Chapter 73

“I thought the lab was closed, but apparently not.”

“…Yeah.”

The lab we found again looked pretty clean.

Last time I saw it, it was a mess because of the monsters.

But now, there wasn’t a single monster in the test tubes, even though Curs was supposedly back doing research.

It was as if the research topic had completely changed.

“Humans are so foolish. They should’ve just destroyed this kind of research facility. It would’ve been better in every way.”

“Maybe Curs came back.”

“Curs is only serious about monster research, right? If it were Curs, the place would be filled with monsters.”

There’s no way Curs, the monster enthusiast, would create this anti-monster lab environment.

Even if it were a disguise, there should’ve been at least one document related to monsters.

Instead, all the materials here were about magical girls.

How magical girls are created, what environments make it easier to create them, and so on…

“…It’s Curs. I’m sure of it.”

“Is that so? Well, you’d know better than me. If you say so, then it must be true.”

Garnet’s expression hardened, as if some bad memory had resurfaced.

The kind of expression a soldier with PTSD might make.

With trembling hands, Garnet picked up a stack of documents and started reading through them quickly.

As if to confirm her suspicions, she kept reading and reading.

“They’re trying to do the same thing again.”

“What, are they going to make more magical girls?”

“…Something like that. The problem is they’ll use those magical girls as test subjects.”

Garnet gritted her teeth.

She seemed to be burning with hatred, probably recalling Curs’ suspicious face.

By the way, it’s interesting how dark emotions like hatred and hope can coexist.

The magical girls who remember me were like that too, so it’s not that strange.

“There’s no sign of any test subjects, though.”

“Maybe they’re planning to use the kidnapped child as the first test subject.”

Is that really possible?

First of all, is it really Curs who started using this lab again?

It’s not impossible, but in this city, there’s me and Emerald too.

Even if they say the darkest place is under the lamp, I doubt they’d be bold enough to expose themselves like that…

“Is there no chance it’s someone else?”

“…Someone else?”

“Maybe one of the humans who worked with Curs?”

Could Curs have operated a facility of this scale alone?

The answer was no.

Curs might’ve been at the center of it, but just because Curs disappeared doesn’t mean the research would stop.

In fact, after all that chaos, they might be even more obsessed with the research.

Humans are like that.

They can’t let go of what they’re holding onto, repeating the same foolish choices.

“…True, the Association was full of shady people too.”

Garnet nodded as if she agreed.

Then it’s better to go deeper—

“Is it true this lab is still operating?”

“Well, the higher-ups said to keep it running, so what can we do?”

The movement stopped the moment the humans opened the door and came in.

Not me, but Garnet.

I quietly reached out and lowered her stance, and it was a bit funny how she held her breath.

Normal humans can’t hear breathing, after all.

“…By the way, did someone come and go?”

“Maybe. It’s not like this place is deserted.”

Luckily, since we were hiding under the desk at the end, we didn’t seem to be caught.

The problem was the footsteps getting louder and closer to us.

“By the way, did you hear the news? About Dr. Lina.”

“Dr. Lina? Ah, yeah. Didn’t she quit and leave?”

“That’s right. But I heard she’s coming back this time.”

“Well, where else would someone like her go? It’s a good thing.”

While quietly listening to their conversation, a familiar name popped up.

She quit and now she’s coming back?

Given the timing of Aya’s kidnapping, it seems Lina was also gathering information in her own way.

Anyway, that’s not important right now.

“Wait, there’s something here—”

“Hello?”

I tied the humans who saw Garnet and me crouching down with shadows, silencing them immediately.

Garnet’s eyes widened at the sight.

“What’s wrong? Should we have just let them catch us?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“I didn’t kill them, you know.”

I made sure to control it so it wouldn’t be fatal.

Of course, I wasn’t planning to leave them like this.

I took off their lab coats and keycards and stuffed them into a nearby cabinet.

Why did they even come here?

This was mostly their fault for coming this way.

“Ah, I don’t need that. It’d be more awkward if I wore it.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

At Garnet’s words, I stored one set of the lab coat and keycard in the shadows.

By the way, it’s been a while since I wore something like this.

The difference this time is that I’m not with a monster but a magical girl.

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, it’s just… it suits you surprisingly well.”

“Black goes well with white.”

Garnet, who had been staring at me, blurted out a compliment.

What’s this? Do I look like a mad scientist now?

Of course, I knew she didn’t mean it that way, so I brushed it off.

Might as well play the expert while I’m at it.

“Let’s go, escort.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

I smirked at Garnet, who played along.

Well then, for now, I’ll be Dr. Akari.

***

“Welcome back, Doctor!”

“Ahaha, yes… I guess so.”

“I knew it! Research on magical girls needs someone like you!”

For Dr. Lina, the underground lab was a place she never wanted to return to.

A facility that used children’s lives as collateral for magical girl research.

At some point, the focus shifted to monster-related experiments, but that didn’t mean the magical girl research stopped.

No, in fact, it seems they’ve returned to the original magical girl research now.

“Um, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Go ahead, Doctor!”

“Has the Director returned?”

The man with the squinting, kind expression.

The vicious human who used Aya to threaten her.

He was the one who could control monsters, the one who had his eyes on Aya, so it was only natural to suspect him.

It was almost a certainty.

If it weren’t for him, there’d be no reason for Aya to be kidnapped by a monster.

“Ah… the Director is still missing. It’s a shame, he was a man who worked hard for the advancement of humanity.”

“…I see.”

The advancement of humanity?

The things the Director did were too heinous to be packaged like that.

Kidnapping children, turning them into magical girls, and then using them as test subjects.

Before Aya, she followed those insane experiments without much thought, but after Aya, she regretted it.

…That’s why this karma has come back to haunt her.

“By the way, why aren’t those guys back with the documents yet? Ah, Doctor, you can wait here.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll come with you.”

She had to follow the people who might know something to find out anything.

Even now, Aya must be…

Lina paused for a moment, thinking of Aya.

Her vision blurred, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

“I’m sure I told them to bring the documents—”

“How noisy.”

“…Who are you?”

As she followed the researcher, she stopped for a moment.

Her eyes widened at the familiar face in front of her.

‘Why is that person here…’

Back then, she made the request half out of her mind, but she never imagined they’d come all the way inside.

And next to them was none other than the magical girl Garnet.

The girl who carried out various tasks under the Director’s orders—why was she with that person?

Her mind was in chaos.

“This is the new person for the magical girl research. The Director personally appointed them.”

“…Is that so?”

The researcher, who had been looking at the girl suspiciously, nodded reluctantly.

It was hard to believe such a small, delicate-looking girl was a researcher, but since the Director had appointed her, they had no choice but to accept it.

“By the way, there’s a familiar face here. We’ve met before, right?”

“…Hello.”

The girl’s words made Lina reflexively bow her head.

It was partly to play along, but more than that, she couldn’t bear to keep looking into those lifeless eyes.

Those weren’t human eyes.