Chapter 25

Recently, I thought something interesting might happen, but nothing really did.

What a shame.

I wanted to visit the huge research facility under the mart again, but now Emerald is always by my side, making it difficult.

“Emerald.”

“Yes, Akari.”

“You have your own place, so why are you sleeping here?”

“I’m a patient, a patient.”

I clicked my tongue inwardly as Emerald showed her wound.

It’s clearly an excuse.

That proud one should recover quickly, whatever it takes.

Magical girls should guarantee the freedom of monsters, guarantee it!

Grumble—

“Oh my.”

And the biggest problem.

I was too hungry.

The main reason was that I couldn’t freely consume Tamako’s despair because Emerald was sleeping right next to her.

How can I secretly eat despair when the despair police are guarding the despair fountain day and night?

‘I might get hit by a magical girl’s cannon if I mess up.’

I confirmed that human bullets don’t do much damage, but I’m not sure about a magical girl’s cannon.

What if I accidentally die with a “peek”?

So, despite my complaints, I had no choice but to live like this.

‘Well, let’s hold on for now. I’ll look for an opportunity to suck up despair to my heart’s content.’

Doesn’t Emerald have nightmares? If she came from a world destroyed by the Apocalypse, she should have nightmares at least once…

I was eagerly waiting for a chance to consume the despair of Tamako and Emerald, but unfortunately, such an opportunity hasn’t come yet.

At this point, maybe the world just hates me.

“Recently, it seems like you’re eating more, Akari. Maybe it means you’re getting healthier.”

“Yeah…”

Healthier? More like dying.

It’s good that they feed me when my stomach growls, but the problem is that the food is based on human standards.

I don’t want this trash, I want despair, despair…

‘I feel like flipping the table, but kind-hearted me has to endure. Yes, that’s right.’

Other monsters would have killed nearby humans the moment they lacked despair.

It’s because I’m a monster of my caliber that I endure this much, tsk.

“Here, eat up. You need to get healthy quickly so you can be discharged and go home.”

“…”

She says such grating things so casually.

Maybe it’s better to chew up her unhealed wounds.

Even the hope she emits every time she says such things neutralizes Tamako’s despair.

It’s a total mess, a total mess.

“Thank you for the meal.”

‘…Ugh.’

Another problem with Emerald staying in the hospital room is that I can’t secretly spit out the food.

I have to put this tasteless stuff into my stomach?

Ugh, just imagining it is horrifying.

“Ugh…”

“Huh?”

“Just now…!”

As I was about to put the tasteless human food in my mouth, a small groan was heard.

Not me, not Emerald, but someone else’s groan.

‘Tamako, you’re saving me again!’

Not only are you a despair fountain, but also an emergency escape route, you clever thing!

I quickly took the initiative before Emerald could tell me to eat the human food.

Tamako, I want to see your beautiful rainbow eyes.

Please wake up. Please!

“…Ah.”

‘Ugh, ughhh…’

As soon as my eyes met Tamako’s, my stomach churned.

If I hadn’t held on, I would have definitely vomited blood.

Going near Tamako was always to consume despair, so reflexively opening the Despair Circuit was a mistake.

‘Did she really pour out hope energy as soon as she saw me…’

I don’t think I did anything that bad.

In fact, since I saved her life, shouldn’t she pour out despair for me?

…No. Tamako is a magical girl, so it’s natural for her to pour out hope when she’s happy.

Lately, due to the lack of despair, my mind and body have weakened, making my thoughts all jumbled.

“…My savior.”

“Yes, Tamako.”

“Thank you for saving me. Really, thank you…”

Tamako burst into tears just by looking at me.

As her rainbow eyes filled with tears, the light reflected everywhere, momentarily blinding me.

Ugh, my eyes hurt.

I subtly averted my gaze and pulled Emerald’s arm.

“Actually, this person here is also a savior, so you should greet her too.”

“Uh, hello. I’m Midori.”

“Thank you, Midori.”

Her bright smile was too bright.

Her hair, the complete opposite of mine, being white, made the contrast even more striking.

We were in the same laboratory, yet we’re so different.

‘By the way, does this mean the 24-hour despair generator has become an 8-hour despair generator on average?’

Thinking about it, it was better when you were unconscious, Tamako.

Would you mind going back to being unconscious now?

“I’ll call the doctor.”

“I’ll go—”

“Since I seem to be the healthiest here, I’ll go.”

I quickly left the room, feeling like I’d turn into a hope-pickled monster if I stayed any longer.

…I thought I’d suffocate to death.

The hope of escaping the doctor’s lab and the hope from Tamako waking up mixed into a horrifying taste.

‘Since I’m out, let’s catch my breath…’

Of course, I couldn’t afford to relax.

The longer it takes to bring the doctor, the more suspicious it would be.

Hmm, no.

Actually, the current Emerald probably wouldn’t suspect me even if I returned tomorrow.

Not that I plan to return tomorrow, though.

Knock knock—

“Come in~”

“Hello, Doctor.”

“Yes, what brings you here…?”

As I entered the office, the doctor I first saw when admitted to the hospital greeted me.

Squinty-eyed characters are always suspicious.

It was also strange to have an MRI and an iron maiden in the same place.

‘And this smell…’

Ugh—

You might think you hid it perfectly, but to my nose, starved and forced to eat human food and exposed to hope, it was clear.

A faint trace of despair.

“My friend who was admitted with me has woken up. Could you check on her?”

“Of course, that’s necessary.”

The doctor stood up and walked out first, and I followed behind.

It definitely feels strange from behind.

From the front, he seemed like a kind human, but from behind, there was no one more suspicious.

Is this what they mean by a two-faced human?

‘Should I poke a little?’

I was bored and curious about his reaction, so I subtly closed the distance.

Ready, set—

“Doctor, your perfume scent is quite unique.”

“Is it? I didn’t put on any perfume…”

“Then maybe it’s your natural scent. It’s a hard scent to get used to, how interesting~”

“…Thank you for the compliment?”

If you took that as a compliment, you have potential as a monster.

How about having a serious career counseling session with me sometime?

Being a doctor, you must be quite educated, so recruiting you as a monster would be quite—

—No, no.

Imagining another guy like the doctor being born doesn’t seem appealing at all.

“Your condition has improved a lot.”

The doctor does a proper examination.

I was ready to chew his head off if he did anything weird to my despair fountain.

Well, a doctor wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his license, right?

“You can be discharged, but would you like to stay longer?”

“I’ll be discharged.”

“…Akari?”

“Thank you for everything, Doctor.”

I changed my attitude so quickly that Emerald tilted her head in confusion.

She seemed to be saying she didn’t understand why.

Oh dear, it seems Emerald didn’t sense anything.

Remember, squinty-eyed, polite, kind-spoken protagonists always have something shady going on.

“Akari, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

“I want to go to Midori’s house quickly.”

“Huh…?”

“Being in a hospital like this for too long makes you mentally weak.”

I pulled Emerald’s sleeve with nonsensical logic.

Come on, let’s go home.

I didn’t want to stay in this monster-scented hospital any longer.

It felt like there was definitely some underworld ruler or something attached to it.

If not, maybe a senior researcher from the underground lab, yeah.

“Come on, Tamako. Can you stand?”

“Uh, no…”

“Then I’ll carry Tamako.”

She looks fragile now, but since she’s a magical girl, she should recover quickly.

The fact that she woke up so soon after what happened in the doctor’s lab is proof.

Alright, let’s go. To Emerald’s house!

‘Wait, doesn’t this mean I’m entering the magical girl’s base?’

It was a late realization, but I brushed it off.

Eh, what could possibly go wrong?