Chapter 39

Run, run, run.

If you don’t run with all your might, you’ll get caught by the monster, right?

The monster, leisurely chasing from behind, glanced at me and nodded its head.

Yeah, yeah, you’re doing great, just keep chasing like that.

Kyaaaaaa!!!!

“Kyaaaaaa!!!!”

By the way, this is no different from a haunted house.

Normally, this would be a situation where bloodshed would be inevitable, but maybe because of my request, the monster chasing the humans kept maintaining a just-out-of-reach distance.

For a monster, it’s quite patient. Other creatures would have sped up and devoured their heads by now.

‘Could it be that the Squinting Guy is also researching Magical Girls or something?’

No, it’s not a “could it be,” he definitely did.

When you think about it, what’s closer to him isn’t the monster but the human Magical Girl.

Add to that the relationship between him and the Doctor, and the possibility isn’t just overflowing—it’s practically confirmed.

‘Clearly, the Squinting Guy provided the Magical Girl to the Doctor, and the Doctor provided him with monsters.’

Otherwise, there’s no explanation for this sheer number of monsters.

Well, whatever happened, it has nothing to do with me.

“Ah, the door ahead is blocked!”

“Uh, what do we do? Ah, it’s not opening?”

“It’s coming from behind! It’s coming from behind!”

“What are we supposed to do when it’s blocked?!”

“Why did you run this way!? If you hadn’t come here, it would’ve been fine!”

Seeing the humans start fighting as soon as they hit a dead end, the monster licked its lips.

You can’t resist that delicious despair either, huh?

‘No choice…’

It’s unfortunate for those humans, but once you’re cornered, there’s no chance of survival.

How do you expect to escape in front of a monster savoring despair?

I was the one who told the monster to chase the humans, but honestly, I was willing to let them go if they could escape the underground.

They just had bad luck and got cornered.

[Oh my, could this be a gift prepared just for me?]

“This voice…”

In the midst of the mountains.

The door blocking the humans. From the speaker on the door, a familiar voice came.

A voice I’ve heard so often lately that I’m almost sick of it.

[Just when I was missing the final piece—good.]

Zzzzzz…

Along with the Squinting Guy’s voice, the door blocking the humans began to slowly open.

But despite the door opening smoothly, the humans couldn’t easily step through.

The reason? Well, it’s obvious. That shady guy seemed more terrifying than the monster.

‘Why don’t you treat the kids better?’

A grown adult who can’t even win over the hearts of children.

Just a smart fool.

It would’ve been much better to win their favor and use them until the very end.

“Uh, what do we do? Go in?”

“…Into here? Into the place with that crazy doctor?”

“W-well, we have no choice! If we stay here, we’ll die!? At least he won’t kill us!”

“Tch…!”

Yeah, just go in.

I don’t know what the Squinting Guy is up to, but it seems those humans are useful for his plan.

Curious about what that plan is, I just watched.

With a bit of anticipation, wondering what he’s going to do.

Zzzzzz…

The door closed as quietly as it opened.

Seeing them decide to go in after all that hesitation, it seems the Squinting Guy is better than the monster.

Did they hate him that much? He listens well and kills cleanly when he has to…

‘Isn’t it better to die quickly than to go to someone who treats humans like toys?’

I don’t know what those humans will go through, but it’s clear they won’t have a good time.

And at the same time, questions and sadness arose.

The question of why they went in there and the sadness that the humans who gave me delicious despair have fallen into the hands of a suspicious guy.

‘…Did you steal my despair?’

The incomprehensible question and the sight of a well-prepared feast going into the enemy’s mouth turned into anger in no time.

I worked so hard to create that level of despair!

At least give me one! No, give me two!

Bang! Bang!

“Tch…”

Even so, isn’t this too much?

I knocked hard, but the door didn’t open, and I clicked my tongue in frustration.

He really made the door sturdy to save himself.

[I still can’t understand you.]

“Do you need to understand me?”

[Even though I don’t need to, I’m interested, which makes you even more incomprehensible. You, as a being.]

Ugh, are you confessing now?

A feeling similar to inhaling hope during a despair meal hit my lungs.

Ugh, disgusting. Just, give me a trash can… Ugh, I feel like throwing up.

Whether it’s because of my past life or just the fact that this human exists, an indescribable disgust ran down my spine.

Like a giant centipede crawling from my neck to my tailbone.

[Have you ever thought about monsters and Magical Girls? How they are born, how they gain their power?]

“Not at all. Do I need to know?”

[You probably don’t need to. But if I don’t ask you, a monster in a Magical Girl’s body, then who else would I ask?]

A monster in a Magical Girl’s body… Maybe he mistook me because of the Despair Circuit.

No, maybe not?

This body is a creation of the insane Doctor, so it’s possible.

[My goal is to break the balance between despair and hope. If I break it, someone sitting silently above might take an interest in the world again.]

“Do you believe in God?”

Suddenly getting all serious, huh?

Even adding such a philosophical topic makes me cringe.

Ugh, there was definitely a character like this in the original.

What was it? The name of the guy the Magical Girls dealt with before the Apocalypse—

[Even if it means becoming the world’s curse, I must accomplish this.]

‘Ah, I remember.’

Hearing about curses, one character comes to mind.

Curs.

Even before the Apocalypse, he was often mentioned, but his true appearance was with the Apocalypse.

‘That cool Curs is this squinting pervert?’

A guy who locks up young human girls and raises them as Magical Girls to his taste is the same as Curs?

Eh, no way.

Even I laughed at the absurdity of the assumption.

Not just a laugh, but a laugh that went all the way to my head.

‘Could Curs’s origin have been human?’

Confirming—no, half-confirming the identity of a character surrounded by wild speculations.

How surprised would the original fans be?

A monster that learned human behavior, a more evolved monster, or the idea that monsters originally had intelligence like humans.

All wrong. Curs speaks human language fluently because he’s originally human, pfft.

“Ahaha, ahahahaha!!!!”

I burst out laughing reflexively.

Who would’ve thought I’d see something like this in my life?

Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about the character Curs.

[…What’s so funny?]

“Well, what… more importantly, do you want to be a god or something?”

Certainly, there’s that aspect.

A shadowy figure controlling monsters from the darkness.

At first, there were all sorts of speculations about Curs being the king or god of monsters.

Just as Magical Girls have their queen, monsters might have a similar figure.

[I don’t particularly want to be a god. I just want to bring down the gods.]

“Kuk, kukku… Pfft, ah, my stomach… ugh…”

[…]

How did this chuunibyou adult become Curs?

If it’s this funny, I can accept losing the despair-filled humans.

So, what now? Are you going to transform into Curs? Go ahead, transform!

Though I didn’t run, my heart was pounding clearly.

“Every word you say is truly delightful. Sincerely.”

[…I don’t understand what part of it made you laugh.]

“There are many things. Almost everything you say, your attitude, and the fact that I learned something I didn’t know. But the biggest reason I’m laughing is, of course—

—because I’m a god.”

Right now, I’m in the best mood, beyond words.

Enough to laugh without eating despair.