighter. If Nozomi hadn't been a magical girl at the time, Yoshino would have unintentionally hurt her. Of all the times they could have chosen to attack…
Seiza climbed up the first set of stairs, pausing to sniff the air. After a few seconds, he nodded slowly. "Yes... that's the same foul smell from the barrier me and Nozomi encountered yesterday. If I had to guess..." As he turned to face both girls, they saw a bead of nervous sweat tracing its way down his face. "They may have created the barrier in such a way to block our only way out of here."
Yoshino's expression darkened into a fierce scowl as the gears in her mind started to spin frantically. A maelstrom of thoughts and emotions surged through her. Not only did it choose a terrible time to appear, but it also ensured we were forced into its trap. Such a level of meticulous preparation and chilling confidence could only mean one thing...
Desperation tinged her actions as she looked around the lab with a frantic urgency. Her eyes darted from side to side, searching for anything that might confirm her fears. Her movements grew increasingly erratic as anxiety tightened its grip on her. "Er... what are you looking for, Yoshino?" Seiza asked, clearly perplexed by her sudden bout of agitation.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Yoshino stopped her frantic quest and turned toward the talking dog. Her voice was tinged with a mix of frustration and realization. "Seiza... is it possible they have been spying on us with magic?"
Both Seiza and Nozomi's eyes widened at the chilling suggestion, the weight of Yoshino's words sinking in. Nozomi's face paled with growing unease.
Seiza pondered the possibility for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes... I've not seen any evidence to the contrary... so it could very well be possible." His eyes shifted to the stairs, his expression souring as the ominous smell of miasma filled his senses.
Turning back to face the two teenagers, Seiza's heart sank into deeper depths of despair. He had never held himself in high regard, not especially after entrusting an innocent person to engage in battles meant for him, even under dire necessity. But this? Leading them into a trap and forcing them to fight while they were undoubtedly vulnerable? The thought alone made him bite his lip and scratch the floor tiles with his paws in self-disgust.
Despite the weight of these realizations, he knew Nozomi would still accept the fight to ensure his and Yoshino's safety. But that knowledge did little to ease the burden of what he was about to suggest. "If the barrier blocks the only exit," Seiza began, his voice heavy with guilt, "fighting our way out may be our only option." He couldn't bring himself to look at them as he uttered those defensive words, knowing their shock and dismay would be justifiable.
Yoshino could only stare in utter disbelief at what Seiza had just proposed. Her mind struggled to process the implications of his words. The emotional part of her screamed to lash out, to denounce the suggestion with every fiber of her being. But the logical part of her intervened just in time, forcing her to confront the harsh reality. No... as much as I hate to admit it, nothing Seiza said is technically wrong. The only exit, or at least the only one I saw, IS blocked by the barrier, forcing us to fight our way out. But that still doesn't make this any less terrifying...
"Let's go." Nozomi's voice cut through the silence as she released Yoshino's hand and started walking towards the stairs, her expression determined.
Snapped out of her thoughts, Yoshino ran after Nozomi and grabbed her by the shoulder before she could take another step. "Wait, wait, wait, Nozomi! W-what do you think you're doing?!" she asked, a nervous bead of sweat trailing down her face.
Nozomi turned her neck slightly, glancing at Yoshino's worried expression. After a moment, she turned to look ahead. "You heard him. No matter what, we've got no choice other than to fight our way out of here, I... can still fight." Nozomi clenched her fists.
"But are you really going to do this without even making a plan first? Wouldn't it be ideal to think of one before we go and face it?" Yoshino suggested, her voice trembling with a mix of logic and desperation. She was trying to anchor herself to a semblance of rationality amidst the swirling chaos of their situation.
Nozomi hesitated visibly, her eyes reflecting an internal struggle. She wanted to charge ahead, driven by an instinctual need to protect her friends, but the shadows of doubt crept into her resolve. After a deep breath, she shook her head firmly. "No... we don't know enough about the enemy to make a solid plan while they clearly know enough about us to set a trap. And even if we had information, what's stopping them from finding out our plan? Just like they found this place."
Yoshino bit her lip, and her mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. The logical part of her recognized the truth in Nozomi's words, but another part of her—a more emotional, protective part—screamed against it. The idea of walking into a confrontation without a strategy felt like teetering on the edge of madness. But what choice did they have? The enemy had already shown they were steps ahead, their trap meticulously laid.
"Nozomi, are you sure about this?" Yoshino asked, her voice softer, almost pleading. She wanted to believe in her friend's strength but couldn't shake the gnawing fear that they were heading straight into their doom.
Nozomi met Yoshino's gaze with determination, yet her body language—eyes darting, fingers twitching slightly—betrayed her underlying anxiety. "I'm sure," she said, her tone unwavering but her heart pounding in her chest. "We have to face this head-on. If we hesitate, if we overthink, we give them more power over us."
"Fine," Yoshino said at last, her voice tinged with reluctant acceptance. "Just... try to be careful."
Nozomi gave a small nod, her expression softening for a brief moment with gratitude. She turned to Seiza, her posture straightening as she steeled herself for the fight ahead. "I'm ready. Lead the way, Seiza." Her voice was resolute, but the slight tremor in her hands and the tightness of her jaw revealed the fear she was trying to hide.
Seiza observed both girls, his heart heavy with the weight of their situation. He could see the bravery in Nozomi's eyes, but he also recognized the fear lurking beneath the surface. As he led the way up the stairs, Seiza could only hope that their combined strength and determination would be enough to see them through whatever lay ahead.
Seiza looked at Nozomi for a few moments before reluctantly obliging. The two teenagers followed him up the stairs.
As they ascended, they soon found themselves close to what appeared to be a wall made of pitch-black darkness. If not for the light from Yoshino's smartphone, they might have bumped their heads into it. So... this is what that place I was stuck in looked like from the outside... it certainly doesn't make me want to come any closer! Yoshino thought, her internal alarm bells ringing loudly.
Seiza walked up to the wall and closed his eyes in concentration. After a few seconds, the blackness began to twist and turn, finally opening up into a cave-like entrance. He turned to the girls. "The path is clear. We can enter now," he said with unease. Both girls nodded and stepped through the breach, one by one.
Inside the barrier, the darkness soon became too much for Yoshino's phone light to penetrate. Just as she was about to mention it, the gem on Nozomi's tiara shone brightly, illuminating their surroundings with a sacred, white light that cut through the pitch-black darkness. "Uh... that's convenient. How... did you do it?" Yoshino asked, putting her phone back into her bag.
"I don't know," Nozomi said with an awkward shrug and smile. "It just happened, like it did last time. Maybe it activates when the darkness becomes too much for me to see? That's the only pattern I can see."
"Huh... okay then," Yoshino replied, accepting that they'd need to test it further in safer conditions.
Suddenly, Seiza spoke up to get their attention. "Oh, I forgot to ask earlier, but... do you want me to store the bags you're carrying?"
Nozomi stepped forward, holding her school bag. "You can do that?"
Seiza nodded. "Yeah, just hold your bag out to me."
Nozomi obliged, and Seiza closed his eyes. After a few seconds, her bag vanished from her hands without delay.
Both girls stared at Nozomi's empty hands in silence until Seiza broke it. "Uhhh... Yoshino? Do you want me to store your bag?" he offered.
His words snapped Yoshino out of her shock. "O-oh, sorry, sorry," she said, clearing her throat. "I just didn't expect it to be so... instant. No, I'd like to keep my bag. But thank you."
Seiza nodded in relief. "Very well. If you change your mind, let me know." With that, they continued forward.
As they walked through the murky darkness of the tunnel, Yoshino let her hand brush against the cold, unnerving walls. Each touch sent a strange, almost electric sensation coursing through her fingers. It was as if the darkness itself was alive, pulsating with malevolent energy. The feeling was unsettling, and she wondered if the walls were trying to communicate something—or worse, trying to pull something from her.
Her thoughts started to spiral, each new fear feeding into the next. What if this tunnel was more than just a physical barrier? What if it was a psychological one too, designed to break them down before the real fight even began? The notion sent chills down her spine. She could feel an ominous presence pressing against her consciousness, probing, seeking entry into her mind. The sensation was both invasive and violating, as if dark tendrils were slowly wrapping around her thoughts, ready to consume her sanity.
Lost in the labyrinth of her anxiety, Yoshino stared into the unfathomable darkness, her mind racing with dreadful possibilities. She was so absorbed in her fear that she didn't notice she had stopped walking until Nozomi's voice cut through the oppressive silence. "Hey, Yoshino! What's the hold-up?" Nozomi asked, her tone laced with concern.
Startled, Yoshino blinked and shook her head, attempting to dispel the daze that had taken hold of her. "Sorry, just got lost in thought. Let's keep moving," she replied, trying to regain her composure. But the truth was, she could still feel the lingering sensation of the dark presence, a sinister echo in her mind.
As they continued, Yoshino's thoughts returned to her eerie encounter with the wall. What was that? When I touched it, I felt... something trying to invade my mind... this is getting weirder... The questions gnawed at her, each one more disquieting than the last. She felt as if she were losing control, her fear threatening to spiral into panic.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble. Nozomi and Seiza both noticed, and without a word, Seiza leapt into Nozomi's arms, who was ready to catch him. "Yoshino, quick! Hold my hand!" Nozomi urged, offering her free hand.
Yoshino didn't hesitate. As soon as they grasped hands, the floor gave way, plunging them into a seemingly infinite abyss of darkness. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yoshino screamed in panic, her grip tightening on Nozomi's hand.
Their fall slowed until they hung suspended in midair. Yoshino took deep breaths, trying to steady herself. "Huh… you okay?" Nozomi asked, her face worried.
Yoshino nodded, though still shaky. "Yeah, I'm fine... though a heads-up about falling into an abyss would have been nice."
"Yeah... sorry about that..." Nozomi muttered, looking away apologetically.
"We're here!" Seiza announced. Below, they saw an average two-story house, its exterior walls painted white and the roof a cheerful red.
When they landed, Nozomi set Seiza down, who sniffed the air before tensing up. "Yes... the monster is definitely inside that house," he said, eyeing the seemingly normal structure with caution. "Let's go."
The girls nodded and fell in line behind Seiza, the small puppy's confidence inspired by Nozomi's own, guiding them through the unsettling landscape. Yoshino took occasional glances around, taking in the eerie emptiness that stretched infinitely in all directions. It was as if they were walking on an isolated island adrift in a vast void, and the house before them felt like a relic from another world. Each step closer amplified the sense of wrongness. This place wasn't just abandoned; it felt intentionally deserted, as though something malevolent had driven everything away.
Yoshino tried to steady her racing thoughts. Stay calm, Yoshino. You're not alone this time. She reminded herself, though the mantra did little to quell the gnawing anxiety creeping up her spine.
As they neared the house, an outdoor light caught Yoshino's eye. It flickered weakly above the front door, its one remaining bulb struggling to illuminate. Swarms of insects buzzed incessantly around it, casting twitching shadows that only added to the ominous atmosphere. The windows were shrouded by heavy, impenetrable curtains, turning the interior into an enigmatic void.
"Psst," Seiza whispered, motioning sharply with his paw, mimicking a signal from an old spy movie. Despite the surreal circumstances, Yoshino couldn't help but be reminded of the espionage films she used to watch. She recognized the gesture and nodded, instinctively positioning herself on the right side of the door. Nozomi, with Seiza by her side, took up her position on the left.
Yoshino could feel her pulse quicken, adrenaline beginning to course through her veins. She mouthed, "On the count of three," and signaled with her free hand. One, two, three. Yoshino flung the door open, and Nozomi slipped inside first, every muscle in her body tense, prepared for any ambush or hidden trap.