Mushi Uta:Volume 12
Novel Illustrations[edit]
Cover
Color Page 1
Color Page 2
Color Page 3
Page 34
Page 68
Page 121
Page 155
Page 211
Page 262
Page 325
Page 386
Page 408
Page 419
Prologue: 0.00 Daisuke Epilogue[edit]
Mushi—
Supernatural beings that suddenly appeared inside Japan more than a decade ago.
Their appearance resembled insects and they were said to possess adolescent boys and girls.
“As you have presently succeeded in the recapture of Akamaki City, the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau will now move onto the next mission.”
People possessed by Mushi were named Mushitsuki. Mushitsuki fed their Mushi with their wishes—their “dreams” of what they wanted to become—and in exchange became able to use supernatural powers.
Until now, the existence of Mushi and Mushitsuki had been concealed from society at large.
The organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau was in charge of this concealment.
“We will commence the annihilation of the Mushitsuki responsible for the mist isolating Akamaki City, for releasing Shinpu, and also for absorbing the Original Three and trying to fuse them, namely—”
Akamaki City, the city functioning as the country’s center, now looked completely different than it did yesterday.
Buildings crumbled and the asphalt ground was raised. There were no passersby dressed in suits or school uniforms, and there were no vehicles on the fissured roads.
Instead stood groups of people clad in long coats colored black, white and grey. These boys and girls were all without exception smeared in blood, their expressions exhausted—
The elite Mushitsuki who managed to survive.
“Ultra Class Rank 1, C.”
The voice of SEPB Vice-Deputy Miguruma Yaeko echoed throughout the ruins of the battlefield.
None there could move even a finger.
They had only just defeated a powerful enemy.
One of the Original Three, those who gave birth to Mushitsuki—Shinpu—was defeated.
There were many casualties.
The biggest city in the country completely lost its functions, and many of the gathered Mushitsuki had dropped out. Each and every one of the survivors were covered by wounds.
In this situation, they received new orders.
Furthermore—against an enemy no one could have foreseen.
Everyone froze, but there was only a single person unable to stop moving, who rose up.
“—“
Wordlessly.
His eyes closed, standing there like a ghost—
“Kakkou—kun…?”
A weak voice resounded right nearby. However, he didn’t even turn to look at it.
“Kakkou…?”
“…Kakkou.”
“Kakkou.”
The tired Mushitsuki all called his name together.
Kakkou.
Right, that was his codename—that he received as a Mushitsuki.
SEPB East Central Branch, Blaze Class Rank 1 member, Kakkou. With both allies and enemies alike fearing him as a cruel combatant, he was one of the three surviving Rank 1s.
“…”
His head lowered, he opened his eyes a slit.
He could see his body clad in a pitch-black coat. He could also feel the large goggles that were the SEPB standard equipment on his face. In his right hand he grasped a pistol.
He slowly raised his face.
First reflected in his eyes were the Mushitsuki wearing coats and goggles.
The SEPB.
As a member of that agency, he’d captured countless Mushitsuki this far. Many times he would kill their Mushi, depriving them of emotions and memories, inducing a state that was called Fallen.
Because of that, many Mushitsuki hated and begrudged him.
Naturally. Because he’d created piles of victims just to keep living.
“Hey, Kakkou…?”
Namie, who used to belong to the SEPB and now was member of another organization, tried approaching him. Behind her were boys and girls in casual wear, completely unlike the SEPB.
They were called Mushibane.
It was a resistance group created by unaffiliated Mushitsuki who opposed the SEPB.
Mushibane held grudges for him too. He had defeated much more than one or two of their members, and he was also responsible for killing their past leader.
How many Mushitsuki had he fought this far?
How many decisive battles had he managed to survive?
How much had they hated each other, cursed each other, hurt each other, won and lost?
Now, however, those two organizations, Mushibane and the SEPB, who before could only hate each other, joined forces and even managed to defeat one of the Original Three.
Mushitsuki combined their forces and faced against the Original Three.
It was something so simple and yet it took so long.
“…Wait a minute.”
A hockey stick-wielding boy grabbed Namie’s shoulder. His forehead, stained with blood and dirt, now had droplets of sweat on it for a reason other than fatigue.
“He’s also taken by Shinpu—no, wait, it’s something else—”
The hockey stick boy’s face strained.
“Dunno what’s going on, but I can feel a really nasty forcefield from him…”
The surrounding air crackled and a shrill sound shook the Mushitsuki’s eardrums.
In the center of the clamoring Mushitsuki—
The Mushitsuki called Kakkou, who survived so many battles—
Wore a smile.
“…You really managed to hold it back well.”
At the same time as that mumble.
As if a finger was snapped like some sort of signal—
Blinding, green light surged from Kakkou’s entire body.
“aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
The surrounding Mushitsuki were all blown back by wild, explosive wind.
A shining, green pattern covered Kakkou’s body. It didn’t stop there, however, with it crawling up over his body and covering him up—
The next moment it explosively transformed into thick armor.
His left arm and both legs swelled to several times their size and sprouted sharp claws. Furthermore, four rock-like wings burst from his back, and half his face was encroached by a green shell. His right arm holding the pistol morphed into a gigantic muzzle.
“—aaaaaaaaaAAAA!”
His mouth, half-transformed into monstrous jaws, raised this inhuman howl.
Due to his suddenly increased weight, the ground under him caved down. All the already-exhausted Mushitsuki were pounded by his shockwave-like scream, sent rolling away.
“So he is—Maturing?”
Miguruma Yaeko’s calm voice could be heard from the goggles covered by the shell.
“N-no way…!”
Unlike Miguruma, this completely flustered voice belonged to his superior, Goroumaru Touko. Just like Miguruma, she was probably checking on things remotely.
“K-Kakkou-san, hold on to yourself! The SEPB and Mushibane combined forces and defeated Shinpu! We’re finally starting!”
Indeed.
Mushitsuki who used to only hurt each other finally faced the root of all evil.
Just seeing this scene—was enough for him.
Because they’d finally managed to grasp their first victory after a string of defeats.
“—”
Inside his weakening sense of self, scenes from the past floated and vanished.
He was made a Mushitsuki by his sister transformed into an Original Three.
Abandoned by his parents, he was picked up by the organization called the SEPB.
Starting then his memories were filled only with fights full of blood and voices of deep-held resentment.
“Right. We cannot allow ourselves any more victims in such a crucial time.”
Even in this situation, Miguruma Yaeko spoke gently.
“I order all of you at the scene. You are—to annihilate Blaze Class Rank 1 member, Kakkou.”
“No way!!!”
Touko’s yell overlapped with her.
“Y-you can’t do that! We still need him! He knows about these Mushitsuki more than anyone! There’s no one else who can lead the Mushitsuki! Without him, we’ll definitely fall apart again—”
“We must defeat him before he fully Matures or this will be a repeat of Lady Bird that ended up destroying Hashiba City. I leave command of Kakkou’s annihilation—to you, Kasuou.”
On top of the debris of a destroyed building stood a girl wearing a white coat.
She was Kasuou. —Since she’d exhausted herself upon saving everyone from the Central Headquarters, she hadn’t participated in subduing Shinpu. She’d been resuscitated by another combatant with regeneration abilities and arrived at the battlefield too late for it.
“—“
Her blonde hair being shaken by the wind, the girl made no move. Her expression was hidden due to her goggles, but she was speechless as she looked at the transformed Kakkou.
“Have you heard my orders, Kasuou?”
“K-Kasuou-san! You mustn’t! You should be able to understand…!”
“Intelligence department, please cut off all transmissions from Acting Branch Head Goroumaru. —Kasuou. Repeat my orders.”
Kasuou made no move. It all seemed to have gone in one ear and out of the other.
Miguruma quickly gave up on the paralyzed battle fanatic.
“Kaguya, then. I will leave command to you.”
Underneath the broken city’s lights, the boy snuggling with Haji Senri raised his face. He was East Central Branch Blaze Class Rank 2 member, Ogata Akatsuki.
Akatsuki supposedly held a grudge against Kakkou. However, he exchanged pleading glances with Senri—and wore a grimace on his bloody face.
“I-it might not be too late…! Even back then when there were signs of Maturation—”
“Terasu.”
Miguruma instantly selected another combatant.
One of the people collapsed on the debris rose up. Next to her was the healer Mushitsuki, Nene.
“Under…stood…! All units, deploy on both sides of Kakkou… we’ll attack him with our full powers simultaneously—”
Although only just healed from her injuries, Terasu strained her voice.
“Kill Kakkooou!”
Hearing these orders, a rain of attacks showered Kakkou.
—Or so it should have been.
“Wha—”
However, those who attacked weren’t even half of the Mushitsuki there. All of them bounced off Kakkou’s armor.
“What are you doing! If we don’t kill this guy right now, we’ll get slaughtered! Did you all forget how badly he treated us until now? This is your chance for revenge!”
Only about a dozen people or so joined the attacks after getting rebuked by Terasu.
Kasuou still stood frozen stiff, and Akatsuki was shouting for them to stop attacking. Other than them, there were also those who exhausted their powers against Shinpu and those intimidated by the Maturing Kakkou.
Those who attacked and those who refrained from attacking. Their only common point was a certain confusion.
—Should they really defeat Kakkou?
This doubt spread through the entire battlefield.
“—”
Kakkou’s body moved on its own. He raised his right arm transformed into a muzzle. Blocking the hockey stick of the boy who instantly appeared in front of him, he counterattacked using the claws of his left hand.
The boy teleported away, but—
“—Gwaah!”
He couldn’t fully evade it, so the boy had blood spurting from his shoulders when he reappeared at a different spot. Also torn by this claw attack, several tons of asphalt and ground assaulted the boy.
As his lower body became covered in sediment, Kakkou’s right arm settled its aim on him.
A red-hot, rotating bullet was launched from the open muzzle.
“T-this is bad—”
Perhaps already exhausting his powers, the hockey stick boy’s expression was strained.
Kakkou’s body was fully controlled by his Mushi. Since the combatants were fatigued by their decisive battle with Shinpu—no, even if they could bring out their full powers, there probably weren’t any Mushitsuki who could stop a Matured Kakkou.
“Kakkou-kun…”
Right—
Except for one person.
The Mushitsuki called Kakkou began when he made a certain Mushitsuki into a Fallen.
Therefore, the one who should close the curtains on this fight had to be that girl.
“—”
Kakkou’s movements stopped.
He didn’t stop himself. The Mushi controlling him—flinched.
He turned around.
A petite girl with a childlike face stood there.
Just like he’d seen her before—in a time that felt like ancient past.
That girl took out her own Mushi, the glowing firefly, and raised it aloft.
“…”
The pair looked at each other on the ruined earth.
—Then I’ll give you my dream.
So she’d said at the time.
He’d nodded.
—I’ll never give up. So you too, one day…
That started everything.
The girl kept her promise.
On the other hand, he—
“—”
He could no longer talk.
However, he slightly nodded.
The girl returned his nod and smiled, tears in her eyes.
“Kakkou-kun, you also have to… alright?”
Light was born above the head of this girl, Secret Class Rank 1 Fuyuhotaru.
It was single flake of snow.
Drifting about as though by a gentle breeze even inside this blowing storm, it fell on Kakkou—and he received it.
Death throes loud enough to strike at eardrums reverberated through the entire battlefield.
Kakkou’s wings touched by the snow twisted, broke off and blew away. The destruction continued, and his thick armor spurted large amounts of bodily fluids while breaking off.
From the fused Kakkou’s mouth came the death throes of his Mushi.
Trying to escape the collapse induced by the frightening snow, the checkered beetle fused with Kakkou was rampaging. Even as it flailed its limbs the destruction wouldn’t stop, and both gigantic legs shattered.
“—aaa!”
Unable to withstand it, the checkered beetle split from Kakkou. Now wearing only cracked goggles and a torn coat, the boy was thrown to the ground.
“Kakkou-kun…!”
As Fuyuhotaru rushed at him, she overlapped with a completely different girl from the past.
She wasn’t Fuyuhotaru.
She looked like the normal girl called Anmoto Shiika.
—I want you to wait for me next year.
The one who made this new promise was him.
Not Kakkou, but the normal boy—
Kusuriya Daisuke.
“Sorry…”
While hearing the checkered beetle’s death throes, Daisuke smiled softly.
Kakkou and Fuyuhotaru fulfilled their promise and reunited after four years.
However, the promise made between Kusuriya Daisuke and Anmoto Shiika—would not be granted.
They would never “reunite” again.
Although Shiika kept her part of the bargain, Daisuke could go no further.
Since she didn’t know Kakkou’s true identity was Daisuke, she’d probably be disappointed when no one came to her come Christmas.
He’d be happy if she was disappointed.
“For breaking… my promise…”
“Eh…?”
Embracing the nearly collapsing Daisuke, Shiika frowned.
Thinking back, he made many promises with many people.
Although he’d promised Kasuou to someday settle the score with her, he was going to break it.
And there were those that he felt like he fulfilled.
There was a person who once dreamt of uniting all Mushi, who then fell into long slumber.
Right now, this situation was undoubtedly the extension of that person’s dream.
He was supposed to look over it properly.
The continuation of that girl’s dream.
“Wake up… already… you idiot…”
As the checkered beetle’s death throes gradually settled down, life was vanishing from Daisuke’s eyes.
“…Kakkou-kun…!”
The fight of the Mushitsuki called Kakkou, that started from back when he’d made Fuyuhotaru into a fallen—
Was, at that moment—
Brought to an end by Fuyuhotaru’s hands.
0.01 The Others[edit]
Accompanied by combatants, Miguruma Yaeko stepped into the disturbed battlefield.
There she witnessed Mushitsuki standing like statues. All were hurt and completely exhausted, but all of them looked as they forgot about this fact.
In their center—
Was a boy with a wooden expression and a girl hugging him.
“You can stop now, Fuyuhotaru.”
As Miguruma called to her, the girl turned around.
“…”
Contrary to her expectations, Fuyuhotaru was—not crying. Her former weakness was gone, her eyes were filled with strength and determination.
Had she gained confidence by defeating Kakkou, her fellow Rank 1?
Or perhaps—had she received something from that boy?
Her strong gaze concealing all weak emotions looked the same as Kakkou’s.
“The SEPB will handle the body.”
Seeing how Fuyuhotaru gained new powers, Miguruma wore a gentle smile.
That was fine.
That was why she was the strongest Rank 1.
A Mushitsuki who descended without any advance warning like a natural disaster. Ever since Miguruma saw a glance of her, she felt that this girl was the closest to Undying.
Her brand of Undying—was the death of others.
None could survive other than Fuyuhotaru. She allowed no other existence. She was an Undying with the absolute power required to make this possible.
Fuyuhotaru would consume all other people, survive and become stronger—
“Kakkou.”
On the other hand, there was the Rank 1 Mushitsuki who’d dropped out of the fight at a much earlier stage than anticipated.
Kusuriya Daisuke—Kakkou.
The boy wearing broken goggles and a tattered coat looked at empty air, his eyes lacking life.
“Raise your face.”
What remained of the strongest Mushitsuki raised his pale face.
Fallen.
Mushitsuki who lost their Mushi would lose their memories and feelings. Called Fallen, they became like moving corpses that obeyed all orders.
Miguruma raised Kakkou’s chin with the fingertip of her index finger.
“Looks like he’s definitely a Fallen now.”
Since this was Miguruma, who’d seen more Fallen than anyone, her judgment made everyone around gasp.
Mixed within the silence, she finally heard—
“Ha, haha—”
Someone’s hoarse laughter.
“Kakkou’s… that demon’s finally gone—”
Miguruma smiled. She whispered in her heart.
No other Mushitsuki is hated as much as you—
He’d fought more Mushitsuki than anyone. Thinking that they relied on him every time they needed to capture a strong Mushitsuki, it was obvious for this place full of elites to have so many who hated him.
“—Kakkou-san!”
From behind came a screaming voice.
Arriving belatedly, Goroumaru Touko grabbed the boy’s arms as if trying to snatch him from Miguruma.
“Y-you’re kidding, right? No way that—hey, Kakkou-san! We still haven’t…! We’re just getting started… so you can’t! You can’t let it end here…”
No matter how strongly Touko shook him, not even the boy’s expression moved.
“No—then we’re already—”
Her knees folding, Touko glanced down, her eyes vacant. Lines of tears streamed down her face.
Kakkou being the main pillar of the East Central Branch was common knowledge. Since she was well-known as incompetent at her job, Acting Branch Head Goroumaru Touko’s reaction was natural—and the other East Central Branch members all felt the same.
Rank 2 combatant Kaguya scowled, shutting both eyes. Sinking down to the ground next to him, Special Class Rank 2 member Himiko also had her eyes misty with tears.
“…”
As Miguruma looked around her, she checked the other Mushitsuki’s reactions.
The reactions of high-ranking SEPB members were varied.
Especially noticeable was Kasuou, who looked as though she was frozen in time.
The member called Yakugami scratched his cheek with a cold expression, while the girl called Sakura kept staring at Kakkou emotionlessly.
Nene and Tamamo were shocked. Their faces full of disbelief, they faintly shook their heads. Yotsuba, who’d just been healed by Nene, raised her face and, upon seeing how Kakkou looked, pounded a fist into the ground.
On the other hand, Terasu made no attempt to hide her glee. She looked at him with a creepy smile while the other West Central Branch members were confused.
Many of the other SEPB members were similarly befuddled. Those who wore smiles in secret and those who looked relieved probably never felt favorable toward Kakkou. None of them seemed to be mourning his condition like the East Central Branch.
“…”
Miguruma glanced at another direction.
What she found unexpected was the reaction of Mushibane, for whom Kakkou was an archnemesis.
It wasn’t just their current leader Fuyuhotaru; none of them looked to be happy at the end of their sworn enemy. Namie, who used to be his comrade, did wear a complex expression. However, other members all wore similar expressions.
Did this mean that the new generation of their top brass changed to that extent? If this was the time when the previous leader, Lady Bird had been in command, they would have all danced in joy.
Miguruma turned to the speechless Kakkou again and spoke in her heart.
And no other person has encouraged as many Mushitsuki as you did… as well—
The numbers of Mushitsuki he’d defeated.
The numbers of fights he’d survived.
The amount of hatred he gathered.
The path he lived through.
He made so many Mushitsuki look in the same direction.
Although by force, he managed to gather all these idiosyncratic Mushitsuki under one banner.
“Since it is a Fallen now, it can no longer be used. Transport it to GARDEN.”
Hearing Miguruma’s orders, the Mushitsuki’s gazes all focused on her.
The fight was not yet over.
A powerful enemy—and a danger that far surpassed even the Original Three—lay in wait.
However, would anyone even be able to bring together all these agitated Mushitsuki?
“It…?”
Fuyuhotaru looked at Miguruma with the exact same eyes as Kakkou.
It couldn’t be her. Although even now they played at being comrades and she was worshipped as Mushibane’s leader, her true form was that of the Undying who was surrounded by all other people’s death. She knew that one day, she’d end up feared and isolated.
“Yes, I will admit that I am somewhat let down by him stopping at this point. But since I have given plenty of love until now, I will obviously—“
She blocked Fuyuhotaru’s anger with a wide smile.
“Act with the same feelings against the opponent we will be facing now.”
She could hear a helicopter approaching them. Although they regulated all traffic around Akamaki City and Mushitsuki from the intelligence department ran interference on satellite monitoring, there were limits to how much they could conceal.
The existence of Mushi and Mushitsuki would probably soon be revealed. Not just to this country—but even to the countries always watching them from outside.
This was a turning point for the world.
A world without Mushitsuki would become a world where Mushitsuki certainly existed—
“We need a new leader.”
Miguruma narrowed her eyes, turning her back to the Mushitsuki who just finished their decisive fight.
1.00 Monma Makoto Part 1[edit]
Carrying her large sports bag on her back, Monma Makoto ran through Akamaki City.
“Haa, so busy.”
The city center was a mere shadow of its former self, but in other areas there was barely any damage. Buildings here and there were unscathed, and upon entering residential districts, she could see the figures of soldiers directing those citizens who hadn’t evacuated yet.
“Hey, you there! This area is already off limits, you have to—”
“Oh, right! I was just about to meet up with my family. I’ll leave soon!”
Waving her hand at an approaching soldier, Makoto left the scene.
He made a stringent face, but didn’t try to stop her by force.
As it should be.
After all, Monma Makoto was a middle schooler about to become a high schooler next year, so she was wearing a completely normal sailor uniform. She tied her long hair from behind with a rubber band in accordance with school regulations and also used a hairpin with beads that just slightly broke school regulations to hold her bangs. Her height was average, neither too tall nor short, and her cat-eyed face was covered in the sweat of fatigue.
Not matter how one looked, she was a middle schooler going home from club. —Well, due to the fact that evacuation had been recommended long ago this was an impossible scenario, though.
Almost no person noticed the average-looking Makoto. Of course, Makoto herself had no memory of ever trying to become anything other than a normal girl.
The cellphone in her pocket rang. She pressed the button while running.
“Yeees, hello?”
“Oh, we’re finally connected. Mako, you alright? I saw it on TV. Akamaki City’s having it rough.”
“Yeah, for real. Being told out of the blue that I gotta evacuate and having my phone not connect to anywhere because of all the disorder and stoppage of service… and there was this show I wanted to see tonight.”
“Aha, a show? More importantly, are you fine? You went there for your relative’s memorial service or something, right? Horrible timing.”
“I’m fine. Thanks though. —What’re they saying about Akamaki City on TV?”
While putting the phone against her ear, Makoto stopped in place. Glancing around her, she turned toward a certain hill in the high-class residential district.
“I can’t tell what’s happening at all. They were very loud at first on the news. ‘A sudden evacuation order from the government! What is the reason?!’ and the like. It was an uproar. They interviewed the people evacuating for TV, and apparently they’ve been taken by the military.”
“Eeep. That’s freaky. What else?”
“All transmissions from Akamaki City also stopped completely all of a sudden. They say there’s been a huge blackout. And that’s why some radio towers or communication facilities broke down… anyway, they’ve been unable to tell what was going on in Akamaki City, but this morning they finally started getting in contact with those who escaped outside—wait? How did I manage to reach you, Mako? Are you no longer in Akamaki City?”
“Right. It’s too scary so I got out first thing. I’m at the neighboring Higano City now.”
She spoke casually while running through Akamaki.
“Oh, good to hear that. Come back quickly now. Well, even if you come back, you’ll only study for entrance exams, though.”
“Haa, I only just quit but I already miss my golden age in basketball club. Even though I was always benched.”
“Ahaha.”
“Oh, sorry, I’ve got another call. Since my phone’s finally working, looks like a lotta people are worried.”
Saying goodbye to her friend, she took the second call—
“Hmm? Wait, you there! You need to evacuate—”
“Sorry! I’m going to ride a bus going out from that shelter over there!”
She slipped away with a vague excuse from yet another soldier who tried stopping her.
“Hello?”
“Oh, Makorisu, you’re alive.”
“I can’t die until I sell all those rare weapon drops.”
“Shit, I thought I’ll get better profits.”
“How dare you, old man.”
“I’m kidding. You told me you were going to Akamaki City on some errand, right? And you haven’t logged in since then. Are you seriously there right now?”
“No, I evacuated already. —Wait, is it fine for a 28-year-old salaryman to call a middle schooler at this hour?”
“My company’s on break. Or more like business is suspended here and there. Since Akamaki City’s getting evacuated and the army’s deployed many people would rather stay at home than go to school or work.”
“Hmm. How’s the net, by the way? The government’s definitely hiding something! Are people saying stuff like that? I can’t come online right now. Send my regards to the other hunters.”
“Yes, it’s more or less like that. Many network service providers suffered these communication failures, so it’s a real issue. I somehow managed to connect to an overseas server… but it’s bad even outside Japan.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Apparently even overseas there are communication issues… not only that, but several generators around the world mysterious stopped. They’re starting to wonder whether it’s somehow related to something going on in Japan, so it feels like we’re in real trouble.”
“Overseas too… huh.”
Makoto just narrowed her eyes. The tone of her conversation partner changed.
“Ha…? W-what’s that—”
“What’s wrong, Lindburg-san, quotation mark 28-years-old salaryman quotation mark?”
“N-no, I just wanted to know what’s going on in Akamaki City, so I got with my hacker buddy and thought about peeking into satellite images, but—the screen’s shining—s-something’s coming out—”
“Haa? There’s no way…!”
Makoto quickly brushed her throat with a finger. And she mumbled.
“—”
In a small enough voice so that the other party wouldn’t hear her.
But the moment after Makoto said that—
“Uwaaah! —Haa! Haa! What was that just now…? The hell…”
“Are you alright? What’s going on?”
“Y-yeah… something came out and was about to grab me… but it suddenly vanished…?”
“C’mon now, Lindburg. It’s a serious mental illness to dream about going into the 2D world. —Wait, never mind that, are you stupid? Don’t use your useless skills for crime! If you ever do that again I’ll block you and never talk to you again!”
“I got it. …But I’m worried.”
“Yeah, yeah, thank you. —I’ll call you again. Try to gather information within the realm of common knowledge. I don’t have much to tell you.”
Saying her goodbye, she cut the phone.
“Looks like they managed to hide more than I thought. …Even in this situation, I could say that’s expected of them.”
As she mumbled to herself, her cellphone rang again.
“Makoto-san, are you fine? You said you were going to Akamaki City, right?”
“Thank you very much for worrying about me. I am completely safe right now, but I am still at Akamaki City. I really have no idea what’s going on…”
“Really? Both the neighborhood association and the women’s association are worried. We’re always indebted to your volunteer work, is there anything we can do for you?”
“Thank you very much. I’m fine—oh, right. Doesn’t your hubby work for the city council? I’d like to know a bit about what the council hears about current events… yeah, since I’m still at Akamaki City I want to know a bit more about the situation—”
Even while running through Akamaki City, voices from the outside gathered around Makoto.
Normal households within the country who were just watching TV, people from her middle school, students, public servants, and even the rumors spreading abroad and news coverage. She heard any and all available information and shuddered.
“There’s too little information about Mushi and Mushitsuki…”
She couldn’t help but wear a bitter smile.
“It will get exposed before long, but to be able to control information to this extent in this day and age… she really is more of a monster than Mushitsuki, that Miguruma Yaeko.”
Her patrol around the high-class residential area would soon end as well. Since this was the final place she was going to check in the vicinity of Akamaki City, she was going to head back to the place agreed upon in advance.
“—Hmm?”
Makoto noticed a slight movement in her vision.
It was a three-story building, larger than the surroundings houses. She found a figure on the second floor.
A girl was lying on a couch resembling a hammock situated on a balcony. While vacantly looking up at the sky, she drank from a glass placed on the table.
“Excuse me!”
Jumping high and grabbing the tall fence, Makoto called toward the girl on the balcony.
“This area’s already been evacuated. Are you not going to get in trouble if you stay there?”
“Oh, yeah. I was just about to head out!”
Speaking in a casual tone, the girl raised her body. She looked to be about two or three years older than Makoto. She was tall, slim and had short-cut hair. A beauty who seemed like she’d gather the attention of girls more than men.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah, completely fine, thanks!”
“Then let me show you to the nearest shelter!”
They spoke from afar, both cupping their mouths with their hands.
“No, it’s fine! I just ended up remembering one of my friends and got all melancholic!”
“You can just do that after you get to safety!”
“True! I just ended up remembering for some reason! She was a Mushitsuki!”
“Eh, a Mushitsuki!”
While answering with a smile, Makoto put her index finger ran against her throat.
A Mushitsuki. She was going to come to know of the risk of mouthing that keyword in this situation. From firsthand experience.
“Nah, I’m kidding! There’s no way Mushitsuki exist, after all!”
“Ahaha, I know right! I knew you weren’t serious!”
Makoto’s finger on her throat stopped in place.
So she was just a weirdo. Not someone who should be bothering Makoto at present state. She had no time for this, so Makoto climbed down the fence.
The family name “Saionji” was written on the house’s plate.
“I’ll be getting away first! You should evacuate soon, too!”
“Okey dokey!”
That frank response did not sound like it belonged to the kind of posh young lady living in this sort of place.
For now, having finished her stroll through all important districts, Makoto returned to the town center.
An area of office builds lying in mountains of rubble.
Among them was a large dome with a broken roof.
Cutting through the spacious parking lot that had cracked asphalt she was able to experience that size clearly. Even just the shop selling all sorts of merchandise before one entered the dome was several times as large as Makoto’s middle school.
As she finally approached the dome itself, heavily armed soldiers were guarding the entrance.
Makoto approached them casually and they naturally came to block her way.
“Hey, you. No entry allowed. You have to evacuate—”
The soldiers blocking her startled.
Reason being, Makoto brought out a coat from her bag and wore it. In addition to this multi-belted grey coat, she also equipped a large visor that covered half of her face.
They opened the path for her. —Makoto felt indignant about them acting as though they met some monster. She was as normal as normal can be; the real monsters were elsewhere.
Slipping between the stiff-faced soldiers, she entered the dome.
She rushed through the gloomy corridor lit only by emergency lights. Soldiers posted at standard intervals had heavy firearms hanging from their shoulders.
Finally exiting the corridor, she reached the dome’s center.
Spectator stands arranged in a staircase pattern 360 degrees all around them and a spacious sports ground with artificial grass.
It was packed full of boys and girls wearing different coats. Makoto rushed through the very center, heading toward a certain woman.
“So you are finally back.”
Turning to face her was a woman wearing a kind smile.
“You cut even your own break time in order to get information. You really are as diligent as always—”
That woman, Miguruma Yaeko, spoke as she looked at Makoto.
“Terasu.”
1.01 Monma Makoto Part 2[edit]
Monma Makoto had seen the place on TV before.
It was a national sports ground that could be used for baseball, soccer, tennis and the like by switching out the artificial grass and other equipment. Makoto was pretty sure she’d watched the soccer nationals.
This all-weather sports ground dome was packed with Mushitsuki to the brim.
It was the following day after the fight against Shinpu in Akamaki City and his subsequent defeat.
Other than those elites from the Central Headquarters and other branches who participated in the fight, there were probably combatants from all over the country gathered there. Here and there she could see familiar people from her district.
There was also a place for the wounded to lie down in, and a distribution center filled with equipment and food. Where Mushitsuki of the intelligence department gathered, electronic equipment was clustered together. Perhaps the underground generators were not enough, so carriable generators hummed in the sports ground’s corners.
The lighting was gloomy.
Blackouts in the city should have been dealt with for now. Even so they received no power from the outside, probably because they relied on the generators alone.
Immediately after entering the dome, she also saw Mushitsuki guarding the circumference. An ability of a kind like some barrier was used to shut out the entire dome from the outside, probably under Miguruma’s orders.
They were cautious of “outside enemies” to an abnormal degree—
That was Makoto’s impression.
Why would they so cowardly isolate themselves from the outside even when the entire country’s Mushitsuki gathered there?
The reason for that was probably had to do with the abilities of the enemy they were about to face.
“You realize that even without you going through the trouble of walking around, the intelligence department had already grasped the situation outside?”
Miguruma Yaeko grinned at Makoto.
Vice-Deputy of the SEPB, Miguruma Yaeko. —In essence, she was the woman who had control of the organization. She was a narrow-eyed woman who smiled constantly. Although she looked like a saint, all members feared her merciless capabilities and sly personality.
“This is my habit. I thought there’d be no issues if I used my own break time for this.”
Standing straight and upright, Makoto replied briskly like a soldier.
“It is not that I want to punish you or anything of the sort. Rather, I am glad. Because my love for you is being rewarded with your diligence. I have great expectations from you.”
“It is my honor, ma’am.”
Makoto was currently inside a tent installed at a corner of the dome.
It had a few hastily-installed monitors and the branch heads of every branch were gathered there. Other than the intelligence department members controlling the monitors and broadcasting equipment, there were only few Mushitsuki.
There was Terasu, aka Monma Makoto.
As well as Fuyuhotaru, and a girl who seemed to be her aide.
“…”
Makoto glanced at Fuyuhotaru.
Her middle-schooler-like baby face was tense and she sneaked peeks at Makoto’s face as well. Since her actual behavior didn’t seem tense, it made Makoto mad.
The surviving Rank 1… she should just die already—
She cussed in her heart, yet showed nothing on her face.
“So, what are your impressions, Terasu? How are things outside?”
“We have managed to conceal the present situation better than I expected. It was such a large-scale battle so I thought the country would be much more hectic… but never mind all the gag orders, opting to eliminate satellite monitoring at an early stage seemed to be effective. The electronic traps laid by the intelligence division also seem to have born fruits. —For now, anyway.”
Fuyuhotaru’s aide yawned upon hearing Makoto’s report. Not only did she have a bad taste in fashion, what with her wearing striped thighs, she constantly fiddled with her phone despite having a sleepy face. “Ah, I’m sooo sleepy, I hate waking up early, the reception’s bad…,” she muttered to herself.
“Indeed. Once they figure out we have tampered with each country’s satellites, we are sure to come under fire. Once our traps are exhausted, we will not be able to avoid information leaking out.”
Miguruma spoke calmly. With a tone as if she was about to pat Makoto’s head.
Meanwhile, those who never smiled at all were the adults standing near Miguruma. There was a white-haired suited man dressed richly and suited men who dressed a little less richly surrounding him.
“Hey! I heard nothing about that! Intervening with other militaries’ weapon systems is—”
“It has been approved, vice minister, sir.”
Miguruma smiled again. —Makoto knew the identity of this white-haired man because she saw him on television. She forgot what ministry he belonged to, but did remember he served as the vice minister.
“All missions related to concealing the existence of Mushi received the approvement of the relevant authorities. There are simply too many missions, so this particular case must have simply slipped from your mind.”
The vice minister was speechless.
“You can relax; everything is fine. Since Mushitsuki abilities barely leave any evidence, it will buy us some time.”
“B-buy us some time? And what about after that! If the international community starts blaming us—”
“Oh, that’s what you worry about. We will somehow handle that, too. We have a proper pipeline with intelligence agencies abroad, so if we give them some information about the untouchable Mushi, our noninterference agreement—which will expire a few months later—will probably be respected.”
The sleepy-looking cellphone girl opened her mouth.
“In that sense, it’s huge that you cut off satellite surveillance so quickly. If they can get information about Mushi that can do even that, the country’s top brass would rather monopolize the usage of it rather than reveal it to society at large.”
Hmm? But I heard there was no one in charge of brains in Mushibane…
Makoto now estimated the need for caution against this girl who was much calmer than her looks would indicate.
“Come to think of it, there were some people who negotiated with us Mushibane in an attempt to monopolize Mushi. It seems like all people who are good in calculating profits and losses always end up thinking the same.”
“Hehe, what a smart girl you are. I think I can love you as well.”
Miguruma narrowed her eyes, looking at the cellphone girl. Being faced with the “Smile of Shackles” that bound any person gazing on it with inescapable self-love, the girl shuddered. She hid behind Fuyuhotaru.
“A-as long as it poses no danger to our citizens, though.”
She was apparently smart, but not brave. Makoto lowered her risk assessment by one rank.
“That is how it is, vice minister. I will take all responsibility, so you can relax.”
Unable to say anything in reply, the vice minister kept silent.
Taking responsibility? So stupid—
Normally Mushi and Mushitsuki could never be managed by a single country. And yet there was a person who could perfectly manage them, shrug off any sort of interference be it domestic or foreign, and able to fully hide their existence even in the current situation.
Was she implying there was someone else able to do this other than Miguruma Yaeko herself?
The answer was no.
No matter the danger.
No matter what she schemed.
They couldn’t lose the person called Miguruma Yaeko. Because they knew that, the country would never eliminate her.
“How about we get down to business, Vice-Deputy.”
A mustached and bearded gentleman in his forties spoke while grinning.
He was North Central Branch Head, Takemi Takemasa. —He was also Makoto’s direct superior.
“Right, Branch Head Takemi.”
Miguruma returned his grin. Any discussion between the two always seemed like a farce.
A sudden image was suddenly shown on the monitor installed directly in front of them.
“…!”
She should have at least warned them beforehand.
Not only Makoto, but probably everyone other than Miguruma Yaeko thought the same.
It was only a short video with rough quality.
However, what she saw from that split instant—
“—”
All humans felt their blood drain and instinctively took a step back.
Makoto was no exception. She felt a shudder rise from the depths of her body.
Shown in the footage was an incomprehensible electronic device and a sea of control cables and power cables thicker than adult humans—
And in the center of that ocean lay a naked girl.
She was thin and her body was pale. She had loose, long hair. The only thing that could count as clothes was a tiara shaped like a crown on her forehead. She was lying down on a transparent, rectangular pedestal.
That girl, who seemed to be in her early teens—
Glared at them.
Pitch-black, wide eyes turned to the camera.
And—at the moment that the eyes grew larger and seemed to close in on the camera with a fish lens effect—the footage reversed back to the same girl lying inside the sea again.
It was just footage of a few seconds filled with static.
Even so, it was clearly abnormal.
The girl’s presence, the way her pitch-dark eyes moved as she stared from the other of the screen, could not be explained with any common sense. It was as if the girl’s very existence transcended time and space, appeared only as warped.
“—ah.”
Perhaps assaulted by nausea, several of the vice-minister’s aides held their mouths and looked down.
“This is the only footage we managed to salvage from the HQ occupied by Shinpu. This was taken at the deepest layer of the Underground Fort.”
So spoke the lone person who remained calm, Miguruma Yaeko.
No, it wasn’t just that she was calm. As she looked at the girl shown in the footage, Miguruma’s eyes were as kind as those of a mother watching her beloved child.
“Ultra Class Rank 1, C. —She is currently our greatest enemy, and a target for annihilation.”
All were speechless.
Only one person showed a different reaction there. It was Fuyuhotaru.
“This is—Erii…?”
Her grim expression seemed full not of fear, but terrible sadness.
Seeing Fuyuhotaru like that, Miguruma grinned.
“Ah, right, when you escaped the HQ once, C had been sent to you as an assassin. —And to think that you have returned to me and will participate in the strategy to defeat C as she is nestling deep within the Headquarters… ah, how fate twists in amusing ways.”
“Nothing about this is amusing…!”
With a pale face, the vice-minister hounded Miguruma.
“What is up with her…! Is she really—human?”
He spoke out what nearly all people there felt.
Makoto thought the same.
By seeing that abnormal figure even for just an instant—she felt a chill and was about to vomit.
In that footage she’d seen now—that girl was—no, that creature was—
“She is obviously not human.”
Miguruma grinned.
“She is but a normal—Mushitsuki.”
This time, everyone became speechless.
“C had belonged to the Central Headquarters experiment division. And the experiment she took part in was—using the fragments of one of the Original Three, Shinpu, to revive Fallen.”
Makoto, who’d watched the video, turned to Miguruma with such vigor that it was almost audible.
What did you just say…?
She heard an outrageous confession right now.
But since Miguruma was too calm about that, it took her a while to properly understand that.
“Unfortunately, though, C had then—”
“W-wait a mi—Vice-Deputy…?”
Branch Head of the South Central Branch was barely able to speak.
“S-Shinpu’s fragments…? Reviving Fallen…? I-I heard nothing about either of that, but what does that—”
“Leaving the experiment aside, I thought that it had already become known that we have had custody of Shinpu’s main body?”
Miguruma Yaeko looked puzzled.
T-this woman…!
Makoto nearly forgot herself and was almost about to yell.
So they hid one of the Original Three—
Who had learned of this fact until this moment? If this really was the truth, then all those people who were afraid of Shinpu until then—
She suddenly turned toward Fuyuhotaru.
Had Mushibane known of this?
Wearing a truly shocked face, the baby-faced girl exchanged glances with the cellphone girl at her side.
“Eh? The SEPB captured Shinpu? Wow, when did that happen!”
“I-I’ll explain later, Snow-san. This isn’t them capturing him, it’s something before that. I know this is you we’re talking about, but even you might flip out once you understand this…”
Their conversation didn’t appear to be staged. Apparently even Mushibane heard this for the first time.
“How unexpected. So does that mean—that only the East Central Branch knew about this?”
Miguruma blurted out yet another surprising fact.
Everyone’s gazes focused on the Acting East Central Branch Head.
Until then standing there wordlessly, Goroumaru Touko glanced at Miguruma Yaeko with insecure eyes.
“H-how many Mushitsuki do you think became victims until we found that out—”
Makoto felt shocked.
The East Central Branch knew the secrets of Central Headquarters. The only ones to have broken through Miguruma Yaeko’s plans of concealment were, of all people, the East Central Branch—
So that demon—Kakkou—knew about this too?
“T-that piece of shit—”
She unconsciously leaked this in a voice lower than a whisper.
“So he stayed silent about something so important…? H-how far had he—”
Makoto tried holding back her swelling rage.
“All of you, this is not good. You can be as many steps behind me as you’d like, but without the bare minimum of competence you will never win this upcoming battle, you realize?”
How many people there felt like killing Miguruma as she spoke so carefreely? Most, like the vice-minister or the branch heads, just stood there in shock.
“I will convey the details of the experiment conducted by C later to Terasu alone.”
Makoto shuddered at this unexpected designation.
The branch heads immediately lashed out.
“W-what! You tell nothing to us branch heads but to a combatant?”
“I have no choice but to do so. Although this is top-secret of the Central Headquarters alone, she must know this. Blaze Class Rank 2 member, Terasu—”
Miguruma looked at Makoto and spoke.
“I will put you in charge of the operation to annihilate C.”
Leaving aside the fact of her feeling weak-kneed due to the shock of Kakkou’s sudden dropping out, she had indeed imagined that she was going to be entrusted with an important mission. However, what she found unexpected about this was—
“I’m a Rank 2…?”
“Indeed, I will adjust the ranks of members in accordance to our strategy from now on. With you promoted to Rank 2, you are to take members such as fellow Rank 2 Kaguya or the newly-designated Rank 2 Kasuou and form a suicide corps with you in the lead.”
Suicide corps.
Seeing that footage just before, she realized that defeating that monster would be difficult. Facing that sort of thing would naturally mean risking one’s life.
“—Yes ma’am.”
Her mouth moved on its own, faster than she could think.
For some reason Fuyuhotaru interjected at that moment.
“W-wait a moment! Why do we have to beat that girl—Erii?”
With how flustered she was, it almost seemed like she was trying to defend C.
Makoto grimaced.
So annoying. Even though she’s a Rank 1, she’s really—
“She didn’t seem like a bad kid to me.”
“Currently, C is not herself. No—”
Miguruma smiled, turning to the monitor.
“That Mushitsuki is no longer even C.”
“What… do you mean?”
North Central Branch’s Branch Head Takemi asked. As expected, his usual amiable smile was gone.
“I cannot give you any further details about the experiments conducted on C—but the goal was to save Fallen Mushitsuki. I wanted to revive those who were defeated midway to their dream… when I thought of this, a large hint appeared.”
Miguruma turned away from the footage, looking at Fuyuhotaru.
“Due to Oogui’s interference, Fuyuhotaru had been able to revive from the Fallen state.”
Fuyuhotaru lightly bit her lips.
The fact she didn’t look surprised was surprising for Makoto. Almost as if the girl knew she was related to that experiment.
“Based on that, I had a certain hypothesis. —Perhaps the Original Three can call back those who have Fallen…”
“…!”
All branch heads looked shocked at this.
“However, it is nearly impossible to capture and restrain Oogui when we can’t tell when and where she would appear. Therefore, I thought of an experiment using one of the Original Three. The Original Three that had been kept by Central Headquarters due to certain circumstances… we used Shinpu to conduct clinical experiments.”
Makoto grimaced.
In summary, they conducted human experiments using the Original Three. Miguruma’s earlier pretext of “saving the Fallen” was shameless.
“Despite being in our custody, Shinpu was still dangerous. We were unable to restrain him. However, we were able to use fragments of his power.”
It was crystal clear.
Miguruma Yaeko spoke of these experiments with a kind and cheerful disposition.
She was undoubtedly having so much fun playing with Mushitsuki—like some great demon lord.
“C’s ability is the control of electricity. It is the optimal ability to connect people’s brains—that are controlled by electrical signals—with Shinpu’s supernatural ability to control corpses.”
Miguruma boldly recited how she went far past the human domain in her deeds.
“C’s duties were the following. To make the Fallen recall their memory and thus recall their dreams as Mushitsuki—meaning, revive them. To restrain the power of one of the Original Three, Shinpu. Finally, to persist in her own activities.”
“So why did this happen?”
Goroumaru Touko stared at Miguruma, full of hatred.
Thinking about it, Makoto heard that C had used to belong to the East Central Branch. She could have been Touko’s past comrade.
“C’s abilities were powerful beyond our wildest imagination. And I am not talking about just my own hypothesis; probably even C herself never thought this far. Her extremely powerful ability—attempted to swallow even Shinpu’s main body through the Fragments.”
“Th…this is entirely your blunder!”
Miguruma smiled and nodded at the agitated vice-minister.
“You are absolutely correct. I do apologize.”
“—!”
“Unable to fully escape from her, Shinpu was absorbed by C. Right now, she holds something like the crystallization of herself and Shinpu’s power, creating vast amounts of energy.”
“Absorbed Shinpu…? B-but we defeated Shinpu yesterday!”
Makoto raised her voice without thinking.
They paid dearly for that; even she herself nearly died, and—Kakkou also became Fallen. The end of this mortal combat was supposed to be the defeat of one of the Original Three, Shinpu.
And yet—
“That is both Shinpu and not Shinpu.”
Miguruma sneered. Completely ignoring Makoto’s grief.
“C had been driven out right after taking in this power. What remains is no more than the remnants of an unneeded personality.”
“—”
“After that, C’s own personality was destroyed. I believe this was definitely not self-destruction, but simply the process evolved from the need to hold back such immense power.”
This time she really—no, but she thought this many times before.
Anyway, she could hear the sounds of something breaking within the hearts of everyone there other than Miguruma.
“Due to the above, you can certainly say that the being called Shinpu has been annihilated. However, after absorbing Shinpu’s powers C continues operating. Seeing how her electrical signals started spreading to the entire country—she continues her mission even now.”
No one could utter a sound.
“Restraining the Original Three. —Meaning, she will kill Oogui and Sanbikime to take in their powers.”
Saying this and falling silent was perhaps Miguruma’s first actually kind action. If they were presented with any further new troubles, Makoto was unsure if she could keep her sanity.
In actuality, it took everyone in the tent a while to return to their senses.
“That kind of monster… is below us even now…?”
The vice-minister looked at his own feet.
The Central Headquarters’ Fortress existed in the vast depths of Akamaki City—
“W-we need to bomb it—”
“The deepest layer where C resides is too deep for bombs to reach. Also, her tentacles keep on reaching all over. By encroaching from paths normally impossible, it is possible for her to reach even defense installations. If she figures out weapons are directed at her, she might control them after being launched… and who knows what happens then. Even if you dispatched regular military forces, their weapons will be rendered ineffective by abnormal electrical signals.”
Miguruma quickly shut it off.
The branch heads also started making suggestions.
“If she is out of control, will she not just self-destruct with time?”
“There is no loss of control. She is completely normal. Because she has erased her personality to achieve this stability.”
“We can also just wait and see what happens without unnecessarily provoking her…”
“If we leave it like this, it will reach the point of no return. The more time passes, the stronger she shall become. After all, she controls the medium of electricity.”
Miguruma spoke in the tone of a mother boasting about her child.
“As long as electricity exists in this world, her power will continue to grow.”
Every time Miguruma joined words into a sentence, despair only increased—
“There is another factor related to her becoming more dangerous with time—but just like I said before, I will talk about this to Terasu alone.”
She needed no more information.
Makoto already reached a certain conclusion in her heart.
“O-once this is all over, be prepared. —The death penalty is always an option.”
Miguruma repelled the vice-minister’s full-blown threat with a grin.
“Is that a joke? All SEPB members are constantly in that danger.”
Exactly so. It was the members of the SEPB who couldn’t even tell if they were going to live by tomorrow or not. An outsider only watching them simply knew too little about Mushi and Mushitsuki.
“Now, Terasu. I would like to hear your opinion. Do you think we can beat C?”
“It’s impossible—”
How should she say that?
Although she supposedly hesitated, her mouth moved on its own. Since she went ahead and said it, she held her mouth.
I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it—
She had too many things she wanted to say and didn’t know where to start.
Not only were they exhausted after the fight against Shinpu, they even lost Kakkou—unfortunately, that Rank 1 was gone. They simply lacked fighting power.
“Ah, no, I-I mean…”
“I really am glad I chose you. Looks like you are still rational.”
Miguruma grinned.
“Eh?”
“Other than the suicide corps led by you for the mission of annihilating C, I have prepared something else.”
Miguruma spoke toward Makoto and all those who were hit by despair.
“We will create two plans for C’s annihilation. —And I have already mobilized the second one.”
“A second plan…?”
Miguruma softly stroked Makoto’s chin as the latter furrowed her brows.
“I love you so much, so I will definitely not let you rush to your deaths helplessly, right? I have prepared a new fighting force to assist you—right, a new leader instead of Kakkou.”
A new leader instead of Kakkou—
Miguruma looked happy at seeing them all widen their eyes.
“It is time for Sleeping Beauty to wake from her slumber.”
1.02 Monma Makoto Part 3[edit]
…Sleeping Beauty?
This title was unfamiliar to Makoto.
However, the only ones who looked puzzled were Makoto and Fuyuhotaru. The branch heads—and for some reason the cellphone girl who was Fuyuhotaru’s aide—all gasped.
Goroumaru Touko especially had her expression change.
“I oppose! We mustn’t do that!”
“And why is that? Acting Branch Head Goroumaru.”
“You ask why…?! You are surely also aware of the reason, Vice-Deputy! Waking her up means—”
Touko tried speaking but then bit her lips. She looked hesitate to keep speaking as if the mere act of continuing her words was going to cast a curse.
“Excuse me, who’s Sleeping Beauty?”
Makoto asked her superior, Branch Head Takemi.
The man looked at Miguruma. Confirming from her narrow eyes that she wasn’t going to stop him, he spoke with a complex expression.
“If I use the name Spear-Type or Spear User, surely you’ll understand? —She’s the final Rank 1.”
“The final Rank 1…?”
While caught in surprise, her voice overlapped with Fuyuhotaru’s. As she glared at Fuyuhotaru, the girl averted her eyes apologetically.
Practically every Mushitsuki heard the rumors that there were five Rank 1s.
Kakkou, Fuyuhotaru, Lady Bird, Harukiyo—and Spear User.
If so, then she definitely heard about her. However, as far as Makoto knew, Spear User had died in some unknown fight. It was also said that Kakkou killed her, and it was impossible to know the truth about the matter.
The Rank 1 called Spear User was gone. —At the very least this was the common knowledge.
“Is Spear User still alive?”
“I heard that she’s in a coma and will never wake up. But judging from the Vice-Deputy’s words, that’s apparently wrong.”
“Terasu and Branch Head Takemi, the answer to both your doubts is a definite ‘yes’. The Rank 1 called Spear User still lives, and waking her up is not impossible. It is simply that a small problem will present itself upon her waking.”
“A-a small problem? This isn’t at the level of—”
Touko refused to back down, but Miguruma looked at her calmly.
“There should only be few people aware of that problem, including me and Kakkou… but you seem to be aware of it, Acting Branch Head Goroumaru.”
“Ugh,” Touko groaned.
Kakkou again…!
Makoto was angry. Still, this was the East Central Branch Head. There was no longer any doubt that they were in possession of a few secrets not even the other branch heads were aware of.
Did Kakkou—that man look down on mediocre Mushitsuki like Makoto because he knew what normal Mushitsuki didn’t?
If that was so—it wasn’t enough for him to end just as a Fallen. She felt like she wanted to rip him apart with her bare hands.
“Sleeping Beauty was a Fusion-Type Mushitsuki as well as a Minion-Type Mushitsuki.”
Miguruma spoke suddenly as if telling them a riddle.
“Nowadays not many know of it—or rather don’t need to, but she has lost a certain battle and fell asleep. And although she lost, during that fight she managed to join forces with the other Rank 1s and fought alongside them.”
“The Rank 1s… combined forces?”
This was something she couldn’t quite imagine. Makoto almost snorted without thinking.
“Indeed. Leaving the Fallen Fuyuhotaru aside—Kakkou, Harukiyo, Lady Bird and Spear User. —Under Spear User’s command, although for an instant, she made it come true.”
“…Eh?”
Made it come true?
That was what Miguruma just said?
“Oh, I slightly misspoke, actually. Lady Bird alone did not attend the fight, going her separate way a little before it. Apparently at the time she went to save some innocent Mushitsuki who were being attacked by the SEPB.”
“I-incredible… there was a person like that?”
Fuyuhotaru looked innocuously amazed.
However, next to her, the cellphone girl widened her eyes.
“—How do you know that…?”
Everyone’s gazes focused on the girl.
“Lady Bird was about to participate in that battle until the very last moment—even in Mushibane barely anyone knows that. Kakkou would never tell someone like you…”
“You have a point. Why do I know, I wonder?”
Miguruma narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.
“—”
The cellphone girl froze for a moment—then took an intake of breath and raised her brows.
“Y-you—”
Wearing a face full of anger, the girl was about to leap at Miguruma.
“Why you…!”
Makoto reflexively held at her throat and reached her other hand toward the girl.
“Sense Isolation!”
“—Gyah!”
Repelled to the side, the girl trembled as if something hit her.
“Lucifera-san!”
The flustered Fuyuhotaru rushed to her side, but the cellphone girl’s rage did not subside. Although affected by Makoto’s ability, she was trying to crawl to Miguruma, her face a mask of fury.
“Y-you biiitch! So you’re the one who invited Lady Bird?! Do you have any idea how many Mushibane members died there?! How many became Fallen…?!”
“Lucifera-san! What on earth are you talking about…! What are you saying—ah, you stop this too, please!”
Fuyuhotaru tried breaking between Makoto and Lucifera or whatever her name was, but Makoto couldn’t stop. She didn’t know what was going on, but Lucifera was clearly trying to attack the Vice-Deputy.
“If she only…! If only Lady was there, we wouldn’t have been wiped out like that…! And after so many were lost in the battle, Mushibane ended up like this…! Otherwise, Lady wouldn’t have had to shoulder everything by herself…!”
This didn’t look like a normal loss of control. As Lucifera shed tears, Miguruma directed her smile of shackles at her.
“Why do you know that? That is my question.”
“…!”
“Only very few people know of that fight, and almost all of Lady’s comrades, that could be called the ancestors of Mushibane, should have died or turned Fallen. —And yet how are speaking of it as if you were related or close to this? Or have you intentionally investigated Spear User?”
Lucifera’s face twitched and froze.
“It seems like not even the current leader, Fuyuhotaru, knows anything about this. For you to know so much about the importance of that battle—I doubt someone of your caliber had been able to decipher so much about it.”
“I-I…”
“Vice-Deputy Miguruma.”
As Miguruma approached the collapsed Lucifera, Goroumaru Touko called to stop her.
“Is what you said true?”
A lone streak of tears fell from Touko’s right eye. Her shoulders were shaking.
“You have—obviously heard about this from Kakkou, Acting Branch Head Goroumaru.”
“T-this is unbelievable… what have you done…”
“Has he been telling you something so cowardly as well? That you would have won, had only Lady been there?”
“Obviously not…! Kakkou would never say something like this even if you ripped his mouth open! But it’s actually—”
“Can you please explain it so we’d understand too?”
Hearing such an incomprehensible conversation—and it unfolding with some relation to Kakkou—she couldn’t hold back anymore. Makoto put strength into her hand directed to Lucifera.
“Also, give me an order what to do with this woman. —If I act any further, there’s the risk of turning Fuyuhotaru into an enemy as well.”
Makoto glared at Fuyuhotaru and was glared back. Completely changed from before, the baby-faced girl’s expression was transforming. She had no idea how Fuyuhotaru was going to act if she didn’t release Lucifera.
“Please do release her. I believe it is alright now. Right, Fuyuhotaru?”
“Lucifera-san, stay put…”
Seeing the girl drooping her head, Makoto released the restraining caused by her ability. Lucifera still looked like she couldn’t hold back her anger, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.
“There is no meaning in discussing that battle right now. To summarize, Sleeping Beauty took part in a certain fight and lost. After this, she had fallen asleep along with a very powerful Mushitsuki in order to seal him.”
The branch heads frowned. Branch Head Takemi then inquired for all of them.
“And that powerful Mushitsuki is?”
“—The Undying Mushitsuki.”
Miguruma said.
The tent full of clamor became as silent as death again.
Branch Head Takemi’s expression stiffened.
“Undying…? What does that mean?”
“Just like the name implies, an immortal Mushitsuki.”
Miguruma smiled.
Touko wiped her tears and glared at Miguruma.
“If Sleeping Beauty wakes up, the Undying Mushitsuki will, too.”
“There’s no issue there. After all, he—the Undying—is not our enemy.”
“But it means that Oogui will regain the ability of Undying again.”
Touko said in a plain tone.
What on earth is going on…?
The Acting Branch Head called Goroumaru Touko was incompetent. —So Makoto heard. She heard that she was installed as a mere figurehead instead of the previous competent Branch Head.
However, this woman actually knew the Central Headquarters’ secrets that no one else knew, and she was now glaring at the Vice-Deputy with a face full of new determination.
“Please watch your mouth, Acting Branch Head Goroumaru. If you were to reveal any more secrets—”
“Oogui can use the abilities of all Mushitsuki she created.”
Just like that.
Goroumaru Touko spat out something unbelievable again.
Makoto’s vision shook.
Oogui—could use the abilities of all Minion Types?
If that was true, then the current Oogui—
“—”
Looking at Fuyuhotaru, she too was speechless.
If Oogui could use the abilities of Minion Types, then naturally—it meant that she could also use Fuyuhotaru’s ability.
Even just that was bad enough.
Adding the ability of the Undying or whatever to that—
“Thanks to Sleeping Beauty the possibility to defeat Oogui was born. She had sacrificed herself to give us that chance. —But if the Undying wakes up, Oogui will once again become an immortal being.”
Touko’s words reverberated inside Makoto’s mind.
What did I even know until now…?
Nothing at all.
Although gathering intel was supposedly her specialty, she only knew very little of the truth of Mushi.
On the other hand, Touko—no, the East Central Branch—knew many truths.
And they were definitely not easy to obtain. Just like Goroumaru Touko said before, many Mushitsuki had fought and sacrificed themselves to finally gain these truths.
What on earth have we been fighting against this far…?
An indescribable sense of defeat overwhelmed Makoto.
“Acting Branch Head Goroumaru Touko. —After this operation, I will have you demoted.”
Miguruma’s smile of shackles turned to Touko.
“Understood.”
Touko just accepted it as it was.
Nodding in satisfaction, Miguruma turned back to the other branch heads.
“From what Acting Branch Head Goroumaru Touko said, we can kill two birds with one stone.”
“…?”
“We will regain Sleeping Beauty as a fighter instead of Kakkou, and Oogui will regain the ability of the Undying. Meaning, it will become impossible for C to absorb Oogui.”
The branch heads gasped.
Miguruma certainly had a point.
They had no idea who that Sleeping Beauty was, but if they were to gain someone on the same level as Kakkou, they might have a chance against C. On top of that, the nightmarish situation of C absorbing Oogui and becoming even more powerful would be gone.
Also, Miguruma said that the Undying Mushitsuki wasn’t their enemy.
If all went well, perhaps even he would become their ally.
That would be enough—
“Isn’t that messed up?!”
The one to raise an objection was unexpectedly Fuyuhotaru herself.
“Saving an Original Three to defeat a Mushitsuki… that’s obviously messed up!”
Makoto had certainly seen it.
When Miguruma Yaeko heard Fuyuhotaru’s words, her brows twitched ever so slightly.
“I am opposed. If Rina—if Lady was here, she would definitely oppose this as well. Even Kakkou-kun! Also… I’m sure that Sleeping Beauty as well!”
Helping the Original Three to defeat a Mushitsuki was putting the cart before the horse.
That was a fair argument. An argument that none of them noticed due to how Miguruma explained the whole thing. Just like Fuyuhotaru said, if the past Rank 1s were there, they would probably oppose to this.
However, Makoto couldn’t help but grow angry upon hearing Fuyuhotaru’s lines.
“And what’s wrong with that?”
Makoto spat as she glared at Fuyuhotaru.
“The ones here right now are us. The voices of those who aren’t present hold no meaning.”
“…!”
As Fuyuhotaru was silenced, Miguruma Yaeko grinned at her.
“Since you are so insistent on that, have you any better suggestions, Fuyuhotaru?”
“We’ll defeat Oogui!”
Huuuh?
Makoto unconsciously raised a stupid-sounding voice.
Everyone but Miguruma—even Fuyuhotaru’s own ally Lucifera—made a similar face.
“If we beat Oogui, C shouldn’t be able to absorb her.”
“That is right. Are you able to beat Oogui right away, then?”
Miguruma asked the natural question arising from this.
“W-well…”
Fuyuhotaru hesitated.
“You cannot, right? Also—it is too late.”
“Eh?”
“The die is cast. I have already dispatched a team to wake Sleeping Beauty.”
“Wha—”
Fuyuhotaru became speechless.
The branch heads and Makoto were also shocked.
It would be no exaggeration to say that the entire forces of the SEPB were gathered in this dome right now. Never mind any leftovers, there shouldn’t have been any combatants able to handle such an important mission.
“Sleeping Beauty is a Rank 1. Therefore, the one sent to greet her should be at least of that level.”
Seeing Miguruma smile, the dazed Touko opened her mouth.
“S-surely you don’t mean…”
Miguruma giggled and spoke.
“Harukiyo.”
Makoto and the rest gulped.
The flame devil, Harukiyo. Especially elusive among the Rank 1s, he was a Mushitsuki rumored to be as senseless as a natural disaster. It was said that wherever he appeared, nothing would remain but ashes—
If that was true, Makoto couldn’t stay silent.
“You sent Harukiyo to Sleeping Beauty…? I-if that’s a possibility, I believe it would’ve been better to add him to the forces fighting against C in the first place.”
“A reasonable suggestion, Terasu.”
Miguruma looked at Makoto, nodding gently.
“However, he holds no interest in C. Therefore, he will never be able to work with you. On the other hand, if it is about Sleeping Beauty—he would wake her up no matter what. Because he had been looking for her for a long time now.”
Judging from Miguruma’s tone, she apparently had some sort of connection with Harukiyo.
So the rumor of Harukiyo operating under the Vice-Deputy was true, then—
Makoto’s information network—she’d already lost confidence in it these last few minutes, but anyway—picked up the rumor that Harukiyo belonged to the Annihilators. The Annihilators were a unit of assassins serving directly under Vice-Deputy Miguruma.
Adding to Kakkou, even Harukiyo was under her control.
And now, even Fuyuhotaru…
As Makoto looked at the baby-faced girl, the latter bit her lips with a hard expression.
“If that’s right… then I really do have to defeat Oogui.”
She always looked weak, but held enough strength to be able to look back at Miguruma.
“Before this person called Harukiyo wakes up Sleeping Beauty-san. And—”
She felt as if she saw those eyes somewhere—
Her eyes tickled Makoto’s memories. Right, the person who made her awfully angry—
“Before the Undying Mushitsuki is revived and turns Oogui immortal.”
“Hehe, you sound so reliable, Fuyuhotaru. Harukiyo would surely wake Sleeping Beauty soon. In my estimation, within a few days… no, perhaps in two more days.”
“…”
“Do you have the means with which to defeat Oogui within that timeframe?”
Fuyuhotaru was at a loss for words.
She obviously didn’t.
It was impossible to tell when and where Oogui was going to appear. On top of that, it was now clear that she was an absolute monster, being able to wield the abilities of all Minion Types. Until now she had remained undefeated and ate people’s dreams as she pleased. Although there was now a need to beat that monster, there couldn’t be any way to do so immediately.
“You do not, right? Therefore, I will have you and Mushibane also be part of the suicide corps—”
“You can’t, Snow-san. This might be a trap, too.”
Cutting in this was the cellphone girl called Lucifera.
“Kakkou’s a Fallen and Harukiyo’s also conveniently sent to that Sleeping Beauty’s place—it’s too dangerous for you to act according to this woman’s wishes. At worst, there’s the possibility that all Rank 1s will be gone.”
Lucifera glared at Miguruma with naked hostility.
All of the Rank 1s would die.
With the situation being what it was, there was nothing more exhilarating for Makoto.
After all, all of them were definitely proud bastards just like Kakkou—
“It is unfortunate that you don’t understand my love, but this is not the time to move based on emotions. Fuyuhotaru—you actually do understand, right?”
“There is a way.”
Lucifera blurted.
While everyone raised their brows, Miguruma asked her without erasing her smile.
“What do you mean by that?”
“We know of a way to draw Oogui to us—that’s what I’m saying!”
Miguruma remained silent.
—She’s bluffing.
Including Makoto, everyone there thought the same.
As proof of that, Lucifera’s face stiffened and she began sweating abnormally. Her hand holding the cellphone was slightly shaking.
“Is that true, Fuyuhotaru? What method do you have?”
“Asking her won’t help you. Ah, but I’m not going to tell people like you.”
Fuyuhotaru returned her glance with an imploring gaze.
Seeing the girl who was clearly putting on a brave front, Fuyuhotaru turned back to Miguruma.
“If she says so, then it’s true.”
She spoke in a clear tone without any doubts.
“Is that so?”
Miguruma covered her mouth with her hand, giggling.
What a stupid façade. They needed to ignore that nonsense, add them to the suicide corps formed against C and give them orders already—
“Understood. Then Mushibane will work alone.”
“Eh?”
The voices of surprise coming from Makoto and the branch head were beautifully coordinated.
And Makoto was especially flustered. It was her life on the line here.
“W-wait a minute, Vice-Deputy! They’re definitely lying about them having a way to defeat Oogui! At this rate, we’re going to be challenging C with even less forces than what we had while fighting Shinpu…! And she’s a monster who absorbed even Shinpu!”
“Calm down, Terasu. Everything is fine, your role is to clear up the way to C’s defeat. By removing all the obstacles on the way there, you see.”
What the…?
I heard nothing about that, though?
Obstacles on the way to C? What’s standing in our way other than C?
“By the time you reach C, Sleeping Beauty and Harukiyo will probably be joining you. Also, whether she’s beaten Oogui or given up, Fuyuhotaru and Mushibane will likely join, too. —Isn’t that right, Fuyuhotaru?”
Miguruma looked to the side.
As Makoto also looked at Fuyuhotaru, the baby-faced girl nodded strongly at Makoto.
The heck—
Then that’s almost as if—
“N-no way… we’re—”
Nothing more than a stepping stone for these Ranks 1s, then—
Makoto barely managed to swallow the words about to come out of her throat.
It was far too ridiculous and she felt dizzy. They weren’t even suicide corps.
She could only think of it as a stupid plan, to divide their forces in front of a powerful enemy. There was no way a tactician as brilliant as Miguruma Yaeko wouldn’t realize that—
“With these three operations, let us head to annihilate C who’s slumbering in the Underground Fort’s deepest layer.”
Miguruma Yaeko looked up at the footage of C swimming in static.
“Operation 1, led by Terasu, will consist of an assault of C’s main body, namely an annihilation operation.”
Next, she pointed to her feet.
“Operation 2. The awakening of Sleeping Beauty by Harukiyo.”
Finally came Fuyuhotaru.
“Operation 3. Fuyuhotaru and Mushibane will annihilate Oogui.”
Among all those in the pavilion, Makoto alone was completely dazed as she listened to Miguruma’s voice.
This’s messed up. It’s so messed up—
Why had no one other than Makoto noticed how unnatural this operation was?
“After completing these aforementioned operations to block C from any further evolution, Sleeping Beauty, Fuyuhotaru, Harukiyo and the combined forces of the SEPB will strike C’s main body at the same time. —The time limit is until Harukiyo manages to wake up Sleeping Beauty… in 48 hours.”
In the end, it meant that they could only rely on Rank 1s.
The hatred within Makoto simmered and swelled, making it hard for her to hold it back.
Everyone’s looking down on me—
Although they were all Mushitsuki, there were Rank 1s and unranked.
No, did it perhaps mean that the outrageous strength of Rank 1s drove the SEPB—or rather the entirety of the Mushitsuki population—utterly crazy?
“All branch heads are to organize their forces in one hour while leaving Mushitsuki assigned to Operation 1 to Terasu. As for Operation 2, Harukiyo has already mobilized. Operation 3 is to move at the earliest convenience. Let us constantly report the situation to each other through the intelligence division. —Terasu, there is a matter that I need to discuss with you, so you are to remain here.”
The final battle that might affect not just their country but possibly the entire world was starting.
And the signal for this start—
Was announced by Miguruma Yaeko’s kind smile.
“Start operation.”
The branch Heads, Fuyuhotaru and the other girl, as well as the vice-minister and his aides all left the tent.
Not even ten seconds later, Makoto remained alone in the tent with Miguruma. Even the intelligence division members that operated the communication equipment vanished at some point.
“Now, Terasu. I think it is time I explain the mission’s details to you, including C’s abilities and the reason we can spare no time.”
Miguruma approached Makoto, who stood there as stiff as a doll.
What mission?
We’re nothing more than vanguards clearing the way for the Rank 1s, just a stepping stone.
Why’re everyone constantly yapping about Rank 1 this, Rank 1 that—
“One thing I need to say before that. Terasu… I really have great expectations from you, you know? Your mission completion rate is at the top, around the same as Kakkou, and your ability is also exceedingly powerful. Therefore—”
Since Makoto completely lost her motivation, Miguruma’s words didn’t enter her ears.
However…
Hearing her next sentence, Makoto felt as if her body was struck by lightning.
“In the event you succeed on this operation to annihilate C—I will acknowledge you as a Rank 1.”
“—”
These words really were shocking.
For a second, she didn’t understand what she was told.
“Eh…?”
As Makoto raised a befuddled face, Miguruma Yaeko’s slender fingers stroked her chin.
With a smile like that of a mother cherishing her own child, Miguruma spoke.
“This will be an unprecedented large battle. Isn’t it obvious for someone who succeeds in it to become Rank 1?”
“…”
She shuddered, feeling a sudden tension as though she was freefalling.
As the meaning of the words permeated her, she was then conversely assaulted by a sensation of floating, losing all feeling in her legs.
“I’m—I’m not really interested in—”
Makoto hated the Rank 1s.
More than anything else, she hated the Mushitsuki called Kakkou. Loathed him, even.
Therefore, she had no interest in becoming like him—
“You are being modest. However, regardless of your own will, it will be this way. After all, you will be one of the Mushitsuki to close the curtain on this battle, when even Kakkou himself couldn’t help but retire midway through.”
Not even once had she considered—that this was within reach for her.
Her heartrate leapt.
“If Operation 2 and 3 have no progress after these 48 hours, I will send only you and your team to face C. Let us think together of a way for you to win if that happens.”
Kakkou, Fuyuhotaru, Lady Bird, Harukiyo, Sleeping Beauty.
Although she hated them, their names were widespread among Mushitsuki. Their legends were simply that terrific, and while everyone was scared of them, it was also a kind of admiration.
Was it really possible for Makoto—for Terasu—to be added to that list of names?
“I love how loyal you are. Will you live up to my love as well?”
With her sleek and yet unfathomably cold fingers, Miguruma Yaeko stroked Makoto.
And Makoto—
“Y-yes ma’am…”
She grabbed back that hand and put in on her own cheek.
1.03 Monma Makoto Part 4[edit]
Makoto left the tent no more than ten minutes after she remained there alone with Miguruma.
There were still many Mushitsuki packed inside the dome. However, as the final battle was soon to commence, everyone ran around in a hurry.
“…”
After walking a few seconds away from the tent, Makoto stopped.
She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even sigh.
The truths Miguruma spoke in front of the branch heads.
The experiments that took C as a medium and the truth of the Central Headquarters having hidden Shinpu. The final Rank 1, Sleeping Beauty. —As well as Oogui’s true ability and so forth. These were all things Makoto never knew.
Also, the fact that the East Central Branch alone managed to dig out these secrets on their own was an additional shock. No, rather than the branch, it was more like Kakkou’s achievement. What had they been thinking of and what had they been fighting against? Makoto was overwhelmed by the mere thought of this and the realization of how miniscule she was. This stage was completely different than the one she had been fighting on this far.
And this pathetic Makoto—
“I’m probably… gonna die in this fight.”
She mumbled.
Makoto had remained in the tent and had been given even more despair by Miguruma Yaeko.
A few secrets regarding C.
Various truths that, were she to speak of them in front of the branch heads, would create a panic for sure. Even they might lose their will to fight and realize they were helpless. Because she knew that, Miguruma had conveyed those facts to Makoto alone.
“Despite me working so hard to survive until now…”
She never thought she was someone special. Not even once.
The stronger a Mushitsuki was, the stranger they were. Their way of living and even speaking held the reason for their strength.
On the other hand, Monma Makoto had nothing that made her stand out.
If she took off her equipment, she was just a middle schooler. She was definitely no beauty, and not really skilled either. It wasn’t as if she was terribly athletic as well. She wasn’t so smart, either. She had no unwavering beliefs, and she didn’t hate matching herself to others.
This kind of normal Mushitsuki had somehow made it up to Rank 2—
Tempted by the bait called Rank 1, she became the commander of the century’s largest battle.
“Won’t someone praise me right now… Telling me I’ve done a good work this far…”
As Makoto smiled self-derisively, she heard a voice from the side.
“Terasu!”
It was her boss, North Central Branch Head Takemi. He rushed to Makoto and ruffled her hair roughly.
“Good job!”
He was a middle-aged man with a curved beard and an amiable smile.
“You being in charge of a battle of this scale is huge! It means that you’ve been acknowledged as one of the most superior Mushitsuki in the SEPB!”
While being completely at his mercy, Makoto wore a bitter smile.
Her unpleasant boss acted like everyone’s friend, was mean, didn’t know his limits, was ambitious, was a coward, was smooth-tongued, was deeply envious, and never cared about anyone—but she didn’t hate the fact that he gave honest praises when there were results.
Even if it was different from what she wanted, even if those were empty praises.
“Hah, thanks. It only means that Kakkou and those East Central Branch guys aren’t there, though.”
“That’s exactly why. When this fight ends, our branch’s influence should grow accordingly.”
Takemi smiled wide, looking to be in a good mood.
Usually he’d annoy her, but in this situation, he was actually conversely so funny that she lost all tension. Apparently, he was convinced that all of his branch’s Mushitsuki including Terasu were going to return from this battle safe and sound.
“Oh, branch head. The vice minister and all those other people are coming here. Should we leave?”
She saw the same vice minister who was at the tent before walking to them.
“No, they seem to have something to talk about with you. I’ll be the one excusing myself.”
Saying this, Takemi put a hand on Makoto’s shoulder. —She’d been thinking this for a while, but in a normal workplace this amount of physical contact would count as sexual harassment.
“Tell me later what they said. You don’t have to follow their orders.”
He whispered in her ears with shrewd eyes. His face was close.
“You’ll do great. I’m expecting a lot of you.”
“Sure, like always.”
She’d been thinking she was lucky to not be a beauty like Lady Bird. If she was that beautiful, she couldn’t tell what this man would’ve done to her.
Takemi left and in exchange she was surrounded by the vice minister and his followers.
One of the aides started speaking without any prelude.
“Special Environmental Preservation Bureau North Central Branch member, Terasu. Real name, Monma Makoto. You were born in… and became a Mushitsuki while 12 years old. After you’ve repelled 35 of the SEPB’s assassins, you were finally captured by the cooperation of Kakkou as well as Asagi. After receiving training, you were admitted as a SEPB member and attached to the North Central Branch. Following this, your mission completion rate was 94%. You were always loyal and caused no problems—”
They were apparently saying that they thoroughly investigated her already. They were probably going to start something unpleasant.
The aide who was reading from some document spoke to the vice minister.
“There are no issues with her achievements. She stands out among members.”
“Hmm, she doesn’t look like that…”
“I’m simply desperate.”
Makoto raised her visors up to her forehead, showing a bitter smile.
As the vice minister glared at Makoto’s face as if to appraise her, he spoke in an exaggerated tone.
“Since your achievements look promising, I will give you a secret mission from the Cabinet Office.”
“Eh?”
“First, you are to carefully observe Miguruma Yaeko’s behavior during this operation down the minutest detail. If there are any errors or points of failure to the operation, please report them in detail later. Secondly, while you are on the way to C, you are to bring back anything that could serve as evidence of Miguruma’s blunders.”
“B-but that is…”
“It’s for the sake of this country. This is much more important than you can imagine. You obviously can’t tell anyone, and if you go against orders, you will be heavily punished.”
“For the country… a-alright, I understand.”
“I expect a lot from you. I count on you.”
The vice minister gave several more orders and several times more threats and left.
While seeing his back, Makoto sighed. She scratched her neck with her fingertips.
“Heavy punishments mean nothing to us.”
If she made him relaxed by responding normally it was no problem at all. And she had no intention of disobeying these secret orders or whatever. —If they really thought that revealing one or two mistakes made by Miguruma Yaeko would keep her quiet, the country’s bigwigs had really misjudged her.
“Really, all of them are such…”
A person approached Makoto yet again. Her expression appeared fierce.
“Terasu-san… right?”
It was Fuyuhotaru.
She appeared before Makoto alone with no one to accompany her.
“Err, well—”
She looked like she wanted to say something, and after hesitating a bit, she clenched her fist as though determined.
“Let’s both do our best!”
She made a small fist pump and said this.
Fuyuhotaru was supposed to be the most horrible Mushitsuki, one that everyone in the SEPB was scared of. When this great enemy that could even be called mythological appeared in front of Makoto, it did cause her some tension, so she unconsciously put herself on guard.
“I-I’m obviously going to do that, though…?”
Fuyuhotaru nodded strongly.
And—she turned around and tried leaving.
“Eeeeeeh?!”
“Hmm?”
Fuyuhotaru turned back, looking puzzled.
“T-that’s it? You came here just to say this?”
“W-well, yeah…?”
Makoto was confused and Fuyuhotaru looked equally confused.
“You’re Fuyuhotaru, right? That… that Fuyuhotaru from the stories, right?”
“P-probably. Ah, in Mushibane they call me Snow Fly, though.”
“I-I see. Then… you’ve got nothing else to say? We’re going to go fight C with a much smaller force due to your selfishness… you can, like, apologize, or—”
Rank 1s really did piss her off. She could only think that Fuyuhotaru came there to make fun of her.
“Or say that you’re expecting a lot from me.”
Fuyuhotaru looked amazed.
Perhaps feeling flustered that she had to say something, she started thinking with a panicked face—
And what came out at last—
“—”
Was wordless.
All she did was look at Makoto with a gaze free from any hesitation.
Now she remembered—
This strength that Fuyuhotaru had shown from time to time.
It was the same that Makoto once saw—in Kakkou.
A gaze that held within it determination that never thought of losing and knew nothing of retreat.
“…”
Just from seeing Fuyuhotaru’s face, she understood.
She had no intention of abandoning Makoto and the rest at all. She really was intending to defeat Oogui and then come rushing to help them.
And on top of her showing that determination—
She was compelling Makoto as well.
She was being forced to win and survive.
Without realizing how it would affect a normal person like her—what kind of pressure it put on her.
“Goodbye.”
Bowing, Fuyuhotaru turned her head again.
“—Say something.”
Makoto unconsciously stopped Fuyuhotaru again.
The girl turned back for the second time.
“What was… Kakkou for you?”
The one who turned Kakkou into a Fallen was without a doubt the girl in front of her eyes. Thinking of her strength, it was natural. There was also the fact that she took revenge on him for turning her into a Fallen before.
However, the moment before she turned him into a Fallen—it looked to her as if he’d accepted Fuyuhotaru attack out of his own will.
She didn’t know why.
However, Makoto felt that she must know the reason for that.
After thinking for a while, Fuyuhotaru smiled.
“A friend.”
Although they turned each other into Fallen, she called him a friend.
What reason she had for not calling him an enemy? To Makoto it looked as if it was hidden not in her words, but in her smile.
“What kind of a person was Kakkou-kun to you, Terasu-san?”
It was an unexpected counterattack.
Being asked this by an innocent smile, Makoto’s mind recalled scenes from the past.
—I wooon!
Her own form, howling with Kakkou in front of her.
She already thought of it as ancient past.
“I… once defeated Kakkou…”
She mumbled this unconsciously.
No one believed her. No one would praise her.
And even she herself tried forgetting this.
Just like everyone else, Fuyuhotaru also seemed shocked to hear it.
And she opened her mouth.
She was definitely going to tell her a “liar” just like everyone else—
“Wow!”
As Fuyuhotaru said this, for some reason she wore a genuinely happy smile from ear to ear.
Makoto could hear Fuyuhotaru’s comrades calling for her from afar.
Noticing that, Fuyuhotaru bowed again and left.
A voice called to Makoto as well.
High-ranked Mushitsuki and the branch heads all gathered nearby. Her boss Takemi called Makoto’s name, gesturing to her. Apparently, they finished forming the suicide corps.
“I don’t get it… all of those Rank 1s really piss me off.”
Shaking her head, she came back to her senses.
Although the two were enemies, they showed no signs of hating each other. Even so, she believed Makoto’s words of having defeated Kakkou and even looked happy.
—Wow!
Fuyuhotaru’s carefree smile was burned into her eyes.
Who could believe that at such a time one of her hated Rank 1s would praise her.
She hated Kakkou still. Never mind him not acknowledging Makoto, but every time they met, he treated her and the North Central Branch members like tools.
Therefore, all Rank 1s thought of Mushitsuki other than themselves as weaklings—not only that, but even as trash.
However, Fuyuhotaru—
Was an incomprehensible Rank 1.
If Makoto returned alive from this fight, then perhaps even she herself could become one of them.
Right, she could stand shoulder to shoulder with Kakkou—be equal in position to him.
“…!”
While heading to Takemi, Makoto struck her cheeks with both hands.
Get a hold of yourself—
She told herself.
“I’m gonna die anyway…”
She mumbled.
As she reconvened with the branch heads, many Mushitsuki looked at Makoto.
“This is the suicide corps for C annihilation operation. What composition are we going with?”
Takemi asked, all smiles.
Not even knowing they were mere stepping stones for the Rank 1s—
By the moment she went out of the tent, Makoto made a certain resolution.
Thinking of the worst-case-scenario, meaning that the operation failed, she couldn’t take the really strong Mushitsuki along with her. She thought to exclude the high-ranked Mushitsuki with reasons such as injury or fatigue and take lower ranked combatants with her as the best course of action.
They were sacrificial pawns anyway.
Even as insurance, she couldn’t allow the high-ranking Mushitsuki to die.
High-ranked Mushitsuki able to go on a journey to the land of death—just herself was enough.
“We’ll obviously—”
However, Fuyuhotaru’s smile from before got stuck in her mind.
Her powerful gaze that resembled Kakkou’s, too.
This resolution was the exact opposite of a normal person like her who lived by safe play after safe play.
Her anger toward the hated Rank 1s already went way past the limit.
Therefore—she found herself speaking words she’d never have imagined.
“Go with our strongest.”
Saying this, commander Terasu lowered the visor on her eyes.
1.04 The Others[edit]
Fuyuhotaru—Anmoto Shiika—left the dome with her comrades.
Around the dome was a perimeter of soldiers. Were they there to protect the SEPB from outside enemies, or perhaps—to seal the danger known as Mushitsuki there? Shiika, for one, thought it was the latter, judging from the complexion of the soldiers looking at them.
Among the ten-odd Mushibane members, Shiika, Lucifera, Aijisupa, Namie and Halensis alone entered the limousine. The remaining members entered a van.
“You are all so pale. Caught a cold? Yahaha.”
Inside the car was a girl with a wineglass in her right hand and a cane in the shape of an upside-down letter J in her left hand. She was the same age as Shiika and wore a luxurious dress.
“First of all, congrats for defeating Shinpu, I guess? You’ve cleared one of our goals, the defeat of the Original Three, right?”
Akasegawa Nanana. Despite being a teenager, she served as the chairman of one of the country’s most prominent conglomerates, the Akasegawa Group. She was also Mushibane’s sponsor.
“Chairman, it is still morning. You really should abstain from drinking alcohol.”
Nanana’s secretary was also present. She was as expressionless as always, and was hugging a teddy bear atop her knees as always.
“Thanks, Nanana.”
Shiika did not return a full smile to Nanana’s congratulatory remarks. Inside the limousine there were two long seats and a table in the middle. Shiika sat next to Nanana.
“My, what an awkward smile you have. So there was trouble?”
Nanana had seen through her. Shiika silently exchanged glances with Lucifera.
“Explain it to us as well. What were you talking about with the SEPB?”
“Right. They seem busy, but what’s going on from now?”
Aijisupa, the boy with a headband, and Halensis, the girl with her characteristic black, long hair that looked like the idealized Japanese woman asked. —On the other hand, the adult-looking woman, Namie, said nothing. She spoke little ever since seeing Kakkou become a Fallen right in front of her eyes.
“—I will start explaining!”
With a sorrowful expression, Lucifera began talking about the events inside the tent.
The limousine drove on the road while avoiding debris.
The remains of the battle between the unleashed Shinpu and SEPB who tried stopping him became more gruesome the more one approached the city’s center. All power poles were broken and the office buildings emptied of people were wrapped in creepy silence.
From time to time, a crunching sound accompanied by vibration shook the limousine as it drove over some asphalt fragment.
Lucifera explained the truths that came to light one by one.
About their new enemy, C, who’d absorbed the powers of Shinpu, and the threat she posed.
About Harukiyo working to wake up Sleeping Beauty, who would become their new leader.
And—about Mushibane having to defeat Oogui as soon as possible.
“—Oh, so we need to wake up that girl.”
Nanana mumbled. Putting her glass on the table, she looked out of the window, narrowing her eyes.
Surprised, Shiika looked at the girl next to her.
“Nanana. Do you know this Sleeping Beauty person?”
“Oh, do I. Too much. Certainly if it’s her, she’d be able to lead everyone at the front. It was the same back then…”
As she said that her profile looked full of nostalgy, but there was also a bit of anger mixed in it. Since Nanana was always drunk and foolish, this was Shiika’s first time to see her face like that.
“Back then?”
“The fight that made her fall asleep. She invited Kakkou and Harukiyo, as well as Lady Bird… she united the three Rank 1s and more than a hundred Mushitsuki to try beating Oogui. —It ended up as a big failure with only a handful of survivors, though.”
Nanana furrowed her brows. She made no attempt to hide her disappointment.
“I thought this was all over, though. Trying to rely on her again so late into the game… it’s so convenient that I’m going to hurl.”
“Being able to unite the Rank 1s… she really was an outrageous Mushitsuki.”
Hearing Halensis’ leaked mumble, Nanana snorted.
“Mushitsuki? That’s the outrageous part. She was a normal person.”
“Eh?”
Shiika and the rest were all shocked.
“She became a Mushitsuki only at the last moment. —She was nothing but a chain of irregularities.”
For a moment she looked displeased, but then burst into laughter.
“Also… are you telling me the reason for that girl to be dragged to a fight again is C? Yaha, there’s no end to irony here. This is a bad joke. They were so friendly and yet they’re enemies?”
Shiika was once again surprised. Unexpected facts came out of Nanana’s mouth one after another.
“Eh? Sleeping Beauty knew Erii—C?”
“They didn’t just know each other. The ones who captured C and brought her to the SEPB were none other than that girl and Kakkou. And they were as close as sisters.”
“Sleeping Beauty and… Kakkou, huh.”
Shiika had once fought against C.
That young girl was apparently extremely emotionally attached to Kakkou.
But in reality—it wasn’t just Kakkou.
Perhaps she held the same feelings toward Sleeping Beauty as well.
“We really do have to beat Oogui…”
For the sake of Sleeping Beauty, who also once attempted that.
And for the sake of C, who was friends with Sleeping Beauty.
If they managed to block any further evolution, maybe they didn’t need to beat C. Perhaps they could find another way to save her—
“Akasegawa. Don’t you know anything else?”
Until now silent, Aijisupa looked at Nanana.
“I realize that you haven’t told us about Sleeping Beauty until now because it was irrelevant. But that’s no longer the case. If you know something, anything at all, tell us.”
“Right… to be frank, I can’t agree with them waking up Sleeping Beauty. After all, if she wakes up it’ll cause a huge problem. The problem she’d been sealing.”
“As Oogui can use the abilities of Minion Types—if Sleeping Beauty wakes up, the sealed Undying will revive as well, making it impossible to defeat Oogui.”
Lucifera’s words caused everyone but Shiika to become speechless.
“All Minion Types…? Meaning, it can also use my ability—or even Snow’s?”
“Undying, you said?”
The surprised people commented on either the Undying that Lucifera spoke of or about Oogui’s ability.
Nanana also looked like she found this unexpected. She furrowed, puzzled.
“I’m shocked. Oogui’s ability is supposed to be top secret. That Miguruma Yaeko, how could she just go out and reveal that to Mushibane?”
Nanana, who had watched the fight of the past, apparently long knew this ability.
Shiika spoke next.
“Well, some person from the SEPB called Goroumaru just went and said it. Miguruma-san was angry at her…”
“Yaha, Kakkou’s boss. Nice, I wish I could’ve seen Miguruma’s face.”
“—Miguruma…!”
Hearing that name, Lucifera groaned. Namie then inquired her.
“What’s wrong, Lucifera?”
“Ah… n-no, it’s nothing.”
“By the way, Lucifera-san. You said Miguruma-san did something in that fight…”
“S-Snow-san!”
Lucifera hurriedly shut Shiika’s mouth.
Nanana and the others did not miss that clear reaction.
“What is it, you tell people to speak up and yet you hide things? Are you at a position to make me do something like that?”
“Lucifera?”
Halensis also added to the attack. Lucifera bit her lips.
“Looks like this is huge. What are you saying Miguruma did? The past fight… she shouldn’t have any relation to the fight on the night of the meteor shower. She just casually showed up after.”
Being pressed by Nanana, Lucifera apparently resigned. Holding her head, she spoke as if groaning.
“It’s that woman’s—Miguruma’s fault…”
“What is her fault?”
“That Lady retired from the fight just before it started—she was lured away by Miguruma’s scheme…”
Nanana and Halensis froze.
“—”
Having leaned ahead, Nanana now fell heavily back to her seat.
It was Halensis who emitted a voice first.
“No—way—”
Holding her head with trembling arms, Halensis shook all over.
“Since I’d only just become a member, I couldn’t be there—but some of my friends—I really have almost no idea what happened—if only we had Lady here—”
The sound of breaking glass reverberated.
Nanana violently swung her cane. The wine glass shattered and red liquid flew inside the car.
“The one who arranged this fight was me, you know…? So that means the one who made it all go to waste was that woman…? —Of course! Since the Undying noticed the fight at that timing it’s obviously odd for Miguruma alone to arrive there so late…! Damn it, I’ve been completely had…! T-that woman…! She really was picking up a fight with me. I haven’t noticed this until now…!”
Nanana bit her nails, her face twisted with fury. Shiika had never seen her so angry.
Lucifera also suffered.
“Please keep this a secret. To be honest, if this became wide-known among Mushibane, especially with the old members, they wouldn’t want to cooperate with the SEPB anymore…”
“T-that’s obvious! Who’d want to cooperate with that woman…!”
Shiika hurriedly tried calming Halensis.
“P-please calm down, Halensis-san! You too, Nanana…!”
“It’s fine, I’m an adult. I’m veeery good at choosing the right time and place for things. I’ll cooperate for now. However—”
Not even looking at Shiika’s face, she mumbled while glaring ahead with dangerous eyes.
“When everything’s over with, I’ll settle the score with the one who made a fool of Akasegawa Nanana… for sure.”
The car was instantly filled with murderous intent.
Only one calm voice rose in the midst of that.
“By the way, should we enter the main topic already?”
It was Aijisupa. Since this wasn’t from the time he’d entered Mushibane, it apparently didn’t interest him. While Nanana and Halensis glared at him, his face was cool.
“Saying that we have some plan to defeat Oogui isn’t a lie; right, Lucifera?”
“W-well—”
Lucifera stumbled. Grimacing, she averted her eyes from Aijisupa.
“I-I can’t tell you yet…”
“If you know of a way, I’d like to know about it as soon as possible.”
Nanana pressed Lucifera again.
However, this time Lucifera didn’t seem like she was going to spill it so easily. Rounding her body with a weak face, she was silent.
“What do you mean, you can’t tell us yet?”
Even Namie asking this was met with silence.
At that time, the limousine stopped. Nanana raised her hips.
“We’re here. —I’ll have you spit it all out when we formulate our strategy. From what you’ve said, it’s going to be hard for the suicide corps to beat C. So the key will be whether you can or cannot beat Oogui quickly.”
Shiika and the rest got off the limousine.
They arrived at a shopping district empty of people. There was as large building in front of a crossroads strewn with debris.
It was a large movie theater under the control of Akasegawa Group. All members of Mushibane were gathered inside.
“No, I do think the people of the suicide corps will do their best.”
While looking up at the theater, Shiika spoke clearly. Nanana furrowed her brows.
“How can you tell that?”
“Because that person called Terasu—is definitely strong.”
Shiika showed a smile, but Nanana appeared uninterested.
“I see. Well, I don’t really care. —But we can’t have it. If there’s a way to beat Oogui, I need you to talk, so be prepared.”
Nanana used her cane to strike Lucifera’s butt.
“Uuh…”
“—I’ll be to one to explain that…”
This small voice suddenly appeared from above Mushibane’s heads.
“…!”
Shiika’s group turned around, startled.
A girl clad in a white, long coat was standing on top of the parked van.
This was the Central Headquarters getup. She’d been apparently hiding on the van’s roof all this way without anyone noticing her.
The girl spoke while Mushibane remained cautious of her.
“I’m Konoha… I’m a member of the Central Headquarters, but I currently serve as an emissary of a certain someone and came here to negotiate with you…”
“Negotiate?”
Seeing Shiika tilt her head, the Mushitsuki called Konoha nodded.
“We might be able to offer you a person who’s being targeted by Oogui…”
Including Shiika, all Mushibane members looked shocked.
“In exchange—we want you to show us to a certain individual. To the one hidden by you, Alpha…”
“…!”
The primal Mushitsuki, Alpha.
A being who held the origin of Mushi. Shiika and others saved this Mushitsuki after risking their lives.
She knew that Mushibane were hiding Alpha—
Shiika didn’t know who the girl was, but this meant they needed to be cautious of her.
“Don’t know who you are, but looks like you have good timing.”
Nanana smiled boldly. Any negotiations were her forte.
“You shouldn’t be able to so easily tell who Oogui is targeting. Doesn’t that sound too convenient for you to find someone like that right now? It’s nothing short of a miracle. To be frank, I find it hard to believe you.”
“We didn’t just find her… she’d been targeted by Oogui before and resisted that temptation before…”
“…!”
“According to her, Oogui’s power looked like it weakened at the time… perhaps Oogui’s weakness is chasing after a dream and getting rejected… how about it? In your current state, is this not the best ‘bait’ possible?”
Oogui’s weakness.
This was the first time Shiika heard about anything like that.
Among the surprised Mushibane members, only Nanana wore a provocative smile.
“How interesting. That’s if that ‘bait’ really exists, though.”
“You are sure to accept this once you hear who that is. Her name is—”
And the one Konoha mentioned—
“Ebina Yuu.”
Was the name of Shiika’s friend.
2.00 OPS1 Part 1[edit]
Monma Makoto had encountered that demon only three times.
Kakkou, the Mushitsuki clad in a green, shining pattern. The first time she met that Rank 1, designated as the strongest, was when Makoto was still an elementary schooler.
Since she embraced a boring dream, she became a Mushitsuki.
She was found by the SEPB for a boring reason.
She counterattacked the SEPB’s boring assassins one by one.
And as she got carried away—boringly enough, that demon appeared.
A pitch-dark coat, pitch-dark goggles, hair standing up like horns and a fire-spouting pistol.
No matter how much she hurt him, no matter how much she hid herself, he came after Makoto. He was on an entirely different league from all the assassins thus far. He was so strong she didn’t think he was human.
Although so young, Makoto felt danger to herself. At this rate she’d be killed—she was convinced of this, and lured the demon into her own elementary school.
She opened up all the speakers across her alma mater at night—
Setting up the largest trap, she tried to have the demon buried along with the school.
However, she did feel a touch of uneasiness.
Makoto managed to draw the demon not into the campus but into the gym and made her attack.
“—I wooon!”
Makoto whooped in triumph in front of the tattered demon.
However—the following moment, Makoto’s vision was dyed in purple.
She felt that trap that she set at school vanish instantly. Makoto’s ability never lost to anyone this far, yet it was being completely overwritten by someone.
The entire surroundings were being taken over for a fleeting second—this was what she felt.
The entire gym was ripped into two.
“N-nooo!”
Feeling a chill, she used her ability for defense.
This saved Makoto’s life.
When she came to, a bizarre girl stood in front of her eyes.
She had eyes of differing colors, she wore a large raincoat and had a candy on a stick in her mouth. —She swung a hockey stick which was stopped by Makoto’s ability mere millimeters from her head.
“Do be proud of yourself. —You are the first Minion Type who managed to block my full-powered blow.”
Even after cutting the gym into two the shockwave of purple lightning did not stop, tearing into the floor.
Another abnormal assassin came with the demon.
“Do be proud! Do be proud!”
Even as she kept running away from this exuberant battle-crazed warrior pursuing her, the pitch-dark demon appeared in front of her again to block her way—
And stopped the hockey stick about to inflict the final blow. With his other hand he grabbed Makoto’s throat and held her aloft.
“S-shit… I won when you were alone… you coward…”
As she said this with a grimace, the demon with a bleeding head smiled as if he found it funny.
“Ha. —You went too easy on me. Did you really think that if you brought out your full powers you’d kill me, instead of fainting me like all the other combatants?”
“Uugh…”
“I’ll never lose to someone so soft.”
Saying this, the grip holding Makoto’s throat was being strengthened by the demon. “Do release me! Do release me!” the battle-crazed warrior wailed behind him, grinning and kicking the demon.
This is it for me—
She really thought this. It was obvious at a glance that the berserker at the back was insane, but the demon in front of her certainly did look filled with killer intent as he was trying to murder her.
“I-I’m sorry—”
Since she faced actual danger to her life for the first time ever, Makoto’s heart completely yielded.
“P-please forgive me… don’t kill me, please…”
She did nothing wrong, but she was shaking all over with fear as she apologized and begged.
“I’ll do anything…”
Her face completely wet with tears, she pathetically begged for her life.
Her pleas lacking any shame or honor bore fruit. The demon did not kill her.
“I see. —Anything, you say?”
As the demon said this, he didn’t keep on injuring her.
Apparently the demon and the berserker fought over how to treat her following this. They argued and it became a fight, but Makoto didn’t even have the power to escape.
—I see, so I was weak.
Seeing the demon and the berserker, she noticed her own helpless averageness. At the tender age of 13 she finally realized that humans were inherently separated into the strong and the weak.
As Makoto had sworn that she’d do anything, this was the demon’s first request of her.
That was to join the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.
Makoto was appraised as an excellent member, but that offered her no salvation. After all, it meant that Kakkou would keep on holding her leash.
In fact, Kakkou treated her like a tool every time they met ever since. Regardless of her own will, she was just ignored if she argued against this. Otherwise, he would say—
—You said you’d do anything, right?
Being told this, Makoto felt so shamed that her face turned red and she squatted down.
Makoto couldn’t go against this blackmailer who grasped her weak past.
That demon, Kakkou, was helpless trash.
As long as Kakkou was alive, Makoto would keep shaking in fear of his threats.
Therefore, she always swore in her heart.
One day, I’ll kill Kakkou and become free.
But if I can’t, at least I’ll live longer than him—
“—I’m Blaze Class Rank 2, Terasu. It’s been decided I’ll serve as the commander of the C annihilation operation.”
Makoto named herself in the center of the dome.
In front of her eyes were the elites of the SEPB. There were also some hindrances forced to be there by their branch heads, but that was a small issue.
They were all meant to die along with Makoto as stepping stones for the Rank 1s, anyway.
“Kasuou, Nene, Yotsuba, Yakugami, Tamamo, Rinrin, Kaguya, Himiko, Kabuto, Maimai, Sakura… and?”
Mixed with the SEPB members was also a boy wielding a hockey stick. He wore not SEPB equipment, but casual wear, and had an amiable smile.
“I’m Shachito. Nice to meetcha!”
“Shachito. All of us thirteen members are to form a team and unleash a preemptive attack on C lying in the deepest layer of the Underground Fort. You are not to retreat even if anyone drops out along the way. For this, I have chosen those who are especially strong even among the SEPB so that you will be able to continue the operation even alone, in the worst case.”
Even if this was her saying that, she felt like spoke well there.
Makoto gathered high-ranked Special Types from Central Headquarters to fulfill “a certain goal”.
As for the East Central Branch, the combined forces had some excellent members. There were Himiko, who was unable to fully recover from the shock of Kakkou’s dropout, as well as those forced to come along with them who looked like they would be of no use and only serve as burden. This was troubling, but there was nothing to do about it. Did they intend to follow Kakkou to the grave?
From West Central Branch came the lone high-ranked fighter, Sakura, and no others.
South Central Branch had zero fighting power. They provided no support.
And for the North Central Branch that Makoto belonged to—there was only her. Anticipating the power struggles that were going to occur after the operation’s end, her branch head Takemi was afraid of them losing their power.
“During the operation, you must all obey my orders. Disobeying me will be regarded as treason against the SEPB, and you will be eliminated as obstacles to the operation.”
While Makoto spoke mechanically, how many people there were seriously listening to her words?
Including Kasuou, those who were close to Kakkou didn’t have their hearts there. Even the others couldn’t hide their anxiety, perhaps feeling the lack in manpower.
Ironically, the only one full of energy was Shachito, who wasn’t even an SEPB member. His form grinning while holding the hockey stick was the exact same as that berserker.
Thinking about it, half of the team were the disciples of that berserker—of Shishidou Inuko.
Noticing this unpleasant fact, Makoto felt further depressed.
“C is a terrible threat, so we must eliminate her as soon as possible. Failure will not be permitted in this mission. If we fail, this country will be destroyed.”
If we.
She felt ridiculous at how vain this word was.
If this was Kakkou leading them instead of Makoto—it probably would’ve been a completely different team. These elites fighting with that demon in the front definitely held the possibility to take on at least one small country or two and making them dysfunctional.
Now however, those in front of Makoto’s eyes—was nothing than a low-morale suicide corps scraped together.
Will any of them manage to survive and return to the surface healthy and sound?
“…”
Makoto glanced at the faraway tent.
Miguruma Yaeko grinned at Makoto.
Makoto always took the safe way out, so it was perhaps about time for her to pay the piper—
In her heart she smiled bitterly, carrying the bag laid at her feet. It was a heavy, rectangular bag. —Inside it was sealed a “certain something” that Miguruma gave her in secret to carry.
“Are you ready, everyone?”
If they retreated, they’d be charged with treason.
Even so, there was no hope for Makoto ahead.
How dangerous was C? How much she defied the imagination?
Excluding Miguruma Yaeko, she knew no other one to ask this but herself.
“Then we shall now infiltrate the Central Headquarters’ Underground Fort.”
Monma Makoto stood at the front of the suicide corps, taking the first step toward death.
2.01 OPS1 Part 2[edit]
Led by Makoto, the line of the suicide corps rushed through Akamaki City at full speed.
“Say, where’re we heading? Why not use a car?”
While running, the man called Shachito spoke to Makoto in an overly familiar manner. She strangely noticed that he wasn’t even breaking a sweat; how much stamina did he have?
“Because we want to be as close to C as we can from above before we dive into the Underground Fort.”
“This Fort thingy runs all around beneath Akamaki City’s underground, right? Is there any reason why we can’t just go there after we head down? By the way, you’re cute. Are you popular at school?”
The worn hockey stick leaning on his back, Shachito grinned at her.
He was probably the disciple of this berserker who once cornered Makoto, Shishidou Inuko—Asagi. She knew that because of the hockey stick that was her keepsake as well as his way of fighting that resembled hers.
“…”
“Huh, do you hate me? Then at least tell me about that C’s abilities. Looks like everyone knows, but only I don’t.”
She didn’t want to wear herself out by excessive talking. But for the sake of the mission, she had no choice.
“C’s a Mushitsuki who uses electricity as a medium, and quite powerful. The Central Headquarters secret experiments failed, so she’s gotten out of control.”
To be more precise she hadn’t really lost control, but the particulars of the experiment were top secret. She decided to obfuscate this by giving the absolute minimal information.
“Ooh. —Wait, is that it? Just a single Mushitsuki going on a rampage? Looks like it’s become quite the huge deal, though. After we defeated Shinpu, they’ve been talking something about her absorbing the Original Three or whatever, but I don’t understand that. Oh, and I heard that because I also had some SEPB goggles, okay? At the very least about C being a great danger.”
Ignoring the fool that prattled on and on so casually, Makoto turned back.
“Haaa! Hiii! I-I’d like you to slow down a bit!”
“Wheeze! Wheeze! M-Maimai-chan also supports this requestststs!”
There were members already complaining. They were they boy with chestnut-colored, wavy hair and freckles, called Rinrin, as well as the eyepatch girl called Maimai. They were both small statured and belonged to the logistical support unit called the intelligence division. They probably wouldn’t have come to the frontlines like that if not for C, an ex-member of the intelligence division, becoming their enemy.
Hearing Makoto click her tongue, Shachito went to the back. As he touched Rinrin and Maimai’s shoulders, an orange glow flew from both of them momentarily.
“Here ya go. This should be a little better, right? I wanna preserve my power so it’s only you two since you look like you’re suffering.”
“Woah, my body became really light! I am forever grateful to you, Shacchi!”
“Wow, this is so easy now! Thank you very muchuch!”
Maimai could not produce any voice from her vocal cords. She conversed using the special choker around her neck that digitized and broadcast her words.
“I gotta get along with Inuko’s disciples, after all. Ah but you bastard, if you call me Shacchi again I’ll break your arm, alright?”
Apparently they’d already introduced themselves. The ones not trained by that berserker Shishidou Inuko within the suicide corps were in the minority.
She felt sick seeing how calm and friendly they were, but she was worried about how the others were doing.
Other than Shachito, no one asked Makoto anything.
They probably all had things to think about, and they obeyed Makoto’s orders wordlessly.
They all fully trusted in Makoto—
Makoto wasn’t enough of an idiot to really think that. It was rather the opposite.
All of them were apathetic to Makoto. She could perfectly understand what they thought.
She believed this would be the same no matter who was in command, except for Kakkou.
Originally they all fought in different branches. And normally there would be someone powerful leading every team. Simply gathering all the strong members together didn’t mean that they fully trusted in each other.
It wasn’t simple to unify these lot.
One would need a charisma to draw people—or perhaps an overwhelming power.
Makoto, who simply went with the flow to survive, did not fulfill either condition.
“Helicopters incoming.”
The Mushitsuki called Yotsuba said.
Sure enough, before long they could see helicopters high above. One of them was a small, white one and following it were several military ones.
“What’s going on, Rinrin? Wasn’t this entire area’s airspace restricted?”
As Makoto turned around, the chestnut-hair boy put a hand to his goggles.
“Looks like a news helicopter forcibly invaded this airspace, affiliation unknown. It’s apparently ignoring requests to retreat or land.”
“If it’s ignoring them, it’s just gonna get shot down.”
The Mushitsuki called Yakugami sighed tiredly. Makoto felt the same.
“I’m afraid of it becoming a problem later. In the first place I have no idea if this helicopter’s from our country… well, Vice-Deputy Miguruma will surely do something soon—”
Makoto’s voice was drowned by a roar and an earth tremor.
“—!”
A sound loud enough to be like a giant pounding his hammer caused a tremor powerful enough to stop the suicide corps’ legs.
And there was then a golden flash bright enough to blind them.
The resulting shockwave blew away even the ruins that remained of Akamaki City.
“Wha—”
Seeing that, commander Makoto was the first one to raise a voice of agitation.
A column of light launched from the surface knocked down each and every helicopter in the sky.
She heard of mythological gods smiting their enemies with lightning, but this was the exact opposite—
It was golden lightning rising from the surface to the heavens.
“W-what was that…? That… lightning?”
The oldest Mushitsuki among them, Nene, mumbled in shock.
Far away, behind the surroundings buildings, they could hear the explosion resulting from the helicopters crashing.
“Could it have been…”
“C, most likely.”
Answering Shachito’s answer with a tense voice was Kasuou. While pushing her vivid blond hair behind her ears with a finger, she spoke in a lethargic tone.
“Using lightning’s her special technique. That being said, she used to be able to use it only once a day, though.”
“Meaning that she’s already prepared for battle.”
Kaguya spoke now. It was perhaps natural for his expression to freeze. This was clearly an attack that used vast amounts of energy. If it scored a direct hit on Makoto’s group, there was nothing they could do.
“Tamamo. You are erecting a barrier around us, right?”
“I am…”
Tamamo, who had imp wings on her back, nodded, looking unconfident. She had a sort of a stealth ability that allowed her to dull the consciousness of outside enemies.
“Alright. If so, then let’s keep going full speed ahead.”
Makoto spoke this order, but only few of them started running after her.
“What are you doing! Don’t worry, we’re running without using any vehicles that are electrically conductive to make it harder for C to notice us! We also have Tamamo’s barrier!”
Shachito objected.
“No, I really do think she should get underground as soon as possible. I mean, that attack just now was strong enough to finish us in one hit.”
“I agree. I believe we should avoid such a clear threat.”
Kabuto also offered his opposition. —If she remembered correctly, he was a Rank 5. He was yet another burden forced on her by the East Central Branch in their desire to avenge Kakkou.
Kasuou mumbled vaguely.
“C, huh… I never got along with that brat to the very end. I wonder why things are like this now…”
“That is quite enough! I’m the commander, so—”
She was about to yell, but Makoto noticed a certain change.
The air around seemed to be crackling.
“…?”
People other than Makoto also noticed this. They looked around them, puzzled.
Currently they were along the highway, a bit further from Akamaki City’s center. They were surrounded by crumbled buildings and collapsed power poles from the effects of Shinpu’s raid.
Electric lines exposed from inside buildings.
Severed electrical lines from the fallen power poles.
These emitted a tststs like a bird’s chirp and created golden, stretching lines.
They were gradually gathering toward Makoto’s group—
“RETREAAAT!”
Hearing Makoto’s shout, the suicide corps spread out.
It happened immediately after this.
“—!”
Loud noise and a golden flash pierced through the spot they inhabited just before.
The shockwave blew them away like they were ragdolls. As expected from the experienced combatants, they were able to assume the proper position and reduce the damage, but there were also those among them who didn’t manage that. Rinrin’s back slammed against the debris and Maimai rebounded on top of the cracked road, rolling forward.
“She—she found us…?”
Using the momentum of a somersault to stand up, Makoto raised her face.
If their evasive actions were but an instant too late, they’d have been wiped out by that single blow.
“Tamamo! What’s up with your barrier? Why were we discovered!”
“I-I dunnooo! She might just surpass my ability, or maybe C can’t be easily mentally influenced in her current condition…!”
Hearing the imp girl’s excuses, Makoto gasped.
“I see, since C no longer has any personality, she became resistant to mental attacks…!”
“Eh?”
Nene looked at Makoto with a surprised faced.
“What do you mean? Wasn’t C-chan going out of control?”
Tstststs, this lingering sound resounded around again.
Golden lines were starting to gather at Makoto’s feet.
“R-retreat!”
Once again, the golden lightning pierced from surface to sky.
Makoto’s group managed to barely evade.
“…! What about Maimai and Rinrin?”
As Makoto looked around, an orange glow cut through her sight.
Having at some point picked them up, Shachito was holding both fainted teens, one under each arm.
“We really should be getting underground as soon as possible, Terasu-chan! I dunno how, but C can see our movements! At this rate she’ll just attack us unilaterally!”
“Why… it was one thing if the barrier wasn’t working, but how can she even see…!”
Makoto soon realized the answer before she finished speaking. She looked up at the sky.
“I see—she’s using the satellite…!”
She was able to stop other countries from monitoring them through artificial satellites. That trick was clearly related to the past C. As she was right now, it wouldn’t be odd if she could use the satellite and surveil their movements.
Kaguya shouted.
“If she can see us through the satellite, then that’s all the more reason to head down! It’s difficult moving on the surface. Let’s head right away to the nearest entrance of the Underground Fort!”
Makoto thought for a moment, but then rejected that suggestion.
“—We can’t! We’ll keep running on the surface and get as close as we can to C’s position from above!”
“But why?!”
Still holding the two Mushitsuki, Shachito shouted angrily.
“You probably know a whole lot about C! But I—”
“Tamamo! If you pour as much power into your barrier as you can, how long will it last, approximately?”
“If I preserved it at full power, I’d exhaust myself by the time we reach our goal!”
“That’s fine! Then do it!”
“W-wait! We still need Tamamo’s power!”
Nene’s objection overlapped with a tstststs sound.
“—R-retreat!”
Once again, as Makoto’s group dispersed, a golden pillar erupted in their middle.
All members looked at her, shouting.
“Stop with this! We’ll never be able to reach our goal in one piece!”
“Terasu…! At this rate we’ll be annihilated before we even do anything!”
“The satellite won’t be able to see us from underground! Let’s go under, quickly!”
Makoto bit her lips. She wanted to shorten the time spent below ground by as much as possible, but it was true that they were about to get annihilated at this rate.
Above all else—none of them were even attempting to obey her orders.
In this state, trying to rush above ground was obviously suicidal.
“I-I’ll revise my orders—”
Makoto rose to her legs, squeezing out her voice.
“We’ll aim for the closest entrance to the underground…! Yotsuba, lead the way!”
“Gotcha. Let’s go!”
With catlike, nimble movements, Yotsuba leapt off the debris.
“Tch, so slow…!”
She could hear Shachito cussing. Makoto clenched her fists.
What do you want, I just wanted it to be the safest path with the lowest risk possible—
They rushed through the ruined streets of Akamaki City in a line.
Perhaps due to Tamamo strengthening her barrier, C’s lightning attacks became sporadic.
Instead, it seemed like the frequency of her attacks increased. She was probably indiscriminately attacking the area where she thought Makoto’s group was at, shooting up lightning one after another.
“Don’t scatter! Move together as much as you can!”
Kabuto interjected Makoto’s orders.
“Isn’t it better to run separately in this state?! We need to keep casualties to a minimum!”
With each member having a retort of their own, Makoto’s anger grew more and more.
“I’m the freaking commander here! Just do what you’re told!”
“Here it is! We can reach the underground from that building!”
Yotsuba shouted. She was pointing at a small, half-ruined building.
Although lightning attacks grazed them many times, everyone managed to reach there alive.
Makoto had a brief moment of relief, but then Yotsuba stood in place.
“What’s wrong, Yotsuba?”
“I have a bad feeling.”
Standing to Kasuou’s side, the head of the Central Headquarters’ kamikaze unit. Although she looked plain at a glance, her intuition was well-known even within the SEPB.
The ground swelled in front of them.
Along with a roar, a conducting wire—electric cable—thick enough to be carried by both hands came flying from the underground. Its insulator made of hardened plastic was torn and the wires inside it became exposed.
Shachito groaned.
“This is bad, it was an ambush—”
She was able to feel this imminent disaster with her entire body even without him telling her this.
Makoto instantly began to follow the line of her throat with her index finger.
Her Mushi—a wasp spider—appeared, wrapping around her thin throat. Long legs grasping her thin throat continued to create a radial pattern behind her. Makoto’s Mushi was an equipment type, rare among Minion-Type Mushi.
The wasp spider’s long legs began emitting light. Makoto’s throat shone with a glowing afterimage.
“—Territory Isolation!!!”
Makoto put her entire strength into this roar.
Loud, ear-grating noise and a golden flash of light covering the entire area clashed directly.
The storm of blowing electricity was split to two sides before hitting Makoto’s group.
However—
“—UWAAAAHHHH!”
Someone probably screamed.
Although Makoto’s ability managed to defend against the direct brunt of the attack, the ground collapsed from the impact.
Including Makoto, all members fell down, unable to do anything.
Large amounts of dirt and asphalt fragments mixed with the surrounding buildings’ debris, were absorbed into a hole made of darkness—and suddenly all slowed down.
At first, she thought it was simply not as deep as she imagined, but that was wrong.
They were simply stopped by a giant rhinoceros beetle.
“How are you, guys?”
Kabuto, grabbing the horn of his rhinoceros beetle, turned to the others.
As a small mercy, every single member of the suicide corps was atop the rhinoceros beetle’s back. Even Rinrin and Maimai who’d been unconscious before were trying to get up, groaning.
Apparently thinking that it wasn’t as deep as she imagined wasn’t a mistake.
The rhinoceros beetle landed in a vast space that was probably just ten-odd meters from the surface in depth. They were buried in lots of debris, but she could tell there were several generators there.
Although light reached them from the hole above, the inside was gloomy.
“Ah, I really thought we were done for. —Where are we?”
Despite his words, Shachito spoke in a casual tone. Nene looked around, then answered.
“The entrance to the Underground Fort works using a self-supporting generator… so I think this is the control room for activating that…”
“—E-everyone, stay alert!”
Makoto called for her relieved teammates to be more wary.
Everyone turned to Makoto, puzzled. Yakugami asked with a relaxed voice.
“Stay alert? Against what, exactly?”
“This is—inside the Underground Fort…!”
Everyone looked like they wanted to say they were aware of that.
However, Makoto felt herself getting drenched in sweat. —They’d infiltrated much further away than she’d assumed. Furthermore, their position was leaked to C.
“We have no idea what’s going to show up here on…!”
“What’s going to show up—meaning C?”
“Terasu-chan, we can’t be alert if you don’t explain.”
Kaguya and Shachito inquired her, easygoing.
However, from behind them—
There was the unpleasant sound of metal rubbing against metal.
As everyone turned to look—they froze.
“—”
A gloomy, automatic door.
The metal-made door that was probably connected to the Fort’s corridors opened on its own.
And not just that.
On its other side they could see a thin arm.
That arm was turned toward Makoto’s group and threw something.
“R-retreat—”
Makoto gave the order too late. They were currently inside a closed room with no escape.
Cornering them in the corner of the control room was—
A small bomb with a metallic tube and fuse.
2.02 OPS1 Part 3[edit]
—Makoto had met the demon for the second time when she was twelve.
Working at the North Central Branch after a fashion, Makoto quickly became the leader of a small team. She even gained her comrades’ trust and even enjoyed herself from time to time.
Then, that demon—Kakkou—came to the North Central Branch.
He’d chased after a Mushitsuki that ran from another region into the jurisdiction of the North Central Branch. Makoto didn’t even want to see him, but the Branch Head ordered Makoto’s team to provide support in an attempt to earn some points.
Makoto’s group was treated like slaves by Kakkou. He made then run all over in search of the enemy, let them get injured as scouts, all to set up the table for him to defeat the enemy.
Obviously, her comrades raised voices of displeasure.
As the leader, Makoto did raise some objections to Kakkou—
“If you don’t feel like being useful, I’ll kill you.”
Kakkou really was nothing but scum.
“I just wanna finish this mission already. Depending on how it’s done, my branch head might order me to go to Central Headquarters.”
Saying something trivial like that, Kakkou put his mouth to Makoto’s ears.
“—You said you’d ‘do anything’, right?”
Makoto blushed. Her heartbeat quickened and she fell silent.
Her past self that so pathetically begged for her life.
If she went against Kakkou, he might spread the word of that miserable past.
Not only that, but she might get punished by force, much more horribly than before—
The fear from when she was almost killed resurfaced, so Makoto had no choice but to beg her teammates.
“S-sorry, you guys… listen to Kakkou.”
It ended the same even without her past getting revealed. People whispered behind her back that she was Kakkou’s yes-man, so the trust and pride she’d built came crashing down.
“I can use you. Don’t go and die on me before the next time.”
As the mission ended, Kakkou spoke to Makoto before leaving.
“After all, even ‘don’t die’ is part of ‘I’ll do anything’, right?”
The demon grinned. Behind him, Makoto’s comrades looked at her with eyes full of contempt.
Since the shame and pity made Makoto nearly cry, she couldn’t say anything back.
Although she got stuck in the SEPB, she managed to build rapport with her teammates… and yet that all went to waste.
How much had she toiled since then to regain the position and pride she held within the North Central Branch?
As long as he’s alive, I’ll never be free—
Can he just die already? she prayed every day.
Even so.
Despite him being her very own angel of death, that demon—
Even after becoming a Fallen, he still crushed Makoto’s pride and made her miserable.
Right, it’s always his fault—
They successfully managed to enter the Central Headquarters’ Underground Fort.
However, the suicide corps soon fell into a huge predicament.
Someone appeared on the other side of the door, hurling a small bomb into the control room.
Even if Makoto ordered them to retreat, it was far too late. Even if they tried escaping, there was no space.
She could save at least half of the members—quickly thinking this, Makoto put a hand on her throat. The wasp spider’s legs spread in a radial pattern emitted a halo of light.
“Terri—”
Faster than Makoto could invoke her ability, a jumpsuit-wearing figure blocked her sight.
She moved superhumanly fast. These were natural movements that looked as if they’d been repeated tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of times. Flicked by a finger, a rectangular object bumped against the bomb, and was then struck by a hand-hammer with a long handle.
The small bomb exploded.
A roar echoed.
However, before the impact assaulted Makoto’s group, it converged as if it was footage going in reverse. Along with dark-red heat and a faint vibration, it was being absorbed into the rectangular object that the jumpsuit woman flicked.
“Guh…!”
Only the hammer’s user—Sakura—did not remain unharmed. She was hit by the explosion a moment before it got absorbed and not only was her arm torn, it was also covered in black.
The suicide corps immediately fell into a chaotic state.
“W-what was that! An enemy?”
“There’s an enemy other than C? What does that mean?”
“N-Nene! Heal Sakura! All other members, assume defensive positions!”
“A Mushitsuki? But I never heard of a Mushitsuki using bombs—”
“What are we going to do, should we give chase?”
“No, the enemy’s forcefield is rapidly distancing. Looks like they ran away. This isn’t human speed.”
“I told you to hold your positions! Don’t scatter!”
“I-I really thought I was going to die… I-I’m not trembling of fear, I’m just excitededed!”
They were agitated by this entirely unexpected surprise attack. Everyone started taking their own actions, speaking all over each other.
This problem went beyond just assuming command. Each couldn’t use either their powers or rationality at even half their capacity.
And what angered Makoto especially was the Mushitsuki supposedly feared as a berserker.
“—Kasuou!”
Makoto turned toward the blonde girl.
“What’re you doing! Never mind that collapse before and the surprise attack, aren’t you supposed to act in such times? Why are you just staring at air! We’re in a battlefield!”
“…”
Kasuou, recently promoted to Blaze Class Rank 2, clearly ignored Makoto’s words. —Both her offense and defense were top class among all Mushitsuki. The rumors went that if not for the fact she’d had the tables turned on her by an unranked Mushitsuki in some mission before, she would’ve become a Rank 2 long ago.
“I dunno what you’re thinking about, but I put you into this team! If you don’t act when you need to, we’ll all get easily wiped out!”
“…What I’m thinking, you say? I’m thinking how useless this all is.”
Finally opening her mouth, Kasuou’s mouth had a faint smile on it. Not just that. She even rebelled by sitting down on the spot.
“No matter how you think about it, Operation 2’s the real deal. Harukiyo’s gonna wake that little shit—Sleeping Beauty, right? Once they’re gathered, they’ll get to C even without us opening the way for them.”
Makoto’s face froze.
She’d explained Operation 2 to the other members in broad details. What Kasuou said was just like Makoto’s thoughts hidden in her heart.
We’re nothing more than stepping stones for the Rank 1s anyway—
Could it be that the suicide corps members never obeyed Makoto—because they all saw through her real feelings?
“Kakkou’s a Fallen and even C ended up like that—what face is she going to make when they force her to wake up…”
Kasuou grimaced and hung her head.
Adding her to this team was a mistake—
If she was this apathetic, it was bound to affect the entire unit’s morale. Makoto hesitated whether she should just leave Kasuou there.
“Himiko!”
Makoto turned her focus to the other member who stayed silent all this time. This girl, with her docile face and long hair, twitched and looked to Makoto.
“You have a sensing ability, right? Why didn’t you notice this surprise attack just now! We don’t know what’s going to happen, so you need to stop acting like a spoiled princess! Your sensing ability’s useless if you don’t grasp the initiative!”
Himiko bit her lips at Makoto’s scolding. Unable to reply with anything, she also hung her head.
Shachito cut from the side.
“I also have a sensing ability, but that didn’t mean anything. They probably used only bombs without any Mushitsuki power. Judging from the fact they used their abilities only when running away… I think it’s someone really experienced in battle.”
“You shut up!”
Yelling, Makoto bit her nails.
She knew she had to make a decision. Should she cut off anyone who couldn’t be of use and head further inside with the remaining members? Or should they head back for now, grab her trusted North Central Branch Mushitsuki, even if she had to do it by force, and challenge this place again?
She didn’t want to die in vain.
If she was going to die anyway, she wanted it to be a meaningful death—
“…What?”
As Makoto sank into her thoughts, she noticed her team members glaring at her.
“Should we switch, leader?”
Looking cool and calm, Shachito said something stupid.
“It looks to me like you’re the least calm among us? I didn’t have the time for Inuko to teach me battling as part of a team, but at the very least I’m better than how you’re—”
“Are you stupid? Do you even know what abilities the members here can use? Can you give immediate orders after hearing an explanation?”
Makoto laughed it off, but her comrades’ eyes full of suspicion did not change.
“What? Are all of you Asagi’s disciples plotting an uprising against me?”
Makoto was obviously not calm. She was neither one those monstrous Rank 1s, nor did she have a loose screw in her head like that berserker Shishidou Inuko.
“If you hate Asagi’s disciples, you can let me be the leader.”
This time it was Kaguya. If this was his previous Rank, his assertion would be correct. However—
“This isn’t the time for a softie like you who’s got no leadership experience and leaves all the work to Kakkou. Just stay silent and protect your princess.”
Makoto and Kaguya glared at each other.
“…I also thought this during our fight against Genius, but looks like we really can’t get along.”
“Yeah. You’d better not expect any secret trick this time.”
The remaining leader candidate was Kasuou—but she was clearly out of it. Inevitably only Makoto could take care of the suicide corps. She was the only one, so why didn’t they understand that they had to obey her?
“…”
She decided.
Although the risks were high, they’d continue as is.
Going back and putting her North Branch members in the suicide corps was actually dangerous. She feared that her team might get split up between North Central Branch members and Asagi’s disciples. If the possibility for them to remain together was low, going back now was a waste of time.
“Once you finish treating Sakura, we’ll go ahead. Nene, how long will—“
Turning toward the injured Sakura, Makoto was speechless.
That was because Nene did nothing. Sakura was groaning in pain.
“Wha… what the hell, Nene! If you don’t treat her, Sakura might go into shock and die! You’re not thinking the same as Kasuou, right?!”
“Sakura getting hurt was Kasuou’s fault, right? —Then, if Sakura dies like this, it’s Kasuou’s fault, right…?”
Nene suddenly said something ridiculous. Everyone there shuddered.
“Haa? How come it’s my damn fault! You just gotta heal her!”
“It’s the same… if you become shoddy, more people get hurt. I don’t know how many I can save… but me and Yotsuba have our limits. It’s only a matter of time before people start dying…”
“It’s fine, just heal her! That’s an order!”
Makoto shouted at her, but Nene ignored it.
“Kasuou… Kakkou’s no longer here.”
Hearing the older Mushitsuki speak, the control room sank into heavy silence.
Kasuou was speechless.
It wasn’t just the blonde girl. All of the suicide corps had their face frozen stiff.
“Kakkou’s gone. —Even so, as long as we have that girl… Sleeping Beauty, everything will be fine. You said this before.”
Nene smiled a sad, bitter smile.
“Do you think she could beat C?”
“—”
Kasuou had no words. Nene looked at Makoto.
“Hey, Terasu. Judging from how worded yourself earlier… C can’t be saved anymore?”
Everyone in the suicide corps focused their gazes on Makoto.
Makoto hesitated whether or not to expose the truth, but she resolved herself and spoke.
“Yeah—there wasn’t any option other than annihilation in the first place.”
Kasuou widened her eyes in shock.
“Say, Kasuou… you know what he—Kakkou-kun would do in such a time, right?”
“…”
“But he’s gone. Are you going to let Sleeping Beauty do that right after waking up because of that? You know she can’t… Only us know that she can’t do that.”
Nene spoke to the frozen Kasuou.
“Or maybe—you want her to see Harukiyo burn C to death right in front of her eyes…?”
“…!”
“There’re still things that we have to do.”
Maimai walked closer to Kasuou who was stuck in place as though paralyzed.
“Kasuou-san—Maimai-chan and the rest were all taught something by our teacher—by Wanko-san, who’s gone alreadydy… what to do when you don’t know what to do, when in you’re in pain, when you’re mad.”
Himiko twitched, hearing that.
“’Fight’—”
Starting with Shachito, Shishidou Inuko’s disciples all nodded with a serious expression.
Himiko gasped and raised her face.
“Right, we have to fight… we all have to fight—”
“Sob… Kasuou-san, dis is the time to fight. We definitely have tototototo…”
Maimai called to Kasuou, tearing up.
“Kasuou—”
Nene reached toward the blonde girl.
Then, there was a dry sound.
They could hear the sound of metal hitting metal and something rebounding from the entrance to the control room.
As everyone turned around, they saw—
Three small bombs rolling in front of the door as though calculated to reach there.
“No way, I didn’t feel a thing—”
Shachito’s voice of shock was drowned by the explosion.
Not only the position to throw them in, but even the explosion’s timing was calculated more thoroughly than before.
The loud explosive sound was being written over by even louder roar and vibration.
“—!”
Not only the bomb but even the door and the surrounding walls were caught up in the explosion as an entire part of the facility was gouged into.
What did this—was condensed, black mist.
The thing that crushed the bomb along with the shockwave was Kasuou’s ability.
“Heal Sakura already—”
Her glinting blue eyes glared at Nene. Nene nodded.
“I got it… sorry, Sakura.”
“Good grief, so I did not end up a sacrifice.”
Her voice was calm, but Sakura was gravely wounded. It would probably take some time to fully heal her.
“Terasu.”
Kasuou next glared at Makoto. She sat there, not moving a muscle, but now the girl who retrieved her berserker-like eyes emitted much more murderous intent than necessary.
“Is it true that we can’t save C?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
It really became a huge problem. She’d never heard of Kasuou actually following anyone’s orders faithfully. Even if it was Kakkou—or that Miguruma Yaeko, it was the same with them.
“…I see.”
As Kasuou grimaced, next to her Himiko raised her face.
“The enemy’s flame is distancing… ah, they moved so fast in an instant…”
Shachito exhaled, his shoulders sagging.
“Even without using an ability, to be able to get so close so perfectly concealing their presence… Is our enemy a ninja or something?”
“Obviously not! Got it? Once Sakura’s patched up, we all go together, and—”
Makoto was about to issue orders, but the members all started acting on their own.
“Did my barrier not work…? I won’t let them get here agaiiin!”
“Let ‘em. I’ll just crush ‘em with my claws next.”
“I’ll go and corner them here. I’m the only one able to keep up with that speed.”
“No, they look like they’re luring us. It might be a trap.”
“Who’s that enemy in the first place? I’d like to know if there’s an enemy other than C.”
“If I use my Poison Punch to spread some toxins in the corridor—”
“Don’t do anything on your own! Stop going all over the place!”
Makoto called, but none of them listened to her.
T-these guys…!
Tears of frustration rose to her eyes.
“L-listen to me…!”
The commander must not cry. She averted her face and stealthily wiped off her tears.
“—Honestly! Then just do what you want!”
She ended up shouting.
All the members finally turned to Makoto.
“If you’re that confident, just do whatever you’d like! I’ll give support, but I don’t care if you die!”
In the first place someone like Makoto would never be able to gather all these idiosyncratic people.
What average people could do was always decided.
That was—to clean up after idiots’ messes.
“So you’re telling us to do what we like. Okey dokey. But—you gotta stop hiding things about C, alright, Terasu-chan?”
Shachito grinned at her and she nodded.
“I’ll explain. While we move ahead.”
She was already determined. She didn’t care whether this was top secret or what.
Makoto had enough of shaking in fear all alone. She was going to have everyone suffer with her.
“By the way, you told me I couldn’t be the leader, but is there some reason why you fit the job, then?”
“Obviously there isn’t! If I have to answer at all, it’s the fact that I’m willing to do anything and sacrifice anything in order to survive!”
Makoto stroked her throat with a finger, making the wasp spider wrap around her neck again. If she used just a bit of her power she didn’t need to materialize her Mushi, but it wouldn’t be so easy from now on.
She gave up on conserving her powers. Because she clearly needed to use her full power, were she to support these idiots ahead.
“I did all that—and didn’t let even a single person from my team drop out, so far!”
2.03 OPS1 Part 4[edit]
The first one to leap out of the control room was Shachito.
“Awright! First, let’s try figuring out who’s our enemy. I’ll go tell them hi.”
“Wait! You can go ahead and die in a trap if you’d like to, but… Maimai! Give him a communication device!”
“Gwogwa! Gotcha!”
Following her order, Maimai touched Shachito’s neck. A jelly-like mass was attached behind his ear.
“So about this, it’s Maimai’s Mushi, and it can communicate with other members’ gogglesez! I-I didn’t bite my tongue, err!”
“I understand, more or less! I’m heading out, mommy.”
“Who’s your mommy?! I’m still just fifteen!”
“Dunno who that was, but how dare they do whatever they want in my own damn turf? I’ll make ‘em beg.”
“W-wait, Kasuou! If you’re not here, our defenses—eh, et tu, Yakugami?”
“A grim reaper of death should be near the enemy, not his allies.”
Following Kasuou, Sachito and Yakugami also leapt to the corridor.
“Sure! Thanks for lowering our defenses little by little! —We can’t move here, it’s dangerous! We’re going to escape! Heal Sakura while running! Kabuto, you look like you have some stamina, so you’re going to carry Sakura! Rinrin, guide us to the elevator leading further down! Alright you guys, get moving!”
“I do apologize for the trouble. Hmm, I have not met you in a few months, but are you not somewhat changed?”
“Because a lot happened since then.”
The unsociable Kabuto brought Sakura to his back as she spoke to him with a warrior-like tone to express gratitude. This wasn’t planned, but these two old-fashioned people looked to be getting along.
“So we’re going to the nearest elevator? Or should we take the shortest route to C, even if we have to take the long road on this floor?”
Petite and wavy-haired Rinrin reached ahead with both arms. Unfamiliar machines flew out of both sleeves, covered the boy’s arms and changed into chunky gloves.
“Both are just as dangerous! You decide!”
“Me? Even if only provisionally, I can’t thank a leader for leaving work to others.”
“I don’t know about your powers, but I heard the rumors. —Asagi trained you to serve as C’s successor, right? The future head of the Central Headquarters’ intelligence division will not allow us to get lost, right?”
As Makoto glared at him, Rinrin grinned.
“—I sent the route to all your goggles.”
“Let’s go!”
With Makoto spearheading them, the suicide corps left the control room. As if tracing the underground route reflected in her goggles, she rushed through the gloomy pathway.
She could feel explosions and vibrations from afar.
“Shachito! What was that now?”
“Another surprise attack with a bomb hit me! But I somehow dodged it, so it’s fine!”
“I’m not worrying about you! Do you know who the enemy was?”
“Wow, what a shock. I’m going after them now—but this guy’s super fast! I can see them from behind from time to time… is it my eyes playing tricks on me? It looked like they were freely turning sharply in corners while running at above 100 kmh…”
“Running this fast—no way, are they a Fusion Type?”
“Fusion Type, meaning like that Kakkou guy, right? Doesn’t look like it, I didn’t see any glowing pattern or anything—”
Another explosion echoed.
“Shachito!”
“—That was a close one. There was a trap. I was just about to rest in pieces.”
“Get a grip! At least act as a nice decoy until we’re able to get downstairs!”
“Sure. But having a guy who’s able to zip around so freely is a real danger. I think we should finish them off no matter what we do.”
“Try and lure them here!”
“Kasuou?”
“Arschloch! There’s no one fucking here! You hearin’ me, Shachito or whatever your name is? Bring that guy over here! I’ll crush them in an instant!”
“Well, I’d like to try fighting them one against one… but I’ve been taught a lot that obsessing over fighting alone is not being a warrior, but an idiot. —Alright, so let’s have a pincer attack here, Kasuou-chan.”
“Next time you put ‘chan’ after my name I’ll butcher you as well!”
“Himiko, Rinrin! Transmit them each other’s locations to help with the pincer attack!”
“Got it!”
“Gotcha. Also, this is a digression, but a little more running speed would be…”
Kasuou left it unsaid that they saw Shachito’s strength during the fight against Shinpu. Although they didn’t know who the enemy was, there was no way they’d be able to survive an attack by them at the same time.
Sakura’s healing was also apparently over. Including her as she just got off from Kabuto’s back, the suicide corps ran through the corridor in unison.
“Yotsuba, get to the front! Be on guard!”
“Alright! On guard for what, though?”
“Other enemies, or surprise attacks just like before.”
“…!”
All seemed surprised at this. Nene spoke in a low voice.
“You mean that this bomber isn’t our only enemy?”
“Our enemy is only C. That is no mistake. —However, if any enemy other than C comes to block our path, they’re very likely to number more than just one or two.”
For a moment, everyone went silent at Makoto’s words.
Tamamo spoke from behind.
“What do you meaaan? Will someone other than C stand in our way?”
“Guh…!”
Shachito’s groan was heard through the goggles.
“This guy… this time they attacked from completely empty space! —Say, doesn’t anyone know anything about them? Them being here means they’re from the Central Headquarters or whatever, no? I can’t really believe that none of you know about someone this dangerous!”
“I also agree with that! No one has any clue? —Rinrin! As a member of the intelligence division, you should know everyone!”
“Haa, haa… If I knew I would’ve already told you! I don’t want to get targeted by them, either!”
“Kuh… it’s really unexpected that no one knows about this enemy…”
Makoto bit her lips.
“Stop with the bullshit already, Terasu. Didn’t you say you’ll explain earlier?”
Even only through the audio she could clearly hear how angry Kasuou was.
“What the fuck are we fighting against? We can’t even get to C with things being like this.”
“I know that…”
Makoto grimaced, putting a hand to her goggles.
“Vice-Deputy. Can you hear me? I request permission to reveal information to the squad—Vice-Deputy?”
“The moment we entered the underground, it became harder to maintain communication with the outside.”
Rinrin spoke, his breath labored. Even his voice was filled with anger.
“Naturally. It was only yesterday when we were trapped underground like this. Although you’re running with an antenna on you, from here on the signal will remain unstable.”
Makoto clicked her tongue.
In the first place the chances of any enemy other than C appearing was low. If that hadn’t happened, they could just fight against C without her having to reveal top-secret information to the unit.
“…Have you all received an explanation about Shinpu’s main body being hidden by Central Headquarters?”
Resolving herself, Makoto opened her mouth.
She didn’t even know how many of them were going to return alive. Since this was how things were, if she didn’t share at least a little information, that number was going down to zero.
Kaguya snorted.
“Rather than an explanation, it was more like they just dumped it on us before starting this operation. —We of the East Central Branch already realized it, though.”
“I see. Using Shinpu, the Headquarters conducted a certain experiment. The hints for that were in Fuyuhotaru and Shinpu’s ability…”
Another explosion.
“T-this guy’s so strong…! I see, so it’s not an opponent that I can save my stamina against. Alright, I’ll do this. —Hihah.”
“Hey, you Shachi bastard! You gotta be close by, right! Bring ‘em here already!”
“They’re within firing range. You two, if you don’t want to get rusted, protect yourselves. I’m going to ‘touch’ this entire area… because that’ll nullify all the traps around.”
For a moment, the corridor’s emergency lights blinked. It was apparently about the time they settled their fight with that mysterious assailant.
Makoto inquired.
“Say, Kaguya-san. How did your branch know that Shinpu was hiding in Central Headquarters?”
“Our comrade supposedly turned into a Fallen had a Fragment of Shinpu used on her and got in contact with Kakkou—”
While speaking, Kaguya gasped.
Makoto turned around, checking the face of the shocked boy. —When she heard the truth, Makoto surely made the same face as him.
“Kasuou and the rest will soon initiate battle! 3… 2… 1—”
When Himiko’s countdown reached its end, their voices overlapped.
“Ha? They’re nowhere!”
“They are! They can become invisible! Aim at where I’m aiming!”
“Tch! OOORAAAAAAA!”
An earthquake shook the Underground Fort.
This excessive impact made all those running in the corridor fall down.
Even Makoto rolled, soon raising her face and speaking.
“Central Headquarters… used Shinpu to form an experiment of reviving the Fallen.”
Everyone there, groaning as they raised themselves, had their expressions frozen.
Right—Makoto had also been shocked.
This was the truth spoken about in the tent she heard along with the branch heads.
“Ah… ah…?”
Rinrin made a weird voice. She wondered if he received a hard blow when he fell, but he was acting strangely. He held his small, childlike head and started mumbling, numb.
“I know who that is—no, who that was… Because I secretly investigated Miguruma… and the Annihilators… A Mushitsuki that can use bombs and become invisible… apparently turned into a Fallen in some mission… but—”
“Haa! Haa! Where’s the body?! Show yourself!”
“No, you missed! N-no way… In this situation, not only had they managed to protect themselves but even instantly cancelled their ability! All to escape my sensing and throw off my aim—”
“This is… Shera!”
Rinrin screamed.
“Commander of the Annihilators, who was supposedly turned Fallen…! The strongest assassin who managed to survive even the nightmare of Fuyuhotaru!”
“With a fragment, you could apparently create a mock-revival of a Fallen at best…”
Makoto mumbled.
What she spoke of now was the truth revealed to her when she was alone with Miguruma.
It was one of the reasons they had to defeat C as soon as possible.
“But Shinpu himself was different. —He could take over even corpses and control them.”
“—Who are you!”
Yotsubsa, who was the one to rise first, turned toward the darkness ahead, readying her body.
“It’s dangerous, Kasuou-chan!”
“Gwah…! T-this piece of shit—WOOORAAAA!”
“We thought that we finally noticed out enemy… looks like they didn’t come out of this unharmed after all. They’re covered in quite a lot of blood, we can win if we push through by force.”
A series of explosions and vibrations came from ahead.
During this, a figure appeared in front of Makoto’s group.
“—”
Including Yotsuba who was already on guard, everyone there was speechless.
Only one of them instead wore an expression full of hatred—none other than Makoto.
“Central Headquarters collected the bodies of each and every Fallen. Even corpses. —So we considered that this was a definite possibility.”
Makoto spoke in a stifled tone of voice, and in front of her eyes…
Appearing in the corridor lit by emergency lights like some ghost was a single girl.
And she wasn’t just a girl. She wore such a bizarre getup that her sanity might be in doubt.
“…N-no way…”
Maimai was crying.
It wasn’t just her. Seeing that girl—clad in a yellow raincoat and a candy in her mouth—everyone was paralyzed.
The one standing there was the one who taught Maimai and others how to fight, a Mushitsuki who was already dead—
“Shishidou Inuko…!”
Makoto’s second most hated Mushitsuki.
The feared berserker who once thoroughly defeated her, codename Asagi—
This person was Shishidou Inuko.
2.04 OPS1 Part 5[edit]
The girl standing in the dark hallway didn’t have the expression of a wax model.
Although the illumination was lacking, her skin was deathly pale and her eyes were cloudy. There was no doubt that this was the same Shishidou Inuko she’d seen before, but the twisted smile and hockey stick which could be called her trademarks were nowhere to be seen.
Seeing her figure, agitation spread throughout the suicide corps.
“Teacher…?”
“Is it really… Teacher…?”
“Wanko-san…”
“T-Teach…”
This is bad—
Most of the people there were Inuko’s disciples. As they’d undergone her harsh training, they’d been made to feel both respect and awe toward her.
The small instant of an opening that Makoto created was not missed by Shishidou Inuko.
“—!”
It was as though the footage was suddenly switched.
Makoto stood in a field of flowers.
Choked by the scent of honey and fluttering butterflies—a swarm of chestnut tiger butterflies.
As Makoto’s group stood completely stunned, the chestnut tiger butterflies filling their sight glowed purple.
“—Gah!”
“Eeek!”
“Kwah!”
Including Makoto, all of them prostrated themselves. As if their head was hit—no, as if they were strongly attracted to the ground, they bumped their heads against the flower field.
We’ve been drawn into an isolated space…! She activated her ability way too fast—
As far as Makoto knew, only a small part of Special Type Mushitsuki could use this ability. Using their ability to its utmost and creating another dimension, as well as drawing people inside.
“Gwah…! The heck’s this!”
“T-this feeling… Inuko…?”
They could hear Kasuou’s and Shachito’s groans from the goggles.
Even those two were brought inside despite their distance…? This is ridiculous range…!
In just an instant, she deployed an isolated space of frighteningly extensive range. Even Shinpu’s main body took some time to activate his ability—
“Kuh…!”
Makoto tried touching her throat, but her body couldn’t move.
Inuko’s ability was the control of magnetism. The entire group was forcibly brought to the ground by a powerful magnetic force, so she couldn’t even raise an arm.
With their movements completely sealed, they were sitting ducks.
If they couldn’t absolve this isolated space this instant, they’d all be annihilated within second.
“A-anyone at all..! Destroy this isolated space, quickly…!”
“Hien—”
At the same time as someone mumbled this, a golden light filled the flower field.
A fan of lasers launched from above ground shot through the transient blue sky. They also aimed for the chestnut tiger butterflies dancing around, as well as at Shishidou Inuko standing in the field.
A rain of golden light, each ray with unparalleled piercing power.
Makoto had once seen that during the battle that occurred in her own jurisdiction.
The blue sky broke audibly, and the flowers quickly wilted.
“I hate that Special Type ability…!”
The world returned its proper form. In the former gloomy underground corridor, Kaguya rose with an angry expression.
Kaguya was a Rank 2 Mushitsuki, the same as Shishidou Inuko at her peak. —She hated his simplistic personality, but it seemed like he was useful as an ally.
“Kaguya… If you can destroy a Special Type’s isolated space despite being a Minion Type, you should’ve said so!”
“You’re also a Minion Type but can do this, right? Then I can do it, too.”
Apparently it was his first time to attempt this. Makoto revised the strategy in her mind.
If this guy can also destroy isolated spaces, that raises the chances of our ‘final method’. Well, this is only if we manage to reach C alive, though—
Makoto turned back to Shishidou Inuko who was in front of them.
“This is different from back then when you could go overboard. There are now many Mushitsuki as strong as you.”
Grimacing, she spoke further.
“Well, it’s also thanks you, at least a little.”
And.
I also grew stronger—
Makoto was different from how she was back then when she got captured by Kakkou and Inuko.
She heightened her abilities, went through many battlefields and now even became a Rank 2. Well, it was just a title, but now she stood shoulder to shoulder with that berserker at her prime.
Not only that, but if she managed to survive by some fluke, she could even rise to—
“…!”
With Makoto glaring ahead, Inuko soundlessly retreated. The berserker vanished into the darkness.
She was certain she’d come to kill her using her famed teleportation, but was caught by surprise.
“Gather, everyone! If you get away you’ll become a target! —Himiko! Watch Asagi’s movements and tell us if she approaches!”
“I-I cannot see her…! The remaining embers of the isolated space are scattered here and there, so I don’t know where teacher’s ‘flame’ is…!”
Makoto gulped.
She created a smokescreen using her ability’s remains.
Shishidou Inuko was experienced even in fighting against sensors—
“So that shitty Wanko came back to life… bring it on! I’ll tidy up things here and settle my years-long grudge! Let’s finish this, stupid Shachi!”
“Ah? Y-yeah… right, let’s finish off our weakened enemy—”
Kasuou was convinced of victory.
Hearing their conversation, it revived Makoto’s past memories like some divine revelation.
—I wooon!
Makoto, elated at her victory over the collapsed Kakkou.
However, the one who attacked her right after that—
“Kasuou! Assume a defensive positioooon!”
Makoto shouted without thinking.
“Asagi’s coming for a sneak attack!”
The same time her warning came, a large vibration assaulted the underground Fort.
About the same as during the attack launched by Kasuou and Shachito before, there was an intense shaking and a loud reverberation.
It went without saying where its origin was.
“Kasuou! You fine?”
Rather than striking Makoto’s group, where most people were, she chose the smaller group that had only three people in it. And she even saw through the timing when their guard would be at its lowest.
It might have been natural, looking at that berserker’s way of fighting.
Makoto’s group had only just gotten into the Underground Fort. But since Kasuou’s group of three people soon dropped out, it might lead directly to the failure of the mission.
“Kasuou!”
“—Your complexion’s lookin’ real bad there, shitty Wanko. Ate some trash off the ground like a stray or something?”
“Inuko…”
“She really does… look like Teacher.”
Hearing the trio’s voices, Makoto relaxed. As expected from the veteran Kasuou. She most likely managed to reflexively defend herself by the time she heard Makoto’s words.
However, leaving Kasuou aside, she felt some anxiety at the men’s responses.
“Kasuou, let’s change our strategy! Come back with Shachito and Yakugami! Ignoring these two and advancing is too dangerous—let’s beat them together!”
These opponents were too bothersome to fight while splitting their forces. And both of them were high-ranked warriors who survived for many years. Now that Kakkou was gone, the experiences they accumulated was in the top class even within the SEPB.
“T-Terasu’s right! Even in my simulations, if we fight in the current state our chances of success are below 10%!”
Although not ordered to, Rinrin went and made his own calculations.
Telling that to Kasuou’s going to have the opposite effect…!
Makoto’s fears were right on the mark.
“C was like that too, but you intelligence division guys sure love your numbers. —Shut up. I’ll butcher the two of them by myself!”
Even at best, you’re going to just agitate Asagi’s disciples and become useless!
Makoto just barely stopped herself from shouting this.
“Fine, then go from here! Rinrin, send us the route to where they are! And hurry!”
Cleaning up the mistakes of the haughty members was all in a day’s work for Makoto.
It was this way from a while back, and it would surely keep on being like that.
“Gwah! Just like always, it’s a hell of an ability to face, no matter if she’s far or close…”
“Territory Isolation!”
Makoto shouted. As long as her voice reached, her ability would work even in distant places.
“Woah. Shitty Wanko’s ability released…?”
“Tell me when you need support!”
Following the route displayed on the goggles, Makoto rushed through the corridors.
“We need to think up of a strategy to beat Asagi and Shera! At the very least we have the people who’re most knowledgeable about Asagi here, right! Anyone know her weakness?”
As she said this and turned around, everyone looked unwell.
Can we really beat that Shishidou Inuko…?”
Their faces made it clear they were thinking this.
Just as she grew angry, she heard Shachito’s voice from the goggles.
“S-say, Terasu-chan—is Inuko really dead?”
Something really snapped inside Makoto.
“Are you actually—“
Forgetting about the situation around, she stopped in place. She raised her voice and screamed.
“Give me a break! Kakkou’s a Fallen! Also—Asagi died! Don’t start getting so sentimental about those guys! What is it, am I the only one here who wants to complete the mission? Am I the only one feeling better that they’re gone? They were nothing but an eyesore!”
She knew that saying this would do nothing but antagonize her comrades. —She knew this in her heart of hearts, but couldn’t stop herself.
Inuko’s disciples and the East Central Branch combatants in fact all looked angry.
Kakkou was hated by plenty of Mushitsuki, but many among the high-ranking understood him. After all, they knew of Kakkou’s strength. Makoto also knew of it well.
Unapproachable, unwavering strength.
And Makoto—loathed it.
“Or are you just going to die here and tell them that in the afterlife? ‘I really couldn’t stand up to you. I did do my best though’— t-this isn’t a joke! It can’t happen! I get a chill just thinking about it!”
As long as they were alive, Makoto couldn’t relax one bit.
Kakkou and Shishidou Inuko captured her, made her into a fool and looked down on her.
Their mere existence made it impossible for her to escape her past self so pathetically begging for her life.
However, they both stepped down from the stage.
She couldn’t compare to them when they were alive, but if they were dead…
Makoto stood side by side with Shishidou Inuko. Because she became Rank 2.
Even if it was merely the title, thinking that she could stand up with them—was it cowardly? Or unfair?
“Isn’t this just perfect! You see Asagi’s corpse right in front of you! Should I tell you this while I can? You can’t stand up to your revered teacher! But don’t drag me into it! I’m going to beat this corpse being controlled by C, and then after finishing this mission, I’ll finally reach that Fallen Kakkou and say—”
I became a Rank 1 just like you!
She was shocked at herself shouting all this.
“—”
Until now she only played it safe, but now she headed out to beat C while resolved for death.
In the end, the reason she could do it was because she wanted the title of a Rank 1.
She had no interest in anything as grand as saving the world or the like.
The one truly obsessed with the dead was perhaps none other than Makoto herself—
“…I’m sick of it all.”
She was flabbergasted at all Mushitsuki there, including herself.
“I’m tired of being played by those who are gone, by dead people… I hate them all. I also hate you, and myself… but—”
She hated the strong. As well as hated herself, since they kept looking down on her.
Now that Shinpu was gone, and Fuyuhotaru’s group was heading to defeat Oogui.
If they defeated C, the world would change.
It would become a world with no new Mushitsuki being born.
“If I survive now, just that’s enough to make me stronger than anyone…”
If the world changed, perhaps she would change as well—
If she changed that much, it should fix even her wishy-washy personality.
She could only wish for it to be so and fight.
“If you want to steal even such a small victory from me, you’re all my enemies… if you don’t wanna fight, it’s the same. Just go home already!”
After spitting this, she ran in the corridor alone.
Makoto would never be able to defeat C on her own. However, if she brought all these nuisances with her, she would die protecting them. —And it would become Makoto’s most hated form of death, dying in vain.
“Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Suddenly this loud voice echoed from her goggles. Makoto’s shoulders twitched.
It was Shachito.
“Don’t misunderstand me, Terasu-chan. No warrior’s ever gonna run away from the battlefield. I was just trying to make sure.”
“…Make sure what?”
“If Inuko’s just being controlled by C, it means that C is playing with our teacher, right?”
He was probably fighting against Shera and Inuko as he was speaking. She could hear the sound of impacts and Kasuou’s shouts of anger.
“If that’s the case—there’s only one thing I can do.”
To fight—
This was the only answer for a hesitating warrior that granted them salvation and fulfillment.
More than fighting techniques, this was the one and only point they learned—
“I’ll think of a simulation to defeat Shera and Teacher.”
At some point Rinrin followed Makoto from behind.
And not just him. All members of the suicide corps ran after Makoto.
“However, to certainly defeat them, we need abilities that our opponents don’t know about. Perhaps even abilities that C doesn’t know… anyone here keeping some secret?”
“It’s probably impossible for those among us who had their abilities developed by Asagi.”
Makoto sighed and spoke.
“Fine, I’ll do it. I wanted to save it for C, if at all possible, but…”
This was a lie.
The opponent she actually wanted to use it on to show them—was already gone.
“If I’m to use it against Asagi, I’ll feel a bit better.”
Rinrin finished his simulation quickly.
This maneuver would never work against someone with the superior battle experience.
Accordingly, the strategy that Makoto’s group attempted—left about half to the power of numbers.
“This is a forced strategy. —But when I consider getting hit by it, it’s the way I’d hate the most.”
The one to say it was Shachito. Even though he had his seemingly inexhaustible stamina, he was starting to lose his breath as expected.
“All members, have you deployed? Then—let’s corner them!”
Standing all alone in an empty corridor, Makoto gave the green light.
The trap had already been set.
All that remained was drawing the enemy into the specified location.
“Terasu! She’s coming to you! Don’t let her pass!”
Kasuou’s voice echoed.
“Coming straight to me…! Do I look that weak? She really pisses me off even after she died!”
Corridors of the Underground Fort were spread like a web.
A lone figure was quickly approaching Makoto who blocked one such path.
It was Shishidou Inuko. Once, she’d swing that hockey stick of hers with a distorted smile, but now she closed the distance to Makoto with a face like a Noh mask.
“Can’t see her, but there’s another person anyway…! Territory Isolation!”
Makoto’s emitted noise tore off the invisible assassin’s cover. In an empty spot, a half-naked beautiful woman appeared. Yet soon something like a thin membrane covered the woman, becoming a suit that covered her from head to toe.
Shera controlled a suit made of resin and fought using a similar method to Fusion Types. According to Rinrin, she could apparently make the coloring match the surrounding, thereby becoming invisible.
On the other hand, Inuko also decelerated. This was her special move—by controlling magnetism, she repelled herself from the surroundings objects to teleport around. Makoto had felt it before firsthand.
“Sense Isolation!”
Makoto’s follow-up attack blew Shera and Inuko away.
It was the power to paralyze the opponents’ body from the noise. However, it affected the two powerful warriors in front of her for no more than a few seconds. Inuko blew away the noise with purple electricity, while Shera moved not her physical body but the resin covering it, so they came to assault Makoto again.
“Sense Isolation! Sense Isolation! Sense Isolation! Eat shit!”
Slowly, the two opponents were forced to go back by the onslaught of noise.
That was fine.
Makoto never thought she’d be able to win alone in the first place. If it became a close-quarters combat, a single punch would shatter her.
Her real aim was to stop them in place.
“Sense Isolation! Sense Isolation! Sense Isolation!”
If she could buy just a little more time—
“Go over there, you sonnuva!”
As Makoto yelled at them, Inuko and Shera turned on their heels. They were distancing themselves with superhuman speed.
That was fine.
Once they realized they couldn’t get passed this corridor, the enemies promptly left.
Because they feared a pincer attack.
“T-they’re coming hererere! Eeeep, Kaguya-san!”
“I can’t see Shera—but I’m gonna shoot all over the place anyway!”
She could see golden light leaking from another corridor.
“Don’t hold back! Don’t let them get through, even if only for some ten seconds or so!”
Makoto heard everyone respond to her orders through the goggles.
While Kasuou and Shachito and the rest were buying time, the other remaining members had scattered among the corridors in advance.
Their aim was to block the corridors and lead Inuko and Shera to a certain direction.
That direction was obviously—where they set up a trap.
“They retreated!”
“—Here! I won’t letcha pass! Poison Punch!”
“I think we’re fine pushing them with numbers… since we can’t win in either speed, technique or experience, it’s the only thing we can do.”
She could feel battles from here and there inside the Fort.
Once they were surrounded by numbers, it was obvious they’d try to escape to empty corridor. Then they would fear surprise attacks, and the process would repeat itself.
If so, then they just needed to block all corridors beforehand and narrow their net little by little.
If they thought not of beating them but just focused on blocking their path it was possible.
“Still, if we keep narrowing the net—they might just act recklessly to try and break through somewhere. Because if they end up completely surrounded, it’s the end for them.”
“The enemies’ ‘flames’ are moving again!”
A tie was not something they wished for.
“They’re heading to that corridor!”
Makoto kicked the floor, heading to the trapped corridor.
“It’s an obvious trap, though. But Asagi knows our powers. The only one not fighting here—is Tamamo.”
“Got it. I’ve finished preparing the speakers I received from Terasu-san.”
“So, those conceited bastards will think like this. Even if there’s some risk, they could just force their way through someone like Tamamo—”
Inuko and Shera shouldn’t have been able to spot Tamamo’s figure. Because she’d been using her camouflage ability to its fullest in the narrow range of a radius of several meters.
“Here! They’re approaching—it doesn’t look like they can perceive meee! Only a few more seconds till contact, 3, 2, 1—”
While running, Makoto opened her mouth wide.
But you’re not fighting Tamamo…!
Asserting this in her heart, she unleashed noise from her mouth.
“Territory Isolation!”
Loud volume noise echoed.
However, this sound was heard not from near Makoto.
It was heard from the corridor where Tamamo was hiding.
“Kuh…! It’s a direct hiiit! Shera’s hit confirmed! Teacher’s slowing down too!”
Each member of the suicide corps rushing out from a separate corridor, they met at the crossroads.
All of them looked toward a single corridor.
They confirmed the figures of their enemies inside the gloomy corridor.
The noise emitted by the speakers installed there in advance absolved the ability of all Mushitsuki there.
Tamamo, Shera, and Shishidou Inuko.
Seeing that, Yakugami stepped ahead. He swung his overly long weapon that resembled a scythe.
“I hadn’t managed to ‘touch’ Teacher ever since our training.”
Red-rusty chains flew from the scythe. As they touched the walls, the walls and ceiling all became covered in red rust spreading over them.
“She can no longer use magnetism on the walls and ceiling. You can’t teleport anymore, Teacher.”
“The enemy’s within range! I’m retreatiiing!”
Tamamo threw something she’d been hiding in her coat into the air and stepped back.
Since Inuko and Shera had their abilities nullified by the noise and rust, they couldn’t immediately get away.
“—Eat this.”
Makoto put one hand on her throat, and the other she thrust forward.
What Tamamo scattered around was special speakers given to her by Makoto. These were designed to not only amplify her voice, but even take in sounds from the surrounding, further echo and bounce them off.
“BOUN-DARY ISO-LATIOOON!”
Loaded with Makoto’s full powers, the noise filled the corridor.
This ear-grating sound twisted space itself. The surrounding walls and ceiling were crushed, gathering toward the scattered speakers.
“Don’t think that only Special Types can create isolated spaces…!”
As Makoto shouted this, she felt that this had an effect.
The two enemies were inside the quickly twisting space. Since they had their legs sealed, they had no way to escape that.
However—
“Ah…!”
Who was the one to raise this voice of surprise? Perhaps it was herself.
While Makoto and the rest were watching them, Shishidou Inuko suddenly clung to Shera, perhaps having some idea.
And then she curled her body like a cat—
“…!”
Emitting purple electricity from her body, she kicked Shera. Using recoil, Inuko leapt out of the twisted space.
“Eeek!”
Passing next to Tamamo while spinning, Inuko instantly vanished into the other side of the corridor.
“She made Shera’s body magnetic…!”
Nene’s groan was right.
Seeing she couldn’t use the walls or ceiling, she made Shera and herself magnetic and repelled off of her.
She probably judged the trap to be a threat and so escaped by herself. Shera became her sacrifice and was shoved inside the twisting space, where her figure was still getting compressed.
While everyone was stunned, the trap ended.
A pitch-dark cube rotated in 360 degrees in the center of the speakers scattered to all directions—
Inside the space that couldn’t exist in reality, the figure of Shera looking around was reflected. It was like seeing a fish trapped inside a black water tank.
“Haa, haa… Shera can’t see us from here. We’ve completely isolated her from the world.”
While breathing hard, Makoto watched the footage of the spinning Shera.
Her created space was about several meters square. This was Makoto’s trump card, that she could use only by borrowing the special devices made to echo her own voice.
“We’ve caught Shera—but Asagi got away…! Shit!”
They never expected her to escape like that. They tried to seal both enemies at once, but it backfired on them that way.
“Doesn’t look like she fully escaped it, though.”
Kabuto pointed to a certain spot inside the cube.
A thin right arm cut off from the shoulder was floating there. It even had the familiar yellow sleeve on it.
“What’re we gonna do? Follow Wanko?”
While looking at Inuko’s right arm, Kasuou spoke.
They could perform Shishidou Inuko’s last rites. —She thought it was a very attractive proposal, but in the current situation, she judged it to be a complete waste of time.
Rather than get obsessed over wounded enemy soldiers, they should make up for the lost time.
“No—we have to head down as soon as possible.”
Makoto ordered the suicide corps and stepped ahead toward the elevator.
2.05 OPS1 Part 6[edit]
The two-headed centipede tried biting off Makoto’s head.
“Move aside, shit!”
Thrusting Makoto away, Kasuou pushed the centipede back with her mist. Although she tried using her mist claws to rip it apart, the centipede resolutely pushed back with its gigantic jaws.
“Wanna have a contest of strength? Bring it on, piece of shit!”
“Where did Shachito, Yotsuba and Yakugami go to?!”
While colliding with the wall, Makoto shouted.
Rinrin answered from behind her.
“They said some enemies are coming from behind, so they went to beat them!”
“Acting alone again… I’ve had enough of them! Himiko! If more enemies are coming from where Shachito’s group it, let me know immediately!”
“Right!”
As Himiko nodded, the distinct color of fatigue rose to her expression. Makoto heard that she was never healthy in the first place, but she wasn’t the only one who was tired.
Makoto for sure, but even the howling Kasuou and everyone else was exhausted.
Naturally.
Already quite a lot of time passed since Makoto’s group infiltrated the Underground Fort—
“I’ll stop the enemy in place so you back off, Kasuou! Kaguya, I’m counting on you!”
“Can go at any time.”
“Aah? Don’t fuck with me, with this guy even I on my own—”
“Shuddup, just retreat already! I’m going… Sense Isolation!”
Noise echoed throughout the underground corridor. The twin-headed centipede competing against Kasuou stopped moving for a moment as though paralyzed.
“Tch!”
As Kasuou erased her mist, Kaguya launched golden lasers.
Its massive body pierced, the centipede bent backwards, crying.
However—
“…!”
Although it had many holes in its body and one head blown off, it assaulted Makoto’s group again.
“Fire!”
Himiko made a pistol shape with her hand and pointed at the centipede.
The column of flames erupting from the floor swallowed it.
Furthermore, the rhinoceros beetle that was Kabuto’s Mushi tackled it, sending it flying back.
“Kuh… I’ll fire one more time! Move, Kabuto!”
“Is he a zombie or what!”
Kaguya’s new barrage of lasers and Kasuou’s claws managed to rip the centipede’s body apart this time.
The man standing behind the centipede folded his knees, collapsing listlessly.
While breathing hard, Makoto turned to everyone present.
“I told you not to use your powers other than for sensing, Himiko! Also, wasn’t your aim too lacking, Kaguya? Kasuou, don’t lose focus!”
The Mushitsuki who were scolded turned rebellious eyes to Makoto. However, none of them said anything back.
Apparently they lacked the energy to even retort. It was also obvious they weren’t able to concentrate.
“I’m done here too. Coming back now.”
“I’m a bit too tired here.”
Putting a hand to her goggles, Makoto displayed the current time.
“…I don’t want to waste any time, but let’s rest a bit. Sakura, counting on you. You too, Tamamo.”
“Yeah.”
The nodding Sakura was also pale with fatigue. The rainbow scarab beetle which was her Mushi landed atop her long-handled hammer.
She struck the corridor’s wall with her hand hammer at full power.
Instantly there were glowing cracks on the wall. Something warped and creaked.
Several seconds later, a small door appeared in the door where there was nothing before.
“They seem to be back. Come inside, quickly.”
Calling toward the returning Shachito and the rest, Makoto opened the door.
A cave in a radius of a few meters welcomed them.
It was an improvised shelter created by Sakura’s power, which was able to freely manipulate any inorganic matter.
Once she confirmed all members evacuated inside, Makoto turned toward the imp girl.
“Tamamo, have you preserved enough energy? For how long can you employ your barrier?”
“About two hours, I guess?”
Their previous break was for three hours. Although she let her rest without participating in the battle, wishing for a complete recovery in this situation was probably too much to ask.
Sakura struck the door with her hammer. The door cleanly vanished.
“We’re resting for two hours. You should use this time to eat your rations and take a nap. Himiko and Shachito, you are to remain vigilant for things on the outside, taking turns.”
Makoto gave orders, but none responded to her. They all sat down as if saying they could finally take a break.
Makoto also lowered the case she was holding and sat on the floor.
Keeping herself as expressionless as possible, she sucked on some nutritional jelly—but inside she was not calm at all.
“Ah… how much time passed since we came down here?”
Kasuou, who was spreadeagled on the floor, spoke. Makoto answered her.
“A little more than 27 hours.”
“And we’re currently at…”
Nene asked. Makoto answered.
“Layer 12th.”
“And if I recall, C’s at…”
“Layer 30th.”
The time given to them was 48 hours.
Even a simple calculation made it clear that it was difficult for them to reach C within the time limit. Also, the more they exhausted themselves, the slower their pace would be.
That was why Makoto was panicking, but she couldn’t show it outwardly.
“There’s no problem, we’re doing alright. The number of enemies we’ve defeated so far—let’s call them Revived Mushitsuki—was nine. The isolated space we’ve sealed Shera into should keep going for a while, and wherever Asagi is, she’s hurt. C should be running out of cards. Once we get rid of all those Revived in our way, our pace will be quicker.”
Immediately more and more people began to raise questions.
“You said that there were only about ten Revived… right?”
“Shinpu could only control about ten fragments at a time. Although C absorbed that power, it’s unthinkable she’d be able to control more than the Original Three. So we can assume there are only ten Revived. —Since that’s Vice-Deputy Miguruma’s estimation, there’s no way she was completely off the mark.”
“Still, that’s about on par with our fighting forces.”
“As long as they’re not working together there’s nothing to fear. The scariest thing is… if one of us becomes a Fallen or dies. It’s an unlikely case, but if that happens—”
“Then they’ll get Revived by C and become an enemy…”
Yotsuba’s words made the entire suicide corps silent.
Makoto nodded.
“That’s how it is. —It’s fine, I won’t let any of you drop out, and it’s going well right now.”
“Revived, huh… do they really have no memories or emotions?”
Kabuto mumbled. Makoto glared at him.
“No, it’s not like I’m hesitating. It’s just that they’re a bit different from what they’ve told us at the East Central Branch. I heard that the Mushitsuki thought to have been Revived by the Central Headquarters’ experiments… Centipede and Minmin, had feelings.”
“…That was back when Shinpu was still alive and used the fragments, right? Now it’s C controlling it, and since she’s lost her personality and became something like a program, it’s not that odd.”
Makoto quickly explained this, and looked at Rinrin and Maimai to change the subject.
“How about communication with the outside? Did you get anything?”
“Maimai-chan worked hard! I used my Mushi to secure a contact route with the surfaceses! B-but the connection’s still unstable!”
“Operation 2, Operation 3… there are no changes. Our orders are focused on us to just keep going.”
A gloomy air permeated the shelter.
It’s too late—
Never mind Operation 3, but about news from Operation 2—which was led by Harukiyo to wake up Sleeping Beauty? Makoto had never directly met him, but if the rumors about the powerful flame-clad devil were true, he should be able to solve everything quickly.
As everyone stopped talking, the short time of rest was gone in no time.
Two hours passed and the suicide corps stood up.
Although they managed to recover just a little of their fatigue, everyone had bad complexions. On top of there being only very little time left, they couldn’t tell what the other units did. Their morale was obviously low as well.
Makoto couldn’t think of any way to stimulate them in this fierce situation. On the other hand, she also lacked the strength to force them to do this.
“I’m creating the door. Alright, Terasu?”
Sakura was about to swing her hammer toward the wall connected to the corridor.
“Wait, Sakura.”
Makoto stopped Sakura, operating her visor.
This atmosphere was not good at all.
Would they really be able to reach C in this state?
Although she couldn’t bring it out of her mouth, she knew everyone thought this. Above all else Makoto herself felt like this, and she could feel that everyone saw through her.
A unit with low morale was weak.
Although no one dropped out so far, if even the slightest seam opened up, there was a high possibility for them to accrue irreversible damage. In the worst case, even a full party wipe was possible.
Makoto wanted to at least avoid what she hated the most, dying in vain.
“Rinrin. I’ve sent some footage to your goggles just now. Send it to everyone’s goggles. —Shachito, use that.”
Removing her visor, she threw it over to Shachito.
“Footage…? Got it, I just need to send it to everyone.”
“Yes. Look at this, all of you.”
This was a gamble.
They might lose their will to fight after watching the footage. Alternatively, there was also the fear they’d sympathize.
However, there was a need for everyone to reaffirm their goal again. Also, it was better to confirm right here who couldn’t fight, send them away and become lighter as a result.
“It’s footage of the enemy we’re to defeat—of C.”
“…!”
Everyone put hands to the goggles, expressions freezing.
This was the footage of C Makoto had been shown on the surface. An ocean of thick cables, a mountain range of machinery, and the transparent, shining, rectangular bed.
The girl lying there as well as the eyes peeking through the security cameras from afar.
The scenery of C’s bed, where the only possible conclusion was that time and space were distorted.
“Now that she’s absorbed Shinpu hidden by the Central Headquarters, we can’t tell when C—no, the ‘thing’ shown there would come out of the Fort. If she does, there’s no doubt she could create an innumerable number of victims, much more than even Shinpu.”
When Miguruma had shown this footage to Makoto, she thought.
—There’s no way I can beat this monster.
This fear that could be called instinctive had paralyzed her.
“If the others in charge of operations, Harukiyo and Fuyuhotaru and others fail—we’ll be the only ones who must beat her.”
“—”
Everyone looked at Makoto.
“It’s true, right? If the Rank 1s start dropping—all of the members here will actually count as the strongest. And if C becomes freely able to move above ground, we’ll get easily finished by her lightning strike attacks.”
“…”
“Our enemy isn’t the Revived like Shera or Asagi.”
Makoto spoke.
“It’s C, the Rank 1 Super Class Mushitsuki—no, she already went past the framework of a Mushitsuki.”
Everyone fell silent.
Makoto waited for anyone to speak.
Anyone’s fine… just say something—
She groaned in her heart desperately. She wanted to show them C’s footage only when they were closer to her location. If it made them all shrivel up by seeing it, they wouldn’t be able to get to C anyway.
However, in the current state she had no such leisure.
If they couldn’t properly see their goal, their hearts were going to give up by the unceasing chain of Revived—
“C—”
After a long silence, the one to open his mouth was Kaguya.
“C’s… what is she doing?”
What would come out of his mouth in the end? A declaration of new resolve? Or a declaration of surrender—
Makoto resolved herself.
However, what Kaguya spoke of was a question she hadn’t anticipated.
“Is that clear box she’s using as a bed—the Database?”
“…!”
Makoto felt like her heart was squeezed. For a moment, she stopped breathing.
“Wha—how do you…?”
Miguruma had emphasized to her that she was not to reveal this truth to the group members as much as possible.
The basis for why C lost her personality and why the Revived had no emotions.
How did Kaguya know about the object that could be called the core for this—
Instead of the speechless Makoto it was Rinrin who replied.
“Database…? Meaning, meaning, this is a memory device? If this isn’t just a transparent stone, n-no way, is this a Hologram Memory?”
Sakura and Maimai, who also had technical knowledge, paled as well.
“Don’t be stupid! It’s impossible with present science. And one this large, too…”
“I do know about Databasezzes… but, to think that this is Hologram Memory… judging from the size, it probably contains each and every bit of information that exists on this planet…”
Makoto did not know too many details about the principle behind this. However, as far as she could see from their reactions, just calling it a memory device like what Miguruma told her wasn’t going to cut it.
Even Maimai knew about the Database—about that bed.
Meaning, the East Central Branch knew of its existence.
Kabuto and Kaguya spoke.
“I have once helped in getting the disk we got from Centipede—the first discovered Revived—Kakkou.”
“According to Kakkou, the only one who saw it… inside the footage of C’s experiments, the keyword ‘Database’ appeared several times. So if you’re saying it became like this because of C’s experiments—I thought that this Database or whatever is also related.”
Following them, Himiko also spoke calmly.
“We’ve been thinking a lot about what this might mean… If C-san’s experiment was meant for reviving Mushitsuki—it would require a place where the information of all these Mushitsuki was supervised. A place to keep the memories, as precise and vivid as possible, to allow the Fallen to recall their dreams.”
“…”
Cold sweat began erupting on Makoto’s forehead.
East Central Branch—
They managed to dig out and obtain the truth that even Miguruma Yaeko tried hiding.
It was as different as day and night from the other branches who only followed the Central Headquarters. They were also different from Mushibane, who viewed the SEPB only as an enemy.
“You could call it a place to gather the fragments of Mushitsuki in order to revive them; a depository of dreams.”
Kaguya spoke.
“The key to revival from the Fallen state. —That’s the Database, right?”
East Central Branch, who once had Kakkou as their main fighting force.
What kind of battles had they fought in order to reach this truth?
The average Makoto couldn’t even imagine it.
“It’s a ‘Bed’. …So Vice-Deputy Miguruma called it.”
Makoto grimaced, forcing herself to smile.
“It’s not just C. Sleeping inside that bed are the dreams of both the Fallen and the dead. —It’s amazing that you know about this. But since you knew and yet were unable to do anything, it means nothing.”
“…”
Makoto spoke casually, and the East Central Branch Mushitsuki remained silent. What she said was true, so they probably couldn’t retort.
Still, there was no longer any sense to hide this.
“Yes, it’s just like you said. C’s just the medium connecting the Bed to the Fallen, and with Shinpu’s powers she can even do that to corpses. In the end, though, the digital information she’d stocked up can only create a pseudo-revival, and true revival was impossible—that was the experiment I’ve heard about from Vice-Deputy Miguruma.”
Once she decided on speaking of everything without any concealment, she felt actually refreshed. As if she got a load off her back.
“Well, looks like that memory-thingy is amazing, but… it’s apparently nearly at full capacity. It’d be another thing if she added individual Mushitsuki’s information one by one—but if C absorbs a new Original Three, the function will be lost.”
“…!”
All East Central Branch members were speechless. It really was that unexpected for them.
“That’s why we need to defeat C as soon as possible. That monster who’s taking over the Bed housing Mushitsuki’s hopes or whatever.”
Hearing Makoto’s words, the one whose expression clouded over was Nene.
“Monster… C-chan isn’t C-chan anymore, huh.”
“That Miguruma bitch! Using that brat as a toy…”
Kasuou struck her open palm with a fist.
While this girl was enraged, there was also someone calm. It was Yakugami.
“But Vice-Deputy Miguruma’s also the one who created Mushitsuki’s dreams.”
Right.
Miguruma played with Mushitsuki’s and even Makoto felt the desire to kill her more than once or twice.
But she wouldn’t be able to kill Miguruma. Because no matter how much she hated her, it pained her to admit that Miguruma Yaeko also held in her hands the salvation of Mushitsuki.
“—We can’t keep going like this.”
The one who suddenly said this was Shachito. He threw back Makoto’s visor to her.
“Our mission’s also to clean up the Revived to make it easier for the Rank 1s coming after us. But since we have no tidings from the other operations, we should act in an attempt to try beating C.”
The face of this boy with a hockey stick resting on his shoulder was that of a warrior. Not only was he not intimidated, he looked as though the act of finding a clear goal made him finally serious.
Makoto looked at the other suicide corps members.
All of them had intense expressions, but it didn’t look like they lost their will to fight.
Apparently her gamble was a success.
But the real problem was from here on.
“We need to change our strategy. —Terasu-chan, you also showed us that video because you thought that, right?”
Shachito looked at Makoto and spoke.
“If we continued like this, never mind defeating the Revived, we’d never reach C.”
“…Yes.”
Makoto honestly acknowledged it.
Unable to clear the way for Harukiyo, Fuyuhotaru—and Sleeping Beauty, they’d be unable to reach C. They needed a strategy in order to avoid that worst-case scenario.
“Anyone’s fine. Have any good idea? You especially Rinrin, isn’t there some optimal route?”
The curly-haired boy grimaced his freckled face.
“If there was, I would’ve already said it.”
“What a fucking bother. Let’s just dig down the ground to reach C. —C’mon, even Fuyuhotaru did it to save us. Let’s copy her.”
It was a Kasuou-like opinion. Rinrin shook his head.
“At the time we’ve evacuated into a place as close to the surface as possible. But since C’s in the deepest layer, it’s another league entirely. In the first place, we can’t stay with such a monster that can destroy everything.”
“What if we dig all together? I can also open up holes to an extent.”
Sakura spoke, but Rinrin’s response was unchanged.
“Even if we do this together, we’ll probably be able to get through two, three layers at the most. It’d be much quicker to use the elevator for that. Doesn’t even need a simulation.”
The Underground Fort’s elevator was at a different place for each layer. This was apparently for security purposes, but they didn’t know what they were so cautious about, with the structure as complex as it was.
Everyone fell silent.
While coming there they all wondered whether there was a shortcut.
Although it became even more urgent now, it wasn’t as though any convenient idea suddenly came to mind.
“My barrier’s also at its limiiit.”
Tamamo spoke with a sweat-drenched face. She kept using her ability continuously for more than two hours. If she exhausted herself, they’d probably get sensed by Asagi and attacked immediately.
Should they actually wait for one of the Rank 1s to come?
No, this would make it meaningless for them to come here.
The role of Makoto’s suicide corps was definitely not just cleaning up before the Rank 1s arrived.
“—Your simulation is only about cases where we use the corridors and elevator, right?”
The one who spoke this was someone unexpected.
It was Kabuto.
“What about if you consider places people don’t usually go through… for example, the air vents or the routes used to transport goods?”
“I obviously considered that as well. But the air vents going around each layer are much more of a labyrinth than the corridors, so it’ll be the long way, and as for special transport routes, there aren’t any in the first place…”
He was probably rechecking the structure of the Underground Fort. Rinrin, who controlled his mechanical gloves as though playing a piano, suddenly stopped moving.
“Ah—ahhh—”
“What’s wrong, Rinrin?”
Makoto called to him, but the boy did not immediately answer. He restlessly moved his gloves.
“N-no… I didn’t overlook this. I mean, that’s—it’s not a space meant for something to pass through…”
“Stop with the excuses! What on earth are you mumbling about?”
“T-the Underground Fort’s exact center—"
Rinrin looked up at empty air, speaking.
“The shaft in the center of the Underground Fort. In order to preserve each layer, the electrical cables and water pipes, as well as ventilation ducts, go through each layer’s partition… you could call it the backbone of the Fort. It’s obviously covered in thick walls and partitions, and there are no corridors to move between layers—”
“So we can just smash it open and dig down, then.”
Kasuou grinned.
“Compared to digging through the ground, there will be overwhelmingly less obstacles. If we just keep going through corridors, the possibility we’ll be able to reach the deepest layer within the time limit is less than 3%. But if we destroy the shaft’s partitions and force our way down—”
Rinrin moved his gloves and spoke.
“Our chances to get to the deepest layer—are 40%.”
“Everyone, assume battle position! We’re heading to the center of the Fort! Sakura, create the entrance!”
Makoto ordered the suicide corps members.
It wasn’t a high possibility at all.
However, for Makoto’s group right now, it was a miraculous probability.
“You’ve done well to notice that. A glorious achievement, Kabuto.”
“Just a fluke.”
Hearing Makoto’s compliment, Kabuto’s mouth loosened. —He was a combatant who applied for the team only due to the East Central Branch’s sentimentality. Or so she thought, but since according to rumors he was more of a sturdy and vigorous type rather than quick-witted, she made an unthinkable miscalculation.
“Let’s go!”
Sakura struck the hammer on the wall.
Going through the appearing door, Makoto’s group flew into the corridor. Following the new route appearing on her visor, she rushed through the corridors.
“Until we reach the center, we’ll advance in an assault formation! If an enemy appears alone, we’ll just push through by force!”
In their battles until now, they tried keeping their formations together. With Yostuba at the front, they then put those combatants who specialized in attacking such as Kasuou and Kaguya in a line. The adaptable Shachito was the rear guard.
After advancing a while in the underground corridors, Himiko shouted.
“A single flame appeared ahead! It has a hostile color!”
“Let’s take the initiative and attack! We’re busting through!”
“Poisonous kick!”
Yotsuba unleashed a flying kick against the figure approaching from ahead.
The figure stopped the kick. However, particles colored a venomous color came spurting out from Yotsuba’s legs.
“Sense Isolation!”
Makoto’s noise assaulted the figure.
The enemy was paralyzed helplessly—or not. A fresh smell and a spray of water blew away not only Makoto’s noise, but even Yotsuba’s poisonous gas.
They protected against it? No, this ability’s—
Kasuou followed up with an attack of her own.
“ORAAAAH!”
Claws made of hardened mist assaulted the figure.
They leapt back, dodging the claws by a literal hairsbreadth.
Kaguya came to the front next.
“Stand back, Kasuou!”
Golden lasers were shot toward the figure.
The enemy’s body shook like a willow. Moving with shaky movements, they dodged all the rays of light.
“—Hihah.”
Shachito was at some point standing on the wall near Makoto. Able to standing horizontally due to his control of mass, his body was wrapped in an orange glow, and then suddenly vanished. He apparently intended on joining the attack on his own.
“Wait! She’s—”
Before Makoto could stop him, a roar echoed.
Shachito, who supposedly teleported in an attempt to attack, was blown backwards. He apparently blocked the blow with his hockey stick, but his back was slammed against the corridor’s wall.
“Guh…!”
What made the counterattack on Shachito was the bizarre weapon held by the figure.
It looked like an organ of some creature, a grotesque stick—no, a sword. The blade body had countless holes and water dripped from them.
After countering Shachito, the girl took an Iai stance, the Japanese martial art of quick drawing.
She was Makoto’s past friend.
“Orion…!”
She was an equipment-type Mushitsuki just like Makoto, and also belonged to the same North Central Branch. —Her deathly pale countenance had no traces of her usual disinterested smile.
“Ah, that was a scare. This girl’s really strong. —An acquaintance of yours, Terasu-chan?”
While retreating using his teleport, Shachito asked Makoto.
“Orion. —She’s an expert. By the time she came to the North Central Branch she already became a sloth though… you should just think that any direct attack is going to GET flowed away and give up on it.”
Makoto bit her lips, focusing her mind. She told everyone to not get shaken by these Revived, so she couldn’t hesitate.
“She’s also a comrade of yours. Meaning—she’s Asagi’s disciple.”
“…!”
Several from the suicide corps were shocked. The Central Headquarters members grimaced probably because they knew how strong she was back from when she belonged to the Central Headquarters.
“She supposedly became a Fallen in North Central Branch jurisdiction. Why is she here…”
Kaguya looked at Makoto. —Come to think of it, he was the one who’d discovered her Fallen state when he was dispatched to the North Central Branch.
“Don’t think of us the same as the East Central Branch with their stupid isolation facility GARDEN. Mushitsuki who become Fallen in other branches’ jurisdiction are always sent to Central Headquarters. —Today’s the first time I realized the real reason for it, though…”
The moment she started seeing some hope this powerful enemy arrived to take the wind out of their sails.
But since Makoto knew her ability, she also knew how to deal with it.
“It’ll take time to beat her in a one-way corridor! We’ll need to take a detour! Change to a guarding formation! Rinrin, send us another route!”
A new route was displayed on her goggles.
The suicide corps flew into the neighboring corridor. A bit further ahead of them, Shachito and Yotsuba ran side by side, rushing through the corridor.
The fact that everyone listened to her for a change wasn’t because of any virtue of hers. Everyone simply realized how powerful of an enemy Orion was from how she completely blocked their chain of attacks.
“Orion’s ‘flame’ is pursuing from behind!”
“Don’t fight her! Never mind close-quarters combat, she’s not a big deal in mobility or long-range combat! Kasuou, if she seems like she’ll get close, just parry her!”
“Tch… Orion pampered you so much but you also use her like a tool, you shitty brat?”
Kasuou’s mumble as she protected the rear was transmitted through the visor.
“I told you, C’s personality is gone! Rinrin, does the shaft’s interior has a wide space? We can’t beat Orion easily unless we attack from all around her!”
“Can’t say it’s wide enough… but there’s a space!”
“Alright, once we break into the shaft, we’ll begin attacking Orion! When the battle starts Kasuou will secure the space, Shachito and Yakugami will run toward the enemy’s back! Kaguya, you’ll attack not just from one direction but all sorts of angles! Orion’s partition of water has the same effect as my Territory Isolation! Don’t think you can lower her attack power using abilities!”
“Whoops, another ‘forcefield’ is approaching from another direction. Should we ignore that as well?”
“…Yes, do it! Rinrin, following Shachito’s guidance, give us another route!”
For how long were they running the corridors?
The long-awaited words were shouted by Rinrin.
“From this end of the corridor it’s the center area! The shortest route to the shaft is turning in the right corner there and passing through an equipment storage—”
“I’m sick of running around!”
Kasuou howled. Forming gigantic claws, she blew away the wall at the end.
“Don’t waste your powers before we start digging work…! —Ah, honestly! Rinrin, send Kasuou the direct route to the shaft! All other members, protect her!”
“Oraoraaaa!”
Kasuou attacked haphazardly, destroying all obstacles, be they ceiling, floor or walls. As the partitions were blown away as though they were mere paper, Makoto and the rest followed frantically from behind her.
The Revived Orion was chasing them.
“Sense Isolation!”
Makoto stopped her legs, but soon the spouted water spray from the sword cancelled her noise.
“Poisonous Punch!”
“Fire!”
“Hien…!”
“Hihah!”
Even showered by this succession of attacks, the wavering Orion wasn’t fully caught.
“The shaft’s outer wall is already ahead! It’s quite thick so you can’t destroy it easily!”
“I’ll lower a part of its durability!”
Sakura struck her hand hammer against the floor.
Glowing cracks came to its surface, reaching the wall. They were spreading in all directions.
“GOTCHA!”
Kasuou’s full-powered blow opened a huge hole in the outer wall.
After passing through the wall that was several meters thick—their footing crumbled.
“—”
A divine temple stretching all over the place like a spiderweb—
For Makoto to have this impression upon a single glance perhaps meant that she saw too many movies and read too much manga.
It was a grand space gouged out to be a perfect circle.
In the center towered a gold pipe like a large tree, and steel to support it was spread around in all directions. Pale emergency lights lit the space, and only the loud noises of water and air passing through the metallic pipes echoed there.
“Wawawa!! I-I’m fallinginging!”
Together with Maimai’s scream, the suicide corps members fell into the center of the shaft.
“Hihah.”
Shachito swung his hockey stick. Orange Autumn Darters flew out of the suicide corps members, absorbed inside it.
Their falling speed lowered. All had their weights reduced and air resistance won against them.
As they landed on the ground far below, the Autumn Darters returned to them. Released from this half-weighted condition, they regained the sensation of their body weight.
“Orion’s coming!”
Hearing Kabuto’s voice, all members raised their heads.
Leaping from pipe to pipe, the girl holding the bizarre sword approached. Behind her another Revived could be seen.
“From this shaft’s floor—there are only nine partitions till the lowest layer! And they’re thicker than the outer wall!”
“We can fight here! Everyone, let’s fight in the formation I said before!”
“—No! We can’t beat Orion-chan in a straightforward manner! It’s better for Kasuou-chan and the rest to start digging!”
Makoto glared at Shachito.
No matter how far they came, apparently they didn’t intend to follow her orders obediently.
However, there was some truth to what he said.
“…Changing my orders! Kasuou and Sakura will open up holes down! Rinrin, Maimai will evacuate to the walls! All others are to annihilate the Revived! —You participate in the attack too, Himiko!”
“Yup, those’re the appropriate orders.”
She was angry at Shachito nodding so smugly, but dark mist passed through where his face was.
One of the ducts connecting top and bottom had a large hole opened up in it along with a roar.
“I fucking told you not to call me ‘chan’!”
Glaring at Shachito who teleported away to dodge the claw, Kasuou yelled.
“…!”
The entire shaft was blown away by fiery wind.
Apparently Kasuou had destroyed an air vent. The amount of air going all around the vast Underground Fort was enormous. So much air blew inside the shaft that they could barely stand up straight.
“This is no time to argue…! —Begin all movements!”
From Makoto’s command, the Mushitsuki all moved to battle.
They tried circling Orion who was leaping down from pipe to pipe from all possible sides. Even she couldn’t possibly evade a chain of attacks continually launched at her from all around. Shachito’s hockey stick and Kaguya’s lasers grazed her body.
“I’m tired of digging already, though!”
Although complaining, Kasuou kept working hard along with Sakura on digging work.
Makoto looked high above.
The other Revived looked down at Orion fighting everyone. At their feet were the glowing wings of a butterfly—no, these were rose-like buds growing there.
“Shachito! Once more, please!”
Shachito managed to surmise her intent from this short order. Swinging the hockey stick, he robbed her mass in the form of orange Autumn Darters.
Makoto kicked the floor, leaping high in the air. Although in her half-weighted state she was pelted by the gale, she somehow preserved her position and rushed up from pipe to pipe.
“Will you be fine alone, Terasu-chan?”
“Yeah! I’m leaving Orion to you!”
As they spoke while passing next to each other, Makoto faced against the host of the rose-like Mushi.
“Seeing that none of us seems to know you, you’re probably part of the Annihilators like Shera.”
She knew from intuition that this opponent was at least as dangerous as Orion.
At the same time her intuition also told her—that Terasu had a good compatibility against her. At the very least, leaving aside a close-range type like Orion, Makoto had never lost in midrange when she fought one on one.
“As if I’ll lose to y’all sneaky assassin types!”
Asserting this, Makoto put a hand to her throat.
2.06 OPS1 Part 7[edit]
Kasuou yelled for the third time.
“I opened it, dammit! Come over already!”
Three caves were gouged into the shaft partitions.
“Haa! Haa! —All members, go down a layer!”
With Makoto’s order, all members of the suicide squad turned on their heels toward the hole opened in the floor.
Shachito used his ability to lower their falling speed and they landed in the fourth partition.
“…This time we’ll beat ‘em properly!”
And once again the suicide corps members headed to Orion and the rose-user.
Quite a lot of time passed since they started fighting.
Although they put up a good fight against the two Revived, they still couldn’t beat them. They both had exceedingly high defensive capabilities. None of their comrades received heavy damage, but they were getting fatigued.
Someone seemed to have destroyed an air vent again. Following the sound of impact, a fierce wind blew.
“Please just give up already…”
Pursuing Makoto, the rose-user also landed on top of a pipe. At her feet grew rose-like butterflies, producing huge amounts of scales—no, spreading pollen.
The pollen condensed, becoming spiky vines that assaulted Makoto.
“Kuh!”
Immediately leaping to another pipe, Makoto evaded.
Destroying the pipe, the vine expanded. It returned being pollen and tried enveloping Makoto.
“Territory Isolation!”
Makoto’s noise blew off the pollen trying to cover her.
“Honestly… It feels like fighting Kasuou!”
The rose-user’s ability was of the same kind of Kasuou’s. Pollen that could protect against physical abilities was able to freely change its shape to attack the enemy. Moreover, since most of it constantly guarded the host, almost any and all physical attacks were negated.
On top of that, apparently the pollen also had a mental pollution effect. Just approaching it dimmed one’s consciousness. It lacked the stupidly powerful offense of Kasuou, but it was a tough opponent in general offense and defense.
“Territory Isolation!”
Makoto’s noise gouged into the pollens protecting the rose-user.
After fighting her, she soon realized that it was rather Kaguya and not her who would be better suited for this. However, he was doing his best protecting Himiko. Orion judged Himiko as a problem, since one couldn’t predict the angles of the flame pillars she was controlling, and was constantly gunning for her.
“Haa…! Hah…!”
Makoto’s fatigue also reached the peak. But the enemy wasn’t unaffected, either.
“Are the pollen also part of your Mushi? You should be at your limit too, already.”
Seeing that the pollen was at half its density when compared to the start, Makoto smiled boldly. Looking closely, the rose petals—the wing parts—were wilting.
The spiked vine yet again assaulted Makoto.
“Ugh—”
Although she dodged by leaping to another pipe, Makoto ended up tumbling, perhaps out of fatigue.
It was probably seen as an opportunity. The rose-user added three vines and assaulted her from above and both sides.
“—I bet you’ve never played with your enemy, with you being an assassin.”
Makoto grinned, turning her body toward the one and only escape. Leaping down from the steel pipe, she fell down headlong. The pipe was mercilessly destroyed by the vines.
“You used all your remaining pollen on attacks so your defense’s thin!”
Shouting this, she pulled out a small speaker from her pocket, aimed at the rose-user and threw it.
“Territory Isolation!”
The noise emitted at the same time tore through the wall of pollen.
Even the hole opened momentarily was being closed again by the surrounding pollen.
However, the speaker Makoto threw already slipped inside.
“Eat this—Sense Isolatioooon!”
Inside the wall of pollen, violent noise reverberated.
The rose-user bent backwards, raising a voiceless dying throe. Collapsing listlessly on top of the steel pipe, the rose-shaped butterflies appearing next to their host withered and vanished.
“Phew…”
Makoto was falling headlong. She could also see the fight against Orion coming to a close.
Yotsuba finally managed to land a hit on Orion’s chest. At last unable to handle all of the suicide corps’ attacks, Orion grimaced and tried slashing at Yotsuba.
“Just a Punch!”
Yotsuba’s attack was faster. She’d end up purified anyway if her opponent used her ability. Her right hook with all of her power behind it stabbed into Orion’s flank.
“And another one! And one final one!”
A thrusting technique and a roundhouse kick. Whether it was the Japanese martial arts of kenpou or kickboxing, her follow-up attacks hit squarely.
Along with a nasty voice of ribs breaking, Orion’s movements stopped. Even so, she still immediately tried to swing her sword down at Yotsuba—
“Hihah.”
Approaching with a teleport, Shachito’s hockey stick struck and broke Orion’s arm.
“And we’re finished with this!”
Then Kaguya’s lasers pierced the strangely-shaped sword.
Her Mushi burnt to a crisp, Orion collapsed on the steel pipe.
And that—was it.
“…That’s what you get for being weirdly hardworking.”
Seeing her past friend collapse again, Makoto mumbled this. She spun her body, landing on top of the partition wall.
“Oraaah! It’s opeeen!”
Sounding half-desperate, Kasuou’s shouting voice.
“Just five more…!”
With Makoto at their front, the suicide corps fell down toward the next partition.
“For now we’ve gotten rid of all these revived. I’m a bit worried about no one new appearing, thooough.”
“In the first place only very few Mushitsuki can break through the outer wall and reach here.”
“I just thought about somethin’, though. Can’t we go through these air vents? Aren’t they connected to the lowest layer as well?”
“You’d end up sucked in and turned into minced meat…”
“Continue your digging work, Kasuou and Sakura. Other members focus on recovering, but keep your guard up. Of our time limit of 48 hours, the remaining time is…”
“About three hoursezez.”
As she spoke to everyone, the suicide corps landed atop the fifth partition.
Watching Kasuou and Sakura immediately begin digging work, Makoto inquired Rinrin.
“What about the other operations? Any change?”
“…Nothing. The signal’s as bad as always, but we’re only getting messages of no changes.”
Makoto puckered her lips.
Did the lack of news mean that the other operations failed, then?
It looked like there was a need to reach a decision soon.
“Once we reach the lowest layer, we’ll just keep going toward C’s Bed. Sorry to you two, but all of us need to recover our stamina—”
Makoto’s words were cut off by the sound of something rupturing.
As well as something large twisting, and the sound of breaking.
“W-what was that sound just now…?”
Makoto and the others grew alert.
Next, a sound like an earth tremor could be heard from afar.
“Something’s heading here—is that… water?”
As Makoto turned toward Kaguya who was speaking, she could see that water was flowing from the other side of the circular outer wall in the depths of several centimeters.
Soon the water reached their location.
Rinrin gasped.
“—A certain water pipe was destroyed on the other side.”
If what he said was true, the earthquake-like sound was likely the vast amounts of water overflowing from the partition.
“…A flame! An enemy! Above at 3 o’clock!”
Himiko suddenly shouted.
Makoto and the rest reflexively turned there—and raised their brows.
What they could see there was a metallic pipe as large as a column. They couldn’t see anything like an enemy.
“An enemy… where?”
It happened right after Makoto muttered this.
The steel pipe burst from the inside. It wasn’t an air duct or a water pipe. The things inside, made of several joined narrow pipes—were electrical cables.
As the cables burst, a golden flash was unleashed from their cut portion.
“—”
The next moment, what appeared to them—
Was a nude, beautiful girl whose silhouette was made of electrical discharge.
Not just one. Three.
Each of them controlled butterflies glowing in gold.
These were C-butterflies, with a pattern resembling the English letter C on their wings.
“No way—this is C…?”
Mumbling this in spite of her herself, Makoto gasped.
They were soaked by the water gushing out from the water pipe at their feet—
“Oh no—Territory Isolation!”
Not only Makoto sensed this danger.
Her emitted noise. Yotsuba’s repeated kicks after leaping. Shachito’s teleport followed by a swing of his hockey stick. Yakugami’s thrown chained sickles.
The beautiful girl glowed—looking like a fairy from children’s tales—and blew them all.
However—
“Gwah!”
“Waaah!”
“Eeek!”
“Ugh!”
One of the C butterflies launched by the fairy touched the water at their feet.
An immediate storm electrocuted the suicide corps members. They had no way to defend against the electricity running through the water, and especially those members that had no physical resilience collapsed on the spot.
“Are Ne…Nene and Yotsuba safe…?”
Makoto also managed to barely preserve her consciousness somehow despite having her entire body struck by electricity. However, she couldn’t move her body as though paralyzed.
“If you’re safe, then heal us…!”
“H-Healing Punch…!”
Yotsuba’s voice was followed by Nene’s singing voice, echoing.
“Y-you guys… are you fine…?”
Her body retrieving its freedom due to the song, Makoto raised her face.
And, seeing the state of the suicide corps members, was speechless.
The only ones standing were Makoto, Shachito, Yotsuba and Kaguya. All others fell to their knees, and some like Rinrin and Maimai fully lost consciousness and were sinking inside the water.
“This thing now… was the ability of that girl called C, then.”
Shachito said, groaning.
And, following this.
Another rupturing sound echoed.
As they raised their faces overhead, they saw—
“—”
Five fairies.
It definitely wasn’t just Makoto who could feel it coming.
The mission’s failure.
And not only that—but a vision of their death.
In the moment her life ended Makoto stood up and turned her sight—
“…”
High above where these fairies floated. Makoto and the rest looked toward the hole in the ceiling.
As for why they looked there—
Because they all thought—what if Fuyuhotaru finally came?
What if there being no change in the other operations was a misunderstanding? In these dire straits, perhaps Fuyuhotaru would come running to them.
Harukiyo and Sleeping Beauty might also make an awesome entrance now.
If it was those Rank 1 bastards, they would have a way to rescue them that an average person like Makoto could never think of. She—wished for it.
“…!”
Makoto gritted her teeth. Since it was a happening of only a second, she didn’t know if she actually did this.
Makoto wished.
However, reality—was obviously not this convenient.
“Territory—Isolatiooooon!”
Including her anger at being so weak, she raised a scream with all of her powers.
To hell with preserving her stamina. Since she found herself wishing for something so stupid, she might as well vanish right here and then—
This strike really held this much emotion.
The five fairies burst into smithereens along with their C-butterflies.
“—”
Assaulted by a violent sensation of loss, Makoto felt her body fluttering.
What stopped her from collapsing was a boy’s strong arms.
That face, which became a shade in the gloomy space—
—I’ll never lose to someone so soft.
Was the face of the demon that she definitely didn’t want to recall.
—Her third meeting with the demon was about a year before the present.
Makoto managed to climb to the top, being called the ace of the North Central Branch. Prioritizing her mission completion rate, she was criticized behind her back that she fought in a way that didn’t take risks, but she didn’t care. Compared to wiping off the rumors that she was Kakkou’s yes-man, it was like being praised.
This undeserved evaluation made Makoto get carried away.
Thinking too much of her mission completion rate, she acted rashly in a certain mission. She went alone to face a troublesome Mushitsuki, and although she cornered them in an empty building, she launched a reckless attack.
As a result, half the building crumbled down and Makoto became pinned under the debris. As a bonus, the Mushitsuki she was supposed to capture even got away.
Makoto thought she was dead.
However, as she regained her consciousness, what she saw through the vivid morning sunlight—
Was a demon clad in black coat, Kakkou.
“…”
Makoto was at a hotel resort that used to serve as a summer retreat. It became a vacant lot covered with sand, and now that it was half-collapsed, sunlight came pouring from the ruined wall.
The lower half of Makoto’s body was trapped under the broken debris.
Meanwhile, Kakkou stood on top of the piles of concrete wreckage. Leaning against a thick pillar, he glared at Makoto, not hiding his displeased mood in the least.
“—What a letdown.”
His very first words were just like the trash he was.
Although she regained consciousness, Makoto’s mind was still hazy. She was probably bleeding from somewhere on her body, as the place was filled with the metallic scent of blood.
“Uh… Uuhh…”
“I told you not to go and die on me like that.”
She could somewhat estimate why the demon was here. Afraid of losing points due to the failed mission, the North Central Branch Head probably requested assistance from other branches. And the one who came was Kakkou, quickly finding poor Makoto.
“I honestly thought they wouldn’t bother me again to help the North Central Branch while you’re alive.”
“…”
Was this the demon actually praising her?
This misunderstanding was denied by his annoyed tone of voice.
“If you die here, someone new will get dispatched from Central Headquarters. If it’s someone like Yotsuba I’ll be relieved in many senses, but who knows…”
Makoto was going to die here?
Her body certainly wasn’t moving, and the scent of blood was horrible as well. Even during his speech, she could feel the premonition of death assaulting her.
Even so, the demon was just standing there, not moving a muscle. Never mind not pulling Makoto out, he didn’t look like he was going to get any help for her.
“Got any last words?”
Now that the demon said this to her, she really thought she was finished.
There were plenty of things she wanted to say. Especially coming to mind was curses about the son of a bitch standing in front of her. How pathetic had Makoto’s life turned out, and all thanks to him?
However, as Makoto faced death, what came from her mouth were not curses.
“S-save me…”
Makoto cried and sobbed.
She couldn’t understand what the demon standing nearby was thinking about at all. How could he be so calm in front of a dying human? How could he be so foul-mouthed? That wasn’t something a human being could do.
“Help…”
Saying she changed was a lie.
People could not change so easily. No matter how strong she became, how smart she became, Makoto’s essence of weakness changed not a bit—
And the demon also remained the same.
“—”
A grin.
Seeing Makoto afraid of death, his mouth was loosened.
Seeing a person cast aside all pride and beg for their life, this demon sneered—
No one could blame Makoto for feeling a murderous impulse that nearly overrode her fear.
“I-I’ll kill you—”
While bloody bubbles foamed at her mouth, she glared at Kakkou with her full powered curse.
“W-what’s so funny—only you—I’ll definitely—with my own hands—”
“You’ll never win against me. I told you that before.”
“T-then—”
Grinding her teeth, Makoto barely preserved her consciousness.
“I-I’ll live—even a second longer than you—”
If it was about staying alive, she was confident she’d lose not even against that demon.
She already threw away her shame and self-pride anyway, and didn’t begrudge even begging for her life from a demon.
If she was going to have a pathetic life anyway, she wanted to live even a second longer than Kakkou—
“Yes, I agree. Mushitsuki should prioritize their own survival alone.”
Kakkou smiled. Unexpectedly, that smile was no longer as demonic as before—but looked like the smile of an ordinary boy.
“—Or so I thought.”
Mumbling this, Kakkou raised his face.
Where his gaze led there was a small shadow visible in the sky above the summer retreat seen through the wall.
It was a flying-type Mushi. Makoto knew it as one of the North Central Branch Mushitsuki.
Apparently Kakkou had already sent a request for a rescue long ago.
“Terasu. If someday I say that I’ll defeat the Original Three, will you help me?”
The demon suddenly said this.
People didn’t change so easily.
So it was supposed to be, yet the demon looking at Makoto—somewhat looked as if something changed in him ever since he told her to get out of Central Headquarters and they parted.
“…Don’t be an idiot…”
Makoto groaned, exposing her hatred.
“If it’s like this… then after the Original Three… I’ll kill you—”
“Probably. Then I can only use force to make you listen.”
The demon recovered his demonic smile.
“You told me that you’d ‘do anything’, after all. So you’re not allowed to die until then.”
Makoto was rescued from the debris by her comrades and managed to escape the ruined building.
After this, the building fully collapsed.
Because it lost the final support of its fulcrum—the pillar that Kakkou held with his back.
When the earth tremor died down and the dust also settled.
And when she saw Kakkou, who was bleeding from his head, survive from within the mountain of debris—
Makoto was fed up with everything.
She knew that for a while she’d have to continue of life of following that demon’s instructions.
“—chan! Terasu-chan!”
She had apparently exhausted her powers and fainted.
Makoto opened narrow eyes inside the shaft of the Underground Fort.
The boy’s face that gradually retrieved its silhouette didn’t belong to the demon that Makoto hated the most in the world—but to Shachito. He shook her body violently.
“Get a grip! Terasu-chan!”
“…A-as if I’d die here…”
Makoto grimaced and leaked sobs.
She ended up knowing the emotions lying in the very depths of her heart that she didn’t want to notice.
She ended up discovering her true feelings despite not wanting to.
“…I’m gonna… survive… and become Rank 1…”
She wanted to be a Rank 1, the same as that demon—Kakkou.
She wanted to become someone with the kind of absurd strength able to overwhelm anyone and that indomitable spirit.
This was why Makoto hated the Rank 1s so much.
It was simply a reversal of her feelings—the flip side of her admiration.
“And then I’ll… finally… be like him…”
While mumbling this unconsciously to herself, her reason finally returned.
Noticing her comrades looking worriedly at her, she wiped her teary eyes. Shaking off Shachito’s arms, she stood up without giving any thanks.
“W-what are you doing…! Fix your formation already! We can’t tell when C’s coming to attack again!”
Even while saying this, a dizziness from standing up too fast assaulted Makoto. As she staggered, Nene supported her.
“Don’t mind me! Just start moving already! Sakura, you need to block the holes created in the water pipes and the electric cables!”
“Did it already.”
“T-then, dig already! Never mind preserving energy anymore! We’ll all dig together to reach the last layer as soon as possible!”
“…”
Even though worried faces still looked at her, everyone prepared to work.
What are all of you silent for…!
Although she was unconscious, she ended up saying something unbelievably embarrassing.
Although they seemed to be caring for her, they definitely laughed at her in their hearts.
All of them are making a fool out of me…!
Makoto becoming Rank 1 wasn’t funny even as a joke. The one who knew best she wasn’t qualified for this was Makoto herself.
“Thanks, Terasu-chan.”
Shachito turned around and smiled.
Makoto widened her eyes at words that she’d never dare to imagine.
“It was really bad just now. You’ve saved all of us, Terasu-chan.”
For a moment she couldn’t understand what she was being told and her thinking stopped. But she soon came back to her senses.
“T-that doesn’t matter in the least! Go help with the digging already!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Looking closely, all members of the suicide corps wore smiles.
“…!”
She felt her face getting hotter. She scooped up some water from the still-increasing flow and splashed it at her face, pretending to just freshen herself up.
As she groaned in her heart, her throat pricked with pain. She coughed and a small red spot landed in the water.
She’d apparently hurt her throat as she used her power recklessly. The violent sensation of loss still assaulting her body was probably recoil at using her Mushi’s ability like that so suddenly.
“At this rate I might Mature soon…”
She mumbled to herself so softly no one could hear.
It was silly to think about it. Who could even spare the time to think about Maturation? This was a situation where if she let her guard down even for an instant she was going to die. If she managed to survive for just a few more hours, that was fine.
“Even if we retreated here, we’d be struck down and killed anyway…!”
Makoto spun her body, appealing to the suicide corps she herself led.
“For us to survive, we must defeat C as soon as possible!”
They could no longer go back—
Makoto’s declaration was one she already came to know firsthand.
Piercing through the fifth partition, the squad went down a level and there they saw—
The figures of fairies lying in wait for them.
“Tamamo! Come contain these fairies with me! Sakura, you work on digging and blocking the fairies at the same time! Yakugami! Bring the territory around us under your control as much as you can!”
Other than Makoto’s orders there wasn’t even a single humanlike voice.
She could only hear sounds of battle and the cries of the suicide corps members.
Every time an electric attack tore through and impacted, someone turned a somersault and collapsed. And then Yotsuba, who was wounded herself, would heal them. —This process repeated itself.
“Shachito, I’ll cover for people so you go and defeat even a single fairy! Nene, expand the range of your singing! Rinrin, Maimai, at least try to protect yourselves!”
By the time they broke through the sixth layer, everyone had at least some part of their skin fried by electricity.
The suicide corps desperately attacked the fairies and attacked the partition.
“I know I’m being unreasonable! But—Territory Isolation!”
Makoto’s noise struck down a C-butterfly that was about to attack Maimai.
However, the C-butterfly that used this opening to approach was right in her face.
A golden flash filled Makoto’s sight.
“—Terasu-chan’s woke up…! Who’s next in line…!”
Makoto woke up when Kasuou and the rest were in the midst of destroying the seventh partition wall.
Jumping to her feet, she gave orders to the suicide corps while spitting blood.
“Kaguya, Kabuto! I’ll protect Himiko, so focus on attacking! There’re too many of C’s body doubles! Yotsuba! You need to prioritize healing Sakura more than Yakugami! It’s meaningless if we don’t block the fairies from coming!”
Destroying the partition wall, the corps managed to reach the eighth partition wall.
“A bit more…! Just a little bit more, so hang on…!”
She no longer had many orders to issue. Everyone went past their limits.
Just two more layers…!
Covered in blood, everyone was panting hard. It was obvious their stamina wasn’t going to last.
“—No good… Even if we break through, we’re not going to have enough power to keep fighting while going through the next layer…”
Makoto’s unconsciously leaked mumble caused the members to turn to her.
“You guys, resolve yourselves—”
While fighting the fairies, Makoto had tears rising to the sides of her eyes, and she gritted her teeth. —She couldn’t even hide that she was a crybaby anymore.
“Once we break through this eighth layer, we’ll keep falling—and break through the ninth.”
“—”
The entire members of the suicide corps looked at Makoto with faces of astonishment.
“Any attack’s fine, so use your full powers—if we can’t break through the ninth layer in one go, we’re all gonna die. So do it like your life depends on it—no, it actually does depend on it…!”
This was no longer any order or anything.
It was a wish.
To be perfectly clear, her giving these orders that she thought were impossible—made her unfit to be a leader.
However, this was the only way the suicide corps had left.
“Oraaah…! It’s open!”
Kasuou howled, her face pale with fatigue.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Shachito howled as well. Orange Autumn Darters robbed the members’ mass.
“We’re going!”
As Makoto’s group headed to the final partition wall, a large swarm of fairies welcomed them as expected.
However, ignoring them completely, they leapt down steel pipes and toward the partition wall.
The Mushitsuki’s howls overlapped.
They had no tactics or strategy.
As they wrung out their remaining powers and struck the partition wall with their full power at the same time, at that moment—
“Eh…”
Makoto clearly saw it.
The moment before everyone attacked the wall in unison.
A person who definitely couldn’t be there swung down their fist along with them.
A pitch-black long coat flapping in the wind and hair that stood up like horns. Although his face was hidden by goggles, he wore a bold smile.
And on his whole body—was a green pattern glowing vividly.
The person Makoto hated the most in this world.
Despite this, he was also the Mushitsuki who was the most needed here, more than anyone—
“Kakkou…?”
Makoto’s small mumble was drowned by the huge sounds of destruction.
An overwhelming impact that could even shake Gods themselves.
This blow made by the Mushitsuki that might burn themselves out at any moment—
Reached the bottom of the shaft.
“Haa…! Haa…!”
“Wheeze! Wheeze!”
“Ha…! Ha…!”
Even while gasping for breath, everyone shot their heads up.
Makoto’s group found itself inside a huge hole with strewn debris.
Meaning, the bottom layer—
“W-we’re here—”
Someone cheered.
That was the truth, unbelievably enough.
They thought it was impossible to pierce through, but the suicide corps managed it.
“Haa…! Haa…!”
Panting, Makoto looked around.
There were no dropouts among the suicide corps. Not a single one of them could stand upright, but all managed to miraculously reach this bottom layer without dying.
However, Makoto did not have the leisure to feel moved at this.
All of the suicide corps members were there—but Kakkou was not.
Makoto had definitely seen his figure at that moment, though.
“What does this mean…”
She bit her lips.
Had she hallucinated in this stressful situation? No, such sentimentality wouldn’t work here. It was fine because they succeeded, but she thought their feat of destroying the partition wall with a single strike was impossible for them after they exhausted themselves so.
However, Kakkou was gone. That was the unmistakable reality.
It was probably just that the final partition wall was slightly thinner than expected. She decided to think this.
Still, to think I’ve seen such a realistic illusion of him…!
Makoto groaned in her heart. Feeling pathetic and angry at herself, she blushed again. Pretending she was shaking off soot and rubbing her cheeks, she managed to feign she was simply dizzy.
“Fairies are comiiing!”
Tamamo looked up at the hole above and shouted.
The swarm of fairies passed through the hole, assaulting them.
“We don’t have enough power to fight such numbers…! We’ll just keep heading to C’s Bed!”
Coming back to herself, Makoto started running.
As everyone stumbled but rushed ahead, Kabuto alone went down on his knees, unmoving.
“S-sorry… I must’ve used more power than I estimated.”
“Everything’s way beyond our estimations already! Someone lend him a hand…!”
“I’ll help.”
Borrowing Kaguya’s shoulder, Kabuto somehow managed to run.
The deepest layer shaft had no partition wall. Also, there was no floor.
Going out of the leading pipe extending from the shaft, it was a narrow space containing many split cables. They were all running on top of them.
“By the way, Terasu-chan… what about a strategy to defeat C?”
While rushing through the corridor divided by slightly dirty walls, Shachito asked.
Everyone in the suicide corps had the same expression as him.
Meaning—they were resolved.
Both heart and mind were in this extreme state, and they had only little remaining power.
Everyone knew what it meant to face a Super Class Rank 1 monster like that.
“The moment we burst into C’s Bed, Kasuou needs to use her defenses and protect everyone.”
Makoto too was resolved.
But it was a bit different from how they were all ready to throw themselves in self-abandonment.
She wasn’t intending in the least to just throw herself into a reckless battle and die in vain.
“The others are to prevent C from escaping into an isolated space somehow. Because of that, I need those with abilities that can break through isolated spaces at the front.”
“But who’s going to attack C, then…?”
Nene mouthed the most important question.
Makoto smiled.
It was a harsh battle, but in the end, it developed just like Makoto thought.
Makoto was convinced she was going to die in this mission from the very beginning.
Her only humble, small wish was to preserve her dignity. No matter what sacrifices it took, she had the pride to never let anyone from her team drop out.
“About that, I don’t know the full details, but—”
Pointing at the case she was carrying with her thumb, she spoke.
“It’s apparently an amazing bomb.”
“—”
Everyone gulped.
“Don’t worry. I’ll try to isolate the Database—the Bed—using my ability and somehow protect it from the blast.”
“You can’t be—”
She thought someone would try to stop her.
However, the fact that the first one was Kaguya made Makoto cringe. He really was a soft Mushitsuki through and through.
“You can’t be serious! Using something like this it means getting close to C, right? And to isolate the Bed you also need to set up your speakers from up close, right? Since we’ll be protected by Kasuou, then it means that you—”
“Right now we have no other way, right?”
Makoto wore as bold a smile as she could manage.
No one had any reply.
Even so—it didn’t look like a single one of them accepted this.
“I don’t intend to die in vain. I’ll escape into the isolated space with the Bed.”
If she relaxed her guard, anxiety and fear would make her voice tremble.
Makoto herself would also escape into her space. —She’d never been able to do this. If push came to shove, if she had to use it in this situation, she knew the chances.
“…”
This stifling silence was proof no one could accept Makoto’s words.
However—she wanted them to pretend that they did.
Because they had no other way to beat C.
“…C’s Bed is on the other side of that door.”
Rinrin spoke.
Ahead of them in the corridor they could see a tattered, worn door.
Swarms of fairies were coming from behind.
“Are you all ready, guys?”
No one answered Makoto’s question.
All of them were bastards who weren’t going to actually follow Makoto’s orders even at the very end.
At first they’d probably move according to her orders. But at the last moment, one of them might try to rescue her in vain.
Despite them knowing it was useless.
“Let’s go—”
Speaking frankly, Makoto herself had no regrets.
What she was about to do wasn’t a senseless death.
In the unlikely chance she died here, it was fine she didn’t become Rank 1.
Tying with a Rank 1… that’s enough for me to become like a Rank 1—
By doing this, Makoto’s revenge was already complete.
And as a bonus, she’d end up saving the world, so she didn’t feel sorry.
Wearing a self-deprecating smile in her heart, she opened the door vigorously.
“Kasuou! Deploy your—”
The suicide corps flew into C’s Bed.
However, everyone just stood in place as though frozen.
Not only did Kasuou not deploy her mist, she was paralyzed in shock.
“—”
What waited for them there was the same as the footage showed by Miguruma Yaeko.
Inside an ocean of cables was a nude girl lying on a transparent bed.
She was C.
This girl, ephemeral and yet bringing up fear from the depths of one’s heart, looked much more beautiful than in the footage. Although she was young, it was like looking at a painting of a goddess swaying to and fro in the ocean.
However—C was not alone.
“The—”
In this state where no one could utter a word, Makoto unconsciously leaked a soft mumble.
In the footage C was all alone.
So what was the meaning of what she saw there?
“There’s no way…”
Standing on the piles of machinery was a raincoat-wearing, one-armed person.
Shishidou Inuko.
Also, there were other Mushitsuki with the same sort of complexion as her.
They numbered—over a hundred.
Just like the audience of horse races, these Revived all looked down at Makoto’s team.
And despair did not end there.
“Eh.”
Who made this foolish sound?
It could be anyone. Probably Makoto.
But it was unavoidable.
It was because the form of C before them blurred, became hazy, then vanished.
The next instant, however, the form of the sleeping C reappeared along with static.
“—”
Seeing this, Makoto understood.
That was awful.
Despite them so desperately reaching here, this was too cruel—
“C’s real body is—no longer here…?”
Makoto’s resolve for death was completely meaningless.
Shishidou Inuko swung her lone remaining arm horizontally.
With that as a signal, the swarm of Revived all headed for Makoto’s group.
And from behind she could also feel the fairies.
“Op—”
Tears gushed out of Makoto’s eyes. With shaking hands, she pressed the contact switch on her visor.
“Operation 1… has f-failed…”
And thus.
The Revived led by C began their rampage.
3.00 OPS2 Part 1[edit]
Why had he been watching others fight from afar?
There were several reasons.
There was also a proper reason he was watching “that scene” and doing nothing else.
“Among everything I’ve seen, this was for sure the most boring.”
He was at the closed down shopping district. And visible from afar—
Was a large swarm of caterpillars.
No, a “large swarm” was too lukewarm of an expression. Even while swallowing the capital’s buildings, this tidal wave of caterpillars kept increasing the range of their encroachment. It was as though a filthy, dirty giant was crawling on the ground, advancing while eating the earth itself.
It was the same when the unleashed Shinpu encroached Akamaki City.
He was at the neighboring Higano City at the time.
“Never thought I’d feel nothing at all while watching Shinpu—Diorestoi struggle for his life like that.”
Standing atop an abandoned luxury car, he mumbled. Being fanned by the blowing wind, his red hair and the hem of his jacket blew behind him. Flickering heat and white smoke leaked from his mouth shaped in a bold smile.
“And he pissed me off so much before. Meaning I’ve grown up since then.”
“Well, that was two, three years ago.”
Saying this was a boy who stood near the luxury car. He then added with a sigh,
“Don’t worry, since then you’ve grown into an old man in many different senses.”
Slender and petite, his appearance was young, with distinguished large pupils. Whether he said he was in middle school or high school, both would make sense. The hairpin holding his hair was the kind you’d see a lot on Halloween, an accessory shaped like a pumpkin monster.
“…Sexual harassment…”
A girl in her late teens standing next to the pumpkin boy mumbled this.
She dyed the area around her eyes black and on her head was a black tulip flower. Including the scarf around her neck, she was clad in all black. Since she was dressed like she was in some sort of horror movie, even her gloomy mumble had a punch.
“Yeah, he’s done a lot to us. We should sue him sometime and get a lot of money.”
“I’ve written it all in my diary… evidence…”
They were the only people in the shopping district.
The government-issued evacuation order reached even Higano City. Since this evacuation was of an unprecedented degree and almost hysterically forceful, no one could imagine the financial damages it would cause.
“Still, though, can the SEPB beat those caterpillars alone? I heard Kakkou’s gone missing.”
“He’ll come out soon enough. It’s a fight against the Original Three, after all.”
A laughter spilled from the man’s mouth with some flaming sparks.
“Then—there’s no way that bastard won’t come out.”
Kakkou wished to fight against the Original Three.
There was a reason why Kakkou, who only thought about his own survival, turned out like this.
That reason being—the same reason for the man to be watching this battle from a distance.
The Gothic Lolita girl muttered.
“…Fuyuhotaru…”
“Ah, so Fuyuhotaru-san’s also there. If Kakkou-san and Fuyuhotaru-san were to join hands, they might actually win.”
“Haha. Like saying that you’d be strong if you had two kings in shogi? I think it just means more weaknesses.”
The boy raised a brow at these words, but he soon appeared to lose interest. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned against the luxury car.
“Now that Miguruma Yaeko’s unconscious I thought this was our final chance… but in the end, Sleeping Beauty wasn’t in the Underground Fort.”
“We haven’t finished looking everywhere though. Let’s go look up the remaining places.”
“Eh? We just came up back to the surface, are we diving in again? —Look here, now that we’ve looked so much and found nothing, don’t you think Miguruma just took her long ago and hid her far away? And if not that…”
The boy’s tone of voice dropped.
“It means that Sleeping Beauty—doesn’t actually exist.”
“…”
The man grinned. The air surrounding him sizzled.
“No need to get angry. I mean, it’s natural. I only know very little because I took no part in the battle that made her Sleeping Beauty. And everything about that fight sounds fishy as well.”
“I ain’t angry in the least. I just remembered a bit.”
“What, exactly?”
“—‘Was there really a Mushitsuki like that?’”
A smile remaining on his mouth, he leapt down from the luxury car.
“Everyone who got involved with that woman would say the same thing.”
Turning his back to the pumpkin boy and the Gothic Lolita girl, he started walking.
“Wait, where are you going. To the toilet?”
“I told you, I’m going down. Down here’s also connected to the Central Headquarters’ Underground Fort. A place meant for gathering Fallen, simply called the Prison. I’m going there as long as Miguruma doesn’t wake up.”
“…Our last break…”
“Don’t exaggerate. All I’m doing is go visit a past acquaintance.”
“Exaggerate? Haha, so that’s what waking up that girl is all about.”
Not even turning back, his jacket was grabbed by the boy. As though unable to bear it anymore, he pointed at Akamaki City being swallowed by Shinpu.
“Are you really going to leave Shinpu unchecked like this? I’d only taken a little peek, but the scale’s too different this time! Even with Kakkou-san it’s doubtful whether they can win… if they lose, who knows what the world will come to? —No, that’s irrelevant. Aren’t you getting excited, seeing that? Rather than imitating a mole, wouldn’t monster extermination be a lot more fun?”
“If you wanna go, have at it. Not gonna stop ya.”
Not minding the boy, he kept walking, dragging him behind.
“I said this before, but I’m not interested in the least. Neither about the world nor the Original Three.”
“Honestly…! You’re only thinking about that past woman! You really aren’t interested in this fight now?”
“My head’s full of nothing but her.”
A scene from the past revived in his mind.
While the night sky was overflowing with comets, she hugged the worst disaster and fell asleep—
Ever since then, his “present” was frozen.
“I’m obsessed. I have to see her face as soon as possible.”
It was a bit like falling in love. However, it could also be termed as the exact opposite emotion—
The force pulling on his jacket increased. The Gothic Lolita joined the boy.
“Ugh! If you say Sleeping Beauty’s so interesting, you leave me no choice but come along too! How dare you play with my pure heart!”
“…How dare you…”
As he walked while dragging these two, he felt the presence of a person ahead.
This shopping district was supposed to be empty.
However, hiding behind the shadows of power poles, a small figure looked at them.
“Hey, we’re being watched by someone. —Heeey, you there, if you don’t run away, this scary mister will play a prank on you? Oh no, sorry, I mean a caterpillar’s gonna eatcha?”
As the boy called out, the figure twitched.
“Oh, they ran.”
The figure ran away noisily. However, soon they changed the orientation of their body.
“Ah, they came back. And they’re coming here, too.”
From the fact they shook so much while approaching, it looked like some sort of punishment game.
“And now they’re holding something they pulled out of their pocket.”
The boy kept narrating every single thing.
Appearing in front of them was a person clad in a bizarre hoodie. As petite as the pumpkin boy, the only part of their face that was visible were teary eyes. For some reason many of the hoodie fasteners were closed, hiding even the person’s mouth. The hood looked like a lop-eared rabbit.
“…A love letter…?”
The Gothic Lolita girl mumbled. Lop-Eared presented a single slip of paper.
The man received the paper and opened it. He read its contents silently.
“—”
When had he last been so shocked?
At the very least, he couldn’t remember any such occasion since the night of the meteor shower.
Raising his face from the paper, he glared into Lop-Eared’s eyes.
“Ha—”
A small flame spilled from his mouth.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!”
The three petite teens looked at him laughing out loud in astonishment. Lop-Eared shook so much they looked just about to faint on the spot.
“—I really hate this.”
Finally stopping laughing, the paper in his arms burnt down and scattered. “Hey, show it to me too!” the pumpkin boy protested.
“I’ve got no interest in the ‘present’. You deal with that by yourself. —You’re not tryna meddle with me and drag the past out into the present, right?”
Being glared by burning eyes, Lop-Eared trembled.
“Still, you’re amusing.”
He grasped hard the head of Lop-Eared who was about to dash off at any moment. Looking again into those teary eyes, just like the paper said—they looked familiar.
“Alright, come along.”
Spitting this, he started walking again.
The one surprised at these words was the pumpkin boy.
“Eeeeeh?! W-wait a minute! They’re coming along? I never heard you say that! You were always telling people ‘suit yourself’ and stuff like that!”
“…Unfair…”
“It’s alright, this person’s our guest.”
“They’re probably not even a Mushitsuki, right? I mean, I’ve never seen such an anxious Mushitsuki before! 100% a liability! —Shit, I’ll spread the word! I’ll gather up some especially troublesome brawler-types, gang up on you and bully you!”
“You can call whoever you’d like, but tell them this.”
There was something he felt from a while back.
That he was nothing more than—a “survivor”.
He was someone who lost a battle he should have won and kept leading an unsightly life.
“If you come, you’ll probably die—that’s it.”
Sleeping Beauty exited the stage and Lady Bird died.
Even Kakkou who was fighting right now probably had only little remaining time.
The “survivor” among the dwindling numbers of Rank 1s.
And the flame devil.
He had various names—but was called Harukiyo.
3.01 OPS2 Part 2[edit]
Inside the gloomy underground path, the walls were so clean that they could serve as mirrors.
In this space wrapped by silence several footsteps echoed. Seeing that the elevators and doors they passed from time to time made no move, apparently this facility lost all of its functions.
Since the emergency lights were on, the supply of electricity should have kept going. It served as proof that the new “master” of this massive maze was still definitely breathing.
A certain corridor deep inside the underground of Higano City.
Walking there were seven people of various appearances.
A young man dressed in a jacket, and an androgynous boy who wore sailor uniform. A girl dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion followed by a tall, blonde woman and a person wearing a hoodie that had bunny ears. There was also a girl wearing a triangular hat sitting while hugging her knees on a trolley, as well as the bearded young man pulling it, so from the side they might have looked like some sort of circus troupe.
“I’m already tired of underground dungeon delving. Can we find any treasure chest?”
“…I want an antidote…”
“Need toilet, toilet.”
“It’s your turn, old man.”
“Hey! Who’s an old man? And why is this my turn anyway, please hold it in until we find the next prison. —You too, Witch-san, please give me a break and walk on your own already.”
“How rude! How rude! Old men who verbally abuse ladies should go to hell!”
“Hey! You’re still a teenager. Haa, we will need to procure some food soon.”
The corridor was so narrow only three people could walk in it side by side. As for its length, it seemed so long as to seem infinite; anything ahead was just swallowed inside the darkness.
“…!”
Being at the very rear, Lop-Eared fell down.
The jacket-wearing man came back there, grabbed the hoodie’s collar and pulled. Lop-Eared nodded, apparently thanking him.
“Hey, Harukiyo. Let’s leave this kid behind already.”
The sailor uniform boy, Kusezaki Ume, spoke.
“…A liability… and another mouth to feed… a freeloader…”
The girl clad in Gothic Lolita fashion, Sakaki Haruka, mumbled curses.
“If you don’t like it you can go back. I don’t remember tellin’ any of you to follow me.”
The young man in a jacket, who was hiding his right cheek with many tapes—Harukiyo—spoke this, then went back to the road. He walked ahead in large strides.
Discontent and grumbling came at him at once.
“I even gave up on playing with Shinpu to come here. No way we’re going back at this stage. —Well, in hindsight it’s a disappointment to be just walking here for an entire day like this.”
“Bummer…”
“Fuck you.”
“It’s boring, it’s boring.”
“Shuddup. I’ll burn you, old man.”
“Hey! Same goes to you. I have said nothing, though.”
Inside the line of those complaining, the only ones who knew Harukiyo for a long time were Ume and Haruka. With the blonde girl, the witch hat girl and the bearded man, their relationship was just one where they tagged along because they felt like it. Leaving Ume and Haruka aside, he didn’t even know how the abilities of the other three worked. —The remaining person, Lop-Eared, was just a companion he’d met for the first time the other day.
Harukiyo knew long ago that his companions would get angry.
However, the angriest one there was Harukiyo himself.
“I’m pissed off…”
Special Class Rank 1, Harukiyo.
He became known as the leader of a third-party force comparable to the SEPB or Mushibane, consisting of few elite members.
However, that faction didn’t actually exist. Harukiyo went where he pleased, and the Mushitsuki that got interested in him and moved along with him just happened to be strong. —Well, there was also the fact that any weak Mushitsuki who appeared in front of Harukiyo got turned into Fallen.
“I’m the angry one here. Can’t you be a little thankful to us?”
“Right, right. We just wanted to grant our comrade’s wish. Go to hell.”
“Might! Beautiful!”
“—I told you, we’re not comrades.”
As Harukiyo turned around with blazing eyes, everyone there twitched and their faces froze.
“Idiot…”
“Stop it, Witch-san. ‘Comrades’ is the word Harukiyo hates the most.”
“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
“My only rule’s that anything interesting goes. It doesn’t feel like we’re comrades sharing some sort of goal.”
“I’ll seriously burn you, old man.”
“Hey! But I supported you.”
Clicking his tongue, Harukiyo faced forward again.
Belonging nowhere and never getting too close—
Although Harukiyo always lived like this, lately he’d been called a lot by another name.
Ooenma, the leader of the Annihilators under the direct control of Central Headquarters’ Vice-Deputy.
Meaning, he was Miguruma Yaeko’s lapdog.
This was what it meant for someone to not care about their appearance.
Even while pretending to be the pet of someone he disliked, disgracing himself, and obeying the SEPB’s orders, he kept waiting for a chance—
And the time for it finally came.
Shinpu’s unleashing, as well as—C’s unexpected ascension to Rank 1.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Harukiyo threw away his mask as an Annihilator. Now that Miguruma Yaeko was unconscious, she couldn’t move what he looking for to another location.
Now Harukiyo returned being a lone Mushitsuki without any obligations, and started moving to find what he wanted for many years now.
Even so—
“I knew it, it’s definitely in Akamaki City’s Underground Fort, right? We haven’t gone to the deepest layer where C is. Using common sense, wouldn’t she hide something so important deep?”
“I’ve already gone through there. For an entire year.”
Harukiyo spat.
Having pretended to follow Miguruma Yaeko’s orders, he’d fully investigated all the Underground Fort’s important facilities. She was probably aware of his goal. However, even considering this, he couldn’t grasp even a single clue.
And then came the chaos created by Shinpu. Harukiyo, who waited for this chance, realized this was the moment and went around all areas of the Underground Fort he hadn’t investigated, and yet—
It ended in failure.
What he wanted was not in Akamaki City’s Underground Fort. He had to conclude that.
Following this, Harukiyo came to this isolated facility.
The place commonly referred to as the Prison.
Its vast size rivalled Akamaki City’s Fort.
“Still though, still though, this is a facility for isolating Fallen, right? Why’s nobody here? Did they all evacuate?”
Asked this by the trolley-riding witch, Harukiyo answered curtly.
“There were barely any Fallen here in the first place.”
“Eh? Then what’s this huge space for? This is a waste of tax money!”
“Might be an estimation that there’s gonna be a lotta Fallen? I don’t give a fuck about Miguruma’s plans.”
“Hey, Harukiyo. This is a bit hard to say at this stage, but…”
The sailor uniform boy, Ume, wore a bitter smile. He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Haven’t I told you that we already investigated this place too? Maria-san was with me, too.”
The Caucasian woman nodded in agreement. She was wearing the blazer of some high school.
Ume was right.
It wasn’t just there. They’d already gone and searched through every facility managed by the SEPB.
However, they could never find her.
Harukiyo’s objective—Sleeping Beauty.
“…”
This chain of failures brought a certain discomfort within Harukiyo before he noticed.
Something was weird—he was missing something.
This intuition brought Harukiyo to this place.
“I can accept that she wasn’t in the Fort’s deepest layer. Because they wouldn’t be able to respond if anything happened while leaving her right next to C or Shinpu. That being said, they wouldn’t hide her too far away, either.”
“And so she’s in the Prison? Certainly looks like a fitting place, but still.”
Following Ume saying this, the triangular hat girl and the others also looked puzzled.
“At first, sure, at first. But isn’t it impossible for us to fail to find it after looking for so long? With Harukiyo’s information network and Maria’s sensing abilities, as well as my own fortune-telling. We can even find a tyrant’s secret stash together. It seems too simple so I won’t do it, though.”
“What about the possibility it’s being hidden by the ability of a powerful Mushitsuki?”
“…It can’t be…”
“Haruka’s right, old man. That would cause all sorts of contradictions. First of all, using someone so strong just to hide Sleeping Beauty is odd. Also, if there was a Mushitsuki that strong, we would’ve never missed them. Because we’re always secretly watching battles between Mushitsuki in order to not miss them. When we do find them from time to time, we use some vague pretext to have Harukiyo go test them.”
Right, Harukiyo always paid attention.
Even watching the battles between Mushitsuki was for the reason Ume said.
Because he was so high-strung, he could assert this.
SEPB, Mushibane, and wild Mushitsuki.
None of them had the kind of Mushitsuki who could hide Sleeping Beauty from Harukiyo. At the very least no one had the kind of ability to be able to perfectly conceal her like that.
Ume sighed.
“If we couldn’t even feel their presence, they’re quite something. I’m pretty sure no one like that exists in the SEPB—and even if they were in Mushibane, I don’t think we would’ve missed them.”
“I see. However, this does not mean there is no answer to that contradiction, right?”
The young man pulling the trolley spoke while rubbing his short, unkempt beard.
“What about, for example—if there’s a traitor among us?”
“…!”
Everyone walking there gasped. They began feeling tense.
Any feeling that this was a nice walk vanished, and everyone started checking the others’ expressions.
“…”
Harukiyo erased his expression.
This was certainly—not outside the realm of possibility.
“W-wait a minute! So this means—”
Flustered, Ume looked around everyone’s faces.
All the remaining others also stared at each other nervously—
And then changed expressions as if on a signal.
They grinned.
Ume wore a smile like a crescent moon.
“—It’s super amusing.”
Haruka, Maria, Witch, and the bearded young man all sneered, looking happy.
“Nice one, old-man. This is such a heart-pounding situation.”
“Uwa, uwa, it’s possible if I lie about my fortune-telling! I’m too suspicious. This is so fun.”
“If we’re going by the element of surprise, then I’m the suspicious one, since I suggested this. There is also the fact that my abilities are the least known here.”
“Me! Me! I’m traitor! I’m most strong!”
“…Isn’t Harukiyo also an option…?”
“In case any of you are tryin’ to deceive me, let me just say this now.”
Harukiyo turned toward the line and spat.
“If you do that, I’ll letcha decide whether you prefer yourself medium rare or well-done.”
His blazing eyes glared at everyone. They should have known based on their acquaintance so far that this was no empty threat.
Therefore, it had the opposite effect.
Those glared by Harukiyo just sneered happily.
“Tch.”
Just giving them threats was useless. He clicked his tongue and kept walking.
Originally, each and every one of them was powerful enough to easily play around with the SEPB assassins sent after them. Also, they were a gathering of weirdoes of the kind that didn’t want a boring death but wouldn’t mind an amusing one. They had no concept of betrayal in the first place. If they wanted to be enemies on a whim, their rule was just to go and do that.
He allowed them to accompany him only in order to find his quarry as quickly as possible.
As long as Miguruma Yaeko wasn’t there—
“Sorry, I got a message from Miguruma Yaeko. On the line reserved for Harukiyo’s Annihilator job.”
While pulling the Witch on the trolley, the bearded man spoke. He had no cellphone, and no other communication devices could be seen anywhere.
“What, so that hag didn’t kick the bucket after all?”
“…Smiley hag…”
“—What’s she said?”
Harukiyo grimaced.
So he didn’t make it in time—
Although he tried searching in any possible way, he wasn’t able to escape from Miguruma Yaeko.
“Apparently they managed to annihilate Shinpu on the surface.”
“Wow, they won. Since Kakkou-san and Fuyuhotaru were fighting together I did imagine they wouldn’t lose so easily, though.”
Ume smiled casually, but his expression froze at the young man’s next words.
“And in this fight—Kakkou has apparently become a Fallen.”
A heavy silence befell the underground corridor.
A complete stillness wrapped them, as if the temperature went down by several degrees.
Ume wore a strained smile.
“No way…”
His mumble permeated the silence.
“There’s no way he’d become a Fallen… right, Harukiyo? You said that Rank 1s are all ‘immortal’, right? Then even Kakkou-san…!”
“Kakkow? Who that?”
“Seriously? Seriously? I was so proud of myself because I once managed to barely escape from that demon… was it really that bad of a fight?”
“I’m having our comrades—sorry, our acquaintances—that are still above surface collect evidence, but there doesn’t seem to be any mistake.”
“I know—Miguruma did something to him! It’s obvious! She actually feared Kakkou for being a Fusion Type! Otherwise there’s no way Kakkou would become Fallen! Right, Harukiyo?”
Tears welled up Ume’s eyes as he clung to Harukiyo. The latter violently stroked the head of the former.
“You really liked him, didn’tcha.”
“Harukiyo…! You did, too!”
“I gave up on him long ago. —Ever since that meteor shower night.”
At least as much as I gave up on myself—
He added this in his heart and tore away from Ume.
“Let’s head to the next area already. We’ve got not time.”
Although Shinpu was defeated, the fight shouldn’t be over yet. While the SEPB focused on the next battle, they should be able to move freely.
While walking in a fast pace, Harukiyo scowled.
“Well, that’s one less reason to hurry, though…”
Kakkou.
He’d clashed against that man more than once or twice.
However, the battle he recalled at the moment was that of the night of the meteor shower.
“If you’re useless, only I can do it—”
As Harukiyo mumbled to himself, the bearded man called to him again.
“Harukiyo. There’s still more.”
“Ahn?”
“The SEPB’s switching their strategy to the annihilation of the newly-designated Super Class Rank 1, C.”
Harukiyo clicked his tongue while walking.
“I realized it was C’s fault Shinpu got loose, but she became a Super Class Rank 1, eh. —If she’s a Rank 1, it means… ha, I’m so happy I have some more accomplices.”
“As the first operation of annihilation.”
The bearded man’s voice was dyed with immense tension.
“We will be told the location of our quarry—of Sleeping Beauty.”
Harukiyo stopped in place.
“—”
As he turned around, everyone’s shoulders twitched. Harukiyo had no idea what kind of face he was making right now.
“What was that?”
“I was sent the coordinates. Let me confirm on my GPS. The coordinates are—”
Telling him where Sleeping Beauty was hidden?
Harukiyo was supposedly being used by Miguruma in order to gain that information and Miguruma was supposed to control him by hiding him. Yet now she of all people was about to give him Sleeping Beauty.
What was Miguruma Yaeko’s goal?
Harukiyo instantly realized it.
“…So that’s how it is.”
“No way—”
Ume raised his voice. He apparently also noticed Miguruma’s aim.
“She wants to take Sleeping Beauty—and put her in place of Kakkou-san…?”
No mistake about it.
There should be no other reason.
“In this current situation… she’d probably happily replace Kakkou.”
Harukiyo grimaced in anger.
“If she’s the same as she was before, that is.”
This was the kind of woman she was.
Harukiyo knew this very well.
And Miguruma Yaeko as well—
“This is Miguruma’s final message. She told us to deal on our own with the likely uncontrollable Guardian.”
“What does she mean by a Guardian? —Huh?”
As the Witch got out a device and fiddled with it, she widened her eyes.
“I made sure of those coordinates or whatever—and looks like it’s here.”
The Witch pointed at their feet.
“It’s a bit far… but it’s inside the Prison.”
Harukiyo widened his eyes.
Ume grimaced and held his head.
“What the hell… doesn’t that mean we’ve been dancing to Miguruma’s tune all along…? What’s going on? Harukiyo…!”
“Maria, Witch. You really feel nothing?”
As Harukiyo glared at them, the blonde woman and three-cornered hat hurriedly shook their heads.
“No! No!”
“I’m being serious, I’m being serious! My fortune telling’s got nothing… this is the first time that’s happened!”
Sakaki Haruka and the bearded man exchanged glances.
“Guardian…”
“This probably means there’s a Mushitsuki protecting Sleeping Beauty. Being able to hide from us means they are quite the monster.”
A monster?
Was it really true, in the end?
The sense of discomfort born within Harukiyo just kept on swelling.
He felt as though he had all the hints and yet was unable to find the answer—it was this kind of a bad premonition. He also felt angry at still being unable to escape from Miguruma Yaeko’s grasp.
Even so.
“—We’re going.”
Harukiyo stepped forward.
Behind him, Lop-Eared once again tripped where there was nothing at all.
3.02 OPS2 Part 3[edit]
What should he tell Sleeping Beauty once she woke up?
He’d been thinking about it for a long, long time.
And yet—he found no answer.
“Oh, another transmission from the surface.”
The bearded man spoke.
“As one of the operations to defeat C, our actions will be named as Operation 2. Also, she says to please complete our operation within 48 hours. How should I reply?”
The facility called Prison that was located underground Higano City.
It was a simple place. Corridors of standardized length as well as a standardized number of rooms crowded together. Harukiyo felt like rather than a jail, it could be called an ant colony.
“Just ignore her, bearded old man.”
“Hey! My beard is really sexy. —Understood. I shall even send back something fitting like a love confession.”
Harukiyo and his several companions were walking through the Prison’s corridors.
Ume, who had a hairpin of a pumpkin monster. Sakaki Haruka who wore Gothic Lolita fashion. Witch, who rode a trolley and wore a pointy hat. The suited man, Santa Claus, who pulled that trolley. Maria, who had long, blonde hair. Finally, Lop-Eared, clad in a hoodie worn low.
They were merely companions, not Harukiyo’s comrades. Since he’d never even investigated their names, he only used nicknames for some of them. Ever since they ended up knowing each other, it was the kind of relationship where they just somehow went along with Harukiyo.
“Ah, that good-for-nothing freeloader nuisance fell again.”
Ume turned back. Lop-Eared stumbled, rubbing hurt knees.
“Seriously, Harukiyo. Let’s just leave this kid behind. I mean, it’s going to take us a lot of time just to get to the coordinates Miguruma sent us.”
Harukiyo ignored Ume’s complaints that he sounded for the umpteenth time already. He called out toward Lop-Eared who was sniveling in fatigue and pain.
“Hey, get up already. If it’s tough you can hitch a ride along with Witch.”
“Eh, wait…! Wait, please wait! Is that kid a boy? A girl? If he’s a guy, I’ll die of shame if he rides along!”
“I’d also like to avoid any more weight here. Please change with me, Harukiyo.”
“Idiot. If it’s too much trouble just throw it away.”
“N-no, no way! Don’t throw me! I’ll die if you leave me in a place like that, you know? Are you fine with that?”
“C’mon, you’re being heavy in a lot of senses. Honestly… just ride your broom already.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! If I kept flying all the time I’ll die of overwork!”
“You sure are a handful, Witch-san. Now I understand why you were bullied in school.”
“S-stop it, stop it! Do not speak of that in front of Harukiyo…”
“At least our relations with her are good. Her abilities are too varied that I can’t understand ‘em though. —Hey, if you’re hurt, we’ll have Witch heal ya.”
“Eh? Behe. Ehehe, you there, come over here. Let me rub a nice medicine for you. If you rub this poisonous green stuff, any wound will—ouch! Why did you kick me, Maria! Ow, you definitely broke a bone… this is no good. I can’t walk anymore…”
“Fuckin bitch.”
While having small, carefree talk, Harukiyo’s group kept advancing through the Prison.
Sleeping Beauty’s whereabout, indicated by Miguruma Yaeko were in the lowest layer of the Prison.
Although calling it a low layer, the structure differed from Akamaki City’s Underground Fort. There, you could simply reach the bottom by burrowing down, but here the road that connected the lower layers was a gentle slope downwards, so you had to advance in a route decided by order corridors. Yes, it really was like an ant’s nest.
“By the way, you have any idea how long is it going to take to reach the coordinates at this pace? Harukiyo, can’t you just zoom ahead?”
Ume’s important question was given a calm answer by Harukiyo.
“I don’t wanna waste more power than necessary to wake Sleeping Beauty.”
Everyone clamored.
“Seriously? I can’t even imagine an opponent Harukiyo’s so careful about.”
“Ooh…”
“He held back on playing with that caterpillar monster and came there. Otherwise it’d be boring.”
“Also, it’s probably not going to get solved easily even if we got there quickly.”
He could feel his companions puzzled behind him.
“Just like Ume said before, I already went around here with Maria before. But we haven’t noticed anything. If we go there again now, I doubt we’d just find Sleeping Beauty. It’s completely meaningless if we can’t find the reason for that before we reach our goal. It’s odd how Miguruma’s not handin’ out any information other than the location.”
Miguruma Yaeko shouldn’t want to involve Harukiyo in the current fight more than necessary.
Meanwhile, Harukiyo wanted to retrieve what he forgot in the past.
Present and past—as a tacit condition to not cross those two, they supposedly used each other.
And now, Miguruma was trying to drag his past connections to the present—
“Whatever that woman’s trying to do, each and every part of it is evil. The one thing I have no doubt out is that she’s using some unorthodox method to hide this.”
“Then it really does seem likely there’s a traitor among us. Maybe a spy won over by Miguruma?”
Hearing Ume’s words, the party once again got excited.
“…Santa Claus… you’re suspicious…”
“Yup, this Santa old man seems the most suited for this. And he’s not even trying to show his abilities yet.”
“Indeed, I do like mysterious older women… but Miguruma Yaeko alone is someone I would not want to get close to, and that is the honest truth. And speaking of abilities, aren’t you just as suspicious, Witch-san? It’s probably the least understandable ability among all Mushitsuki. You probably fit Miguruma’s tastes.”
“Right, I am the culprit! —I really do want to say this, if it continues being this boring. I mean, it’s not like we’ve shown each other all of our abilities. All of us are suspicious, aren’t we? And those who didn’t come here are also suspicious.”
“You wait.”
Maria cut off the conversation. She pointed ahead and spoke.
“A enemy.”
“An enemy? At a place like this?”
Ignoring Ume tilting his head, Maria grabbed Harukiyo’s arm. She pressed it against her ample bosom.
“Hmm? Squish, huh? Soft?”
Shaking her head at Harukiyo’s doubts, Maria pulled on Santa Claus’s cheek this time.
“…Hey! Why me?”
“Whack! Or maybe… something stinging?”
After Witch said this, Maria pointed at her and nodded.
Harukiyo turned toward the corridor again.
“What, so it had nothing to do with your boobs.”
“If that’s the case, then can you remove your hand already? You two really are pervs.”
Ume spoke bitterly with half-open eyes.
As Harukiyo’s group stood there waiting, a swaying figure appeared.
It was a petite girl. As she walked swaying from side to side, blue electrical sparks appeared at her fingertips.
Harukiyo raised an eyebrow.
“Sure looks like it can sting… but she feels familiar.”
The unknown girl crossed her arms in front of her chest. The moment after a pale light glowed within her open palms, the walls to her sides burst.
Electrical cables that were buried within and fragments of the walls began gathering midair to form something rod-shaped.
“…Electromagnetism…”
“Is she trying to attack us? Also, not like it really matters, but this girl’s complexion sure is bad…”
“Stinging and electromagnetism—right, I remember.”
“Eh, eh, is she your ex or something, Harukiyo?”
The Mushitsuki girl who controlled electromagnetism formed a spear made of iron in her hands. It had a sharp tip and was large enough to block the whole corridor.
“A member of the Annihilators. If I’m not mistaken, she was called Biribiri—”
Before Harukiyo finished speaking, the girl swung both arms.
By repulsing itself from both walls, ceiling and floor, the iron spear lunged ahead as though sliding.
As the corridor was so narrow, Harukiyo and the other had nowhere to escape to.
“Welp.”
Along with Ume’s casual voice, a large object appeared in the corridor.
It was a mirror bug that looked to be more than 3 meters long. The iron spear was sucked into the massive mirror attached to the Mushi’s back and vanished.
Following this, the iron spear then leapt out of the mirror bug and assaulted the girl.
Having her own attack reflected back to her, she tried evading. However, since she had no room in the narrow corridor, her flank and shoulder were grazed by the metal fragments and she collapsed.
“Not yet.”
Ume sneered. Another mirror bug appeared ahead of the flying spear.
“How long can you escape this game of catch using your own attack?”
As he said this happily, he saw Maria next to him glowing in gold and gasped.
“Eh, Maria-san, wait a—you too, Witch!”
Witch brought out a small wooden wand from her hat. She waved it toward the girl.
The next instant, a loud roar shook the Prison.
This violent tremor and roar assaulted the electromagnetism-user girl—
“This is so dangerous! You were about to hit my Mushi as well!”
“I sorry, I sorry.”
“Let me have some exercise. Also, you can spare one, right? You have several, right?”
“Yeah, but still,” Ume replied to her words, sulking.
A large cavern was formed in front of Harukiyo’s eyes. That place was a corridor but seconds ago.
Had she been blown further away or was it for another reason? He couldn’t see the figure of the electromagnetism girl anywhere.
Harukiyo walked in an unchanged pace at the corridor that now became exposed ground.
“I did hear Biribiri got herself killed or became a Fallen somewhere, though.”
“Eh? Then what was this, a ghost? Might be the first one I ever saw! Oh, what a waste. If she was a ghost, I wanted her as a pet.”
“…Shinpu…”
“Oh, right. Shinpu could control corpses, yeah. …Huh? Wasn’t Shinpu defeated, though?”
“According to Miguruma, that was just Shinpu’s personality, and apparently the power itself was absorbed by C. Meaning, this was C’s minion.”
“Oh man, so it wasn’t a ghost. But why C’s bothering us?”
“Don’t wake up Sleeping Beauty—this means C is saying this, right?”
At Witch’s words, Harukiyo unconsciously leaked a laugh.
“Hah. I wouldn’t find it odd for that brat to think so—but this is different. C’s personality’s already long gone. From the time the mist over Akamaki City cleared up.”
The others all looked puzzled, furrowing their brows.
“What do you mean?”
“That mist was like the death throes of whatever humanity remained in C. Save me, save me, if you don’t look here, I’ll vanish… that sorta thing.”
“So C… wanted to be saved?”
Ume bit his lips. It was a rare expression for him.
“Who on earth was she asking help from? —Well, that goes without saying.”
“C’s death throes… or it might be a dying message, but it probably reached its recipient. So that’s why he completely vanished for a time.”
“…Kakkou-san.”
“Didn’t manage to save her, though. Anyway, it’s too late. Whether she was trying to get the culprit to kill her, or wanting to pass along some secret—C had called Kakkou to her.”
Then the mist cleared, and the final part of C’s personality was gone.
Harukiyo came to know of Miguruma’s experiments using C while looking for Sleeping Beauty. He made no attempt to put a stop to it despite being fully aware because he had no reason for doing so.
“C right now doesn’t have the will as before. So it’s impossible for her to get in our way for some emotional reason.”
As Harukiyo sapt this, Maria grabbed his jacket.
“A enemy.”
“Agaiiin? Not really interested if it’s not a ghost, though.”
“Eek! Stop this, stop this. Don’t pull on my hair, Maria! Do-do-don’t shake my head, eeek!”
“Pulling and shaking? Oh, this means it’s controlling something?”
Maria nodded vigorously at Santa Claus.
“…It’s literal…”
Haruka mumbled.
Appearing ahead on the corridor was a swarm of strangely-shaped figures. Computers, monitors, and all manner of electrical devices at hand were gathered to form a human shape.
“A Mushitsuki controlling dolls, huh. Can you tell where the host is, Maria-san?”
“O.K., old man.”
“Hey! Why was that last part in Japanese? Just tell me already.”
Maria gave Santa Claus certain coordinates.
“If C’s standing in our way, it means—that hiding Sleeping Beauty is connected to her.”
His expression unchanging, Harukiyo kept walking.
The swarm of puppets started rushing toward them.
“Because that brat keeps the same orders from before.”
A loud explosive sound and vibration shook the Prison.
The origin of this explosive sound wasn’t from nearby. It was heard from afar.
“So the Guardian hiding Sleeping Beauty is the same as these guys—a Revived.”
The moment before it attacked Harukiyo who was mumbling to himself, the swarm of dolls lost its shape. They all fell down like a row of dominos and stopped moving.
Stepping on the scattered electrical devices, Harukiyo’s group advanced.
“Woah, it’s hard pulling the trolley over this. Just walk on your own, Witch-san. —Oh, I delivered a ‘present’ to the Mushitsuki controlling these, so it is fine now.”
“…We realized that…”
“You attack as fast as ever, Santa Claus. Tell me how you did it.”
“If you’re a bad kid I will show you someday. Firsthand.”
Going over all the appliances, Ume then directed a question at Harukiyo.
“If the Guardian’s a Revived, isn’t it odd? Wasn’t it just recently that C’s experiment was a success? It’d make more sense saying that they used the hidden Shinpu’s fragment to make them into a Guardian. I mean, even the Annihilators used fragments, right?”
“Nope.”
Harukiyo said.
“Nothin’ to do with either the Annihilators or the Fragments. I wouldn’t let a Mushitsuki who could do that go. Ever since the night of the meteor shower, I’ve been on guard…”
Right, it couldn’t be.
However, Harukiyo still didn’t know who the Guardian in charge of protecting Sleeping Beauty was.
“Old man, look at the coordinates Miguruma said. Should be in your range.”
Receiving Harukiyo’s words, Santa Claus closed one eye.
“No, it’s not in my range at all, but… if I go out of my way it might just work. Well, who is it?”
After the battle between Mushitsuki on the night of the meteor shower, Sleeping Beauty vanished.
The one who hid her was Miguruma Yaeko.
Among all those Harukiyo met, she was the sole woman whose plans he could never read.
“—Can I say something?”
Seeing Santa Claus’s expression as he said this with a bitter smile corroborated Harukiyo’s bad feeling.
Harukiyo came all the way here in order to wake up Sleeping Beauty.
However, some incomprehensible mysteries still remained—
“There is nothing… not only is there no space for hiding something, it looks like nothing more than a corridor.”
Their remaining time was limit.
The time limit of 48 hours given by Miguruma Yaeko—
What would happen, were he be unable to find Sleeping Beauty within that time?
Once again, Harukiyo couldn’t even begin to estimate this result.
3.03 OPS2 Part 4[edit]
About ten hours passed since they came to the spot indicated by Miguruma Yaeko.
And they stopped in place for about several hours.
Even so, Harukiyo was unable to get reunited with Sleeping Beauty.
“…”
Leaning against the corridor’s wall, Harukiyo was vaguely thinking to himself.
A space resembling a wall remained only around him. All other parts—the place that used to be the Prison’s corridor—was nothing more than debris with exposed, bare ground.
“She’s here again! The one attacking with sound shockwaves! Kanakana, was it?”
“So stubborn! Goad her into my firing range already! My killer move will strip her naked!”
“…Too nimble…”
“This is bad, this is bad! My fortune-telling says several enemies are coming… Ah! And this rabbit-eared bastard’s sleeping! Wake up and help with something already!”
“Ah, I’m sho sleepy…”
“Maria-san, the real you’s showing.”
“—I very tired.”
“Eh? Eh? Maria wasn’t a foreigner? She wasn’t some noble girl from England?”
“You didn’t know this, Witch-san? Maria-san’s a bonafide Japanese. It’s actually unbelievable that someone fell for her horrible English in the first place.”
“…What a bother…”
Mumbling in an annoyed tone, Sakaki Haruka stretched both arms ahead. On her palm rose a toxic-colored moth—an American moth-butterfly—and its surface swelled like clay.
This clay quickly spread from her arm to her shoulder and from her shoulder to her entire body, forming the shape of a different person after a few seconds.
“I’ll fry ya.”
It was Harukiyo. Whole body wrought in flames, he dashed to the end of the corridor with super speed.
Left behind were the real Harukiyo and his companions.
“Once Haruka-san turns serious, we can rest easy a little. Maria-san, do you think she could capture the enemies?”
“Oh no. Car chase? Play tag?”
“It’s going to take time, then. Your English is horrible, by the way. —Although she’d been doing hit-and-run attacks so persistently, we can’t beat her so easily. She really is annoying.”
“We don’t have time to rest. A new pursuer’s coming soon—is what my fortune-telling’s showing me. They don’t appear to be too strong, though…”
Harukiyo watched everyone making complaints.
“So, about to get any flash of inspiration about Sleeping Beauty’s hiding place?”
Asked this by the bearded man, Harukiyo stayed with his arms crossed, not answering.
Ume sighed.
“We took an entire day to get to Sleeping Beauty’s hiding place but there’s nothing. Still, even if Miguruma just lied to us, we have zero other clues. Harukiyo said something about us missing something, but what is that, then? That’s how it is.”
“Yeah, I’m dead tired too. How about we just call our other comrades?”
Harukiyo glared at her as she sat hugging her knees on the trolley.
“Eeek! I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Don’t stare at me like that.”
“I told you, Witch-san, the word comrades is taboo.”
Glancing at Ume who said this, Harukiyo opened his mouth.
“…Ume. You had some sorta technique that let you escape if you were about to die.”
“Oh, he’s finally talking. —Secret technique #15, ‘You idiot, that was only a fake reflection!’; is that what you’re referring to? Right, I can avoid being killed about ten times or so. I made it so it’ll activate automatically.”
“Can you use that on little bunny ears here?”
Other than Harukiyo, all members looked at the kid in the hoodie. Lop-Eared was on the floor, sleeping soundly. Even when poked by Witch’s wand, Lop-Eared showed no signs of waking up.
“…I think so.”
“Then please do so. I dunno what’s gonna happen once I wake Sleeping Beauty.”
Saying this, he indulged himself to thinking again.
However, noticing an evil gaze upon him, he glanced at Ume and his other companions.
“What?”
“We’re just a bit mad, you know? No matter how much you rattle on and on about us not being comrades, what’s up with you ignoring us for this kid who you met only just yesterday?”
“I’m jealousy.”
“If you don’t like it—”
“You can go back, right? We understand that. I’m starting to seriously consider this. Because there has been nothing interesting for a while now.”
As the bearded man said this, his face was already completely sober. The others were the same.
“This isn’t about entertainment.”
Harukiyo himself was already pissed beyond compare.
Had Miguruma Yaeko lied to them?
No—that couldn’t be. His instincts told him this.
It wasn’t just intuition. In his life so far, whenever he achieved such perfect intuition that verged on conviction, it was always while he already had all the needed information. After he figured things out, he realized that he already possessed all the hints.
Miguruma Yaeko said that there was a Guardian hiding Sleeping Beauty.
This Guardian was a Mushitsuki, probably?
However, could a Mushitsuki powerful enough for them to not even feel their presence really exist?
Why did Miguruma not reveal that Guardian’s identity to Harukiyo?
“Then, then, tell us about Sleeping Beauty.”
Harukiyo’s eyebrows twitched at Witch’s words.
“I don’t know about the others, I never heard about her in detail. I only know she’s a woman you’re really interested in… ah, i-it’s not like I’m interested in your past lovers or anything, alright? I’m serious.”
“…”
“D-don’t look at me with these eyes. Really, there’s no way that I have the hots for you… uh, I ended up remembering the time they used a fake love letter and ridiculed me. Someone like me being interested in romance sounds odd, doesn’t it…”
“Haa, isn’t it good you changed? You’d be wasted on that sorta trash.”
As Harukiyo laughed, Witch blushed.
“Eh? Eeeh? R-realllly? I know, right? Teehee, ehehe—”
Pulling down her hat to hide her face, Witch was suddenly blown off to the side.
A shockwave coming from the corridor assaulted her.
Seeing Witch roll away with her trolley, everyone other than Harukiyo almost died laughing.
“Gyahahahahaha! Didja… did you see that? What a perfect arc she flew in!”
“Uwahahaha! Looks like after getting chased by Haruka-san, Kanakana managed to come from the other way around! Bwah!”
“O-ouch, it really hurts…! Please stop laughing! Maria, if you sensed the enemy coming back, you should’ve told me!”
“I sorry, I sorry. Serves you right.”
Ume and the others started fighting against the returning enemy.
“She’s in tatters already. Feels like she just barely escaped from Haruka.”
“Since there’s apparently a new enemy coming, we need to clean up everything before that.”
Sakaki Haruka in her original form also came back.
“…Out of gas…”
Grabbing Harukiyo’s arm, she ran her tongue on it. Harukiyo could feel his ability’s flames getting sucked out by the girl.
“About Sleeping Beauty, eh… it’s just reminiscing about the past, and it wasn’t like she was my woman or anything.”
Everyone turned to look at him while fighting.
“But it’s no longer just a story from the past.”
“It might give us some idea to where they’re hiding her.”
It was no longer just a story from the past—
Maybe that was right. Harukiyo only kept looking for Sleeping Beauty so he could settle the score for a past battle, but despite this—
“Gotcha. Then you might as well listen.”
Perhaps—if Kakkou hadn’t retired so half-heartedly, it would have remained a story of the past.
Harukiyo opened his mouth.
“I’ve got no parents, siblings, or lovers… well, it’s ‘cause whoever gets close for me dies, for whatever reason.”
He briefly explained the destiny bounding him since his very birth.
As if it was Harukiyo himself who burned down those close to him.
All people trying to approach him were burned down and vanished.
Harukiyo’s entire life was a repeat of that scene.
“I don’t think I’m cursed or anything. Anyway, that’s part of the reason I spent most of the time lookin’ for tough guys who won’t die. That was also when I became Mushitsuki.”
“Oh, I met you back then. I almost died, obviously.”
While fighting the new Revived, Ume lifted his hand happily.
“That’s when I heard about there being a really strong Mushitsuki. After looking around, I found out their name was Hunter, Spear-user and all sorta names.”
Dodging from attacks along with the trolley Witch sat in, the bearded man then spoke.
“Spear-user… I see, so that was Sleeping Beauty.”
“No, that one’s already long dead.”
His allies all stopped in place.
Nearly getting hit by the enemy’s attacks, they all hurriedly kept evading.
“W-wait, wait! What’s up with that? Is Sleeping Beauty dead already?”
“Nah.”
Harukiyo narrowed his eyes. He rubbed the head of sleepy-looking Haruka, who just finished eating his flames.
“Hunter’s dead, but the Mushi remained, possessing a person who wasn’t even a Mushitsuki. A woman who wasn’t just not very strong, but also an idiot.”
“Ha? I never heard about any Mushi that remained after its host died, though. Is Sleeping Beauty that kind of ghost story?”
Following the bearded guy, now Witch also turned doubtful eyes to Harukiyo.
“Once a Mushitsuki dies their Mushi always vanishes. If there’s some trick, reveal it.”
“I’ve heard all that so much that I was tired of it at the time, and I’m also tired of thinking about it myself.”
It was natural for them to suspect this story. Harukiyo himself always was in doubt.
In the end, though, there was no lie or trick.
It was just a certain Mushitsuki who wished for life—and the one who made her a Mushitsuki.
As well as the girl who reached for those feelings, who was an unexpected irregular.
Nothing more than a small defect—a bug—created by the Mushitsuki system.
“But it really happened. Also, since the host was stupid, she joined Mushitsuki’s ranks of her own volition. She even started thinking of saving Mushitsuki.”
“…Saving Mushitsuki… how…?”
The one to ask the most pertinent question was Haruka.
“By defeating the Original Three—”
No one turned back at Harukiyo’s words.
However, he knew that they started listening to his story more seriously.
“Well, a lot happened, I did something like a deal too, and ended up lending a hand. Not just me. Kakkou and Lady Bird too. …If Fuyuhotaru wasn’t a Fallen she would’ve been invited as well for sure.”
“A-all Rank 1s…?”
Watching Witch shudder and groan this from the corner of his eyes, Harukiyo continued.
“We set up a trap and challenged Oogui. There were more than a hundred Mushitsuki there. Apparently Lady Bird had to cancel at the very last moment, though. —There was a major issue then. Oogui’s ability.”
Oogui’s ability. That was—
“Oogui can use all the abilities of those she made Mushitsuki.”
“—”
The bearded youth, Witch, Maria all froze their expressions. Since Ume and Haruka already knew this secret, they were reactionless.
“At the time, among those that Oogui—Elvioréne—had turned into Mushitsuki there was an especially annoying one. The Undying Mushitsuki, who wouldn’t die no matter how much you killed him.”
“Ha? Never dying even when getting killed… is that actually possible?”
“Since the Undying Mushitsuki existed, Oogui was also immortal. Me and Kakkou—and even the second-generation of Spear-user who became a Mushitsuki herself—the three of us couldn’t defeat her. Also, even the Undying himself sided with Oogui.”
“W-wait a minute, wait a minute, I can’t keep up with all of that…”
“We were wiped out. The only survivors were me and Kakkou… as well as Kasuou and a few small fries.”
This was the decisive battle from the past. The night of the meteor shower.
Although they reached for the earnest wish of defeating the Original Three, it ended in an untenable loss.
Many Mushitsuki were lost that night.
“If you were among the only survivors… what about Sleeping Beauty?”
Harukiyo answered the bearded man’s question.
“Her nickname is literal. She’s got the power to make Mushi sleep. So she fell asleep, using that power along with the Undying Mushi.”
Harukiyo’s expression became naturally harsher.
The reason for her to remain asleep even now—he would never accept it.
“She said that Mushitsuki will be able to win their next fight against the Original Three for sure.”
The fight that occurred in the past had without any doubt ended in crushing defeat.
However, despite all they had lost, they were able to grasp a thin string of hope.
Oogui was currently not immortal. No matter how strong she was, now the possibility to defeat her was not zero.
Therefore, never mind Harukiyo, but Kakkou—
“Even I was on the verge on the death and it took a bit of time for my wounds to heal. During that time Miguruma took Sleeping Beauty and hid her somewhere.”
“T-this is quite the unbelievable story I just heard… b-but, if that’s true…”
Forgetting to fight, Witch was stunned. Maria now had more enemies to handle, so she cussed a loud “Fuck you!” at her.
“M-meaning that such a ridiculous Mushitsuki is still alive—and so close by?”
“A Mushitsuki who had attempted to save all Mushitsuki… is this not the best entertainment ever?”
Even the bearded man was like this. Although his face was cold until then, he looked lively now.
Harukiyo clicked his tongue.
“That’s why I didn’t wanna talk about it. That stupid woman’s stupidness would spread to other stupids.”
“What, you’re wrong, you’re wrong! I’m not cheating on you! Harukiyo’s the only one for me… wait, what are you making me say!”
“Die, pipsqueak.”
“By the way. It struck me as odd, but why did that Undying Mushitsuki or whatever side with Oogui? Shouldn’t all Mushitsuki hate Oogui?”
“Because he’s on the same side as Miguruma. He prolly wanted to keep fiddling, defeating and playing with Mushitsuki for all eternity.”
While speaking, Harukiyo felt bothered by something.
He didn’t enjoy getting all sentimental about the past. Once he tried recalling the fight, an indescribable anxiety and impatience welled within him.
“Or, rather than them being on the same side, he was the actual Director of the SEPB.”
“…Eeeeek.”
“…I get the feeling that I heard something I really shouldn’t have.”
Witch and Santa Claus fought the Revived, their expressions awkward.
However, Ume looked displeased.
“Oh boy, I really wanted to be in that meteor shower fight too. Why didn’t you invite me? Harukiyo, you idiot.”
“How many times do I need to say it? With how you were at the time, you would’ve obviously died like—”
As he said this, Harukiyo’s expression froze.
It was a divine revelation—
No, all the hints that were already inside Harukiyo suddenly combined.
“—”
“My grudge will last a lifetime. —Wait, Harukiyo? What’s wrong?”
Harukiyo couldn’t even hear the boy’s question.
Right—
The hints were already there.
“I-I was… so stupid…”
He held his head with both hands.
Miguruma Yaeko.
The Undying Mushitsuki.
The battle on the night of the meteor shower.
C and the experiments using her.
Shinpu who could control corpses.
The Mushitsuki supposedly serving as the Guardian that he couldn’t find no matter how much he looked for them.
And—the Revived.
“I was so fucking stupid…!”
Not only the hints, he already had the answer.
And from long ago.
Harukiyo simply hadn’t noticed it.
He couldn’t—have noticed it.
“W-what is it, Harukiyo! Does your head hurt? Want my medicine?”
“What’s?”
“…Harukiyo…?”
Harukiyo’s companion all looked at him, worried.
It just made him angrier.
Half of it was anger directed at himself.
He couldn’t call anyone other than himself an idiot anymore.
“I’m the stupidest person in the entire world…! I had the answer since forever…!”
Releasing his arms, he raised his face.
Anger caused his hair to stand up, and unrestrained flames spouted out from the corners of his mouth.
As for the remaining half of Harukiyo’s burning anger. It was directed at—
“MIGURUMA YAEKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
His unleashed flames blew everyone away, be they enemies of allies.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Eeek!”
As Harukiyo put strength into his right arm, it became covered in crimson flames.
His eyes blazing in rage looked around him as if searching the surroundings.
He was already able to feel that presence.
“YOU PIECE OF SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!”
Harukiyo thrust his hellfire-clad right arm with great vigor.
Harukiyo found that presence—that subtle twisting of space—because he knew about it.
Because he alone of all people in the world knew about it.
And the only person to know its mechanism and how to dispel it was also just Harukiyo.
Reason being, this was someone from his past. Someone so close to him that they were able to make requests of each other—
“—!”
All the others widened their eyes.
Harukiyo’s thrust right arm tore through empty space.
He stuck his left hand into the hole as well. He tore it open by force.
“Wha…!”
Witch and others raised confused voices.
As Harukiyo forced it open, the scenery instantly changed.
Until a moment ago they were inside a completely ruined corridor.
Now, however, they were dragged into a completely different world.
In this vast space that were lines upon lines of rotting shelves—specifically, bookshelves. Each and every book there was so weathered and moth-eaten that it was on the verge of crumbling to dust.
A vast sea of bookshelves.
And not just that. Wrapped around those shelves were also countless tropical trees.
“—”
As Harukiyo and the rest watched them, the bookshelves started moving on their own. They slid in all directions as if this was some puzzle game—
And a wide space was formed in front of their eyes.
“No—no way—”
Ume was speechless.
Appearing in the created space were two wooden chairs with two people seated in them—
A pair of a woman and a man, their faces deathly pale.
“This is—too much—”
As Ume mumbled this in shock, large tears poured from his eyes.
“They were here all along…? All just to hide Sleeping Beauty—”
The woman seated in the chair wore a fancy suit. However, her hair was frayed and her clothes were old. Her face, once adorned by glasses, was equipped with what looked like mechanical goggles.
And the man also had the same goggles. He was casting his deathly pale face down listlessly.
“Who… are they…?”
The bearded man looked at Ume, confused.
Ume spoke, half-sobbing.
“They’re Librarian-san and the Custodian-san… they were our comrades… Librarian-san participated in the fight of the meteor shower night with Harukiyo—”
“—I told you, they’re not comrades.”
Sparks scattered from between Harukiyo’s clenched teeth.
It was obvious that he couldn’t find the Guardian no matter how much he looked.
And it was also natural for Miguruma to not reveal their identity. If he knew this beforehand, Harukiyo would first go back and kill her.
Because for Harukiyo, these two Guardians were his—
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY FUCKING FRIEEEEEEEENDS!!!”
The howl of the enraged devil reverberated through the otherworldly space full of bookshelves.
3.04 OPS2 Part 5[edit]
Harukiyo turned himself into a fireball and pursued the goggled pair fiercely.
The goggles of the woman seated in the wooden chair, Librarian, emitted light. A single book was formed in her hand, and in her other hand a feathered quill pen began writing something quickly.
Above Harukiyo’s head, from the darkness of an unseen ceiling, a gigantic something was falling.
It was a giant, its body more than 10 meters tall. Its bald head sprouted two horns and it held a giant axe in hand.
“Wha…? The hell’s that!!! A monster?”
Witch’s voice of shock overlapped with an earth tremor.
The other goggle wearer, Custodian, raised both arms. His head still cast down, he moved his arms as though controlling something.
A giant tree burst from the floor. Thick branches extended like living beings, assaulting Harukiyo, Ume and the rest to restrain them.
“I won’t let them use you so easily either!”
Harukiyo’s fist boiled the axe swung down by the titan. Furthermore, its lower body exploded, creating a red-hot crater in the surface overgrown with tropical plants.
“UWOOOH!”
Exposed to the shockwaves, his allies were all blown back. All of them took defensive positions and stood up, but Lop-Eared alone rolled endlessly until clashing with a bookshelf.
Harukiyo’s attack only just barely missed the two goggled people. The moment before it hit, the chairs evaded as though sliding on the floor.
“Right, both Librarian-san and Custodian-san were geniuses at creating isolated spaces. If they hid her, that explains why we couldn’t find her easily…! But still!”
Ume showed a pained expression he normally wouldn’t and shouted.
“C shouldn’t have been involved with those experiments at the time…!”
That was true.
That was why Harukiyo neglected to notice this.
He was made to think that the experiments of the Revived started only recently.
“They had Shinpu’s fragments in the first place—so it means that the experiments themselves started way before this!”
Another giant leapt down at Harukiyo as he was shouting in anger. Harukiyo’s casually swung hand struck and a crimson flame passed from the giant’s axe to its arm and from its arm to its entire body, fully melting it.
“No way—”
The speechless Ume gasped upon seeing the pair’s goggles.
“Those goggles! These aren’t normal SEPB goggles… they’re directly attached to their—”
The experiment using C was cute, in comparison. It was obvious from a glance what sort of inhuman treatment Mushitsuki went through previously. These experiments combining scientific technology and Shinpu’s fragments were taken over by C when she absorbed his power.
The bearded youth shouted.
“Harukiyo! I know this isn’t the time, but the SEPB’s asking about Operation 2’s progress…! Soon, the 48 hours—”
“Shut up.”
Stopping moving, Harukiyo widened his burning eyes.
As the Librarian slid along with her chair, she kept writing inside her book in frightening speed. Yet another giant and another giant appeared, and monster birds and the kinds of animals that couldn’t exist in reality were being created.
This gigantic library was the isolated space created by Librarian. Whatever she wrote in here would assume form, turning all imagination into reality.
“I’ll burn every last one of them.”
Harukiyo’s entire body was dyed in deep, hot red. The surrounding air shook with heat and the surrounding shelves were all turned into coal without even burning.
“Don’t dare think it’s all gonna go according to plan, you shitty hag…!”
If he knew the Guardian’s identity beforehand, he would have surely gone to kill Miguruma Yaeko first thing.
However, now that he knew this situation—he had no choice but to beat his past friends. It was all according to Miguruma’s plan.
Now each and every one of her evil schemes made too much sense that it made him sick.
“This is bad, Harukiyo’s gone berserk! We can’t escape anywhere in this isolated space!”
“Eeeeep! I-I’ll quickly draw a magic circle! Cover for me!”
“You hurry! You hurry!”
“I can do nothing in this situation, unfortunately…”
“…I’ll try to offset this as much as possible…”
Ume was flustered. Witch ran around, drawing a line on the floor with her wand. Maria had her entire body glowing and burned away the branches attacking them with light beams. Santa Claus just stood there, while Haruka transformed into Harukiyo again and erected a wall of flames around them. Lop-Eared was panicking.
“—”
Harukiyo approached the two goggled people wordlessly.
Librarian and Custodian couldn’t escape this time. Already the floor all around them was a sea of flames, so they had no space. Even all the imaginary monsters simply boiled away just from touching Harukiyo.
“…I’ve been late coming here.”
He spoke to his pale past friends.
“I’ll definitely get even with that woman—”
Even death or torture would be too good for Miguruma Yaeko.
He couldn’t think of what to do right now, but one day he would definitely take revenge, he swore to his friends.
The result of their curiosity was a long-cherished death. But now that they lost their will and used like toys for experiments—it just wasn’t logical.
“Librarian… just like I promised, I’m protecting your collection. So this is the second promise.”
His red hair floating, Harukiyo whispered quietly.
His silent friends’ faces were swallowed by flames.
“I-I’m done! C’mon, you guys, enter this quickly, please!”
“I-isn’t this too narrow? Afbh, Maria-san, your boobs are too big!”
“Hey! Switch places with me!”
“Fuck you.”
Ume and the rest’s voice were gone as if they melted in the mist.
The grand library was enveloped by such heat that it went past being crimson and became pure white.
Soundless pure flames swallowed everything in sight.
After the flames burned anything and everything and receded like a ripple—
“…”
The grand library was no longer a grand library.
Only the silently standing Harukiyo and the seated, goggle-clad people in front of him remained.
As well as Ume’s group, who stood in shock.
Other than that—there was nothing. Only flattened, scorched earth remained.
“—”
Librarian and Custodian’s bodies tilted and fell.
The chairs they sat on slid at the same time, and the surrounding scenery cracked like glass and shattered.
“He burned away their Mushi along with the isolated space…”
“S-such power…”
“Eeeep, we’re saved—wait, the flames avoided us! My magic circle was meaningless!”
Harukiyo and the rest returned to reality, to a vast space.
It was domed and seemed about as large as a soccer stadium. The gently-curved ceiling looked like it belonged to a giant planetarium.
In the edge of that space were the forms of Librarian and Custodian seated in steel-mesh chairs.
“Was there such a big place inside the Prison…?”
Ume looked around.
Next to him, Maria raised her voice.
“Harukiyo!”
As he glanced at her, the blond woman shook, her face pale.
Maria shook her head to the sides, raising her index finger.
And where she pointed.
Interposed between the two goggled people was a raised platform—
“It’s been a while.”
Harukiyo ignored Maria’s warning and turned to look.
That broad elliptical object looked like a giant egg. It was carefully placed and stabilized on a metal-made, bed-like pedestal.
A silver cocoon.
With a pale light and shiny scales rising from it—its form remained completely unchanged from when he saw it a couple of years ago.
“—Arisu.”
Harukiyo called the name of Sleeping Beauty in front of the cocoon.
When she’d gone to sleep, two boys stood in front of the cocoon.
They were none other than Harukiyo himself—and Kakkou.
Now that he came to wake her up after all these years, Harukiyo did not have that demon at his side.
“No!”
Maria yelled. What had her sensing ability told her about the cocoon? He’d never seen her so scared before. She was shaking all over.
“I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
Harukiyo ignored Maria and smiled at the cocoon.
“Ever since the night of the meteor shower. Always. Ever since then, I wanted—”
Now that what he looked for was in front of him at last, an uncharacteristic sentimentality welled within him.
He felt like it took long, but also as if it was brief.
Since Arisu went to sleep for the sakes of Mushitsuki’s hopes, many things happened.
Lady Bird died and Kakkou became Fallen.
Harukiyo watched all these from afar as a spectator, and kept surviving like this—
“—To kill you.”
Harukiyo widened his eyes with swelling rage.
Seeing him emit flames from his entire body again, Ume and the rest were shocked.
“Eh…?”
Simply by recalling that night’s events, the anger he felt back then was revived within him.
Harukiyo cooperated with the fight against Oogui not for the sake of Mushitsuki.
It was for his own goal. For his deal with Arisu.
Even so—
“How dare you say you’ll make my dream come true and go to sleep like that—”
That was definitely breach of contract.
An illogical betrayal.
In order to settle the score of this past fight, he kept looking for Sleeping Beauty.
Meaning, he wanted to settle things with Arisu.
“I hope you’re not thinking I’m going to gently shake you awake now, eh.”
Anger that was smoldering within him for many years covered his arm in flames.
“W-wait! From what you’ve told us just now, if you wake that girl then the Undying will—”
Harukiyo didn’t care about what Witch said.
To be honest—finding the cocoon was also part of his competition with Kakkou.
Would Harukiyo wake Arisu first?
Or would Kakkou beat the Original Three first?
That was the unspoken rule between those two who once fought together temporarily. He wouldn’t let Kakkou say he wasn’t aware of this.
Before Harukiyo woke up the Undying along with Arisu, Kakkou had to beat the Original Three.
“Kakkou, who protected you and the continuation of your dream, is already gone.”
However, Kakkou collapsed in the middle of his dream.
Therefore, Harukiyo could opt to use his privileges and did not hesitate on swinging his burning arm.
“You’ve lost the bet, Arisu!”
Crimson flames engulfed the cocoon shining silver.
There was a response.
The cocoon suddenly started shaking as if trying to withstand the flames.
“—!”
Harukiyo, Ume and the rest all grimaced.
Loud noises were unleashed by the cocoon and reverberated throughout the entire dome.
There was a high-pitched noise as if something was cracking—sounding like the cocoon itself was in agony.
“Haha! Let’s have another shot, then!”
Harukiyo swung his arm again, but there was no need for this follow-up attack.
The cocoon’s form warped, twisted, and at the moment it started trembling again, it blew away the flames with a rupturing sound.
While everyone watched it, a glowing crack ran through the cocoon.
It became a tear and began to peel fragment after fragment of silver—
“—“
Appearing from within the small hole was a white hand.
It widened the hole and a thin arm appeared. Almost transparent skin that saw no sun for many years now became exposed.
Next appeared a head.
He couldn’t see the face because it was looking down, but her hair was long and its color was thin. The upper half of her body crawled out of the opened cocoon hole. Her stark-naked body was hidden by her hair.
The girl crawling out of the silver cocoon—raised her face.
“Oh, you grew more than I thought.”
Harukiyo unconsciously smiled.
The girl had grown according to her age from when he last saw her. She remained slim but became taller and her face turned somewhat more mature as well.
However, her most prominent feature was her black pearl-like sunken eyes.
These alone looked sleepy and seemed to have lost some of their color from before she went asleep.
“Wow, what a beauty.”
“S-she doesn’t look nice, does she?”
Ignoring Ume and Witch’s conversation, Harukiyo called to Arisu.
“Still feeling sleepy? Should I give you a good morning kiss?”
The girl cocked her head. Crawling from within the cocoon, she stood up on her legs, looking giddy.
In her left hand she grasped a silver stick. It was a rod that served as her weapon.
“D’you remember that Miguruma woman? She’s gonna make you into a replacement for Kakkou, seems like.”
Harukiyo spoke to her while smiling.
As the naked girl whose modesty was protected by her hair grasped the silver rod, it became several times longer in her hand.
A butterfly glowing in silver—a Morpho butterfly—alighted down on her white shoulder.
“It’s ‘cause Kakkou’s a Fallen now. They’re probably tryin’ to use you as a convenient pawn.”
The Morpho butterfly’s body split explosively. It became countless tentacles and started fusing with the girl’s body. Fusing even with the rod, it became a sharp lance with wings on the tip.
Ume spoke timidly.
“Harukiyo…? Don’t you think Arisu-san’s acting a bit odd?”
“She’s probably just not fully awake yet. Otherwise—”
Harukiyo turned around and spoke.
“She’d be on the verge of Maturing, just like before she fell asleep.”
Everyone’s faces lost all color.
“—Run away. You’ll die for sure.”
As Harukiyo declared this, he saw Arisu lowering her body at the edge of his vision. Her entire body glowing in silver, she swung the spear that was longer than she was tall horizontally.
“With this much time passing, I really thought you’d grow up to control your Mushi!”
Still turned around, Harukiyo formed flames at the same time Arisu swung her spear.
Enough scales to fill half of this planetarium-like structure were unleashed.
That impact easily swallowed even Harukiyo’s flames.
“—!”
It really was some years since he’d last felt an attack as destructive as that.
Even the wall of heat wave created by Harukiyo was easily pierced through. His tall body struck the floor, blew back along with fragments from the floor and slammed against the wall.
Memories he’d almost forgotten rose without him wanting them to.
The Morpho butterfly’s silver spear.
When it clashed against him, its destructive power was much stronger than his—
“…Haha! Looks like I was the one who needed to wake up here!”
Wiping away the debris, Harukiyo rose up with momentum, not minding the blood flowing down his head.
“Looks like you grew quite like my taste, eh Arisu!?”
Burning eyes glared at Arisu. A seething battle spirit from when he’d been known as a devil of flame uplifted Harukiyo, but—
“…Harukiyo! Witch got hit!”
Ume’s voice retrieved his reason.
That attack just now involved even his companions. Almost all of them—even Lop-Eared—were unhurt, but Witch alone had a laceration running from her shoulder to chest. Profuse bleeding dyed her clothes and her body was shaking. She was in a state of shock.
“My secret move didn’t make it in time for her…! I mean, this number of people is impossible for me!”
Meaning that without Ume’s ability, everyone would have died from that attack just now.
“Witch should still have some medicine remaining. Rub as much as you can and evacuate.”
Spitting this, Harukiyo faced the silver girl.
She had no expression, but one eye was starting to get dyed by silver. This was a sign of Maturation. Both eyes would get dyed, and once even her hair glowed silver, it would be the end.
“Looks like you miscalculated, Miguruma. She’s not gonna follow anyone’s plans. She’s not the kinda gal for you to use as a pawn.”
While saying this, cold sweat ran down Harukiyo’s cheeks.
The overwhelming strength he could feel from the girl in front of him made him irritated—but he also felt relief.
With this, his dream might finally come true—
The two contradictory feelings of anxiety and relief competed within him.
“This girl—won’t let herself get used by you.”
Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.
The final Rank 1, the Mushitsuki who controlled a silver spear—
Kicked the floor hard, heading toward the devil whose body was clad in flames.
3.05 OPS2 Part 6[edit]
Ume was considering how to best reject the reality of what he was witnessing.
What happened was, as far as he knew, impossible.
“No—”
Harukiyo, the flame devil.
No Mushitsuki existed in the world who wouldn’t get scared by hearing that name. He never involved himself with whatever battle there was, but he was a Rank 1 who brought destruction on a whim as though he was a natural disaster.
Comparing him with the other Rank 1s—Kakkou, Fuyuhotaru, and Lady Bird—his existence already approached the domain of a legend.
Ume prided himself on being the one who’d been with Harukiyo the longest.
For him, Harukiyo was always overwhelming in battle.
No one could match Harukiyo.
The flame devil was a special being.
And yet, such a man—
“No way…”
Was covered in blood and held up by a single girl.
His neck grasped by a thin hand glowing in silver, he was being raised to the air with one arm.
Their fight was so fierce it didn’t seem like they were even human—or even Mushitsuki. Even the planetarium they inhabited no longer retained its original form.
“Harukiyooo!”
The flame devil didn’t even twitch upon being called by Ume. With his limbs hanging listlessly, it was doubtful if he was even breathing.
Due to their long acquaintance, Ume knew that he wasn’t just pretending to be defeated.
“—”
The silver girl’s eyes turned to look at Ume and the others.
After casually throwing away a Rank 1, she began to slowly approach them.
Also—
“Aah—”
Next to him, Maria raised a voice of despair.
She was looking toward the already broken silver cocoon.
Slowly but steadily, something black was oozing out from the inside.
It was—a swarm of small, black Mushi.
“No way—the Undying—”
Tear welling in his eyes, Ume sank on the spot.
It wasn’t just Ume. Haruka had already lost all will to fight upon seeing Harukiyo lose like that and crouched down. Witch had apparently lost consciousness due to her grievous wounds, and Maria just stood there, feet paralyzed.
Santa Claus, the bearded man, was just stunned—
“—Operation 2… has failed…”
He only mumbled this to no one in particular.
Epilogue: OPS3 Prologue[edit]
Anmoto Shiika.
Born in a completely normal household, she was a completely normal elementary schooler.
One day, however, she ended up becoming Mushitsuki by gaining a small dream.
Sometimes, Shiika would imagine herself spending time in a different world—as someone who wasn’t Mushitsuki.
She would graduate from elementary school with her classmates and become a normal middle schooler. She would graduate middle school as well, and although she wasn’t good in either studies or athletics, she should be able to get into her local public high school.
And around now she’d create a few friends, perhaps even get a boyfriend. Her grades and athletics would keep on being below the average and she’d end up desperate in each test. As for club activities, she’d probably be in something like the art club—no, since she never would’ve met her beautiful friend without becoming a Mushitsuki, she wouldn’t get interested in art, so she’d probably enlist to the wind music club.
“—And this is all we’ve heard from the SEPB.”
It would definitely be a completely normal school life.
That was supposed to be Shiika’s life—
But, by turning into a Mushitsuki, Shiika started living in an entirely different world.
“The SEPB’s Central Headquarters hiding Shinpu. The Mushitsuki called C putting the entire country in danger. Sleeping Beauty being woken up by someone called Harukiyo. As well as—”
While not understanding anything, she’d turned many of the SEPB’s combatants to Fallen, and then turned into a Fallen herself.
After this, she lived like a robot for a few years in the isolation facility called GARDEN.
For some reason Oogui returned her to being a Mushitsuki—and since then she spent her days in battle after battle. She was chased, she fought, she got hurt, she hurt others, and witnessed plenty of despair. There were only painful things that people like Shiika would be unable to bear.
“Oogui being able to use the abilities of all Minion Type Mushitsuki.”
However, even within that harsh reality there were many wonderful things that wouldn’t lose even against the peaceful world of her delusions.
Her promise with the Mushitsuki that held the same dream, Kakkou.
The days she spent with her friend called Tachibana Rina.
As well as—her love with the boy called Kusuriya Daisuke.
These irreplaceable events now supported Shiika.
Although she fought and lost plenty, although this reality made her want to run away, she could face it.
“I’m sure some of you are shocked to discover all of that. I feel the same. After all, because of my powers, if we fight Oogui—there’s a chance some of us will die.”
Shiika was entrusted with many things.
With the dream that she shared along with Kakkou, of wishing for a place to belong to.
With Rina’s dream, who wished to create a world where Mushitsuki belonged.
Both already left the stage, but Shiika had to protect their dreams.
“Even so, I’m planning on living and fighting Oogui.”
There was still a hope left even now.
—Let’s meet next Christmas.
She had her promise with Kusuriya Daisuke who told her this.
Even this reality was way above what Shiika could afford. Even though she now stood on top the stage of a state-of-the-art movie theater and addressed many Mushitsuki, she could stand on her two legs.
All so she could meet Daisuke again.
All so she could settle everything and have them reunite as a normal boy and girl.
Shiika was able to raise her eyes and face the future—
“Operations 1 and 2 have already started. As Operation 3, we must think of a way to defeat Oogui.”
The door to the lecture hall opened and several long coats appeared.
They were SEPB combatants.
The Mushitsuki in the hall—the Mushibane members—stirred, so Shiika raised the volume of her voice.
“We will cooperate with the SEPB!”
She heard nothing about the SEPB coming there. But Shiika continued.
“In order for us Mushitsuki to win, we must succeed in every operation. If even one of them fails—it will be our loss.”
Mushibane’s admins approached the appearing SEPB combatants. They faced each other and were discussing something.
“I believe we are currently very confused about matters… but I would like to draw on your knowledge. We have no time. We must have Operation 3 succeed as soon as possible.”
Concluding it like this, Shiika went down the stage.
Namie, the oldest among the admins, switched with Shiika and went up to the stage. While calling to the clamoring members to preserve their calm, she began explaining their policy going forward.
Shiika rushed toward the other admins.
“Fuyuhotaru.”
A person clad in a black, long coat called to her even before her comrades.
Shiika knew him by face.
After all, this combatant was an opponent that had once nearly killed her.
“It’s been a while since we last saw each other. Well, you might not wish to recall it, though—”
“O-oh, not at all, that is completely fine. Nice to see you again.”
Shiika bowed her head. She felt neither anger nor hatred. However, since Shiika was at her roots a coward, meeting with her past assassin was indeed stressful.
Seeing how awkward she was, the other party smiled wryly. He wore a harsh expression, but when he smiled his mouth looked surprisingly kind.
“I’m Kabuto. I’ve been ordered to help Operation 3 come into fruition by acting as the SEPB liaison. I am not a high-ranked Mushitsuki, but I do believe I will be able to add somewhat to your fighting forces.”
Saying this, Kabuto turned to the other long coats waiting behind. From their posture they could be seen as elites, but they all looked to be nervous facing Shiika.
“Y-yes. Glad to work with you.”
“—It’s decided.”
This time, Kabuto looked toward the boy on the Mushibane side, Aijisupa. The latter sighed.
“If she accepts you then there’s no choice.”
“Eh?” Shiika raised her voice.
“You were against this, Aijisupa-san? I think the SEPB’s going to be a great help if they cooperated with us though…”
“It’s obvious to want to limit the number of dangerous elements. Since you ended up ignoring our warnings and spilled the beans about Oogui’s ability anyway—”
Aijisupa looked at the other Mushibane on the theater.
On top of the stage, Namie’s explanation continued, but among those in the audience many of the members looked aside, glancing at Shiika.
“Now all Mushitsuki are going to realize that the greatest obstacle to defeating Oogui is you. If it becomes a hard battle, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started resenting you instead and try to beat you.”
“I… believe in everyone.”
Shiika spoke with a smile.
Aijisupa went silent, but there was another person who made no attempt to hide her displeasure.
“From where I’m standing, you’re the one we need to worry about the most, Shiika.”
She was Akasegawa Nanana. The millionaire girl spun her cane round and round.
“It’s fine trying to defeat Oogui. However, if she uses your own ability and you see all the Mushitsuki becoming Fallen, will you be able to stand it?”
“…”
“During the fight of the meteor shower, many Mushitsuki were unable to stand it and turned themselves to Fallen. One after another. —Can you say that you won’t do the same?”
Nanana grimaced. She probably recalled that scene that she saw from afar.
“Nanana… have you concealed Oogui’s ability until now because you were worried about me?”
“Wh… as if! Obviously not!”
“Thanks, Nanana. But I’m fine.”
Shiika was entrusted with many things.
So she couldn’t die.
She would live and, along with the wishes entrusted to her—
She had to reunite with Kusuriya Daisuke.
“I’ll live and grant my dream.”
Seeing Shiika smiling, Nanana was shocked into silence.
Kabuto put a hand to his goggles and spoke.
“It appears that Operation 1 has just now infiltrated the Underground Fort. I believe we should also promptly move to defeat Oogui.”
“Yes.”
Shiika nodded and looked at the wall.
Standing there was a girl holding a cellphone, Lucifera.
And standing next to Lucifera was the girl called Konoha.
“Although we have no other way… is it fine to believe a traitor’s words?”
Saying this was Halensis, a girl with white skin and black hair who looked like a classical Japanese beauty.
“I-I didn’t betray you or anything…”
Lucifera tried speaking back, but Halensis kept going on the attack.
“You sure have some guts to say that despite you getting in secret contact with outside people. Was your goal to grasp inner information about Mushibane?”
“T-that’s not… I mean…”
“It’s probably also your fault that the recovered Mimic and others vanished, right? You wanted to pull out some strong Mushitsuki just like that, right?”
“N-no…! We know nothing about Mimic—”
“I already knew, more or less.”
Shiika spoke. Mushibane’s admins came to look at her.
“That Lucifera was getting orders from someone… but I hadn’t tried digging any deeper because nothing bad happened to Mushibane.”
Looking back into Lucifera’s eyes, she then inquired.
“That’s the situation this time as well, right?”
“Uh…”
Instead of the speechless Lucifera, it was Konoha who bit her lips.
“Right… so please don’t—look at me with eyes like those of Kakkou…”
“I-I didn’t really…”
Shiika gasped and averted her eyes.
“Operation 2 is unchanged. —Although, I can’t really believe Harukiyo’s going to fail. If we want to complete our own operation before him, we should hurry.”
Shiika nodded at Kabuto’s urging.
She turned around, looking at Aijisupa, the other admins, as well as the large audience of her comrades.
The dream entrusted to her.
The destiny of so many Mushitsuki.
If she were to speak her mind, this mission was far too heavy to be carried on Shiika’s small shoulders.
But had to raise her face and move forward.
She had to engage this challenge while forgetting her originally weak self.
That was fine; she had support.
“Let us go—to Alpha.”
Thinking of the day she would meet Kusuriya Daisuke again—
Shiika was convinced that she was going to win any sort of final battle.
Afterword[edit]
Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei.
Mushi Uta managed to reach its 12th volume, and it’s the series’ first two-parter.
This means that the story has entered the climax, and this is the first chapter of the final battle. Despite this, there were unexpected developments right from the outset, but I hope you will enjoy the flow from now on.
I will now speak a little about something I’ve been thinking from a while back.
This is about the protagonist and other characters.
Whenever I touch films, dramas, manga and novels, I often fall in love with supporting characters. The protagonists are obviously cool as well, but it’s natural because that’s their job. Characters that have less screen time do not have that duty.
Even so, the story will not form without them.
What lives had they led thus far, and what makes them help the protagonist, or else to stand against the protagonist? It was fun imagining this.
As the ones not carrying the burden to be cool, they feel real. I believe that is what made me fall in love with them.
What I like about such side characters is probably already obvious to you the readers.
Characters other than the protagonist did not make their first appearance there. They had led their own lives and this was just their moment of a chance meeting.
Now, going back to this work, the characters of the side story series Mushi Uta Bug are now really connected. There were some hints of them here and there until now, but they finally joined the battle.
Although they simply became like new characters for the main series, rather than a new appearance, it’s more like a chance meeting or a reunion. Including them, the number of characters in this work is now absurd. I already feel as if I’d done something outrageous, but although this is two-parter, there will be important developments, so please look forward to the second part.
As always, many people helped me get this work written.
My editor, who always patiently helps me, as well as llo-sensei who keeps providing increasingly lovely illustrations.
As well as you the readers with this book in your hands.
Being able to continue for this long until the stage for the final battle had been set is also thanks to those reading this. I will keep on weaving this tale with my full powers for those of you accompanying me to the end.
The story was split to two due to its sheer volume, but I will do my best to have the second part be published around autumn.
Since my other series “Saihate no Kyuuseishu” is also being published, I will be glad if you check it out as well.
Iwai Kyouhei
Notes[edit]
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