Chapter 17

If hospitals are a buffet of despair, then national cemeteries felt more like a despair restaurant.

Mmm, this fragrant scent of despair.

Suppressing a smile that threatened to break out, I slowly moved forward.

‘Despair from losing someone precious…’

There was a similar feeling at the hospital, but the despair here was much thicker and more intense.

If asked which I prefer, of course, I liked this side much more.

After all, the despair of a Magical Girl was much stronger than this.

“Aigo, aigo… Why, why did she have to die… Why…”

‘Ugh, I almost laughed out loud…’

It was a place as dangerous as it was delicious.

Mainly socially.

Even as a monster, I didn’t want to get my hair pulled or be hit with raw eggs.

‘…Let’s move. If I stay here any longer, I’ll be treated like a lunatic.’

I did have the desire to watch a bit longer, but I was a monster who knew restraint.

Anyway, I strolled through the cemetery, savoring the despair of humans.

It felt like a despair restaurant where you could eat all the despair you wanted.

Uung~

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, the Despair Circuit started ringing, and I tilted my head in confusion.

Was human despair this strong?

No, no. It’s something very familiar…

‘So… is it here?’

Moving behind a large tombstone, a familiar face came into view.

Magical Girl Peridot.

The drool-inducing Magical Girl who first showed me the taste of delicious despair.

‘Oh, seeing you like this feels nice.’

“Hello.”

“H-hik…”

What’s with this strange reaction?

Shouldn’t she be happy to be back after being captured by a monster?

Disqualified as a Magical Girl, huh? I mean, she came back alive!

‘I did tease her a bit… but not that much, right?’

It’s just a simple prank that anyone would imagine at least once.

To react like that over just one prank is too much.

Even as a monster, my emotions are close to humans’, so I couldn’t help but feel hurt.

Hurt, hurt. Pay for my fragile monster heart.

“Are you avoiding me?”

“N-no, I’m not… sob… ugh…”

I tilted my head at Peridot, who started dry heaving, then suddenly realized something and slapped my palm with my fist.

Could it be that she overate yesterday?

I also once overate despair and ended up vomiting after hope was forced into my mouth.

I didn’t want to find common ground with a Magical Girl in this way…

“I understand why you’re acting like this.”

“…”

“It’s a reason too embarrassing to tell others, right?”

“…”

“In a way, it’s probably the last bit of self-respect you have left for yourself.”

Not wanting to summon a halo in a crowded place, I did my best to calm her down.

This is what they call the wisdom of age. Even without a chest.

Anyway, Peridot seemed deeply moved by my words and quietly listened.

Surprising. I heard kids these days can’t sit still and listen.

Uung~

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I was wrong…”

‘Huh?’

She wasn’t listening?

Peridot, who had suddenly gone into a panic, caused the Despair Circuit to start spinning wildly.

‘W-wait… if this keeps up, I’ll… ugh…’

I crouched down to suppress the pounding of my heart.

C-calm down. Take deep breaths and count the decimals.

So, first—

Uuung~

“…Ah.”

But despite my desperate efforts, I couldn’t stop the halo from appearing above my head.

Ugh, I did think about tasting Peridot’s despair again, but I didn’t say I wanted to eat it in this situation!

Once the Despair Circuit started, it opened its mouth and began sucking in the surrounding despair.

‘If you’d just stop despairing, I could stop it somehow…’

“…Ahhh.”

I sighed as I watched Peridot, who had collapsed in despair.

Really, how is it that every Magical Girl is so unhelpful in my monster life?

I guess I should be thankful for Tamako.

If it weren’t for Tamako, the only Magical Girl with a conscience, Magical Girls would just be a violent group tormenting innocent monsters.

‘…More importantly, there are too many humans gathering.’

I just realized something.

I don’t know when it started, but other humans were gradually gathering around me.

All of them were looking at me with unfocused eyes, their faces twisted as they groaned.

‘It’s not like they’re zombies…’

There was a scene in the original Apocalypse where humans around were driven to despair, but I never imagined it would be like this.

Just because I primed the Despair Circuit a bit, it came to this?

Seeing Peridot and everyone else sitting around me in a circle, crying, I felt like some kind of cult leader.

“Ahh, ahhh…!!”

“Ahhhhh…!”

“Ah, uuuuahk…!!”

The performance was good, but visually, it was quite painful.

One or two would have been fine, but seeing them all like this was hard on the eyes.

If only it were cute girls like Peridot crying, that would be different.

‘My mind is happy, but my eyes are not.’

There’s a monster trapped here.

Someone, please save this poor monster!

But despite my desperate cries, no one came to help.

Of course, if they were human, that is.

Grrrrrrr~

“…Monster?”

In the shadow of the tombstone.

A monster appeared as if it had always been there, drooling sticky saliva as it stared at me.

I thought it might pounce and devour the humans, but seeing it sit quietly, it didn’t seem like it would.

‘Well-trained monster, huh.’

More importantly, can you stop despairing and do your job?

I sighed as I looked at Peridot, whose focus was as unfocused as the others.

I didn’t want to resort to this, but I had no choice.

“Phew…”

Take a deep breath—

Splat!!

“Ugh, ah…?”

“Snap out of it, Peridot.”

“Ah, ahh…?”

Humans only come to their senses when shocked.

As soon as I slapped her cheek, Peridot’s focus returned slightly as she held her cheek and widened her eyes.

In her pupils was none other than me.

‘Oh no, is she going to lunge at me?’

Feeling uneasy, I quickly pointed my index finger at the monster.

There, there’s a monster. As a Magical Girl, you should deal with it, right?

Peridot, who followed my finger, let out a silent sigh.

Oh, she’s finally coming to her senses.

“You can do it now, Peridot.”

“I can do it…”

“It’s another chance to protect everyone, right?”

“Everyone, I can…”

Peridot’s head dropped.

Huh? What’s this? Wasn’t she coming to her senses?

I was momentarily confused by her reaction.

‘Ugh… the taste of raw, fully grown potatoes…’

Through the Despair Circuit, Peridot’s hope flowed in.

Hey, can you close up? You don’t like hope getting in either, right?

Half-pleading, the Despair Circuit’s rotation began to slow.

Uuuung…

“Phew…”

Thank goodness. I almost vomited blood and dirtied my clothes again.

The bloodstains haven’t completely faded yet, and I can’t afford to dirty them again.

‘Well then, fighting.’

Peridot’s vision no longer included me.

All she saw was the monster.

Feeling her hope, the monster stood up, and I quietly hid in the shadows.

Whoever you are, I’ll borrow your shadow, tombstone owner.

“Transform…!”

Wow, it’s my first time seeing a Magical Girl transform.

I smiled like a child receiving a Christmas present as I watched Peridot.

Though my body felt uncomfortable from the piercing hope, my eyes were happy, so I endured it all.

“Magical Girl Peridot, deploying!”

Grrrrrrr~!!!

With the Magical Girl’s declaration, the monster began to grow by devouring the despair of the surrounding humans.

What a classic development.

That’s what makes it more fun.

“Huh, why am I here…?”

“More importantly, isn’t that a monster?”

“Peridot’s here too!”

“Wh-why is there a monster here…?”

As Peridot’s hope scattered, the humans who had been sitting like corpses began to regain their senses.

The first thing they saw upon regaining consciousness was the battle between the Magical Girl and the monster.

How about it? Isn’t it amazing to see in real life what you’ve only seen on screens or broadcasts?

‘By the way, she’s protecting the humans while dodging here and there.’

Spectators never think they’ll die.

To care about suicidal hopefuls even during battle…

For a Magical Girl not in the original, she’s quite capable.

‘If only I had popcorn…’

“Hang in there, Peridot! You can do it!”

“Go, Peridot!”

No, cancel.

If I had any, I’d definitely be eating hope-flavored popcorn.