Chapter 77

The inside of the laboratory was pitch dark, with not a single light on.

If I weren’t a monster, I wouldn’t have been able to see anything inside.

A sigh escaped me as a certain someone’s face came to mind.

What were they even doing here, doing something like this?

“…Akari.”

“I know.”

Garnet spoke up, looking at the shadow standing in the darkness.

That’s it. That thing is radiating enough despair to fill this entire room.

It wasn’t the kind of despair a normal human or a magical girl would emit.

It was the kind of despair a monster—specifically, the kind I would emit—would radiate.

“Found it.”

“Found what?”

“The child I was looking for. Though it seems the guardian found them before I did.”

Garnet clicked her tongue, looking at Lina, who was lying on the floor.

Why did she have to go and get herself into trouble like that?

She didn’t seem dead, but she didn’t look fine either.

Well, if your own daughter ended up like that, you’d probably lose your mind even without despair.

“…Is that even human?”

“To be precise, it would be more accurate to say it was once human.”

Aya’s eyes glowed red.

Not the eyes of a human, but the eyes of a monster.

It was a gaze similar to mine when I activated the Despair Circuit.

The only difference was the lack of a halo above her head.

“Long time no see, Aya.”

“…”

“I thought you’d at least respond… Well, whatever.”

In that sense, go, Garnetmon!

As I took a step back, Garnet let out a deep sigh and stepped forward.

After all, monsters are best dealt with by magical girls, right?

I patted her back in encouragement, and she seemed to finally gain some motivation.

[Magical Girl Garnet.]

“…Who’s that?”

[If you’re here to find the children, all I can say is that you’re too late.]

Just before the battle began, a voice came through the speakers.

A voice distorted by mechanical noise.

The being on the other side of the speaker was clearly mocking Garnet.

As if it was already too late.

It was as if they weren’t even trying to hide their hatred for magical girls.

[I don’t know who you were expecting to find, but I’m not that person. Disappointed?]

“Ha, disappointed? Not at all.”

Provoked by the voice, Garnet began to emit even more hope energy.

This isn’t a good habit, getting so easily worked up.

It would be nice if she remembered I’m right here beside her.

Look, her wild hope energy is poking my arm like crazy.

“Wait for me, I’ll come see you soon.”

[If you can.]

It would have been a pretty cool scene if the difference in power wasn’t so vast.

The gap in power between Garnet and Aya was much wider than the gap between Garnet and Curs in the past.

Garnet probably felt it too, but since I was blocking the despair directed at her, she might have thought it was worth a shot.

[Go, Monster Girl. Destroy the magical girl before you! Ahahahahaha!!!!]

Uuuuung—

‘That line sounds familiar.’

I think I heard something like that when I first woke up.

This makes it seem like they’re not even trying to hide their identity.

Or maybe they believe I won’t reveal their identity?

If that’s the case, they should drop that belief right now.

“Facing an opponent you can’t beat without running away. That’s what a magical girl is, right, Garnet?”

“…Of course.”

“Good. I like magical girls who struggle desperately to win.”

I smirked as I devoured the despair trying to corrupt Garnet’s Hope Circuit.

Since things have come to this, might as well see how far this goes.

Let’s see how well this fake Apocalypse—no, Apocalypse mk.2—that was made to replace me performs.

Kwaang—!!!!

“Already lost one life, huh?”

“Tch, the speed is insane?!”

“You can go faster too. You’re just lacking in hope.”

Garnet failed to react in time to the cannonball of despair.

If she had taken that hit head-on, she would’ve turned into a delicious magical girl donut.

“But…”

“Oh, were you worried about me? Don’t mind me, do as you please.”

“…Alright.”

It seems my presence was helping her control her power—specifically, her hope.

Hey, if you’re a magical girl fighting a monster, why are you worrying about the monster watching from the sidelines?

I clicked my tongue in disapproval, and Garnet began to draw out more hope.

Oh, looking at it now, she seems to have improved a lot since the beginning.

“Hope Critical.”

“Oooh…”

A red aura began to burst out, like some kind of battle race.

The hope was so intense it made my skin tingle, and I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

I don’t know what Tamako means to Garnet, but it doesn’t seem like a simple senior-junior magical girl relationship.

If you asked what kind of relationship they have—well, it’s like family.

The hope Garnet is emitting now is the kind you’d feel from a human whose dead family has returned to life.

“Hang in there, Garnet.”

Make a big hole in that fake Apocalypse’s belly.

I’ll cheer you on with all my might, got it?

Well, if it doesn’t work out, I can always step in myself.

***

‘I hate this, it hurts… Stop, it hurts?!!?!?!’

‘I’m sorry, I was wrong… Please stop… Sob…’

‘I don’t want to become a magical girl… Sob, please…’

The voices echoed.

The voices of the children who suffered in this laboratory.

To artificially create magical girls, they mentally tortured children and exposed them to the despair of monsters.

Even if it was for the sake of humanity, it was an unforgivable act.

Children are the future of humanity.

How could such experiments on the future of humanity be for the sake of people?

‘Your mother was one of them.’

‘Your mother tormented us.’

‘We said it hurt, but she just told us to endure a little longer.’

‘We’re in so much pain, why are you the only one happy?’

‘You’re the doctor’s daughter.’

‘You tormented other children, but your own child is precious?’

The voices echoed.

The resentment of the girls lingering in the laboratory—no, the entire research facility—began to slowly choke me.

Why only you. Why only you. Why only you.

The jealousy of children who wanted to be loved.

And the rightful demand for what should have been given.

‘You take responsibility.’

‘Take responsibility for the adults who made us like this.’

‘Kill all the bad adults in here.’

‘Make them suffer as much as we did! No, make them suffer even more!’

‘Stick tubes in every hole in their bodies, stab them with needles everywhere, and pour out all the despair we felt!!’

The girl’s body was no longer her own.

To be precise, it was no longer just hers.

“Rise, Monster Girl. Take revenge on the humans who tried to use you!”

“…”

“…Huh? Don’t tell me you’re the same as that—”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Sigh…”

Even in the chaotic mess of mixed thoughts, one thing was clear.

Unwavering loyalty to the one who gave us this opportunity.

“What’s wrong? Staring so intently.”

“…You’re small.”

“Wha—how rude! You’re about the same size as me!”

The doctor stomped his feet in frustration, and the Monster Girl averted her gaze.

With the minds of young children gathered together, it was hard to suppress impulses.

It was difficult not to voice the thoughts that came to mind.

I tried to find the most mature voice among the inner voices, but they were all around the same age.

‘What if the Doctor is disappointed in us?’

‘Hurry and apologize!’

‘Say you’re sorry!’

“Um, well… Doctor…”

Urged by the other voices, the Monster Girl hesitantly opened her mouth.

What should I say?

It wasn’t my true feelings? No, but it was.

With so many thoughts in my head, I couldn’t organize my words properly.

“What is it?”

“I’m… sorry…”

“…Hmm.”

“So, please don’t hate me…”

Even if they had become monsters, at their core, they were still a collection of children.

The doctor, who had deliberately not erased their personalities to draw out their hatred for humans, might have expected this reaction.

Even the most mature personality had only lived for about ten years.

“I could never hate you. Now, don’t cry.”

“…Okay.”

The doctor reached out and wiped the Monster Girl’s tears.

This kindness… I’ve never felt it before.

Monsters were despair, and despair always brought us pain and fear.

But the Doctor’s despair was kind.

A warm, gentle despair, different from the others.

“Now, get ready. The magical girl will be here soon.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Kill the magical girl created by those who tormented you. Prove it.”

That the humans were wrong.

And that you were right.