Monster Girl Raising Project: Restart

Chapter 4: Mysterious Candy

☆ Godzilla Junior
"When a player dies, their items don't disappear. But when a Kaiju Phone gets destroyed, what happens to the items inside of it?"
"When Kaiju Phones break, then the items return to where they came from, Pon. Event items will be generated again if the events repeat, and shop items return to the shop they came from, Pon."
"But if we don't install the items, then we physically carry them, don't we?"
"Items are all just data, you have to install it to even use it. Even if you equip your weapons and armor, or use tools like cooking pots, if you don't install it, you can't use it, Pon."
Although it was announced that death in the game = death in real life, this event was separated from the Land of Monsters and they know it's illegal.
Right now, the Mascot Character Godzilly was being treated worse than a cockroach or a mite, hated by everyone.
Battra pressed the Help Button, and naturally, she asked questions to the Mascot Character.
But it wasn't questions like, "What's the point of this all?" or "Is there a grudge among us?"
They were positive questions that would aid a player in clearing the game.
She really was unusual, thought Godzilla Junior, reconfirming her thoughts on her.
Although it's only been 3 days, their ally, who helped them advance in the game together, Dagahra, has died unbearably.
And even though it was said that death wasn't limited to in-game, it didn't look like she was sad or shocked at all.
Somehow, they couldn't transmit their current situation to the Land of Monsters, and no other Kaiju Girls could help them.
A lot of opinions were given, and none of them seemed to be good, so as a result, none of them were constructive at all.
But were they better than being forced to dance in the palms of a powerful Master in this game?
There was an opinion that was put forward, that they co-operate together beyond the boundaries of their own parties. The four party leaders discussed it at the Town Square, but Battra ended it early and returned.
Now, they're in the first floor of a building within the Mountain Town, and Battra was facing Godzilla Junior, a desk between them.
This building was wider than the other ones, so although Battra was on her wheelchair, she could still move around with ease. Plus, as there was no owner, no one could complain if she was being rude.
"That's all the questions I have. Thank you, Godzilly."
After she said thank you, Battra's Kaiju Phone screen began to change. The Help Screen disappeared, and it was replaced by the Item Screen.
"One, now that's strange."
"You never told me what you got from that discussion. What happened?"
"Before I tell you, there's something more important I have to say"
"Before you tell me?"
Godzilly had gathered everyone in the Wasteland Town Square, there, she announced some unbelievable things.
While everyone was worrying on what to do, Battra dropped a bomb of a statement, Dagahra's death, and that her items and candies were all stolen.
Who was the culprit?
Just remembering that miserable death made Godzilla Junior's chest hurt. Although Dagahra was an oddball, she was still a good person.
She was someone who was lured by the bandaged-covered Battra, a strong person who would defend the weak, a Kaiju Girl of Justice.
There was no reason for her murder.
If they were after Dagahra, then whoever the culprit was must have her coin.
So they cooperated to find the culprit, checking their Kaiju Phones one by one, but the last one halted their efforts.
The Dark Ghidorah Kaiju Girl, Desghidorah, refused to show her Kaiju Phone, and when the Sci-Fi aquatic dinosaur Kaiju Girl, Titanosaurus, approached her, she was slashed.
That slash had killed her.
However, because that slain girl has suddenly vanished, her two party members seemed to be looking for her.
Wherever she was, or wherever her corpse may be found, they couldn't contact her.
Desghidorah also went berserk, slashing everything in sight.
Slicing, slicing, killing.
She even cut buildings in half. If Battra hadn't been rescued by Godzilla Junior, then she too would've been slashed and killed.
It was natural for Godzilla Junior, to save Batta. There would be no reward. If it still meant rescuing her, she probably should've kicked her away instead.
Finally, she was entombed by a Wasteland Building. She fought with a Ancient shisa Kaiju Girl.
When she saw that the rose Kaiju Girl before her was about to be slashed and killed, she dropped a building on top of Desghidorah and crushed her.
Godzilla Junior was stunned by how many Kaiju Girls there are that could cause danger to the world.
The Ancient shisa Kaiju Girl, King Caesar, sealed that building again in her scrolls, on the center of the crater on the ground...
...There was a Kaiju Girl whose state Godzilla Junior really didn't want to remember.
Her Kaiju Phone was in a completely unusable state. Its protective film was broken, the LCD was torn apart.
Although there was no way to confirm if she had the item or not, she refused to show her Kaiju Phone, when she was asked, she simply sliced everyone, and no one else possessed the Miracle Coin, so she had to be the culprit.
And so the search for the culprit ended there.
After that, they had opinions on what to do next, and the team leaders prepared a place for discussion.
While the Kaiju Girls were discussing their opinions, going "Ah, yes, but of course," Godzilla Junior held her head in confusion.
How did the lines switch this fast? Three people have already died. Furthermore, everyone was forced to play a game of life and death. Most people would be crying in confusion.
Wasn't it strange that everyone was suddenly calmly discussing good ideas? Was everyone trying to deceive her?
Battra, who had ended the discussion early and returned to her, spoke with a strong tone. Because of that, Godzilla Junior's head boiled.
"Mamori, everyone else isn't as calm as you think they are. However, I am indeed calm."
"I know you're calm, My Lady..."
"Of course you do, if you're calm, Mamori, then I'd be calm as well. It's just like our test examiner when we became Kaiju Girls said... What was her name again? Well, it doesn't matter. It's like she said, when you become a Kaiju
Girl, you're not only strong physically, but mentally as well. Even fear will fade."
"I don't think mine's fading that well..."
"The Land of Monsters seeks Kaiju Girls who exemplify Kaiju Girls. When the time comes, they would be saints who won't hesitate to sacrifice themselves. Though I don't think I could quite fulfill that."
She continued to state the obvious, was she trying to convince her of something else?
"At Town I bought this Item Picture Book. It's the Item version of the Monster Picture Book we bought in the Grassland Town."
When she passed it on to Godzilla Junior, Godzilla Junior saw a list of item names filling the screen of her Kaiju Phone.
"These are the item names. If you click on them, a graphic of the item will be displayed. If the names have ??? on them, then it's an item not yet available. If you slide to the right, you'll see how to obtain it, how much it's sold for, and so on. Also, it's benefits-"
"What's this number?"
It was a large number, and in parentheses, there was a smaller number. For example, the Passes had 10000 (4) displayed on them.
At first glance, you wouldn't really understand what they're for.
"Ah, your eyes found the good part. This one's important. The larger number is the item's upper limit, the possible amount you can obtain in the game, and the smaller number, the circulation number, is the number of items that are actually in someone's possession in-game. Based on these, observe carefully."
Pfle pointed her finger at the Miracle Coin. She moved her finger to the right, stopping where they displayed the item's upper limit and circulation number.
Those numbers were
1 (1).
"Huh? That's not... What?"
Godzilla Junior tilted her neck.
"There's... one that's still out there?"
"That's right. One. Now that's strange, isn't it?"
Battra's tone was heating up, she looked like she was having fun.
"If a Kaiju Phone is destroyed, then the items inside return to where they came from. Event items will be generated if the same event happens again. That's what Godzilly said. So, if Desghidorah was our assassin, and if she stole Dagahra's item, then when her Kaiju Phone was crushed by the building, then the coin's circulation number should read zero shouldn't it? It should only be generated again if the same event happened again, correct?"
"If you don't install it in your Kaiju Phone, you have to carry it around, don't you? She could've hidden it somewhere"
"That's impossible. You can't use the item unless you install it first. Godzilly confirmed that."
"Then Godzilly's lying again."
"Godzilly won't lie. She would've said otherwise. Since then, she only speaks the truth."
"And you're just going to believe that? What if that's a lie, too, what are you going to do then?"
"Me?"
The temperature of the heat was slowly rising. Battra placed her hands on her hips. . When she did, she felt a slight flight distortion.
The air around had nowhere to escape, so it's become quite disgusting.
"Unlike the Great Detectives like Gyaos, when finding a culprit, I don't look for any evidence or try to break alibis. Instead, I listen."
"What are you talking about?"
"Voice equality. Appearance. Clothing. Gestures. Body odor. Tone. Saliva or sweat. In judging Godzilly's personality, she's missing these things. However, it's easy to pull out her character. She's resisting her Master. She dislikes this game. She's on the player's side."
"And why do you say you're different from a Great Detective?"
"Because of the way we determine if a person is a culprit. I don't need evidence or alibis. When I think someone is a culprit, it's because I'm sure they're definitely the culprit. There's only one condition for someone to rise in a political landscape, and that's that they are someone who doesn't make mistakes. I do not misjudge people. Godzilly is cooperating with the players."
Battra removed her hands from her hips. Her white glossy palms were slightly covered in sweat. Battra offered her hand to Godzilla Junior, and Godzilla Junior wiped it with her handkerchief.
"Godzilly speaks the truth. The coin is still out there. Which means the killer who stole Dagahra's item is still alive."
While Godzilla Junior was wiping the dirt off of Battra's hand, the heat in Battra's words began to cool down.
Battra had become the usual Battra once more.
"It seems Titanosaurus has disappeared. Someone is doing something."
"If you really don't make mistakes, do you know who that someone is?"
Godzilla Junior asked that with an air of sarcasm, Battra shrugged her shoulders with a calm face.
"I don't know yet. It's because I don't know that we should refrain from working with other parties from now. If we ally with everyone, then our possible enemy would be among them, shoulder to shoulder with us, don't you think?"
______________________________________________________________________
☆ Gyaos
When Gyaos told everyone the results of her Mechagodzilla investigation, she felt good. It was as if she was a real detective.
Even though her life is in danger, she felt proud and enthusiastic.
The problem came after, after Desghidorah had been subdued.
The Team Leaders' discussion never really reached the stage of completion. It instead tapered off to a weak ending.
Biollante finished up early, telling them that she'd like to find the missing Titanosaurus as soon as she can.
Battra said, "Once you've all decided a course of action, please do tell me." As if she wasn't part of their party, she turned her face away and left.
And as for the one that remained, Gyaos had said that even if they were the only ones left, they should still try to cooperate.
Gyaos didn't know what the silent Gigan was thinking. While her hands and feet were hooks, Gigan always loomed above Gyaos, even if they were sitting down.
The pressure of her silence was dreadful. Finally, she nodded, probably giving her consent. Although since they haven't decided anything concrete, that consent was meaningless.
Her exhausted and tired party returned to the Wasteland Town's shop, but even there, another exhausting and tiring thing happened.
"This is heresy! This is unbelievable!"
Moguera was being noisy.
Her silver hair was shoulder cut, and she had pale blue eyes that looked very kind, her noisiness far contrasted her nice clean look.
"What is?"
"Titaeosaureus"
On the contrary, Destroyah's appearance was more flashy. Her red hair was winding around. There were red Horne's scattered around her. Contrary to her flashy hairstyle, she was quiet and rarely speaks.
"In ze Weistlend Taun Skuer, we saw Titaeosaureus frum eraund the korner"
Destroyah pointed at the shade of the building.
"No, that's impossible. Because Titanosaurus' -"
She was killed in the streets of the Wasteland Town, is what Gyaos was trying to say. Biollante and King Caesar went off to search for her whereabouts. Because they have no idea now if she's alive or dead.
Gyaos had thought that someone hid her body. For the people who still thought she was alive, she really wanted to tell them, "There's no way for a dead person to just show up again alive."
"She had a huuuge scar from her cheeks, through her mouth, and across her jaw didn't she!? But even then it doesn't mean she was killed, right?"
At Moguera's words, Destroyah nodded.
"But, but, y'know! Those scars, she was like Frankenstein! All stitched up together and stuff!"
Moguera face became amazed as she shouted. Destroyah nodded.
"Then what happened? Did you call out to her? What did she say?"
"She turned to us but she can't really speak or anythin'. Her mouth's all sewn shut, y'know? Plus, this wasn't a place where we could just go 'HEEYY' 'HELLOOO' or anything like that!"
The only one who would even be noisy like that would be Moguera and Ultra. It was hard to imagine Destroyah shouting.
"Oh, by the way, what happened to Ultra?"
"Since Titanosaurus ran off somewhere, she's been chasing her around! If she brought her back, then you'll be all, 'Wow, you guys were telling the truth!' won't ya?"
"I never said you were lying."
"Really!? Wow, Gyaosie, I just thought you just had a doubtful aura going whoosh whoosh all around you is all!"
They definitely wouldn't lie to her, but they could still have made a mistake in what they saw.
The rash Moguera and aggressive Ultraman would probably make mistakes, but if Destroyah was there, then there should be no mistake in who they saw.
Which means Titanosaurus is out there somewhere.
Sewing her wounds together, did she do that herself. It was probably someone else that did it to her. Why did they do that without using any Healing Medicine? Why is she acting independently without telling her party members? Gyaos couldn't understand.
Gyaos grabbed her collar and looked away from Moguera. Gyaos looked at Destroyah. Destroyah nodded, and nudged her face over to the shop.
"Shi's bak"
From the boundaries between buildings, someone running was approaching them. Just before she hit Destroyah, she sharply braked and stopped. Her footprints left traces on the ground, and dust began to gather.
Gyaos and Moguera coughed without hesitation.
The person that jumped before them... Ultra, raised her right hand.
"She's gone!" she reported.
"She's gone? You mean Titanosaurus?"
"Yeah, She suddenly just disappeared! Ultraman thinks she must've ran super fast! And then, and then, she surprisingly didn't even have a scent!"
"So it really was a group hallucination."
"It wasn't an illusion, she was there!"
Ultra swung her sleeves around, and something fell out of it, rolling on the ground. Usually, she stores giant seeds in there.
Destroyah, Moguera , and Gyaos all looked at what rolled over.
It was a stone wrapped in crumpled paper. The stone rolled, and the paper opened accordingly.
They looked at the paper. On it, they saw some writing.
Beware of Traitors
"Huh? Who wrote this?"
Nobody could answer Ultraman innocent question.
Destroyah kicked the stone. The now weightless piece of paper was blown away by the wind.
"AAAH! IT'S FLYING AWAY!" shouted Ultra as she ran off to chase it.
"Wat deed yu say in ze diskashon?"
"Oh, um. We all wanted to cooperate with each other."
"Yet, iz ze opposit"
Destroyah kept an eye on the stone at her feet.
"I woonder hu roat this? Hu wuld du samthing bad? A frend of aurs? Thet limits things. This iz denjharous. It's hard to proseed."
"But, separating at a time like this..."
"Nau, we're still at pees."
That was the last thing she said. She didn't say any other words.
______________________________________________________________________
☆ Biollante
Biollante visited a variety of places, but didn't find Titanosaurus anywhere.
Gyaos' Party said that they saw Titanosaurus, so does that mean she's alive? But Titanosaurus never showed herself to Biollante.
When they tried to find her location using the Map Application, only King Caesar's location was displayed on her map. Apparently, it didn't show the location of the person, but their Kaiju Phone instead.
So that was useless.
If you're alive out there, at least show your face.
Biollante thought about it, but didn't say it out loud.
Ever since the battle in the Town Square, King Caesar has also been speaking rather slowly. Whenever Biollante saw her, it seemed like she was just staring off into the distance.
Biollante had been desperately trying to spread emotions of happiness and joy to her, but she didn't know how effective it was.
A game whose death is connected to real life, Titanosaurus whereabouts unknown, and although her opponent was a murderer and a thief, King Caesar had killed her in the end.
Did these thoughts plague King Caesar.
It'd be nice if Titanosaurus showed up.
Wow King Caesar, you're actually really strong.
Everyone should work together to survive.
Biollante couldn't say any of these things. If she said it, then King Caesar would remember some unpleasant memories. If she remembered those unpleasant memories, she'd continue to sink further.
"I've stopped being a Kaiju Girl, Ru."
At mealtime, King Caesar suddenly said that.
While eating the Preserved Meals, King Caesar didn't say anything else, and Biollante didn't either. The two of them were silent, only focusing on their nutrition, eating their disgusting meals.
The one thing that broke that silence was King Caesar suddenly speaking those words. It's been a while since Biollante heard her voice come out.
"You've stopped? What do you mean?"
"It's just like what I said, Ru. Retirement from Kaiju Girls, Ru."
"Who?"
"Me."
"Huh? King Caesar, you're a retired Kaiju Girl? Then why are you participating in this game?"
"That's a good question, isn't it?"
Biollante hesitated in consoling her. It didn't seem like she started talking just to gain sympathy. It didn't seem like she was complaining either.
However, it seemed like she was trying to have a heart-to-heart. King Caesar's facial expression was idle.
"Something horrible happened, so I stopped being a Kaiju Girl, Ru."
"Something horrible..."
She stopped there. If King Caesar remembered any horrible things, then she'd start feeling horrible feelings.
"I can't remember anything about it, Ru. I know that I stopped being a Kaiju Girl because of something horrible, but I can't remember what happened..."
King Caesar slowly chewed on her Preserved Meal.
"Something horrible happened... So I stopped being a Kaiju Girl... but I participated in this game... Naturally... I thought it was a bit strange..."
She looked somewhat obsessed. It looked like God was judging her. It's clear, it didn't look like she was in a decent condition.
King Caesar continued whispering roughly.
"On top of that building earlier. I cried. Tears came out. I was sad. Because I killed someone. I was fighting someone that I couldn't hold back on. I know that... but still..."
She looked up. There were no clouds on the sky. There were no stars. There was no moon. There was nothing. The darkness spread wide, and that darkness was reflected in King Caesar's eyes.
"The second... Was this the second time...? If this was the second time, then if I can be better..."
The bushes moved, the leaves rubbed each other. Biollante stood up, her hand held by King Caesar.
"Who's that, Ru?"
Her eyes were filled with intensity. Her voice was filled with awareness. Who was there?
Biollante was surprised at how quickly King Caesar became direct again.
"It's me."
The Dark Divine Moth Kaiju Girl. From behind was the Young Godzillasaurus Kaiju Girl.
The Moth Kaiju Girl's name is Battra. She was a party member of the murder victim, Dagahra.
The Young Godzillasaurus... What was her name?
The Kaiju Girl that accompanied Battra, she jumped in and saved her life before she was about to be slashed... But Biollante couldn't remember her name.
"Do you remember us? My name is Battra, and this is Godzilla Junior."
Right. Battra and Godzilla Junior.
"I came here with a request, would you care to listen?"
"We said we'd work together beyond our teams right, Ru? If it's about that, there's no reason for me not to hear it"
Biollante looked at King Caesar. Her eyebrows were filled with determination. She appreciated that King Caesar was being firm.
While she didn't understand what was happening, that suddenly began to change. That made her uneasy.
"Gyaos' Team still seems insistent on keeping their territory. Every time we approach it, the 30-Meter Tall Ultra appears to threaten us."
In the game, Monster Candies are required if they want to accomplish anything. In order to clear the game, they had to collect as much as they can.
However, competing for it will only prolong the Area Clear goal.
Unity between the players is now disrupted. Because of this disruption, who will benefit in the end?
That much was obvious...
"What exactly are you thinking of, Ru!? You're not thinking of starting a fight are you, Ru...?"
Biollante could hear the sound of King Caesar's gritting teeth.
"If you are, you should stop, Ru. I know the priority is clearing the game, but it doesn't matter how people use the Hunting Grounds, Ru!"
"Yes, you're right. However, even if I ask the others to stop, they won't listen."
"Like I said, I'm not going to risk my life in a fight, Ru."
"That's not why I'm here. I don't plan on doing that. What I need is your powers, actually."
______________________________________________________________________
☆ Godzilla Junior
Currently, of all the open Areas, the latest one is an Urban Area. Even though you'd call it a progressive city, there were still no humans in it.
It actually felt more like a Futuristic Cyberpunk. Cables and cords were seen almost everywhere.
Even the entrance was a bit more irritating than the others.
Unlike the Wasteland, Grassland, and Mountain Areas, which were wide open spaces, the Urban Area was a maze. It took some time to get used to the environment.
The Shops also had Weapons and Armor. Until now, the Shops have always increased their stats by Pluses. This time, it's a +5.
Godzilla Junior purchased her +5 Weapons, and after she installed it, it became a Wrench. When she tried to swing it around, it felt dreadful. Clearly the player was supposed to think that.
While she rolled it using her palm, she couldn't escape that feeling.
The Monsters that appeared were called Guard Robots. They looked like humanoid robots that would show up in Robot Anime.
According to the Picture Book, there were four types.
Attackers, Defenders, Shooters, and Generals.
They attacked using electric shockers, small missiles, body tackling, etc.
Compared to the Goblins and the Skeletons, they were quite powerful. Because of their strength, they also had huge candy drops. In addition, they had a 1% chance of dropping a rare item.
Arm Parts, Leg Parts, Body Parts, and Head Parts, for example.
Those parts can be used to purchase more expensive items in the shop. However... for Players like Godzilla Junior, she saw no meaning in selling these parts at the shop.
Godzilla Junior's Kaiju Skill is her Remodeling Abilities. Using her wrench and scissors, she can improve almost anything. The quality of pictures in your TV, fuel consumption in your cars, your PC's memory, she could use her Kaiju Skill for those kinds of simple and pleasant things.
Now, Godzilla Junior was desperately moving both her hands. The various parts were all being remodeled with Battra's wings. They had asked other party members to help collect those parts.
When they suggested a battle against Ultraman, almost everyone happily agreed. Godzilla Junior knew just how much everyone hated that Party.
Aside from collecting materials, they also approached King Caesar and asked her for help in transporting them.
Battra's remodeled wings, due to the unreasonable remodeling request, has dropped sharply in its mobility. Furthermore, since she was rushing this, it would both save time and be easier for everyone if they'd just transport it somehow.
The parts were slowly being gathered up, never being lost even though she kept using it. Godzilla Junior's work seems to be never-ending.
Battra was on her Kaiju Phone. She seems to be reading something.
"Um..."
"What's wrong, Mamori?"
"How long am I supposed to do this for?"
"Until it's satisfactory."
And who would that satisfaction be based on? She didn't feel like Battra could answer even if she asked.
"I have one thing to say."
"What is it?"
"While working, I've been thinking about some things."
"My my, I didn't know you could multitask."
"It's about Dagahra's killer."
"Oh?"
"Do you think it's King Caesar?"
Godzilla Junior did think that King Caesar did something quite extraordinary. However, contrary to her expectations, Battra continued looking at her Kaiju Phone calmly. Godzilla Junior continued to work, and she worked for several more minutes before Battra replied,
"Mamori... When you doubt someone, do you need evidence? You're a different type of person than me."
Most people are different than Battra. If you want to be arrogant like her, you need a special kind of talent.
"Well, that's true."
"Why do you think King Caesar is the culprit? I'd like to hear."
"Because when she was fighting Desghidorah in the Town Square, she was flinging boulders at her."
"Ah, I see. It does seem to be a quite useful Kaiju Skill."
She flung out boulders from her scrolls, she even flung out buildings too. Not only that, she pulled in those buildings back into her scrolls. Those buildings and boulders were things that Godzilla Junior saw in-game. King Caesar had the Kaiju Skill of Sealing Objects in her Scrolls, didn't she?
"Well. Dagahra's head was crushed with a stone, wasn't she?"
"...Is that your basis? Because King Caesar used boulders? Is that it?"
"Of course not. It's just that it's one of the things that makes her suspicious is all."
"Oh? So what's the nail in the coffin?"
"The coin."
Godzilla Junior spun her wrench, and cut some parts off with her scissors. Because this wasn't exactly how you fundamentally remodel things, she doesn't really understand what she's doing.
"King Caesar had that huge building in one of her scrolls. If that's possible, then she could store data inside her scroll without going through her Kaiju Phone. The Ultimate Cheat Code. If she doesn't install it in her Kaiju Phone, she has to carry it around somehow, right?"
Godzilla Junior tightened her expression, like an elementary school student guessing an answer. She looked at Battra, who's still keeping her eyes on her Kaiju Phone.
"Your reasoning isn't bad."
"Right?"
"Perhaps I may have misjudged you, Mamori."
Godzilla Junior wondered what kind of person Battra was thinking of.