Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17

Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream

From the second floor of the fast-food restaurant, she could see the faces of passersby walking the main street.

Overlapping with this scene was her own face reflected on the window.

Her black pupils seemed faintly sleepy, and she held a straw in her mouth. Her hairstyle made of tying her hair behind her back was the same as it was for some years now. Since today was a warm spring day, her Horusu Seijou Middle School uniform was left unbuttoned down to the second button from the top.

Ichinokuro Arisu, who'd just advanced to become a middle school senior, was sitting alone at this four-person table. Not doing anything in particular, she was just absentmindedly watching the flow of everyday life.

A small shadow fluttered outside the window.

It was a Morpho butterfly flapping its silver-colored wings. However, unlike the real insect it had four antennas and its body itself was emitting a silver glow.

—Mushi.

That was the name of the supernatural being that possessed adolescent boys and girl and fed of their dreams and hopes of wanting to become this or that. Not many people knew that these monsters, whispered among the populace since almost a decade ago, could look so pretty.

No, even the very existence of Mushi was hazy in this country. It featured in rumors, but was never made public. The government's official stance was that they "did not exist", so only very few people knew of them. However, for the civilians becoming paranoid, those possessed by Mushi—Mushitsuki—became targets of discrimination and fear.

The Morpho butterfly was the Mushi that possessed none other than Arisu herself.

However, it wasn't her Mushi originally. She had inherited it from her best friend, the Mushitsuki called Hanashiro Mari, who had passed away due to illness. And regardless of her own will.

Mushitsuki actually existed.

Perhaps there were even some Mushitsuki mingling in the peaceful scene Arisu was currently watching.

With only a pane of glass separating her from them, the normal people passed in front of Arisu.

In the end, which "side" did she belong to?

A Mushitsuki who inherited the Mushi from her friend?

Or nothing more than a normal civilian that got involved with Mushitsuki?

She thought about this sort of thing a lot lately—

"*Pitter-patter*."

From behind Arisu she could hear an emotionless voice.

"*Goggle*. Found her." Following this mumble, the voice saying "*pitter patter*" started approaching again.

"*Thud*. I'm here."

Leaving the tray with her drink on it on the table, a single girl sat in the opposite seat to Arisu.

The girl had a peculiar hairstyle where her bangs were cut evenly but varied in length from left to right. Countless star-shaped stickers pasted under her left eye sparkled under the lighting. Unlike the last time they'd met, she wasn't wearing her monochrome casual clothes but a uniform of a different school than Arisu's.

"*Grin*. Long time no see, Spear-Type-san. —As well as Kasuou-san."

The star-stickers girl glanced at a different table. Sitting there was a blonde girl completely focused on devouring the mountain of hamburgers piled in front of her.

The blonde girl too stopped moving. Turning to them, she wore an elegant smile that was completely different from how she was before.

"Please don't disturb me while I'm eating. Otherwise I'll kill you, okay?"

Asserting this in Japanese with slightly weird intonation, Kasuou grabbed the burger again.

Forcing a smile, Arisu looked at the two of them.

"It really is amazing how people can ruin a serious atmosphere so splendidly…"

"*Grin*. There is no need for me to be considerate to you. —You've bribed Kasuou, but now I would like for you to explain why you have called me here personally."

Drinking from her cup, the girl mumbled a "*gulp*". Arisu still couldn't get used to the girl's strange habit to voice all of her sound effects.

The blonde girl, Kasuou.

Kurisaka Ayuyu sitting in front of Arisu as well.

Following her previous line of thought, both these girls existed on the side opposite from normal civilians.

Meaning, they were Mushitsuki.

And not just mere Mushitsuki.

In order to isolate and conceal the supernatural phenomenon of Mushi, the government had founded a certain organization.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—an organization that implemented the idea of "fighting fire with fire" to respond to the great variety of Mushitsuki abilities. That organization, called the SEPB for short, trained the Mushitsuki they'd captured, using them to capture further wild Mushitsuki.

Mushi and the SEPB.

By becoming involved with them, Arisu's daily life was greatly changed.

But Arisu herself also wished for it. In order to find out what her sick, late friend had dreamed of—she wished to learn more about Mushitsuki.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it something important, but…"

"*Twitch*. Are you perhaps going to ask which parts of Kakkun's body are the most sensitive? *Shudder*, it's Ayuyu’s secret so I will not tell you."

"I don't care about that. At all."

The "Kakkun" Ayuyu spoke of referred to the boy who was an SEPB agent, Kusuriya Daisuke. Due to various circumstances, this boy was living with her to monitor her.

"Your ability can view the memories of other Mushitsuki, right?"

"*Shudder*, more precisely it's the Mushi's memories."

"Among those you've seen so far, well… were there any people with bad lives?"

"I do not like your self-important way of saying that. There are no Mushitsuki with happy lives."

Arisu moved her line of sight to outside the window.

"I… see.”

Ayuyu said "*question mark*?" and tilted her head. But she apparently realized something as she then muttered a "*whee*".

"*Grin*. I know about the incident you've gotten yourself involved in the other day. You've seen the memories of a Mushitsuki that used mental controlling abilities, right?"

Arisu's heart leapt in her chest.

Wanting to know more about her Mushitsuki friend, she'd met with many Mushitsuki so far.

Starting with her Mushitsuki classmate, which became the opportunity for her to find out about the SEPB, there were the Mushitsuki singer that never doubted her comrades, the girl trying to become a leader for Mushitsuki, as well as the witch and the berserker that were with her now. She had also been played with by the flame-controlling devil or the annoying woman.

Thus Arisu came intended to slowly understand Mushitsuki.

However—

"…"

Recalling a certain Mushitsuki's final moments, she closed her eyes.

That girl was called "The Kind Magician". She was a Mushitsuki who couldn't do anything properly and used her ability only to help other people. Living her entire life while being toyed with by her Mushi's power, in the end she chose a heroic end and served as a sacrifice to save her friend right in front of Arisu's eyes.

Even so the Kind Magician smiled.

That was—

That sort of life was—

Was this sort of life natural for the group of people called Mushitsuki?

"*Giggle*. Are you perhaps finally starting to feel fear? Even though you were so adamant about wanting to know about Mushitsuki? Please look, Kasuou. That person is obviously just a civilian. Serves her right."

"I told ya not to interrupt my meal."

As Ayuyu turned around, Kasuou grabbed her smile. "*Creak*. *Slump*," muttered Ayuyu and her movements stopped.

Arisu couldn't reply.

Perhaps it was just as Ayuyu said.

A small sense of discomfort was born inside her. Thinking of her friend Mari and of various Mushitsuki, she felt her chest prickling with pain. That sensation was vague, but it remained a thorn in her heart.

"Well, I do not know which Mushitsuki's life you have seen."

After pretending to be dead and escaping Kasuou's clutches, Ayuyu mumbled a "*Grin*."

"But don't forget that the Mushitsuki who had the most horrible life is right next to you."

Arisu's face jerked up. She immediately realized who Ayuyu was talking about.

"Daisuke…?"

"All Mushitsuki fight against something. The one who walked through the depths of hell, both in the past and present, is that boy."

Arisu bit her lips.

She'd often forget this because he was near her, but Kusuriya Daisuke was also a Mushitsuki. Since she'd been cold to him until now, she felt guilt.

Normally she would constantly bicker with him about something or the other, but she should try looking at him kindlier from now on—

"Oh yes, speaking of Kakkun. I'm glad I've been meeting him more frequently lately thanks to you. The last time I didn't just lick him, but even got him to rub—"

"Maybe it's fine for him to keep falling into hell?"

Wearing a full smile, Arisu rose from her seat. 

Part 1

"…"

"…Hey, Arisu. It's about time you explain why you've been looking at my face this entire morning like you’re seeing trash.”

By the time they arrived at their Horusu Academy classroom, the boy made up his mind and said this.

Compared to her other male classmates, his height and build were average. Even his usual lifestyle was in harmony with his surroundings, so he never got in any trouble with his classmates. His only distinguishable characteristic was perhaps just the band-aid pasted to his cheek.

His name was Kusuriya Daisuke. After they met up at a certain incident, the boy began living with her to monitor her unique case. Normally he acted the part of an honors student, but when he fought, he changed to the cold combatant Kakkou.

"Oh, Saionji-san, Kujou-san."

Daisuke looked at the classroom entrance.

Arisu's friends have just arrived.

The girl who had a stylish impression even among her classmates, Saionji Ena. Although the school regulations were strict, her clothes were worn out of shape and her healthy-looking chest and thighs were partly exposed. Since she liked Daisuke, it was worrying that she might have gone too far as of late.

The other one was Kujou Takako. She could be said to be a model student of Horusu Seijou Academy that housed many sons and daughters of wealthy families. With her short-cut black hair swaying, she entered the classroom in a relaxed gait.

"Something's wrong with Ichinokuro-san. Do you two know any—"

Before Daisuke approached, Arisu grabbed Ena and Takako's arms and stopped them. Pulling them away, she whispered in their ears.

Their expressions changed instantly.

"W-why are even Saionji-san and Kujou-san looking at me with cold eyes now…! Heeey! Didn't Kasu—I mean Anne passing by in the corridor looked at me the same way just now? What have I done?!"

Kasuou's real name was Mitake Anneliese. She had infiltrated the school to assist his mission. The instant when the blonde girl passed through the corridor, her elegant smile transformed to a scorning gaze. Along with a gesture as if she was spitting.

"Think it over carefully until you find an answer in your heart. —Or have you found it in another person's heart already? Through touching their chest, that is."

"Why would he do it with that woman…? If only he'd asked me, I…"

"How indecent…"

"I-indecent? Wait, Arisu's 'that was a good one' face is pissing me off…!"

Although they'd changed classes when they advanced to their third year, Daisuke and Arisu as well as Ena and Takako all stayed in the same class. It was a coincidence, or perhaps the SEPB acted with the school behind the scenes.

Perhaps because the faces from second year were unchanged, their normal life was also unchanged from before. The days passed with friends smiling together. Since there was a system of automatic advancement in this school, the studies for advancing to the High School Department were easy.

When the morning bell rang, a sparkle passing outside the window caught Arisu's eye.

It was a silver Morpho butterfly.

The Mushi she'd inherited from her friend Mari was always near Arisu. It did so as if to draw her attention, as if to insist that it wasn't an illusion.

However, Arisu—

"…"

Unconsciously averting her eyes from the Morpho butterfly, she returned to Ena and Takako's friendly chat.

How many days passed ever since she met the Mushitsuki called the Kind Magician?

These days without socializing with any Mushitsuki brought back stability to Arisu's heart. After losing her friend she began looking for Mushitsuki, and since meeting Daisuke she came in contact with many Mushitsuki.

Arisu herself wished for this.

She wanted to know more about Mushitsuki.

She wanted to know why there were fighting, hurting others, and getting hurt in turn. She thought that by doing so she'd find out why her friend had left her Mushi behind.

But now that she went back to her peaceful daily life, it was different from the past boring days.

Days without any pain of hurting others and getting hurt in turn.

The completely normal life of a middle schooler healed Arisu, but at the same time it also seemed to melt away something boiling in the depths of her heart—

"So, pervy Daisuke. Have you reflected on your actions a little?"

After school, Arisu called out to Daisuke. Confirming that no one was looking at them, he threw away his mask as an honors student.

"I'm not a pervert, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to reflect on… what do you want?"

"There's apparently a new amusement park in front of the station. Will you go with me there?"

Saying this, she pointed behind them. Ena and Takako were flipping through a listing magazine and chatting.

"No, I have other business to take care of. Your monitoring will be done by Kasuou as usual."

"What? Isn't that too many times lately? Since her blonde hair always stands out wherever she goes, Ena and Takako will start getting suspicious soon."

"My duties aren't just monitoring you."

Asserting this, Daisuke took his bag and left the seat. As he glanced at her with a suggestive look, Arisu noticed what he was trying to say.

"Oh… I'm also thinking of investigating about Mari. My leg is still bad, but once that's healed—"

She hurriedly gave excuses. But Daisuke didn't avert his eyes. He'd probably already seen that her leg was healed for a long time already.

"You don't need to do anything. It'd help me much more if you don't cause trouble like you always do."

"W-what's that supposed to mean. Your way of saying that—"

"Mushitsuki will take care of Mushitsuki's business. That's obvious."

Unusually, the boy wore a smile. Arisu heard that his organization had acknowledged her as a Mushitsuki, but he apparently didn't share their opinion.

"This is a good opportunity. Think again on where you belong to."

Leaving this behind, the "Mushitsuki with the cruelest life" according to Kurisaka Ayuyu left the classroom. Ena immediately approached her.

"Oh? Kusuriya-kun's not coming? …Tch, I was going to take him to a haunted house and assault him while he was scared."

The Daisuke-addict said something so outrageous nonchalantly, but her expression suddenly turned serious.

"Say, Arisu."

"Yes?"

"Kusuriya-kun won't even leave us, right?"

Arisu felt her heart leaping.

Daisuke was infiltrating Horusu Seijou Academy to monitor Arisu. Obviously, if the Morpho butterfly case ever got resolved, he would probably go back to Ouka City, where he said he was stationed before.

"W-what's up with, all of a sudden? He's just somewhat busy recently…"

"Because we managed to end up in the same class again, I guess. I was thinking about this recently. Our current relationship is simply the best… or maybe, once it was sometimes boring, but now it doesn't feel that way anymore."

The smart Ena rarely sank in deep thought like that.

"Sorry, maybe I don't really understand it myself. It's like the first time I felt this ever since I was born? I mean, finding something that I really want."

"You're being really vague…"

"True. I haven't really given any thoughts about the future until now."

Although she was able to be above average in anything—no, perhaps because of it, that usually unserious girl now smiled embarrassedly. Suddenly having some hopes for the future, Ena's expression seemed much livelier.

What Ena felt was perhaps similar to what Arisu currently felt.

Daisuke being with them became natural, and Ena and Takako also accepted that. They spent more and more time together, and it became all the more pleasant.

"Right. This kind of daily life isn't bad at all."

Mumbling this, Arisu smiled.

However—

The peaceful days didn't continue for long.

A few days passed.

Seeing the girl standing near their teacher during the early morning's short homeroom class, Arisu could hear her peaceful daily life crumbling away.

"Uno Noiru-san came here as an exchange student from our sister school. I hope you can all learn about the differences in culture between her school and Horusu Seijou Academy and get along—"

The teacher was introducing a slender girl. Her long hair was held up by a hair clip with a scales motif, and she wore a white hoodie on top of her uniform. Her limbs were long and her figure was eye-catching. However—

"Ughh, so it's finally happening… why did I have to come to this placeee…? Ugh, sob."

With her black eyes tearing up, Uno Noiru suddenly collapsed on the spot. Seeing the girl suddenly breaking down in tears caused a stir in the classroom.

Looking at Noiru's pupils was the one who sat directly behind Arisu—Kusuriya Daisuke.

"There's no way that demon wouldn't kill meeee. Nooo, I don't wanna die so younggg… I'm sorry, I'll do whatever you say, please don't kill me! Oh, this hoodie? It really is against school regulations. If you don't like it, I'll just take it off so don't kill me… the hoodie's not enough? Uh, I got ittt, I'll take off my uniform toooo…"

Stripping off her hoodie, Noiru started unbuttoning her shirt as well. This unbelievable happening caused everyone including the teacher to freeze.

Breaking down in tears, Noiru intersected her arms in front of her body, turning the palms of her hands upwards. She shook her body to both sides in the imitation of a set of scales.

"Fear scaleee, plus oneee… Uuugh, since the demon is here then which of them is the Spear-Form…? Why do I have to inspect thattt… I'll definitely die… I'll strip more so don't kill meee!"

Arisu rose from her seat with a thud.

"Teacher. She seems to be confused in this new environment. I will take her to the infirmary. —Can you help me, Kusuriya-kun?"

Before receiving the teacher's permission, Arisu promptly adjusted Noiru's uniform and brought her back to her feet. Daisuke also quickly rose from his seat.

With both of them grabbing Noiru's hand, they brought her outside the classroom without leaving her any choice.

"Aaah, so I'm being taken to the gallowsss. How horrible… as expected from the person called a demon… Cruelty scaleee, plus oneee…"

Holding the swaying Noiru's head, Arisu glared at Daisuke with a strained expression.

"There's no doubt she's from the SEPB, right? Do they only have such weirdoes? Definitely. And she's also a Special Type Mushitsuki, right? Isn't it so? Please say no, for goodness' sake."

"No, I’ve heard that a member was going to come here, but… why are you here?"

Noiru's crying reverberated in the corridor leading to the infirmary for a while. 

Part 2

Uno Noiru.

She had introduced herself as a member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

"An inspector?"

Arisu's and Daisuke's voice matched in the passage near the infirmary.

Noiru shrugged with a twitch. Her back clashing against the fence, she was putting her fingers on her uniform with a pale face.

"No, don't strip."

"What exactly do they think of you in the SEPB, Daisuke…?"

She was a cute girl with large pupils. Yet the way her expression paled with fear and her entire body shook was suspicious. To any third party watching it would probably look like Arisu and Daisuke were threatening her.

"I heard nothing about a new inspector coming here from Central Headquarters. What's an inspector, exactly? Explain."

Daisuke hounded Noiru, grabbing her hands that were about to take off her clothes. Noiru averted her eyes and wrung out a shaky voice.

"W-will you abstain from killing me if I explain this, the one feared as a demon, East Central Branch Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou-san?"

"…That's way too longwinded."

"I am the Central Headquarters member called Kanakana. After the exception among exceptions of someone inheriting another person's Mushi—Ichinokuro Arisu—had been deemed a Mushitsuki, I was dispatched to conduct a necessary process. I'm sorry that a failed Mushitsuki such as me took on such an outrageous mission. Does it annoy you? But please don't kill me."

Noiru spoke in a mechanical tone, not even looking at them.

"A necessary process?"

"Sorry for being so roundabout. Please don't kill me. This necessary process being the need to designate Ichinokuro Arisu, alias Spear-Form, with a Rank."

Arisu widened her eyes. Daisuke also froze with surprise.

"A Mushitsuki's Type is decided according to which of the Original Three—meaning the three Prototype Mushi—had made them a Mushitsuki. Those created by Oogui are Minion Types, who control their Mushi that possesses a separate body, those created by Shinpu are Fusion Types, only manifesting their Mushi through their ability of a certain medium, and those created by Sanbikime are Fusion Types, able to merge their bodies with their Mushi—among these, Hanashiro Mari's Morpho butterfly is a Fusion Type. Please don't kill me. Ah, I might be out of luck."

Noiru kept mumbling.

"The SEPB divides Mushitsuki to three kinds according classification and strength of their abilities—Blaze Class, Special Class, Hidden Class, and then assigns a Rank of 1 to 10, thereby managing them. Since there was very scarce data on Hanashiro Mari when she was alive, the Morpho butterfly's classification had yet to be decided. Please, spare my life."

"Are you making fun of us? We already know all that. I told you to explain what you're here for."

"Aah, I'm going to be killed. To determine Ichinokuro Arisu's Rank, I came to directly inspect her. —Until now the Central Headquarters' upper brass were the ones to decide Mushitsuki's Ranks, but to check again whether or not Ichinokuro Arisu-san is actually a Mushitsuki, it was decided that I, someone useless, hopelessly weak, please don't kill me, but loyal to the SEPB would be sent to inspect as a test case."

Arisu and Daisuke exchanged glances.

Even if she was told she was being ranked as a Mushitsuki, she didn't really get it.

"Arisu doesn't need a Rank."

Daisuke stated this plainly.

"Because I don't consider her a Mushitsuki."

"Daisuke…"

"Selfishness scaleee, plus oneee."

Shaking her body to the sides, Noiru returned Daisuke's gaze. Her scared face wore a dark smile for an instant.

"Central Headquarters acknowledged her as a Mushitsuki. Since I have been officially sent to inspect Ichinokuro Arisu by Vice-Director Miguruma, please think of my actions as the will of the SEPB as whole. So please don't kill me."

"Miguruma… that sly woman, huh. Go back to HQ and tell them this. I don't know what you're planning at this stage, but don't do more than necessary to stimulate Hanashiro Mari's Morpho butterfly."

"S-savageness scaleee, plus oneee… If you threaten me with such eyes, you will be violating your orders, Kakkou-san, oh no. I'm going to die."

"I got it."

Arisu raised her voice, cutting between Daisuke and Noiru. She didn't really understand the situation, but leaving it like that would probably lead to trouble.

"Shut up, you. If we allow this kind of thing, who knows how far Central Headquarters will want to—"

"This so-called inspection isn't something particularly dangerous, right? I'm also being monitored by you and Kasuou, so adding this inspection whatever at this stage isn't a big deal. Aren't you bullying her? Look how scared she is."

"Likability scaleee, plus oneee. Spear-Form is a good person, unlike this demonnn."

The teary girl hid behind Arisu's back. Daisuke clicked his tongue.

"Well, if you end up regretting this later it's your problem."

The boy's ominous prediction would soon come true— 

Part 3

The following day after Uno Noiru's arrival, Arisu's daily life completely changed.

During Math lesson, Arisu's face was strained with anxiety.

It wasn't just Arisu. A tingling, tense atmosphere engulfed all the other students as well.

It wasn't that their Math teacher was strict. If anything the teacher was gentle, and his hand writing equations on the blackboard was stiff.

The teacher turned around, and with slightly hesitant mumble of "Now, please solve this equation, Ichinokuro-san," he pointed at Arisu.

"Yes sir."

Arisu rose from her seat, advancing to the blackboard. When she solved the problem that wasn't really difficult, the teacher said, "Correct," and nodded.

Bang! In the center of the classroom, one girl rose vigorously from her seat.

"Calculation abilityyy, plus oneee."

Uno Noiru intersected her arms, her body swaying to the sides.

While everyone in class stared in wonder, Noiru returned to her seat as if nothing happened.

The teacher's cough echoed in the silent classroom. "U-uh, let us move to the next question," he continued as if he saw nothing.

"Why isn't she being scolded…?" Ena mumbled.

"Let us have Uno-san solve it," said the teacher, pointing at Noiru. The girl rose from her seat and stood in front of the blackboard while passing by Arisu.

After thinking for a while, Noiru put her hands on her uniform as if thinking of something.

"…Uuh, sorry for being an idiot. Will you kill me if I don't solve it? I'll strip so don't kill meee…"

"So you can't solve it?"

While everyone was completely shocked, only Daisuke's voice rang through the classroom.

During Gym class, Arisu and Noiru were in the same team playing basketball.

"…"

"Good movementsss. Athletic abilityyy, plus oneee."

"…"

"Nice pass. Decision-making abilityyy, plus oneee."

"…"

"Nice shot. Decisiveness abilityyy, plus oneee."

Kujou Takako, playing on the same team, tilted her head innocently.

"Say, Arisu-san. Why is that person not playing and just shaking like that?"

"I have no clue…"

Arisu could only mutter this in a muffled voice with her fist shaking.

When gym class was over, the girls went to the changing room.

Perhaps checking even the way she undressed, Noiru started stripping unnaturally and stared at Arisu’s underwear.

Swearing in her heart to not mind this, Arisu chatted with her friends. But Noiru seemed to be calmly comparing Arisu to Ena and Takako with her eyes.

Noiru intersected her arms with a sad expression.

"Physical development scaleee, minus—"

"Arisu Dropkick!"

The vibration caused by the girl slamming against the lockers shook the changing room. "V-violence scaleee, plus oneee…" she left behind as she stopped moving.

Noiru's "inspection" continued day after day with no signs of stopping.

When Arisu had picked up fallen objects for students on the corridor, a voice saying "Kindness scaleee, plus oneee," echoed next to her.

When Arisu went shopping with her friends after school, Noiru looked at the clothes she bought, said "Fashion senseee, minus oneee," and left.

During elective class, when Arisu crafted something out of clay, Noiru glanced at it, and when comparing it her own statue of a nude woman, she gloated "Skillfulness abilityyy, minus oneee."

At any rate, Noiru would grade anything and everything in Arisu's life around the clock.

Arisu's stress levels were about to explode.

"Ngh, nmnm, fourme shcaleee, flas oneee."

During lunch break, when Noiru snatched the side dish of Arisu's bento, her body swayed and she seemed to be saying "Gourmet scale, plus one".

"…"

Having even the final article of her enjoyment taken away, something snapped inside Arisu. Rising from her seat, she cornered Daisuke who was eating lunch with classmates.

"W-what's the matter, Ichinokuro-san—Gwah! It hurts… wait… a minute…!"

Daisuke's collar was grabbed as he was playing the part of an honors student and he was dragged to outside the classroom.

"Cough, cough… what're you doing all of a sudden! Are you trying to kill—ouch! Hey, sto… hitting me with a body blow while smiling… guhah!"

"So, Daisuke-san… how can I vent my anger about my inspector? By hitting you, right? This choice is correct, right?"

"You said you were fine with the inspection! Don't hit me!"

"Do all SEPB members get such stalkers as their inspectors? Have you gone through the same thing when your Rank was determined?"

While asking this in a low voice, she again buried her fist in Daisuke's solar plexus.

"I obviously didn't have this stupid inspection."

Daisuke stated as he stopped Arisu's fist. She raised her brow.

"They never used one of the members to designate another member's Rank. She herself told us that this is a test case."

"So starting now this sort of thing will become the norm… the SEPB's going to be destroyed."

"As if. —Did you find out anything, Kasuou?"

Being pressed against the wall of the corridor, Daisuke glanced behind Arisu.

Turning around, she saw that a blonde girl was standing there starting at some point. When she glanced back to her classroom, Arisu saw that Noiru started stealing even Ena and Takako's bento.

"Oh, I threatened that Rank 6 to tell me."

Unlike how she usually acted, the girl responded in her normal way of talking.

"Don't threaten Ranked people when you're Unranked… oh well, so?"

"Kanakana, was it? There aren't many people who know that woman even in Central Headquarters. That Rank 6 wasn't able to get any information."

"According to what I investigated with my Rank 1 authority she definitely belongs to the Central Headquarters. Even so other people from there don't know her… what does that mean?"

Apparently, they'd been secretly looking into Uno Noiru.

"In other words, despite her being a member of Central Headquarters, they have no idea what missions she'd been doing. —Ain't this interesting? I'll take any excuse to fight that I can find."

Revealing her berserker nature, Kasuou smiled.

"Stop being so violent… Daisuke, don't be silent, stop her."

Daisuke was silently watching Noiru. It was an expression he showed only rarely while outside of battle.

"Kasuou, do you have a minute? Let's have Nene help us investigate into the intelligence division—"

"Ah, wait, Daisuke…!"

Pushing Arisu to the side, the boy walked along with Kasuou.

"You're excluding me again? Even though this is about me…"

Pouting, she saw off their two backs.

Was he going to say "it has nothing to do with you" yet again?

They lived under the same roof, and were supposed to be spending their daily life with Ena and Takako. The more days passed the more comfortable they felt with each other, and they had so much fun that she nearly forgot everything about Mushitsuki or the SEPB.

It wasn't just Arisu. Even Ena and Takako were already thinking of him as a friend.

Even so, Daisuke would never attempt to close the distance with Arisu.

Thinking about it, perhaps even Hanashiro Mari, a Fusion Type just like Daisuke, acted the same.

She had taken the fact of her being a Mushitsuki from Arisu to the grave—

"What's up with that…"

Turning to look at Noiru who was being chased by Ena, Arisu mumbled softly.

After school.

Refusing an invitation to hang out, Arisu left the classroom.

"Hey, Arisu. Where are you going?"

Her monitor Daisuke hurriedly chased after her. Yet Arisu ignored him with an indignant expression.

"What are you sulking about?"

"It has nothing to do with you."

Declaring this, she left the campus. By the time she reached the shadowy back of the campus, she could no longer see anyone other than herself and Daisuke.

Yet she noticed the presence of another person. She turned back and called to them.

"Noiru. You're there, right?"

When Arisu's voice echoed, she felt a presence from behind a nearby tree.

"Sensitivity scaleee, plus oneee."

Revealing herself, Uno Noiru swayed her body to the sides. It was the usual, but she didn't look guilty at all about tailing her.

"Noiru, I have a request for you."

"Uuh, the demon and Spear-Form are staring at meee. I'm gonna be killeddd. I'll strip, so don't kill me…"

Whether or not she heard what Arisu said, Noiru started removing her clothes.

"I definitely said I'll go through your so-called inspection. But can't you be less conspicuous while doing that? You're causing problems not just for Ena and Takako… but for the entire class."

"I refuse."

Her swaying body with the intersected arms stopped in place.

"My inspection is the SEPB's will. No one can stop my inspection so please don't kill me. Ah, you're finally going to make me strip down to my underwear—"

"Stop that already."

Annoyed, Arisu spoke in a stronger tone. The most curious thing about Noiru's action was that she always acted scared.

"After spending a few days with me you already understand, right? Never mind me, but even Daisuke's not going to kill you. Do you think we are monsters?"

"Obviously, why wouldn't I?"

Arisu was shocked. The paling Noiru shook her trembling body.

"For my inspection, I have investigated the Morpho butterfly's previous host Hanashiro Mari and its monitor Kakkou. Both of you are monsters. Hanashiro Mari alias Hunter and the Rank 1 Kakkou… Uuh, so scary. Don't kill me. Even while knowing you're a cruel monster that turned countless Mushitsuki to Fallen, I beg you. Please don't kill me. I'll do anything. Please, please!"

Shaking all over, Noiru even shed tears. Seeing this girl's abnormal behavior, the shadow of fear creeped all the way even to Arisu.

"…"

Glancing at the boy next to her, he was simply looking down at Noiru with a cold gaze.

Had even the late Mari worn this very same face where Arisu didn't see her?

"Out of the only three discovered Fusion Types, two are monsters… so the last one has to be a monster as well. Other than that there's the berserker, so this school is way too scaryyy. I'm definitely going to be killeddd…"

"Please stop this already…!"

Arisu finally raised her voice.

"Mari wasn't a monster, and neither is Daisuke! Never call them like that again!"

"Monsters are monstersss. My judgment as an inspector is absoluteee."

While shaking her body to the sides, Noiru pouted.

Anger welling up inside her, Arisu walked to the girl.

"Stop, Arisu."

Daisuke grabbed her shoulder.

"Her behavior is just her mocking us. This is probably just part of the inspection, anyway.”

"Loyalty scaleee, minus oneee. Please don't hinder my work as an inspector. Don't kill me."

With a calm face, Noiru once again shook her body. Glancing at Arisu, she added "Composure scaleee, minus oneee".

"What will you do if we make you angry? I'm used to being called a monster. It's not a big deal so mghbg…"

"You shouldn't be used to it!"

Receiving a punch from Arisu in his solar plexus, Daisuke stumbled. Immediately she turned wrathful eyes to Noiru.

"I'll say it again, Uno Noiru! Don't call people's friends monsters!"

"I'm gonna be killed, I'm so scareddd!"

Her eyes glistening with tears, the girl shook her body like usual. Arisu heard a groaning voice stating that "before deciding on calling other people your friends, do something about your habit of hitting friends…"

Interrupting this heavily explosive and tense atmosphere was a ringtone.

It was Daisuke's cellphone. After asking something, he replied "got it" while clicking his tongue.

"I'll be going for a while. As always, your monitoring will be left to Kasuou, but please stay put."

"What happened so suddenly?"

"Well, the woman who served as the Central Headquarters' ace retired, and because of that they'd been giving me missions outside of my jurisdiction. That stupid Wanko causes nothing but trouble for me…"

Turning his back to the head-tilting Arisu, Daisuke brought the cellphone to his ear. He was probably going to call Kasuou.

"The mission is just like the first time I met you—capturing an unregistered Mushitsuki."

"…!"

"Great timinggg!"

Uno Noiru called out.

"Please let Ichinokuro Arisu-san go on that mission too."

Arisu and Daisuke both looked back at the girl.

"…What did you say?"

"Don't stare at me, I'll be killeddd. —There's only one final thing remaining for my inspection. The most important part of a Mushitsuki's Rank, meaning their combat capabilities."

Arisu widened her eyes.

“By letting her join live combat, I’ll be able to inspect her battle prowess.”

"No way. There's no way that would've been permitted."

"Denied. I permit it. There is information that she had already fought against Mushitsuki in the past. This time will not be too dange—"

Noiru's words were suddenly cut off.

Daisuke's expression changed. Perhaps not wanting to take Arisu along no matter what, he watched the girl with a gaze full of calm anger.

"It's a mission they handed over to me. This is different from the Mushitsuki she'd met by chance this far."

"U-uhh… p-please don't kill me…"

Noiru acted like she was being overwhelmed by Daisuke's murderous impulse; her movements stopped.

"However, denied."

"Don't get carried away, Kanakana…"

"Ichinokuro Arisu-san. Have you any objection?"

Arisu's shoulders twitched.

Normally she would have instantly agreed. She herself wished to meet as many Mushitsuki as possible.

By knowing Mushitsuki, she might learn more about the late Hanashiro Mari—

"I will—"

I will go with you.

She wanted to nod, but couldn't continue.

A dull pain ran through her chest.

—What do you think Mushi are?

The words of the Kind Magician she'd heard the other day after taking a peek at her life passed through Arisu's mind. Just like a dam opening up, the faces of all Mushitsuki she'd met so far rose to her mind and then vanished.

"I will…"

She tried replying again, but the words wouldn't come out.

She noticed she was slightly shaking.

If she ended up agreeing here, would Arisu end up facing those people who led special lives, known as Mushitsuki, yet again?

Far removed from fun and normal daily life, if she once again saw the deaths of Mushitsuki such as Mari and the Kind Magician—

However, Arisu had to meet Mushitsuki for her friend's sake—

"I-I will—"

"That's enough."

Suddenly her vision was blocked.

Daisuke covered Arisu's face as if hugging her from behind.

She didn't know what expression she was currently wearing.

She didn't know what expression Daisuke made as he covered her.

"I can't take her."

"Then you will be violating orders. Please don't kill me."

"If you want to make me obey, then do so through Haji. If not for his order I wouldn't have come here in the first place."

Daisuke's arm brushed against Arisu's eyes.

"She's not a Mushitsuki. Just a normal civilian."

Stating this, he went away from Arisu.

"Defiance scaleee, plus oneee."

While hearing Noiru's voice, she looked at the leaving Daisuke's back.

The silver Morpho butterfly was fluttering between the two of them.

The figure of the boy leaving without looking back overlapped with that of her dead friend.

"…"

She bit her lips.

Hanashiro Mari never spoke with Arisu about her being a Mushitsuki.

Daisuke would never show his true heart to Arisu and always took his distance.

Somehow—

She had the feeling that their reason for doing so wasn't out of malice.

If she let them do as they wished, she'd be able to recover her peaceful life.

But if she did, she had the feeling her hand would never reach them again.

The backs of Hanashiro Mari, who had distanced herself, and Mushitsuki like Daisuke would be forever beyond her reach—

"…I'll go."

Daisuke's legs stopped in place.

His expression when he turned around was rigid.

"Don't. You're not part of 'this' world."

"Then take me with you."

She extended her arm to Daisuke who was rejecting her. Although she was smiling, her hand was still shaking.

"Please, Daisuke."

Daisuke scowled.

He probably noticed that Arisu was hesitating.

However, she noticed that he was hesitating just like her.

Hesitating meant that he was thinking of her. He was seriously considering what would be a good choice for her.

Just by understanding this, Arisu could believe in Daisuke.

If he was a true monster, he wouldn't worry about it at all—

"…If you go over the line, I'll take you back immediately."

Daisuke started from the conclusion.

"Whether or not I'll let you take me back quietly is another matter."

The smiling Arisu's hand stopped shaking. 

Part 4

The Mushitsuki was hiding in the remains of a factory on the outskirts of Akamaki City.

Apparently having been the production base of a major manufacturer of electric appliances, its premises were vast. It wasn't just a gathering of the countless factories needed for manufacturing, but there were also a supervising facility and a storage area. Since it was decided they'd move the factory abroad, they were currently selling the grounds.

Arisu and Daisuke were in front of the guardroom near the front gate. Around them several people wearing the white coats of the Central Headquarters members were conducting wireless communication through their goggles.

"How many victims were there?"

Daisuke was wearing his East Central Branch pitch-black long coat and goggles.

"Two people during the chase… another two since we cornered them here… two were healed, but two became Fallen…"

Yomori Neiko, codename Nene, answered in a low voice. Since her Mushi possessed restorative abilities, she served the role of a healer.

"Seems like a troublesome opponent. Do you at least know where they're hiding?"

"It took all of our efforts just to surround this place… at present all we know about the enemy's abilities are what I just told you, but they might be hiding other abilities…"

Neiko glanced toward Arisu.

Noticing her gaze, Arisu strained her face.

The white coat supplied by Central Headquarters was actually much lighter than expected. Since the size of the goggles wasn't right, she hung them from her neck. She hadn't been supplied with any weapon, so she picked up a rusted pipe from the ground.

Apparently a weapon was being manufactured for Arisu’s sake—as she possessed one of the extremely rare Fusion Type Mushi—but that would still take some time. She hadn't been told who was making it and where, though.

The silver Morpho butterfly alighted down along with shining scales.

"Is she also part of the mission…? She hadn't gone through training though…"

"And with that weirdo, too."

"Nervousness scaleee, plus oneee."

A voice unsuitable for the battlefield echoed. Behind Arisu, Uno Noiru still clad in her hoodie was shaking her body.

"If you die I won't be able to heal you, you know…?"

This one calm sentence from Neiko made her heart leap. Completely changed from when she'd first met her, Neiko's face now looked like that of a combatant.

Daisuke wore gloves and checked the gun attached to the holster on his waist.

"Just come with me. I won't let you fight."

"Dissatisfaction scaleee, plus oneee. How will I be able to inspect her like this? Please don't kill me."

"Since we're leaving command to Kakkou… we'll provide support—"

"No need. You're in the way."

Asserting this, Daisuke started walking on the asphalt.

"You don't have to say it like that. Poor Neiko-san—"

Arisu held back her tongue.

A green checkered beetle flew down from above Daisuke. Its body transformed explosively, becoming countless tentacles and fusing with his body.

His pitch-dark long coat flapping as he walked, Daisuke's cheeks were branded with a green, shining pattern. He emitted a strange pressure from his entire body.

There was no trace of Daisuke's usual look as he advanced through the completely silent premises. The cruel and merciless demon was marching through the battlefield.

"…"

On the other hand, the silver Morpho butterfly flying above Arisu as she jogged to catch up with the boy showed no conscious movements. It spread its scales in erratic paths in the air.

Arisu put strength into her hand grabbing the steel pipe. The tension of not knowing when an attack might be directed at her caused sweat to pour from her brow.

"Boredom scaleee, plus oneee."

She jumped at this sudden loud voice.

"P-please don't speak so suddenly like that! You scared me!"

"Calm down. They're not nearby yet."

As if saying he had the intuition as someone who accumulated experience in battle, Daisuke advanced.

The sun was sinking at the other side of the premises. Since there was no power in the factory, the curtain of darkness covered it.

Daisuke stopped his legs in a corridor between two small factories.

The surroundings abruptly turned light.

The silver Morpho butterfly suddenly made its wings shine. It nimbly landed on top of the pipe Arisu was grabbing, transforming its body.

"They're coming."

The steel pipe was transformed into a shining silver lance at the same time as Daisuke's whisper.

The factory's wall nearby exploded.

Crushing the concrete-made wall, a large mass came flying from within.

Arisu stood frozen at this sudden event.

Regardless of her will, however, her kinetic vision clearly captured the full mass.

Arisu could see that this sphere, several times larger than her, had two axles and punctured tires. —The large mass was a balled-up forklift.

This transformed forklift was a moment away from hitting the stunned Arisu.

And then a green afterimage covered her vision.

It was Daisuke.

The fist covered in a green pattern hit the sphere pursuing them in the speed of a bullet.

"…!"

An explosive impact and roar blew around.

Struck by superhuman strength, the sphere was reflected back to the factory with even greater momentum. Destroying the wall, even the roof started crumbling.

In front of Arisu's eyes, an entire factory cluttered loudly as it collapsed.

"Tch… I missed?"

Daisuke clicked his tongue as if in boredom.

Lost inside the storm of dust, they could see a running human figure. It was probably the attacking Mushitsuki.

A calm voice echoed from behind the frozen Arisu.

"Sensing ability confirmeddd. Rarity scaleee, plus tennn. Reaction speed scaleee, minus twooo. Reaction to situation abilityyy, minus twooo. Tentatively, Blaze Class Rank Six."

Uno Noiru swayed her body. She was apparently inspecting Arisu's Mushi.

"Don't just stand there. Let's hide."

"…!"

Piercing the dust, more and more mysterious spheres were being sent flying toward Arisu and the rest.

Spheres of various sizes—those with the color of concrete, balled-up conveyor belts, twisted steel frames that looked like they were part of the roof and so on—any and all kinds of material distorted to the shape of a sphere were launched successively at them.

"Eeeek…!"

Arisu couldn't respond to the situation, but Daisuke stood in front of her to guard. He struck down the shells flying at them from afar like missiles using both fists.

The enemy's attack repeated without stop.

Countless big holes opened in the ground and large amounts of water were sprayed from ruptured water pipes.

The curtain of dust and water blocked Arisu's vision. The rumbling ground and the sensation of cold water robbed her of the ability to think calmly.

"Uuh…!"

Seeing an especially large shell thrown at them, Arisu recklessly swung her spear.

The silver scales pulverized the large shell. The excess momentum of the spear split the ground, destroying their footing.

The scales remaining after destroying the shell filled the surroundings. Visibility turned even worse.

"Calm down, Arisu!"

"'Scales attack', 'physical attack', and even 'domain control' confirmeddd. Rarity scaleee, plus eighttt. Destructive powerrr, plus tennn. Calmness scaleee, minus fourrr. Ability control scaleee, minus fiveee. Assessment abilityyy, minus fiveee. Tentatively, Blaze Class Rank 5."

"Just move already! At this rate we'll be hit by the enemy!"

Devoting himself to defense in front of Arisu, Daisuke shouted. Repelling the enemy's attack took everything he had, so he couldn't even pull the gun out of his waist.

However, Arisu's legs were frozen and she couldn't move.

"Ah… ah…"

This was different from what she'd faced until now.

Merciless attacks full with the intent to kill aimed for Arisu. She couldn't even talk to the other party.

"If you can't move, then at least cancel your domain! Staying here cancels even my own power…!"

Although she was told to absolve her ability, Arisu did nothing but hold the spear transformed by the Morpho butterfly. She knew nothing about either activating or cancelling that ability.

—Arisu…

She felt like she heard a whisper in her ears.

—Switch with me…

The spear in her hand shone even brighter. The silver scales were blown away.

"Guh!"

The green glow surrounding Daisuke weakened as if being erased by the scales. His fist that failed hitting the shell was blown back.

Arisu's head blanked out.

The whispering voice she heard from somewhere was eroding her mind. Succumbing to that voice, she was engulfed by a mysterious sensation.

"Risk aversion abilityyy, minus threee."

Unheeding that the rain of shells nearly grazed her nose, Uno Noiru swayed her body. She didn't appear willing to lend a hand to Daisuke at all.

—Arisu…

This familiar voice echoed in her head.

Arisu's mouth moved on its own.

"I would be able to—"

The silver spear rippled.

"Protect Arisu—"

"You stay out of it!"

Daisuke's roar shook Arisu's back. She suddenly raised her face.

It was as if she was mumbling something just now. But she couldn't remember what she said.

"Daisuke…?"

"Arisu! You're the one who chose to come here! Don't run away at this stage!"

A red droplet flew to Arisu's cheek as she absentmindedly raised her face. Fresh blood was deflected from Daisuke's swung fist.

"Hold on! If you don't… Hanashiro Mari's Mushi will take control of you!"

Arisu gulped. She lowered her spear.

"The Mushi will…?"

Daisuke grabbed Arisu's arm. He threw her forcibly to the side.

"Eeek!"

Arisu rolled after being thrown to the ground. Her ears caught Daisuke's anguished voice.

"Gwah!"

He probably judged that he couldn't fully defend against the sphere. Throwing Arisu away, he also tried himself escaping from the dangerous zone. Yet he was unable to fully dodge the sphere, and one of his legs got hurt.

"Daisuke!"

"Run! Go back to the front gate!"

Putting one leg on the ground, Daisuke shouted to Arisu.

That was a moment of carelessness.

"Dai—"

The boy's body was directly hit by the large sphere. As it held enough force to smash the asphalt to pieces, it instantly blew Daisuke away from her sight.

Arisu's entire body got goosebumps.

"Daisukeee!"

Rebounding on the ground several times, he rolled away.

The enemy's attacks did not stop.

Simultaneous attacks assaulted the collapsed boy, aiming to finish him off.

"…!"

Her body moved faster than she could think. She rose up with great vigor, slashing her spear toward the shells launched at Daisuke.

Silver scales swallowed the bombardments.

Spheres of various sizes and shapes were blown to smithereens.

"How dare you hurt Daisuke—"

Arisu's wide-open eyes glared at the direction the shell was launched from.

The attack just now apparently changed its target to Arisu. There was a rain of shells.

Kicking the ground vigorously, she rushed directly toward the shell. Even the curtain of dust and water was sliced along with the shells in a single stroke of the lance.

The shells' fragments hit her temple. Even so, she pushed through the rain of bombardment without minding it.

The enemy seemed to be taking their distance while attacking. Shells were being fired, but she knew they came from a certain factory in the distance.

Arisu ran directly toward the launch scene.

The shells assaulting her were cut off by a single swing. Although the spear had fierce power, Arisu's thin hands controlled it. The power pressing on her was too much, and she collapsed.

She soon leapt back on her legs and was running again as another round of bombardment rained on her.

"Found you…!"

In her vision, she spotted a squirming figure behind the open shutter of a factory.

It was such a large Mushi that its figure was visible even from afar. On its head that was as big as Arisu's body there were glowing red compound eyes and countless antennas, and its chest was covered by yellow cilia. Its abdomen, as big as a truck, had a striped yellow and black pattern, and its edge was a gaping hole.

That Mushi, resembling a striped bumblebee, assumed a position of pointing its abdomen toward Arisu. The figure standing nearby was probably the Mushi's host. She could see their thin limbs and long hair illuminated by the moonlight.

The monstrous striped bumblebee opened its mouthpart wide. It used its eight legs to drag a metal-made barrel to its mouth, swallowed it in one gulp and sent it to its thorax. The thorax squirmed as if it was made of rubber and appeared to be compressing the metal barrel. The compressed object was then sent to the abdomen.

The bee-like abdomen was swelling in front of her eyes. The Mushi pushed out of the edge of its abdomen a large needle made of the compressed barrel. —No, unlike the shells until now, it was a sharp, shining arrow.

The sharp arrow was fired from the bee's swollen abdomen.

Arisu wouldn't be able to fully defend against this—since she had this intuition, she hurriedly swung the spear.

"…!"

It was thrown directly toward the bee, scattering scales about.

The silver spear and the bee's arrow.

Two incredibly destructive attacks clashed. The air exploded and caused a tremor.

The winner was Arisu's spear.

Having blown away the large arrow without trace, the silver spear stabbed into the Mushi's legs.

The shockwave generated by this threw the bee’s host. The factory's exterior was blown by the explosive wind, and the broken roof flew into the night sky.

"Hah… Hah…"

Breathing heavily, Arisu approached the destroyed factory.

From within the mountain of rubble, she pulled out the Morpho butterfly's spear stabbed into the ground.

Her attack had opened a large wound in the striped bumblebee's abdomen. Since a few of its legs were pulverized, it couldn't even stand.

"Uh…"

The long-haired girl buried in the rubble of concrete raised an anguished voice. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at Arisu.

The girl was staring at Arisu. Looking at her more closely, she had traces of dried blood on her body. She'd probably gone through a difficult battle until she came here. The girl's expression looked tired both physically and mentally.

Arisu just held the spear, unmoving.

No. She couldn't move.

The spear's tip slightly shook.

"Will you not finish me off?"

The wounded girl narrowed her eyes.

"If so, then I'll attack."

Still collapsed on the ground, the bumblebee's abdomen swelled. Apparently using the last remaining dregs in its body, it produced the tip of a small arrow.

Her hesitation, once blown away by the rage of seeing Daisuke get hurt, now returned.

The figure of this resolved girl overlapped with the Mushitsuki she'd met so far.

If Arisu captured this girl here, would she become an SEPB member and return to the battlefield? Just like Yomori Neiko, who she'd met just now. Had Neiko truly wished for that?

She met with yet another Mushitsuki.

She didn't hate the girl in front of her. She was simply angry since she saw her friend getting hurt.

Although they had no reason to fight, they met and hurt each other. —That pain was so strong Arisu couldn't bear it any longer.

But because they've met, Arisu had to ask it.

"What is… being a Mushitsuki?"

Her head cast down, she wrung out her voice.

All Mushitsuki fight against something—

When had Arisu heard these words?

She came to learn that during the time she was alive, Hanashiro Mari had fought under the alias of "Hunter".

"Why are you all doing nothing but fight…?"

After the death of her best friend, she met Kusuriya Daisuke. Following that opportunity, she met many Mushitsuki, and all of them were fighting against something.

"You're the ones who came attacking me in order to capture me. Until yesterday I was just living normally, so I can't let you do that just because you've figured out I'm a Mushitsuki."

The girl cackled.

No—

Arisu wordlessly shook her head to the sides.

"…?"

The girl craned her head.

Some Mushitsuki have indeed fought against the agency known as the SEPB.

But was that the only reason?

The Kind Magician she met before didn't even think about the SEPB. Since Arisu had glanced at her memories, she knew that well.

Even the meddling Harukiyo was the same. He sneered at that organization, and was searching for Mari.

Even Daisuke who was an SEPB member seemed like he was fighting for something. He also said that he was waiting for someone's return.

What about Mari, then?

What was Arisu's friend fighting for? Why had she left her Mushi to Arisu and was whispering to her even now?

"Tell me… please…"

Still glancing down, Arisu bit her lips.

The bee's host snorted. As if she was sneering at all Mushitsuki.

"If I need to have another reason, then… isn't it because all of us Mushitsuki can't give up our dreams no matter what happens to us?"

"Can't give up… your dream…"

In the end this was it.

Mari had left behind such strong emotions that she was able to die and bequeath her Mushi.

Would this keep happening as long as Arisu didn't know Mari's goal? Did she have to throw away her peaceful life, fight enemies she didn't hate and keep hurting them and being hurt in turn?

As long as she didn't find out Mari's wish, Arisu would never be released.

The thing she searched out of her own volition became heavy pressure for Arisu.

Arisu had it tough every time she met Mushitsuki.

Was there value in throwing away her peaceful life for this?

If she ended up going through such suffering, perhaps she should just forget about her friend—

—The moment she wished for this, Arisu's sight was covered in a silver glow.

"…!"

The silver lance grasped in her hand emitted a blinding light. The tip transformed to a wing rampaged, blowing away the rubble around.

"W-what is happe—kwah!"

Unable to support the spear, Arisu's arm was pounded against the ground. The remaining destructive power of the spear crushed the earth, assaulting the area with a tremor.

She grimaced at the pain. She immediately tried letting go of the spear, but for some reason her hand wouldn't move.

The spear raging to all sides crushed the rubble even further. The striped bumblebee was blown away and the host girl flew backwards.

Looking down her arm, Arisu widened her eyes. She raised a shriek without thinking.

"Eeeek!"

Silver-colored tentacles spread from the spear and dug into her right arm. The tentacles emitted a silver light pattern and started permeating Arisu's body from her shoulder.

At the same time her arm was assaulted by sharp pain.

It was probably the recoil from fusing with a Fusion Type Mushi despite not being a Mushitsuki. Her arm fusing with the tentacles was about to get ripped.

—How horrible…

Near her ears, a familiar voice whispered.

—Even though I chose the devil's medicine…

It was her first time to recall the owner of that voice with fear.

"Ma-Mari…?"

A chill ran her back.

The voice she heard belonged to none other than her dead friend.

The tentacles passed her back and pursued her neck. Indescribable fear welled up inside her.

"Ku…AAHHHH!"

It happened just as she raised a voice of anguish, a moment before Arisu's consciousness was dulled.

A shrill sound echoed in the desolate ruins of the factory.

Arisu remembered hearing that sound. Was it during music class? She heard it when some instrument was being tuned—the sound of a tuning fork.

The tuning fork's tone echoed and at the same time the silver scales engulfing Arisu were blown off. Space was distorted and ripples were caused in her vision.

"Inspection suspendeddd. Spear-Form's rampage confirmed."

On the summit of the mountain of rubble was Noiru, having appeared at some point.

Intersecting her arms in front of her chest, she swayed her body to the right and left like scales.

"Danger scaleee—"

A grin rose to Noiru's mouth.

"Plus, one hundred thousanddd."

The tuning fork's tone echoed. Space rippled with Noiru in the center, and momentarily there was afterimage of an insect resembling an evening cicada.

The girl had taken off her hoodie and turned it inside out. Wearing this reversible hoodie, she also equipped a black cloth mask and goggles that she brought out from somewhere.

"Kanakana has determined the Spear-Form's Mushi is dangerous, and will henceforth commence its annihilation."

The girl's clear voice overlapped with the tuning fork's sound. 

Part 5

"…!"

Noiru’s movements were swift, her figure black from head to toe. She stuck out the heel of her palm toward empty space.

Immediately afterward, Arisu heard the sound of the tuning fork near her.

Penetrating through the silver-colored scales, a shockwave pierced her.

"Ugh…!"

Unable to do anything, Arisu was hit by the invisible blow. She felt an impact as though something hit her but without any solid sensation. Much like standing in front of a loud speaker.

"Impact sound"—

When her body felt the identity of the domain controlling the surrounding it was too late.

Noiru leapt into the air.

The girl's legs kicking at empty air created ripples in space. Along with the tuning fork's sound, Noiru advanced upward as if being launched.

Kicking the wall of impact sound, Noiru instantly leapt toward Arisu's chest.

"Impact scaleee, plus oneee."

Sticking out both arms, she pounded something invisible against the spear in Arisu's hand.

The explosive impact sound pierced the silver Morpho butterfly. Arisu was thrown into the air along with her spear, crashing on the hard ground.

"Kuha!"

Rushing up the invisible stairs created by the impact sound, she climbed in air.

"Impact scaleee, plus twooo."

The sprawled Arisu's right hand was driven into the ground by an invisible strike.

The Morpho butterfly wings forming the tip shattered.

"Impact scaleee, plus threee. Plus fourrr. Plus fiveee."

The tuning fork kept echoing.

The Morpho butterfly's wings were ripped and the spear rampaged about as if writhing in pain.

 Arisu herself also withstood pain, grimacing while seeing the hurt Morpho butterfly.

"S-stop—"

It was the first time she thought of the Morpho butterfly left by her friend as scary.

But even that was undoubtedly proof that Mari had been alive.

The floating Noiru sneered.

"'Don't call people's friends monsters'!"

Noiru mimicked Arisu’s tone.

"But will you allow yourself to become a monster despite saying that?"

"…!"

"If not, then please stay still. I will release you from the Morpho butterfly."

Release her from the Morpho butterfly—

For an instant, Arisu's heart shook.

The sound of a tuning fork echoed from Noiru's hand in the night sky. The ripples spread among the stars.

"Impact scaleee…"

Confronting the Mushitsuki who lived in the battlefield was very scary.

She had no choice but acknowledge that already.

However—

Mari's smile rose to her mind.

—My dream, can I entrust it to you?

She put strength into her hand gripping the spear.

"Plus ten!"

She hated being scared.

She definitely hated feeling pain.

Arisu couldn't bear having the dream entrusted to her by Mari being taken here—

"Mari…!"

Arisu called the name of her dead friend.

The impact sound assaulted the silver spear.

And responding to Ichinokuro Arisu's call—was her own mouth.

"Arisu…"

When Arisu's mouth mumbled this, Hanashiro Mari moved to behind Noiru.

With the silver pattern emerging on her right arm, right cheek and left leg, Mari swung the silver lance.

Immediately the surroundings were filled with silver scales.

"Emergency situation confirmeddd. Danger scaleee, plus ten million!"

With her impact sound having been evaded, Noiru kicked the air to get distance from Mari.

Still angry, Mari grimaced with Arisu's face.

"A child of Diorestoi attempting to erase me… unforgivable."

"Mobilityyy, plus fiveee. Judgment capabilityyy, plus sixxx. Ability control scaleee, plus eighttt. Tentatively, Blaze Class Rank 3!"

Mari's spear slashed through empty air.

At the same time Noiru's tuning fork also echoed.

The scales attack and the sound impact clashed.

In the instant when the two waves repelled each other and vanished, Mari kicked her Mushi-fused leg into the ground. Moving toward Noiru with the speed of a bullet, she swiped with her lance.

However, Noiru fluttered above using her sound impact, dodging the spear attack. Revolving once above Mari's head, she stuck out her palm heel.

Mari instantly leapt to the side.

Along with a great vibration, the ground that Mari had just stood on caved in.

"What a restless and troublesome ability you have…!"

"Impact scaleee, plus twelveee!"

Mari and Noiru's battle proceeded like a seesaw.

Offensively Mari was overwhelming, but Noiru had an edge in speed.

However, the situation of the battle soon changed.

"Ah…!"

Unable to fully dodge Noiru's attack, the silver lance was blown away from Mari's hand.

"Here's my chanceee. Impact scaleee…"

Noiru, finding a good opportunity just like she said, leapt toward Mari. She let her tuning fork echo, creating ripples around her readied palm.

"Plus tennn!"

Mari grimaced at this predicament—or so she wanted the other girl to think, but she looked at Noiru coldly.

"You've been caught rather easily."

"…!"

Mari, with the exact same movements as Noiru, swung her right arm and made the silver pattern on the spear glow.

The two girls' arms crossed.

The sound of the impact bursting echoed around.

"—Cough…"

Breaking through the wall of impact sound and burying her palm in the opponent's solar plexus was Mari.

“The weapons of a Fusion Type aren’t just their strengthened equipment, you know.”

The current Mari was different from how Arisu was until now.

It wasn't just the spear being fused with the Morpho butterfly. Even her body covered by the pattern was strengthened the same way.

Noiru held her stomach, kneeling on the ground. Her impact sound halved the strike's force, but even so her flesh and blood body couldn't stand against Mari's attack.

Mari picked up her spear and swung it.

"…Even if you strip I won't forgive you, alright?"

She grinned and lowered her spear—

But then, feeling pressure at her back, she turned around.

Mari could see in her vision a bullet spewing fire flying directly at her.

"…!"

She hurriedly intercepted it with her spear.

Yet the bullet's power was fearsome. This time it was not acting; the spear really was blown out of her hands.

Mari herself was also thrown against the ground, but she soon stood up and raised her face.

"Why are you shooting me—"

She spat, gritting her teeth with anger.

"Kusuriya Daisuke-san…!"

The pitch-dark demon approached.

It was Kakkou—Kusuriya Daisuke. The form holding the large gun fused with the checkered beetle wouldn't allow any counterattack.

Daisuke slightly moved his face. She couldn't see his expression due to the goggles, but he appeared to be glaring at Noiru lying on the ground.

"So you weren't going to inspect anything in the first place then, Kanakana. Your goal was to provoke Arisu, put her life in danger and make her go wild in order to eliminate her, right?"

"I-I've judged Spear-Form to be dangerousss. Kakkou, please destroy Spear-Form at onceee."

"By whose orders? Director-General Ichiku? Vice-Deputy Miguruma? …Either way, it means that now the Central Headquarters views Arisu as trouble."

Saying this with a harsh tone, Daisuke turned back to Mari.

"Why did you come out, Hanashiro Mari?"

Mari grimaced. Anger welled inside her for the boy in front of her.

She couldn't forgive him for unhesitatingly firing at her. Right now Mari was fused with Arisu. Arisu thought of him as a friend, and yet he’d shot a bullet at her body.

"Because Arisu's body was in danger—"

"Tell the truth."

With the muzzle still pointed at her, Daisuke coldly pushed aside Mari's answer.

Mari was speechless.

When she'd cornered the striped bumblebee's host, Arisu was no longer in danger.

Even so, pushing her consciousness aside, Mari tried coming to the surface in order to—

"…If Arisu forgets about it, wouldn't it be as if I hadn't even existed in this world in the first place…?!"

Mari held her head.

Even her memories of approaching her death without meeting anyone and without being noticed by anyone were engraved into the Morpho butterfly.

Hanashiro Mari had definitely lived. Even so she was helplessly scared of being gone from this world without anyone remembering her and without leaving anything behind.

"That is way too horrible…!"

"I thought this every time you appeared instead of Arisu, but… in the end, is that really so? If, in order to keep living, you want to take over Arisu—"

"No! It's just that I chose the devil's medicine…!"

Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

"The devil's medicine… is that the picture book from your hospital room?"

"I just wanted to live with Arisu… But there was something I had to do…"

"Something you had to do? What was that?"

"—I can't remember."

Still holding her head, Mari strained her face. The pattern emerging on her face emitted silver light. The Morpho butterfly fused with the spear was starting to go berserk.

She didn't want to be forgotten by Arisu.

"What am I trying to do…?"

The more these feelings strengthened, the more Mari lost her ability to think. The more her fear for loneliness deepened, the more Mari's head blanked out.

"So even Hanashiro Mari's memories are becoming unstable."

Daisuke groaned in a low voice.

"Anyway, go away for now. Return to Arisu. If you don't… I'll kill your Mushi."

"…!"

Mari raised her face with a start.

What expression was she making at that moment? Even the merciless demon seemed obviously agitated for a second.

"Don't make that face."

"…"

"Arisu will never forget about you. —You'll just be a memory."

Mari looked at her right arm covered in the silver pattern. Due to the Morpho butterfly's forceful fusion, it was already numb.

She hurt her friend's body. When she realized that, she grew weak.

"Say, Kusuriya Daisuke-san. What are you going to do with me and Arisu?"

She asked this with a serene expression. The readied gun’s muzzle twitched.

"If you want to save Arisu, you just need to kill the Morpho butterfly. If you sympathize with me, you wouldn't tell me to go back, right?"

"I will simply monitor the Morpho butterfly."

"Tell the truth."

The black demon fell silent against Mari's smile. After waiting for a while, there was no response.

"You're also hesitating. You're unsure of what you want to do, then."

"…"

"We are all a gathering of stray children."

She felt a bit like she was saved.

Hesitating and worrying were proofs of being alive.

While where people surrounding Arisu hesitated, Mari kept existing. Even if the memories left to her Mushi were vague and even if she was beginning to lose sight of who she was.

Arisu—

She slowly closed her eyes. The Morpho butterfly split from the weakening Mari's body.

"—Nngh…"

She felt as if she'd heard someone calling her name somewhere.

Ichinokuro Arisu retrieved her consciousness, opening her eyes.

"Daisuke…?"

When her eyes opened, she saw Daisuke directing his gun at her.

She couldn't see the boy's expression, but was it her imagination that he looked relieved? Lowering his gun, Daisuke approached Noiru collapsed on the ground.

"Did you see it just now, Kanakana?"

"Spear-Form is dangerousss. Spear-Form is dangerousss."

"No, I'm still holding it back. If it doesn't seem like her rampage will stop, I'll take responsibility and annihilate the Morpho butterfly."

Walking closer, he grabbed Noiru's head with his green-patterned arm.

Bringing the girl's head to him, he glared at her from the distance of a few centimeters. As if trying to plant his own power and fear into her, he asserted from up close.

"Put this matter on hold."

"Uh…"

"Tell this to the one giving you orders. Don't do anything unneeded. If you were to ignore this warning—"

Arisu felt like she could hear a cracking sound from Noiru's skull.

"I'll kill you."

Daisuke let go of the girl's head. He looked down at the shaking girl with a truly devilish smile.

"I won't forgive you even if you strip."

"Uuuh… I don't wanna be killeddd… please don't kill me. I knew Kakkou was a demon… I don't want to be killed… on hold, on hold…"

Hugging her own body, Noiru shook like a leaf in the wind.

"Arisu."

Daisuke turned back to Arisu.

Her shoulders twitched. She looked as if her mind was foggy.

"That Morpho butterfly is becoming unstable. Same goes for the Central Headquarters—they'll surely play dumb if we ask them about it, but they started regarding that Mushi as dangerous."

"…"

"We may have no time."

Daisuke extended his hand to Arisu.

"If I kill the Mushi now, you might be able to return to your former life. —Shall I take you there?"

Arisu looked up at the night sky.

Having split from the spear and returned to the form of a butterfly, the Morpho butterfly was dancing.

Perhaps it would be better to turn her best friend into a mere memory.

Getting involved with Mushitsuki only hurt her.

Getting hurt was painful, and hurting other people was just as well.

However—

“Do you really not have any clues about people who know Mari? Please tell me everything without hiding it.”

If she stood back there, she would definitely regret it.

When the Morpho butterfly was nearly killed by Noiru, Arisu became painfully aware of it.

Mari believed in Arisu, and so she bequeathed to her the crystallization of her dreams—her Mushi.

If so, then all Arisu had to do was just keep moving.

She grasped Daisuke's hand.

"There's the possibility that Sanbikime came in contact with Hanashiro Mari."

The mysterious Prototype Mushi that created Fusion-Type Mushitsuki. Since Arisu had previously received this explanation, she knew that.

"So we have no choice but reach out to the Original Three."

Daisuke mumbled. It was apparently an opponent of a caliber that made even this boy hesitate, but he still looked resolved as if it related to him directly.

Since her right arm and right leg were numb, it was very painful for Arisu stand up. Daisuke stopped her from falling when her knees buckled.

She didn't know what was waiting ahead.

But Arisu could still move forward.

If she could take even a single step ahead, she thought that she'd be able to keep moving without hesitating.

Doing this alone was hard, but she had this reliable boy at her side—

Thinking of this and looking at Daisuke, she suddenly recalled something.

"Even though I went out of my way to help you get up, what's up with that face?"

"If you do anything weird I'll kill you."

"What's that supposed to man?"

"Don't touch any part of my body…"

As Daisuke's expression stiffened up, he was pierced by Arisu's look of scorn.

Underneath the moonlight, the shadows of the pair walking shoulder to shoulder stretched all over the vacant factory. 

Notes

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