Mushi Uta:Volume 6th

Novel Illustrations[edit]

Cover
Color Page 1
Color Page 2
Color Page 3
Color Page 4
Color Page 5
Title
Characters
Contents
Page 19
Page 41
Page 55
Page 73
Page 85
Page 103
Page 115
Page 129
Page 139
Page 167
Page 181
Page 213
Page 257
Page 293

Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams[edit]

“Well then—”

Illuminated by candlelight, the faces of three girls stood out in the darkness.

“Let us begin the 1st Arisu Conference.”

The one to announce this was Ichinokuro Arisu.

She naturally wore a serious expression and even her voice was low as if deathly afraid to shake the light from the candle. Even her usually bouncy ponytail stood still, and perhaps the others would view it unusual that she wore shorts that put more emphasis on mobility.

Clap clap—no, a better onomatopoeia for the dry clapping sounds would probably be more of a tap tap.

“…”

Putting a manjū into her mouth with a sleepy expression was Yomori Neiko. She was supposedly one year older than Arisu, who was a middle school senior, but only her appearance indicated so. She wore clothes that belonged to a so-called punk style consisting of a t-shirt covered in gaudy logos and bondage pants.

There was also a blond girl who was neither serious nor cool, but still slightly anxious about having been invited.

“It’s morning, so what’s up with those candles? Turn on the lights. Use the wonders of civilization. Fuck it, I’ll just do it myself. Damn, I can’t see shit. —Ouch, who the hell left this Japanese doll here, it’s both scary and painful! Now that I look at it, it’s got a strap, is it from the arcade? Who would even try to get this?”

The one kicking up a fuss in solo performance was Mitake Anneliese. The fact that none referred to her by her true name and only by “Kasuou” was probably a form of protest againt her name and looks being so unfittingly elegant.

“Our current agenda is—”

“…”

“I just can’t believe that this thing looks so darn cute! Is it some kinda curse doll? Creepy!”

Neiko still kept clapping her hands while chewing, while Kausou started a staring contest against the doll.

Neither seemed to be listening to Arisu’s talk.

“The agenda of the 1st Arisu Conference is—“

Arisu wore a strained smile and tried repeating herself.

However, the room suddenly became lighter.

The sliding screen closing the room was opened by a pajama-wearing boy.

“Arisu! Are you the one who brought Erii—hey, what’s up with this dark room? Ah! Why’re Kasuou and Nene here too…?”

Coughing hard after saying this was Kusuriya Daisuke, who lived in the same house as Arisu. His face was red and his voice was hoarse.

“Hello, Kakkou-san…”

“Oh, so the story about the strongest Mushitsuki lying in bed with a fever was true, huh. Are you trying to pick up a fight with me because I’d never gotten sick?! Eh?!”

“You’ve been clearly directing that greeting at the manjū, Nene! And don’t reach out to grab me when I didn’t do anything, Kasuou…!”

Arisu’s room was nice and orderly until Daisuke and Kasuou began their scuffle.

The window supposed to let in the morning sun had its rain shutters closed, and the candlelight was gone as well.

Also, her housemate Kusuriya Daisuke, usually so strong, had fallen sick with a high fever.

As well as the several guests.

Only those were different from the usual scenery of the Ichinokuro mansion.

However—no, because of this—Arisu started thinking that it couldn’t go like this any longer.

Still seating in seiza-style alone, she opened her mouth.

“The agenda—”

However, a petite girl appeared then.

Her cute face was supported by a neck too thin even accounting for the fact she was an elementary schooler. She looked like she would be constantly sitting out PE class. Her name was Horiuchi Erii. There were heart symbols on her camisole and hairclips.

“Kakkou-san, you can’t run around like that when you have a fever. Getting excited when people come over is childish.”

“As if I’m excited! Even I normally want to sleep when I’m sick!”

Horiuchi Erii had also been invited by Arisu. However, when she’d heard that Daisuke was sleeping, she said that she wanted to go and nurse him. One couldn’t call their first meeting amiable even as a compliment, but for some reason she became attached to him.

“C-chan… your camisole strap’s falling off your shoulder…”

“Oh, this? I just thought about stripping.”

“Don’t say it so casually! And Kasuou, stop looking at me with that ‘it’s finally time to kill him’ sorta face! There’s no need to strip for any kind of nursing!”

“Someone called Kanakana-san told me that you’d like me stripping…”

“And she tried licking my face!”

“Kororo-san told me that you’d like me to lick you.”

“You were doing it on your own and then you started saying things like ‘s-stop it, Kakkou-san…’ and the like—”

“Nene-san who’s right over there told me you’d really like people doing these sorts of things to you by force.”

“That’s enough already, stop it, I wanna die… I did nothing wrong so why do I have to feel like that? In the first place, it’s you lot who—gfh!”

Kasuou wordlessly swung her fist, burying it in Daisuke’s abdomen. As the boy collapsed languidly, the blond girl lifted his body.

“He’s too noisy so I’m gonna go dump him somewhere.”

As Kasuou said this with an elegant smile, Nene and Erii also approached her. “We need to scribble on his face before that…” and “I can finally change his clothes,” they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

This gentle atmosphere was drowned by a large sound echoing in the room.

Arisu struck the tatami mats with both hands.

Finally, the three girls focused on Arisu.

“Will you finally listen? I’ve gathered you here today because I have something to discuss.”

She looked at Kasuou, Nene—as well as Erii who ignored the fainted Daisuke. She had called all of them here.

A butterfly came fluttering in the room that retrieved its silence.

It was a Morpho butterfly glowing in silver.

It wasn’t a mere insect, but a supernatural being that possessed adolescent boys and girls, feeding on their hosts’ dreams and hopes—called a Mushi, and those who were hosts to Mushi were named Mushitsuki.

However, although the general populace whispered rumors about Mushi, the government’s official stance was that they didn’t exist.

Meanwhile, the country established an organization meant to capture, conceal and research Mushi, called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. They trained the captured Mushitsuki and forced them to capture other unknown Mushitsuki.

Excluding Arisu, all those in the room were SEPB members.

“And the topic is—”

Arisu rose up and asserted.

“The way of finding one of the Original Three who give birth to Mushi… Sanbikime.”

Part 1[edit]

The center of Akamaki City was a business district.

It would be no exaggeration to say that, in addition to all the country’s important agencies gathered there, it also fulfilled a central role in the distribution of traffic and money. The city obviously had entertainment districts and residential areas, but these were far from the town center, so its function as a commuter town was inferior to those like its neighbors Kurobishi City or Higano City.

The further one got from the main station, the less there were shops of the kind middle- or high-schoolers would frequent. At best there were some fast-food places.

Based on all that, Arisu was a bit curious as to how they’d all look to a third party, considering they were currently in the high-class Italian restaurant directly facing the large national highway.

Since she and her classmates went to Horusu Seijou Academy, school to sons and daughters of the wealthy, she’d been to similar restaurants before, but she’d never entered a place where the only view was the dreary scenery of government offices. Since she avoided the inside of the restaurant and sat in the open terrace, she’d probably not be too conspicuous.

“Come to think of it.”

Since they couldn’t calmly discuss anything with Daisuke back at home, they decided to turn their meeting into a lunch out of town. The choice of restaurant was due to a request of eating expensive foods.

When the one to have requested this, Kasuou, finished eating her third plate of pasta, she pointed at Erii.

“Who’s this brat?”

“You only just noticed?!”

Excluding the blond girl, the other three’s voices intersected.

“Haven’t we introduced her? This is Horiuchi Erii-chan, 10 years old. She’s our new comrade.”

“No, I’m rather amazed at Nene finding this explanation satisfactory… I thought for sure she was some sorta relative of yours. Well, I did understand she’s a Mushitsuki, based on her scent.”

“Is that one of your abilities, Kasuou-san, the berserker that is still unranked?”

“You really looking for a fight so soon? Okay, little bitch, which do you prefer, rock or paper?”

“Stop it… I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that…”

“Thank you very much for covering for me, Nene-san, also an unranked person who’s called a scarecrow that does nothing but hum songs and bob her head during missions.”

“…Which do you prefer, rock or paper…?”

“I have been given the codename of C. I am but a mere novice who just finished her training, so I appreciate your support. Incidentally, I belong to the intelligence department and my Rank is 5.”

Erii bowed her head.

“A Rank 5 so fast…?” Kasuou mumbled with a complex expression.

“That’s amazing, Erii. You were able to properly greet them. You speak much more politely now.”

“Nothin’ proper about it. She’s looking down on us. You’re acting funny as well…”

As Arisu patted Erii’s head while smiling, the younger girl’s shoulders shook. Her eyes looking up at Arisu turned dull.

“Yes, my great Teacher has kindly taught me everything. Whenever I got cheeky, she’d hit me with her hockey stick until I cried.”

“…Eh?”

“She didn’t stop even when I started crying. But Teacher is the best. Teacher’s strong. Teacher’s amazing. Teacher’s pretty.”

“Erii? Get a hold of yourself, Erii!”

“Oh, so she’s a teacher now… raincoat phobia’s popular in Central Headquarters because of that woman.”

“Raincoats are scary… so scary…”

For some reason even Neiko held her head and started shaking.

She didn’t know the circumstances of the SEPB, but apparently there were some scary instructors there.

To get the frightened Erii and Neiko to regain their senses, Arisu decided to forcibly bring the conversation back on track.

“S-so, have you all finished eating? Now, let us start the conference.”

Saying this, Arisu looked up at the Morpho butterfly dancing overhead.

“If we want to learn more about Mari, we need to meet up with Sanbikime, who supposedly knew her. I want you all to cooperate with me to that end.”

Hanashiro Mari.

That Mushitsuki girl was the reason Arisu had become involved with Mushi, Mushitsuki and the SEPB in the first place.

Her silver Morpho butterfly used to be Mari’s Mushi. However, ever since Mari passed away from an illness, the Mushi started clinging to Mari’s best friend, Arisu.

Mushi will terminate following the death of their host—the Morpho butterfly was an irregular existence that overturned this accepted premise, and furthermore it gave its power to Ichinokuro Arisu.

Arisu had been found by the SEPB after a certain incident, and although she hadn’t been captured, a monitor called Kusuriya Daisuke had been sent to her side.

“No, but why now, though? None of us know anything more about the Original Three that the Rank 1 Kakkou doesn’t.”

The “Kakkou” that Kasuou mentioned was the codename of Kusuriya Daisuke.

“Because now we have Erii-chan who’s good with information gathering as our ally, obviously. Also, we managed to get this.”

Smiling, Arisu put her silver rod on the table.

According to Daisuke, that stick, which was about as long as a folding umbrella, was a weapon created exclusively for Arisu’s use. A small pattern was densely etched on its surface, but it was barely visible.

“It’s amazing. I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s kinda like I’ve been given a powerup? I can also use something like the Morpho butterfly’s new ability. I still don’t really understand it… but it’s perfect for any situation.”

“Didn’t ask about any of that. What I’m asking is why you chose a time when Kakkou’s gone to gather all of us.”

Arisu was at a loss for words.

She didn’t intend to lie.

The fact that Daisuke got sick right after she gained Erii as an ally and got a powerful weapon was a mere coincidence.

However, it was true that she called Kasuou and the rest without waiting for the boy to recover.

Even she herself didn’t really understand why.

But if there had to be a single reason…

Pouting, Arisu averted her sight.

“I mean… whenever I talk about Sanbikime, Daisuke looks like he’s hiding something.”

“Ha! You really get along well. Is that guy’s your friend? Lover? Or just a monitor. Are you just sulking ‘cause he’s hiding a little something?”

“How childish. Based on past mission completion rates, pulling Kakkou-san out would cause a dramatic decrease in the success rate of any mission. I can’t help but feel that adding Kasuou-san and Nene-san to our plan means we’ll never clear our goal.”

“…I see now, so us being here is actually a minus… you bitch…!”

“A-anyway! I don’t think it’s a waste to continue our investigation as far as we can while Daisuke’s not with us! If we manage to find out something that even he didn’t know about, wouldn’t we be able to lord it over him?”

These words of desperation were surprisingly effective. The faces of the three SEPB members instantly twitched.

The first to show her enthusiasm was Erii. She pulled out something from the bag hanging from her chair.

“I should take over it, then. Since I am a Rank 5 within the intelligence department, I can get the most information.”

“What’s that? A game console?”

“…A modded one, yes. I can also use it for wired hacking, but since it’s on wireless mode right now, it’s simply a memory device. Oh, you can play games on it too, obviously. The processing power and resolution are especially high, so it really is amazing… hey, Kasuou just called me an otaku! I’m not an otaku!”

“Leaving aside the immature, please continue, Erii…”

Glaring at the blond girl, Erii continued.

“To cut a long story short, I was only able to obtain normal information about the Original Three. All things that people like the SEPB, the organization thought to be led by the Mushitsuki called Rina or Harukiyo and his comrades would know.”

In brief, Erii paused.

“Oogui, who gives birth to Minion-Type Mushi, looks like an adult human woman and turns people who answer a certain question of hers to Mushitsuki. Also, Shinpu, who gives birth to Special-Type Mushitsuki, looks like an old man wearing a robe and turns into Mushitsuki people who wish for power inside the space cut off from the real world, his Church. …All of us know about Shinpu from firsthand experience, huh.”

Excluding Arisu, the other three were all Special-Type Mushitsuki. The blond girl snorted while folding her arms and the tall girl did not move a muscle.

“By being in the intelligence department, I’ve obtained more detailed data. Though only records about certain places and times they have appeared at. All of those were random, so it was already calculated that they have no regular patterns.”

“What about Sanbikime?”

As Arisu breached the main topic, Erii wore an austere face unlike that of a girl her age.

“Sanbikime, who gives birth to Fusion-Type Mushitsuki… I can only say they are a complete mystery. Their appearance, abilities, and how they turn people to Mushitsuki… we know nothing about any of those. I believe you’ve asked Daisuke about it, but even those turned Mushitsuki by Sanbikime don’t know who made them so.”

Arisu bit her lips.

Was it obvious or just as she expected? Erii’s explanation was a repeat of the exact same thing Daisuke had told her before.

“For a Rank 5 like me, this is the limit of what I can find out. Obviously there are secrets and we have to believe what information there is… but—”

Erii raised her tone. Arisu who was about to cast her gaze down raised her head.

“Since I became an SEPB member, I was able to invade just a little bit into a deep place in the database from the inside. This is information even the Rank 1 Kakkou cannot access… limited only to Branch Director Assistant level and above.”

“…?”

“The SEPB has come in contact with Sanbikime in the past.”

Arisu gulped. Although even Neiko widened her eyes for a change, for some reason Kasuou alone stayed meek.

“I do not know the particulars or the result, but I had been able to find that they prioritized Sanbikime’s annihilation. The reason for that being, they have invested in conventional weaponry—meaning, weapons on a national scale. Obviously, the SEPB also dispatched a few members on the operation, and the participating members and a keyword that seems to be the place’s name remained in the database.”

Erii gazed at Kasuou.

“Kasuou-san—you were also there, right? In the Sanbikime Annihilation Operation at Aoharima Island.”

“…!”

An unexpected name came out. Arisu turned to look at the blond girl.

“…There was nothing for me to do there. I’ve been thrown into a team made of strong combatants, but when we arrived at the battlefield it was already a sea of flames. Never mind me not even meeting Sanbikime, I saw nothing but that annoying scenery.”

“Why haven’t you said anything about that, Kasuou!”

“You moron! I’m not gonna spill top-secret shit like that!”

“It’s quite unlike you to follow your orders!”

“How naughty do you think I am, exactly! Well, maybe I’ll tell you though! Following orders is definitely unlike me! It’s true that I had no idea what happened—but that guy was probably at the battlefield as well!”

“That guy?”

“Harukiyo.”

As Arisu widened her eyes, Kasuou spoke with a bored expression.

“I remember seeing his flames. Most likely—he fought there. Against everyone there, including the SEPB.”

“What does that mean…?”

“Beats me. I wasn’t able to see our target with all those flames. Just had a feeling they fought.”

Impossible. —Arisu wanted to say this, but Harukiyo was indeed a person who went far beyond anyone’s imagination.

“But if that’s true—”

Arisu unconsciously clenched her fists.

“Then Harukiyo definitely knows about Sanbikime! Then we just need to ask him…!”

She turned an enthusiastic glance at Erii. She wanted to recruit someone excelling in information gathering because she thought to make contact with Harukiyo, should Sanbikime prove impossible to find.

Erii responded to Arisu’s expectations with a smile.

“Yes, unlike the Original Three, Harukiyo stands out in many ways. I managed to find some clues about his whereabouts.”

“Amazing! I knew you could do it! Unlike that delinquent Mushitsuki!”

“If you’re talking about me I’ll fucking kill you!”

“But before that—since I myself hadn’t been involved in an incident connected to Hanashiro Mari, I investigated her… and there was a certain question I couldn’t help but ask myself.”

As Erii played with her game console, she suddenly wore a serious face. Arisu tilted her head.

“Was Hanashiro Mari… really a Mushitsuki?”

“…Eh?”

Arisu let out a stupid-sounding voice without thinking.

She never thought that something so basic would be questioned at this stage.

“Y-yeah. Mari said she was leaving her dream to me, and after her passing, the Morpho butterfly…”

“I can only say it is quire daring to assume she was a Mushitsuki just based on this. Normally it would just seem like you became a Mushitsuki after your friend’s death, Arisu.”

“B-but!”

“Yes, you have moved so far based on only those weak premises. And the exchange of personality brought forth by Kororo’s past reading ability—the fact that Hanashiro Mari’s personality came to the surface serves as a little evidence.”

“I-is that so? It really was hard for me. But even so, why would you—”

“—Or at least it seemed that way.”

Arisu froze again.

Erii continued calmly.

“Hanashiro Mari was thirteen years old at death. After enrolling in the middle school department of Horusu Seijou Academy, she never attended even a single day. The electronic medical records of her hospital do have some simple data in them. —But that’s it.”

“That’s it…?”

“Yes, that is everything. The end. Only that. The only testimony about her came from her attending physician, who said she was a ‘poor girl’, a very mundane testimony. Her family made no comment whatsoever. There aren’t even any eyewitness testimonies among her classmates.”

“…”

“About the person known as Hunter, data about her remained in the SEPB. A user of a silver lance who is the host of the Morpho butterfly… I was able to confirm that she fought several times in the past.”

“Eh…?”

“…Then the SEPB has no data about Hanashiro Mari…?”

Neiko turned to look at Arisu with a puzzled expression.

“E-err, I’ve had Daisuke investigate—”

“There’s nothing about Hanashiro Mari. —Both you and Kakkou-san have apparently acted under mistaken premises. The SEPB has not yet determined that the equation of Hanashiro Mari = Hunter is true. Therefore, the data pertaining to Hanashiro Mari is not included in Hunter’s.”

Arisu was speechless. It was just like Erii said.

“Do you understand? This means that we have too few information to pinpoint Hanashiro Mari. —Being blunt, it’s abnormal. Although it’s in the records, it’s not in any memories. …Honestly speaking, the records are so amateurish that I could edit them right from here.”

Next to the speechless Arisu, Kasuou grimaced.

“What’re you trying to say then, brat? You’ve been speaking in circles.”

“I apologize if my way of speaking was not to your liking. But this is the result of me investigating all those cases as a third party. As a representative of this third party, I would like to say the following…”

Erii bit her lower lips. As expected she was hesitant, and seemed to be resolved as she posed the next question.

“Did the person called Hanashiro Mari… actually exist?”

“…Eh…?”

A high voice leaked from the depths of Arisu’s throat. She couldn’t speak properly due to this unexpected question.

Erii kept talking without pause.

“After all… Arisu-san, you are the only one to ‘remember’ Hanashiro Mari. And if we consider that Hunter might not be Mari… the hypothesis of you having been Hunter in the first place is also possible. Actually, that sounds more convincing.”

“Then what about Kororo’s past reading? She saw Hanashiro Mari talking with someone who seemed to be Sanbikime as well as Hunter, right?”

“There’s the possibility that Kororo is lying. —Perhaps she simply saw a person who was with Arisu-san, or Arisu-san as Hunter.”

“Then what about Hanashiro Mari’s personality that appears when Arisu-chan’s fighting…?”

“She is only acting. Perhaps a multiple personality disorder.”

“Brats nowadays are really distrustful, huh? You think everything’s a lie?”

“I’m just saying that disguise is not impossible. Normally you wouldn’t doubt the existence of a person… But you can in Hanashiro Mari-san’s case! —And another thing!”

She was probably growing irritated at being attacked so intensively. Erii spoke further.

“To me, being possessed by another person’s Mushi… sounds much more like a lie.”

No one could say anything in response.

Kasuou and Neiko’s gazes would obviously pass to Arisu soon.

Perhaps they were waiting for Arisu to insist on Mari’s existence—or they might have gotten suspicious of her as well.

But Arisu couldn’t answer.

Her hand left on the table was slightly shaking.

“You’re saying… that Mari never existed?”

She felt a chill as she wrung out a hoarse voice.

She was scared.

And the scariest thing of all—when she was told that Mari might not have existed, Arisu frantically pursued her memories.

She was there. Without a doubt, her friend lived there.

However, the only one who thought about the girl called Hanashiro Mari right now was Arisu and Arisu alone.

If no one agreed with her, would Arisu be able to assert that her friend actually existed until the very end?

Oh, right—

She recalled.

There was one time when the Morpho butterfly Mari had left her became angry at her. The time when Arisu tried forgetting about Mari—

She had certainly been alive, but how much did she fear being forgotten?

If she hadn’t existed from the very beginning, if she hadn’t remained in anyone’s memory—would she feel unimaginable despair?

“I have no intention of trying to dispel your theories. I have tried thinking from the supposition she’d existed, but… then the question becomes whether or not Hanashiro Mari had left you her Mushi on purpose.”

As if unable to withstand the silence she herself had created, Erii spoke bitterly.

“It must have been an extraordinarily cruel decision for her. If she hadn’t left you her Mushi, she would die while only leaving you the memories of her as her friend… however.”

“…”

“By leaving you the Mushi and taking over you, perhaps she could continue to live. —But if the personality of her friend Arisu vanished, the one and only ‘memory’ of Mari having lived would vanish from the world as well. And then Hanashiro Mari would be living as Arisu… that would mean that the person called Hanashiro Mari would end up ‘not existing’ in the fullest sense.”

Erii looked up at the Morpho butterfly.

“Just like the temptation of the angel and devil. Should she die as Hanashiro Mari or keep living as another person… Thinking that there was a Mushitsuki who had to make this choice is too sad. So it’s better for this to have been all your acting. I mean—if she actually existed, the fact that the Morpho butterfly is right here now… means that what Hanashiro Mari chose before her death was…”

“…Stop it already.”

The three girls’ gazes focused on Arisu.

“I’ve already imagined all sorts of things over and over again. But I’ve just decided to keep moving.”

She only had Arisu.

Only Arisu could remember Mari.

Was that—truly so?

“Mari definitely lived. That’s why, in addition to proving that, I have to find why Mari left me her Mushi. —For that, I need to meet up with someone who remembered Mari other than me.”

“And that’s supposed to be Sanbikime?”

Erii asked and Arisu nodded.

“I don’t care what you think about Mari now. But I have to meet Sanbikime. —Will you help me, Erii?”

Erii smiled. Perhaps she had been trying to test Arisu.

“If we believe Kororo’s past reading… Hanashiro Mari had referred to Sanbikime as ‘Sensei’.”

“But the doctor at that hospital—”

“Yes, all the doctors are normal people. The SEPB also investigated them. They gathered every single evidence starting from birth, their entire histories. Right, not only Sensei, but even the other nurses and interns.”

Erii continued.

“These are all the clues about Sanbikime we can get from Hanashiro Mari. You should remember the keyword of ‘Sensei’, though. —That’s why, just like I thought…”

“We need Harukiyo, yeah.”

Arisu said clearly.

They still haven’t run out of clues related to Mari. The single thread was thin and unreliably vague, but Arisu would use her full powers to try and grasp it.

“Err—I think that’s the only possible way.”

Putting her console back in the bag, the small elementary schooler left her seat.

“Let us go and ask Harukiyo.”

Part 2[edit]

They were taken by Erii in front of a strange building in the suburbs.

It could probably be called a national art gallery. The premises were made of several cube-shaped buildings placed haphazardly, and in the center there was a half-dome shaped art object towering over the rest. A pathway made of bricks on the lawn led to a gate, allowing anyone to enter.

The plate stuck to the large gate was small. The words “Akasegawa Group Private Library” were engraved on the golden plate.

“Private Library…?”

Standing in front of the modern building, Arisu tilted her head. She thought that libraries were supposed to be public facilities, so she couldn’t help but feel it was strange for it to be private property.

“Is Harukiyo here?”

Kasuou and Neiko turned doubtful gazes toward Erii.

“I have no idea.”

“Huh? Huh? Is my memory fucked up? Didn’t you say just now we’re going to meet Harukiyo, you little bitch?”

“This place is, most likely—the center of the network that includes Harukiyo.”

“What does that mean?”

“Recently, the SEPB has managed to capture a few of Harukiyo’s comrades. The equipment thief called Robber, or the one who’s guarding the West Central Branch—they’d been made into a Fallen by the new recruit we call Guillotine, but anyway… the captured people’s possessions were investigated.”

She spoke quite calmly of robbers and guillotines with that cute face of hers. Both were unfamiliar names for Arisu.

“Although they had different cellphones or communication devices, there were traces that these all transmitted some kind of data in fixed intervals. They skillfully covered the route, but as far as I was able to investigate, they were all sending their data to the same server. And the location of that server is, most likely… this library.”

“I don’t really understand it, but… does that mean this is Harukiyo’s base?”

“Their information base, yes. However, I don’t know if he and his comrades actually gather here.”

“…But C-chan, if you were able to investigate this… then the SEPB probably already did as well…”

Erii puffed her cheeks at Neiko’s words.

“Even if a new recruit told them ‘I found Harukiyo’s network’ no one would believe her. If it was my excellent seniors from the intelligence department, they would find out it’s right? …After about a year.”

“You have it tough as well, huh…”

Petting Erii’s head as she walked ahead, they arrived at the entrance to the building.

The automatic door opened and a spacious lounge appeared. Between the spotless floor and tall ceiling, they could see sofas and chairs and a stage the library lay upon.

Between the lounge and entrance were machines that resembled ticket gates often seen in train stations. There was a slot for cards and a passage blocked by metal rods.

“Here on is enemy territory. Do not lower your guards.”

Even while Erii wore an austere expression, she put some money into the ticket-purchasing machine nearby.

“You call it enemy territory… but it doesn’t look like it at all.”

Lining up for the machine, Kasuou mumbled.

Arisu felt the same.

Their group was not the only people inside. Students that looked like they came there for self-study, the elderly who came to meet on the sofas, and others all created a tranquil atmosphere.

“Say, Erii…”

“W-what is it! Everyone’s looking at me with those eyes… I’m serious! This is definitely the place!”

Watching the girl insisting on this with lukewarm eyes, Arisu and the rest passed through the ticket gates and into the building.

Even when they stepped inside nothing happened. If some enemies came to attack them it would make things easier.

Anyhow, Arisu peeked around the library.

“I wonder where this… server, was it? Is supposed to be.”

“All you ladies in charge of manual labor, can’t you just run around the building and look for it?”

Erii was definitely sulking.

“W-we’d better find someone in charge around here. If they feel guilty about something here, their reaction would probably show it.”

Arisu’s idea was accepted. They went through the corridor in the library divided into blocks and began looking around.

It didn’t take long to feel something was wrong.

“Found it?”

“…No…”

“Nope.”

“There’s no one.”

After they split to march around different areas, Arisu and the rest met in the lounge again.

“There’s no staff…?”

They couldn’t see anyone who seemed like they were working in the library. Not a single one.

It didn’t seem that this private library had any lending system. Although there were many shelves, all of them were for browsing only. Apparently they could pass through different areas through the ticket gates in every block by purchasing different types of cards at the entrance.

“Never mind whether Harukiyo is here or not… I never even considered there’d be no one other than guests.”

“Right, it’s too much of a bother so let’s go home.”

“What are you doing, Nene-san?”

Neiko wordlessly operated the floor map. Apparently the stage had an LCD touch screen with library search functions.

“Since we’re here… I thought of investigating some things… like Harukiyo, the Original Three, or Aoharima Island…”

“…Umm, Nene-san. None of those would be published in a civilian information storage. Even the name of Aoharima Island had been almost completely scrubbed clean from records. You see, the SEPB has a Mushitsuki with an ability of information lookup and computer worms—”

“Looks like they have it, though…”

“Anything infected by that worm is as good as destroyed—eh?”

Not only Erii raised a voice of surprise. Arisu and Kasuou also leaned forward and peeked at the panel.

The keyword “Harukiyo”.

The result was, “3 collections were found. Please follow the staff’s guidance”.

Right—that was written there.

“There is? Really? And three?”

“N-no, it’s definitely just something different… like an energy drink or something.”

“Sounds like a nasty fucking drink. Try the others too.”

Neiko input the words “Original Three”.

Just like before, the information that 20 collections were found, et cetera, was displayed.

“So many! Neiko-san, try Aoharima Island?”

87 collections et cetera et cetera.

Naturally, all eyes focused on Erii.

“D-don’t look at me like that! T-this is definitely strange! I wasn’t lying! —Nene-san, what did you press just now?”

“There was this button that said ‘call’, so I tried it…”

“W-what’s going to come out?”

“Idiot, since this is a library, then obviously—”

They heard sharp footsteps.

Responding to the sound, Arisu and the rest looked toward the stairs leading to the 2nd floor.

“Please be silent while in the library.”

Speaking in a calm yet assertive tone was a slim girl.

She wore thin, elliptical glasses and had black hair cut short—no, behind her head were two long braids that hanged all the way down to her waist. As she carried a book under her arm and wore a dress reaching all the way to her feet, she almost looked like a nun carrying her bible. She was pretty, but quite young to be a worker here. She was probably around Neiko’s age.

“So you’re the ones who searched for these collections. Please, follow me. I will show you to the archive.”

Speaking gentle-mannered, the girl unnaturally raised one corner of her lips.

“Nihi.”

Arisu noticed that this was a laughter—only after several moments of being glued in place.

Part 3[edit]

Being led through the corridor, the girl who seemed to be the library’s staff mumbled to herself.

“So many cute girls around me… Nihi.”

For some reason a chill ran through Arisu’s back. Perhaps the AC was too effective.

“Umm… are you employed here?”

“You can just call me the Librarian. Well, I’m doing this part-time, though.”

Turning back, the Librarian spoke calmly.

“…Haa.”

As Arisu turned to look at the others, Kasuou and the rest began gesturing with their mouth and hands. Trying to decipher them, they were apparently frantically trying to convey: “She’s definitely not normal,” “She doesn’t look like a librarian…” “I feel sick.”

She felt pretty much the same. They only just met, but the girl who introduced herself as the Librarian produced a peculiar atmosphere.

“If they were pretty boys… then it’d be a staple to make the leader and the blond one a couple, nihi.”

“…”

The place they were taken to by the girl who kept mumbling was a block without any nameplate at all.

Opening the door, they stepped inside.

It was a very large archive. Just like the name indicated, as if it was a warehouse of books, the orderly shelves were arranged in countless collections.

Arisu now realized why she felt so discomforted.

These thousands upon thousands of books all had the exact same binding. Books of the exact same color, size and shape were all lined here—

After manipulating some sort of device near the entrance, the Librarian handed the card that came out of it to Arisu.

“These are the numbers and titles of the publications from your inquiry. The shelves also have these numbers, but if there’s something you need help with, please call me.”

When passing the card, Arisu’s fingertips brushed against the Librarian’s.

“…Nihi.”

Was there anything as disgusting as that beauty’s broken smile? Leaving behind Arisu feeling extremely chilly, the Librarian turned toward the reception desk and sat on a chair.

Arisu and the rest instantly formed a ring.

“L-let’s open the 2nd Arisu Conference! W-what’s up with her? Is she Harukiyo’s comrade? Right, that’s why she’s so creepy!”

“We have two choices. Searching this archive or questioning her… what’s up with this title? ‘Harukiyo in the Nick of Time’, this is definitely a joke, right? It makes me want to find it and tear it.”

“If you’re gonna question her, you do it. I don’t wanna talk at all. I definitely ain’t interacting with her at all.”

“She’s talking about something to herself again…”

When Arisu and the rest glanced toward the desk, the Librarian seemed to be scribbling something. While writing, she mumbled to herself.

“The child’s either the character that makes you want to protect her or the coquettish one. …Shuddup, don’t interrupt me, I’m finally writing my masterpiece. …Ha? Why’d you have to meddle even in my hobby—yup, I’m definitely using that part. Eh? I don’t want to, I’m only a supervisor. A guard? What are you talking about, shut up for a bit. Don’t push me, I’ll crush you with my foot.”

She kept mumbling at length.

“Why has it turned out like that? I’m an indoor type and bad with fighting, I want to be a shut-in. …Nihi. —Wait, you have to tell me the rest of that story. What? I obviously know. Because what if they’re saying it? Because I don’t want to?”

At that point she finally noticed the gazes from Arisu’s group. She gasped and returned being expressionless.

“Oh, do you need the stepladder?”

“…”

“We have a wheeled one there, so please try it. Don’t forget to lock it while you climb…”

She gave this explanation calmly and businesslike as if nothing happened.

If possible, Arisu didn’t want to dig any deeper than that, but she just had to ask.

“Do you… know Harukiyo?”

The Librarian blatantly scowled.

“Are you possibly… Harukiyo’s comrade?”

Although she was puzzled at being shown an unpleasant expression far beyond what she imagined, Arisu asked again.

The bespectacled girl made a big, big sigh. “…I know,” she mumbled to someone, staying calm as she raised her face.

“Who would be that pervert’s—ouch. …Yes, I am certainly acquainted with him.”

Although she acted quite suspiciously, it was a surprise she was so frank about it.

Even so, they knew that Harukiyo’s comrades would be inside the library. Arisu and the rest were cautious against the bespectacled girl.

“We’ve heard that this is the base of Harukiyo’s comrades, but is that true?”

“Well… right. If you’re talking about the network that a few Mushitsuki including Harukiyo are using, then it is supplied here. However, since I have only dabbled in knowledge about digital systems—apparently the SEPB has already found us.”

As she glanced at Erii, the Librarian laughed with a Nihi. Erii’s shoulders twitched.

She apparently already knew that Erii was an SEPB member.

However, she made no move.

Having their questions answered so readily was convenient, but at the same time ominous.

“However, it would be really great if you abstain from using that designation of ‘Harukiyo’s comrades’.”

“…?”

“I’ll give you an example that’s easy to understand. The SEPB found a strong Mushitsuki. So powerful that they have no need to gather allies or hide. So the SEPB said, ‘you’re Harukiyo’s comrade, then’. And the Mushitsuki thought, ‘who’s Harukiyo? I’ll try looking for him’—several Mushitsuki in my network are like that.”

Suddenly hearing this tale, Arisu raised an eyebrow.

“We are simply using one another for our own goals, boasting about our own interests, and playing with each other. Simply, the one who’s the strongest and stands out the most is Harukiyo.”

Nihi, laughed the Librarian.

“’Harukiyo’s comrades’—do not forget that if anyone created the gathering of Mushitsuki called like that, it is only because the SEPB believes it to be so.”

“So you’re not actually Harukiyo’s comrades…?”

“We can be, depending on the time and place. —Incidentally, in exchange for me supplying this network, I receive information about happenings that weren’t exposed yet or possibly in the process of being deleted. You could say that I protect and manage the so-called ‘informational endangered species’.”

Saying this, the Librarian looked around the dreary shelves.

“Books are nice. Their feel, their smell, and above all the emotions they contain. If I manage them properly, nothing is ever lost or stolen. Please read books. You may peruse them at your pleasure. Yes, especially children like you.”

Being glanced at again, Erii turned sullen. Perhaps annoyed by being treated like a child, she spoke back.

“This is the digital age. As long as we have digital information, there’s no need for any analog mediums.”

“Nihi. …I have no intention to turn this to a competition. It is simply that digital information is too pure. Since it lacks feelings, making errors is easy. —Do not forget that those of us who govern over information are always challenged by those. If you read anything wrong… it all becomes distorted.”

“…”

“Even if you don’t understand this now, maybe in one or two years… you will notice it one day. It’s a waste for pretty girls to be corrupted, nihi.”

Wearing a creepy smile, the Librarian put on white gloves. She closed the notebook she was writing something in, mumbled well then and raised up a book.

“You’re the SEPB’s underlings and I’m ‘Harukiyo’s comrade’. —Oh no, you’re going to capture me, I’m so scared!”

“Eh?”

The Librarian suddenly began speaking in monotone as if quoting something.

“Nooo, I have nowhere to run to. —Where shall I go next? Perhaps a secondhand bookshop? Or thinking about it differently, maybe a large bookstore would be good—oh no, but before all that, I have to defeat the enemy right before my eyes.”

“W-wait a minute…! We don’t want to fi—“

“But fighting all of you at the same time would be too bothersome. Right, then I shall slaughter you one by one.”

The Librarian said this casually and opened the book in her hands.

“…!”

Then, the line of shelves nearby began moving extremely fast as if slipping on the floor.

As Arisu turned around in surprise, even Kasuou and the rest were moving away in incredible speed. They reached out toward Arisu while shouting something, but soon she could no longer hear them.

It wasn’t only the shelves. Even the machine the Librarian took a card out of and the reception desk were slipping away.

“Eh—“

The wall vanished, the ceiling vanished, even the floor vanished. Her footing uncertain, Arisu was assaulted by a sharp sense of falling.

“Eek—”

Something bumped against her head as she started raising a shriek. She reflexively raised her head, seeing that countless books were falling from above. Old books were dropping like a rain or hail.

A quantity of books enough to fully cover her vision went past the falling Arisu, piling under her feet—

“Welcome to my Library Room.”

When she came back to, Arisu was standing on a carpet made of books.

Kasuou and the rest who were supposed to be right next her were already gone without a trace. On the sea of books there was only Arisu—as well as the Librarian.

“Is this your first time in an expanded domain? Well, if we leave aside one of the Original Three, Shinpu, not many can do this.”

Pulling it out from somewhere, the Librarian was holding a wooden chair.

“Well, I believe that I’m so-so, but apparently there’s also a monster who can use an entire building as his domain even without any medium, you know? It really looks like you’re not used to fighting powerful Mushitsuki.”

The Librarian spoke as if they were simply discussing the weather. Putting her chair on the sea of books, she sat down.

“Now then—”

Elegantly opening the book on her lap, she brought out a feathered pen.

“Let us do battle. Don’t let your attention wander or you’ll die.”

The pen started dancing inside the book.

The next moment—there was a noise and tremor.

Looking toward that noise, Arisu widened her eyes.

Although it was supposed to be a sea of books, for some reason it became a large quantity of water and waves, pursuing her.

The tsunami wave pressed closer to Arisu.

“Wha—”

Something hit the frozen Arisu on the head.

It was the silver Morpho butterfly. Letting out a blinding light, it was restlessly dancing overhead.

Arisu gasped and brought out her silver rod.

“I see, so that’s… the weapon created by the tool maker that Robber had been stalking, right?”

She didn’t have the leisure to listen to the Librarian’s mumbles.

The Morpho butterfly landed on the rod that became many times longer while in her hand.

The butterfly’s body explosively transformed into tentacles that stabbed into the rod as it fused with it. The delicate pattern etched onto the surface glowed and the entire rod emitted phosphorescence.

“Why you…!”

Feeling impatient at the silver spear not forming fast enough, she swung the rod toward the incoming wave.

A moment of silence.

And—scales glowing in silver blew a storm.

The colossal wave was torn into half, passing on both sides of Arisu loudly.

“Listen to me! I don’t want to fight you! I just want to find out where Harukiyo is—”

With water dripping from her hair, Arisu turned to face the Librarian.

However, staring back at her was a revolver handgun emitting a cold light.

“’Then, while I felt the revolver’s hard sensation in my hand, I pulled the trigger’.”

As the Librarian mumbled to herself and let the pen run on the page, in her other hand she held a gun.

Gunfire echoed.

The Morpho butterfly’s spear spouted silver scales. The wall of scales repelled the bullet before Arisu was hit.

“’The revolver did not work. I switched to a machinegun’.”

The gun vanished from the bespectacled girl’s hands, and instead she now had a machinegun.

“I’m telling you to listen to me!”

Shouting this, Arisu swung the spear toward the Librarian’s legs.

“’The spear-user’s attack avoided me’.”

The storm of scales changed directions before reaching the Librarian, stabbing into the wrong direction. The books piled at their feet were blown away and paper scraps spread around.

As if in revenge, machinegun bullets came raining down on Arisu. The silver scales repelled each and every single one of those.

“Since we’re surrounded by so much of my Mushi’s medium—books—I can create this isolated space, but… whatever I write in here becomes reality. However, I can’t directly affect my opponent’s state. To put it bluntly, this is a battle of speed between my shorthand writing and your attacks.”

While shooting bullets, the Librarian spoke in a businesslike tone.

“If you are able to attack me or the book I’m holding, you will win.”

“Stop it already! How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t—”

“You don’t. But I do. I believe that is all that matters. Have you never fought against someone you can’t speak with?”

The Librarian tilted her head, puzzled.

“Or did you perhaps think that you could talk it out with any opponent? How strange, after all you’re looking for Harukiyo… and he’s a guy that cannot be reasoned with, much more than me.”

“…!”

Seeing Arisu clench her jaw, the girl sitting in the chair laughed with a Nihi.

“Or perhaps I should make the following promise. —If you beat me, I’ll tell you where Harukiyo is.”

“…Got it.”

“Nihi. Nihi. —Those pure enough to believe what their enemy tells them are the best. So now I’ll really keep my promise.”

“…”

“To be honest, I’m bad at fighting. —Because once I start writing I can’t stop. Please do your best to not die.”

“Fine. I’ll… do it…”

It happened as she resolved herself and tried rushing at the Librarian.

Feeling something at her back, she turned.

Appearing there was a monster with a body several times larger than Arisu. Its green body sprouted two abnormally long arms, there was a horn on its head and its mouth was lined with sinister-looking fangs.

“Writing imaginary beings takes some time… but it helped me that I could buy that time while we were talking. Yup, not bad at all. How should I make the second one?”

She barely dodged the monster’s swung fist by leaping to the side. The impact of hitting the floor caused many books to leap to the air.

“W-what’s up with this…!”

Even while being shaken, she managed to land safely.

She would have never expected that she’d end up fighting a real monster at any point in her life.

Dodging the monster’s repeated attacks, she managed a counterattack with her spear and sliced off one of its arms.

However, meanwhile another strange-looking monster was born.

By the time she bisected the one-armed monster, yet another one was birthed.

By the time she defeated one, two monsters were created—while continuing this cycle, it started taking everything she had just to dodge attacks. If it kept like this then the number of monsters would only keep growing and growing.

It would never end.

No. Inevitably at some point Arisu wouldn’t be able to fully dodge the monster’s attack.

The swarm of monsters assaulted her.

“…!”

There was a voice in her mind.

—Arisu…

The familiar voice of her dead friend.

Every time Arisu was in danger, Mari’s consciousness would take over her ego.

If she switched with Mari, she’d probably be able to handily defeat this opponent. Just like Daisuke, also a Fusion-Type Mushitsuki, she could beat down any enemy and win with overwhelming power.

However, even so, Arisu grinded her teeth.

She put strength into her grip on the spear.

“Take… this!”

The spear swung up from a low position spouted more scales. The whirling attack swallowed three monsters at once.

While breathing heavily, Arisu shook off her feelings of trying to rely on Mari.

It was just like the Librarian said.

For those she would stand against from now on, like Harukiyo, the Original Three, and perhaps even the SEPB, she needed strength rather than reason.

Mari wasn’t the one who sought them and their cooperation.

It was none other than Arisu herself who had to become powerful.

“Nihi.”

She started running toward the distant laughing Librarian.

Mowing down the pursuing monsters, dodging attacks, sliding on the books at her feet to slip between their legs, she made her mad dash toward the Librarian.

However, when she got near her, several monsters stood in her way. She couldn’t find any route to slip through them.

She knew to a painful extent that this was her current limit.

And so—she needed to burrow power from the Morpho butterfly.

“Lend me power…! Just like that strange power from before!”

While running, she called to the spear in her hands.

But the silver spear was silent.

The enemies also kicked the ground, aiming for her.

“Please—”

Arisu glared at the spear.

Powerfully.

And above all else, preserving her heart.

“—Lend me power.”

Opening her eyes wide, she spoke toward the spear.

The Morpho butterfly’s response came in silence.

The entire rod was wrapped with gentle light.

It couldn’t be seen without straining one’s eyes, but an extremely faint light ran through the pattern etched on the surface.

The same thing happened when she’d used this weapon for the first time.

Brighter scales were leaking from the glowing rod. Rather than being spouted, they spread over the surface as if permeating the surroundings—

“Nihi. This next one is a big one. I’ve written my masterpiece.”

Unheeding the scales filling the Librarian Room, the bespectacled girl smiled.

Silence.

Nothing appeared.

“…Nihi?”

The Librarian, finally noticing the abnormality, raised her face from the book. Seeing the spectacle in front of her, she turned speechless.

Covered by scales, the monsters did not move a single muscle as if they were petrified.

Slipping between the monsters that were now only glorified statues, Arisu headed directly toward the Librarian.

For the first time she seemed to be shaken.

“No way… Have you overwritten my domain? No, if you did that then the Librarian’s Room would be gone as well. You haven’t attacked my Mushi. The ability’s been sealed… no! If it’d been sealed then, like I said, the Librarian’s Room would be gone… So it’s time for me to become serious!”

She began vigorously running her feathered pen on the book’s page.

“My ability won’t activate… this is… the Mushi is sleeping?”

It was the Morpho butterfly’s new ability—no, was it its original ability, actually?

Even without knowing the truth, Arisu managed to corner the enemy in front of her.

She thrust the tip of the spear against the astonished Librarian’s forehead.

“Hah… hah… I win? Right?”

The Librarian raised her head—suddenly checking the watch on her hand.

“Yup, that’s enough.”

“…?”

“I surrender. As expected from a Fusion-Type Mushitsuki. Someone like me wasn’t a match to you at all.”

An exceedingly honest declaration of lost. The bespectacled girl raised both hands, said “You win!” in English and laughed.

“So, will you lower that spear? If you keep it up… It’s a bit strange—but I can’t even cancel my own ability.”

“…”

Arisu wordlessly lowered her spear. Probably understanding its master’s will, the Morpho butterfly split from the spear, returned being a butterfly and danced above her head.

“Nihi. You’re so pure, doing what your enemy tells you to.”

“Even if we do this again I would win, after all.”

“True. That’s the spirit.”

What did she mean by that? The girl laughed a nihi again, and the moment after it the books at their feet began flying away like a film being rolled back.

“…!”

As the books filling her vision vanished, the familiar shelves and reception desk appeared. As if putting together a puzzle, the former library quickly returned to itself.

And—

“Ah, you! Arisu!”

Kasuou, who’d apparently been for some inexplicable reason searching inside a garbage can, turned around. Perhaps hearing her voice, Neiko and Erii also appeared from within the shelves and corridors.

“Arisu-chan…”

“Where have you gone to, Arisu-san?”

Apparently everyone had been looking for her. The girls now looked relieved.

“We’ve come to an agreement. She’s going to tell me where Harukiyo is.”

Returning the rod to its original length, Arisu grinned.

“Right, Librarian-san?”

“So you’re just going to call that an agreement? Nihi. Yes, I will tell you. That was my promise.”

Returning to the reception desk, the Librarian pointed at her feet.

“He was ‘here’.”

She spoke plainly and with a calm tone.

“”Huh?””

Arisu and the rest’s voices overlapped.

The Librarian kept talking without a hint of shame.

“He was here. Until just now. Moments ago, in fact. Sitting here while hugging his knees.”

For a moment Arisu was confused—

“…!”

Practically jumping toward it, she peeked over the other side of the desk. Now she got it; there was a space where one person could hide inside easily. But now it was empty.

The Librarian dabbed at her eyes. Since she did it over her glasses, there were no tears.

“I apologize. To be honest, he’d threatened to kill me unless I buy him enough time to escape. That devil’s scary enough to appear under that word in a dictionary. I was really, really scared.”

There was no way that was true. Anyway, Arisu now suddenly realized that the Librarian’s strange way of talking at first was her conversing with Harukiyo, so that kind of pleasant chat was no threat at all.

“…!”

As Arisu turned to look at Kasuou, Neiko and Erii, the three all awkwardly averted their eyes.

“Sorry. I only searched trash cans and vases and stuff.”

“I wondered if you were there in the darkness… so I only looked there…”

“I focused my searches on the manga corner outside…”

“It’s quite shocking how obvious it is that you had no motivation and only took a break or looked around! Why haven’t you seriously been looking for me! Because of you Harukiyo ran away! —No, but more importantly.”

Turning back toward the Librarian, she asked her.

“Why was that guy here!”

“Sometimes he appears here even when he doesn’t have any business, but this time it was a bit different.”

Stopping her pretend crying, the Librarian spoke.

“He wanted to try investigating the Original Three. And he was being serious, for a change.”

“…!”

“He also looked for other materials related to past Mushitsuki, but… in the end, he was simply angry and shouted ‘all of these fuckers are lying to me!’ and started throwing books around violently, so I slapped him twice or thrice.”

“Harukiyo’s also looking for Sanbikime…?”

Harukiyo was the one who turned finding out Mari into a competition.

Since he himself knew about the possessor of one of the clues, Sanbikime, why had he—

Arisu had her doubts, but also anger.

“Even if that’s the case… why’d he run away from us! He always appeared whenever he wasn’t even called!”

“’As if I’d meet someone stupid enough to tell things to their enemy’, is what he said, obviously trying to act cool. While he was hugging his knees.”

“That man… He’s trying to meet Sanbikime by himself again and ask about Mari!”

“That is—probably not possible.”

Arisu’s words were easily rejected by the Librarian. “However, I can’t meddle in this,” she added.

“Sensei’s gone—”

Arisu widened her eyes.

“That was what he said. —He’d been looking for Oogui, as well as—another special type of Mushitsuki. Something like ‘Undying’…”

“What… does that mean?”

“Since I’m also gathering information about the Original Three, I’ve been asking Harukiyo for details about Sanbikime, but he’d always stay silent. So, if you promise me you’d ask him about even the slightest bit of information pertaining to Sanbikime…”

Seeing Arisu and the rest sink into silence, the Librarian spoke.

“I’ll look into where he is through ‘Harukiyo’s comrades’ and get in contact with you.”

The thread she’d grabbed looked likely to tear at any moment—

A mere step before despair.

As Arisu and the rest wordlessly looked at her.

“Nihi.”

The bespectacled girl wore a creepy smile.

Part 4[edit]

Entering the dark room, she heard the soft sounds of sleep.

Inside the futon laid out in the center of the dreary room, Kusuriya Daisuke was sleeping.

As she sat softly at his side, the breathing sounds stopped.

“…You look much more ill than me.”

Perhaps not having slept at all, or having awakened at feeling Arisu’s presence, the boy spoke with a hoarse voice.

“Really?”

She took the towel off of Daisuke’s head, put it in the wash basin and again on the boy’s forehead.

“No… wring it out first…”

Ignoring his silent objections, she mumbled.

“Everyone’s been thinking that Mari might not have existed.”

“…”

“Nobody knows about her.”

“…”

“Even Sensei, who’s supposed to know about her, might no longer be there…”

A bout of silence fell.

When the boy finally opened his mouth, his reply was cold.

“So?”

Arisu groaned angrily.

However, unable to reply anything, she stayed silent.

Daisuke groaned while coughing.

“…So you were the one who tattled to Kororo about me being sick…”

“Yeah…”

“I can’t believe you’ve made her nurse me… until just a while before I was running all over the place so I don’t even have enough power to turn in bed…”

“Yeah…”

“No, I told you to wring out that towel… you’re just wetting the pillow… you’re not even trying to heal me, aren’t you…”

“Yeah…”

“Definitely remember this for the next time you get sick…”

After mumbling this threat, Daisuke sighed.

“I’ll definitely wrap up this mission fast… because when I recover, I’m going back to investigate Hanashiro Mari.”

Arisu smiled.

“…Yeah.”

“I’ll keep on investigating Hanashiro Mari to the very last detail and go back to Ouka City as soon as possible…”

Daisuke’s leaked mumble sounded like he was casting a curse. He wished to become healthy as soon as possible and go back to investigating Mari alongside Arisu.

Arisu put a dripping tower on top of the boy’s forehead.

Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor[edit]

“The keyword ‘Undying Mushitsuki’ doesfh!”

Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School’s senior classroom was as bustling as always.

Since it was still early morning, only about half of the students were there, but they were already having friendly conversation as if unable to wait to put their bags down.

Since it was a private school for the sons and daughters of rich people, the premises seen outside the window were orderly. On the other side of the trees where the workers did repairs every day, students passing through the gate’s security system with an authentication card could be seen.

Putting the cellphone to her ears, Ichinokuro Arisu laid her bag on her desk.

“You really bit your tongue hard, huh.”

“D-don’t mind it, Maimai-chan, just keep humming as if nothing happened! Laalala. Hunhunhun.”

While listening to the absurdly annoying girl’s voice, Arisu noticed something unfamiliar parking at the gates.

It was a white limousine.

The fancy car was extremely long, the kind that a VIP on the level of a national guest would use. Many students were brought to school in expensive cars, but even this was extraordinary.

It felt strange that no one getting off of the car. It just stayed there with its tinted glass windows half-open, not seeming like it was going to drive off.

“The keyword ‘Undying Mushitsuki’ does not exist in the SEPB’s database! Even looking in other directions, there’s absolutely nothing about it!”

“Right… since Erii said she knew nothing about it, I tried asking you too.”

Just who were they—

As her interest was caught by the owner of the super-expensive and unknown car, a shade cut into Arisu’s sight as if jealous of her attention.

It was a silver Morpho butterfly.

While spreading around scales that emitted a luster, it was wandering outside the window. —It had four feelers, and was a special being, different from a normal insect.

It was a Mushi—a supernatural organism that possessed adolescent boys and girl and fed on their dreams and hopes.

“By Erii-san do you mean C-san from the Central Headquarters?! I will not lose to that little girl! Now I’m pumped up with motivation all of a sudden! You activated my never give up mode! I’ll keep investigating—”

“Ah!”

Arisu turned around as she heard this voice from the door to the classroom.

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke made a beeline to Arisu. He had a medium build and height, a plain hairstyle and looks without any distinguishing features. The bandage on his cheek could be said to be the only thing noticeable about him.

“So that’s why I haven’t been able to find my cellphone since this morning!”

Blaming her in a voice low enough so that others wouldn’t hear him, Daisuke snatched the phone away from Arisu.

“Who are you talking to—”

“Now you’re burning up, Maimai-chan! I’ll shout for a bit! WOOOH!”

“Hey, it’s Maimai! What are you telling Arisu when she’s not even a member?!”

“Arisu-san told me that you want information about the Undying Mushitsuki! And that if I say no, you’re gonna lick me! Maimai-chan’s chastity is in danger! Oh no!”

“Did you really fall for that lie?! Did you really think I’d do anything like that to you—oh, so even you end shutting up sometimes. Alright, once I go back to Ouka City I’ll make you cry for real.”

After threatening her and cutting off the call, Daisuke glared at Arisu.

“Listen, you… what were you thinking? Do something about your habit to get along with everyone like that.”

Daisuke was both her classmate as well as housemate, but his actual position was far removed from his otherwise plain appearance.

The beings of Mushi, as well as the Mushitsuki who were possessed by them, stood in a peculiar balance for society. Even while they starred in frequent rumors, the country’s official stance was that they didn’t exist.

On the other hand, there was a government agency that secretly captured and concealed Mushitsuki. This organization was the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—the SEPB for short. The SEPB trained the captured Mushitsuki and forced them to capture new Mushitsuki.

“What’s your problem? Since I got to know her, letting her help a bit is fine.”

“Then at least go to this city’s jurisdiction, the Central Headquarters. Involving just me from the East Central Branch with Hanashiro Mari’s case is plenty enough.”

Hanashiro Mari—

This Mushitsuki girl was Arisu’s sick friend that passed away over a year ago.

After Mari’s death, the Morpho butterfly that was supposedly her Mushi had begun following Arisu for some reason. The one dispatched from the SEPB as a monitor to investigate this abnormal case was none other than the boy in front of her, Kusuriya Daisuke.

Hanashiro Mari and the silver Morpho butterfly.

Mushi and Mushitsuki.

SEPB and Kusuriya Daisuke.

Accepting all those that barged into her daily life, she’d recently sworn she would do everything possible for her to solve this.

“Say, Daisuke. ‘Undying’ means that they can’t die, right?—is there really such a Mushitsuki?”

Hearing Arisu’s question, Daisuke’s face turned serious again. He scratched at his head and opened his mouth—

“Arisu!”

The girl that came running to her pushed him aside.

It was Arisu’s classmate, Saionji Ena. Stylish even among her classmates, her short-cut hair and short skirt were distinctive. For some reason there were tears in her eyes.

“I’m so disappointed in you! I thought we were friends!”

“Eh… what’s happened?”

“During the break Kusuriya-kun went down with a cold? Why haven’t you told me?! I would’ve used nursing as a pretext to do this and that to him, it was my big chance!—ah, are you fine, Kusuriya-kun? Have you recovered already?”

“Other than my nose that got hit on the desk when you pushed me just now, I’m fully healed. Thankfully.”

“Tch!”

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen such a blatant tongue click. —Oh, good morning, Kujou-san. Saionji-san’s acting scary and I’d like you to do something, so why are you leaving the classroom?”

Another one of Arisu’s classmates, Kujou Takako, Takako appeared in the classroom. —However, she gave an elegant curtsey and then left to the hallway again. The saying “let sleeping dogs lie” came to mind.

“Right, I’ve done a terrible thing. Daisuke, go jump in the pool straight away.”

“Stop screwing with me, who d’you think you’re—hey, you cat-eyed blond passing in the corridor just now! Why are you looking at me with eyes like you’re seeing something dirty! I’m a victim—no, wait, Saionji-san! I’m not going to the pool!”

Arisu saw off Ena dragging Daisuke away with arm strength belying her appearance.

Ena and Takako were her best friends. As Arisu was in danger of drifting away from her normal life due to getting involved with Mushi and Mushitsuki, they served as her anchor to a perfectly normal school life.

As long as her two classmates were normal girls, Arisu could stay normal as well—

“I just wish I could also spend time with Mari like this…”

Cupping her head in her hands on the table, she looked at the Morpho butterfly fluttering outside the window.

Behind the silver butterfly leaping high, the white limousine noiselessly left the school premises.

Part 1[edit]

“Say, Arisu. Did you know there’s a new cake shop in front of the station? So let’s—”

When classes ended, Ena came to Arisu with a light gait.

Arisu put her textbooks into her bag and smiled bitterly.

“Sorry. I have some business to take care of today.”

“Eh, again?”

As Ena pouted Takako also came from behind her. She tilted her head, looking disappointed.

“You’re so busy as of late, Arisu-san.”

Takako knew about Arisu’s Morpho butterfly and Daisuke’s true identity. Because of that she did not ask too deeply, but still looked worried.

“Right. Geez, you’re not sociable at all… wait, are you actually hiding that you’re doing this and that with Kusuriya-kun—”

“I’m not.”

On the other hand, Ena did not know Arisu and Daisuke were related to Mushitsuki at all. Because she’d been involved in trouble in the past, she hated Mushitsuki.

Arisu hadn’t talked about that with Ena and Takako because she didn’t want to involve them.

Now she couldn’t tell them anything—but one day, when Arisu returned to her daily life, she wanted them to welcome her just like always.

“When will we be able to hang out again?”

Being asked this, Arisu went silent for a moment.

The incidents revolving around the Morpho butterfly that Mari left her ended up involving more and more people by the day. She also knew that the SEPB viewed her as dangerous, since the Mushi possessed an unstable power.

She definitely didn’t have much time to find out her late friend’s dying wish. Arisu had to find the answer before all the sand in the hourglass ran out.

“Very soon.”

Seeing Arisu answer with a smile, Ena looked relieved. She turned to Daisuke who carried his sports bag on his shoulder.

“When that time comes, will Kusuriya-kun play with us as well?”

Daisuke looked surprised. However, he soon wore the smile of an honors student.

“Of course.”

“So I’ll be waiting for it.”

Feeling better now, Ena wore a carefree smile.

“When you’ll finally be able to hang out, I won’t let you escape. The four of us we’ll have so much fun that it will never end. Be ready for it.”

Lately—

She felt as if Ena’s way of smiling changed from how it was before. When they’d only met it was a somewhat cold and bored way of smiling. It was probably since she had way more talent than the average person.

However, after getting to know Arisu and Takako, just a little—and especially since Daisuke appeared—Ena looked like she was beginning to change.

“Ah, I look forward to it. How shall I play on Kusuriya-kun?”

“Ahaha, Saionji-san, you silly. You mean you’ll play with me. What a funny mistake.”

As Ena left the classroom in a light gait, Takako lowered her head, left behind “Have a good day” and joined her.

When the pair of friends were gone from sight, Arisu planted an “Arisu Punch!” into Daisuke’s chest.

“Ouch. What is it now?”

“For some reason that face of yours pissed me off.”

“Alright, so I’ll start hitting you for the same reason. Don’t dare complain.”

“Don’t lie so casually with a smile.”

As Daisuke prepared his fist, he froze in place.

Arisu would only be able to return to her daily life once the matter with the Morpho butterfly was solved.

Meaning, it would result in Daisuke, who’d been sent to monitor her, ending his mission and leaving the city. He himself had muttered many times that he wanted to finish it as soon as possible and return home.

“Have you only just now thought of this?”

Speaking bluntly, Daisuke shook off Arisu’s hand still hitting his chest.

“I’ve been doing nothing but lying to her for a while now.”

“That’s terribly not cute. At least hesitate a little… don’t you feel any guilt?”

“What are you so mad about? I’m just an exchange student, so someday I’ll move to another school again—isn’t that fine?”

“Not fine at all. Lying to a girl who likes you that much and acting so nonchalant about it… I’m telling you I don’t like it one bit.”

He was acting as though they were the only ones who thought of him as friends—did it seem that way because Daisuke was a Fusion-Type just like Mari? She thought Mari was her friend, but she never revealed to Arisu until the very end she was a Mushitsuki—

“That’s called liking me…? Well, but.”

Scratching his head, Daisuke sighed as if truly bothered.

“I would’ve been able to avoid it much more easily if it wasn’t Saionji-san.”

What the heck—

She was about to ask him back since she didn’t understand, but two peculiar people exited the classroom.

“Are you two fighting again? You know what they say, if you’re always fighting it means you’re in love.”

“Always fighting…? K-Kakkou-san, you idiot!”

At some point Arisu’s classmates have all gone home, apparently. Instead came a blond girl and someone who was clearly not a middle schooler, a girl dressed in casual clothes.

The startled Arisu turned around.

“Never mind Kasuou… but why did you come here, Erii?”

“I picked her up there.”

The blond girl, wearing the same uniform of Horusu Seijou Academy like Arisu, was the one called Kasuou. Her real name was Mitake Anneliese.

“This school’s security is child’s play to me.”

The ten-years-old girl puffing her chest with pride was Horiuchi Erii. Daisuke instantly grabbed her head. “Don’t call people idiots right after seeing them.” “Ouch, ouch, I’m sorry!” they raised shouts.

“Tch. Arisu asked for your help again?”

Releasing Erii, Daisuke scowled as if bothered by it. Arisu immediately denied it.

“I didn’t, this time.”

“I have an interest in Hanashiro Mari and her Mushi that can possess other people. Since I’m already involved, I want to know if such a thing really exists. Oh, and Kasuou’s unemployed and has nothing to do.”

“I’m not unemployed! I’ve just been moved between commanders a bit!”

“Thanks, you two.”

As Arisu smiled Kasuou turned her face away with a “huh?”. Erii kept glimpsing at Daisuke’s face.

The three girls and one boy took their seats inside the silent classroom. While the girls were facing each other in the center, Daisuke alone sat at a desk near the window.

They could hear the voices of leaving students from outside.

“Did the Librarian not contact you yet?”

“Nope. The promise was if she found Harukiyo, but as expected it can’t be this soon.”

“Isn’t she just tricking you? She’s Harukiyo’s comrade as well. It’s stupid to trust her.”

“Saying she’s his comrade is not quite right, or so she said but… she said that she also needs to get some information from him. She does have a reason to count on us. Even so, I’d say my trust in her is about fifty-fifty…”

The Librarian was a Mushitsuki that she’d met while searching for Harukiyo.

Harukiyo had once met the Prototype Mushi, Sanbikime, the one who turned Hanashiro Mari to a Mushitsuki. Arisu wanted to ask him for details to find more clues about Mari.

“Thinking about it though…”

Folding her hand behind her head, Kasuou leaned back on her chair. Swaying her body and barely keeping balance, she spoke.

“Even if we actually find Harukiyo, will he answer our questions? Since he’s run away from us in the library, I think he has zero motivation to cooperate with us.”

“I have an idea.”

Staring outside the window, Daisuke opened his mouth.

“I’ll burrow Kororo’s power.”

“…”

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that I’ll shoot you right between your eyes…”

While staring at the girls who put their heads together and whispered, “He wants a lick lick,” “Yeah, lick lick,” “Lick lick indeed,” Daisuke put a hand on his hip.

“If Harukiyo doesn’t want to talk, we can just make his Mushi talk. Using Kororo’s past reading ability, we can watch the memories of Harukiyo’s Mushi!”

Right, that could be an effective method.

If Harukiyo had met with Sanbikime, his Mushi should have preserved memories of that place. And they would be able to draw out information free of falsehoods.

“B-but.”

Erii was the one to raise her voice.

“I don’t think Harukiyo will quietly let Kororo use her Mushi on him. If we execute this plan, I cannot think of any other way to but find Harukiyo—that devil who can beat the SEPB all by himself, while creating a devastating number of victims—and beat him to submission.”

“I’ll defeat him.”

Removing his hand from his hip, Daisuke looked outside the window.

“That’s my job.”

Detachedly asserting this, his profile was that of the SEPB’s strongest Mushitsuki, Kakkou.

“…Right.”

Erii smiled.

“If so then there’s no problem. I’ll only provide support from the back.”

“Well, I’ll kill that flame bastard before you do.”

The grinning Kasuou too possessed battle strength not at all inferior to Daisuke’s. If she actually ended up fighting with Harukiyo, they could count on her power.

Daisuke, Erii and Kasuou—they all knew what they had to do.

Then what about her?

She wasn’t as strong as Daisuke or Kasuou, and wasn’t good at investigating things like Erii. Did Arisu also have some duty she was the only one who could fulfill?

“While waiting for the Librarian to respond regarding Harukiyo… I’ve found another interesting keyword.”

Looking at Arisu who came back to herself with a start, Erii wore a meek expression as she spoke.

“The Undying Mushitsuki.”

The classroom was wrapped in silence.

“I know Harukiyo is fixated on Hanashiro Mari. Since he’s investigating her, there’s a high possibility it’s related to her. Arisu-san told me to try investigate it as well, but I have not found any information that seems to relate to that in the SEPB’s database.”

“Undying, huh. Meaning, immortal? Never heard of such a Mushitsuki.”

“I… have.”

The gazes all focused on Arisu.

“In the memories I’ve seen inside the Morpho butterfly, Mari said it. If I recall… ‘If it’s me, then it might be possible to defeat that Undying Mushitsuki’.”

“They’re Undying but can be defeated? What the heck. Ridiculous.”

“Now that I think about it, when I saw the Mari of that time, it seemed like she was looking for that Mushitsuki… right, she also talked to Sensei about that.”

“Does that mean it’s related to the fact Hanashiro Mari fought against so many Mushitsuki that they called her Hunter? But there’s no way the SEPB wouldn’t know about a Mushitsuki with the distinctive feature of being ‘Undying’… do you know anything, Kakkou-san?”

“…”

“Daisuke?”

The girls turned to look at the silent boy.

“No—I know nothing.”

Arisu raised a brow. His cold demeanor was the usual, but she had the feeling that his voice while denying this was somewhat stiffer than normal.

“But if such a Mushitsuki exists…”

As if to hide his own discomfort, Daisuke immediately kept talking.

“We would also need to use Kororo’s past reading on that Mushi as well. They might know about Hanashiro Mari—and perhaps other things.”

“That’s true. Rather than thinking that the number of mysteries keeps growing, let’s instead think we can get more clues.”

Erii’s tone was mature and unlike her age.

“But we’d better get Kororo to promise to cooperate with us. Have you already talked with her?”

“No, I still—”

“*Ringringring*, *clank*. Hello?”

“Ayuyu? Listen, I need a favor.”

“Hey, you idiot! Why are you calling her on your own!”

Kasuou immediately stopped Daisuke from snatching back his cellphone from Arisu. While she and Erii restrained him, the negotiations with Kororo, also known as Kurisaka Ayuyu, continued.

“*Grin*. Understood. I accept these conditions. *Smirk*.”

“Right, thank you.”

“Don’t settle everything without me! Since it’s you, those conditions are definitely bad news—”

“Let’s go, then, Daisuke. For now, I’ve decided to use you as the first sacrifice.”

“What do you mean the first!”

Dragging Daisuke, Arisu and the rest left the classroom.

“I have the feeling that if I don’t finish this investigation as soon as possible I’ll die of stress… once this is all done, I’ll knock out all of you and run back to Ouka City, remember this, you perverts.”

“How unmanly, just offer up an arm or two—ah?”

The moment they were about to exit through the school’s main gate, Arisu unconsciously raised a voice.

“What’s wrong, Arisu-san?”

“That car…”

Including Daisuke who had hardened eyes, Kasuou and Erii followed Arisu’s line of sight.

A limousine was parked next to the main gate. The exceptionally long white vehicle caused passersby to turn and look at this rare occurrence.

“What’s that? It’s way too long.”

“I was curious about it since it was parked here in the morning too… someone from school?”

“It’s been parked there all the time while we were in class.”

Arisu and the rest exiting the school gate tried passing next to the limousine just like all other people.

However, suddenly the door opened and a large man wearing a black suit came out of the limousine. He opened the back doors with hands covered in white gloves.

“…?”

In front of Arisu and the rest who stood in place without thinking, a person appeared.

It was a girl who looked around Arisu’s age. She thought there was a rich lady riding the car, but her form wearing the blazer uniform of some school had the air of a perfectly normal and cute middle schooler. She was holding a walking stick in the shape of an upside-down “J”.

“Nice to meet you, Ichinokuro Arisu-san.”

The girl bowed her head politely.

She knew Arisu’s name—

Even before finding that suspicious, Arisu felt something strange.

Arisu felt as if this girl who immediately greeted her—was familiar. She seemed to remember her face and voice.

Where had she met her before?

The girl removed her eyes from Arisu while she dug in her memories.

“Yahaha.”

The girl looked up the sky and raised a small laughter. Her eyes were focused on the silver insect—the Morpho butterfly left to Arisu by her dead friend.

“You are… a Mushitsuki, right?”

While spinning her stick, the girl pointed at the butterfly fluttering above.

Arisu widened her eyes.

—What do you think Mushi are?

She recalled the words of a Mushitsuki who smiled despite being covered in wounds.

Mari, who’d referred to that Mushitsuki as the “Kind Magician”, was no longer there.

And the Mushitsuki that failed to become a magician had also met an unnatural death right in front of Arisu.

She thought that this was the end of the Magician’s sad story, however—

“Will you please tell me too?”

The girl that the Magician had been trying to protect grinned.

“How does one become a Mushitsuki?”

Part 2[edit]

The inside of the limousine was even more spacious than Arisu thought.

The seats stretched on both sides of the long vehicle were soft and the table at the center was laden with a full bottle and empty glasses.

A single black cat curled its body on the floor. Completely unlike the limousine overflowing with richness, it looked like a stray cat with dirty fur.

The tinted glass that blocked all sights from the outside did allow them to see the town’s scenery clearly passing away from inside the car. The red setting sun illuminated the faces of Arisu and the rest even more than the ceiling lights.

“I apologize for suddenly talking to you.”

The uniformed girl lowered her head politely.

Sitting directly in front of the girl were Arisu and Daisuke. Kasuou sat a little bit further, grasping the bottle and directly drinking from it. Erii was sitting silently next to Kasuou and looking at them.

“My name is Akasegawa Nanana.”

The cat slowly roused its body, curling up again at the feet of the girl introducing herself. Nanana reached out gently, petting its back.

Erii raised a surprised voice.

“Akasegawa Nanana…? No way, the new Chairman of Akasegawa Group?”

“Do you know her, Erii?”

Arisu also knew the name of Akasegawa Group. If she recalled correctly, it was a large company that had many businesses under its umbrella.

“They’ve talked about it in the news recently. The Chairman of the Akasegawa Group had a sudden, mysterious death—”

Erii was about to speak but closed her mouth when she saw Nanana’s face. Confirming that she did not change her expression, she opened her mouth again.

“—Ever since his death, his granddaughter became the new Chairman… At the same time, because the employees and organizational systems underwent reform, it had quite considerable effects on the business world. I believe the name of the new Chairman is Akasegawa Nanana…”

“Until recently I was just a normal student; I’m Chairman in name only. —For now, at least.”

Nanana brought her line of sight up from the cat. She gazed at Arisu’s face intently.

“Also, no matter how much influence I have, my family is but an upstart. We are a far cry from the ancient and noble Ichinokuro line.”

“…”

“Seeing how you reacted when I have called out to you, I thought you knew me as well. But if you haven’t seen any news about me, where have you come to know me?”

Arisu’s heart leapt.

—I want to remain the Kind Magician inside her alone…

Arisu had seen Nanana during a certain event at the hanging gardens in the city. Since the Mushitsuki woman had protected Nanana one-sidedly, the girl herself wouldn’t know about Arisu.

Recalling the girl who fell to protect Nanana, the pain in her heart was reborn.

“No, but you… how come you know about me?”

Asked back, Nanana smiled. Spinning her stick, she pointed it outside the window—at the Morpho butterfly who landed on the side mirror with its wings fluttering in the wind.

“That butterfly is no mere insect. This species does not exist anywhere on earth. —I just so happened to see it flying near you while on campus, and I apologize, but I have investigated many things.”

Daisuke, who’d been listening quietly this far, clicked his tongue. He would frequently warn Arisu to hide the Morpho butterfly, but since it wasn’t originally her Mushi, Arisu couldn’t freely control it, obviously.

“That’s a Mushi, right?”

Nanana looked into Arisu’s eye and spoke in a tone that indicated she would not take no for an answer.

“Haa, Mushi and Mushitsuki and all that… as if there’s anything like that—”

“Alright, that’s enough of that. I’ve actually met one Mushitsuki many times and she helped me. I’m not going to let you say that they don’t exist.”

Nanana paid no attention to Daisuke trying to laugh it off.

Arisu bit her lips.

The Mushitsuki Nanana was talking about was the Kind Magician beyond a shadow of doubt. Having become a Mushitsuki following her first meeting with Nanana, that woman had incessantly met up with Nanana and protected her.

“Also, as I’ve been checking on you since a while now… I can also guess at the others’ identities. You belong to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, right?”

“…!”

“Every time I attempted to investigate Mushitsuki, these people stood in my way. My investigators were warned each and every time, but this is my first time meeting you directly.”

Even faced with Daisuke and the rest narrowing their eyes, Nanana did not flinch in the slightest.

“I wish to speak to Arisu-san. Will you stay silent for a while?”

“Tellin’ me to shut up? Hey, you have any idea who you’re talking to?”

“You’re just a delinquent, Kasuou. —Ugh, you stink of alcohol!”

“Of course, if you’re also Mushitsuki then I have no problem.”

Grinning, Nanana turned back to Arisu.

“What I want to know is the method to become a Mushitsuki. If you teach me that… I intend on greatly rewarding you. I promise to grant any of your desires, and the range is quite large.”

Hearing from the side, “Then get me a limited-edition strap of Carnivorous Army!” “Kakkou-san, this person is embarrassing, so could you please shut her up?” Ignoring them, Arisu asked a question.

“And what are you going to do with that information?”

“I’m obviously going to become a Mushitsuki myself.”

Hearing Nanana’s unhesitating assertion, the faces of all Mushitsuki there stiffened.

“I want to become a Mushitsuki.”

Arisu felt a chill running through her spine—perhaps because the eyes of Daisuke, Kasuou and Erii looking at Nanana changed.

Perhaps in response to the oppressive atmosphere that suddenly befell the inside of the car, the black cat twitched and rose.

“Listen here, you bastard—”

There was the sound of breaking glass. Opening her blue eyes wide, the bottle Kasuou had been holding was crushed by a black mist.

“Do you even understand what you’re saying?”

Nanana’s expression lit up. She happily clapped her hands.

“Yahahah. So you are a Mushitsuki? Will you please tell me how you became one?”

“—”

“I do know that these things called the Original Three turn people to Mushitsuki! How can I meet them?”

These words apparently really pissed off Kasuou. The blond girl rose from her seat and tried reaching with her arm covered in mist toward Nanana.

“H-hold up, Kasuou! S-stop her, Erii! Daisuke, you too!”

“R-right…!”

Arisu tried restraining Kasuou along with Erii. However, the one who made her stop from trying to rip Nanana apart was Daisuke’s calm question.

“Why do you want to become a Mushitsuki?”

The boy, acting completely cool and with his arms crossed, looked at the smiling Nanana.

“Even if you only know Mushitsuki from rumors you wouldn’t one to become one. They’re possessed by monsters, have their dreams eaten and die before long.”

“But they become able to use magic, right?”

Nanana questioned without a moment’s delay.

“It’s unfair, all of you monopolizing something so convenient! I also want to try using that kind of power!”

Daisuke’s eyes changed. Erii also widened her eyes and she let go of Kausou’s arm from behind her back. Kasuou leaned forward.

“You bitch, you think this power is magic?!”

A dry voice made the cat’s ears twitch.

The one to have slapped Nanana’s cheek was not one of the Mushitsuki there.

“…?”

Nanana, with her cheek turning red, looked quizzically at Arisu.

Still in the pose of having slapped the girl, Arisu had tears in her eyes.

This wasn’t an action brought out of anger. The ones who should be angry were Daisuke and the other Mushitsuki.

Arisu wasn’t a Mushitsuki, so what she felt—was an unfathomable sadness.

“You—”

There was a Mushitsuki who called Nanana her benefactor.

That woman used her own powers to protect Nanana. And as a result—she died instead of Nanana, thus going through an ending that was incomprehensible to Arisu.

And the girl herself, after being protected by that Mushitsuki, so easily said that she wanted to become one too—

“Was this what you thought about the Mushitsuki that protected you…? Just a person with a handy power… are you saying that’s how you saw her?!”

Nanana frowned. She puffed her cheeks, flustered.

“Is that wrong?”

“…!”

“Let us get off.”

To stop Arisu from swinging her hand again, Daisuke pressed the button installed on the wall. It was probably intended to communicate with the driver on the other side of the soundproof glass.

The driver peeked in the back mirror.

“…You miser.”

Along with this dissatisfied parting remark, Nanana nodded to the mirror.

The limousine, that drove around the town a few times under the pretext of getting them home, stopped noiselessly. The man in the passenger seat got off first and opened the back door from outside.

“If you want to know how to become a Mushitsuki…”

The moment before Daisuke got off the car, he turned once to Nanana.

“How about asking the Mushitsuki who saved you?”

“…!”

Nanana, holding her cheek, looked shaken for the first time. Unlike how she feigned innocence so far, she exposed her true face, full of anxiety.

“Ah…”

A black shadow slipped between Daisuke and Arisu as they got off.

“Crochet!”

The black cat jumped out of the limousine, vanishing in town. Nanana’s small shout was probably its name; she pushed Arisu and the rest aside and followed it.

“…”

“Arisu?”

She hesitated, but Arisu decided to pursue Nanana. Traversing the sidewalk, she rushed to a narrow path where the last glows of the sun didn’t reach.

It would be easy to just part from Nanana like this. However, Arisu was the only person to have been the final moments of the Magician, who’d been protecting Nanana.

Arisu had also yet to convey to Nanana something important.

She found Nanana standing near the mewling cat near the path entrance. On the other side of the alley, she could see a road with passing vehicles.

Her heart thumped loudly.

She felt as though the Morpho butterfly increased in brightness.

It was a dirty back alley that could be found anywhere. For Arisu, this was her first time there.

If so, then—why did her heartbeat hasten?

“This is…?”

“Maybe this is Crochet’s previous home.”

Nanana did not try to make the black cat go back against its will. She crouched near it, gently petting its head.

“Crochet’s from this town. While I’ve seen it many times when I came to Akamaki City, I ended up following it… I took it to many places. First time here, though.”

“…”

“Have you decided to tell me how to become a Mushitsuki?”

Turning back, Nanana was grinning.

Arisu regulated her breathing and answered.

“Why have you come to this city so many times?”

“Because my beloved Mushitsuki was here. When I’ve first come here—she wasn’t there, but… this is the first time she hadn’t been in contact with me for so long… if she called me, she obviously would be there.”

“…”

“Is it bad to want to be the same as someone I like?”

Seeing Nanana’s carefree smile, Arisu finally noticed.

Nanana was just like the cat she was petting. Losing her one and only relative, she also lost sight of the Mushitsuki she trusted from the bottom of her heart.

She didn’t know what position Nanana had. She couldn’t even imagine what this unwanted status had brought onto her.

But the Magician, who was supposed to support her after being left all alone, was gone—

“If I was a Mushitsuki, and if I was the Mushitsuki who protected you—”

Her clenched fist was shaking.

Arisu was neither a Mushitsuki nor Nanana’s protector. Did she really have the qualifications to speak the truth?

“I probably wouldn’t have wanted you to become a Mushitsuki…”

“Yahaha.”

Innocently—and with an unchanged expression like a mask—Nanana wrung out laughter. She used a light voice, like that of someone laughing with friends.

“What do you even know?”

Arisu did know.

Arisu knew about the Mushitsuki who used her life to protect Nanana. Arisu had received her memories and watched half of her life.

That was why she couldn’t tell Nanana the truth.

Arisu couldn’t take away the Mushitsuki who served as Nanana’s last pillar of support when she’d been so desperately looking for something to cling to—

“I want to know how to become a Mushitsuki… just the knowledge of how to meet up with the Original Three. If you tell me, I can make every wish of yours come true.”

“Do you really—”

Want to become a Mushitsuki?

What Nanana wished for was not that, but simply to meet a single Mushitsuki—Arisu thought this and was about to voice it.

However, she then noticed the presence of a person behind her and turned.

They’d probably come after Arisu and Nanana. Daisuke, having dragged Kasuou and Erii along, looked around him with brows raised.

“Daisuke?”

“This place…”

The boy’s behavior was strange. “The graffiti on the wall, those scratches on the power pole—” he traced his hands on the wall, crouching on the dirty ground and was apparently thinking.

“No way—this is where Hanashiro Mari had talked to the Undying Mushitsuki…?”

It wasn’t only Arisu who widened her eyes. Erii and Kasuou also looked at Daisuke with surprise. Nanana alone looked puzzled.

“Eh…? W-what does that mean?”

“This is the same place I’ve seen through Kororo’s past reading. Hanashiro Mari had been here, asking someone if it’s true they can’t die… and that was definitely—”

“W-wait a moment, Kakkou-san! Does that mean Hanashiro Mari had found the Undying Mushitsuki? And in Akamaki City, no less?”

“Hey, hey, this means that Undying bastard’s somewhere in this city.”

“This is my first time hearing this! Why haven’t you told me, Daisuke!”

Arisu could not remember the latter half of Kurisaka Ayuyu’s past reading. Because she’d been assaulted by a sensation similar to drowsiness halfway through.

Even while grabbed by Arisu, the stunned Daisuke kept thinking.

“So had she really…? There’s no way… no matter how you look at it, this is—”

“What are you talking about, Kakkou-san? If you’d told us about it we could’ve investigated!”

“No—don’t investigate this.”

This one sentence uttered by Daisuke caused Arisu and the rest’s expressions to harden.

“You’d better forget about the Undying Mushitsuki. This might be… much more of a trouble than I thought.”

“What are you saying…? What’s the trouble with—”

Arisu tried pressing Daisuke, but she noticed that Nanana was acting strange.

She absently looked at behind Arisu and the rest. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Following Arisu, Daisuke and the rest also noticed the abnormality.

Purple scales were wafting inside the gloomy alley.

“You’re finally here…”

Nanana’s soft voice was filled with delight.

“Right. After all, I wanted to become a Mushitsuki so much—”

Arisu felt a chill run through her spine. A bad feeling rushed from head to toe like a lightning strike.

“No fucking way…”

Kasuou raised a hoarse voice. Erii was unable to let out any voice and stared out of the alley with eyes of pure shock.

Arisu and Daisuke slowly turned around.

Ahead they could see the figures of people crossing the large sidewalk.

“—”

The thing that first leapt to Arisu’s sight was eyes with rainbow-colored pupils behind round sunglasses.

Even inside the massive crowd, that tall body clad in a crimson long coat was conspicuous. Even so, none of the people walking by even turned to look at this woman who dressed out of season.

The scales glowing in purple flowed from the road to Arisu and the rest.

“Oogui—”

Arisu mumbled.

One of the Original Three—

The Prototype Mushi who gave birth to Minion-Type Mushitsuki—

The being called Oogui sneered calmly at Arisu and the rest.

“You’re going to make me a Mushitsuki.”

Next to Arisu and the rest standing in shock, Nanana was crying.

Part 3[edit]

One of the Original Three, Oogui—the Prototype Mushi that looked like a human woman—could birth Minion-Type Mushitsuki.

“Round sunglasses and a blood-red coat, rainbow eyes… just like the rumors! You’ve come to make me a Mushitsuki, right?”

While Nanana tried rushing forward to her, Oogui spun her long hair. Leaving purple phosphorescence behind, she mixed with the passersby and distanced herself.

“Eh… Why are you leaving? Wait!”

Leaving both her stick and cat behind, Nanana rushed ahead, nearly stumbling.

Arisu came back to her senses.

“Don’t do it…!”

As she pursued Nanana, by the time she’d leapt to the large road, she bumped against someone.

“Ouch!—Arisu?”

“Eh?”

The one she’d bumped into was her classmate, Saionji Ena. The late coming Daisuke was also surprised.

“Saionji-san?”

“Why are you here, Arisu? And Kusuriya-kun as well…”

“Sorry, Ena! We’re in a hurry!”

She felt bad for Ena, but she couldn’t waste time on this chance encounter right now. Leaving behind the shocked girl standing in place, she followed after Nanana.

Nanana also appeared desperate. While Arisu had bumped with her friend she had already gained a distance. Arisu and the rest ran desperately as not to lose her from behind.

Simply by having undergone combat training, Daisuke and Kausou’s stamina was a cut above the rest. They caught up to Arisu in no time at all. Only the young Erii was left way behind.

“Who would’ve thought Oogui was going to appear… is she really going to turn Nanana into a Mushitsuki…?”

Weaving between the crowds and out of breath, Arisu and the rest went on Nanana’s tail.

“It’s not impossible. It might just mean that her desire to become a Mushitsuki is that strong…!”

“Hey, Kakkou. Isn’t this—a good chance?”

Arisu and Daisuke turned to look at Kasuou who ran with her beautiful blond hair billowing.

“Don’t really care about the brat… but the extremely elusive Oogui appeared right in front of us, the two strongest Mushitsuki of the SEPB.”

Kasuou grinned.

“So, can’t we finish Oogui off?”

“…!”

“Looking at it another way, if the two of us can’t beat her, then the other guys wouldn’t be able to no matter how hard they try.”

“I-I’ll fight too…!”

Kasuou glared coldly at Arisu who brought out her silver rod.

“You stay back. You weren’t invited.”

“Wha—”

“No matter how powerful they are, idiots who don’t know how to fight will only be a burden. Right, Kakkou?”

“If it really turns into a fight, I wouldn’t be able to save you.”

Running next to her, Daisuke wasn’t even looking her in the eyes. Staring straight ahead, he opened the sports bag he carried on his back. He apparently wasn’t going to leave it to Erii who stayed behind.

“I’ll take responsibility for everything that follows. You don’t need to think of anything other than victims. —If we manage to catch Oogui let’s go at her with our full power, Kasuou.”

“I knew this would be the decisive moment. I’m gonna go wild.”

The calm Daisuke and the excited Kasuou. Seeing the two combatants, Arisu bit her lips hard.

Just like Daisuke and Kasuou said, it wasn’t her business. She couldn’t imagine them losing if both of them went all-out.

Then why?

Some kind of intuition separated from Arisu’s own will clamored in her chest. As if someone other than Arisu was blaring a warning—she simply couldn’t get rid of this vague sensation.

“We’ll leave securing that Nanana girl to you, Arisu.”

“R-right…”

Having run ahead, Nanana moved from the road to a side street. Arisu and the rest couldn’t see from their position, but since the girl hadn’t slowed down, she probably hadn’t lost sight of Oogui yet.

As they ran after Nanana, soon the scenery of green and fences leapt to their eyes. Going past the fences, they found a small promenade surrounded by groves.

Passing through the promenade, their field of vision opened up. These vast premises had a large parking lot and a huge, round wall.

Arisu knew what was there. It was a public sports ground managed by Akamaki City.

However, it was currently still in reconstruction, so civilians were supposedly not allowed entry. They saw Nanana going over the fences that sealed the entrance.

“Wait! It’s dangerous!”

Ignoring Arisu’s shout, Nanana’s back was swallowed into the entrance to a dirty alley.

While running, Daisuke mumbled to himself.

“How strange.”

“Hah? What is?”

“If she appeared wanting to eat Nanana’s dream, why did she need to run away all the way here?”

“She’s probably tryna blow us off so she could savor that brat’s dream. Can’t let her do it, though.”

Daisuke still seemed unconvinced, but he apparently decided to focus on the enemy ahead. He brought out his pitch-black coat and goggles from his bag, wearing them.

Kasuou also brought out a white coat and goggles from the bag she was carrying. After equipping them, she threw aside the empty bag.

“…”

The bad premonition remained. Even so, Arisu followed the two others and extended her silver rod.

Daisuke drew his gun from behind his waist and a green checkered beetle landed on it. Its body transformed to tentacles, these stabbed Daisuke’s entire body and fused with him.

Around Kasuou an ethereal mist blew. Part of the mist covering her coagulated, forming sharp claws.

“Let’s finish this here.”

“You’re on!”

Daisuke’s fist and Kausou’s mist claw broke the fences down to the ground.

Charging past the sports ground’s entrance, they pressed into the gloomy pathway. After going around the corner, their vision was dyed in orange.

Arisu and the rest passed the spectator stands and leapt into the wide sports ground used for matches.

Inside the center of the circle used for track-and-field events, they could immediately see two figures facing each other on top of the grass illuminated by the sinking sun.

Clad in a purple phosphorescence, Oogui turned to Arisu and the rest with a smile.

“Nanana!”

Nanana, standing next to Oogui, did not respond at all to Arisu’s call.

“You’re the Oogui who produces Mushitsuki, right…?”

“Get away from Oogui, Nanana!”

“Make me a Mushitsuki! That’s why you came to me, right?”

Arisu clenched her teeth, readying her silver rod. The Morpho butterfly alighted down, changing its body and fusing with the rod.

Arisu just prepared her rod emitting a silver light and was about to rush to Nanana when it happened.

“…”

An intense purple light covered the entirety of the sports ground. A storm of scales pushed Arisu and the rest back.

“—Hehe.”

Oogui narrowed her rainbow pupils, enjoying the sight. In front of her was none other than Nanana.

Her hair fluttering, Nanana’s face brightened with anticipation. However—

“Eh…?”

The girl widened her eyes.

Oogui removed her eyes from Nanana as if disinterested. Looking up at a certain direction of town, she mumbled to herself in a sleek tone.

“There’s still some time until you ripen… but you have quite the delicious dream.”

Not only Nanana was surprised. Arisu and the rest also stood there in shock.

“Y-you’re not here to eat my dream…? You’re not going to make me a Mushitsuki?”

She hadn’t appeared to eat Nanana’s dream—

Then whose dream was she about to eat?

When Oogui had appeared there were hundreds, thousands of people around them. It was close to impossible to pinpoint a single person.

“Make me a Mushitsuki!”

But Nanana did not give up. Raising a sorrowful shout, she threw it at Oogui.

“I want to become a Mushitsuki!”

Oogui looked down at Nanana again.

“Hehe…”

Nanana wore a happy face, but the moment she was blown away by the storming purple phosphorescence.

“Nanana!”

Arisu rushed toward Nanana who rolled on the grass and was unmoving.

That was the signal to the start of the fight.

Daisuke aimed the gun fused with the checkered beetle at Oogui. A flaming bullet was shot accompanied with a roar.

Tearing through the purple scales and gouging the ground, the bullet wrapped in flames pursued Oogui.

“Hehe…”

Wearing a smile, Oogui flicked her finger toward Daisuke. —Light burst in front of her and a small Mushi was formed by gathering scales.

The surface of the Mushi with a vague outline glowed like a mirror, reflecting the incoming bullet.

The next instant—

The bullet that hit the mirror-like Mushi changed directions, being reflected back to Daisuke.

A tremor shook the public sports ground.

The ground was gouged and part of the stands were demolished. Having managed to leap aside at the last moment, Daisuke landed in a distant spot.

Flying out of the blowing screen of dust was Kasuou. Clad in an armor made of solid mist, the blond girl approached Oogui while splitting the purple scales.

Oogui leisurely spread her arms. The scales filling the sports ground gathered, giving birth to enough Mushi to fill the surroundings.

Dozens of Mushi made from scales all attacked Kasuou at once.

“Take thissss!”

Kausou’s mist exploded. The countless claws tore apart all of the Mushi at once, the shockwave engraving marks into the ground.

Now that Oogui was defenseless and within Kausou’s range, she attacked.

An earthquake from directly below shook the area.

The claws of mist, swung by Kasuou so hard she almost flung herself with them, turned half of the sports ground to a crater.

“This is my first time seeing such an energetic child.”

A bewitching voice echoed from empty air. Probably having dodged the attack, Oogui who was clad in purple scales floated in the air.

The glowing scales burst apart.

Once again, innumerable Mushi surrounded Oogui.

“Come down here!”

Inside the crater, Kasuou howled. She tore the asphalt that served as the sports ground’s foundation with her claws and flung it toward Oogui.

Knocking off the Mushi made from scales, the massive asphalt lump pursued Oogui.

Leaving a purple afterimage behind, Oogui moved in air as if sliding on it. The asphalt passed through the space that the lady had occupied just a moment before.

“Hehe—”

As Oogui tried producing more Mushi, a black demon approached from behind.

“…!”

Gasping, Oogui turned back.

But by that time Daisuke was fully clad in a glowing pattern and swung his fist. —Using the asphalt that Kasuou threw as cover, he approached Oogui with superhuman leg strength.

“Uwohhhh!”

Daisuke’s full-powered blow pierced Oogui’s chest. The strike was like a meteor crash and pushed her to the ground.

Without even waiting to land, Daisuke also shot additional attacks at the Prototype Mushi with his gun.

Noise and tremors shook the ground.

“—”

Arisu simply watched this sight unfold in front of her, unable to make any move. —Just like Kasuou said, Arisu had no place to barge on this unimaginable battle.

“Finish her, Kasuou!”

“Yeah!”

Daisuke and Kasuou charged into the cloud of dust.

But a moment later, the blowing purple scales stopped their legs.

Blowing away all the dust, the figure clad in glowing scales stood up slowly.

“…!”

Faced with that sight, Arisu was paralyzed.

Oogui was beautiful, but her body had been cruelly destroyed. Her left arm was missing and the place that would hold her heart, were she human, was completely gouged out, nothing remaining there. Her sunglasses were broken and half her face was peeled as it suffered burns.

Yet the next moment a sight even more frightening than Oogui’s ruined form began to unfold.

Endless black beetles began pouring out from inside Oogui’s body. They instantly covered her wounds and changed their forms to supplement the lost parts.

“I thought that Daisuke-chan was the only to stand in my way…”

It took Oogui only a few seconds to retrieve her former beautiful form. Even her glasses were repaired; the lady smiled as if nothing happened.

“Could you perhaps make this the last time? You should understand that interrupting my meal is useless.”

Large amounts of scales gathered in front of the sneering Oogui. These were slowly creating a colossal Mushi.

“Eh—”

Seeing the Mushi produced, Arisu unconsciously raised a hoarse voice.

“No way—”

Daisuke froze as well, not letting out any voice. Just like Arisu, he probably couldn’t accept what was happening right in front of his eyes.

“That Mushi—”

It was a Mushi with no outline, made of scales.

However, she would never forget the seven spots on the surface of its half-dome body. Arisu had once met a Mushitsuki with the same Mushi.

“This is Rina’s ladybug—”

The massive seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings with a roar.

“—Run, Arisu! Kasuou!”

While preparing his gun, Daisuke shouted.

Kasuou, who came back to her senses with shout, used her entire mists to defend herself. The silver lance grasped by Arisu too began spouting silver scales as if in a delay and created a wall.

“Hehe—”

The sneering Oogui’s form vanished on the other side of the massive shockwave.

Part 4[edit]

In the desolate sports ground Daisuke remained standing.

The ground broke and there was no more boundary between asphalt and grass. If the spectator stands around hadn’t acted like a breakwater, the damage would probably spread even beyond the premises.

“…”

Bleeding from his forehead, Daisuke stood in place with the gun hanging from powerless arm. If he hadn’t cancelled out the shockwave with his bullet, there was no doubt that it wouldn’t end pretty for him.

Oogui completely vanished.

Naturally. She’d fought Daisuke here on purpose, to let him know that fighting her was useless. —Now that she fulfilled her goal, Oogui had no reason to stay.

“Isn’t this… really fucking bad?”

Kasuou, who sat on top of the debris, groaned in a low voice. Since she excelled in defense more than Daisuke, she only had few external wounds.

“Now—you understand, right.”

At the edge of his sight, the ponytailed girl rose. Thanks to her having softened the attack with a wall of scales, she’d been able to avoid any wounds along with the collapsed Nanana.

“Oogui… can use the powers of all the Mushi she created.”

He immediately realized that the girl laughing listlessly wasn’t Ichinokuro Arisu. Her expression and tone were like and unlike Arisu.

Hanashiro Mari.

The will of her dead Mushitsuki friend left to the Morpho butterfly borrowed her to talk.

“And the Undying Mushitsuki… was a Mushitsuki created by Oogui. —Kusuriya Daisuke-san, you have also met him, right?”

He had.

At the time, since Arisu had switched with Mari’s personality, she probably didn’t remember it.

That Mushitsuki who appeared during their school trip was, of all people, the SEPB’s—

“Minion-Type Mushitsuki protect Oogui… and Oogui will continue to birth more Mushitsuki…”

“…”

“This is really hopeless.”

The giggling Mari caused Daisuke to finally avert his face.

“Why have you—searched for the Undying Mushitsuki?”

This time, Mari fell silent.

“Why have you hunted Mushitsuki…?”

“I wonder why.”

Mumbling in a powerless voice, Mari averted her gaze.

“Did you think of taking down at least another person with you?”

“Taking down with me… right, I have a feeling I often thought of this. —Yup.”

Mari’s smile returned to look at Daisuke again.

“I recalled. I tried taking him down with me… after all, I knew I was beyond saving.”

“…”

“This isn’t fair. I alone was going to vanish without leaving anything behind… and, besides.”

Mari’s voice turned soft.

“Sensei also told me to do so.”

“…!”

Daisuke widened his eyes.

“Please remember that I’ve… told you this…”

The expression was vanishing from Mari’s face as if melting. Her hand lost its strength and let the silver rod fall to the ground with a small clutter.

“Kasuou—”

Without even turning around, he spoke to the blond girl.

“Don’t tell anyone about Oogui’s power. As well as what you’ve heard about Hanashiro Mari here…”

“…Could I even tell anyone?”

Kasuou probably realized how important of a thing this is. She cussed, full of anger.

“But I don’t give a fuck about that Undying Mushitsuki. —When Oogui next appears, I’ll go kick her ass.”

That was fine. He’d probably require the power of the girl called Kasuou who sought strength so single-mindedly at some point.

But Daisuke—

“…”

He looked up at the Morpho butterfly fluttering above.

The Original Three.

The Undying Mushitsuki.

As well as the Morpho butterfly and the truth about it they have yet to grasp—

He started doubting what he could even do about all these complex, intertwining circumstances.

“Mmm—”

A cellphone’s ringtone echoed in the ruined sports ground. The two girls responded to the noise.

“Ouch… Daisuke…?”

He was saved by the goggles hiding his expression. He was able to fool Arisu who just returned to her senses with an empty smile.

Just like when he’d lied to Ena at the classroom, Daisuke smiled at Arisu.

“Sorry, Oogui got away.”

Arisu stared in puzzlement but soon returned the smile.

“I see… well, nothing we can do about it.”

The pair exchanged pathetic smiles.

Nanana had also regained consciousness by hearing the ringtone. Curling her body on the ground, she brought out her cellphone from her pocket.

“Kirari—”

Probably talking to the person on the phone, she spoke with a weak voice. Tears fell on top of the dry debris.

“I couldn’t… become a Mushitsuki. I thought that if I became a Mushitsuki—if I had the power of magic, I’d be able to find the Magician…”

While Daisuke and the rest were watching her, Nanana suddenly changed her expression.

“What…? The Magician will not appear again?—What do you mean?”

Wiping her tears, Nanana roused her body.

“Wait. I’m going back to you.”

Something apparently happened with her acquaintance. As Nanana tried turning her body, Arisu reached a hand to her.

“Wait! The Magician is—”

“I won’t give up.”

Turning back, Nanana asserted.

“I’ll definitely become a Mushitsuki.”

Those were her words of farewell.

Perhaps wounded, Nanana had an awkward gait as she ran away.

Arisu saw off her back and looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end she sighed and turned back to Daisuke.

“Who did Oogui even want to turn into a Mushitsuki…?”

“Beats me. Since this town has so many people it’s impossible to know. —If we knew, we could’ve waited by that person’s side, though.”

Daisuke, who sighed just like, lent her a hand.

“You’re covered in wounds. We’re going to Ayuyu’s place now, but will you be alright?”

“…Eh?”

“Let her nurse him as much as he wants. I’m going home.”

The setting sun that illuminated the three people walking out of the devastated sports ground fell behind the spectator stands.

Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams[edit]

The chime for the end of lessons echoed in Horusu Seijou Academy.

“You feel like someone’s watching you?”

Having put her textbooks back in her bag, Ichinokuro Arisu raised her face. Her trademark ponytail bounced.

“Yes. Recently. Only sometimes though.”

Sitting on the desk next to Arisu and swinging her healthy-looking legs was her classmate, Saionji Ena. The girl that was very stylish even among her classmates started blushing.

“Kusuriya-kun really is shy. He doesn’t need to spy on me from afar, I’d show him anything if he just asked.”

“…I’m saying that just in case, but since he’s not here today there’s no one to make a comedic retort to that.”

“Tch.”

“Hah, a recurring cold is sure a bummer.”

Putting a hand to her cheek with a cute gesture next to Ena was another classmate, Kujou Takako. Her hair, cut short and elegant, shook gently because of her tilting her face.

The Kusuriya-kun Ena was talking of—Kusuriya Daisuke—was the boy the same age as Arisu who was currently staying at her home for various reasons. His plain face, dull in appearance other than the bandage on his cheek, rose to her mind.

Normally he was her classmate, but today Daisuke was absent. Making use of the lie that he had a cold, he said he wanted to check something he was curious about, and returned to the agency he originally belonged to.

“Telling us he doesn’t allow a visit is quite horrible to his friends. Even though it was my chance to do all kinds of nasty pranks to the weak Kusuriya-kun… haa, haa.”

“If he knew his friend was just a pervert he’d be shocked.”

“Is it true that someone’s been watching you?”

At Takako’s question Ena fell silent. Swinging her legs on the desk, she looked out the window.

For an instant—Arisu could see a silver glow get sucked into the clear sky.

It was a Morpho butterfly with silver wings. And that butterfly was not a normal insect.

Mushi.

They were supernatural beings that possessed adolescent boys and girls, feeding on their hopes for the future and growing. Since many of them resembled insects, they were called Mushi.

At present, the existence of Mushi, and those who were possessed by them, called Mushitsuki, was not officially revealed to the public. However, the many eyewitness accounts became rumors, and they became targets of fear and hatred.

“Weeell, rather than being watched, maybe I should just say I feel like I have some eyes on me—”

The Morpho butterfly had once been the Mushi possessing Arisu’s friend, called Hanashiro Mari. However, after Mari passed away due to an illness, for some reason the Mushi passed to Arisu.

Being possessed by another person’s Mushi—since this was an extremely abnormal case, a government agency dispatched someone to monitor her, and that agent was the currently absent Kusuriya Daisuke.

“This mean it’s… a stalker, right? Shouldn’t you report to the police?”

“But whenever I turn around there’s no one there.”

Seeing that both Arisu and Takako looked worried, Ena smiled as if gaining her senses.

“It’s just my imagination then. The next time I feel like that, I’ll imagine it’s Kusuriya-kun watching me.”

That was also absurd.

The fact that Arisu worried about Ena in many different senses probably came out in her expression.

When she came out of the school wanting to go home, a blond girl was waiting for Arisu.

“Are you worried about something? Ichinokuro-san.”

It was a student from another class called Mitake Anneliese—Kasuou. The half-German girl walked next to Arisu.

“Yeah. Someone from my class might be targeted by a stalker.”

“Oh, sounds like trouble. By the way, I want an extra-special yakiniku for dinner.”

“At least act a bit like you’re interested… oh, so you’re staying at my place instead of Daisuke, then. Usually you’d ditch out on being my monitor halfway through.”

“I hold nothing but loyalty and pride for my missions.”

Kasuou, who brazenly wore an elegant smile, belonged to the same agency as Daisuke.

From what Arisu knew, the government agency known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, the SEPB in short, was an organization used for concealing Mushi. Secretly capturing Mushitsuki, training them and forcing them to be members, they would then use them to capture even more Mushitsuki.

“So, what will we do today? If we keep on looking for Harukiyo, we should have Neiko-san and Erii help us.”

“Don’t do anything.”

“…Eh?”

“Just stay home until Kakkou comes back.”

While walking toward the school gate, Kasuou grinned. “Kakkou” was Daisuke’s codename.

“Ichinokuro-san, you only need to feed me meat and stay quiet. Give me some sushi too. There is no need for you to do anything other than that.”

“What do you mean…?”

She usually let Arisu have a free rein, so this was quite unlike her. Not to mention she added some ridiculous requests.

“What’s wrong, all of sudden? —Thinking about it, Daisuke also told me not to speak a word about what happened back at the playground. But—we need to tell everyone about Oogui’s ability ASAP.”

“—Shuddup. If you keep complaining I’ll drag you home by force.”

Suddenly exposing her true personality, Kasuou glared at her with sharp eyes. Arisu groaned sullenly.

Why was it?

Ever since fighting against Oogui—the Prototype Mushi that created Minion-Type Mushitsuki—at the public sports ground just the other day, both Daisuke and Kasuou seemed to be overly nervous.

“Meat, I wanna meet a meat, a bloody meat.”

“What’s up with that suspicious song…”

“It’s the new Carnivorous Army theme song. Meat, I wanna meet a meat, sukiyaki~”

As Kasuou retrieved her elegant smile, Arisu puffed her cheeks, but they exited through the school’s security gates and went outside.

Now that she was unable to investigate her dead friend, she was worried about her present friend.

“Is Ena going to be fine? Apparently she’d taken a car back home today…”

“First thing’s first, what’s a stalker? Is it tasty?”

“…You’re joking, right? You’re definitely joking, right, Kasuou? A stalker means that if you, say, turn around right here—”

Arisu calmly turned to look back.

Twitch.

There were two people that seemed to actually emit this sound effect with their exposed reaction.

A boy who looked a bit older than Arisu and a girl who looked a bit younger.

“…”

When Arisu and Kasuou intently stared at them, the girl was the one to first come to her senses.

The first thing that popped into Arisu’s eyes was the eyepatch on the girl’s eye. It was made of leather, covering one of her eyes just like a pirate, with a spiral mark drawn on it in thick lines. Also, the plump, round hat she was wearing and the extra-long belt dragging on the ground were also curious. The choker around her neck had something like a thin cord going all the way into her pocket.

“…”

Trying to escape the girl’s gaze, Arisu slowly moved to the sides.

However, the girl definitely responded to Arisu. She curled her fingertips and stuck them forward, shaking her body to the sides. She even bumped against students coming out of the gate, stumbled, got back up again and lowered her head with amazing vigor.

“She an acquaintance of yours?”

“No… seems like I wasn’t aware that I have a stalker as well.”

Arisu’s words made the girl look like she was shocked. Bang, reacting as if this sound effect of shock was heard, she timidly started approaching her.

She advanced sluggishly toward her with her round hat, jutting out both fingers forward and with her belt dragging behind her. Her form was just like that of a snail seen right after a rainy day.

“I think we shouldn’t get involved with her…”

The moment Arisu thought of escaping, the other students shouted, “It’s Maimai-chan!”

“Eh…”

Immediately all the students around turned to look. Seeing this suspicious girl, they gathered and spoke, “The real deal?” “Show us your Maimai Exercise!”

“Maimai…?”

Was it her imagination? The name sounded familiar to Arisu.

Just as she tried to remember, Arisu heard the cellphone in her pocket ring.

“Hello?”

“P-please save me, Arisu-san! Maimai-chan’s in a pinchbfh! —I-I didn’t bite my tongue, I’m just barely safe!”

Once she heard that voice in the phone she remembered.

“Right, Maimai. Just now I’ve seen someone suspicious with the same name…”

“Ubwah! Who just touched my chest?! I’m against sexual harassment! And if that’s not bad enough, the one who did it looks disappointed! Don’t mind it, Maimai-chan! I’m still undeveloped, but I’m sure a bright future is—”

This was a call from Maimai who she only ever heard as a voice—but she felt something was wrong.

“Y-you’re just looking and it doesn’t seem like you’re going to save me! I-I don’t have any strange inclination to feel happy when I’m abandoned! I came on purpose to meet up with you while the scary Kakkou-san isn’t there, so it’s a terrible thing to do to me!”

“Eh… N-no way…”

The movements of the girl who reached out toward Arisu and the voice on the phone matched completely. It was too much to be a coincidence.

However, never mind not using a cellphone, the girl wasn’t even moving her mouth.

“You’re Maimai? For real?”

“Yes!—Nooo! Sorry, you can only watch Maimai Exercise on my site, so please tell everyone… gweh!”

Maimai. Arisu had heard that she was actually from another city and Daisuke’s colleague. Although they’d ended up speaking countless times, this was the first time they’d met.

“Then this man is…?”

The boy that appeared with Maimai wore a loose tie in the chest of his open shirt. One side of his hair was arranged into small braids, and sunglasses were hanging from his breast pocket. Describing him simply, he looked like a worker in a male host club.

“Hmm?”

The boy, who was watching over Maimai as if this all had nothing to do with him, noticed Arisu’s gaze and turned to look at her. His grinning mouth felt familiar to her.

“I don’t know him! He’s just Passerby A! He gave me candy!”

“What, do you not remember me? Is your memory that bad?”

Calmly mumbling something rude, the boy put on his sunglasses. Seeing that the lenses had different colors, Arisu widened her eyes.

“I’ll try guessing what you’re thinking right now. ‘I’m so excited I’m able to meet this dandy man again’, right?”

Upon seeing that insolent behavior, the mature tone unlike his visible age and the unique sunglasses she remembered who he was. Incidentally, what she’d been thinking wasn’t even close to what he just said.

“Is Hanashiro Mari’s ghost doing alright?”

The person she’d met at the school trip and heard about from Daisuke later.

He was the Director of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—Ichiku Mikitaka.

“Arisu-san, hurry up and save me! Of course, I’m not telling you to do that for free!”

Through the cellphone still at her ears, the girl in front of her shouted.

“I’m going to take you to Harukiyo!”

The eyepatch girl toyed with by the students, and the boy who wore sunglasses with differing lenses.

The Morpho butterfly fluttering overhead watched over them calmly.

Part 1[edit]

In the thick jungle with trees taller than buildings, two tyrannosauruses roared at the sky. The dinosaurs rushing toward them shook the ground.

The cry of the Pteranodon spreading its wings overhead echoed, and the distant sky was dyed in red by an erupting volcano.

“Maimai-chan’s in a lotta trouble! But I will not back down! My latest, cutting-edge bazooka… is gone! I’m out of ammo!”

On the backseat of a jeep, Maimai fired her machinegun. Since her voice came through the cellphone to the earphones and directly echoed in Arisu’s ears, it was extremely annoying.

“…”

Wearing a dissatisfied face, Arisu kept firing her shotgun next to the eyepatch girl.

“If you don’t focus we’ll be killed.”

Ichiku Mikitaka’s encouragement came flying at her from the passenger seat. —The handgun that was his weapon was thrown to the seat and on top of his legs.

Trying to escape the two pursuing tyrannosauruses, the jeep Arisu and the rest were riding rushed into the forest at full speed. However, the dinosaurs finally caught up to them and their large jaws bit into the car.

GAME OVER

With these words displayed on the large screen behind them, a cheerful-looking Maimai got off the jeep. Along with a gesture as if she was wiping off her nonexistent sweat.

“Phew, this was a splendid battle! I feel so bad for losing! And I’ll never tell anyone that only Arisu-san was fighting in the latter half!”

“Say, Maimai.”

While also getting off the car, Arisu looked at the girl with a lukewarm gaze.

Arisu was obviously not transported back to Cretaceous Period and the jeep was obviously not real. The large LCD display, the jeep’s vibration functions and the large speakers around them were all part of a new gun shooting game.

Other than the game Arisu and the rest played there were many other kinds of game machines filling their sight.

Arisu and the rest had come to a certain large amusement park in Akamaki City.

Kasuou was supposed to be monitoring Arisu, but after exchanging a word or two with Ichiku Mikitaka she clicked her tongue and went back on her own; perhaps she’d been ordered not to come with them.

“Haa, you’re worried about me not hiding my face, right! Well, me being an internet idol—Maimai-chan—who got her break and is popular among primary, middle and high school students with her Maimai Exercise, is a secret from the SEPB too, you know!”

The eyepatch girl stuck out both hands forward, shaking her body left and right.

As the girl was apparently showing off her Maimai Exercise or whatever, Arisu smiled.

“That’s amazing. But no. You know, I…”

“I see, so you’re very curious about how I’m speaking! Since I don’t have a voice due to certain circumstances, I convert the voice emission in my esophagus to digital form through my choker and use my cellphone for my highly praised broadcast! Wow, a maiden telling her secret really makes me blush!”

“I see, that’s an amazing ability. But please calm down and listen to a person speaking? What I want to ask is…”

“Oh, about that guy over there!”

Her hands thrust out like the horns of a snail, she turned toward the man walking behind Arisu.

As she also looked back, the boy hummed a “hmm?” while raising a cold face. He had his sunglasses removed and stuck his hands inside his pocket.

“No need to worry! I was also shocked that Passerby A-san that we met by coincidence was the Director! I’m so nervous, meeting nobility! By the way, oh great Director, I’ll pay you money so please put me on a Rank higher than Kakkou-san!”

“Hmph, even without earphones I can more or less understand what you’re saying. You want candy. Here, I’ll give you one.”

“Do I really seem that greedy?! Unfortunately you were wrong, but I might as well take the candy! It has a mysterious taste but it’s good!”

“This is a trial product from the West Central Branch, it has lots of iron in it for a certain member of ours. We’re now testing it to see how many candies it takes for a normal person to get poisoned.”

“Bfhaa! D-don’t mind it, Maimai-chan! Even if my head spins, I will never look sight of my bright future! If I only took five I should be just barely safe!”

“And by the way. Being a net idol is a protocol violation at best. I’ll demote you.”

“Nooo! Everyone’s idol Maimai-chan is in big trouble!”

Arisu’s hand caught from behind the head of the girl who walked unsteadily in the interior full of game sounds.

“Say, Maimai? Weren’t you supposed to take me to Harukiyo?”

“Eeek! I can feel a murderous impulse like Kakkou-san’s coming from Arisu-san!”

“So isn’t it strange you’ve taken me here to play around? It is strange, right?”

A clank resounded from nearby. Perhaps uninterested in Arisu and Maimai arguing, Ichiku was buying coffee from a vending machine. He opened the pull-tab and put it to his mouth.

He apparently cared nothing for manners or reputation. The sound of him sucking all the coffee in one gulp reverberated around.

A second passed. Kuha, the moment the boy breathed, the can became empty. After throwing the empty can to the trash can, he noticed Arisu’s gaze.

“’It’s not fair for you to be drinking alone!’ your face seems to be saying. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you.”

“I was just surprised at you drinking like a vacuum cleaner…”

Arisu raised a brow. “Please get me apple tea!” “Alright, here.” “This is red bean ice! This isn’t even a drink!” She didn’t care for the pair’s exchange.

“I took you here because there’s been eyewitness reports of Harukiyo here! Look at this shooting game we just played, the top scorer is called Harukiyo!”

“Eh?”

Turning around, she saw that the screen showing a rampaging dinosaur now displayed a ranking list of points. Indeed his name was in the top.

“There is no doubt that this is his home turf! So if we wait here, he’ll definitely appear! Also, if we mimic him and play, we’ll naturally be able to read his psychology, his name is also on that game there so let’s charge ahead!’

Shaking off Arisu’s hand, Maimai headed to the next game. However, as she walked with both hands stretched forward and belt dragging behind her, she was slow.

Stopping her legs completely, the girl turned around.

“Mr. Director, watch my movements as well! This is my chance to appeal to him!”

Arisu wanted to know the reason why her dead friend Hanashiro Mari had left the Morpho butterfly to her. —For this wish of hers, Arisu had met many sorts of Mushitsuki.

Harukiyo was also one such person. He was a Mushitsuki powerful enough to be called a devil, and he too was seemingly investigating Mari.

If he really was here and she could meet him it would be a wish come true. However—

“I don’t think it’ll be this easy…”

“It obviously won’t be this easy.”

There was again a sound like a vacuum cleaner.

Ichiku, having finished his second can of coffee, crushed the empty can in his hand.

“What do you mean by… won’t be easy?”

“This brat will never find him.”

Asserting this, Ichiku Mikitaka folded his legs while sitting on the bench near the vending machine. He took out a cigarette.

Harukiyo was heavily wanted by the SEPB. Ichiku’s words meant that he valued Harukiyo that highly, most likely. Or perhaps he just wasn’t thinking of Maimai as talented.

“Nwoooh! Doryah! I will not lose to that little girl C!”

Apparently zealous in some game, her war cries came from the earphones connected to the cellphone.

The reason why Maimai had suddenly appeared to Arisu.

Apparently it was because of her rivalry with the Central Headquarters’ promising rookie, C—the girl known as Horiuchi Erii.

The two of them were Mushitsuki excelling in information gathering. She could understand that about Maimai.

However, Maimai wasn’t the only one who appeared to Arisu without any advance warning.

“Hmm? You wanna play with me? Can’t you play alone at your age?”

“…I’m suspicious of you.”

Arisu stood imposingly in front of the bench.

“Why have you come to me?”

No matter how she looked at Ichiku Mikitaka, he appeared to be not much older than her. His sharp facial features were cold and the body peeking from his open shirt was slim. If he tucked those strange glasses into his collar and let down the hair made into braids—a plain figure would definitely suit him more, in a different sense from Daisuke.

“But this doesn’t matter at all. Don’t mind it. I’m fine if you just think of me as empty air.”

Arisu groaned sullenly.

“Even if you’re supposedly a government official, is it fine for an underage boy to smoke?”

“I’m not underage. I’m in my twenties.”

“…Eh?”

“Obviously the one who supervises the entire organization isn’t going to be so young. Have some common sense.”

She glared at him again, but he didn’t appear to be anything else than a teenage boy. However, if what he said was true, he was actually a young man.

“I don’t want to hear that from someone whose appearance lacks common sense. —Are you actually in your twenties? No matter how I look at you, you look like a bad-mannered delinquent.”

“I don’t think being a delinquent has anything to do with age… but since I’m not yet thirty, the fact that I’m young is unchanged. Show some respect. Speak more politely to me.”

It really pissed her off that someone who looked around her age spoke with such an air of importance. She really didn’t want to listen to him.

“Are you actually… the Director of the SEPB? Meaning you’re the most important person there?”

“No, it’s the Director-General who’s the most important. Well, that position is nothing more than a decoration meant to inherit the organization and take responsibility if anything happens, though. If we leave that aside, I’m at the top.”

“…Unbelievable.”

“Then you’re free to not believe. I don’t care.”

Saying this and turning his cold eyes away, he looked at Maimai who was using her cellphone to take pictures of dinosaur models. She got too excited and got pinned down under one of them.

This was definitely fishy.

It was a complete mystery why this boy—this young man—had come there along with Maimai like this. At the very least Arisu knew that Daisuke had no positive feelings about him.

“Come on, don’t be so cautious.”

“…”

“I get it. It’s a bother, but I’ll explain. In a certain sense it was a coincidence that I appeared to you with Maimai. Kakkou came to meet me. Facing him was too much of a bother so I came to see how the Morpho butterfly’s doing to kill some time. You at least know that HQ’s interested in that Mushi, right?”

“I did hear about it, but… you said Daisuke went to meet you? Why?”

“Why? What a strange question. —No.”

Kuha, the young man exhaled a lump of white smoke after sucking down the entire cigarette until even the filter barely remained.

“I see now. Haven’t you heard anything about me?”

“Anything…? I knew you’re the Director of the SEPB.”

“That bastard, no, I should say those bastards… Kakkou and Hanashiro Mari. That’s why I can’t stand Fusion-Types. They never go according to what you expect.”

“…? What are you talking about?”

“In the end you’re nothing but an ignorant civilian. Those Mushitsuki never trust you.”

Arisu widened her eyes.

She knew from Daisuke’s words and actions that he was hiding things from her for a while now. Kasuou also seemed to be hiding something this afternoon.

And above all else—she’d found out that her supposed best friend Mari was a Mushitsuki only following her death. Arisu never heard anything from Mari herself.

“I’ll tell you what you should do.”

Ichiku’s line of sight sought the eyepatch girl who was leaping into yet another game.

“This is a good opportunity. Maimai’s a fine example. Look closely.”

Putting on his sunglasses, the young man grinned.

“This is all you can do as someone who merely got involved in things.”

What she could do right now.

While watching the girl engrossed in a game, Arisu couldn’t make any reply.

Two hours later—

“Huu, seems like Harukiyo wasn’t here! Don’t mind it, Maimai-chan!”

Arisu greeted the refreshed-looking Maimai with a warm smile.

“What did you just say?”

“Arisu-san, your killing intent despite that kind expression is scaring me out of my mind! And your hand’s in the form of a karate chop as well! Please allow me to explain myself before you hit my head!”

“You have ten seconds. Ten, two, one.”

“Gyaoooh! That was only three seconds! —Actually, this wasn’t the only place Harukiyo had been sighted in! I’ll show you to the next spot!”

Saying this, Maimai started cheerfully—no, slowly walking toward the exit of the amusement park.

“The next spot, huh.”

Arisu followed the one-eyed girl. And behind her she could still feel Ichiku’s cold expression.

Following Maimai’s lead, who put her fingers forward like the horns of a snail, wore a round hat that was like a shell, and dragging a belt that was like a snail’s body, the next place they came to was—

“Maimai-chan’s gonna sing! I’ll use Kakkou-san for a sticky love song! Lalala, lululu~”

A party hall/karaoke.

The spacious hall was illuminated by a gaudy mirror ball, and an extremely long sofa was set on the wall. On the stage were large karaoke equipment and speakers, and even a large display screen.

A vacuum cleaner-like sound came from near Arisu who sat at the very edge of the sofa. Next to her, Ichiku used a straw to finish his drink in one gulp, and then exhaled a Kuha.

“Say, Maimai?”

Even when Arisu called to her, Maimai was so engrossed with her singing she didn’t notice her. Although she was waving around her maracas and not holding any microphone, for some reason her voice echoed through the speakers. And, for some reason, that voice was just like Kakkou.

“Next, I’ll sing with Kasuou’s voice! Lalala, lulilila~”

“Maimai?”

“Next it’s Arisu-san! Nooo, don’t touch me~”

“Don’t use people’s voices without permission!”

Even as Arisu finally grabbed the microphone and protested, Maimai still kept singing in a daze.

“What on earth is… how can she even sing in the first place?”

As Arisu gave up and put the microphone back, Ichiku lit his cigarette and finished it with a single inhalation.

“This girl’s ability is controlling machines that have her Mushi in them. Or maybe we can call it a splitable arithmetic processing system. Since she also has parts that function like memory storage and isolated communication architecture, we can call it a parasite computer. She probably put her Mushi into the karaoke equipment as well.”

“Is that… something amazing?”

“That ability’s not such a big deal. If you have money, you can reproduce all that using technology. Furthermore, the ability’s user is incompetent as hell. It’s wasted on her.”

Arisu responded to the word “incompetent”.

“Don’t make this face, you don’t have to worry, it’s fine. Apparently there really were eyewitness reports of Harukiyo here, and I told the front desk to alert us if anyone like that appears.”

“Your predictions have all completely missed the mark. I wasn’t thinking about that at all.”

“Oh? But you’re supposed to be worried about Harukiyo right now.”

True.

However—she just didn’t like any of that.

The cold expression of the young man called Ichiku Mikitaka, his indifference toward everything, his way of speaking that seemed as if he was always looking at people from above. Arisu rejected all of those.

“Don’t call people incompetent so easily.”

“Can’t change the facts. The Mushitsuki called Maimai is incompetent. She was and will be so forevermore. She’s useless.”

“…!”

She was speechless.

Was it really allowed to have someone so perfectly deny the existence of a person?

“Lalala…”

Perhaps it was Arisu’s imagination, but Maimai’s singing voice seemed to lower in volume.

Ichiku lit another cigarette and fully inhaled it in one breath. Arisu grabbed hold of his collar.

“I’ll try guessing what you’re thinking about. —‘I agree. She’s really incompetent.’”

Kuha, he exhaled the white smoke on Arisu’s face. Waiting for the smoke to vanish, she narrowed her eyes.

“Actually, since all of your predictions were dead wrong, you seem like the useless one to me.”

“All you’re doing is denying your own boring pride. I’m actually right on the mark, right?”

“You don’t even seem to understand what I’m angry about.”

Just as Arisu swung her arm, a high-pitched howling echoed inside the party room.

“Gyaoooh!”

Perhaps stumbling as she danced, Maimai apparently bumped into the karaoke set. Intense noise echoed and the music cut off at once.

“Just when I thought about showing off my love and pride, the Maimai Exercise, I was so nervous I fell down! D-d-don’t mind it, Maimai-chan! We can no longer do karaoke, so let’s head out to the next place! Right this instant!”

Pulling on Arisu’s hand, Maimai left the room. Ichiku also followed them with a delay.

“Maimai, you’re bleeding…”

“I banged my head on the mic! There’s no blood coming out!”

“B-but, you are.”

“Ah, Arisu-san, umm, since the other person is very important, please don’t make a fuss!”

“Eh…? Have you listened to us? That guy’s not important at all. He called you a…”

“You can’t fight! If it’s about me, there’s no need to worry! I’m used to it!”

Arisu stared at the girl pulling her arm. Maimai’s arm was shaking.

“You just can’t fight. Fights are scary…”

“Maimai…?”

Being led by the eyepatch girl who got quieter, Arisu came to yet another new place.

It was a small playhouse theater near a large highway. On the shutter full of posters there was a board plastered with advertisements for live performances or concerts.

It was already night. Underneath the night sky, the lights of cars passed to-and-fro in the background.

“This time for real! Apparently Harukiyo comes to see the comedy act here every week! As expected from Maimai-chan! C isn’t a big deal at all!”

“But, Maimai… this paper right here says that it’s closed…”

Arisu pointed at a posting noting the place was closed and that they were looking for a new custodian.

Kuha, Ichiku came exhaling white smoke from behind.

“We came here for no reason, then.”

To stop Arisu from glaring at the young man, Maimai hurriedly waved her hands.

“Well, this is something that even I didn’t know! So there’s no doubt that Harukiyo doesn’t, either! There’s still some chance he’ll show up here, so I’m just barely safe—aah! That person over there looks a bit like Harukiyo! Go, Maimai-chan!”

Maimai slowly walked toward a person who looked like just a random salaried worker.

“Well, rotten as she is, she’s still my subordinate. I have Maimai’s full profile in my head.”

Arisu glared at Ichiku.

“Her birth was not blessed at all. Her losing an eye and her voice is also related to her previous family environment. As well as her being so cowardly. Not going to speak about it in detail, though.”

“…”

“However—all that doesn’t matter at all.”

Arisu widened her eyes.

“This is not rare for a Mushitsuki. Developing a dream amidst harsh surroundings. —Such cases occur mostly with Special-Types, but in short… have you never thought that pitying someone less blessed than you is nothing short of self-satisfaction?”

Removing his sunglasses, Ichiku looked at Arisu. That gaze had no sense of pressure nor strength of reproaching her. —It was simply cold.

As Arisu was born in a healthy household and had no issues, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t blessed.

“Misfortune is not a contest. However, in your case—”

Ichiku Mikitaka gazed intently at Arisu.

“You’re not even a Mushitsuki.”

He probably laughed. Kuha, as the young man opened his mouth to suck the cigarette, she could see his sharp canines.

“I was the one who designated you as Mushitsuki based on your control of the Morpho butterfly. —But you’re absolutely an outsider. I’m telling you this for your own good. With regards to Mushitsuki… you should do nothing but watch.”

Arisu kept glaring at the young man. —She could do nothing else.

“You don’t have a single reason to get angry for Mushitsuki.”

His words held neither scorn nor contempt; these were merely heavy, cold words.

The young man had said that he came to watch over the Morpho butterfly.

However, in reality he only came to say—“you’re an eyesore, so don’t do anything” which wasn’t even a warning. Arisu clearly knew that.

“Don’t mind it, Maimai-chan! I got the completely wrong person! But I will not lose sight of my bright future! Next, let’s—”

“Where are we going next?”

“It’s fine, next time we’ll definitely… eh?”

“A place where people saw Harukiyo. There’re others, right? Now we simply must have to find him!”

Arisu clenched her fist and raised her voice.

Do nothing but watch, Ichiku told her.

However, the existence of her late friend Mari was not so light that she could stand to watch from the side just from being told so.

If there were any clues that would lead to finding out her friend’s last will, she wanted to try reaching them.

“Ooh! So you finally understand my burning passion! With this momentum we’ll find Harukiyo, and I’ll definitely be of help to you, Arisu-san! That is my mission, after all!”

“Your mission?”

“Yes! Actually, I’ve been dispatched from the East Central Branch to the Central Headquarters right here in Akamaki City for re-training! My Branch Director probably implicitly ordered me to come here so I could be of help to Kakkou-san who’s working hard here, or to you!”

“I-is that so?”

“No doubt about it! After all, the Branch Director told me ‘and if you don’t like it, you may as well stay in Central Headquarters’ and sent me off with a smile!”

“HQ has no need of you,” Ichiku cut from the side.

“I-isn’t that just a joke? I don’t know what kind of a person that Branch Director is, though…”

“A person who can’t grasp the line between joking and being serious! But he was definitely serious… and so, unless I be of help to you, I have nowhere to go back to.”

The girl’s tone of voice suddenly fell.

“Nowhere other than the East Central Branch will take me… and even if they will, they’ll give me no rank and send me as a soldier to the frontlines… I-I don’t want to fight… fighting is very scary.”

Maimai looked down, her shoulders shaking.

“’Don’t act so spoiled’.”

Arisu turned around. Maimai’s shoulders twitched.

“That’s probably what Kakkou would say. Since he always fights on the frontlines ahead of anyone.”

Ichiku asserted.

“But as far as I’m concerned, both of you are worthless.”

The eyepatch girl averted her gaze from the young man exhaling smoke.

“K-Kakkou-san hates me… That person only ever smiled when he captured me… the problem is me being incompetent…”

“That’s not true.”

Arisu spoke as she grabbed the girl’s shoulder. The eyepatch girl raised her face.

“Daisuke likes you!”

Arisu declared. She heard Ichiku saying, “You… you’re saying some really irresponsible things…” from behind, but she ignored him.

“He likes you so much he can’t help it!”

“R-really? Am I loved? I’m going to blush!”

“At the very least, if you find Harukiyo—if you manage to complete something, he’ll definitely love you! That’s the kind of guy he is!”

This wasn’t irresponsible.

The Kusuriya Daisuke that Arisu knew was emotionless and oftentimes she had no idea what he was thinking about. However, he wasn’t the sort of person to hate someone who was trying to do something to the best of their ability.

Right—unlike Ichiku Mikitaka.

“Woooh! Maimai-chan’s suddenly all fired up! I’ll have to say no thank you to a demon courting me, but I’ll do my best to prove myself to him!”

“You don’t have to pretend to be energetic from now on! You were trying to hide how frustrated you were, right?”

“No, this is the place!”

“R-right. —Anyway, let’s do our best!”

Seeing the girls join their hands, Kuha, Ichiku exhaled smoke.

“So, where will we go next?”

“So you’re fired up as well, Director! Next, we’ll head to the movie theatre—“

“Movie theatre inside the station.”

“Inside the station… ooh? This is the first time your guess was correct!”

“And next it’s probably the toy store in the mall? Then the public pool, a gym on the outskirts of town, as well as the museum and art gallery. This isn’t a guess.”

Arisu and Maimai exchanged glances.

Ichiku furrowed his brows.

“Idiots. All of them are diversions made by Harukiyo’s comrades with disguise abilities. And all of them are meaningless. They’re probably just playing with the SEPB.”

“Eh… uh…”

“Including C, the HQ’s intelligence department ignored all of those. It’s all inconsequential, meaningless information. —You’ve performed quite the pleasant dance to this tune of trash intelligence.”

“You… if you knew all that, why have you stayed silent?”

Ichiku took in stride Arisu’s reproach, wearing his cold expression. She bit her lips.

“Maimai! Isn’t there anything else? A place that the HQ doesn’t know about…”

“Uh… no… umm…”

The eyepatch girl started paling. She probably went silent because she had no other idea.

“So, we can start investigating from zero starting tomorrow! Right?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Eh?”

“I can only stay in Akamaki City for today… my re-training is made of supplementary lessons and I still failed… my teacher is tired of me…’

Arisu gulped.

“W-will I be sent to the frontlines…? I-I’m scared… I’m so scared…”

Arisu hugged the girl’s trembling shoulders. As she turned around, Ichiku was just exhaling a lump of white smoke.

“Judging from your face, are you expecting anything from me? ‘No need to bother the Branch Director. Order her to be sent to the frontlines with your authority as the Director’.”

Maimai’s face blanched.

“Why you…! Don’t worry, Maimai! I’ll tell Daisuke about this and we’ll do something…”

“It’s useless. Fusion-Types choose what they need to protect. Other than that, they’re more emotionless than anyone.”

“Even so—before that he’ll listen to what I have to say…!”

“It’ll have the opposite effect. They hate deals.”

“I… I…!”

While hugging the shaking Maimai, Arisu glared at Ichiku.

What did he think about that he was able to corner this girl so calmly? —Even if he really was telling only the truth, she couldn’t understand his aims.

“So you can’t even watch?”

Kuha, exhaling white smoke, Ichiku turned his body around. He put on his sunglasses and spoke suddenly.

“Come with me.”

The klaxon of a vehicle.

The board lit up in gaudy colors.

The clamor of passersby talking and laughing.

The hustle and bustle of the capital probably sounded so awfully loud because Maimai grew completely silent. Her complexion was like one who was headed for the gallows.

Meanwhile, Arisu kept drilling holes in the young man’s back with her gaze. She didn’t know where he was heading, but while knowing that she and Maimai had no other choice but to follow him, he would probably lead them without speaking.

“It’s here. Get in.”

Late at night, Arisu’s group reached in front of a strangely-designed building. The large structure had a sharp roof and five lines of vertical, round windows; judging from those, it probably had about five floors.

The metal gate opened easily with a touch.

The wall of the entrance had metallic shelves. There were numbers and surnames lined there.

“…An apartment building?”

“Obviously? Shut up and get inside.”

Still, she was surprised.

They entered the lobby. Rather than an apartment building perhaps it was more like a hotel.

Raising their brows, Arisu and Maimai walked inside. There were ornamental plants around.

“Gweh.”

Hearing a strange noise, Arisu turned around.

Ichiku grabbed Maimai’s collar. Naturally, it meant that only Arisu walked ahead.

“…?”

Having followed Arisu inside the building, the Morpho butterfly started emitting blinding light.

The next moment, Arisu’s legs stopped moving. This unexpected, sudden stop made her vision shake.

As she looked at her feet, shocked, she saw that something like cord was wrapped around her legs.

No. —It was vines.

The ornamental plants extending from the flowerpots restrained Arisu’s movements.

“Wha—”

The lobby Arisu and the rest were in started rapidly changing.

The flowerpots broke and the ornamental plants became quickly larger. The sofa inside burst and the plant that came out rapidly grew into a tree. The many vines that climbed the walls all collapsed and vanished as if they were made of papier-mâché.

Instantly everything in her vision transformed into a thick jungle.

At some point the ceiling vanished and above her there was the shining sun.

“This is…!”

Arisu instantly drew the silver rod from her pocket. As she lengthened it the Morpho butterfly landed on top of it, transforming it into a glowing spear.

However, she wasn’t given any chance to swing her weapon. The vines that reached all the way to her neck restrained Arisu.

“A Mushitsuki ability…!”

This was different from the amusement park set. The humid air, a bird’s call she could hear from somewhere, and the sense of being surrounded by trees—these were all exceedingly similar to the real thing.

This phenomenon was impossible in reality. Arisu had experienced this sort of situation before, where a place had been instantly overwritten to become a different space.

“Ah… uh…”

Maimai froze in place, fear on her face.

“I was just starting to feel comfy; what do you want?”

Appearing from within the thick trees was a boy with ruffled hair. He wore a pajama and had a cup in his hand. That appearance as if he’d just woken up looked even more abnormal inside this abnormal jungle.

“Have you not seen the notice? Only residents are allowed inside.”

Arisu who was restrained by the ivy and Maimai shaking with her sleeve still grabbed from behind. Both girls looked at Ichiku.

Kuha, Ichiku exhaled the cigarette smoke. His stance was unnaturally calm.

“So it was a trap…!”

Arisu’s voice, full of pain, was drowned out by the call of some bird somewhere in the jungle.

Part 2[edit]

“Kh…!”

The strength of the vines constricting Arisu gradually grew stronger. When the Morpho butterfly’s lance emitted light, the vine’s power slightly lessened.

“Oh, is it a power that weakens Mushi abilities? Looks quite useful, but then you need to focus on protecting your own body.”

There was a tremor. A giant tree grew from beneath the ruffled hair boy’s feet, its branch becoming his chair. With an expression as if he was just sitting in his room, the boy put the cup to his mouth.

“—A trap, you say?”

Ichiku Mikitaka let go of Maimai. He walked ahead, completely defenseless.

Instantly the young man was restrained by the vines crawling up from his legs. Even though he ended up the same as Arisu, not even a single muscle twitched on his face.

“Why do I need to do anything like that for you lot?”

“Wha…”

Seeing Ichiku completely bound and strung up, Arisu became speechless.

“Uuh…!”

Only Maimai alone stayed standing in place. Her body was frozen and unmoving.

“Who’re you?”

The ruffled hair boy threw them a simple question.

“Y-you’re asking us… but I’m the one who wants to ask! Just who are—”

“We’re the SEPB.”

Ichiku answered simply.

“Hmph. Have you come after my tenant? What a bother. Well, since he’s paying me I can’t really complain as the Custodian, though.”

The boy with ruffled hair—Custodian or whatever—nodded as if he understood the situation. Him not moving even while knowing about the SEPB made Arisu have a sense of déjà vu.

“But well, if you’re the SEPB… for now, you’re my enemies. Perhaps I should turn you into fertilizer for my children.”

Arisu felt a chill at the pajama-wearing boy’s gaze on her. Those eyes were emotionless as if he was looking at, just like he said, not humans, but fertilizer.

“And you, eyepatch girl over there. Decide if you want to come closer or run away. By the way, if you come here, I’ll strangle you, and if you run away, I’ll stab you. Choose what you want.”

Maimai’s shoulders twitched.

“Well, since this is inside my domain, you can’t run anyway. So, will you approach me to save your friends?”

The Custodian laughed.

Among Special-Type Mushitsuki, some were able to create a space that was controlled by their own ability. This jungle was also likely such a space created by the Custodian’s ability.

“W-what does this mean…! Why were we suddenly attacked? Who’s that Mushitsuki, anyway!”

Moving her face, she shouted at Ichiku.

“What will you do once you know that? We’ve barged into his turf. That’s why we were attacked. It’s as simple as that.”

“Well, if you can’t move, that means the choice is up to me. Then, thank you for your kindness, I’ll just do it.”

The trees around Maimai swayed. Extending their sharp, lifelike branches, they assaulted the girl.

“Maimai!”

“Eeek!”

Covering her face with both arms, a lone drop of moisture fell from below Maimai’s eyepatch.

The moment after the girl’s tear touched the mossy ground—that lone tear became a fierce stream of water. The girl’s small body was engulfed by a transparent water fountain.

“…!”

The water current blew away the sharp tree branches. The thing covering the girl became white and hard.

A white, large lump was created inside the jungle. Shaped like a whirl, it resembled—the shell of a snail, about as large as a human.

Maimai’s figure could be dimly seen inside the shell. She rounded her body like a fetus in its mother’s womb, closing both eyes hard.

“W-what’s up with her…!”

The Custodian produced new branches and attacked Maimai. However, the hard shell was unmoving, and the attacking branches just snapped.

“So that shell itself is Maimai’s domain, then. It’s awfully small, but apparently negates all attacks from the outside.”

The Custodian was shaken at Ichiku’s calm words. Perhaps fearing to get closer to them, he surrounded himself with a cage of trees.

“Hmm…! If you come any closer, I’ll tie you up!”

“…”

There was the small sound of dragging.

A small water stream was produced around the shell covering Maimai. With the width of only a single meter, the large snail shell began moving toward it.

Slowly, even slower than a child’s steps, the shell was moving—toward the direct opposite direction from the restrained Arisu and Ichiku.

“Haha… ahahaha!”

Seeing the shell slowly, slowly sliding away, the Custodian burst laughing.

“So you’re going to run away after all! Even though I told you there’s nowhere to run to! This girl’s leaving her friends behind and running!”

Receiving the branches’ attacks, the large shell fell to the ground with a thud. It slowly rose up and slowly ran away again.

“Uh… egh… hee…”

Arisu heard those sobs through her earphones.

Maimai’s face was barely visible from outside the shell. A lone tear fell on the cheek of the face that looked like she was sleeping.

“I-I’m sorry, Arisu-san… I’m, scared… Sorry I can’t do anything… ugh… ehh…”

“…”

Arisu bit her lips. She looked at Maimai who was still sobbing while trying to escape.

“D-don’t mind it, Maimai-chan… even if you run away now, you definitely have a bright future… next time, for sure… tomorrow for sure… uugh… eh…”

“Haha!”

The Custodian’s attacks continued insistently. The branch attacks made her fall and roll around as if playing with her, and when the Custodian saw her sluggishly rising up again he laughed.

“It’s simply a really dense domain. Without any medium, it probably wouldn’t last for long.”

Arisu moved just her face to gaze at Ichiku who spoke as if none of this had anything to do with him.

“Watch closely, Ichinokuro Arisu.”

Ichiku Mikitaka, the man leading the whole SEPB, looked at Arisu, asserting with scorn.

“This is a Mushitsuki.”

Arisu widened her eyes.

“I said that Maimai can’t do anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s only her. Just by virtue of being Mushitsuki… every single one of them is the same.”

“…”

“You’ve seen her all day. Harboring a wish while forgetting one’s position leads to doubt, the inability to find anything, loss and then finally to escape. —All Mushitsuki are the same. They can’t do anything. No wish of theirs will come true. They’re the embodiment of futility. Even their existence has no meaning. Seeing those unshapely creatures, it makes me even abhor them.”

Arisu fell a chill run through her spine.

Ichiku Mikitaka showed some emotions for the first time.

And what he felt was—hatred.

As if it precipitated for long months and years in the depths of his heart, solidifying to pitch-black loathing.

Every part of him, whether the eyes glaring at Arisu, the voice wrung out from him, from his fingertips to the top of his head, the young man’s entire body was permeated in unfathomable hatred.

“I loathe Mushitsuki.”

The pure anger Arisu had never felt before solidified with the man’s words.

“Even death is too good for them.”

It was completely different from the flaming fury that she’d felt from Harukiyo before.

An anger which was dark, gloomy, and could never be purified—

“Pity I’ll allow. —However, if any person wanted to save Mushitsuki, I myself would consume them.”

It was a warning—most likely.

Telling her to not get involved with Mushitsuki anymore.

The man who possessed the most power within the SEPB said this to Arisu.

If she ignored his warning, the entirety of the SEPB would become her enemy.

Even the Mushitsuki stronger than anyone, Kusuriya Daisuke, was a subordinate of that powerful organization, so Arisu knew she had no chance against it.

“…Nngh!”

Arisu struggled against the vines restraining her.

“Ngaaah!”

Just moving her wrists took everything she had. Mustering her strength, she threw the Morpho butterfly spear with just her wrists.

“—Idiot.”

Ichiku’s mumble overlapped with a great noise.

“Wha…!”

Turning into a line of silver light, the spear pierced the Custodian’s head—no, it grazed Maimai and hit the tree behind her.

For an instant the jungle scenery distorted. Inside the jungle, a large hole opened up in the tree pierced by the spear, and a familiar scenery spread behind it.

It was the apartment’s lobby.

Even while clicking his tongue, the Custodian sneered.

“Are you glad you were finally able to throw your weapon? If you’d attacked me, you might have managed to beat me, though. —Well, I’d have been able to easily dodge it, though.”

Arisu also hadn’t fought many Mushitsuki until now just for show. She noticed that the further away one was from the Custodian in the jungle he created, the less plants he could control.

Trying to show as if the jungle spread around endlessly was probably also meant to cover for that weak point. Now she was convinced that the further they got, the less control he had over his domain.

“Run, Maimai—”

Letting go of the Morpho butterfly spear and becoming powerless, Arisu’s body was strung up by the vines.

“Run away… and call Daisuke.”

“…!”

She could feel Maimai was shaken.

Ichiku made a bored-sounding sigh.

“It’s useless. Do you really think we can stay alive until Kakkou comes here?”

“Please, Maimai.”

“Uuh…”

Leaking a sob, Maimai started moving again. She sluggishly advanced toward the hole where the lobby was visible.

“Daisuke would definitely find a way to save us.”

She knew his strength more than anyone.

If it was that boy, who was stronger than anyone—he should be able to save them even from this deadlock.

They only knew each other for a short while, but after walking this path with him, he made Arisu believe in him so.

“Ueh… eh… d-don’t mind it, Maimai-chan, tomorrow your bright future will definitely… ugh… Kakkou-san can definitely…”

“Kakkou, huh. That might be bad for me. I’ll just kill those remaining and run away.”

He apparently wasn’t even looking at Maimai anymore. Speaking with a light tone, the Custodian turned to look at Arisu and Ichiku. The power of the vines constricting her strengthened.

“So you’re going to die for a Mushitsuki… and for that kind of brat. For simple pity.”

“…This isn’t… pity…”

“Ehh… uugh…”

“You don’t even know anything about Maimai’s life, and you’re not even a Mushitsuki. Since you don’t even understand her, do you have any reason to save her other than pity?”

“A reason… I do have one…”

“Tomorrow for sure… my, bright future… uugh…”

Even while her face distorted, she smiled. Her lungs were constricted so she couldn’t even breathe properly.

“Because I like her.”

“…!”

Maimai reached the hole.

“It’s amazing how she always does her best…”

Lacking oxygen, her vision became blurry.

Ichiku Mikitaka looked at Arisu with a cold face.

The Custodian was engrossed in playing and torturing the groaning Arisu.

Because of that—only Arisu saw what happened next.

She smiled happily.

“Right… Ichiku Mikitaka—thanks to you… I finally understand…”

“…?”

Ichiku raised a brow against the paling Arisu.

“Try to guess what I’m trying to say… if you can, that is…”

“’You’re right, dying for Mushitsuki is stupid. Please save me’, right?”

Wrong.

Arisu too was human. There was a part of her that really feared death.

However, seeing what happened in front of her, a feeling much stronger than that welled up from inside her.

“I’ll never understand you…”

Certainly—Ichiku Mikitaka might have been right.

Perhaps Mushitsuki could only cling to a large dream, lose their way and never have it come true.

However—there were those who were not trying to lose.

There were Mushitsuki who kept walking forward without running away.

Arisu’s friend, Hanashiro Mari, had lost her life while doing that—but there were other Mushitsuki who tried finding what she was dreaming of together.

On the way to fulfill her simple wish to know of Mari’s desires, Arisu had met many Mushitsuki—and before she noticed they were not merely “on the way” anymore.

“…!”

Ichiku Mikitaka and the Custodian.

They both turned at the same time.

“Uuuuh…!”

The pure-white shell was now approaching Arisu.

“Uuuh… eh… hic…!”

Without anyone noticing.

Even if her steps were awfully slow.

She looked as though she would soon withdraw back if one touched her horns, just like a cowardly snail, but even so she was advancing toward Arisu slowly but surely.

“You…!”

The Custodian hurriedly sent an attack at Maimai. He tried stabbing her with sharp branches and constricting her with ivy.

However, Maimai’s walk did not stop. Whenever she fell she rose again, she tore through the vines, and she slowly, sluggishly slithered her way to Arisu.

Finally, the white shell touched Arisu’s body.

“Uuuuh…! My bright future! Is right in front of my eyes!!!”

The vines wrapped around Arisu raised a scream.

Forcing its way past the vines, the shell’s charge tore them one by one.

“Tch!”

The Custodian looked anxious. He created a huge tree and brought it down on Maimai.

The jungle shook.

“Waaah!”

Maimai’s willpower reached its limits at last. Being crushed by the tree that weighed dozens of tons, the white shell finally broke.

As Maimai collapsed, Arisu covered her. Perhaps because she also protected Arisu from the tree’s weight, blood was dripping down her forehead.

“Shit… that’s enough, I’ll just kill all of you!”

He probably could no longer afford to toy with them. The Custodian shouted, assaulting Arisu and the rest with a concentrated tree attack.

However, the next instant a blowing storm of silver scales blew away the verdant trees.

“I simply—”

Arisu’s hands, released from the vines, were grasping the spear transformed by the Morpho butterfly. —Maimai had picked up the rod and brought it back to her.

“Love Mushitsuki.”

While enveloped in scales, she looked at Ichiku Mikitaka.

The cold-faced young man said the exact opposite of Arisu.

That he hated Mushitsuki.

But Arisu did not think so.

The Mushitsuki she’d met so far…

They had dreams, hesitated, and—were still dreaming. And she loved them for this. All of them were fighting and trying to push forward.

“Even if they get lost, even if they get hurt, even if they’re cowards… I love the Mushitsuki who so desperately try taking steps forward.”

Even her late friend had definitely been like that.

She was convinced of it.

“There’s no doubt that Mari too was such a Mushitsuki.”

A silver pattern rose on the smiling Arisu’s body. One hand and one leg—although the fusion with the Morpho butterfly was imperfect, the scales released from Arisu instantly boiled away the trees pressing on them.

Arisu turned to face the Custodian.

“Cancel your ability.”

“Uh—”

The difference in power was evident. The Custodian himself probably felt it as well.

“I don’t want to turn anyone into a Fallen… but if you keep attacking us, I’ll make it painful for you.”

Mushitsuki were all fighting against something—

Who was it that said this?

She didn’t want a needless fight, but if she had to fight in order to understand Mushitsuki, Arisu would not run away anymore.

“…Shit!”

The Custodian’s cussing voice became the signal of surrender. The trees around stopped moving.

“I never heard about such a powerful Mushitsuki being after me. That tenant bastard definitely isn’t worth it…”

“That bastard?”

“Huh? What, are you not looking for—”

In the middle of his words the Custodian suddenly raised his face. He quickly paled.

“What’s wrong?”

“The heck’s this…”

Furrowing her brows, Arisu followed the boy’s line of sight.

Seeing it, she was speechless.

The jungle created by the Custodian was being buried by black objects.

Looking closely, these were innumerable swarms of little beetles. Their short and stout bodies had eight, short legs and they were covered in a tough carapace.

This dreadfully large swarm started biting, devouring and eating each and every tree in the jungle with great momentum.

“…Idiot.”

Arisu turned around and widened her eyes.

Ichiku Mikitaka.

Even the vines tying the man who served as the Director of the SEPB were being torn and eaten by the black Mushi.

No.

The black Mushi covering their sight…

The atypical-looking tardigrades all came from the young man called Ichiku Mikitaka.

“Hanashiro Mari had once ignored my warning.”

With a cold expression, Ichiku Mikitaka began walking.

Being pierced by that excessively cold gaze, Arisu couldn’t move a muscle while hugging Maimai.

A step.

Another step.

Every time Ichiku Mikitaka stepped forward, the swarm of tardigrades ate the jungle.

“The proof of that is her leaving the Mushi to you.”

Arisu’s heart made a giant leap. Great fear circulated her entire body, even piercing her brain.

As Arisu stood still, taking ragged breaths, Ichiku Mikitaka passed her. Kuha, as he opened his mouth to exhale, she saw a glimpse of his sharp canones.

“However, soon… I will give Hanashiro Mari one more chance to choose.”

He was probably laughing at her. Leaving this low mumble behind, the young man passed in front of the dazed Arisu.

“Uwaaah!!!”

Ichiku was progressing toward the Custodian. The remaining trees reached with their branches and pierced the young man.

“Uh—”

The branch certainly did pierce through the young man’s living flesh. His limbs and chest and even his face were stabbed by the hard branches. His skin was torn, his flesh scraped off, his bones broken.

However, what flowed out of his wounds was not blood.

It was a stream of tardigrades.

The Mushi overflowing from his body started covering his damaged parts, flexibly changing their bodies, and transforming into the lost organs. It was much more grotesque than anything Arisu had seen before—and caused her unimaginable horror.

“Immortality or death—I will have her choose again which she would drink, the angel’s medicine or the devil’s medicine.”

Supplementing his body and eating the branches, the tardigrades fell from Ichiku’s body. They joined their brethren Mushi to keep eating the jungle.

“…!”

In the end, they managed to devour the entire jungle. The moment the scenery returned to being that of the lobby from before, the host fainted and bent backwards.

The boy who became Fallen collapsed on the apartment’s lobby with a thud.

“Me and Hanashiro Mari were similar… but you’re the exact opposite, Ichinokuro Arisu.”

Wearing his sunglasses, Ichiku Mikitaka walked toward the exit.

“You should thank Hanashiro Mari for surviving today.”

He left with a cool face as though nothing happened, until she couldn’t see him anymore—

Arisu was still slightly shaking, unable to move a single step from the spot.

Part 3[edit]

“—Hah! Hah!”

Perhaps even her breathing had stopped.

Sinking on the lobby’s floor, Arisu sent a mouthful of oxygen to her lungs. Her entire body was leaking cold sweat.

It was fortunate that Maimai who was collapsed with her was unconscious. If that cowardly girl had seen what just happened, she might have possibly lost her mind.

Even Arisu couldn’t be said to be mentally stable. Her arms hugging Maimai were still shaking. The only reason she hadn’t fallen into panic was because the lobby they returned to had a firm sense of reality. She could just barely cling to the possibility that everything that happened just now was only a nightmare.

“I-Ichiku Mikitaka’s a Mushitsuki…?”

While regulating her breathing, she desperately tried organizing the chaos in her mind.

Looking to the side, she saw the Fallen boy collapsed there. He’d called himself the Custodian.

“The SEPB’s… Director is… a Mushitsuki—”

And not just any Mushitsuki.

Despite having accrued grievous wounds, Ichiku Mikitaka was calm.

It seemed that he was—

“The Undying… Mushitsuki?”

She no longer knew what was what.

She had too little time to regain her calm.

There was a small clunk as the silver rod fell to the ground. Having absolved the fusion, the Morpho butterfly began flying, grazing the ceiling.

As Arisu waited dazzled for her reasoning power to return, she heard a light tone in her ears.

It was her phone’s ringtone, coming through the earphones. Pulling out her cellphone, she switched it from her conversation with Maimai.

“Nihi.”

Once she heard the other party’s characteristic laughter, she immediately realized who it was.

It was a person she’d fought against and now waited for a certain favor after a long time with no communication.

“The Librarian…”

“I’ve found him.”

The woman’s voice spoke without any greeting.

Who exactly had she found—not letting Arisu the time to recall the query, the Librarian gave a certain address and the name of the building there.

“He is being sheltered there.”

“…”

“However, since he’s protected by a certain peculiar Mushitsuki, you might find it hard to handle him. Then again, since he’s not as powerful as me, you should win easily. Nihi.”

“…”

“Are you there? He’s at the highest floor in the building.”

“—I’m there right now.”

Arisu rose to her legs, staggering. She put the still-unconscious Maimai on the floor.

“Eh?”

“Thank you, Librarian.”

After cutting off the call, her body moved on its own. She removed the earphones, and pressed the button of the elevator near her, practically punching it.

She leapt inside as the door opened with a light electronic sound and instantly pressed another button.

The elevator climbed toward the topmost floor.

The name of the building the Librarian had just told her was the same as where Arisu was. Since she’d looked at it before entering, there was no doubt about it.

Leaving the elevator that reached the last floor, she came to the corridor.

The long corridor had only one door other than the elevator’s.

Rushing full speed, she put her hand to the doorknob.

It opened.

Opening the door that even had no lock, she rushed inside with her shoes still on.

She also opened the door at the end of the corridor and the scene immediately jumped to her eyes.

“…”

Arisu narrowed her eyes.

Should she be surprised or angry?

She didn’t know what expression to wear.

The living room had no furniture in it and trash was strewn all around. In its center, on top of the one and only sofa, a shirtless boy was sleeping.

“Harukiyo…”

Seeing the devil of flames sleep like a baby, Arisu ended up naturally—smiling.

Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams[edit]

That newborn gave his first cry among hellfire.

He had been blessed by neither a priest nor his mother’s kiss.

Energy that burnt in bright red, proudly swallowing everything, bewitching with beauty that did not exist in this world.

Flames.

The baby was touched by the impudent blaze, heard the sounds of crackling fire, smelled the scent of burning, felt the scorched air on his tongue, and those sparkling flames entered his retinas—and were literally burned into them.

While feeling the fire stroke his cheeks in place of his mother, there was no doubt that he transcended above emotions such as happiness or anger, that he felt something beyond them.

Although he’d lost his mother the moment he was born, although many other people lost their lives, what he raised was not a cry, but a roar of laughter.

Even that foolish imagined scene—felt like it suited him.

“Sehateno Harukiyo. His birth was—”

There was once a fire at a certain general hospital.

The fire born at the same time as Sehateno Harukiyo truly caused the loss of many lives.

It was said to have been caused by improper maintenance of medical equipment. It wasn’t impossible and there was no doubt that it was a misfortunate event.

“Just like some sacrificial ritual.”

However, that also happened at his birth. It was unfathomable to any logic or common sense; one could be forgiven to think it was a certain kind of inevitability.

“Everyone who witnessed his birth was scorched by the flames with no exception. It was as though all were offered up as tributes to keep him alive.”

Clad in a business suit, Miguruma Yaeko further narrowed her already-narrow eyes and smiled kindly. She used her finger to sweep off the bangs covering her well-featured face to behind her ears.

The meeting room of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau was about as large as a tennis court.

With half of the lights turned off, only a small part of the room was illuminated. A file binder slid on the large round table that dominated most of the room as if cutting through the stagnant air.

“Your story’s not realistic in the least so I can’t understand it at all.”

The one receiving the binder was a person sitting in the dark part. His differently-colored sunglass lenses reflected the lights and the part of his hair that was braided shook.

“A fire at a general hospital… that had many victims, huh.”

Flipping through the file, Central Headquarters Director, Ichiku Mikitaka, spoke with a boy’s voice.

“Seems like it was especially horrible in the obstetrics department.”

“The number of survivors among obstetric doctors: zero. Survivors among nurses: zero. Outpatient survivors: zero. In-patient survivors: zero.”

Miguruma Yaeko piled these ruthless numbers with a calm tone of voice.

“The number of newborn survivors—was one.”

The one and only positive number also only served to emphasize this tragedy.

“Even the nurse who took the newborn out of the maternity room and tried to escape handed him over to the late firefighters, lost consciousness and died of carbon monoxide poisoning while hospitalized. From the firefighter’s testimony, he realized that she’d been protecting the baby from the smoke to the very last moment.”

The file Ichiku was scanning detailed the incident.

Even after surviving the flames, the baby’s ordeal did not end there.

On top of having lost his mother immediately after birth, even his father was not found. Whether he was present for the birth and swallowed by the flames or for another reason, the father had never been named. Since the medical charts were also lost to the fire, the baby’s background was a total blank.

“After the incident had been reported, there were many people wishing to take the surviving newborn into their custody. However, due to protests by a human rights organization that argued for the baby’s autonomy, he had been left to an orphanage.”

Although the boy looked to be in his teens, Yaeko who was in her twenties spoke in a polite manner toward him. —If any outsiders saw this, they would definitely regard it as unnatural.

“So that baby’s Sehateno Harukiyo?”

“Most likely.”

“…Most likely?”

“Some time later, even that orphanage had gone up in flames.”

Ichiku Mikitaka raised his chin slightly.

“The cause for the fire was arson by a child who had antagonism with the staff. After the apprehended juvenile confessed, he committed suicide. As a result, the number of survivors of this incident—was one.”

Miguruma Yaeko continued speaking with a kind, unmoving smile like the statue of a Saintess.

“There is no proof that the person who survived the hospital and the orphanage are one and the same. Both of them seemed to have a burn mark on their left cheek, but that could be easily falsified.”

“No, they’re probably the same person.”

Asserting this, Mikitaka rose from his seat. He glanced at Yaeko from behind his sunglasses and sneered.

“—It means that he too might be fulfilling the condition for being a Rank 1.”

“Are you going to accept that devil’s invitation?”

“If I won’t go, who will?”

Speaking with a light tone as if he was only going out for a walk, the boy who led the entirety of the SEPB turned his back to Yaeko. He walked through the gloomy conference room.

“Will you not check the rest of the report, sir?”

“His life was probably up to no good at all anyway, right? I’m already—tired of seeing that.”

The boy turned back half his back. Kuha, he laughed from his twisted mouth, and left.

Even when silence remained in the conference room, Yaeko’s calm smile was not gone.

“Whether or not his life is the same as what you’re tired of seeing…”

The path that the Mushitsuki boy called Sehateno Harukiyo had lived through this far.

To understand something that was so far removed from common sense, there was no way but to leave a greater part to one’s imagination. Even gathering the entire forces of the SEPB intelligence department, they had only been able to scrape off some fragments.

After all, his life had always been—scorched away by the countless “disasters” he met.

It wasn’t only his parents or those at the orphanage. Everyone who spent time with him have all been swallowed by hellfire, leaving nothing behind but ashes.

He kept living all alone while sinking in the sea of flames.

The only one who could speak of the life of this phoenix was the person himself.

And if there was another—

“Sehateno Harukiyo…”

If there was a person who kept living even after being burned by the flames engulfing him—they might be able to speak of Sehateno Harukiyo’s life.

Thinking this, Miguruma Yaeko added a laugh to her thoughts.

There wasn’t even a single person like that listed in the records.

“Perhaps he actually… is not a human, but a being born from the flames.”

The file binder left on the table.

There was a picture inside it, of him right after he lived through the burning of the orphanage and right after he was sent to a different one.

This boy with a wet compress on one cheek—pulled out his tongue and wore a delightful sneer.

Part 1[edit]

Although only for a short while, he had lived along with the man called Sehateno Harukiyo.

At the very least he shared time with him and could speak of Harukiyo’s life. He could pride himself on living through the various “disasters” that plagued the boy’s life.

Despite this, even now he couldn’t really understand Harukiyo’s actions.

Nothing changed in the devil of flames ever since they first met.

“Oogui is—”

The sun passed over Akamaki City’s public sports ground, starting to sink into the darkness.

Walking through the demolished area, he could see a boy and girls leaving the place.

They were Ichinokuro Arisu, Kakkou and Kasuou. While these wounded people conversed about something, they left the sports ground.

“So you can use the abilities of all Minion-Type Mushitsuki you’ve created, you bitch.”

He saw it.

Hiding himself in the back stand behind the night lighting that turned on due to the sun setting, he’d watched over Arisu’s group’s battle against Oogui.

Sehateno Harukiyo.

He had wild hair like blazing fire and a flame tattoo on his cheek. A thin but firm chest peeked from the open shirt of some high school’s uniform.

“Since she’d also used a Mushi I’m familiar with, it’s practically confirmed.”

Harukiyo wasn’t the only one to watch this unfolding battle.

Next to Harukiyo also sat a girl of about elementary school age. She was dressed in all black, rubbing her cheek against Harukiyo’s right hand with a doll-like expression.

Also, another petite person sat on one of the higher seats. Wearing bondage pants with a miniskirt attached, “he” was a few years younger than Harukiyo.

“The one that reflected Kakkou-san’s bullet back at him was literally my own ability. That’s creepy.”

Holding his chin in hands on top of his knees, Kusezaki Ume puffed his cheeks.

“Haha, you’re getting used by her. So unsightly.”

“Hmph, that’s not the point. I would’ve used it much more efficiently.”

“Not the point, huh. —Yeah, it’s not the point at all. But you’re the only one who thinks about that. Ain’t she now just a little bit more interesting?”

“What d’you mean?”

“I think I finally got something. Anything and everything, all sorta things, the whole package.”

Ume couldn’t understand him at all.

Harukiyo removed his gaze from Ume, looking down the now-empty playground. He didn’t even look at the girl still rubbing against his hand, Sakaki Haruka. He was already used to this.

“Hanashiro Mari knew about Oogui’s ability. And she was looking for the Undying Mushitsuki.”

While sneering to himself, Harukiyo mumbled.

He heard the sounds of sirens from afar. Soon, the police and firefighters would arrive, and then the SEPB would take control and seal the area.

“Since Hanashiro Mari had been looking for the guy, the Undying Mushitsuki has to be in town. And since Oogui’s still got that ability, it means that the Undying’s still livin’. —Welp, that’s why they’re called Undying.”

This Sehateno Harukiyo, who talked like he was having so much fun, had many peculiar people that called themselves his comrades.

Their one common point was that they were all Mushitsuki.

And—all of them were notorious, or at the very least shady villains.

“But no matter how much I looked around the SEPB, I found nothin’ like that. So does that guy not exist? Is that who Hanashiro Mari was looking for? No freaking way. If so—then the information’s being purposely erased. Got it, that’s how it is. Now I see what kinda organization that SEPB is. Ha, makes me laugh.”

For example, one of his comrades was a girl called the Librarian. She was a con woman who specialized in classic books. She was a collector who could forge important books or buy stolen goods.

Speaking of collectors, there was also Robber. True to his name he specialized in robbery, but when he was turned to a Fallen by the SEPB, Ume actually felt relieved. He was viscerally disgusted by the guy’s obscene personality.

Ume disliked them, but couldn’t look down on them.

They were all birds of a feather.

Villains, all of them.

A garbage dump of criminals.

Those were the Mushitsuki who built a certain kind of network around Sehateno Harukiyo.

And the first of them—had been Kusezaki Ume. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Won’t you give up on this already?”

Looking at the back of Harukiyo’s head, Ume sighed.

“Let’s try something else already. It’s only a rumor, but there’s this really evil dude up west. He’s got lots of underlings and even the police’s at a loss. I’m pretty sure his name was… Endou Iori, maybe? Why won’t we go there? Unlike now, he’s definitely still living.”

“But he’s not even Mushitsuki. So it’s useless.”

“Look who’s talking. You’ve been strong even before you became a Mushitsuki.”

“Well, I guess so.”

“…She’s already dead, you know.”

Ume spoke matter-of-factly.

“She’s not a ghost; Hanashiro Mari’s just plain dead.”

Harukiyo wore a smile. He easily affirmed it.

“Right—Hanashiro Mari’s dead. What a disappointment. A fucking let-down. I’m usually so gentle but it made even me flip the fuck out and beat some SEPB asses… made me look real childish.”

“You’re childish 24/7, though.”

“But, when I saw the ‘Hanashiro Mari’ possessing Ichinokuro Arisu, I became convinced.”

Harukiyo raised his left arm, the one not held by Sakaki Haruka. As he raised his palm toward the sky, a small red light rose from it.

“Ah, it’s her—is what I thought.”

The light transformed into a flame, gradually swelled and lit up their surroundings.

“Her eyes seemed to be saying, ‘I really do hate this world’. She wanted to kill everyone apart from her. She looked like she was wondering how people could even bear on living like this.”

“…”

“She’s just the kind of person who’ll think like this until the very moment before her death; that’s how Hanashiro Mari is. No doubt about it. As long as nothing extraordinary happens—nah, that’s impossible. She prolly used to hide that expression, but those eyes will never change no matter what happens.”

“…”

“Lying on her sickbed with no one to visit her or notice her, what was Hanashiro Mari thinking about? She was focused on cursing, begrudging and hating all other humans… lookin’ at things from her point of view, all other people were monsters who ‘just lived their lives meaninglessly’, haha. She was like a ‘disaster’ in human form.”

Harukiyo felt younger than Ume when he spoke about this so enjoyably.

“But, well—there’s something I just can’t accept.”

“Eh?”

“Since Hanashiro Mari created so many Fallen left ‘n right, why didn’t she kill the Undying bastard?”

Ume raised a brow.

“Isn’t that because they’re undying? Never mind that it sounds fake as hell.”

“So they’re undying and that’s why she gave up? That’s what you’re sayin’? Nah, doesn’t fit her at all. If they’re just hard to kill, normally you’d just use your head with some trial and error and try to kill them again and again.”

Harukiyo spoke about Hanashiro Mari as if they were old friends. At the very least, this sort of thing seemed to count as normal among them.

“And so, I’m going to—make sure of it.”

The moment Harukiyo uttered those words, an explosive sound rocked the playground.

The flame in the boy’s palm burst and a blazing Mushi—a Great Yama tiger beetle with tusks of differing lengths took flight. The moment after the Mushi flying above shook Ume’s eardrums with its roar, hands of fire rose here and there on the sports ground.

“M-make sure?”

As Ume hurriedly rose up, he pulled on Haruka’s arm to separate her from Harukiyo. The temperature of the air around the sports ground sharply rose and the plastic-made spectator stands started melting.

“Depending on the case, I might end this with disappointment. Well, depends if the Undying bastard would rise to my challenge or not.”

Harukiyo himself, while speaking casually, was swallowed by a sea of flames. However, the flames avoided him alone in a certain distance.

“You two get outta here. Haruka, after charging this much you oughta be able to pretend to be me for a few days. Go and play with the other small fish. You can take some of my power too.”

Haruka nodded.

The entirety of the silent sports ground ruins was covered by a curtain of flames. It transformed to a crimson blazing dome, and the Large Yama tiger beetle swam through it like a solar flare raging on the sun’s surface.

Even with his entire vision dyed in flames, Harukiyo alone stayed calm.

“Starting now, no normal people can enter this place.”

Harukiyo sneered.

While running through the barely remaining safe passage, Ume turned back. It seemed that the only way to get out would be to head up to the very top of the seats, grab his own Mushi and fly to the sky.

Normal people—

The people who gathered around Harukiyo, including Ume himself, were all bad people.

However, when compared to Sehateno Harukiyo, none of them actually left the frame of “normal people”.

“Not being able to die probably sucks for that Undying Mushitsuki bastard.”

Ume, who’d been living with the devil of flames, thought of him like this.

Sehateno Harukiyo was the flame lighting up the darkness.

The invisible darkness—filled with all kind of sins and dirt, the flame shining brightly in this world.

Only those who housed darkness inside their bodies could see that flame. They gathered around it, enchanted by its glow.

However, what waited them there was not salvation.

Sinful more than anyone.

A burning karma beyond any compare to those who were simply drawn to it.

“Let’s have a frank discussion between us two bastards who can’t die even if they’re killed.”

While watching the devil sink into the sea of flames, Kusezaki Ume recalled the days he’d spent with him.

The life of the person called Sehateno Harukiyo—was like a flame.

He kept on scorching and burning sinless people.

Burning those who simply chanced near him, he turned them into fuel to keep burning.

Those lonely flames have reached their zenith a few years back.

Until he met “that”, Kusezaki Ume thought of himself as special.

He was smart for an elementary schooler and was good at dealing with things for an elementary schooler. He wanted to spend his days pleasantly switching, reordering and assembling the circumstances surrounding him for his convenience.

And so Ume thought that he had the right for a special kind of “game”.

No one had noticed him doing that. He’d always plan things carefully, investigate in advance and check the places he’d go through. Whether these had an effect or people couldn’t think that an elementary schooler was the “culprit”, Ume continued doing so.

Consequently, his conviction of being special grew stronger.

However, one day—he came to know that this was nothing but his own assumption.

He ended up realizing that it was nothing more than child’s play that caused him to get carried away.

“—Hey, you’re in the way.”

Someone had called to Ume when he was watching over a building engulfed in flames.

It truly was an ocean of fire. Smoke and flames poured out one of the open windows. He did hear the siren of firefighters, but it would probably take them some time to arrive. The front of the building, directly adjacent to a large road, was probably clamoring now. But no one came to the narrow path on the backside of the building.

“Can’t you hear me? Move.”

It didn’t take long for the fire to spread from the karaoke shop to the entire building. Because he’d calculated it to circulate this way.

Ume, dressed in the uniform of a private elementary school, watched over the building burning down with a grin on his face. In hand he held an oil lighter.

“Heeey, I’m telling you to move. It’s so hot, geez, I’ll say it only once more. If you ignore me again, I don’t give a fuck what happens to you.”

“…!”

Coming back to his sense, Ume raised his face.

His hearing taken by the sounds of flames bursting and sirens, he hadn’t noticed the voice directed at him.

A human body fell in his line of sight.

“Wah!”

He reflexively dodged to the side. —At the same time, he hurriedly hid the lighter in his pocket.

Raising a thud, a suited men fell to the ground. Perhaps breaking some bones as he fell, he rolled around the ground, holding his shoulders while groaning “Ugyah…”

As the astonished Ume looked down at the man, he felt another stare from above. He raised his face again.

“You’re in the fuckin’ way!”

How could he describe the person he saw standing there?

Almost the entire building had been monopolized by the flames. Just one, single place, the emergency staircase of the third floor, was safe. Yet since there were flames both up and down, it would probably burn up in seconds.

Standing in this safe spot was a boy wearing a shirt that looked like some middle school uniform.

No, Ume hesitated for a second on whether he was actually a human.

After all, in this current situation—the boy was sneering.

The boy jumped.

Sneering inside the violent hellfire, jumping down from the third floor with a wide smile—Ume’s life was not so special that he could call such a person a human.

“Haha!”

Leaping through the sky with loud laughter, the boy who was sneering like a devil fell down in front of Ume. He felt as if the ground beneath his feet actually shook.

“Wha…”

What the hell’s up with him—

Ume’s thoughts operated in speeds it hadn’t ever before.

Can humans actually safely jump down from the third floor? No, in the first place… I mean, the place was burning until just a moment ago. Isn’t it weird how he could laugh at this kind of situation? It is because of fear? But since he’d told me I was in the way, he was jumping down in order to survive—

Whether or not he was aware of Ume’s inner turmoil, the boy grinned at him.

And then—he staggered to the side, hitting his head against a power pole.

“Ouch! O-oh… I musta swallowed some smoke if the world looks like it’s spinning! And I think I twisted my legs a bit when I landed! It was a really close call this time too! Thought I was a goner for sure!”

This time too?

Curious words. His head was again filled with question marks, but he pointed at the back of the boy crouched on the ground.

“Excuse me…”

“Hmm? You bastard, you shortened my life by not moving! Apologize!”

“I’m sorry. Err—your back’s burning.”

“Liar!”

“…”

“Yowch! You weren’t lying! It’s freaking hot! Hey, put it out! I can’t reach it! Should’ve done my calisthenics exercises! Please do it already, I beg you!”

Since leaving him there as a human—as a normal elementary schooler would be a problem, Ume approached the boy. “Ouch! What’s with your way of putting out a fire! You’re a messed-up person!” Although these complaints rose, he used his shoe to put out the fire successfully.

He really was apparently on the verge of burning to death. Even so, he exhaled a tired breath and by the time he raised his face—the boy was wearing an innocent smile.

“You saved me. I operate logically. What would you like as my thanks? Can I pay with my body? Guess I have no choice.”

Now that he looked at the boy again, he realized that he really was a striking boy.

His hair was ruffled to the extent it didn’t even seem like he was burning just a moment ago. He could see a glimpse of a robust body through the scorched holes in his shirt.

“Don’t say that sort of thing.”

On the other hand, he—Kusezaki Ume—was nothing more than a normal elementary schooler who went to a private school. Because of his androgynous-looking face, he worried that his gender wasn’t apparent at a first look. He thought that the mole on his collarbone was sexy and charming, but no one ever noticed it. —Well, he definitely didn’t want to get noticed by the kind of person who’d peek down an elementary schooler’s chest and say “that’s sexy”, though.

“Don’t look so embarrassed. By the way, that mole on your chest is sexy.”

“…”

The boy who was the kind of person Ume never wanted to meet got to his legs. He apparently recovered from smoke-inhaling symptoms quickly. He had no limits.

“Haha.”

So happened the first meeting of the sneering boy and the cautious Ume.

He remembered that, despite them being right next to the burning building, he was for some reason able to forget all about the heat while next to the boy.

“Wait a minute!”

He also perfectly remembered the boy blowing off a fuse without any advance warning. He finally thought that this was a dangerous being.

“I was just having fun speaking to the chick in the reception desk without having any money for karaoke, so what the hell was that! I can smell a case here! I’ll become a great detective! The culprit must be nearby!”

He thought this boy came to the karaoke with a friend or lover, but apparently he’d been in the building for a much more painful reason.

“Uwah, are you talking about arson? So scary.”

“Haha, don’t play innocent. —I’m talkin’ about you!”

The boy’s kick hit the chin directly. He’d put in so much force into it that a heavy sound, like crashing headlong into a car, reverberated in the back alley.

“…”

Being blown away like a soccer ball and crashing into the nearby building—was the man who fell out of the building before the boy. He was a plump business-suit wearing man.

The man was completely unmoving, but the boy kept kicking him with his toes.

“Asshole! You wanted to kill me? Don’t fuck with me! As if I’d die like that! Wanna go at it for real? If you’re gonna do it then prepare to die! Kill while prepared to die! Die!”

Ume wanted to say a lot of things, such as that person isn’t feigning anything or he’s already foaming at the mouth from the first hit, but stayed silent.

While staying silent, he lowered his body ever so slightly.

As he did, the boy stopped his movements. He asserted without even turning back.

“If you wanna kill me then do it seriously.”

“Eh? You’re talking to me?”

“Told you not to pretend. From your movements, is that a knife? My flesh’s hard, d’you feel confident you could stab me? I was slacking off on my calisthenics, but never skipped out on gaining muscle.”

“…You can tell how I move without even moving?”

“Nah, I just tried saying it.”

“…”

“But you did know this man’s the arsonist. —Right?”

The boy turned back only his torso.

The eyes staring at Ume made him freeze. He never had this kind of feeling—something like paralysis rushed through his spine.

A gaze more scorching than flames.

A glint even more vivid than flames.

Although Ume’s mouth had not gone dry in front of the real flames burning the building, it was now parched. Even so the nape of his neck broke into cold sweat.

“Although I caught this arsonist on the scene of the crime—well, while pushing him the fire spread around, and while running I got lost inside, but anyway, despite this guy being the criminal… you were here so conveniently, and so conveniently held a lighter. Isn’t that strange?”

He was seen. Although he stood holding the lighter inconspicuously and immediately hid it when he heard the voice, that boy had apparently watched him.

No, perhaps—he was guessing that as well?

And he was right on the mark.

As if the boy had seen through Ume’s desire to use the hidden knife and fling it at the boy’s back.

“By the way, didja know?”

Throwing the arsonist away, the boy turned to look at Ume.

“I only heard it in rumors, but apparently there was someone outrageous ‘round this area. Apparently, this person was even bigger of a villain than a mere arsonist. I’ve gone to check about it at the police station and stole their documents, but when I ran away they popped some in me and I nearly died.”

Everything the boy told him sounded too contrived.

However, he couldn’t fully say whether it was a lie or not. Seeing the boy so calmly approaching him, then perhaps—he really wouldn’t die even if they shot him.

Although they’d only just met, Ume had seen this sight that made him believe so.

“That guy would search for villains and then take care of them. He’d take an animal abuser and do the same thing to them, and he would steal from a thief’s house… that kinda stuff. They also did a lotta other things, but telling that to a grade schooler would probably be too much of a shock. There are some truly dangerous people around.”

While exchanging glances against this flaming gaze, Ume came to a realization.

The fact that the boy in front of his eyes was there—was no coincidence.

“The guy’s evil even for a copycat criminal. I mean, using the criminal’s method against them… as if telling them to go look in a mirror. Scary as fuck. —Now, if he was here, what would he do? If he found this arsonist, what would he have done?”

So he was aiming for “him”—

Researching the arsonist’s modus operandi and arriving at the crime scene was not only the copycat criminal.

“Dunno what you’re talking about, mister… but at the very least, I don’t think it’s a child like me.”

While smiling on the surface, he looked for any sort of opening.

If he didn’t kill him, he would be killed—

He didn’t know why the boy was aiming for the copycat criminal, but there no longer any doubt. He’d come there to find that criminal.

“An elementary schooler? What does that matter?”

Ume despaired.

He couldn’t find any.

There wasn’t even the slightest of openings. No matter how he simulated this in his mind, all he could imagine was that guy tearing out his throat.

The copycat criminal searching for prey ended up facing a monster who’d eat him—

“If that copycat criminal comes to face an even worse villain than this arsonist, what would he do?”

No—he couldn’t. He couldn’t give up.

He felt it instinctively. Even before deciding whether to run away or fight, making the decision to give up would shorten his lifespan.

He had to get out of there no matter what, and he had to take care of that guy no matter what.

No matter how many years it would take. No matter what ways he had to use, he had to finish him off before getting finished off himself.

Ume erased his smile the moment he saw the change in expression—

“No, maybe it does matter?”

The monster started smiling broadly.

“You’re still a brat, after all. I feel like I can look forward to your future growth.”

The murderous air about to swallow Ume’s spirit whole scattered.

Starting to breathe again, Ume recalled the heat around. Thinking about it, the building nearby was burning.

The boy casually put his hand on Ume’s head, speaking as if he really found it strange.

“Looks like you have a great future, so why are you an idiot? Why are you having fun chasing after criminals?”

Ume puffed his cheeks.

This boy really was like a flame. Ume had no idea what made him explode and what caused him to extinguish. In the first place, why had he “ignited” here?

However, Ume somehow managed to narrowly escape death. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

“That should be my question. What’s so fun about chasing that idiot?”

Ume walked toward the unconscious man, putting his oil lighter next to him.

And then he casually lit the lighter and set the man’s leg on fire.

His line of sight was dyed in red, and the man who came back to consciousness due to the heat was screaming. Well, he probably wouldn’t die.

“Haha, that kinda idiot obviously doesn’t exist. —Wait, you talkin’ about me?”

“Well, I have a feeling it was some reason like me feeling I’m special and hating people forgetting who they were. …Maybe I was wrong? I’ll stop this.”

From that moment, the notion that Ume was special vanished from inside him without trace.

In the end, he simply disliked people similar to himself. The one who truly forgot who he was, was Ume himself.

Special. Unique. Abnormal. Transcendent.

There were various fitting words, but now he met their destination.

The boy in front of his eyes—he didn’t think he’d be able to turn into a being like him.

“What? Aren’t you pretending to be an ally of justice? Don’t you feel any guilt?”

“Justice? Guilt? Why?”

Seeing Ume goggle at him, the boy sneered with a “Haha”.

“I knew you had a promising future, brat. Alright, let’s test it by beating each other’s lights out.”

“I-I don’t want to. And why’s my future promising anyway?”

“According to my experience, those who lack common sense—those who lack something important to be human, are relatively strong. Or maybe I should say it’s those who lack certain emotions.”

“What the hell?”

“I’m talkin’ about people who lose something and become stronger for it. —Conversely, people who have everything they need and think of becoming stronger without losing anything can only keep on piling experience while risking their lives. I rather like how obstinate these kinda guys are, but it’s tough telling them at a glance. Oh, and there’re those who’re strong with talent alone.”

“Hmm. Ah, by the way, why were you looking for the rumored copycat criminal?”

“Don’t fucking hmm my pet theory… my reason’s no big deal. It’s so small it’s useless.”

No big deal.

Saying this and turning his back to Ume, the boy actually looked disappointed at something. Most likely, Ume wasn’t the sort of opponent he’d been looking for.

He could hear the sounds of flames and firetrucks’ sirens as they began extinguishing the fire. As well as the scream of the man whose legs were burnt.

Ume found himself following behind the boy who, for some reason, minded none of these sounds.

A monster with an unpredictable path, just like a flame.

Meeting that kind of person, Ume’s feelings were all over the place.

But the one he felt in the end, his most honest impression was—

“What a strange guy.”

“Huh? What’s strange about me? I’ll violate you.”

“Do you know my age? Or even my gender?”

“To be frank, I feel like it doesn’t matter even if I don’t know.”

“Wow, you’re the real deal.”

“Is there someone pretending to be me?”

“What’s your name, mister?”

“…If I don’t tell you, will you keep calling me ‘mister’ and all that?”

“…I’ll say it without any reservation but you really are a pervert, mister.”

Sehateno Harukiyo. —Thus the boy introduced himself and, after shaking Ume off, vanished.

However, using his mannerisms as a hint, Ume soon found him again. He thought that he would perhaps go looking for another criminal, just like what led to Harukiyo’s meeting with him.

“Yo, brat.”

Greeting him as if he’d just encountered a classmate in the street, Harukiyo had his face dyed in red by another person’s blood.

He probably wasn’t pleased. A person looking like the criminal who Harukiyo was dragging by the cuff was beat up as if a garbage truck ran him over. Thinking that he himself might have ended up like that, Ume even felt a bit of pity.

“Why are you going around looking for criminals, Harukiyo?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be criminals. They’re just easier to find. I said this before, but those who lack something as human beings can easily become strong. Just like you, sexy brat.”

“I’m not sexy.”

“You’re sexy, brat.”

Being told that only bothered him. Ume was not sexy—and more importantly, he didn’t think he was strong.

The truth was that even now Ume was seeing Harukiyo decided to keep beating the living shit out of criminals, but no matter how he used his brain and body, he knew that he would never even come close to him.

“Why are you looking for strong people? Trying to become some sorta champion? If so, you should know you’re already a champion pervert.”

“No, think about it as them growing stronger to kill me.”

Huh?

What was this man even saying?

Did he really think all strong people existed to kill him?

What on earth had brought this sort of prideful thinking?

“So I’m purposely going against them—”

Harukiyo’s expression instantly changed. Without thinking, Ume froze.

Those eyes.

The pair of blazing eyes hotter than flames.

“What d’you think this guy said? ‘Save me’? Huh? What’s that? Why’d I have to save you bastard? You save yourself on your own! Why’ve you decided to give up? Are you stupid? If you don’t feel like saving yourself, then don’t cry for help! If you don’t feel like living, then don’t try living in the first place! Don’t you go living so half-heartedly!”

While cussing, Harukiyo kicked the criminal again and again. Watching that happen, Ume was glad from the bottom of his heart that he hadn’t given up.

Raging like a fire, what was the boy angry at?

What had stirred him to come this far?

Ume had no idea.

And since he didn’t—his interest in the boy called Sehateno Harukiyo did not end.

“—Oh, it’s you brat again. We’ve been meeting a lot.”

At some point, looking for Harukiyo became Ume’s daily routine.

Using his uniform as a clue, he finally found one middle school. It was a completely normal public school in a normal town.

“What’re you doing, Harukiyo?”

When he’d visited the school’s town, he immediately chanced upon his target.

Sehateno Harukiyo hid behind a power pole.

“Can’t you use your own damn eyes? Are you stupid? Obviously I’m tailing a hot chick from my grade and going to barge inside her house.”

How was he even supposed to tell that?

Ume only uncharacteristically cussed in his own heart without thinking.

“What’s up with that cold expression? I’m weak against the cold. Wait, idiot! If you don’t hide she’ll see you!”

“You know… I’m probably an idiot for asking, but… why are you even doing this…?”

“Huh? This is the basics of youth! Checking the house of a hot classmate! Oho, I see, so you’re inexperienced, brat? Well, you’re still a kid. Don’tcha worry, everyone goes through the same path to become an adult.”

“Only no-good adults would follow that path, though… I wonder why you’re doing that.”

“Sit right there. Yeah, seiza-style—no, for your type of character it should be like sitting at gym class with your knees hugged. Right, like that. Get it? The most important thing is imagination. Once I figure out where’s her house, my imagination will expand. I can imagine her all I want. After all, every day that girl spends her time at her home. Also, she has her room up in the second floor, and every night in bed she—”

“Wah! Wah! I can’t hear you!”

“Haha, your face’s red. Teaching this to a brat who doesn’t want to makes me kinda excited. Don’t worry, your big bro will tell you everything in detail. Every night, she… haahaa.”

“Pervert! Pervert!”

The more he met Sehateno Harukiyo, the less he understood him.

He thought he was superhuman, but there were times he was too human. He thought that he was lacking common sense, but he was also oddly brimming with life.

Even so, Ume heard that Harukiyo stayed at an orphanage and even properly went to school. He even had friends and got decent grades. That much was the same as Ume.

“Will you tell me… your mail address?”

“Not like I was hidin’ it or anything. You’ll come back anyway, right?”

He was surprised at Harukiyo giving him his mail address so easily. Ume had no interest in card games, but perhaps that felt similar to drawing a rare card. He thought he’d treasure it.

“Come to kill me at any time.”

Killing Harukiyo. Before getting killed himself.

There was a time when he thought so, but for now his pure curiosity was stronger. But since he felt like Harukiyo would give up on him if he said this, he decided to leave it be.

Ever since then, the days of Ume visiting Harukiyo continued.

Just like always, Harukiyo kept looking for people who seemed strong and beat them into submission using obviously superior strength.

There was only one time that Ume tried helping him.

“Hey—why didja save me?”

However, Harukiyo glared at him.

“The one you’re actually helping is my opponent. Right?”

An acquaintance, a friend, a comrade.

He knew that Harukiyo went beyond such definitions.

“But if push comes to shove and I ask you for help, help me. —Because that’s also part of my power.”

Ridiculous. At the very least he didn’t seem to be stuck on the idea of a one-on-one fight.

Meaning, apparently both Harukiyo and Ume could either cooperate or betray each other based on how they felt at the moment.

It was a rather difficult relationship.

However, it was not uncomfortable at all.

As always, he didn’t understand in the least how Harukiyo was thinking, but there was one thought on his mind.

“Haha!”

He always looked like he was having fun.

It was true both when he was wielding violence as well as when he spoke about going to school—and even when he was angry, he really seemed to be having fun.

He used his full strength to enjoy this world.

Ume, who never knew the feeling of having fun, began to have fun following him; he was infectious.

As he watched him—he started thinking that certainly, in comparison to Harukiyo, everyone was living shoddily. Ume felt that before meeting him he too lived while saving some of himself.

Harukiyo was sneering enjoyably and Ume was following him and smiling as well.

The pair were neither friends nor comrades, neither enemies nor allies—

How long would their bizarre relationship continue?

Heading toward Harukiyo’s region like always, Ume found him leaning on the fence of a walking bridge.

He wore the uniform of the high school he’d just gotten into.

“What’re you doing, Harukiyo?”

He was probably waiting for his favorite gashapon to fall from the sky. With him that sort of thing was possible.

“Wait? Bandages? Are you hurt?”

“Ah, a little. Well, the same as always.”

Since it really was like always, Ume just mumbled a “right”.

“Say, what were you doing here? Oh, you were probably chasing after that beauty again, right? Did she get into the same high school as you?”

“She’s dead.”

Harukiyo said plainly.

Without thinking, Ume glared at the boy in front of him. He returned this gaze.

“…Dead?”

“Yup, she’s gone.”

Harukiyo sighed. He started scratching his head, as if it was all a bother.

“Geez, I really felt good about our prospects. Now I gotta look for someone else, and fast… man, what a disappointment.”

As Harukiyo mumbled, he kept walking on the bridge with his back to Ume.

He acted as if it had nothing to do with him, not having any strong feelings. If someone unrelated saw him then, they’d probably only think of him as a boy sent for some minor errands at the local supermarket.

But after having lived with him to a certain extent for a while, Ume felt something strange.

It was unbelievable, but that devil looked depressed. On top of that, he was hiding it and trying to act normal—

Watching Harukiyo’s back, Ume felt it was quite silly; even if that was him saying that.

But, what if.

What if that guy, who had superhuman strength and a perverted way of thinking…

Was, actually—the kind of normal boy you could find anywhere?

However, something mysterious was urging him on—

“D’you know Kodoku? The one’s written with the harder Kanji of ‘bug’.”^[1]

He was wrong.

Starting that day, Harukiyo looked even more inhuman to him.

“Read about it in a manga. —By the way, that manga magazine started an interesting new series. Mahou Shoujo… what was it?”

“It’s fine if you don’t remember, just go back to what you were saying.”

While having their lunch at a family restaurant, Harukiyo calmly recalled what he was talking about. He was loading up his cheese hamburger with more and more tabasco.

“In the past, to cast a curse or whatever, they’d stuff a pot or whatever full of bugs, make ‘em eat each other, and the remaining bug will become a monster. Scary, right?”

“That’s pretty freaky.”

Did something happen to the girl Harukiyo like? Ume had kept asking persistently and it took a few days to receive an answer.

Harukiyo went with his group of friends for a middle school graduation trip. Apparently there was some incident there. Harukiyo did not speak about it in detail, but it ended up with Harukiyo as the sole survivor. Ume, who loved reading newspapers, started recalling articles and trying to guess if it was them.

That was all—the incident was over far too easily, and after narrowing it down to a single option, it was a mere unfortunate incident.

“And then?”

“And then what? That’s pretty much it.”

However, as he heard Harukiyo’s story, Ume was paralyzed.

Apparently, the hospital Harukiyo had been born in went up in flames along with his mother. And he was the only survivor.

After that, even the orphanage that took him in was burnt to the ground. Once again, Harukiyo alone survived.

And that wasn’t all.

For some reason, Harukiyo was often involved in “disasters”.

“You have bad luck,” Ume summarized.

Ume would never think that it was destiny or that Harukiyo was cursed. In actuality, there were simply people with bad luck.

Harukiyo should also be the same. He knew just from watching him that he wasn’t going to bemoan his own circumstances.

—However.

Without even being sad about his tragic birth, without even rejoicing the fact that he alone survived, the boy, who extoled life itself, added something.

—In the end, I alone remained alive.

And what about it? Harukiyo wouldn’t say. So he also didn’t ask for any advice.

Ume didn’t think of the fact that only Harukiyo survived as strange. His fate was simply that strong, and he himself was strong as well.

However, he could look at it from the other way around.

If Harukiyo hadn’t become that strong, perhaps he wouldn’t have survived.

—In the end, that’s how it was.

Harukiyo repeated.

Ever since telling that story, Harukiyo changed. He kept becoming even more superhumanly strong and destroying strong people.

Meanwhile, he stopped getting worked up when facing trash like that arsonist before. He wasn’t simply aiming for anyone and everyone anymore; he narrowed down his targets, becoming deliberate.

In a certain sense, taking a philosophical view of his way of living, perhaps he was actually—trying to step into the domain of a devil.

“Eh, so does that story end like that?”

“Haven’t I told you it’s scary? Oh, that looks really good.”

“Stop it. I left it for last.”

The survivor becomes a monster.

A short, casual conversation.

The fact that it had a deep meaning, way beyond Ume’s imagination—became apparent only later.

At the time, Ume thought that his association with the boy called Harukiyo would just continue forever.

Meaning, he was naïve.

About the fact that “disasters” followed Harukiyo.

But Ume soon—came to know their true meaning.

Part 2[edit]

Ume had faced that instant after a while passed since the start of his vagabond life with Harukiyo.

Harukiyo quit his high school and left the orphanage as well. Rather than him afraid to involve people in the disasters that burdened him, apparently he actually just got tired of life there.

On the other hand, Ume himself was about to study abroad. He had already handed out a resignation letter to the school abroad and gave money to his homestay school. Since he made some other preparations as well, he should be able to fool his family who didn’t care about their son in the first place.

“Say, didja know? Tonight’s a full moon.”

While walking through an underground shopping mall at a certain town, Ume looked at Harukiyo next to him. They were both holding their freshly-bought gelatos in hand.

“Huh? Wanna go watch the moon or somethin’? But yeah, should be the fifteenth of the month.”

Harukiyo looked at a fast-food restaurant with a serious expression. Just as Ume wondered what he was looking at, he noticed that he was trying to look inside the skirt of a high school girl. Ume took his distance from him and pretended they were strangers.

“Fifteenth of the month…? No, that’s wrong. What are you even thinking about? That’s not it; have you forgot the information from that radio guy? The one who’s been eavesdropping on the police wireless.”

“Oh, you mean that random attacker who appears during the full moon. The guy that knocks out his victims and then rubs his cheeks on their hands until they wake up. That’s mostly an urban legend. I mean, just choose if you wanna make it a vampire, a werewolf or Jack the Ripper. What’s so fun about having someone rub your cheeks anyway? I really can’t understand such perverts, that’s stupid.”

“Isn’t that for the same reason that you literally just stared at that girl’s skirt? He has a hand fetish.”

“That one has its own aesthetics. Don’t be an idiot.”

He didn’t know why Harukiyo was angry, but Ume simply let it go with a “Right” with half-closed eyes.

This happened much later, but after they asked about the attacker’s motive, they really did receive the answer of “fetishism” in needlessly fluent English. That was their meeting with the frightening girl who had the same tastes as Harukiyo, Sakaki Haruka, which ended up with them starting to move together, but that was another story.

“If you don’t like it, I have some other leads. What’ll we do?”

Harukiyo’s “search for the powerful” continued as always.

However, he still found no one who fulfilled the conditions.

Frankly, Ume doubted that any person existed who was stronger than Harukiyo.

Did such a person actually exist? It was doubtful whether Harukiyo really was looking for someone “stronger than him” in the first place.

However, since the time spent with Harukiyo was fun, Ume stayed at his side.

Since he’d come to know of the times spent with the boy Sehateno Harukiyo, going back to his old life would make him die of boredom.

“Hmm… wonder what we’ll do.”

Harukiyo absentmindedly threw the very last piece of his gelato into his mouth.

While Ume was fully enjoying his vagabond life, Harukiyo was the opposite; he recently looked bored.

Did the opponent he was looking for actually existed—

Perhaps he was thinking of this as he grew stronger by the day.

“—Oh?”

Harukiyo suddenly raised his face.

“What was that sound just now?”

“What sound?”

“Somethin’ like bells… but they sound kinda dirty, so it’s annoying.”

“Didn’t hear anything like that.”

“That so? Welp, never mind then. —Oh right, have you investigated that thing we talked about?”

“Eh? No way. That naughty thing, right?”

“Idiot, not that. Well, that too, but I’m talking about that thing.”

Ah, Ume recalled.

“I’m talking about Mushi.”

Harukiyo spoke with a serious expression.

That supernatural being which possessed adolescent boys and girl and feasted on their dreams and hopes to grow—

Even when he’d been in elementary school there were rumors.

“Totally forgot about it. Isn’t that even more of an urban legend?”

“Don’t lump those together. There really was a kuchisake-onna.^[2] I only barely beat her.”

“I can’t tell if it’s true or not when you’re the one saying that, so let’s just drop it.”

Ume was a realist but bad with ghost stories, so it wasn’t a topic he liked to touch if at all possible.

Even so, if Harukiyo told him to look for it he simply had to. It apparently wasn’t a kind of ghost anyway, and if he thought of them similar to tokusatsu or sci-fi, he was actually interested.

While making such trifling talk, it happened as they walked through the underground shopping mall.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Aiming for their next snack, it happened as they reached a station wagon remodeled to a juice stand.

They heard screams from the mall ahead. Unlike the clamor of customers until now, there were abnormally shrill voices—shouts were flying about.

“…”

Looking next to him, Ume saw Harukiyo was glaring at the direction he heard the voices from.

As they watched over that area, many customers came running. They were all rushing just like a herd of wild animals seen on tv.

They were running away from something.

Screams and shouts were flying around, but Ume and Harukiyo had no idea what happened. Just like the other customers around, they stood still, unable to take in the situation.

“Uwah!”

A roar that nearly burst Ume’s ears echoed in the underground mall.

All of the windows in every store he could see all had their glass shatter at once. Even the station wagon’s lights broke, and women around them raised shrieks.

Alarms started blaring.

The underground road was wrapped in panic.

Most of the customers probably ran away without even knowing what happened. The stairs, escalators and elevators, all possible exits were flooded by people.

“What happened there…?”

Ume too was astonished, getting inside the wagon after the employees escaped. He took a cup and poured mango juice inside it, and also mixed it with other juices as well.

“What’re we gonna do, Harukiyo? Should we try and blend in with them?”

Ume called toward Harukiyo from inside the wagon. Even if they headed for the exit, in the current situation they’d only get pushed around and injured.

“Kuku…”

Still staring ahead without moving a muscle, the boy wore a smile.

“This feeling… so it’s happening again.”

“Harukiyo?”

Ume, who was putting tabasco on top of apple juice for the other boy, furrowed his brows.

“Hey, Ume.”

Looking at the face of the boy who turned toward him, Ume felt goosebumps all over his body.

His eyes were sparkling and he exposed his sharp canines; the devil was smiling.

He looked to be having fun, with a smile as though he’d met his hundred years-old archnemesis. However—it was also somewhat sad. Ume had seen him wear that expression for the first time.

“Run away.”

Emitting an abnormal killing intent, it was obvious that every single part of Harukiyo’s body was wrought with tension.

I see, so this is—

Ume soon realized.

“If you stay with me, you’ll die.”

It was what Harukiyo had encountered many times before. A “disaster”.

The bad luck that would leave him as the only survivor.

Speaking honestly—in the depths of Ume’s heart, he feared that this time would come.

Since he’d heard Harukiyo’s stories, Ume knew that when the time came, if he stayed with him—

“You’re going to be the only survivor, was it?”

What would he do if the time came?

Ume had thought about this for a long, long time.

He didn’t believe in fate or that sort of nonsense.

Because if he did, he’d be too scared.

But being with Harukiyo, the boy who truly was the epitome of unlucky, he also felt that he couldn’t help but believe in it.

He feared the day of the incoming “disaster”, and yet—he also expected that day.

“So about that.”

He’d stayed with Harukiyo not only due to curiosity.

And it wasn’t only because he looked up to him, either.

“—If I stay alive, it means I can become stronger than you, right?”

The wagon’s broken windows reflected Ume’s sparkling gaze.

The devil he’d met at that day.

The overwhelming sense of presence Ume had felt in that day—he could gain it.

“…Ha.”

Harukiyo rounded his eyes in surprise, but soon returned to smile. He raised his face that was cast down for just an instant, turning his burning gaze ahead.

“Haha! That’s more like it, stupid brat! Your big brother feels so happy about your growth!”

“Every single word of that sounds perverted, geez.”

Exiting the station wagon while puffing his cheeks, Ume brought the juice-filled glass to his mouth.

Splash—ripples were created in the liquid present in Ume’s cup.

The intermitted vibrations shook the underground road. And they were growing gradually larger.

No—they were approaching.

Ume gazed along with Harukiyo further down the mall, where the lights broke down. The unceasing alarms were annoying.

“An earthquake? Or maybe there’s a flood and the change in pressure caused the glass to break? Since the stage’s underground it’s quire troublesome.”

“Are your ears just for decoration? Just now, something was howling.”

“A wild beast wouldn’t break all the glass. Wasn’t it just an explosion from somewhere?”

A pair of lights rose in the passage ahead.

Seeing that, Ume now realized the identity of the still continuing vibration.

Those were—footsteps.

The thing had six legs crushing the ground as it advanced, moving with sounds like a heavy tank—

“Uh—Ah—“

The cup fell from Ume’s hands. He stared at that thing, astonished.

“What the hell’s that—”

Even Harukiyo was, as expected, frozen in place. Seeing what approached them with frightful speed, he was speechless.

The six legs were divided into several joints and their edges stabbed into the asphalt. Its entire body covered by a thick, armor-like shell. The place full of fangs moving creepily was perhaps its head. There were two glass ball-like eyes embedded there.

An insect monster even larger than Harukiyo—

He could only think of that description.

But as far as Ume knew, no such animal existed.

Ume and Harukiyo both spun their bodies.

“Uwaaah!”

“Wooah!”

The ferocious monster charged at the two of them. They broke into running, hearing the station wagon behind them being blown away.

The monster’s tackle was more powerful than it looked. Turning around, Ume could see that all that remained from the trampled vehicle was steel pipes stabbing into the ceiling and walls.

The monster didn’t seem to slow down. It kept on hot pursuit after Ume and Harukiyo at full speed without minding anything else.

“M-monster—”

Ume barely stopped himself from stumbling and falling. —If he fell during this chase, he would probably end up just like the station wagon; nothing would remain of him. His entire body was shaking.

“Monster—”

Harukiyo’s voice was also shaking. Even he, who always seemed to operate in his own special world, couldn’t remain calm in present circumstances.

Footsteps like a bulldozer pursued them from behind. Since the monster’s speed was on a whole different level, it was only a matter of time before it caught up to them.

Ume had never seen or even heard about such a thing.

Was it created by humans like in a classic monster movie? Leaving Harukiyo aside, the supple flesh of a child like Ume was probably appetizing.

He saw a concrete wall ahead.

The end of the road—a dead end.

There was nowhere to escape to.

However, Ume and Harukiyo did not slow down.

Using momentum to jump, they kicked at the blocking wall.

“It’s a monster!”

“A fucking monster!”

Ume and Harukiyo kicked the wall and parted to left and right.

A large tremor shook the underground mall. Unable to make an emergency stop, the monster’s remaining momentum crashed against the wall. Its head dug inside and large fissures ran through the concrete.

However, this didn’t damage the monster. It soon pulled out its head and raised a howl. Finding Ume and Harukiyo who nimbly went around its back, it swung its sharp legs. Perhaps it was angry.

“I-it’s a monster, Harukiyo! It’s my first time seeing one! I have to take a commemoratory photo! I wonder if it can make a V-sign with those legs!”

Ume lowered his body to dodge the legs swinging horizontally. The monster’s legs were sharp and thicker than Ume’s entire body. There was no doubt that a direct hit would have popped off his torso.

“Hey, so it’s a monster this time! Nooo, there aren’t any monsters! That’s against the fuckin’ rules! Ugyah—i-it’s so hard! It hurt! I’m bleeding! Haha!”

Dodging the leg that came swinging at him from overhead, Harukiyo tried sending the monster off flying with a punch. However, no matter how strong he was, he hadn’t been able to leave even a single scratch on the thick shell; in fact, it ripped the skin on his fist, drawing blood.

This situation was way past the point of being unexpected.

Ume never would have imagined the appearance of neither accident nor natural disaster but a genuine monster.

It went much beyond his imagination—so he couldn’t help but be excited.

“I want it! If we beat it, please get me one! Is it a robot? A mutant? A monster made by a secret organization? Its weak points have to be its joints and eyes, right?”

While weaving between the monster’s attacks, Ume shouted with his expression radiant.

Its attacks weren’t much faster than human punches and kicks. Also, because it could only hit them directly, Ume could predict, to a certain extent, the attack’s range and trajectory based on the monster’s joints and leg length. After calmly analyzing it, he realized that these attacks were not impossible to dodge.

He didn’t know what person could stay clam in this situation where they’d die instantly from any direct hit, but—

“Might work, let’s try it out!”

Harukiyo leapt back, reaching out toward a store’s window. He used his full strength to grab a sliding window frame made from aluminum and wrest it free from the broken window.

“I see now—so monsters like that do exist.”

Swinging the metal frame like a spear, Harukiyo wore a smile. His blazing pupils captured the monster standing in his path.

“I’m sure this isn’t the only one. I’m sure there are even worse ones—”

Seeing the boy’s profile, Ume trembled.

Facing an unimaginable monster, Harukiyo was several times happier than Ume.

“I feel like I’m saved… don’tcha agree?”

The boy had been disappointed at something not long ago. His eyes looking up at the monster were those of a person who found someone he’d loved and missed dearly.

Seeing Sehateno Harukiyo like this, Ume thought.

What was he looking for?

Perhaps—he wanted to die?

Despite him having so much fun living?

Despite him carrying no guilt about his cruel past and celebrating his life?

If he wanted to die, he could do it by himself. If he really desired this, he wasn’t the kind of boy to hesitate so much. Ume knew this well.

“Hey, don’t lose focus, Ume! No matter what happens, keep strugglin’ to the very end, kill this bastard and live!”

Despite wanting to live, he desired death—

This foolish thought passed through Ume’s mind.

Just how much of a contradiction—how selfish of a wish was it?

Perhaps this was the most fitting thought possible for the one and only man called Sehateno Harukiyo.

“Okay, so it’s a promise! For real though! I’m taking this thing! I’m turning it to a strap and dragging it around town!”

“Shuddup, I’m gonna eat it.”

Harukiyo and Ume against the large monster.

Their fight continued.

Facing the monster’s one-sided attacks, the two boys began their small counterattack. Yet almost all resistance was futile, as everything bounced off the monster’s hard shell.

“Ugh—”

Finally the Mushi’s leg captured Ume. Although he’d just barely avoided the sharp tip, his small body was easily blown away. As he crashed into a wall, a line of blood came pouring down his head.

“Ouch… Oh no, did I break something?”

Ume tried rousing his body, but couldn’t gather strength in the left arm he’d used for defense. It didn’t feel numb. If it pained him after a while it would mean this was just a blow, and if it got swollen it would mean a broken bone.

“Haha! What’re you doing, so lame!”

Even the sneering Harukiyo was not unhurt. Since he’d focused on counterattacking and only barely dodged, his body was ripped here and there, caught by an attack now and then.

It happened when Ume was about to rise up and restart the fight.

“Wha… who’re you two…!”

Ume heard a hoarse voice from right behind him.

Standing there was a girl with a tie in the shape of a ribbon. She was probably around Harukiyo’s age. The hair gathered at the back of her head was long and parted like a crab’s legs.

“Move, I’ll fucking kill you…! —Eh?”

As the girl threatened and approached them, her knees folded. Seeing the knife stabbed into the thighs visible from beneath her short skirt, she instantly paled.

The moment Ume turned back, he threw this concealed weapon.

Going around her back, he thrust a newly-drawn knife and grinned.

“Who’re you, miss?”

“Eh—Ah—”

“Hey.”

As he raised his face to Harukiyo’s voice, the monster raised a pained scream.

“The eyes worked.”

The twisted metal frame stuck deep into the monster’s eye.

Seeing the boy stand on the head of the monster flailing its legs around, the unknown girl was frozen on the spot.

It seemed that before finally scoring a hit on the eye, Harukiyo had been hit many times. He was covered in wounds all over and dyed bright red from his own blood. Even so, his form with his sparkling, burning eyes and enjoyable smile was just like—

“A m-monster—”

Hoarse voice came out of the girl’s mouth.

The heavily wounded Harukiyo and Ume, the pair of boys, exchanged glances.

“Hey, aren’t you getting mixed up? Your eyes are horrible. Or are you declaring you’ll become a glasses girl? Haha, please do that.”

“Say, Harukiyo. Didn’t it stop moving? Maybe this person has the controller? Finish it off already, can’t turn it to a strap if it’s still alive.”

“W-why’re standing in my way… my Mushi is—”

“Mushi? Hey, did that chick just say Mushi?”

“She did. I see, so that’s a Mushi. It really exists.”

“My Mushi’s—going to be killed—”

Seeing the girl’s expression dyed in fear, Ume gasped.

Just before, the girl had told Ume “move or I’ll kill you”. Meaning, if he didn’t move, she couldn’t kill him, and that she didn’t feel like fighting the two of them in the first place.

He also recalled.

When the monster—the Mushi had first appeared, it was in full momentum, as if it was running away from something—

“…!”

Feeling a chill, Harukiyo and Ume both turned to the same direction.

The wall that was cracked due to the charging Mushi’s impact.

The lump of concrete that became an obstacle was stained in dark red.

“What’s that?”

“—Harukiyo!”

He had a bad feeling. Harukiyo didn’t even need Ume’s shout; he too sensed the danger. He nimbly leapt off the Mushi’s head, distancing himself from the wall.

The exact moment afterward, the concrete wall burst.

The concrete became dark red, melting like chocolate and bursting. The now-sticky concrete covered the Mushi.

The Mushi howled. Smoke rose around and the unpleasant stench of burning flesh filled the underground road.

Concrete turned into red, dark liquid—into lava—covered the Mushi. Although it was struggling to get loose, even its legs were being melted by the overwhelming heat and it was powerless to do anything.

“—!”

In front of Ume, the girl that he thought was controlling the Mushi doubled over. She collapsed listlessly on the floor and, gazing at the ceiling with lifeless eyes, did not move a muscle.

Was it because her Mushi had been killed? Thinking about it, according to the rumors he’d heard the host and their Mushi were said to be connected.

“Huh… that’s odd—”

On the other side of the melted wall there was a hole. The circular hole shone in dark red, becoming a cave shining faintly.

“My prey suddenly got weak… what the heck, so boring.”

Ume’s body rose in air for a moment.

Something large now bore heavily on the spot that the Mushi had occupied until then. The thing that had a body large enough to shake the entire underground road was yet again a monster Ume had never seen before.

An earthworm covered in lava—was how he saw it? Rather than an insect it was a mollusk; it moved by twisting and undulating, and was about as large as a tanker truck.

“Have you two finished it off…?”

Protected by the dark-red earthworm, a hunchbacked boy was sitting inside the cave. He wore his hoodie over his eyes and pulled the fasteners to his collar to completely hide his mouth. His sunken pupils glared at Ume and Harukiyo in the underground mall.

A chill instantly ran from Ume’s toes to the top of his head.

This guy’s bad news—

“Yeah, sure did.”

He goggled at Harukiyo who answered this calmly with a sneer.

Harukiyo should have noticed as well. The Mushi they’d been fighting until now was just a small fish compared to this guy.

Because of that, Ume couldn’t understand why the blood-stained Harukiyo’s eyes were sparkling so much—

“So you’re the same? A Mushi’s… err, Mushitsuki, was it? Anyway, is that a Mushi too? What’s your business here, you bug bastard?”

“Nothing special… I was just playing a bit. Hunting other people’s Mushi is fun.”

“Ho. That’s what you mean. We just met by chance while you were playing. You bear no grudge against me, and you weren’t told to do this by anyone. It’s nothing more than a temporary feeling, an impulsive desire about this place alone, this eyesore—”

Sehateno Harukiyo now showed an absolutely delightful smile the likes of which Ume had never seen from him before.

“You’re lookin’ at me with eyes that are dripping with the desire to kill.”

“Since you’ve gotten in the way of my hunt, you’ll take responsibility… right?”

Just as the boy spoke with a penetratingly cold voice, the lava earthworm swung its body.

“Haha!”

Harukiyo stepped back and avoided the earthworm by a hairsbreadth. Where the worm passed, the floor melted from the high temperature, and the lava dripping from it splashed around, scorching the surroundings.

“Incredible, you bastard! This is the best! You have some major future prospects! Amazingly great! Right, kill me! Use every bit of strength you have and come at me to kill me for real!”

Seeing Harukiyo howl with laughter, Ume was frozen.

As expected—this was the limit for him.

It took Ume’s full physical and mental strength just to withstand that Mushi from before. He just didn’t feel like wanting to battle against lava at all. Also, even if he were to target the host, since half of the earthworm’s body surrounded him for protection, Ume wouldn’t be able to approach.

“—You’re definitely not gonna kill me, though.”

Wearing a devilish grin, Harukiyo turned his body without hesitating. Turning his back to the earthworm leaning toward him, he ran through the passage as fast as possible.

“Wawa, wait up!”

Coming back to his senses, Ume also hurriedly followed after Harukiyo.

“What’s up with that challenge of yours! You’re definitely messed up in the head! Even if it’s too late for me to notice!”

“Haha! He’s tryna kill us anyway, that guy!”

“Got any idea? Against that kind of opponent?”

“For now let’s run away!”

The wounds they’d suffered while facing a single Mushi were definitely not shallow. It was only a matter of time before the pair succumbed to their bleeding and pain.

“Run away at full power, recover and come for a rematch! We can find him again, land a surprise attack or whatever and win!”

Please, do it alone next time.

While groaning in his heart, Ume looked behind.

The large earthworm was sinking its head into the floor. Apparently it could move through the ground just like a real earthworm. At some point its host also vanished.

“—This is bad! This spot is blocked!”

He probably went around several exits.

The emergency staircase they finally found was blocked by cooled-off, solid lava. All entrances they went around were the same.

He thought that it was strange that no police arrived even after they fought the Mushi for so long. He simply thought that they couldn’t enter due to the crowds rushing outside.

However, apparently the hoodie boy went around and sealed all exits. All of the roads connected to the surface were perfectly blocked by lava.

“Ugh!”

As Ume rushed ahead, trying to find another exit, he was kicked by Harukiyo.

As he crashed into the wall, something passed right next to him along with a thunderous roar.

It was the lava earthworm.

Noiselessly approaching from within the ground, the earthworm pierced through the ground to the ceiling in a straight line.

“…”

Comparing the holes opened up in the floor and the ceiling, Ume felt his strength waning. The astonishment and paralysis nearly caused him to faint. If Harukiyo hadn’t kicked him away, that worm would’ve crushed him down to the bones to make some drippy Ume juice.^[3]

“Have you survived, son of a bitch?”

Harukiyo showed him a blood-stained smile. However, his legs were shaking. In this situation where he couldn’t even receive first aid, he was running. The amount of blood loss should have already reached the limits.

“H-how did you know it was going to attack? There’s no sound.”

“Who d’you think I am? With whack-a-mole you hit ‘em before they pop up.”

“That’s called missing… more importantly, I feel like that kick cracked my ribs, so why’d you do it…”

“As long as you don’t die, nothing’s impossible.”

It was painful, but he was right. Since the one saying that was Harukiyo, who threaded the needle between life and death countless times, it was pretty convincing. It even made Ume think that sacrificing a bone to avoid the fate of becoming juice was quite lucky.

Dodging the earthworm’s surprise attack, they ran around the underground road looking for a way of escape.

However, as they noticed there wasn’t any path of retreat—they were surrounded by flames and debris.

Both ground and ceiling were had large holes, and almost all shops were still burning and engulfed by the flames caused from lava.

Along with tremors, the lava earthworm crawled out of the floor in the path ahead.

It was finally going to finish them off.

“Harukiyo.”

I think this is the end—

Raising a spray of lava, the earthworm pursued them.

There was nowhere to run to.

There was no way to win.

Cornered by a situation that led only to despair, a strange feeling rose inside him.

“I’ll become a decoy. So, Harukiyo, during that time you have to—”

The fun days were over.

So, as thanks for giving him such fun, Ume would offer his own life—so he thought.

No, originally he didn’t have the kind of personality or psychology for self-sacrifice.

He just didn’t want to see the boy called Sehateno Harukiyo dying before he did—

He just wanted to pass this final selfishness.

But the next moment—he was hit.

“Agh!”

It was a full-powered blow with no mercy. He thought his chin would fall off.

Harukiyo leapt to the side and Ume was blown all the way to the wall. The large earthworm passed in the interval between them with great speed.

“Have you woken up, brat?”

It was even hotter than the dark-red earthworm, even hotter than the lava flowing about.

That scorching gaze bore into Ume.

“Don’t fall asleep on me! Are you awake now, ah? Are you actually alive, ah? If you’re alive, then why are you sleeping? Did you seriously fry off your brain with thinking and judged there to be no way to escape and no way to win? I’ll fuckin’ kill you, brat!”

Harukiyo shouted so loudly his voice reverberated throughout the entire mall.

The earthworm seemed to aim for the annoying boy first. Ignoring Ume who crouched near the wall, it leapt toward Harukiyo.

“No—”

Holding his cheeks, Ume opened his mouth. Transparent drops spilled through his chin, boiling due to the heat around. His hit cheek felt much warmer than the lava or the flames.

“No way! No way no way no way, I can’t!”

He actually realized this when he’d first seen the earthworm. The moment he saw the host boy, he had the feeling that it would be useless to even try begging for his life.

“We have no way to escape and no way to win! We have nothing! This is impossible!”

“Then stay right there and die.”

Harukiyo’s eyes pierced Ume. —His performance as he dodged the flames, the lava and the earthworm, while leaping between the large holes opened in the ground, was miraculous. But obviously even he would reach his limit soon.

Ume mumbled for a moment.

“—So you’re hesitating.”

As Harukiyo only just barely evaded the earthworm, heat singed his hair. The compress on his cheek peeled off, enveloped by flames.

A fire-pattern tattoo was engraved on Harukiyo’s cheek.

That red, even deeper than the surrounding flames and as vivid as though it would burn him as well, distorted into a smirk.

“You don’t wanna die, right? You haven’t enough of living, right? You still have plenty of stuff you wanna do! Why’re pretending you’ve reached some sorta revelation and don’t admit it’s something that simple! You’re alive, so why don’t you be selfish! You can be as meek as you’d like after you kick the fucking bucket!”

Ume gritted his teeth.

He obviously didn’t want to die.

He was still a kid and had too many things he wanted to do. Not wanting to die was too obvious—he never thought of this thing properly.

“What… Obviously I wanna live! I don’t wanna die! I wanna play more! I wanna eat more good food! I still want—to hang out with you, Harukiyo!”

“Haha! Just like that! Aren’t you getting carried away now!”

“But… If you still die, what will I do?! I hate this so much!”

“If it happens, it would be—my ‘punishment’.”

Fighting the earthworm as if dancing, Harukiyo spoke.

“Although I don’t wanna die, I’ll die. I truly, truly want to live but I’ll be squashed like a bug. Isn’t that what a punishment’s all about?”

“This… I can’t accept that—”

Punishment? Bullshit.

Ume had obviously done many bad things, but he just couldn’t accept that sort of thinking.

After all—Ume himself felt no guilt.

He was just having fun living, so he couldn’t accept being punished for it—

“I—”

Now that he thought this far, he noticed.

That itself—was the punishment.

Although he couldn’t accept it, he would be killed.

Was there any other act as hateful? Any other act that would disallow relief, that would leave so many regrets?

When he thought of this, he became scared.

“No… I don’t want that! I did nothing wrong!”

“Yes, that’s right! You were just having fun, living your life!”

“As if I want to get punished!”

“You don’t give a fuck whether someone gets hurts or dies in someplace you know nothing about! Because that’s not your fault! Let’s keep living and have fun!”

“I wanna keep living!”

“If you die, it means it was your punishment! But you’d never accept that, right! You end up wanting to keep living, even if only out of stubbornness!”

As Harukiyo was sneering and thoroughly enjoying himself, his heels sizzled and raised smoke.

Finally—he’d been cornered.

The surroundings were enclosed by lava, flames and the holes the earthworm passed through, completely blocking all possible paths of retreat. Meanwhile, the worm extended its long body, pressing closer to Harukiyo by sliding on top of the holes.

“Harukiyo—”

Harukiyo wore a smile. Just like he said, he wasn’t going to give up at all.

Even so, he was going to be killed.

“No, Harukiyo!”

If everything was as Harukiyo said, was he trying to get himself punished for real this time?

And so—Ume just couldn’t accept it.

“Harukiyooo!!!”

What had Harukiyo done?

Was it his fault his mother and unrelated people went up in flames after his birth?

Was it a crime for him to survive alone while many people died around him?

That was neither sin nor anything else.

His life was simply the slightest bit unlucky, that was all.

Being unlucky wasn’t his fault. No matter who else got involved in it, it had nothing to do with him.

It definitely shouldn’t count as Harukiyo’s sin.

“Ah—”

While the earthworm carrying death and punishment pursued him, Sehateno Harukiyo was laughing fearlessly.

Even right now he was probably thinking of ways to live. Even if the possibility was zero, he wouldn’t give up.

Even when his life was about to be snatched away.

He mumbled to himself.

“—Stop with those bells already.”

The sound of bells.

Even Ume heard them now.

“…!”

Did this kind of dirty sound actually exist? It was the kind of cracked, hoarse and ear-grating sound that made him want to scream and turn back.

The moment he’d heard that sound, everything reflected in Ume’s eyes stopped in place.

With everyone in the underground mall frozen as if time itself stopped, his vision spun—

“—”

Along with a bizarre sensation of falling, his vision blacked out.

Having been thrown into a pitch-dark world, Ume couldn’t move even a single finger. He couldn’t even see his own body and had no idea if there was any ground or air there.

Bell sounds echoed again.

Following them, Ume turned around. He had no sensation of direction, but he tried turning around still.

There—he found Harukiyo’s figure.

In front of him there was a decayed church. The windows that should have had stained glass were broken, the wall was collapsed and the roof was in shambles. In the place supposed to house a cross there was only a broken pole.

Standing in the wasteland, Harukiyo wore an expression Ume had never seen before.

Both the delight for life that always filled him as well as the blaze-like rage were gone. Instead he was ruled by calm like the sea at a lull.

It was just like a death row convict waiting for their verdict; Ume had this strange impression.

“—”

He tried calling to Harukiyo, but no voice came out.

The boy appeared to be talking to someone. With a calm expression, he moved only his mouth.

Eventually Harukiyo’s legs turned to the church. The boy weaved his way through the open door.

Ume tried calling to Harukiyo at the top of his voice, but it just melted within the darkness. Since he couldn’t hear Harukiyo’s voice as well, perhaps the spaces the pair inhabited were completely isolated.

Again, the sound of bells.

A heavily oppressive, foul air filled the abnormal space.

This was—the sound congratulating the birth of a devil in the truest sense.

“—”

Ume definitely heard it.

He couldn’t hear the voice, but it was undoubtedly—a scream.

While this voiceless scream filled with anger and hatred echoed, Ume was again wrapped in the sensation of falling.

“—”

Ume kept calling Harukiyo’s name.

What happened to Harukiyo? What had happened to him?

It wasn’t just a bad feeling. He was convinced that whatever happened was irreversible. However, Ume’s shouts were swallowed by the darkness, not even becoming a voice.

His vision blacked out and his consciousness cut off.

No, that was wrong.

He was pulled back from the strange space and into the world of reality.

As the darkened world retrieved its previous form, the first thing he felt—was the heat of hellfire scorching his skin.

“…!”

Coming back to his senses, he found Harukiyo about to be swallowed by the earthworm.

Ume watched it, unable to do anything.

He watched Harukiyo, who stood in place with his head hung down, being engulfed by flames.

And—the moment when the head of the large earthworm covered in lava started melting.

“—Piece of shit.”

Harukiyo mumbled as he was swallowed by bright red flames. Hot wind blew in the underground shopping center and his hair was ruffled as if in a mad dance.

The flames covering him slowly changed form. As they writhed like living beings, the earthworm touched by them slowly melted like pudding.

Opening his scorching eyes wide, Harukiyo shouted.

“Shiiiiit!”

The bursting, surging flames changed form to a monster.

It looked like a Great Yama tiger beetle with tusks of differing sizes—

Spitting hellfire instead of a birth cry, the Great Yama tiger beetle made of flames rushed around the underground mall. Not even paying attention to the half-melted earthworm, it swallowed each and every place, sinking all shops into a sea of flames.

Still shocked, Ume could do nothing but etch those sights into his eyes and memories.

“—You asked me if I wanted power, eh?”

In the center of the flames, Harukiyo’s body shook with anger.

Ume only came to know of this later, but the church he’d seen—apparently belonged to one of the Original Three said to give birth to Mushi, the incarnation of the being known as Shinpu.

The desolate church with its dirty-sounding bell.

Harukiyo had been invited there—and became a Mushitsuki.

Ume had no way to know what he sought there and what he’d been given.

“Yeah, I want it! So much that I could die! I can do nothing but want it, right! If I didn’t need it I’d become shoddy, after all! Although I don’t want that thing, I can only keep wanting it! This sort of stupid power!”

However—seeing Harukiyo scream out his lungs, Ume remembered himself thinking something.

Ume never felt guilt. He probably lacked that feeling from birth.

But what about Sehateno Harukiyo?

As if he only suddenly realized it.

What if there was a slim chance, an infinitely miniscule chance that Harukiyo was really just a normal person?

What if he had the thing known as guilt.

“What’re you tellin’ me to do with that power?! What’re you tellin’ me to do by becoming stronger again?! Don’t butt in my business, you piece of shiiit!”

During his birth, his mother and unrelated people died and he alone survived.

He then survived the orphanage. And was also the sole survivor among his classmates.

He was always alone and always survived—but what did he think about it?

As a person, surely he couldn’t help but feel guilt, even if a little, even if a only a particle of it?

“Diorestoi or whatever your name is! You told me to become the King of Mushitsuki?—I don’t give a damn about that! Never show your ugly face to me again! I now bear a grudge! If you ever come to me I’ll kill you! Never felt any grudge for anything, but I’ll kill you with my hatred! If you don’t wanna get burnt to ashes, then you’d better keep living in literally any other place than right in front of my eyes!”

Ume heard the sound of bells.

Leaving a dirty, trailing note behind, that sound which was rapidly growing distant was hoarse—as if it was scared of the Mushitsuki it had given birth to.

“Harukiyo…”

Ume wrung out a hoarse voice, looking at the raging devil.

Since Ume lacked guilt, he didn’t want to get punished.

However, Harukiyo…

Was he perhaps—wishing for punishment?

Not receiving the verdict to be thrown into hell, being cornered countless times while unaware of neither sin nor punishment, the boy was shouting hard as if to expel his anger at having kept surviving all this time.

Just like a flame, this devil would burn down everyone around him and continue blazing forevermore.

Did a person who could punish him actually exist at all?

“S-so you were a Mushitsuki too…!”

Uncovered by the flames of the Great Yama tiger beetle, the hoodie boy revealed himself.

Harukiyo’s pair of eyes turned to capture that earthworm’s host.

“Hey, you bastard—”

“Shit!”

Having lost half of its body, the earthworm came assaulting Harukiyo from a blind spot.

However, the tiger beetle took flight and stuck its fangs of flame in the earthworm’s body. It began melting easily the body of lava, ripping it in half.

“Ugh…!”

The hoodie boy grimaced in agony. It appeared that the host and Mushi really were connected.

Thrown to the ground, the earthworm writhed in pain. Wrapped in his own created flames, Harukiyo walked on top of it, approaching the earthworm’s host.

Harukiyo’s arm grabbed the boy by the collar.

“How will I make you take responsibility?”

“Eek…!”

“I ended up surviving again because of you—”

Thump—a pain ran through Ume’s chest.

Perhaps it was because his broken ribs were hurting, or because he saw Harukiyo shaking in anger.

If he actually wished to receive punishment.

The one who could do so was probably already—

“W-why—”

The hoodie boy grimaced. His pupils were losing their light probably because the bisected earthworm’s body was slowly melting away.

“Why was there… another monster here…”

Another monster.

Ume saw Harukiyo widening his eyes.

“—”

Ume also doubted his own ears.

Another? Did that boy say another monster?

“In the end—even though I managed to run away from Hunter…”

Hunter—

Was that the name of the other person like Harukiyo?

“I-I shouldn’t have come to this city… thought I could have fun hunting again… but then…”

“Hey—hey, wait a fucking moment!”

Harukiyo’s expression changed. His face twisted in wrath began gradually transforming.

“Whaddya mean by that? Who’s that Hunter?”

“I don’t want to be hunted anymore… I ran inside the ground day after day but I was still scared… I just came out of the ground, and yet…”

Ume shuddered.

Hunter, who was even worse than Harukiyo.

That name hinted at a being that was scary even just to imagine—and made Harukiyo’s eyes sparkle.

“For real…? Hey, is this for real?”

Harukiyo’s face, until now dyed fully in rage, was turning to a smile.

“You saw me and faced off against me. But you’ve run away from that bastard—that Hunter or whatever? Pathetically? Without even trying to resist? Meaning that sorta demonic person that made you run like a coward while being chased exists somewhere? Such a guy, who’s a walking ‘disaster’ in the shape of a human being?!”

“Even though I… managed to escape…”

“Where’s that demon at?! What kinda guy are they?! Is it a man? A woman? Hey, answer!”

“Ah—ah—”

The final piece of the earthworm burnt off.

At the same time the boy’s eyes completely lost all life.

“…”

For a while Harukiyo stood there, frozen and unmoving.

But soon he flung away the hoodie boy. He turned his body and began walking.

“—Harukiyo!”

When Ume called to him, Harukiyo stood in place.

“This time there’s no mistake.”

Turning around, he distorted his fire tattoo while smiling.

“This Hunter or whatever exists to kill me.”

This was—their farewell for a while.

That time, that instant.

Sehateno Harukiyo probably had eyes only for the unseen Hunter.

There was no doubt that he no longer saw Ume.

Later, Ume became a Mushitsuki and met up with him again—but he hadn’t changed.

The only thing reflected in the flame devil’s eyes was a single existence.

Ume had no idea what he thought about and what he truly desired.

There shouldn’t be anyone in the entire world who could understand the man called Sehateno Harukiyo.

If someone could understand him, it was a human who sought punishment, just like him—

Perhaps—that would not be a human at all.

So Ume thought even now.

Part 3[edit]

The moment that boy appeared, he felt like he could somehow understand him.

Because the boy, who was like a devil clad in flames, had the same wish as him.

Or perhaps it was because—he was a special being, far removed from any normal person.

“Ah…”

He met the devil in the scorching heat quite a while after he’d parted with the girl called Hunter. He kept his memories of her in his chest, trying to calmly greet the time of his end.

Although only for a while, Hunter had gone wild in a certain city.

It was fine for this Mushitsuki girl to be the sole victim of a sad end because of him.

So he thought—

“This is horrible…”

Dirtied by mud and soot, he wore a white coat like a dust cloth that was singed, burnt and cut.

Filling his sights were flames, flames and flames—

He heard someone scream. And it was terribly lonely—the thing called a death throe.

“Seems like we’ve finally been found… Aria…”

At the edge of his vision there was a large explosion. Several of the few houses were all blown apart together.

The small dots passing overhead along with roars were fighter jets. He didn’t think that dispatching all these conventional weapons to deal with him was an exaggeration. Because they were probably afraid of the continued existence of him and of the third party—the “parasite”.

“Why haven’t I lasted just a little bit longer…”

A burning hell where everything living had been reaped away.

Until yesterday, this place had been called Aoharima Island.

It was a peaceful and beautiful island, housing only fishermen and their families.

“Just a little longer and I would’ve been able to sleep…”

Stumbling and glaring up the sky, the young man had tears hidden by sparks.

This pitiable, pathetic figure was often called Sensei.

Right now, he could only feel despair and sadness.

“Even though I no longer have any intention to escape, or power to resist…”

Perhaps—that itself was his sin?

He had committed some sins.

Anyone would blame him and detest him. And he kept repeating the same actions and living.

“Yes, indeed. I have the feeling that we’ve only ever conversed about despair…”

In this hell, where he could hear only explosions and screams, he mumbled to himself.

Hurry up and kill me.

Hurry up and destroy me.

Hurry up—and punish me.

Still wishing for that, he kept living slowly until now.

For how long had he been speaking to the “thing” inside of him? Even right now the flames that should have swallowed him were avoiding him.

Why do you let me live—

Feeling even hatred, he glared at the hellfire burying the island.

Did this mean that there were still things he had to do and people he had to meet?

There isn’t supposed to be any such person. Everyone in the world wanted to kill him. Even if someone didn’t want to, it meant they weren’t human.

It could be the grim reaper who dragged him into hell, or perhaps another criminal drenched in sin as he was—

And that definitely appeared right in front of him.

“—Damn, this is really terrible. Just like when I was born. Is this my nostalgic hometown, my guardian deity?”

It was as if the dead people of hell—took the form of a boy.

As if he was born from within the flames, as if he was sent out from the very depths of hell.

The devil who leisurely walked through the sparks had a fire-pattern tattoo on his cheek. His blazer that looked like it belonged to some high school had no burn marks on it.

“Oh.”

With his hair fanned by the explosions at his back, the boy approached right in front him.

“So someone other than me managed to survive this place. —No, aren’t you actually dead?”

Kneeling on top of scorch marks, he looked up at the boy in a daze.

The boy glared down at him with hands stuck in his pockets.

Two sinners met at the most suitable place for them—the depths of hell beyond any salvation.

“Wow, you’re quite the ‘disaster’. I really do sympathize with you.”

He started talking casually as if discussing today’s weather.

“I mean, looks like we got involved in a mission to exterminate some monster called Sanbikime or somethin’? Although I ended up coming across a unit of that SEPB or whatever by chance, ended up hearing about their mission by chance, got interested in it and came to the place they headed for by chance, this time it definitely wasn’t my fault, right? Doesn’t count at all, right?”

The devil appearing from the flames sighed as if he really was bothered about it all.

Sanbikime—that was one of the Original Three who birthed Mushi along with Oogui and Shinpu. They really were fit to be monsters, beings that should be detested.

“…”

“Thought that if I came here many other Mushitsuki would come as well, but there’s nothin’ like that here, eh? Have they already arrived? Or are they hiding somewhere? Maybe they decided to bombard these places and then come clean up the remnants so they’ll appear if I wait?”

“…”

“Hey, you even listening? A person’s having a nice friendly talk with you, you should at least answer. Are you actually dead?”

The side of his face was kicked.

He did not resist. Neither did he try to attack. His body just tilted and he let out a small cough.

The devil, looking pissed off, clicked his tongue.

“So you were alive. This is our first meeting, but lemme say this. I fucking hate people like you. Just can’t accept ‘em on a visceral level. You wanna die? If you don’t feel like living, then stop breathing. You don’t deserve the oxygen that Sehateno Harukiyo uses to breathe.”

He finally received just the tiniest bit of information on who the boy was.

First, apparently that devil was called Sehateno Harukiyo. Also, he thought that Harukiyo came from the SEPB, but that was wrong.

Even more shocking was the fact that this devil Harukiyo—was just passing by.

He just came to the very depths of hell by chance.

“Should I just kill you right here and now?”

The devil spoke in a light tone as if he thought up a good idea.

Hearing those words—

“…Heh.”

Unbelievably even to him, laughter spilled out.

So I can still laugh even in this situation—

Perhaps that was good.

No, he even thought that it would be a fitting punishment for him.

He would be killed not by the one supposed to kill him, and not even killed by those who came for that purpose; he would simply be killed “on the way” by the devil visitor that just so happened to pass by.

It was a fitting end that he thought would be good for him.

“Kill me…”

He opened his mouth.

“—Wishing for this is definitely illogical… we can’t die until killed by the those who should kill us… I don’t want to be killed by a mere passerby, of all people…”

Soot and smoke clung to his throat, so his voice sounded horribly husky.

“So, getting killed by you would be a punishment…”

“Oh, so do you understand it, bastard. I’m seein’ you in a slightly better light now.”

Flames at his back, the devil wore an exceedingly delighted smile.

“Lemme hear your name, at least. I’ll soon forget it, though.”

“I am Sanbikime…”

“Huh, that’s a rare one. —No wait, so this is all your fault. Don’t drag people into your own troubles, you menace.”

How many people have sought him desperately thus far?

How many people have hated him?

The devil truly sounded as if he had no interest in his existence.

“Well, if you’re asking for a name, I do have another. I’ve been called Sensei…”

He thought that, rather than the name given to him by his parents, that nickname would better convey it to the devil.

A devil and Sensei.

The pair’s conversation, unfittingly calm in this island that only had the presence of death on it, continued.

“Huh, Sensei? You don’t really look like a doctor, honestly.”

“True… that name doesn’t fit me at all…”

“You said something about being punished? Then what was your crime, exactly?—oh, you mean being one of the Original Three and creating Mushitsuki. So giving birth to Mushitsuki is a crime then, huh. Hmm? Is it, really? Well, if I ever saw Shinpu I’d want to kill him, but still.”

“I’ve already created several Mushitsuki… that is my sin as Sanbikime…”

“And does your Sensei name have any sins?”

“I am going to forget my own sin… that is my sin as Sensei…”

“You’re saying as if inside you there are two people called Sanbikime and Sensei.”

The devil hit the nail right on the head. No matter who heard what he said, they’d never understand it, probably.

“I’ll forget my crime. I won’t have any sensation of it. Is there anything—as sinful as that?”

Twitch, Harukiyo reacted. His smile vanished.

“I also think that.”

“Perhaps I was simply involved in fate, misfortune and all that. But as a result I’ve had a carefree life…”

“Yeah, you’ve been the only one surviving. That’s the result.”

“But when I turn back on it, I end up thinking. Perhaps everything is my own fault…”

“It’s so useless that there’s no sense in keeping thinking about it. I’ve thought about it thousands, millions of times.”

“In the end, I found no answer…”

“Obviously. An answer that comes out just ‘cuz you feel like it is no answer at all.”

“…Perhaps it was just a ‘disaster’. Perhaps I just have slightly more bad luck than people… even so—I tried doing something.”

“…”

“But it was all for naught… so I started thinking that was my sin…”

He no longer understood what he was saying. He was probably just speaking up the emotions accumulated inside him for his own self-satisfaction.

But the devil looked as if he was feeling something.

“I fucking hate anyone like you who gives up on everything and just wants to die, but—”

The devil’s blazing gaze looking down at him was loaded with smoldering emotions.

“Seems like we’re two peas in a pod.”

Two peas in a pod.

Right, only two similar sinners like them could meet in this scorching hell.

He spoke what he needed to speak about himself.

Raising his face, he looked up the devil who resembled him. This time he wanted to hear him speak.

“Let me hear your circumstances… I don’t think I can help you, but if that’s fine with you…”

“I’m looking for Hunter.”

He widened his eyes.

“I only know that they’re a crazy powerful Mushitsuki like some sorta monster. —Huh? They’re a Mushitsuki, right? Oooh, I’ve been looking for so long but I only now realize the truth? Nobody said anything about them being a Mushitsuki at all! Wait a minute, this is way past being just careless! Since I couldn’t find them no matter how hard I tried, does that mean they’re not Mushitsuki? What am I going to do with me?”

“…”

Looking at the boy writhing while holding his head, Sensei’s eyes—

Began shedding tears.

“Whoa, you surprised me! What’re you crying for, all of a sudden? That’s scary!”

It was too much; no voice could come out.

To hear that name right now.

So this was where—they were connected.

Even now, at the very last moments when he was trying to die, he ended up recalling her smile.

—I want to live.

She wanted to live.

Her much too pure, ephemeral dream, caused his frozen heart to restart right here and now—

“Hunter is… a Mushitsuki—”

Looking up at the sky dyed in red by the flames, he moved only his mouth.

The great heavens fully covered in smoke and ashes.

Just as if it really was inside hell.

Her heart was definitely the same.

He knew this girl who tried climbing her way up from the very depths of hopeless despair—

“I made her—into a Mushitsuki…”

Harukiyo’s movements scratching his head stopped at once.

“Her name was Hanashiro Mari…”

“For real…? Wait, wait, wait, for real, for real, for real, for real?! If you’re lying then I’ll fucking kill you!”

The boy who grabbed his collar had his eyes sparkling like a child.

It also caused him to smirk.

“Also… she’s an exceptional beauty.”

“Wow, seriously?! Is she strong? Hey now! She’s definitely strong, right?!”

“She is. Even among Mushitsuki, her ability is the best… You could say she reached the perfect form.”

“Haha! The strongest, huh! That’s awesome! Amazing! I’m getting goosebumps!”

Harukiyo was also probably a strong Mushitsuki. He knew it at a glance.

Seeing the devil’s wild joy, he thought up of a certain mischievousness.

A small payback for getting kicked before.

“Hey, where is she right now? I won’t let you tell me that you don’t know! If you do then I’ll burn you to a crisp even before you say the letter I!”

“Her hospital—is at Akamaki City.”

“Akamaki City… Akamaki City…”

Harukiyo mumbled this several times, his expression feverish.

He maliciously narrowed one eye.

“But, I wonder if you… can find ‘her’?”

The traces of the girl called Hanashiro Mari.

The continuation of the dream of the girl who earnestly wished to live.

“Her, who wished for the magic medicine…”

“The magic medicine? The hell’s that! As if I give a fuck! I’ll fucking find her! I’m going to find her, no matter what!”

“I wonder about that… Since Ichiku Mikitaka and Miguruma Yaeko have gone back, I wonder if you could outmaneuver them… how many years it would take to go back to Akamaki City…”

“Who the fuck are they! I don’t give a flying fuck about any of them! I only care about Hanashiro Mari! Hanashiro Mari! Hanashiro Mari! There, etched her in my memory! I’ll definitely find her, no matter what happens!”

Crimson flames burst from Harukiyo’s entire body as he howled in joy.

Appearing there was a Great Yama tiger beetle made of fire. Along with an ear-splitting howl the flame Mushi flew, blowing flames with an explosive wind.

“I give up on killing you.”

Seeing the devil wear a full smile, he realized his own miscalculation.

By speaking about Hanashiro Mari, even Sensei was no longer reflected in Harukiyo’s eyes.

“I want her to face me with her full powers! But I refuse to have it done half-heartedly! Getting killed on purpose is not punishment at all. Suicide’s no punishment! Getting squashed like a bug while not wanting to die at all, though! That’s what I’m talkin’ about when I say punishment!”

“…”

“—Go west. The boat I’ve taken is there.”

“…”

“I’ll draw out the enemies ‘till you get there. I’m letting you live on a whim.”

“…”

“I dunno if your sin really is a sin! You don’t even feel guilt! No matter how you think, you don’t find an answer! So I decided—I’m going to let the result decide it all!”

Sehateno Harukiyo was shouting.

“If you die, it means it was a sin! However, as long as I live—the fact that I’m alive is not a sin!”

What kind of a life did this boy have?

How much death had he seen with his very eyes?

The flame devil’s shout broke through the flames surrounding them, piercing the skies.

“—That’s what I recommend. You do it too.”

Asserting this, the boy wore a smile completely different from the one until now.

“Hanashiro Mari…”

Feeling dizzy by the heat, the form of the boy smiling comfortably was just like—

He was burning with love for Hanashiro Mari.

“Wait for me. I’m coming to getcha.”

The boy yearning for a girl he hadn’t ever seen vanished into the sea of blazes.

Astonished, he watched him getting away.

“…Haha.”

Leaking laughter, he slowly rose to his legs.

He’d committed quite the sin.

He never thought that a bit of mischief on a boy in love would end up adding to his sins.

“—Let’s go, Aria.”

Giving birth to Mushitsuki.

In hindsight, perhaps even the beings born from this mortal sin left room to commit another sin.

Not being killed when he should’ve been killed, he would not be allowed to have such an irrelevant death after all—

“Our sins are heavy… it seems like we need to try living desperately before our deaths…”

The “pair” then conversed for a while.

Inside their hearts.

And finally reached a conclusion.

“—”

Closing his eyes, he wished from the bottom of his heart.

While feeling that something was vanishing from within him.

He wished that they could keep living desperately just like that flame devil after their brief meeting.

And on top of that, one day—they’d be punished.

That was the final wish of the man called Sensei.

“—”

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself, for some reason, in a hellish place.

Everything was burning.

“…Where am I…?”

He had to escape this terrifying place as soon as possible.

If he went to the west, there’d be a boat—

For some reason this vague piece of information rose to mind.

Part 4[edit]

Something warm was always smoldering inside his heart.

What he felt the moment he was born was the joy of living.

What he felt every day he’d survived the countless “disasters” was attachment to life.

What he felt by becoming a Mushitsuki was rage and hatred.

Everything around him was only things he couldn’t accept.

Even so the world was fun and beautiful. He loved this world, but did the world hate him? Perhaps he wasn’t even allowed to live—he thought this even if he didn’t like it.

Right, he kept thinking about this tens of thousands of times.

Leaving his hometown, becoming a Mushitsuki, parting with Sanbikime on Aoharima Island.

After finally shaking off the SEPB’s pursuit, even now that he reached Akamaki City—he hadn’t reached any conclusion.

“…”

Sehateno Harukiyo was submerged in the sea of flames.

The place that was a public sports ground a short while ago now became a dome of flames glowing bright red. Firefighters outside were probably desperately trying to extinguish it, but the wall created from the flames born from his burning heart would never be quenched by a few measly water guns.

Suddenly a ripple appeared in the wall of blaze.

Most likely the SEPB finally appeared. They were probably at their wits’ end about how to try and handle this Mushitsuki-created whirl of explosive flames. If they left him alone, it was obvious that it’d be difficult to hide this from the public eye.

“…”

Still sitting in the burning stands, Harukiyo made no move.

He could feel that the Great Yama tiger dwelling inside him was quickly devouring his heart—his dreams. If his “guest” did not arrive soon, he would destroy himself and die.

But he didn’t care about that at all.

Harukiyo always lived while risking his life.

He just did it again.

“…”

The illumination used for night games was melting from the base. Slowly bending, they eventually fell to the grass burnt to a carpet of ashes. Part of the lightbulbs melted, dripping and flowing on the ground.

As far as he looked, he could only see flames.

Flames.

He was already used to seeing that red, burning energy.

From the moment his life began until this very moment, it always was on Harukiyo’s side.

The moment he got out of his mother’s womb, the nurse escaped the hospital to protect him. In his deepest memories she was brave, and her attachment to life was incredible. That she directed that zeal toward the newborn and not herself was a pity.

After that in the orphanage, it wasn’t only the orphans but everyone there. There were weak and strong, but only Harukiyo survived.

Among his middle school classmates, there was a pretty girl he liked. She had strong feelings of wanting to live, and was an important resource for Harukiyo, as she might have possessed the strength he wished for. However, in the end—she died in Harukiyo’s arms. That girl somewhat bore a strong resemblance to the nurse that saved his newborn self.

The flames that burned everyone around Harukiyo.

The flames that let only him survive.

But the true flames—

“Were these flames—just me?”

He ended up thinking it.

Burning away all humans but him, he survived.

Using the lives of others as fuel, he became stronger.

His very life—was like a flame.

“Is everything my fault?”

This self-questioning repeated itself thousands, millions of times.

His existence was hated by fate. He was cursed.

He had no intention to think about such outrageous things.

He just had a bit of a bad luck.

An inborn bad luck.

However—he would raise his voice to speak.

He was always trying to live. Never mind the moment he was born, but also the time the facility burnt down, the time his classmates died, he always kept living and tried saving those near him.

But as a result, he always ended up being the sole survivor.

He couldn’t save anyone. He alone lived.

Was that—his sin?

Every time he survived, his heart was scorched again and again, and it kept smoldering.

“I don’t feel like either condemning myself or being condemned with words alone.”

However, one day the ill feelings scorching his heart begun to change.

He would never forget this.

It happened when he came to know of Hunter.

Hanashiro Mari—the moment he heard her name.

They turned into an impulse that moved him much more than anything.

A single girl, whose face he’d never seen, caused his chest to burn with yearning.

His feelings burning for the Mushitsuki called Hanashiro Mari had invited him to this land—

“—Because of that, I’ve investigated about her again and again.”

Harukiyo widened his eyes.

It was because he saw a spot open up in his created wall of scorching flames.

Piercing through the wall of flames—was a smoking, writhing, black-colored insect.

It was a tardigrade with numerous small but thick legs.

“Hanashiro Mari became frantic and started looking for the Undying Mushitsuki, right?”

No person should have been able to approach this hell.

Even if they were a mere Mushitsuki, this didn’t change.

If they were able to step inside—then they were a monster with power beyond humans, just like Harukiyo.

Appearing at this domain that rejected all civilians was truly a monster.

Swarms upon swarms of tardigrades gathered, transforming—changing into a human arm.

“Now I’m really fuckin’ jealous—”

Harukiyo stood up, sneering with joy.

The human arm made of tardigrades extended even further. Piercing through the wall of flames, the tardigrades gathered again, forming a black suit and sunglasses with lenses of differing colors—and then a human face.

Kuha—

The boy who recovered his form by the assembled tardigrades exhaled white smoke from his mouth.

“This place is—really humid.”

Harukiyo calmly welcomed him.

“Who the hell are you? Give your name.”

“I am the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau Central Headquarters Director, Ichiku Mikitaka.”

The boy used his cleaved, yet to be fully-formed mouth to sneer.

“I’ll try guessing what you’re thinking right now. ‘I’m so grateful to you for accepting my invitation! Could we have a nice little talk?’—right?”

“Completely wrong.”

Harukiyo raised his right hand. The flames wrapped around his arm, transforming to a howling Great Yama tiger beetle.

“First I’ll kill you!”

Explosive wind blew through the playground buried in flames.

Oscillating the air, the Great Yama tiger beetle was launched toward Ichiku Mikitaka like a cannonball. With a billowing shockwave blown around, the whirl of hellfire swallowed the sunglasses boy whole.

Mikitaka, who only got the upper half of his body through the wall of flames, broke and scattered helplessly. The many tardigrades splashed around like water.

“This is a no-entry zone for people who aren’t Undying.”

His eyes twinkling, Harukiyo smiled.

He had business only with the Undying Mushitsuki that Hanashiro Mari had been looking for.

That was why Harukiyo had created this domain.

There was no way the SEPB wouldn’t know about a Mushitsuki that Hanashiro Mari had been looking for. And if they knew about them but concealed them—there was no doubt that this being was part of the organization itself.

His prediction was right on the mark.

This space that the SEPB couldn’t ignore.

The hell that only someone Undying would be able to enter.

By preparing this stage with those two conditions, Harukiyo, who wasn’t as patient as Mari, managed to induce the person he was looking for to show himself.

“I see. How convenient—”

The moment after Mikitaka’s voice echoed from somewhere.

Piercing through the wall of flames, a black tsunami crashed into the inside of the playground.

A tidal wave of innumerable black grains—a massive swarm of tardigrades.

Even while the tardigrades’ bodies were being burned, they clung to the surrounding flames. Even while they were raising smoke and their bodies shriveled and melted, they sank fangs into the fire.

They were—eating Harukiyo’s flames.

“It was worth it to come here and test your ‘nature’.”

The boy’s voice came from behind Harukiyo.

As he turned around he could see Ichiku Mikitaka with half of his body restored by the swarms of tardigrades. His arm made of assembled beetles reached toward Harukiyo.

“Haha!”

Roaring with laughter, Harukiyo swung his left arm.

The whirl of surging flames and heat bisected Ichiku Mikitaka’s body. Then, the high-pressure explosive wind arriving with a short delay blew away the remnants of the boy’s body along with the spectator seats behind him.

Something suddenly firmly grabbed the base of Harukiyo’s throat.

Turning around, the Ichiku Mikitaka created from the tardigrade swarm was there. The boy’s hand lacking a middle finger and pinky was holding to Harukiyo’s neck.

Harukiyo’s body was thrown to the side. Hurled by superhuman strength, his body collapsed on the spectator seats, rolled on top of the ashen ground, crushed the melted illumination and stopped.

“—‘Nature’, was it?”

The lighting equipment was blown off by explosive wind. Harukiyo instantly rose up. Since he’d defended using a normally invisible heatwave, he didn’t get even a single wound. As long as his body wasn’t covered up by tardigrades, he could instantly shut out almost any physical attack.

“You’re nothing but talk, eh?”

While rapidly retrieving his human form, Mikitaka loosened his shirt’s collar. —Although he was still raising smoke from all over his body, he did it as if it would help with the heat.

“The only ones allowed here are the Undying, right?”

His lungs perhaps burned, the boy’s exhaled kuha breath was white.

A black mountain rose behind Ichiku Mikitaka. As if to start the counterattack, the gradually rising pile of tardigrade leapt toward Harukiyo to cover him.

Undying—

These words came out of the mouth of none other than the Undying Mushitsuki himself.

A strange discomfort made Harukiyo’s mind operate in full throttle.

“Oho, then you bastard—”

As Harukiyo mumbled this, a spark fell in front of his eyes.

There was another small spark, and another, and yet another, and the next moment—arrows of explosive fire began to fall from the sky.

Like the rain of fire that destroyed the cities drenched in sin, Sodom and Gomorrah.

This explosive rain, the great disaster depicted in the Old Testament, destroyed the pushing tardigrades one after another.

“Aren’t you Undying?”

What allowed Harukiyo to live until today was not only his physical power.

Always thinking of methods to extend his life, he possessed thinking power that allowed him to bring out the only answer.

“I’m Undying.”

Kuha, Ichiku Mikitaka opened his mouth wide and laughed. The surface of his regenerating sunglasses reflected the pillar of tardigrades bursting out of the ground.

“Even if we’re speakin’ of Undying, there are several types, yeah? Being unable to be killed and unable to die are different things, right?”

The swarms of tardigrades who appeared by cutting through the grounds were caught by the fangs of the howling Great Yama tiger beetle and chewed back.

“—Well, doesn’t matter anyway.”

He spat in a cold tone.

He understood all sorts of things in this short time. Inside the truths noticed by Harukiyo, he probably also exposed an outrageous secret.

But above all else, one simple truth sparked his rage.

“Nothing interests you bastard! Not even a single hair of mine! Not even for a single moment!”

The swarm of tardigrades were pushed back by explosive flames.

“I knew it at a glance! Just looking at you gives me heartburn! Those eyes… the eyes of a man who’s actually dead despite living, just like someone I saw on Aoharima Island!”

“I also saw it countless times. Meaning, guys like you.”

Kuha, Ichiku exhaled smoke. The flames of hatred toward Harukiyo lit up in his eyes.

Harukiyo and Ichiku Mikitaka crossed their gazes, exposing both of their disgusts.

“I fucking hate guys like you!”

“Just because you’re a Mushitsuki, I also hate you.”

The crimson blazing column and the tidal wave of tardigrade.

Their clash continued.

“I have no fucking interest in you, but Hanashiro Mari’s a different story! Why had she been looking for a useless guy like you?! If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you!”

“Hmph. Is that a threat? How will you kill someone immortal?”

“Trial and error until I manage to kill you! I’ll haunt you ‘till I die and kill you!”

As he fought with his full strength for the first time in a while, suddenly a certain person rose to Harukiyo’s mind.

There was one Mushitsuki who managed to forcefully hit through Harukiyo’s flames and land a hit on him. The boy called Kakkou. Thinking about it, he also was a Fusion-Type Mushitsuki just like Hanashiro Mari.

That boy was strong. And it wasn’t the kind of strength one easily obtained, but one that came from piling on training and experience, and an obstinate will. It wasn’t the kind of strength gained by losing something or born from genius, and it would never break down.

In that alone—Kakkou was no good at all.

As long as that boy had a reason, he would fight anyone. But the reason for fighting Harukiyo was meaningless. Harukiyo hoped from the bottom of his heart that one day the boy’s heart would break and he’d gain enough cruelty to kill everything he laid his eyes on. He expected more from his future.

Like he thought, the only one Harukiyo had to direct his hot feelings at was Hanashiro Mari.

“I see. How annoying of her.”

Ichiku Mikitaka, half of his body ash, sighed as if truly bothered.

“The ghost of Hanashiro Mari managed to summon even a devil from hell. —It’s a bit too much for my liking.”

The body that was getting worn down was rapidly restored by the tardigrades. He probably wouldn’t succumb to threats, but Mikitaka who retrieved his human-like form opened his mouth.

“It’s certain that Hanashiro Mari was a target of interest. Truly, I also went directly to ascertain her nature—to the extent I even gave her an uncharacteristic warning.”

“So you really have met her! Why was Hanashiro Mari looking for you?!”

“Hanashiro Mari—wanted to live.”

Suddenly.

Harukiyo’s arm controlling the Great Yama tiger beetle stopped completely.

“That was that pitiful girl’s dream.”

Wanting to live.

A truly simple and pure wish.

Everything in Harukiyo’s life that he wished for, sought and did could be aggregated into that single idea.

“Because of that she was interested in me, the Undying. —She’d apparently heard about me from Sanbikime.”

“Ha…”

That wish belonged to none other than Hanashiro Mari.

He could truly—only think of it as fate.

His life painted by his own flames, and the “disasters” assaulting him, were just bad luck.

Those words did not fit these sorts of stupid incidents.

The boy called Sehateno becoming involved with Hanashiro Mari was an incident fitting the label of fate.

“I knew it! As expected from Hanashiro Mari! She wasn’t someone just living for the sake of it! She’s never even thought of dying! Haha! I ain’t happy at all! I already knew all this in the first place!”

“I feel the same. Although she’d already left the world, she came back to it through the Morpho butterfly. And I’ve excavated her nature there.”

“So as expected… that’s Hanashiro Mari?”

The personality of Hanashiro Mari borrowing the body of Ichinokuro Arisu.

That was the real deal.

Regardless of the fact that they were friends, she wore a cold gaze while using Arisu to live.

Harukiyo felt his body tremble with joy.

“She’s quite the woman! Not even dying killed her! And she doesn’t feel like dying at all! Using her own best pal to come back to life is truly inhuman! From her point of view, someone like me who’s a complete outsider is less than a freaking worm! Haha!”

“—Looks like I have miscalculated you.”

As if frozen.

Harukiyo’s smile stiffened.

“That woman chose the angel’s medicine. Thinking this was my mistake.”

Conversely Ichiku Mikitaka was now the one who opened his mouth in a wide smile.

The angel’s medicine—

Harukiyo knew that term.

Because he’d read the picture book left in Hanashiro Mari’s sickroom, “The Magic Medicine”.

“So had she chosen the devil’s medicine?”

A magician came to visit Patricia in her sickbed.

The magician said thusly.

Here is a medicine I’ve gotten from an angel, and a medicine I’ve gotten from a devil. If you drink the angel’s medicine, in exchange for losing your most important person, your illness will heal and you will keep living. If you drink the devil’s medicine, you will probably die on the spot, but your most important person will always stay at your side to console you. Come now, which will you drink?

“No, that’s wrong, too.”

Patricia spoke thusly.

I want the devil’s medicine.

The magician granted Patricia’s wish.

Patricia fell into an everlasting sleep with all of her important people watching over her.

However, Patricia was not lonely. After all, as she was sleeping on top of the hill, the people important to her were watching over her, forever—

“That woman—”

Ichiku Mikitaka’s ice-cold voice pierced Harukiyo’s pounding chest.

“She hadn’t chosen anything at all, right?”

It was as if cold water was thrown on the flames dancing in Harukiyo’s heart.

Instantly the sense of exhilaration inside him flickered.

“Oi… there’s no way that’s right.”

“Ha! When I’d met Hanashiro Mari, she was hesitating!”

Mikitaka sneered. For the first time he raised his voice, ridiculing Harukiyo.

“What about you? Look at that Morpho butterfly! Look at Ichinokuro Arisu! Look at Hanashiro Mari’s flickering ghost! Does she really look like the unwavering Mushitsuki you spoke of?”

“Don’t screw with me… stop fucking with me! That’s Hanashiro Mari! My eyes are not wrong! She was Hanashiro Mari! The fact that the Morpho butterfly still remains is proof! She’d chosen the angel’s medicine! She’d chosen to take over Ichinokuro Arisu’s body and keep living!”

“You’re just telling yourself that! You’re just fooling yourself! Have you ever tried facing that thing for real, like you’re doing to me here? Probably not! Because that’s—”

He never loosened his grip at all.

Even so, just a bit, Harukiyo’s flames pushed by the tardigrades—

“Awfully weak.”

Mikitaka’s sneering words gouged into Harukiyo’s chest.

“She doesn’t even have the overwhelming power she possessed while alive! And she’s not even cruel while possessing Ichinokuro Arisu! It’s an unstable, half-hearted possession! Is that really the Hanashiro Mari you’ve spoken of? Do you think she’s strong enough to withstand even a single attack from you?”

“This is still… not over! Watch out, Hanashiro Mari would soon—”

“Do you think she can revive? Through that unstable Morpho butterfly, no less!”

“—”

Harukiyo was shut up. He stayed silent.

“That Mushi is the remnant of someone who wished to live until her very last moment? Right now you could easily kill her. Or are you saying you’re going to protect that thing and wait until Hanashiro Mari can be perfectly revived? Nope, no way. That is merely—the residue of Hanashiro Mari’s dream! You just need to accept this!”

“Shut… up.”

A hoarse voice leaked from his throat.

—Hanashiro Mari’s gone.

The words Kusezaki Ume had said rose to his mind. Harukiyo had laughed them off, but now he couldn’t do so.

The reason being—it was just like Ichiku Mikitaka said.

When he’d heard that Hanashiro Mari was dead, he’d felt disappointed.

But coming to know of the Morpho butterfly’s existence, he found yet another possibility.

Even so, the Morpho butterfly was actually—

“It means that even Hanashiro Mari was but a mere Mushitsuki!”

Why was she weak?

It plagued him with doubts.

It went without saying for Ichinokuro Arisu, but even Hanashiro Mari borrowing her body couldn’t hold a candle to Harukiyo.

No, he couldn’t say it just yet. Soon she’d retrieve her full powers. —He told himself this and kept waiting even now. But inside his heart, he’d already thought of “that”.

Was Hanashiro Mari—really going to revive?

“Holding a dream beyond one’s station, hesitating, giving up in the middle and dying—that’s a Mushitsuki! Hanashiro Mari was the exactly the same! Nothing strange about it!”

“Shut up…”

Even if she could take over Ichinokuro Arisu’s personality.

In the end, was that truly Hanashiro Mari?

The cruel Hunter that Harukiyo came to know of when he’d first become a Mushitsuki—

The strongest Mushitsuki that Sanbikime had told him about in Aoharima Island—

Would that Hanashiro Mari really come back to life?

“She never thought of anything other than living? She never thought of dying? Ha! That Mushitsuki called Hanashiro Mari wasn’t anything as grand as that! Even now she lingers, unable to choose between death or life, she’s just a half-hearted Mushitsuki beyond any salvation, nothing more!”

“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!!!”

A storm of flames exploded with the shouting Harukiyo in its center.

Blowing the spectator seats to smithereens, the ground itself was lifted up. All the illumination was completely melted and boiled.

The large Great Yama tiger beetle crunched Ichiku Mikitaka’s body. With its leftover momentum, the flame Mushi rose to the sky, howling.

“—How pitiful. And just like a Mushitsuki.”

He heard the voice of the boy who was definitely a Mushitsuki himself from the wall of fire wrapping the entire sports ground.

The tardigrades gathered, restoring Ichiku Mikitaka’s form a step before the wall. But he soon stuck out one arm into the wall, piercing the curtain of flames despite getting torched.

“Right now you are just like a child getting excited over an egg that will never hatch.”

Harukiyo turned, glaring at the Undying Mushitsuki with scorching eyes.

“Are you satisfied, inviting me here? For now, I’m satisfied after seeing your nature. —I’ll let you off the hook for now. Vanish this conspicuous domain and go away.”

“What was that, fucker…?!”

“Perhaps—letting you watch over the egg until it rots might be amusing.”

The swarms of tardigrades gathered into a single point like a receding wave, smashed through the wall of flames and vanished.

Harukiyo stood inside the sea of fire created by himself.

Again—

This feeling that he’d known ever since his birth.

No matter how much he thought, how much he fought, how much he struggled—when he came to, he ended up standing alone in a daze.

And deep within his heart, the only thing that remained were the smoldering remnants of feelings.

“Hanashiro Mari—”

His clenched fist was shaking.

Splitting his lips by biting them, the blood dripping from him boiled away before reaching the ground.

Even his own blood did not remain where he stood.

“So you too—”

Harukiyo had his doubts from the start.

Would Hanashiro Mari truly revive with her full, complete powers?

At the very least there was a possibility. The two personalities of Ichinokuro Arisu and Hanashiro Mari became somewhat vague.

But that small hope had been dashed by Ichiku Mikitaka.

The boy told him that, when he’d met Hanashiro Mari during her life, she was hesitating—

“Don’t screw with me! Are everyone liars and swindlers?! Hunter, you were called? You weren’t none of that! Hanashiro Mari was in Akamaki City? She was already fuckin’ dead! Hanashiro Mari will come back to life? Even that I only saw a glimpse of!”

Every time Harukiyo shouted the wind blowing from him grew hotter, and the sports ground itself transformed.

Had she held doubts about her own dreams?

Such a half-hearted person was not in the least the opponent Harukiyo had been looking for.

“Fucking shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!”

The blood running down his lips spread into the air with every scream, boiling away.

He remained alive alone once again.

Not to mention that this time it was victory by default.

No, it wasn’t just that.

“Then why—”

The feeling resembling burning love that was born inside him.

There no longer existed anyone for him to clash that new emotion against—

“Why have you called me…?”

He thought of it as fate.

He didn’t care about the “disasters” that attacked him this far.

However, only his meeting with that Mushitsuki girl was neither his will nor a coincidence.

“Why have you called me, Hanashiro Mari…”

The hot air hanging over still boiled the clear droplets dripping down his chin.

If she was no longer there, was there any meaning to Harukiyo to come to know of her existence?

That Morpho butterfly.

It had called to Harukiyo.

Other than inflicting punishment to Harukiyo, was there any other meaning in calling Harukiyo to this region?

Just by him living, other people would go up in flames.

And every time it happened, he became stronger.

He possessed so much useless energy, beyond his need and control, so what was she trying to give to him, other than punishment?

Other than accepting punishment, there should be no other meaning.

“—I can’t accept it.”

Harukiyo started walking.

The sin of fooling him should bring certain death.

Who could be made to pay for it?

There was only one who could.

Part 5[edit]

That girl left the school gate of Horusu Seijou Academy, walking the road in a carefree gait.

Healthy-looking limbs extended from her middle school uniform. Her ponytail jumped energetically with every step.

“Now then, let’s make our best efforts today and search for Harukiyo!”

Speaking in a lively voice, Ichinokuro Arisu struck the shoulder of the boy walking next to her.

“Right, Daisuke!”

“Yeah, yeah. I hope we find him.”

Turning away and speaking indifferently was a boy with a plain face and bandages on it. He lacked individuality to the extent that it would take a lot of time to search for any distinguishing features, but he was just undercover as the Mushitsuki called Kakkou.

The two middle schoolers began poking each other with a light mood.

“What’s up with that listless response? You need to answer, full of energy, ‘Yes, Mistress Arisu! My body and heart shall serve you in full today as well!’, right?”

“Please, at least while we’re at town, don’t go shouting that sort of stuff…”

“What was that? I always say it at home, though!”

“You do not! Why are you actively causing misunderstandings! What d’you get out of it?!”

Above Arisu and Daisuke’s heads, a silver glow alighted down.

It was the Morpho butterfly Hanashiro Mari had left behind.

This Mushi, so beautiful one could be charmed by it without noticing, merely fluttered around in the air. Without saying anything or doing anything.

“Even if we’re doing this to find clues about Hanashiro Mari, you’re way too excited about this.”

“Way too excited… what d’you mean by that?”

“Are you really looking for Harukiyo just to ask him about Mari?”

“What’s up with that? You’re saying this as if I have any other goal—aha!”

Until now countless Mushitsuki had been called forth by the Morpho butterfly.

One time it was the Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou, and another time it was even the Undying Mushitsuki.

The flame devil was also just one of those Mushitsuki.

Including the small fries as well, the Morpho butterfly had played with innumerable Mushitsuki.

But that too—would end today.

“I see. So that’s how it is. Ehehe, so even you act cute at times. Right, you’re an adolescent, after all. You joker, you.”

“I don’t know why, but even though I have no clue what you’re talking about I’m getting pissed off.”

“There’s no special meaning in me looking for Harukiyo, you know? So you don’t have to get jealous—"

“Turn over. I’ll pierce that washboard chest of yours.”

“Arisu Uppercut!”

The pair messing around, Arisu and Daisuke, stopped before crossing the intersection.

Since it was after school, the pedestrian walking was clamoring with Horusu Seijou Academy students waiting for the lights to change.

“But speaking frankly, it’s true that I have some business with Harukiyo.”

“Business?”

“Yup. Harukiyo’s really strong, right?”

“Well, he is. But what about it?”

“I believe that his strength—”

The Morpho butterfly fluttering above the heads of the uniformed boys and girls suddenly changed its movements. However, Arisu and Daisuke didn’t notice the change.

Tsss.

The scent of air being scorched filled the crossing.

”I believe that his strength has meaning.”

At that moment, several things happened at the same time.

The Morpho butterfly emitted an abnormal glow.

Daisuke turned back with sharp gaze, reaching out to his back.

Several of the students waiting for the signal muttered, “Hot,” in low voices. The edges of their uniform were scorched, raising white smoke.

The crossing was filled with tension.

“W-what? What’s going on?”

Raising a voice of confusion and looking all around her—

Was Ichinokuro Arisu, completely unchanged from how she was moments ago.

The Morpho butterfly had shown the abnormal glow for a mere instant. It then resumed fluttering lazily about as if nothing happened.

Even the congestion of the students was soon under control. There were only a few students who raised their brows over some singe marks on their uniform or looking down at scorched black marking on the ground where no one was.

“No—it’s nothing.”

After looking around for a while, Daisuke lowered his guard as well. However, he was probably unhappy with that explanation as he still glared at passersby with eyes unlike his docile self.

“What’s up with that? Geeze. Don’t scare me like that. After all you’re always acting so suspiciously.”

“For just an instant I felt some murderous intent—wait, who’s suspicious? When have I…”

“Yeah yeah, it’s fine, let it go and listen to me. Doesn’t it seem like Mari’s Morpho butterfly invites only strong people? Meaning, his strength has some meaning—”

Ichinokuro Arisu and Kusuriya Daisuke’s conversation rose to the wind, vanishing into the clear sky.

As the light turned green, the Horusu Seijou Academy students all started moving at once.

“—Oh boy.”

Mixing within the crowds of middle schoolers, a single boy alone stood in place.

That boy, with a hairstyle like burning flames, looked down at his own palm.

Along with the stench of burning, a fire lit on Sehateno Harukiyo’s cheek. His compress burned away, turning into black ash that streamed into the air and vanished.

“It’s true what they say about first love never coming true.”

Clenching his hand, he turned on his heels.

The power forged along with deadly “disasters”.

Did this sort of thing have any meaning?

Since he only ever thought of how to beat misfortune, he’d never considered such unnecessary questions.

Should he, or should he not—

Considering just this hindsight-based opinion, he didn’t even attempt to discover any meaning.

“Despite how I look I really am the type of person to feel regrets, huh. I’m surprised at myself. Also, wanting to take revenge—is quite illogical, yup.”

Stopping his attack due to hearing unexpected words—that wasn’t what happened.

In the first place, if he really wanted to kill Ichinokuro Arisu, he’d have chosen a time when Kusuriya Daisuke wasn’t with her. As long as that guy was there, no matter how much Harukiyo concealed his presence, he’d have to get pretty close.

Even so, what really dumbfounded him—

“I feel so exhausted. I’ll go back to sleep at that Custodian’s place. Even if he takes a hell lotta rent. Oh well. Anyway—”

Scratching his head, he mumbled to himself.

By relaxing his attention, the flames of rage also passed away.

“I’ll sleep and think ‘bout it later.”

This might be the moment to quit.

In truth, perhaps what he’d been looking for was already gone a long, long time ago.

The devil of flames, Sehateno Harukiyo, did not need to stay in this town—

“My power is meaningless… is that really true?”

The flame devil left the pedestrian crossing behind him.

Silver remnants passed through his gaze and vanished.

Afterword[edit]

Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei.

This is the sixth volume of the “Bug” series.

Like always, here is a little bit of trivia about the compiled chapters.

The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams.

A short story that was serialized in the magazine “The Sneaker”.

Since I’ve only ever seen libraries as public facilities, what system would they have if managed by a corporation? I have imagined this before. While keeping labor costs to a minimum, they’d probably digitalize the entire facility. Because I want it to become an era where we use digital techniques to protect analogue culture.

The Dream-Desiring Visitor.

Another serialized story. In the issue this was serialized on, the anime adaptation of Mushi Uta was announced.

There are characters who appear in both the Bug series and the main story of Mushi Uta and seem to change personality based on the timeframe. Akasegawa Nanana is one of those.

The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams.

Another serialized story.

I remember being sent lots of materials about Maimai. llo’s illustrations are also good. She’s the number one person you wouldn’t want as a friend despite being amusing.

The Sinner in Love with Dreams.

Written especially for the volume. Several years after starting the series, I could finally write this man’s episode. At time mysterious, at times scary, but catchy as well—he holds all these kinds of facets, and each and every one is outstanding. Up to and including his misfortune.

Starting now on, the Bug series is heading full speed toward the climax.

I will do my best so that as many readers as possible would be able to watch over this ending.

Iwai Kyouhei

Notes[edit]

↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodoku
↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuchisake-onna
↑ ”Ume” also means plum.

Back to Volume 5th

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Forward to Volume 7th

[1] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodoku

[2] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuchisake-onna

[3] ”Ume” also means plum.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Mushi Uta:Volume 6th

Novel Illustrations[edit]

Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams[edit]

Part 1[edit]

Part 2[edit]

Part 3[edit]

Part 4[edit]

Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor[edit]

Part 1[edit]

Part 2[edit]

Part 3[edit]

Part 4[edit]

Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams[edit]

Part 1[edit]

Part 2[edit]

Part 3[edit]

Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams[edit]

Part 1[edit]

Part 2[edit]

Part 3[edit]

Part 4[edit]

Part 5[edit]

Afterword[edit]

Notes[edit]

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