Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue

Prologue: 0.00 The Others

There is the supernatural being called “Mushi”.

Having suddenly appeared more than ten years ago, they began possessing boys and girls. By eating their dreams—the desire to do or become something—they then gave their hosts varied powers in exchange. Since their appearance resembled insects, they were named Mushi.

Mushi and those they possessed, called Mushitsuki, did not come out into the light. Although people whispered about them and hated them, the government kept denying their existence.

However, circumstances were changing.

Those who birth Mushitsuki, called the Original Three.

One among them, Shinpu, had driven a metropolis into a complete cessation of activity.

“Soon, the deadline of 48 hours will pass.”

Akamaki City, the city that carried the central functions of Japan.

The municipal dome that still bore some scars from Shinpu’s rampage on it currently housed the temporary operational headquarters of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

The gathering of Mushitsuki managed to defeat Shinpu.

Following this, however, the SEPB and the entire country became exposed to a far more serious threat.

“I worry about the progress of the three operations meant for C’s annihilation.”

Vice-Deputy of the SEPB, Miguruma Yaeko, inquired her subordinates with a mild tone.

“How are the transmissions from each operation?”

Inside the tent installed on the grounds, boys and girls facing communication equipment all turned to her.

“Until now, contact has been suspended—but just now, we managed to restore the connection, albeit an unstable one.”

All those people whose faces were covered by mechanical goggles were Mushitsuki. SEPB was a government agency that captured Mushitsuki, trained them, then used them as pawns to capture further Mushitsuki.

“Incoming communications from Operations 1 and 2! I’ll connect them to the speaker!”

The white coats turned toward the devices again.

“I am certain they will answer my expectations.”

Miguruma Yaeko smiled kindly. The mole near her eye slightly moved.

The Mushitsuki dispatched to Operation 1 and Operation 2 were elites among Mushitsuki. Since she loved them from the bottom of her heart, they were sure to fulfill their duties.

“In any case, if even one of them fails—”

Painful-sounding breaths were emitted from the speakers, mixed with static.

“Then C will likely destroy this country.”

Following Miguruma’s declaration of destruction, she finally heard the reports coming from the units executing the operations.

Operation 1.

The SEPB’s elites were gathered in order to defeat a certain Mushitsuki.

Led by Blaze Class Rank 2 member, Terasu, the suicide corps succeeded in reaching their destination.

It was the facility that was originally used as the SEPB’s Central Headquarters. This spacious underground facility, also called the Underground Fort, contained that monster at its lowest layer.

Super Class Rank 1, C.

She was a Mushitsuki, but she absorbed the power of Shinpu, who could be said to be her parent. As a result of her ability to control electricity and electronic data being used by Miguruma Yaeko, she swallowed a power much too strong for her and even now kept evolving.

The suicide corps managed to reach C, who was engaged in lying on a transparent bed while fully nude.

However, as Terasu’s group arrived there, they were welcomed by—

“N-no way—”

Terasu, who was covered in wounds from head to toes, had already resolved herself to self-destruct along with C—and yet this situation was too cruel.

All she and her group could see around were swarms of Fallen, those whose Mushi had been killed and were made to lose their emotions, or those who supposedly died before.

They were the Revived—

Using the dreams embedded in the clear Bed C was using, she managed to retrieve only their power to become Mushitsuki again.

“Ope…”

Tears gushed out of Terasu’s eyes.

It wasn’t just her. Every member of the suicide corps lost their fighting spirit and kneeled on the ground.

They already wasted their stamina down to the very last drop. They would never have the power to be able to resist this number of Mushitsuki.

On top of that—

C’s form lying on the Bed vanished for a split instant. It soon reappeared but was unstable, with static running through it.

Their final goal, C’s main body, no longer remained there—

Commander of the unit formed to annihilate C, Terasu, put a hand on her goggles.

“Operation 1… has failed—”

Could do nothing but announce this.

Operation 2.

The SEPB’s strongest Mushitsuki, Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou, had become a Fallen.

Therefore, there was now a need to call on Sleeping Beauty to become the new leader.

And the one given the duty to awaken Sleeping Beauty—

“Harukiyooo!”

Was the Irregular Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki who took pride in his peerless strength and insolent behavior, Harukiyo.

This man, who was also nicknamed the devil of flames, who was feared by all other Mushitsuki—was now being held aloft by a slim girl.

Her white body exposed, the girl grasped his neck and held him up.

Her long hair hid her body and she held a silver spear. She was a Mushitsuki who fell asleep in a past battle as well as the final designated Rank 1. Sleeping Beauty—Arisu.

With a vacant expression on her face, Arisu’s body was being covered by a pattern glowing silver.

“No way…”

Kuzesaki Ume, who was Harukiyo’s companion, watched the scene with shock.

Sleeping Beauty was supposed to be an ally.

Even so she easily defeated the devil that came to her and looked at him emotionlessly. Next to Ume, his grievously injured comrade was foaming bloody bubbles.

Also, there was something else coming from inside the silver cocoon that contained Sleepy Beauty—

It slithered out of it.

A swarm of small, black grains began crawling forward.

“—”

A chill ran through Ume’s spine.

The reason for Arisu to be asleep—was the Undying.

She had sealed the demonic Mushi that could never die.

Looking closely, what crawled from the cocoon was not grains, but a massive swarm of tardigrades.

“The Undying Mushi…”

The saying “let sleeping dogs lie” would be an understatement here.

He came to realize they touched something that should have remained untouched, and unleashed the horrifying disasters of Arisu and the Undying.

And the dependable devil—was no longer there.

While Ume was being crushed by this inescapable despair…

“O-Operation 2…”

Behind him, he heard a youth with a stubble on his chin leak a stiff voice.

“Has failed—”

Two voices echoed inside the tent Miguruma Yaeko was waiting in.

“O-Operation 1… has failed…”

“O-Operation 2… has failed…”

A strained silence befell the tent.

Two out of three operations ended in failure.

No one could utter a word.

“W-we must escape—”

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

“W-Waaaah!”

“This can’t be, Harukiyoooo!”

“…Witch’s dying…”

“S-Sleeping Beauty’s looking at us—”

“Fuckyou!”

Only shouts and yells could be heard from the speakers.

In the tent were Miguruma Yaeko, her subordinates, as well as the head of each branch. There was also the group led by the Vice-Minister as representatives of the government.

All of them felt and were stunned by the despair broadcast from the speakers.

“Uh…aaah…”

The first one to fall to their knees was the Vice-Minister. He held his head and trembled.

He would probably have to tell the truth to his higher-ups following this.

There was nothing more they could do—

Looking down the sweating, trembling Vice-Minister, Miguruma wore a gentle grin.

“How unfortunate for this to end like that, Vice-Minister.”

Rounding his eyes, the man looked up at Miguruma.

Seeing that even now her smile was unchanged, the branch heads also wore the same expressions as the Vice-Minister and glared at her.

“Unfortunate, you say… y-you bitch—”

“Since it turned out like this, let up put our hopes with Operation 3.”

Wearing the Smile of Shackles that froze anyone gazing upon it, Miguruma ignored their stares.

Operations 1 and 2 ended in failure.

Out of the remaining Rank 1s that could resist the newly born Super Class Rank 1, C—

Lady Bird had already died and Kakkou became a Fallen.

Harukiyo was defeated by Sleeping Beauty and Sleeping Beauty herself seemed to be undergoing Maturation.

The remaining hope—was with one person alone.

“My beloved Fuyuhotaru will surely save the world.”

An electronic sound resounded and one of the members facing the communication devices raised their voice.

“Incoming transmission from the members of Operation 3! I’ll connect to the speakers!”

The tent’s interior was tense.

Mixed with slight static, someone’s voice was heard.

“O-Operation 3…”

While everyone gulped, Miguruma Yaeko alone was calm.

Even among the only five Rank 1s, Fuyuhotaru was abnormal.

She would never hesitate—

Back when she’d driven the SEPB to the brink of extinction and even after she was revived, she remained the same.

No amount of people would be able to stop her powers.

The sole person able to do so, Kakkou, was no longer there.

Right—the boy called Kakkou, who was Kusuriya Daisuke, was no longer there.

“Has f—”

While listening to the report of Operation 3, Miguruma Yaeko widened her smile.

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