Chapter 32: Unwanted Overnight Stay (3)

Maybe it was because they were back in a safe space.

It didn’t take long for the relaxed humans to become active.

They freely ate the food in the room, and freely lay down on the bed.

They were so relaxed, so relaxed.

‘If you’re going to occupy someone else’s room, at least make them despair.

That’s why I didn’t want to let them in.

If they came to a safe place, the despair I felt would decrease.

“At this point, we’ll be safe until the magical girl takes care of the monster.”

“There’s no screen to see what’s going on outside, so it’s a little boring.”

There were so many things I wanted.

I was already getting on my nerves, but the babbling next to me really got me irritated.

Despair was at its lowest, but hope was all.

It felt like I was immersed in a jar full of maggots.

I wonder if the door will break through like last time…’ I muttered to myself as I sat back against the wall.

I hate humans.

I hate hope even more.

I wanted to see Tamako.

Knock knock knock-!!

“What…?!”

“A monster, a monster?”

Time passed like that again.

The humans started to murmur at the sound of a knock on the door.

I really wish that were true, but unfortunately, the one outside wasn’t a monster.

In the first place, a monster wouldn’t be knocking on the door so weakly.

“This is Magical Girl Emerald! Please open it!”

Then that’s right.

I got up from my seat slightly at the sound of a familiar voice.

The landlord came to pick me up, so I couldn’t not go out.

When I thought about it, it was quite late.

A monster appeared at the hotel I was staying at, and it came so late.

‘I wonder, is that really Emerald?’

The voice was indeed Emerald, but I didn’t feel the unique hope that you feel from a magical girl.

Would the humans really believe that and open the door?

Squeak- ‘How stupid.’

“Finally leaving.”

Kick, kick, kick, kick

Despair grew.

A long line was drawn from the stomach of a creature that looked similar to a human but was overall a black shadow.

Then, what came into view were sharp blades.

The monster’s mouth gaped open in front of the human who was blankly staring at it.

Crunch-Crunch-Crunch—

Crunch—

“I’m Magical Girl Emerald! Please open up!”

“Hic…”

“I’m Magical Girl Emerald! Please open up!”

Could this guy know how to imitate voices?

I briefly admired the guy who happily imitated Emerald’s voice after eating a human.

Well, if he had been mindlessly eating humans, he would have been dealt with by the magical girls a long time ago.

“Everyone, close the door right now!”

“There’s no way you can close it—AAAHHH!?!!?!”

WADDUDK- WADDUDK-WADDUDK-

It didn’t take long for the place I thought was safe to become a slaughterhouse.

The monster started looking around like I had come to a buffet of despair.

It would immediately eat the despair it liked, and wait for the unripe despair to be fully cooked before eating it.

Gyaaaah I covered my ears at the screaming voices of the humans and let out a sigh.

‘Some people are half-starved, but they’re so excited.”

“_Haa”

Squeak? Squeak?

The monster looked at me as I let out a sigh.

It tilted its head and licked its lips, but it seemed that the humans it had just eaten were satisfying its taste.

Squeak, squeak, squeak

“__? What is it?”

The monster approached me with a bouncy motion and extended its hand toward me.

The thing on top of it was a human head.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the way he seemed to be explaining that this part was the most delicious.

Even the monster must have thought I was hungry.

“It’s okay, I don’t eat that kind of thing.”

Squeak… slurp slurp –

When I shook my head in refusal, the monster lowered the corners of its mouth on its stomach and soon began munching on the human head in my hand.

It was definitely a sight that a normal person would find horrifying.

I quietly stepped aside so that the blood and brains flowing out of the monster’s mouth wouldn’t get on my clothes.

“Now then, what should I do?”

The outside was in chaos due to the monsters, and the humans had come to my room to take refuge, but had foolishly opened the door and become food for the monster.

If I went outside like this, he might question me as to how I survived.

I was clearly here to sleep, so why was I cornered?

I glared at the humans sprawled out there and pressed my forehead with my hand.

Squeak?

“My head hurts.”

Emerald would be here soon.

I was wondering if I should send this guy away or pretend to be kidnapped like last time.

It would be the same old method as last time, but it would be the safest.

“Do you know about the Doctor?”

Squeak?

“You don’t know.”

It seemed like this guy wasn’t a monster created by the Doctor.

I thought it was the same maker because their behaviors were similar, but it seemed like it was a product of a different manufacturer with similar performance.

For example, that creepy cross-eyed doctor.

I wasn’t sure, but there was no other person who would put such a gloomy behavior on a monster they made themselves.

I had half a feeling that this person would create monsters.

“Oh, by the way…”

There was something I had brought with me.

I put my hand inside my bosom and felt around, and the card key that was hanging around my neck popped out.

“Do you know what this is? I need to go somewhere where I can use it.”

Squeak…. Squeak…

“I need to go get Aya.”

The monster, having seen the photo printed on the card key, started imitating the child’s mother.

She’s not a parrot, but she’s copying it well.

No, does that mean she’s heard Emerald’s voice before?

Well, anyway.

“Can you guide me?”

Giggle, giggle…

“I will, I will… I will…”

If I walk out on my own feet, it’ll be like advertising myself, I’m a monster~”so I’ll try to be a little more tactical.

I covered my body with the human byproducts on the ground and took a stance in front of the monster.

Giggle?

“I take it. I won’t be suspicious if I go out on my own feet.”

Giggle, giggle

The monster tilted its head at my actions, but nodded when I explained my intentions.

Looking at it this way, I guess its intelligence is quite high.

Are all artificially created monsters like this?

Most of the monsters in the original work felt like giant beasts or natural disasters.

“Okay, let’s go, let’s go.”

Ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki

As I tapped the monster’s hand and spoke, the monster began to jump around happily.

Really, if I feel more comfortable in the hands of a monster than among humans, I can’t sympathize with those byproducts.

It seems that I was born to be a monster.

“Welcome, Ruby.”

“Just one day, Emerald.”

What kind of person is someone who makes me laugh just by looking at them?

Just yesterday, I was worried that Akari would be caught, but without Akari, just seeing her face made me laugh.

It was nice to see my comrade who fought back to back to protect each other’s lives.

“Can I go inside today?”

“Yes, the house was a mess back then.”

“Why, did you have a boyfriend?”

“Oh, no!!”

Nothing has really changed.

I’ve never been in a relationship since I was born, but I clearly remember saying things like that often when teasing others.

Even Sapphire, who never jokes, once jokingly said, “There’s no one in this world who would take her.”

“Come in first. I’ll treat you to dinner for the first time in a long time.”

“Excuse me.”

Ruby pulled back her hood as she entered the house.

Then, her eyes widened reflexively at the sight of her red hair flowing down her shoulders.

When we first met, her hair was short, reaching down to her neck.

“Ruby had long hair at this time.”

“Well, that’s right. I was young then. I wanted to look cool.”

Ruby bashfully twirled her hair and looked away.

A sight I would never have seen in the previous world.

Thinking back to a time when even a brief moment of rest was nearly impossible, I could clearly feel how happy this time was.

“That’s why I can’t lose it.”

How much we tried, tried, and tried again to get back this moment.

Beyond the gazes of the dying magical girls, trampling on the corpses of monsters, hearing the screams and groans of people, imprinting the scene of destruction in my head.

It was a terrible time.

It was also a time I never wanted to go back to.

“Did you keep them out because of that person?”

“It’s similar.”

Ruby asked, looking at Tamako who was quietly sleeping on the bed.

The real reason was not Tamako but Akari, but she was able to get past it somehow because she covered it up.

It’s fortunate that I’ve lied more than before.

“Then, shall we get to the point now?”

“- Yes.”

It’s about the Apocalypse.

I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth at Ruby’s serious expression.

The Apocalypse you knew no longer exists.

It’s just one word, but it’s clear that I can’t tell her—

Waee…

I didn’t want to hear it anymore, but it was a sound that we couldn’t separate from.

A scream that told us that despair was eating people.

Until the day when magical girls were no longer needed, we were destined to be tied to monsters and, at the same time, to Apocalypse.