Mushi Uta:Volume 4th

Novel Illustrations

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Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams

"I'm coming in, Daisuke."

It was Sunday morning.

Ichinokuro Arisu opened the sliding door to the room allotted to the freeloader boy named Kusuriya Daisuke.

A futon laid out on the floor. The Horusu Seijou Academy's school uniform hanging on the wall. Next to the slightly dusty TV stand, a large bag. Even bearing in mind Daisuke hadn't been staying at the Ichinokuro estate for very long, it was still a dreary room.

"Where'd he gone to? Well, it's fine as long as he hasn't overslept—"

Arisu was dressed in casual clothes. Just as she tilted her head, causing her ponytail to shake, she heard a small sound. It was the ringtone of the cellphone lying near the futon.

Arisu surveyed the corridor, but there were no signs of Daisuke coming back. She had no choice so she picked up the phone.

"It's definitely Ena."

Guessing who was calling from their plans today, she answered the phone. As she did an unexpected voice stabbed into her eardrums.

"G'morning, Kakkou-san! Yayayay! How are you spending your day off? Maimai-chan has low blood pressure so she's still not feeling well. Even so I can still use 40% of my power and take it easy, fuhaha!"

Receiving this unexpected high-pitched attack, Arisu instinctively removed the phone from her ear.

"You're not replying, but this is business as usual so Maimai-chan's not worried. I'll give you a message from Branch Director Haji. Umm, he tried investigating the background of the new Central Director-General Ichiku Mikitaka, but it's really suspicious. Never mind him officially acknowledging Ichinokuro Arisu as a Mushitsuki a few days ago, he's started increasing his activities in the Central Headquarters. I also started taking actions of my own, but since you've been lent to the Central Headquarters, you can—"

"I'm a Mushitsuki?"

Arisu asked back reflexively. The girl known as Maimai immediately stopped talking.

"W-what? Are you Ichinokuro Arisu-san? Let me use this opportunity to congratulate you for being recognized as a Mushitsuki, or rather offer my condolences… N-never mind, Maimai-chan, you're still not sure you've made a mistake!"

"What does that mean? Why am I a Mushitsuki?"

"Kssht kssht, beep boop, bump, oh no, the reception's bad so there's weird static! I'll call you back later. Also pretend you haven't heard any of that!"

After the girl rattled on, the call was cut off. As Arisu stood there dumbfounded, she felt someone's presence behind her.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to enter my room without permission?"

Turning around, she could see Daisuke with his hand on the sliding door. Even if he was wearing casual clothes, he still looked completely plain and with no special features whatsoever.

Arisu flung the cellphone at Daisuke with a sour look.

"Uwa." Although he was caught in surprise, Daisuke still caught the receiver with one hand.

"Daisuke… do you have anything to tell me?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you hiding something important?"

Being stared at by Arisu, Daisuke knit his brows.

"I'm not really hiding anything. Actually, why do I have to tell you about everything?"

Sighing in disinterest, he turned his back to Arisu.

He's doing it again—

Kusuriya Daisuke would never relay more information to Arisu than necessary. It was always like this even if it related to Arisu herself, whether because of his orders or his personality—probably the latter. Daisuke couldn't fully believe in other people.

"…Oh right."

Reminded of something, Daisuke turned back to Arisu. His gaze lowered to her hand.

"Have you felt strange somewhere recently? Especially in a place like your right arm for example."

"My right arm? Come to think of it, until about yesterday it felt numb and I couldn't use it properly…"

Daisuke's eyes immediately turned sharp. Yet he said nothing else, exiting to the corridor.

"What's up with that?"

Puffing her cheeks, Arisu's eyes caught a vivid, golden hair.

It was Kasuou. Her blue eyes and blonde hair matched well with the white duffle coat she was wearing. This girl, who was the same age as her, was going to accompany her today instead of Daisuke.

"Got it, Kasuou? This time monitor Arisu properly and—why are you looking at me like that?"

"It is nothing."

Kasuou grinned from ear to ear and spoke in a cute soprano voice. She was also a student of Horusu Seijou Academy, where many were the children of wealthy parents.

"…Pfft. The atrocious Kakkou-sama is going on a date with a girl on a Sunday morning."

Kasuou put a hand on her mouth while muttering in a small voice. Daisuke flushed, leaving quickly.

"It's not a date! Kastupid!"

"Ah? Who's the stupid one here?! You itchin' for a fight?"

Arisu watched their exchange with an unsatisfied expression.

Part 1

On the boisterous floor, the satisfying sound of an 11-pound ball sweeping the pins resounded.

"Yes! Another strike!"

With the lane behind her, Saionji Ena turned around with a full smile. Raising both hands, she high-fived Daisuke who was sitting on the bench.

"…Amazing, Saionji-san."

The pair's hands clapped. Smiling enjoyably, Ena sat next to Daisuke.

Saionji Ena was his classmate in the same Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School. Stripping off her coat, she revealed her casual appearance of a well-tailored blouse and short skirt that was stylish even among girls of her age. Ena looked at Daisuke with upturned eyes as if seeking more praise.

This was their first weekend ever since coming back to Akamaki City from the school trip.

Daisuke went with his classmate to play bowling. Yet there was a reason he was unable to fully enjoy the situation right now.

The first reason was that this event, commonly referred to as a date, occurred due to the arrangement of a certain deal.

The other day, during the school trip, he and Ichinokuro Arisu had left their hotel without permission. The one that had perfectly deceived the patrolling teacher was their friend Ena.

—Thanks, Ena. You saved us.

—I don't need thanks, we're friends after all. Just let me borrow Kusuriya-kun for a single day.

—Sure, that's fine.

The above had been the deal agreed upon right in front of Daisuke himself. Witnessing himself being sold off, he could have only stood there in shock, unable to even interpose a complaint.

Meaning, this date wasn't happening out of Daisuke's free will.

"W-well then. This is the last… Huh? The score is over 200?"

Looking at the LCD monitor ahead in order to avoid the girl's line of sight, he was surprised. He never would've thought a middle-schooler could reach that score.

"Really?"

Bringing her face closer to Daisuke's, Ena peeked at the display. Glancing at him as he distanced himself by several centimeters, she smiled enjoyably.

"Y-yeah."

As Daisuke's ears turned unexpectedly red, a small insect landed on his arm. It was a green checkered beetle. No one noticed the insect that appeared without any fluttering of wings.

There was also another reason that confused Daisuke. It was the reason he was here in Akamaki City today.

Mushi—

These were the supernatural beings that possessed teen boys and girls and took their dreams—the crystallization of their hopes and wishes—to grant them their power in exchange. Those possessed by these so-called Mushi were called Mushitsuki, and although for the general populace they were no more than rumors, they were treated with fear and discrimination.

Daisuke was a Mushitsuki. And he was a member of the government organization whose goal was to arrest and isolate those very same Mushitsuki, known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

He had infiltrated Horusu Seijou Academy in order to monitor Ichinokuro Arisu, who had succeeded the Mushi of the late Mushitsuki known as Hanashiro Mari.

And yet—

"And you're normal, Kusuriya-kun. Just like in the 1^st and 2^nd games. About 100 points."

As Ena seemed to be enjoying herself, Daisuke muttered "I'm not really good at it" to evade the question with a smile.

Becoming closer than necessary to the friend of his target Arisu would be breach of orders. He could probably make excuses that he was simply helping the Central Headquarters he was not part of and not officially part of the monitor squad, but still.

Yet there was one reason that caused him unrest even more than that.

"—It's almost as if you've aimed for a normal score on purpose, isn't it?"

Thump, his heart throbbed.

"I didn't invite you to play bowling because you're good. Actually, what are you good at, Kusuriya-kun? The other day you also got an average score on the test, and you were also normal in soccer and basketball during P.E."

Ena who was innocently tilting her head always received the top marks in tests, and even in gymnastics she was a cut above the rest. Even more so than Arisu who was good at sports and Kujou Takako who was good at studying.

"A-about that, umm…"

He tried thinking of an excuse but reached a dead end. His student life was only a pretense for him to monitor Arisu. Standing out was strictly forbidden. Even their going to play bowling was because he chose from what date spots he could think of.

"It just looks like that to you because you can do anything, Saionji-san."

"Hmm?" Ena looked at Daisuke amusingly as he tried evading her questions. Having her pretty face aimed at him, Daisuke cursed in his heart.

I'm weak against her—

He thought so ever since starting to monitor Ichinokuro Arisu.

Saionji Ena.

She was friendly with anyone and was up to anything, thus she had many friends. Since she was blessed with all talents, she normally found everything boring, so he didn't know what her "serious" side was.

And so Daisuke, who had weaved his way through countless battlefields so far, had no idea why Ena was approaching him like this.

"Is that so? But still, I'm looking at you much more than the other boys."

Grinning in high glee, Ena leaned closer to him.

Daisuke's cheeks flushed and he couldn't do anything but avert his face. —If she was a Mushitsuki he could've handled her coldly, but she was a normal civilian. How to treat a non-Mushitsuki girl was outside Daisuke's knowledge.

By thinking so, Daisuke realized how ironic it was.

It's natural for people to be scared of Mushitsuki… then isn't it like me being afraid of normal people—

At the same time he also thought something else.

…Then what about Arisu? She's not a Mushitsuki but she can approach us normally… No, since she's been recognized as a Mushitsuki then—

"Hey, isn't it about time we go someplace else? Where should I take you next, I wonder."

"Uh."

Daisuke's thoughts were dragged back to reality by Ena's sensation and heat transmitted to him through his hugged arm.

…I really am weak against her. And she's a normal girl—

Since Ena was staring at him, he couldn't even sigh.

Ena had said she was thirsty, so they entered a café by the side of the road.

It was the kind of junk food place that students returning from school would drop by on their way home. Arisu was another matter, but it seemed like the sort of place someone like Kujou Takako would avoid. Yet Ena agreed to Daisuke's choice without batting an eye.

"Good boy, stay here."

Along with the tray containing a drink, Ena put a small stuffed doll on the table. The doll with evil-looking eyes looked down the main street from the window-side table.

In the games facility inside the bowling place there were also darts. The doll was a gift Ena had gotten by achieving the top score.

"There were plenty of prizes, but you've chosen a really weird one. Is this your taste, Saionji-san?"

Daisuke sat opposite to Ena.

"It was love at first sight! I wanted to give it to you as a present anyway, though."

"Well, it was my first time playing darts."

As he smiled wryly, Ena put the straw in her mouth. She grinned and looked at Daisuke.

"Even though it was your first time you achieved a normal score? And I think you're quite skillful."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Obviously Daisuke aimed for a score that wouldn't make him stand out just like in bowling.

Ena alone was able to persistently follow Daisuke who was working on not standing out. He was confused at that.

"Sorry for not being interesting."

He tried saying this with a pitiable smile.

"I'm just boring."

Please call me boring. Or just act like you think so.

He thought so from the bottom of his heart. Just like Kasuou thought before he'd left the Ichinokuro estate, a "date" didn't fit him in the first place.

"Huh? Why? That's not true! I'm still super excited!"

Ena's reaction betrayed Daisuke's expectations. He nervously bent forward. At least it didn't seem like acting.

"Aren't you bored when you're with me, Kusuriya-kun?"

"Huh? That's… not true."

As he answered this reflexively, Ena seemed relieved. She smiled happily and patted the doll's head with a muttered Good.

In contrast to Ena who acted differently from her normal habit of saying ridiculous things, Daisuke had no idea what to say.

A strange silence flowed between the two.

S-save me…! I don't even mind Arisu or Kasuou, but someone please save me from this situation…!

Feigning calmness while using the straw to play with the ice inside his drink, he groaned in his heart. He never thought that he of all people would ever seek help from those two.

"Umm…"

Daisuke started speaking as he was unable to bear the silence, yet he couldn't think of any conversation topic.

A popular TV show? Or her favorite musician? Talking about their classmates? About hobbies and practice? —This wasn't a marriage interview.

After thinking as hard as he could, the conclusion he reached…

He was at his limit.

He decided to recall some sort of business and cut the date early. Causing the friend of his monitoring target to dislike him would hinder his mission, but he also couldn't forcibly butter her up.

It would perhaps actually become much easier if she'd come to hate him.

"Saionji-san, I'm sorry but I have to—"

"Hmm?"

Perhaps feeling some air of unrest, Ena immediately looked at Daisuke with a lonely face. Since she always smiled carefreely when with Arisu, she looked like a completely different person.

"…I need to use the toilet."

Ena smiled with a relieved "Sure".

…What am I doing…

Walking toward the interior of the floor, he was assaulted by violent self-hatred. Entering the washroom, he washed his face with cold water.

Ever since coming to Akamaki City for his mission, he felt like he was going crazy. The more he got involved with Arisu and the people around her, the more the air of tension was destroyed.

He wanted to finish his mission as soon as possible and return to his original jurisdiction of Ouka City.

He needed to resolve himself again.

Being careless led to death. Daisuke couldn't allow himself to die. No matter who he had to sacrifice, he had to fight and survive.

Whatever brought danger to Daisuke's life—was an enemy. He couldn't allow himself to relax his guard against someone approaching him more than necessary.

As he wiped his face off with a handkerchief and returned to the table, Ena's smile welcomed him back.

"Good, you returned. Since you belong to me today, Kusuriya-kun, you have to stay with me until the very end, right?"

Ena said jokingly. He wanted to conceal it, but she had apparently seen through his desire to leave.

Daisuke retorted with the smile of an honors student.

"You have plenty of other people to date with other than me, Saionji-san. You also have many friends."

"Hehe, no way that's true, really."

Liar, he retorted behind his smile.

"Ah, your face screams liar. So even you make faces like that sometimes."

"I don't really think so."

Forcing a smile, Daisuke was shaken on the inside. He was wearing nothing but a smile on the exterior, so how had she been able to see through him?

"It's true though. The only people I'm able to call friends are pretty much just Arisu and Takako."

Resting her chin on her hands, Ena played with the doll using her pointing finger.

"Even if I look like this, I'm quite talented. I can do basically anything."

"That's obvious. You're amazing."

"Yeah, it's obvious. That's why, even if I make friends, they distance themselves. They tell me it's good that I'm so talented and all that. Even if I date boys, I lack charm so they'll soon step aside. They also force themselves to show off in an attempt to get the better of me in some areas."

Daisuke normally had excellent physical abilities, but even if he went all out he probably couldn't reach Ena's feet either in bowling or in darts. He wasn't cool enough for a guy.

"And so at some point no one cared for me. Even at home. Never mind my sisters, but my family seems to think I'll be fine even if I'm left alone. I didn't like it, so I used to run away from home a lot long ago."

Grabbing the doll's hands, Ena made it take a fighting stance directed at Daisuke.

"Long ago… this isn't what an 8^th-Grader should be saying."

"I guess. But somehow recently I've been feeling as if it really was a long time ago… actually, ever since our current class. Ever since meeting Arisu, I guess?"

"…"

"Because she was the first. She was the first to keep in contact with me without changing. Takako also, but before meeting Arisu I never would've thought about trying to make friends with an honors student like Takako. So I guess I really like my life now."

Daisuke considered.

The late Mushitsuki girl, Hanashiro Mari, had also opened her heart to Arisu. The investigation results so far spoke of that.

Ichinokuro Arisu—in Daisuke's eyes she simply looked selfish and insolent, so what drew all these people to her?

"I don't really have anything I want to do, and I can do anything, but since being alone is boring… I like this kind of life right now where I play and have fun my own way every day. I want these peaceful days to just continue like this forever and ever."

Ena seemed to be speaking from the bottom of her heart. Thinking of something, she leaned toward Daisuke and brought her face closer. He was startled.

"But lately, someone's been barging into these peaceful days."

"…Huh?"

Separating from Daisuke who made this idiotic sound, Ena took the doll in her hands. Raising it to her face as if to hide her expression, she stared at Daisuke with narrowed eyes.

"—Now then, who could that pest be, I wonder?"

For an instant Daisuke stared at her in puzzlement, unable to comprehend her words.

But he soon realized.

The emotionless eyes staring at Daisuke were cold. He felt intimidated just by having this normally amicable girl erase her expression.

I see, so that's what you're—

"…"

Daisuke smiled again. He received the piercing gaze directly.

He had the feeling he finally understood why Ena was clinging to him.

—She was trying to gauge him.

He was the intruder who'd one day suddenly appeared at Arisu's side and wedged himself into the peaceful days Ena spoke of. She was "monitoring" him in order to ascertain whether he was an enemy or not.

So she's monitoring me who's monitoring Arisu. Fine, if that's what you want to do, then bring it on—

Once again a silence befell the two of them.

Completely different from the one before, it was a stillness where nothing could be felt expect for hostility.

The first to open her mouth was Ena.

"Just kidding."

The two stared at each other seriously.

"…"

"…"

It was the millionth silence.

Still looking at Daisuke's whose thoughts completely stopped, the girl's eyes suddenly sparkled.

"Hehehe. Like I thought you're a diamond in the rough, Kusuriya-kun! I can't bear that cold gaze you show for an instant! Ah, I wish you'd look at me like this forever!"

Ena wriggled her body, her expression other than her eyes still hidden by the doll. Daisuke's confusion at her unimaginable action was real and not acting.

"Huh…? Wha…"

"This! This face is the best! You're too cute when you're caught unprepared! Oh, gosh, I'm so happy I rented you from Arisu for the whole day!"

W-was I caught by her trap…? No, is this also acting…?

His cheeks flushing, Daisuke sank deeper and deeper into the swamp.

"Calling you a hindrance is obviously a lie, Kusuriya-kun! You're also the first guy I've met who's my type. Even when you're with me you stay normal. I still don't know if you're just acting or if you're really just a normal boy, though."

Standing from her seat while still holding the doll, Ena entwined Daisuke's arm with hers.

"Now, let's go to the next place! It's still bright outside! And if you're fine with it, Kusuriya-kun, even after the sun sets… hehehehe."

Roused from his seat by force, Daisuke was assaulted by larger self-hatred than before.

I really am weak against her…

This time, a true sigh leaked out.

Part 2

Kusuriya Daisuke and Saionji Ena entered a large department store near the Akamaki City station.

The two girls who were tailing them also entered the building after them. Daisuke and Ena headed toward the escalator with no hesitation.

"Shopping? Or maybe the movie theater on the highest floor? Never mind which, it's the clichéd date course. They should've put some twist on it."

Approaching the escalator while mingling with the large crowd, Arisu puffed her cheeks.

"If you're curious we can just shout. Why're we going through the trouble of doing all this?"

Putting her hands behind her head, Kasuou complained in an offhand tone. She apparently had no interest in Daisuke and Ena's date, so her blue eyes darted all over the department store.

"I'm here to make sure Daisuke doesn't get too excited and lay a hand on her. A slave's misconduct will disgrace his mistress. And I also feel just a wee bit of responsibility."

"Hah, I don't think Kakkou's got the balls for that. I mean, he won't even attempt to do anything to a heavenly beauty like me."

"…In your case I believe that's the wise thing to do."

"Ah? What did you fucking mean by that. Even if I look like this—"

Kasuou started speaking in a dangerous tone of voice, but suddenly fell silent in response to something. Thinking it strange and following her line of sight, Arisu could see some attendant calling out, "The Sentai show in the kid's square's about to start!"

Kasuou turned toward Arisu, politely inclining her head.

"Arisu-san, I remembered I have some very urgent business."

"Kasuou, you… aren't you supposed to be my monitor?"

"Who cares about that. Well then, good day to you."

Leaving an elegant smile behind, the golden-haired girl vanished, mixing with the kids heading toward the kids section.

"Is the SEPB really fine like this…?"

Kasuou was a member of the SEPB, and her mission was supposed to be to monitor Arisu for the whole day instead of Daisuke. Arisu swore in her heart that later she'd tattle about her to Daisuke.

Regardless, now that the problem child warrior was gone from her proximity, she felt lighter. She tried going back to tailing Daisuke and Ena for now.

Yet she could no longer see the two of them. They were probably gone while she'd been preoccupied with Kasuou.

She hurriedly looked around her, but they were nowhere. They'd probably gone to a different floor. As Arisu went toward the escalator, she saw the back of someone unthinkable.

He wore what was probably the uniform of some school. At the very least that tall boy was wearing a blazer she'd never seen before in Akamaki City. Since he was squatting on the floor she couldn't see his face, but she could never forget his disorderly hairstyle that resembled blazing flames.

"Harukiyo…!"

"Huh?"

The boy with a large compress on his cheek turned around. His displeased gaze exerted pressure like that of a wild predator.

Sehateno Harukiyo. He was the Mushitsuki boy that for some reason was snooping about for information on her late friend Hanashiro Mari. According to what she'd heard from Daisuke, Harukiyo would occasionally appear in Akamaki City, operating with his comrades in opposition to the SEPB.

I don't have any weapons right now… Also, if we battle here—

She unconsciously readied her body, but thinking of damage to their surroundings, she bit her lips.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you were waiting for me to be alone—"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"…It looks like you're playing with gachapon."

"If you understand then lend me money. This rare piece of shit just won't come out."

Harukiyo angrily extended his arm toward Arisu. It felt like she couldn't object to that.

"C'mon, do it. The other brats are coming. Don't worry, I'll pay you double later."

"…"

Although still wary, Arisu got her wallet out. She never thought she'd be extorted there. Thinking this might be a trap, she forcefully gave him some coins.

"Right on," Harukiyo smiled in satisfaction, turning back toward the gachapon. She could hear the rattling of the lever turning from behind his curled back.

"Ooh…! Oooohhh…!"

He apparently achieved his goal. Raising the capsule overhead, the boy choked in delight.

"SEPB, please catch this guy already…"

As Arisu mouthed the name of the government agency she was rapidly losing trust in, Harukiyo grinned. Putting the capsule in his pocket, he held his hand toward Arisu.

"And now I'll pay you back."

"…Huh?"

Her body couldn't react to this sudden action. Just as Arisu thought she could see a flame flickering in the boy's outstretched hand, a fireball assaulted her.

The flames shaped like a tiger beetle grazed Arisu, burning a life-sized Tokusatsu hero doll behind her.

"W-what're you…"

She leapt away from Harukiyo belatedly. However, a small lump of ashes fell to her feet.

Immediately afterward, she could hear cries of pain from all around. All of the shoppers held down parts of their body, collapsing.

There was something falling from the ceiling in large amounts. Seeing what fell on the floor, Arisu widened her eyes.

"Fleas…?"

There were countless insects that resembled fleas. Yet looking closely these fleas had no legs, and they leapt around using a single needle growing from their mouthpart. Apparently Harukiyo had fried a flea that was about to attack Arisu.

They weren't actual insects. —They were Mushi.

"Hmm, I dunno who's doing this, but they're apparently starting something."

A stream of flames whirled around Harukiyo's body. Baked by the heat wave blowing from him, the fleas leaping around Harukiyo and Arisu were evaporated.

The people bitten by the fleas collapsed to the floor with pale faces. They seemed conscious, but apparently their bodies were paralyzed and so they were unable to move. Perhaps the fleas had used paralyzing venom.

"There's a Mushitsuki around here…? Why is this happening…!"

"Eh, just let it be. Since you're here then Kakkou's nearby, right? Leave it to him. Good work buddy."

Uncaring about the unforeseen situation, Harukiyo was calm. He joyfully brought the capsule out of his pocket and opened it.

No, right now Daisuke's—

About to open her mouth, Arisu grimaced. Daisuke was with Ena right now. He probably couldn't take any actions that revealed his identity.

"Harukiyo, there's no way that—you're still aiming for me…!"

"Hmm? I don't mind fighting ya, but you're wrong you know? 'Cuz it seems like it'll take some time to drag Hanashiro Mari outta you. There's no point to attack you right now."

"Don't lie! This has to have something with me being designated a Mushitsuki!"

The flame boy changed his facial expression. A devil's gaze pierced Arisu.

"—What did you say?"

Assault by his pressure, Arisu found herself gulping.

"I can't ignore that. Aren't you just a normal person? It isn't like that morpho butterfly fused with you. But being recognized as a Mushitsuki… did you fuse with the morpho butterfly?"

Along with the fireballs, Arisu was daunted by a pressure that nearly made her stop breathing. The morpho butterfly landed on her shoulder, but since she lacked any weapon for it to fuse with, it only fluttered its unreliable wings.

—At that moment, in the department store full of anguished cries, the ring for an incoming announcement echoed.

"…Do you know the organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau?"

After the calm chime came the nervous voice of a girl.

Part 3

"Eeek…!"

On the escalator leading toward the movie theater located in the topmost floor, Ena raised a small shriek.

With nimble movements, Daisuke thrust his fist to a few centimeters away from Ena's face.

"W-what? What is it, Kusuriya-kun?"

"I thought there was a bug. But it was apparently my imagination."

While grinning amicably, he secretly glanced to his hand.

A flea…? No, this is a Mushi…!

The flea, crushed inside his hand with its bodily fluids oozing out, was melting into thin air. Mushi left no corpses behind.

Since it had leapt toward Ena, he reflexively caught it. Feeling some discomfort on his neck, Daisuke flicked at it with a finger. He knocked off a flea that was attempting to prick him with a needle.

"A bug? In this season?"

While Ena quizzically tilted her head, a sudden change came over the department store.

Small fleas came falling from the ceiling in large amounts. The people in the department store were being stung one after another, collapsing to the floor. They had apparently been injected with something that paralyzed their bodies.

Looking around the department store filled with groaned and vague cries, Daisuke's expression turned rigid.

Is this… the work of a Mushitsuki? Who would do that—

Even while he stood there in shock many people were falling down.

"Eh? Eh? What's going on?"

"I-I don't know. For now let's get out of here…!"

Pretending to be confused, Daisuke pulled Ena's hand as they'd gone off the escalator. He picked a spot where there were relatively not many fleas and stopped.

Almost simultaneously, the chime of an announcement reverberated throughout the whole department store.

"…Do you know the organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau?"

It was the high-pitched voice of a girl. That nervous voice, possessing a certain resolve in it, was slightly shaking.

"And do you know about the beings called Mushi? And about Mushitsuki?"

Even while the collapsed people paled, many of them were still conscious. Yet it was still unclear whether or not they understood the meaning of the girl's voice echoing from the announcement.

"I believe all of you know Mushi as rumors. But Mushi actually exist. The things attacking you right now are Mushi. And I am… a Mushitsuki. My Mushi are occupying this department store, and they're also blocking all entrances."

Daisuke was about to click his tongue, but since Ena was there he endured.

Judging from the flea-like Mushi that attacked people, its host seemed to be able to control multiple Mushi at once, a rare kind even among Minion Types. It was same as the Mushitsuki Aki who'd belonged to the SEPB until recently.

…Also, never mind her timing to launch this simultaneous Mushi attack on the entire department store, there's no way she's a mere Mushitsuki. She's probably gone through training to control her Mushi. And if so, then it's possible she's—

"The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau is the government agency that trains Mushitsuki and uses them secretly to capture other Mushitsuki. And until yesterday… I also was part of that organization."

Daisuke's reasoning hit the mark.

She was an SEPB agent gone rogue. Meaning, a traitor. Defecting from the organization that Daisuke also belonged to was a serious crime.

She was probably part of Central Headquarters. So Daisuke who was originally under the jurisdiction of the East Central Branch didn't know about her Mushi.

"But I ran away from the SEPB. I… I… can no longer take it!"

The girl from the announcement was suddenly flooded with emotions. She shouted as if to throw out all the fear, pain and sadness that she'd been suppressing so far.

"Living while making sure no one knows I'm a Mushitsuki, capturing other Mushitsuki, turning them into Fallen… I can't do it anymore! We're normal humans too! We should've been able to normally go to school and have fun with our friends without needing to fight anyone!"

This is bad—

Daisuke glanced at Ena near him. She seemed unable to comprehend the situation she was involved in. She looked up to the speaker on the ceiling with a deathly pale face. Already Daisuke and Ena were the only people around to still be standing.

"W-what the? What is she talking about? Mushitsuki… That monster-like thing again…?"

Ena latched onto Daisuke's clothes with a frightened expression. —She had once already been involved in the fight between the Mushitsuki trying to capture the runaway Yomori Neiko.

"Why does this have to happen to us? Fellow Mushitsuki fighting and hurting each other… why do have to get our dreams eaten by Mushi without anyone knowing? Maybe if the SEPB hadn't existed we would've been able to finish this without fighting—"

Surmising the goal of the unseen girl, Daisuke grimaced.

"…I am sorry, everyone, but you will become my hostages. I will create as big as a fuss as I can, all in order to let as many people as possible know about us Mushitsuki and the SEPB. And if you really knew about the SEPB… maybe they'd stop making us do such horrible things. I have to act at least until I'm caught by an SEPB assassin…!"

This… idiot!

Daisuke cursed the girl in his heart.

Hadn't that girl noticed the contradiction in her actions? Even simply using her Mushi to hurt people, it wasn't difficult to imagine what the general public would come to think of Mushi after they learned of their existence.

"I can't take it…! Why are all Mushitsuki like this? Why are they such monsters?"

Ena said, teary-eyed. Even the last time she had been involved with Mushitsuki her life had been in danger despite her having nothing to do with the situation.

—That was the obvious response for those that lived normal lives.

If that girl's scheme worked, everyone around the country would come to know of Mushi.

And when that happened, would people save Mushitsuki? Would they look at them as fellow people?

The answer was no.

They would look at Mushitsuki as hostile. And if so, then what awaited them was worse than having Mushitsuki fight amongst themselves.

A war between Mushitsuki and civilians.

Would this country be able to withstand that war once it broke out?

"…You're right."

At hearing Ena mention the word monster, Daisuke's heart made a sharp throb. Although he was supposed to have been used to this pain, he bit his lips.

"There's no place for Mushitsuki in this world."

Daisuke asserted with disgust. That would be the response of a normal person. Because it was the normal response.

—Perhaps they could be accepted by those who weren't Mushitsuki. Perhaps, if they knew of their existence, they'd be able to understand that Mushitsuki were normal boys and girls.

Daisuke also had a time when he thought this.

Yet he knew that period was nothing but a sweet illusion. Ever since joining the SEPB, he instilled fear into many people and hurt many people.

Mushitsuki and normal people could never become friends—

That was the true opinion of the Mushitsuki called Daisuke.

"S-Saionji-san, come here. Let's check if we can escape."

While still continuing to act scared, he spoke to Ena.

Leaving the girl's motive aside, Daisuke couldn't leave the situation be as an SEPB member. He couldn't let normal people hear about the organization.

"No!"

Yet when he tried separating from Ena, her arm pulled him back.

"She just said that the entrances are blocked…!"

"Y-yeah. But maybe there's some place we can go out through—"

As long as he was with Ena, he couldn't move as he pleased. Because she was a hindrance, Daisuke couldn't reveal himself as a Mushitsuki.

Perhaps thinking of something, Ena took an unexpected action. They were in an area with sports equipment lying around. Her face stiff, Ena picked up a golf club nearby.

"I'm also coming."

"Huh?"

"I can't let you face danger alone, Kusuriya-kun. It's fine, I have good reflexes you know?"

Daisuke stood in shock.

It was obvious at a glance that Ena's smile was a facade meant to hide her fear. In order to trick her trembling limbs, she used the golf club to hit the fleas at her feet.

"Y-you can't! It's too dangerous!"

"Hehe, I made you worry about me. I'm so happy."

Seeing Ena's expression sparkle while she jested, Daisuke became speechless. He almost wanted to tell her that he wasn't worried about her but that she was a hindrance. Or so he persuaded himself.

"But I feel the same, Kusuriya-kun. I'm also worried about you."

Perhaps becoming slightly less scared while talking to Daisuke, Ena wore a carefree smile.

"Didn't I tell you? I love my peaceful life right now and hate everything that disturbs it. So I hate any Mushitsuki that stands in the way, but as for you… geez, don't me say it, you bully!"

Ena blushed and wriggled.

On the other hand, Daisuke felt dizzy. He also had a headache. He also felt drained of energy.

So stupid… why are there only weird people around Arisu?

"Umm, Saionji-san… How do I put it, umm…"

"If you don't do it quickly I'll go first."

While he put a hand to the shelf and supported his head, Ena warded off the fleas using her golf club, trying to advance in the corridor.

"W-wait a minute! I wanted to say that it's not simply dangerous… If I were alone I could move better, and—"

"Huh? But my physical abilities aren't that different from you guys', though. Perhaps my scores are even better than yours, Kusuriya-kun."

"That's irrelevant! No matter how smart and athletic you are, Saionji-san, you're a normal girl, right? Just now you were really scared…"

He rattled on while following Ena. As he did she turned around, surprised.

"…W-what? Is something wrong?"

"Hehehe. Hehehehe…"

"You're a bit scary… Saionji-san?"

"It's the first time someone treated me like a normal girl. I'm gradually becoming unable to live without Kusuriya-kun, whatever shall I do? Will you take responsibility?"

Smiling happily, Ena turned forward again and kept walking.

"…!"

He very nearly shouted in anger toward the heavens. His arms trembled while he suppressed his voice.

No. No. That wasn't what he meant. Then why had she reacted like this? Daisuke couldn't understand what the girl in front of him was thinking about at all.

Before long they reached the front of the stairs. Ena who walked on ahead probably hadn't noticed, but Daisuke had finished off the fleas that escaped her. Because of that they were able to reach there safely.

They came to the stairs to reach the department store's guide map pasted to the wall.

"We heard that girl just now through the speakers, right?"

"…Yeah, that's right."

Ena's face looking at the guide map paled. She peeked inside a narrow corridor on the other side of the wall with stiff movements.

"The announcement room's apparently this way."

Following Ena's line of sight, Daisuke narrowed his eyes.

Since she'd used the department store's announcement system, the fleas' host was probably there. Meaning that while the pair looked for an exit, they'd come closer to the root of it all.

Ena gulped loudly, readying her golf club. Daisuke was startled.

"S-Saionji-san?"

"Say, can't we finish off the Mushitsuki? Besides these fleas our opponent should be just a girl…"

Daisuke who struggled to keep up pace suddenly felt his heart go cold.

"I-I mean, it's unforgivable. We haven't done anything, so why should we all—"

While Ena slowly walked through the corridor, Daisuke directed a sneer at her back.

Mushitsuki and normal people would never reach mutual understanding.

He'd realized that long ago. Mushitsuki hurt normal people, and so normal people hated Mushitsuki. It was impossible for them to mingle.

"Say, Saionji-san."

Even he thought his voice was cold. He directed his question at Ena's back.

"What will you do if I or Arisu were Mushitsuki?"

"Huh?"

Ena seemed surprised at the sudden question. Turning around, she stared at him.

As Daisuke went silent, she sank into thought. Alternating her eyes between Daisuke and the announcement room at the end of the corridor, she finally looked up to the ceiling.

As he expected, Ena seemed to be seriously considering this. Lowering the club, she made a wry smile.

"That's… I'm sorry. I don't know, I think?"

Here, you see—Daisuke muttered cynically inside his heart.

Although she said she doesn't know, her expression denied it. Mushitsuki causing fear was an unchangeable truth.

But Ena raised her face, smiling toward Daisuke.

"Because I only know you and Arisu as you're now."

Daisuke stiffened his expression.

"But if the two of you become Mushitsuki… You'll definitely be kind Mushitsuki. Not the kind of Mushitsuki that hurt unrelated people like this."

Kind Mushitsuki.

Never in his wildest Dreams did he think he would be called that.

But it was probably a mere illusion when viewed by Ena, who felt favorably toward him. Normally Daisuke would just smile at her and leave it at that.

But only now—for some reason a genuine smile rose to his lips.

"I see."

Daisuke grinned, and the confused Ena returned his smile.

—He then looked at the girl's back, pretending to be surprised.

"Watch out, Saionji-san!"

"Huh?"

He nimbly hit the nape of Ena's neck as she turned around. Receiving an impact to her medulla oblongata, Ena raised a small groan and lost consciousness.

He'd saved her quickly when attacked by the fleas, but this way was faster. —Even though he knew this, he realized that he was still apprehensive about using violence against Ena.

"Can we keep pretending to be friends for a while?"

As Daisuke sighed, a green checkered beetle alighted on his shoulder. It transformed explosively, its tentacles sinking into Daisuke's skin.

A glowing, green pattern glowed on Daisuke's cheek as he fused with his Mushi.

"If that's what you wanted I would've stepped up to the challenge. Seems like I was the only one to think that, though."

When he raised his face, Daisuke's face had changed.

He now spoke using the low voice not of Ena's friend Kusuriya Daisuke, but brought out his true form as the SEPB's Blaze-Class Rank 1 member, Kakkou.

"But from now on it's a problem between us Mushitsuki."

Leaving Ena behind, he kept walking toward the announcement room.

Hitting Ena left Daisuke with an unpleasant sensation. It was a while since he'd hurt people that weren't Mushitsuki.

At the end of the corridor, there was a door.

Daisuke pulled out his pistol from the holster hidden on his back. Since he was separated from Arisu that day, he hadn't brought with him the SEPB goggles and coat.

Kicking off the door with his strengthened legs, the large space welcomed Daisuke.

"…So you came after me like I thought, SEPB…"

The moment after he heard a girl's voice from the hollow space, a swarm of fleas assaulted him from overhead.

Caught by surprise, Daisuke was helplessly swallowed by the avalanche of fleas.

Part 4

While Arisu and Harukiyo glared at each other, an unpleasant soprano voice reached their ears.

"Shit, they dare disturb me just when it got exciting. What're the Central Headquarters doing, letting small fry like that escape? …Wait, I'm also Central Headquarters. Heeey, Spear-type, are you alive?"

It was Kasuou. Shrouded in her Mushi which was like mist, she was calmly heading toward them with hands in pockets. The fleas were blocked by the mist, unable to even touch her.

"…Uh."

Arisu grimaced and turned around.

For an instant Kasuou widened her eyes, then wore an warm smile.

"Well what do have here, doesn't that seem fun? Much more fun than those fleas. Hey, lemme join too."

While she stared at Harukiyo, the mist around her coagulated and formed sharp claws.

"W-wait, Kasuou! Fighting here might also harm unrelated people!"

"You again? Why are you always interrupting just when it starts getting good?"

Shrouded in flames, Harukiyo took a light step away from Arisu. He was apparently going to leave just like that.

"Hey hey, are you running away again? Try to be manlier and take me head-on."

"I don't mind fighting, but I prefer to choose the time and place. Also, I'm sorry to say that I don't give a damn about you."

"…I'll fucking kill you."

Kasuou spat with a freezing-cold voice.

It was quite the explosive situation, but suddenly something incredulous happened.

As if drawing a wave, all of the fleas occupying the floor started moving. All of them without exception headed toward the stairs.

"Seems like the flea owner's fighting against something. Well, I can guess who."

At Harukiyo's words, Arisu looked to the direction the fleas were going to.

Daisuke—

She started worrying about Daisuke and Ena who were in the same department store. Were they safe?

Also, that announcement just now…

Arisu could clearly hear the agony in the voice of the girl belonging to the SEPB.

Did Daisuke, who was also in the SEPB, also thought of the same things as the fleas' host?

Did he hate Mushitsuki fighting against each other and wanted to be treated the same as a normal person?

Arisu's deliberation was cut off by Harukiyo's low but powerful voice.

"I'd also like for you to stop meddling with me until I finished investigating everything. If I end up killing Hanashiro Mari's Mushi by accident it'd be bad. See ya, Ichinokuro Arisu."

With Harukiyo leaving an uncouth smile, the flames around him burst. Kasuou and Arisu immediately leapt back.

When the flames were gone, the boy's figure also vanished. There weren't even scorching marks on the floor.

"Tch, that annoying bastard."

Listening to Kasuou's tongue-clicking, Arisu looked at where Harukiyo was gone.

—Did you fuse with the morpho butterfly?

Harukiyo's words interested her as much as Daisuke's situation.

While she stood there absentminded, the morpho butterfly alighted down her shoulder.

Part 5

The large hole opened in the floor of the announcement room became ruins made of piles of concrete.

The floor directly below seemed to be the staff waiting room. On the other side of the tables and chair crushed by the debris was a cord extending from the higher floors to the announcement equipment.

Standing near the microphone meant for broadcasting all over the store was a long-haired girl. The face of the girl that looked about 14 or 15 was pale, her anxiousness and fear hidden by pure hostility.

Gathering all the Mushi scattered throughout the department store, she probably attempted to turn back on her attacker. The person who came to the announcement room was buried under the mountain of fleas.

"As if I'd let you catch me after coming this far…! Even I had some battle experience as part of the Central Headquarters—"

The girl's relieved laughter was drowned out by the sounds of gunfire.

"Guh…!"

As part of the flea mountain was destroyed, the damage of losing her Mushi rebounded to the girl, dealing her a mental hit.

Every time the gunfire echoed a few hundred fleas were blown apart.

"Uh, uh… s-sto—"

The girl held her chest, kneeling on the floor.

"Your type usually aims for the host… I just need to hit where your Mushi gathers."

Appearing from within the crumbling mountain of fleas was Kusuriya Daisuke. An ordinary person would've probably been crushed by the fleas' weight, but since he was a Fusion type, his body merged with the Mushi was strengthened.

Bullets were fired from the pistol with its muzzle changed to the jaw of a checkered beetle. The impact made the fleas latching on to Daisuke scatter.

"Uh… ah…!"

Seeing Daisuke draw near her with a ruthless gaze, clear fear rose to the girl's face.

"W-who are you…? You're not part of the… Central Headquarters…?"

"I'm Kakkou."

When Daisuke named himself, the girl's expression froze. The moment after her shock, her knees started shaking.

"N-no—"

Her breath became erratic due to her excessive fear. The name of Kakkou—meaning Blaze Class Rank 1, the strongest Mushitsuki—was well-known even in the East Central Branch.

"NOOOO!"

The remaining fleas gathered in one spot, changing into a large monster. It was still a legless flea with three needles poking out of its mouthpart. These needles, resembling large pillars, were brought down on Daisuke.

The green pattern covering Daisuke's fists emitted light. He swung the hand that didn't hold a gun to the side as if swatting a fly.

The exceedingly superhuman force completely shattered the flea's large needles.

"Ugh…!"

"Did you honestly think normal people would help Mushitsuki?"

Daisuke raised his gun, aiming the muzzle at the flea in front of him.

"You escaped the SEPB and even involved a large amount of people… What are you trying to fight against?"

Tears streamed down the girl's eyes. Biting her lips in fear and pain, she directed a glare full of anger at Daisuke.

"—I had a bad feeling."

The girl wrought out a shaking voice as Daisuke knit his eyebrows.

"Ever since the Director changed, the Central Headquarters' way of doing things suddenly changed… Capturing Mushitsuki became increasingly merciless…"

Director of Central Headquarters.

Ichiku Mikitaka, huh—

He recalled the unknown boy that appeared during their school trip the other day.

He hadn't appeared in front of Daisuke and Arisu since then, but there was no doubt he was a Mushitsuki.

How many Branch Heads in the SEPB knew that the Director was a Mushitsuki? At the very least the Vice Director, Miguruma Yaeko, would definitely know.

"I thought that at this rate it'd become something irreversible… I mean, if we end up fighting even more than now… That would be unbearable…!"

"And so you ran?"

Daisuke asserted calmly. He could hear her grind her teeth.

"If we Mushitsuki run, we lose. Since we have to fight, we can only die if we lose."

Large tears spilled from the girl's eyes. A scream containing all emotions in it reverberated in the room.

"AHHHHHHH!!!"

Daisuke pulled the trigger.

The bullet containing overwhelming destructive power shot through the giant flea attacking him.

When the Mushi's body was blown to smithereens, the girl bent backward as if receiving a shock. She fell to the floor and stopped moving. A Mushitsuki whose Mushi was killed would be reduced to a husk without any feelings or will—a Fallen.

"…"

Returning the gun to the holster on his back, he exited the waiting room.

He climbed the stairs to the floor above—returning to Ena collapsed in front of the corridor connected to the announcement room.

"If you show your weakness you lose…"

He muttered while looking down on Ena.

He had to become stronger than anyone to keep living as a Mushitsuki. He couldn't lose to anyone. If he showed any weakness—he would forget his dream, just like the girl he'd turned into a Mushitsuki just now.

"Nnn…"

Raising a small voice, Ena grimaced while opening her eyes.

Soon the department store would be completely sealed by the police and the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. Many people witnessed the Mushi that didn't officially exist. They'd all hear a fabricated story about those Mushi in the form of counseling, and then warned not to speak about them.

"Kusuriya…kun…?"

The rising Ena looked around vacantly, wearing a relieved expression. She probably recalled what happened before she'd lost her consciousness. After she confirmed neither she nor Daisuke were hurt, he saw Ena's face warp.

"Kusuriya-kun!"

Probably relieved, she clung to Daisuke. Perhaps she started crying, as he could hear the sobs of the girl as she embraced him with shaking arms.

Ena embraced him without knowing that he was a Mushitsuki—and the one who exterminated other Mushitsuki for the sake of his dream, the worst Mushitsuki, who was known as a demon.

"It's all fine now. Seems like the monsters went somewhere."

However—

"So calm down, Saionji-san."

Since she didn't know, they could probably keep hanging like this for a while.

Since he was continuing Arisu's monitoring, he would have to keep going along with this girl he was weak against.

Daisuke repeated It's all fine. Ena kept sobbing without giving any reply.

So all he could do was return her hug.

When he raised his face again, he saw two familiar people looking at them from the shadows.

"I'll punish you later… pervy Daisuke."

"Pfft, just hugging a girl makes him blush."

It was Arisu and Kasuou. They'd apparently tailed Daisuke.

"She'll hear you…"

Even after Daisuke swore in a low voice, the clinging Ena didn't let go for a while.

Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark

The orange sunset cast a large shadow over the calm sea.

The pure white color painted on the large exterior make the vessel look like a towering fortress. The platform lowered to the harbor looked a mouth swallowing people inside the castle.

The giant Japanese ship Amenotori calmly floated on the sea with its body 200 meters in length and 30 meters in width. This 40,000-ton deep-sea ship that could go around the whole world looked majestic while it anchored. Just looking up to it was overwhelming. 

When compared to the large passenger boat illuminated by the setting sun, the line of luxury cars driving toward the entrance looked like a line of ants.

"So that's the Amenotori."

It was one of the luxury cars in line. Sitting in the rear seat of a long limousine, Ichinokuro Arisu looked up the large ship with a serious expression. She wore a dress with exposed shoulders and her hair was neatly arranged.

"Yeah."

Daisuke who was sitting next to her also nodded seriously. Only this once he didn't resent formal wear and his body was clad in a rented tuxedo.

"You should focus, Daisuke. We don't know what's going to happen."

Arisu grasped an envelope.

There was no address on the surface of the envelope too simple to be called an invitation.

"That goes without saying. We're not here to play after all."

Daisuke nodded meekly.

An envelope had been delivered to Arisu's house a few days ago.

The sender was unknown.

It contained a single ticket.

It was an invitation to a members-only cruising party set to occur on a luxury boat. An auction of some rare items appeared to be the main event, but there was no list of them.

Ignoring an envelope without a sender was natural. Besides, Arisu loathed high society parties filled with vanity and greed.

Even so the addressee written on the envelope made her want to join.

"Yeah. We'll make sure who sent us this invitation."

The addressees were Arisu and one other person.

—"Hanashiro Mari-sama".

While Arisu looked at the envelope, a shining silver morpho butterfly was fluttering outside the window next to her.

There were beings known as Mushi.

These were supernatural creatures that possessed adolescents and ate their dreams, meaning their wishes and hopes. In exchange for this they granted their hosts various supernatural abilities, and since their physical appearance resembled insects, they were called Mushi. Those possessed by Mushi were called Mushitsuki, but despite the official government stance of their non-existence, people viewed them with fear and discrimination.

The silver morpho butterfly had once possessed Hanashiro Mari, a girl who had passed away due to an illness. However, after her death she'd entrusted her Mushi to her friend Arisu.

Due to this unprecedented case, the government agency—the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—dispatched a monitor in the form of the boy known as Kusuriya Daisuke who sat next to her. He was also a Mushitsuki.

"It means that the person who'd sent this knows about Mari. Since they'd sent it not to Mari's house but to mine, there's no way they don't know."

"Even sending a car all the way to the Ichinokuro estate, it was clear they wanted to invite you."

Daisuke gazed at the driver's seat. The pair's conversation wouldn't be heard by the driver due to it being shielded by soundproof glass. The middle-aged man grabbing the steering wheel was expressionless.

"Just as we reached a dead end in investigating why Hanashiro Mari's Mushi possesses you despite her apparent death—that invitation suddenly arrived. It's much too suspicious."

Saying this, the boy cautiously looked to the cars in front and behind them. His face was completely different to when he pretended to be her classmate.

"Also, I get a nasty feeling from all those people in the other cars. On the surface they all just seem like rich people, but there's something fishy about them. Doesn't look like this is a simply party."

Being told that, Arisu also looked around the other cars. But she was only able to see a few other people, as almost all cars had tinted windows. Daisuke probably knew the difference between them and normal people.

"—If this is a trap then I wonder who called us here, and for what purpose?"

A trap.

They'd already considered this possibility. Because of that, despite them not knowing what would happen, Arisu and Daisuke were already wary.

"Who knows. Even if I have some idea, it's just a guess. Just thinking is useless."

He leaned back in an offhand manner.

Arisu looked at the silver butterfly fluttering outside the car.

How much time had passed in her search for the true intent of her friend Mari? It had been more than a year since Mari had passed away, and ever since meeting Daisuke she'd actively kept looking for clues about Mari.

Yet she'd never met Mari's acquaintances, nothing was left in her sickroom, and her diary was blank. The more Arisu tried to learn about Mari, the more she just realized her loneliness.

She'd left Arisu the morpho butterfly.

That was all.

The vestiges of Mari's life were so few that it felt like she never even existed.

"If this is a trap… it'll mean that once again we won't find out anything about Mari."

The sky was darkening. Multi-colored lights could be seen illuminating the distant townscape. The ship floating on the sea sounded its horn.

"Are there really any other clues about Mari?"

Daisuke crossed his arms and hung his head. Perhaps he was sleeping.

"No one knows anything about Mari. Her family treated her gingerly, and none of her classmates knew her… no matter where we look, there's nothing left."

She moved her gaze to the boy hanging his head.

"What do you think, Daisuke?"

"If nothing remains, I'll just finish this mission and go back to my home base in Ouka City."

Daisuke faintly opened his eyes. Just like Mari, he was one of the very few recognized as a Fusion Type.

"Hanashiro Mari died. Everything about her ended then. It's much stranger for just her Mushi to remain now."

"Do you really think so? You're speaking of Mari as if you've actually met her."

Seeing Daisuke silently avert his face, Arisu pouted.

"You've said you like quiet girls. I think you'd get along well with Mari. Did you start getting interested during the investigation?"

"I only said I hate noisy women. And how could I even be interested in someone who's dead? —What's up with you saying things like that?"

Arisu stared at him blankly.

"Does being unable to find anything about Mari means you've given up on her? Have you lost interest just because there aren't any clues?"

"I—"

Arisu silently passed her fingers on the window. Through it she touched the morpho butterfly flapping its wings.

He face reflected on the window.

The one who knew about Hanashiro Mari was always at her side. —Arisu herself would never forget her.

"Even if we can't find any clues, I know because I've always been with her. This morpho butterfly will tell me about Mari one day."

Arisu's reflection smiled.

"Even if it's a trap, I say bring it on. The more Mushitsuki we meet, the more the morpho butterfly will tell me about Mari. —That's how I feel."

Daisuke sighed in exasperation.

"Do you realize that Mushi only takes action when you're in danger?"

"No matter what happens I won't die. Until I'm gone there'll always be people who remember Mari."

Seeing Arisu flash an unhesitant smile, Daisuke wore a resigned smile.

"Will you help me too, Daisuke? It's your mission."

"Yeah, it's my mission. But—"

Daisuke nodded, then glanced at the back window. Yet soon his face reddened, and he awkwardly averted his gaze.

Arisu was also bothered since a while ago, yet she pretended to not notice for now. The truth was that even during the talk between them, they could hear pleasant-sounding voices of sleep.

"Why did we have to bring this idiot here, too…?"

"Since it said the ticket's for three people… She told us to get her free meals…"

Occupying the large seat was a girl sleeping in an unladylike fashion. Her long, blonde hair was disorderly, and since she was nearly falling off the seat the hem of her dress exposed her white legs.

She was Kasuou, a member of the SEPB just like Daisuke. Normally she acted in a support role, monitoring Arisu while Daisuke was not present.

Probably feeling the pair's gazes on her, the blonde girl twitched and opened her eyes.

"…Nga? Hwah, what, are we there already? Whoa, what's up with that getup? Daisuke-san, what have you done to me while I was sleeping?"

"You idi…! Who'd ever lay a hand on you!"

"There goes our serious talk…"

Ignoring the two Mushitsuki starting a fruitless argument, Arisu sighed deeply.

Their limousine finally reached the entrance to Amenotori. Guided by the staff, the car advanced toward the parking lot inside the ship.

The limousine stopped and the door opened from outside. Arisu and the rest got off the car.

The smell of the sea and the slight sensation of shaking at their feet told them they were inside the ship. They could see the lit entrance on the other side of the gloomy space.

The staff member that opened the limousine door wordlessly placed a suitcase in front of the trio.

Inside were masks of various shapes.

"Huh? You're telling us to put those?"

The staff member silently smiled at Kasuou's question. He seemed to affirm.

"Are everyone like this in the party?"

"Well, who knows?"

Arisu took a mask that hid her eyes. Daisuke picked a mask that hid his entire face, and Kasuou one that hid her face with a veil.

After wearing the masks, they were directed to the entrance. They narrowed their eyes reflexively due to the bright light.

Coming into the main lobby, Arisu and the rest were greeted by a tall figure.

"I knew you'd definitely take up the invitation, Ichinokuro Arisu."

The person standing in the middle of the staircase looked down on them. Clad in a strangely-designed suit, he was emitting an intimidating air that couldn't be fully concealed.

Although he was wearing a mask, Arisu could never forget the voice that seemed like it echoed in the pit of her stomach. She immediately realized who he was.

"I'm honored to have received your invitation."

Even while feeling cold sweat form on her forehead, Arisu smiled. She could feel that Daisuke and Kasuou behind her readied themselves.

"So it really was a trap," Daisuke muttered.

The person removed his mask.

"Harukiyo."

Arisu called his name.

"I welcome you all to the worst auction party."

Calmly, the boy with the flame-patterned tattoo on his cheek gave the smile of a devil.

Part 1

When they arrived at the main hall the party had already started.

With delightful musical being played in the background, the many people dressed in all colors were engaged in friendly chatter. Everyone hid their faces with masks, and they reached out for the food on the tables.

Circular windows lined up the wall surface of the wide hall, and the city's lights could be seen from afar. The passenger boat had already been sailing on the sea for some time.

At the back of the hall was an elevated stage. On both sides were a musical band playing the piano and wind instruments. A large monitor was installed at the back of the stage.

The masked men and women smiled at each other in this dim hall.

But even in this whimsical scene there was something abnormal.

"There's still some time until the fun starts. Just take it easy."

Greeting Arisu and the rest in the main lobby, the boy who'd led them there—Sehateno Harukiyo—mumbled Well, come along, and turned around.

Right now they couldn't feel any hostility from him. Yet they couldn't lower their guard.

"What have you brought us all here for?"

Next to the apprehensive Arisu, Daisuke glared at Harukiyo.

"Have you also organized this party? There have to be limits to poor taste."

"Huh? Why you little… Do I look like the sort of person that throws these kinds of parties? I'm not boasting, but I don't have that kinda money. Actually, since I'd bought the ticket I'd sent to you, I had to skip lunch for a while. Make it up for me."

Suddenly faced with unreasonable anger, Arisu and Daisuke became speechless. Harukiyo approached a table and grabbed some food.

"What's up with all this? You can't just call people out like this… Is there something in this party?"

"I just happened to overhear an interesting small rumor. If that rumor is true, something's interesting gonna happen in this party. I wanted to show you that as well."

Arisu and Daisuke exchanged glances.

"I have no clue what that guy's thinking about. Stay alert."

Daisuke whispered to her. Frowning, Arisu nodded.

At the very least, it doesn't seem like he's planning to suddenly attack us…

Feeling unsatisfied, she listlessly looked to the side. When she did she noticed Kasuou at another table. At a glance she seemed to be behaving well, but she took the food that the other guests were trying to reach.

"Kasuou… the enemy's right in front of you, be a bit more wary."

"If I don't eat when I have the chance, I wouldn't be able to fight when push comes to shove."

Her grinning mouth was covered in red chili sauce. While wiping her mouth with a napkin, she narrowed her eyes like a cat.

"Besides—if we're gonna fight, we should do it further from the beach. I can't let that flame bastard escape like he always does."

Asserting this in a low voice, Kasuou glanced at Harukiyo. For an instant it looked like they were glaring at each other, but the next instant they started stuffing their cheeks full of food as if competing.

"Hey, Daisuke. I feel like I'm losing IQ points by watching those two."

"…You lose if you get caught up in their idiocy."

Just by seeing how the Special Type Mushitsuki were eating made her stomach feel full. Arisu decided to avoid the food, instead going to peek out of the window.

At some point it started raining outside.

The sea surface lit by the distant city's light was white with foam. It was also getting windy.

Yet the Amenotori was heavy enough so that not a single tremor was felt. —For now, at least.

She could see a silver morpho butterfly flying through the rain outside.

"How's your right hand?"

She turned around at this sudden address. Daisuke stood next to her, holding a drink. He apparently didn't plan on letting his eyes off Arisu as her monitor.

"It's fine, it doesn't feel numb anymore. …What is it, Daisuke? You're thinking that Mari's Mushi did something to me, right?"

"It isn't Hanashiro Mari's. You probably already know that the SEPB has designated you as a Mushitsuki, right? Meaning this is your Mushi. A Mushi affecting its host badly is obvious."

"I don't think of that morpho butterfly as my Mushi. I mean, I don't feel it at all. Never mind the SEPB, what do you think, Daisuke?"

"What I think doesn't matter at all. No matter who it belongs to, a Mushi is dangerous. You simply don't realize that danger—"

"Arisu Heel Attack!"

She put all of her strength into her heel, stepping on Daisuke's foot.

"Deflecting the conversation when it's about you is a bad habit of yours. I'll ask again. What do YOU think?"

Holding his trembling leg, Daisuke spoke in a low voice while stifling his anger.

"…Until now I've seen more different Mushitsuki than anyone. They had all sorts of shapes and abilities—too many kinds to count, and there were also countless hosts with abilities surpassing my expectations."

"Hmm?"

"Yet there's only one kind of Mushitsuki I've never met."

Daisuke slowly rose up.

Arisu raised an eyebrow.

Ever since meeting Mari and Daisuke, Arisu had met with all kinds of Mushitsuki. Starting with Daisuke who could fuse with his own Mushi, there was someone who could fix anything in an instant, someone with the ability to poison the mind, the ability to see a Mushi's past, and abilities materializing through the mediums of flames or mist; all sorts of Mushi.

Even among those she'd met recently there were varied kinds. So Daisuke's own experience, as someone who'd been fighting since long ago, was probably unfathomable.

Yet even he hadn't seen a certain kind of Mushitsuki—

"I've never seen a Mushitsuki with a Mushi identical to another person's."

Daisuke glared at the butterfly fluttering outside the window.

"I've seen Mushitsuki with camouflage abilities, but that camouflage itself was their ability. I don't believe there's any Mushi with the exact same ability as another's. —Even Mushitsuki with the same dream have different forms and abilities."

Mushitsuki with the same dream. When he said this, she could see Daisuke biting his lips for an instant.

"Also—a Mushi that doesn't disappear even after its host is dead is not unheard of."

"Huh?"

She didn't know that. When the host died the Mushi should have also been gone. She'd heard that this was why the morpho butterfly was a unique case.

"I haven't heard about that. What's that, Daisuke? Hiding something from me again?"

"It's not like I'm hiding it. I just remembered it now myself—or rather I haven't thought of that. …Right, there was that case, too. No, but Mari was supposed to have died of illness. So that can't—but wait, if the host anticipated their death and made their Mushi fully eat their dreams what would happen? There's no way that…"

Daisuke leaned forward and muttered to himself in deep thought, ignoring Arisu.

She had no idea what he was speaking about. Arisu became angry.

"Arisu Double Heel Attack!"

"Uwah! W-wait, it's just my misunderstanding. Such a thing's impossible. No matter how that butterfly looks it's stable…"

Saying this, Daisuke turned silent again. He stared at Arisu.

"So what'll happen if there's a new host…? No, but that's—"

"This pattern again? Stop ignoring your mistress."

Even Arisu's gesture of raising her heel again went unnoticed by Daisuke.

Since he didn't seem to be running away, she stepped on him without hesitating. He once again cowered wordlessly.

"Hah… you're muttering to yourself even when there's this many people around. That's why you don't have any decent friends."

Leaving aside Daisuke who reproached her with a "Mind your own business!", Arisu left toward the table to the side. Since she'd been talking she became thirsty.

As she tried taking a glass of champagne, she raised her head.

She heard a click.

Looking to the side, she saw a masked man do something suspicious. He used a small camera hidden in his pocket to snap a picture of the party.

Noticing Arisu's gaze, the man was surprised. But perhaps thinking her a harmless kid, he put a finger to his exposed mouth.

Please keep it a secret, he seemed to be saying. Arisu tilted her head.

"Arisu."

Having her arm pulled, she turned back.

Daisuke grabbed her arm, pointing at the window with his chin. She saw that the rain and wind grew fierce. However, other than that—

"Something's weird with the morpho butterfly."

Just like Daisuke said, the butterfly was fluttering wildly above the dark ocean's surface. Its silver shine was rapidly growing brighter.

"W-what's wrong with it?"

While Arisu was confused, there was a groan at her back.

Turning back to the hall, the man from before collapsed on his knees. He held his stomach in pain, finally falling listlessly.

The surprised participants nearby all distanced themselves from the man.

"I do not know where you came from, but please follow the rules. It is forbidden to film inside the party. Please heed this warning, understood?"

There was an instant icy-cold atmosphere around.

In contrast to the guests, a person came near the collapsed man.

He was a white-haired youth.

"Well, since we haven't warned anyone it is obvious you didn't know it."

Just like all the other participants he was wearing a white mask—no, he was actually exposing his real face while wearing a mask-like smile. He was a boy clad in tuxedo.

"You might be a pro journalist looking for a scoop, but I am also employed as a pro. Well, you just had back luck, so give up."

Arisu crossed gazes with the boy smiling coldly. She felt a chill.

She had never seen someone who looks down on people this much—

Soon large men wearing black approached.

"What do we do, Jit?"

"One of our guests felt unwell and collapse. Please accompany him to the sickbay."

Nodding toward the boy called Jit, the men grabbed the fallen man's arms. A red color could be seen gradually dyeing the man's suit. He groaned with all of his might, but apparently was unable to move on his own.

"Wait!"

Coming to her senses, Arisu called toward Jit's group.

"You… what did you do to this person?"

"What a strange thing to ask."

Jit turned around, looking at Arisu's face. The mask-like, cold smile caused a chill run through her spine.

No, the air around Arisu actually became colder. It made her skin crawl.

"You're asking this as if you had seen me do anything."

"—Sorry. It was our bad."

The one who responded to Jit was Daisuke. He grabbed Arisu's shoulders and drew her back.

"Stop it. This doesn't seem like a normal party."

"But—"

As Daisuke whispered in her ear, Arisu still hounded on.

Seeing the pair quarrel, Jit chuckled. He turned back toward the other participants around.

"Sorry for the trouble. Please don't mind it and patiently wait for the main event."

Bowing elegantly, he left without even looking at Arisu and the rest.

Instead it was Kasuou who approached them. She was in a good mood, perhaps due to filling her stomach with food.

"Looks like some kinda bouncer. And he seems quite experienced for his age. I'm also interested in that main event or whatever, so stop it."

"You too, Kasuou? I'd have thought you would've attacked him straight on."

"I'm full right now and can't move, so don't decide for me I'm gonna fight."

"There's a thing as too much freedom…"

Distancing herself from Daisuke who glared at her, Arisu checked the situation outside from the window.

The rain and wind seemed to grow fiercer, but the butterfly's movements settled down. Its shine was also gone.

Arisu thought of its glow as a warning. Until now, whenever that happened there were some Mushitsuki nearby.

And if so, the phenomenon just now was—

"C'mon. The main event's about to start."

When she turned around, Harukiyo was smiling calmly in the center of the hall.

"Or more like, you all come here since I'm too full to move."

"…You guys are really…"

Feeling it too silly to be wary, Arisu approached Harukiyo. Daisuke and Kasuou followed suit.

A waiter appeared, handing them plastic cards. These all had different three-digit numbers.

"This is?"

"Member numbers. And their use should be obvious."

Harukiyo threw his own card on the table. He apparently didn't intend to use it.

"What's about to start here?"

Harukiyo did nothing but smile to her question.

The hall suddenly became dark. Instead the stage was lit up.

Starting with Arisu, the guests' eyes all focused on it.

A suited woman stood on the stage, bowing deeply to the audience. The boy called Jit could be seen waiting to the side of the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gathering here for our auction party tonight. We always change the time and the place of this popular party, but this night we decided to welcome all you members to a nightly cruising."

The suited woman fluently handled the introductory greetings. She seemed to be the party's hostess.

"We are confident we have gathered excellent items that would satisfy you, and the participants also grew in number, so we are also ready to do our best. To you ladies and gentlemen who have both refined eyes and refined wallets, you should also be ready to do your best."

Several people in the audience laughed at the joke. But since their mouths were covered by masks, it was impossible to tell who was laughing.

Just like the woman said, all people Arisu could see seemed to be wealthy. Other than people dressed in lavish suits, there were also young women who looked like attendants, as well as servants.

The party had an abnormal atmosphere. Everyone looked like they watched over the progress of the party and no one removed their eyes from the stage.

Feels creepy for some reason—

Looking at the woman talking on the stage, Arisu grimaced.

"Also, this time we appear to have the most participants ever. This is also due to our efforts today—is what we would like to think, but is that truly all? The sharp-eared among you have probably heard rumors about an item here."

"Heh, it wasn't a rumor or nothing, you're the ones who passed the information. Well, it was thanks to that that I came to learn of it."

Arisu was just about to ask the sneering Harukiyo what he was talking about.

A dazzling light illuminated the hall. The huge monitor behind the facilitator turned on.

The spectators raised a voice of wonder.

The image was split into two, showing close-ups of girls with identical faces. They seemed to be around Arisu's age or slightly above it, and they wore pretty hair accessories. The image showed them down to their shoulders, so they could be seen wearing differently colored dresses.

—Actually, looking closely, their faces were not the exact same. One's eyes were a bit drooping, and the other one had kind, slanted eyes.

They weren't the same person.

They were twins.

"Let us not meaninglessly put on airs in this volatile situation but simply make a small introduction. The item you are about to view is the masterpiece that will close our auction."

Arisu widened her eyes.

She couldn't immediately understand the hostess's words.

"So it's human trafficking."

Hearing Daisuke spit out those words, she finally recovered. Even Kasuou, who was until then yawning in disinterest, sharpened her gaze for an instant.

"They're going to… sell these girls?"

Although her reasoning power returned, her feelings couldn't catch up. Even before anger started welling in her, she simply couldn't understand the situation.

"Not yet. Now's the fun part."

Astonished, she looked at Harukiyo.

Fun, he said?

This time she did feel anger. Yet Arisu had her eyes robbed by the scene on the screen.

"Other than this item's first-rate beauty, it also possesses the greatest special feature among our lineup."

Not only Arisu became speechless.

Daisuke was also paralyzed as if forgetting to breath. Kasuou, too.

The close-up images of the twins changed to a video. The twins huddled close together inside somewhere that looked like an old warehouse. From the other side then appeared two tigers.

While assaulted by the tigers, the two girls neither shrieked nor ran away. Instead they combined their hands and shot firm gazes at the tigers.

Something black crawled up the girls' back. Two sharp claws then appeared like a phantom.

There were two of these claws, both in the length of several meters. After them the rest of the body materialized. On the several legs climbing up the girls' slender legs, four wet, sparkling eyes could be seen. The sharp claws skewered the tigers.

Each girl had a strange monster sporting a giant claw.

The Mushi resembled a long-armed mantis—and there were two identical ones.

—I've never seen a Mushitsuki with a Mushi identical to another person's.

The two mantises were what Daisuke said he'd never seen. Their single claw, their appearance, and even their fighting style were all exactly the same.

"Item no. 99, "Urara & Kirara"—the two Mushitsuki girls."

The hostess's voice echoed in the now-silent hall.

Part 2

In front of the shocked Arisu and the rest, the hostess proceeded to explain about the twins.

"These are no special effects or CGI here; with our pride upon our various items until now, we can assure you it is the real deal. When the auction begins you will be able to see it in action and ascertain it directly with your own eyes."

Only now did the party start mumbling. Seeing the twin girls able to control the fantastical monster, it was obvious everyone was scared.

But for them, this fear would only urge their collection mania. They fixed their eyes on the footage, engrossed.

"Mushi's existence is officially not recognized by the country and they are twin Mushitsuki, too, so this is an extremely precious item. Since plenty of you ladies and gentlemen like to collect endangered species that are illegal to hunt, this could be another masterpiece for your collection."

Arisu silently clenched her fist.

She knew at a glance the footage wasn't made up. She had seen quite a few real Mushi. She knew the difference between real and fake.

"At a glance the twins seem dangerous, but they can't bring out their Mushi unless they're in the same place. Even now we took advantage of this and kept them in separate places on the ship. This will be done the same when they are purchased, so there is no danger. The only warning for their usage is to not mix the dangerous chemicals together."

Once again everyone laughed at her joke. On the other side of the laughing audience Jit could be seen smiling coldly.

—Arisu was at her limits.

Turning around, she started walking toward the hall entrance. As she succumbed to her violent emotions she didn't even notice that Harukiyo had vanished at some point.

"Wait, Arisu. Where're you—"

Daisuke tried grabbing her shoulder to stop her, but she slapped his hand away.

"We thought of trying to hold back your excitement, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. We also have other valuable items. Please purchase them first and patiently wait for the turn of our centerpiece. —Item no. 1 is a rare animal with practically none circulating in the market due to hunting restrictions, this white jaguar is…"

Around Arisu, the participants raised the plates with their member numbers and started shouting prices.

A dark auction of illegal items.

Arisu finally realized the intent behind this bizarre mask party.

She heard Daisuke clicking his tongue. Two sets of footsteps followed her from behind.

"Arisu! No way, are you…"

Violently opening the door, she exited to the corridor.

Two large men standing at the doorway turned around, surprised.

"Obviously."

She grabbed the handle of a lamp standing nearby. Whoosh, she swung it with accustomed movements, slamming the edge to the floor to smash it.

"I'm going to save those twins. They said they're on this ship."

The black-wearing men were startled. "Now what do you mean by that, dear guest?" they tried cornering Arisu.

Her body moved reflexively. Swinging the long stick and using centrifugal force, she struck the man's knee.

"Stop, idiot!"

Daisuke's restraint went in one ear and out of the other. After striking the man's knees by surprise, she thrust the lamp's stand at his chin. It detached from the pole by the blow's impact.

Arisu unleashed all of the staff techniques pounded into her by the Ichinokuro family training. She'd been taught more than enough on how to fight even against opponents with a large weight gap.

The edge of the stick was thrust to the neck of the collapsed man holding his chin. With Arisu staring at the other man while taking his partner hostage, he stopped moving.

"Where are the twins located on this ship? Please answer truthfully."

A morpho butterfly appeared from the other side of the corridor, landing on her shoulder.

"Ooh, how scary. You're going berserk."

Ignoring Kasuou who laughed as if this situation had nothing to do with her, Daisuke stood in front of Arisu.

"Stupid Arisu! Stop this!"

The boy's hand grabbed the pole.

"Do something about your bad habit to act so rashly! Going on a rampage here will accomplish nothing! We simply need to contact the SEPB once we return to shore and let the members take care of it."

"Then are you telling me to just stand by and watch while these girls are being sold?"

Daisuke glared right back at Arisu's serious gaze. He then spoke with a cold voice.

"No matter who buys them, they'll be apprehended once we go back to shore. It's not a big deal."

"It's not a big deal… you say?"

Arisu clenched her teeth. Removing her right hand from the pole, she grabbed Daisuke's tuxedo.

She couldn't understand why Daisuke wasn't angry. From her point of view he should have naturally been as angry as her.

And yet he wasn't.

That boy was always like that. When it was about Mushitsuki he killed his emotions and tried acting like a machine.

"It's a Mushitsuki like you, Daisuke! A Mushitsuki just like you!"

She grabbed his suit forcefully and brought his face closer.

Yet his expression didn't change. Arisu bit her lips and kept speaking.

"Aren't they the same as Neiko-san, Ayuyu-san, and Kasuou who's standing right there? They're your comrades! How can you be this cold? You're a Mushitsuki, so why aren't you thinking of saving Mushitsuki?!"

"Comrades? They're nothing but a hindrance."

Daisuke snorted in laughter. He grabbed Arisu's arm back.

"You sympathize with people too much regardless of who they are. Those twins aren't Hanashiro Mari. Don't you understand this?"

"But they're Mushitsuki like her."

Arisu and Daisuke's gazes intersected.

"You said something like that before. If that Mushitsuki with the same dream as yours… if that Fuyuhotaru girl was sold right in front of your eyes, would you still be that cold?"

The girl's words appeared to have more of an effect than she thought. Daisuke's expression changed.

"Never mention that name again. —I already told you so."

He scowled at her with the sort of tone that made him known as the demon Kakkou among fellow Mushitsuki. It was rare for him to let out this voice while not wearing his goggles.

"So you really are angry."

Arisu didn't falter.

"Why are you hiding your anger?"

Daisuke merely grimaced at her words. Instead of replying, he grasped Arisu's hand harder.

Creak—it happened with the sound of something grating.

Turning around, black mist filled Arisu's vision.

Using her abilities, Kasuou crucified the standing men to the wall. She assaulted the men with countless claws and asked them something in a whisper.

"Kasuou!"

Daisuke looked at her with reproach. Kasuou slowly turned toward him.

"Why are you trying to stop her, Kakkou?"

"Monitoring her is my job. You're also forgetting that you're here for support—"

"Yeah, monitoring. This isn't protecting her, or pretending to be her friend."

"…!"

"When I'd heard you were working so that your monitoring target won't suffer any harm I thought it was strange. Our job's not protecting her. It's to watch her and judge whether her actions are dangerous or not, right? Also—"

Kasuou's blue eyes sparkled with a dangerous light.

"What did you just say, you bastard? You called me a hindrance? You're the hindrance, since I'm only here to capture Ichinokuro Arisu if she proves dangerous."

Daisuke became speechless. Receiving the two girls' gazes, he gritted his teeth.

The claws made of mist pounded the black-suited men's heads. They threw the two unconscious men into the corridor's shadow.

"The twins are apparently confined in a cabin at the stern of the ship and a warehouse in the deepest area. What do we do?"

"Kasuou… have you also started sympathizing with the twins' situation?"

"Don't ask an unranked member like me difficult questions. I just need to fight."

"Let's go."

Shaking off Daisuke's hand, Arisu walked through the corridor. The morpho butterfly followed.

"…Shit."

Although he couldn't agree to it, Daisuke tried continuing after Arisu. Yet she turned around, thrusting the metallic rod at his nose.

"I'll save the girl inside the cabin. —Daisuke, please save the one in the warehouse."

Daisuke widened his eyes.

"Wha…! Don't screw with me, why do I—"

"If they discover we saved one of them, they might hide the other one someplace else. So we have to split up. Once we save them we need to meet up in some easy location—I know, in front of the main deck."

"So you can just let Kasuou do that! Monitoring you is my job."

"Daisuke, you will save her."

She asserted flatly.

"Aren't you the strongest Mushitsuki? Saving people should be easy for you."

She turned on her heels, walking toward the elevator.

"If you come with me I won't stand for it." After she said this, Daisuke's footsteps stopped.

"Oh boy, that's the worst possible thing to ask of him."

While going with Arisu, Kasuou stifled her laughter.

"There's no way that guy ever saved anyone."

As if to affirm the blonde girl's words—

The boy standing at the corridor couldn't say anything to Arisu.

Part 3

Going up the stairs, Daisuke sat on the rails.

He crossed his arms, looking to a certain corner of the hall.

"Why do I have to save Mushitsuki? And didn't you consider the possibility I'd kill their Mushi and make them Fallen?"

Daisuke's original job wasn't saving Mushitsuki. It was to capture them, and depending on the case turn them powerless by killing their Mushi.

Arisu should've also known that.

Even so—she told him to save a Mushitsuki. Even if he pretended not to listen to her, she seemed likely to go on a rampage.

He hadn't the slightest of intentions to help anyone.

He'd let Arisu have her way. It was all a bother.

"Oh, but they said those twins can't summon their Mushi unless they're together. Then it'll be difficult to kill it…"

He recalled this along with his anger.

Just like the hostess said, the footage they saw in the hall was real. The things they'd seen were undoubtedly two Mushi and it seemed like the twins were their hosts.

It was of the popular Minion Type that mainly attacked with fangs and claws. The only point of interest was them being exactly the same.

No identical Mushi existed.

Daisuke's assumption had been overturned.

"I'm interested in that Mushi…"

He looked down the stairs.

One of the twins was apparently inside a warehouse.

"…"

He would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in two different Mushitsuki with the exact same Mushi.

But even so, he didn't like Arisu's words. Heading to the warehouse would be following her orders.

"…Tch."

After thinking, Daisuke started going down the stairs.

He couldn't just stand there.

He had to confirm with his own eyes what he was interested in. Heading to the warehouse was for his investigation, not for saving the twins. —He decided to treat it like this.

"There's no way I can save anyone in the first place."

Although he had saved people indirectly due to the flow of events, he'd never been on any mission with saving someone as the goal.

He found a map of the ship in the dance hall down the stairs and memorized it.

The cabins were in floors 5 to 2, and the warehouse was apparently in the lowest floor. He also recalled seeing another entrance for things other than cars when he'd boarded the Amenotori.

"I have to quickly finish this and go back to monitor that woman…"

While muttering to himself, he went down the empty stairs. Feeling someone's presence in the corridor as he reached the first floor, he promptly entered the office kitchenette.

He slightly opened the door to survey the situation just as two large men passed by. They were probably guards employed by the auction's organizers—no, probably bodyguards.

He'd been through infiltration missions to special facilities many times in the past. Mushitsuki running away from the SEPB's pursuit would go into many places. Daisuke would then find these hiding Mushitsuki and turn them into Fallens.

Since bringing his SEPB gear into the party would be suspicious he didn't have it. His pistol was hidden behind his back, but he wanted to avoid using excessive force on civilians.

Exiting the room, he went down the stairs again. A main lobby with a hanging chandelier appeared.

Silencing his footsteps, Daisuke nimbly crossed the lobby. He entered the corridor to the side and kept advancing.

"I'm also worried about Harukiyo vanishing, and it seems better to finish this up as soon as possible and regroup."

This time was also a vain attempt regarding the investigation of Hanashiro Mari.

He had no idea why Harukiyo had invited Arisu there. He was probably up to no good anyway.

"Not to mention Kasuou's defiance… I hate everything that happened here."

Normally he would've fended off Kasuou's abusive language. Yet only today he was unable to say anything back, and so was angry at himself.

When he could see the entrance connecting to the parking area, Daisuke hid himself in the corridor's shadow.

A burly man blocked the entrance. Because of the contents of the auction, even while floating in the middle of the sea they hadn't relaxed their security.

Now, what to do—

Daisuke began thinking, but it was all useless effort.

He could hear an impact sound from somewhere in the ship. It felt as if the entire ship trembled.

The guard frantically put the radio to his mouth. After saying something, he passed next to the hidden Daisuke, walking toward the lobby.

"—Those two together can't help but make a ruckus, huh?"

He held his head. One of them probably grew impatient of waiting.

Moving quietly now was silly, so Daisuke just entered the parking area.

Shouts flew around the narrow space packed full of cars. The parking area was connected to the warehouse. The men watching over one of the twins noticed Daisuke.

A green glow alighted down on Daisuke's shoulder.

It was a checkered beetle with long antennae. Immediately after landing on Daisuke, its body morphed, becoming countless tentacles that stabbed into his skin.

A green glowing pattern emerged in addition to Daisuke's mask and tuxedo.

The man leapt at him with no questions asked, so Daisuke's fist struck his chin. Although taller by a head, the man flew through air, and Daisuke's unrelenting kick hit his stomach.

Struck by the man blown away, several other men also crashed against the wall and fainted.

A metallic sound reverberated farther inside the parking place.

The two men blocking the warehouse entrance pulled guns out of their pockets. Compared to dealing with the items sold in the auction, obtaining firearms was probably easy.

Gunfire echoed.

Daisuke kicked the ground, avoiding the trajectory of the bullets. He moved behind cars with superhuman agility. Fusion Type Mushitsuki could merge with their Mushi, thereby enhancing their physical abilities by dozens of times.

Closing the distance in an instant, Daisuke swung his fist toward the worker-use elevator.

His green glowing fist struck it.

Along with a great din, the elevator was blown toward the large men.

It grazed the escaping men and struck the warehouse entrance. The door was destroyed along with the concrete wall, slowly collapsing.

The men hurriedly trying to rouse themselves received Daisuke's kicks. They held their stomachs and collapsed, unable to move.

"…"

The green tentacles left Daisuke's body. The original checkered beetle landed on his shoulder.

Climbing on top of the ruins of the concrete door, he entered the warehouse.

The inside was as large as a basketball court and dark. The lamps hanging from the ceiling illuminated the now-silent warehouse.

"Who is this?"

He heard a shaking voice from the corner of the warehouse.

A dress-wearing girl peeked at him from behind the mountains of cargo.

"Kakkou."

Standing on the rubble, Daisuke used his SEPB name. Although he wasn't wearing his coat and goggles, the fact he hid his face with a mask was unchanged.

"Kakkou…?"

The girl grimaced in fear. From what he saw on video, she was the twin with the softer face. He couldn't tell whether she was Urara or Kirara and which of them was the older sister.

Even in this situation she didn't seem to bring out her Mushi. Apparently the story that they couldn't summon their Mushi unless together was true.

If she'd brought it here I'd be able to make her a Fallen though—

Daisuke mentally clicked his tongue. He'd lost his pretext to attack her.

"So I can only save her…"

"…Have you come to save me?"

She probably heard Daisuke's mutter. In contrast to his expectations, her expression sparkled. She tried coming out from behind the shadow of cargo.

"Well, I'll hand you over to the SEPB once we reach the shore, though."

He ended up saying.

"Ehhh?"

The girl's complexion changed, and she once again hid herself.

Shit, he regretted. Daisuke held his head, and finally noticed.

"Hey, you. Why'd you know about the SEPB?"

"…"

"Don't answer if you don't want to. The SEPB will catch you no matter what. It won't change that."

He didn't care about what she said or did in the least. Since he'd hand in the twins to the SEPB anyway, as long as they were out on the sea it didn't matter where he took her at all.

What a farce. Daisuke turned around, intending to leave.

"W-wait…!"

Yet the girl's voice called to him.

"What about my big sister? What's Urara doing?"

"Another person's saving her right now. —I dunno if she's safe or not, though."

He turned around. Kirara, the dress-wearing girl, was teary-eyed.

"T-take me to Urara…"

"Why should I. I finished off the guards. If you want to, then go alone."

"Take me to Urara… Please…"

When Daisuke acted coldly he caused the girl to break down crying. Seeing her like this made him angrier and angrier.

"You didn't bring out your Mushi even when in danger and you won't even try to escape on your own… Are you actually a Mushitsuki?"

Seeing such a weak Mushitsuki was rare.

But despite his question, Kirara merely repeated take me to Urara over and over.

"Hey—"

His anger reaching its limits, Daisuke quickly lowered himself to the ground. Approaching the cowering girl, he grabbed her head and dragged her face violently.

"I'm asking if you're actually a Mushitsuki."

Kirara made a pained face, wet with tears. Yet she nodded once.

"How come you've been caught here? How d'you know about the SEPB?"

"…T-they found out about us being Mushitsuki… We were chased by those SEPB people… and saved by this guy called Jit—"

"Saved? You were just caught by the same kind of villains."

These were not rare circumstances for those who became Mushitsuki. He had no intention to sympathize.

But being chased by the SEPB meant that the twins really were Mushitsuki. Knowing this, Daisuke felt his anger well up further and further.

"So you thought you were being saved and just walked away with him? Are you stupid? No matter where you run to, no matter how much you run away, there aren't any guys who'd save us Mushitsuki! You're the only ones who can protect yourselves. Why doesn't everyone throw away this kind of naïve thinking already?!"

Why were they the only ones suffering?

Many Mushitsuki thought this. No, it was probably that almost all Mushitsuki thought so.

He was sick of it already.

The more he met with such Mushitsuki, the more he felt disgusted.

Daisuke was different. He'd never think of such people as his comrades.

"Urara…"

Kirara raised her face and looked at Daisuke.

"Urara's different. Urara only protects me…!"

"Is your sister strong, unlike you?"

As Daisuke asked her calmly, Kirara bit her lips and nodded.

"No. And even if it was so, it's not that she protects you because she's strong."

Asserting this clearly, Daisuke kept walking toward the exit.

"She's strong because she's protecting you."

If Mushitsuki hadn't a strong conviction to protect their dream until the end, they would end up losing to their own Mushi.

That was the unshakable truth Daisuke had found.

And it wasn't like that just for Mushitsuki.

"You too. You're not running away because you're weak. You're weak because you keep running away."

Turning around, he glanced at Kirara.

"Since you're weak, you aren't able to protect your sister when it counts."

Kirara widened her eyes. She simply stood stock-still, completely speechless.

He had no intention to keep up this silly conversation. He left the warehouse with the intention to meet up with Arisu and Kasuou.

Yet he noticed footsteps coming from behind him. Turning around, he could see Kirara biting her lips and trying to say something while following him.

"Don't come along. You can wait shaking inside until someone comes to rescue you."

He glared at her, but she didn't listen to what he said. She glared back at him with teary eyes.

"I won't save you no matter what happens."

"…"

"If you have something to say then do it. You're annoying."

Even at Daisuke's words, Kirara merely averted her face. Yet when he started walking, she also followed him.

"Shit, they're doing nothing but annoying me…"

Although feeling indignant, Daisuke went with Kirara and left the parking area behind.

Part 4

The mist filling the corridor coagulated into countless claws.

"As if I'd be moving around stealthily when it's such a pain!"

The overwhelming destructive power of the claws blew the large men away along with the ceiling and walls.

"You can't kill them, Kasuou!"

Kasuou snorted at Arisu's shout.

"I'd obviously not fight seriously when they're not even Mushitsuki. —Hmm?"

A dry rupturing sound echoed.

It was gunfire.

They probably came there after hearing all the destruction. New bodyguards appeared from the direction Arisu and Kasuou had come from. They pointed their guns at them and pulled the trigger in succession.

Arisu reflexively curled her body, but such evasive action was meaningless.

The mist bursting from Kasuou's body caught any and all incoming bullets. The blonde girl shrouded in mist started walking toward the men.

But that caused them to withdraw, frightened.

Kasuou clicked her tongue and stopped.

"…Tch. I'm not afraid of any guns, but my range is limited. Or more like I can't exactly chase them down right now."

Kasuou pulled a single chair left in the corridor for weary guests, putting it down in the center of the corridor. She sat down, crossing her legs elegantly.

"Hey, Spear-Type. I'll stop the guys coming from here. We've also cleared up those guys from the other side, so go finish your job already."

"My name's Arisu."

While protesting, Arisu was puzzled.

"Is that fine? It's rare for you to help me."

"I'm just so full that if I make sudden movements I'll get heartburn. Let me rest for a bit…"

"…I see, take care."

Kasuou grinned while leaning her elbows on the armrest and then her chin on her hands.

"We're far more suited for wilds things like this rather than saving people anyway. Also, I think I know what Harukiyo's after."

"What do you mean?"

"I have no obligation to you. Go on already, there might be other ways to reach that cabin."

Kasuou's expression seemed like she was waiting for something. Arisu had no idea what she was thinking about, but there was no doubt she was helping her save the twins.

"Thank you!"

Saying her thanks, she rushed down the corridor. She heard a surprised Huuh? coming from behind.

As the gunfire grew distant, the corridor became dark.

Suddenly a flash ran through the corridor.

Just as she wondered why, the cause was readily apparent. The sea reflected from the window was raging. The flash was caused by lightning.

She felt her feet sway.

It was a storm large enough for even the large Amenotori to lose balance. And the wind and rain only seemed to grow fiercer.

"There."

She saw a dead end on the other side of the corridor. It was the cabin where one of the twins had been confined in.

The guards who had run over to them before due to the ruckus were collapsed there and Arisu had already snagged the cabin's key. She ran toward the cabin.

"I wonder if Daisuke managed to save the other one."

That boy she had forced to go save one of the twins had probably reached the warehouse. As long as he followed what she said, that is.

Daisuke was strong.

He probably had to be ruthless in order to survive many times in the past. Perhaps throwing away all sorts of things was what allowed him to become this strong.

But there was something Arisu realized by spending time with him.

Some kindness still remained in Daisuke. He just didn't let it show on the surface in order to protect his strength. —Even though he feigned calmness, Daisuke was always hesitating.

"What's wrong with some sympathy…?"

She muttered.

Daisuke should be able to change.

He should be able to become kind while staying strong.

He was a Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like Mari, and unlike her he had time remaining.

"…"

She pulled out the key to open the cabin's door.

Her chest constricted when she noticed herself comparing Mari and Daisuke.

—Mari's replacement.

She thought so for a second.

Had she been able to cure her friend Mari's loneliness even just a bit?

Had she been at least somewhat helpful for Mari's life?

Arisu wanted to get to know Mushitsuki because she didn't know. She wanted to save Mushitsuki.

She wished to know about Mushitsuki since she hadn't known Mari was one.

But was that really it?

"Ngh…!"

Since she was deep in thought she didn't handle the key well.

Even if she looked for an answer she couldn't find it now.

So she thought.

Now she had to do what she should do. Both Daisuke and Kasuou were fighting for her selfishness.

The morpho butterfly on Arisu's shoulder suddenly took off in flight. It emitted a silver glow from its entire body, fluttering violently.

The morpho butterfly seemed to have the ability to sense Mushi. There was no mistake that there was one of the twins in the cabin—when she thought so, she felt dubious.

"Then what about them being unable to bring out their Mushi unless they're together…?"

Thinking it strange, she opened the door.

The girl inside the gloomy room turned around.

"Run!"

Arisu's vision was colored in white. A cold wind blew.

Head, stomach, shoulder, legs—the impact pierced through Arisu's entire body. She was blown from the door, her back crashing against the corridor wall.

"Kha!"

She nearly blacked out.

Yet she was somehow able to remain conscious by the impact of falling to the floor. Grabbing the metallic pole again, she raised her face.

"Oh my, I thought the mafia was attacking, but it was some vigorous young lady."

The entire cabin was covered in white frost. Below the large hole opened in the ceiling, probably from the floor above, a dress-wearing girl and a suit-wearing boy were standing.

There was no mistake the girl was one of the twins Arisu had seen on video.

The white-haired person was the boy called Jit. He grabbed the girl's arm to restrain her, wearing a mask-like cold smile.

"Also I thought I'd definitely killed her just now… but it seems like you're one of us."

The morpho butterfly was glowing above Arisu's head. She noticed the silver scales enveloping her. —She had no idea what kind of attack she'd received, but apparently the morpho butterfly had immediately protected her.

The morpho butterfly fluttered down to the pole Arisu was holding. Extending its tentacles, it transformed the weapon. The pole Arisu was holding instantly turned into a silver lance.

"Let go… of that girl…!"

Although hazy, Arisu gathered power in her shaking legs and stood up.

Jit's smile was unchanged. He spoke with a disgustingly polite tone.

"Seems like you came to take Urara. What's your goal? They'll probably net a good price, so are you trying to snatch them?"

"You're also a Mushitsuki, right? Don't you feel anything when you see these girls being sold right in front of you?"

Jit had looked at the morpho butterfly and said she was one of them. With the unseen attack just now, there were no doubts he was a Mushitsuki.

"Don't tell me you came here to save her?"

Jit sounded surprised. Yet he soon made an exasperated laugh.

"Yeah, we're both Mushitsuki. Yet they're auction items and I am the winner who benefits from that auction. —Even for Mushitsuki there are decisive differences."

Cold wind enveloped Arisu.

"…!"

Receiving a blow to her temples, Arisu rolled on the floor. She couldn't even see what the boy had done. She could only see shining, white flakes falling above her head.

"The difference is being strong or weak. Please don't put me together with weak Mushitsuki."

He assaulted Arisu with successive attacks. Even if she tried countering, she couldn't even tell the attack she was being subjected to. Every time she was helplessly struck, white fragments of something fell down.

Caught by Jit, Urara grimaced painfully. She tried shaking him off, but didn't have enough strength. Seeing she didn't summon her Mushi even at this stage, the twins' power being unusable unless they were together seemed to be true.

"By the way—"

Another blow pounded Arisu against the wall. Unable to even raise any voice, she fell on the floor with a thud.

"Mushitsuki with your kind of naïve thinking make me want to puke."

Looking down on the helpless, collapsed Arisu, Jit laughed at her.

"Oops, you can't hear me. You were so surprisingly obstinate I had to use too much—"

"…Run…"

Arisu moved only her face, glaring at Jit.

"Ugh—"

Jit received her gaze and felt a chill. His expression changed.

Arisu stretched and roused her upper body. She threw her lance at Jit without any hesitation.

Silver light flashed.

Letting go of Urara, Jit evaded the lance.

A storm of scales started blowing around.

"Wha…!"

Seeing the scene after the scale storm was gone, the white-haired boy became speechless.

A large hole was gouged in the wall. Nothing remained aside from the metallic spear rolling on the floor. It struck through so many layers of the wall that he could see the stormy sea through it.

"Run… quickly…!"

Arisu shouted at the barely standing Urara. Since her ribbon had been loosened up, half of her vision was covered by her hair.

"If you go to the main deck… you'll meet your sister…"

She was definitely there.

Daisuke should have rescued the other sister. She believed so and shouted.

"Please go…!"

Urara seemed confused while looking at Arisu. Yet she strongly bit her lips, and after a small Thanks she ran through the corridor.

Jit came back to her senses. Just as he stepped forward to pursue Urara, Arisu stood before him, wringing out her remaining energy.

"…Even though you finally threw your weapon you're going to stand in my way?"

Jit mocked her, his tone growing bitter.

"I'm relieved…"

With her dress all tattered, Arisu wore a listless smile.

"You're saying the same things as Daisuke…"

Jit furrowed his brows.

"But Daisuke was angry… Also, unlike you he did go to save the twins…"

Happiness welled inside her.

Although Daisuke spoke just like Jit, he was always still hesitating.

If he hesitated, it meant he could change.

"As I thought, Daisuke… wouldn't actually think like that…"

As she smiled, Arisu's knees folded.

The morpho butterfly landed on her shoulders while she was rapidly losing her consciousness.

"Right…? Mari…"

Looking at the morpho butterfly glowing in silver, her consciousness cut off. Her knees touched the floor and her head hanged.

The shocked Jit gulped.

"Hah. So she was just sleep-talking. —I'll just finish her off and go after Urara."

Cold air enveloped Arisu.

At the same time, the morpho butterfly emitted light.

On top of the fainted Arisu's shoulder its body expanded, changing to countless tentacles. They travelled through Arisu's body to her left leg.

"—Sorry, Arisu."

The mouth on Arisu's hanging head moved.

"So you were still conscious…!"

Jit grimaced. He immediately activated his ability, attacking Arisu.

The sound of something hard rubbing against the floor echoed.

The next moment several white thorns were created in the corridor. These thorns, born midair from empty space, stabbed the place Arisu occupied from all direction.

Yet by that time, Arisu had already moved behind the boy's back.

"Looks like us Fusion Mushitsuki are never honest…"

Behind her flowing hair, Arisu's—no, Hanashiro Mari's eyes laughed.

Mari's hair fluttered as she moved speedily to the boy's blind spot. He left leg exposed by the hem of her dress was covered in a silver, glowing pattern.

"Tch…!"

Jit activated his ability while still with his back to her. The white thorns born from air assaulted Mari.

Yet Mari's movements were a step quicker. Kicking the floor, kicking the wall, she kept moving to blind spots with superhuman agility.

"A Mushitsuki of Diorestoi… so your medium is carbon dioxide. You coagulate carbon dioxide into dry ice to attack the enemy—"

Jit looked flustered. Unable to even see Mari, he couldn't take aim.

"I'm tired of fighting this silly ability."

Mari's shining left leg stabbed into Jit's back.

"GAHHH!"

Jit was blown toward the cabin, destroying the door. Mari picked up the metallic rod thrown away by the impact.

"…"

The rod immediately turned into a silver lance. Mari rotated it wordlessly, stabbing the edge to the floor.

Shining scales blew around.

The surroundings controlled by frost were instantly melted.

"I've taken control of this area. You can't use Diorestoi's power in this domain anymore."

Mari turned a calm gaze towards Jit who was standing up and staggering.

"—Hmph."

Turning around, Jit put a hand to the wall. Now that his mask-like expression was broken, it was unclear whether he was angry or smiling.

"I'm also a pro here. I have no intention to fight unnecessarily. I don't care about you as long as I can secure the twins."

The boy certainly judged the situation quickly. Without any hesitation he kicked up at the protruding wall and flung himself toward the hole in the ceiling.

He probably concluded that he had no chances of victory and so abandoned the fight. Footsteps could be heard from above.

"…"

Mari also had no regrets stopping the battle. She turned around with a cold face.

Walking ahead while dragging her spear, a lone boy blocked her way.

"—We finally meet, Hanashiro Mari."

Since when had he been standing there?

How had he come this far?

The boy wreathed in flames, Harukiyo, calmly blocked the passage.

"Whenever Ichinokuro Arisu is in danger against Mushitsuki, you appear. —That seems to confirm this."

"…"

"But it's still incomplete. You've fused only with her left leg, huh. What will make you take over her completely? The enemy's strength? Or are there any other conditions?"

Mari looked up the boy's face vacantly. Yet she soon lost interest and passed next to his body shrouded in flames.

"I heard from Sensei."

Mari's feet stopped.

"He said you wanted the angel's medicine. Was that the answer you've reached in your final moments?"

The angel's medicine.

It came from the story of the picture book she had possessed at the hospital.

"I don't mind helping you. —But you'd have to help me with my goal, too."

"…"

Still expressionless, Mari started walking again. The morpho butterfly detached from her left foot, landing on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't ignore me, Hanashiro Mari."

The boy grabbed Mari's shoulder. His gaze toward her looked so hot it could almost scorch.

"…Where's Kusuriya Daisuke-san?"

She muttered, turning around.

Harukiyo widened his eyes. He was so surprised that his hand grabbing her shoulder slipped.

"I have to meet him."

She averted her face from the boy and kept walking.

A heat wave instantly attacked her from behind.

"Don't fuck with me, Hanashiro Mari!"

She kept walking without minding him.

"What's that brat to you? Who d'you think brought you out! I'm much stronger than that kid! If you're seeking help it should be me!"

"You're saying that you're stronger than him?"

Mari laughed at him without turning around.

"The Mushitsuki of Elvioréne are so earnest despite being pathetic that it's funny, but I hate you Diorestoi Mushitsuki. Although you pretend to be strong, you're all weaklings who can't even take one step forward on your own."

"What… was that…?!"

He was so angry that he became speechless. Harukiyo's angry shouts coming from behind turned into a heat wave and melted the surroundings.

"You bitch—"

While hearing this blood-lusted wailing, Mari held her head and cowered.

The deadline arrived.

Mari's consciousness was drifting away.

Dizziness combining fear and relief assaulted her. Inside the fear of her vanishing there was also a sense of relief at being released from her pain.

"…See you, Arisu."

See you tomorrow—

The promise she had made with her friend Arisu.

While smiling, Mari yielded herself to dark relief.

"—Nngh…"

Ichinokuro Arisu awoke with a groan.

Shaking her head, she looked around.

She was in a destroyed corridor. Turning around, she had no idea how long he'd been there, but she could see Harukiyo. If so then he was probably the one who'd saved her.

"Hey!"

Harukiyo grabbed Arisu's chin, bringing her face closer.

Although still hazy, Arisu shook off his arm and stood up.

"I have to go… to the main deck."

Yet she couldn't properly use her left leg. She crumpled to the floor so Harukiyo supported her.

"—Shit…! So you're Ichinokuro Arisu."

"Take me to the deck, Harukiyo."

Arisu finally regained her rational thinking. She had to go to the deck.

"Huh? Don't screw with me. Why do I have to be pushed by you after coming all the way here?"

"You're the one who said you'd 'do anything necessary'."

Grabbing the boy's suit, she asserted to him as if he didn't have a choice.

"You're the one who invited me here. Take responsibility until the very end."

Harukiyo became speechless.

Lightning flashed outside.

Part 5

"W-wait…! There has to another way to carry me!"

"Ah, zip it. If you make a fuss I'll touch all sorts of places."

"H-hey! Where are you—"

Two fussing voices echoed in the empty corridor.

Carrying Arisu on his shoulder, Harukiyo advanced through the lowest floor corridor. He had quite the stamina for being able to run all the way there without breaking a sweat.

"Here, we're there."

Harukiyo said with a dejected voice. He was sulky, perhaps hating himself for following Arisu's orders, or possibly for other reasons.

After the sudden stop, Arisu was violently lowered to the floor.

They were inside the vast lounge at the entrance to the main deck. The exit was made of glass, so they could see the rainy deck. Arisu could see the storm reached its peak.

"Ooh, you're here."

Kasuou sat on one of the sofas in the lounge. Next to her was Urara.

"Where's Daisuke? Is he not here yet?"

While staggering, Arisu surveyed the lounge. She couldn't see Daisuke anywhere and Urara wore an anxious expression.

"He works so slow despite being a Rank 1. —Oh, speak of the devil."

Kasuou looked behind Arisu and the rest. Arisu turned toward the lounge entrance divided to two.

They could see two people walking from another direction than that Arisu came from. They were a sulky Daisuke and a panting Kirara.

"Kirara!"

Hearing Urara's voice, Kirara raised her face. Seeing her older sister, her expression sparkled in joy.

It happened just as everyone in the lounge turned their gazes toward the corridor.

The sound of breaking glass resounded.

"…!"

Fierce wind and rain blew into the room.

"I will have one back first."

The white haired boy, Jit, smiled in front of the corridor connected to the lounge. He'd probably got there first from the corridor outside the ship, waiting for a chance. He grabbed Urara who was the closest to the deck and pulled her closer.

"Urara!"

Daisuke caught the shoulder of the little sister trying to approach. Next to Urara, Kasuou grimaced in displeasure. Harukiyo looked completely apathetic.

Arisu clenched her fist.

Since they all gathered in the lounge they were careless—

"I-I'm fine… don't be scared, Kirara."

The older sister spoke bravely, her face stiffening. Yet her sister Urara looked anxious.

"You can understand what I want here even without me saying, right? For now please hand over the other twin."

A white thorn created in air was pushed against Urara's neck.

"Either way I'm going to switch to a different ship before returning to shore. This time we'll give up on selling and go back with just the items. Someday you'll regret turning a pro into your enemy."

"So you have no problem making even an ally of justice your enemy?"

"So you think we'd just let you do as you fucking please?"

Daisuke hid Kirara behind his back as he stepped forward.

Kasuou also stood up from the chair.

"I do. Right, girl?"

Jit looked at none other than Arisu.

Arisu bit her lips. The white-haired boy saw through her personality—

"Wait, Daisuke, Kasuou."

Stopping them with a hoarse voice, they both anticipated her behavior.

"I refuse."

They both cleanly rejected. Jit clicked his tongue.

"Hey, you the sister."

Daisuke called in a low voice while a checkered beetle landed on his shoulder. Green tentacles stabbed into Daisuke's body.

"Bring out your Mushi. Since you're here together you can use your power, right?"

"Daisuke!"

Daisuke completely ignored Arisu's reproach.

"I'll cover for you. Do it."

Yet still showing a severe expression, Urara didn't seem to be moving.

"Urara is—"

Kirara's weak voice echoed in the lounge.

There was an air of tension between Jit, Daisuke and Kasuou, the three Mushitsuki. Since Urara didn't move, none of them could seize the chance to attack.

What blew the tension away was some light and rumble.

Along with the sound of thunder, the Amenotori swerved. As if a high wave crashed on the ship.

Jit immediately lost his balance.

Daisuke and Kasuou kicked the floor.

"No…!"

Arisu's voice was erased by the sounds of destruction.

Daisuke's fist and Kasuou's claws clashed with Jit. The floor cracked and the large sofa was blown away.

The only one unable to stay was Urara.

"Kyaaa!"

Blown by the impact, she was thrown outside the broken glass to the main deck.

Everyone in the lounge turned toward Urara.

Suddenly heading toward the deck, Arisu was shocked.

A white wall appeared in front of the girl rolling on the deck.

It was a high wave.

"URARA!"

Kirara shouted. A Mushi materialized next to the girl as she ran outside.

A long-armed mantis with a claw disproportionate to its body.

But there wasn't just one.

There was also a second, identical Mushi.

"…!"

Seeing this, Arisu understood.

—I've never seen a Mushitsuki with a Mushi identical to another person's.

Daisuke was right.

Arisu had also seen someone who could control multiple Mushi.

It wasn't that each of the twins had her own same Mushi.

Both of them were the Mushi of older sister Kirara. Saying that it couldn't be brought out unless they were together was also probably to conceal this fact.

Why did they both pretend to be Mushitsuki—she also instinctively knew the answer.

A Mushitsuki little sister and normal older sister.

The two sisters of differing fates were afraid to become separated—

"Ah…!"

Yet even the claws of the two mantises couldn't reach her sister. Urara appeared to have lost consciousness due to the impact. The large wave was about to cover the collapsing listless girl.

Arisu kicked the floor.

"Wait, Arisu!"

Ignoring Daisuke's call, she leapt to the deck. Forgetting about her wounds and the numbness of her left leg, she made a beeline toward Urara.

She'd been the one to decide to save the twins.

It had nothing to do with it serving as a replacement to her friend Mari.

She threw herself, extending her hand to the girl.

Arisu's hand grabbed the girl's arm.

"…!"

The wave swallowed the deck.

Unable to fight against the water pressure, it threw around Arisu who was hugging Urara. She was unable to breath and couldn't tell right from left.

"Gwah…!"

Feeling an impact at her back, she opened her eyes on the water.

She crashed against the railing. The recoil threw Arisu and Urara to the air.

"…!"

Just before being thrown out of the ship by the spraying water, Arisu reached for the railing.

I'll definitely save you—

Swearing this, Arisu's hand clenched.

"—"

Yet she couldn't feel the railing in her hand.

—With mere millimeters to spare, Arisu's hand grazed the railing and cut through air.

While falling to the raging sea she could see below, Arisu heard someone calling her name.

Arisu had the feeling Mari had shouted the same way during that moment a year ago when she'd seen her breath her last.

The moment she realized it was Daisuke's voice—Arisu hit the sea.

Part 6

"ARISU!!!"

The one to raise his voice was Daisuke.

He watched Arisu being thrown off the deck by the wave that snatched her away.

Even Harukiyo, apathetic until now, was shaken just like Daisuke. They stood in shock at this unbelievable sight.

"U-Urara—"

Kirara sank to her knees, paling.

"—Haha, you've had us completely fooled! But as long as we have you, the Mushitsuki, we have no need for your sister."

One girl closed the distance to the laughing boy.

It was Kasuou.

"You're also unneeded!"

White thorns stabbed into Kasuou.

"Which of us is the pro, I wonder?"

Jit's expression froze.

The countless thorns were all stopped without exception by the mist covering Kasuou's body. The blonde girl's black claws smashed the thorns as if devouring them.

"Such bullshit from someone who only fought against normal people!"

Kasuou's attack pushed Jit back. The overwhelming power opened a large hole in the floor, and the boy fell while unable to even raise a scream.

Daisuke wasn't calm enough to watch the battle between Jit and Kasuou.

He leapt toward the flooded deck.

Reaching toward the side of the railing where Arisu and Urara went to, he looked down the dark sea.

"…!"

Throwing his mask away, he looked around the stormy water surface, not caring that the unceasing rain got into his eyes.

He couldn't see Arisu and Urara anywhere. Due to the fighting there were alarm sounds on Amenotori, and the sailing has stopped. They shouldn't have flowed too far away.

"W-what was that woman thinking about—"

He heard a shaking voice from behind.

It was Harukiyo. The expression of the boy appearing next to Daisuke lacked its usual vigor. He held his forehead and muttered as if in delirium.

"Don't fuck with me… Doing that will kill Hanashiro Mari along with you…! Then what have I done all this for…!"

"Ahah, it's useless already. You won't be able to find her."

Belatedly, Kasuou arrived too. Kirara also came to the deck, but she apparently had no courage to look past the railing. She just stumbled down on the spot.

"—Not yet."

On the deck where everyone gave up, Daisuke alone looked down the sea surface. The railing he grabbed was crushed audibly.

"If we just know where she is we might be able to do something…!"

With one leg on the railing, Daisuke frantically scanned the sea.

"C'mon, Kakkou. Doesn't this mean your job's finished? Didn't you want to go back to the East Central Branch already?"

Even Kasuou's mocking didn't reach his ears. He gazed at the sea as to not miss even a single shadow.

Yet the violent waves of the night reflected nothing. Only the sound of thunder vainly passed above the ocean.

"Didn't you say you'll never die!"

He had met with Ichinokuro Arisu and lived under the same roof as her in order to monitor her.

Every day she would hit him and they would argue.

He could state clearly there wasn't a single day where he didn't want to finish the mission already.

—Yet he couldn't accept this ending.

Not when they haven't solved even one of the mysteries surrounding Hanashiro Mari.

Also—

Daisuke was yet to understand what kind of person Ichinokuro Arisu was.

How could she have been so reckless thus far? Why had she been intervening in other people's matters, including those of Daisuke himself? He didn't know the reason yet.

"Arisu!"

It happened just after Daisuke raised his voice.

Without any warning, the sea surface changed color.

One part of the sea covered in nightly darkness started glowing silver.

"…!"

Everyone on the deck gasped.

A chill ran through Daisuke's spine.

Under the Amenotori swam a silver glowing giant butterfly.

A blinding light illuminated the sky from the sea.

"What the… hell's that…"

Kasuou's hoarse voice spoke volumes about how overwhelmed they all felt. The giant morpho butterfly emitted not only silver light. Its power caused the surface of the sea to tremble.

"—It's Maturing."

Daisuke gritted his teeth.

The only case where a Mushi remains even after the death of the host.

That was Maturation.

When Mushi finish eating their host's dreams, the Mushitsuki dies. However, there are rare cases where Mushi who ate their host's dreams gain their own will, grow large and go on a rampage. This phenomenon is called Maturation.

The worst case scenario Daisuke could imagine was unfolding in reality.

Until now he hadn't ever connected Maturation with the morpho butterfly. It was because Hanashiro Mari's butterfly showed no signs of growing berserk.

Yet Daisuke finally understood the situation.

It still wasn't set in stone. But if Daisuke's reasoning was correct, then—

"Hanashiro Mari's Mushi was always on the cusp of Maturation. The existence of Arisu as a new host put a stop to that…"

"—So if the new host dies it'd definitely Mature?"

Harukiyo looked furious.

"I don't like it… I don't like it one bit…"

Behind the muttering Harukiyo, Kirara raised a shrill voice.

"Urara!"

Daisuke and the rest followed her gaze.

Illuminated by the morpho butterfly's glow, they could see from afar the figures of Arisu and Kirara on a wave.

They both appeared to be unconscious. Even so Arisu never let go of Urara.

Daisuke, Harukiyo, Kasuou—

The three Mushitsuki changed their expressions.

"Hanashiro Mari… have you lost to your Mushi?!"

Pillars of flame rose from the body of the raging Harukiyo. The crimson flames converged in the night sky, creating the form of a tiger beetle sporting fangs with different sizes.

"You call other people weaklings, but you were this weak!"

The devil's shout and the beetle's roar overlapped.

The flame pillar stabbed into the ocean.

The sea exploded. Much as if an underwater volcano had erupted, expanding steam filled their vision. The water started evaporating due to the extremely high temperatures, so it looked as if the water level lowered.

While spreading steam the beetle advanced through the sea.

Its fangs caught the giant morpho butterfly.

"UOOOOOOOOH!!!"

Harukiyo raised his right arm.

The tiger beetle made of flames sharply changed its angle. Still grabbing the morpho butterfly, it started ascending to the sky. Arisu and Kirara who were protected by the giant butterfly were taken, too.

Immediately after being dragged out of the sea, the morpho butterfly blew off the beetle with its silver scales. Leaving death throes behind, the flame Mushi vanished.

The flame-wreathed boy raised his hand in preparation for the second shot.

However—

"Hah…! Hah…! —Shit…!"

Harukiyo groaned, revealing his canines.

The morpho butterfly probably sensed it had gotten out of trouble, even if temporarily. The giant butterfly's figure instantly shrunk. —Even if he pulled the next flame attack, at this rate Arisu and Kirara would be fried.

"Hanashiro Mari's still fighting. Along with Arisu. —Kasuou!"

Going to the very back of the deck, Daisuke's entire body glowed in green.

"Fire again, Harukiyo."

Strengthening his entire body, Daisuke kicked the floor.

Kasuou standing on the middle of the deck extended her arm to the rushing Daisuke.

"You'll be in my debt, alright Kakkou?"

"Do as you wish."

In the middle of rushing toward the railing, he grabbed Kasuou's hand, spinning the girl with momentum.

Daisuke revolved while holding Kasuou like a discus thrower.

Whoosh—the sound of cutting through air flew above the ship.

The girl flung by Daisuke with superhuman power cut through the night sky, heading directly toward Arisu and Kirara.

"'Cuz I can't hold back."

Harukiyo swung his left hand.

In the far sky, the mist domain expanded by Kasuou captured Arisu and Urara. The claws brought them closer, wrapping them in dense mist.

"Don't dare burn off until you come back!"

The second tiger beetle pierced the black mist.

The flame Mushi drew a large arc in the night sky, catching Kasuou and the rest with its claws on the opposite side of the ship.

The tiger beetle's roar rumbled. Its crimson fangs carried Kasuou and the rest toward the ship. —While protected by Kasuou's mist, the girls looked as if they were riding a wave of flames.

While approaching the ship, the two kinds of abilities, explosive flames and mist, were mingling.

The gap of power between the powers soon appeared. The mist grabbed by the claws was rapidly vanishing. Daisuke could see Kasuou grimace as she approached them.

It wasn't that Kasuou was weak.

Harukiyo was simply too strong.

At this rate it wouldn't just end with Kasuou losing her Mushi and becoming a Fallen; they'd all be reduced to ashes.

Daisuke's body emitted a green glow again.

He leaned his body against the railing.

"Wait, Kakkou! It's too early!"

"She's at her limit."

The Amenotori momentarily tilted by the force from Daisuke's kick.

Leaping toward the pursuing flames, Daisuke hopped on the mist that protected everyone. Watching over Kasuou expending her power and growing hazy, he drew the large pistol from the holster on his back.

Tentacles swallowed the gun. Heat haze created by frictional heat shimmered inside the muzzle of the gun fused with the checkered beetle.

He thrust the muzzle against the head of the tiger beetle and squeezed the trigger.

Bombardment sounds thundered.

The whirl of flames exploded.

Inside the vanishing explosive flames, the airborne Daisuke used both arms to catch Arisu and Urara, and his mouth to bite on Kasuou's dress.

Below his eyes was the dark sea.

He couldn't reach all the way back to the Amenotori.

"Kirara!"

Daisuke's shout made the girl stumbled on the deck raise her face.

From the girl biting her lips, the claws of the two mantises extended. They caught those about to fall to the sea from both sides.

"Uahhh!"

The girl shouted. Wringing her powers, she pulled Daisuke and the rest to the ship.

But even so just reaching the railing took everything she had.

"Kh!"

Daisuke immediately flung everyone onto the ship. While the three girls were thrown on the deck, he reached for the railing.

Kch, a dry sound resounded.

Daisuke's nails scratched the railing.

—His hands couldn't reach.

Part 7

The moment his fingertips grazed the railing, one thing passed through Daisuke's mind.

It was a doubt.

It wasn't about the mysteries surrounding Hanashiro Mari or about Ichinokuro Arisu reaching out even toward complete strangers.

Why have I—

He unconsciously grabbed the hand reaching for him from the other side.

Been trying to save Arisu—

Even Harukiyo had given up on her once. Kasuou had abandoned her while smiling. Daisuke himself had also thought the same as them.

But even though he saw Arisu fall to the sea, he couldn't give up.

And he couldn't understand the reason for that.

"Hmph."

The hand reaching from the other side of the railing grasped his arm.

It was Harukiyo.

It was a rescuing hand from an unexpected person.

Yet he understood when he locked eyes with the flame boy.

Is he the same as me—

It wasn't that he wanted to save Daisuke. He also didn't understand anything but he didn't like it. As if he was saying only Daisuke could solve this mystery.

Raising Daisuke lightly with one hand, Harukiyo pulled him to the deck.

Landing safely and then standing up, he instantly checked the condition of the collapsed girls.

"Urara! Urara!"

The younger sister clung to the older and cried.

Arisu was facing upwards, her chest slowly rising and falling. She'd probably lost her consciousness along with Urara from the impact of hitting the sea. She didn't seem to have swallowed much water.

Meanwhile, Kasuou was conscious but couldn't really move. She groaned and desperately tried standing.

"Haa…"

The exhausted Daisuke sat below the railing.

He ended it without anyone dying.

And this meant that basically—everything turned out like Arisu wanted.

But as expected he couldn't agree to it.

"I don't like this."

He heard an annoyed voice from overhead.

Although tired, his pride prevented Harukiyo from sitting. Still hanging to the railing, he glared at Arisu.

"She made me help people… what's up with her."

"I dunno. Kasuou and I are also bad at saving people."

"Also—Kakkou, you bastard."

Harukiyo's gaze passed from Arisu to Daisuke.

"What relationship do you have with Hanashiro Mari? She's said she wanted to meet you."

"I dunno about that either. What have you done alone with Arisu?"

The two boys argued while looking at the four girls.

Kirara was caring for the unconscious Urara. Later she would probably be taken by the SEPB and separated from her sister.

Yet the twin wiping her older sister's face looked much stronger than she had been in the warehouse. It was probably her first time saving her sister since they were born. How Kirara would live from now on depended on her.

A Mushitsuki who until now never saved people before rushed out to do so and even managed to save the captured twins.

The rain wetting the person responsible for this ceased.

A boat with lights approached the ship. A voice claiming to be the authorities resounded through its speakers. They'd probably seen Harukiyo's ability from afar and thought there was an explosion.

Nearly all of the battle personnel on the ship have been rendered powerless by Daisuke and the rest. If there was an investigation, the sponsors of the auction party would all be arrested without being able to resist.

Both Harukiyo and Daisuke naturally ended up looking at Arisu.

The more they investigated the mysteries surrounding Hanashiro Mari, the more mysteries they found.

Ichinokuro Arisu.

The two boys were toyed with by her late best friend, but this girl was confusing them as well—

"Shit… I don't get it at all. I didn't even have a chance to enjoy myself."

"I didn't have that in the first place."

Above the heads of the two bickering boys who forgot they were enemies, a small fissure was born in the dark clouds.

The first rays of moonlight appeared from the night sky.

The blinding light covered Ichinokuro Arisu.

Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician

She met the Kind Magician.

She seemed to be around high school age. She was smiling, bathed in the morning sun while sitting at the height of 180 meters above the ground.

She had black hair and an eyepatch covering her eyes, and she hid her bandaged right arm inside her long coat. Seeing that she was holding a cane with her right hand, her legs were also probably injured. The headphones hanging on her neck were broken.

She was a girl covered in wounds bathing in the sun, yet she somehow looked happy. As if she was seeing the sun for the first time in years.

"…"

Seeing this girl's figure, Ichinokuro Arisu came back to her senses with a start.

She was in Akamaki City, the city that was effectively the center of modern Japan as it housed all its important functions.

Arisu was on the rooftop of one of the highest buildings even within the city, known as Akamaki Skypeer.

The only way to reach the observation deck enclosed by a dome made of half-mirror from all 360 degrees was through the use of two elevators. The elevators were installed along the sides of the building, and since they were see-through, one could view Akamaki City from above while ascending.

The observation deck bathed in sunlight could also be called a hanging garden.

While Arisu stood near the elevator, a morpho butterfly fluttered nearby. Flapping its wings, it flew toward the headphones-wearing girl sitting down.

She noticed the morpho butterfly. She widened her eyes in surprise, but soon passed her gaze to Arisu.

"Umm… Hello."

Arisu bowed unconsciously. She, too, was using crutches. This was the aftereffect of the incident she'd gone through after being invited to a cruise the other day. She suffered no injuries, but her left leg was left somewhat paralyzed.

After a checkup in a normal hospital she'd been moved to a special hospital. Arisu had chased after the morpho butterfly that had suddenly flown away, finally reaching the hanging garden.

It had been a while since Arisu acted by herself.

Normally the boy who served as her monitor would always be at her side, but he was absent today. Ever since the cruise party, he'd been going somewhere every day. —Kasuou, who served as his replacement, was engrossed in buying sweets and so didn't seem to have noticed Arisu was gone.

"…"

Seeing the morpho butterfly and Arisu, the headphones girl wore a wide smile. She lightly tapped the seat next to her.

She was apparently telling Arisu to sit down.

She hesitated.

The morpho butterfly fluttering between the two of them was no mere insect. Since it could sense special beings, it reaching the other girl meant that she, too—was not a mere girl.

Mushitsuki—

There were supernatural beings in this country known as Mushi. They possessed adolescent boys and girls, feeding on their hosts' dreams and hopes. The government declared them to be non-existent, but there were many civilian eyewitnesses. While their existence was vague in normal society, those possessed by Mushi were abhorred and became targets for fear and hatred at present.

"You're… a Mushitsuki, right?"

Until now she'd met many Mushitsuki, but almost all of them in dangerous situations. It was her first time to meet someone like this.

Arisu was apprehensive but the headphones girl nodded. As if asking her if there was a need to ask. She soon nodded, shaking the dust off the seat.

It would make Arisu feel bad if she didn't sit down after all that. She gingerly approached the girl and sat down.

"Oh…"

Suddenly the girl's finger touched Arisu's forehead. She unconsciously shrugged.

Apparently her hair became disheveled when she'd been chasing the morpho butterfly. The girl's hand arranged her hair.

"T-thank you."

She thanked her. The girl smiled, looking at the visitors walking through the hanging garden.

She lost all of her apprehensiveness.

The one common point to all Mushitsuki Arisu had met was that they were antagonistic to all other people.

Yet the headphones girl readily confirmed being a Mushitsuki and didn't seem cautious despite Arisu seeing through her.

When had this feeling started?

The morpho butterfly at Arisu's side wasn't her Mushi. She'd inherited it from her friend who died to illness. She wanted to know why her friend Hanashiro Mari had left the morpho butterfly to her and, so she sought out other Mushitsuki.

She didn't want to fight at all.

She simply wanted to know more about Mushitsuki.

So since when had Arisu started feeling cautious around Mushitsuki?

"U-umm…"

Tentatively trying to speak to the other girl, Arisu looked at her. She tilted her head and watched Arisu.

These gentle eyes directed at her caused Arisu to swallow her words.

Arisu had no siblings. However, if she had an older sister—

—She hoped it would be this person.

When she unconsciously thought this, the headphones girl nonchalantly hid her face.

"…?"

Averting her gaze from Arisu who furrowed her brows, the girl glanced at the center of the observation deck.

There was a girl about the same age as Arisu there. She was a petite girl clad in a pink coat that looked high-quality even at a glance. Tough men who seemed to be her guardians were surrounding her.

The headphones girl continued hiding her face while looking toward the girl.

"Is there something wrong with that girl?"

The girl smiled at Arisu's question. She softly reached for Arisu's forehead.

She was going to fix her hair again—or so she thought and was thus careless.

"Both of us—"

The girl opened her mouth for the first time.

"Seem to have changed quite a bit. Right, miss Hunter?"

Arisu widened her eyes.

Hunter—that name was the alias of Hanashiro Mari who used to hunt Mushitsuki in Akamaki City.

"Not killing me that time was your mistake."

A small Mushi crawled on the smiling girl's fingers.

With legs much longer than its small body, a Mushi resembling a daddy long-legs. connected to the girl's fingers by shining thread climbed on Arisu's forehead.

The morpho butterfly glowed in warning, but it was already too late.

"Memory Rapport…"

The girl's muttering voice—sounded incredibly kind.

Part 1

People who were useless no matter what they did could be found anywhere.

In short, the girl known as Kidou Tsukasa was probably also one of them.

She didn't know her father, and her mother hated her. Tsukasa didn't know why, but apparently her mother disliked her very existence. Since she'd often beat her up for trivial reasons, once she graduated from elementary school she ran away from home.

The ones who accepted Tsukasa were a small group of boys. Making the room of a musty old apartment their headquarters, they were a gathering of those with similar circumstances to her.

"Ha… Ha…"

Tsukasa's group was the lowest in the hierarchy of the world of violence and crime.

They made money from purse snatching or thievery and "paid" percentage of that to higher-ranked groups. By doing this they were allowed to live around.

The youngest among her group, Tsukasa was also the weakest.

At "jobs" she was a nuisance, and since she was bad at housework and the like she wasn't very useful.

No matter where she was, no matter what she did, she was useless.

Within a year of her joining the group, she even lost the motivation to try and make everything better.

Since she couldn't do anything, she could only gain her comrades' sympathy and live—

"Haa… Haa…"

Yet Tsukasa was even about to lose even that pitiful way of living she'd chosen.

Entering a merchant storage to steal like always, Tsukasa made a blunder and was discovered by the police. Also, this time their leader was also caught by the police.

Running through a dark alley, Tsukasa was in despair.

Even if she came back to their hideout, she probably no longer had a place there. All that awaited her was lynching by her comrades. This time they'd probably beat her to death.

She couldn't live by herself. If she were to be caught by the police she'd be sent to a correcting facility, and her "seniors" there would be much scarier than her comrades.

What am I supposed to…!

She could think of only one answer.

She had to somehow escape the police and somehow beg her friends for forgiveness. Whether by stealing or by blackmail, if she offered a tribute to cancel out her huge blunder—

"Kyaaa!"

When she passed the corner, she bumped into someone.

She hurriedly stood up thinking it was the police, but she was wrong.

It was a girl younger than her wearing a lavish coat. Bumping her shoulder against the wall and looking at Tsukasa, she made a frightened face. She didn't look the type of person to wander around back alleys.

It was a gift from the heavens. Perhaps God sympathized with Tsukasa.

Tsukasa looked around with dazzled eyes. She couldn't see any guardians or figures of adults. Only Tsukasa and the girl were there.

"H-hello… I got lost… How do I get back to the main street…?"

Tsukasa carelessly grabbed the coat of the girl who squeezed her voice.

"Kyaa!"

Uncaring the girl was afraid of her, she started searching in all her pockets.

If she came back with enough money then perhaps her comrades would settle with only beating her halfway to death. She was determined.

"…H-help me…"

Tsukasa let go of the teary girl. Although she looked rich, she didn't have anything like a wallet.

Clicking her tongue, she violently grabbed the girl's arm. She pulled her through the alley.

"Umm…?"

If she returned this girl to her guardians, perhaps she'd receive a small compensation. No, she had to get some money no matter what.

Tsukasa, who couldn't do anything, had no other choice left.

She'd do whatever it took to keep her life. She would probably be treated like a slave—even more useless than she'd been until now, but she had no other way to keep living.

"Ah!"

Walking through the silent alley, a sudden gust of wind suddenly blew at them. A potted plant left on the veranda of a dirty apartment fell down.

The girl raised a shriek because Tsukasa had noticed that and covered for her.

She was able to push her aside but couldn't escape herself. The heavy pot hit her shoulder, bloodying her torn clothes. —She wasn't able to do anything well.

"You're bleeding…!"

Pulling the flustered girl's hand, she kept walking as if nothing happened. She'd be beaten up until she couldn't sit down anyway once they came back to the hideout. Compared to that, if she'd let the girl get hurt her compensation would suffer and it would have a greater effect on her life.

Seeing blood was probably a shock for her. When the girl walked with Tsukasa she looked like she didn't know what to do.

But when they passed the corner of the hill road, her expression changed.

"And to think I was completely lost a minute ago…!"

The large main street was visible ahead. They could also see people walking between large buildings.

"Amazing…! It's like magic!"

Tsukasa tilted her head. She couldn't understand what the girl was so excited about.

"Thank you."

Turning back, the girl wore a carefree smile.

Tsukasa had her breath taken away.

Thank you—

It was the first time in her life someone had thanked her. To the extent she couldn't immediately understand what these words meant.

A small emotion was born in Tsukasa's torn heart like a ripple.

"I'll be fine from here. —Ah, but please wait here! I need to give you something as thanks, and take care of your wounds…"

The girl spoke such that her good upbringing was obvious. She was now bright and happy, completely different from how she was scared just before.

—Tsukasa's heart was shaken.

The small emotion that filled her heart seemed about to vanish.

She bit her lips.

She desperately clung that unknown emotion.

"…I don't need anything."

Tsukasa muttered.

"Huh?"

She lightly pushed the surprised girl's back toward the main street.

With Tsukasa glaring at her, the girl made another somewhat frightened expression. She walked toward the visible main street as if pushed by Tsukasa.

Yet on the way she stopped, turned toward Tsukasa and lowered her head.

"…"

Illuminated by the sun sinking on the city, Tsukasa stood still, watching the girl's back.

Since she wasn't able to go back home with money, she'd be killed.

And yet, if she received money, she would feel as if—as weird as it was to say it—her very first great achievement would be gone.

She couldn't do anything well.

She couldn't accomplish anything.

But even someone like Tsukasa—

—Thank you.

Would she be able to save someone ever again?

"What a lovely dream."

Standing in place, Tsukasa noticed a purple glow raining down toward her.

The glow was shaping itself in front of her, finally converging in the form of a woman.

She was a beauty clad in a crimson-colored long coat and wearing round sunglasses. No matter how sudden it was for her to appear, Tsukasa didn't think it strange.

Oogui—

She discovered the fact that the one in front of her was one of the Original Three, the beings that birthed Mushitsuki, only much later.

"Will you tell me your dream?"

Her sweet, otherworldly voice shook her eardrums.

—Thinking back to this later, she was stupidly simple.

She thought of this just by accomplishing one small thing.

So she ended up wishing.

From the depths of her heart.

"I just wonder if even someone like me—"

Born that day and that moment was a helplessly simple Mushitsuki.

She simply got carried away and was born as a Mushitsuki who was about to commit trifling failures.

"Can help people…"

And so, this Mushitsuki would end up being called as such.

"The Kind Magician".

Part 2

Time passed quickly ever since she became a Mushitsuki.

After leaving far for some business, Kidou Tsukasa returned to her hometown for the first time in months.

"…"

From the main street with its lines of buildings she looked at the rising sun.

She saw the hill where she'd become a Mushitsuki. She could see the cluster of buildings clearly even from afar.

That day felt like it was ages ago. Quite a bit of time actually passed, though.

Smiling, she started walking in the street. As she walked with her long black hair fluttering behind her, Tsukasa's figure was reflected on the polished window of a building.

She'd grown 10 centimeters taller after becoming a Mushitsuki. Her face with brand-new headphones was sharp and her skin was pure white. Her slender arms and legs were protected by boots and gloves.

She could hear a baby crying from the street.

A young mother was trying to lift her baby high up in the air to make it stop crying. Yet the baby's bad mood was not appeased and its mother seemed troubled.

Looking up at a shadow cutting the sky, Tsukasa flicked something with her fingertip.

Launched by her finger was a small daddy long-legs. The spider easily rode the wind, attaching itself to a bird flying overhead. The bird and Tsukasa were connected by a transparent thread.

"Sight Rapport."

The next instant, Tsukasa's vision changed.

An image of flying in the sky.

Starting with Tsukasa walking on the road, she could also see lines of cars beneath her.

That vision soaring toward the sun—was from the eyes of a flying bird.

"…"

Preserving the image, Tsukasa passed near the crying baby and touched it softly.

The shining thread passed from Tsukasa to the baby.

Tsukasa's sight returned.

On the other side, the boy was surprised and stopped crying. Seeing her baby suddenly laugh happily, the mother was confused.

This was Tsukasa's ability as a Mushitsuki.

Using the spider, she could switch the senses of two targets. The baby just now had seen things from the bird's point of view.

Seeing that it stopped crying, Tsukasa absolved her ability.

The thread of light snapped off.

Separated from the bird, the spider lightly floated down, returning to Tsukasa's shoulder.

After relaxing for only an instant, now a voice came from the front.

"Wah!"

A boy dashing through the walkway and a man riding a bicycle were about to crash.

Tsukasa's movements were ingrained into her body at moments like these. She flicked the spider with her fingers again before she could think.

"Pain Rapport."

The breaking sound of the bicycle echoed. Next came the thud of an impact.

"…!"

A sharp pain ran through Tsukasa's shoulder. Unable to withstand the impact, she staggered.

With the passersby focusing their sights on him, the child that the bicycle crashed into opened his eyes. He stared in shock at his shoulder that should've been injured.

Tsukasa smiled, passing by the child as if nothing happened. Because the rider hurriedly applied the brakes she didn't break her shoulders.

After receiving the injury meant for a stranger, Tsukasa smiled and absolved her ability.

Separating from the child, the spider passed back to her shoulders.

"…"

Feeling a gaze on her, she slipped between buildings.

The instant after she entered an empty alley, a voice called out to her.

"Wait."

Turning around, she could see a boy commanding a strange monster.

He wore the uniform of a high school located nearby and at a glance seemed like the kind of normal boy one could find anywhere. Yet the monster under his control couldn't be said to be normal at all.

—It was a Mushi.

The boy wore the goggles he'd gotten out of his bag. They were mechanical goggles that hid his entire face.

"I've seen it. I'm going to capture you as a Mushitsuki. If you resist I'll hurt you."

Tsukasa sighed.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—they were the government agency that found, captured and isolated Mushitsuki. The combatants that blended into civilian life like the boy in front of her were apparently called the monitor squad.

These people appeared in front of Tsukasa several times until now.

"…"

Leaning her body, Tsukasa made the spider climb her fingers. She wore her headphones and used the remote controller in her pocket to set the volume to max. The high volume shook her eardrums, but as she was used to it, Tsukasa's expression was unchanged.

"Seems like you're not gonna go quietly with me!"

The boy sent his own Mushi at Tsukasa. The monster with a body at least two times larger than Tsukasa assaulted her.

Dodging the monster's legs, she flung the spider toward the boy.

"Hearing Rapport."

Confirming the spider attached itself to the boy, she activated her ability.

"—UWAAAH!"

The boy suddenly held his ears and shrieked.

Tsukasa switched her hearing with the boy's. He should be blasted with music at full volume right now. Most of her enemies would be confused and unable to understand the situation just with this.

Feeling its host's abnormal situation, the monster's movements grew dull. Tsukasa leapt, aiming at its jumbled legs.

"Pain Rapport."

The moment she muttered this, Tsukasa's head was pounded by the Mushi's leg.

Yet she felt no pain.

The one blown away was the goggled boy. His head bending back, he simply lost consciousness. —Since she had avoided the back of her head where there could be lasting damage, he'd probably soon regain consciousness.

Since its host went out cold, the monster's movements also ceased. Its body quickly shrunk and it clung to the incapacitated boy.

"…"

Pulling back the spider attached to the boy, Tsukasa left the place with a brisk pace.

Tsukasa's Mushi had no ability to fight.

It only had the special ability to exchange things like senses and bodily information. During the other times she'd confronted the SEPB combatants, they all seemed to fear it as an especially rare mental control ability.

It took her more than a year to master her ability. But now that she fully controlled her Mushi's power, it wasn't difficult to escape from the organization known as the SEPB.

More than that, Tsukasa right now could do anything. She never lost against anyone with that ability and she was also able to get money.

And above all else, she was able to help weak humans.

Tsukasa had absolutely nothing, but the power known as Mushi changed her.

The Tsukasa that couldn't do anything no longer existed—

"…"

Passing through the narrow alley, Tsukasa looked into the main street while hidden in the shadow of a large building.

She saw a few uniformed girls gather on the road. They were students from a rich girls' school waiting for the bus.

One of them, a girl wearing a pink coat, looked around her.

When she noticed Tsukasa hiding herself, she said "Go ahead, Kirari. I will get the next bus!" toward someone who seemed to be her friend and rushed toward Tsukasa. Her friend that wore a star-shaped hairpin seemed puzzled, but didn't stop her.

"Hello! We haven't met for a while, so I was worried!"

The girl who created the opportunity for Tsukasa to become a Mushitsuki wore a carefree smile. Ever since then, at times she found her waiting for the bus just like that and they met each other many times.

Tsukasa smiled.

The girl was the daughter of a rich family, so they hadn't had many chances to meet alone. If she was seen speaking with someone like Tsukasa it'd cause problems for her.

"Is something troubling you?"

Tsukasa asked as if on cue. Every time she came to check on her she asked the same question. In the past she'd resolved countless small matters.

The girl made a Hmm and looked up at the sky.

"There's nothing. Thank you."

Seeing her say this and smile brightly, Tsukasa smiled back. She nodded and turned on her heels.

If the girl didn't require any help, she didn't need her.

"Say—"

The girl called toward Tsukasa as she was leaving.

"Are you going somewhere again, Miss Magician?"

She asked in a lonely tone.

Both Tsukasa and the girl didn't know each other's names. The dreamy little girl referred to Tsukasa as a "Magician". She probably believed the power of Mushi she'd showed her from time to time was real magic.

"Also, I wanted to ask you this from a long time ago… why do you always save me?"

Tsukasa turned around.

If she truly was a Magician, then the one who'd given her this chance was none other than this girl. Tsukasa was meant to die without accomplishing anything, but was given a single ray of hope.

Yet Tsukasa didn't know enough words to be able to convey that. The fact that her upbringing was bad and she couldn't articulate herself was unchanged even now.

She tried just flashing a smile and leaving that place behind.

"If you won't tell me, then at least—"

The girl grabbed onto Tsukasa's coat.

"Won't you stay in this city?"

Staying in this city.

The girl's wish was not a bad choice for Tsukasa.

Staying in a single city and living without danger. Her admiration for the life of a normal person was also unchanged from the past.

"I'll do it after I—"

Tsukasa muttered.

"Finish my current job soon."

Showing her a smile, the girl's expression sparkled.

It probably didn't look like it due to her height and the sharp face shaped by her life's experiences, but Tsukasa was in high school age. She wouldn't be able to find a job and a place of residence easily, but it wasn't an impossible age for her to stay in one city.

Her magic-like power of Mushi called enemies to her. If she stayed in one place she couldn't use saving people as means to make money.

"I will wait for you."

After parting with the girl smiling from ear to ear, Tsukasa entered the train.

Since it was past rush hour it was mostly empty. Finding a woman who was obviously an office worker returning from an all-nighter, Tsukasa flicked the spider at her.

"Pain Rapport…"

Since the woman was nodding off, when the train shook she banged her head against the door just as expected.

A throbbing pain ran through Tsukasa's forehead. The woman didn't seem to know what happened. She rubbed her painless forehead absentmindedly.

Tsukasa smiled wryly. She had to be resolved to bear pain several more times until reaching her destination.

Tsukasa met with lots of people in trouble.

During the time she'd just become a Mushitsuki, she thought it was her fate as someone with this ability.

But on the other hand she ended up thinking differently.

Perhaps everyone had people in trouble near them—

Even now there were hurt people everywhere without anyone noticing. Or perhaps someone did notice, but gave up thinking they can't do anything.

"…"

She arrived at her destination past noon.

Akamaki City.

Tsukasa's goal was here.

Ever since becoming a Mushitsuki, there was something Tsukasa kept doing even while polishing her abilities.

In this country were villains that kept living happily while trampling the weak like Tsukasa once was. Was there anyone more fitting to dish out punishment to these villains than Tsukasa as the representative of these weak people?

She had the power to help people.

She had obtained the power of magic, making her invincible, so there were no people she couldn't help—

"I have to… save many more people."

Exiting the station, Tsukasa was greeted by the air of the capital city. Smiling, she looked at the spider riding on her hand.

"…!"

Her heart leapt.

The spider—smiled.

Feeling a chill, she turned her head. She looked down at the spider again.

Its fanged mouthpart simply moved creepily again. It looked to her as if it was warped in the form of a smile—but that seemed to be her imagination.

She was probably just nervous before a huge job. Tsukasa patted her chest.

The mysterious woman with round sunglasses had given her magic in order to save people. There was no way that the spider symbolizing that would go against her and laugh.

Tsukasa came in front of a certain tall building. She entered a café in front of it, sitting near the window.

"…"

Ordering coffee, she looked intently at the building.

—After becoming a Mushitsuki, Tsukasa first ambushed the man that picked up the "sales" from the boy group she'd belonged to. She threatened him using her ability and asked about the organization above.

It was the local gangster group that used children just like Tsukasa to generate profits. After waiting for other good opportunities, Tsukasa attacked several other executives. Doing this she asked further and further—

After many months, Tsukasa found the routes where money flowed one after another. Even with her ability she was caught in trouble and nearly died at times. Yet she didn't give up.

Finally she arrived at an old man who served as a chairman for a corporate giant operating through the entire country. His company was publically known as a manufacturer, but he was also a big-shot in the moneylending business. Coincidentally his residence was in Tsukasa's hometown, but according to info she'd gotten by threats he spent most of the year at a hotel.

The more she investigated what the old man did the more it was abnormal. He sucked weak people dry and used that money to produce many more weak people—

According to the schedule of the chairman she'd found after much hard work, today he was supposed to be inside a certain building in Akamaki City for a party. Unlike the great hotel he was staying in, this building had no parking space.

I'll do it tonight—

The chairman would appear on the road in order to enter a taxi or some escort vehicle. Since it was a street in the capital it wouldn't be strange for him to cross paths with a young girl like Tsukasa.

"…"

It happened after her thousandth cup of coffee.

"Dear customers, it will soon be closing time…" the staff called out as it happened.

Tsukasa rose from her chair with a jolt. She left a few bills on the table and flew out of the café.

She saw a black-windowed limousine parking at the building's entrance. Suited men appeared in droves.

Tsukasa cut into the road, walking toward the entrance. Her Mushi came crawling out of the hem of her coat.

A white-haired man appeared from the entrance. Surrounded by a crowd of people, he approached the limousine with a smile.

Tsukasa quickened her pace. She prepared so she could flick off the spider at any time.

"…!"

But just before she thought of flicking the spider…

The sound of a patrol car leapt into Tsukasa's ears. The police were chasing a biker riding without a helmet.

He was probably trying to escape. Since he drove recklessly his bike swerved.

Why now…!

While shouting in her heart, her body moved on its own. She flicked the spider, attaching it to the biker.

"Pain Rapport…!"

Immediately after, the rider collapsed. He rolled on the ground and hit a power pole.

"Gh…!"

Impact pierced Tsukasa's entire body. The skin under her clothes ripped and her forehead became covered in blood.

She was about to faint, but she gritted her teeth, raising her face. She made the spider get off the biker and absolved the ability.

"Huu…! Hah…!"

Stifling her labored breath and hiding her wounds with the coat, Tsukasa cut near the building.

I can't miss my chance because of something like this…!

Even the old man and his entourage were enraptured by the bike accident. Thanks to that she was able to reach in front of the building just before they entered the car.

"Pain… Rapport…!"

She muttered inside her mouth while flicking the spider.

—With Tsukasa's ability, she could control only the sensation immediately after attaching the spider. Right now she couldn't pass on her wounds to the old man. This was why she couldn't pass over the senses of someone who was already injured or suffering from some sort of disease.

"Huu… Huu…"

She hid in an alleyway, staggering, and wore a strained smile.

Success. She was able to attach her Mushi to the old man.

Tsukasa's ability activated the moment the spider was attached. The thread's range was several kilometers, and before a certain amount of time passed the old man had no way to escape from her magic.

All she needed to do was to "finish" business as long as the effect was maintained.

The time it would affect him wasn't very long.

She wrung out her energy to walk away.

"—I see, so your ability can pass over things that happen to people."

She saw it just as she raised her face.

Inside the dark alley was a floating silver glow.

Emitting this light was a morpho butterfly—

"Or should I call it an exchange, perhaps? If so…"

The morpho butterfly warped. Its tentacles suddenly extended and it changed into a single staff—a shining spear.

Grabbing the spear was a pure shite arm. Only a slender right arm, right half of the body and a right leg were revealed by the silver glow.

"Depending on the usage of the ability, you can be said to be undying."

Tsukasa froze upon seeing the girl's exceedingly chilly gaze.

The air trembled.

The pressure emitted from the spear stopped Tsukasa's breath. Her whole body broke out in cold sweat.

"Ah… Uh—"

She forgot all about her wounds or fatigue from using her ability. She was pushed away by an overwhelming power and could only feel herself trembling.

She noticed her own misunderstanding.

Every time she somehow overturned the SEPB assassins, she thought she was a strong Mushitsuki.

But she was wrong.

She simply had good luck so far.

There was a new kind of "monster" among Mushitsuki right in front of her—

Even that silver spear's tip would probably easily pulverize Tsukasa's Mushi. So she was convinced by the wave of power that assaulted her body.

"Who—who are—"

She held herself together by barely being able to speak. If she'd stayed silent she would've probably collapsed on the spot.

"…Hunter. There are people who seem to refer to me like that."

Hunter—meaning, was this girl hunting something?

If so—

Tsukasa smiled.

Perhaps this might be good—

"If you hunt Mushitsuki… then go ahead and kill me."

She bluffed with all of her might, challenging her.

Yet the girl's answer was calm. —No, it was cruel.

"Not interested. Even if I attack you it'll probably have no effect. Seeing that you didn't pass the damage just now to that gentleman, it doesn't look like I'll be able to push my sickness onto you. …Well, with that kind of ability, if I attack the Mushi itself or cut off the thread it'll probably lose its effect."

The smile Tsukasa barely held warped in despair.

She'd been completely seen through. Never mind that, her ability was perfectly analyzed.

How many Mushitsuki had this person confronted—or hunted—in order to become able to analyze abilities so easily? Tsukasa felt a chill.

"Such a stupid ability."

The girl chuckled.

A stupid ability—hearing these words, Tsukasa widened her eyes.

"My ability—"

She gritted her teeth.

"Is magic…! It saved me, and I saved many people with it!"

The spear-user dared calling the ability that her benefactor admired as magic, stupid.

Yet the devil-like tone of that girl changed not in the slightest.

"I don't really care, but your target was that gentleman, right? But just before that you saved a biker. Do you have any pride in your power—in your Mushi?"

The spear-user smiled. It was a sneer.

"So you tried becoming a kind magician."

Exactly so.

That day, after answering the question of the mysterious woman, Tsukasa became a magician.

Nothing went well for her and she was unable to do anything, but she was reborn as the Kind Magician.

"Kill me…!"

Tsukasa pressed closer to the spear-user.

She couldn't keep up her ability for long. If only the spear-user attacked her then, she'd be able to complete her goal. If she tried severing the thread, Tsukasa would use her own body as a shield.

"Elvioréne's Mushitsuki really are simple-minded. Didn't I tell you I don't care? I know your ability enough that I don't even need to fight."

Hunter retreated with a laugh. The silver glow grew distant.

"You will soon realize that the power of Mushi is no magic. You fake Undying Mushitsuki…"

Leaving these ominous words behind, the presence of the spear-user vanished.

Tsukasa clenched her fists in anger and frustration. Yet soon recalling what she had to do now, she started running.

"Huu… Hah…"

She had no time.

Entering the road, she looked around her.

She searched for a way to fulfill her objective.

"…!"

She raised her face.

She saw a structure aiming for the heavens. That was supposed to be the Akamaki Skypeer observatory—

Forgetting about her wounds, she rushed to the observatory in her full speed. Ignoring the red light on the crossing, she ran avoiding the honking horns of cars.

While running she looked at her fingertips.

The shining thread was connected to far away. It still hadn't lost its luster, but she knew her remaining time was short.

That day she became a magician.

Because she'd gained the power to save people, Tsukasa had the duty to save many people even all alone.

"…"

Reaching Skypeer, she bought a ticket on the ground level. She tumbled inside the elevator that would take her up to the observatory.

The elevator was rising. On the other side of the transparent wall, the townscape of Akamaki City was left beneath her.

She reached the observatory.

Without even the time to see the beautiful hanging gardens, she looked around the area. In the middle of running toward the fixed window, she grabbed the pot of an ornamental plant.

She threw the pot at the window. The window broke to fragments with a loud crash.

Soon screams rose in the hanging garden. The time was close to night and she saw many couples among visitors.

Because of the difference in air pressure a momentary gale came from outside.

Tsukasa kicked the railing, standing on the opened window.

"…"

The wind coming from behind made her hair float. The visitors clamored and guards came running.

Tsukasa's ability was switching the senses and information between people. Meaning she could receive pain instead of people—and she could also pass to others the injuries she received herself.

She looked at her fingertips. The thread that was supposed to connect her ability was losing its luster.

She mustn't fail.

Wounds that would allow her to somehow live wouldn't be enough. Just letting a car crash into her or stabbing herself with a knife wouldn't be enough.

She had to thoroughly die.

Who would receive that death, Tsukasa or the villain torturing weak humans?

The power of magic would decide.

It depended whether or not the ability would hold—until Tsukasa fell to the surface.

"Unlike back then when I couldn't do anything…"

She didn't hesitate.

Smiling, Tsukasa lightly tilted her body outside.

"I have the power of magic now—"

With her eyes closed, the magician was sucked into the air of Akamaki City.

Part 3

The wake ceremony was grand.

There were countless funeral bouquets arranged inside the spacious hall, with people wearing mourning clothes coming and going. Among the guests were also some government officials she remembered seeing on TV.

"Hearing Rapport…"

It was the residential district of her hometown.

From the roof of an empty building, Kidou Tsukasa looked down on the mourning crowd. The thread extending from her fingertip was connected to the house dog raised by the late master of the house.

"It was a horrible way to die…"

"Turning all bloody inside his car all of a sudden… how scary. I heard he had many dodgy dealings, but is such a thing possible?"

The whispers the dog could hear were transmitted to Tsukasa through the spider's thread.

Tsukasa smiled.

She had won the bet—

"…"

Suddenly her smile warped. She held her mouth and grabbed the railing. Her shoulders shook and she felt nauseous.

She killed a person—

She, herself, and none other, killed.

The fact that she'd killed a human being agonized her. Although until now she'd hurt enemies using her Mushi, she never killed them. Yet this time she acted with clear killing intent and did it.

Yet Tsukasa suppressed her nausea and straightened her back.

"…"

She tried forcing herself to smile.

What was agonizing her? She finished her business.

"Hehe…"

It was something impossible for anyone other than her kind magician self.

It was refreshing. She had nothing left to do.

"…Uuh."

Her smiling face warped.

Because of that she had to do something about this crushing guilt—

She desperately thought of the faces of people she'd saved. The first that came to mind was obviously the smile of that girl.

—Won't you stay in this city?

Right. She promised herself that she'd stay in this city once this job was done.

Feeling saved, she swore.

Starting tomorrow she'd become a normal girl again. She'd look for a place to live in, use her Mushi power only for small savings, and look for a proper job. She could forget everything about the dark world.

Finally her sense of guilt lessened.

After achieving this huge job, Tsukasa went to leave the wake ceremony.

"Grandpa!"

Her feet stopped in place.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

This voice was heard by the house dog. It was the cry of a girl.

Tsukasa's eyes widened to their absolute limits. She sharply turned around to the house.

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would break.

Staggering while she walked toward the house, she bumped against the railing.

"Seems like even that wicked man was kind to his granddaughter…"

"Looking at her it seems like he really was a kind grandpa."

"What a pity…"

Tsukasa opened her mouth. Yet she couldn't speak.

"S… s…"

Flapping her mouth like a fish, she finally recited the chant to use her ability.

"S…Sight Rapport…"

The senses exchanged with the dog turned from hearing to sight.

"…!"

Tsukasa's Mushi activated its ability in turn.

The first thing she could see was a girl clinging to the coffin—the same girl that Tsukasa made the promise to stay in the city with.

Her emotions obstructed her ability. Losing control of her Mushi, sight, hearing and all other senses came and went from the dog.

"Ua… Aahh…"

Her knees folded. She bumped her head against the railing, holding her mouth with both hands.

"Agh—"

Tsukasa had killed.

She killed the grandfather of the girl who was her benefactor.

Once, she heard that both her parents passed away in an accident.

Even if he was undoubtedly a villain, to his granddaughter he was the one and only family member who loved her.

"AaaAAAHHH—"

Tsukasa from the past was revived in her screaming mind.

Unable to do anything right—

Incompetent—

Did Tsukasa stay exactly the same despite gaining the power of magic? She had brought pain by her own hands to the girl that had once given her a small sense of accomplishment. She'd committed the unforgivable crime of killing.

"Uuh… Uuhhh…"

She curled, clinging to the railing.

She was useless.

She couldn't do anything right. She'd always fail. Even with magic nothing changed.

Tsukasa lost any and all reasons for living—

"—But will she be fine from now on?"

As she lost control of her Mushi, Tsukasa received the voices from the wake ceremony mixed in with noise.

Her shoulders twitched.

"Had he not written in his will that if the worst happens he would pass all of his assets to that girl? She'd already lost her parents to an accident, so if someone wants the seat of the next chairman…"

"Shhh, don't speak of that. There are many dangerous people around the chairman…"

"But still, no matter how much money you have, being targeted for your entire life is a bit…"

Like a puppet—Tsukasa raised her face with mechanical movements.

Opening wide her tear-stained eyes, she stared at the house.

"…"

Tsukasa should've had no reason to live.

The Kind Magician known as Kidou Tsukasa died long ago.

She died when she jumped from the hanging garden of Akamaki City.

What killed her was the power of magic.

"I will soon realize that this wasn't magic at all… oh, right."

Only now did she understand the meaning of Hunter's words.

"You're… not my ally. You were simply playing with me, sneering when you saw me being elated…"

Mushi—

It was nothing like magic.

The only thing is did was give her a much worse way of living than before she gained power.

But even so—

"You can keep watching to the end."

Tsukasa smiled.

From now on she'd become a ghost that did nothing but protect the girl.

A Mushitsuki who accepted the suffering of others as much as she could.

Watch over me with your red eyes.

"Look and laugh at the stupid Mushitsuki that couldn't become a Magician."

That day—

The Mushitsuki known as Kidou Tsukasa quit being a magician.

Part 4

Arisu came back to her senses with a jolt.

She could feel a tear flowing down her cheek.

The memories that flew inside her like raging waves were cut off, restoring the sensation of sitting in the hanging gardens.

Widening her eyes, she looked up the older girl sitting next to her.

"…"

Kidou Tsukasa was gently smiling.

The memories of what she'd done until recently were in Arisu's head. After despairing from her actions, Tsukasa also received the pain of other people, escaped the SEPB, and—

"I was unable to become a magician…"

She noticed that Tsukasa's eyes were losing their vitality. Due to disregarding her own body and her long life of escape, Tsukasa was exhausted. By sparing the use of her Mushi powers, her dream was eaten to the utmost limits.

When Mushitsuki overused their Mushi powers, they exhausted both mind and body. And Mushitsuki who continued to lose their dreams as compensation for their powers would lose their very lives too.

"I was just another stupid Mushitsuki, nothing more. I believed Mushi to be magic, got carried away, and failed… it was just like she said that time. This power was not magic or anything like that."

Saying this, she glared at Arisu's face.

"—That's what I wanted to say by showing you my memories. Because I couldn't say it well with words… but seems like I've gotten the wrong person anyway. This was the first time I've used Memory Rapport, but your memories also flowed back to me."

Although tired, her voice also seemed somewhat refreshed.

"You both are and aren't Hunter. If I'd been killed by Hunter that time I wouldn't have failed… I also wanted to say this to her."

While Tsukasa said this and smiled listlessly, Arisu was speechless. Having viewed the life of a Mushitsuki, she couldn't even think of words of sympathy or consolation.

"My preparations are finally complete."

Tsukasa's gaze passed from Arisu to the elevator.

"I've pinned down the executives aiming for her. I also obtained evidence connecting them to the perpetrators. There were reliable people among the executives, and also someone who could become her friend. I did what I needed to. Now if they actually try killing her, and the reliable people will round up all of them…"

Tsukasa muttered to herself incoherently.

"I told the perpetrator that she'll be here now. I'll finally settle the score… I have to take responsibility for what I've done…"

Realizing the meaning of Tsukasa's words, Arisu turned around to the elevator.

"She came here after receiving a letter from the Kind Magician… I want her to be the only one who still thinks of it as kind magic… That's enough for me…"

The girl Tsukasa was speaking of—now grown taller than how she was in her memories—was about to board the elevator along with the security police accompanying her. She was the girl who created the opportunity for Tsukasa to become a Mushitsuki.

"…!"

Arisu touched her head.

The spider that was there until a moment ago was gone—

The elevator's door closed.

On the neck of the girl clad in a pink coat—was a small daddy long-legs.

"Pain Rapport…"

Tsukasa murmured. On her face hidden so the girl wouldn't see it was a smile full of satisfaction and loneliness. Ever since the waking ceremony of the person she'd killed, Tsukasa continuously hid herself from the girl.

As she saw Kidou Tsukasa's memories, Arisu knew what she was trying to do—

"Why—"

She rose up with vigor, rushing near the elevator.

Yet the elevator the girl rode on started descending already. Arisu punched the button of the nearby elevator.

"There should be another way! Why do you have to…!"

She turned back to the seat, shouting.

"Your way of doing things is…!"

As Arisu wrung out her screaming voice, Tsukasa kept her kind smile.

Arisu turned back to the elevator, pounding the door. The girl was approaching ground level.

"What do you think Mushi are?"

Tsukasa was there. She also knew it was a long time since she'd uttered these words. Yes, ever since she'd come face to face with Hunter, Hanashiro Mari.

"When I'd received magic, I thought I was saved by Mushi. And—when I made my mistake, I thought it was my enemy…"

"…!"

Finally another elevator arrived.

"Ichinokuro Arisu. You are always worrying, too. Is that morpho butterfly that Hunter left to you an ally or an enemy? You also know fully well that you have to decide this soon."

The elevator reaching the hanging garden was empty. She wrenched open the doors and entered with the cane, much too slow for her liking.

She turned toward the hanging gardens bathing in the sun.

"In the end I was unable to reach a conclusion."

The Mushitsuki known as Kidou Tsukasa—the Kind Magician wore a carefree smile.

"I'd like for someone like you to find the truth one day. —You should be able to understand the feelings of both a Mushitsuki and a normal person."

The door closed.

The figure of the wound-covered girl disappeared as Arisu descended.

—No, she already couldn't see her figure due to the tears warping her vision.

"…!"

Looking down to the surface, she saw the other elevator reach the ground.

On the walkway was a large truck headed directly for Skypeer.

—If only the truth of the perpetrator trying to kill her existed…

Tsukasa's words resurfaced in her mind.

Arisu's elevator wasn't going to make it in time—

"Mari… Please, Mari…!"

She looked up at the morpho butterfly.

The butterfly she'd inherited from Hanashiro Mari was silent. The morpho butterfly could be said to be completely apathetic on situations which didn't endanger Arisu herself.

"Mari!"

She raised her voice to almost a scream.

Finally the morpho butterfly responded to her call. Emitting silver light, it burst into countless tentacles. Merging with the cane, it became a single, large spear.

The truck destroyed the fence, charging toward the elevator that just reached the surface.

"UWAAAAAH!"

Drawing a large arc, she threw the silver spear toward the truck.

There was a silver flash.

The spear emitting silver scales pierced the elevator's door and was thrust toward the ground.

Skypeer was assaulted by a violent tremor.

Arisu's unleashed spear split the truck's rear into two, but it couldn't stop the vehicle in place. She could see it directly crash into the elevator.

"—"

Arisu's knees crumbled as if to cling to the wall.

While she raised a scream the elevator kept descending. With alarms blaring from overhead, it reached the surface while shaking.

On the other side of the open door was a gruesome sight.

The screams and shouts of visitors were flying around and the Skypeer's staff was frantically rescuing people from the debris. She could hear sirens from afar.

Rescued along with men covered in blood was a girl wearing a pink coat.

She appeared to have lost consciousness. Her clothes were ripped.

And yet it didn't look like she was injured at all—

"Au… Uuh…"

A small daddy long-legs climbed on the girl's shoulder. The spider spouted bodily fluids and its movements stopped as if in exhaustion.

"Arisu! What're you doing here…"

He probably came there in search of her after receiving contact from Kasuou. It was her monitor and fellow house member, the boy called Kusuriya Daisuke.

"Daisuke…"

She buried her face in the chest of the approaching boy. He was confused at her unexpected action.

—What do you think Mushi are?

The words of the Kind Magician resurfaced in the crying Arisu's mind.

She had no idea.

Right now Arisu had no answer.

She simply hated seeing that sort of ending for Mushitsuki—

Inside her warped line of sight, the spider on the girl's shoulders raised a cry—and melted into thin air along with the lingering traces of magic.

Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth

Clang.

Clang.

The sound of striking iron reverberated.

The vibrations of forging steel were transmitted.

In this world there existed people with pure feelings for the hardest in the world; they rang their hammers instead of singing and with fiery breaths showed their love to these cold objects.

Clang.

Clang.

They were born into the world along with the shrill sound that left room for emotions.

After receiving life by humans, they were brought to sleep by a lullaby.

By standing on their own two legs they could approach the sound.

By using both hands they could touch the sound.

Using their noses to search for stones, feeling for the depths with their ears, scorching their fingertips with heat, confirming the pureness with their tongues, and obtaining a form with their eyes.

Being made to realize they weren't human.

Tempering iron with their human hands, they were those who connected those who possessed and lacked the breath of life.

They were known as—blacksmiths.

The forgers of steel, nearly extinct nowadays.

Yet their techniques and melodies remained in iron and in people even now.

"…I'm behind the times."

Clang, the sound of striking something hard reverberated in the capital's sky.

Akamaki City, the city where the country's most important facilities were gathered.

On the highest floor of one of the buildings in the center was a wide lounge. Apparently in the midst of construction work, the interior was completely sealed.

Moonlight poured in from the window without any glass.

It illuminated a person sitting cross-legged on the floor. They wore dirty work overalls—a jumpsuit—with their face hidden by the shadows. The cube-shaped accessory holding their unkempt hair sparkled in the moonlight coming from outside.

"Old-fashioned mixed concrete."

Clang.

Clang.

As if urged by the sounds in the person's memories, they revived the same sounds with their hands.

A hand hammer about 20 centimeters long was pounding at the floor made of reinforced concrete. A metallic rod was thrust between the cracks created by the impact.

The person reached with their left hand to press the battery switch connected to the metallic rod by an electric line. A laser was emitted from the rod, melting part of the floor.

Pulling out with flowing movements a structure analyzing device, they made it touch the part of the cement that liquefied.

"Those who create things halfheartedly are much worse than idiots who break things."

In the lounge with only the moon as a light source, a faint light shone.

An insect landed atop the hammer hitting the floor.

It was a scarab emitting a metallic luster—or so it looked like, but it was different from the actual insect. A real scarab didn't have a shining body and had neither sharp fangs nor ten legs. The insect on the hammer looked like an objet d'art made of jewels.

"With such a thin mixture the building would never stand up if given even a slight push…"

—Mushi.

Approximately ten years ago people began whispering of these supernatural beings. Their appearances were varied, but since they commonly resembled insects they were called Mushi.

Latching onto adolescent boys and girl, the parasitic Mushi ate their and hopes and thus grew. People infested by Mushi were named Mushitsuki. According to the official government stance they didn't exist, but since there was an unending stream of eyewitnesses, Mushi and Mushitsuki served as an object of fear for civilians.

Clang.

Clang.

The sound etched in the person's memories and the hammer pounding the floor overlapped.

Every time the jumpsuit-clad blacksmith brought down the hammer, the scene around slightly "moved". The hard concrete moved as if it was the surface of the ocean.

An especially remarkable change came over the solitary door to the lounge. With the echoes of the hammer, the boundary between the metallic door and the wall made of reinforced concrete was vanishing.

"ORA!!!"

A soprano voice echoed from the goggles hanging from the blacksmith's neck.

"Why did someone like me have to come on such a stupid capturing mission! I don't give a fuck about a final test for a trainee coming from the West Central Branch, it's a pain…!"

Mixed with the girl's rough voice came sounds of destruction. The blacksmith's trained ears as a creator recognized those as the sounds of reinforced concrete being smashed.

The hammer user pounding the floor—Yoshihara Munechika—frowned.

"Don't break stuff so easily, you idiot."

Since the communication function of the goggle was turned off, the other side couldn't hear their voice.

"C'mon, I'm herding them at you! Since I've gone to the trouble of handing you the prey go get it already! I'd like to catch a show's rerun back home!"

There was an organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

It was created by the government in order to take action against Mushi and Mushitsuki who kept appearing.

Their goal was to capture, cover up and isolate Mushi to conceal their existence from the general public. The method devised to achieve this goal was to train the captured Mushitsuki and let them deal with wild Mushitsuki as subordinates.

"Tonight's the episode of Sentou Mono that I missed—hmm?"

The one making all the noise from a while ago was a member of the same unit. Her name was Kasuou or whatever, and in contrast to her golden hair and high-class appearance she spoke rough.

Munechika, who was also a member of the SEPB, kept pounding the floor with the hammer.

The one and only door in the lounge merged perfectly with the door.

The space Munechika inhabited lost all entrances except for the window.

"Did I take a wrong turn? Where're you, Sakura? …Whoa, you, I'm busy with something! Don't attack me!"

The mission of this organization abbreviated as SEPB was to capture unidentified Mushitsuki. Tonight Munechika's group managed to drive one into this building.

Sounds of destruction echoed again. Munechika knew that part of the building was destroyed by the incoming vibrations.

"Daaa! Don't come here, I can't hit you! —Ah, the hell's this! There wasn't a door here before!"

Clang.

Clang.

Long ago, Munechika's grandfather gave the following teaching.

By being too close to humans, one would mix their emotions with the purity of iron.

By being too close to iron, one would rust their wisdom as a human.

The one who connected "people" and "objects" was a blacksmith.

It was truly a broad-minded way of thinking—and an antiquated one.

"People in present times are worthless."

The age where humans and iron honored each other passed long ago.

Along with the passage of time, iron also changed.

This was the age where they passed electricity through objects and made them gain life using the magic known as computers.

One could even say metal sustained people.

Even so the haughty humans fooled around with objects, threw them away and destroyed them.

"I'm sick of being involved with humans who are below inanimate objects or even plants."

People.

Mushi and Mushitsuki.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

All of them were troublesome.

Munechika had no intention to become involved in the troubles of humans in this world.

In this age the profession of a blacksmith was vanishing, turning into tool makers instead—

Munechika was fine with the conceited humans being used by what tool makers created.

"Why're there stairs here… No way, Sakura, did you—"

Munechika heard Kasuou's shouts.

"Did you rebuild this entire fucking building?!"

"I'm just a girl who's creating tools. I don't care about battle training."

Munechika switched on her communication and asserted.

Inside the lounge that lost its door Munechika kept pounding her hammer.

Every time the solid metallic sound echoed, the molecular structure of the building was split, fused, and recomposed.

"Don't fuck with me! If I don't let you get real battle training that means I failed the mission too! …Wait, you're a girl?!"

She ignored Kasuou's near-scream with a cold face.

"So stupid."

Muttering in a husky voice, she stopped the hammer.

She removed one cube from her hair and flicked it with her finger to the air.

"I don't care about the SEPB or whatever, but perhaps what I came here to obtain is gone."

The cube landed in her hand again with a light noise.

The metallic shining square in Munechika's hand was a material that could be said to be her lifeline.

She attained that high-level technique not long after joining the SEPB. With the knowledge and ability she obtained, Munechika had already succeeded in producing a metal with the ultimate hardness.

"All that remains for me is just creating what I like. I'll let the humans fight for themselves."

The metallic cube made of what she named Gemsteel shone in the moonlight.

She was done with the stupid and meaningless special training or whatever for tonight. Once she came back to the West Central Branch, her days would consist on nothing but shutting herself inside her work station and creating objects.

She was going to say goodbye to the trifling circumstances of humanity.

"Hey, at least return the building to normal! I don't understand anything and I can't even run away—ah, you're getting on my nerves, you stupid small fry!"

Munechika's most hated sounds of destruction shook the building.

"Foolish humans…"

Neither human nor iron.

Hating humans while loving iron.

Munechika's small wish to merely be a tool maker did not come true.

The next day, she received her first mission.

"Prepare the equipment for the newly acknowledged Mushitsuki, Ichinokuro Arisu"—

That was the beginning of the hardship for the misanthropic tool maker known as Yoshihara Munechika.

Part 1

A gust of wind went by.

Walking with her sailor uniform fluttering, Munechika gazed up the blooming cherry tree.

She grabbed the petals falling to her white cheeks.

"Not bad."

Thus evaluating the cherry petal storm dyed by the beginning of summer, she narrowed her eyes.

The thing Munechika loved most of all was forms of art created by the complex yet orderly arrangement of inorganic matter.

Plants were simply involved in whatever occurred around them, asserting themselves. Munechika didn't hate this sort of philosophical way of life.

What she really hated was—

"Congratulations for graduating!"

When Munechika went to exit through the school gate, girls wearing the same uniform closed in on her. Now that she was blocked and stopped in place, the cubes in Munechika's hair rang.

She didn't know whether or not they noticed her furrowing her brows. Her juniors all looked up at the taller girl with uplifted faces. One held a flower vase toward her.

This wasn't anything rare. Since she was tall and had an androgynous face, she received presents even from girls.

"I have a request… umm, can I get your scarf?"

Munechika's eyebrows twitched.

"I want it as a keepsake."

The junior girl spoke to the unmoving Munechika. There were also people around who started crying despite them not even graduating.

"I refuse."

When Munechika bluntly rejected them, the girls all looked lonely.

Clothes weren't created for sentimentality. Also, throwing just one part of her outfit would destroy its value.

She also didn't like the unproductive idea of turning a scarf into a memento.

That's why I hate people who don't know how to treat objects—

She cursed in her heart.

"Those flowers… since you're the one who plucked them, take care of them yourself."

She asserted, breaking through the siege without accepting the flowers.

Walking inside the cherry blossom storm, she jauntily exited the school. She didn't look back at her middle school.

Come April she would enter into a girls' school not far from there. A school was a zone of irritating human interaction, but she knew there things she needed to learn other than those relating to her knowledge of production.

Since she belonged to the development unit of the West Central Branch, unlike the combat or the monitor units she didn't need to change her hiding place much. After entering the expected high school she would probably never change schools.

"And now I shall proceed to Akamaki City…"

Exiting the school, she headed toward the station, taking no shortcuts. Boarding on the train that arrived on time, she gazed at the scenery.

How stupid.

She'd halfheartedly gone through the real battle test and returned to her base a day ago. She would rather stay over there, but she first wanted to finish up her middle school life.

Her acquaintances often told her she spoke like an old man.

On the other hand, Munechika hated the word "outdated" which was without any potential of reforming.

She thought it was like floppy disks and antiques, but she couldn't sympathize with other people. The only kind of people Munechika accepted—those with the profession of creation—would probably understand her, though.

"So for the time being it seems like this'll be my first job."

There were empty seats, but she was standing in front of the door, shaken by the train. Buildings of all sizes and shapes passed outside the window.

"Such a stupid job."

Immediately after she joined the SEPB, Munechika had already unofficially completed several projects for the West Central Branch's development unit. It was during that time that she'd also created the Gemsteel hanging from her hair, and she'd already strengthened the gear of her comrades.

Since she was a member of the organization, she'd been in Akamaki City until yesterday to receive fundamental battle training. This was apparently a special case of some sort of selection training, so new members of other branches also gathered there.

Just when she safely finished her training and thought of heading back home, she received her first official mission.

It was the simple request to create equipment for a single Mushitsuki.

She'd just finish it quickly and go back home.

"…"

Her line of sight watching the flowing scenery outside suddenly went upwards.

She noticed that a single screw holding the glass window in place was slightly off. The glass would probably not fall off, but the resulting small gap caused the window to rattle.

Munechika frowned.

She reached for the pouch at her waist with natural movements.

"They're neglecting the maintenance here…"

Some minutes passed.

Munechika sat cross-legged right on the spot. The uniformed girl using an electric filing tool to adjust the thickness of the screw attracted curious gazes.

Yoshihara Munechika was born as the daughter of a hardware store owner. Their family also ran an ironworks factory downtown.

Her grandfather, who passed away a few years ago, had been a now-rare swordsmith. She'd heard him tempering steel on the fire of the bellows even from her mother's womb. She heard that dozens of generations ago, the Yoshihara family were excellent smiths employed by the shogunate.

At present swords had nothing but ornamental value, but the techniques to temper steel were passed along. The blood of the clan living with iron and steel seemed to flow even inside Munechika. Seeing her grandfather work his mallet ever since she was young, she also learned the techniques.

"Not bad."

Seeing the surface of the polished screw, Munechika narrowed her eyes.

By being too close to humans, one would mix their emotions with the purity of iron.

By being too close to iron, one would rust their wisdom as a human.

The one who connected "people" and "objects" was a blacksmith.

So she thought.

But in the present when the possibilities of metal were expanded to their limits, the value for their existence was not equal.

People forgot the value of objects, and the objects held in people's hands forgot their possibilities.

"Good."

The screw Munechika created fit the door perfectly.

Blacksmiths who connected people and objects were unneeded nowadays.

As the profession of a blacksmith vanished, the remnant of the clan enamored with iron became a tool maker.

A tool maker that single-mindedly altered the essence of objects was the proper form of worker in today's society. If people used only what they've created—

"…Hmm?"

Just as she felt satisfied at her work, one of the conductors tapped her shoulder.

—It took an hour until she was released from questioning.

"Stupid humans who cannot recognize their own weakness."

How could they have regarded her as a suspicious person? Normally you should call that people who run around naked or wave weapons around. —Well, when she'd sat cross-legged her underwear was visible and when questioned by the staff she brandished her hammer, but still.

Exiting the station while cursing, a wind smelling of the capital's exhaust fumes greeted Munechika.

After coming out of the second floor of the crowded station, she ended up standing in front of the large crossing.

Clang.

Clang.

She heard the sound of striking metal.

Was there construction work somewhere? In a city surrounded by iron and concrete, a pleasant noise metallic could always be heard from somewhere.

According to the schedule she got from her collaborator, the person of interest should pass there soon.

Not even looking at the crowd of people filling the square, she was for a while entranced by the scenery of metallic sounds and swarms of buildings.

"…"

Around the time the sun started to set, Munechika's gaze fixed on a person for the first time.

There were four middle-schoolers.

One was a healthy and stylish looking girl, the other was a tall girl with a pure image.

She could also see a boy. As the lone boy among them, he alone looked like a normal middle school student. He had no special features other than perhaps the bandage on his cheek.

Yet Munechika's gaze fixed on the ponytailed girl in the center.

"Ichinokuro Arisu."

She mumbled in her mouth.

Munechika's first job was creating equipment for this girl.

She noticed the silver butterfly fluttering around the smiling girl.

"Or perhaps… Hanashiro Mari."

The morpho butterfly—

At a glance it looked like an insect, but it was undoubtedly a Mushi.

But according to the material she received, it was a Mushi who Hanashiro Mari had passed along to Ichinokuro Arisu after dying from an illness.

It was a dubious story. A Mushi remaining in the world despite its owner dying and even possess another human was unheard of.

The mysteries surrounding the morpho butterfly involved a lot of people, and they still haven't found any clues.

But that didn't matter to Munechika in the least.

She only wanted to create. If she, as a tool maker, said she didn't crave the job to create equipment for one of the only three discovered Fusion Types, she would be lying.

Height, weight, finger length in proportion to her body, muscle quality, and the assumption that she was still developing—

In Munechika's mind, all of the data was being inputted and calculated.

"Besides the goggles and coat, she needs a weapon to fuse with—a rod, was it?"

Mumbling to herself, she stepped ahead.

Ichinokuro Arisu and Munechika passed nearby.

"As long as I don't mistake the amount of Gemsteel, it shouldn't be hard at all."

A metallic sound echoed from the cubes holding up her hair rubbing.

As it combined hardness and lightness with the best quality, the Gemsteel was all-purpose. By inserting it in threads it could become a cloth durable against anything, and by using it in an alloy it became a light yet unbreakable metal. Its usage in SEPB equipment left a real mark.

"Now I'll head back to HQ and start working…"

Mumbling to herself, she went down the staircase to the pedestrian crossing.

"—Was that enough?"

As she descended, a voice called out from behind.

She turned around. The boy that had been walking alongside Ichinokuro Arisu was looking down at her.

"Thanks for your help."

"…"

"The documents were all trifling information and they haven't even written anything about her body shape. I wanted to see her firsthand."

The completely normal-looking boy approached Munechika who stood in place.

Blaze Class Rank 1, Kakkou.

Originally he belonged to the East Central Branch, but was assigned to serve as Ichinokuro Arisu's monitor. Their circumstances as outsiders were similar, but she felt no affinity.

Standing in front of the station to check out Arisu wasn't a coincidence. She'd been waiting there since she knew about it from her collaborator, that boy.

"I have no need to know anything else about the human called Ichinokuro Arisu."

Asserting cleanly, she extended her hand to Kakkou.

Now that she knew the girl's body size, she just needed to create the best weapon. She hadn't even the slightest interest in the user's background and personality.

"What's with the hand?"

Looking at Munechika's hand, Kakkou made a puzzled face.

"Am I going to keep waiting for humans forever? Bring it out. You have it, right?"

"…?"

"You fool. Give it to me already. Is it here?"

"Oh… O-oi."

She stuck her hand inside the boy's clothes. When she put her hand around as if hugging him, her fingers touched something hard.

"You're full of openings. Are you really the Rank 1 demon? …Why are you blushing?"

"P-put it back. Don't bring out such a conspicuous item here, you idiot."

She felt a sense of weight in her hand. She'd be hard pressed to win against him with her woman's strength.

She heard that Kakkou was, just like Ichinokuro Arisu, a Fusion Type Mushitsuki. Most of the members knew that the strongest demon fused his Mushi with his gun.

"Nobody's looking. You're the only one who cares."

She pointed with her chin at cardboard houses made by the homeless.

Pulling out a sheet from her pouch, she carefully placed the gun on it. She also brought out her hammer and began lightly pounding it.

Confirming the metallic sound, Munechika frowned.

"A surprisingly basic material."

Most of the people walking in front of Munechika didn't even turn to look at her sitting on the ground. Perhaps they thought she was some street seller.

A scarab emitting a metallic luster sat on the hammer.

She pounded it hard once.

Just that caused the gun to fall apart. The screws spun in reverse and flew out with the other components also scattering.

"Hey!"

"I'm taking care of it. Shut up and watch."

Since Munechika had no duty to explain her ability, she asserted bluntly. Taking out a file and a driver, an oil bottle and cloth, she began polishing the gun parts.

"Many things seem to have been reconstructed… is this ready-made metal? If you'd ordered it from us we'd been able to get one that's much lighter and harder. This would get quite the metal fatigue."

"…We tried ordering too, but it just ended up breaking again and again. Apparently the burden from fusing with the Mushi is just too big. Since a specially-made item would actually immediately break, this is good enough."

He apparently lost the will to stop her. Kakkou stood in shadows so that he'd not be visible from the street.

"You did well to realize I hid the holster behind by back."

"Yeah."

Munechika's hand polishing the bullets stopped. It was because she recalled yesterday's hellish training.

"I heard from that raincoat girl. Because I was also chosen to be one of her sacrifices."

"Oh… that girl turned into a teacher. That selection training or whatever? It was actually a test for her to become a teacher, but how many of the sacrifices… I mean, trainees, managed to survive?"

"I dunno. I won't go along with this stupid human stuff."

They were probably the only ones able to understand their foolish-sounding conversation.

"Stupid training. I'm just a tool maker. I have no interest in becoming a combatant."

Munechika didn't need any battle training.

She had no interest in participating in the fights of humans.

But if told they were needed for battle, she'd create the best weapons. No matter who used these and where, they had to solve their own problems.

Neither human nor metal. Since Munechika was a mere tool maker, she couldn't speak of morals.

"People dare break objects even though they can't use them to their full potential. If so, then I want to try and build something unbreakable. —You could call this my fight."

She finished taking care of the gun.

Removing one cube hanging from her hair, she placed it on the removed gun part. Lowering her hand hammer, she struck it and the gun.

The scarab on the hammer faintly shone. The cube-shaped Gemsteel burst, scattering on the surface of the gun parts. It melted into their interior, born anew as a completely new metal.

"So is that your dream, then?"

"Exactly. I want to create something that'll never break—I turned into a Mushitsuki when I wished so."

Clang.

Clang.

The sound of hitting metal reverberated through the afternoon town.

The same as the sound Munechika had been hearing ever since her childhood, the sound of those who loved iron.

She couldn't allow herself to insert human emotions to a job that required removing impurities.

"If I'm able to make that true, it will become the proof to my living. I don't mind if I myself didn't remain in anyone's memories. I don't feel the need to assign a name to my creation."

Averting his eyes from the speaking Munechika, Kakkou muttered.

"So you don't want to remain in anyone's memories, huh."

The boy gazed at the passing people.

"You're probably… the exact opposite of Hanashiro Mari."

She didn't look at humans.

She didn't need to know the inside of people. As long as she knew their shape, she'd create the best equipment for them.

That's why she didn't ask back about his mutter.

"Okay."

Finishing maintenance and reforming the gun, she handed it back to Kakkou.

"It should be more than twice durable. I removed some extraneous parts, so it's lighter. Since I also raised its energy efficiency, it should have more firepower."

"…"

"I don't need thanks. I need to repay for your cooperation, and it's also something like a test product before creating the weapon for the morpho butterfly to fuse with."

Wordlessly gazing at his new gun, Kakkou started walking lightly. He entered into the darkness under a pedestrian bridge so that the people around wouldn't see him.

"So cold…"

The boy muttered.

"…?"

Munechika raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that metal was cold. Being cold meant it was strong against heat. It efficiently eliminated heat energy that would make the molecular binding brittle.

Munechika's Gemsteel had high heat resistance. She was surprised at him feeling the difference from the previous alloy, but perhaps it wasn't strange when it was a user like Kakkou.

A green checkered beetle came from somewhere. Landing on the muzzle, its body turned into green tentacles, stabbed into the gun and fused with it.

But the next instant—

"Wha—"

The gun in Kakkou's hand crumbled to pieces. The tentacles parted, became a checkered beetle again and escaped to the sky.

Seeing the lumps of broken metal in the boy's hand, Munechika stood in shock.

"T-this can't be—"

Did I mistake the amount of Gemsteel…? No, I haven't miscalculated the density. It all had to be strengthened—

Ignoring Munechika who entered a state of light panic, Kakkou waved his hand. Sighing, he took off without saying anything.

Coming back to herself, she caught the boy's shoulder and called to him.

"W-wait! What have you done, Kakkou! There's no way my product would break that easily!"

"Nothing special. I used it normally."

The boy's answer as he turned back was curt.

"T-there's no way that's true! My Gemsteel is the best metal. Since a ready-made product didn't break, there's no way that mixing in my Gemsteel would cause it to—"

"Then that means your product is even below that."

Below that—when Munechika heard those cursed words, her face blanched with anger and hatred.

Normally she would swing her hammer right about now. But she'd just seen her product crumble in front of her eyes.

"So I guess I won't expect much from Arisu's equipment, either."

Leaving a sneer behind, Kakkou shook off Munechika's arm and turned around.

He treated her creation like a defective product.

This unthinkable impression of his.

This unbearable shame.

"Wai…"

She tried calling out to Kakkou, but her hand went limp.

Clang.

Clang.

She heard construction sounds from somewhere.

The iron-pounding sound so familiar to the powerless tool maker beat her down even further.

Part 2

"A while ago I received an application for a new gun from Kakkou."

Central Headquarters, underground maze.

In the entrance of a vast meeting room, Yoshihara Munechika stood stock still.

The one who greeted the wrecked Munechika in the Headquarters was a narrow-eyed beauty.

She introduced herself as Miguruma Yaeko, but Munechika didn't know her exact title. The woman herself simply told her that she was in charge of the team investigating Hanashiro Mari and Ichinokuro Arisu.

Yaeko, who was tall and clad in a business suit, looked to be in her late twenties. The black hair swaying on her neck had a faint luster like a Japanese doll.

"Please report to me what has happened."

Yaeko said with a calm smile.

Yet the unmoving Munechika stared at the floor with empty eyes.

"…No matter how many times I calculate it, adding any more hardness… But with the way it broke down…"

The gun breaking down was etched into her eyes. She couldn't even properly recall how she arrived back at the Headquarters.

The Gemsteel was Munechika's masterpiece.

No matter which materials it was used with, it should have elevated all of its attributes, starting with hardness.

But even so—right in front of her eyes, it crumbled to pieces along with her pride as a tool maker.

If that wasn't enough, Munechika simply couldn't understand the cause for this.

"Do not be so discouraged. This does not have anything to do with your mission now."

Yaeko didn't seem to notice Munechika ignoring her boss's words and mumbling to herself. She simply smiled and kept talking as if to admonish her.

"But… the morpho butterfly is a Fusion Type just like Kakkou."

Munechika's eyebrows twitched.

"If you make Ichinokuro Arisu's equipment, make sure the same thing won't happen again."

When she raised her face, Yaeko's smile changed its essence.

Her narrow eyes became narrower and her lips curved like a crescent moon. A smile that looked as if anyone who stared at it would be captured, bound and frozen—a chaining smile.

So she's saying I'll fail again—

Yaeko received Munechika's gaze of anger with calmness.

"Ichinokuro Arisu's equipment?"

Not only Munechika and Yaeko were inside the meeting room.

Whoever it was, there was a suit-wearing boy sitting in the back. He put both feet on the table with his back turned to them.

"Is that really necessary?"

He raised his face, seeming truly puzzled. Perhaps finding the act of turning around too bothersome, he lowered the chair and his face to look at them. Strangely-shaped sunglasses fell to his brows.

"It is better than having nothing, surely. We are also planning to make an inspection soon."

"No need. Fusion Types can just use whatever they find."

"Is that so?"

Their relationship was unclear, as Yaeko was speaking politely to the boy who seemed to be younger.

Finishing their short talk, Yaeko again turned a calm smile to Munechika.

"—And so, your mission is on hold."

Munechika widened her eyes.

"What…"

"You did not fail in your mission. It's just on hold. —I have heard that you are excellent. I will keep expecting you to act to be loved by me, alright?"

She was speechless at the sudden order to cease her task.

It wasn't that she felt sentimental because this was her monumental first mission.

She didn't care about the mission at all.

But it was as if as Munechika's boss told her to—forget about what she couldn't create and go create something else.

"Gh…!"

She grinded her clenched teeth.

It was unbearable shame as a tool maker.

After having her work be derided as something below ready-made goods, she would never get another job. As long as she didn't overturn this impression she'd become unable to create even a single screw.

"I request continuing the mission."

Yaeko grinned. She turned around wordlessly to the boy.

"Hmm… so another one's drawn to that morpho butterfly."

Munechika raised her eyebrows at the boy's words.

"It has nothing to do with people or Mushi. In both mind and body I'm just a tool maker—"

Until now nobody could create perfect weapons for Fusion Types.

If so then excluding Munechika, there was no one who could do it.

Wanting to create something that would never break—

Since she'd wished for and dreamed about it, she had to do it.

"Nothing but my iron would work for Fusion Type Mushi."

The next time she failed she'd possibly lose confidence not only in herself right now—but also in her talent and potential.

Giving up like this would mean Munechika's death as a tool maker.

"Ichinokuro Arisu… no, that scammer should just use what I've created."

She asserted cleanly.

The boy with the upturned face narrowed one his eyes.

"You're amusing."

He looked like he was laughing, but there was no emotion in his voice. Having an apparent young boy make that sort of face was unsettling.

"…Fine. You can continue. However…"

The boy returned the chair, turning his back to Munechika again. His barely visible mouth formed a smile.

"Since you're getting involved with that morpho butterfly, it won't end well for you."

Bring it on.

Or perhaps she should say that it was too late.

At this point Munechika's confidence and pride were already crushed, so she could only advance. She had nothing else to fear.

Yaeko wore a chaining smile.

"West Central Branch member Sakura. I order you to continue your mission."

Munechika clenched her fists.

"However, I will give you a week to complete this."

"Understood."

The Gemsteel cube emitted a low metallic sound on Munechika's head as she nodded with a sharp expression.

What are Fusion Type Mushi?

In order to create Ichinokuro Arisu's equipment, Munechika first focused on that.

Until now, there were three confirmed people who had their dreams eaten by the Original Three known as Sanbikime and became Mushitsuki—that information and background didn't help her at all.

What have they fused with, how did they use it, and what result have they produced?

She wanted pure data.

First of all, she knew that Kakkou fused with his gun. In exchange for achieving powerful bombardment he stretched his gun's endurance to its absolute limits, just like the person himself said.

Next she investigated Hanashiro Mari. She was the original host of the morpho butterfly.

Using Kakkou's investigation, she knew there was a period where Mari had hunted so much Mushitsuki that she became known as Hunter. Her goal was unknown, but she didn't care about her motive.

What equipment had Hanashiro Mari used to keep fighting?

For that, testimony from people of the combat unit who knew her was essential.

She actually searched for people who'd fought Hanashiro Mari. Yet most of the Mushitsuki who'd met with the cruel huntress had their Mushi killed, turning into the emotionless and amnesiac Fallen.

Yet she was able to contact only one person who had been able to see Hanashiro Mari as she was before her death by another method.

It was the Mushitsuki with the ability to view Mushi's memories, Kororo.

—Hanashiro Mari's equipment when she fought? *Grin*, I do remember. It was like this. *Scribble scribble*.

Although she was able to view memories, she couldn't record them. She used a pen to scribble the figure of Hanashiro Mari that she'd seen.

It was a crappy drawing, but it was easy enough to understand that Hanashiro Mari fused her Mushi with a cane.

Mari's cane was apparently an order-made item. It was obviously new at a glance.

In exchanging equipment, both Hanashiro Mari and Kakkou were the same.

Miguruma Yaeko… she probably knew this—

Whatever Munechika investigated that sly woman should already be aware of. Since she knew it wasn't straightforward, she'd practically challenged Munechika.

Anger welled inside her. Yet wickedness would dull her iron.

Calming herself down, she finally gathered data on Ichinokuro Arisu.

The current morpho butterfly's host changed weapons every time she fought.

She apparently used at times a wooden staff and at times metallic. All of those were destroyed or left in an irreparable state after just one use.

All of the Fusion Types had similar data—

Just as she came to a dead end, Munechika found out there was yet another Fusion Type.

Since the morpho butterfly was the same Mushi, the two hosts were apparently counted together. The real third Fusion Type was in an unexpected place.

—The SEPB coat? It breaks immediately, so only I use a completely normal one.

Thus said the girl who was, in contrast to the other powerful Fusion Types, unranked, and thus acknowledged as the weakest among Mushitsuki. Low-end members like her wouldn't get enough money to repair their equipment.

That Munechika was once again assaulted by a sense of defeat went without saying. The long coats being used as the members' standard equipment already had her Gemsteel integrated into them.

—That coat just felt kinda cold. Something like I hated it and it hated me back? The opposite of a loving couple.

Leaving her incomprehensible impressions behind, the girl once again melted with the crowd.

Investigating Fusion Types, she found similarities.

Even ready-made goods could withstand some usage. Yet equipment that could break anytime wasn't really equipment. At the very least Munechika thought so as a tool maker.

But what Munechika had created—couldn't even withstand one use. Having Kakkou call it a defective product was infuriating, but now she couldn't even retort.

By recalling her powerlessness, she recalled something else Kakkou said that she'd ignored.

—Since a specially-made item would actually immediately break, this is good enough.

Meaning, he only wanted ready-made equipment. But the important thing was that he'd once used order-made guns.

Asking around the West Central Branch, there were records of the creation of Kakkou's guns.

They didn't last a mere instant like Munechika's one, but just like the user himself had said, they all broke easier than ready-made ones.

Superior metal couldn't withstand the fusion process with Fusion Types—

It sounded illogical, but was the truth.

However, never mind gaining any clues, but the information Munechika found from the scarce data actually confused her.

"Something about good metal obstructs the fusion with Fusion Types…? Is such a stupid thing even possible…"

A few days passed since she received the mission.

While walking absentmindedly on the streets of Akamaki City, Munechika looked up the noon sky.

"…Fusion…"

The large sun burned in gold.

As she stood in place with a tired face, the shape of the sun and the tall buildings in Munechika's sight warped. Sweat entered her eyes and her vision blurred.

"What if… Fusion Mushi are just like me…"

Clang.

Clang.

She could hear the sound of striking metal from somewhere.

In the capital there was always something being built somewhere, so construction sounds echoed around.

Munechika, used as she was to metallic sounds, recalled an important teaching.

"Fusion Type Mushi… connect people and objects…"

By being too close to humans, one would mix their emotions with the purity of iron.

By being too close to iron, one would rust their wisdom as a human.

The one who connected "people" and "objects" was a blacksmith.

So she was taught.

"And so… The same being is standing in my way…"

During this era when people have surpassed the potential of iron, Munechika rejected this teaching.

It was people who should be used by metal—

Believing this, she tempered her heart and hated people who've lost love and respect for objects.

However, Mushi didn't exist without people.

As a being that connected people and objects, the tool maker and Fusion Types chose different paths.

"…So stupid."

She muttered and started walking again.

The reason why Munechika's Gemsteel didn't accept Fusion Type had to have some decisive cause.

But even so she had some stupid daydreams. It was nothing more than escapism after reaching a dead end.

"…Without the strength of the Gemsteel, it shouldn't be possible to keep using it… but with the Gemsteel it couldn't fuse with Mushi…"

She had no idea how she would even need to swing her hammer to build a prototype.

Standing in place again, she felt so dizzy she could faint. But since she was working on a clock, she couldn't waste a single second on sleep. She was unable to obtain even a single hint, so she at least wanted to keep moving ahead.

"It really is hot today…"

Fierce rays that couldn't possibly belong in this early summer scorched the city surrounded by steel and concrete.

It was too strong of a sun for a tool maker who frequently shut herself inside her workplace. Also, since she'd made no advances in three days, she hadn't really slept at all.

"The sunlight really is hot…"

She simply walked ahead, without knowing where. She moved her body only because she had to think.

She nearly fainted. Munechika's body lightly tilted.

Yet her thin shoulder was grabbed and she was held by someone.

"Hey you. Your face looks horrible… are you fine?"

Barely preserving her consciousness, she turned to the side.

A boy with slanted eyes and long, black hair looked at Munechika worryingly.

"W-wait up! You should rest in the shade."

The boy stopped Munechika when she tried to ignore him and leave. He pulled her hand and brought her to a road isolated from other people.

"…"

She didn't have enough energy to resist.

Moving from the sun to the shade, she could only feel the coldness of the wall she leaned against.

"Hot… Cold…"

The difference between the blazing sun and cool shade lowered her blood pressure.

In her head that became anemic—sprouted an idea.

"Temperature difference… Heat… Heat weakens connection…"

"Cold".

She had the feeling she'd heard this word lately.

"Hot… Cold…"

The boy reached out toward the mumbling Munechika.

"Do you have a fever?"

Munechika's head was affixed to the wall with a jerk.

The next instant, several people appeared in the narrow road.

"So it's Sakura from the West Central Branch's development unit."

The boy's voice changed. A sharp voice that made it seem like he could control his own vocal cords stabbed into Munechika.

A small azure disk clung to the wall near Munechika's ear. It looked like a leaf beetle, but had no eyes.

"Sorry for being rough with you. Please listen to me without raising your voice."

The strength holding her head lessened.

Losing its support, Munechika's head shook vertically.

It apparently looked like she was nodding. The boy's expression softened and he let go of her.

"My name's Aki. I was once part of the SEPB, but I'm now collecting allies under a certain someone."

Despite Munechika using all of her efforts just to withstand the dizziness assaulting her, the boy called Aki smiled.

A girl who seemed to be his comrade stepped out. She patted Munechika all over her sailor uniform, peeked into her pouch, and reported that "She doesn't seem to have any communication device. No goggles, either," to Aki.

"I was able to obtain information about you from friends that remained in the SEPB. You are a genius developer that entered the development unit immediately after joining the West Central Branch. Also, since you've received special training at Central Headquarters the other day, you keep polishing your skills."

Munechika stayed silent and unmoving.

Her vacant blurry sight wandered around as she searched her memories.

She had the feeling she'd heard the word "cold" more than once.

"Let me get straight to the point. Will you become our comrade?"

Aki directed an honest gaze at Munechika.

Her head gradually grew accustomed to the sun's heat. Her thinking power recovered a bit.

"I also know how you joined the SEPB. There are many cases where other people discover your Mushi and you get captured, but… it was somewhat different in your case."

Clang.

Clang.

She heard metallic sounds of construction from afar like always.

Hearing the metallic sound, a completely irrelevant memory resurfaced.

"When you'd seen the equipment of the SEPB member sent to capture you—you offered to join of your own volition."

It happened while she was engaged in various chores as the daughter of a hardware store owner.

It was a simple job of replacing a rusted, leaking lamp. Yet sympathizing with the useless lamp being thrown away, she instead fixed it using her power as a Mushitsuki.

Even before that, since she'd been using a "mysterious power" she'd already been marked.

Since her monitor had seen Munechika use her Mushi, she was captured.

She knew neither the reason for her attack or the identity of her opponent. Naturally she resisted, and by striking the attacker's equipment with her hammer, she realized it was made of material unknown to her.

Munechika asked the reason for her attack by brute force—and became determined to join the SEPB.

The West Central Branch was wonderful, and she was able to produce material she'd never touched before. Ever since joining, she learnt their making in no time.

And she created the Gemsteel.

The Gemsteel created by Munechika was acknowledged by her colleagues as the best alloy.

"Since your motive was special you're under no obligation to obey the SEPB. Don't you dislike your creations being used by such an unreasonable organization?"

Finally she was able to focus her eyes. She saw Aki's face for the first time.

The boy wore an unwavering expression. He probably thought he was acting for justice. The people around wore the same expressions.

"These aren't tools supposed to hurt fellow Mushitsuki. Please create tools to save them."

As long as there were tools made by Munechika, they'd be able to win against the SEPB—

Is what he meant.

Perhaps they could win.

But—that was only if they could really use what Munechika created.

"We can no longer… just cower in fear of Kakkou and the rest."

Munechika widened her eyes.

Hearing the boy's words, her memory became clear as if mist was blown away.

—So cold.

It was Kakkou who muttered this while he held Munechika's restructured gun.

And saying the same thing was another person.

—That coat just felt kinda cold.

The girl who, although unranked, was a Fusion Type just like Kakkou.

The two Fusion Types said that what Munechika created was "cold".

"My Gemsteel… is cold—"

Thinking about it just like when Kakkou told her, a gun being cold was natural.

By cutting off heat, or perhaps temporarily dispersing it, the gun was able to endure the impact of gunpowder and the fire-resistant coat was able to diffuse external heat.

It was sturdy and tough exactly because it didn't accept any heat.

Thinking about it backwards, creating better metal required large amounts of heat energy.

Destroying the cellular structure of superior metal and rebuilding it would give birth to even superior metal.

"Cool enough to be good metal…"

Her Gemsteel was cold.

The equipment fusing with Fusion Types broke down easily.

Munechika had already known both, so why was her heart beating so rapidly?

"Are you even listening to me?"

Being ignored, Aki's expression stiffened. He thrust Munechika against the wall forcefully.

Yet Munechika didn't pay him any attention.

"Hot… Cold… is that it? Does Fusion Type require such a foolish condition from me…?"

The true identity of what Munechika was looking for slowly took form inside her.

Yet this only introduced further problems.

A component of a coarse alloy that would preclude it from being good metal.

If that is truly what Fusion Type Mushi sought—

"Does it mean that Mushi seek heat… warmth…?"

The ultimate hardness, as well as heat.

Munechika, who knew the principles of iron, knew they were mutually exclusive.

It was an absurd demand.

The hint she'd grabbed was an insurmountable wall.

But even so—

"Answer us, Sakura."

She violently shook off Aki's arm as he questioned her.

"…!"

Starting with the boy, the members all changed their expressions.

"There's something I have to create. Don't disturb me with your foolishness."

"Foolishness, you say…?"

"If you want to get involved in fights between humans then go ahead."

Munechika simply glared at the angry boys and girls.

"I am neither human nor steel but a mere tool maker. Don't tell me anything other than an order, idiot."

She asserted, then tried to pass through the center of the gathering.

"Unfortunately, I've already had a previous order."

Yet Aki blocked her from leaving. He inquired her with a silent gaze.

"That order… that thing you must create, what is it?"

"The morpho butterfly's spear."

She declared without a hint of hesitation.

Although the conditions seemed impossible, she had to create it.

The one who connected "people" and "objects" was a blacksmith.

It was a teaching that Munechika abandoned long ago.

And so she would never lose against Fusion Type Mushi who connected people and inanimate objects just like that old teaching.

"The morpho butterfly's spear, you say?"

The color of Aki's face changed. The air became tense.

"You mean equipment for Ichinokuro Arisu to use!"

"Who knows? Move. Don't you humans dare stand in my way."

Just as Munechika tried to push the boy's body back, a fragment of concrete cut her cheek.

A small explosion occurred near her face.

The Mushi perched on the wall—the one similar to the species of leaf beetle called Linaeidea aenea—started raising white smoke from its disk-like body.

That smell… so it can create some sort of explosive compound—no, gas—inside its body. Also—

Munechika looked down at her feet.

Several leaf beetles had appeared at some point and were climbing her white legs.

So he's the type that controls multiple Mushi—

But his ability didn't matter. Munechika looked at the hole in the wall, frowning.

"You broke it… you idiots don't know the value of things."

"Even if you'd rejected us we intended to let you go peacefully. But we can no longer do that."

Following Aki, the other boys and girls began circling around Munechika with clear hostility.

"That morpho butterfly is dangerous. If we allow it to become any stronger it might be the second coming of Hunter."

Several Mushi climbed on her legs.

"We heard that Hunter was a demon just like Kakkou. Fusion Type Mushitsuki are dangerous. Equipment that would strengthen the morpho butterfly—"

"So you're saying you won't let me make it?"

Uncaring about her disadvantaged situation, Munechika spoke in an angry voice.

"Never tell a tool maker to 'not create'. At least the SEPB doesn't do that. Recently they almost did, but… in the end they gave me permission to continue. Yet you keep telling me not to?"

"Even if what you create is nothing but a tool made to hurt other Mushitsuki?"

"'Even if you'd rejected us we intended to let you go peacefully'—"

She quoted Aki's words from before verbatim.

"Why didn't you add this? 'Only if you swear to not create weapons for the SEPB'. You're worse than objects or plants, you liars."

"…!"

"You're no different from the SEPB. Even if I create weapons, it doesn't change the fact you'd use them to fight other Mushitsuki. You complain and push responsibility unto your tools. Idiots."

She clearly asserted.

Aki narrowed his eyes. He took deep breaths as if to calm himself, then opened his eyes again.

"So you won't join us… too bad."

Munechika reached out for her pouch. Yet her fingers passed through air. The girl who'd performed her body check earlier took it.

"One needs to be careful while fighting a tool maker."

It happened just as the leaf beetles started emitting a bright light at the scowling Munechika's feet.

"OK, enlisting's over! Can I have my turn now?"

The surrounding air was dyed in brown.

"…!"

The only ones to notice the asphalt rising were Munechika and Aki.

When they both instinctively kicked the ground, a liquefied asphalt spear nearly grazed their noses.

Yet the boys and girls surrounding Munechika couldn't evade it. Blown away by several tons of asphalt, they were pounded against the wall. Munechika also saw her pouch being swallowed by the asphalt.

"Who're you…!"

Aki gazed at the road ahead. Aside from Munechika and Aki, everyone was trapped by the asphalt that solidified again.

Inside the brown surroundings—the territory of a Special Type Mushitsuki—a tall shadow appeared, walking calmly. The asphalt rising from the ground took a short and stout form.

The tall person was a man with skin brown, clearly of an African descent. Instead of a hair band he used mechanical goggles to hold his dreadlocks together.

Meanwhile, next to the dreadlocked man a large Mushi made of asphalt took form.

It had a bizarre body in the shape of a gourd and an especially long proboscis. It looked similar to the species of weevils known as Ectatorhinus adamsii.

"The SEPB…? No—"

It was natural for Aki to mistake it.

What the dreadlocked man wore was, without a doubt, the SEPB goggles. He also wore the long coat of the same organization. Yet the latter was wrapped over his waist and the former hung from his back.

"You're Robber…!"

Aki spat his voice mixed with hatred. At the very least he wasn't their ally.

Next to his Mushi, the man called Robber bowed.

"Shall I escort you, Princess?"

Raising his face, the dreadlocked man looked at none other than Munechika.

"If you don't like 'em, you can come with me. Now wouldn't that be fun?"

Although she was suddenly invited, Munechika couldn't understand what was being discussed. She looked at Aki.

The ex-SEPB boy already assumed battle position. Moving his head and cracking his neck, he scowled.

"He's with Harukiyo. He's a pervert who attacks SEPB members and takes their equipment. He's apparently a Special Type Mushitsuki, but despite having attacked a few people his abilities are unknown."

"You were already dumped by her, so scram. Also, I'm not really Harukiyo's ally."

Speaking in somewhat strangely-pronounced Japanese, Robber showed his white teeth and laughed.

"Well, it's true I'm in the network with Harukiyo in the center."

"Network…?"

"A gathering of people who like interesting stuff. Our only similarities are having enough power to hide from the SEPB, I think."

Aki scowled. "A pervert assembly, then," he groaned.

"Weak people swarm together. Swarms clash against each other. —It's got nothing to do with us. We simply use our Mushitsuki powers to do whatever we like however much we like."

The pair continued their talk as if it was natural, but Munechika couldn't understand them.

"Haruki…yo?"

"Harukiyo."

Both Aki and Robber affirmed Munechika's mutter.

She finally recalled.

She'd heard that lately someone was challenging the SEPB. And he probably had a name like that.

"Ever since hearing about you from the West Central Branch member who'd 'given' me these clothes, I wanted to see you."

Robber said with a superficial smile.

"You're a Mushitsuki just like us. You don't care about good or bad. Come along with me and do what interests you. And create some stuff I want while you're at it."

Munechika clicked her tongue.

She was blocked yet again by someone with an offer that didn't interest her in the least. Furthermore she wanted to puke just by seeing him. There had to be some limit to how someone could wear equipment without any sort of aesthetics or self-consciousness.

"Hmm, no reply, OK. Let's speak while we're alone. —I want what's on your head. I can tell at a glance it's something good."

Robber wasn't perturbed in the least by Munechika's rejection. He glared greedily at the Gemsteel cube in her hair.

She commended him for realizing the value of the Gemsteel, but saying he wanted it pissed her off. Telling a tool maker to hand over her raw materials was breach of conduct.

"Please hand it over once I make the signal. Then come along and start creating stuff for us, my honey. We're all gonna make good use of them, y'know."

"I will not allow that. I'll turn her into a Fallen right here and now."

Aki cut between Munechika and Robber.

"Don't interrupt. Now, come here, honey."

"Bring your Mushi out, Sakura. If not, I'll destroy your arms."

Aki and Robber.

The two Mushitsuki cornered Munechika.

Standing in place, she sighed.

"…"

Clang.

Clang.

The regular construction sounds echoed in her tired mind.

She finally grasped a hint.

Yet the problem grew larger, and now she had to think about how she'd create it according to her image.

Munechika was facing a huge problem, yet a worthless trifle was blocking her path.

"As long as it's related to the morpho butterfly it won't end good, huh."

She was merely trying to create equipment for a single girl yet the foolish human problems poured on her.

She had no interest in the justice Aki spoke of, nor in Harukiyo's group that Robber belonged to. All of them could do whatever they liked, but they tried to push their ideologies and hobbies onto Munechika who was a mere tool maker.

"So stupid."

By being too close to humans, one would mix their emotions with the purity of iron.

By being too close to iron one, would rust their wisdom as a human.

The one who connected "people" and "objects" was a blacksmith.

So she was taught.

But Munechika—

"It's fine for someone with ideals or collection mania to want my objects. Once created, I'll never tell you to give them back."

She hated humans.

They knew nothing about the value of objects, broke them thoughtlessly, and pushed unto them unneeded emotions.

That was why they were human. —She'd already given up on becoming human.

"But don't cause a tool maker to have filthy emotions. You'll rust the metal."

Then Munechika alone would stay pure.

She wanted to create objects that human users would never break and continue to use.

"Wash your faces and leave, you idiots."

She wanted to create something that would never break—

What Munechika aimed for was a dream that would never yield to anything nor bend to anyone's emotions.

"C'mon, don't say that, come with me."

Ignoring the tool maker's rejection, Robber stepped ahead.

Yet the next instant, azure masses appeared around him.

They were countless leaf beetles.

Aside from its ability to cause explosions and to control multiple bodies, it apparently even had camouflage capabilities. As they melted into the surrounding background, Robber hurriedly distanced himself from the approaching leaf beetles.

"I don't have any duty to defeat the SEPB's enemies anymore… but I won't let you do that. Because if you turn her into Harukiyo's ally we'll have to fight her at some point."

Aki snapped his fingers.

The leaf beetles didn't appear only around Robber; several appeared also around Munechika.

"…!"

She tried reflexively stepping back, but suddenly strength left her legs. —On top of not having slept for a few days, she'd wandered under the blazing sun. Her stamina had already reached its limits.

The impact of an explosion stabbed through the alleyway.

"As long as you don't have a sensing ability, you'll never be able to defend against my ability."

The number of leaf beetles assaulting Munechika was less than those surrounding Robber. Yet since she had no means to defend with, she was pounded against the wall helplessly.

"Guh…!"

"I'll say this again. If you bring out your Mushi I'll just turn you into a Fallen. If you still don't accept this, I'll blow off your arm."

Aki walked calmly toward Munechika who collapsed to the ground.

"That's not good at all. I'm taking honey home with me."

Cutting through the smoke of the explosion, a white object flew forward.

It was a weevil with a pure, white body, unlike its asphalt color from before.

"Tch!"

Without turning around, Aki sent leaf beetles at it.

Explosions swallowed the weevil.

Yet the beetles' attack was unable to inflict even a single wound to the weevil's body. It charged at Aki as if nothing happened.

"What…!"

Even while surprised, he leapt to the side to avoid the attack.

Yet Munechika who was also in the path of its charge couldn't dodge the large body. She bounded and rolled from the other side of the road to inside the dark alley.

"Ugh…!"

The dreadlocked man approached next to his weevil while showing his white canines.

"Oops, sorry. As expected it's hard to hold back with this material."

While smiling he picked up a piece of asphalt rolling at his feet. The weevil raised its face and used its long proboscis to swallow the asphalt the man was holding.

Soon another brown domain was created and the weevil's body changed its color. Its large body, now asphalt-colored, sank into the ground.

"That'd be better for bringing you back, honey."

"No way…! Can you freely control your Mushi's medium…?"

Aki looked shocked, but Robber stayed calm.

"Well, who knows?"

It was natural for Aki to be surprised. Special Type Mushi could activate their abilities through a certain medium while inside their domain. Yet Munechika never heard even in rumors about a Mushi that was able to change its medium.

Barely raising her face, Munechika noticed a certain fact. The long, white coat that was standard for the Central Headquarters was gone from among Robber's equipment.

By making his Mushi eat a designated material, he could turn that into his medium—

If Munechika's assumption was correct, the white insect from just now had the same endurance as the SEPB coat. And so when it was physically attacked it had almost no effect.

"Uh…"

This wasn't the time for that—

A tool maker wasn't supposed to be fighting.

Needing to return to the workplace, Munechika tried getting up. Yet she was assaulted by pain, fatigue and dizziness. Rather than the damage she'd received, her body didn't listen to her due to the uselessness plaguing her.

Yet when she tried floundering, her body suddenly floated.

The asphalt rose up, swallowing Munechika. She couldn't move and so was thrown toward Robber.

"I told you I won't let you have her!"

Leaf beetles filled her sight.

The back alley was swallowed by a chain of explosions.

"Gabfh…!"

The asphalt covering Munechika cracked. Blown herself by the explosions, she fell on the hard ground.

"Don't stand in my way. She's mine."

Again the wave of asphalt tried covering Munechika.

Taking advantage of the fact Munechika couldn't move, she was being treated like an object. It was an ironic position for her as someone who hated humans, but she didn't feel like laughing.

She stabbed the ground with her nails and crawled inside the back alley.

"To the workplace…"

She had to go back.

She had hints and she needed to test them.

Since there was a possibility, Munechika had to make it come true.

She had no time to go along with the trifles of humans—

"UOORAAHHHH!"

Suddenly the howling of a beast reverberated.

In defiance of the leaf beetles' explosions, the asphalt weevil broke into pieces and dark masses started falling from the air.

Such a fearful tremor shook the area that it was weird the buildings haven't collapsed.

The surroundings swallowed by the brown domain were now filled with thick mist.

"Don't fucking mess around in the Central Headquarters' territory!"

A girl wearing a white coat who swung around claws made of coagulated mist howled.

The Central Headquarters' Berserker, Kasuou.

Other white-coated members also appeared with a delay.

"Shi—"

Although he tried attacking Munechika, Aki took a step back in attempt to distance himself from Kasuou.

"Oh, look who have here, the traitor Aki. Are you doing well?"

Kasuou, having already flipped her switch to enter battle mode, narrowed her blue eyes like a predator.

"And I don't know the other guy."

"It was just getting good when you showed up."

The dreadlocked man shrugged lightly.

"I don't know why Sakura's being attacked, but—"

This was Akamaki City.

It was the home turf of the Central Headquarters that controlled all of the SEPB.

If Mushitsuki fought too conspicuously it was obvious the organization's members would come swarming. They were actually late.

"Anyway, both of you can kindly go to hell."

Kasuou grinned evilly.

Aki and Robber acted quickly.

"Sakura, as long as you're with the SEPB, you'll come to regret it one day."

"See you, honey."

They apparently didn't want to clash against Kasuou who had, despite being unranked, the best strength and destructive power. They all turned their back and dashed down alleys.

Although she wasn't the team leader, Kasuou dashed after them and the other members pursued her.

"You stay over there. We'll call the healing team."

Munechika didn't even feel like thanking Kasuou who left her behind. Despite her being this powerful, her mission completion rate was awful. She would obviously soon lose both of them.

Munechika roused her wounded body, staggering.

Her sailor uniform was torn and she was scorched from all the explosions. There was fresh blood on her head, and she felt dust and a metallic taste in her mouth.

She dragged her feet to walk.

She couldn't just wait for the healing team.

"Hot…"

The core of her head was hot as if burned.

Did she have a fever or had the leaf beetles and weevil cracked her head?

"…Cold."

She felt a chill crawl inside her chest and up her fingernails.

She felt cold, perhaps due to shedding too much blood.

"People and objects…"

Clang.

Clang.

Hearing sounds of construction, she walked through alleys with a deathly pale face. Perhaps having entered a side street due to her blurry vision, she wandered around the narrow paths as if they were a maze.

The one who connected people and objects was a blacksmith.

So she was taught by her father and grandfather.

"And Fusion Type Mushi… are also like me…"

As they fused with inanimate objects to use their abilities, they could also be said to be beings that connected people and objects.

Yet Mushi couldn't accept cold steel alone.

They chose the exact opposite path of Munechika who hated humans and removed any and all heat from metal.

"But still… Why do they seek heat even from iron…"

Trudging along like a sleepwalker, she bit down her own words.

She had no need to think of why.

If that is the answer then Munechika would give it. However—

"Can I… even do that…?"

Just before exiting the sunlit road, she collapsed.

Her feet stumbled in the narrow alley, and she folded her knees as if to lean against the wall.

She overlooked the road with empty eyes. She couldn't move even a single step further.

"Bring heat… to metal…"

One of the cubes on her head clunked as it fell to the ground.

Seeking toughness, Munechika created her Gemsteel using extreme heat.

Heat made iron weaker.

People were brittle because they possessed heat.

The Gemsteel could be called Munechika's masterpiece as someone who loved metal and rejected humans.

"How do I preserve heat…? What kind of heat should it be…?"

It was different than enclosing heat inside a closed space like a thermos.

It was preserving heat in the metal itself.

Although she obtained clues, she couldn't think of how to realize that idea at all.

Perhaps this was her limit—as a misanthropic tool maker?

"It's too late, how can I even…"

Ever since she was a child she kept watch of the family's store plenty of times.

Since she had been watching her grandfather the swordsmith remnant and her father who worked in the factory, she knew the difficulties of creating items using iron.

Even so, all customers destroyed their objects and exchanged them for new as if it was natural. Whether it had a function or was expendable, there was no difference in their treatment.

It wasn't that it served as her motive.

She simply kept pounding with a certain belief in her chest and removed all impure emotions from the metal she created.

I want to create something that'll never break—

She wanted to produce by her own hands something that wouldn't be defeated by humans.

She wished for it, it became a dream, and set her on a natural course to become a Mushitsuki.

"…"

He vision blurred and the figures of people walking around were gone.

She lost most of her consciousness. She didn't know how much time passed since she couldn't move from that spot.

Among the people walking around, some noticed Munechika fainting. But perhaps thinking her a vagrant, or not wanting to get involved with her, none tried approaching her.

At some point the sun sank down and she was surrounded by orange.

Unable to even lift her face, her vision fell to the ground.

The cube that fell moved in her sight—shaking as if by an earthquake.

"…hear me? Are you fine?"

It wasn't the Gemsteel shaking; Munechika herself was being shaken by someone.

Raising her face with stiff movements, she saw a familiar girl looking at her face.

"Daisuke! Call an ambulance!"

Shouting as she turned toward the main street was a petite girl with a ponytail.

She was Ichinokuro Arisu.

At the back alley entrance Kakkou and two other girls looked at her to gauge the situation. These were the same people from the other day when Munechika came to see Arisu at the station.

Kakkou took out his cellphone and called somewhere. It was probably not actually the police or hospital.

"You look horrible…"

Arisu took out a handkerchief and wiped Munechika's face.

This time Munechika hadn't been waiting for her.

Had she passed there by chance? In this densely-populated city Munechika knew only few people by sight. Just how low were the chances to meet someone in particular?

No, that's wrong—

She hated letting people touch her body, but she had no power to resist. While letting her face be wiped, she noticed her own mistake.

There were plenty people that had seen here. But Arisu was the only one among them to stop—

A silver shine danced atop Arisu's head as she supported the collapsed Munechika.

"You're the only one who needs to remember…"

She glared with listless eyes at the silver morpho butterfly.

She hated referring to people by their names, and didn't like to give names to objects.

Yet for the first time she declared her name in front of the morpho butterfly.

"My name is Yoshihara Munechika. I'm the tool maker who'll grant your wish…"

Apparently not hearing her well, Arisu tilted her head with an "Eh?"

Ichinokuro Arisu inherited the morpho butterfly left behind by Hanashiro Mari.

She was one of the rare Fusion Types like Kakkou.

Aki and the others called it a demon, and it was also apparently involved with Harukiyo.

Munechika was also swallowed up by the butterfly that involved everyone and anyone.

However—

"…"

She grasped yet another hint.

Inside her hand.

"Ah…"

Munechika wordlessly grabbed Arisu's hand wiping her face.

The warmth of life was reborn in her hand that became cold due to blood loss.

That was undoubtedly the proof of one's life. As Munechika mastered metal she rejected it long ago—it was the forgotten warmth of a "person".

This temperature—

A new image formed in her mind.

"…I'll repay you someday."

Munechika wrung out a hoarse voice.

"Huh?"

She stared at the morpho butterfly above the confused Arisu's head.

I'll finish this—

She hadn't the slightest of intentions to get involved with the mysteries and battles revolving around the butterfly.

She didn't introduce herself to Ichinokuro Arisu. They'd probably never meet again.

What this lone tool maker sought was someone far more unreachable.

"Go away… I'm fine…"

She obtained the image of heat.

She had only one remaining task.

She needed to improve heat conductivity and insulation while preserving the best hardness. To change its disposition, she needed enough energy to destroy the Gemsteel.

But not only destroy it; she also needed energy to restructure it.

How would she go about this task—

"But…"

Arisu looked hesitant seeing Munechika felt so cold. She was probably going to say kind things such as that she couldn't leave a wounded person be.

Kakkou pulled Arisu's shoulders and drew her back from Munechika.

"I called the ambulance. We can just leave her."

"I can't just leave her like this."

"I told you not to get involved in funny business. I can watch over her for a bit."

While disliking the fact Kakkou left her no choice, the girl retreated.

"…Please watch her properly."

Ichinokuro Arisu reluctantly left with her two friends.

Left behind, Munechika raised her jaw.

"She seems to… trust you quite a bit… I heard that you can't come too close to your monitoring target though…"

Muttering cynically unlike herself was probably because she felt just a slight bit better.

Kakkou scowled.

"I haven't officially become a monitor. Once we're done with the morpho butterfly, I'd never want to do it again."

Surprisingly laughter leaked from her mouth.

Even the Rank 1 demon everyone was scared of had gotten his hands burned by the morpho butterfly.

That was nice. She also wanted to finish her mission and then retire.

"I confirmed the details. The healing team that's searching for you will soon come here."

She got the final hint by looking at this boy too.

If Munechika would be able to obtain the devilish power to break even the unbreakable, then perhaps—

"Are you really making Arisu's weapon?"

Perhaps thinking of something, Kakkou's tone was harsh. He was talking as if to say it was completely unnecessary.

If one had a weapon, their enemies would increase.

She was fully aware of that.

"Don't ask such difficult things of a mere tool maker…"

But Munechika was just a tool maker.

"I just create the tings I'm told to and obtain the best result…"

She wanted to try saying so.

Yet if she tried thinking like humans—

Rather than creating a hundred enemies, if the weapon ended saving its owner's life even once… then perhaps you could say it had some meaning.

For a split second she thought so.

"Kakkou… I hate being in a debt to you, but you're reliable."

The boy raised a brow at this murmur.

The Gemsteel was the best metal created by Munechika.

Yet more precisely it could be said to be the limit with her ability.

To change it even further, Munechika required more energy than she could imagine.

Gas, electricity, laser, electromagnetism—Munechika couldn't get that kind of energy from all the machinery she could think of, unfortunately.

And if so—she had no choice but to entrust her wish to someone who could use power beyond human understanding.

"I want great energy… If you have among your friends someone who can control that sort of power like you, please introduce me to them…"

Asking the demon who'd fought more Mushitsuki than anyone was the right answer.

The moment he heard Munechika's words, Kakkou frowned. This meant that he thought of someone.

"He's not a friend."

At this point even a non-human would be fine—

She thought in her heart.

"And I can't introduce you to him… but I do know who's the next strongest after me."

Munechika smiled calmly.

The next moment, Kakkou spoke the name she expected him to.

Meaning someone who looked human but was above humans, a Mushitsuki.

The moment she faced them—would become Yoshihara Munechika's biggest challenge.

Part 3

Clang.

Clang.

Today there was also the sound of iron being pounded.

She could see pipes being hammered in the distant premises.

Or perhaps it was her grandfather's sound etched in her memories.

By being too close to humans, one would mix their emotions with the purity of iron.

By being too close to iron, one would rust their wisdom as a human.

The one who connected "people" and "objects" was a blacksmith.

So she was taught.

It was an ancient saying—as well as a heartwarming one.

Munechika, who lived in the present, chose to love iron over humans.

"…"

The wind blowing through the early morning capital had the scent of iron and exhaust gas.

Not a single car could be seen running on the large road split to three lanes.

Only Munechika's electric kick scooter ran on the road with light engine noises. That scooter, with much better output and power than those on the market, was a beloved vehicle in the West Central Branch.

Leaning her body, she drove in a gentle arc. She activated the autopilot program installed on the scooter to allow it to keep running with the same speed and angle.

Running on the empty road, Munechika's outfit wasn't her usual sailor uniform.

She wore her very own handmade jumpsuit and hid half her face with goggles. Her usual pouch hung from her hips and she carried a large toolbox on her back.

"…Any damage wouldn't matter around here."

Munechika muttered as she reached her destination. She stopped the scooter and parked it.

The road ended in a spot as empty as if it had been cut off.

A highway in construction—

No-one passed the bridge and the view was clear. The train rails didn't reach all the way there, and she could only see a barren asphalt hill.

Descending her scooter, she put her toolbox on the ground. She took out a red pen and a large paint brush.

For a while she worked soundlessly.

By the time she'd finished about half her work, the ground was rising in the direction she'd come from.

"Wait a bit. I'll play with you once I'm done."

Using a brush to paint the ground red, she spoke toward the person arriving there.

The asphalt liquefied and rose, revealing a single man and a Mushi.

"So you've noticed me tailing ya."

The African man, Robber, exposed his white teeth.

"So you realized I'll come getcha if you're alone? Does that mean you were waiting for me?"

"Indeed. I'm glad it wasn't Aki with whom I have no business."

She lightly affirmed. The dreadlocked man huffed pleasantly. Next to him, the weevil clad in the brown domain shook its long proboscis.

Despite it being early morning, today was hotter than early summer should've been.

When beads of sweat formed on Munechika's forehead, she finally finished her work.

"…Not bad."

Satisfied at her own work, she took out the hand hammer from her pouch. Spinning it once, she swung it to the side.

It elongated with a metallic sound. The scarab shining with a metallic luster landed on the now meter long hammer.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

When she turned around she could see Robber's cheeks were sweaty. It was obvious that his smile was strained not because of the heat.

"…Are you insane, honey?"

The man's eyes focused on the paint at her feet.

Munechika removed a cube from her hair with a cold expression.

"You wanted that, right? I'll give it to you."

The Gemsteel cube ricocheted on the asphalt, making a clear sound.

"This is my masterpiece. It's also woven into the SEPB equipment you're wearing, but I've raised its pureness by 100%."

Robber twitched. His agitated expression turned into a weary, cynical smile.

"Is that a signal to approach you? Then I'll be taking it—and then you, too. Because I'd like you to create interesting stuff for us from now on."

Heading for the Gemsteel rolling ahead of Munechika, the asphalt weevil approached.

"Also… you're going to die if you stay near that, honey."

The jumpsuit-wearing girl made no move.

"…Lemme tell you something."

The weevil advanced slowly between the unmoving Munechika and Robber.

"My Mushi's ability is just like you thought. It can turn any material it eats to its medium for an amount of time. Also…"

Munechika silently made the hammer spin through air once, then caught it.

"It has to materialize only for the moment it switches."

The weevil's proboscis touched the Gemsteel. It sucked the cube as if to eat it.

The next instant, Munechika kicked the ground.

"You're aiming for that moment, though."

She swung the hand hammer with all of her might toward the weevil's head.

"—So if it turns harder nothing'll happen, right?"

The weevil's body was instantly colored like steel. It changed its body to the hardest material, the Gemsteel.

The scarab landed on top of the hand hammer emitted a bright light.

The hammer hit the weevil that became made of Gemsteel.

The sharp clang of striking metal reverberated throughout the road.

"…Shit."

Munechika scowled while swinging the hammer.

An earthquake occurred.

"…!"

Still exposing his white teeth, Robber's expression froze.

The ground around the weevil caved in. The delayed impact of the tremor created fissures in the ground.

Along with the sound of breaking metal, cracks appeared on the weevil's body.

"You've made me use this cursed ability."

As Munechika swore, the weevil in front of her crumbled to bits.

As a mere tool maker, one could say Munechika's ability was simply breaking down matter.

Yet it was actually more complex than that.

The scarab's real power was actually controlling the "binding force" of matter.

By controlling the binding force between cells of inorganic matter, one could make it lose its form, meld it with different matter, alter it and create an entirely different form.

Meaning that as long as she could touch something using the hammer with the scarab on it—

"Having nothing I can't destroy is too embarrassing to tell anyone."

There was no material Munechika couldn't disassemble.

If she felt like it, she could even cause an entire building to collapse.

And that was the same with her masterpiece of the Gemsteel. It was the best metal exactly because none other than Munechika could destroy it.

"When I fight things always break… That's why I don't want to fight."

In order to reform something, one needed the essential process of destruction.

There was no ability more ironic than that for Munechika who wanted to create something unbreakable.

"…Now then."

She didn't even turn around to Robber who'd lost his Mushi and become a Fallen. Ignoring the man who stood in place with glazed eyes, she returned to her electric scooter.

She sat down cross-legged on the asphalt with a thud.

"With just disassembling, the only metal I could create right now with my ability to control the binding force would be the Gemsteel."

She finished what she needed to do.

All that remained was waiting for the right time.

"In order to preserve its hardness and rebuild it even stronger—I need much more energy."

The sun was slowly ascending.

The asphalt was slowly heating up and sweat appeared on Munechika's chin.

"…"

Clang.

Clang.

She could hear the sound of striking metal from somewhere.

But it might have been an auditory illusion due to the heat affecting Munechika.

That was the sound she heard when she was young. —No, from before she was born.

The sound of her swordsmith grandfather tempering steel by fire.

"Since time immemorial, one needed fire to temper steel."

It happened just as the mid-noon sun cast shadows on the highway.

A small shadow was born on the other side of her blurry sight.

As a tool maker, Munechika wished for no fight.

And so, what she was going to do now was no battle—it was work. She was just going to forge metal.

"There was no way you'd stay silent since I'd finished off your ally, huh…"

A person walking calmly in the sun appeared.

No, it looked as if the swaying sun was avoiding that man.

Even from afar the flame-patterned tattoo on his face looked vivid. His unkempt hair looked like flames. The blazer that was probably part of some high school's uniform exposed his burly chest. If she had to choose one word to describe him, it would be imposing.

The boy sticking his hands in his pockets looked calm as if he'd simply happened there by chance. Enough heat to make Munechika think she'd been cold until now fanned her jumpsuit.

"Harukiyo."

Standing up, Munechika spun her hammer through air once.

A grin rose to the flaming devil's face.

"It's a common misunderstanding, but we're not really comrades. So it's not like I'm gonna avenge him or anything…"

Harukiyo looked at the paint below Munechika's feet.

"Also, it's the first time for someone I don't know to welcome me like this. But well, you know how it is. Recently I'm a bit pissed by Hanashiro Mari's ghost toying with me. So yeah, bottling all this stress inside me isn't healthy. Don't be surprised if I don't hold back then!"

Harukiyo spoke lightly with only his eyes sharp.

Hanashiro Mari yet again.

The incidents related to the morpho butterflies involved with the man in front of her.

Yet that had nothing to do with Munechika.

Munechika caught the hand hammer and fixed her goggles. Wearing the hood on her head, she equipped the fire-resistant mask hanging from her neck.

"Tell me your name."

Harukiyo gazed at Munechika with flaming eyes.

Assuming a complete defensive position, Munechika asserted without any fear.

"I'm just a tool maker."

She had no need to name herself.

She didn't like naming the objects she created.

She'd already left her name with the morpho butterfly.

"Since I came all the way here I won't turn back. Dunno what's your deal, but we'll do this properly."

Harukiyo's eyes focused on the letters written on the asphalt.

"Challenge"—

Munechika had written a short sentence on the whole road with paint.

"To Harukiyo-dono. I, an inexperienced tool maker, do wish for a fight against you"—

The flame devil was to face against a mere tool maker in battle.

"I accept your challenge."

This wasn't a battle, merely steel tempering.

And so Munechika put her life at stake to carry it through.

"Let's go."

Munechika got on her scooter as if pushed from behind.

A surging flame pillar covered the sun.

Priding herself on her raison d'être, Yoshihara Munechika threw herself at her biggest challenge.

Part 4

It wasn't that she was conceited.

She realized it by seeing Kakkou's expression when he'd talked about Harukiyo.

From the start she couldn't compare to him.

But although she was just a tool maker, it was certain that the hammer-wielding Munechika was the strongest or second strongest of the West Central Branch.

Even if she couldn't compare to him, if she'd fought seriously for an instant—

She realized her own shallowness thinking this.

"Hah…! Hah…!"

The electric scooter skidded on the ground, raising sparks. Its control program allowed it to preserve its balance, barely evading falling over.

"Uh—"

The moment she raised her face, a ball of fire pursued her nose.

Swallowed by the explosive flame, her body was launched back. If she hadn't been protected by fire-resistant gear her head would've probably been annihilated.

Not only had she received damage, but she could see the edge of the road behind her. If she fell into the unconstructed areas she'd become smashed against the distant ground.

"Ngh…!"

Spinning her airborne body like a cat, Munechika barely reached the edge of the road. Turning the throttle in her right hand, the scooter landed on the ground belatedly.

A tiger beetle made of flames with fangs of different sizes assaulted her from above. Jumping ahead with her scooter, she drove it full throttle.

A large hole was created in the asphalt behind the rapidly accelerating Munechika. The heat emitted by the tiger beetle melted the ground, causing the surface of the surrounding asphalt to boil.

Taking advantage of this opening now that the tiger beetle separated from the host, Munechika drove her scooter.

The flame devil, Harukiyo, smiled calmly. Even since the battle started he hadn't even removed his hands from his pockets.

She chose this level ground to make use of the scooter's mobility. Yet already half of the concrete was melted by flames, and the scooter's tires could go no longer.

"…!"

When she reached about a distance of several meters away from Harukiyo, her vision was dyed in crimson.

Several dozen flame pillars stabbed from the ground to the heavens. One of them hit Munechika directly, its impact striking the highway's noise barrier.

If she hadn't been wearing the most durable jumpsuit—

If she hadn't possessed the best kind of scooter—

Munechika would have been burnt to ashes long ago.

"Haha, you're much more persistent than expected."

Harukiyo, standing in the eye of the fire storm, laughed amiably. At some point the battlefield became a scorching hell and Munechika's vision was filled with rising pillars.

This won't be enough—

While standing in front the noise barrier, Munechika wiped her sweat. But even without her wiping it, it was instantly evaporated by the heat around.

Not yet… I have to bring out stronger flames…

It was obvious the flame-controlling boy still wasn't serious.

Even so, Munechika could already feel the energy in her hands.

Although she hadn't been dealt a fatal wound, she was full of serious burns underneath her jumpsuit. Her stamina was also approaching its limits. She probably wouldn't be able to move for much longer.

At this rate, it'd all end without her being even able to come close.

It wasn't good. Munechika had to obtain the best energy.

In order to get Harukiyo to get serious she had to get a single attack in—

"But it's not enough to challenge me. Try again in your next life."

The boy smiling like a devil unleashed the beetle.

"…!"

This was her last chance.

If she allowed that flame Mushi to safely return to its host, Munechika would probably be erased from this world by fire.

Strike the host before the Mushi returned—

As long as she couldn't do that, Munechika would never survive.

"Fuh…!"

Along with a sharp breath, she threw several drivers from her pouch.

Their sharp edges were pointed at Harukiyo.

However—

"What the heck? You don't feel like using your Mushi yet?"

The beetle cutting through the sky toward Munechika raised an ear-puncturing howl.

Blown by the hot wind, the drivers were melted soundlessly.

Boiling the ground, wrecking the sound barrier, the flame storm stabbed through the road.

Munechika was blown away. She'd stopped the beetle for a second, so a route to Harukiyo opened.

Even if Munechika wanted to use her Mushi she couldn't. It had an ability but couldn't protect itself. If she'd materialized it, it would've been erased by the heat.

"…!"

The moment she jumped into the heat wave, she smelled the unpleasant scent of burning flesh. She already felt no pain.

Yet Munechika believed in her gear.

Starting with the jumpsuit, the scooter she grabbed with her left hand and the hammer in her right hand, these were all creations pounded with her dream and life. They weren't so weak as not to protect their owner from flames that weren't serious.

"—Ooh."

Riding over the heat wave, Harukiyo widened his eyes in admiration.

The beetle corrected its trajectory, falling straight down at Munechika from overhead.

She wasn't going to make it in time—

At this rate she'd be swallowed by the flame Mushi before hitting Harukiyo.

The moment she inferred this, Munechika threw away her pride as a tool maker.

"…Sorry."

She leapt off the scooter.

"I swear I'll revive you."

At the same time a scarab landed on the tip of her hand hammer. The moment before landing on ground, she struck the scooter's motor with her hammer.

A powerful motor sound resounded. Momentarily rebuilding the electric wiring, she made it go berserk.

Losing its driver, the scooter charged toward Harukiyo like a bullet.

Using it for something other than its intended purpose, and even throwing it away—was the thing a tool maker like Munechika hated the most.

Yet she had to use something abnormal to land a hit on this abnormal enemy.

Entrusting herself to this once-in-a-lifetime action, she threw her body to the ground. Munechika rolled on the ground while preserving her momentum.

The scooter suddenly decelerated and Munechika herself decelerated. The beetle miscalculated its attack and stabbed into the asphalt between the two.

"Nice!"

Harukiyo smiled.

For some reason he turned his back to the scooter pursuing him.

The next instant, the boy used a roundhouse kick to blow the metallic vehicle away. —All with superhuman reaction speed and power that were unrelated to his Mushi.

She'd miscalculated the power of Harukiyo himself. He hadn't even gotten his hands out of his pockets.

The surprise attack ended in a failure.

However—

"I'll get your flames."

Passing through the wall of fire created by the beetle, Munechika swung her hammer on Harukiyo.

Still preserving her inertia, Munechika pursued Harukiyo with all her might.

The scarab on top of the swinging hammer shimmered.

"Come at me."

For the first time, the devilishly-smiling Harukiyo took his hands out of his pockets.

Munechika's hammer and Harukiyo's fist connected.

"…Guhh!"

The boy's fist dug deep into her stomach.

Meanwhile, Munechika's hammer—grazed Harukiyo's nose, but ended up not hitting anything.

The beetle melted the asphalt and came flying out of the ground to return toward Harukiyo's back.

"Haaha!"

Harukiyo's calm laughter shook for a second.

"…!"

His footing vanished, causing him to wear an expression of surprise for the first time.

It wasn't just around Harukiyo.

All over the highway the asphalt was being destroyed to pieces.

At the center of the collapse was Munechika. —The hand hammer with the scarab was stabbed into the ground.

Munechika and Harukiyo were both swallowed by the collapsing ground.

"You've aimed for this from the start?!"

Harukiyo's smile changed. Along with surging killer intent, he swung his arm.

The burning beetle howled.

While swallowed by the collapse along with the boy, Munechika removed a cube from her hair.

"Let's keep the jokes only for this stupid ability. Who even likes breaking stuff anyway?"

The highway had much bigger mass than buildings or small machinery. To destroy asphalt that was several meters thick, one needed it to become somewhat lightened—for instance, by tearing holes into it with fire.

Meaning it was her only chance. She had no proof she could survive this.

"It was fun for a mere tool maker."

Harukiyo thrust his flaming right hand at Munechika.

She widened her eyes.

The flames she wanted were finally in front of her.

Flicking the cube with her fingers, she flung it toward the flames assaulting her.

"UOOOOOHHH!!!"

Swinging her hammer, she struck the Gemsteel engulfed by flames.

Her dream.

Her power.

Her pride.

And—the image of heat she'd received from Ichinokuro Arisu.

A flood of emotions was embedded into that single impact.

The Gemsteel was housing a radiance incomparable to before.

"—"

The shining cube overlapped with the smiling devil falling to the ground.

Munechika returned the victorious smile toward the boy.

She was swallowed by the beetle made of flames.

Clang.

Clang.

The sound of pounding metal could be heard.

The sound of forging steel could be heard.

Opening her eyelids, the construction site she was supposed to see from afar was silent again.

The sound that roused Munechika wasn't supposed to be there.

It was sound etched into her from before she was born, the melody played by those entrusting their fates to steel.

"Whoa, you really came back to life. From now on I'll call ya zombie-chan."

The voice she heard the instant after retrieving her consciousness was truly unpleasant.

Several figures wearing white coats peered into Munechika's face as she lay on the ruins. Among them the one she heard the most was Kasuou.

Munechika barely roused her body from the ruins of the asphalt of the highway. Even while she lost her consciousness she never let go of her hammer and a wounded scarab was on top of it.

She felt dizzy and pressed on her head.

"Don't move yet… I've healed your wounds, but you don't have enough blood…"

One of the white coats—a girl who she was pretty sure was called Nene—spoke in a soft voice.

She shook her head and looked around.

There was supposed to be a bridge but it turned to a wasteland. It would take time to restore the place destroyed by Harukiyo and Munechika's battle using Nene's ability.

The sun had already sunk, and the surroundings were dark.

Harukiyo couldn't be seen anywhere.

She didn't think that was enough for that devil. Perhaps he thought Munechika had died and fled, or just let her be since she'd been in no fighting condition.

"It's great how you stayed alive like that, zombie-chan. When we found you, you were burnt to a crisp, so I thought you were dead for sure. Since you're Japanese then surely you didn't pass through heaven's gates but gone through the Sanzu River, right?"

She hadn't seen the Sanzu River, but she did hear an unlikely sound.

Ignoring the excited Kasuou, Munechika stood up.

"Ah… I told you not to…"

Shaking off Nene, she looked around the mountain of rubble.

Munechika's eyes found a pale luster.

Approaching with a staggering gait, she stuck her hand inside the ruins.

What she found was a cube shining in silver.

Gemsteel.

Or more precisely, it was what used to be Gemsteel.

Munechika knew at a glance that what she grabbed was much sturdier than before.

Also—it was warm.

It hadn't absorbed and dispersed Munechika's body warmth. The metal she wanted was in her grasp.

She and the scarab remained alive because they'd converted most of Harukiyo's flames to energy, using their ability to alter the Gemsteel's making.

It contained Munechika's life in the truest sense.

And it would probably contain much more life within it from now on.

"Well, so that's it."

She flicked it—the best metal she had finally obtained—upwards and caught it again.

Digging out her scooter buried under the rubble, she started walking with it on her back.

The other white coats watched Munechika, who had nearly died just now, in shock.

"In order to process it… I need to calculate its ratio with the rod… but before that there's Kakkou's gun…"

Muttering to herself, she went down the mountain of rubble.

West Central Branch member Sakura.

A member of the clan of swordsmiths.

The daughter of a metalworker.

And—a mere tool maker who finished one job.

The silver cube inside the hand of Yoshihara Munechika, the girl who would stay obsessed with metal until the end of the world, kept glowing.

Part 5

In the corner of the plaza in front of the Akamaki City station, a sailor uniform-clad Munechika stood.

Slightly farther away passed a group of four middle schoolers.

In the center was Ichinokuro Arisu, the girl who had inherited a Mushi from her dead friend and had become involved in a strange destiny.

Without noticing Munechika, Arisu passed toward the station.

"…"

Burning the form of the ponytail girl into her eyes, she went to leave the place.

But since one of the four students—a completely normal-looking boy—looked at her, she stopped her legs. The boy told something to Arisu and headed toward her on his own.

"Thanks for your cooperation."

Munechika greeted Kakkou without even a smile. Just like before, he'd told her that Arisu would be passing here today.

"Since I almost died I'd forgotten the size of her body, so I wanted to check it once more just to be sure."

The boy made no response to these words. Putting a hand on his waist, he spoke of another matter entirely.

"The gun you gave me didn't break this time."

"Obviously."

She calmly narrowed her eyes.

"There's no way my tools would break. Test products do break sometimes."

"…Oh well."

With Kakkou's sigh, he cut the conversation.

He'd come to announce to her only about his gun.

Munechika also didn't talk much.

Clang.

Clang.

The sound of striking metal was heard from somewhere.

Even now, some unknown tool maker was creating something.

Munechika was the same.

She did what she should have.

Now she'd return being a mere tool maker, and just spend her days locked up in her workshop.

"Once we finish creating Ichinokuro Arisu's gear in the West Central Branch we'll send it over. Just creating your gun took too much time."

She meant these words as farewell.

Without saying anything, Kakkou turned around and saw Munechika off.

But suddenly thinking of something, she stopped.

"…Is it fine to create that?"

She turned around.

Just before leaving Akamaki City, she recalled the faces of all those involved with the morpho butterfly.

Starting with Hanashiro Mari, it was passed along to Ichinokuro Arisu.

Miguruma Yaeko and the weird bespectacled guy were apprehensive, Kakkou monitored her, Aki viewed her as an enemy, and even the flame devil seemed excited.

A lot of other people, people whom Munechika didn't know, were probably involved in the morpho butterfly's mystery.

So she felt.

And inside all that a tool maker was creating a single ripple.

She couldn't even imagine what effects this would have on the incidents revolving around the morpho butterfly.

"Are you worried?"

Kakkou smiled. Since Munechika was also involved in the troubles created by the morpho butterfly, he looked like he was saying "serves you right".

"Don't be stupid."

She hesitated only for a second.

By the time she turned her back to Kakkou, she'd returned being a mere tool maker.

"I've already had enough. I always knew human troubles were not worth anything."

This time finishing for good, she left Akamaki City.

This was her true will.

The misanthropic  tool maker would only get this much involved.

She'd be gone from the city before Kakkou and the others needed to take care of troubles ahead.

She'd probably never see the morpho butterfly again.

Because she'd been determined so—she'd announced her farewell to its host earlier. Inside her heart.

"The capital's sun's too strong for a mere tool maker…"

She gazed at Akamaki City growing distant from inside the train.

"…"

Munechika's vision passed from the outside scenery to the door.

One of the screws was loose.

She endured it for a while, but finally reached for her pouch.

"Really, what's the maintenance team here doing—"

She took out her driver while muttering.

Several minutes later, the same staff member from a week ago tapped her shoulders.

To be continued…

Afterword

Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei.

So it's summer.

During the time I'm writing this afterword it's already gotten hot. How hotter will it get when they sell this book…? This year's heat wave will probably break records.

Every year, I hang out with my friends in summer.

Continuing from the previous year where I was on an overseas trip, I'm already planning going somewhere this year's summer. Having fun is not limited only to summer, but because I've been to a lot of trips since Bon Festival and New Years I'm not feeling as excited.

In the summer you go wakeboarding and in the winter you go snowboarding, but this is where the problems start. No, rather than start, it's something that should happen.

Due to lack of exercise I lack stamina.

Every time the seasons change and I do exactly the same as the previous year, I come to realize that my stamina decreases. Whatever shall I do?

I have the feeling this year's summer will be life-risking. I can't call it having fun anymore.

To increase my chances of surviving even a bit, I think of doing a bit of exercise.

All of you have fun too and watch out for yourselves.

…Was the afterword a place for the writer to report their recent circumstances?

Since I'm bad at writing sentences without any theme, I will now discuss the book as is usual.

Thanks to the readers, Mushi Uta Bug also reached its 4^th volume.

It's made of three chapters serialized in The Sneaker, as well as a new one.

Talking about this book's stories, we start with "The Tower Imprisoning Dreams".

It's about Daisuke and Ena's date.

Daisuke, who is surprisingly weak against pressure, and Ena, who pressures him. A monitor target and a target of interest.

Rather than directly being friends, there's an indirect, vague sense of distance between the two. Have they changed their outlook about each other a bit by spending time together?

No matter what anyone says, they're a strangely serious ship.

About "The Dream-Carrying Ark".

A Mushitsuki auction made by a secret club.

Twin Mushitsuki, party on a ship, illegal auction—while being involved in these events, one of the secrets about Hanashiro Mari was revealed.

Although there were many Mushitsuki in this story, I believe that the one in the eye of the storm this time is definitely the morpho butterfly. It would suck you in with an intense wind in no time, draw you away, and toss you about without you being powerless to resist.

That is the moment when the victims glance inside the typhoon.

About "The Dream-Protecting Magician".

This was the chapter in The Sneaker's special Mushi Uta feature.

This is the first time the story is presented from the point of view of a third party during the serialization and not an original story.

Arisu experiences the life of a Mushitsuki who wanted to become a magician.

This incident would become the turning point of the series, but its effects would have to wait for the next volume.

About "The Dream-Connecting Warmth".

A new story.

An episode about a misanthropic tool maker sucked in by the morpho butterfly.

I've wanted to write about a Mushitsuki who can create with their ability and about Harukiyo's comrades since a while back. Even I, the writer, was surprised to see them being written in the Bug series.

Even someone working behind the scenes can be strong if they're serious.

And now for thanks.

Since the serialization keeps going, I remain in the care of the editorial department and my supervisor Yamaguchi-san. Thank you for being patient with me despite all the troubles I'm causing to your schedule.

By arranging the special feature, I was also helped a lot by llo-san, who was in charge of illustrations. Thank you very much.

And I am also grateful to you, the readers, from the bottom of my heart.

By continuing the serialization, I have received many of your impressions. I love the postcards included among the questionnaires of The Sneaker. Seeing my characters having fun even not by my hands is fun.

Please keep following the series.

Iwai Kyouhei

Notes

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