Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1

1.00 OPS3 Part 1

Several hours passed since the organization Mushibane headed by Anmoto Shiika agreed to take one of the operations of C’s annihilation.

The remaining time was 40 hours.

Even that time limit was dependent on the progress of Operation 2. Because they had to defeat Oogui before Harukiyo managed to wake Sleeping Beauty.

Their mission was to stop C from repeating what she did to Shinpu with Oogui as well, absorb her and evolve further.

Also, to stop the Undying Mushitsuki from getting revived, which would mean Oogui becoming immortal as well.

Shiika’s challenge could be said to be the most difficult one.

“Ah.”

She was inside a cutting-edge cinema theatre at Akamaki City.

They were just about to withdraw from that place, which also served as Mushibane’s hideout.

Shiika stumbled on the stairs. She hurriedly put her hand against the wall, so she didn’t fall down.

“Are you alright?”

The man with large goggles covering his face called from behind. He was the SEPB combatant called Kabuto.

Operation 3 was to be executed by Mushibane. However, to maintain the joint efforts with the SEPB and act as a liaison, Kabuto had been dispatched to Shiika’s group.

“Y-yeah.”

Turning around, Shiika saw her face reflected on Kabuto’s goggles.

Her childish face—she was told a lot that she didn’t look seventeen years old at all—was wrought with worry. She tried to at least grow out her hair to appear more mature, but it didn’t have much effect.

“We’re heading to an important operation now, pull yourself together.”

Akasegawa Nanana mocked Shiika. She was a girl of the same age who always carried a cane the shape of an upside-down letter J. She was the cinema’s owner, as well as Mushibane’s patron, the chairman of the great conglomerate called the Akasegawa Group.

“You’re the one pulling this operation together, so you have to act more leaderlike. Yaha.”

Leader.

Hearing that word, her heartbeat rose.

Nanana said this jokingly, but it was no joke.

She was betting on the lives of all Mushitsuki there.

No, perhaps she was putting even the entire country’s fate on the line as well—

“R-right.”

“Snow. May I have a moment?”

While walking, a girl approached Shiika. With her long, slender body and straight, long hair, she brought to mind a Japanese doll. She was one of Mushibane’s admins, called Halensis.

“I’m thinking of going around all regions from now.”

“Huh?”

“There’s still some remaining manpower for fighting among the Mushitsuki rescued by us Mushibane. I want to go around our hideouts and try to convince them to cooperate. We will need as many fighters as possible to face Oogui.”

“T-that’s true.”

Shiika agreed, but Halensis kept staring at her, unmoving.

“…? Err?”

“Is it really fine for me to go?”

Apparently, she was waiting for permission.

Being suddenly pressed for a decision, Shiika unconsciously looked around her.

Her eyes met with the boy walking next to her.

“You decide.”

He was Aijisupa, the boy who served as Shiika’s bodyguard. Although he was often misunderstood because of his sharp eyes and blunt tone, he didn’t mean it this way. His trademark headband was camo-patterned today.

“T-then—please do that.”

“Roger that.”

Nodding, Halensis left Shiika.

It was fine for me to approve, right…?

In her heart, Shiika felt this doubt.

Shiika was not originally the kind of person meant for leading people. However, since she inherited her late friend’s will to become Mushibane’s leader, she needed to decide on this.

Was her decision correct or mistaken?

She was constantly anxious, but she was definitely going to need to make more and more important decisions from now on. She was worried whether she could make the right choice—but even if she was wrong, she couldn’t let it out in the open.

“—Are we now headed to Alpha?”

In order to conceal the anxiety in her heart, Shiika spoke.

They were about to leave the movie theater.

Mushibane’s Mushitsuki as well as the few SEPB members including Kabuto all gathered there. They were getting on buses prepared for transport by Nanana one after another.

“But I… don’t know where Alpha is.”

“I was not made aware of it, either.”

Hearing Shiika’s words, the oldest person there, Namie, nodded as well.

Namie used to be a high-ranking Mushitsuki in the SEPB, but she had decided to follow after Shiika and put herself into Mushibane. With her strong gaze and supple body, this woman made an impression not unlike a member of the big cat family, such as a leopard or a tiger.

“If we let too many people know of Alpha’s whereabouts, there will be those who aim for him. —Just like back then when it was snatched away by that Kanon-sama cult.”

A white limousine parked next to Shiika and the rest.

As Nanana approached it, the door opened. Her secretary was inside.

“I’m the only one who knows. Alpha still remains asleep, but his body is weakened. He’s in a specially created medical facility.”

Nanana said this, then looked to the side.

A girl dressed in an exotic dress and holding a cellphone full of straps contorted her expression. She was one of Mushibane’s admins, Lucifera.

Right—she was an admin. That past form was the most accurate.

“We’re going to see Alpha as the condition for the deal made by a certain spy, are we not? You’re not going to grumble later about him being no use because he’s asleep, right?”

“R-right. It’s perfectly fine…”

Lucifera nodded, looking uncomfortable.

“As long as you let us meet Alpha-san, we will bring you Oogui’s bait—Ebina Yuu-san.”

Shiika stealthily bit her lips so that no one would notice.

This Ebina Yuu that Lucifera spoke about was one of Shiika’s few friends.

They were going to use Shiika’s friend as bait for Oogui—a lure to capture this Original Three, since they normally couldn’t tell when and where she would appear.

Although there was no other way, Shiika obviously felt resistance to that idea.

“Yuu-chan…”

She mumbled.

She should prioritize the current strategy over her personal feelings. This was Shiika’s duty as the leader, and she knew it was the right thing.

Even so—if she relaxed her guard, her sentimentality might show itself.

“What is it, Shiika? Let’s go.”

Being urged by Nanana from inside the limousine, Shiika came back to her senses.

“C-coming.”

Following Shiika, all Mushibane admins rode the limousine.

The limousine and buses all left the cinema.

“Let us not reveal Alpha to the SEPB.”

Inside the vertically long car, Namie spoke.

“Eh, B-but…”

While everyone there nodded, Shika spoke gingerly.

“Since we’re cooperating with the SEPB now, we shouldn’t hide…”

“You idiot.”

Nanana looked dumbfounded.

“Alpha is a clue about the birth of Mushi, you know? Once they know that Mushibane has it in their possession, do you really think that Miguruma Yaeko will leave it alone? We can just tell that Kabuto or what’s-his-face that’s following us that this is just one of our plans to defeat Oogui.”

“Yeah, that’s true. We have to cooperate in order to prevent the worst-case scenario, but still—”

Lucifera spoke rapidly in her usual tone, but then she came back to her senses. Noticing the gazes of the admins on her, she spoke more awkwardly.

“W-we can’t tell if that woman set up something to be able to use that to her advantage as well…”

“Right…”

Shiika agreed. She almost chose the wrong answer.

The Original Three were scary, and since C was trying to take them in—she could be said to be much scarier, completely unlike the time Shiika had briefly seen her.

However, adding even the woman called Miguruma Yaeko to that—she was clearly an abnormal person.

Shiika had once met Miguruma directly. Even back then she knew at a glance that this wasn’t a person she could ever hope to understand. Shiika heard more than enough from the people around her about how much of scary woman Miguruma was.

SEPB and Mushibane had been bitter enemies for many years.

Both were now cooperating against a common enemy, but it might take them more time to truly be able to understand each other.

And one of the causes of their need for time to understand each other—

Also related to Kakkou’s dropping out.

He was a Mushitsuki who held the same dream as Shiika and was also a Rank 1.

He left the stage in the midst of the fight, casting an indelible shadow on Shiika.

“—We’re here.”

After riding for some hour or so, Nanana wore a mischievous smile.

The limousine parked.

“Eh…”

Coming off the car, Shiika raised a shocked voice.

Within spacious premises there were lines of several buildings.

Almost all of them had unusual shapes. There was one with a triangular roof like a pyramid, or one enshrined within a perfect sphere.

There were walking paths created among the lawn and all sorts of objet d'arts placed here and there. There were also intertwined human dolls, as well as blocks placed on each other haphazardly.

Although it was her first time in a such a place, Shiika somehow realized how to call the scenery in front of her eyes.

“A museum…?”

It was clear that her mumble represented the same thoughts as all other members of Mushibane standing there.

Nanana spun her cane and turned to Shiika.

“Welcome to the up-and-coming museum managed by the Akasegawa Group.”

Making an elegant curtsey, she grinned.

“No one would think we’re hiding Alpha here, right?”

1.01 OPS2 Part 2

It was apparently the day of the week the museum was closed.

There were no signs of life in the completely silent premises. Well, the entirety of Akamaki City had been issued an evacuation order anyway; there were no people who’d come to leisurely browse the works of art.

Having said that, it didn’t mean there were no people at all.

A uniformed security guard was patrolling around. It’d sound nice to say he was wary of people using the evacuation notice to steal things, but it was obvious from the swelling of his chest that he was hiding weapons under his uniform. It meant that there was a reason for there to be such strict guard to the extent of going against the law.

“…”

The security guard walked through the narrow corridor. He was a large man who’d look just like a professional wrestler, if not for his uniform. Passing so close to him that they were likely to feel the breaths leaked from his thick lips—

“They” walked through.

The large security guard did not even look at her and her companions.

“…”

There were surveillance cameras in the corridor’s corners.

However, they passed under it with no issues whatsoever.

There were no sirens.

As they walked a little, a wide space appeared. She understood the meaning for it and gave her companion orders.

Her field of vision rose and they advanced such that their heads nearly grazing the ceiling. Most likely, the gravity sensors installed on the floor did not let anyone know of intruders.

“…”

I’m like some gentleman thief from movies or manga, she thought of herself cynically.

That kind of role wasn’t bad at all.

However, her aim was not a work of art or any treasure.

While looking at the building’s structures and the deployment of guards and the like, she looked for her destination. She knew that what she was looking for required a lot of electricity and space. While calculating the route backwards from the museum’s power generator and interpreting the psychological components from the positions of the guards protecting it, she was able to naturally reach her goal.

Looking from the outside, it was nothing more than a gallery meant to display paintings in a circular corridor. This structure, covered in small, hexagonal windows all around the building, was like a giant beehive.

However, there was actually no desk installed to admit visitors in the very interior of the vast premises.

Slipping past the eyes of the security guards, they dove into the beehive.

Floor B1F.

Two brawny guards were stationed in front of the single door at the end of a long corridor.

“…”

She approached one of the guards and reached out with a hand.

“Ugh!”

“What is it?”

Seeing that his fellow guard suddenly crouched on the spot, the other one looked puzzled.

She nimbly slipped behind his back and touched him as well.

“Ah…!”

“—Open this door. If any contact comes from the outside, report that everything’s normal.”

Her husky voice that couldn’t be called beautiful in the least echoed through the corridor.

The two guards grimaced and held their heads. With abnormal sweat pouring out of them, they held their heads.

“Uuuh… roger that—”

“T-there’s no problem… no problem here…”

His face wrought in anguish, the security guard swiped his card through the door’s lock.

The thick metallic door opened.

Without a moment delay the group slipped inside.

“What is it?”

The men in work clothes all turned toward the door, but there was no one there.

The room’s interior was crammed full of electronic devices such as monitors, dashboards and control panels. She knew that these machines were all some sort of monitoring instruments.

What were they monitoring?

The answer to that question was screened on the monitor.

At a glance it looked like a young man sleeping peacefully.

“Hey, what is it?”

“Did something happen?”

There were three men in work clothes inside this monitoring room. They called toward the security guards on the other side of the door. All of them were clearly researchers that had no physical strength.

“Wah…?”

“Ugh!”

Two of the men inside grimaced and fell to their knees.

As she reached out toward the remaining one, he turned around, sensing her presence.

“Wha—”

From his point of view it probably looked as though a thin arm appeared from empty space.

A crimson silhouette floated behind the work clothes man.

A red queen bee.

This small, ethereal bee stabbed its sharp needle into the man’s nape.

“Uuugh…!”

Along with a cry of pain, the man squatted down.

Amplifying the feelings lying within the stung man, she robbed his rational thinking. That was all her boring ability did. However, depending on the usage, it was a convenient power that could manipulate people like puppets for a short while.

“Let us pass. There’s no problem.”

“T-there’s no… problem…”

One of the men wearing work clothes operated the machinery while drooling.

The door in the back of the monitoring room opened.

As the group of girls passed through the door—they found a gigantic pedestal there. This space was about as large as a high school gymnasium and the center of the pedestal was filled with machinery.

A gigantic life-support system.

A lone person was lying on the pedestal.

He was a pale-faced youth. Everything from the neck down was hidden by machinery, but his face looked Asian. His soft-looking hair had a thin color and his lips looked just as pale.

A colorless and transparent youth.

This was the impression he brought to her. Even his very existence seemed thin.

“Hello there.”

Viewing her goal, the girl and her companions finally revealed themselves.

First, a grotesque-looking monster appeared, spreading two wings that swelled like balloons. Appearing from within them were four girls.

“We finally meet, Mr. shithead original Mushitsuki.”

Saying this, she—Konomura Chami—looked down at the youth. She was petite and her short hair’s tips were sticking out in all directions. Her eyes covered by rimless glasses looked scary and, completely unlike the colorless man in front of her eyes, were filled with desire.

Next to Chami, a long-haired girl also looked down at the youth.

“…So he’s Alpha…”

The girl clad in the SEPB’s white long coat was Konoha. She had a gloomy expression and tone of voice. She was the host of the Mushi that concealed Chami’s group and brought them all the way there. Konoha’s Mushi excelled in camouflage abilities that allowed it to conceal its existence from the surroundings, as well as a searching ability that allowed her to view her targets from afar.

“We ended up lying to Shiika… is that really fine?”

Mumbling this with an anxious expression was a girl even smaller than Chami.

Her name was Ebina Yuu. She wasn’t a Mushitsuki like Chami or Konoha, but a genuine normal civilian. With her braids and glasses, she looked like a rather plain middle schooler.

Chami glared at Yuu with a side glance.

“Leaving Fuyuhotaru aside, that Akasegawa Nanana would never agree to our conditions so easily. If push comes to shove, she might use Alpha as bait to try and take you by force. After all, our side has nearly zero fighting power.”

“S-Shiika will definitely hold her side of the deal!”

Yuu argued back, but Chami did not concern herself with that anymore.

“Well, I was prepared for being shown to a completely irrelevant place and getting ambushed by Mushibane… but I’m grateful to them actually leading us to Alpha’s hiding place. They’re probably underestimating us, thinking we’re not gonna find out exactly where he’s hidden, though.”

Mushibane had two frightening forces at their disposal—Fuyuhotaru’s violence and Akasegawa Nanana’s wealth.

So they were probably wary of people like Chami who worked from behind the scenes. Although they’d once been outmaneuvered by the unforeseen forces of the Kanon cult, the conceit of the strong wasn’t something so easy to get rid of.

“Right about now, Lucifera and Satou Youko should be drawing Mushibane’s attention. Let’s draw whatever information from Alpha we can in the meantime.”

Konomura Chami would not get conceited.

Compared to the three strongest forces—the SEPB, Mushibane and Harukiyo—she was a mere small fry; she was fully aware that she was nothing more of a supporting role at best in the battle between Mushitsuki.

Even Chami’s servants were all lacking any fighting capabilities.

Chami’s group was weak.

Because they were weak—that fact could become their weapon.

“The SEPB, Mushibane and Harukiyo see nothing but C right now. There’s a lotta stuff we have to do while that’s happening… but, leaving that aside, we can’t forget about this guy. We’ll grasp the core of the secret of Mushi—that is, why Mushi are born into this world…!”

One day, she would snatch the seat of the protagonist—

Chami, who ended up harboring a dream larger than herself, would make it come true with her own methods.

For that sake she was willing to deceive and use anyone she could.

“…But with Alpha asleep like that, we can’t really…”

“I’m aware of that. —Chiharu!”

Chami turned around.

The last person among the four of them, Ayukawa Chiharu, stood there.

She was an attractive beauty with long hair and a slender body. The kind of bright and beautiful girl who’d draw people’s attention merely by standing there and smiling, whether it was in a street corner or on stage.

No—it would be more correct to say that she’d been that girl.

“…”

As Ayukawa Chiharu stood there silently, her expression was completely changed from before, lacking any vitality. She looked just like a Mushitsuki whose Mushi was killed—like a Fallen—but she was no Mushitsuki. The necklace dangling from her neck had a golden ring hanging from it.

“Hey! Earth to Chiharu!”

Chiharu raised her face absentmindedly. She looked back at Chami’s face, but then looked away.

“Why you little…!”

“Wah!”

Chami swung her arm without thinking and Yuu hurriedly stopped her.

“V-violence is bad! Chiharu-san’s still in shock…!”

“Why are you still depressed at this point! You gotta accept reality by now!”

Chami spat with clear anger.

“Kakkou’s a Fallen! Your cute brother dropped out from the battle! You need to acknowledge that already!”

Visible from Chiharu’s profile, a long tear streaked down from her eye.

Ayukawa Chiharu was the biological sister of the Rank 1 Mushitsuki, Kakkou.

At the same time—she also used to be one of the Original Three, Sanbikime.

Meaning, the person who turned Kakkou into a Mushitsuki was Chiharu herself.

“…hy… did Daisuke…”

A barely audible mutter leaked from the side of Chiharu’s mouth.

“Why him… and not me…”

“You—shithead!”

Chami’s anger instantly reached its boiling point.

Chiharu, who loved her brother, always blamed herself for making him into a Mushitsuki. The mere fact he became Fallen made it spiral out of control.

Hearing the news about Kakkou’s dropout, Chiharu did not cry and yell.

She simply confined herself into a world full of self-accusation and self-hatred.

She made no move at all. She ate nothing. She said nothing. —It was the kind of situation where she was even barely able to keep breathing thanks to her autonomic nerves.

“Your necklace has Sanbikime in it!”

Chami grabbed the necklace hanging from Chiharu’s neck.

“If Alpha’s useless, then Sanbikime…! If we brought together two of those who were present when Mushi were born, one of them might wake up! I bet on this and came all the way here! It can’t end here with nothin’ happening at all!”

Chiharu didn’t even look at Chami.

“We have two people who know about the secret of Mushi’s birth right in front of our eyes…! This isn’t the time to lose heart because both of them are asleep!”

Angry at the lethargic Chiharu, Chami thrust her away. She stumbled backwards, falling to her rear. Yuu rushed over to her.

“S-stop being so violent!”

Yuu covered for Chiharu.

“Why are you always so angry! You should be gentle to her especially now…!”

“If I could win by being gentle, I’d be as gentle as possible! But I’m not some kinda monster like the Rank 1s or Miguruma! If I don’t sharpen my wits through anger, I’ll never be able to outwit them! Even without that, continuing as we are means Miguruma’s plans will come through with all their consequences!”

“Eh? By Miguruma-san’s plans, what do you—“

Yuu was puzzled, but then something happened.

A single man dressed in work clothes appeared from the door connected to the monitoring room.

“Hmm? Hey, you lot. No one ordered you to come inside—“

The work clothes man stood in front of the calling Chami.

“UuuUuuh—“

His rationality robbed by Chami’s ability, the man looked as pained as before. He leaked copious amounts of sweat and held his head, face twisted in anguish.

Tears gushed from his eyes, and in those tears—

Crackle.

Pale sparks erupted.

“Ha?”

Chami furrowed her brows.

An electrical discharge burst from the man’s tears.

It instantly gathered in the air, assuming the form of small butterflies.

And those butterflies were—

“C-butterflies—”

Chami mumbled in shock.

They were butterflies with the letter C on their small wings.

“This guy—was boobytrapped—”

Chami only now noticed her misunderstanding.

“The ones who set up a trap weren’t Mushibane—”

The flapping c-butterflies touched the life support system.

A moment later, the space Alpha was lying on was wrapped in a pale flash.

“Kuh…!”

“Eeek!”

“Uh…!”

Since Chami’s group lacked fighting abilities, they had no way to resist. Their eyes blinded by the flash, it took everything they had to cover their eyes with their hands.

The flash and the impact were instant.

After several moments passed, Chami gingerly opened her eyelids.

“…?”

She was resolved for death, but felt no pain. Even as she made sure using her eyes that still had the afterimage of the flash burned into them, she couldn’t see even a single wound on her body. Her servants were the same.

Chami gasped and looked at Chiharu’s necklace.

“…Sanbikime!”

Since C had become a Super Class Rank 1 and lost her personality, she would try to absorb Sanbikime.

C’s aim was definitely Sanbikime—or so she thought.

“…”

Chiharu, like always, did nothing but stare into empty air.

The necklace on her neck also looked exactly the same as before.

“W-what on earth is—”

As if to overlap with Chami’s unconscious voice, a shrill siren began ringing.

“Alpha’s life support system…!”

That lightning strike had apparently had an effect on the life support system. From what she could see of Alpha’s peaceful sleeping face, he had not received any serious damage, but the alarms started sounding.

“Doesn’t look like she targeted Alpha too…? In the first place, if she really set up a trap then she could handle Alpha whenever and however she’d like to—”

Why had C embedded this trap here? And what had she done just now?

She didn’t know her exact aim, but for Chami this was something she definitely couldn’t accept.

“Chiharu…!”

As the alarms rang, Chami grabbed Chiharu.

“What happened to Sanbikime! Did something happen to it right now? And if you’re saying that nothing’s happened, that’s weird in and of itself!”

She shook the idle Chiharu with force.

“C’s aiming for the Original Three! And yet—why had she done nothing?!”

“Chami…! If we don’t escape right now, Mushibane’s going to come…!”

Konoha tried pulling Chami away, but she ignored her, yelling at Chiharu again.

“Chiharu! Answer me!”

“…longer here…”

Chiharu’s mouth loosened. She wore a slovenly smile, completely unlike how she was before.

“…Aria’s no longer here…”

Chami felt goosebumps over her entire body.

“…You tricked me?”

“Chami! Hurry…!”

Konoha managed to tear Chami away from Chiharu by force.

“Yuu…!”

Konoha called to Ebina Yuu.

However, for some reason Yuu was unmoving. She stood in place, completely frozen.

Chiharu despaired while Yuu was paralyzed.

Leaving those two behind, Konoha tried covering herself and Chami with her Mushi.

The moment the Mushi’s power erased their form, Chiharu raised her face.

“You also lied to me… Chami-chan…!”

Chami and Chiharu.

The two girls glared at each other.

“You told me you’d never let Daisuke die—or become a Fallen…!”

“Chiharuuu!”

The girl’s shout of anger and the ringing alarm.

Alpha’s bedroom, where these two voices mixed, was busted in by Shiika and the rest of Mushibane.

1.02 OPS3 Part 3

The first thing that surprised Shiika was Alpha’s unexpected hiding place.

It was a large museum made of many different structures.

According to Nanana, it was the property of the Akasegawa Group. They remodeled part of it, brought Alpha’s life support system inside, and this was known only by Nanana. —For safety, even those working here didn’t know who Alpha was.

What surprised Shiika next was the unexpectedly fast arrival of the “messenger”.

This tall person was also sent by whoever it was that manipulated Mushibane member Lucifera from behind the scenes.

“H-hello, Mushibane.”

While fiddling with the long bangs covering her face, the girl introduced herself, sounding embarrassed. She stooped as if to hide her well-proportioned figure and wore plain glasses. A large suitcase was at her feet.

“M-my name is Satou Youko. I’m the friend of Lucifera’s true mistress… well, definitely not a friend, but well… anyway, I’m an emissary. Oh, and I’m not a Mushitsuki, just a normal person.”

While speaking, Satou Youko waved her arms around embarrassedly for some reason.

“…”

Including Shiika, all members of Mushibane simply stared at the emissary girl wordlessly.

“Really, I’m just a disgustingly normal person… well, I do have a little bit of a special technique, but that’s a secret. Well, I call it a secret but I’m going to reveal it you soon. I don’t want to. But I was told that this might be a chance for an amusing experiment and it really might be true—”

The girl kept mumbling to herself embarrassedly. Midway through it was pretty much a monologue already.

The emissary introducing herself as Satou Youko had appeared just after Shiika’s group arrived at the museum. As Shiika got off the car and was surprised at this unexpected hiding place, the girl suddenly appeared from somewhere.

“—You sure made a fast appearance.”

Furrowing her brows, Nanana spun the cane she was holding.

Not only had they yet to enter the premises, but they hadn’t even exited the parking lot.

“Have you been tailing us?”

“Eh? Oh, y-yeah, exactly. You’ve met Konoha-san, right? She apparently has good eyes; she’s followed you all the way from that movie theater. By the way, Fuyuhotaru is… oh, it’s you, right?”

The girl spoke politely only at the very beginning of their meeting. Satou Youko started speaking much more strangely casual at some point.

Shiika felt a sense of déjà vu at that creepily familiar manner of hers. It resembled the owner of that Smile of Shackles that she met only once before.

“Wow, you’re really as scary as the rumors say.”

“…I’m not Fuyuhotaru. This is Fuyuhotaru.”

Saying this, Namie pointed to Shiika with a displeased expression.

“Ah, I-I’m so sorry! I see, so you are—Fuyuhotaru, then.”

Satou Youko hurriedly turned over to Shiika.

Noticing the eyes visible from within the black-rimmed glasses, Shiika startled.

She had the feeling that she saw a dangerous twinkle there, contradictory to the girl’s otherwise plain appearance.

“N-nice to meet you.”

Seeing Shiika awkwardly lower her head, Youko slightly hung her head.

“…This is really unexpected. On the contrary, isn’t it worse like that? I’m scared…”

“E-err?”

Shiika tried calling to her, but Satou Youko kept mumbling to herself and apparently didn’t hear her.

The one to cut this tension was Nanana.

“So, where’s that Konoha? I can’t see her around.”

“Oh, she said she had to go to the toilet. —Ah, sorry, that’s a lie. I’m not going to speak about a lady’s circumstances out in the open like that, right?”

“You there, you should pick a better lie—”

“E-excuse me!”

Shiika cut off Nanana from getting excited.

Nanana had a cautious personality, and the other girl was likely like that as well. Since they were probing each other from the very beginning, at this rate, not only was the conversation not going to proceed, it would probably stray off course completely.

There was something that Shiika had to confirm first and foremost before that happened.

“Yuu-chan’s going to become the bait for calling Oogui—is that true?”

“Hmm? It is, so?”

Puzzled, Satou Youko tilted her head.

“Ebina Yuu-chan. She’d been targeted by Oogui once—and apparently even shrugged off that temptation by her own powers. I actually heard that she was with you when you escaped from the SEPB; is that wrong?”

“Eh…”

That was news to her.

Certainly, Shiika had been on the run together with Ebina Yuu for a few days.

However, she knew nothing about Yuu meeting with Oogui.

If that actually happened—it would have to be right after she parted with Yuu as well as their other companion, Shirakashi Ubuki.

“Oogui’s super persistent about the dreams she likes. She’ll definitely come again if the owner of a dream she targeted before will recall it. —There are two people who can guarantee this. Not Yuu-chan, but people who were in the same situation: there’s me, as well as…”

Satou Youko once again turned her eyes alight with a strange glint toward Shiika.

“Fuyuhotaru-san—you were also targeted twice by Oogui, were you not?”

“…!”

Not just Shiika, but all Mushibane members gulped.

Nanana alone just kept spinning her cane.

“Even if that’s true, will she really have the dream again in such convenient timing for us? We can’t have a deal if you offer us something useless.”

“There is nothing to worry about regarding that.”

Satou Youko grinned. She sat down on her large suitcase.

“I’ve already finished the clinical trials.”

“Trials…?”

Shiika frowned. Satou Youko just grinned at her; she didn’t look about to answer.

“I see, so for now, assuming we believe you…”

Despite her words, it was clear from Nanana’s bearing that she didn’t trust her one bit.

“Your demands are merely being able to meet with Alpha?”

“Yes, apparently our mistress’s request is just that.”

“Then I would like for that mistress to show herself. I can show her around—”

“I wonder, though.”

Suddenly, Satou Youko pouted. She played with her long hair.

“—Is this deal even really necessary?”

Not only Shiika, but even Nanana and the Mushibane comrades all had their expression freeze.

“What… was that?”

As Nanana wore a strained smile, Lucifera jumped ahead from behind her.

“W-wait, what are you saying, Satou-san!”

“I’m right though, aren’t I? Although our mistress offered this deal, if things kept going like this, I feel bad for Mushibane-san.”

“You… feel bad for us?”

“What are you going to do once you lure Oogui to you? Can you really win?”

Youko’s words made everyone there freeze.

“No one ever beat her before, so are you really confident you can achieve it this time? Otherwise, even if we hand Yuu-chan over to you, it would be like helping you get wiped out. I’ll feel horrible.”

Satou Youko spoke while wearing an expression of sympathy.

The parking lot became silent.

No one there could answer a clear “yes” to Satou Youko’s question.

That included Shiika.

Many a Mushitsuki challenged her, yet they all suffered defeat. From what she’d heard, not even Kakkou had managed to match her.

Shiika and the rest were going to attempt to defeat such a powerful enemy.

As Mushibane’s leader, Shiika probably had to say “we can” reassuringly—

“…I do not know.”

Shiika had no conviction.

Just like the SEPB, the members of Mushibane underwent training and raised their fighting strength.

But it was likely still not enough to grasp victory.

“So, will you, err… please cooperate with us?”

“…Cooperate?”

Youko narrowed her eyes.

“Whether or not we borrow Yuu-chan’s powers… if that happens, how should we fight? —The person you call your mistress has actually already considered all of that, hasn’t she?”

Satou Youko fell silent.

“Please. Will you not lend us your powers?”

“So that’s another part of our deal?”

Shiika was at a loss for words, hearing the other girl.

“I-I don’t mean this as a deal… just my personal request.”

“…”

“Please let us meet her. We need her.”

She looked Satou Youko straight in the eyes and entreated her.

“Hmmm. Whatever shall I do?”

It happened just as Youko sneered at her, looking like she had fun.

A shrill alarm started ringing throughout the museum.

Shiika startled and her shoulders froze.

“Eh? W-what’s going on?”

“This alarm is Alpha’s… no way, you lot!”

Nanana startled and glared at Satou Youko.

Satou Youko shrugged.

“Sorry?”

“W-what do you mean, Nanana? What happened?”

“This is no emissary! She was just buying time! While she was keeping us busy—”

As if saying that explaining it was a waste of time, Nanana started running.

“W-wait, Nanana!”

Shiika also hurried after her. Aijisupa and the other admins also followed from behind.

Rushing through the premises, Nanana dashed toward a domed building. With its rows of hexagonal windows, it looked like a beehive.

Leaping inside, Shiika asked Nanana who ran ahead of her.

“A-Alpha-san’s here?”

“Right! I dunno how they found out, though!”

Shiika, Nanana and Mushibane’s admins rushed through the corridor, going down stairs that went underground. They passed by several security guards on the way, but all of them were crouching and holding their heads. They appeared unhurt, but things were definitely not normal with them.

As they passed through the door that appeared at the end of the corridor, they were inside a room filled with electronic devices to the brim.

And slipping through the door even beyond that—

“…!”

The entire wide space was a gigantic bedroom that functioned entirely as a life support system.

The pale-faced youth sleeping in the center of the room was—

Alpha.

The primal Mushitsuki, saved after Shiika and the rest risked their lives.

“Yuu-chan!”

However, not just Alpha was inside the room.

Shiika immediately noticed the petite, familiar girl.

Ebina Yuu.

As well as—

“…Shiika-chan.”

A girl who looked toward her with a vacant face.

The girl wearing a casket hat was older than Shiika and had a slim body.

“Shiika…chan.”

For some reason, she repeated this.

As the girl repeated Shiika’s real name, for a moment—

“Eh…?”

It looked as though there was a flash of hatred in her expression.

Who was this girl who was there with Ebina Yuu? Why did she know Shiika’s name?

Shiika felt confused enough already, but Ebina Yuu befuddled her even further.

“—”

Ebina Yuu turned belatedly toward Shiika.

The face of this nostalgic friend—was wrought in an emotion that Shiika had never seen from her.

Once again, hatred.

A pale shadow momentarily passed through Ebina Yuu’s eyes that were dyed in anger.

And that shadow took the form of butterflies—

With the letter C on their wings.

1.03 OPS3 Part 4

At that moment—

Anmoto Shiika realized what compelled her the most of all.

It was a resolve—as well as duty.

“Who’re you!”

As Nanana shouted this, Ebina Yuu, who was standing right in front of Alpha, kicked the ground.

“…!”

Yuu’s movements were nimble. She lowered her body and charged toward Shiika and the rest.

“I’ll grab her.”

Aijisupa stepped in front of Shiika and raised an arm.

The other admins also moved to protect Shiika—

“…!”

One part of the life support system raised sparks and exploded.

Machinery fragments and sparks burst, making all of them flinch.

Using the opening created by this, Yuu leapt at Shiika’s group like an arrow shot from a bow.

“Yuu-cha—”

Yuu did nothing to Shiika.

Only when they crossed paths—she turned to Shiika with eyes full of intense hatred.

“—”

Her face was distorted with loathing and pain.

And the letter C visible in her pupils was familiar.

Her appearance was certainly that of Ebina Yuu, but it revived within Shiika memories of another person.

“—Erii?”

Yuu simply ignored Shiika’s unconscious mumble. She nimbly slipped between the Mushibane members and leapt into the monitoring room. Her footsteps were quickly growing distant.

“What are you doing, go after her already!”

Being scolded by Nanana, several Mushibane members hurriedly went after Yuu.

The remaining Mushitsuki surrounded the other person standing near Alpha—the girl with a casket hat.

“Ch-Chiharu-chan…”

Seeing the girl, Lucifera was shocked.

Namie approached the girl called Chiharu cautiously.

“So they kept us busy while they tried getting to Alpha. —Despite speaking of a deal that’s quite the nasty trick, Lucifera.”

“N-no! I never even…!”

“Shut up, Lucifera-chan. Sorry?”

Speaking this was the late-arriving Satou Youko. Dragging her heavy-looking suitcase behind her, she huffed and puffed.

“Oh, and that girl’s the same as me. Not a Mushitsuki, alright? So you don’t have to be so careful of her, yeah?”

“Is this your boss, then?”

Being glared by Aijisupa, Lucifera was at a loss for words.

“No no, that’s obviously wrong.”

It was Satou Youko who spoke instead of the silent Lucifera.

“She’s Ayukawa Chiharu, a completely normal girl. …Currently, at least.”

What an odd way of saying that.

More importantly, Shiika felt some déjà vu. She felt as though she’d met this girl somewhere before.

“We’ve met her at Nishito City.”

Hearing Aijisupa say that with a grim face, Shiika recalled it.

“Ah!”

—Thank you. I’ll return this to you later.

In the station of the region called Nishito City, Shiika gave an unfamiliar girl some small change. Later, she’d also seen her for an instant on the roof of a burning building.

It was the girl in front of her eyes right now, Ayukawa Chiharu.

Although it was a fleeting meeting, she could clearly remember that face—because Chiharu simply left that strong of an impression on her.

Chiharu, who was flustered at the ticket gates, had thanked Shiika and smiled.

It was like some scene taken from a stage play. Each and every dazzling part of Chiharu, whether it was her movements, her expression, even her fingertips and the tips of her hair would enchant any and all watchers.

Even so, the Chiharu currently in front of Shiika—

“…”

She was staring right at Shiika and nothing about her expression moved at all. Although she was surrounded by many Mushitsuki, not only was she not afraid, she didn’t even look like she was in danger.

“And to add another thing—she’s also Kakkou’s actual sister.”

“—Eh?”

Shiika’s heart throbbed, felt like it was hit by an invisible fist.

Including Shiika, a huge clamor rose within the Mushibane comrades as well.

Kakkou’s sister.

Meaning, the reason behind Chiharu looking at Shiika like that—

“W-wait a minute, Satou-san! You can’t…!”

“Oh, was it a secret? S-sorry, my bad.”

Fiddling with her bangs, Youko hid her face.

“Is the fact that the girl who just escaped is Ebina Yuu-chan a secret too?”

Once more voices of surprise erupted through Mushibane.

There was a dry, hard voice.

Nanana struck her cane against Satou Youko’s suitcase.

“Really—what does that mean? After tricking us and approaching Alpha on their own, their own bargaining chip went up and away? This is way beyond breach of contract.”

“Oh, about that. She said it’s to avoid wasting time. Well, err, according to our mistress, since you might make up some reason and be unwilling to hand over Alpha—”

“Meaning, your aim was using Ebina Yuu as bait to fish out Alpha all along. What have you done to him? You, Lucifera and Ayukawa Chiharu… was it? Don’t think you’ll be able to safely return to your mistress, alright?”

“W-wait a minute, Nanana-san. We really did intend on handing over Ebina Yuu-san to you… even Yuu-san herself had agreed to that—”

The voices of Nanana and the others arguing sounded as though they were very distant.

Shiika’s nerves were all focused on the one girl, unmoving.

Ayukawa Chiharu. The actual sister of the Mushitsuki Shiika had made a Fallen, Kakkou.

Chiharu was staring hard at her—and she finally averted her eyes.

She almost felt as if the outside world was leaving the two of them behind and distancing itself.

“E-err—”

Shiika’s hoarse mumble melted into the air and vanished.

Huh…?

She came back to her senses.

I was the one who made Kakkou into a Fallen—

She made a Mushitsuki into a Fallen by her own hands, robbing that life. And yet…

How could she be so calm—

As she averted her eyes from Chiharu and looked at the floor, she saw her own thin legs. It wasn’t just her babyface that made her look younger than she was, but her slim limbs and short stature as well. When she was younger, she naturally imagined herself looking more mature with age, but she was splendidly off mark.

She recalled.

Standing here right now was Anmoto Shiika, a completely worthless girl.

Her being the Rank 1 Mushitsuki called Fuyuhotaru or Snow Fly—had nothing to do with it.

Right, it was completely irrelevant.

From his sister’s point of view, she was the one who turned her immediate family to Fallen.

“Err—”

Shiika felt herself grow pale from head to toes as she mumbled.

She felt like she had to say something to the sister of the one whose life she robbed.

However, no words came to mind.

Should she just apologize? —Even Shiika knew that this wasn’t something she’d be forgiven for.

Should she explain that she’d once been made a Fallen by Kakkou herself?

No—it would just be seen as her taking revenge, then. Shiika had not done it because of this, but would she be able to explain this?

“…Hey.”

Chiharu mumbled softly.

Shiika’s shoulders twitched.

Perhaps the others didn’t even hear this. Since the surroundings became noisy as Nanana, Satou Youko and the others argued, the only one who focused her entire mind on Chiharu’s words and actions was Shiika.

“Why…?”

Chiharu muttered this word alone. She said nothing more.

However—

“—”

This time, Shiika’s heart was being squeezed hard by that unseen hand.

Cold sweat erupted over her face and it became hard to breath.

Why?

An answer to that exceedingly simple question—was something Shiika lacked.

It wasn’t just Kakkou. All the people she’d made Fallen this far obviously had family and friends.

Being exposed to this sort of blatant hatred—was a first for her.

Obviously. Because Shiika created great numbers of Fallen, not even giving them time to bear grudges.

She couldn’t control her powers.

Or perhaps she’d been cornered and did it just to protect herself.

With Kakkou, she did it because it was a longtime promise, as if it was completely natural—

“I—”

Shiika had never turned anyone into a Fallen during a “battle”.

Although she could claim those situations were excusable—

If she ever tried explaining it in her own words, it really would become nothing more than an excuse—

“Besides, you’re the one who needs to decide on how we’re going to act, right?”

Satou Youko’s voice suddenly entered her ears.

Startled, she raised her face and gulped.

Youko and Nanana, as well as everyone there—focused their gazes on Shiika.

“Right, Fuyuhotaru-san?”

“M-me…?”

“I mean, you are Mushibane’s leader, right?”

Seeing Youko tilt her head, she next looked at Nanana and then the rest of her Mushibane comrades’ faces.

All of them were waiting for Shiika to speak.

Nanana was the chairman of a large conglomerate and Aijisupa was a powerful Mushitsuki. Namie was also a strong combatant, and even in the SEPB she was high-ranking. Other than that, there were the Mushibane admins, commanding the gathering of many Mushitsuki. All of them waited Shiika’s orders.

No, not Shiika’s.

They waited for orders coming from the Mushitsuki called Fuyuhotaru and Snow Fly.

“Ah…”

Just as Shiika was at a loss for words, Lucifera’s cellphone rang.

“A-apparently my mistress has also lost sight of Ebina Yuu. It’s odd for her to be able to escape Konoha-san’s tracking.”

She then added more.

“She’s going to lend a hand in searching for Ebina Yuna—in the plan to vanquish Oogui. In exchange, you are not to touch Chiharu-san and company…”

“Yaha, how convenient. —What will we do, Shiika?”

Being asked this by Nanana, Shiika clenched her fists.

She couldn’t show any agitation. A leader being shaken would spread to the entire organization. Mushibane’s former leader, Shiika’s friend Tachibana Rina, was always dignified.

“L-let’s work together…”

As Shiika said this in a low voice, Nanana and the rest sighed.

Finally, all eyes were removed from the frightened Shiika.

“Well, I knew you’d say that, though.”

Nanana’s tone toward Shiika wasn’t one of reproach. Perhaps also having anticipated her answer, it seemed that the others stopped being hostile to Chiharu and Youko.

Shiika calmed down for now, but—

“…”

She timidly glanced at Chiharu’s expression and tensed.

Not even a single muscle in her face moved.

What did Chiharu think of Shiika’s orders right now?

Would she think Shiika wasn’t such a bad person?

Or perhaps—would she feel furious that the person who made her brother Fallen would have the gall to say that?

While being watched by Chiharu, she worried whether or not that was the right answer.

“Cutting straight to the point, we’ve done nothing to Alpha, and Ebina Yuu’s actions were also unexpected for us.”

While looking at her cellphone, Lucifera spoke in monotone. She was apparently reading her mail.

“And what surprised us the most—is that this seems to have been C’s attack.”

“What!”

Nanana spun her cane, wearing a sneer.

“Convenient for you, isn’t it? Are you just going to pin everything on our enemy?

What the invisible other party—the so-called mistress—said might be true.

Shiika saw the traces of C’s ability in Yuu’s eyes. And her face when she glared at Shiika—was the exact same as C’s expression when she’d met Shiika in person.

“Ah—”

However, her mouth closed unexpectedly when she tried voicing that.

Shiika noticed the contradiction in her feelings.

C no longer had any personality.

Miguruma Yaeko definitely said this.

However, what Shiika saw—was definitely the girl who called herself Erii.

If Shiika had simply imagined the entire thing—then she might simply cause even more confusion by saying something unnecessary.

As a result she might lead the entire strategy to failure, and the situation might go past the point of no return.

“…”

Chiharu was still looking at her.

Shiika tightened her lips and swallowed back her words.

“Both in order to defeat Oogui and to know about C’s goals, we should look for Ebina Yuu as soon as possible.”

“We’re saying we don’t trust you all! Enough of this, let your marionette master operating from the shadows come here!”

The Mushibane members who chased Ebina Yuu came back. From their expressions it was obvious they hadn’t managed to capture her.

Everyone was confused at the discussion not advancing past the probing stage.

The one to put a stop to this atmosphere was someone unexpected.

“…What are you going to do, Shiika-chan?”

It was Chiharu.

Everyone was surprised to hear from this casket-wearing girl who made no move at all.

However, she also wanted to ask for a decision. Once again everyone looked at Shiika.

“—”

She felt suffocated.

How should she use this extremely precious time of 48 hours?

And the upcoming battle—would end up deciding this country’s fate.

She was asked about this by none other than Kakkou’s sister, Ayukawa Chiharu.

“E-err—”

She was allowed no mistakes.

In this situation where she had to bring out the correct answer, Shiika’s face blanched.

“I wonder about C—”

Shiika felt like she was choking and had to feign being calm—

“About Erii… what kind of a girl was she, I wonder…?”

Each and every person she could see there raised their brows at this.

She realized that she chose the wrong answer.

Notes

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