Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18

Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy

The elementary school during the dead of night was enveloped in a pregnant silence.

The isolated school building in the vast premises had a classical triangular roof. A stone pathway extended all the way from the main gate, leading to a still water fountain.

A Morpho butterfly glowing in silver landed on Ichinokuro Arisu's shoulder.

"So this is the Center of Hearts…?"

Next to Arisu mumbling this with a serious expression, Kusuriya Daisuke tossed down his sports bag. He wore the pitch-black coat that was hidden there.

"According to that Village Chief or whatever, apparently. Or was it the Sage?"

"It was the King… I think."

While putting her arm in a white coat similar to Daisuke's, Yomori Neiko said in a soft voice.

"Meaning this is the final stage."

As she was gripping a stick made of steel, Arisu's face was illuminated by a blinding light.

Suddenly the lights in the elementary school were all turned on.

The lights of all classrooms flickered on as if the school came back to life. The illumination of the stone pavement turned off one by one, and the needle of the large clock attached to the school's triangular roof suddenly revolved quickly. The fountain raised countless water spouts, and the lights installed underwater lit the sky.

Unlike the school's classical appearance, it apparently had a high-tech electrical control system. The electronic lock on the main gate started opening slowly.

At the same time, a large monster appeared inside the premises. The makeup of its body resembled an insect, but it was several times larger than Arisu.

"So this is the final boss then. Are we near the end?"

On top of Arisu's shoulder, the Morpho butterfly's body transformed. Its tentacles reached out explosively, fusing with the metallic pole she was holding to form a silver lance.

A green checkered beetle alighted down on Daisuke. Just like the Morpho butterfly it extended its tentacles, fusing with the boy's body.

Neiko too started humming a beautiful song. The image of the cricket using her singing voice as a medium floated vaguely in the darkness.

"No, that's just a physical attacking type Mushi. I do not believe this is the mastermind playing with us."

"A middle boss…"

"Then does that mean there's still something inside?"

"Possibly. We can only search for it with the Morpho butterfly's sensing abilities."

The pattern etched all over Daisuke's body emitted a green glow. He kicked the ground, rushing toward the monster baring its fangs toward them.

The impact caused by the monster's sharp claws and Daisuke's strengthened arm clashing shook the pavement.

"Just who on earth in responsible for this bad game…!"

Grimacing, Arisu also started running toward the enemy in front of her eyes. 

Part 1

The rooftop of Horusu Seijou Academy's campus.

With Arisu leaning on the fences, her ponytail was blown by the fresh wind of early spring.

A single butterfly lifted by the crosswind alighted down.

It was a Morpho butterfly shining in silver. Its appearance resembled the actual insect, but it was actually one of the beings that possessed adolescent boys and girls, and fed on their dreams and hopes to produce supernatural powers.

Mushi—

These were fantastical beings that, while coming up in people's rumors, were never officially announced. With the populace still not knowing what they were, they felt shapeless fear toward them.

The reason Mushi weren't revealed was due to the government organization known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

The people possessed by Mushi—Mushitsuki—were captured, received training, and then used as combatants to capture even more Mushitsuki; thus worked the organization. As they isolated Mushi from the public, their actions appeared to be successful as of now.

To any normal civilian, speaking of the supernatural beings called Mushi and the SEPB was like talking of another world.

Arisu was once nothing more than a normal civilian herself.

However, there was no doubt that in front of her were the Mushi the Morpho butterfly and agents belonging to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—the SEPB for short.

"It's still unconvincing. Do it over!"

Crossing his arms and emitting a harsh voice was a normal boy, or at least he appeared like that. He was a middle school senior student with a medium build and completely average hairstyle and face, Kusuriya Daisuke.

Daisuke, as a member of the SEPB, was there in order to monitor Arisu who had received her dead friend's Mushi. Normally he acted like a harmless honors student, but he was actually a combatant feared as a demon.

"I-Ichinokuro Arisu's inspection is on holddd. Danger scaleee, zerooo."

Meaninglessly starting to open up her uniform, the girl kneeling in prostrating position on the ground shook her body to the sides.

She was Uno Noiru. She was also an SEPB member, and just the other day, she'd transferred to their school for the purpose of inspecting Arisu.

Daisuke looked down at her with a cold gaze.

"Stand up!"

"Uuh, don't kill me…"

"Don't strip. …Turn right!"

"Submissiveness scaleee, plus oneee…"

"Now go!"

Following Daisuke's instructions, Noiru dashed away in the direction she was facing.

Watching over this line of actions, Arisu sighed without hiding her anxiety.

"Say, will that really work?"

Although they'd worked for several days now on getting their story straight, Noiru's acting couldn't be called good.

Daisuke shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him.

"She's probably really obvious. Or rather, I doubt anyone exists that could fool Miguruma."

"Then isn't this useless?"

"As long as it conveys the message to the Central Headquarters to watch out. They probably don't want to turn me, a Blaze Class Rank 1, and my East Central Branch into direct enemies. —Conversely, this won't mean I'm allowed to do anything I want within our jurisdiction."

Arisu wanted to find out the will of the previous Morpho butterfly host, Arisu's friend Hanashiro Mari—

Wishing for this, Arisu resolved not to run away until she accomplished her goal. Perhaps feeling conflicted, Daisuke was also going along with her.

However, the Central Headquarters viewed Arisu—the rare case of someone becoming the host of another person's Mushi—as dangerous.

Dispatching the "assassin" Uno Noiru was an event that indicated this.

"I don't really get it… but seems like there's a complex power struggle."

"I did this all under my boss's orders. He said it would probably buy us some time. He would shake the Central Headquarters by himself with some plan. We can just leave the complex tactics to those who like that kinda thing."

He probably trusted his boss, the Branch Head of the East Central Branch. Despite his flippant tone, Daisuke didn't seem pessimistic about the current situation.

"Anyway, now we can devote ourselves to look for clues about Hanashiro Mari."

Arisu's face stiffened.

The one holding a hint to why her friend had left her Mushi was someone wrapped in even further mystery.

"So we need to search for the person who made Mari a Mushitsuki… Sanbikime."

"They're not a person. They're one of the Original Three who give birth to Mushitsuki. It’s a given they were in contact with Mari."

Arisu nodded.

"When Ayuyu used her ability to see the Morpho butterfly's memories, I also saw it. Mari called the 'Doctor' that was with her, one of the Original Three… so he's Sanbikime."

"It's hard because we’ve never been able to determine Sanbikime's appearance or voice. On the other hand, using Ayuyu's ability again would be too dangerous. —We can only wait for Sanbikime to get in contact with another person."

Still crossing his arms, Daisuke leaned his back on the fence.

Arisu craned her head.

"Haven’t you been made a Mushitsuki by Sanbikime too? Don't you know anything about them?”

"Since I became a Mushitsuki without even noticing, my memories from immediately following that event are fuzzy. I've never seen Sanbikime."

She'd also received an explanation about the Original Three before.

They were the elusive three Prototype Mushi that were invited by people's dreams and appeared all over the country. Since most of the ecology and logic governing their actions was shrouded in mystery, especially in the case of Sanbikime—the one who gave birth to Fusion-Type Mushitsuki—they weren't able to confirm even their physical appearance. Other than the late Hanashiro Mari and including Daisuke right in front of her, only very few such Mushitsuki have been created.

"As far as I know, the only ones who have likely been in contact with them were Director-General Ichiku, his subordinate Miguruma, and… Harukiyo. But I don't think Ichiku and Miguruma would volunteer information."

"Depending on our negotiations, perhaps Harukiyo will tell us about Sanbikime?"

"Because he also seems to want to find more about Hanashiro Mari."

"…Can't we just directly search for Sanbikime?"

"We can't predict where the Original Three will appear. Also, if what I heard from Miguruma was true, then Sanbikime's already—"

"…?"

"No, it's nothing."

Seeing Daisuke block his own mouth, Arisu furrowed her brows.

Yet another secret he was hiding. She knew that pressing him about him would yield nothing, though.

"We still have some open doors. We can find at least a few clues."

The boy sounded like he was saying that to himself. Or perhaps the situation surrounding Arisu was becoming even more difficult than she thought—

"So, Arisu. Summon Harukiyo this instant."

"Leave it to me. Oh, Harukiyo-sama, Harukiyo-sama, please come to my aid! —As if I could do that."

Raising both hands toward the sky, she gave Daisuke a back kick.

"…It was a joke…"

Holding his stomach, Daisuke groaned.

"And now seriously, where's that pervert gone to? He always appears when it's not convenient for us, but when we finally have business with him he's gone for a long time…"

"How would I know? He's basically an enemy."

"…I wonder. He appeared from time to time and seemed to get along with you."

"Hah? Who's exactly getting along? While we're on the subject, then haven't you talked to Mari when I switched with her or whatever? —Oh, speaking of it, you said before that quiet girls are your type. Since Mari is so pure, there's no way that you…?"

"W-why would Hanashiro Mari be my…! Where did you hear that? Was that from Harukiyo too?"

"Then what's up with you!"

The pair gazed at each other as they walked closer.

They heard the shouts of the baseball club from the sports ground below.

The weather of early spring served to disperse the bad atmosphere that was about to engulf them.

Both of them rotated their bodies at the same time, turning their backs at each other.

"What are you so impatient about, you idiot?"

"Be a little less carefree, you idiot."

Their fight was like the usual, so they were used to it.

The situation was urgent. The Morpho butterfly was becoming unstable, and the Central Headquarters was viewing Arisu as dangerous. Also, the person that could provide a hint did not appear.

Arisu and Daisuke had no way to make contact with Harukiyo. Even while they were arguing like this, time kept ticking.

"I wonder what we can even do right now. Just wait for Harukiyo to appear?"

"…We lack information. I can't do any investigation that goes over the scope of my monitoring mission, and I have no connections to use to pull out information from the secretive Central Headquarters. We’ve already investigated about as far as the two of us can.”

Turning around, Daisuke's expression turned vexed. Arisu wasn't really familiar with his circumstances, but even a superb combatant like him had some limits.

"Will your East Central Branch not lend a hand?"

"Their suggestion to me is just about the limit. If they carelessly start a big movement, the East Central Branch itself might be destroyed. I can ask for some help, but we can't rely on that."

"So this is the limit of the two of us investigating together…"

Thinking a bit, Arisu drew a certain conclusion.

They couldn't just wait for Harukiyo. They had to take an action of their own.

"Then there's only one thing we can do."

Daisuke looked confused, but Arisu grinned. 

Kurobishi Town was a commuter town located near Akamaki City where Arisu resided.

Unlike Akamaki City, which housed and gathered the country's most important agencies and large businesses, Kurobishi Town had many facilities putting emphasis on normal daily life. It still had a similar feel to the capital, but they devoted themselves completely to tree-planting and welfare. The town was famous for its many green parks and social welfare facilities.

Especially in recent years, it was said that they put effort into advancing air purification and the usage of electrical energy. By employing machines that used electricity without polluting the air, they supported the minds and bodies of all citizens. They also used monorail trains that were noiseless and kind to the environment.

The unmanned monorail running through Kurobishi Town was made reality by the use of a cutting-edge remote-control system along with autonomous driving. However, since the expenses to design it were enormous, the pricy ticket fare was its major flaw. Perhaps because of that, there were few passengers on board.

"It's been a while since I was in this area. Probably ever since my elementary school extracurricular activities?"

From inside the car speeding through a bridge, Arisu looked at Kurobishi Town's townscape. Since it was their day off, she wore a casual shirt adorned with a ribbon.

"…"

Daisuke, sitting opposite of Arisu, wore a glum face. He wore a plain T-shirt and jeans, with a large sports bag at his feet.

"What is it, Daisuke? You look dissatisfied."

"Even if there's nothing else we can do, I still think that this is a waste of time."

"But it's much more productive than just waiting for Harukiyo, right? There's a limit to what we can do by ourselves, so I just thought of another way."

She thought it was logical, but the boy was unsatisfied.

"A Mushitsuki that will help us—and an owner of power that excels in information gathering will not be found that easily."

Searching for comrades.

That was Arisu's suggestion.

Arisu and Daisuke's Mushi were powerful, but they possessed nothing more than abilities specialized in combat. Among Mushitsuki who possessed varied abilities, there should be someone who could help them.

"There are Mushitsuki that can see Mushi's memories or switching between senses and such. So there should be some Mushi specializing in looking for people."

"There are certainly people like that. And, if they're Mushitsuki not found by the SEPB yet, they wouldn't be affected by the meddlesome Central Headquarters. …But it wouldn't be easy to find them, and I doubt that they'd really help us."

"But you found one, right? Isn't that why we're going to Kurobishi Town?"

Daisuke agreed to Arisu’s suggestion somewhat unwillingly. Since he'd happened upon information about a Mushitsuki that could fit, he and Arisu had left Akamaki City.

"To be precise, we haven't found them yet."

"What does that mean?"

"Before I explain it, explain why you've brought her here too."

Daisuke glared at the seat next to Arisu.

The older girl folded her legs elegantly on the seat. Her slim body was covered in a blouse and cardigans and she had a hat on her head. She had sleepy eyes and at her feet was a sports bag just like Daisuke's.

"Even I learned a bit about handling danger. We have no idea what’s waiting for us, and if anything happened I wanted to have a comrade we could rely on."

Next to Arisu who puffed her chest, the Mushitsuki girl with restoration abilities—Yomori Neiko—smiled. She pointed at Daisuke and then at her, mumbling to herself.

"…Comrades…"

Daisuke also returned her smile, raising his arm. Whack, Daisuke's finger flicking Neiko's forehead reverberated inside the car.

"Who's your comrade? You're nothing but a burden."

Ignoring Neiko who collapsed on Arisu's lap while holding her head, Daisuke turned his gaze to the side.

Yet Arisu grabbed the boy's head with both hands, forcibly turning it to her. As she raised herself, Neiko's head fell to the floor.

"She's our comrade."

"Hmph."

Daisuke laughed scornfully, shaking off Arisu's hands.

Slowly raising her body, Neiko rubbed her forehead and smiled.

"I… was saved by Arisu-chan. If she hadn't stopped you, Kakkou-kun, we wouldn't be able to be here like this…"

Compared to Daisuke, Arisu had met only very few Mushitsuki. All of the Mushitsuki she'd met so far appeared to be fighting against something and were getting hurt as a result.

Meeting and getting hurt. If that was how Mushitsuki were, she didn't care.

However—

"I actually fought against the people I've met until now, and until recently I was so scared of that that I didn't want to get involved with Mushitsuki anymore…"

Arisu spoke to Daisuke.

"But it's definitely not meaningless. No matter how I meet them, I should be able to save all of them."

Parting from people after hurting each other was too sad. They should be able to go past battles and help each other.

Perhaps it wasn't so easy to create such a relationship.

After all, just like Arisu was a while before, people were afraid of getting hurt again. They averted their eyes from one another to escape pain.

Even so, Arisu didn't want her meeting with her late friend Hanashiro Mari—no, with Mushitsuki—to end up being meaningless.

"And we can obviously also save everyone. We are very strong, after all."

It was just that hating each other and fighting was scary.

Even if they fought and got hurt, they could join hands in the end.

As long as she thought this, she didn't fear any new meetings—

By the time she thought of such thing, Arisu suddenly realized something.

"—Oh, right."

Raising her face, she recalled the Mushitsuki who were especially strong among those she met.

"Mari, Daisuke, Harukiyo… and Rina. If all these powerful people became comrades, all the other Mushitsuki would have to follow them and stop fighting."

"Wha—"

Daisuke became speechless. Neiko, too, widened her eyes.

Daisuke the Demon, Mari the Hunter, the Flame Devil Harukiyo, and Rina who possessed absolute charisma. —If there were any other Mushitsuki as strong as them, then these monsters as well.

If they combined their forces and stood next to each other—perhaps everyone would stop fighting.

This ideal future rose to Arisu's mind.

"There's n-no way something like that could ever happen! Never mind that Mari's dead or that pervert, you want even Rina to join? She hates my guts! This is too ridiculous even for a joke!"

Perhaps quite surprised at the girl's plan, the boy wrung out an unusually agitated voice.

Even so, Arisu had the feeling that what she had in mind wasn't completely impossible.

"If none of you are going to directly join forces, you just need a middleman that will connect everyone."

"…!"

Were her thoughts really so astounding? The speechless Daisuke and Neiko looked like they were seeing aliens.

Arisu herself felt that it was far stranger that no one thought the same thing before.

The girl she'd met before, Rina, said she was only fighting to create a place where Mushitsuki would belong.

Yet Arisu held the exact opposite thinking.

If the strong Mushitsuki stopped fighting, at some point their influence would affect all Mushitsuki, and wouldn't the fighting just vanish then? Their existence was that meaningful.

"You can't be that much of an airhead—"

As Daisuke raised his voice in order to hide his agitation, a ringtone echoed from his phone.

Daisuke clicked his tongue and answered. An annoying voice immediately reached Arisu's ears.

"Thank you very much for using the services of the idol of the East Central Branch, Maimai-changh! …I-it's barely safe, they didn't find out I bit my tongue!"

"…Although the Central Headquarters intelligence division is useless, I'm even more pathetic for asking you for help…"

He appeared listless with self-hatred. Daisuke's shoulders sagged.

"This is information regarding your search request for 'an undiscovered Mushitsuki excelling in information-gathering abilities'! Isn’t Maimai-chan awesome for working hard even outside her jurisdiction? You have told me that you were infiltrating Kurobishi Town, but, would you look at that? I managed to get in contact with that Mushitsuki! As expected from Maimai-chan, a bright future awaits me!"

"Get in contact… meaning, you spoke with them? Isn't that incredible."

Near Arisu who voiced her honest impressions, Neiko clapped her hands.

Only Daisuke felt differently.

"Tell the truth, Maimai. I've certainly asked you to find them, but how have you done it so easily?"

As Daisuke questioned the person on the other side, the sound of something popping came from the phone in his hand.

"…?"

For an instant the lights on the train flickered. A line of static electricity sparked between the lights and Daisuke's cellphone.

"Ugh… I-it's alright, they haven't found you yet! They have no idea that this Mushitsuki features at the very top of the intel division's blacklist so everyone knows about them… The one who found this Mushitsuki who's scary enough to be able to hack even in the Central Headquarters' database was obviously Maimai-chan!"

Daisuke widened his eyes.

"W-wait a minute! Is it someone who was fighting against the Central Headquarters and still managed to get away?"

"Yes! Not to mention that we know nothing about their abilities! All we could determine was that their point of origin focused in Kurobishi Town! All of the SEPB agents sent there had the tables turned on them!"

"No, that's—"

"Since, honestly speaking, this is out of our control, the Central Headquarters are currently taking a defensive position and are waiting for that enemy to exhaust themselves! Some think that this might end up as the second coming of Fuyuhotaru—ah! It's barely fine, I haven't touched Kakkou-san's taboo!"

The moment he heard the term "Fuyuhotaru", Daisuke's expression changed.

"Daisuke…?"

The silver Morpho butterfly landed on Arisu's shoulders as she raised a brow. It nervously flapped its wings, spreading around scales emitting a silver glow.

Seeing the Morpho butterfly's behavior, Arisu finally noticed the abnormality.

The monorail started running faster. Since it was so silent, she was late to notice.

The lights in the car kept blinking.

"I-is something happening?"

"Maimai… I realize the opponent's famous. How did someone as excellent as you get in contact with such a dangerous person?"

"They apparently have eyes anywhere and know about everything. Also, regarding Kurobishi Town itself, they basically control the entire town…"

"…"

"J-just now, Maimai-chan's Mushi was attacked while searchingngh. I-I didn't bite my tongue! And they even traced back Maimai-chan's Mushi that was inside Kakkou-san's cellphone, but I will never tell—"

"That doesn’t count as getting in contact…! What you're saying is that we've been found out!"

At the same time as Daisuke's shout, the emergency stop button on the car's back started raising sparks.

"The enemy definitely thinks that Kakkou-san and the rest are the SEPB assassins! But it's fine since it's you! Nice bait strategy, Maimai-chan! Everything turned out alright!"

Reflexively, Arisu looked at the front of the train.

She could see the final station ahead of the gentle curve. There were no rails past that.

"The monorail's being controlled…?"

As long as they kept the same speed, they were going to burst through the station's wall and head-first beyond the elevated structure.

Unlike the frozen Arisu, Daisuke and Neiko took swift action.

"…Since we're unable to see the Mushi's body, it means that one attacking us is a Special Type…"

Neiko intertwined her fingers, closing her eyes.

"I'll try controlling the monorail with my Mushi's territory and driving out the enemy Mushi…"

A singing voice echoed.

The purple glow that appeared as the medium for Neiko's voice enveloped the running train.

Special Type Mushitsuki could take any sort of space and transform it into their own domain in order to activate their abilities. Also, as long as they had some catalyst for the medium of their ability, they could control their Mushi even outside their domain.

After the inside of the car was wrapped by the purple domain, the lights stopped flickering. Also, a jelly-like liquid came bursting out from Daisuke's cellphone—it was probably Maimai's Mushi.

"Now we can stop the acceleration… we can try the emergency stop, but I doubt we'll make it in time… if we stop it right before, my ability could restore the wounded and the destroyed car though…"

"Other than us there are several unrelated passengers. If there are any instant deaths it won't work, and more importantly you can't heal your own wounds, right?"

Daisuke wore a severe expression as a green checkered beetle alighted on his shoulder.

"I-I can also—"

Besides Arisu, the Morpho butterfly was growing wild. She searched for anything it could fuse with as a weapon, but couldn't find any pole-like object nearby.

"You stay seated and hold out."

Standing in the center of the car, Daisuke's Mushi fused with him. The Mushi's tentacles pierced his skin, becoming a green pattern and emitting a faint glow.

Swinging his green glowing arm, Daisuke stuck his fist through the floor without any hesitation.

"…!"

The car shook with the impact.

The strong vibration and violent gravity assaulted Arisu on the seat.

The roaring of metal being crushed and something hard breaking echoed. Raising an ear-grating sound, the monorail running at a wild speed was rapidly decelerating.

Realizing that Daisuke did something, she was dumbfounded.

Stabbing through the floor up to his shoulder, he grabbed the rails underneath the car with his bare hands.

Daisuke's physical strength he gained from fusing with his Mushi lowered the car's speed.

"Guh… Ugh…!"

Daisuke wore an expression of anguish.

Arisu tried rushing to him, but she lost against the vibration and sudden deceleration. She collapsed onto the seat again.

Raising a shrill sound, the monorail crashed against the station platform.

They passed by the surprised faces of the people waiting there.

"Uh…!"

The car swerved with a jerk.

Arisu shut her eyes without thinking—and when she opened them again, she saw the ticket gates outside the window.

The roars and vibration stopped completely.

"W-we're saved…?"

In front of Arisu who muttered this in shock, Daisuke dragged his right arm out of the floor.

"Obviously, stupid. We'll not be killed that easily."

The arm of the boy separating from the checkered beetle was covered in abrasions and red blood.

Neiko's singing voice echoed.

The shining cricket began fixing the hole opened in the floor and Daisuke's wounded arm.

"Seems like we're fully being treated as enemies. We have to get out of here already."

"…I still haven't fully healed you yet…"

With the sports bag hanging from his shoulder, Daisuke pulled Arisu's arm. Unheeding to Neiko, he exited to the platform from the open door.

Arisu, still overcome by fear, let herself be pulled by Daisuke.

But once they passed through the ticket gates, Daisuke suddenly stopped in place. She bumped into his back.

"What's wrong?"

A boy was blocking Daisuke's path.

Seeing that, Arisu froze without thinking.

"You have splendidly overcome the first trial, oh great heroes."

The boy welcoming Arisu and the rest to Kurobishi Town wore a white beard. He also wore a white-haired wig and used a wooden walking stick. His clothes were like the costume of some play, obviously hand-made old-style clothes.

Excluding the strange costume, both face and voice were those of a young boy. However—the eyes looking at Arisu and the rest curiously appeared somewhat murky.

All of the passengers' gazes focused on the boy dressed like an old man.

"I am the Chief of Kurobishi Village. I shall give thee the item that will lead thee to the legendary 'Center of Hearts'."

Arisu and the rest exchanged glances.

"W-what does all this mean…?"

"…Heroes…"

"Looks like this is turning into another stupid event…"

The trio's muttering echoed in Kurobishi Town station and vanished. 

Part 2

The sun sank and the curtain of darkness fell over Kurobishi Town's center.

Arisu, Daisuke and Neiko wandered around the town center with tired expressions.

"I wonder which character will it be next…"

Mumbling this, Arisu grasped a handheld terminal. This equipment, about the size of a cellphone, had an LCD display and it showed the current location of her and the rest.

That was the "Item" they had been handed by the mysterious boy they met at the monorail station.

It was a location device that used a satellite, meaning a GPS. After the boy suddenly gave it to Arisu and the rest, he mumbled "Now, head out on your journey" in monotone and left.

"…I'm tired… I want to go back…"

"…"

The sighing Neiko's gait was unsteady. Daisuke looked very stressed and hadn't said anything for a while now.

While walking through the road that went alongside the national highway, Arisu checked the GPS device. Not far from the red arrow indicating their location was a blinking yellow circle.

"Do your best, Neiko-san. The next spot is apparently that crossroads."

"…Hey, taxi…"

"Stop, idiot. How can you even think of using vehicles after that monorail had been taken over?”

Above the trio walking for a few hours now, the city lights were crackling with blue static electricity as they blinked on and off.

"What's wrong, Daisuke?"

Noticing that he was looking up the blinking lights, she called out to him. Yet he only said, "No… it's nothing," and kept walking again.

The lights of cars passed near Arisu the rest dragging their legs.

"How many people will we have to go through? After the one in the station… that Village Chief or whatever was the Villager. He was quite a strong Mushitsuki."

"The one blabbing about not letting us reach the Center of Hearts? And after saying all that, when he realized he was no match for us he told us to meet with that Sage or whatever and ran off."

"And the Sage was surprising for another reason entirely. Not only was he not a Mushitsuki, but he was a perfectly normal salaryman."

"…The Center of Hearts is the holy ground, the land of salvation that no one must enter… was that what he said? His explanation was so long-winded and incoherent…"

"Then we went to the Stone Monument. That person was very determined… but what the hell's up with them, anyway? This can't be just a simple role-playing game—eek."

When they approached the crossroads, suddenly Daisuke wrapped his arm around Arisu's waist. Carrying her body, he rushed ahead.

The Morpho butterfly dancing in the night sky emitted a glow, flying around erratically.

A large car now passed through the spot where Arisu stood a moment ago. It crashed against a power pole with a roar, swerving on the road and spinning.

"W-what the…?"

The car that crashed against the wall and stopped was empty. Neiko dodged just like Daisuke, so there were no victims.

"So our movements are completely visible. It's possible that someone's watching us or that this device you're holding sends them signals."

Daisuke muttered in an annoyed voice, lowering Arisu to the ground.

"This device?"

"…But since we have no further clues, we can't let go of it… as long as we keep getting hints, even if we know it's a trap, we can only head to the next spot… looks like the opponent is pretty smart…"

The surroundings became busy. Arisu and the rest quickly crossed the crossroads.

"By hints, do you mean that Center of Hearts place? Is there something there?"

"Perhaps the goal is to make us think so and walk into their trap. Actually, there've been pretty strong Mushitsuki so far. Probably those combatants sent to Kurobishi Town were defeated the same way."

Daisuke sighed, and suddenly stopped walking.

"I think that the problem is the one who controlled the monorail and that car just now. They're probably also the one who interfered in the Central Quarters database. The others are either controlled by that Mushitsuki or threatened by them… never mind which, they're just followers."

Neiko also stopped in place.

"…But we still don't know what kind of ability that is… they're probably Special Type, but if they're actually exerting their ability to all of Kurobishi Town, they possess something incredible… And since they can see us while we can't see them, they have a constant advantage…"

"W-wait. Daisuke, Neiko-san, why have we stopped?"

As Arisu turned back, the two SEPB agents sighed at the same time.

"Let's go back."

"…Yes."

Turning their bodies around, the two went back the same road. "…Don't you want to carry an older girl on your back?" "You have legs, so use 'em." "They'll be worn out by the time we get back to Akamaki City…" they mumbled as they switched over to go-home mode.

"W-wait a minute!"

Arisu hurriedly came to stop the pair.

"You're giving up after we've come this far? We might meet the Mushitsuki we're looking for next time!"

"This stupid game might not have any ending. I'm not going along with it."

"…Since they have so much power, they'll definitely go wild… I can see why the Central Headquarters decided to just wait for them to destroy themselves…"

"Then isn't it all the more reason to find them? Don't Mushitsuki die when they use their powers too much? We have to save them!"

Daisuke turned around, grimacing.

"Save them? Even though the enemy tried to kill us? Just how stupid are you…"

"Have you forgotten what I said earlier? If we give up here, it won't end up with us hurting each other. But if we approach them, surely we'll be able to cooperate—"

"Stop with this already!"

Daisuke violently shook off Arisu's arm.

"We obviously can't help each other! We Mushitsuki do everything we can just to survive! I don't need anyone's help and have no intention of saving anybody!"

As if spitting his accumulated anger, the boy's voice was wild. Neiko also agreed with him.

"Either way… I can't use my ability to restore their spent mental power…"

But Arisu didn't falter.

"Haven't they said that this town's Mushitsuki is the second coming of Fuyuhotaru?"

Daisuke's expression became agitated.

"I don't know much about that Mushitsuki, but what if… if it was Fuyuhotaru there, what would you have done?"

"…!"

Everyone's dreams are connected somewhere—

The one to have taught Arisu that was a Mushitsuki.

"Living alone despite being a Mushitsuki is quite the misunderstanding."

Yielding himself to anger, Daisuke was about to open the mouth. However, he was unable to say anything in reply and averted his gaze.

"Say, Neiko-san."

Arisu turned to Neiko.

"Is your voice there just to fix things?"

Neiko raised her face with a start. She held her fists in front of her chest.

"You weren't as strong as you are now when we first met, but… back then you were kinder. Back then, although you sang to help your friends, now it's almost like you're singing to fight."

"I-I… am…"

Sounding as if she was trying to excuse herself, Neiko's voice was stiff.

Arisu put the GPS device in her pocket. Grabbing the still indecisive Daisuke and Neiko's hands, she made them grasp one another.

"Please come with me at least until the next location. If that's another dead end let us think of a different way. Is that fine?"

"Tch…"

"…"

Daisuke clicked his tongue and Neiko was speechless.

"Here."

Checking the GPS, Arisu stopped.

They reached a large game arcade. There was a line of crane games, and they could see stairs behind.

Only a few minutes remained until the closing time indicated on the entrance. Arisu and the rest were cautious about their surroundings as they stepped inside the shop.

Perhaps because it was about to close, they could see no one at the reception desk. A lone couple passed near them and left.

"No one's here anymore. The indicator says it's here though."

"The upper floor."

Brushing Arisu aside, Daisuke led the way going up the stairs.

The second floor was a spacious lounge. It was cramped with rows of arcade machines.

There was only a single customer there. With his back turned to the stairs, a small person operated the controller and played a fighting game.

It was a boy that looked probably 2 or 3 years younger than Arisu. "Take this!" At the moment he operated the controller, his frameless glasses reflected the game's light. They had a glance of his handsome profile.

"A kid…?"

Arisu mumbled this just as an electronic tone rang from the boy's pocket.

"Ah, crap, customers. Sorry, I'm just getting to a good place."

The bespectacled boy turned around to glance at Arisu and the rest for just a moment. He soon returned to the screen and skillfully manipulated the controller.

"Oh well. Umm—you have done well to reach this place. I am the King. Art thou the Heroes seeking to challenge the mysteries of the Center of Hearts?"

It was clearly half-assed acting. Yet this behavior also indicated that he wasn't being controlled.

Arisu and the rest exchanged glances.

"Are you part of the weird people we've met so far? If you're the leader, we'd like for you to explain matters. We're not enemies."

"Take this, shit… umm, I was about to hand thee the legendary weapon, but I will not conduct this meaningless conversation. After all, my beloved daughter has been kidnapped by monsters—oh crap!"

Ignoring their words, the boy continued his lines. Unlike the Village Chief and the rest, he didn't appear to want to seriously play his part.

"Never mind, I got distracted so I'll just cut to the chase. —If you save the princess, I will hand thee the legendary weapon."

Next to Arisu, the Morpho butterfly emitted blinding light.

The sound of metal clashing came from the first floor. They heard the employees' screams.

A large tremor from directly below shook the building. Arisu turned back to the stairs.

"Eeek—"

She raised a strained voice without thinking.

A strange-looking giant came climbing up to the second floor. Its body, made of countless crane games folded together, couldn't stand upright due to the low ceiling. Torn cords spread sparks and scorched the walls.

On a closer look, a small human form was dangling from the giant's chest. It was a princess doll, probably one of crane game's prizes.

"Wha…wha…"

The giant reached out toward the overwhelmed Arisu. That hand was large enough to grab her petite body easily.

"So it's a material-controlling type."

Standing in front of Arisu, Daisuke came forward. At some point he'd already fused with his Mushi, raising his arm embedded with a green pattern.

"Shall we have a contest of strength?"

Daisuke's thin arm stopped the giant's arm that must have weighed several hundreds of kilograms.

The giant's movements stopped with a jerk.

The sound of metal being crushed echoed around. Daisuke, wearing a thin smile, slowly started walking. The giant's arm broke, and his wrist, elbow and shoulder were crushed as if they were made of paper.

The giant raised a death throe. After pulverizing the giant's arm, Daisuke grabbed the princess doll directly. Turning around, he threw the doll in his hands.

"Ow—"

The doll hit the bespectacled boy squarely in the back of his head. He turned back, startled.

"Whoa, you're really strong… well, as expected from someone who came this far."

He was surprised only for a moment; mumbling "oops", he went back to the game.

Neiko's singing voice brought Arisu back to herself. The machines scattered in the place returned to their previous positions like a video being played back.

"W-was that a monster now? Well? We beat it."

"Aah, so thou art truly the true Heroes. As promised, I shall give thee the legendary weapon! —It's over there so go and take it."

As if he couldn't be bothered with it, the boy pointed at the wall to the side. There was a metal pipe left lying there.

"I don't really know about it, but it can be used with a Mushi's power, right?"

"…! How did you—"

"Do you seek the Center of Hearts?

"What, thou ask about the Center Hearts location? I see. The legend says that if you went to 'Kodaka Hill' you will be able to fulfill the prophecy. If thou seek the Center of Hearts, then go there—"

The boy didn't finish speaking.

Daisuke grabbed his head from behind. Seeing Daisuke's eyes reflected on the screen, the boy's movements stopped in place.

"What is it? We no longer have any business, right? Please just go?"

"…"

"Making that scary face won't help you. We can't speak of anything other than our roles. The ones you've met this far were also like that right?"

Without getting angry at the snorting boy, Daisuke turned back to Arisu.

"Arisu. Use the Morpho butterfly's sensing ability to find where this guy's Mushi is."

"Huh?"

"You said that if we reach another dead end we'll find another method, right? —From now on, we'll turn everyone we find to Fallen. The one remaining would be the leader."

Arisu widened her eyes. The boy lost his composure.

"W-wait a second…! Why would you go that far! All of us are just—"

There was a dull sound. Daisuke pushed the boy's forehead against the screen.

"Daisuke!"

"O-ow…! W-what is it! Stop it, let go!"

"Does it hurt? If you think what you did was just a prank, I'll open your eyes."

"Don't screw with me! We're just playing a game! Right, this is just a game…! Mushi are also just game characters…"

The boy's behavior changed. Unlike before when he was completely calm, he mumbled to himself with his face against the screen. His shoulders shaking, they heard him grinding his teeth.

Now lit by the screen, they noticed the boy's face was dirty. Even his expensive-looking shirt was quite dirty.

Daisuke grimaced.

"So this is escapism…"

"Huh?"

"It's something that happens during capture missions at times. Fearing their own Mushi, and being feared by other people as Mushitsuki, some guys stubbornly refuse to look at reality. …Shit, why haven't I noticed until now? All of the ones we met so far were the same."

The surprised Arisu looked at the bespectacled boy.

"He probably also ran away from somewhere. So that means he'd been picked up by someone."

The young boy became pale. More than being afraid of Daisuke, he looked like he wanted to run away from everything.

Arisu bit her lips hard.

"Say, kid. Where's that Center of Hearts place?"

"No… I won't tell you… If the Center of Hearts is gone, no one would help me… and we'll be caught by you, the SEPB…"

Daisuke grimaced.

"So you're protecting that Center of Hearts place in exchange for being protected. Who's the one protecting you all?"

"The people covering for you might be gone. If they keep using their power like that, they wouldn't last long."

"…! Erii wouldn't last…?"

The boy changed his expression. He held his mouth with a surprise.

"We are not your enemies. We simply want to talk with this Erii. Is Erii in that Center of Hearts place?"

"Uh… Uuugh…"

Perhaps hesitating, the boy groaned.

A short while later, the boy playing the part of a King named a certain elementary school in Kurobishi Town. 

Part 3

It was already late night by the time they found the elementary school given to them in the game arcade.

As if protecting this classical campus, a large Mushi raised a howl.

Close-range fighter Daisuke leapt back, taking his distance from the Mushi.

"It's a tough Mushi. The host's probably hiding around here somewhere, but if that Erii person runs away while we're looking it'd be bad. You two go ahead."

Daisuke readied his pistol. Its muzzle—the checkered beetle's maw—spat fire as it launched a bullet.

It scored a hit on the large Mushi. However, never mind that fact that it didn't even cause the Mushi to collapse, it was only knocked back a bit.

"Got it. —You mustn't kill the Mushi, Daisuke. Because these people aren't our enemies."

"Be careful…"

Using the opening caused by the Mushi flinching, Arisu and Neiko kicked the ground. They ran toward the school building.

The Mushi fixed its posture, swinging down its sharp claws toward the pair trying to rush by it.

Silver light flashed.

The silver lance thrust upward by Arisu repelled the Mushi's leg. Its large body was blown away, thrown on the ground with an explosive roar.

Along with Daisuke's covering fire, Arisu and Neiko rushed past the monster screaming in pain.

The Morpho butterfly could sense another Mushi. It pulled Arisu toward the school.

"Neiko-san, this way!"

Leaping into the building from the open front game, they ran toward the end of the corridor.

The lighting on the ceiling was blinking violently. Blue static electricity was crackling all over the corridor.

"…!"

Unlike its classic appearance, the building apparently made use of an advanced security system. The fire shutters for emergency use slowly started blocking the corridor.

Arisu swung her spear, slashing ahead.

Silver-colored scales blew wildly. The shockwave pulverized the shutters one after another.

When she successfully rushed through the corridor at full speed, she saw a metallic door in front of her. The Morpho butterfly emitted a strong light the likes of which she'd never seen before.

Arisu thrust her spear toward the electrified door.

The surge of scales pierced through it.

Arisu and Neiko leapt beyond the door. And then—

"Ugh…!"

After her vision was filled with pallid light, Neiko was blown backwards.

"Neiko-san!"

Arisu also was engulfed by the light.

The Morpho butterfly sent out large amounts of scales. These scales stormed around Arisu, dispersing the light closing in on her.

While being protected by the scales, Arisu finally looked around her.

She had stepped into a courtyard between the two school buildings. —No, perhaps it would be better to call it a garden.

The garden had a few fruit trees planted in it and had a network of waterways running through it.

In the center of this space enclosed in grass there was a small spring. In the center of the spring were several statues and a small dais with a clock on it.

"Is this… the Center of Hearts?"

She stared at this phantasmagorical scene without thinking.

Pallid butterflies danced around the garden.

Perhaps ethereal, they seemed to be connected to the waterways and the trees through threads of static electricity. The surface of their wings had the English letter "C" on them.

In the center of this fantastical and marvelous scene was a fairy.

Leaning on the brass statue, she sat in the shallow water. The surface of her clothes with heart marks drawn on them was covered by pale blue light. Her fingers spread lazily and were connected to the mechanical components of the clock by what seemed to be electrode cords.

"Are you Erii?"

It was an unconscious question. Perhaps she was trying to ascertain that the girl in front of her eyes was neither a fairy nor an illusion.

The eyes of the girl gazing at Arisu became fiercer. The pallid insects resembling comma butterflies came to attack her all at once.

Yet the Morpho butterfly spat out scales, pushing back the swarms of butterflies.

"…So you're using electricity… as a medium…"

Neiko, collapsed on the grass, grimaced. Perhaps her limbs were numb, so she couldn't move the way she wanted to. If she hadn't been wearing an insulating coat perhaps the effects would have been harsher.

Arisu realized that it was this ability that allowed the girl to grasp each and every one of their moves.

There were practically no places without any electricity in a city. There were electric lines, obviously, but other than that there were plenty of water, metals and other conductive materials.

"Hey, Erii. We are not your enemies, so please listen to me."

This time a battle wasn't their goal. Arisu lowered her spear, trying to approach Ellie.

However—

"Don't come any closer…!"

The girl wrung out a hoarse voice. She appeared to be considerably tired.

As Arisu tried to approach, the comma butterflies raised sparks to deter her.

"Wait! We haven't come here to capture you! We did want you to help us first, but—"

"You came to save me, right…?"

Arisu widened her eyes.

"H-how did you know?"

"There's nothing I don't know… Since my Mushi gathers information from everywhere… cellphone conversations, hard disk memory, the footage from all cameras… no matter who speaks in town, as long as there's a transmitter nearby, it can be converted to electrical information and be brought to me…"

The fairy-like girl grimaced.

"Everything's flowing here… even unpleasant scenes I don't want to see, as well as dirty secrets… my head… it's going to explode…"

Perhaps lacking even the energy to hold her head, Erii made no move. Feeling anxiety at the girl's behavior, Arisu took a step closer.

"Cancel your ability right now! You're going to use up all your powers!"

"I don't want to…!"

Erii raised her face. She gazed at Arisu with a demonic expression.

"If I do that I'll stop understanding…! I knew everything so far, but if I became alone… I can't do something so scary…!"

The girl shouted contradictory words.

She said that there was nothing she didn't know. Therefore, not knowing something even for a second was perhaps like becoming blind. It was the biggest fear for this young girl.

"B-but, if you keep using your powers, you will…"

"…I shouldn't have thought about trying to peek at all the secrets in the world… everything hidden in the world is dirty… I don't want to see this anymore…"

Erii didn't seem to even hear Arisu's voice anymore.

Finding out secrets you didn't want to know about was painful. Yet she also couldn't endure the worries and fear at not knowing anything. Arisu became speechless at Erii's information addiction.

"—So it really was a kid."

A voice came from behind.

Daisuke, with his pitch-black coat flapping, appeared in the garden. Perhaps having struggled in his battle against the monster, his head was bleeding.

"It's fine gathering up people like you, but you weren't able to save them, right?  Even though you don't want anyone to get close, you also want someone to save you and give you hints… and that way is role playing. I thought you were a brat."

"Daisuke…"

"You're Kakkou—"

Erii responded to Daisuke's voice. Raising her face, she wore a derisive smile.

"I knew about you ever since peeking into the SEPB's database… you are the absolute worst demon, having turned even Mushitsuki sharing the same dream to Fallen… Unlike this woman, you probably do want to make me a Fallen…"

"Turned Mushitsuki with the same dream to Fallen, huh… that's what it would look like after just seeing the database."

Ignoring Erii’s contempt, Daisuke walked to the center of the garden.

The comma butterflies immediately surrounded him. Pallid electric shocks engulfed the boy.

"…!"

Instantly, Daisuke's body collapsed.

Yet immediately after, a calm song echoed in the garden.

It was Neiko.

Only rousing her torso, the girl with a healing ability sang a gentle melody. Unlike when she fixed the monorail, it was obvious she put her deep feelings into it.

The serene singing voice seemed to grab even Erii's heart for a second. The comma butterflies filling the garden were pushed back by the figure of the cricket emerging in empty air.

Daisuke's wounds were being healed by Neiko's song.

"Some people, even when losing to their own Mushi, wanted to leave their dreams and lives behind."

Daisuke's glanced at Arisu. He looked at the silver lance in her hands.

Was he speaking about Arisu's friend, Hanashiro Mari? After death, Mari had left her Morpho butterfly behind, bequeathing her dream to Arisu. —Perhaps he was equating Mari to someone from his past.

The pitch-dark demon took another step toward Ellie.

"Uh—"

Erii's expression showed fear.

"D-don't come any closer…!"

The comma butterflies gathered, transforming to a mass of electromagnetism. As if invited by this mighty electrical charge, lightning came from the cloudy skies.

The lightning attack pierced Daisuke.

Its roar and vibration shook the entire elementary school.

"Daisuke!"

Grass was scorched and trees were set ablaze.

The water running through the channel boiled, and a cloud of steam covered the surroundings.

"Ee…"

Erii froze.

When the steam cleared, Daisuke's figure extending a hand toward the girl appeared. His long coat was crackling and his cracked goggles fell onto the grass. His exposed cheeks were also covered in burns.

"S-stop, Daisuke…!"

Wanting to suppress him, Arisu kicked the ground.

"But there's no need to turn you into a Fallen."

Daisuke's hand rested on the scared and shocked Erii's head. He sank his own fingers into the girl's hair.

"You can probably still control your Mushi—"

The wounded boy's profile was calm. Neiko's singing voice was fixing him.

"Seeing only the surface and getting scared is just what kids do. I don't even need to fight you."

"I-I'm… not a child! I know everything…!"

With a face about to cry, she tried escaping Daisuke's hand. However, perhaps as a result of a lack of power, she couldn't even shake off his hand.

"You wanted to know things just because you have a somewhat strong power. I don't know why there are dirty things in the world or why it has to be dirty…"

"I-I don't—"

As if her throat was blocked, Ellie's words were cut. She was unable to form any sentence and went silent.

"Cancel your ability. You don't even know what you want to do right now. Even if you start knowing just a little bit less now, nothing's going to really change."

Daisuke's tone that was calm turned lower.

"If you don't, then I'll let you know by force you're nothing but a brat—"

"Stop. Why do you always have to be like that?"

Arisu gave a chop to the back of Daisuke's head.

Erii started sobbing, looking frustrated. Without the pale blue light covering her body, she looked like an ordinary elementary schooler.

"Then let's do this."

Going on her knees, she grabbed Erii's listless hand.

"Whatever you don't know, I and the rest will teach you."

The girl stopped sobbing, surprised.

"Then you won't feel anxious anymore, right?"

The comma butterflies flying around the garden started disappearing one after another.

"Uuh…"

Erii grimaced. She killed her voice and started sobbing again as the pallid light vanished from her.

"Uuuuuhhh…!"

With her hand held by Arisu, Erii was crying.

"Are you even capable of teaching anything…?"

Daisuke, having lost his edge of anger, sighed in a resigned way.

Arisu and Neiko exchanged glances.

"Of course. I'll teach her about love matters and stuff."

"About singing…"

"…"

"What's with that look? You should teach her as well. You were the one who said that there's plenty of things Erii doesn't know."

"As if I'd waste my energy on that. She can just look for what to learn by herself."

Erii's crying turned to wails. Arisu's fist and Neiko's kick hit Daisuke.

"Tch… then I'll at least help her a bit. If I feel like it."

Daisuke's mumbles as he rubbed his cheeks overlapped with the voice of Erii crying. 

Part 4

The midnight Kurobishi Town was wrapped in silence.

In an attempt to catch a cab on the main street, Arisu and the rest walked around the residential area.

As the clouds in the night sky parted, moonlight illuminated Daisuke walking at the front as well as the sleeping face of Erii carried on his back.

"Erii and the rest will be taken to the SEPB, right?"

When Arisu asked this, Neiko next to her nodded.

"If she doesn't receive proper training, she would probably lose control again… more importantly, Arisu-chan…"

"Yes?"

"What you said this noon… are you serious?"

Neiko wore a serious expression. Arisu tilted her head.

"Trying to make people like Kakkou-kun and Harukiyo get along as comrades… that is way too impulsive. I just thought that, because they're so strong… if we try to stand between them, we'll just get ripped apart by that power… so it's worrying…"

She was probably referring to what Arisu spoke about when they were riding on the monorail.

"And I don't think they'll listen to people weaker than them… if you still want to get along with them, you'll need to be stronger than them… and if you can do that, then it wouldn't be mere role playing like today, you will become like a real demon lord—"

Arisu wore a wry smile.

"A demon lord? That might be fine as well."

"…"

"I'm joking."

She laughed at Neiko's calm gaze.

"It's just something I thought up… but don't you think it's a good idea? I mean, strong people exert a lot of influence when they fight. So the opposite should also be possible."

Neiko neither agreed nor denied the girl's words.

"Also—"

Beneath the starry sky, Arisu brought up her hand to the moon. —The numbness aftereffect from fusing with her Mushi before remained, but she felt as if the burden lessened recently. Arisu couldn't tell what this meant, though.

"Mari should be gone but I'm connecting her Mushi to this world, right? Right now I am not a normal civilian, but I'm also not a Mushitsuki… I might be unexpectedly suited for the role of someone who 'connects' people."

Keeping the late Hanashiro Mari tied to this world and possessing a Mushi without being a Mushitsuki.

A truly vague and ambiguous being.

That was the current Ichinokuro Arisu.

In order to bind together the Mushitsuki pushing forward for their dreams, perhaps they needed someone who would serve as cushioning.

She exaggeratedly started thinking of such things—

"Just kidding. It's too good to be true, right?"

She lowered her arms and laughed.

Neiko wore a worried face for a while, but finally returned her smile.

"Oh, Daisuke. Erii's drool is falling on your neck right now."

"Wipe it off! Don't just look!"

Ahead of Arisu's group walking through the residential area, the sky was growing brighter. 

Notes

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