Chapter 44

Something unusual happened.

It wasn’t like I got caught by Emerald or anything, but… how should I put it… it was something on a higher level, I guess…

“Y-you…!!”

“…Hello?”

So, your name was… Peridot, right?

Ugh, I’ve been bad at remembering human names lately.

But I do remember that you’re the one who gave me a taste of delicious despair, so I managed to recall it somehow.

“Y-you’re alive?”

“…It’s a bit sad to treat a living person as if they’re dead.”

“No, I mean, how? I-I saw you get captured by a monster…!!”

First, I need to clear up that misunderstanding…

I didn’t plan on getting involved with any magical girls other than Emerald, but when faced head-on like this, I couldn’t even think of running away.

Getting distracted by the Doctor and wandering around carelessly was my mistake.

‘Honestly, isn’t 4 AM the time to be asleep?’

I mean, 5 AM, maybe, but isn’t it weird to be awake at 4 AM?

While grumbling internally about Peridot, who’s unnecessarily diligent for a human, I came up with various excuses in my head.

Uh, so… uh… oh, right.

“Emerald saved me.”

“E-Emerald did?”

“Yeah, Emerald found me being captured by a monster and went all out to save me.”

It’s not like she came specifically to save me, but since I was saved, I gave that reason.

At that, Peridot’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t so much surprise—more like the expression of an idol’s obsessive fan.

“Wow, really! That’s such a relief, being saved by Emerald!”

“By the way, Emerald… -nim?”

This was the first time I’d heard someone refer to Emerald with such honorifics.

I didn’t think she was that great.

Oh, right, she’s one of the original protagonists, so I guess she is kind of a big deal.

Anyway.

“I’m a huge fan of Emerald! I don’t know how Emerald feels about it, but—Emerald is Emerald!”

“Uh, yeah…”

This isn’t good. If I knew it would turn out like this, I shouldn’t have brought up Emerald.

I didn’t want to waste any more time like this.

It wouldn’t take long for Emerald, who had raided the Curs’ lab—well, the Doctor’s lab—to return to the city.

It was obvious that once Emerald returned to the city, she’d head straight to the hospital.

“I’m not feeling well, so can we talk later?”

“N-not feeling well… Is it because of what happened back then? If that’s the case, I feel responsible too, so I’ll take you to the hospital!”

“There’s no need to go that far…”

“Please! If I don’t do this, I won’t feel at ease!”

Peridot’s face was now half-teary, and I slowly twirled my hair.

I could see it. The scent of despair swirling in her eyes.

She must be remembering the last time we met.

Whether it was at the shelter or the cemetery, I’m not sure.

“So, please… I beg you…”

“…”

I don’t dislike earnest humans, but it’s troublesome when they cling to me like this.

Was Peridot always this type of magical girl?

I clicked my tongue internally, feeling like I’d gotten tangled up with a strange one.

“Alright. Then, could you escort me?”

“O-of course! Oh, wait a second!”

As soon as I gave my permission, Peridot, reacting like a wagging puppy, hurriedly dashed into the alley next to us.

The moment Peridot disappeared, the thought of running away crossed my mind, but before I could act on it, Peridot reappeared in front of me.

And she had undone her transformation.

“Uh, ahaha… My untransformed form is a secret, okay?”

“Yeah, sure…”

I wasn’t particularly interested.

But there was a strange sense of obsession in the way she clung to me.

…Did I just get attached to a weirdo? Probably not.

“You didn’t get… you know, did anything weird happen when the monster captured you?”

“No, not really…”

“I was so worried! I’m relieved to see you’re okay!”

“I’m on my way to the hospital right now.”

“Ah… uh… yeah…”

It’s not like I was going to the hospital because of Peridot, but humans like her won’t shut up unless you make them feel guilty.

See, she’s all shriveled up and quiet now, right?

I marveled at my own brilliant judgment.

As expected of me.

“…”

“…”

“Um…”

“Yeah?”

“Ah, it’s nothing…”

Maybe because it was early morning, but there was no noise at all, and everything was eerily quiet.

Peridot, who seemed uncomfortable with the silence, tried to strike up a conversation, but since I was giving off a “I don’t really want to talk” vibe, she quickly became dejected again.

‘Right, let’s just part ways once we reach the hospital.’

It’s better not to get too involved with magical girls.

Even if they seem like the type to easily fall into despair.

The reason? Well…

Because troublesome things have already started happening.

“Hey, Hazuki. What are you doing out so early in the morning?”

“Ah, Senpai!”

For a moment, I thought the red hair I saw belonged to Ruby and was about to run, but thankfully, the owner of the voice wasn’t Ruby.

…That scared me for a second.

Wait, another new face? And a magical girl, too.

The way she was cautiously eyeing me while pretending not to care clearly showed she was one of them.

‘This reminds me of when I first met Emerald.’

Though my first meeting with Emerald was much more intense than this.

That murderous expression and glare… ugh, just thinking about it gives me chills.

“Who’s that? A new friend of yours, Hazuki?”

“Ahaha… Y-yeah, a friend! A friend! Right?”

“…”

Peridot subtly poked my side, and I glanced at her.

Well, I guess that’s how it is. Magical girls can’t let ordinary people know their identities.

Honestly, even untransformed, they look the same as when they’re transformed, so I’m not sure what the point is, but it seems like humans here all have face blindness because they never recognize them when they’re untransformed.

It might be a good thing that this is a new face for me.

If we’d met before, she might have recognized me instantly and been on high alert.

“Yeah, Hazuki. We’re friends.”

“…You seem suspicious.”

“We just met recently! We’re really close! See, we’re even linking arms!”

I wanted to pull away immediately.

Who is this magical girl in front of me that’s making her so nervous?

Since she called her “Senpai,” she must be Peridot’s senior magical girl.

“So, what’s her name?”

“Uh…”

“You don’t even know her name, and you’re calling her a friend? Tsk, you’re not being blackmailed or something, are you? You’ve always been like this, Hazuki. Too naive, getting tricked here and there.”

“N-no, I’m not being tricked or anything?!”

You’re being tricked right now, in real time.

Would she believe me if I said I wasn’t kidnapped but just carried off by a monster?

Peridot tried to defend me, but the fact that she didn’t know my name made the “we’re friends” strategy a complete failure.

No, it’s not just a failure—it’s going to get a lot more troublesome.

‘Look, her eyes are already murderous.’

If I made even the slightest move, she’d probably transform and stab me on the spot.

It was like facing a magical girl confronting a monster.

…Does she know about the Apocalypse?

Maybe she, like Emerald, came back from the future.

Otherwise, there’s no reason for her to be so wary of me.

“…Well, actually, I was taking this person to the hospital.”

“Then why did you say you were friends?”

“Uh… I wanted to be friends! Hehe…”

Peridot, who had been nervously glancing at me, probably expected me to say something like, “I want to be friends with you too, Hazuki,” but unfortunately, I had no intention of saying that.

I didn’t even want to be friends in the first place.

‘If I get too close to Peridot, she might start swinging a sword at me, tsk…’

No matter how I looked at it, I seemed to have gotten tangled up with a really troublesome person.

And the fact that she might know my true identity just made it worse.

Right now, it’s just a hunch, but still.

“Sigh… Just take her to the hospital quickly, Hazuki.”

“Ah, um, Senpai, do you want to come too?”

“To the hospital? No thanks. It’s better to avoid hospitals as much as possible.”

“Uh… Okay, I’ll be back then…”

If only she’d let me go alone.

I sighed deeply as I felt the murderous gaze of Peridot’s senior on me from behind.

‘Well, at least she’s not coming with us, so that’s something.’

It was already awkward enough, but if that arrogant person had joined us, someone might have suffocated from the tension.

“Let’s go. Ugh, I didn’t expect to run into Senpai here… I’m definitely going to get an earful later…”

“Your Senpai seems quite unique.”

“She’s not usually like this—hmm, but she does seem particularly on edge today…”

No, when I said unique, I didn’t mean it in that way.

I shook my head internally as I felt the presence behind me.

She’s tailing us in real time, your so-called Senpai.

Is it really okay for a magical girl of justice to stalk innocent monsters like this? Seriously.