Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29

Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall

What kind of people were Mushitsuki?

She began having this question ever since meeting with a certain girl and parting from her.

“Hello!”

A girl lay on a bed inside a dreary sickroom as if holding her breath.

Hanashiro Mari.

This girl was, at first, nothing more than her classmate.

She looked back at the one who came to visit her—Ichinokuro Arisu—and Arisu would never forget Mari’s face of surprise.

“Umm…”

Mari looked confused.

—Have you mistaken the room?

She looked like she wanted to ask this.

“Nice to meet you.”

“…Nice to meet you.”

Thinking back on it, that silly moment was perhaps the start of everything.

Arisu, who was a middle school junior at Horusu Seijou Academy, and Hanashiro Mari, who hadn’t attended even a single day of school due to being hospitalized since the start of the year.

As Arisu was the type of person whose body worked faster than her mind, she found it fun to talk with the cool-headed Mari. Since the only thing healthy about her was her body, she thought she wanted to do everything she could for her friend who couldn’t leave the bed.

Mari should have also thought of Arisu as a friend. Arisu could say with pride that she had no reason to suspect otherwise.

However, Mari had—abruptly passed away from her sickness.

The relationship between the two girls was unreasonably cut off right there.

However, Mari was a Mushitsuki.

The silver Morpho butterfly that used to be Mari’s Mushi now came to possess Arisu—and that was when she first found out that her friend was a Mushitsuki.

Mushi.

These were beings that feasted on the dreams and hopes of adolescent boys and girl, possessing them.

Those who turned people with dreams like Mari into Mushitsuki were called the Original Three. Other than Sanbikime, the one who’d turned Mari into a Mushitsuki, there were the supernatural beings called Oogui and Shinpu as well.

Why had Mari not revealed to Arisu the fact that she was a Mushitsuki?

Why had Mari left her Mushi to Arisu?

Wanting to find out the reason for this, Arisu sought the people called Mushitsuki.

I want to live—

Trying to fulfill such an obvious dream, Mari struggled without anyone knowing of it.

Having lost its master, her small dream walked alone, involving many other people’s dreams.

Arisu and Mari.

The journey that began from their meeting continued even after she departed the world.

So Arisu thought—

Part 1

“The sea!”

Wearing a one-piece swimsuit, Ichinokuro Arisu leaned over the guardrail separating the road from the white beach.

“It’s the sea!”

Clad in a t-shirt, jeans and a cap on her head, Saionji Ena also resolutely leapt over the guardrail.

“It really is the sea!”

Clad in an unusually rough style of a jumper skirt over a striped shirt, Kujou Takako climbed on the guardrail while minding her skirt.

“—Yeah, it’s the sea, I guess.”

Kusuriya Daisuke had bags hanging from both arms and his back as well as another one at his feet. He looked up the midsummer sun that brought sweat to his forehead while being forced to carry four people’s worth of luggage.

“The sea!”

The three girls raised a cheer together, kicking the sand toward the beach with its calm water.

Horusu Seijou Academy entered its summer vacation.

Welcoming their last summer as middle schoolers, Arisu’s group came to a summer retreat on the outskirts of town for a certain purpose.

Ahead was the gently curving beach and the sparkling sea reflecting the sun’s rays. Sandwiched in the road along the sea behind them was planted a vast windbreak. Also, in the far distance beyond the beach, there was a pure-white tower on the cape—an astronomical observatory.

The sea and the sun, the windbreak and the observatory.

Coming to this simple terrain, Arisu’s group had only one great goal in mind.

“Haven’t we come here not for the sea but for the meteor shower…?”

As Daisuke left a sigh in the road behind him, the three girls all leapt toward the approaching waves with their clothes still on.

Regaining their senses once they became completely wet, they changed to their swimsuits and challenged the sea again.

“The sea!”

“It’s the sea!”

“It really is the sea!”

“That again?”

Unlike the girls who stood still on the white beach, Daisuke mumbled this with a sullen expression. Regardless of what he said, though, he too was wearing a swimsuit.

“Come on, hold the parasol already, Daisuke! Protect us from UV radiation!”

Arisu looked up the shining sun, narrowing her eyes from the dazzling light. Her frilled bikini and skirt were polka dot-patterned and she had a small ribbon on her chest.

“Kusuriya-kun! How’s my swimsuit? Well, how is it? Come on, I can’t tell with you averting your red face, look at me properly—eek! Don’t look so suddenly! I’m still not mentally prepared!”

Saionji Ena, clad in a bold low-rise swimsuit, gave the uncharacteristically blushing Daisuke a body blow right in the pit of his stomach. “W-what am I supposed to do then…” The boy crouched on the sand.

“Err, Daisuke-san. This sunscreen does not appear to be the one I’ve brought… but if I don’t use one made in France my skin gets all chapped. Can you go back to the inn and get it for me?”

Kujou Takako, who had an especially adult style among his classmates, wore a floral design one-piece swimsuit. She used her fingers to poke him as he held his stomach and trembled.

“I-it’s not fun at all! Why am I the only one not to enjoy this! It’s too unreasonable!”

Daisuke raised his sand-stained face for a shout. As he also normally looked plain, he wore a commonplace boxer-type swimsuit. His sole distinguishing feature was the band-aid on his cheek.

“Oh?”

Ena, who hid her chest using her hands, looked toward the far beach and seemed to notice something.

“Weren’t we the only ones to rent this place? There’s someone there. Look, Arisu.”

As Arisu looked there, she could see two figures. Ugh, she grimaced.

“Y-yeah… there certainly are. Someone with blond hair too pretty for her and someone who looks sleepy.”

“The blond one’s making a castle—wait, no. Isn’t that a character from the tokusatsu show called Carnivorous Corps? I wouldn’t expect a complete amateur to create something like that.”

“Oh, the sleepy one’s swaying. She broke the sand sculpture.”

“Looks like the blond girl’s angry. Oh wow. She’s thrown the sleepy one into the sea… err, she’s not floating, is she fine?”

“By the way, that blond hair… it looks familiar. Oh right, it looks just that girl from the class next to ours, Mitake Anneliese—”

“I-it’s just your imagination! She’s probably a worker from the recreation facility!”

“Right! It’s rude to stare like that, so I don’t think you should mind it!”

Arisu and Daisuke hurriedly blocked Ena and Takako’s line of sight. Daisuke then reproached Arisu with a whisper.

“Hey, Arisu…”

“I couldn’t do anything…! They said they really wanted to swim!”

While deceiving Ena and Takako with forced smiles, the two whispered to each other. Behind them, the swimsuit-clad Kasuou—Mitake Anneliese and the form of Yomori Neiko who finally floated to the sea surface could be seen.

“O-oh, really?” mumbled the puzzled Ena, but was apparently won over by her excitement that they monopolized the entire coast. She spread her arms wide as though to hug the ocean, her eyes sparkling.

“Anyway, as expected from Chairman of the Akasegawa Group. She actually lent us this wonderful place so easily despite our short acquaintance! I wish Nanana-san was here as well!”

The one who gave Arisu’s group the chance to be invited there was the girl called Akasegawa Nanana.

Nanana worked as the Chairman for Akasegawa Group that had many companies under its umbrella, colloquially called the Akasegawa Foundation. She and Ena had apparently hit it off at some party and even now remained friendly.

This area was once bought by the country to be used as a recreation facility for clerks, creating vacation facilities such as hotels, inns and other related things. However, after being in the red it was apparently auctioned off and bought by the Akasegawa Corporation.

Hearing that Ena was looking for a place where she could pass the summer’s greatest event, Nanana had offered this beach. Also, despite the fact it was still in the middle of construction, she even provided some workers for the minimal support of lifestyle as a bonus, which was really generous.

Takako put her hands together happily, and Arisu and Daisuke smiled as well.

“Being able to use this place as our own just to watch the meteor shower really is luxurious.”

“It really is.”

“Feels way too big for just the four of us, though.”

The greatest reason for Arisu’s group to arrive at this land.

That was the Perseid meteor shower.

Just like its name suggested, a meteor shower was a phenomenon where one could see many comets in the sky. The Perseid constellation meter shower was especially famous since it could be seen periodically, but since this year it was anticipated that the viewing conditions would be at their very best, it became the talk of the town.

The peak of the Perseid constellation meteor shower, meaning the period of time most comets would be visible, was tonight. Arisu could probably also see it from her hometown of Akamaki City, but the best place to watch it from would be a spot with no obstacles in the sky.

“Tonight’s the real deal! But it’s the real deal now too, we can’t let a single second go to waste! Attack!”

“Yeah!”

“Eek, my swimsuit fell off! What am I going to do, Kusuriya-kun?!”

“Right, I thought you’d set up something like that! But you haven’t even entered the sea, so I think you’re being too hasty, Saionji-san—wait, uh?! It really fell off! Why?!”

The sparkling sun scorched the sandy beach.

Figures of four swimsuit-clad people playing around in the calm waves were shook by heat haze.

Racing inside the sea, playing beachball, chasing off some sneaky thieves (or rather Kasuou and Neiko) trying to steal the contents of their cooler box, eating lunch and then diving in the sea again.

Since these four hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to have fun recently, they got wild as if they saved it all up for this moment.

By the time the sun started sinking toward the west, Arisu announced to Ena and Takako that she was thirsty and came to the beach.

Coming back to the parasol, she found someone already there, lying with a towel on head.

“Ena’s calling you, Daisuke.”

“…I’ll go, if you stop her from sexually harassing me.”

A boy’s low voice could be heard from beneath the towel. It was completely different from when he acted out a “normal” boy in front of Ena and Takako.

“Even though you’re really happy…”

“…”

“Oh, you’re not denying it.”

“I’m used to being hated, though.”

Sitting next to the disgruntled Daisuke, Arisu held her knees. She took out a carbonated drink from inside the cooler box and pulled on the tab. If Takako were to see her, she would probably say something like, “My, how slovenly to drink straight from the can.”

“When I’m faced with these kinds of situations… how do I put it, I’m not sure how to respond to them.”

“Hehe, I knew it wasn’t like you hated it—”

Arisu tried to laugh, but her strength suddenly left her hand.

“—”

Her vision blurred. She felt her consciousness being muddied as if something leaked from inside her body. The can fell from her powerless hand.

It fell atop the sand scorched by the sun and spread its contents—or so she thought was going to happen, but it didn’t turn out like that. The moment before it fell, a hand caught it from the side.

“Arisu.”

Despite hiding his face with a towel, Daisuke easily caught the can and called to her.

Her consciousness was brought back by the boy’s voice and Arisu started back to her senses.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes, I’m fine.”

She turned her head, slightly forming a smile and accepted the can from Daisuke.

Rarely in the past there were times when her body didn’t work like she wanted it to. However, recently it wasn’t just her body, but even her consciousness nearly cut off. And the aftereffects also came much earlier every day. Daisuke obviously knew about this as well.

They knew the cause for it.

“I can’t just sleep like that. I want to play lots more.”

As she smiled and looked up at the sky, a silver glow flew into her sight.

While reflecting the setting sun, a lone Morpho butterfly danced in air.

It was the Mushi given to Arisu by her now deceased friend, Hanashiro Mari. Apparently, being given another person’s Mushi was unheard of.

“You too, Daisuke?”

She called toward the boy lying on the sand, but he made no reply.

Daisuke wasn’t just her classmate. He always remained at Arisu’s side to monitor her. He was also a Mushitsuki, and a combatant dispatched from the organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

“You have to answer when your mistress calls to you. Are you listening, Daisuke?”

“I’m having plenty of fun.”

“Then look more cheerful! Arisu Chop!”

“Ouch! Damn, you’re so annoying!”

Daisuke swept off the towel on his head. His true face hidden by this cloth looked embarrassed to her. Seeing how stubborn he was, he probably didn’t want his face to be seen. Arisu smiled.

“Oh, so you are enjoying yourself. No need to be shy.”

“I’ve been telling you this just now! —And you’re the one not being honest.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Can you really enjoy it? You’re the one who created this situation, so how can you smile all innocently. Really… it’s always like this, but I can’t follow your ideas.”

Arisu stared at him. She soon recalled, and then snorted.

Thinking about it, he was right. Everything that Arisu was attempting to do now was part of the plan that she herself had thought of.

However, she completely forgot about it.

Time spent with her friends who were as important as the late Mari was so fun, so everything else went out of her mind. Playing with her friends wasn’t the time to be considering Mushi, Mushitsuki or the situation she found herself in.

“Who cares about that right now?”

“Huh? Obviously you should—”

Although he was trying to argue, Daisuke immediately went silent upon seeing Arisu’s face. What expression was she wearing while looking at her two classmates playing at the water’s edge?

“…”

Kujou Takako fell. Since she lacked athletic abilities, her stamina probably reached its limits. Just like all others sons and daughters of the wealthy that attended Horusu Seijou Academy, she was a sheltered young lady, and Arisu heard that it took quite a bit of effort to have Takako’s parents allow this small trip.

Takako was also related to Daisuke appearing in front of Arisu. When Takako’s childhood friend became a Mushitsuki, the one sent to capture him to Horusu Seijou Academy by the SEPB was none other than Daisuke.

“Aren’t you overdoing it despite being scared?”

Daisuke said curtly. Since when had she started being able to feel his worry for her behind his detached tone?

Perhaps it was like this from the very start. He was feared among Mushitsuki as a demon, but Arisu knew that he possessed certain kindness.

“I’m not scared at all.”

She was thankful for him being the first Mushitsuki she met other than Mari. Although he always spoke as if he acted for the sake of his mission, he would save Arisu’s body and soul every day. Because she had his support—because he’d saved her countless times, even when she was about to give up, she rose again and again.

She also met a lot of Mushitsuki other than him.

Every such meeting ended up as a battle as if it was predestined. The same happened when she met Yomori Neiko and Kasuou who were now poking each other in the distance.

Yet now they were undoubtably her friends.

And not just these two.

At times fighting, at times hurting each other, at times even scared, those Mushitsuki—were definitely not her enemies. They might have been, once, but they also managed to hold hands again.

“After all, I’m not alone.”

Mushitsuki were always fighting against something.

Therefore, even as Arisu threw herself into the battle out of her own will, she was definitely not alone.

However, even so—

In the current state, which shouldn’t have existed, which was impossible, of being bound by the fate of becoming host to another Mushi, which led to her exhaustion as well as the splintering of both body and mind—

The possibility that the now-deceased Mari remained within the Morpho butterfly, trying to overwrite Arisu’s existence—

The mysterious beings called Mushi—

As well as how powerful was the enemy they were trying to take down—

“I’m… not scared—”

Just by recalling these, her body shook on its own.

However, even that fear—soon vanished.

“—”

A warm sensation enveloped Arisu’s clenched, shaking hand. Another hand, filled with even more warmth that the sand scorched by the sun, grabbed her hand.

“You don’t have to bluff now, stupid Arisu.”

Daisuke said. Although his tone was as curt as always, something about his expression and voice was overflowing with small kindness that could easily be missed.

“I’m not bluffing.”

Arisu grabbed back the boy’s hand slightly sunk in the sand. With their hands held under the sand, couldn’t be seen by the girls playing in the sea.

“Look. —I’m no longer scared.”

Arisu often said she knew no fear, but she was actually always scared.

Dying was scary, and people close to her dying as well—just like when Mari passed away, she felt very scared.

She was scared of facing a difficult problem, and failing was also terrifying.

However, Arisu had many allies.

Right now, the warmth of a kind hand was erasing Arisu’s fear.

Therefore—Arisu was no longer scared of anything.

“I’m not wrong.”

Arisu raised her face again.

Ahead of her eyes was her classmate, grabbed by Takako.

Saionji Ena.

Starting with her friend Takako, the many problems involving Arisu and Mushitsuki finally reached her other friend as well.

Therefore, Arisu had decided.

“There wasn’t any right answer in the first place.”

Daisuke spoke.

“But—you forcibly dragged out the right answer. I can’t think of any other way to solve it.”

“…”

“I won’t grumble anymore. My mission and my promise to Hanashiro Mari, maybe even the promise I made some years ago… I’ll settle all of them.”

She felt him put strength into his hand holding hers. She looked at his face intently.

“W-what is it?”

“Say, Daisuke.”

Her eyes looking at Daisuke were serious.

Silence fell between the two.

Arisu and Daisuke stared at each other for a while—and, finally making up her mind, Arisu spoke.

“You really are a womanizer, Daisuke.”

Daisuke blushed. He hurriedly released Arisu’s hand and raised his upper body.

“Wha—”

“You’ve obviously attracted Ena, and you even seem to have some secret promise with Mari… and you even have Ayuyu and Erii. You’re too unfaithful. If you keep doing things to my friends, I can’t stay silent.”

“W-what are you talking about!? I’m not really…! Actually, I’m the one in trouble here! It should be obvious! No, understand it already!”

“Who’s the one you actually love! Answer me, please!”

“What do you mean, love? I don’t have—”

Something like that—

She thought he was about to say that, but Daisuke stopped talking. Although he looked like he wanted to say something, he averted his face.

“What is it?”

“What about you?”

“Eh?”

“Takako has her childhood friend, and Ena… she’s probably making a pass at me. —Aren’t you the only one without someone like that?”

Now that he said this, he was right. Both Takako and Ena had someone of the opposite sex they were interested in.

She never thought this topic would come from Daisuke’s mouth. Even as she looked his frowning profile, the boy looked to be somewhat sulking.

“Are you still trying to be a girl despite that?”

“Despite what, exactly… if you’re talking about a certain body part, I’ll bury you alive.”

Reflexively hiding her chest, she spoke in a low voice.

It wasn’t how Daisuke worded it, but Arisu too wanted to be a normal middle schooler. It wasn’t like she had no interest in romance, and there were times she was conscious of the other sex.

Right now, sitting next to Daisuke on the beach like that led to a certain thought—

What she could feel so naturally.

“I’m having so much fun.”

Daisuke turned to look at her.

“I have my precious friends, I worry with them, I’m helped by them—when I think I can make many more friends, my heart flutters.”

She had the friend called Hanashiro Mari.

She made her precious friends Saionji Ena and Kujou Takako, and had the strong boy called Kusuriya Daisuke at her side. Even if they weren’t there, she could feel the existence of her Mushitsuki friends.

“You’re obviously also one of them.”

As Arisu said this with a smile, Daisuke made a vacant, foolish expression.

“What is it? I won’t let you say at this stage that you’re just doing this for your mission.”

“I’m—”

Daisuke tried to say something but fell silent. He cast his gaze for a moment and a little while later raised his face. He wore a painful smile.

“Friends, huh. …Right, that’s true.”

“You’re answering vaguely again! If you have any complaints, how about ‘partners’ or something? Sounds much stronger.”

“Doesn’t matter whether we’re friends or partners.”

Making this offhand reply, he lay on the sand again. Arisu clenched her fist to hit him again, but when she saw his expression, her thoughts stopped.

“I’ll become whichever you choose.”

Daisuke was also smiling happily.

“Yeah…”

Lowering her fist, Arisu found herself smiling as well.

“You’re finally an obedient slave.”

“Hey, there were only two choices there.”

Arisu smiled.

“Say, Daisuke. —Can you tell me about that Fuyuhotaru girl already?”

Arisu’s question was apparently a surprise attack. Daisuke’s face twitched.

Every time she used the keyword “Fuyuhotaru” he would grow silent and make a face as if he was enduring something. Just like he was now.

“So you won’t tell me?”

The determination and unfathomable power Daisuke showed while he was fighting. She already knew long ago that the word Fuyuhotaru lay in their roots.

She wanted to know more about him.

As a friend.

And at the same time—as an equal partner.

“Got nothing to do with you.”

While turning over on the sand, Daisuke looked to the other side.

“It’s got nothing to do with anyone. Not only you, it’s unrelated to either Hanashiro Mari or the Morpho butterfly as well… so why do you need—”

“It’s something important to you, right?”

“…”

“Then it has to do with me.”

Smiling, she looked at Daisuke’s profile.

“It’s about my friend, after all.”

Silence fell between the two.

The sound of the approaching waves resounded loudly, and the sounds of Ena and Takako having fun reached them.

Daisuke scratched his head, seemingly hesitating.

However, before long—

“It really has nothing to do with the Morpho butterfly, but—”

Arisu smiled.

Daisuke spoke a little.

About his first mission for the SEPB.

The story about the large disaster that cornered the country and the boy who faced a single person.

Everything, just like he said, was events unrelated to what started due to Arisu and Mari meeting, but—

Arisu was finally able to find out why the person important to her was strong.

Part 2

The orange sun sank into the horizon, and the moon rose from the eastern sky.

The vividly shining sea fused with the night’s darkness, striking waves while reflecting the moonlight. She could feel the nighttime air had more salt in it than it did during the day.

At the coast in midnight, there were several sets of footsteps on the sand.

“So we didn’t need a flashlight after all. The moonlight’s enough.”

“I’m glad it’s so bright. We’ll be able to see the stars well.”

“Poor Kusuriya-kun, forced to carry all of it…”

“Hah, hah… four flashlights as well as midnight snacks and changing clothes and camera, and for some reason a pillow… if you pity me then at least carry your own—oh, everyone’s averting their eyes, so you’re not even going to wait for me. Haha, well, I don’t care anymore.”

All wearing rough T-shirts, Arisu, Ena, Takako and Daisuke (who was carrying several large bags) walked on the silent beach.

There were lanterns on the road along the beach, but perhaps it wasn’t being supplied with electricity, as none of them were on. Since the recreation facility was on the other side of the windbreak, the only artificial lights they could see in the distance were those of the observatory.

The observatory on the hill was apparently built during the time this was a communal facility. Apparently, it was used by the region’s university, and it obviously had function for observation as well as living facilities for the researchers. Since they were right there anyway, Arisu’s group decided to spend the entire night there.

“Do your best, Daisuke. We’re almost to the observatory!”

“You said the same thing an hour ago, Ichinokuro-san…”

“Sorry, Daisuke-san. I’ve never carried anything heavier than chopsticks.”

“I’ve seen you carry something heavier all day long countless of times, Kujou-san…”

“This is impossible… alright, I decided. Scold me as much as you’d like, Kusuriya-kun!”

“I can’t do it, not responding to Saionji-san’s expectant eyes is the minimal resistance I can do…”

With Arisu at their head, the four Horusu Seijou Academy students walked next to the water’s edge.

The gentle sounds of waves wrapped their loud conversation mixed with laughter and the pleasant silence that fell after they stopped talking.

Above their heads a sky full of stars could be seen. As if trying not to lose to the wave-rippling water below, the twinkling stars used the shining sky to present a great ocean of their own.

The happy stars cuddling next to each other in the night sky would begin to change their appearance soon.

Both the stars that were shining now.

As well as those who hid their glow.

They’d burn their lives at that instant, streaming down the surface with unprecedented brilliance.

Seeing the shiny, flowing stars, what would she think—

When that time would come, when she saw their lights—what would Arisu be thinking about?

She prayed.

She wanted to have beautiful thoughts that wouldn’t lose to the moment these comets burned out.

“—Aaah! I’m at my limits!”

The path of these four that moved in order was stopped by Daisuke’s shout.

“As long as no one takes their luggage, I’m not moving even a single step! If you still want to go, kill me first!”

Becoming desperate and yelling, the boy collapsed on the sand, looking up. Perhaps really tired, his tone while his chest moved up and down with ragged breaths was perhaps his true self.

Arisu put a hand to her hips and sighed.

“Geez, you’re so selfish. —Well, we have no choice, so let’s take a break here.”

“It’s almost time for the meteor shower to start. Oh, Daisuke-san, can you bring out the sheets from the bag? Enough for all of us.”

“Even if you don’t look at me with those wild animal eyes, my lap pillow won’t run away so relax, Kusuriya-kun! Ehe, you’re so greedy.”

“I’m telling you to carry your own stuff! Me? Am I the selfish one? —Wow, my body started arranging the sheets without me noticing! Come back to your senses, me!”

“Geez… alright, it’s fine like that.”

Seeing Daisuke punch himself in the stomach after laying out the sheets, Arisu drew back her brows.

Sitting on the sand, she lay herself back toward the sky.

For a moment her back felt cold as it touched the sand hit by the sea breeze. However, soon the heat that it accumulated from the noon sun seeped in and it became a comfortable bed.

The sheltered lady Takako was a bit apprehensive at first, but she exaggeratedly steeled herself and lay down as well.

Daisuke pulled in the sheets he was about to draw from the bag. Looking somewhat exasperated, he also slowly lay his back next to the three girls.

“…”

No one opened their mouth, as if they hadn’t been playful until then.

They didn’t need to speak.

They were all taken in by the sea of stars expanding above them.

As Arisu faced up, she could see nothing but stars, stars and stars.

What she was seeing.

What she was feeling.

Sharing those with all four there made her unbearably happy.

Arisu knew of no words to convey this unreasonable happiness, and felt she didn’t need to.

There was no need to pass them along.

They definitely already understood—

“So pretty…”

Everyone responded to Arisu’s words by sighing in agreement.

She was so glad she came there—

She really thought so.

It was definitely no mistake coming there with her important friends—

“Say, Ena…”

How much time passed?

Arisu’s mutter passed between the four people waiting silently for the moment stars fell.

“Sorry to keep you waiting this long—”

The words flowing from her mouth weren’t something she was conscious of.

The sound of shifting sand was probably Ena moving her face to look at Arisu.

“What me and Daisuke have been doing all this time—is over.”

“…Really?”

Ena’s voice was low. It was too sudden, so she was surprised.

Arisu too moved her neck, looking at the lying Ena’s face and nodded.

“Yeah.”

Ena’s expression finally moved. She smiled, looking happy from the bottom of her heart.

“Really? Really really?”

Arisu nodded again.

“Then we can all play again? Just like before, everyday—”

“Yes, right.”

She could hear a voice of agreement from nearby.

Next to Ena and Takako who surrounded Arisu, Daisuke also lay sprawled.

“This is a bit late, but… it’s really late, but I’m having fun too.”

The boy’s voice was calm—and was much more honest that even Arisu had heard before.

“Kusuriya-kun—”

“I’m dishonest, and never been kind to anyone… I was never someone who could be kind, but—I was happy you became something like my friends.”

“It’s not ‘like’, we’re friends.”

As Arisu said this, she could hear Daisuke make a small laugh. It sounded a bit abashed, so she realized it really came from his heart.

“I even thought that doing this—that staying here like this isn’t too bad.”

Ena gulped.

“So—I’ll stay here.”

A small change appeared in the night sky that swallowed the boy’s pure voice.

“I also want to stay here with all of you.”

A small glow.

However, it was undoubtably the first one.

A belt of light crossed the sky that only had stars in it.

“Rea…lly?”

There was also a change on the surface.

“I—”

Ena’s hoarse voice was trembling as she held back her emotions.

Part 3

Why had Saionji Ena begun to imagine herself in the future, wanting to become this or wanting to do this?

According to what Ena thought, she fell in love with a magical girl she saw on an anime when she was young, and she also wanted a brilliant profession like an idol singer she saw.

However, that time, she noticed that her surroundings were too blessed.

Succeeding in their business, Ena’s parents raised her in a large home, and since she was skilled, she could learn most things better than the average person.

By the time she understood that magical girls could only exist in anime and became better at singing than an idol singer, Ena finally realized she was just a bit more talented than other people.

By then Ena’s parents already paid her no heed. That was probably because they thought she’d be able to do anything on her own.

Even her beloved sisters didn’t spoil her. From their point of view, as ones who gave it their all to succeed in the elite course, Ena was nothing but a target of envy.

The sociable Ena had many friends, but they were all the same. The boys she dated lacked charm and felt inferior since she could do anything, and also distanced themselves.

Her girl friends were the same. They would at some point inevitably develop some complex regarding her talents, sociability, appearance and wealth, so she only got more friends who fussed over her.

There were also times she tried to fit in. During gym class she’d fall, get bad marks on a test, and act out a clumsy girl in front of boys. Thinking back on it, it was extremely nasty, but—in actuality her friends felt a discomfort, and grew further from Ena.

Then what should she do?

Should she just use her talents to the fullest and try to achieve more difficult things?

Vanquish evil foes and saving the world?

If there really was such an enemy, perhaps Ena could do that. She had the confidence she could brandish a sword better than any hero, and if she did, everyone would worship her.

However, for Ena, that was meaningless.

Even if it was a dream more difficult to achieve than being a magical girl or an idol, granting it held no charm for her.

If Ena said something like this at this stage, would her family and friends laugh?

But it was true.

Even if she had the power to defeat the demon lord.

Even if she had a hundred talents that made everyone jealous.

If she remained alone—it was meaningless.

If she didn’t have any people who were happy at her dream coming true alongside her, it would be boring.

Ena was a normal girl.

She was lonely and wanted to be with friends all of the time, and she was a scaredy-cat that hated complete unknowns like Mushi.

Even so, the only thing that anyone noticed was that she was more skilled than other people.

No one believed her.

If it only made Ena lonely, she didn’t want anything that anyone would envy like a brave’s sword—

This lonely Ena met with Ichinokuro Arisu right after entering her second year of middle school.

—I’ll refrain.

Her first impression for her new classmate was definitely not good. Perhaps something bad happened to this girl who rejected Ena’s invitation to make her this unsociable.

However, Arisu changed.

Although something painful happened, she decided to grit her teeth and face forward. Once she came in contact with Ichinokuro Arisu’s renewed brightness, Ena began to feel admiration and respect for the first time in her life.

Arisu’s way of living was straight. Because of that she got wounded, and there were probably times she wanted to give up. Even so she got up to her legs again and had the strength to keep going. Therefore, while Ena was too excellent and made other people servile, nothing about Arisu’s behavior changed from when they’d first met.

Even her classmate Kujou Takako became a large asset to Ena’s life. Meeting with this calm and unruffled girl, she started feeling for the first time that not all rich kids of Horusu Seijou Academy were bad. If that girl, who looked weak but had a strong core became an adult, she wanted her to remain pure and innocent, from the bottom of her heart.

Ena finally found her element, playing every day with her two friends.

When Ena got a perfect score in karaoke, Takako would calmly sing a 30-point song and have fun, and Arisu would put too much effort and break the microphone.

When Ena caught a large number of dolls in the game center, Takako would take thirty minutes to learn the controls and Arisu who didn’t manage to get anything would kick the machine and get yelled at by the employees.

The three of them would then fill their cheeks with a five-layered ice cream.

Without restraining themselves—without lying to themselves—these normal middle schoolers played together.

When she’d finally managed to get what she wished for—she met with Kusuriya Daisuke.

At first, she thought of the boy wedging his way into the paradise she created with Arisu and Takako as an enemy. She mocked him, exposed his faults, thought of driving him out and interfering with him.

She realized long ago he was imperfect. —Or rather, had he really thought that his horrible acting as an honors student would really deceive her? It was fun to see him frantically keep up his act, and she became more and more amused to see him flustered.

—Don’t worry, Saionji-san.

It happened during their mock date, when a Mushitsuki took control of the mall. The situation had been solved without her understanding everything, and Daisuke was hugging the shocked Ena while smiling.

When she noticed it was already too late.

Even the existence of Kusuriya Daisuke became someone irreplaceable for Ena. His normal form, which was mere acting—no, had he noticed? His acting of being flustered, angry and laughing became way too good, so wasn’t the act becoming much closer than his real self that he was trying to hide?

Therefore, she didn’t regret falling in love with the act of “Kusuriya Daisuke”. But making fun of him so much that he didn’t realize she was serious was a major failure, though.

These days of happiness had also the spice of romance in them.

“I—”

Looking up at the starry sky on the midnight beach, the first comet fell.

Inside her vision that became moist and blurry she saw yet another new light.

And another.

And another.

The number of comets increased.

The Perseid constellation meteor shower—started.

“I also…”

Unable to withstand it, Ena used both hands to hide her tearing face while still lying on the sand.

More and more comets kept streaming.

The beautiful stars that left trails of light behind them.

That sight was breathtakingly beautiful—but Ena gained something much more important.

“I also—”

Ichinokuro Arisu returned.

Kujou Takako was at her side.

Kusuriya Daisuke—promised to always be there for them.

“Want us to always—”

Admiring magical girls, wanting to become an idol singer… those dreams as well.

Even her part in saving the world.

She would let other people have those.

Because someone other than Ena would definitely make them come true.

Ena had something much more important now.

The important friends she met with the probability of a miracle were at her side.

While possessing talent anyone would envy, she was nothing more than a normal girl.

She was just lonely and scared, so the dream Ena wished for from the bottom of the heart was as small as her—

An irreplaceable, precious dream.

“I want us to always be together…!”

The night sky with streaming stars changed its color.

It wasn’t like this due to the tears in Ena’s eyes.

It was just like dropping a drop of paint into some liquid.

The full starry sky was dyed in a vivid purple for an instant.

Neither the blinking stars nor the falling comets changed.

The night’s darkness that encroached the surface of the sky was simply filled with a purple glow.

This purple something that mixed with the comets was coagulating into a single spot in the sky.

“…Eh…?”

The purple glow gathered and formed—a woman’s figure.

The woman wearing round sunglasses floated in the night sky, her crimson coat fluttering—

“So you’ve come—Oogui.”

Hearing this calm voice, Ena came back to her senses.

“Kusuriya…kun…?”

At some point Daisuke rose up. From inside his bag that she thought had nothing but luggage he pulled out a pitch-black coat and wore it quickly.

“Sorry, Ena.”

The boy’s momentarily lonely smile vanished inside mechanical goggles that covered his face. He took a handgun out of the same bag as the coat and goggles and removed its safety device.

Daisuke’s voice became so low he sounded like a different person.

“This is the end—of my friend act.”

Ena’s expression froze.

“Daisuke!”

Arisu caught the silver rod that the boy threw to her. Swinging it as it elongated, Arisu reproached him.

“That wording was horrible!”

What was going on?

What was about to happen?

Unable to understand any of it, Ena froze there, her body raised. Takako next to her also looked surprised as she looked around her.

Along with a roar, an especially large star passed over Ena’s head.

No. —It was much too violent to be called a comet. It was large sphere of flames.

The mass of flames crashed down next to Arisu and Daisuke. Hellfire spread around, sending the sand around dancing. Appearing there and causing the approaching waves to be instantly boiled was a tall boy with his arms crossed.

“Haha, I was sick of waitin’.”

The boy standing imposingly as if he was some sort of king raised his scorching eyes to look at the woman floating midair. With his loose, wild hair and the tattoo on his cheek, not to mention the flames bursting from his entire body while he crossed his arms, the boy looked like a devil born from the flames.

She could hear sand being trodden all around her.

Ena reflexively turned around.

“…!”

She thought her heart would stop.

Although this road was supposed to be empty until now, there were countless shadows standing there now. Even now, more and more people appeared from inside the windbreak.

Leaping over the guardrail, a blond girl walked closer on the beach. She was clad in a pure white coat and even had white goggles on her eyes. This time, Ena didn’t mistake this girl.

“I left C behind just like you told me to, Kakkou. She’d certainly be nothing but a nuisance, fighting at this stage.”

She was Mitake Anneliese. Her belligerent smile that was completely different from the elegant one she showed in school was covered up by her goggles.

“You two, come to me.”

Saying this and grabbing Ena’s and Takako’s arms was a woman wearing the same coat as Anneliese’s. —She was the one who served as the vocalist for Ena’s favorite indie band, Yomori Neiko. Now that she noticed this, she only became even more confused.

The sea burst.

Giant waves rose up and shot at the night sky, unheeding of gravity.

The large amount of seawater swelled, creating a huge dome that surrounded the entire area. This transparent veil distorted the lights of the stars flowing in the sky.

“*Grin*. Leave the siege to me. I won’t allow her to escape.”

Yet another familiar figure managed to sneak there.

Since she’d asked her name later, she knew it. This girl who had a star sticker on her cheek was a student from another school called Kurisaka Ayuyu.

Obviously, there were also people Ena didn’t know.

“The warrior of love, Isa Himeko! I hastened here to join as the representative of teacher’s disciplesss!”

Raising an energetic voice was a girl wearing a cutely designed white coat. Her figure that had bat wing-shaped accessories on her back made her look like a little imp.

“Nihi. Since you didn’t call Ume-kun or Haruka-chan, does that mean you abandoned them, Harukiyo?”

Carrying a beautifully bound book to her chest, the girl who said this wore a twisted smile. She fixed the position of her glasses using her index finger.

What on earth was going on—

“Sorry for scaring you, Ena.”

As Ena was about to fall into panic, Arisu turned to her.

“I can’t explain what led to this right now, but—”

Leaving behind a kind smile, Arisu looked up at the floating woman. A silver Morpho butterfly landed on her shoulder.

“I’ll definitely protect you.”

With Ichinokuro Arisu at their head, Daisuke and the flame devil, Mitake Anneliese and the other boys and girls all formed a wall to protect Ena.

Standing stunned, Ena also looked above her—and shuddered.

The mysterious figure that Arisu and the rest were trying to intercept.

Rainbow-colored pupils that were visible behind the woman’s glasses were looking straight at Ena.

“Say—”

The woman’s mouth, dyed in a pure-red rouge, slowly moved.

“Will you tell me your dream?”

The woman’s charming smile overlapped with the night sky full of falling stars.

Part 4

Several weeks before.

At the observatory platform in the national park, when the lineup of the three strong Mushitsuki—Daisuke, Harukiyo and Rina was complete, Arisu told them of a certain plan.

If they were all together, it would definitely succeed—

She was convinced of this.

“Defeating Oogui—you say?”

The first to raise an eyebrow was Rina. The girl who controlled a large ladybug was beautiful even with her hair stained in dust and soil.

“My friend’s being targeted by Oogui. Right, Nanana?”

As Arisu turned around, the girl holding a cane that looked like an upside-down J, Akasegawa Nanana, narrowed one eye.

“Yahah. If you’re talking about Saionji Ena, there’s no doubt about it.”

“Not interested.”

Holding up his hair that was like rampaging flames, Harukiyo laughed it off.

“Why’d I gotta help save your buddies? Do I get anythin’ out of it? Hmm?”

“If you don’t intend to help then just being there would be enough, Harukiyo.”

“Huh?”

“Look with your own eyes and decide what to do on your own. But you should definitely realize—”

Arisu wore a provocative smile toward Harukiyo.

“In the end, you’re also a Mushitsuki.”

Harukiyo erased his light smile. While raising one brow, he spoke.

“Wherever I come, a ‘disaster’ always follows. I don’t give a fuck whether everything burns down, alright?”

“Do you think that these people gathered here are ones who’d be burned down so easily?”

Harukiyo looked between Daisuke, Rina and the other faces.

“—Ha. Hehehe.”

The flame devil leaked a muffled laughter and stopped speaking there.

“Isn’t that right?”

She asked the boy who maintained his silence, Daisuke.

“I know no Mushitsuki stronger than those people here. How about you?”

Clad in a pitch-black coat and his face covered by goggles, the boy opened his mouth—but sank into silence again without speaking.

They would never be able to hold hands.

Daisuke once said this.

However, that impossibility now became reality.

Hanashiro Mari’s Morpho butterfly attempted to make it come true.

It drew the strongest Mushitsuki together and made them look at each other’s faces, albeit awkwardly.

Even just them being in the same place was miraculous.

Therefore—

She didn’t think that hoping for further miracles was useless.

“It’s impossible.”

Finally opening his mouth, Daisuke spoke in a low voice.

“Even if we know Ena’s being targeted, we can’t tell when and where Oogui would come to eat her dream. Are we all going to stay around her all the time? Also, if Oogui appeared in the middle of town—“

Daisuke cut off his words and looked around.

The place that used to be the observation platform became no more than rough land. The surface of the mountain was shaved, trees were burned, and the exposed soil was piled up in all directions.

This happened because the Mushitsuki there all clashed for just a few minutes. If they used all of their powers inside the city, there would be an unimaginable number of victims.

“Never mind Ena, we might destroy the entire city.”

“Ena’s dream that I heard from Nanana…”

Wanting to be with her beloved friends forever—

So Ena said.

If that was so.

“I thought about it… but maybe the reason this dream has no concrete shape—is because of me and Daisuke?”

“…?”

“Oogui wants Ena’s dream, but she didn’t try to eat it yet. —On the other hand, if she’ll come to eat it someday, we might be able to summon her at that time.”

As Daisuke was puzzled and couldn’t understand the meaning of Arisu’s words, she turned to look at Nanana.

“Say, Nanana. Can you prepare some empty place? As spacious as possible.”

“If there’s any merit to me, I can give you as many as possible, heiress of the Ichinokuro household.”

While spinning her cane, Nanana spoke with disgust in her voice. Arisu calmly replied to her.

“You want to meet Oogui, right?”

“But you want to defeat that thing.”

“Then you can just bet on us failing. Right?”

Nanana shrugged.

“You have no intention of failing. —It’s written all over your face, you know?”

“Obviously.”

Arisu spread her arms and smiled.

“There’s no opponent that all of us here can’t beat!”

How stronger was she just from having Daisuke by her side? He was stronger than any Mushitsuki and saved Arisu from all sorts of crises.

And she now also had another Mushitsuki as strong as him, Harukiyo, there.

What would even be impossible for this group now?

Drawn by Arisu’s words, Harukiyo’s mouth slackened. Daisuke wore a sour look and Rina also had a complex expression.

However, none of them raised any objections.

And that—was her answer.

“Even if we do defeat Oogui, I don’t know what will happen after that? About us remaining Mushitsuki too…”

Rina spoke and her eyes changed.

“Also, I refuse to join this SEPB piece of shit. Even this pervert is better.”

Daisuke turned his goggles to Rina.

“This is my line. Her naivete will affect her allies as well. Even usable Mushitsuki will be weakened because of her.”

“Are you saying I’m weakening my allies? Can you please not pretend you understand anything?”

“They’ll become weaker just from thinking that they’re ‘being protected’. It’d be stupid to get us annihilated just to protect a single ally.”

As Rina and Daisuke glared at each other, Harukiyo went and grabbed their shoulders in a friendly manner. Apparently this older boy was very strong even when not using his Mushi, so they couldn’t shake him off.

“Still raising a tantrum, children? Isn’t it turning out kinda fun? Entertain me thoroughly. I’ll watch ya carefully, alright? Also, did you hear what she said just now, Kakkou? Apparently this hottie loves me more than she does you.”

“Don’t touch me so lightly, you pervert. It just means you’re my second most hated person.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you’re a target for capture. If you want to watch something, watch out for stray bullets.”

Arisu cut in between the glaring Mushitsuki, grabbing both Daisuke and Rina’s hands.

They naturally ended up forming a ring.

“When we fight—Mari will definitely join us as well.”

At Arisu’s words, Daisuke, Harukiyo and Rina became serious.

“We’re all standing here like this thanks to her, after all.”

The many Mushitsuki called forth by the single Morpho butterfly.

That connection should have a meaning.

She would save Ena and defeat Oogui.

Also—

“Obviously, if it’s us we can do anything.”

She’d definitely also find the continuation of Mari’s dream—

Arisu had this premonition back then.

Part 5

Star kept streaming endlessly in the night sky studded with purple-colored scales.

Floating in the background of all the comets in the sky was a woman-shaped creator of Mushitsuki.

It was Oogui.

“Arisu!”

While resisting against Yomori Neiko that tried pulling her away from the battlefield, Ena shouted.

Arisu bit her lips.

Ena probably couldn’t understand what was happening.

Until just now, she was supposed to have been having the best time with her three friends.

Even so, the space that was supposedly theirs became a battlefield in the blink of an eye.

Arisu planned it to be so.

She kept preparing for this day in particular. Nanana offered this place to Ena because Arisu directed her to do so.

Although this was done to save Ena, she had deceived her friend.

She thought it was fine if it was to protect her friend, though.

Even so.

“Daisuke…!”

Why had he said something like that?

—This is the end of my friend act.

There was no way that was true.

When he said he wanted to stay there, those were definitely his true feelings. Daisuke also thought of Ena as his friend, and there was no doubt he stayed there to protect her.

“Don’t move your eyes from Oogui. If you lower your guard even a little, she’ll aim for Ena.”

Daisuke readied himself, but Arisu wouldn’t move her eyes.

“—I can’t make Ena’s dream come true.”

For a moment she saw Daisuke bite his lips.

“No matter how this fight tonight ends, I can’t stop in place yet.”

Arisu felt her chest being constricted.

His fight was not yet over. She just heard the reason for this from his own lips this very afternoon.

The Mushitsuki girl made into a Fallen by his own hands—while waiting for her return, he would keep on fighting.

“But Daisuke… is that fine? You actually want to always—”

“My current feelings don’t matter one bit. Because it’ll pain Ena even more.”

Daisuke put strength in his hand grasping the gun.

“Since I can’t make Ena’s dream come true, what I can do for her—is just protect her here.”

Saying this with a stifled voice, Daisuke raised his face toward Oogui. His profile looked pained to Arisu’s eyes.

“Idiot Daisuke…!”

Harukiyo sat on the spot, hugging his knees.

“Alright, as promised I’m having a first-row seat to this special show! If I feel like it, maybe I’ll follow someone’s lead!”

Acting all self-important to a shameless degree and deciding to watch silently from the frontlines, the flame devil turned to Arisu.

“Right now, there’s about 0% I follow you, though. Since I can’t even see that hottie around here, it’s quite the disappointment. If you wanna make me move, don’t disappoint me anymore, alright?”

Being glared by eyes burning with rage, Arisu couldn’t reply.

Harukiyo was right.

One of the most powerful Mushitsuki who should have come there was nowhere to be found.

“Rina—isn’t coming.”

Appearing instead of her was a long-haired boy, who approached Arisu.

“Just before we came here, we received information that a Mushitsuki child is being pursued by the SEPB. Rina headed to save that child. —I have a message from her.”

Aki, the boy who belonged to the SEPB but defected from it as he shared Rina’s ideals, spoke.

“’I can’t abandon any Mushitsuki in front of my eyes. —I’m sorry’.”

Arisu puckered her lips.

Knowing that one of the best fighting forces she expected would be missing, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t worried and disappointed.

However—it was very much like Rina.

If she abandoned even a single Mushitsuki, Rina would no longer be Rina. She would lose her strength and pride.

Unrelated to any other circumstances or fetters, she would use her full powers to rescue the Mushitsuki in front of her.

Because she was like that, many Mushitsuki were charmed by her and gathered at her side.

She couldn’t be brought there without distorting her raison d'etre.

Arisu smiled and nodded strongly.

“It’s fine, I understand.”

“Therefore—we came here instead of her.”

The gathering of Mushitsuki appearing one after another from the road or the windbreak were apparently Rina’s comrades.

“Rina hesitated until the very last moment.”

Aki passed his eyes from Arisu to Daisuke next to her. She could see a hint of hesitation in his profile looking his past comrade in arms.

“To be honest, I—no longer know what’s right. I betrayed Kakkou, left the SEPB and was supposed to create a place for Mushitsuki together with Rina. I do believe fighting you at the time was right…”

Daisuke glanced at Aki. However, without saying anything, he returned looking at Oogui.

Being ignored by his former comrade in arms, the boy wore a slightly sad smile.

“Now, though, Kakkou’s with you and even Rina wanted to come here. —You might think this is too late, but… I want to make sure. I want to understand why both Kakkou and Rina would help you.”

Arisu nodded.

“I know that.”

This fight couldn’t be done with the SEPB’s cooperation. According to Daisuke, the organization known as the SEPB was not motivated in fighting Oogui. They wouldn’t dispatch their combatants to a fight with uncertain results.

Therefore, including Aki, the Mushitsuki who did come to them were strong.

Also—she was even more glad at the fact that many Mushitsuki came there.

“Thanks.”

Arisu smiled.

Mari left her dream to Arisu, and Arisu wished to combine her powers with powerful Mushitsuki like Daisuke.

Finally, multitudes of Mushitsuki gathered there, brought by strong Mushitsuki.

They were connected.

The feelings of all these people brought by the Morpho butterfly.

They were definitely connected and kept expanding the ring—

“—”

Arisu looked up the sky dyed in purple scales and readied her silver rod.

Receiving Arisu’s gaze, Oogui moved her red lips with the streaming stars at her back.

“Such obstinate children you are. Really—”

Being looked by rainbow-colored pupils, Arisu felt a chill run up her spine.

The night sky that had comets in it tore into two.

No, that was wrong—

Appearing in the night sky was an outrageously gigantic swallowtail butterfly. It slowly extended its massive wings, spreading around a purple blizzard of scales.

“If you will stand in my way, I will not show mercy.”

“I won’t hand over my friend’s dream to the likes of you.”

The Morpho butterfly that landed on Arisu’s shoulder emitted a bright light.

Its body burst apart, becoming countless tentacles that fused with the rod. It instantly transformed into a spear shining in silver, and the Morpho butterfly’s momentum did not stop there.

“Mari—”

A tentacle extended from the silver spear. It wrapped around Arisu’s body, covering her entire body and permeating it in a silver pattern.

The silver pattern encroached one hand and one leg, as well as one eye through her neck.

The Morpho butterfly’s fusion brought welling power through her body. At the same time Arisu’s consciousness felt as if it was being drawn and crushed by something else.

“—You called me?”

Arisu’s mouth, with half her face covered in silver pattern, moved on its own.

“Arisu.”

A calm voice that was not her own.

That was undoubtably the Morpho butterfly’s true host—the voice of the late Hanashiro Mari.

Unlike the fusion until now, this controlling power violently assaulted Arisu.

The silver radiance emitted by the pattern blew away the purple scales covering the night sky. The Morpho butterfly’s pattern encroached her body even further and increased its glow as the surrounding air seemed to crackle. Sand danced around with Arisu in the center, and waves rippled on the sea surface.

“Mari—”

Grinding her molars, Arisu regained her senses. While grimacing, she glared at the floating Oogui.

“Arisu—”

Mari, who tried forcibly robbing Arisu’s consciousness, smiled using Arisu’s mouth.

The girl raised her spear clad in a silver glow high toward Oogui.

Arisu who was being encroached by the Mushi and Mari who came back to this world in pursuit of the continuation of her dream.

“Let’s compare our answers—”

Underneath the star-streaming night sky, the pair’s voices overlapped.

Part 6

Beyond the shoreline where purple glow and silver light contended, there was an observatory.

The half-dome openable roof was closed, and the lenses beneath it remained hidden. Originally it would have been used to greet this largest meteor shower, but its duty was left unfulfilled.

Arisu’s group was supposed to have arrived there, but now it was empty.

A lone boy casually sat on the zenith of this roof.

The suited boy sucked his cigarette, turning it down to ashes in one breath.

Without being surprised of the person floating in the sky.

While absently looking down at the beach—

Kuha, the boy exhaled pure white smoke.

Notes

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