Chapter 73: Kidnapping (3)

“I thought the lab was closed, but it doesn’t seem to be.”

“…That’s right.”

The lab I found again looked quite neat.

It was definitely a mess because of the monsters the last time I saw it.

It was hard to believe that Curse had returned to conduct research because none of the monsters in the test tubes were visible.

It was as if the research topic had changed.

“Humans are really foolish. It would have been better to completely destroy this research facility.”

“Maybe Curse came back.”

“Curs is only serious about researching monsters? If he was Curse, he would have filled the entire place with monsters.”

There was no way Curse, a monster-lover, would have created such a semi-monster-like lab.

Even if it was just for camouflage, there would have been at least one document related to monsters.

On the other hand, all the materials here were about magical girls.

How magical girls are created, what kind of environment is most likely to create magical girls, etc…

“…Cursed is right. I can be sure of that.”

“Is that so? Well, you would know better than me, so if you are, then so be it.”

Garnet’s expression hardened as if she had remembered something bad.

It was like the expression of a soldier with PTSD.

Garnet picked up the bundle of documents with trembling hands and quickly began to read the contents written inside.

Over and over again, as if to confirm that her thoughts were correct.

“Are you going to repeat the same thing again?”

“Why, you’re going to create magical girls?”

“…Similar. The problem is that the magical girls created that way are used for experiments.”

Garnet ground her teeth.

It seemed like she was burning with hatred as she recalled Curse’s suspicious appearance.

Anyway, so it wasn’t that strange that dark emotions like hatred and hope could coexist.

The magical girls who remembered me were like that too, so it wasn’t that strange.

“I don’t see any test subjects for that.”

“They might be using the kidnapped child as their first test subject.”

Is that really true?

In the first place, could it really be Curse who started using this lab again?

Of course, it’s not completely impossible, but this city had me and Emerald.

No matter how dark it is under the lamp, I don’t think they’d have the guts to take out their own liver and put it outside…

“Isn’t it possible that it’s another human?”

“…Another, human?”

“Isn’t it possible that it’s one of the humans who cooperated with Curse?”

Could Curse have operated an underground facility of this scale all by himself?

The answer was no.

Curse was at the center of it all, but there was no reason for Curse to stop his research just because he disappeared.

Rather, I wondered if they were even more obsessed with their research because of the chaos.

That’s what humans were originally.

Foolish beings who can’t let go of what they’re holding on to, and who repeat the same choices.

“… Certainly, the Association was full of dirty guys.”

Garnet nodded with an expression of understanding.

In that case, it would be better to go deeper for now—

“Is it true that you’re going to keep operating this research center?”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do because they told me to do so from above.”

The humans who opened the door and came in stopped moving for a moment.

Not me, but Garnet.

It was a little funny that she held her breath quietly when I slightly reached out and lowered her posture.

Normal people can’t hear their breathing, after all.

“… By the way, who came and went?”

“They might have come and gone. It’s not like there are only one or two people coming and going here.”

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like they were found out because they were hiding under the desk at the end.

The only problem was that the footsteps were getting louder.

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

“Dr. Lina? Ah, I heard. Didn’t you say you were quitting and leave?”

“Yes. But I heard you’re coming back this time?”

“Well, where else would someone like that go if not here? It’s a good thing.”

While I was quietly listening to the humans’ conversation, a familiar name suddenly popped out.

You quit and then came back this time?

Judging from the fact that it coincided with Aya’s kidnapping, it seemed that Lina was trying to gather information in her own way.

Anyway, that wasn’t important right now.

“Wait, there’s something here—”

“Hello?”

She tied the humans who saw Garnet and me crouching down with shadows, immediately making them quiet.

Garnet’s eyes widened at the sight.

“What’s wrong? Should I have just caught you?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“I didn’t kill you, I didn’t kill you.”

I controlled it as much as possible, so there shouldn’t be any danger to your life.

Of course, I wasn’t going to leave you like that.

She took off her gown and the card key hanging around her neck and stuffed them into a nearby cabinet.

Why did you come here?

It was mostly the fault of the humans who came this way.

“Ah, I don’t need it. It would be more awkward if you were wearing it.”

“Yes, well. That’s right.”

At Garnet’s words, I put the gown and card key set in my shadow.

By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve worn this.

The only difference from that time is that I’m walking around with a magical girl instead of a monster, but…

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, I thought it surprisingly went well with you.”

“Black goes well with white.”

Garnet, who had been staring at me, continued to compliment me.

What is it? Does it mean that I look like a mad scientist?

Of course, I knew that wasn’t what she meant, so I just brushed it off.

Since it’s come to this, I should become an expert.

“Let’s go, Escort.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

I raised the corners of my lips at Garnet’s rhythm.

Then, should I become Doctor Akari for a while?

***

“You’re back, Doctor!”

“Ahaha, yes… That’s right.”

“I knew it! There’s no one like you when it comes to magical girl research!”

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

A facility where magical girl research was conducted at the risk of children’s lives.

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

No, rather, now it was time to say that it had returned to its original magical girl research.

“I, I have one question to ask.”

“Go ahead, Doctor!”

“Has the director returned by any chance?”

A man with a kind, cross-eyed expression.

A vicious person who had threatened her with Aya.

It was only natural that he was suspicious, since he knew how to control monsters and had his eyes on Aya.

Maybe it was okay to say that he was half-convinced.

If it weren’t for that man, there would have been no reason for Aya to be kidnapped by a monster.

“Ah… The director is still missing. It’s unfortunate that he worked so hard for the advancement of humanity.”

“…That’s right.”

The advancement of humanity?

The things the director did were too vicious to be wrapped up like that.

After kidnapping children, they were turned into magical girls, and later used as experimental materials.

The story goes that before Aya was born, they had thoughtlessly followed such crazy experiments, but after Aya was born, they had come to regret it.

…That’s probably why this karma came back to haunt them in the end.

“By the way, why aren’t these guys coming when they said they were going to get some data? Oh, and you can wait here, Doctor.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll go with you.”

She had to find out something by following the people who would know the information.

Even at this moment, Aya was definitely…

Lina held her breath for a moment as she thought of Aya.

I closed my eyes against the distorted vision and took a deep breath, barely able to calm myself down.

“I’m sure I told you to bring the data—”

“It’s noisy.”

“…Who are you?”

Following the researcher for a moment,

Lina widened her eyes at the familiar face before her eyes.

‘Why is that person here…’

At that time, she had been half-conscious when she asked for help, but she had never imagined that she would come all the way here.

Furthermore, the one next to her was none other than the magical girl Garnet.

Why was she next to that person, who had been handling various tasks under the director’s orders?

Her head was spinning.

“She’s the new person in charge of magical girl research. She was personally appointed by the director.”

“…Is that so?”

The researcher, who had been looking at the girl with suspicious eyes, nodded with a trembling expression.

It seemed that she had been suspicious of the fact that such a small and delicate girl was a researcher, but after hearing that the director had appointed her, she seemed to have finally accepted it.

“Now that I think about it, there’s a familiar face here. We’re old friends, right?”

“…Hello.”

Lina reflexively nodded at the girl’s words.

There was a reason for keeping up with the rhythm, but more than anything, I didn’t have the confidence to continue looking into those eyes that didn’t show even a single ray of light.

Those weren’t human eyes.