CHAPTER LI
~Breathing Again~
Simultaneously, Rin and Yuzuki threw their kendama knives with precision; the sharp sounds of cracking silk filled the chamber as the threads sliced and snapped.
Kagami and Ayaka launched their silver mirror, spinning it through the webs with gleaming arcs.
Shingure and Himari threw their poetic fan with grace, its blades spreading open to rend the remaining tangled strands.
The web shredded into a dazzling tempest of silken shards and pulsing light, the strands snapping apart like bolts of lightning ripping through a storm-darkened sky. Then, a soft white light bloomed suddenly, swirling and expanding around them like a fragile dawn breaking through heavy clouds.
When the glow faded, heavy lids fluttered open to reveal bright, dreary daylight filtering through rain-soaked air. They found themselves all sprawled on the cold, cracked floor just outside the abandoned staff bathroom — the same place where their ordeal had begun. The world around them was battered by a relentless downpour. Thick sheets of rain pounded the ground with a deafening rhythm, the wind howled like a restless beast, gusting fiercely in wild spirals and twisting forces that bent the brittle branches of nearby trees like twigs. It was more than a storm—it was a tempest’s angry roar, a typhoon raging with unrestrained fury.
Despite the cold and chaos around them, the atmosphere crackled with relief and joy. Even the Korobokkurus and Kaga-Kaga lizards burst into jubilant movement, their tiny limbs and delicate claws dancing in celebration as if freed from the spider’s sinister grasp. The creatures leapt, twirled, and scampered with unrestrained happiness, their eyes shining with bright triumph.
Kagami and Ayaka embraced tightly, the rare softness between them shining through the damp chill as they clung to each other, breaths mingling in quiet warmth. The oppressive tension melted a little in the shared moment, their smiles bright and genuine.
Nearby, Shingure’s voice floated out in quiet, meditative poetry, weaving words like calm rain over parched earth:
“From tangled threads of fate to shattered veils of night,
We walk the maze reborn, clad now in fragile light.”
Hearing those words, Himari’s eyes glistened, the tears of relief and joy spilling quietly down her cheeks like gentle rain upon petals. Her trembling lips curved in a small, heartfelt smile as she soaked in the meaning behind the verse.
Mofumi’s sharp gaze flicked toward Rin, who moved with swift urgency, cradling Yuzuki gently in his arms as he hurried down the drenched stone steps. His body was strong and sure despite the battle’s toll, but his pace was urgent, filled with a protective desperation.
“Going to the infirmary?” Mofumi thought grimly, the worry tightening in his chest as he immediately sprang into motion, rushing after Rin with quick, purposeful strides, the rain pounding over his sleek fur.
The storm roared around them, but in that moment, every beat of their hearts echoed one truth: they were alive, together—and that was victory enough for now.
Why is it so cold? My fingers—I can’t feel my fingers. Breathe, just breathe, Yuzuki. My arm hurts. Did the venom get into the cut? Everything stings. I can’t… my chest is heavy. Legs—dead weight, nothing is moving.
I’m moving. Am I moving? No—he’s carrying me. Rin smells like rain and sweat and… blood? Is that mine or his? I can barely hold my head up. Don’t drop me. He won’t drop me. He’s holding on so tight.
So tired. Too tired. Can’t even shiver anymore. Venom—did I get enough out? My mouth won’t work. Say something, Yuzuki. Just say thank you. Or—no, don’t. Too tired.
This is pathetic. Why can’t I move? Everyone’s alive, right? Did we win? Why does my arm burn and freeze at the same time?
Thunder. Or is it just the blood in my ears? There’s shouting. Mofumi, maybe. Should look for him. Don’t open your eyes. Too much effort. Just hold onto this—the warmth of Rin’s chest, the sway when he runs.
If I fall asleep, will I wake up? Don’t pass out. Just a little longer. Just let me feel something warm—anything but this ache, this cold.
Hang on. Hang on. Let him take you.
Just—please—not yet.
“SAITO! SAITOOOO!” Rin’s voice rang out desperately as he dashed down the rain-slicked corridors of the ground floor, Yuzuki cradled tightly in his arms. Each frantic step echoed off the empty tiles, urgent and unsteady, his shoes slipping slightly from the puddles tracked in by the storm. Yuzuki’s limp form pressed cold and too-light against his chest, her breathing shallow, her eyes fluttering with pain.
Ahead, a familiar figure appeared—Saito, the janitor from the third floor, sturdy and always reliable even in the strangest hours. Saito spun at the sound, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“Rin? What are you—”
Rin barely slowed, voice cracking with fear. “It’s Yuzuki! She’s been bitten—no, struck—by Hisame’s twin. The venom—Tsuchigumo’s venom—it’s eating at her, Saito! I need the key to the infirmary, now! Please—she’s freezing, she can barely breathe—”
Saito’s eyes widened as he took in Yuzuki’s pallor, the glaze of sweat and trembling in her limbs. Instantly, he fumbled for the heavy ring of keys at his belt, nodding briskly.
“Come on! This way—quickly, Rin!” Saito turned and led the way, half-running, boots squelching as he cut across the corridor to the infirmary’s locked double doors.
The wind outside hammered the windows. Every second stretched, the sound of Yuzuki’s ragged breath burned into Rin’s memory. He clutched her tighter, forcing himself not to shake, his own blood leaving smudges on Yuzuki’s sleeve as he followed the janitor.
As Saito wrestled with the lock and flung the door open, he called over his shoulder, “What happened? Tell me everything—so I can help!”
Rin staggered inside, laying Yuzuki gently on the nearest cot. “AHH, don’t ask mee! Just know—she’s burning up and freezing at the same time. Please just help, Saito, do you have anything? Antivenom, charcoal, something? Just help me save her—”
Saito’s hands, though shaking, immediately started pulling out supplies—ice packs, medical gauze, the emergency toxin kit—while Rin kept murmuring reassurances to Yuzuki, brushing her hair away from her damp forehead.
Hang in there, Yuzuki. Just a little longer. I’ve got you.
And as the storm raged outside, Saito and Rin worked in tandem, fighting to pull Yuzuki back from the edge of the supernatural shadow.
Where am I?Cotton sheets under my cheek. Too bright.My arms—my legs—they’re cramped, and twitching. It feels like something is pulling my muscles from inside out. Why won’t they stop jerking? My fingers curl without me. It hurts.
Hands. Cold hands, someone’s pressing something into my skin. I hear them but their voices are underwater, words warping into a dull, faraway hum. Mofumi? Rin?The muffled voice: “—spead it on her arm—watch for swelling—”
—Cream. I think it’s cream. It’s cool on my burning skin—too cold—my jaw is shuddering. I can feel it.
Everything is sweating. My back, my neck—I’m shivering and I’m wet and sticky, like I ran through a feverish rain. And now suddenly, I’m freezing. It twitches, all of me—Stop. Please. Stop moving.
Nausea is a wave that’s rolling through me. My mouth tastes like rust, sharp like a bloody coin sucked between my teeth. Why does it taste so strange? Don’t throw up, don’t—
Ah. Voices again. But this time...they’re closer,“—just hold her steady—don’t let her bite her tongue—”So tired.I want to tell them........I’m here. Can anyone hear me? I’m still here.Don’t let go.
Rin…?
My chest is tight. Ahh....I’m dizzy. The storm must still be outside—Or is it inside me now? Ahh....now it feels like it’s inside me, spinning, cold, burning.I can’t......I can’t take it anymore............I’m sorry.......I can’t stay awake.......
Just let me wake up when it’s over....
Yuzuki’s eyes fluttered open to harsh white light—flat, featureless ceiling tiles staring back at her. For a long moment, she could only stare upward, unsure if she was dreaming, or floating in some pale afterlife. Pain threaded through every muscle beneath the hospital-sterile smell, her body shuddering as sensation slowly returned.
Where am I? The world felt muffled, as if thick cotton pressed against her ears. She tried to shift but the motion sent a wave of soreness through her arms and legs, every limb leaden with exhaustion and residual cold. Craning her head to the side, she groaned softly as her vision swam, the ache deep and unyielding.
It took several more breaths for her to remember who she was and the reality of soft sheets under her cheek, the cool firmness of a plastic-covered mattress beneath her. She wasn’t in the Spider Realm. There were no webs, no bitter tang of venom or echoing hisses in the dark. She was somewhere safe—and overwhelmingly, that fact made her breath catch quick and shallow in her chest.
A rolling throb pulsed through her arms, nerves twitching and muscles knotting unexpectedly beneath the gauze. Bandages—neat but tight—wrapped her wrists, her forearms, even coiled around the length of her calves. There was a rawness in her skin that stung as she tried to flex, the sensation sharp and waking. Beneath the unfamiliar weight of the infirmary gown, she felt all the awkwardness of borrowed clothing and recent pain.
She forced herself to roll, groaning as shaky legs swung off the bed. Cool linoleum met her bare feet, a shock that grounded her more than any sound. Standing made her lightheaded, her body swaying as tubes and sheets rustled and fell aside. She scanned for a familiar face—Rin, Mofumi, anyone—but only pale sunlight and cold rain greeted her from beyond the window, and the hush of the empty room seemed too vast, almost lonely. Her heart squeezed with a sudden wave of vulnerability.
Then came the thirst. It hit her as a sudden, greedy desire—her throat was raw, lips parched to cracking. Every cell in her body screamed for water. For a moment she simply breathed through it, eyes fixed on the blurry promise of a water dispenser in the far corner. She reached out, clutching at the bed rail, the edge of a rolling table. Her hands shook, muscles twitching from misfired nerves and fatigue, but she would not be stopped.
Each step felt monumental; every joint ached, her head pounding with the effort of holding herself upright. She leaned, grabbed hold of a nearby cabinet—a hard, cold anchor to keep her steady. Reaching the dispenser, her trembling hand fumbled for a paper cup. It felt impossibly thin, threatening to collapse from even her weak grip. Still, she managed to hold it under the spout, pressing with her thumb until water dribbled out in a thin, merciful stream.
The first sip was heaven. Cool, metallic, so real and alive it made her eyes sting. She drank slowly, savoring each taste. The water quivered in the cup because her hands would not stop shaking. Still, she forced herself to finish, desperate to wash away the relentless dryness, the ghost of venom’s burn.
When she looked up, there was the little sink—a pale square basin with a cloudy mirror above it. Moving toward it felt like wading through fog, her legs numb and resistant. She pressed a bandaged palm to the countertop, bracing her weight, and lifted her gaze.
What she saw startled her. Her reflection was haggard: the skin along her cheeks and nose was flushed and swollen, but not melted or scarred. Her lips were cracked and puffy, her hair hopelessly wild. For a heartbeat she almost wondered if this pale, battered girl was really her.
Relief hit her like a silent wave. She wasn’t burned. She wasn’t disfigured. She was bruised, swollen, exhausted, frightened—but she was still herself. Sobs built quietly in her chest and then her knees buckled; she slid down beside the cabinet, trembling. The cup clattered to the floor, forgotten. Her hands covered her flushed face as hot tears spilled in relief, the pain of her bruises mingling with the overwhelming gratitude to be intact, alive, and finally—unmistakably—free.
The pain still ached, the thirst still clawed, but for a single, shuddering moment, Yuzuki let herself be nothing but grateful, knees pressed to her chest on the hard infirmary tile, simply breathing in the fact that she, Yuzuki, had survived.
Yuzuki pressed her bandaged palm to the cool metal cabinet, steadied her trembling legs, and quietly willed herself upright. Every movement sent dull aches through her muscles and joints, the pain blooming again with each attempt to bear her own weight. Still, she refused to let herself sink back to the tile.
Using the countertop and walls for support, she took cautious, unsteady steps away from the sink, the empty water cup still clutched in her hand. Each stride felt precarious, like walking on seasick ground, and she moved slowly, dragging her feet across the cold linoleum with care. Her breaths came shallow and shaky, mingling with the faint taste of hospital air and the echo of her own exhaustion.
She made it—stumbling, fragile, but upright—to the edge of the infirmary bed. With a relieved sigh, she released her desperate grip on the bedframe and collapsed back onto the mattress. The soft give of the sheets was an overwhelming relief, a cool envelope that accepted all her weight and pain.
Yuzuki let her eyes drift closed, sinking deeper into the comfort of the padding. The pain in her body dulled, giving way to an even greater heaviness—tiredness so deep it seemed endless, as if sleep might be the only thing her body truly needed now. Her mind echoed weakly: I’m still very tired… I’ll sleep a while longer. Just a little. That’s all I need.
As she curled up beneath the thin infirmary blanket, her breathing slowed, aches and tremors replaced by the gentle rhythm of sleep pulling her down. Supported by the familiar weight of the sheets and the hum of rain tapping the window, Yuzuki let her consciousness fade, finally letting herself rest.
To be Continued...
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