Chapter 23: Malice (8)

[Chichik-Alpha Squad, is something wrong? Chichijik – Alpha Squad, respond!]

Woohoo – “It seems like we went a little too far.

I slowly inhaled at the despair I could feel from all around.

This is it, this is a complete apocalypse.

“Ugh,ugh…”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Why did you mess with the monster that came exploring the underground without permission, tsk.

Even though he only broke his arms and legs, it seemed like it wasn’t just his arms and legs that were the problem.

‘This is useless’ I took off his helmet to see his face, but all I could see was his face that had lost its mind.

His eyes were unfocused, and drool was dripping from his mouth.

No, no.

Maybe it was better this way.

“Hhhhhhhhh…”

“Yeah, we’re going to have to go back now, so don’t worry.

Did I make you too anxious?”

Hearing the child’s cries made me realize that it was time to go back.

Tch, what a pity.

I wanted to check how far the end of the underground world went.

Honestly, right?

An underground research lab that no one in the city knows about.

And inside that lab, there are monsters that look like a mix of humans and monsters, and there’s even an army stationed there to cover up the truth?

“Come on, let’s go back. Go back.”

Patting the child on the back, she slowly started walking back the way she came.

Still, she felt a little regretful, so she should memorize the route.

Since her memory was pretty good, she thought it would be good to keep it in her head so that she could start from here next time.

It might be a good idea to think of it as a kind of save point.

“Come on, let’s come alone next time.”

If she didn’t go back soon, she’d ask where Emerald went again.

She couldn’t keep the child with her.

“Come on, there’s nothing left. Look, is that true?”

“Uh, uh…”

She slowly pulled the child’s face out of her arms and showed him the surrounding scenery.

The broken test tube was a little unsightly, but I guess it’s okay to think of it as a field trip.

For example, something like, “If you come to a place like this, you’re in big trouble~”.

“Ta-da, what is this?”

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

“This is a DNA model.

Maybe I’ll learn about it when I go to school later?”

The model’s notes said things like human DNA and monster DNA, but they were full of things I couldn’t understand, so I just roughly tore them off.

I’m not a science major, I’m a liberal arts major.

Oh, so that’s why the doctor abandoned me?

“I’m having a liberal arts baby too, it’s a disgrace to the family!”

Something like that.

“But isn’t it the liberal arts majors who suck out despair?”

They stimulate people’s emotions well and suck out despair more efficiently, yeah.

In that sense, I might have been a really great liberal arts major student who sucked out the despair of a half-monster, half-human monster creature.

“Here, I’ll give you this as a souvenir of your visit here.”

“Thank you, Unnie.”

“Thank you.

I should be thankful to the scientists who created this place.”

But at least she stopped crying, right?

I smiled back at the child who was smiling brightly after receiving the DNA model.

Even though her emotions had changed to a monstrous one, the child’s smile was still pleasant to see.

‘Anyway…’

While the child was playing with the DNA model, I found something in a corner of the lab.

I reached out and picked up the something—the card key, to be exact—and a familiar face appeared before my eyes.

This person was definitely…

“Sister? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

I put the card key I had snatched away into my pocket.

I thought I had seen it somewhere, but I never thought such a coincidence could happen.

I felt like something interesting was going to happen…

“It’s dazzling…”

“It’s okay, You’ll get used to it soon.”

He gently lowered the child, who was covering his eyes with his palm, to the floor and grabbed his hand.

Okay…

Then where can I go to find him?

The mart was already half destroyed, so it was obvious that if she stayed here, things would go wrong.

“By the way, did you defeat the monster?”

Well, Emerald must have done a good job.

I didn’t really like the fact that she was a magical girl who spread hope, but her power was real.

Even though I hadn’t seen her in real life, it was all in the anime.

“The city’s a total mess.”

“Is Mom okay?”

“She’ll be okay.”

It wouldn’t be fun if she wasn’t okay, so yeah.

I don’t know what will happen next, but if things continued like this, it seemed like something pretty interesting would happen.

Man, just imagining it makes my heart race.

“Uh, uh…”

“Are you here?”

“Well, yes… Thank you for taking care of the child this time too…”

The culprit had said that he would return to the scene of the crime.

He gave the child a smile and handed her the child, who looked neat despite having run away in a hurry.

I’m really curious, what will happen next?

It’s a small goal, but I want to taste the despair of the woman in front of me.

Squeak

‘No one’s here…?”

With the child’s mother’s guidance, I somehow managed to get back to the hospital.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the monster was wreaking havoc at the hospital.

I slowly poked my head into the hospital room, and when I confirmed that no one was there besides Tamako, I sneaked in.

No, I was about to go in.

“Akari.”

“Uh, Emerald?”

“Not Emerald, Midori, Midori.”

“Yes, Midori… More importantly, are you hurt?”

When I turned around in surprise at the voice behind me, I saw none other than Emerald.

She even had bandages all over her body, as if she had been hit somewhere.

Where did she get so hurt?

A child who can heal herself got hurt like this?

I didn’t know what kind of monster it was, but at least it seemed certain that it was something serious.

“Magical girls often get hurt. Were you worried?”

“Of course you were worried?”

If she was a magical girl, she was my backup despair supply machine.

And out of all those backup supplies, I liked Emerald the most, so yeah.

Having already tasted Emerald’s despair, it was only natural that I would worry about her safety.

“So don’t get hurt, Midori.”

“Yes…”

Good!

I’ll set the mood by worrying about Emerald, and just quietly move on from the fact that I went out secretly—

“…Then, let’s move on to the next story.”

“Yes?”

“Akari, you didn’t go out secretly, did you?”

“Ahaha….”

Anyone could tell by her expression.

I thought I’d be questioned in various ways if I said no here, so I nodded.

Yes, I went out and came back.

But what are you going to do?

I’m Apocalypse.

I’m Apocalypse who can destroy the world in the blink of an eye!

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m glad you realize that.

The monster alarm went off and you went outside… Who would think Akari was suicidal, huh?”

“…Ugh.”

“And what’s this mark? Are you hurt or something?

You’re aware of the condition of your body, right?”

She’s completely fine.

She’s been shot a few times by the humans underground, but honestly, it only felt like a mosquito bite.

Of course, the clothes aren’t my body, so there were holes here and there, but…

‘Ah, since you’re going to buy her clothes, why not buy her some that are bulletproof?

I was blaming Emerald for no reason.

“I was so worried…. I thought something had happened…”

Oh, oh.

Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?

I tilted my head at Emerald, who buried her face in my arms and started to cry, thinking that she was getting angry.

T-that’s right.

You’ve been having a hard time lately.

Why, should I comfort you?

I thought about what a magical girl being comforted by a monster would be like, but since I was a monster who could read the mood well, I decided to comfort her a little.

“It’s okay, Midori. I’m really okay.

Look, if you look at it now, Midori’s condition is worse, right?”

“Ugh.”

“And there’s no way I could die easily.

I survived in that lab, right?”

“… “

He looked at Midori, who had raised her head, and spoke kindly.

This won’t do.

For now, I have to change my policy.

Originally, I was going to tease you often and suck out your despair, but it’s no fun if you show me your weak side like this, right?

“Come on, come in. I’ll re-bandage you.”

“Ah, it’s okay if I do it alone.”

“Look, it’s just this sloppy?

This kind of thing is usually better when someone else does it, right?”

He dragged Emerald into the room and pointed at the part where there were lots of bloodstains with his finger.

How could a guy with healing abilities get so injured, tsk tsk.

‘Could this be your intention?

You want me to worry about him?”

In fan fiction, there are often cases where characters are portrayed as masochists who enjoy getting hurt—

Hey, no way.

Fan fiction is just fan fiction, after all….

Isn’t it?

If you think about it, doesn’t the fact that Apocalypse is like this itself feel like fan fiction?

‘T-For now, let’s focus on changing the bandages.’

He forced down the dizzying thoughts that were coming to his mind.

For now, it was better to focus on the task in front of him.