Chapter 5

How did it feel seeing the monster?

When I saw it through the screen, I thought it looked weird, but up close, it was grotesque beyond imagination.

Grrr…

“It’s, it’s broken through…!”

“Crazy…!”

“What do we do now? There’s nowhere to run…!”

The moment the monster appeared, the space that seemed like it would turn into chaos was filled with an eerie silence.

Move and you die. Don’t move and you still die.

The prey, spotted by the predator, leaves their fate to the heavens while spewing out meaningless words.

That’s how the people in the shelter looked to me.

‘By the way, am I being ignored?’

The monster didn’t seem to have eyes, but wherever its gaze was directed, I wasn’t there.

It felt like it was deliberately ignoring me.

Thud… thud… thud…

Grrrrrr…

“It’s, it’s coming closer…!”

Just one step.

The monster took a single step, and the people in the shelter scrambled toward the back wall.

The despair energy felt when the person at the very back touched the wall was quite a delicacy.

‘It feels like drinking a carbonated drink.’

The transformation of hope into despair was quite a delicacy, but it couldn’t compare to despair sinking into deeper despair.

The thrill of a life born to survive, giving up its entire existence.

‘No, this isn’t it. Ahem.’

Grrr…

The monster’s appearance was horrifying, but the blood-red stains on its body made it even more terrifying.

It looked like something straight out of an R-rated slasher movie.

But even with such a visual, I wondered how anyone could remain calm.

“Are you crazy…?”

“Student, it’s dangerous. Come here quickly!”

“While that student is distracting it, maybe we can escape? The monster has moved away from the door!”

The exit behind the monster was wide open, probably because it was staring down at me.

There was enough space for someone brave to run and escape, but I doubted anyone here had that kind of courage.

‘It’s probably too much to run past this thing.’

The thought of escaping gave me hope, but the monster in front of me turned that hope back into despair.

Wait, if this keeps up, isn’t this an infinite loop of despair?

I think I’ve stumbled upon the key to infinite energy.

With this sudden realization, multiple exclamation marks popped up above my head.

‘Ah, I’ll sneak away quietly.’

After a brief silent eye contact with the monster, one person started to slowly move behind it.

From their perspective, they must have been pouring all the courage they had in their life into this moment.

But—

Grrrr…

“…Ah.”

The monster, as if it knew what the most delicious despair was, only turned its head when the human trying to sneak away reached the door.

And it turned its head 180 degrees.

Grrraaaaah!!!!

“Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Crunch… crunch… munch… munch… thud.

The sight of the monster opening its jaws wide and chewing on the human’s head was…

Indescribable. I shook my head internally.

The sight of a human without a head wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“I, I knew it! I knew this would happen! I should’ve died outside! Damn it, damn it!!!!”

“Shut up! Are you trying to provoke the monster?!”

Even as they said that, they were also provoking the monster in real-time.

Screaming was one thing, but the intense despair rising from their bodies was the biggest factor provoking the monster.

Though, I doubt many humans wouldn’t despair in this situation.

Grr, grr, grr!

“…Huh?”

While I was lost in these thoughts, I tilted my head at the monster’s strange behavior.

It seemed to lift its chin slightly and laugh at me.

To be precise, it seemed to be showing off.

It felt like it was saying, ‘This is how you extract despair, rookie.’ I couldn’t help but reflexively hold back a laugh.

‘Even with that appearance, it recognizes me as a fellow monster.’

If it could talk, it might have said, ‘Hey, rookie! Come here and have a taste of despair~’

Though, right now, everyone was too terrified to notice the monster’s strange reaction.

“Waaaah, mommyyyyy…”

The child’s crying was like a rich sauce added to the thick despair.

Most ordinary people would feel a lot of negative emotions from a child’s crying.

“Shh, Aya. It’s okay. It’ll be okay. The magical girl will come soon, okay?”

Grr?

But that was short-lived.

At the mother’s words, a small hope began to bloom among the gathered misfortunes.

A hope so small compared to the despair, but still noticeable.

To put it in terms—

‘It feels like seeing a fly land on a premium steak.’

Grrrr…

The monster, roaring with anger and scratching the floor, seemed to share my sentiment.

It seemed to be thinking, ‘Should I eat this or not?’

I wondered if it could just eat around the fly, but even the thought of a fly on a well-prepared dish was quite unpleasant.

“That’s right! If the magical girl comes, that monster is done for, done!”

“…But is there a magical girl in this city who can handle a Gamma-level monster?”

“Pe, Peridot will do it. Peridot will!”

It was good to have hope, but their hope was closer to false hope.

Even if a magical girl came, their lives would shatter with a single gesture from the monster.

‘…Wait, something’s coming.’

Perhaps sensing their hope, I turned my head toward the unpleasant sensation growing closer.

From the sky, not the ground.

From the speed, it seemed to be flying—

‘Is it the magical girl?’

I never thought I’d see both a monster and a magical girl in one day.

Though both are common in this world, the difference between seeing them in fiction and in reality was quite stark.

Grrrr…

“Di, did the magical girl arrive…?”

“She, she’s here…! We, we’re saved! We’re alive…!”

The monster, also sensing the rapidly approaching unpleasantness, turned its body and began heading toward the door.

Maybe it thought the humans here were already caught fish.

Or maybe it thought I would catch them.

Despite appearances, it was still a monster.

“No matter how strong a Gamma-level monster is, it can’t handle a magical girl—”

Crunch—

“Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!”

…Really, what a bad taste.

Just as the humans began to breathe a sigh of relief and cheer, a dark shadow stretched out from the darkness beyond the door.

A speed too fast for ordinary humans to react.

In less than a second, a flying hammer crushed the head of a human filled with hope.

“…”

“…”

“Ugh, sob…”

Clearly, the monster wanted to make an example to prevent the hopeful humans from escaping easily.

And as intended, even though the monster had left, the humans couldn’t easily move.

A meticulous and clever decision, uncharacteristic of a monster.

“…Let’s wait until the magical girl arrives.”

“Pe, Peridot is an undefeated magical girl! She, she’ll definitely do it.”

Though they spoke of hope, their hearts were filled with despair.

What if Peridot loses?

What if she loses, and we don’t survive?

As they oscillated between hope and despair, their hearts began to race.

Whoosh…

‘Come to think of it, my heart had stopped until now.’

Though people usually don’t feel their own heartbeat, feeling it now made me realize it had definitely stopped before.

How can a living being move without a heartbeat?

I marveled at the doctor who created this body, but as soon as I remembered he was just a mad scientist, I stopped marveling.

‘I feel like my emotions are becoming more like a monster’s.’

Marveling at the mad scientist’s abilities.

Well, I’ll save the insults for later.

Swish…

“Uh, sis… where are you going?”

“Just to the bathroom.”

Come to think of it, she said she was going to the bathroom a while ago.

If she were an ordinary human, she would have already fainted, so it might have been a good excuse.

No matter how despair-filled the situation, no one would want to wet themselves in front of others.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Uh, sis…!”

I dodged the small hand reaching out to stop me and smiled softly.

I’ll be back soon.