Chapter 72

If it had been a request from an ordinary human, I would have refused, but since it was Tamako’s request, I decided to accept it.

Above all, that human child named Aya, her despair was quite delicious.

If she’s still alive, she must have been kidnapped by a monster and is probably spewing out delicious despair.

“Thank you, really, thank you…”

Looking at the human—Lina—who kept bowing her head, I sniffed and snorted.

The despair of a grown human was quite bland, but this time, it felt pretty good.

Was it because it was the despair of a parent who lost their child?

It was the kind of despair I’d want to eat every day as a post-meal snack.

“Benefactor, are you really okay?”

“What’s not okay about it? It’s nice to go out for a change, you know.”

Tamako, who had exchanged phone numbers with Lina, asked with concern.

She seemed unsure if I should really go outside.

Well, I’ve been stuck at home ever since I came back, so it’s understandable she’d think that.

‘Akari, please try not to go outside for a while.’

Recalling those green eyes looking at me with such earnestness, I shook my head.

Why are you looking at me with such worry-filled eyes, tsk.

It’s not like I’m the type to go around getting beaten up, and honestly, the ones who should be worried are the ones who’ll run into me.

Ah, now that I think about it, maybe she’s worried about the ones who’ll run into me…

Anyway.

“Let’s head back first.”

“Yes, Benefactor.”

They say to strike while the iron is hot, but for now, taking Tamako home was the priority.

It felt like protecting my own despair fountain.

“Benefactor, you’re really kind.”

“One Emerald is enough for teasing like that.”

“I’m not teasing.”

Tamako’s eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity as she spoke.

Both Emerald and Tamako, how can they call a monster kind?

Magical girls must have soft brains, no doubt about it.

Well, they’re just girls who haven’t even become adults yet, so it makes sense.

“Benefactor, you remind me of someone I know.”

“…”

Tamako said quietly.

Being told I resemble a human wasn’t exactly a compliment.

***

Sniff, sniff, I smell the air.

It would be a strange sight to other humans, but there’s nothing more reliable than this when searching for a human exuding despair.

Now, where should I go…

“The end is near! Everyone, prepare to seek mercy!”

“The weather’s gloomy too, tsk! Why won’t you just disappear!?”

“We must seek forgiveness from Him! Please, mercy! Please, mercy! Please, mercy!!”

I never thought I’d see something like this in real life, only on TV.

Maybe because the world is ending, there were quite a few humans on the streets who seemed to have lost their minds.

End of the world, mercy, and all that… what, some prophecy of world destruction?

Of course, watching these lunatics was quite entertaining.

Their desperate despair as they proclaimed the end was also quite tasty.

“Everyone, seek forgiveness from Him—”

Thud

“…Ah.”

Just as I was moving through the streets, avoiding these humans who had taken over.

I accidentally bumped into one of these lunatics.

Ugh, this is going to be annoying.

I shuddered at the thought of what was to come and took a step back.

I didn’t want to interact with humans in the first place, and of all people, I had to bump into a lunatic.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah…?!?!!?!”

“…What is it, really.”

As expected.

The moment he saw me, the human started going crazy, and I slowly moved away.

Ugh, I hope I don’t catch whatever mental illness he has.

I hurriedly walked past the human, who was foaming at the mouth and convulsing like he had rabies.

‘Maybe those guys are actually humanoid monsters.’

They don’t look like ordinary humans, seriously.

If I got bitten, I’d probably catch their madness.

Though the despair they exuded was quite strong for ordinary humans, for some reason, I didn’t feel like eating it.

That’s not despair, it’s madness.

“Where could she be…”

Criminals return to the scene of the crime, so I went to the place where Aya was kidnapped first.

Maybe because some time has passed, I don’t smell any despair or anything.

I should’ve come here yesterday.

I clicked my tongue internally and slowly looked around.

There wasn’t any deadline to find her, and I wasn’t doing this for any reward, so I decided to take it easy.

“What, Akari. Why are you here? You’re always at home.”

“I do come out sometimes, you know?”

I naturally retorted at the voice from behind.

Is it okay to talk to your benefactor like that?

I clicked my tongue internally at the attitude so different from Tamako’s.

Especially since her hope seemed to have grown much larger than before, it was almost nauseating.

“I came out because I was asked to find a child.”

“A child? What child?”

Garnet tilted her head, not understanding my answer.

She seemed unable to connect the dots between me and searching for a child.

“There’s a human I know, and they asked me to find their child.”

“You know someone? You?”

“…What’s with that surprised reaction? I do know a human or two, you know?”

If that surprised reaction is annoying, is it just my mood?

No, it’s not my mood, it’s just annoying.

How low does she think my social skills are, this girl.

Though it’s weird for a monster to be concerned about social skills.

“So, kidnapping? What’s going on? Some guys trying to extort money?”

“No, it’s not humans, it’s a monster.”

“…A monster?”

“Why are you staring at me like that? I don’t do lowly things like kidnapping.”

I answered bluntly to Garnet, who was looking at me when she heard the word ‘monster.’

At my level, I don’t need laws to live, right?

Looking at a monster who hasn’t done anything like that, I felt like I should teach her a lesson someday.

“No, I just got a bad feeling…”

“Speak up. I need all the help I can get right now.”

“Heeh, you’re taking this more seriously than I thought?”

“Not really.”

Her teasing tone is annoying.

What do the magical girls around me think of me?

Anyway, if she thought of something, it was good news.

I was already stuck in the search due to lack of clues.

“There’s only one guy I remember who uses monsters to kidnap kids.”

“…”

“Doctor— in the name you know, it’s Curs, I guess.”

“Ah.”

Now that I think about it, I missed that guy last time.

I wasn’t paying attention, so I forgot about him.

Indeed, Curs would be the type to kidnap Aya.

Lina was also one of the underground lab researchers, so there’s some connection.

And Aya seemed to have quite a talent for being a magical girl.

“Actually, there have been more cases of missing children recently, so I was investigating.”

“Is that so?”

“How about it, I’ll help you, so why don’t we go together? If we run into Curs, just let me hit him once. Just once.”

Isn’t that more like stabbing with a knife than hitting?

Though that’s nothing much.

It would be quite fun to see Curs writhing like a bug after being stabbed by Garnet’s blade, yeah.

I nodded in agreement, and Garnet gave me a refreshing smile.

“Thanks, Akari.”

“Don’t thank a monster when you’re a magical girl. It’s creepy.”

I reflexively shuddered with disgust.

Both Emerald and Tamako and this girl, why do they like thanking monsters so much?

“Alright, are you ready, Watson?”

“Why am I Watson? You’re Watson.”

“Oh, you know about that?”

“…How far are you going to treat me like a fool, you.”

Do you think I’m some clueless monster?

Garnet was subtly trying to put me in the position of her assistant.

Annoying, annoying, annoying.

“Eek, ah, ugh?! W-wait! That hurts!”

“Of course it hurts if you do something that’s supposed to hurt, right? Ms. Magical Girl of Justice?”

I slightly infused despair into my fingertips and pressed Garnet’s arm, causing her to tremble like a human hit by a taser.

That’s what you get for messing around.

“So, where are we going first, Detective?”

“Uh, um… well, isn’t it obvious?”

Garnet’s gaze turned to me, then to the ground.

The ground— no, something below that.

It was a gaze as if looking at something filthy, disgusting, and horrifying.

It felt like looking at something you never want to touch again.

“Are we going to the underground lab?”

“There are too many suspicious things. Don’t you think there might be some clues there?”

“Not bad.”

I nodded at Garnet’s words.

It seems the underground lab exploration isn’t over yet.