Chapter 56

After that, nothing particularly special happened.

It was just that I settled down on a deserted island far from the city and stayed quiet.

It didn’t seem like humans would bother coming all the way here, and I didn’t think I’d stand out much either.

Grrrruk—

“If you keep coming here like this, I’m going to get annoyed.”

Maybe it’s because the Despair Circuit is on, but monsters swarmed in, drawn by the scent of despair, and settled down.

I guess they didn’t need to attack humans to get their supply of despair.

I sighed as I slowly petted the creatures nudging their heads toward me.

The sky is so clear.

The only problem is that it’s only clear right above me.

Gruk, gruk—

“Why are you like this? If you want to eat humans, you’d be better off going to the city.”

Grrrruk—

“You want me to go with you? I don’t really feel like going to a city full of humans.”

What if I go and get ganged up on by magical girls?

I’d rather just stick to knowing Emerald, Ruby, and Garnet.

If other humans saw me, they’d all come running like crazy.

Kiiiii…

“And why are you here? Why are you telling me about getting beaten up by a magical girl?”

And one more thing.

Lately, more and more monsters have been coming to me to confess their sins, or something like that.

They come over and say things like, “I didn’t get to eat many humans today~” or “I got beaten up by a magical girl today~,” tsk.

I’m not some kind of monster confessional nun, why do I have to listen to all this?

‘Of course, there are often interesting stories too…’

“Take your revenge with your own strength. I’m too lazy for that.”

The problem is that they whine at me to take revenge for them.

I’m not their babysitter, why are they telling me about getting beaten up by magical girls…

It’s like going to the neighbor and saying, “My friend hit me, scold them!”

Of course, calling a magical girl a friend is a bit of a stretch.

‘By the way, lately, no ships have been passing by this area.’

Watching human ships was one of my little joys, but since monsters started appearing frequently, ships stopped coming around here.

Especially since the number of monsters that live in the sea or can fly has increased…

At least the monsters here are living leisurely, feeding on despair like lazy bums.

If these guys were constantly attacking human cities, magical girls would have come in droves to exterminate them.

“Ah, by the way, did you bring what I asked for last time?”

Kiiiik—

And the relationship between the monsters and me wasn’t one-sided.

If I created an environment for the monsters, they would bring me things I asked for whenever they went to human cities.

From human magazines to various forms of entertainment.

Recently, some monsters brought a war board game, and I spent three days and nights without sleep trying to clear the single-player mode.

Thud—

“…Well, I didn’t have high expectations, but this is in pretty bad shape.”

Kiiiik, kik—

“You should be grateful I brought anything at all? Yeah, well… a newspaper isn’t bad.”

Newspapers are the best way to see how humans are reacting.

Last time it was about controlling sea routes, so I wonder what it’ll be this time.

I devoured the monster’s slime with my shadow and unfolded the newspaper.

Now, let’s see—

[Black Cloud Appears Over Deserted Island, What Is It?]

[Delta-level Despair Waves Detected Near the Black Cloud. Has God Finally Grown Angry at Humanity?]

[Central Government to Dispatch Magical Girls. Can They Calm the Citizens’ Anxiety?]

[Strange Behavior of Monsters Increasing at Sea. Is the Black Cloud a Nest for Monsters?]

[Research Team to Be Dispatched to Investigate the Black Cloud. Seeking Ways to Penetrate the Despair Waves.]

…Huh, it seems like things are getting more serious than I thought.

Normally, wouldn’t they avoid dangerous places like this?

Research teams, magical girls being dispatched, and all that…

“It’s going to get noisy for a while.”

Gruk?

“Well, it’ll work out somehow. It might even be a good thing since I was getting bored.”

If magical girls come, I can just mess with their brains with despair and erase their memories, right?

Thinking that, I closed the newspaper.

Really, why do they have to bother a monster that’s just minding its own business?

***

[Emerald, how’s your body? Are you okay?]

“I’m fine. Magical girls don’t get hurt by hope energy, right?”

[That’s true but…]

May looked worried as she saw the wounds on Emerald’s body.

Ruby, the magical girl, was Emerald’s friend, wasn’t she?

But that last expression was more like looking at an enemy than a friend.

“Is Akari doing okay?”

[It seems like she’s settled on a deserted island near the sea.]

“…I see.”

Why is Emerald so concerned about Akari?

Akari is literally a monster. A dangerously powerful one at that.

And to think such a monster could hide among humans while concealing her despair…

If there were another monster like Akari with bad intentions, it would be a real disaster.

[Don’t worry too much, Emerald. Akari will be fine.]

“Yeah, I know. Akari is Akari.”

Seeing Emerald smile softly finally made me feel a bit at ease.

Emerald, who was always chasing after monsters and destroying strange research facilities.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen her smile so comfortably.

I knew what kind of being Akari was, but I didn’t want to think badly of someone who brought a smile to Emerald’s face.

Though she was terrifying when I first saw her.

“…Ah.”

“Tamako, are you awake?”

Emerald turned her head at the small voice from beside her.

Snow-white hair, rainbow-colored eyes, and pale skin almost like Akari’s.

Her lifeless eyes were so eerie it sent shivers down my spine.

“Is the savior not here?”

“…Akari hasn’t returned yet.”

The way Tamako immediately looked for Akari made me feel pity.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it Akari who rescued her from that strange research facility?

Maybe she felt sympathy since they were both experimented on.

Even though Akari is a monster without blood or tears, she’s not an ordinary monster.

“I had a dream. A dream where the savior took away the despair in my heart.”

“…”

It might not have been a dream.

Monsters feed on despair, and Tamako’s heart spilled despair while she slept.

And Akari wouldn’t have left that despair alone.

When food is right in front of you, you don’t just ignore it.

“Thanks to that, I remembered. The time when I had hope—the memories of when I was a magical girl.”

“Really?!”

[It’s a relief you got your memories back.]

Whether it was because she regained her lost memories or because Akari absorbed so much despair, Tamako’s expression was much brighter.

Her lifeless eyes now sparkled like gemstones.

“Can I ask you for one favor?”

“Of course.”

Tamako cautiously made her request, and Emerald nodded.

No matter how difficult the request, she was willing to fulfill it.

“…Can I meet Garnet?”

“…Huh?”

Of course, the request that came out of her mouth was quite unexpected.

***

I heard that Akari told me to go find Emerald, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Our first meeting wasn’t exactly pleasant, and we didn’t have any other connections besides that.

‘Just knowing that my senior is alive is enough.’

The current me isn’t the magical girl my senior expected, so maybe it’s better not to meet.

A magical girl who lost all hope and even thought about retiring.

Even I can’t help but laugh at myself.

Ring ring—

‘…Is that Peridot?’

The familiar ringtone snapped me out of my thoughts.

I was so caught up thinking about my senior that I completely forgot about Peridot.

I’m failing as both a junior and a senior.

I forced a bitter smile and answered the call.

“Hello—”

[Garnet. Is that you, Garnet…?]

“…Ah.”

—A familiar voice echoed in my ear.

The voice I thought I’d never hear again was calling my name.

You’re alive.

I’m so glad you’re alive.

The words I couldn’t say out loud turned into tears.