Editing Mushi:Vol2 Ch1

== '''Night 1: A Series of Misfortune''' ==

From ★ Usarin

To ★ Sensei

Subject ★ Edict

Body ★ Hello——this is Usarin. Did you think I’d say that? You weirdo, go die! So where are you strolling around now? With your personality you should’ve already left school to come see Rinne. So we didn’t contact you. Then—we ended up waiting until noon! I didn’t think you were this half-hearted with your love. You keep proclaiming your love for her. Is that just something you say? Whatever. Rinne has me, Guriko, to comfort her. You can die somewhere in the street.
 

From ★ Sensei

To ★ Usarin-kakka

Subject ★ Re: Edict

Body ★ Hey—what makes you think you can just use Usarin’s cell phone like that. No matter how you look at it, it’s best if you just died. Your harassment will someday give me a heart attack. Stop using her cell phone. Cell phones record phone numbers. So caller ID identifies that phone as “Usarin”. This crap you’re pulling will make me think Usarin suddenly changed. On another note, since when did you know how to use a cell phone?
 

From ★ Usarin

To ★ Sensei

Subject ★ From Gankyuu Eguriko

Body ★ So much talk. Look. I wrote my name. Does that satisfy your demands? Go die now. Though it’s a bit too much talk, where are you right now, Sakaki? Rinne’s friend died so she’s depressed. How can you not be at her side at a time like this? There’s more. You small, unworthy person. I’ve lived fifty times longer than you. Our level of experience can’t be compared. I can learn something like cell phone operation in an instant. Don’t underestimate me!
 

From ★ Sensei

To ★ Usarin-kakka

Subject ★ Re: From Gankyuu Eguriko

Body ★ Any grade-schooler can learn something like using a cell phone. Ah——my bad, wait a minute. You should know that as soon as I learned about Rinne’s condition I came running over. But even before I arrive you take what little you know and form conjectures about me. You idiot.
 

From ★ Usarin

To ★ Sensei

Subject ★ Re: Re: From Gankyuu Eguriko

Body ★ …You're seriously infuriating. Whatever. Just get over here quickly. If you’re slow, I’ll gouge out your eyeballs.
 

 
“…”
 
The handsome man with gold hair and blue eyes——Sakaki Guryuu closed his cell phone with a “Thap”. He sighed deeply. This man, humanity’s pinnacle of intelligence, financial resources, appearance, athletic ability, was Usagawa Rinne’s lover, as well as her Japanese History teacher at Kannonsakazaki High School.
 
A year earlier, Sakaki fell in love with Rinne due to a certain incident, and abandoned the giant company controlling Japan from the shadows——the Sakaki Organization. He had forsaken his position as its heir, as well as all his higher education, and became a high school teacher, all in order to stay by Usagawa Rinne’s side. He felt that she was the only worthwhile human in existence. That was the man named Sakaki Guryuu.
 
This Sakaki, unhappiness dominating his face, surveyed his surroundings, watching all four sides surrounding him. Important-looking people, dressed in black, illegally held guns.
 
“You see, one of my dear students has threatened me with eyeball gouging. Her demand is rather easy to complete, so you guys can get lost! I’d like to reject that eyeball gouging——if I don’t hurry to Usarin’s home, I’ll lose these blue eyes I inherited from my mother!”
 
Rinne was absent from school that day. As soon as Sakaki knew this, he immediately stopped his class and ditched the staff meeting to go see her, but he was ambushed. It was around eight o’clock when he rushed out of class, and math shows that he had been fighting for four hours. He kicked aside some of the black-suit flock, but was immediately surrounded again. Fighting them down one by one didn’t tire him out, but it started to frustrate him.
 
Rinne, he thought of Usagawa Rinne.
 
The one who gave Sakaki’s life meaning, the most important person in the world, was currently suffering. Yet these people in black suits obstructed his path, which implied suicidal tendencies——but who exactly were these enemies? If this continues blood would probably start to spill.
 
“Are you ‘Mushi’?”
 
No response.
 
“Mushi”, were the mysterious beings searching for the “apples”——also called “Eden’s Apples”, the forbidden fruit which allowed humans who ate them to become immortal——and attacked humans to do so. Their true objectives remained a riddle, though someone who called himself Snake described them as beings similar to angels or demons.
 
When Sakaki fought against the snake the previous month, he happened to eat an apple, and has met multiple “Mushi” seeking to kill him. Thus, he assumed that this incident was the same, but——
 
If they were “Mushi”, they should have unhesitatingly tried to kill him as fast as possible. But these black-suited people surrounding him showed no sign of using their guns. The tell-tale sign of the “Mushi”, eyes that shone with red light, could not be verified due to concealment by sunglasses.
 
“Even when there are guns pointed at you, that cell phone still takes priority, brother?” 
 
Suddenly, he heard a female voice that tried to hide mediocrity with an air of elegance. That was a familiar voice——Sakaki’s patience ended as he turned to the source.
 
Behind the still wall of black-suited men, a girl stood.
 
“The thing <span id=" I ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | I]]</span> can stand the least is a person like you who acts as though everything lacked difficulty.” 
 
From her gown that was completely opposite of anything from a small, rural town, to the ribbon on her head, all of her clothes were black. It was as if, aside from her skin, teeth and the whites of her eyes, her entire body was buried under black. She was one of the backup step-siblings prepared in case something happened to Sakaki.
 
"Kuroki----Tatsue? Sakaki mumbled her name as he put his cell phone in his pocket and looked at the black-suited men surrounding him. "So, you're the Sakaki Organization's men. How pointless. Bothering me is a waste of time. Hey----I've already memorized your faces. Since you've pointed guns at the heir to the Sakaki organization and commited the crime of preventing him from going to his destination, you'll all be thrown out into the street."
 
"Brother, you still ignore me?" Tatsue nervously raised her eyebrows as she spoke unhappily, holding onto a scarlet teddy bear.
 
Should we say she was still too cautious, or is it more accurate to say that she was simply too petty?
 
Sakaki shifted his sight away from the black-suited men who didn't know what to do as they lowered their guns, and looked toward his step-sister. "You <span id=" doormat ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | doormat]]</span>, what did you come find me for? Back to the main topic, it's been a long time, Tatsue. How many years has it been? You've grown so much. Last time I saw you, you were still crying 'I didn't wet the bed! I didn't!' Ah, good times."
 
"D-d-do not speak of that!" Tatsue's face turned red. She waved her arms at the whispering black-suited men in front of her as she said while on the verge of tears, "It's because you're so arrogant and ill-hearted that I cannot stand you."
 
"Oh, and there's that poser speech pattern you like to use. Don't talk like that, you seem even more pathetic.  In fact----"
 
Sakaki silently watched Tatsue. No, more accurately, he watched the scarlet teddy bear she held. It was something that could be bought anywhere, yet impossible to sell. Rather than looking cute, it horrified people with a blood-stained appearance that made it useless for consolation----
 
"Father." Sakaki mumbled, crossing his arms as he sternly said, "You're even communicating with us like that, how distrusting of your own son."
 
"Eh?"
 
The surprised one was Tatsue. She was frightened enough to almost drop the teddy bear, and quickly tried to steady herself. As cold sweat ran down her face, hercute bluffing expression completely disappeared.
 
"F-f-father?"
 
It was the current president of the organization with more power than a nation----Sakaki Ganhou. He likely feared assassination, as not even Sakaki had seen his face before. This led to Sakaki thinking: Is my father even alive?
 
"......"
 
The scarlet teddy bear casually made a sound.
 
"Hey, Guryuu, it's dad."
 
With a unique echo, a clear, disarming voice came from the stuffed animal. Then again, with this type of voice, the speaker generally wants to avoid allowing his actual voice to be recognized. Sakaki nodded, and said casually, "What do you mean 'It's dad', you idiot father. What do you want? I need to visit Her Excellency. If it's just some pointless little thing, then just leave!"
 
"B-b-brother! How could you speak like that to father!"
 
Sakaki paid no attention to Tatsue's noisy shout. No matter whose voice came out it, that thing was just a stuffed animal that deserved no respect. Besides, Sakaki never respected his father who forcefully modeled him into an ideal heir. With study and training that was practically infused into his blood, this person destroyed Sakaki's childhood.
 
Without moving, the teddy bear laughed in a poorly synthesized voice.
 
"Hahaha! You're still so frightening. Your dad's heartbroken! Mmm----actually, there isn't really anything too serious. I just wanted to see my cute son that I haven't seen in a long time."
 
"Good bye."
 
Sakaki ignored Tatsue and the teddy bear and walked toward his destination. Running to Rinne's home from there would take about ten minutes. So much time had been wasted!
 
"Wait up, wait up, wait up, Guryuu! Tatsue, chase him!"
 
The teddy bear said so worriedly, and Tatsue desperately followed its orders with a pale face. Too bad, it seems like this time she would only be used as a convenient transporter.
 
As Sakaki thought this, the teddy bear issued a cruel order.
 
"Ah, what a pain. He's trying to escape. Alright, you goons, shoot him in the thigh! Then he'll stop, right? Don't worry, even if Guryuu gets injured he'll quickly recover, so there's no need to hold back."
 
Those words...
 
Sakaki suddenly turned around, angrily looking at the teddy bear held by the pale-faced Tatsue.
 
"Father, where did you find out about that?"
 
His injuries recover. In other words, he knew that Sakaki ate an apple and became immortal, with the superhuman ability to ressurect.
 
Mentioning that, a month earlier a monster had wrecked the town, and after that Sakaki asked his father to pretend that nothing happened. The incident was reported to be a result of an earthquake, and eyewitnesses were kept silent. Needless to say, the hidden truth should have gone straight to the man behind the coverup----the father. 
 
However, only Sakaki, Rinne, and of course the "Mushi" and snake as well as Guriko should have known about the apples.
 
"Who do you think I am?" The teddy bear naturally continued, "Of course I know more than you do! I just don't tell you because I don't want you to be corrupted. All in all there's nothing worthwhile there, and the knowledge would just be disgusting. Do you understand?"
 
He used an unnerving, emotionless voice to talk to the silent Sakaki.
 
"Last month." The teddy bear's words still sounded natural. "An immensely large monster----a dream-world beast rampaged, right? Who do you think killed it? Or... How was it killed? Do you really think a few bombs dropped from a plane would be enough?"
 
That voice mocked Sakaki rather than question him.
 
"Whether with explosives or firebombs, did you think it was possible to soundlessly kill such a large monster? Not only that----to exterminate a monster with extraordinary life force gained from eating an apple, that can easily cause so much destruction? Can a weapon that incredible really exist?"
 
That was a joyful and delighted voice.
 
"If you just think about last month's events, so many things don't make sense. Guryuu, you didn't know anything, misunderstood the whole situation, and didn't face any conflicts. The apple, the clock, the 'Mushi'! You barely understand any of them! ----But you don't need to understand them either. Since you're my cute, adorable successor."
 
These words pierced Sakaki's ears and made his eyebrows furl.
 
After overcoming that and passing through a period of peace, he finally felt secure----but now, it all became undone. What was going on? He felt horribly uneasy. His doubts suddenly layered up, and he began to feel disgusted by the apple taking root in his soul.
 
"You, what are you trying to get at?"
 
"Ah? I'm just worrying like any normal father over his child's life. Basically, I want you to inherit the Sakaki Organization like a good boy while I do my best to keep you away from danger. Watch out for the names Melodia Noise, Poison, Ultimate Shield, Unpleasant Counter-Current, Single Room, God Insect Emperor, and Sterilization Disinfection. It's just as their names imply. If you involve yourself with them you die.
 
Mindlessly saying these unclear words, the head of the Sakaki Organization----Sakaki Ganhou laughed gloomily with his synthesized voice. Tatsue felt very afraid, and looked at the stuffed animal in alarm.
 
Mushi, eyeball, and a teddy bear.
 
Not showing up in the previous month's events, hiding in the darkness, and the third person, who stayed out of sight while acting----he was here. Sakaki Ganhou: what did he know, what did he want? The horrifying teddy bear merely spoke cheerfully to Sakaki, yet it seemed accusing.
 
"Mmm, I need to pick something to say. Since I'm pretty busy, I only wanted to say this one thing, but it got dragged out so long. Ah, that's right, I almost forgot."
 
The teddy bear suddenly moved and clapped its hands. It probably carried this function. "Waah!" Tatsue made a strange sound.
 
"Usagawa Rinne is your girlfriend right? These few months----I sent people to throroughly investigate her. Honestly, I don't know why you like her so much."
 
Its head tilted.
 
Sakaki's expression turned cold as he glared at the teddy bear.
 
"Father, since you insulted her excellency, you will pay with your life!"
 
"How frightening. How frightening. See, even Tatsue's scared.
 
Actually, Tatsue was afraid of her father.
 
"Whatever, let's move on. Me, I don't care who you take as your wife. Your mother actually came from a slum in America, and besides, the organization isn't run by wives. But, as it is now, no one would stay quiet. They'd say the Sakaki family's situation is questionable since the head's wife has questionable status."
 
"Just eliminate those fools, father!"
 
"No way, that would be too troublesome. Since most of those idiots are famous, I'd have a lot of problems dealing with the aftermath!"
 
Hearing these negative words, Tatsue secretly sighed at another direction. Sakaki acted as if he didn't notice and stomped on the ground, seeming to be in the mood for a fight.
 
"Ignoring all the side details, you----would have me leave her excellency? Because I've made up my mind. I'll tell you now, if I had to choose between this company and her, I'd pick her without any hesitation."
 
"How stupid, to even give up your inheritance for a woman..." Tatsue probably didn't understand what was going on, and took Sakaki's rant as truth, "Th-this, Brother's decision to not inherit the company is exactly what I've wanted!"
 
"Tatsue, stop acting tough. Your knees are shaking." Sakaki quietly looked downward.
 
"......Oh."
 
Tatsue's back was stiff with fear, and she grit her teeth. The Sakaki Organizaion held enormous power, and inheriting its might would take far more ability and willpower than possessed by a normal person. Tatsue had only recently turned fifteen. She was only in in high school, and definitely did not hold such a level of tolerance or calmness. "Okay, in short". The teddy bear----Ganhou nonchantly gave his conclusion in the frightened monotonic synthetic voice. 
 
"You say you can only love Usagawa Rinne, and this person here says she's not good enough. Then isn't it easy? Yup. Just make Usagawa mature. Turn her into a woman acceptable as the lady of the Sakaki. For this, I've prepared a lot. And since you two want to marry as soon as she graduates, have her use her time in school to improve in every aspect."
 
After hearing these words, Sakaki was forced to remember his own hellish upbringing, and frowned.
 
Forcing Rinne to change like that----that would be exceedingly harsh, and the mere thought of it disgusted Sakaki.
 
Her close friend just died. For her who was in an unstable mood, what would happen if she were to suffer even more?
 
"Father."
 
Sakaki showed a grave face. He serenely said, "If you subject Usarin-kakka to that inhuman preparation, I would not hesitate to overthrow you. Do not forget, that moment will be the moment when you and I part ways."
 
The teddy bear did not respond, possibly having said all that it wanted, and beckoned Tatsue to leave. The men in black followed, saluting Sakaki before disappearing down the road.
 
Tatsue looked back one last time.
 
For the first time, she showed a human expression filled with worry. "Brother, be careful." 
 
Sakaki did not respond as he turned toward Rinne's home, walking over the poorly paved road.
 
"No problem, no problem, Guriko-chan worries too much. It's fine, because I'm really good at cooking and using this knife. Ah... mmmhmm, hahaha." 
 
"Blood! Wait, Rinne, you're slicing your own finger! Blood, blood... Calm down, don't force yourself to try to cook, since Sakaki and I don't need to eat anyway. If you weren't immortal, you'd be in a lot of trouble from cutting off your fingers!"
 
Guriko was truly at a loss for what to do。
 
Near Kannonsakazaki Private High School which Rinne and Guriko attended and where Sakaki worked, past the shopping district and a small, bumpy road stood the apartment building where Rinne lived.
 
With walls that seemed like they would collapse with a light knock, this shabby building had an extraordinally cheap rent. She lived in a apartment with, counting the bathroom, 7.5 square meters of space, and next to her lived a self-proclaimed musician , an older girl whose face reflected tough times.
 
Ever since Katou Katsumi was murdered for unclear reasons, Rinne holed up inside this room without taking a single step outside.
 
As one would expect, the shadow of a murder grievously damaged her heart. For immortal people, the mind was a place of weakness. When physical harm removes relationships, they would be even more hurt than normal people.
 
That's right, three days ago, a dreadful murder had occured for the first time in Kannonsakazaki town. The victim's name was Katou Katsumi. Like Rinne and Guriko, she was a student at Kannonsakazaki Private High School, who had from middle school fromed an unbreakable bond with Rinne.
 
This person. After walking away from Rinne in front of a coffee shop, she was immediately murdered by someone. What's more, the method was quite merciless; she had been violently slammed against a stone wall and ground. Guriko didn't care so much since she was already used to death and corpses. The one who suffered was Rinne. As the last person to have seen Katsumi, she was thorougly questioned. Over and over again, the fact that Katsumi died was shoved at her.
 
What kind of feelings did she hold?
 
Rinne in this state, at first glance, appeared no different from how she was before. She smiled like before, and though her voice trembled a bit, it still seemed far from insane. But those were obviously only her attempts at stoicism. Not only were her actions more sluggish, her expression was also fixed at a barely sustainable fake smile. As if insisting there's nothing wrong, she cooked, but only created worthless products of failure that caused problems for Guriko.
 
People who had eaten an Apple slowly lost their sense of taste. Any sort of feeling from an empty stomach would also diappear. So, Rinne's actions were completely meaningless. But, Guriko thought, this could at least help turn her mood around, and wordlessly accepted the behavior.
 
And so, Rinne stopped preparing a dish out of her fingers without losing that small smile, but as soon as she began to rest, the doorbell rang.
 
"Sakaki?"
 
Guriko mumbled to herself, staying cautious as she walked over to open th edoor.
 
"Guriko, is her majesty alright?"
 
As expected, there stood a handsome man with blue eyes and blond hair who seemed more like art. He had grabbed Guriko's shoulders and forcefully shook her, while she sighed with her eyes half closed.
 
"What do you mean 'Is she alright?', it's not like she'll die. Stop panicking and calm down. And stop shaking me, I feel like throwing up. Really, as soon as anything involves Rinne, you immediately lose all common sense."
 
Guriko called at Rinne, but when she turned to look, she noticed that Rinne had suddenly collapsed.
 
"Rinne?" Sakaki's eyes widened, with an expression approprate for the apocalypse. "Ah, ah----Your majesty! Her majesty died!"
 
"She didn't die, calm down! And, stop shaking me or I'll gouge out your eyes, idiot!"
 
As Gankyuu Eguriko bore the throttling, she prepared her spoons.
 
"She's definitely extremely tired."
 
With a head of her distinguishing wolf-like hair, eyes deep like the barrel of a gun that seemed to tell people off, and with the brutal name "Gankyuu Eguriko", this immortal girl had lived for over a thousand years. Once, due to some random event, she had changed her name to True • Gankyuu Eguriko, but, actually giving the reason that it was too hard to pronounce, she reinstated her original name.
 
This uncute girl who lived with Rinne for some reason placed the collapsed girl on prepared bedding, and started talking, "If you feel stressed, your body reacts accordingly. You would get a stomachache, vomit, or get a headache. However, people who have eaten an Apple won't feel those. So, they push themselves to their limit, until they can't take it anymore and collapse. Really, if your friend dies isn't it alright to bawl your eyes out? No one would blame her."
 
Guriko looked at Sakaki who just walked in, silently holding the shoulders of the fast-asleep Rinne and giving her to Sakaki. He wasn't sure what to do and just held her, feeling that she who had lost her energy was exceptionally vulnerable.
 
"Guriko?"
 
"I don't understand tender or loving feelings."
 
Guriko showed a pained expression, and she began to clean the blood-splattered simple kitchen. Probably trained by Rinne, Guriko had gained the ability to clean and do laundry. Yet a thousand years' emptiness had, in the end, erased from her any form of emotion or common sense. 
 
As if reciting text, Guriko nonchalantly said, "I don't understand, I forgot. So there's no way I can comfort Rinne, which is <span id=" frustrating ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | frustrating]]</span>......All I can do is annihilate Rinne's enemies. I definitely can't cure the scars carved in Rinne's heart."
 
She then turned toward Sakaki, with those lonely eyes that, according to Rinne, <span id=" seemed to understand Sakaki well ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | seemed to understand Sakaki well]]</span>. "So, I'm a bit jealous of you."
 
Wasn't he really similar to her? Compared to Guriko who admitted that she could only defeat Rinne's enemies but could not heal her pain, wasn't he only able to comfort Rinne without any way to fend against Rinne's enemies? Sakaki pondered this.
 
Powerless, Sakaki held Rinne tightly, and Guriko looked at them with concern. Rinne's closed eyes brimmed with tears; was he unable to save her, even in her dreams? Her face looked devoid of blood, and her fingertips were abnormally cold. To warm her up, Sakaki held her even closer.
 
Sakaki instinctively spat out insults.
 
"How repulsive, just who was it that killed Katsumi?!"
 
"How would I know?"
 
As she washed the cutting board with dishwashing liquid, Guriko crooked her head and said, "Although, just by looking at the facts, the culprit shouldn't be a normal person. Not some super-strong man or an animal. So it's--"
 
She turned on the faucet.
 
"A monster."
 
Monsters, those things that quietly lived outside the world of people like Sakaki, that overstepped the boundary of normality. During the events in the month before, Sakaki encountered quite a few monsters. The most powerful of them was large enough to flatten buildings with a single step.
 
Katsumi's tragic death truly didn't seem to be caused by humans.
 
Sakaki's mood deteriorated, but he still uneasily said, "Anyways, it's best to stay cautious; after all, we haven't confirmed the culprit. Hopefully it's some criminal that the police can handle... Guriko?"
 
He carelessly looked over, and noticed Guriko's grim gaze toward the entrance. Her expression was strange, as if she was shocked, staring at the door with stiff face.
 
"What is it?"
 
"Someone's here."
 
Guriko replied curtly.
 
Sakaki's eyebrows scrunched together. "Could it be the mailman? Or... the murderer?"
 
Even though he felt it was unlikely, he couldn't deny the possibility. Guriko firmly gripped her three spoons; whether in the past or now, her weapon of choice had always been spoons.
 
"I don't know. Don't talk, someone will hear you. Although, I don't think it's a monster."
 
Possibly listenting for activity, Guriko's face turned beastlike. Instinctively searching out enemies, and avoiding danger. That was the first-rate caution developed over a millenium.
 
"Humans, two of them."
 
Guriko's expression was incomprehensible. Humans; and since there were two, it probably wasn't that self-proclaimed musician woman who lived next door. And students had already been instructed to avoid going out without good reason. 
 
And Guriko definitely did not have anything that could be considered even similar to a friend--
 
As Sakaki thought this way, the doorbell rang. After an eye signal from Guriko, he cautiously walked toward the entrance. They planned so that even if Sakaki was knocked down by a surprise attack, Guriko could repel the intruders. That is to say, Sakaki was bait--"living sacrifice" might also be accurate. He tried to put on a calm voice as he asked, "Excuse me, who is this?"
 
"We're with the Sakaki Group."
 
"Please leave," Sakaki immediately declared, turning his back to the door as he shrugged his shoulders and sighed to Guriko, "No need to be so careful, they aren't people who matter."
 
"I see." Guriko naively set down her spoons. 
 
At that moment, the door was suddenly forced open. Saying that, the door wasn't locked to begin with.
 
The pair standing on the other side of the door solemnly saluted.
 
"Though it was quite rude, please forgive my rudeness."
 
"Hino. You're talking weird."
 
"I'm Itsuwara Hino."
 
"My name is Itsuwara Kio." 
 
Standing there were--an exceedingly normal man and woman of about forty, wearing a gray suit and a milky white outfit, respectively. People who don't stand out, that one would probably brush past after an hour of walking in the city.
 
"What do you want?"
 
Sakaki looked at them with barely-concealed disgust. ''Since they're men of the Sakaki Organization, they must be father's men.  There's no way I can trust them.''
 
The two people smiled tenderly, to the point of seeming unnatural. "Nice to meet you, Sakaki-san."
 
"You're in a good mood as always, it seems. Anyway--" 
 
The man calling himself Kio smoothly pointed at Guriko.
 
"Today we have business with that girl..."
 
Guriko was bewildered.
 
"..."
 
A wild flurry of colors.  In simpler terms, a toy with all different colors. For some reason, it seemed like a child's toy, with purely primary colors, and it was painfully dazzling. The confusing red, blue, and yellow made one dizzy.
 
This was the shopping center called "浑沌禅问答" -- an underground street where all sorts of specialty shops and peddlers gathered. Probably since it was a holiday, customers were abundant, and Guriko almost got lost multiple times. She had no interest in shopping, nor did she enjoy it, and she wanted to get as far away from this overcrowded place as possible. Plus, since Rinne had such a low income, she couldn't go shopping often, and had never come<span id=" come ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | come]]</span> to this shopping center. This place seemed to Guriko like a different, miniature world.
 
The activity now all seemed like normal, human life, which made Guriko feel like she fit into modern Japanese society. Yet in this "浑沌禅问答" , there were too many things she had never seen. Was it really Japan, just like Kannonsakazaki?
 
For example. Guriko for some reason was standing in "Witch's Torture", a specialty toy store with a name sounding like a finishing move, but completely lacked knowledge on the toys arranged there. She tentatively picked up a nearby teddy bear. "So this is what they call a teddy bear?" And she sighed deeply.
 
"Ah, Guriko-chan, you like that teddy bear?" "Then everyone in the family can get a teddy bear. Wow, Guriko, you picked a teddy bear that's just as cute as you are. Then I'll pick a teddy bear that looks as serious as I do, and Hino should a torture bear that's like Hino's deformed body!"
 
"Really, you idiot Kio , that was unnecessary!"
 
"Hahaha."
 
"....."
 
''What's going on now? These people have made enough noise, I really wanna slaughter them.'' The Itsuwara couple Hino and Kio smiled gently behind the grimacing Guriko, and one would find the excessive smiling somehow strange. With no reservation, they brightly said to Guriko, "Guriko-chan. You don't have to be so polite, because we'll be your parents. Just tell us if there's anything you want, and talk with us if anything's troubling you."
 
''...My worries all stem from you two.''
 
Facing the stiffened-up Guriko, Kio tried to talk again, "Guriko, girls usually name their teddy bear. Wanna try it out? Since common sense and normal societal ethics from through things like this."
 
Common sense and normal societal ethics, huh?
 
Guriko refused to recognize those things. But, even so...
 
"A name? Yono."
 
With a serious face, Guriko looked at a teddy bear that looked like a delinquent acting cool. Hino smiled, saying some meaningless words of praise -- Oh, what an excellent name. Truly worthy of Guriko-chan --
 
What was going on now? Guriko pondered.
 
The Itsuwara couple Hino and Kio suddenly appeared, claiming to be sent by the Sakaki Organization. Since they had identification, they probably weren't lying. In this country, if someone tried to con others using the Sakaki Organization's name, he'd suffer more than if he were arrested on the spot. The Sakaki name had that kind of power; conversely, by associating oneself with the Sakaki Organization, one's position in life was as good as guranteed.
 
Guriko set the still-unconscious Rinne on the futon and let Hino and Kio sit down.
 
Even though they claimed to have business with her -- Guriko eyed them suspiciously. She was sure she had never seen them before.
 
The narrow, 7.5-square-meter room was filled with the scent of food. Since the kitchen was part of the room, it was impossible to eliminate the smell even if air freshener is sprayed every once in a while. Rinne was quite a meticulous and neat person, but it was impossible to deny that the undersized room would easily appear cluttered and messy. Between the wardrobe, T.V., textbooks and the like, and the kotatsu, even walking around was difficult.
 
"Common sense and normal societal ethics training?" Sakaki was bewildered.
 
"What did you say?" Guriko didn't understand.
 
Hino smiled with happiness that almost seemed fake, as if saying "This is really great". With hands folded he continued, "Right, common sense and standard societal ethics training. That's what it's called, it's like someone's trying to act smart by using hard words."
 
"Yup, though it sounds like a legal term it's actually pretty simple."
 
Kio forcefully interjected with a cheerful voice. This couple thought quite similarly.
 
"In simple terms -- no, using the most obvious and clear terms, it's 'Have Guriko-chan understand common sense' or 'never live a normal life'. The Sakaki Organization won't be able to help you either. So...
...
...
That's how it is."
 
His words made Sakaki's expression change as the teacher disgustedly looked at Guriko.
 
"Guriko, what the hell did you do?" "No clue."
 
She really had no idea what they're talking about, after all she had only been living according to her own beliefs.
 
Plus, Hino was saying stuff with that giant smile that really shouldn't be said smiling.
 
"Guriko-chan isn't someone who should be living with miss Usagawa Rinne."
 
Hearing this, Guriko's eyebrow twitched a little. She was someone who shouldn't live with Usagawa Rinne.
 
''I don't need others to tell me some like that, even I know that. From the start we only lived together out of practicality, since I had nowhere else to stay.''
 
''But, I don't want some outsider who doesn't understand anything to tell that to me.''
 
Guriko glared at them. Kio, completely unfazed, looked toward Sakaki.
 
"Guryuu-san. Ganhou-san believes it is most important to begin fixing miss Usagawa's surroundings. A person's behavior will be greatly affected by his environment. If the environment is filled with trash, the stench will permeate the person, and if he is surrounded by people using vulgar language, he will inevitably start speaking the same way."
 
"So we need to clean up her surroundings. By thoroughly fixing the things around miss Usagawa Rinne's, it will be possible for her to mature in a sound environment." Hino picked up where Kio left off, making it seem as though they planned it in advance.
 
Sakaki's face stiffened, contemptuously glaring at them. "Basically, Guriko's a hindrance?"
 
Hino and Kio spoke together. "You are correct, Guryuu-san."
 
"Why..."
 
Guriko couldn't ignore this, and banged her fist on the kotatsu with flaming eyes. She made a loud noise, but Guriko still took care not to break it.
 
The teacups set on the table rattled and fell.
 
Guriko released the anger she held: "You... How am I a hindrance? Aren't you saying that I'm a bad influence on R-Rinne?"
 
The words lacked her usual sharpness. Guriko somewhat felt that she had brought Rinne into an abnormal world. Granted, even if she did not appear Rinne would have eventually noticed her Apple's power. But in the end, it was Guriko who made this happen faster.
 
But, even so...
 
''I don't want Rinne to say she doesn't need me or, even worse, think of me as a nuisance.''
 
Yet Kio naturally said, "Yes, you're quite a hindrance and a poor influence."
 
Toward this formality that was like defining simple English words, Guriko didn't know whether to feel enraged or hurt. She looked toward Sakaki, whose face showed a rare expression as he remained silent.
 
"But." Sakaki spoke with weight and earnestness in his deep voice. "Her majesty was saved thanks to Guriko. You cannot deny that."
 
"True, we know that."
 
"But right now, her influence is undesirable in many ways."
 
Hino shot a glance at Kio, who rapidly set onto the table several documents from a bag. Guriko couldn't resist looking at them, but the convoluted text filled with complicated words made her head spin.
 
Hino explained with a bitter laugh: "These are the recent records of Guriko-chan causing injuries, breaking things, attempting murder, etc. Mmm, there's really too much. Even though these incidents won't be investigated since Ganhou-san's handling them, if you don't consider the fact that she's a minor this is truly too terrible."
 
"Guriko isn't a minor." Guriko nodded in consent with Sakaki's words.
 
The Itsuwara couple were shocked, looking at each other as if asking "What's going on?"
 
That's right, Guriko was about a thousand years old. Even though she couldn't remember the exact number, she should probably be the elder of every human on this lump of land. At events like <span id=" birthday parties ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Birthday Parties | birthday parties]]</span>, she ate thousand-year candies; the makers probably never imagined that someone would actually be that old.  Though this isn't relevant to what Hino was saying, it's still true.
 
Normally, beating someone up or attempting murder would result in punishment; that is justice. It's something that's obvious with a little bit of thought. Yet from the start, one shouldn't expect Guriko who had wandered for a thousand years to have this kind of common sense or belief.
 
Guriko looked at Hino, who nodded her head as if understanding Guriko's feelings.
 
"Right, developing common sense and normal societal ethics is the goal, so that Guriko-chan will stop doing that kind of stuff and become a normal person. You've been committing crimes for too long. Ganhou-san has decided: living with a person like that will definitely hamper miss Usagawa's development."
 
''To be honest, this makes a lot of sense.''
 
''And if possible, I don't want to trouble Rinne.''
 
As if to let her relax, Kio gently smiled. "Obviously, you'll be able to return immediately after the training finishes. When you can fit into society without upsetting the sense of normalcy that an average person develops throughout life, and it is decided that you no longer threaten miss Usagawa's development, the training will end."
 
"..."
 
Guriko thought about it: ''So it's like this. I can understand. But the problem is, I want to stay be Rinne's side. I don't want to leave her --Even though I understand the logic.''
 
Guriko looked at Rinne who was sleeping, curled in the futon.
 
''I can't make problems for her.''
 
"Alright, I accept."
 
Guriko made her resolution; it shouldn't take too long anyway, and time itself isn't limited. There's no rush, nothing's wrong with accepting their common sense and normal societal ethics training! Guriko thought this way.
 
Astonished, Sakaki turned toward her. "Is that alright? Guriko. If you really don't want to do it, I can think of something."
 
"You're too nosy. You have nothing to do with this. In short, I don't want to trouble Rinne."
 
Hino and Kio's faces lightened into unrestrained smiles.
 
"Wah, thanks. Guriko, I'm really happy!"
 
"I, I, I'll strive to become a superb mother!"
 
"I'll also become a dependable father! Let's go, it'll get busy starting today!"
 
Guriko noticed something weird, looking without understanding at the two people who got incredibly happy on their own.
 
"Wh-what? What's the meaning of this? What mother, father?"
 
"What?"
 
While embracing Hino, Kio who was elated to shivers spoke with an indignant tone something absurd: "Common sense and normal societal ethics training conists of Guriko living with us as our daughter! The plan is to slowly teach common sense and ethics through cohabitation!"
 
"There is much to teach, Guriko-chan! From today onward you are Itsuwara Eguriko! Waahhhh----"
 
''Isn't it a bit early to decide that?''
 
Gankyuu Eguriko--correction, Itsuwara Eguriko sighed.
 
"That said, who is Itsuwara Eguriko?"
 
Things have gotten crappy; Guriko thought this as she sat in an Italian restaurant on a restaurant-filled street eating spaghetti. In fact, not only did Guriko have no appetite, she didn't even need food, so what she did was meaningless. But to prevent the Itsuwara couple who knew nothing from getting suspicious, it was best for the time being to act like she was hungry and let the food flow into her stomach. Back before she became immortal, she never thought stuffing down <span id=" rare delicacies ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | rare delicacies]]</span> could be so disgusting.
 
"Wah, Hino, this pizza's on the level of national treasures! Call the chef over!"
 
"That pizza was definitely frozen! But it's so good!"
 
"Guriko. It's good, right?" "Guriko-chan, don't you also think it's good?"
 
They were also strange.
 
Their affection -- strange.
 
Swallowing it was a bit disgusting.
 
"..."
 
''That's right, to me these should meaningless, unrelated people. They're a couple from who knows where that I didn't know yesterday. Their names are Itsuwara Hino and Itsuwara Kio, but aside from the fact that their personalities are ridiculous and over-the-top, they aren't anything special, just a man and woman that can be found anywhere.''
 
Guriko agreed to take the common sense and normal societal ethics training with that overly long name, and after entrusting the unconcious Rinne to Sakaki came along with these people, what followed was nothing but a series of new irritants. Was this normalcy? Guriko could not understand.
 
--It's alright as long only you are unhappy--
 
Guriko recalled that time when she was still called Yono. A thousand years ago, when Guriko was genuinely human, without anything like immortality.
 
Guriko had been taken into a household, and received cold treatment from the family members. She thought this was alright, since they gave her food to eat and at nighttime they helped prepare bedding for her. When her older brother was in a good mood he would even play with her. But she often felt an indescribable loneliness, and when she noticed she was by herself.
 
Over and over again her parents would say to her, it's alright as long as you are unhappy. Though Guriko felt hurt, she still accepted it completely, and she felt that this was the normal relationship between parent and child. The parental relationships that Guriko knew, that remained in her memory, were dry and without feeling, like the relationships between a pack of beasts.
 
But--
 
Guriko lightly stroked the teddy bear on her leg, that one called Yono. ''Rinne seemed to have said before that she wanted a teddy bear. But I never thought the day would come when I would get one.''
 
Even though she didn't particularly want one.
 
For some reason, <span id=" the thought didn't leave her head ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | the thought didn't leave her head]]</span>. 
 
Toy stores, clothing stores, office supply stores, they went to every type of store and bought everything they needed. Guriko bought three clothing items, shoes, and things which she had always wanted but never thought to buy, high quality spoons that didn't come from a dollar store.
 
She never expected a day to come when she didn't need to steal and could obtain her own things legally. This teddy bear was Guriko's, and Guriko's alone.
 
Thinking like this, her mood suddenly improved.
 
So--
 
"Ugh."
 
While suppressing her urge to vomit, Guriko forked down her spaghetti. Giant bite after giant bite, she expressionlessly ate, and then politely said, "It's not bad."
 
Just this much was enough for them to heartily laugh.
 
"Wah! Guriko seems to like it too!"
 
"This restaurant really is the best! Even though it's a chain restaurant!"
 
"Call the chef over! Call the chef over!"
 
''Really, why are they so idiotic, I've had enough. I don't accept them as my family. But... This doesn't really feel bad."''
 
''Can I find a way to treat them as my parents? No, that's impossible. There's no way today, but maybe one day I'll be tricked by this irredeemable, ridiculous kind of atmosphere. I can't be sure I won't make some sort of mistake.''
 
"Yono died a thousand years ago."
 
She stroked the teddy bear as she spoke softly.
 
"Ever since then, I've always been Gankyuu Eguriko. I... can I already stop using that freakish name? I don't know... Do I want to? I can't figure it out."
 
Guriko's reflections didn't produce results, so she just decided to leave her worries for tomorrow; her time won't run out, anyways. Back to the present. It's enough to go along with this situation that can only be described as disastrous.
 
Kio looked at Guriko whose head was lowered, and his expression was like he stuck gold. "Wah, Guriko! There's sauce stuck on the corner of your mouth! I'll wipe it off for you!"
 
"That's my job, Kio! Move!"
 
"--Let's get wiping!" 
 
And so Guriko ended up in this doubly-being-wiped situation, becoming aware of the peculiarity in the corner of her mouth as her muscles had moved a little. Unable to believe it, she pushed aside the napkin pressed to her and placed her fingers on the corner of her lips.
 
She understood. And as a result felt somewhat surprised.
 
"I'm... smiling."
 
Guriko smiled very faintly. Such a rare occurence, and in front of people she met for the first time today to boot.
 
Apparently, she actually was enjoying herself.
 
"Whoa, Guriko smiled! It's so cute, I'm gonna collapse!"
 
"Same here! Ah--Guriko LOVE, LOVE! Mmmmmmmm...."
 
After finishing their weird noises the two pretended to faint, causing nervous murmurs from the other customers.
 
Even though this wasn't her desire at all, Guriko seemed to feel a little joy.
 
 
That night.
 
"Art."
 
In an empty park.
 
"Art--Yeah, what is called misery, when taken to the limit will be called beautiful art."
 
A ball abandoned by children after they finish playing, sad-looking playground equipment that seemed to absorb the silent desolation. A messy sandpit. Inside this slightly small park, the bench in front of the water fountain.
 
"Obscene, vulgar, base, filthy--this corpse that normal people hate without reason, shines as art. Hahaha. It's true, the beautiful human corpse is beautifully artistic. Lavish and wonderful, miserable and wonderful, cruel and wonderful. Man, what's going on, why is the heartless me unable to suppress my excitement and shuddering body!"
 
Sitting there was a female.
 
"How about a toast to this beauteous night? The full moon and stars are all so beautiful, so how about sweet wine? The highest quality, that can make people shiver."
 
Around her were the flesh pieces of humans who were out for a stroll.
 
Under the lamppost that struggled to keep shining, without speaking to anyone in particular, the woman weaved words in a honey-sweet voice. After sundown in this playground in the residential area, signs of life were completely gone, and no one noticed this bloody, brutal scene. Flesh, and blood, surrounded the woman on the bench; only these two things were scattered around. Just what kind of flesh was it? It was impossible to tell by looking at the pieces, but that glossy red flesh was still fresh, steaming in the chilly winter air.
 
With some light from the moon, stars, or lamppost the flesh looked a bit brown, and the blood lying all around had turned completely black while seeping into the ground. This was a scene that lacked a sense of reality, leaving only a ruthless stillness.
 
As if appreciating a famous painting, the woman merely sat silently, watching.
 

"<span id=" I've always thought ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | I've always thought]]</span>"
 
She sighed.
 
"Looking at this--Ah, I made something awesome! No wait, that's too arrogant. The creators of this work are none other than you who have become corpses. I can only appreciate my luck until your art rots."
 
Truly, how many wonders are hidden within this Earth? This world that she can't see all of no matter how long she lives. From a pure point of view, this woman loved this wondrous world.
 
The only things that could be heard were the horn of a distant car, the wind, and the rustling of the leaves on the park's trees. The only thing that could be seen was the darkness-covered world that seemed a bit mysterious.
 
There was only the shadow of a building, mixing with the park's gravel ground, attracted by the scent of blood. But its true identity was a group of Mushi.
 
"<span id=" Mushi ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | Mushi]]</span> -- ah." 
 
The woman sighed again. Every time she did so, a sound would come from her mouth similar to the sound of a teapot releasing steam.
 
That would be expected, because a mask was covering her mouth. It was not for blocking colds or allergies; rather, the clear purpose was to block dust or toxic gas. The unusually-shaped hard mask's seemed especially out of place over her graceful appearance.
 
Thanks to a mask, it was hard to see her expression, and her age was uncertain though she seemed to be between 25 and 29. Slim yet dangerous, like a sharpened blade. Over her thin, tender body she wore extremely revealing clothes.
 
A tank top with angel wings printed on the back hid a body that gave off an impression different from that of a girl. IT was winter now, but she snow white skin was completely free of goosebumps. The only thing barely covering her waist area was a pair of jeans that stopped at her thighs.
 
<span id=" Note ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | *]]</span>
 
A head of flawlessly pure white hair, untainted by anything; it was the color of fresh snow. The waist-length hair was tied into a ponytail. On her wrists she wore all sorts of bracelets, and also covering her wrists was colorful cloth.
 
Only this strange looking woman's eyes turned sinister, and raising her foot as if pondering something, she spoke into the darkness. She had a habit of speaking out loud to organize her thoughts, feeling that doing this let her sort out important points.
 
"Mushi... Ah, Mushi. That group of Mushi acted strange last month, and though it quickly became peaceful again I don't know what happened in the first place."
 
A breeze brushed past her hair.
 
"It is believed that the one responsible is an Apple holder living in this town. The four confirmed individuals are Usagawa Rinne, Sakaki Guryuu, Gankyuu Eguriko, and--"
 
As she spoke, she seemed to think about something.
 
"The one who tried to steal their Apples by pretending to be and manipulating 'Mushi'. Honestly. I didn't think that clan still existed! This is ominous; Adam, Eve, and the snake. The humans descended from Adam and Eve reproduced far too quickly to eliminate, but if the last descendant of the snake causes trouble I can exterminate him."
 
The woman stared forward with a grave expression.
 
"I'll start by taking Apples away from their owners. If that works, I can ask at that time about what happened.Really, why do I have to do this kind of annoying thing? I'm just a digestive organ, seeking out truth is God Insect Emperor's job."
 
The others were just too lazy, it felt like she was doing all the work.
 
"This is so annoying. I'm going to tremble."
 
The woman's body shook, and then as if to protect herself raised her arms around her. This was something she did, without any particular meaning.
 
With a "Fshuu--Fshuu--" breathing sound coming from the mask, she muttered to herself, "Basically, it doesn't matter who of those four, I'll start by taking the Apples."
 
Then she looked at the pieces of flesh scattered in front of her, thinking, thinking, and thought through all the main points.
 
"-Then, I really will need these pieces of flesh. Even though I don't want to use these pieces of art on anything--"
 
"Wh-Whooa?"
 
A scream?
 
In an instant. The woman's expression quickly becam alert as she turned toward the sound. The rapid movement made her hair swish high. In her line of sight was--
 
"Eh, umm. These are corpses... Waahhh!"
 
The woman calmly watched this person. He was a blue uniformed police officer, male, without any distinctive features, and didn't seem to be an excellent cop. Shuddering, he pointed at the hands and guts and other body parts on the ground, and screamed before collapsing on the ground as his mouth opened and closed.
 
Did the police notice? Of course police officers patrolled residential areas. Chances were Long-Armed Demon acted on her own too much, so the police had been especially alert recently.
 
"Long-Armed Demon, Apple holders, police----" The woman sighed with a "Fshuuu", and seemed to be exhausted as she shrugged her shoulders. "So troublesome."
 
Then she got up and turned to the policeman sitting paralyzed on the ground. He seemed to have just noticed her, and let out a stiff shout as he scooted backward.
 
"Don't... Don't tell me! Are you the L-long Armed Demon?"
 
"Ugh."
 
The woman scrunched her eyebrows, slowly walking next to the man. "I'm not one of those changed children. Now, my name is Saibara Mina, I really hate this name because--it's not cute."
 
After that she took a spray can from somewhere and pointed it at the policeman. It was an extremely common spray can, simple and unlabeled. On the outside it didn't look different from insecticide or deodorant that gets sold.
 
"This."
 
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
 
The woman shook it while remaining still, shaking in a way that didn't look special.
 
"If you want address me, please use Sterilization Disinfection."
 
With a face like he'd seen a ghost, the police officer screamed loudly and frantically tried to crawl up and escape.
 
He kneeled, screaming as he tried to get up, but his legs didn't listen to his commands and he collapsed again. He seemed so scared that he couldn't even control himself anymore.
 
"Fshuu"--Mina sighed in resignation.
 
"What an unbearable policeman. No courage at all, he's contaminating my field of view."
 
The policeman could not understand Mina's words, screaming as he stood up.
 
"S-Senpai! Save me! Nageki-senpai!" Did he have companions? It would be troublesome if he called over too many people.
 
Mina quickly made her decision.
 
"Save me! L-Long Armed Demon, she's the Long Armed Demon!" ''<span id=" Guess I'll prove otherwise... ">[[Mushi:Vol2_TLnotes# Questionable translations | Guess I'll prove otherwise]]</span>. ''
 
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Mine shook her spray can, and slowly turned it to the man.
 
"Let's sterilize and disinfect."