Chapter 45

When Garnet heard that an intruder had appeared in the underground laboratory, the first place she headed wasn’t where the intruder had appeared, but where the intruder had come from.

To uncover the darkness of this structurally flawed city.

Why on earth are the underground researchers studying monsters?

Why does everything about the underground lab have to be kept secret?

What exactly is the goal of their leader, the Doctor?

[Conditions necessary for the birth of a Magical Girl.]

[The connection between monsters and Magical Girls.]

That day, as she looked at the records in her hands, how many thoughts must have crossed her mind?

[The power of a Magical Girl seems to manifest when a child who has frequently witnessed the despair of monsters holds a strong hope.]

[An experiment to artificially increase the number of Magical Girls by deliberately increasing the number of monsters.]

[#1]

The reason why monsters appear so frequently compared to the size of the city.

The reason why, despite the frequent appearance of monsters, there are only two Magical Girls left.

As Garnet read through the records, the shocking truth that unfolded made her sick to her stomach all day.

‘I knew they were up to something strange, but I never thought they’d go this far…’

The transformation of humans into monsters.

The fusion of monsters and humans.

How the despair of a Magical Girl affects monsters.

“…In the end, everyone was just being used.”

The entire city was no different from that man’s laboratory.

How could a city without a single signal detector for monster despair possibly detect the appearance of monsters and sound the alarm?

It was because they were sending up monsters from underground at their own will.

They determined when the monsters would appear, so sounding the alarm at that moment was a piece of cake.

‘It was strange from the start, that such a flimsy shelter never got attacked.’

I had never been to another city, but I knew that shelters were usually built underground.

But a shelter above ground? And the top floor is the safest?

It was ridiculous.

It made me wonder why no one had questioned it until now.

‘I have to protect Peridot.’

Being used was enough for me.

But that child couldn’t be.

Peridot was the most Magical Girl-like of all the Magical Girls I had seen.

She lacked experience and had a tender heart, but she could definitely become a proper Magical Girl, unlike me.

“If only I could leave this damn city…”

Fiddling with the choker around her neck, Garnet muttered.

A collar. A thing they put on her, saying it would cut her life short if she did anything foolish.

What was it they said? That she had to wear it until ‘graduation.’

‘Garnet, I leave the rest to you. We are the Magical Girls who protect this city.’

‘But, senpai—’

‘Someday, we’ll definitely meet again.’

I don’t know when, but I’m sure I’ll end up in the same place as senpai.

I had a vague idea of what the Doctor meant by graduation.

‘So until then, live freely, Garnet.’

Freedom.

Garnet slowly closed her eyes as the two words floated in her mind.

Could I really live freely?

Would the day ever come when I, already like a bird trapped in a cage, could fly freely across the vast sky?

‘Sorry, senpai. Living freely was impossible after all.’

As long as the Doctor is alive—no, as long as this city’s underground lab exists, there’s no way I’ll ever be free.

Garnet clenched her fist, recalling the sensation of plunging a blade into a being that was a mix of human and monster.

The look in the eyes of the Magical Girl named Emerald, who stared at her in horror, was still vivid in her memory.

“I wish they’d all just die.”

Everyone in the underground.

She forced herself to sleep, uttering a wish that could never come true.

Surely, tomorrow would be just like today.

Dealing with the monsters sent up from the underground lab, being praised as a Magical Girl, waiting for a graduation that might never come.

But the next day.

What Garnet heard was the complete destruction of the underground lab, the death of most of the researchers, and the disappearance of the Doctor.

***

“Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing… There are so many people I couldn’t save, and—”

“…”

Somehow, I ended up listening to her worries.

Well, since I was just sitting there quietly, she started pouring out all her concerns.

‘…Why on earth did that damn Doctor send me to the outskirts of the city?’

Couldn’t he just have taken me to the hospital?

It was clear he had some grudge against me.

If not, he wouldn’t have put me in this situation.

After all the help I gave, to repay kindness with enmity, truly, a monster is a monster.

‘And that human behind me… isn’t that a bit much?’

The murderous glare directed at me was too intense.

Peridot beside me seemed oblivious to the hostility, still chattering away.

…I really want to escape.

Next to me, a chatterbox, and behind me, a murderous glare.

‘Life as a monster is tough, so tough.’

Emerald, Peridot, and that unnamed Magical Girl behind me.

Somehow, I got tangled up with Magical Girls, tsk.

Ah, Tamako was an exception. Tamako was a Magical Girl who was kind to monsters.

“We’re almost there, so let’s go in.”

“I’ll take you to your room!”

“…That’s not necessary.”

At Peridot’s shout, I turned my head.

If I told her the room number, she’d probably come looking for me on her own.

Having the nurse and Emerald come find me was enough.

If more people started coming, it would just be a hassle.

“Then shall I take you, Akari?”

“…Ugh.”

See, it’s already starting to get annoying.

I reflexively hunched my shoulders at the voice from behind.

The only person here who would call me Akari was that one person.

“Where have you been so early in the morning?”

“…I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.”

“You could have at least called me. Do you know how worried I was when I heard Akari was missing?”

“…Sorry.”

Emerald’s gentle voice carried an anxiety that showed just how much she cared for me.

By the way, what on earth brought her to my room at such an early hour?

And of all people, why did she have to call Emerald?

Whoever it was, I’ll definitely get my revenge.

“And who is this beside you?”

“Ah, um, I’m Hazuki.”

“She’s someone I met during my walk and who brought me to the hospital.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right…”

With Emerald’s sudden appearance, Peridot started to stammer.

It seemed awkward since they were meeting for the first time.

…Wait, is this their first meeting? They’re both Magical Girls.

Colleagues who don’t even recognize each other?

‘Do Magical Girls not recognize each other when they’re not transformed?’

Apparently, even Magical Girls can’t recognize each other when not transformed.

Anyway, I decided to use Peridot as an alibi to prove I was just out for a walk.

It was a bit ambiguous, but just the fact that I returned to the hospital with a human should ease Emerald’s suspicions.

“Thank you for bringing Akari to the hospital, Hazuki.”

“Yes, yes!”

“I’ll take care of Akari from now on, so you can go back.”

“Okay…”

I was inwardly impressed by Emerald’s gentle yet firm dismissal.

Watching Peridot, who was glancing at me and hesitating, slowly walk away, I quietly spoke.

There might come a day when I need to use her again, so it’s better to say something here.

“See you later, Hazuki.”

“Yes, yes! Um, Akari!”

Waving her hand at the end, Peridot looked like she was about to die of happiness.

Her smile reached her ears, it really did.

“Some people are so worried they come looking for you, while others casually make new friends… Don’t you think that’s unfair?”

“…Ah.”

After watching Peridot disappear completely, I let out a short sigh at Emerald’s voice from beside me.

Come to think of it, she was here too.

Unfortunately, the hassle was just beginning.

“Are you sure you were just out for a walk? You didn’t go anywhere else, did you?”

“Well, yeah. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”

Given the time we’ve spent together, she didn’t seem to be deeply suspicious.

It was more like she was just curious.

After all, the despair I released in Curs’s lab had passed through the Doctor’s special filter, so there was little chance of it being discovered.

…It couldn’t be discovered, right?

‘If only I could trust the Doctor, sigh…’

I sighed inwardly and followed Emerald.

From now on, I’ll have to be careful when going out.