At the moment when Mari was sending a message to Siyeon, claiming to be Santa.
A spaceship in the middle of the universe, entirely unrelated to the changing seasons or festive occasions.
The maker of the Monster Research and Development Lab, experiencing a shift in perspective.
Contrary to what had been said about not being able to guarantee the development of a new monster over the long span of 20 sets, there was surprisingly rapid progress being made.
There was no need to create a monster that could withstand the sun’s heat.
It was simply a matter of creating a monster that could possess equal abilities from one to ten.
Even if they couldn’t defeat the original, what if they could at least replicate it somewhat?
That alone would be a tremendous achievement.
When it came to data regarding Sun’s battles, the lab was piled high with enough information to make one weary.
Now, they simply needed to synthesize the appropriate organisms found across the universe and instill the prepared data into them.
‘This one and that one…’
Filled with excitement to be so close to results earlier than expected, he hummed happily, letting his emotions show through his mechanical arms while he worked.
In the midst of this, the doors of the Monster Research and Development Lab opened with a hissing sound, much like steam escaping.
Who is the monster disrupting this joyful work?
Making up his mind to confront any lesser monster, the maker turned around.
However, what appeared from beyond the door was Medic Tentacle.
Far from being a lesser monster, it was one of similar standing, and they were even on friendly terms.
The anger that had quickly covered his head began to dissipate just as fast.
“How’s the progress?”
“You arrived just in time.”
It’s not easy to gauge the passage of time, but the Medic Tentacle had been coming and going from the lab several times within a single human day.
Since hearing reports of success, he had truly been coming back and forth like it was a daily routine.
It was also true that the workload in the recovery room had drastically decreased following negotiations with Sun.
With the recovery device functioning well, there was essentially nothing else for the recovery room head administrator to do.
As the maker internally grumbled about such complaints and feelings of envy, he fiddled with a seed that would bring destruction to the spaceship.
Of course, the maker had no idea that the organism he was toying with was a seed of despair.
Who would have thought that the spear intended for the enemy would be twisted inward?
Surely, neither he nor any of the monsters on the spaceship could have imagined such a twist.
“Well, let’s get straight to the production; the sync rate with the data is almost perfect, so the appearance should turn out similar.”
“Oho.”
Following the maker’s words about how similar it would be, Medic Tentacle couldn’t help but let out a short exclamation of awe.
A transparent and massive metallic cylinder emerged where the synthesized and completed monster would appear.
The steps of the two monsters halted in front of the cylinder to confirm the completed product.
The wriggling organism started to clump together like a slimy clay, gradually taking on a human form.
Its body was composed of a cold, silver, monochromatic structure.
Unlike the maker, who had only seen it in its unfinished state, Medic Tentacle faced a form that was entirely identical to that of the one who had once calmly stated it would kill her.
In a chilling likeness, Medic Tentacle felt a shiver run through her as it seemed as though that very being was standing right before her.
Shaking her head to dispel the chilling sensation covering her body, she opened her mouth to praise the maker for the current situation.
“It’s a tremendous achievement! Plus, it was completed much faster than scheduled!”
“I didn’t know it would be this easy. I packed every single piece of data related to Sun from the spaceship… these synthesized monsters should be quite strong.”
With the maker’s assurance accompanying the explanation.
Medic Tentacle gently caressed the cylinder containing her replicated self with her tentacles.
“…Hmm.”
At the sight of her eerily identical form, Medic Tentacle inwardly marveled as she let out a brief moan.
In that moment, as if responding to the strange sounds coming from the surroundings, the closed eyelids of her replica flickered open in an instant.
Its eyes were a monochromatic, metallic color that clearly did not belong to a human.
The cold sensation of its seemingly lifeless gaze piercing through Medic Tentacle made her wonder, and she asked the maker.
Though it might not seem so, it was clear that the eyes within the cylinder were scanning the surroundings.
As a sense of foreboding rose from her flesh, Medic Tentacle stealthily took a step back.
No way, right?
Hoping that her bad feeling was wrong, she subtly asked the maker, who had just glanced inside the cylinder.
“Maker, you said you packed all the data related to Sun in the spaceship, right?”
“Of course, not a single piece was left out.”
Not a single piece left out.
Hearing that response, Medic Tentacle, though not showing it on the surface, began to feel despair rising along with certainty.
With a trembling voice, she opened her mouth to ask once more the fact she had denied until the very end.
“Did you also include the memory data that’s presumed hostile towards the monster?”
“Ah.”
In that moment, the maker’s brief exclamation reached Medic Tentacle.
The memory data of Sun, presumed to be hostile from the monster’s perspective.
Only after receiving consecutive questions did the maker grasp the seriousness of the situation and finally look inside the metallic cylinder.
The vacant eyes within it wandered around wildly before finally locking gazes with the two monsters.
Just like how a human confronted by a beast would slowly take steps back rather than run, the two monsters began to retreat step by step while maintaining their gaze.
However, this was merely an instinctive response to an apex predator when facing a creature.
To something that had been thoroughly trained from a human perspective, it would not work.
“This is bad…”
With a sound reminiscent of the metallic cylinder being crushed, the maker’s voice was abruptly overwhelmed as it crumpled against the wall, leaving sticky marks behind.
All of this happened in an instant due to its sheer brute force.
Simultaneously, an unforgettable signal of despair sounded throughout the spaceship.
Without realizing what had transpired, Medic Tentacle looked towards it.
The tentacles that were left drooping aimlessly showcased how utterly unprepared they were for this situation.
The vacant eyes seemed indifferent, staring at her, and then suddenly, it lunged forward.
That was the last consciousness she had.
“Hu-huh!”
“Cough!”
The two monsters came to their senses in the recovery room almost simultaneously.
The monsters in the recovery room tilted their heads in confusion.
Clearly, the two monsters hadn’t been headed toward Earth, so why were they forcibly sent to the recovery device and regained consciousness?
Was there a fight among the executives?
While those inquiries from the recovery room monsters seemed pointless, the two monsters synchronously let out a roar.
“Prepare for a broadcast across the entire spaceship! Now!”
“Quickly! If that gets here…!”
“Y-yes? Ah, yes…”
The recovery room monsters had no idea what the two executives were about to say.
In what felt like an impending doom, they hurriedly adjusted the speakers to ensure their voices could be heard throughout the spaceship.
“Ah, all units in the fleet, listen up.”
The short crackling broadcast echoed within the spaceship, delivering alarming news to monsters who had temporarily forgotten the threat posed by Sun and were enjoying their happiness.
“The replica of the Magical Girl Sun being researched in the Monster Research and Development Lab has escaped and is currently wandering the spaceship…”
No sooner had that short announcement echoed than a commotion erupted within the ship, reaching the recovery room.
Sounds akin to chaos, as if beds were being toppled over, were audible even from the recovery room.
Only then did the monsters in the recovery room realize why the two executives appeared so flustered, widening their eyes to look at each other.
“What?!”
“Ahhh!!!”
“S-save me! Aaaah!”
The screams of monsters and the sounds of panic echoed through the recovery room.
Medic Tentacle was not without understanding that feeling.
She too wanted to scream like a female in distress and escape the recovery room immediately.
However, if the recovery room’s device broke down, it would mean the end for the spaceship.
The reason they had just narrowly survived was precisely because of the recovery device aboard this spaceship.
Gathering her trembling tentacles, Medic Tentacle calmly announced over the broadcast.
“Monsters! That just came from the Monster Research and Development Lab. Lead it away from the recovery room as much as possible, even if you need to use yourself as bait! If the recovery room can’t function, we’re all finished!”
Thud, thud, thud—heavy footsteps filled the corridor.
As long as the recovery device was operational, the monsters could somehow survive.
It was a rush to their deaths but also efforts to live.
Many monsters on the ship became entangled in chaos.
Following the faithful command to be bait, several monsters began returning to the recovery room.
Fortunately, given the overwhelming numbers on the spaceship, which served as the monsters’ stronghold, they were able to return to the front lines immediately without enduring the gruesome torture data inputted.
But an infinite war was not a possibility.
In the end, it was a war of attrition.
“Maker, is there no way?”
Medic Tentacle asked the maker with a grave expression.
After all, as the one who had caused this incident, there shouldn’t be a puzzle piece for resolution.
“No matter how high the sync rate is with the replicas, in the end, it’s an emergency organic material… which means.”
“Which means?”
“Until it collapses, we’ll keep hitting it somehow….”
“Damn, that’s just saying there’s no sharp solution, isn’t it?”
With Medic Tentacle’s sigh echoing, hours stretched by on the spaceship.
A nightmarish duration filled with the numerous deaths of the monsters.
It was only after all of that had passed that they managed to suppress and eliminate the replica of Sun.
Although it had been a harrowing time that could leave a trauma, they strangely found their spirits lifted, thinking they might be able to face the original now.
However, the wolf-headed monster, who remained sane even when facing Sun directly, said this:
Compared to the original, it was simply a counterfeit that only bore a resemblance in strength.
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