Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5

5.00 The Others

The temporary headquarters of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau were wrapped in silence.

It seemed that none could understand the truth Miguruma Yaeko had revealed so easily. The faces of the people looking at her were dyed with surprise, confusion, as well as anger.

“Y-you bitch… Have you set up this operation to intentionally fail?!”

The vice-minister tried grabbing Miguruma.

“No, not at all.”

As she wore her Smile of Shackles, the vice-minister froze.

“I did intend on doing whatever I could to defeat C. There was enough of a chance to block C’s evolution. Right—if the Rank 1s all completed their missions, the result would have been different.”

The screams of Mushitsuki heard from the speakers reverberated inside the tent.

“However, they lost. The newly-born Rank 1 C has won.”

C’s accelerated evolution was unexpected to Miguruma. The proof of that being that even she almost died during that.

“C will probably become able to perfectly draw out a person’s dream before long. If she also absorbed all of the Original Three—I am convinced she will be able to birth Mushitsuki as well.”

Would the current Rank 1s be able to beat C after undergoing this sudden change?

Or would C, the Rank 1 of the new generation, purge the old generation of Mushitsuki?

If asked what option she hoped for, she couldn’t deny it was the latter, however—

“I have promised Terasu that I will make her a Rank 1 once this operation was over. That was no lie, and it will definitely become so.”

Miguruma had honestly grappled with this crisis.

Just like she did until now, and just like she would keep on doing.

She simply and seriously—kept aiming for the Undying.

“C will turn all non-Mushitsuki people into Mushitsuki, and will revive even the Fallen or the dead—”

One of the subjects of her research had finally assumed form after she grappled with it thus far.

There were no winners or losers there.

“Everyone will become Undying—anyone can become a Rank 1.”

This wasn’t what Miguruma chose.

Mushitsuki themselves, as well as the people who weren’t Mushitsuki, settled this.

Because they’d been unable to defeat C, the new Rank 1, and thus unable to stop Miguruma.

“That’s so horrible…”

One of the intelligence division Mushitsuki mumbled this. She was a low-ranked combatant who couldn’t go on this final fight.

“That is hurtful. I still love Mushitsuki so much, though.”

She gently stroked the cheeks of the subordinate glaring at her.

“Rather, I am your only ally. All this time, you were utterly hated by people and oppressed, were you not? That will stop from now. After all, everyone will become the monsters called Mushitsuki.”

After a while of her stroking her subordinate Mushitsuki, Miguruma turned toward the branch heads.

“—Well then, let us retreat now. All of you are to gather the remaining combatants.”

“Eh…”

Branch Head Takemi emitted a stupid voice, and she ordered him.

“Our operations have ended. This temporary headquarters will get discovered by C before long. I have prepared a safer place, so let us head there.”

Miguruma’s research was ongoing.

Before long she’d become unable to keep up with C, but she had to continue her surveillance.

“W-wait…! I told you, you have no authority anymore!”

“Who other than me can handle the monsters called Mushitsuki?

She inquired the vice-minister.

When he asked before who’d replace her, no one raised their hand.

And now as well—the vice-minister was completely speechless.

“W-what should we do about—”

She heard a trembling voice from above the floor.

“What should we do about those still fighting on the battlefields…!”

Powerless and kneeling on the floor, Goroumaru Touko shouted this. Acting Branch Head of East Central Branch, the woman who was branded as incompetent, had traces of tears on her cheeks.

“Have you not heard, Acting Head Goroumaru?”

Looking down on Touko, Miguruma spoke in a soft voice like a mother admonishing a young child.

“I have said that the operations are over.”

“No… they’re not over at all—”

Speaking like an unruly child, Touko slowly stood up.

“I believed… that the Mushitsuki headed to the operations will definitely win. Also, even without understanding your thoughts, Vice-Deputy Miguruma—you should still have some heart left to lead Mushitsuki as a human being…”

“You are not wrong. I have thought about the possibility of them winning. As a human being, that is.”

“No, you are—neither human nor Mushitsuki. You’re something much scarier.”

It happened just as Touko spat this out clearly.

“Operation 1 can no longer continue…!”

A boy’s voice echoed from the speaker.

It was the voice of East Central Branch member, Tsukihime—Ogata Akatsuki.

“We will now move on—to our reserve plan!”

Voices of surprise rose in the tent.

“Reserve plan… he said?”

Starting with Takemi, all the branch heads turned at once to look to Miguruma.

“…”

Miguruma Yaeko did not erase her smile.

She was completely calm.

Her smile did not crumble.

However—

“I—haven’t heard anything about this.”

So she muttered.

5.01 Another OPS1

Deep under Akamaki City, in the deepest part of the Central Headquarters’ Underground Fort.

“O-Operation 1… has failed…”

As Terasu informed HQ of this, she was attacked by all of the Revived.

“You’re kidding… you’re kidding meee!”

Kasuou howled. Her vividly blond hair going wild, she wrung out the last of her power to create a wall of mist. It managed to block the rain of attacks before they tore the suicide corps formed of Makoto and others from limb to limb.

The mist protecting the suicide squad tightened and was attacked by Mushi, and more Mushi, and more Mushi—

And they could no longer see Super Class Rank 1, C, their supposed enemy ahead.

“W-was that C…? Or an illusion…?”

The C Makoto had seen—the nude girl wearing a shining tiara—looked at the suicide corps with creepy eyes. However, her form instantly vanished along with static.

If C isn’t even here, then why have all of us—

Besides Makoto who was crying tears of despair, Rinrin shouted.

“F-fairies are coming from behind…!”

“P-Poison Puuunch!”

Yotsuba created a poisonous mist, blocking the fairies.

However, both Kasuou and Yotsuba already went past their limits.

“T-these pieces of shit…!”

“I-I can’t hold on…!”

Kasuou’s mist and Yotsuba’s poison fog was erased in a moment.

“I’ll shoot all of them!”

Shouting this, Tsukihime jumped ahead—

“…!”

And the swarms of Mushi retreated like a receding wave.

In place of them Mushitsuki that Makoto also knew well appeared.

All of them were Special Type Mushitsuki. Standing atop the mountain of cables and swinging her arm like a conductor of an orchestra to give them orders was Shishidou Inuko.

Not only was the last traces of their stamina drained, but now they were even being showered with long-range attacked.

“Eeeek!”

“Gwah…!”

“Oooh!”

The suicide squad members took evasive action, but that was the enemy’s aim.

“No good…! If we get separated, then it’s already…!”

Makoto shouted, but it was too late.

As if they fell to the depths of hell and were about to get devoured by the resident demons—

As if watching a footage go in fast forward—

Red wounds opened up on all of her separated comrades.

“W-we must escape—”

Makoto tried ordering, but she knew it was useless. Rinrin shouted at her.

“Where to?! Our path of retreat is full of fairies…!”

The lone entrance into the place was blocked by the fairies created by C’s ability.

Wasting their powers against an overwhelming number of enemies, they had nowhere to escape to.

“Ah, aaaah…”

Makoto and the rest were going to die there—

There was no longer any means of reversal. The elites of the SEPB were going to get annihilated here today.

She was convinced of this and even as she was about to give up on resisting—

“Operation 1 can no longer continue…!”

Tsukihime shouted.

She was already aware of that.

Makoto tried wearing a slovenly smile of contempt—

“We will now move on—to our reserve plan!”

Hearing these words, she froze.

Reserve plan?

What’s this guy talking about?

I heard nothing about that—

“—Roger that!”

The one who replied was someone unexpected.

It was Kabuto.

“I’ve used too much power to get here. It’ll take a minute.”

The five-horned rhinoceros melted into air. Kabuto’s form was changing.

Makoto, Shachito, Sakura and others were surprised by this. Kaguya, Himiko and Maimai all looked at Kabuto’s transformation with resolved eyes.

East Central Branch…! What are you doing—

Apparently, they schemed something without telling their commander Makoto.

What were they trying to do in this situation that was nothing but despair? Makoto couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“—”

Kabuto—no, the unknown person completed their transformation.

Seeing that form, Makoto was at a loss for words. Kasuou and others also widened their eyes and froze.

While they all ceased moving, the Revived leapt down all at once—was what she thought would happen, but didn’t.

Even the enemies—and Shishidou Inuko who was leading them—all stopped their movements. They remained completely expressionless, but perhaps an instinctive fear stopped all of them.

The fact the new figure wore a long black coat and goggles was unchanged from Kabuto. However, with their hair standing up like horns, no one there would mistake that figure.

“—Let’s do this.”

Blaze Class Rank 1, Kakkou.

The demon that was supposed to become a Fallen appeared in front of Makoto again.

This time it was no hallucination.

No—even the Kakkou she’d seen on the way there was not something she imagined.

“Why you…!”

Kasuou came back to her senses, grimacing her bloody face.

“So you’re Mimic!”

Makoto gasped.

Without seeing them transforming right in front of her eyes, she probably would have been much more confused. She did hear about a Mushitsuki called Mimic that could transform into other people.

There was no way for the real Kakkou to be here.

With his entire body covered by the green glow, Kakkou—no, Mimic—kicked the ground. Weaving between the Revived that stood there like statues, he leapt to Maimai.

“A single minute will be enoughfufhf!”

Picking up the spirited-voice girl, Mimic glared at—

Super Class Rank 1, C.

Still lying on top of the Bed, C glared back at Mimic.

Kicking the ground, Mimic headed to C. But before that, the Revived stood in his way.

“You guys, I know it’s tough, but please support Mimic!”

“Shoot! Shoot!”

Kaguya and Himiko provided covering fire to Mimic.

She didn’t really understand the situation, but Makoto also threw whatever little wireless speakers she had around.

“Sense Isolation! —What on earth is going on? What are you trying to do?”

“We’re obviously going to beat C—”

Kaguya shouted.

“—Or so we wanted to, but if that’s impossible… we’ll use the reserve plan to survive this and run!”

“I’m asking you what that reserve plan is!”

While protecting Makoto and the rest who covered for Mimic, Kasuou yelled angrily.

There was no way to defeat C who wasn’t even there.

Despite knowing this, what was this plan they were enacting?

“OOOOOOH!”

Mimic howled with Kakkou’s voice. His green glow-wrapped fist smashed the Mushi in front of him and he finally managed to reach C.

“—”

The two Rank 1s glared at each other in the distance of a few centimeters.

Even though he came so close to her, C was unflinching. Still lying on top of the transparent bed, she glared at Mimic with creepy eyes.

“…She doesn’t seem to be alive, but this still feels bad. You probably shouldn’t touch her.”

While C was unmoving, Mimic turned his back to her.

“I will commence hackinginging!”

Maimai swung her arms and a large amount of liquid gushed out of them.

This half-transparent liquid covered Maimai herself and the Bed. This was Makoto’s first time seeing this, but that amorphous object was probably Maimai’s Mushi.

“As long as the little girl’s security habits haven’t changed since the time she belonged to the East Central Branchech…”

Glowing letters and numbers appeared on the surface of the half-transparent liquid.

“Hurry up if you don’t wanna die!”

Mimic protected Maimai from the Revived.

“E-eek, Kakkou-san! —Wait, you’re not! Please don’t rush me with that voicesces!”

“Hacking, you said… are you trying to steal something from the Bed?”

For some reason, Kaguya wore a pained face at hearing Makoto’s question.

“If we all want to come back alive, that’s the only way…!”

“—Guh…!”

A change came over Mimic.

Kakkou’s arm was warping, trying to return to its previous form.

“Still not there, Maimai…?!”

“F-found itit! There shouldn’t be any mistake, but—once I do that, Mimic-san, you’ll…”

“I don’t care even if I never go back. I’ve already said my goodbyes.”

Mimic returned being a slim girl.

No—she was a girl who wore a smile free of doubts even in this battlefield smelling only of death and despair. Perhaps this was Mimic’s true form.

“If I can turn my lies into reality, that’s good enough for me.”

Seeing Mimic’s unhesitating smile, Maimai bit her lips. She touched Mimic with her arm covered in her Mushi.

“I will now transport Tachibana Rina’s—Lady Bird’s dream to Mimic-sananan!”

Again.

Everyone including Makoto and even their enemies froze.

Just like when Mimic became Kakkou.

No, since they were SEPB combatants, they’d obviously become upset upon hearing the name of their archnemesis, more than Kakkou.

“Lady—you say—”

Makoto’s hoarse voice was drowned by a roar and a tremor.

Was it a whale? A submarine? What swelled up from within the sea of cables had such a large body that it felt like this. This exceptional sense of presence awed everyone there.

It was a gigantic seven-spotted ladybug.

She never thought the day would come she’d see its form again.

No Mushitsuki of the SEPB wanted to see it again.

On the other hand, for Mushibane—they might cry at the revival of their great leader.

“There’s no longer any need for us to be here!”

Standing on top of the back of the massive red Mushi that had black spots—

Was Lady Bird.

Makoto had seen her only once, when she provided support to another branch. Just like back then, the girl in front of her wore a fox mask to cover her face. The cape on her back was also the exact same.

“We’re running away!”

Even that beautiful voice that echoed was Lady Bird’s.

Himiko was the first one who came back to her senses.

“You guys, let’s all get next to Lady-san…! —You too, Akatsuki-kun!”

Himiko grabbed the hand of the boy standing there dazed.

“Ah—y-yes…”

Kaguya used to belong to Mushibane. And he was even a member while Lady Bird was there. Although he wished for this development, he couldn’t hide his confusion.

“Get on, everyone!”

Shachito teleported around to pick up the suicide corps members spread around. Makoto also had her arm garbed by him and the next moment she was atop the seven-spotted ladybug’s back.

“We’ll probably meet you again.”

Lady Bird and C.

The sights of these two Rank 1s crossed for just a moment.

However, without them clashing—

“…!”

The seven-spotted ladybug Makoto and the rest rode on spread its large wings. This mere action blew away many Mushi. Furthermore—

“You’re in the way!”

An invisible explosion blew the Mushi around to smithereens. The cables spread on the floor swelled up and large cracks ran through the walls of this deepmost area. —Only the Bed and C were completely unmoving. Not even a single hair of the nude girl’s was touched.

Revived Mushi were scattered by the ladybug. None could stop this tank’s advance.

Or so she thought, but golden C-butterflies and fairies blocked the exit.

The seven-spotted ladybug charged without hesitating—and opened its massive maw.

“—!”

Electric light burst apart.

The ladybug bit the fairies’ heads off. Unheeding that its mouth was scorched by electricity, it kept eating the fairies.

By doing this—Makoto and the rest succeeded in escaping the space C inhabited.

“We’re... saved...?”

Makoto mumbled unconsciously.

All the suicide corps members on the ladybug’s back had faces covered with blood. Some were even wounded or fainted. However—none were dead.

“A-are you really—Rina?”

Kaguya timidly raised his voice and the masked Lady turned around. A chuckle came from within the mask.

“So you finally feel like joining the battle, Ephemera.”

“...!”

Kaguya grimaced. Makoto couldn’t tell whether he was happy or sad.

“T-these are the genuine memories and dreams of Lady-san. Not just an image... Mimic was resolved to never be able to go back to herself, accepting such strong feelings...”

Maimai said. Was she so pale due to her injuries?

Makoto put a hand to her goggles with unbelievable feelings.

“C-can you read, Headquarters...? I can’t believe it... Lady came back to life...”

Her mind was in complete chaos due to this unforeseen happening.

However, she could feel only the fact she survived with her body.

“W-we’re saved! We’re coming back, none of us died!”

Now they could regain their footing.

And they even managed to gain an unbelievable fighting power in the form of Lady Bird.

Shaking with happiness, Makoto hadn’t noticed at all.

“It’s Lady Bird’s dream—supposedly.”

That Maimai was looking down and trembling—

“But it almost seemed like many dreams were mixed with it, as if clinging to her...”

That vanishingly soft whisper.

5.02 Another OPS2

Kurobishi City underground, the facility for collecting Fallen.

Commonly known as the Prison.

Harukiyo’s group who were in charge of Operation 2 finally managed to reach Sleeping Beauty.

They even succeeded in waking the girl inside the cocoon from her slumber.

However, as a result—

“Ah…”

A spear glowing silver pierced Kuzesaki Ume’s chest as he stood in place, shocked.

Sleeping Beauty—Arisu—who was watching him from nearby had a neat face. Her stark-naked body was glowing with a silver pattern, one eye was dyed in silver, and even her long hair shone in silver—if she hadn’t just cruelly killed Ume, one could call her an eye-catching beauty.

“Arisu—san—”

Ume widened his eyes, cracks running through his body.

The thing that shattered with a high-pitched sound wasn’t Ume—but a mirror bug with a large mirror embedded in its back. As it smashed to fragments, another mirror bug appeared in an entirely different direction.

“Harukiyo! Harukiyooo!”

After appearing in front of the newly-created mirror bug, Ume shouted.

This Mushitsuki, who was called the devil of flames and hailed as a peerless Rank 1 Mushitsuki, was collapsed on the floor. His entire body was torn into pieces, he fainted and was unmoving.

It wasn’t just Harukiyo.

His comrades—no, friends—were also completely devastated. Witch appeared to be unconscious, while Maria, Santa Claus and even Sakaki Haruka were on the ground, barely leaking groans.

Only Ume and another person were just barely safe.

“—Why did you even come here!”

Ume couldn’t hold back as he glared at a corner of the planetarium-like space.

This child wearing a lop-eared hoodie was rounded and shaking from head to toe, making no attempt to either help Ume and the others or stand up against Arisu.

“Haruka and Maria-san took the hit to protect you!”

Harukiyo told them to protect Lop-Eared. Ume and the others did their best, following his words.

Even so, Lop-Eared was merely afraid of Arisu and did nothing but shake.

“You useless little…!”

While Ume abused Lop-Eared, Arisu swung her spear horizontally.

Silver scales gushed out and assaulted Ume while causing the ground to swell.

“S-shiiit!”

Ume brought a mirror bug in front of him.

The scales reflected in the mirror were shot back to Arisu.

“—”

Arisu instantly formed a wall of scales. Then, another mirror bug appeared in a different location and changed the course of the scales. Successively other mirror bugs appeared, reflected the scales and unleashed them right at Arisu’s back.

Arisu stabbed her silver spear into the ground.

“UWAAAAH!”

The scales gushing out from the ground whirled Ume into the air. The scales attacking Arisu from behind easily dispersed as well.

“D-dammit!”

A moment before crashing against the ceiling he put a mirror bug there. Ume’s reflected figure was reflected toward the inside of another mirror bug that appeared elsewhere and he was transported in front of the mirror bug on the ground.

“Uh—”

Just as Ume landed, Arisu pursued him.

He didn’t even have the time to evade as his body got cut into two right from his head.

“—Harukiyo, c’mon!”

Instantly transporting himself to another place with the exact same method, Ume kept shouting. A mirror bug that became his replacement and was bisected shattered in front of Arisu’s eyes.

This was his last clone. Although Ume’s ability was of the type that controlled multiple Mushi, if this next one was killed it wouldn’t end well for him.

“Save me, Harukiyo!”

Approaching Maturation, Arisu’s strength was inhuman. The fact that some parts of her body were not yet dyed silver was perhaps evidence of the host girl barely holding on to her life—but once her entire body glowed, she wouldn’t be the only one to die.

Ume and the others and even unrelated people above ground would probably become her prey.

Furthermore, Arisu wasn’t the only crisis.

“…!”

Ume felt a chill as though a cold hand touched the back of his neck.

As he turned around, he could see something black gushing out from the cocoon Arisu slept inside.

“Undying—”

Just like Harukiyo said.

—If he comes, we’ll probably die.

Ume’s group was about to die here. No matter what he thought, there was no way to overturn it.

They touched something they shouldn’t have.

And every person living in this world would pay the price for it.

This disaster was going to strike the whole world—

“Harukiyo—”

Only that name leaked from Ume’s mouth during this despairing situation.

“Stop pretending to be dead and get up alreadyyy!”

“—Why’d you blow my cover, idiot.”

As Arisu was still trying to kill Ume, the shade of a tall man appeared behind her.

Arisu reflexively turned around, but—

“—!!”

An impact not unlike a meteor strike shook the planetarium. And it came not from the sky, but from right next to her. The shockwave caused all the surrounding air to explode and an intense hot wind knocked off the remains of the asphalt.

Harukiyo’s fist wrapped in flames grabbed Arisu’s forehead.

Ume understood. This was the flame devil’s—full-powered strike.

“Or actually, I almost died out here but you’re sayin’ I was pretending?”

Even the fresh blood wetting his entire body evaporated as Harukiyo smiled boldly. It was obvious at a glance he was badly wounded, and his eyes were blazing more and more.

“Harukiyo…!”

Tears coming to his eyes, he looked at the man.

The devil had not died. He could never die.

That was why he was Harukiyo. That was why he was one of the Rank 1s.

“—”

Arisu shook for a second, but then immediately swung her spear.

However, she couldn’t.

Harukiyo grabbed it hard.

“Burn.”

Within the hand of the sneering devil, the spear was instantly dyed red.

Arisu’s hand grabbing the spear instantly scorched. Her palm sizzled and raised black smoke.

“—”

Arisu’s eyes turned sharp. She dyed her spear with silver again.

The scales gushing out of the spear cut Harukiyo’s arm. The demon sneered.

“Haha!”

The devil and Arisu.

A fierce tug-of-war over a single spear began among the two Rank 1s and turned into a fierce struggle.

Theys struck each other with fists and kicks, creating roars and shockwaves.

Although he protected his body using a heatwave, he was at a disadvantage against a Fusion Type opponent in hand-to-hand combat. At first they’d been about equal, but soon Harukiyo was on the losing side.

“…Harukiyo…”

Soon realizing that Harukiyo was just being unilaterally pummeled, Ume groaned.

Harukiyo had returned, but the situation remained unchanged.

Ume simply couldn’t think of any way for them to get out of there alive.

However—

“—I’ll stop her! Get moving already!”

While spitting blood, Harukiyo smiled like he was having fun.

“You lying bastard!”

Ume couldn’t immediately understand what Harukiyo was even talking about.

However, as he saw the figure pitter-pattering at the edge of his vision, he gasped.

Lop-Eared was running alongside the wall while avoiding the battlefield and heading to—

The remains of Arisu’s cocoon.

Right in front of the crawling, black Mushi—the swarms of tardigrades.

“Eh? H-hey, it’s dangerous over there!”

Unheeding to Ume’s call, Lop-Eared approached the tardigrades, removed the hood and revealed the face within it.

For a moment Ume thought it was a girl.

But no. Ume knew that person.

“What are you planning? I’ve heard nothing about this!”

Nakayama Kanon—

Ume had already noticed his identity. That was why he cursed him as useless.

Kanon was a liar who’d gathered many people by claiming he could erase Mushi. The organization he’d created this way swelled until it became a threat even to the SEPB and Mushibane—but then vanished like a popped bubble.

“What are you planning to do by going there!”

Kanon. As well as the Mushitsuki gathered under Mimic—the Kanon Cult.

Not only could Kanon not erase Mushi, he was a below average person who couldn’t do anything.

And the one who exposed this truth—was none other than Kanon himself.

“The letter you’d handed over to me was quite interestin’!”

Harukiyo sneered even as Arisu pummeled him.

“It said that if I brought you to the Undying, lies will become truth!”

The tardigrades swarmed over toward the helpless Kanon. They began climbing his legs as though to eat the petite boy.

“C’mon, let’s see what you can do, Kanon-sama!”

The original founder of the Kanon Cult slowly crouched on the spot.

Grasping his hands as though in prayer, his lips moved.

He apparently couldn’t speak. However, Ume read his lips and understood his silent words.

—Goodbye, Tama-chan.

As he muttered this, the tardigrades quickly covered Kanon entirely.

“T-turning lies into truth… there’s no way he can do anything like that!”

Seeing Kanon transformed into a black mass, Ume shouted.

Kanon had only ever told one lie.

That was—

“There’s no way you can erase Mushi—”

It happened just as Ume moved to rescue Kanon.

Next to the black lump that used to be Kanon, a small light was born.

It was a light brimming with a gentle warmth. It gradually grew larger and transformed into an odd object.

A large tree glowing in white.

Looking closely, it trembled as though a pulse ran through the branches.

“W-what the hell’s that…?”

Seeing that large tree that exuded divinity, Ume gulped.

Becoming overgrown with leaves, it bore a single fruit.

It was an apple.

“I-is that a Mushi? I’ve never seen anything like it…”

And that wasn’t the end of the oddities.

The tardigrades stopped all movement in front of the gently glowing apple tree. Just as it seemed they were all silent while bathed in this gentle light, they started climbing it.

Even the tardigrades biting Kanon all started moving toward the tree.

“…”

Revealed again, Kanon bore bite marks all over his body. However, his face wasn’t twisted in pain, but he still calmly assumed a prayer position.

The tardigrades all climbed the tree together and got to the branch as though lured by the apple—

“N-no way…”

Ume unconsciously leaked that mumble.

The tardigrades on the branch all gathered into a single point, condensed—and became a black apple.

All these large swarms started transforming one after another, becoming a black apple one after another.

“—”

Finally, all the tardigrades were apples hanging from branches.

Finishing its role, the apple tree was slowly vanishing while leaving behind blinding light.

Kanon who was left behind remained still praying.

“A Mushi… meant for sealing Mushi…?”

Ume finally understood why Kanon hadn’t used his Mushi thus far.

Not only could his Mushi not fight, it couldn’t even move.

A Mushi that wouldn’t hurt anyone—

Ume had obviously never seen anything like that. All people would often get in conflicts with others and have the will the fight. However, Kanon didn’t. —Was there any other person in the world like him?

“Haha! You did it, Kanon-sama!”

Harukiyo sneered.

“Then it’s time for me to finish my business here, too!”

The devil was smiling, but—

He was already in tatters.

His arm was tired and the spear finally slipped from his grasp—

“Haru—”

Ume saw it clearly.

Arisu’s spear stabbed Harukiyo’s chest.

However—

“Lemme put you to bed again until you manage to come back to your senses, Arisu.”

The devil clenched both burning fists.

At that moment, to Ume’s eyes—it looked as though half of Harukioyo’s face was covered in flames. No, rather than being covered, it was more like his face became flames themselves, and his right eye was scorched like a sunspot—

“Oraaah!”

The two fists burning red struck Arisu’s temples from both sides. Heatwaves and impact struck the girl’s head, and the aftershock made literal cracks run through the floor and ceiling. A roar that sounded powerful enough to be heard not only through the planetarium but to the entirety of Kurobishi Town shook the air.

“—!”

Arisu, who was hit by this attack, opened her mouth wide and emitted a soundless scream.

That was—the end.

Arisu crumbled down in front of the heavily-wounded Harukiyo who was just barely standing.

This match between the two Rank 1s ended.

Sleeping Beauty woke up and the Undying was resealed—

Ume was alive.

“I’m saved…? We’re still alive…”

Ume started to cry from relief, while Harukiyo was calm as calm can be.

“Yup… still alive.”

He put his tattered jacket on top of the collapsed Arisu and carried her on his back. He then approached Kanon.

“R-right, Kanon…! You really did it, Kanon-sama!”

Ume also rushed to Kanon.

However, the boy remained praying and completely unmoving.

“W-what’s wrong, Kanon-sama?”

While Ume was confused, Harukiyo peeked at Kanon’s face. He touched his wounded cheeks, spoke into his ears and tried all sorts of things—

Then put a hand on the boy’s head, emitting a momentary heatwave.

Kanon lost consciousness and fell.

“Eh? W-what are you doing?”

“He feels nothin’. Better for him to sleep.”

Saying curtly, Harukiyo put Kanon on his other shoulder.

Ume gasped.

Even as a Rank 1, Arisu had to fall asleep herself to seal this huge threat. So there was obviously not way for Kanon to do the same without paying the proper price—

“She’s gonna raise hell, once she finds out someone sacrificed himself to serve as her replacement so she could wake up… makes my head hurt just imaginin’ it.”

Never mind his head, it looked like his entire body should hurt, but Harukiyo seemed fine.

“Harukiyo… are you really okay?”

Ume inquired timidly.

However—

“Ah? What d’you mean?”

The gaze of the sneering devil that turned to him allowed him no more questions.

“N-no, never mind.”

Ume shook his head and dodged the question.

It was probably just a hallucination due to the extreme situation.

It was impossible for Harukiyo’s face to become flames.

Also—

“Haha, we were Operation 2, were we? —It’s a huge success!”

Although Harukiyo was now laughing to himself, when Arisu’s spear had pierced him before—

It looked as though his body transformed into flames and let it slip through.

But Ume made no attempt to ask about that stupid illusion.

5.03 Another OPS3

According to the original plan, Ebina Yuu would be released safely here by now.

Because Fuyuhotaru—Anmoto Shiika—believed that she would defeat Oogui.

However, the reality in front of Yuu’s eyes completely broke her expectations.

“Shiika…san—”

Yuu desperately moved just her eyes, looking at Shiika crumpled on the ground. Purple scales flew all around Yuu, bewitching her such that her body didn’t move like she wanted it to.

“Oogui’s coming! Protect Ebina Yuu!”

Ignoring the unmoving Shiika, Oogui looked down on Yuu. Namie and the rest who were protecting her took counterattack positions.

“O-Operation 3… has failed…!”

She could hear Kabuto report to headquarters as he put his hand to the goggles.

“Fufu—so you still intend to stand in my way?”

Oogui brought forth again countless Mushi and set them on the Mushitsuki on the surface.

They’d never be able to stand up to the monstrous Oogui in either quantity or stamina. Although Mushibane’s and the SEPB’s Mushitsuki battled with their full powers, the lines protecting Yuu were being shaves slowly but surely.

“Shiika-san…!”

Even when Yuu called her, Shiika remained unmoving.

What on earth happened to her?

Currently—Yuu had no way of knowing that.

“Now, Yuu-chan. Will you tell me your dream?”

Oogui smiled enchantingly.

“M-my—dream is…”

Yuu’s mouth moved on its own.

“No, hold on!”

Aijisupa turned to her and shouted.

How could she hold on, though?

Since Shiika had failed, all hope was lost. At this rate, this would only create more nedless victims and they’d be cornered to complete annihilation.

There was no longer—any meaning to holding on.

“It’s—no good… the operation failed…”

She didn’t want to see Mushitsuki get hurt for her sake.

I’ll just give up.

As she thought this, she was able to use her very last powers.

“So—go away, please…! Ubuki-san… Chiharu-san…!”

While still caught by Oogui’s rainbow-colored eyes, she shouted expressionlessly.

Ubuki and Chiharu danced in the sky, repeating their attacks on Oogui. However, she fluttered past their attacks, so the two were unable to inflict any damage. They then stopped in place.

“Don’t mind me…! Carry on the next plan…!”

The Mushitsuki fighting around her all turned to her.

Namie used her blood-stained face to glare at Yuu.

“—What do you mean, next plan?”

“What’s that?”

Even the ever-calm Aijisupa looked expectedly agitated. He stopped his attacks.

Lucifera looked to her phone and gasped.

“Ubuki-san! Chiharu-san! We’ve got the green light! Abandon this battlefield and move to the scheduled place.”

“…!”

Hearing the words “abandon this battlefield”, the Mushitsuki around gulped.

Even Ubuki and Chiharu themselves looked confused. They remained airborne, unmoving.

“However… bring Yuu over here as well, you shitheads! —Is what she says!”

If only Yuu hadn’t been enchanted by Oogui.

She probably would have widened her eyes.

Yuu would also head to that place. —That part was completely unplanned.

“—Gotchu!”

Responding with a full-blown smile, Ubuki transformed.

The black raven dragonfly’s wings, merged with her coat, explosively swelled to more than twice their size. Her face’s black pattern began permeating the turban covering her head. For a moment, the silhouette of a red queen bee floated behind the girl grimacing in pain.

“…!”

Including Oogui, the time of all combatants on the battlefield stopped.

At least, Ubuki flew so fast that it felt like that. A black lightning struck the surface from the sky, and by the next moment, Yuu was high in air.

Ubuki was flying while holding Yuu.

“Oh my, who could have imagined you’d snatch my meal and run away—”

Oogui’s voice was left behind them in an instant.

She felt no headwind. The wind was not just wind, but more like a thick wall. Even so Ubuki hugged Chiharu and Yuu and cut through that wall of wind.

“This is no good… if you use so much power at once—”

“I-if I don’t use my powers in such times, what else can we do…!”

Ubuki groaned painfully, and in front of her—

Something was seen for just a moment in the sky of Akamaki City.

It was a purple Mushi—and it looked like a mirror bug with a mirror embedded in its back.

“—You naughty girls.”

“Eh?”

The moment following this, Ubuki and her passengers were back at the museum again. Unable to understand what just happened, Ubuki’s movements stopped.

They had apparently returned in front of Oogui again, for whatever reason. All they could understand was that behind them there was the exact same mirror bug they’d seen before.

“So, will you tell me your dream? Yuu-chan…”

“Uh—my dream—”

“L-let’s skedaddle again!”

Ubuki came back to herself and accelerated again. Weaving through the swarms of pursuing Mushi, she flew through the skies of Akamaki City again.

“Aria… why do you and your children insist on getting in my way?”

Oogui’s whisper pursued them from behind.

Ubuki had the advantage in speed. The distance between them was gradually growing—

“Nnngh!”

Ubuki dodged the mirror bug appearing in front of her.

However, others kept appearing to block her path, she ended up colliding with one, and was pulled back to near Oogui.

“Can you please give Yuu back?”

The purple Mushi produced by Oogui tried grabbing Ubuki.

“Why you…!”

Chiharu was wrapped in a blue light. This glow permeated Ubuki and Yuu as well, allowing them to slip through the bodies of the Mushi blocking their way. Having escaped the encampment, Ubuki raised her speed again.

Aiming again to the scheduled place, Yuu’s group continued their escape.

Ubuki desperately escaped from Oogui and used Sanbikime’s powers to dodge attacks.

“S—stop this—”

Although she tried wriggling out from Ubuki and Chiharu’s arms, she no longer had any strength.

“You don’t need to care about me—”

Ubuki was clearly acting strange. She was shedding an excessive amount of sweat, and blood dripped down her bitten lips. She breathed violently and started hyperventilating.

Konomura Chami’s ability could strengthen the abilities of Mushitsuki. This power that was unknown even to Chami herself had a huge recoil. She was approved to use it for a few seconds—but Ubuki had kept using it for hundreds of times more than that.

“Along with that guy I took… Satou-san’s also waiting there! If we can just get there, we should be able to seal Yuu-chan’s dream again…!”

“Stop Ubuki-san—Chiharu-san—”

“…Ubuki-chan.”

Chiharu was also panting as she spoke. Apparently using her powers as Aria Varei burdened her as well.

“Sensei loved how you flew so freely in the sky—”

Ubuki’s face twitched.

“And he said you were a kind girl… Aria’s saying this.”

Why all that right now…!

If her mouth could move freely, Yuu would have probably yelled this at Chiharu.

If you say all this, Ubuki will—

“—Ahaha.”

Ubuki raised her speed even further. She immediately gained distance on Oogui.

“Ahahahahaha!”

Droplets flying from Ubuki’s laughing chin struck Yuu’s cheeks.

She felt that this warm liquid was not sweat.

“You can’t give up, Yuu-chan.”

Chiharu said this despite Yuu being unable to escape from Oogui’s charm.

“You’re not a Mushitsuki—but fight. I believe you’ll be able to save the Mushitsuki fighting so desperately this way as well.”

“—”

Yuu, who had already long since given up, couldn’t say anything.

She wanted to save Mushitsuki—

Despite this being Yuu’s dream, she somehow lost sight of its true meaning.

“Fight now, not to wish for your dream—but to grant it.”

Fighting.

As Yuu wasn’t a Mushitsuki but a completely normal girls, she thought those kinds of words were unrelated to her.

However, even the non-Mushitsuki Yuu had her own fight.

And it might be happening right at this moment—

“Yuu-chan, will you tell me your dream?”

“Ugh—Uuuuuuh!”

Desperately gritting her teeth, she rejected Oogui’s enchantment. She couldn’t actually grit her teeth, but that meant nothing.

For a split second, their speed plummeted.

Chiharu was about to exhaust her powers.

“—Uwaaaah…!”

Wringing the last of her powers, Ubuki regained her speed.

Seeing her like this, Yuu’s heart was strengthened.

Mushitsuki who fought while shaving their lives gave Yuu power even she didn’t know she possessed.

It was also like this back when the three of them—Yuu, Ubuki, and Shiika escaped Akamaki City.

“M-my dream is—”

Yuu’s mouth moved.

In the far distance, she could see a vast empty lot.

Seeing several people standing there, Yuu this time really did grit her teeth.

“I’ll never… tell someone like you!”

“—!”

Oogui gasped and stopped moving. Following this, many of her swarms of Mushi all exploded into purple mist and vanished.

Wriggling in Ubuki’s arms, Yuu looked at the vacant lot ahead.

Three people stood there.

One was Konomura Chami.

Chami was—angry. Yuu couldn’t see it from here, but there was no mistake the girl was grimacing in wrath. Ever since the three operations started—no, since she heard about the reserve plan from Mimic at the East Central Branch, she kept being blinded with rage.

Next to Chami stood Satou Youko. She opened her suitcase and Yuu could see it was turned toward someone in front of her.

The remaining person was—

“You told me you’d take care of the rest…”

Recalling her escape journey from Akamaki City, there was a person she’d recall along with Ubuki and Shiika.

That boy wiped Yuu’s tears after she risked her life to pass him the disk, and spoke to her.

—Leave the rest to me.

Yuu and others fought just like back then, and finally—

“Kakkou-san!”

Arrived to him.

Unlike back then, the boy standing next to Chami and Youko did not wear his goggles. He looked neither strong nor reliable while facing Satou Youko, his face completely expressionless.

However, she never would mistake it.

This person was Kusuriya Daisuke—Blaze Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki, Kakkou.

Ubuki had found him while he was being transported and brought him here.

“We’re, here—”

The moment she landed in front of Chami, Ubuki collapsed while smiling.

“Ubuki-san!”

“So damn slow! Yuu, get treated by Youko already! —Chiharu!”

Dragging the collapsed Ubuki, Chami brought her away from Kakkou.

Chiharu approached her silent brother and hugged him.

“Daisuke—”

Youko pulled on Yuu’s arm. She moved to another place and opened her suitcase.

A strange mark had been drawn inside the opened case. It consisted of an X crisscrossed by an arrow.

The Coatl Head symbol.

Since Yuu had used this to get hypnotized, Youko used this to cast her suggestion on her, but—

“W-what’s going to happen with Kakkou-san…?”

She couldn’t remove her eyes from Kakkou and Chiharu right now. She asked Chami.

“If Oogui can bring back Fuyuhotaru to life, it wouldn’t be odd for Sanbikime to be able to bring Kakkou back to life too! Me and Youko already gave him as much stimulation as we could for that sake—”

Chami explained this, but just like Yuu thought before, both her voice and expression held clear anger.

“I don’t like this one bit, though… I did hear from Mimic about the plans to revive Lady Bird and wake up Sleeping Beauty—but why there’s nothing about Kakkou!”

Yuu didn’t really get the reason for Chami’s anger. She probably reached her own kind of boiling point.

“I’m also mad at Miguruma for creating such plans full of holes all over, but the East Central Branch—no, that shithead bastard is outrageous! Is he really gonna abandon his pawn at this point?”

As she hugged Kakkou, Chiharu’s body glowed azure.

“Ah, I found you… this is Daisuke’s dream—”

Following Chiharu’s whisper, Kakkou too started glowing in azure.

Watching over them, Chami yelled angrily.

“I’m different from all of you! If you’re sayin’ you don’t need it, I’ll take it as my pawn!”

Yuu also heard about Mimic’s plans.

Mimic was going to revive Lady Bird, and Kanon would sacrifice himself instead of Sleeping Beauty.

Meaning—

“Now, all the Rank 1s are here…!”

As Yuu mumbled this—

Kakkou’s fingertips twitched.

5.04 Another OPS4

The temporary headquarters were in utter chaos.

Still smiling, Miguruma returned Goroumaru Touko’s glare.

“A reserve plan?”

Branch Head Takemi hounded Goroumaru Touko.

“I’ve heard nothing about it either. What does it mean?”

“Reviving Lady Bird.”

Goroumaru Touko spoke clearly.

The tent immediately became silent.

“Wha—”

Before the confused Takemi managed to complete his question, Touko continued.

“We’ve added Mimic to the suicide corps. She drew out Lady Bird’s memories from the Database and took them over.”

None there seemed to understand the meaning of Touko’s words.

However, Miguruma alone understood.

She knew that this was possible.

“Also, Harukiyo took Kanon along with him. He should definitely be able to seal the Undying instead of Sleeping Beauty.”

Kanon.

Miguruma had received the reports about him, so she knew. She heard he wasn’t a Mushitsuki but just a swindler, but judging from Touko’s expression, that was apparently not the case.

“I see. So it means you’ve estimated the plans would fail in the first place.”

As Miguruma grinned at her, Touko shook her head.

“No, it was nothing more than a reserve plan, really. After all, if we carried out those plans, Mimic-san and Kanon-kun… were not going to end well.”

“If you really think so, you will remain incompetent forever.”

Touko furrowed her brows at Miguruma’s words.

She now understood, based on these circumstances.

Behind Miguruma’s plan, there was a precaution taken to avoid the worst-case scenario.

“What do you mean?”

“Am I wrong? It was like this with Minmin, too. Using pawns without any regret. As long as the goal’s reached, what happens to the pawn doesn’t matter. —That’s his way of doing things. You could say it’s natural for Mimic and Kanon to end like that.”

Miguruma looked behind the frozen Goroumaru.

She spoke toward the entrance to the tent.

“That was splendid. I had somewhat guessed this, but since you showed no movements, I lost interest. —You’ve fooled me completely.”

In this tent where only related people could enter, a slim youth showed himself.

He had a lanky body and rimless glasses. His face was also as pale as a sick person, but he was properly standing on his two legs.

He had a handsome face, but he looked too high-strung.

And his most conspicuous feature—was his faint smile.

“Welcome back, Branch Head Haji Keigo.”

Miguruma was the only one to greet the return of this tactician with a full smile.

The other branch heads were speechless with shock. With eyes just like they saw a ghost, they glared at the emaciated man.

“B-Branch Head Haji… were you not in a coma?”

Branch Head Takemi barely managed to ask.

“—I have woken up just now.”

Haji Keigo lied immediately upon speaking his first words, wearing his faint smile.

Miguruma also understood Takemi’s feelings.

She’d wondered before whether the man had already been awake. After all, Goroumaru Touko was supposedly incompetent and yet, at times the man’s shadow could be sensed from the movements and decisions she had from time to time.

This was the cautious Haji, after all. Goroumaru Touko was probably the only person who knew about his revival. He hid himself, and behind the scenes—slowly gathered those like Mimic and Kanon, and possibly many other trump cards as well.

“Haji-senpa—Branch Head Haji. About Mimic-san and Kanon-san…”

“Are you trying to ask me whether I intended on sacrificing them all along? —Come on, there’s no way. Please trust your superior a little.”

Haji Keigo spoke brazenly. His frivolous way of speaking also helped, but there was no doubt that even those close to him couldn’t tell the truth.

Why? Because he never trusted anyone other than himself.

The complete opposite of Miguruma who was filled with love, he was cool-headed and cold-hearted as he accomplished his goals—

This was Miguruma’s evaluation of the man called Haji Keigo.

“Superior? I’m glad you seem to be feeling well, but I have no memory of approving your return.”

“Can’t I?”

“I shall allow it now.”

Miguruma grinned and Haji Keigo wore a faint smile.

Their gazes crossed.

“Haji Keigo. I will acknowledge your reinstitution into the position of East Central Branch Head.”

“Thank you very much, Vice-Deputy Miguruma.”

The two tacticians confronted head-on.

It was then that the voices of the intelligence division cut in.

“Incoming report! While being transported to GARDEN, Kakkou has vanished!”

Twitch.

Miguruma and Haji both frowned at the same time.

“This report has arrived belatedly due to our focus on transmissions from the three operations!”

“…I see.”

Hearing the name Kakkou, she thought this was Haji’s doing as well.

However, judging from his response, that was apparently wrong. The same went for him; he came to know that this wasn’t Miguruma’s scheme after seeing her response.

Haji shrugged.

“It appears that people other than us have made their moves as well.”

“Apparently.”

“Now then—as all actors are now gathered, let us start this again.”

“Start what, exactly?”

Miguruma tilted her head, but she actually knew the answer.

Since this man appeared—this man who could tell much, much nastier lies than the likes of Kanon—there was no doubt he began moving toward putting an end to the fight between Mushitsuki.

He could be said to be the complete opposite to Miguruma, who wanted to be able to love Mushitsuki for eternity.

“You have said this yourself. This is—the fight between the old and new age of Mushitsuki.”

Haji Keigo wore a cynical smile.

Unlike his tone of voice, his gaze—

“I will bet on no more new Mushitsuki being born.”

His sharp eyes declared war on Miguruma Yaeko.

Notes

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