For a moment, Takakai thought it was over.
That his second life would end here, forcing another rewind.
But then—
Yank.
The rope around his waist jerked taut, and suddenly, he was airborne.
"Huh—?!"
His vision blurred as he flew upward, hauled through the kitchen hole like a fish on a line.
The force came from Kaguya—barely 1.6 meters tall, yet gripping the rope with monstrous strength, her muscles straining as she pulled him to safety.
So this is the legendary [Muscle Queen]…
Takakai crashed onto the stove, then rolled to the floor, groaning.
No time to recover.
Maki lunged forward, slamming a makeshift wooden cover over the hole—
BAM!
Something slammed into it from below, sending her flying into the ceiling.
It was climbing up.
Takakai, still dazed, smelled damp rot and heard wheezing gasps—like a drowning man clawing for air.
Kaguya grabbed another plank, shouting:
"Gree—"
The room was flooding.
Water seeped through the floorboards.
Mold bloomed across the walls.
Then—icy fingers closed around Takakai's wrist.
Freezing.
Paralyzing.
His lungs filled with sludge, choking him silent.
"Green! The clock!"
Kaguya's command rang out.
But no rewind came.
Maki crashed down, blood streaking her forehead.
Takakai thrashed, tearing at the thing gripping him—
Rip.
Something came loose in his hand.
A shadow loomed in the doorway.
Boom!
The charred corpse from Room 206 slammed into the kitchen, shaking the walls.
A shriek echoed—dozens of voices drowning as one.
The mold receded.
The water drained away.
And Takakai vomited black sludge, gasping for air.
Sun Dajun stumbled in, paling at the sight of the charred corpse but rushing to help.
Kaguya, wiping bile from her lips, pointed at the hole.
Sun sealed it with another plank, then turned to see Maki peek beneath it.
Her face drained of color as she quickly covered it again.
Too many faces staring back.
Meanwhile, Kaguya stormed into the living room—
Where Green cowered in a corner.
The man who'd ignored her order to rewind time.
"I—I was scared! I panicked!"
He groveled, but Kaguya grabbed his collar and slammed him face-first into the floor.
A knife flashed—
Slice.
Blood welled along Green 's cheek as he spat out a tooth.
Sun Dajun gaped. "What the—?"
Takakai, helping Maki to the couch, merely shook his head.
Then he examined the object he'd torn free:
A faded cloth badge, its embroidery still legible:
[XX Catastrophic Flood Rescue Team]