Chapter 81

“Waaah, that was scary…!!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here, so don’t cry too much. Stop it, stop.”

“Big sis! Big sis, are you a Magical Girl too?”

“…”

“It’s better not to talk to her. She’s a scary Magical Girl.”

What do you mean, who’s a Magical Girl?

Seeing the hope being instilled in the rescued kids made me feel nauseous from the inside.

Ugh, it feels like the Apocalypse inside me is about to awaken…

Meanwhile, the hope of the human kids clinging to me gave me goosebumps.

It felt like maggots were crawling all over my body.

“Now, now, don’t bother big sis.”

“But she’s pretty…”

“Definitely…”

“What are you looking at? Stop talking nonsense and take care of the kids.”

It was Garnet, staring at me intently for some reason.

Even if a Magical Girl compliments my looks, it doesn’t make me happy at all.

I took a few steps back as Garnet started walking ahead, leading the kids.

If I stayed near her, I’d feel sick all day.

“Stop, stop, stop!”

“…Oh no.”

Well, if it ends like this, it wouldn’t be satisfying.

I sighed inwardly at the armed humans filling the hallway.

It was only natural that Garnet’s expression hardened upon seeing them.

‘The attacks of Magical Girls don’t work on ordinary humans.’

Sure, physical attacks with enhanced strength might work, but taking down that many humans physically would be quite difficult.

And to make matters worse, there were a bunch of kids around.

Human kids are weaker than you’d think, and a stray bullet could be fatal.

For Garnet, this was literally the worst situation.

“The higher-ups have ordered that escaping test subjects can be shot on sight.”

“…You crazy people, are you going to kill all the kids?”

It seemed those humans were dead serious.

Well, with the fact that there’s an underground laboratory already causing headaches, if it gets out that the lab is operational again? That’s it.

The higher-ups who wanted to use this place would desperately try to stop it.

Even if it meant killing a Magical Girl.

‘Even though Magical Girls are stronger than ordinary humans, they can still die.’

Now Garnet had to make a choice.

Abandon the human kids and survive alone, or take down all those humans and escape.

Either way, it wouldn’t be an easy choice for Garnet.

No, the option of abandoning the kids probably wasn’t even considered.

So, taking down all those humans—

“…Akari.”

“Huh? Did you call me?”

—Ah, right. Garnet had one more option.

An option where neither Garnet nor the human kids get hurt, but the armed humans are dealt with.

“Can you help me?”

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

But if you ask if it’s a good option, well.

Maybe it’s because the situation is urgent, but it doesn’t seem like a proper judgment, so I asked again.

Are you really asking me for help?

Are you sure you won’t regret making that choice?

“I won’t regret it.”

“You said that.”

Garnet still seemed unaware of the situation.

She looked like she didn’t understand why she should regret me stepping in.

That’s understandable.

Ignorance isn’t a crime.

But not asking why could be a crime.

“Sigh…”

[Activate the Despair Circuit. Kill all the humans in the world.]

“I don’t plan to activate the Despair Circuit, okay?”

As soon as I pulled up despair, the voice of the Apocalypse started whispering to me.

Kill the humans. Eliminate the Magical Girls.

Drown this world in despair.

It felt like being recruited by a cult.

It was a different kind of bad feeling compared to hope energy.

“What, what is that…”

“You guys—”

—Yeah, dog food sounds good.

With a short mutter, the head of a dog monster rose from the shadows.

***

The reason I asked if Garnet would regret it.

The reason was simple.

Because I couldn’t activate the Despair Circuit right now.

Well, I could activate it, but I didn’t know what would happen afterward, so I tried to hold back.

So, well…

“What, what’s going on?!”

This was bound to happen.

Holes all over my body. Clothes drenched in red.

Even though I don’t die from human bullets, it must look pretty serious to human eyes.

It’s no wonder Emerald is so shocked.

“She did it.”

“…Garnet?”

Pointing at Garnet, who was in a good mood after saving the kids, Emerald’s eyes sparked.

Their first meeting wasn’t great, and if she hears that Garnet did this to me, who knows what’ll happen.

“……Me?”

“You left me in front of those armed humans, and this is what happened.”

“Ah, no, that’s—”

“Garnet, what did you do to Akari!?”

Emerald lunged at Garnet.

It was already a mismatch in size.

Garnet tried to say something, but Emerald, already furious, didn’t seem to hear her.

‘You should’ve listened when I told you.’

I asked if she was sure she wouldn’t regret it, and Garnet said she was sure.

In the end, it’s only natural to pay the price for that choice.

“Wait, wait… listen to me! Listen to me!!”

“Fight on, Midori.”

“Ah, Akari, go inside and rest.”

“Okay.”

Watching Emerald shake Garnet by the collar with dynamic movements, I quietly stepped back.

When I cheered her on, her movements got even more intense. She was really shaking her with all her might.

A Magical Girl getting stronger from a monster’s cheers, what is this?

Anyway, I moved to the bathroom to wash off the blood.

Swoosh—

[Why didn’t you kill them?]

“…”

[It would’ve been simple if you killed them. Why did you spare the humans?]

The voice came again.

Doesn’t it get tired?

The Apocalypse started chirping away with a fiery voice.

Yeah, yeah, keep talking. I’ll do my thing.

[And, you could’ve followed the Doctor. Since you’re not by the Doctor’s side, the Doctor had to go through the trouble of creating such inferior entities—]

“Why, are you jealous?”

[…What?]

“I asked if you’re jealous that such an inferior entity is by the Doctor’s side.”

Ah, there’s a bullet here.

I dug out the bullet stuck in my arm with my finger.

“You should’ve taken the initiative. Can’t even take control of your own body, and you’re calling others inferior, tsk.”

[Wha, what?!]

“Don’t raise your voice. It’s unbecoming.”

There’s really no reason to act like this toward the Apocalypse.

In the original, it was the one who destroyed the world, and it’s been eyeing control of this body.

But, how should I put it… I felt like being petty.

‘Is it because the one who never spoke in the original is talking now…’

It was annoying. And irritating.

The Apocalypse I knew wasn’t like this! Kind of feeling.

If it had just stayed quiet and stared, it would’ve been different.

But now that it’s talking, the fantasy I had in my memory is shattering.

[You’ll regret it.]

“Is that something you learned from me today? Good kid. The Doctor would love that.”

[You will definitely regret it.]

The eyes of the Apocalypse reflected in the mirror were glowing red.

I guess it’s really angry.

Well, that’s understandable. Anyone would be angry if a cockroach took over their body and started living with them.

Never mind that it’s the one feeding on the cockroach’s despair.

‘If you just consider mental age, it’s definitely a kid…’

I let out a sigh.

Usually, when adults cause trouble, it’s predictable, but when kids cause trouble, it’s much more dangerous and unpredictable.

I’m already worried about what kind of trouble our little Apocalypse will cause.

A kid constantly eyeing the nuclear launch button…

“Ha, I surrender… I, I was wrong…”

“Hmph, apologize to Akari first.”

“Sorry… Akari…”

Garnet, looking half-dead, apologized to me.

I don’t need a Magical Girl’s apology.

Even though Garnet looks at me like a savior, unfortunately, monsters aren’t here to save Magical Girls.

“Just a little more, Midori.”

“Okay, Akari.”

“Wait… Akari? Akari, Akari!!”

The desperate cries of a Magical Girl filled the house.

Of course, that has nothing to do with the monster.