Chapter 43

“…No, are you saying you ran away after making me with your own Despair Core?”

Honestly, I didn’t really understand.

The Despair Core was essentially no different from the heart of a monster. And yet, you ran away in such a hurry after making me with your own Despair Core?

…Are you *sure* you made me with your own Despair Core?

“W-Well, I was really scared back then! The Monster Girl I worked so hard to create wouldn’t listen to me, a Magical Girl was flying toward me sensing the mix of hope and despair from the experiment, and on top of that, she was a psychopath who destroyed every secret lab she found!”

“…Ah, I see.”

Emerald, who had returned from the previous world, seemed to have been tracking down the Doctor’s traces.

Considering how thoroughly she destroyed his labs, it’s no wonder he developed PTSD.

Still, I couldn’t quite understand why he abandoned me.

“A-And the escape mode was only for one person! Plus, I thought the Monster Girl I made wouldn’t lose to some Magical Girl!”

“…So you just thought, ‘Let that disobedient girl suffer a bit~’ and left me behind, huh?”

“…”

“…”

I’m reading the room. I’m reading it *hard*.

Judging by how the Doctor avoided eye contact and kept rolling his eyes around, it seemed I hit the mark.

Wait, seriously? You abandoned something made from your own heart for such a petty reason?

‘Don’t get ahead of yourself, Heart. It’s not like we’re the same or anything…’

“Sigh…”

“Ugh…”

As I let out a sigh, the Doctor flinched.

What am I supposed to do with this guy?

Clicking my tongue, I glared down at him, and he started shrinking into himself.

Seems like he knew he messed up.

“I-I was wrong… Please help me…”

“…Fine, alright.”

It’d be rude not to help when he’s being this pitiful.

I could’ve coldly rejected him, but it seemed like his control command or whatever was still functioning, at least a little.

Sigh, being born into the Apocalypse is a sin.

“R-Really? You mean it? No take-backs?”

“Why are you so happy about it?”

“It’s the first time you’ve listened to me, of course I’m happy!”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment, but I’ll take it as one.”

It’s like, “Our golden child has changed!” or something.

The Doctor’s expression was exactly that—a parent’s face when their troublemaking child finally listens to them for the first time.

He looked so moved he might cry. Seeing that face made me wonder if I really was that disobedient.

“So, what do you need help with?”

“Obviously, we need to get rid of that thing. Tch, my lab…! My research records…!”

Ugh, what a hassle. Do we *really* have to get rid of it?

Given the Curs’ tendency to hide all over the place, finding it would be a pain.

Besides, the Magical Girls will probably take care of it anyway, so why should I bother?

I didn’t want to activate the Despair Circuit and risk drawing the Magical Girls’ attention.

“Do we *have* to get rid of it?”

“Of course! Absolutely! That arrogant thing, daring to act all high and mighty with me! A former human, no less!”

“I have a good idea. Want to hear it?”

I’m not sure if this will work—no, it definitely will.

I started explaining my plan step by step to the Doctor, who tilted his head in curiosity.

The more I explained, the more he laughed, and it felt oddly comforting.

“Pfft, pffahahahaha!!”

“How about it? Not bad, right?”

“Well, alright. You’re the first one crazier than me! Pfft!”

Who’s crazier here, really?

I lightly tapped the top of his head, and tears welled up in the Doctor’s eyes.

Seems like my love-filled punch was a bit too strong.

***

Using despair to ascend. And revenge against the Sung-Ending Doctor, who ruined his own lab.

Even though he got away, Curs wasn’t feeling too bad about it.

After all, he’d managed to get his hands on the Sung-Ending Doctor’s research records and realized his own power was enough to overwhelm the Doctor.

“Was she really trying to create a god…?”

The Sung-Ending Doctor’s records contained information about creating a Despair Circuit using the Despair Core, which would function similarly to the Hope Circuit possessed by Magical Girls.

Though the details on how to create it were erased, the mere fact that a Despair Circuit could be made sent shivers down Curs’ spine.

“Hm…?”

After reading through the Doctor’s research records for a while, Curs suddenly looked up, sensing something off.

Amidst the gathered despair in the lab, a single thread of different despair emerged.

It was only for a brief moment, but Curs could clearly sense this foreign despair.

It was like throwing a pebble into a calm lake—no, not a pebble, but rather…

“…!!”

Following the despair, hope revealed itself.

From far away, hope rapidly approached and began firing without giving Curs any chance to react.

The deafening roar was so loud it was almost silent.

The lab collapsed in an instant, and Curs reflexively stood up.

“…I’ll have to abandon this place.”

He had no intention of facing a Magical Girl unprepared.

Perfect preparation, flawless planning—that was all that defined him.

Slowly slipping into the shadows, Curs began mapping out his next hideout in his mind.

With a firm resolve that this next location would never be discovered.

***

“Pfft, pffahahahaha!! Look at him running for his life! Hah, what a sight!”

“How about it? Not bad, right?”

With a cheer, the Doctor raised his arm, and I high-fived him.

The Doctor seemed relieved that the plan I suggested went off without a hitch.

“Using your despair to lure the Magical Girl and have her take care of him… Ahaha!!”

He seemed really happy, probably because he got to make Curs experience the same fear he felt while running from Emerald every day.

Make your enemy suffer the same annoying thing you went through.

That single-minded idea led to a successful plan.

“By the way, the performance is great.”

“Right? It’s one of my masterpieces!”

Grr, grr—

“Yeah, yeah, it’s nice to see it again after so long.”

Greeting the monster I first met in the shelter, I recalled the recent events.

Riding the monster, infiltrating Curs’ lab, activating the Despair Circuit to summon Emerald, and then escaping on the monster again.

With the ability to slip into the shadows and move instantly without leaving a trace, there was no risk of being caught.

“Hey, can I have this?”

Honestly, I was tempted.

With this, I could move around without worrying about Emerald and absorb despair wherever I went.

It’s like the instant teleportation device every office worker dreams of—how could I resist?

“N-No way! This is my lifeline! Absolutely not!”

“Come on, think of it as a gift to your daughter. Parents are supposed to give their children everything, even their lives, right?”

“I already gave you my Despair Core! Isn’t that enough!?”

Well, he’s got a point.

Reluctantly, I gave up.

It’d be too harsh to take away his only means of escape when he can’t even function as a monster without his Despair Core.

I’m a generous monster, so I’ll let it slide.

“By the way, what’s this about daughters and parents? Who’s the daughter and who’s the parent here!?”

“It’s a joke, a joke. Can’t you take a joke, Doctor?”

His speechless reaction made me smirk.

Honestly, I’m not too keen on having a parent like the Doctor either.

“So, when’s the next one?”

“Next one?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Wait, wasn’t this a one-time thing?

Seems like we’re not on the same page.

Apparently, the Doctor thought I’d do this multiple times for him.

Come on, no way. Did he really expect me to do this over and over?

“J-Just once isn’t enough, right? You feel the same, don’t you? Huh?”

“…Sigh.”

Seriously, what’s with this guy?

It’s like he lost a screw along with his Despair Core.

Once is enough, why would I do this multiple times?

Maybe he’s thinking, “I suffered more than once, so you should too!”

“No way, no way. What if the Magical Girls catch us?”

“What if we make sure they don’t…!”

“You’re not a child…”

He was like a kid begging for another ride on an airplane because it’s fun.

Probably because he got to make the person who ruined his lab experience the same thing he went through, but combined with his appearance, it made him seem even more like a child.

It’s kind of scary that such a mad scientist is hiding inside this childish exterior.

“Then just one more time! Just one more! Please? Should I, uh, get on my knees?”

“…Fine. Just one more time.”

“Great!”

As I sighed and nodded at the Doctor, who had become the embodiment of desperation, he cheered and raised both arms.

Well, it’s not like anything major will happen, right?