Chapter 69

“I want to become a magical girl who saves everyone!”

It felt like I had a dream. A dream from a long, long time ago.

Yeah, back then—when I was a kid, I used to say that all the time.

“I want to become a magical girl who saves everyone,” I’d say.

Even now, that feeling hasn’t changed, but if you asked me if I’ve achieved that dream, I’d have to say “no.”

I couldn’t save everyone.

The dream I had as a child slowly faded, and in the end, I had no choice but to compromise.

How much time has passed since then?

I became a magical girl who could only save those I was able to save.

“You promised yourself you’d save everyone, but you couldn’t even save one friend?”

No. I’ll save her. No matter what, I’ll save her.

I reached out toward the illusion of Akari, but my hand didn’t reach her.

It was as if I had already missed every opportunity.

“No matter what, you’ll save her? It’s too late. How exactly do you plan to save her?”

It’s not too late. It’s not too late yet—

As I forced my frozen body to move and lunged toward Akari, her face changed.

What was there wasn’t Akari anymore.

“Stupid Emerald. Pitiful Emerald. Foolish Emerald.”

“…”

“If you couldn’t save her, you should’ve doubted everything to the end.”

“…”

“You should’ve at least protected Ruby and Sapphire, right?”

The words shot like thorns into my heart.

It was true.

In the end, the choice I made didn’t save Akari, nor did it save Ruby and Sapphire.

No, saying I couldn’t save Ruby and Sapphire might be a bit of an exaggeration.

“Now all the friends who shared your past are gone too?”

To be precise, it’s more accurate to say the relationships are gone.

I closed my eyes in the face of the illusion that mocked me.

I was so ashamed I couldn’t even look at Akari’s face, let alone my own.

“In the end, you failed, Emerald.”

With a sneering voice, my body fell.

*Thud!*

“…Ah.”

When I opened my eyes, a familiar ceiling filled my vision.

The house I saved when I moved here.

The ceiling of the house where Tamako, Akari, and I used to live together.

Wondering if this was also an illusion, I sat there dazed, but the strange sense of reality made me bolt upright.

“Why am I here…?”

I definitely went to get Akari.

Slowly piecing together the scattered memories, I called out urgently.

“Akari!!”

Akari, Akari, Akari!

What I saw last wasn’t the Apocalypse, it was Akari.

No, it didn’t matter which it was.

If the memory in my head was correct, then—

“Haah, haak, sob…”

Remembering the truth, I rushed out the door and headed to the kitchen.

Even though it was just a few steps away, I felt like I was out of breath.

Because right in front of me was none other than Akari.

Not a dream or an illusion, but the real Akari.

“Akari!”

“Wha—!?”

Hugging Akari from behind, she flinched.

Was it uncomfortable?

But right now, I just wanted to do this.

Even if it was forced, even if Akari hated it, I wanted to clearly feel that Akari was here.

“Aka, ri. Sob, Akari…”

“…”

As soon as I felt the warmth of the friend I thought I’d lost, tears streamed down.

A colder warmth than others.

But still warm enough to recognize as warmth.

Burying my face in Akari’s nape and quietly sobbing, Akari shook her head as if tickled.

“…Hey, Midori.”

“…”

“Isn’t it common sense that it’s dangerous to do this while cooking?”

“…Huh?”

“Move, will you? You’re not a kid, geez.”

I wasn’t expecting a touching reaction, but this was so Akari.

As if what happened on the island never existed—

“Maybe I just had a dream.”

Maybe I was sick.

Maybe I had a nightmare because I was sick.

A dream where Akari was attacked by Ruby and Sapphire and ended up becoming like the Apocalypse.

“I didn’t kill Ruby and Sapphire, so don’t worry.”

“Uh, ah. Thank you?”

“…Seeing that dumb look on your face makes me think I should’ve just killed them.”

Her grumbling tone made her sound like a hissing cat.

Looking at her now, she was the same Akari as always.

So much so that all my worries seemed meaningless.

The familiarity brought relief, and I finally calmed down.

“Good timing. Since you’re up, let’s eat.”

“Eat?”

“Why do you think I’m in the kitchen?”

Following Akari’s words, I glanced over.

Akari wearing an apron that said ‘I LOVE HOPE,’ holding a spatula in one hand…

Huh? Am I seeing this right?

I was wide-eyed at this never-before-seen side of Akari.

“You… can cook?”

“I can roughly throw ingredients in and stir-fry.”

Akari, who had taken off her apron, gestured for me to sit down.

Unable to resist her strange charisma, I finally took a seat.

“Since you’ve been served a meal, isn’t it polite to return the favor?”

“…You’re so kind, as always.”

“Actually, it was food for Garnet, but since you woke up, I said that.”

“…”

There was no lie in her words.

Neither in the first nor the second statement.

So, does that mean one of them was a lie?

Looking down at the bowl in front of me, I gulped.

It didn’t matter.

Right now, savoring the precious meal Akari made was my priority.

***

Even after the series of events, if the Despair Circuit hadn’t stopped, it would’ve been a problem, but thankfully, the Despair Circuit stopped according to my will.

Now I can turn the Despair Circuit on and off at will.

Though the exact details will take time to figure out.

[You’re an idiot. Why didn’t you kill them all?]

“It’d be more troublesome if I killed them.”

Looking at the Apocalypse in the mirror, who was staring at me with pity, I shrugged.

Being a monster, it probably doesn’t understand human speech.

Though it seems to understand human speech just fine.

[That’s why I’m saying kill them all. It’s better to kill until there’s nothing troublesome left.]

“The process of killing is troublesome too. Weren’t you bothered?”

[…]

My reasonable argument left the Apocalypse speechless.

Where did this brat learn to talk back like this?

If I could’ve hit it, I would’ve fixed that attitude for sure.

No matter how I think about it, the way it talks just doesn’t sit right with me.

“And, the Doctor’s request you fulfilled, that was your doing, right?”

[…]

“Only keeping quiet when it’s inconvenient. What are you, a kid? Tch.”

To me, the Doctor was someone I shouldn’t even associate with.

But then why did I fulfill that brat’s request with a pathetic sign that said ‘Hate you, but once more’?

To mess with Curs? No, that’s a reason, but I could’ve messed with Curs on my own.

‘What else? There’s a good boy here who listens to his mom.’

I knew from the original story that the Apocalypse wasn’t brainwashed by the Doctor.

Which means, in the original, the Apocalypse willingly followed the Doctor’s orders.

With the Apocalypse having memories of the previous world and meeting the Doctor again, it must’ve wanted to follow the Doctor’s orders like before.

‘Mother and daughter, both being a pain, ah…’

The Doctor’s not around now, so it doesn’t matter, but the Apocalypse might be around for a while.

I’ll have to be careful when washing my face in the morning. It might say something weird and bother me.

“Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you. Just talking to myself, talking to myself.”

Though the conversation dragged on, Emerald and my daily life quickly returned to normal.

Or, should I say it returned to normal?

“By the way, Midori.”

“Yes, Akari.”

“You know I’m a monster, right?”

“Of course I know.”

Emerald confidently answered my question.

For some reason, Emerald didn’t seem to care whether I was human or not.

Put nicely, it’s being unbiased, but put badly, it’s being too trusting.

…At least have some basic caution, you.

“But, Akari is Akari.”

“…Sigh.”

No matter what I said, I ended up looking like the fool.

If I’d known it’d be like this, I should’ve let a few magical girls die.

Honestly, Emerald’s affection for me is way too high.

Without even a hint of caution, she keeps singing ‘Akari, Akari’ at everything…

‘Still, it’s better than being tormented by the others.’

If it were the other magical girls, they’d definitely try to kill me.

Like Ruby, Ruby, Ruby…

Yeah, this is better.

Though I’m not sure how long this daily life will last.