Chapter 2: Shelter

Inside the shelter, many people were gathered, including a child who pointed out my unusual clothes.

I thought my mom was beside me, but maybe she was gone.

Despite the heavy feeling of despair around us, I felt a strange satisfaction at the idea of becoming a monster girl.

“Is this what it means to lose my humanity?” I wondered.

But I tried to stay positive.

Outside, there was a lot of noise.

People were trying to comfort each other, but the despair only seemed to grow.

I needed to find a way out before the magical girls arrived.

I didn’t want to be mistaken for a monster and attacked.

A little girl approached me and asked, “Where’s your mother?”

I replied that I didn’t know.

She seemed brave despite being separated from her mom.

“Why are you wearing those strange clothes?” she asked.

I told her my mom made me wear them.

She thought they looked cool, which made me realize she must have been raised well.

I reflected on the doctor who made me wear these clothes.

She was definitely not normal.

A good mother wouldn’t tell her baby to hurt someone.

“Are you scared?” the girl asked.

I was surprised by her optimism.

“You have my sister!” she said, smiling.

It gave me a glimmer of hope, even though I felt like a monster.

“Are you okay? Your face looks weird,” she said.

I admitted I was just thinking about something bland to eat.

I looked around at the other people, who were filled with despair.

I thought about how, from a pig’s perspective, humans might seem like villains too.

In that sense, monsters like Apocalypse, who feed on human despair, were almost gentlemanly.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” someone asked.

There had been many monsters lately, and magical girls were getting hurt.

I reassured them that magical girls always win.

Suddenly, a screen lit up, showing a magical girl named Peridot battling a monster outside.

It felt surreal, like a live-action version of an animation.

People around me were excited, especially the little girl, who admired Peridot.

I watched in awe as Peridot fought.

She was impressive, and I understood why people loved magical girls.

“Wow, look at her go!” I thought, recalling how I used to cringe at the silly names of their powers.

The little girl offered me her clothes, but I declined, saying they were too small.

She promised to lend me some when she grew bigger, showing her kind heart.

Finally, Peridot defeated the monster with a single blow, leaving everyone in awe.

It was incredible to see such power.

Am I really going to end up in trouble here?

I remembered when Apocalypse first showed up, fully charged with despair energy.

If I wasn’t careful, I might really be in danger.

As I realized that the shelter I had stumbled into could become my grave, I started to feel more alert.

“Where are you going, Sister?” the little girl asked.

“I’m just going to the bathroom for a moment,” I replied.

“Huh? Got it!” she said, but I wondered if I could sneak out without being noticed.

The entrance was likely guarded, but maybe I didn’t need to sneak out at all.

With the monster defeated and the magical girl around, it should be safe outside.

“Sister, that’s not the way to the bathroom,” she pointed out.

“Ah,” I realized I had been caught.

If only she weren’t so sharp.

“Are you going to leave me behind too?” she asked, looking at me with concern.

“I didn’t mean to leave you. I just didn’t know where the bathroom was since it’s my first time here.”

“Ah, lie! Who comes to a shelter for the first time and doesn’t know where the bathroom is?”

Now she was looking at me like I was pathetic, and it felt strange to be judged by a child.

Maybe I should have done some evacuation training or something.

When I got back, I’d ask the doctor about it.

But then again, with the doctor’s twisted sense of ethics, that might not happen.

“Fine, I’ll go with you!” she said.

“Thank you,” I replied, though I didn’t really need her help.

I preferred to find my own way rather than be guided.

My lab was a mess because I liked to do things my way.

But right now, I needed to figure out how to get rid of the kid who was sticking to me.

“Shouldn’t I go find my mother?” I suggested.

“My mom told me to help anyone in trouble!” she replied cheerfully.

That was sweet, but it wasn’t quite the kind of trouble I was dealing with.

Instead of the bathroom, maybe I could ask her to show me the exit.

Having a child with me would make it hard to escape if a magical girl showed up.

But then I thought, that was a pretty villainous idea—like taking a hostage.

Even if the chance of a magical girl appearing was low, just thinking that way felt wrong.

Just as I was trying to figure out how to shake off the child, there was a loud crash.

“Hyak?!”

The door burst open, and something monstrous howled as it entered the shelter.

It looked like a new threat had just broken through the main entrance.