Chapter 28

It was a night when everyone was asleep.

Just as I was enjoying a blissful slumber, feeling the despair of two magical girls beside me.

Creak, creaaaak~

“…Here they come again.”

Hearing the faint cry of a monster, I slowly opened my eyes and glanced out the window.

There, I saw a red moon—

No, to be precise, it was the monster’s eye.

“How on earth is this city designed that monsters roam around every night?”

I felt like rushing to the higher-ups of this city and grabbing them by the collar.

Anyway, since I wasn’t running the Despair Circuit, the monster didn’t notice me and was desperately trying to get through the window.

It tapped on the window with its beak-like mouth, trying to find a way in. It looked so…

“Like a cockroach searching for food.”

Wait, cancel that comparison to a magical girl.

Now that I think about it, the monster looks much more like a cockroach.

Even among monsters, that grotesquely twisted pelican-like appearance was enough to make anyone’s stomach churn.

And here I was, happily consuming despair, tsk.

“Hey.”

Creak?

“Not going away?”

I miss the monster I first met at the shelter. That one was quite communicative.

If other monsters felt like cockroaches, that one was more like a giant puppy, yeah.

Anyway, I threw a bunch of threats at the monster clinging to the window.

Shoo, shoo, all the despair here is mine, so don’t even think about touching it.

Creak, click, creakik

“…Are you mocking me?”

The monster started laughing as if my actions were ridiculous.

That made me so annoyed that even while consuming despair, my face twisted in frustration.

What gives you the confidence to act like this?

Didn’t monsters these days receive any home training? Or maybe they don’t even have homes…

Sluuurp~

Creak?

I quietly approached and opened the window, and the monster tilted its head as if it didn’t understand.

Shouldn’t animals usually sense threats and run away?

But this one just stood there, clueless about what was coming.

Creeeeak?!??!!?!

“I told you to scram.”

Seeing the open window, the monster tried to come in, and I reflexively reached out.

And then, grabbed its neck.

It looked like a chicken just before its neck got twisted.

It flapped its wings and struggled with its short legs to escape my grip, but I wasn’t that easygoing.

“You should’ve listened to the monster’s warning.”

Creeeeak…!!!

Wait, I was trying to give you some life advice, and you kick me?

The monster’s sharp claws tore through the shoulder of my only outfit.

Already in a bad mood, and now my only clothes are ruined…

“This won’t do.”

You’re going to pay for this.

Slowly, very slowly, I started to tighten my grip.

The monster seemed to realize something was wrong and stopped moving, but it was too late.

Creak, creeeak, click…

You should’ve listened.

With a final, weak cry, the monster’s neck snapped, and it went limp.

I tossed the clearly dead monster aside, and a sticky black liquid clung to it.

“Well, at least it’s better than consuming hope.”

The shadow wriggled and began devouring the monster’s corpse.

It didn’t feel like consuming a magical girl’s despair, but the despair inside the monster seemed equivalent to that of several humans.

At least it’s a decent snack, hmm.

If I were a normal monster, I might’ve enjoyed eating this, but this part was a bit disappointing.

[Akari…]

“Geez, can you make some noise when you approach?”

[So, sorry…]

Why is she suddenly so timid?

May approached hesitantly, looking at me with a troubled expression.

Tsk, I almost swatted her like a fly.

“By the way, did you see? From where?”

[Uh, from when Akari said, ‘Hey, not going away?’…]

So, you saw everything from the beginning.

For a magical girl’s partner, she’s quite sneaky.

She just watched quietly without making a sound?

“What, never seen a monster killing another monster before?”

[No, it’s just…]

I shook off the residue from my hand, and it disappeared into the shadow.

Watching May’s eyes dart around, I narrowed my eyes.

Is she thinking, ‘Can I use her as a monster disposal unit?’ or something?

[Thank you for protecting Emerald.]

“Huh?”

Wait, what are you talking about?

Who protected whom? Me? Protecting Emerald?

Hearing such a horrifying statement gave me goosebumps.

Ugh, I feel… nauseous…

“Hey, I don’t know what delusions you’re having, but that’s not it, okay?”

[Oh, really?]





“That’s how it is. Ugh, what are you even saying… ughhh…!”

It felt similar to when I had swallowed hope.

My body temperature dropped, my head throbbed as if hit by a hammer, and my stomach felt uneasy.

To purify my tainted heart, I licked up the monster’s byproducts that were stuck to the ground.

Of course, not with my mouth, but with my shadow.

[Isn’t your level of discomfort a bit too much? The more you receive gratitude, the better you should feel, right?]

“Ugh.”

[Did you just throw up?! Did you just casually throw up like a cat coughing up a hairball?!]

Do you think I’d feel good just because a lump of hope praised me?

As the disgust rose and I gagged, a half-digested lump of despair plopped down.

May, who was horrified and tried to avoid that lump of despair, still managed to say everything she wanted to say.

“Go away, lump of hope. My stomach is churning.”

[That’s too harsh, your words are too harsh!]

“Get lost, minion of the magical girl. You’re disgusting.”

[It got even worse!?]

What kind of nice words are you expecting to hear?

Just looking at it makes me feel bad—wait, is it even a living thing? Anyway.

No matter how much I tried to restrain myself, I couldn’t help but keep talking to that thing that kept acting familiar.

[Anyway, thank you! For protecting Emerald!]

“No…”

She just said her piece and left.

Watching May fly off to Emerald with a “pororong” sound effect, I let out a sigh.

If there’s despair, I don’t need to sleep, so maybe I’ll stay awake a little longer.

‘The moon is so bright, so bright…’

It was a night that reminded me of the eyeballs of the bird-type monster I had just killed.

***

“Ugh…”

Uuung—

[How are you, Emerald?]

“I think I’m feeling much better.”

Though it creaked a bit, the Hope Circuit slowly started to move, and I exhaled slowly.

Just a while ago, I had been burning up with fever, but after a good sleep, it seemed like I recovered pretty quickly.

I had also been nursed all day.

‘Akari—she doesn’t seem to be in a good mood.’

Her expression was dark, probably because she had been through a lot while I was sick.

It was only natural, considering she hadn’t eaten properly and had been nursing me late into the night.

‘Why did I ever doubt someone like that…’

She was an unpredictable person, but she was definitely not a bad person.

If Akari had been on the monster’s side, she would have had more than enough time to pull something while I was down.

I should treat Akari better from now on.

[Emerald, what do you think about Akari?]

“Akari? Why Akari?”

[No, it’s just… I was wondering if you still think the same as before.]

The difference between me when I first met Akari and me now was like the difference between heaven and earth.

Now, even if I thought of the Apocalypse, Akari wouldn’t come to mind.

The opposite was also true.

“I’m fine now. She seems like a different person from the one I knew.”

[…I see.]

There was a slight glimmer of moisture in May’s eyes.

Really, a partner who gets moved by such trivial things.

Feeling a bit awkward for having caused such a partner distress, I gently stroked May’s head with my fingers.

There, there, don’t cry. Okay?

“You finally woke up, Midori.”

“Yes, thank you so much. If it weren’t for Akari, I might have been sick for much longer.”

“Of course, that would have been the case.”

Hmph, Akari turned her head.

Is she sulking?

Well, considering how much she suffered because of me, it would be more strange if she weren’t sulking.

‘Even Tamako was taken care of together…’

When there was only one sick person, two people could take care of one, but when there were two sick people, one person had to take care of both.

Maybe I should buy her something tasty.

Even if it doesn’t seem like it, Akari has quite an appetite.

I’ve never seen someone’s stomach clock ring so often, yeah.

“Akari.”

“Yes, Midori.”

“Is there anything you want? Anything at all, just say it.”

This was all I could do to repay her.

Money wasn’t an issue, so I could buy her almost anything.

After all, the money I had was just sitting there unused because I was too busy dealing with monsters every day, so maybe this was a better way to spend it.

Akari, who seemed to be hesitating and pondering over my offer, looked so cute.