Back pressed against the cold, unforgiving kitchen wall, Yoshino found herself gasping desperately for breath. Judai's hand clamped around her neck with relentless force, his fingers digging into her skin like iron talons. The pressure crushed her airway, leaving only the faintest semblance of air to trickle through. Each breath was a laborious struggle, a battle waged against the vice-like grip choking the life out of her.
Her vision began to blur, dark spots dancing at the edges of her sight. The world around her seemed to tilt and waver, the once clear and vivid surroundings of the kitchen now reduced to a muddled haze. Her thoughts, usually sharp and quick, were sluggish and disjointed, her mind grappling to comprehend the sudden and brutal change in her reality. "W-what?" she thought, the question echoing in her mind as she struggled to make sense of the overwhelming pain and terror.
Judai's face loomed above her, his lack of expression thanks to the goggles and medical face mask covering most of his face on top of how casually he seemed to be when holding her like that pierced through the fog of her progressively fading consciousness. It was a chilling reminder of the power these darkspawns possessed.
Just moments earlier, the scene had been starkly different.
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"Whatever the case, I really only care about getting this job done, so, what's it going to be?" Judai's voice cut through the tension, leaving his question to hang in the air.
That's what I would say if I didn't already know what you were planning. I still don't know for sure what's going on... but I refuse to underestimate you again! Judai's thoughts raced as he surveilled the room, all thanks to one of the many insects he controlled using his magic, [Pest Control]. An unblinking set of compound eyes recorded every subtle movement under the table.
He glanced at Nozomi, who was charging her finger with a familiar type of magic. Despite its different glow, Judai recognized it as the same force that had almost ended his life before. He vaguely remembered hearing her name when he had spied on them, her name—Nozomi—tickled his memory with a sense of familiarity he couldn't quite place.
Then his gaze shifted to the new variable, the one who called himself Outsider. Judai resisted the urge to laugh at how fitting the name seemed. Outsider was an anomaly, a wild card whose abilities and intentions were unknown. Unlike Nozomi, who he had dismissed as a clumsy novice, this Outsider was someone to be wary of.
Judai's muscles tensed with the effort of controlling his rising panic as he executed his next risky maneuver. He had only planned for one opponent—Yoshino—but now he had two more to contend with. He would have to be perfect to survive this.
Yoshino's voice pierced his thoughts: "Really tempting offer, but..." Both girls sprang from their chairs in unison. Nozomi's finger glowed brightly as it aimed at him, while Yoshino pointed a revolver with practiced precision.
Judai acted swiftly. With a single powerful motion, he flipped the table, using it as a barrier. Nozomi's light bullet narrowly missed him by a couple of centimeters, while Yoshino's regular bullet found its mark in his arm. He stole a quick glance at the injury. Hmm... that confirms she's not a magical girl. Strange, but it simplifies things.
Before the table could crash to the ground, Judai utilized its cover, moving swiftly around it. He punched Outsider with enough force to send him crashing into the kitchen wall, his head bouncing off it with a resounding thud. One down, two to go.
Without giving the girls a chance to react, he lifted Nozomi into the air and hurled her towards a kitchen wall, her body crumpling as it hit. Two down, one to go.
Yoshino screamed, "Tau—" but Judai silenced her by grabbing her neck, slamming her into the wall before she could complete the name. Her revolver clattered uselessly to the floor as the force knocked the air out of her lungs. She struggled to breathe, to comprehend the sudden violence.
Overwhelming her own instincts to survive, Judai cracked a small, vindictive smirk hidden beneath his mask. Three down, none left.
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Back in the present, Yoshino desperately clawed at Judai's arm, her thoughts frantic. Dammit, how did he move so fast? Each breath was a laborious struggle, her vision narrowing as darkness crept in from the edges.
Judai leaned in close enough to whisper, malice dripping from his words. "Y'know... as much as I said that I've grown beyond my kind's violent urges, it can't be overstated how elated I am feeling right now, doing this to you, of all people."
His words barely registered in Yoshino's mind, clouded by his crushing grip. Her focus was drawn to Judai's sudden pause, his gaze lowering to something at their feet.
Seiza had rebounded from his initial shock, driven by desperation and fierce loyalty. His small jaws clamped down on Judai's leg with almost supernatural determination. Blood—black as night and thick like tar—trickled from the puncture wounds, staining the fur around Seiza's mouth. Despite the visible damage, Judai's annoyance seemed barely piqued. With a swift, almost casual motion, he lifted Seiza by the neck, his fingers digging harshly into the soft fur and skin.
In a horrific display of merciless strength, Judai began to slam the helpless puppy against the wall repeatedly.
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD CRACK
The sickening sound of Seiza's small, fragile body breaking against the unforgiving wall echoed through the room like a death knell. The final impact left an audible crack, and the agony was palpable in the whimper that escaped Seiza's trembling form. Barely able to move, he lay on the cold floor, blood pooling beneath him, each breath a ragged whisper of defiance. "Let... her... go..." Seiza managed to mutter, his voice fragile and strained, yet imbued with unwavering determination.
Rage and desperation surged within Yoshino, igniting a fire of fierce resolve. With one hand still clawing at Judai's restraining arm, she reached into her school bag with the other and pulled out a kitchen knife. Summoning every ounce of her adrenaline within her, she let out a primal scream and plunged the blade into the side of Judai's head.
Black blood gushed from the wound, a dark torrent that spattered across her face and clothes. The metallic taste mingled with bile in her mouth, but she didn't relent, pushing the knife deeper, nudging it up and down to tear through flesh and bone. The strings of Judai's medical mask snapped, revealing a sinister grin beneath it that sent chills down her spine.
"Y'know... if you want my blood so much," he hissed, tightening his grip on her hand that held the knife. He turned his head with a deliberate, almost mocking slowness, forcing her to face the grotesque wound she had inflicted. "Don't mind if I give you a taste of it."
Panic coursed through Yoshino as the horrifying realization of Judai's plan dawned on her. He intended to drown her in his own thick, black blood, to strangle her while forcing her to ingest the dark liquid. She tried to free her hand or withdraw the knife, but Judai's grip was unyielding. With a mere exertion of pressure, he twisted and snapped the bones in her hand. The pain was excruciating, a barely audible gasp escaping her lips as tears stung her eyes and her vision blurred from the lack of oxygen.
In her last act of desperate defiance, Yoshino tried to close her mouth and turn her head away, but Judai slammed her body against the wall again and again.
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD
The relentless assault, combined with the crushing grip on her neck, left her limbs weak and her spirit teetering on the brink of collapse. Her vision darkened, tears mingling with the blood on her face as she began to cough up red froth. Just then, a faint, yet powerful light bathed Judai's back, casting long shadows across the room.
Yoshino's eyes widened, a fragile spark of relief flickering within them as she recognized the glow—it was Nozomi's light. The familiar, purifying brightness brought hope, but it was short-lived. Judai's monstrous grin widened, a dark plan clearly forming in his mind. Yoshino's thoughts raced as she comprehended the depths of his cruelty. Don't tell me... He's planning to use Nozomi's disoriented state to kill me by dodging at the last moment! This sick bastard!
Yoshino tried to scream to alert Nozomi, to warn her of the danger, but only a weak gasp escaped her lips. Judai's sadistic delight was evident as he seemed to relish her helpless realization. His confidence was towering, his grip on her firm as he prepared for his final, malicious act.
Driven by a desperate need to survive, Yoshino focused every ounce of her remaining strength. She waited for the perfect moment when Judai tilted his head aside, revealing her fully to Nozomi's incoming light. With a final, determined effort, she released the knife, letting it slide from Judai's flesh just as the room was consumed by a searing, blinding flash of light.