Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Mushi Uta: Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams

2025-01-01T12:13:11Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "{{:Mushi Uta:Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams}}"

Mushi Uta

2025-01-01T12:12:37Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Mushi Uta by Iwai Kyouhei */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*January 1, 2025: Short Story Complete
*December 25, 2024: Volume 15 & Series Complete
*August 18, 2024: Volume 14 Complete
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 15|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword|Afterword]]

===Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams ([[Mushi Uta: Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams|Full Text]])===

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 1) (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 2) (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta

2025-01-01T12:11:53Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Updates */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*January 1, 2025: Short Story Complete
*December 25, 2024: Volume 15 & Series Complete
*August 18, 2024: Volume 14 Complete
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 15|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 1) (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 2) (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta:Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams

2025-01-01T12:11:27Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "=Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams<ref>A short story originally published in ''The Sneaker LEGEND'', a special issue celebrating the magazine’s 30th anniversary, on October 31, 20..."

=Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams<ref>A short story originally published in ''The Sneaker LEGEND'', a special issue celebrating the magazine’s 30th anniversary, on October 31, 2018. Although it serves as a sequel to the events of Volume 15, note that [https://x.com/kyoiwai/status/1057592393388773376 the author has called this an "if” story].</ref>=

[[File:Mushi Uta the Sneaker Legend.jpg|thumb]]

== Prologue: 0.00 The Others ==

There is the supernatural being called Mushi.

Having suddenly appeared a decade ago, they began possessing boys and girls. In exchange for eating their dreams—wishes of doing something or becoming something—they gave their hosts a variety of powers. They were named Mushi because their outward appearance resembled insects.

“…Hmm?”

Mushi and the Mushitsuki they possessed never came out into the light. They were being whispered and hated among the populace, but even so the government denied their existence.

About a year passed since eyewitness reports about Mushi and Mushitsuki were completely gone.

It wasn’t even that the Japanese government concealed it, but their existence simply vanished from people’s memories.

“What’s wrong?”

“Isn’t someone… running toward us?”

Nishito City, a provincial city in Japan.

Hugging with his girlfriend while walking through an empty residential land at night, the completely normal college student raised his face. White breath leaked from his mouth. His girlfriend from the same college also raised her face.

“Haa…! Haa…! H-help me!”

A girl appeared in the alley that still remained filled with the snow from these last few days. She had a striking appearance with two braids and glasses. It might be rude to state, but she looked like the kind of countryside high schooler one could find anywhere.

“I’m being chased by strangers! Can you please call the police?”

Having this girl suddenly cling to him, the youth put a hand into his college jacket’s pocket.

“Strange people? I-I got it!”

“I’ll report it now, so calm down!”

His girlfriend also put a hand in her pocket—and then the two college students both pulled out handgun-shaped stun guns.

“—!”

The braided girl pushed the couple away with astonishment.

As she tried to escape, the two disguised college students pulled the trigger. Bullets attached to wires were launched from the muzzle and a momentary flash dyed their sights in pure white.

As the light faded, they could see the form of the girl knocked unconscious—or at least they were supposed to.

Instead, they could see the shaking girl as well as a round mass that sprouted something like a white needle. The stun gun’s wires became entangled in the white needle of that object about the size of a small car.

“Tch…! She’s got much better reflexes than I thought…!”

“Watch out! Get away from the Mushi!”

His arm pulled by the woman playing the part of his girlfriend, he took his distance from the girl and the white object.

On the other side of the alley, where the braided girl ran from, a large vehicle emerged. As it parked to block the narrow alley, men wielding small arms came jumping out.

“Erase your Mushi! If you don’t listen to us, we won’t hold back!”

He gave her a sharp warning. He threw away his stun gun and readied the gun he received from the other men.

Being surrounded by so many guns, the girl paled. She was cornered against a wall, tears rising to her eyes.

“W-who are you people…? W-why do you want to—”

“Shut up! I’ll say this one more time, erase your Mushi!”

He warned her again.

“Why won’t you leave me alone…?”

A single tear slid down the braided girl’s cheek. Perhaps because she had been running, her breath was elevated.

No—that wasn’t it. The girl holding down her raging chest was clearly acting strangely.

The mass sprouting a white needle moved.

It was a bizarre object with six legs, moving slowly. Excluding the fact it had four eyes glowing red, it resembled the insect called a velvet ant.

“All I wanted was to grow my favorite flowers… I was happy with just that… so why—”

The velvet ant’s body grew larger, swelling like a balloon.

“Whyyyy!”

The girl shouted.

Forgetting to even pull the trigger, he looked up the now-massive velvet ant.

“I-it’s Maturing—”

Mushitsuki could gain special powers by letting their Mushi feed on their dreams.

However, there was a hefty cost. If the Mushi nestling inside them was killed, they’d become living corpses named the Fallen.

And that wasn’t the end of the curse carried by Mushitsuki.

Even if they kept their Mushi alive by giving it their dreams, at some point it would end up devouring their dream in its entirety.

Doing that, the Mushi would reach its adult form.

This was the phenomenon known as Maturation, and the hosts whose dreams got fully eaten—lost their life.

Once someone became a Mushitsuki, they would either become Fallen or have their dream eaten and perish.

Reaching either one of these results—was the fate carried by those called Mushitsuki.

“…!”

Gunfire echoed. His comrades with small firearms shot the velvet ant.

“Gil!”

“It’s too late for this one! Shoot, Siamo!”

Being told this, he—Siamo—gritted his teeth. He pulled his trigger toward the velvet ant.

However, it didn’t even flinch.

“It’s no good, we can’t even make a dent on it with our current equipment…!”

“Aim for the host! Shoot her with all your stun guns and tranquilizers!”

“No, since she’s started Maturing, just knocking her unconscious won’t stop it…!”

What would happen after the Mushi Matured and separated from its host?

It was clear from the reports they obtained that Mushi became extremely destructive after Maturing. In that case it’d become a huge problem and there’d probably be many victims.

This sort of result was not the goal of Siamo’s group.

Their mission was to kidnap the “new species” of humans called Mushitsuki—and bring them back to their own country.

And they had to conduct that swiftly and yet secretly.

For now, at least.

“…”

Siamo’s group moved just their eyes at each other and nodded.

One of his comrades, the man Siamo called Gil, moved the muzzle away from the Mushi.

It now aimed toward the crying braided girl—

“—Why…”

And spat fire.

The wall of the residential house was dyed with fresh red.

As she girl slid down, collapsing to the ground, the white Mushi’s movements stopped.

The velvet ant opened its small mouthpart and wailed. As if to begrudge the fact it was only a step away from Maturing, it emitted a high-pitched scream and evaporated.

“Retreat! Hurry up!”

Following Gil’s orders, Siamo and company hurriedly got on the large vehicle.

Siamo looked at the girl drowning in a sea of blood from inside the running car. Gil struck his head.

“Get a grip, Siamo! This isn’t our fault! It’s because no one noticed our target was about to Mature!”

“—I get it, brother. No, Gil.”

Only Siamo kept thinking back to the dying Mushitsuki. Even the woman who played the part of his girlfriend already started talking to their comrades about their next move.

“The next ones are our real targets. I’ll be on a different team, but don’t lower your guard.”

“Yeah.”

“That woman just now was apparently a former non-combatant member of the organization called Mushibane, but the next ones are different. They’re survivors from the “Decisive Hashiba City Battle”. Expect to be going against a monster.”

In the townscape visible through the window, he could see houses adorned with electrical decorations.

Perhaps this country itself looked so restless because of that period of time approaching again.

“You can’t hesitate just because they look like children. We now figured out that even if there’s some unexpected trouble, it’ll turn out fine as long as we kill the host.”

He knew that the smile rising to Gil’s face was a patriotic one. Obviously, both he and Siamo loved a country different from this one.

“Let’s capture those endangered monsters and then grab a drink. Raise a toast to Merry Christmas and all that.”

However, Siamo simply couldn’t forget about the last expression of the girl who expired right in front of his eyes.

''I just had a small dream, so why—

Until the moment she was shot, the braided girl chanted this, her face full of tears.

That was a Mushitsuki.

Those possessed by the supernatural beings called Mushi—that would never grow in numbers again.

“…Yeah, I get it.”

Siamo had been taught they were beasts and monsters, but the braided girl he saw—

Looked like a plain countryside schoolgirl.

The number of surviving Mushitsuki:

287→286.

<noinclude>
</noinclude>

== 1.00 Those who Wriggle ==

Akamaki City, the capital city that once bore all the main functions of Japan.

About a year ago, it received heavy damages during the localized “Typhon Disaster” and widespread electrical malfunctions. Although at the time all traffic, electricity, gas, water and other living infrastructure was completely paralyzed, that was temporary.

Right, the “Disaster” had already long since passed.

The cause of the thick mist covering Akamaki City and things like the golden lightning was a single person—no, a single Mushitsuki, but only very few people among the populace knew that. The Mushitsuki called C, a Super Class Rank 1, suddenly appeared like a real natural disaster, and was then eliminated by other Mushitsuki who joined forces to challenge her.

These facts were being hidden by the Japanese government and related people who’d been brainwashed by her, as well as the organization under their direct control. Including the reason why the neighboring Hashiba City fell to destruction.

All truths about this large incident that involved several cities were fully hidden.

The name of the organization that managed that seemingly impossible manipulation of information—was the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

This organization took the mission to train Mushitsuki in order to capture other Mushitsuki and thus conceal their existence from the general public.

“…Arschloch.”

Mitake Anneliese cussed inside a fast-food restaurant, where a Christmas song was playing in the background.

She was sitting in a table on the second story, where she could view a road in the middle of construction from the window. Drawing a triangle around the round table were this white, blue-eyed, blond-haired woman called Anneliese as well as two others.

“Eh? What did you just say?”

Saionji Ena, her classmate, removed her mouth from the straw of her drink and asked. She was a beauty with short cut hair, but because of her elegant atmosphere the tidy school uniform didn’t fit her.

“I got another double…”

Tears in her eyes, Anne collapsed on the table. Her other classmate already grabbed the hamburger set she’d ordered.

“Want more? I can still keep going, though.”

Saying this, the girl wearing large glasses took her eighth hamburger of the day and carried it to her mouth. She was thin and looked nothing but plain when compared to Anne and Ena.

“Why… is only the red… not coming out… there’s no Santa Claus in this world…”

A character-themed strap from some Sentai series slipped from Anne’s shaking hand. It was an item from the collaboration of the restaurant chain they went to.

“Hmm? By red, do you mean this one?”

As Anne raised her face, Ena opened up her own gift.

“You want it?”

“Oooh…”

Anne’s blue eyes sparkled. On impulse, she rose up and hugged Ena’s body.

“Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas! Ena!”

“E-everyone’s looking at us, Anne! Oh, but your hair does smell nice…”

“So embarrassing, geez.”

While Anne and Ena hugged each other, the bespectacled girl complained while still sucking even more hamburgers into her mouth.

There were people who looked at all three of them even before they started making a ruckus.

It was because Anne and her friends were wearing the uniform of Horusu Seijou Academy.

It was a famous private school where the sons and daughters of the rich were sent. Originally, they weren’t the kind of clientele to frequent this plebeian fast-food restaurant, and in the first place it was against school regulations to buy food on the way back home.

At present, Horusu Seijou Academy received a lot of focus by society.

“Whew, maybe I should order some more too? I got really tired after helping my seniors with the closing ceremony this morning. And I had an errand this afternoon besides.”

Because of the “Disaster” that attacked Akamaki City a year ago, many people left the city.

Even the main functions of the country were transferred to the place called Ouka City.

“You helped the student council, yes? Are you on familiar terms with them, Ena? Also, why are you still crushing my hand?”

Many civilians and businesses left the city, afraid of the second coming of the “Disaster”.

However, there were also those who chose to remain in Akamaki City.

“The current president is a fellow comrade of the ‘Loving Normality Club’! We ended up talking passionately about our next possible member today as well. Our recent hot stock is in our junior Manma Makoto-chan or Ebina Yuu-chan, but there’s also… you, for example, Yuniko-chan.”

“Sorry, can’t do. Please don’t mind me. Hey, please don’t touch me.”

The new Board Chairman of Horusu Seijou Academy, the man called Ichinokuro Ruisu, was also one person who made this choice.

He opened a press conference and declared that he would keep Horusu Seijou Academy open just like it was until now. He furthermore promised to help not only with the school itself, but everything related to the city’s recovery.

“Got any plans for later, Anne? You can come with and Takako if you’d like.”

“What are you doing? A Christmas Eve party?”

Horusu Seijou Academy—the school taking care of those elite candidates who would shoulder the next generation of the business world—choosing to remain in Akamaki City had a profound effect.

The financers did not abandon Akamaki City—

Now having this confidence, investors began pouring money into Akamaki City’s reconstruction work.

“We’re reading a picture book at an acquaintance’s orphanage. Then we’ll have a small party.”

“…Woah, that’s really unlike you…”

“Eh?”

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry, but I have a lesson today as well.”

“Despite it being Christmas Eve? You sure have it tough. What about you, Yuniko-chan?”

“The children at the dojo say they’re doing a party, so I have to watch over them. Now, please stop touching me.”

Right now Akamaki City was abuzz with the redevelopment work. Although for a while the prices of land and stocks suffered a huge crash, the foundation called the Akasegawa Group bought out plots of land and local businesses. Thanks to their activities, the city could be said to be prospering.

And thus, the students from Horusu Seijou Academy, the school that set the opportunity for Akamaki City’s restoration and its symbol—exited the fast-food place and headed on their way home.

“—Say, Anne… you were friends with that girl during Middle School too, right?”

While walking through roads surrounded by construction boards and decorative lightings, Ena asked this hesitatingly.

“Have you heard something about her… about Arisu?”

Anne met eyes with the bespectacled girl. She turned back to Ena and shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Anne had met with the girl called Ichinokuro Arisu in the middle school section of Horusu Seijou Academy a few years ago already. It wasn’t a coincidence but certain circumstances that led to her intentionally meeting her at school, however—

Including Anne herself, many Mushitsuki were strung along by Ichinokuro Arisu. These days were filled with troubles and were exceptionally tiresome. Normally this chain of impossible “bugs” would make her head hurt—but it was also a lively time that wasn’t bad at all.

However, those who spent those days alongside her vanished one after another.

Arisu herself disappeared, and Anne had no idea where the boy who used to serve as Arisu’s monitor was nowadays. Since the girl who’d used to argue with Anne every day became an enemy that threatened the entire world, both of them bet on their lives on mortal combat.

Among all those people from back then, right now only Anne remained at Horusu Seijou Academy.

That fact caused a small lump to remain in her heart.

“I see.”

Ena’s expression didn’t change.

“…Do you know the person called Rina, then?”

Ena next named a surprising individual.

Caught by surprise, Anne was shocked inwardly. However, she didn’t let it appear on her expression and tilted her head.

“No? Who’s that?”

“She’s someone we met during the ruckus about a year ago. We promised to become friends. I just thought you might know her.”

“Why would I know her?”

“That’s because you’re both—”

Anne and Yuniko looked toward Ena with surprised expressions.

Seeing them react like this, Ena shook her head and swallowed back the words she was about to say.

“No, it’s nothing. Sorry…”

They parted from the apologizing Ena while headed to the station.

When she hailed a taxi to head for the orphanage, Ena retrieved her previous brightness. But she was probably disappointed.

“—Arisu’s the name of Sleeping Beauty, right? I hear she’s getting better and better.”

Yuniko spoke while walking alongside Anne.

She was a Mushitsuki. Just like Anne, she was a member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

“Yeah, she can remain awake for longer and longer periods. Although no one asked her to, she’s been running between Mushitsuki and poking her nose where it doesn’t belong. It’s like she’s the great leader of Mushitsuki or something.”

Anne now spoke in fluent Japanese. Now that Ena wasn’t near them, there was no need for any acting.

“Then why won’t she meet with poor Ena? I really feel for her.”

“We tried helping Ena, but Arisu herself feels like she failed. Including those Mushitsuki who died during the Night of the Meteor Shower. She’s not just thinking it’d be awkward to meet her, but apparently operating under the logic that something bad might happen. It shouldn’t matter if Ena recalls her dream, though, seeing that Oogui no longer exists.”

“I see…”

“She’s gotten all worked up. Right now, compared to when she was sleepin’—she’s the only Rank 1 that can move freely. She’s being burdened by all that unneeded responsibility.”

Yuniko frowned behind her large glasses.

“And the Rina that Ena mentioned is Lady Bird, right? Never mind the other three missing Rank 1s, what about Lady? Have you heard anything from Director Haji or Akasegawa Nanana?”

“SEPB, Akasegawa, Handyman… they all joined forces and tried using all possible means, but looks like it’s a hopeless case. She probably doesn’t have too long before she goes down along with Mimic.”

Yuniko bit her lower lips. She held her head with both hands.

“Why… even though we fought and even managed to survive, in the end all of us are…”

“Don’t give up.”

Anne grabbed Yuniko’s head and brought her own head closer.

“The only thing that fight’s changed is this world. Since there’re no more Original Three, no more Mushitsuki will ever be born. That’s all.”

Her blue eyes gazed directly at Yuniko’s eyes shaking behind the glasses.

“For all of us who were always Mushitsuki—nothing’s changed. Both today and tomorrow, we’re just gonna struggle to live pathetically. We’re all gonna wish to live even one day longer.”

“…”

“Both now and before, we’ve just been dying to the enemy our heart succumbs to—our Mushi.”

Saying this, Anne showed a cheerful smile. As if to push her out, she removed her hand from Yuniko’s head.

Anne started walking again and Yuniko also stepped after her.

“It’s obvious. We’ll never lose to our Mushi.”

People they passed while walking all looked at the many-colored decorative lightings around them and smiled. They wore completely opposite expressions from Anne and Yuniko.

“Still—I refuse to get killed by someone at this stage.”

“…”

“You’ve heard the report, right? A few days ago, one of the Mushitsuki survivors was killed. She was shot by a gun. Judging from how they did it, it might be a force from overseas…”

“…”

“They’re Mushitsuki hunters. Despite our nonintervention pact with foreign countries, the endangered species of Mushitsuki is now being targeted. I don’t know if they want to turn us to guinea pigs like Miguruma Yaeko or if they have another goal… but killing when they fail to abduct us? Who do they think they are?”

Anne grew silent and listened to Yuniko’s story.

“What’s Director Haji even thinking, continuing the Assimilation Project even in this situation?”

Assimilation Project.

After the battle with the Original Three ended, Mushitsuki stopped fighting among themselves, and the arrangements to conceal the traces of the battle with C from society ended as well—it was a long-term program established to return all those Mushitsuki to be part of society.

It was a project to return all those Mushitsuki who finished their roles to civilian life. However—

The Mushitsuki killed by the mysterious group was a participant of this program.

“I can’t believe he’d isolate Mushitsuki despite them being targeted…”

“What’s that got to do with anything? It’s that weakling’s fault, getting done in by weaklings who aren’t even Mushitsuki.”

“Are you being serious right now, Kasuou?”

“…Ha. I gotta head back to HQ. See ya.”

Anne tried leaving Yuniko on the crossroads, but the latter called out to her.

“Wait a minute, Kasuou. —Have you heard that rumor?”

“Rumor?”

As Anne turned back, Yuniko spoke hesitantly.

“—Rumor about a ghost.”

Anne goggled at her.

“It’s apparently becoming a rumor in all sorts of places, recently. Where nothing stood before, a long-haired girl suddenly appears… looking in your direction, she repeats the same words.”

The bespectacled girl hugged her own body, looking scared.

“She says… ‘It’s not that dream’.”

“…”

“After the girl says this and vanishes, the place where she stood becomes scorched—”

Anne reached her limits before Yuniko finished talking. She immediately lashed at her without any restraint.

“Pah! What the hell, bitch! Gettin’ scared of that kinda ghost story? It’s outta season! You turnin’ senile as well, Commander of the Central Headquarters’ suicide squad?”

“I am scared! Maybe doesn’t matter for other people, but for us—”

Yuniko’s eyes lowered and she spoke.

“Because we’re Mushitsuki. When the word ‘dream’ gets used, it almost sounds as if…”

“If you’re free enough to get your panties in a twist just from that kinda rumor, be on the lookout for those assailants. See ya, Merry Christmas.”

As Anne spun around and left, she could hear Yuniko emit a laugh behind her.

“Kasuou… I wonder when we can finally become happy.”

Anne pretended to not hear the words of her battle comrade playing the part of a classmate.

As she strayed from the main road, she aimed for a certain secret entrance at a certain neighborhood. Although the SEPB’s Central Headquarters had been destroyed a year ago, restoration work had, by and large, proceeded.

“Haa… Ever since I came to this country, I’ve become weak to the cold.”

She was walking through an alley that had remnants of snow freezing her neck.

Even last Christmas Eve she was busy with SEPB work. Since there was even a Mushitsuki who escaped from the organization, they had to go look for him.

This year she was also immensely busy. Although there was no longer any need to fight, she was still a Rank 2 member and her duties were not lessened in the least.

She was sure the same would happen come next year’s Christmas, too.

Anne didn’t even have time to get a boyfriend—not like she had any interest in that in the first place—so she was going to just buy one of the remaining few Christmas cakes on sale and eat it alone. That was going to be her Christmas.

“All of ‘em are such sissies.”

Nanana, as well as Yuniko.

The sad faces they’d shown Anne brought her unneeded sentimentality.

Or perhaps it was the fault of the ''Jingle Bells'' she could hear from somewhere.

“All of ‘em just keep running away from me…”

After she’d been taken to this country several years ago, Anne became a Mushitsuki.

Her Mushi was a deathwatch beetle. It had no corporeal form, only materializing as black mist that could become an amorphous shield or else claws to attack her enemies.

Ever since she became a Mushitsuki, almost all the people she met were enemies.

However, there were cases where her enemies somehow became her friends without realizing.

And yet there were also cases where those supposed to be her comrades became her enemies without her being able to do anything.

After defeating the enemy that used to be her comrade and finishing all of the fights—

A certain individual vanished without saying anything.

Another one barely even met her, despite waking up from a long slumber.

Plenty died, and there were also those who died while remaining her enemies.

Just like this, everyone vanished from Anne’s sight.

Not even a single person cared for Anne—

If she was being honest, every time she went through the gates of Horusu Seijou Academy, the faces of people who’d never come back there again would stab her heart—

“…”

Anne’s face raised with a twitch. She stopped in place.

She had a small uncomfortable feeling. The ''Jingle Bells'' she’d heard until now suddenly vanished. No—all presences vanished from around her.

Anne moved her fingertips, stealthily invoking her ability.

In the radius of several dozen meters, she spread grains of mist that would be difficult to see with the naked eye. Starting from the shades of power poles, to inside residential houses and even going down ditches into the sewers, she searched using sensory organs made from her mist.

“…Can’t feel any enemy nearby. So I’m the one being a scaredy-cat, eh?”

She couldn’t feel anything odd near her. Anne leaked a white sigh and started walking again.

No one cared for Anne.

Going back to her thoughts from just now, she now raised a doubt about herself.

If she felt bad about everyone leaving her, how come she didn’t chase after them?

Should she search for all those missing people? Or perhaps follow after her dead comrades’ footsteps?

Thinking about it, she didn’t feel like doing either. She wasn’t being obstinate, but simply couldn’t help to feel like that from the bottom of her heart.

Or perhaps—Anne was the one who didn’t care for herself.

Those who were gone all lived their lives to the fullest and knew what it was to fight to the death.

It was Anne herself who knew this fact.

Therefore, although she was feeling just a little bit sentimental, she never thought about trying to find them.

In fact, Anne actually—felt proud in their way of living.

“…”

She pulled out something that her fingertips touched in her pocket.

It was the strap that her friend had given her in that fast-food place.

Right, Saionji Ena was also without a doubt one of her friends. She was already aware that Anne was a Mushitsuki. She realized that Anne stayed near her to watch her, since she’d been targeted by the monster called Oogui before. Also, she pretended not knowing anything and became her friend.

''—Kasuou… I wonder when we can finally become happy.

Yuniko’s words from just now replayed themselves in Anne’s mind.

“It’s fine for Mushitsuki’s happiness to be like this.”

Smiling, Anne returned the strap to her coat’s pocket.

Just like she was proud of knowing the way of living of those who left her—

Anne wanted them to remember her way of living too, if at all possible.

That would definitely—be much more worthy of pride than them staying by her side.

“No matter what anyone says, I like living in this country.”

She’d end up grumbling about her mission come the next Christmas Eve anyway.

While imagining this small future, she entered an empty road.

Anne’s body was blown to the side.

In the report submitted to the SEPB’s Central Headquarters, the following was written.

Kasuou, Blaze Class Rank 2 member, had been shot by a sniper rifle from the distance of several hundred meters away.

The number of surviving Mushitsuki:

286→285.

== 1.01 The Others ==

Dressed as a college student despite wielding an automatic rifle, Siamo shouted.

“Why did you shoot her neck! The plan isn’t killing her!”

They weren’t meant to kill her—

Saying this right now was meaningless.

After all, this would be the second person they killed, after the Mushitsuki they had to stop from Maturing.

Siamo and five of his comrades jumped out of the large vehicle parked next to the collapsed girl. Only Siamo was disguised as a civilian while all others were fully equipped.

The blond girl—Kasuou—lay on the ground, unmoving.

Her wide-open blue eyes gazed at empty air.

Those were supposed to be looking to something in her future.

A dream.

Mushitsuki like her were all looking at their desired future even while dead—

“I didn’t mean to! The woman made an unnatural movement! Maybe she noticed us…!”

He heard the sniper’s excuses from the earphones in his ears.

“Don’t be an idiot! We were more than a hundred meters away from her! She’d never notice your presence!”

Siamo kneeled next to Kasuou, pulling out the pinkie-sized bullet stabbed into her white neck.

“Sniping with a tranquilizer is ridiculous anyway! You should praise me for actually scoring the hit!”

“Yeah, good job! You got her neck, of all places! Even though it’s a tranquilizer, it’s definitely going to break the cervical vertebrae—”

Siamo’s face became unsightly as he let anger grab control of him and traded barbs with the sniper.

But he then noticed blue eyes were looking at him.

“—Eh?”

In the report submitted to the SEPB’s Central Headquarters later, the following was written.

There was an error in the report submitted before about Kasuou’s sniping.

The report about Blaze Class Rank 1 member Kasuou’s death was a mistake, and the safety of the aforementioned member is confirmed.

The number of surviving Mushitsuki:

285→286.

“UooHHH!?”

The black mist gushing out from the blond girl they wanted to abduct and bring back to their country blew Siamo back.

She did not move a single finger. Lying on the mist that suddenly appeared, she was completely still.

“We’re being attacked! Fire! Fire!”

Siamo’s comrades pulled the trigger on their guns. Along with violent gunfire, a rain of bullets showered the black mist.

However, no bullet was able to pierce even a single centimeter into the mist protecting the girl. Seeing the bullets fall to the ground in pieces, they all gasped.

Part of the mist wrapping Kasuou hardened. It transformed into countless sharp claws.

“She’s attacking! Retreat—”

Although Siamo gave this warning, the expected slashing attack did not come.

The girl lying inside the mist looked at Siamo with her blue eyes as if memorizing his face.

She did only that—without attacking—then turned. Using her claws instead of legs, she ran away in a straight line while destroying the walls of residential buildings around.

All his comrades were shocked, looking at the distancing mass of mist.

“She ran away…? So the tranquilizer is working!”

“What’re we gonna do, Siamo! Our mission’s failed! Should we retreat?”

“No—”

Siamo shook off the image of the first Mushitsuki they killed from his mind and spoke.

Kasuou’s eyes looking at him were shaking. To him it seemed like not only she couldn’t even curse Siamo, but like she couldn’t move even a single finger.

“From what I’ve seen, her eyeball movements were weakening as well. It’s a fast-acting tranquilizer. She will definitely lose consciousness within a minute.”

“Then…”

“We go after her! Move the car to be able to pick up Kasuou’s body at any moment!”

If the injured Kasuou attacked Siamo and company in reckless abandon it’d be a lot simpler.

They simply had to focus on dodging her attacks. If a minute passed and Siamo and others just collected the exhausted Kasuou then, it’d be for the best.

Realizing that was going to happen—Kasuou ran away.

He read in the report that she had rich battle experience. She’d survived many battles, both small ones as well as those like the Night of the Meteor Shower or the Decisive Hashiba City Battle.

She was top-class among Mushitsuki in her combat experience.

That was exactly why he planned to conclude this “big game hunting” before she could be seriously on guard.

And in the same timing as the other big game.

Right about now, the team led by Siamo’s older brother should also be aiming for a certain Mushitsuki.

Siamo promised his brother that they would raise a glass to their mission’s success.

“Siamo! Kasuou’s going into town!”

“Don’t worry! The SEPB’s going to manipulate memories and control information to hide it anyway! Shoot and paralyze her already!”

While running, Siamo and company fired toward the mist carrying Kasuou. His comrades were leaning out from the large vehicle that appeared behind them in a delay, firing their rifles.

The mist protecting Kasuou kept running away while destroying all power poles and walls in its path. At last she came out into the road, causing passersby to raise huge shrieks.

“She won’t last even ten more seconds! She has nowhere to run to!”

“Siamo, we’ll also hit civilians if we fire here…!”

“I told you not to worry! Prepare for picking her up!”

He might as well become the villain, a terrorist that doesn’t care about making sacrifices. He didn’t have his older brother’s decisiveness, he didn’t have the natural athletic abilities of his younger brother (who was currently God knows where), so if he wasn’t resolved for something like this, as the half-hearted sandwich sibling—he wouldn’t be able to conduct this mission of assaulting immature boys and girls.

“Good, the mist’s shrinking! I won’t let you escape—”

While the cars around all made emergency brakes, Kasuou broke right into the road.

Even the people in the bus stop ahead started running away while screaming.

However, seeing that one person among them—a girl—stood in place, Siamo gasped without thinking.

“Kasuou…?”

It was a girl wearing large glasses. She was wearing the uniform of the famous school called Horusu Seijou Academy.

Siamo’s legs unconsciously stopped moving.

He realized everything just from seeing that bespectacled girl.

Kasuou hadn’t been running away randomly at all—

“Re—”

Siamo screamed toward his comrades that were still on hot pursuit.

“Retreaaaat! We’re retreating!”

The glasses girl turned toward Kasuou, who was wringing her very last powers to run. She took a boxing pose, with both her fists starting to glow white.

“Those symptoms… I understand, Kasuou—”

Siamo’s strategy this time was meant to capture Kasuou. They obviously thoroughly investigated the people around her, especially other Mushitsuki.

The girl with glasses was a Mushitsuki.

And she was big game on par with Kasuou. Siamo had no idea if this was true, but she was said to be a fearsome martial artist who, during the fight a year ago, had held off the JSDF who were being controlled by the Mushitsuki called C. And all by her own.

They had no way to win if these two Mushitsuki acted together.

Because he judged this to be true, he aimed for the time after they parted, and yet—

The mist protecting Kasuou opened up a little as if to let the glasses girl in.

“Detox Punch!”

The bespectacled girl’s glowing fist aimed for Kasuou’s white neck. She further launched a spin kick in flowing movements to tap Kasuou’s temple.

“Healing Kick!”

Siamo’s comrades could do nothing but stand on the road, stunned.

“That’s—Yotsuba! A Special Class, Rank 3 Mushitsuki…!”

His comrades dispatched on the same mission obviously knew who she was.

Therefore, Siamo issued a retreat order—but apparently his comrades were frozen in place exactly because they could estimate the future shown to them by what they saw.

Two Mushitsuki stood at the bus stop.

The girl with large glasses emitted breath full of a calm fighting spirit.

And the other Mushitsuki.

Mitake Anneliese—Kasuou—looked at Siamo with eyes full of a dim murderous impulse, then murmured.

“…If you try and run away, I’ll kill you.”

Siamo screamed.

“Retreat!! Run!!!”

As Siamo threw his weapon and escaped, his comrades also followed him.

However, it all ended in vain.

In the end it was Siamo’s group that didn’t last a minute.

Captured by the assaulting mass of mist, his comrades were crushed, spewing blood, tears and bubbles while screaming. The large vehicle that wanted to pick them up was being shredded by mist claws like it was made of paper. His comrades unleashed bullets and hand grenades with angry roars, and even used the grenade launcher they brought as a last resort. However, they were unable to shave down the mist protecting Kasuou who wore a demonic expression even a little. As for the sniper bullets launched from a far—not only did they not even graze Kasuou, they were stopped by the mist concentrated on the road as easily as a toddler grasping a chocolate chip.

Despite parked vehicles, upturned asphalt and all sorts of other objects being thrown on him, Siamo managed to run away for about a minute—

But in the end, he was cornered in a road that led to a complex building straying from the main street.

“Guh… Gpuh.”

Now crucified against the wall by the mist claws, Siamo had another claw buried into his stomach.

While his insides were being slowly destroyed, blood and gastric juices came dribbling from Siamo’s mouth.

“—Who the fuck are you lot? You’ve killed a Mushitsuki before.”

Kasuou calmly looked down at the bloody Siamo. White grains started falling stop the picturesque beauty’s head.

It was snow.

Siamo was bleeding, while the boorish Kasuou looked up expressionlessly.

“How does it feel to shoot an innocent, tender brat? Hey.”

“Stop it, Kasuou. We can’t kill them.”

Yotsuba appeared. She grabbed Kasuou’s shoulder from behind.

“I haven’t killed them. Not a single one.”

“Yeah… I’ve healed everyone thus far. And made it so that they can’t move.”

“Then heal this guy, too. I’ll stab and you heal. We’ll do that a hundred times. If you heal ‘em properly, Central HQ’s not gonna hear about it.”

“…What was all that you said before about it being the fault of the weak? You actually are angry.”

“You—are—”

Within the snow, Siamo moved his mouth that could taste nothing but blood.

“Not human—you’re just monsters—”

Kasuou and Yostuba’s eyes looking at Siamo changed.

Although it was extremely cold, he felt as if the temperature got even lower. However, he continued.

“You’ll never grow in numbers, anymore—but before you go extinct—all countries, want a sample—a precious sample—you’re just guinea pigs—”

Kasuou raised her arm and tried moving the claw of mist. Yotsuba stopped her with a hand.

“Right—I already heard, and yet—”

The two girls wore shocked expressions.

Had the snow pouring down from the sky melted down Siamo’s hidden expression?

Or was he just released from the pain he was supposed to feel because he was crucified on this holy night?

A long streak of tears went down Siamo’s cheeks.

“The girl we’ve killed—looked just like the kind of normal girl you can find anywhere—”

For some reason he couldn’t forget the girl showered with bullets who sank in a sea of blood.

Those eyes.

Although they lost their liveliness, her two eyes looked like they were seeking something.

These were familiar eyes.

They were just like those Siamo and others had when they were young—

Perhaps even Siamo himself, had he been to this country, would have turned out like that girl—

“She wasn’t the kind of kid—we could so easily shoot dead—”

Seeing Siamo shed unceasing tears, Kasuou was speechless.

“You’ve gotta—”

She removed the mist’s restraints. As Siamo fell to the ground on his rear, he felt a warm impact hit his cheek.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me, you son of a bitch! How dare you cry like that!”

Kasuou struck Siamo with her right fist and then her left fist.

However, his tears wouldn’t stop.

“Aah—God—”

“Don’t you dare beg for forgiveness! You’re the one who killed an innocent Mushitsuki! Don’t think you’ll be forgiven at this stage! Die, you piece of shit!”

Yotsuba made no attempt to stop Kasuou’s blows.

Before long the girl’s fist striking Siamo started bleeding, and when she breathed heavily—

“Let’s leave the rest to the intelligence division. Because they’ll be coming here soon.”

Yotsuba muttered this.

Although Siamo’s entire face became swollen like a balloon, he had yet to lose consciousness.

“Tch! So from now on our enemies are these kinda guys…!”

Spitting on Siamo, Kasuou spun her body.

Right.

Perhaps Mushitsuki like them stopped fighting among themselves.

However—this didn’t mean people stopped looking at them.

Even if society at large forgot about their existence, even if they themselves lost all reason to fight—

Those who would aim for the supernatural beings called Mushitsuki existed everywhere.

“—Say, Kasuou.”

“Hah?”

“The poison they shot into you… I did purify the anesthesia, but that dosage—no normal person could keep on being conscious with that amount. Not to mention what happened to your neck…”

Siamo could hear the two Mushitsuki with his dimming senses.

“Ah? What’re you trying to say?”

Siamo’s sight was getting filled with snow.

While his consciousness was growing dimmer, Siamo wished.

''Run, big bro—

Today was Christmas Eve. Perhaps God would hear his wish on a whim.

There was no longer anything to be done about Siamo’s failure.

Mushitsuki were strong.

Siamo couldn’t even put a dent on the girl called Kasuou.

To say nothing of the one his brother was aiming for around this time—

“Doesn’t it mean, Kasuou, that even you—are approaching the Undying?”

A Mushitsuki that supposedly cannot die.

They tried capturing an opponent they shouldn’t have reached for.

''Please try and run away to a place where you don’t have to hurt anyone… big bro—

Siamo kept praying to God for his brother’s safety all alone.

== 1.02 The Others ==

Gil was wondering while peeking through his sniper rifle’s scope.

Had his little brother Siamo completed their mission safely?

“Just like we investigated, the target’s headed for the station. He’ll probably reach the planned location within several minutes.”

His comrade’s voice transmitted through the earphones sounded quite anxious.

Naturally, considering the target being what it was.

Right now, Gil and his group were attempting to capture a Mushitsuki who could be called a legend.

“Is everyone in positions? Don’t make the mistake of getting within 100 meters of the target.”

A chain of “Roger”s came from Gil’s comrades.

He was currently occupying the room of a gym on the 15th floor of a certain building. It was a swimming pool.

He opened a hole in the full-glass window and hid himself while poking his muzzle through it.

He could clearly see the entrance to the subway station a few hundred meters away through the scope. Surrounding buildings were covered in Christmas decorations and there were many people walking around on this holy night.

“…”

Why had they chosen the Mushitsuki hypothesized to be the strongest of all people?

He himself didn’t know the reason. But his home country apparently wanted to capture all five Mushitsuki who were regarded as special.

Those acknowledged as the Undying by the SEPB—the so-called Rank 1 Mushitsuki.

They therefore focused on the target that they judged to be the least destructive, unprotected by anyone and at present probably the least cautious.

It took them a year to find their target.

“Confirming our target is still on the move. He should enter your line of sight within a minute.”

“…”

Dressed as a cleaner, Gil kept staring into the scope while thinking.

Their preparations to capture the Rank 1 Mushitsuki were already complete. They carefully gathered information about the target and conducted way too many simulations for today.

No, even that wasn’t enough—

Gil’s intuition spurred his body. He raised his body, handling his gun so well it could be said to be a superhuman feat to switch out the muzzle for another one of a special make. He took out the tranquilizer bullets from the machinegun and switched them with normal bullets.

Although his opponent was a child, he was a veteran warrior. Mere tranquilizers weren’t going to cut it against that sort of opponent—

“Target seems completely unsuspecting from his gait. He’s going to reach the entrance to the subway in about 30 seconds.”

“I’ll shoot his legs first… as long as I stop his movements it should be fine.”

Gil readied again the rifle that had real bullets now.

It would be sniping in the middle of the day. Once he shot their target, the surrounding passersby were sure to cause an uproar.

Taking advantage of the chaos, his comrades waiting underground would use every piece of tranquilizer bullets and stun guns to shoot him. There was no way their target was going to anticipate getting shot smack dab inside the city.

“Ten more seconds. Nine… eight… seven…”

His comrades started the countdown.

Feeling a healthy amount of tension, Gil waited for his target to appear in the scope.

“Three… two—”

Gil put his finger on the trigger.

However—

“—Eh?”

Gil couldn’t see the supposed target in his scope at all.

“The target’s, vanished…! There’s no way! He was there just now!”

“Calm down! Everyone, be cautious of your surroundings!”

They might have been noticed—

Although Gil clicked his tongue, he didn’t remove his eyes from the scope. His comrades all stood guard in their own locations.

“If the target noticed us, there’s a chance to attack! If you confirm his whereabouts, let me know immediately! While you’re engaged in battle, I’ll shoot through him!”

The entrance to the subway was surrounded by several teams within the distance of at least a hundred meters.

Even if the target got away from the area, he should eventually get captured by one of the teams.

“He shouldn’t be so far from the entrance! It’s fine, I can see all teams from my position! There won’t be any surprise attack—”

Gil heard the door to the pool open up behind him.

“…! Excuse me, this place is still being cleaned—”

Hurriedly hiding the rifle with a sheet, he turned around.

It was supposed to be the gym’s day off. Wondering whether one of the employees came for a swim, Gil reached for the gun hidden on his back—

Unlike his expectations, the person that appeared in the pool wore no swimsuit, but a duffel coat.

Their hood was lowered so that he couldn’t see their face.

Neither stopping after Gil’s words nor seeming to suspect anything, they calmly walked by the pool.

“Err, excuse me—”

Gil called out to them, realizing he might need to silence them—

He glanced what looked like a band-aid inside the hood when an electrical-like impact ran through his entire body.

“—!”

Gil instinctively prepared his gun, but at that moment…

The person in a duffel coat approached him as if teleporting. Were their legs really that strong? The tile right near the pool broke and flew away as if by an explosion.

Stripped from the hoodie by wind pressure, the exposed person’s face now glowed with a green pattern.

Other than that glowing pattern, the face itself was completely ordinary. It looked like an average high schooler, but that form served as no consolation for Gil.

The boy’s left hand grabbed Gil’s neck. Gil’s hand grasping the gun was grabbed by the boy’s right hand.

“…!”

Gil’s back slammed against the wall. The glass wall had large cracks running through it.

How did he figure out where Gil was hiding?

How did he sneak through the network of Gil’s comrades and appeared in front of him in so short of a time?

He no longer cared about these doubts.

Right now, the only thing clear was that Gil’s mission ended in complete failure.

And the target he was aiming for now stood right in front of him.

“Ka… Kakkou—”

Unable to breathe, Gil spoke as though in a groan.

Kakkou.

A Blaze Class Rank 1 member of the SEPB, and someone who was known as a “demon” even by his fellow Mushitsuki.

“—Who are you guys?”

Kakkou’s eyes glared at Gil’s face.

Those black eyes filled with a murderous impulse looked as if they continued down to hell. Gil couldn’t move a muscle, as though both arms were held by large lumps of steel.

“Uh—UuuUh…!”

Gil was the best operative among his comrades. He had plenty of battle experience, too, and he always succeeded in his missions, whether they were field operations or assassination of VIPs.

But exactly because it was him—he stopped understanding the boy in front of his eyes right now.

“Why have you targeted me?”

Although this interrogation could be called calm, it still brought out Gil’s instinctive fear.

There was a killing intent, or perhaps hostility. Or was it something completely different that boy possessed? The surrounding air seemed to crackle, and the pool’s water swayed. Part of the cracked glass broke, fell to the floor and shattered.

“Answer.”

This wasn’t the kind of aura emitted by a human. Perhaps showing the very roots of the fear welling up inside Gil, he even suffered a sort of visual illusion where the boy seemed to become a black whirl, grow larger and look down on his scared self.

He made a mistake.

Both his country’s judgment as well as his capture plan aiming for success were all a mistake.

It had nothing to do with whether Mushitsuki—no, this boy—was strong or weak. Was he even human in the first place? Perhaps they had mistaken him for those inhuman “Original Three” or whatever they were called? It wasn’t just the fact he ruined Gil’s plans, but him seeing through Gil’s hiding place so easily meant that he was undoubtedly someone used to combat. No, but reaching Gil in an instant like this was something no human could have done—

“Fu… Fufu—”

Cornered by his fear, Gil started crying and unconsciously let out these groans.

“You, monster—”

Even the experienced Gil had never met someone like this.

A monster. A creature. —A demon.

After killing so many people, Gil finally met a real one of those.

“The entire world’s looking at you—”

That boy who was a monster, a creature, a demon said nothing.

“They won’t—let you get away.”

He tried cursing him as his very last act of resistance.

This was the last attempt of the operative called Gil to preserve his sanity.

“Fu… fufufu…”

Seeing that Gil could do nothing but laugh, the boy erased his aura.

Removing his hand from the unresisting Gil, the boy’s atmosphere changed immediately.

As the green pattern on his face vanished, he now looked like the kind of high school student you could find anywhere.

“Those lines… there was someone else who told me them before.”

Speaking as if he recalled something, the boy shook his right hand haphazardly.

“Someone—who’s quite like you.”

Gil heard this boy’s monologue, then an impact struck his chain.

Those were the operative called Gil’s last memories of this country.

The number of surviving Mushitsuki:

286→286.

== 1.03 Those who Wriggle the Last ==

Kusuriya Daisuke went back to the subway entrance.

The organization aiming for him was already gone—because all of them were now having a pleasant afternoon nap in the middle of winter, an act made by his own hands. People from the SEPB should arrive to collect them before long.

Daisuke stood in a corner of town surrounded by sparkling decorative lightings.

He looked completely average, so no one even turned to look at him. That was exactly what he wanted, but reality was not that kind.

—''The entire world’s looking at you.

These ominous lines left by the unknown assassin came back to his mind.

Daisuke.

Mushitsuki.

Although they defeated the Original Three and weren’t going to fight among Mushitsuki anymore—

It was apparently going to take some time for them to be able to rest for real.

“…Still, I’m happy that I managed to live for yet another year.”

As he mumbled this to no one in particular, he saw white snow coming down from the skies.

At the same time, a black luxury car parked near him. It honked.

Daisuke sighed. In the driver’s seat sat a youth with a sickly pale face, and his expression with a faint smile was suspicious. The mere sight of him ruined Daisuke’s Christmas Eve.

“—Hakamori?”

It only snowed very faintly, so the car’s wipers didn’t even move.

“Why do you think that Mushitsuki’s related, Kakkou?”

Grabbing the wheel, the youth Haji Keigo asked with a flippant tone.

“I was just reminded of his face, that’s all.”

Putting his elbow against the passenger seat window, Daisuke spoke while holding his chin.

“Hakamori of the Annihilators—he also said something about the world being like that… they might be related by blood.”

“I see, that’s some good information. I’ll investigate it.”

“…”

“Thanks for your cooperation. Since your location was discovered, you’ll have to move again… but you can enjoy your last date in town.”

Daisuke grimaced without thinking, closing his eyes. He sighed.

“Does this incident count as one of the three?”

“Our promise, you mean? You must be joking.”

The car stopped at a red light. As Daisuke opened his eyes, he saw Haji Keigo look weirdly at him.

“In exchange to arrange for you to escape with that girl, you’ll help us with three more SEPB missions. If you do that, I’ll let you escape for real—that was the promise we’ve had.”

“…”

“But aren’t you the cause for this incident? I have assisted you, but this wasn’t a mission from the SEPB.”

He thought the man was going to say something like that.

Although the battles between Mushitsuki finally ended, Daisuke was not yet released from his restraints.

Nor should he. He’d shed too much blood with his deeds.

“I knew you’d try giving the SEPB the slip once everything was over. But we can’t just give you the OK so easily. It sets a bad example to other Mushitsuki. If I allow you to retire like that, it’d be much more convenient to think of it as an escape.”

“It sure is convenient. In order for you to make Arisu the top among Mushitsuki, all other Rank 1s are nothing but a bother. Since there’s no longer any need for the fighting power, it’s fine for there to be just a single unifying force for all Mushitsuki…”

“Right. Sleeping Beauty’s doing a great job. Just like I predicted.”

Not even looking ashamed, Haji smiled. He drummed the wheel with his fingers, looking pleased.

The air inside the car turned tense.

“—It’s wasn’t you, right?”

Daisuke slightly narrowed his eyes.

The same kind of murderous impulse he emitted while facing the mysterious sniper now filled the luxury car on the road.

“You mean that first Mushitsuki attack? I’m shocked you’d suspect me.”

However, Haji Keigo did not look bothered even a little. He spoke in an innocent tone.

“It’s true that the sniper possessed way too much detailed information about Mushitsuki. And an isolated, unranked Mushitsuki was attacked right in this timing where the Assimilation Project aims to return Mushitsuki to civilian life. Showing off as if they’d target only Mushitsuki on the sidelines and next going for their real goal—assassinating high-ranked Mushitsuki. That chaos lessened the numbers of the Mushitsuki I hate so much by one…”

“And even I, despite having finished my business with you, had my location leaked to my enemies.”

Daisuke shot a side-glance at the driver’s seat while Haji leaked a disappointed sigh.

“Well, I suppose that’s not bad. But how do I put it—it’s way too boring. They had no real plan, and above all else, the enemy of this incident showed a crucial lack…”

Haji looked like he was deeply let down.

“They understand nothing about Mushitsuki. —They probably only heard about you from data. They only sent those meagre forces despite trying to capture Kakkou.”

There was no basis for it, and it wouldn’t serve as an excuse—but that was true.

After neutralizing the organization that ambushed him, Daisuke himself kept looking around him, wondering if there were other soldiers.

It was as if these fighting forces and preparations were all for abducting a “powerful human”.

It wasn’t strategy for capturing a Mushitsuki.

It was much too shallow to have been planned by the tactician called Haji Keigo.

“Well, this leak of information is regrettable, and there might be a need to watch over the Assimilation Project directly. But the SEPB now has full information over all 287—oops, sorry, 286 Mushitsuki. Still, since there are so many, there’s bound to be a traitor. I’ll find them before long. As for the latter plan, they’re only introducing its trial stage because Sleeping Beauty and Lady are being noisy, and frankly, I don’t really care for it.”

“…”

He decided to tentatively accept this wasn’t one of Haji Keigo’s schemes.

But even so.

Daisuke moved his gaze to outside the window. He watched over the people who weren’t Mushitsuki walking the road.

“Even if this wasn’t my work… Mushitsuki have way too little hope. Is that what you’re thinking?”

He was already used to the youth called Haji Keigo being able to read his mind. He wasn’t surprised at this point.

“You’re all still scared of Maturation, and the only one revived from the Fallen state was Karasu. Also, now even foreign forces wanting to use you as guinea pigs started moving. It really does look like nothing but despair.”

“…”

“However, there are also some good omens for you. As a matter of fact, we finally had one Fallen resonate with Alpha. It’s still top secret, though.”

“Is it Senri?”

It appeared like it was Haji Keigo who wasn’t used to Daisuke reading his mind.

The youth’s drumming rhythm stopped entirely at once.

“…How could you tell?”

“Somehow.”

Among all Mushitsuki, the younger sister of the man sitting next to him had a unique disposition.

In the past she’d burn other people’s dreams, and after being trained she became to sense the location of other Mushitsuki.

If anything happened with those who became Fallen, it’d probably be her—he had this feeling from a while back. It really was just that.

“I see. Well, it’s because Senri’s strong. She’ll definitely come back soon.”

“…You’re not trustworthy regarding Senri, being a siscon as you are.”

“Doesn’t the same goes for you, then? Are you meeting up with Chiharu-kun?”

“Oh, there are meetings once in a while. —With people other than me.”

“Haha. So that girl monopolizes your heart, eh? This should be your real meeting place for today, right?”

Haji Keigo parked the car at a certain roundabout in front of a station.

As expected, although it was decorated with lights for Christmas Eve, there were only few people around, unlike the city center from before.

And there really was a girl standing at the entrance to the station.

She was a petite girl with a ribbon tied around part of her bangs. Her outfit consisting of a red coat and a white scarf—so-called Christmas themed—looked good on her.

“She sure became more mature.”

Haji spoke after seeing the girl standing in front of the station.

“It’s as if she’s retrieving her growth from when she was a Fallen.”

Daisuke agreed with those words.

She was probably thinking that Daisuke was going to appear from within the station. Looking toward the ticket gates, this girl—Anmoto Shiika—certainly had grown a lot this past year. Not only physically, but mentally as well.

Daisuke and Haji exited the car. The two men looked toward Shiika.

“Go to her, Kakkou. You’re not going to say that you find Fuyuhotaru looking for you so cute that you want to watch her for a bit longer, right?”

“…S-shuddup.”

Daisuke flushed. Haji chuckled.

“It was around this time last year that I let the two of you ‘escape’, right?”

“…”

“Although you were supposed to reunite last year, there was also a certain time where you had to be alone.”

“…And then you came with that line.”

He said while the two of them looked at the dolled-up Shiika.

“You said that we’re not gods. Since we’re just humans, things will never just go the way we want them to… but we can still keep living for a while. We can even feel happy.”

It really was true for Daisuke now.

And not just for him. It should be the same for other Mushitsuki as well.

Staying alive was always difficult, and despair was sure to await them in every corner in the future—

But even with that, they could still find a small happiness.

“A happy Mushitsuki, huh. In a certain sense, that might be your final destination.”

Was that something he really felt, or just lip service? A ringtone came from Haji’s pocket during his big talk.

The conversation he had on the phone was short. It consisted of “oh, really” and “got it”.

“Perhaps I should inform you as well. There’s good news and bad news, but which would you like to hear first?”

Daisuke’s shoulders slumped.

“Do you know what day it is today? Give me just the good news.”

“A certain Mushitsuki has turned the tables on their attackers just like you two.”

“''That’s'' that the good news? What’s the bad news, then?”

“You said you didn’t want to hear it.”

While the two men were still looking at her, Shiika finally noticed their presence.

Blushing at the gaze directed at her, she started approaching. On the way she slipped a little and nearly lost her balance, but that was the same as always.

“Oh, you’re here already, Daisuke-kun. You should’ve told me… Hello, Haji-san.”

“Hello, it’s been a while, how are you? Don’t be so cautious of me. I ended up meeting with Kakkou there by chance, so I just gave him a ride.”

Haji told an obvious lie. Even Shiika, who knew him for a long time just said “I see” with a smile and didn’t seriously engage with him.

“That coat looks good on you. It’s really cute.”

Daisuke wrung out his courage and spoke. —It would definitely make those who knew him as Kakkou laugh at him, but no matter what anyone said, this current Daisuke was the original one.

He’d been mentally preparing himself to praise his girlfriend since this morning, and wanted to even praise himself for managing to say it.

It was fine being a normal person.

He wanted to continue like that.

“T-thanks. Nanana gave it me. Said it was a Christmas present.”

Daisuke huffed at Shiika’s bashful words.

It was also very much like a normal person to get caught on something so minor.

“So you’re still seeing that woman.”

“Eh? Nanana’s my friend. She’s worried for me…”

Shiika also puffed her cheeks a bit. For Daisuke she was just a rich girl he would constantly badmouth, but she was apparently a precious friend of Shiika’s.

Haji laughed next to the silent two.

“Haha. Looks like your awkward relationship has advanced to the point where you can even have fights.”

Being mocked, Daisuke and Shiika exchanged glances. Both felt their ears redden and looked away at the same time.

“Let’s go, Shiika.”

“Yeah, Daisuke-kun.”

Daisuke took Shiika’s hand. Shiika bowed toward Haji and the two started walking.

The numbers of the boys and girls called Mushitsuki would not keep growing.

Even now despair kept standing in their way, just like it did before.

While the number of survivors kept dwindling, only very small hopes remained for the future—

But they’d never give up on surviving.

As long as Daisuke could feel the reassuring warmth from that hand—he believed this.

Even though he said he didn’t want to hear—

“…And that other Mushitsuki who defeated their attackers—”

Even though he heard this whisper from behind him.

“Was a person not in the SEPB’s database.”

The number of surviving Mushitsuki:

286→287?

END

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

File:Mushi Uta the Sneaker Legend.jpg

2025-01-01T12:09:40Z

Fuyuhotaru:

User:Fuyuhotaru

2024-12-27T17:13:36Z

Fuyuhotaru:

Hello, another fan who decided to translate Light Novels.

Completed:

Mushi Uta bug Volumes 3-8 (bug series now complete)

Mushi Uta Volumes 5-15 (series complete)

Mushi Uta:Registration Page

2024-12-25T08:41:29Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Mushi Uta */

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two. However, more translators may join in if they have the approval of the Project Supervisor.

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here". Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

==Mushi Uta==
===Volume 01===
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 6 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 02===
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 6 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 03===
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 04===
* Prologue - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 05===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 06===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 6 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 07===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 08===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 09===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 00===
'''The Beginning of Dream'''
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
'''The Dream of Sunset'''
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword -

===Volume 10===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 11===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 12===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 13===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 14===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 15===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

==Mushi Uta Bug==
===Volume 1st===
* Episode 01 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 02 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 03 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 04 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 2nd===
* Episode 05 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 06 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 07 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 08 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 3rd===
* Episode 09 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 10 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 11 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 12 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 4th===
* Episode 13 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 14 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 15 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 16 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 5th===
* Episode 17 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 18 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 19 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 20 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 6th===
* Episode 21 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 22 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 23 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 24 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 7th===
* Episode 25 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 26 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 27 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 28 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 8th===
* Episode 29 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 30 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 31 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 32 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

<noinclude>
{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Mushi Uta

2024-12-25T08:40:55Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Updates */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*December 25, 2024: Volume 15 & Series Complete
*August 18, 2024: Volume 14 Complete
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 15|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 1) (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 2) (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta

2024-12-25T08:40:16Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Series Overview */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*August 18, 2024: Volume 14 Complete
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 15|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 1) (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15. The Insects Singing Dream's Praises (Part 2) (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta

2024-12-25T08:38:14Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Volume 15 */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*August 18, 2024: Volume 14 Complete
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 15|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. 夢謳う虫たち（上） (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15.夢謳う虫たち（下） (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta:Volume 14

2024-12-25T08:37:58Z

Fuyuhotaru: Undo revision 584115 by Fuyuhotaru (talk)

{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword}}

<noinclude>
==Notes==
<references/>
{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15

2024-12-25T08:37:40Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3..."

{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue}}
{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword}}

<noinclude>
==Notes==
<references/>
{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 14

2024-12-25T08:37:07Z

Fuyuhotaru:

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Afterword

2024-12-25T08:36:59Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== Afterword == Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei. Thank you for supporting me for so long. Now, the Mushi Uta series has been concluded. Since the first volume had been sold..."

== Afterword ==

Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei.

Thank you for supporting me for so long.

Now, the Mushi Uta series has been concluded.

Since the first volume had been sold on the fifth month of Heisei 15, the curtain closed on it exactly 11 years later. Thinking back on this time, I can offer nothing but my gratitude.

While thinking that anything else would be superfluous, I want to use this opportunity of the book’s conclusion to look back on various things.

Or well, it’s only personal things.

Mushi Uta is actually the second series I’ve written since my debut.

Just like I wrote during the first afterword, it started with the simple idea to mix up something I love with something I hate: dreams and insects. Also, because I went with something much more logic-based for my debut work, I wanted to go with something more emotional next.

Right after starting the series, my liking of side characters was made even worse, so I started troubling the editor by wanting to do selfish things such as changing the main character every volume, a so-called omnibus format. I’m really glad I was told that “the readers want to read Kakkou’s story, you know” and it became like this. Well, I still ended up straying away from the main story around the middle part and was told the same thing a lot, though.

After this I had nothing but welcome developments; the serialization of the prequel Mushi Uta Bug, as well as the manga and anime adaptations.

Leaving aside those that I could leave to the professionals, the short stories started from a place of confusion and anxiety. Because I’d never written a volume of short stories before. It’s like they say that it’s harder writing short sentences rather than long ones.

Even so, I finally started enjoying it more around the middle. Perhaps because I set my goal to be a battle known to be lost from the main story it, agreed with my strange tastes as a creator.

But as I grew used to it, I got carried away and it ended up introducing a lot of new characters. In that sense, although it was fun to write, it ended up causing many other problems. I ended up troubling my editor by saying I want to put out a Mushitsuki that can drop meteors, and even caused trouble for the illustrator llo-san by creating so many characters. I really do apologize. This serialization became the number one motive and motivation for me to work on writing the Mushi Uta main story.

Looking at it like this, I am only thankful for all these things. Looking back on this happiness, it also makes me realize all the blunders I made on the way, so while I am ashamed, it was also very fun.

Now, including the prequel, the story now has more than 20 volumes in all, but how was its conclusion?

Because it was such a long story, I believe many readers worked their imaginations to try and guess how it would end.

I have received many of your impressions and words of encouragement, but while many told me about your favorite stories and characters, my impression was that most tried predicting future developments.

Among those especially many were, as expected, about the future of Kakkou and Shiika as main characters. And also as expected, most wished for a happy end for them.

Above all else, they wished for a connection to “after” the conclusion.

I believe the best sort of ending is one where you can imagine how it continues after the end.

Many things happened to the author himself during these long years as well.

Not just private things, but I learned a lot about writing as well.

I gained the opportunities to serialize other series, manga and novel adaptations, and each such time I was in the care of readers like you or other people in the business.

After I had the unprecedented experience of Mushi Uta, I think about writing new stories.

Even just in the sense of returning all the favors people gave me, I want to pour my everything into a new series.

Please look forward to it.

Allow me to once again thank everyone related to this series.

Onnai-sama who was in charge of me until now, Yamaguchi-sama, Taiki-sama and everyone of the editorial department all go without saying for all the help you’ve given me. The only reason such a helpless writer who always said the impossible could be controlled and continued the serialization was thanks to you. Thank you very much.

And the illustrator, llo-sama. Despite the fact that I have undoubtably caused you constant problems with so many characters and my slow writing, you have always drawn wonderful pictures for me. So many were rejected especially because of my slow writing and revisions… and you bore the brunt of my schedule… I feel nothing but gratitude for you. Thank you for sticking with me for so long.

There were also many people in charge of design, production work and the like.

I can’t hold enough gratitude for all the multitudes of people who helped me thus far.

And lastly.

I want to exhibit my heartfelt gratitude to the readers who followed Mushi Uta thus far.

Without your support, I never would have managed to continue the series for so long.

Thank you for helping not just me as the author but the series itself constantly evolve. I received countless words of support that gave me strength.

I hope I can continue to encourage you to pick up my works for your reading life.

I await the day we’ll meet again through another work.

Iwai Kyouhei

---

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p381.png|thumb]]

Congratulations, it’s finished! Good job. I’m the artist.

Since the 1st Volume was sold on May 2003, we’ve been together for eleven years.

If I were to live to be 110 years old, this would mean that Mushi Uta was a full 10% of my life, you know?

It means that every 2 and a half hours of my life were Mushi Uta. That’s incredible.

Many things happened during this long time, but I want to thank Iwai-sensei, all the editors and, above all else, the readers who accompanied us this far. Thank you very much, truly.

I’ll be happy if we meet somewhere again.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p382.png|thumb]]

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p383.png|thumb]]

<noinclude>

==Notes==
<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Epilogue

2024-12-25T08:36:51Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== Epilogue: Merry Christmas == Kusuriya Daisuke pulled out his umbrella and stood at the plaza in front of the Ouka station. There were many people around, coming out of th..."

== Epilogue: Merry Christmas ==

Kusuriya Daisuke pulled out his umbrella and stood at the plaza in front of the Ouka station.

There were many people around, coming out of the entrance with its decorated fir tree. A worker in a Santa Claus costume was handing out coupons in front of the station’s coffee shop.

Since the main functions of the country were moved from Akamaki City, the redevelopment of Ouka City was accelerating. Even here he could see that the roundabout in front of the station was currently being expanded. More bypasses were being constructed within the city and more residential neighborhoods were being built in the suburbs.

He even heard that GARDEN—Hashiba City—was advancing a large-scale redevelopment program. This time not for the Fallen, but as an actual, normal city for people to live in. The Fallen were all admitted into a large facility at Higano City, where they were now treated much more humanely.

The time was just around noon.

“…”

While being pelted by the rain, Daisuke waited for a certain girl.

They hadn’t decided on a time to meet or anything like that.

In the first place, he didn’t know whether she’d appear there.

After all, they only made a very vague promise.

''Let’s meet after a year''.

''I’ll end everything until we meet again''—he also swore this.

It was hard to say everything was solved, but he did feel like he did what he could. At the very least, there shouldn’t be anything that needed a Mushitsuki like him again. He was going to spend his life atoning for everything he should, and he was going to carry any and all misfortune that came to him on his own.

Therefore, he came here to fulfill their promise of a reunion.

Simply as Kusuriya Daisuke.

Believing his promised partner would arrive, he stood there.

He didn’t think she’d forgotten their promise.

However, whether or not she would come was a different issue.

Not only that, but she might miss Daisuke in this crowd of people. After all, Daisuke had no distinguishing features, and even his coat was plain. If there was any way at all to recognize him, it was probably only the band aid on his cheek—

“…”

The anxiety swelling in his chest melted away.

Daisuke smiled.

Among the many passing people, at the entrance to the station—

Stood a person waiting for him.

She was smaller than those her age and had a baby face. She wore the exact same ribbon as last year in her hair. Her cute coat looked a bit too big for her.

Anmoto Shiika.

The girl Daisuke first met five years ago looked at him and smiled.

Daisuke walked to the station.

Closing his umbrella, he finally reunited with this girl.

“…Err.”

This first pathetic voice came out of Daisuke’s mouth. Although he waited so long for today and was looking forward to meeting her, he couldn’t speak well.

He didn’t know what to say.

Or should he apologize? There were many things he needed to apologize for.

“Hello, Daisuke-kun.”

Perhaps not realizing Daisuke was stammering, Shiika opened her mouth first.

“It’s been a long time, huh.”

The girl grinned at him.

Daisuke and Shiika hadn’t met each other in two months. After the battle at GARDEN, they returned to their places—the SEPB or Mushibane—and never met since then.

Right, because they quickly parted back then—Daisuke hadn’t been able to apologize about the fact he was hiding that he was actually the Mushitsuki called Kakkou from her.

He deceived Shiika and he knew that she was deceived by him.

So before all else, Daisuke had to start by having her forgive him for that—

“We haven’t seen each other since last year’s Christmas.”

Shiika said.

There were tears in her eyes.

Surprised, Daisuke looked at Shiika.

She said nothing following this.

She knew everything—and yet said that Kusuriya Daisuke and Anmoto Shiika, who weren’t Mushitsuki or anything, met again for the first time in a year.

She was saying that she’d allow him to fulfill the promise.

“Yeah… Shiika.”

Daisuke nodded and smiled back at her.

Something heavy that he’d been accumulating for a long year—

Started slowly melting away with this warmth.

“I finished up my business… but are you fine, Shiika?”

“Yeah, it’s—fine already.”

Shiika nodded.

Looking at each other, only at this point he became embarrassed and averted his eyes. Shiika also blushed and looked away in a delay.

And then.

As their eyes met again—all anxiety and doubts vanished.

“Then—let’s go.”

As he took her hand, Shiika looked down bashfully. She might have nodded.

He had no idea what would happen from now on.

He had no idea where they were headed, and what conclusion awaited them.

Above all else, he didn’t know how to call the shape of their dreams.

“I want a place where I belong”—

All he knew was that both wished for this from their very hearts.

“Let’s start with lunch, then. Have you eaten yet, Shiika?”

“N-no. And after that, Daisuke-kun…”

“I remember. The amusement park, right.”

“Oh, but it’s raining, so I wonder if it’s fine…”

“They’ll probably have the parade. Also—”

There was only one way to make their dreams come true.

He could feel with his heart that the both of them walking side by side like this meant they went on the same path ahead.

Because they kept dreaming, got hurt, and especially because they didn’t give up despite that—

They could keep going even further.

“They’re saying it’ll start snowing this afternoon.”

Daisuke and Shiika smiled at each other, and while feeling each other’s hands’ warmth—

Vanished within the crowded station.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p375.png|thumb]]

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4

2024-12-25T08:36:42Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 4.00 The Others == A fir tree laden with electric decorations was being displayed at a small bakery’s window. Carrying paper bags in front of the store, she looked up t..."

== 4.00 The Others ==

A fir tree laden with electric decorations was being displayed at a small bakery’s window.

Carrying paper bags in front of the store, she looked up the sky with irate eyes.

The skies of Ouka City were laden with clouds and it began drizzling. She hated getting her blond hair that was longer than her white duffle coat wet, so she was forced to enter the bakery to take shelter.

“Yup, I’m at the bakery. Let’s change the plan, you come to me.”

She spoke on her cellphone with a soprano voice. White breaths leaked from the mouth hidden by her scarf.

Cutting off the call violently, she could hear light background music come from inside the bakery.

It was a Christmas song she could hear anywhere these last few days.

“Yeah, yeah, merry whatever. You piece of shit. It’s so cold, die already.”

She mumbled to herself.

While shaking from the cold, the number of cars passing through the road in front of her kept growing.

About two months passed since the government’s functions passed from the capital of Akamaki City to Ouka City. The large-scale repair work on Akamaki City following what was officially called the “Localized Hurricane Disaster” kept advancing.

Even after so many days, people didn’t stop voicing their doubts regarding the truth about what assaulted Akamaki City. On the other hand, many voices also called to relocate the capital to Ouka City.

She herself didn’t care about any of that.

The storm passed. No matter what theories came, the city would regain its form soon.

Just as her anger at the cold and the rain grew worse, a white limousine parked in front of her. The stupid long car’s door opened up on its own.

“Oh, it’s so warm inside.”

The moment she leapt into the car, she brought out bread from her paper bag. She gave it a hearty bite.

Inside the car there was a long, rectangular seat. The girl sitting on the other side of the thin, long table raised her brow.

“Hey, don’t spread crumbs all over. I’ll charge you for the cleaning fees.”

She was the girl called Akasegawa Nanana. Inside the heated car she wore only a thin dress and had a long cane in hand. Her doll-embracing secretary also sat next to her.

“Your face’s pale. Are you alright?”

Saying this was the one sitting at the back, Tachibana Rina. Her neat features and long limbs weren’t hidden by her casual outfit of jeans and a sweater.

“Aren’t you tired, Kasuou?”

“What’s so bad about being tired on Christmas Eve, eh? Don’t have any time for eatin’ bread, either.”

Ripping the bread with her teeth, Kasuou cussed. Ignoring Nanana’s secretary who brought out a hanger, she threw her coat toward the seat next to her.

The door closed on its own and the limousine set out.

Excluding the driver seen through the other side of the soundproof window, only four people—Kasuou, Tachibana Rina, Akasegawa Nanana and her secretary—were inside the car.

“There’s been a bit of trouble this morning.”

“Trouble? What happened?”

While shaking a glass containing red liquid, Nanana tilted her head.

“A runaway. One Mushitsuki vanished without any contact. Told me to form a search team to find him… what a bother.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. Happened to me too. Mine left a letter behind, though.”

“…I see.”

Seeing the sighing Kasuou and Rina, Nanana also made a huge breath. Perhaps uninterested, she asked no further questions about that.

“Well, leaving that side, let’s wrap up things already. I’ve got a party after this. If we don’t finish this quickly, the smell of that cheap bread’s going to get all over my dress.”

“You really piss me off just like always … You’re the one who set the condition that we’re to meet up whenever we’re sharing information.”

“Obviously. That’s the right of the one providing all sorts of help.”

“There there, it’s fine… so, what about that four-eyes? He’s got a message for us, right?”

Being prompted by Rina, Kasuou clicked her tongue as she removed her gaze from Nanana.

“He said, isn’t it about time Mushibane joined us?”

Hearing her words, Nanana and Rina’s expressions changed.

On the window outside the limousine now wrapped in silence, the scenery of Ouka City getting pelted by the rain was flowing.

The people walking through the decorated town looked like they were floating while holding umbrellas.

No one had any way of knowing that just recently, not far away from here, a battle that decided the fate of the world had been held—

“Have things calmed down already? It’s too early, right?”

Rina said as if to warn them.

It happened after they defeated Super Class Rank 1 C, and Oogui.

All the Mushitsuki—split up into the SEPB and Mushibane again.

This was Haji Keigo’s suggestion.

The crux was that the SEPB was going to shoulder everything related to the work in order to rebuild the country again, as well as the negotiations to stop the international community from interfering.

All foreign countries already held interest in the supernatural beings called Mushi since long ago. It was Miguruma Yaeko and Haji Keigo who repelled them.

However, the international community were trying to use this incident as a pretext to send force with the stated goal of “preserving the peace”. If they let them, there was a decent chance all scattered Mushitsuki would get illegally kidnapped to other country. If that happened, it might as well cause another problem on the government level—and might even cause a new problem on the military level.

“What’s Haji the bastard been doing while he pretended to be asleep? He’s been apparently negotiating with some guys overseas. Probably laying the groundwork for everything after the battle.”

The reason he decided to split the Mushitsuki into two groups even after finally uniting them was probably due to something like insurance.

Even if the fight ended, there was no guarantee that the Mushitsuki would safely return being under the country’s authority again. If those at the core of country had C’s brainwashing lifted, and if the state kept targeting the Mushitsuki—they needed an organization to act as a receptable of Mushitsuki.

That was Mushibane.

In order to secure their own position, the SEPB’s Mushitsuki became busy with missions. So they needed manpower in order to search out the surviving Mushitsuki all over the country and secure them. Mushibane took on that role.

That was apparently a suggestion made by Haji Keigo right after the battle.

All Mushitsuki—agreed to this plan unanimously.

“Besides… the effects of what C did were surprisingly small.”

Kasuou kept talking.

“I mean, Akamaki’s still in that horrible state and GARDEN’s all broken up… and since she became Fallen all those brainwashed guys woke up, so that’s huge. Even that Deluge thingy that aimed for all the country’s people apparently ended up without anyone becoming a Mushitsuki because we all got into GARDEN immediately.”

“…”

“So the real problems came later. This country needs Haji to manage the surviving Mushitsuki and negotiate with overseas. Even that bastard wants to take advantage of it and go all out. Without caring at all that we need to run all over the place for him.”

Nanana opened her mouth.

“Regarding foreign countries, I also handle some of the negotiations, albeit unofficially. They keep telling me to sell them Mushitsuki. Leave finding those sorts of idiots to me.”

Saying this, she wore a bold smile and shook her glass.

“This country will probably sink for a while from the battle’s aftereffects… but I can already see signs of its imminent revival. If something bothersome reaches out, I’ll shut them up not with Mushitsuki, but with the powerful magic of money.”

After defeating C, Haji Keigo first revived the organization of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

Rina rescued all the scattered Mushitsuki and protected them.

Akasegawa Nanana supported both of them in all aspects.

After the decisive battle, appearing in this sort of three-way discussion—

This would probably be their last time.

From now on, they really would create a single, new path to take, in the truest sense.

Rina smiled.

“Once we added up those Mushitsuki who weren’t part of the C operation in Akamaki City with those that Terasu secretly let escape when we got out of Akamaki City—it’s quite the number of people.”

Kasuou laughed back.

“Terasu’s going to collapse again. Even though she already almost died from overwork last week.”

“If she doesn’t suffer any work-related injury, tell her to come to me. I’ll hire her for ten times the salary.”

Nanana laughed as well.

Kasuou turned toward the glass window behind her, watching the flowing cityscape.

Rina and Nanana also looked outside, each with their own thoughts.

“…So, any new people revived from the Fallen state?”

“I’d like to know that, too. Was it just that one person Ayukawa Chiharu-san helped?”

“Even a single person is great. —It’s Alpha that we’re having no progress with. I knew it was going to be lengthy, but the research fees just keep on growing…”

“There was another guy at SEPB who’s almost Matured. I killed the Mushi, though.”

“We had two. I—took care of them.”

“You look much paler than Kasuou. Should I introduce you to a hospital?”

“How’s your father?”

“As always. …Yeah, once Mushibane no longer needs me, if father allows… I’ll ask Arisu to take this body and—right, how is she?”

“Getting there slowly but surely. She’s now able to stay awake for about two hours a day. Oh right, Nanana, she said she wants to meet you.”

“I see… oh, well, in due time. —That aside, do you know a journalist called John Mash? He’s using the Chronicler’s footage to do activism about Mushitsuki rights. What a riot.”

“That Haji bastard said it wasn’t something to just throw away. He blabbed something about how Mushitsuki’s existence becoming clear to the wide public might actually be helpful—”

Their useless conversation came to a sudden end.

The limousine got caught up in red light in front of the Ouka station.

Kasuou could see a single boy standing in front of the station. His back was turned to her and he looked like he was waiting for someone.

“Kasuou. That guy’s the runaway you’re looking for, right?”

Rina looked outside the window, wearing a mischievous smile.

“…I toldja, I’m busy.”

Kasuou wore a bitter smile and turned her face away from the window.

“Busy pretending I’m lookin’ for him.”

Nanana also looked outside and laughed.

“Yaha, you’re not just pretending, but actually helping him.”

“I don’t wanna hear that from you. …He worked more than anyone until now, and we already finished our business, the way I see it. Got nothing to do with him anymore. If he says he don’t need either the SEPB or Akasegawa for support, I don’t give a fuck.”

Saying this, Kasuou smiled back at Rina.

“About the one that escaped you… she’ll probably appear if we wait here, won’t she?”

“It’s fine. …That girl also did her best until today.”

Saying this and smiling, Rina looked happy.

The light changed to green.

The white limousine slowly drove off.

No one told it to stop.

“Well, it’ll somehow work out. —For us as well.”

Kasuou mumbled as Rina and Nana smirked at her—

And made a small nod.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p357.png|thumb]]

== 4.01 The Others ==

Konomura Chami was fed up with the Christmas song she could hear everywhere.

Sitting in a four-people table at a family restaurant, she blankly stared at the outside scenery. Ouka City was gloomy with some rain and clouds, but the expressions of the passing people were bright.

A burp escaped her throat as she played around with the straw.

“Wooow, how dirty, I can’t believe it. Chami-sama, you’re so unfeminine!”

“You know, there’s this saying that you should keep your manners even when you’re with people you know well. When communicating with others, not only do you not lower your guard, but you end up imposing your excessive self-esteem on the other party—”

“…The worst…”

She heard concentrated complaints from her companions. The veins in Chamis’ temple popped out.

Next to Chami sat Lucifera, her various accessories jingling.

Opposite to her was Satou Youko, wearing a thick coat despite being inside, and Konoha, her eyes being hidden by her long bangs.

“You lot… don’t get too carried away or I’ll sting you with my ability again.”

“But Chami-sama, you were the one who dispelled that despite us not asking you to.”

“Right, we’re no longer your pawns, Chami-chan.”

“…She’s feeling bad because Chiharu won’t come today…”

It was apparently useless to even speak here.

After the battle with C was over, Chami released her pawns from their shackles.

There wasn’t any reason in particular.

It was just that she had no particular reason to keep them shackled, either.

“More importantly, what’s up with you calling me out on Christmas Eve? I have plans, y’know.”

As she sighed and said this, the three of them glared at Chami with expressions she’d never seen before.

“…What’s with those surprised faces… It’s just a part-time job. A low-paying one.”

“Ohhh, oh, what a shock. This is the greatest shock since I’ve met you, Chami-sama! I thought that maybe Chiharu finally cheated on you with a guy!”

“Is that part-time job at the cake shop from before? Still, even if you were introduced by that handyman, for them to be hiring you despite not having any resume, she sure has some serious connections… yup, sure looks busy today.”

“…Chami making cakes… Pfft…”

“Ah, I’m gonna kill all of you. You shitheads.”

Falling atop the table, Chami made a huge sigh.

Looking at the people walking outside with stupid expressions and her lax companions, she felt deflated.

No, talking about her being deflated—then it started ever since the battle ended.

“Spit it out, Konoha. Why did you gather us?”

Chami spoke.

She was tired of wasting time on this stupid talk.

Even not including Chami, who still had some time until her shift, no one here should have this much free time. —Perhaps that was why they all took this breather.

“…The SEPB and Mushibane are joining up again…”

Konoha mumbled this.

All those around the table looked momentarily serious.

“—I see.”

Chami wore a bitter smile.

Those words truly closed the curtain on Chami’s ambition.

The enemy was defeated. If the situation really was as stable as to allow the Mushitsuki to join up again—it means that the preparations for both the main and minor roles to get off the stage had already finished.

Chami would not end up snatching the seat of the protagonist, but just vanish secretly.

She wouldn’t do anything as boorish as pulling the actors back to a final curtain call—

“It doesn’t mean that the situation’s this stable, alright? I do think they’d stir it up a lot, though?”

Satou Youko raised her face, alluring Chami with a bewitching smile.

Chami spat with a glum face.

“Are you itching for action, ex-Demon Lord…? Ha, don’t lump me in with you.”

In the first place, she was the one who understood her vessel the most.

She didn’t find this result of her not being able to become someone important all that painful.

Not thinking of it as painful—was a bit painful.

So she kept being stubborn and decided on being herself, even if she was a nobody.

Not relying on anyone, not belonging anywhere, being neither a normal person nor a Mushitsuki—

She just wanted to be free.

“—Well then…”

Lucifera rose from her seat.

“I’ll be going back to Mushibane now.”

Konoha rose as well.

“And to the SEPB for me…”

Satou Youko also got up, carrying her suitcase.

“And I’ll go back helping the handyman.”

All of them went back to their places.

The three people vacating their seats looked at the seated Chami and smiled.

“What will you do, Chami-sama?”

“—I won’t do anything.”

She wore a bitter smile.

If Chami got up and said something like, “I’m going to turn over the world!”, would they follow her?

Even such delusions—sounded boring to her.

“I’ll work my low-wage job, grab a bento from the convenience store and go back to my apartment.”

She thought they’d feel disappointed by her answer.

All three wore a funny smile and said nothing.

Apparently, these impudent pawns all saw through their former master’s disposition—

“…”

Watching the three of them leave, she wondered when they’d meet like this next.

Of course, this was but a delusion.

She had nothing to do with where they were all headed to, now.

There was no longer any need for them to glance at each other again.

“—Please allow me to start by apologizing.”

A grinning woman suddenly came sitting in front of Chami without giving her any chance to refuse.

“Special Class Rank 10, Owl. I have misjudged your capabilities. Depending on the usage, your ability should receive a far higher ranking. I do beg your forgiveness.”

Narrowing her already thin eyes, the woman wore a kind smile. Her neat outfit and her gentle-mannered bearing were the exact opposite of the wild Chami.

“The ability to magnify people’s emotions… I wonder what would happen if you narrowed it down to the shape of a ‘dream’? Have you ever tested this?”

The woman and Chami might have looked like sisters with a large gap in age. Or perhaps a delinquent student being kindly admonished by a popular teacher.

They obviously didn’t have this sort of relationship.

Not only that, but Chami had been instantly taken in by the calm woman’s eyes and tone. Her body became heavier and she felt captive.

It was as if she was being gently and kindly—wrapped by chains.

“It will probably be a difficult experiment. However, if we find a guinea pig like Alpha and try pouring your ability into it—perhaps ‘something’ will be born again.”

The woman smiled.

“You possess the power to change the world.”

Miguruma Yaeko.

As the one who created the opportunity for the creation of Mushi, played with Mushitsuki and even created the powerful enemy called C, this woman could be called the root of all fights.

Miguruma Yaeko had used the chaos caused by the end of the battle in GARDEN and hid until this very moment. And now—she came to Chami.

“—Can’t even begin to imagine it.”

Chami laughed.

As Chami raised her eyes and mouth to laugh, the silhouette of a crimson queen bee appeared behind her.

“Joking aside, the world’s people are looking for you. How did you manage to hide so perfectly despite that? I thought you already went up and defected overseas, but here you are, still in Ouka City.”

Her body trapped by the Smile of Shackles retrieved its freedom. She could resist Miguruma Yaeko by heightening the emotion of “anger” within her.

“Well—I did imagine it was something like this.”

“…Have you stung yourself using your own Mushi?”

Although she saw Chami change her expression, Miguruma did not let her own smile falter.

“If you could strengthen even yourself, I really have great expectations for the experiment. As you are right now, you might become a Rank 1—no, there’s even the chance you’ll become something like the Original Three—”

“I don’t give a damn. No, I bet even you don’t give a damn.”

''Kfu—

The illusion of a white cat sitting atop the table laughed.

“About the fact that your experiment or whatever—killed a single cat.”

And it wasn’t just Chami’s one and only past partner.

Way too many people became victims.

Way too many Mushitsuki were defeated.

“I’ll show you my full powers just like you want. Let’s fall to hell together.”

While they were glaring at each other—no, it was only Chami who was glaring at Miguruma—the atmosphere of the family restaurant instantly changed.

She didn’t know why.

All customers were suddenly gone from inside the shop. Even the staff vanished without trace.

“I don’t have any power to change the world. And even if I did—”

Instead of customers and staff, people exuding threatening auras appeared.

Gathering there one after another, they surrounded Chami and Miguruma’s table.

“It’s the power to finish you off and protect the world.”

And coming out in front of all those people—

Was the flame devil, Harukiyo.

This Rank 1 Mushitsuki looked down on Miguruma with flaming eyes. —They probably also theorized that Miguruma was going to show herself to Chami as well. She’d noticed they were sniffing around her for a while now.

But even if her opponent was a Rank 1, she wasn’t going to hand this over to him.

This little sting was none other than Chami’s.

“So—will you tell me your dream?”

She once had a dream of going up the stage as the main role.

But she finally accepted her life for what it was, knowing it wouldn’t happen.

The story of such a small-time Mushitsuki—

“If you’ve got something like it, that is.”

Came to an end with her dragging the worst scriptwriter of all off the stage.

== 4.02 The Others ==

The smell of the salty sea and green grass wafted in the air of Aoharima Island.

Twice it was assaulted by the flames of war.

The massacre brought by Miguruma Yaeko as well as the preliminary fight before the final battle against C.

The traces of the battle were the houses that became unlivable ruins as well as the wharf still filled with debris.

Although only the sounds of the waves and the wind came to Aoharima Island—

New sounds were born there again.

The sounds of striking metal and ships carrying materials cutting through the sea.

As well as—small laughter.

She could even smell the fragrance of food from somewhere.

She could see it well from the sky.

Among the devastated houses, several were being fixed. The sound of striking metal was the construction work of people who came from the mainland.

A part of the wharf was being filled with concrete, so it could barely allow ships to anchor.

There were still only few people on the surface. Most of the them were the workers brought from the mainland for the construction work and their families.

Among them, there were also small figures running atop the small hills.

The fire before robbed most of the island’s lives.

However—there were some survivors.

They were young children. The young man called Sensei had protected them on this island and they were sent to childcare facilities on the mainland afterward. She only unveiled this truth fairly recently.

The surviving children came back to Aoharima Island.

And now, climbing up a small hill, they waved at the sky.

“Big sis Ubuki! Don’t slack off, come down already!”

The voice calling to her revived the hope of this island.

And even she herself was one such hope.

Because she was the one and only Mushitsuki who came back from being a Fallen following the final decisive fight.

This didn’t mean she became a normal person again—but it showed them without a doubt that this was possible.

“What are you doing there, just flying all the time!”

She freely flew the skies above the island with the black wings sprouting from her back.

While feeling a small hope—

“I’m looking for a pretty dream.”

Shirakashi Ubuki laughed.

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 3

2024-12-25T08:36:33Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 3.00 The Others == “—Come, Taiki-san.” Following the voice that called to him from outside him room’s window— “…!” Taiki jumped out of the window. His..."

== 3.00 The Others ==

“—Come, Taiki-san.”

Following the voice that called to him from outside him room’s window—

“…!”

Taiki jumped out of the window.

His room was on the second floor, but it wasn’t that high. They also had a lawn. Even taking in mind all these conditions—his own body very easily absorbed the impact of the landing. Taiki, who never gave any effort during gym classes and always focused on studying, somehow made it.

“Here!”

Her diagonally-cut bangs swaying, Ikarino Kirari spun her body. She leapt over the low fence, nimble as a cat.

“—”

Taiki looked up toward the window of his room. He jumped down due to a bad premonition and impulse, but he still couldn’t wipe away his anxiety.

“Big brother.”

His sister Ririe looked down on Taiki expressionlessly. She was petite even among fellow middle schoolers, and although not very sociable, she was their smart youngest sister.

“Taiki-san, hurry up!”

From the top of the fence, Ikarino Kirari shouted at him.

He flinched from his own family and followed a complete stranger. —He knew perfectly well that this wasn’t a natural situation in the least. However, that impulse without a cause urged Taiki to move.

Turning his back to Ririe, he tried following after Kirari.

“…!”

The surroundings that were dark due to the blackout or whatever suddenly became bright.

Taiki soon realized what light source illuminated them.

It was the sky.

“What—is that…?”

Could he call it a rain of light?

A swarm of stars floating in the night sky became a large mass of light. While lighting up the city like lightning, the mass of light was slowly changing its shape.

It became a golden, glowing, divine shrine—

A gigantic shrine was now floating above Taiki’s town. Its tremendous size was likely several times Taiki’s high school.

And there wasn’t just one.

Even within Taiki’s vision alone there were three. Although they were so far away that he couldn’t see their shape, he could see other floating objects that emitted light of the same type.

“Ah…!”

Ikarino Kirari grimaced. She held her ears.

“These—bell sounds…!”

Bell sounds.

Yesterday afternoon as well, Taiki’s classmates said that they heard it.

However, just like back then, Taiki couldn’t hear anything. Rather than that Taiki had been more taken in by the mysterious shrines popping overhead, but hearing a sound from overhead, he came back to his senses.

It was from right next to Taiki’s room.

She probably put her head out due to all the lights and sounds. His middle sister Noa opened her door’s window, glaring at the mysterious shrines floating in the night sky.

“Noa…!”

Noa made no response at all to Taiki’s voice. She was just staring, her expression vacant.

Just as Taiki found Noa’s behavior suspicious, this time the front door opened. His parents came out and looked up to the shrine with the same expression.

He was paralyzed by this bizarre sight, but it wasn’t just his family acting strange.

“…!”

Even from the neighboring house and on the other side of the street the residents came out and opened their doors, one after another. Their faces were vacant.

''W-what’s going on? Is this real life?

Taiki was about to panic. It felt like seeing a nightmare, but the sensation of the grass touching his bare feet was too real.

“—Taiki-san! Quickly!”

Struck by this sharp voice, Taiki gasped.

Even while holding her head, Ikarino Kirari reached a hand toward him.

“B-but my family…!”

Unable to know what to believe in, he turned toward them.

“Don’t go, big brother.”

Ririe also reached toward Taiki. Taiki groaned.

“Taiki-san! There’s nothing you can do here!”

Ikarino Kirari was urging him, her face looking desperate. His family was acting completely abnormal.

Who should he believe in? Who should he go to? He didn’t even have to hesitate at this decision.

Even so, Taiki took an action unbelievable even to himself—

“—There are people waiting for you!”

Hearing those words, his body moved on its own.

Kicking the ground and running, Taiki took—

“We have no time.”

The hand of the grinning Ikarino Kirari.

Shocked at his own actions, Taiki turned to his house.

“…”

Ririe was staring at Taiki. Guilt stabbed his chest.

“—Sorry, Ririe.”

He couldn’t just abandon his family.

Right now, Taiki had no idea what made his family act so weird. Just like Kirari told him, he doubted there was something he could do by staying there.

He felt like it was the girl called Ikarino Kirari who knew the truth. If he could do anything for his family, it would have to start from asking her about the situation.

Because he had this intuition, he chose to part from his family for now.

“Get on, Taiki-san.”

A motorcycle was parked on the other side of the fence. Jumping down from it, Ikarino Kirari immediately rode the bike.

Taiki sat in the back just like he was told and Kirari grabbed his arms. She forcibly put them around her waist.

“Hold on tight.”

Saying this, Kirari revved up the engine.

It appeared to be an electrically operated motorcycle. There were no engine sounds and the motorcycle cut through the residential district like it was flying.

Kirari’s driving was excellent. As the motorcycle soundlessly slipped through alleys, it leapt out of the block where Taiki’s house was in no time flat.

Every window Taiki could see was open, and the residents all gazed at the shrines floating in the night sky.

“What’s up with that… what is going on…”

“Since there’s a blackout, they’d end up seeing these lights—”

For a moment, the girl grabbing the handlebars froze as though her head was struck.

“And… if they hear those bell sounds, everyone would end up looking up at the sky.”

Although there were no engine sounds, he could hear the girl’s voice well.

“The deluge of blackouts, as well as the deluge of light and sound—everyone in the country is probably being attacked by both of them right about now…”

The entire country was in a situation like this—

This sounded unbelievable, but he couldn’t laugh at this either. Although they were already far from his home due to Kirari’s driving, the lines of shrines floating in the sky were endless.

“A-are you alright? Why are only you…”

“It’s because I’ve gone through training to resist things like this before. The only ones not affected by this bell are probably those that went through special training like me—or Mushitsuki.”

“Mushitsuki—”

Taiki’s body stiffened.

In the first place, strange things started happening around Taiki ever since he started dreaming about Mushitsuki. All of a sudden Ikarino Kirari appeared in front of him and it finally became like this—

“Right, Mushitsuki. —Those Shrines are nothing more than triggers to create Mushitsuki.”

“Eh…?”

“It was probably originally the ability of one the Original Three—those Primal Mushi that gave birth to Mushitsuki. Since C absorbed the Church and the bell sounds, it became like this…”

Taiki paled. He couldn’t really understand what the girl was talking about, but she said things he couldn’t ignore. —That Shrine gave birth to Mushitsuki.

“No way… so my family’s also going to become Mushitsuki?”

“The originals could only make young people into Mushitsuki… but since C learned how to manipulate dreams and memories, she absorbed the Original Three.”

Ikarino Kirari was speaking.

“Even adults wish for things. C might be able to upgrade even simple wishes such as eating good food to dreams.”

“—”

“C’s goal is to create Mushitsuki and then make them into Revived that can come back to life again and again.”

Ikarino Kirari’s tone was detached.

“By doing that, she wants to fill the world with a new mankind—the Undying…”

He knew she was saying something very scary.

No—a world where no one could die was perhaps not scary, but actually good.

However, whether it was good or bad had nothing to do with Taiki right now.

His own family was in danger of becoming Mushitsuki.

Should he go back home? However, what could Taiki do even if he did?

Thinking this far, he noticed a contradiction.

“—What about me, then?”

He could feel the girl twitching a little.

“Why am I… fine, then? I’m not a Mushitsuki, but when I look at that Shrine nothing happens and I can’t hear the bell like you…”

“…”

“What does it mean? Hey!”

“There is—a reason for that.”

She sounded utterly convinced. Taiki felt his heart beating harder.

“Did you… do something to me?”

“The reason you are unaffected by the Shrine is different… but I did do something to you. I’m sorry.”

“Ha…? W-what do you—”

“The one who found you is the Mushitsuki called Konoha, but I was the only one who could approach you… because any Mushitsuki would get noticed by C. So I received something from a certain person and tried delivering it to you in secret. —And this happened before I acted the part of that journalist’s interpreter to see your reaction.”

Taiki couldn’t understand what she was saying at all.

“Eh…? Before the interview…? But we never—”

“I don’t have any distinguishing features other than my hairstyle… so if I hide that, wear a disguise and change my voice, I can infiltrate pretty much anywhere. I delivered you something many times, whether you were on the way to school or inside it. And every time I did that—you dreamt of Mushitsuki.”

“…!”

Receiving this impact that felt much like getting hit on the head by a club, he felt dizzy.

The origin of these dreams that Taiki worried about—was right in front of him.

“Why—h-how—”

“Because it was a request from the queen bee—from a certain Mushitsuki.”

For just a brief moment, her tone dropped as she said this.

“And because… doing this is my duty.”

“What—did you do to me?”

The moment Taiki asked this, the motorcycle decelerated.

They reached a certain corner of town illuminated by the Shrine’s light. Having stopped its engine, the motorcycle now approached a large, three-storied building using inertia alone.

“I’ll explain now.”

The residence’s garage facing the road remained half-open. As far as Taiki could see, that large house was wrapped in silence, and there were no residents peeking from the windows.

“…Including the reason you’re not affected by the Shrine.”

The motorcycle parked just as they slipped into the garage. Ikarino Kirari got off first.

While Taiki timidly got off as well, he felt the presence of a person there.

Within the dark interior of the garage there was something humanlike. —The golden light peeking through the half-open entrance illuminated their lower torso.

“W-who’s that…?”

Responding to Taiki’s voice, the person inside approached.

Revealed by the light was a girl who looked about Ikarino Kirari’s age. Perhaps having sustained some injury, her limbs were wrapped by bandages, and it looked rather painful.

That girl wearing a casket hat instantly reached for Taiki upon seeing his face.

“—Daisuke…”

The girl’s fingers touched Taiki’s cheek.

As this complete stranger took an unexcepted action—Taiki’s body was paralyzed. Her crying like this and forcing her wounded body to move in order to touch Taiki looked like it could be a famous scene from some movie.

“She’s Ayukawa Chiharu-san.”

Ikarino Kirari moved next to her, turning to Taiki.

“Ayukawa… Chiharu.”

Taiki didn’t know her.

However, the person called Chiharu appeared to be mistaking Taiki for someone. “Daisuke”, she called him—wait, did she mean his cousin Kusuriya Daisuke?

He’d also be the first to admit it, but Taiki had no distinguishing features in his appearance. He was of a medium build and height, and his hair was neither short nor long. He was a normal high-schooler who could even be called plain.

It’d be natural for him to be mistaken for someone else in this limited lighting.

“Y-you look hurt… shouldn’t you be going to a hospital?”

As Taiki said this, Chiharu’s expression froze.

“And she, err, seems to be mistaking me with someone, so she should at least rest until she calms down…”

He tried worrying about the girl.

However, as Chiharu raised her brows sadly, Kirari sank into a pregnant silence.

“…?”

Taiki frowned.

Chiharu bit her lips. Inserting her hand into her shirt, she pulled out a necklace from inside her collar. There was a gold ring hanging from the chain.

“I’ll bring you back to yourself now—”

“…!”

Inside Chiharu’s palm, the ring started glowing in azure.

Chiharu brought the glowing ring closer to Taiki—

“—”

Both Taiki and Chiharu’s expressions stiffened and they froze on the spot.

Why did they stop moving?

That was—because Ikarino Kirari stuck out something toward Ayukawa Chiharu’s temple.

“Kirari-san…?”

It was a gun.

And it was a large automatic pistol, the kinds of which he’d only see in foreign movies. It looked so heavy for Kirari’s thin arms it was a wonder she could hold it like that.

The moment after, a light burst at the entrance to the garage.

“—Big brother.”

As Taiki turned around in shock, he saw his little sister Ririe standing there.

“Kirari-san, are you… being controlled by C—”

Chiharu groaned, her voice hoarse.

== 3.01 The Others ==

Pointing the gun at Chiharu, Kirari spat in a cold voice.

“Don’t move, Ayukawa Chiharu-san.”

Standing at the garage door, Ririe glared at Ayukawa Chiharu and then mumbled.

“Aria Varei—”

“You too.”

Ririe stopped as Kirari looked to her as well.

“Tell the Revived outside to also show themselves and stay still.”

Ririe was speechless.

“If you don’t—I’ll kill Ayukawa Chiharu-san here.”

Chiharu shuddered. Taiki didn’t know what to do at this sudden development.

“Kirari-san…? What are you doing?”

Ignoring Chiharu’s question, Kirari spoke to Ririe.

“You want to absorb the Original Three—Aria Varie—that’s inside her, right? But if the vessel dies here, then Aria Varei who’s fused with her will be gone as well.”

“…”

“By killing the vessel, I could kill Aria Varei. Miguruma Yaeko knew them to be such a fragile existence—which was why she attacked Aoharima Island, trying to kill Sanbikime along with the vessel.”

Kirari and Ririe glared at each other.

“All I want is to have a little talk with you. —However, if you’re not willing to talk, I’ll kill Ayukawa Chiharu. Before she gets absorbed by you and you become an even larger threat.”

“Talk…?”

Chiharu was shocked, turning her face to Ririe.

“With her—with C?”

C.

This time it was Taiki’s turn to shudder.

He heard this name so much every night in his dreams that he was sick of it.

The C he knew and his sister weren’t alike at all—no, perhaps there were a few traces of that in her face, but they were definitely different people. He couldn’t understand the meaning behind Ikarino Kirari’s actions, but he could understand Chiharu’s words even less.

“You know what kind of person I am, right? Even if you know, you can’t say this is an idle threat, right? Since you’re C—you can think logically about it.”

She definitely wouldn’t lose against Ikarino Kirari’s resolute actions. However—

“…”

Ririe’s eyes softened and she became expressionless again. Behind her, many boys and girls appeared in front of the garage. All of them were expressionless as if they were mimicking her.

“Ririe…?”

Seeing his little sister commanding all these strange people, Taiki felt like he didn’t know her at all.

“Thank you very much for agreeing to talk.”

Ikarino Kirari thanked her and bowed politely.

Now retrieving her calm, Chiharu glared at Kirari. There was a very unsettling atmosphere throughout the garage.

“…Can you explain what you’re doing? Kirari-san.”

“Thank you very much for using my services. I am Handyman Kirarin✩.”

Still holding the gun, Kirari bowed again.

“I am currently fulfilling two requests. However, their contents are one and the same.”

The girl who managed to seal the movements of both Ririe and Chiharu looked at Taiki.

“That is, returning a certain Mushitsuki to the frontlines—namely, Kakkou.”

Taiki was confused.

He had no idea who Ikarino Kirari was, and he didn’t care for her goals.

However, for some reason—she looked straight at him and started talking.

“He continued fighting ever since he became a Mushitsuki. For a long time… he hurt many people and he also saved many people. Like, Fuyuhotaru, Lady Bird, as well as… a certain Marker-User. Without him, perhaps the entire country would have gotten affected by their rampage.”

Kirari’s tone was detached. Was she speaking about some stories from the past Taiki knew nothing about?

“—But he then exhausted himself.”

This had nothing to do with him.

Even so, strangely—he felt something stir within him.

“Just as he was about to Mature… he got his Mushi killed by Fuyuhotaru, and his life was saved. In return, he became a Fallen with neither memories nor feelings… but even in that state, he was still needed. By the queen bee’s group, including Ayukawa Chiharu right here.”

“I—I’m not like Chami-chan—”

Ayukawa Chiharu tried denying it, but soon wore a pained face and went silent.

“However, Kakkou rejected Chiharu-san’s call. Because he knew that if he woke up, he’d have to fight again. He was… too tired.”

While Kirari spoke matter-of-factly, Chiharu averted her face.

“However, the queen be—did not allow Kakkou to sleep.”

“Thinking that if calling him wasn’t enough, she could let those who knew him well try to convince him, the queen bee split the personality she pulled out of Kakkou and sent it to his close acquaintances or those of the same power level—to the Rank 1 Mushitsuki. If they resonated with each other, they might be able to forcibly wake up Kakkou… this was her gamble.”

Taiki’s heart felt like it jumped inside his chest.

Resonating with the Rank 1s—

Hearing these words, the bad premonition inside Taiki was growing worse.

“Letting Kakkou’s personality come in contact with the Rank 1s and recollecting it was Ayukawa Chiharu’s job—and I was requested to deliver it to Kakkou’s body. It also overlapped with a request I’d been given by another person before…”

“—W-wait a minute—”

Wait.

Taiki wanted to stop her, but Ikarino Kirari continued forcefully.

“Kakkou’s body was found by the queen bee’s comrade, who could use an ability to see afar—but two unexcepted things happened.”

The girl’s eyes watching Taiki narrowed in sadness.

“Firstly, apparently Kakkou-san’s fragments I collected had some of the Rank 1 memories copied into them—”

The memories of the Rank 1 Mushitsuki—Tachibana Arisu, Harukiyo, as well as Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.

For some reason, their names rose to Taiki’s mind.

It was because he dreamt about them every night—because he watched parts of their memories.

“And another miscalculation—was that Kakkou’s body was living as a completely different person.”

“—”

Ririe’s brows twitched and she tried moving her arm.

Ikarino Kirari immediately put power into her hand holding the gun, keeping Ririe in check.

“I did think I was mistaken at first. There’s been such an ingenious, careful falsification of reality. —I couldn’t believe it had been done in so short of a time.”

Falsification of reality—

Taiki heart beat to a painful extent. Even so his body felt heavy and he couldn’t move even a single finger.

“With none the wiser and with no one noticing—a certain household suddenly had ''two'' more kids. Starting with those parents and their only daughter, to the people living nearby and even classmates, any and all humans related to them had their memories manipulated. She created two fake lives, carved those into everyone’s memories, falsified the family register, grades and all other relevant digital data, and even prepared rooms. There was even an album with composite photos…”

It was there that Taiki’s thought short-circuited.

He simply couldn’t understand what the girl was saying. —Or wouldn’t.

While holding the gun, he didn’t know why she was making such a sad face.

“I just barely managed to find an old official copy of the family register… not a digital one, but one that was no more than yellowed paper. If I’d been just a little late in finding it, it would’ve been purged as well.”

“…”

“There was only three people’s worth of information written there. Among the two not written there, one was the body double of the falsifier herself, C—”

Ikarino Kirari looked at the girl standing at the entrance to the garage.

“Takashiro Ririe.”

Ikarino spat this, then tried turning toward Taiki—

“And the other one is—”

“Wa—wait—”

He blocked her sight with a hand, as if he didn’t want to look at Kirari’s face.

“…Please wait…”

He repeated this, his eyes widened.

Ikarino Kirari’s explanation were too hectic, something that could just be laughed off.

Even so—the heartbeat pounding inside his chest wouldn’t let him do so. Cold sweat erupting all over and the sounds pounding in his chest urged Taiki violently.

Get out of here, quickly—they seemed to be saying this.

“Why would you do that…”

After being rejected by Taiki, Ikarino Kirari turned her face to Ririe.

“If you were just scared of Kakkou-san, you should’ve just hidden him somewhere no one would find him—no, you even had the choice to kill him! So why would you go through the trouble of doing all that…!”

“K-kill…?!”

Kirari blamed Ririe, while Chiharu blamed Kirari in turn.

“—I do not fear Kakkou.”

Seeing his little sister suddenly say this, Taiki felt his breath stop.

His little sister, who he was so used to see, started transforming. Golden lines surged around her and her hair ends and fingertips became covered in glowing lines of electric flow.

“—”

Seeing his little sister transform into something inhumane, Taiki felt the very last traces of his rationality crumbling away. His head became blank.

“I am not afraid of anything. The system called C is to make all of humanity into Mushitsuki, make them Undying, and lead them to eternal rest. Leaving aside the Mushitsuki of the old generation trying to eliminate me, I have the right to screen all other people with my Deluge.”

All human emotions were gone from Ririe’s expression. She was looking at her supposed brother Taiki with doll-like, round eyes.

“There are no exceptions. No one is special to C.”

“If he’s not special, then why…!”

“Since the Mushitsuki called Kakkou stood in my way, I have eliminated him. If he was a Fallen, I could revive him into the Undying and thus saved him.”

Ririe’s mouth did not move at all. Even so her voice kept echoing.

“However, when I picked him up, he was empty.”

“…!”

Ikarino Kirari and Ayukawa Chiharu widened their eyes—and looked at the shining necklace.

If the story from before was true, Kakkou’s personality was in there.

Originally, it should’ve been inside the owner’s body.

“This was my first time handling an empty body. Since this was an unprecedented case, I had to experiment. It was needed in order to gain more data for the creation of a new world, too.”

“An… experiment—”

As Taiki muttered this unconsciously, Ririe’s eyes passed at him.

“Creating a personality and giving it to an empty body.”

Finally—

What Taiki already understood for a while now, those words that would ruin him—

“The personality called Taiki didn’t exist until now.”

Came right from the mouth of his little sister Ririe.

His memories of living with his two sisters ever since he was young.

His memories of playing with childhood friends as well as other friends he made while growing up.

All of them—were simply fabrications.

He wanted to laugh it off, say there was no way it was true—but right now Taiki was surrounded by far too many unrealistic things.

Right, to the extent that the balance between reality and fiction was reversed—

“Apart from giving you a personality, I gave you the right to be chosen by the Deluge. —So there’s no exception, and nothing special about you.”

Ririe’s mechanical tone sounded terribly creepy to him.

“That is also a needed process in order to create a new world. Once I eliminated all the failed products and bequeathed rest to everyone turning them into the Undying, there would no longer be any need for humans to fight. —Then, as long as life activities are preserved, I can reconstruct the world.”

Although no one was even listening, Ririe continued talking.

“By controlling the memories of the new mankind called the Undying, the very concept of death will be gone. As long as life activities and breeding will be preserved, I will give everyone personalities lacking any violence, preserve birth rates and make the newborn into Mushitsuki as well—and recreate the world as one without any fights or fear.”

Ririe recited her own duty disinterestedly.

“Everyone will continue forever without losing anything. —The world will become Undying.”

Neither Taiki, Ikarino Kirari or Ayukawa Chiharu could say anything.

They were probably all thinking the same.

Taiki especially noticed it with pain that felt like his entire body was being twisted.

“And the failed products are resisting the world where no one loses anything.”

“—Then why?”

Taiki’s mouth moved on its own despite his intentions.

He didn’t want to say this—but he ended up spitting what he shouldn’t.

“Why is… nothing happening to me now?”

Kirari and Chiharu probably understood.

Therefore, both averted their eyes from his with pained-looking expressions.

“That Deluge or whatever already started, right? But I can’t feel anything… I can’t even hear the bells… Does that mean I’m not being selected…? I’m not even a Mushitsuki, so why am I the only one…”

That was the biggest reason why Taiki couldn’t believe in his existence.

“Why do I feel so sad, hearing all of this now…?”

The world that Ririe—no, C created shouldn’t have any pain in it.

Taiki himself was supposed to be a personality created by C.

The fact he was feeling pain was a contradiction.

“…”

The thing that took Ririe’s shape looked at Taiki and thought.

After thinking, she mouthed her conclusion.

“You’re a failure.”

“—”

These three words seemed to cut off the being known as Taiki and throw him away.

Just like trash.

Just like a used teabag, his life was thrown into the trashcan.

“My personality-fabricating program was standardized based on the memories and feelings from the Mushitsuki I touched. I should have given you enough years’ worth of memories to have a dream, but it was unexpected you would have no reaction to my Shrine. And since you are physically fine, bearing no wounds or mental stress, it’s also abnormal for you to feel pain. I shall now fix—”

“Stooop!”

Shouting loud, Taiki leapt back from Ririe who was raising an arm.

“Don’t do… anything else to me…!”

“Why are you rejecting me? I only want to remove your pain and fear—”

“I told you—don’t try anything.”

Ikarino Kirari put strength into her finger holding the trigger. Ririe stopped moving.

“You’re not the one to decide here, C. Also—it’s not you, Chiharu-san, either.”

Chiharu’s face froze.

Shaking her diagonal bangs, Kirari looked at Taiki.

“The one to decide is Taiki-san.”

“…!”

“Right now, only the person called Taiki-san has the authority to decide what to choose.”

Choose?

Being suddenly told that, Taiki was confused.

What did Taiki need to choose right now?

“Chiharu-san, I have the same goal as you. However, you can’t just ignore the opinion of a ''completely unrelated'' person.”

Chiharu became speechless at Kirari’s words.

“Since you were trying to sacrifice someone who wasn’t given the choice to try and call him back—I doubt Kakkou will respond to your call.”

“…!”

“You don’t wish for it either; you’re just forcing yourself due to your sense of duty and responsibility, right? You want to carry all sins on your back. —Since Kakkou had done the same until he exhausted all his powers again and again, he would definitely not wish for this.”

Chiharu’s expression became more and more twisted. She looked like she wanted to deny it, but her body shook so much that no words came out.

“C.”

Ikarino Kirari turned to Ririe next.

“To me it does look like Taiki-san’s special to you. You may call it an experiment, but I don’t believe you needed to make such meticulous preparations, in that case… not to mention you putting your own body double as his sister. If you just wanted to watch over him, you had plenty of ways.”

“I am C. There are no exceptions. I have no one special to me.”

Ririe spoke naturally.

“A family living together is the most popular arrangement.”

“…Eh?”

Taiki let out a stupid voice without thinking, glaring at Ririe.

The girl who was but wasn’t his sister spoke.

“I am a special body without any personality either. Therefore—me and Taiki are siblings.”

Siblings.

That was too much of a leap in logic; there was probably another way of saying that.

However, if there were only two similar existences in this world—

Perhaps they could be called family.

He could almost believe this—since Taiki felt like he was going to stop breathing from loneliness, he had the sense like this was a very small salvation.

“…I can only think of what she’s doing—of the world she is trying to create as a boxed garden that uses people as playthings. If you abandon people who aren’t Mushitsuki, you won’t last long anyway…”

Ikarino Kirari spoke.

“But I myself want to accept the person called Taiki-san.”

The girl with a gun changed her expression, glaring at Ririe.

“It’s been only for a short while, but the Taiki-san I’ve seen was definitely human. That’s why I believe he should be the one to decide. —C. If you claim you two are siblings because of this experiment you’ve conducted on him, then his next actions should also be data for you. I don’t mind what you do to us after he makes his choice. How about that?”

Ririe looked between Kirari and Taiki’s faces.

“—Agreed.”

Her response was quick.

“However, C declares that she won’t attack anyone here after Taiki’s choice. Showing any hostility toward you two might end up influencing his decision, after all.”

“Thank you very much. …Chiharu-san.”

Ikarino Kirari turned her face to Chiharu.

“The one you see now isn’t Daisuke-san. It’s Taiki-san. He also has a family. —Even if it was fabricated, it’s becoming reality.”

“—uh.”

Something like a hiccough leaked from the depths of Chiharu’s throat. Looking at Taiki desperately, her face ended up distorting painfully.

“He has the right to live a life without fighting.”

Chiharu’s hand holding the necklace—grasped it. The ring’s glow was vanishing.

“…I don’t get it…”

Hugging her clenched fist, Chiharu squatted down.

“I mean, Daisuke… probably wished for this life…! If I steal it from him again, I… but if I don’t do that, Daisuke will…! I don’t know anymore—”

Rounding her body on the ground, Chiharu raised her tear-stained face.

“Sorry for being such a lousy sister…!”

Sister.

Taiki looked at the sobbing Chiharu with a start.

She was—the older sister of the person called Kakkou. There was something so ghastly in her eyes looking at him because she looked at her family member inside him.

“Taiki-san, tell us what you want to do.”

Kirari looked at Taiki.

Ririe and Chiharu also looked at Taiki.

“Eh… what I want to do—meaning—”

The girls said they’d let Taiki choose.

They asked him what he wanted.

Wasn’t there only a single thing he wished for?

“But that’s—”

He wanted to go back to his previous normal life.

Did they think he had any other choice?

Or were they thinking that he was about to hand over his body to the one called Kakkou? If so, they considered Taiki too much of a fool.

“I, I want things to be like they were until now—”

Ikarino Kirari was made no reaction.

Ayukawa Chiharu twisted her face.

Ririe—was expressionless, much like she was watching something on a screen.

Seeing his sister’s unknown figure, he started muttering.

“I, I…”

Just like they were until now?

Even though—he now knew that these were nothing but fake memories created by C?

No, he didn’t mind that. Well, he did mind it, but it wasn’t a problem. Even if all of this was a lie, Taiki had been able to live his life just fine. Because he had been given this choice.

If so, then why did Taiki hesitate so much?

“Taiki has no reason to lose his personality and return being Kakkou.”

Ririe spoke.

“If you say you’re hurt, I will remove that pain.”

That voice sounded somewhat kind—because Taiki finally understood something.

Ririe—no, C—wasn’t Taiki’s enemy.

She didn’t have any intention of hurting Taiki; rather the opposite. She was trying to save him from pain. It was true that he had no reason to reject her at all.

However—

“…”

Seeing the people behind Ririe, Taiki couldn’t help but feel anxious.

The Revived. Since he saw them in the Rank 1s memories, he knew what they were very well.

The were the Undying, revived by reusing the power called a dream.

They also said that they were given personalities like Taiki to create a painless new world.

And these people also looked extremely creepy to Taiki.

“…Thanks, Ririe.”

Taiki smiled at his sister Ririe.

It was a very awkward and forced smile—and he had the feeling that he smiled for the first time in a long while.

“You’re my family. …Noa, dad and mom, too.”

“Yes, true.”

Her mouth was unmoving, but Ririe nodded.

What Taiki wished for was a peaceful life like what he had until now.

Even if it was manufactured. Even if he had fake memories.

His father was a bit strict, but he prided himself on protecting his family. His mother was noisy, but she supported her husband and children. Although Noa was starting to show signs of being rebellious, she never troubled her family, and he was looking forward to see the smart Ririe’s future.

That was Taiki’s family as he knew it.

Unlike those people behind Ririe who had expressions like dolls—

“…I wonder. Can this guy called Kakkou…”

His legs started shaking as though convulsing.

Fear and anxiety made even Taiki’s voice shake.

“Win against C…?”

Ririe remained expressionless.

Ayukawa Chiharu slowly raised her face.

Ikarino Kirari—shook her head to the sides.

“—I don’t know.”

Right.

He saw the memories of the Rank 1s to a painful extent.

He knew there was no guarantee to win against the unprecedented threat called C.

Even so, he had to make sure.

“My family… would they have helped, before becoming like that…?”

If not, he would feel like he was going to get crushed by the action he was about to take.

If he had even the smallest excuse—he would make it into a reason why he couldn’t do this to protect his family.

Then, he’d have C erase even this guilt and live his life to the fullest.

Was it the human decision to make?

But it made him feel sick.

For Taiki to not only pass over the one and only method for someone like him to protect his family—but even forget about this fact and start living a normal life.

Not feeling sick about it—

Would surely mean he wasn’t human.

“…I don’t know.”

Ayukawa Chiharu, who wrung out this honest answer, probably felt the same.

She could lie and she could trick him.

However, she’d obviously feel bad as a human, doing something like that.

Taiki looked at Ririe.

“…You’re also my family. But—I do believe that people should decide for themselves…”

It scared him to even think about what happened, and mumbling this took everything he had.

He was deathly scared of what would happen to him now.

At this moment, his head was filled with excuses and doubts.

Even so, he extended a hand to Chiharu.

“…”

Chiharu made a befuddled face, but she timidly presented her arm forward.

Her clenched hand opened slowly.

Taiki unconsciously averted his gaze from the ring glowing a pale azure.

“Can this guy called Kakkou—”

He raised his voice, trying to force himself to find his resolve.

He looked at the lines of creepy Revived who blocked the exit from the garage.

Everyone had dreams.

The scenery he saw until reaching the garage taught him that. All humans had dreams, whether big or small, of wanting to become something.

Therefore, everyone responded to C’s Deluge.

There was probably only a single person in the entire country who hadn’t—

“Hold this pain of not even having a dream…?!”

Nothing happened—to Taiki alone.

Even his hope of living a normal life was perhaps no more than a wish created by C as well.

Maybe it wasn’t.

However, this hopeless sense of loneliness threatened to crush Taiki.

Enough to make him feel so happy that Ririe referred to them as siblings.

Taiki turned back, his eyes full of tears.

Ikarino Kirari and Ayukawa Chiharu.

Both girls looked straight at Taiki.

“Yeah.”

“Yup.”

They said this and nodded.

If these two honest girls—the girls who could have just as easily lied to him to force him to fulfill their goals and yet kept being honest with Taiki to the very end—said this, it was probably the truth.

It meant that Kakkou was that kind of person.

He even starting feeling a little—

That he wanted to become like that.

“—”

Taiki grasped the ring held atop Chiharu’s palm.

A whirl of emotions passed through his arm like a violent storm.

Anger, hatred, pain burned Taiki from the inside like roaring flames. At the same time, a cold sadness and pain froze his legs, making him unable to move from the spot.

And there was a small handful of warmth.

''—I want to see you again, Daisuke-kun.

A certain girl’s smile shook off the flames and melted the ice.

“Yeah, I understand, Daisuke—”

Chiharu touched Taiki’s shoulder, and made a gesture as if she sucked in something large.

“Mushitsuki can recall their dreams again and again…”

Something born within Taiki—something important that he recalled—fell down.

He felt it getting absorbed into Ayukawa Chiharu’s mouth.

== 3.02 Daisuke Part 1 ==

He felt like he came back to life—no, this experience did not fit that sort of expression.

His body was as heavy as though he was standing in the depths of the ocean and he couldn’t breathe. There was nothing wrong with his body, but he felt as though he was carrying several people on his back.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling.

When he was the boy called Taiki, he’d seen four Rank 1s’ worth of dreams.

He could feel part of their lives along with a fragment of their memories still inside him now. He was further carrying the “pain” of yet another person.

“Dai…suke…?”

As he stood there voicelessly, Ayukawa Chiharu looked up at him, her face wet with tears.

He opened his clenched hand.

“Thanks, Chiharu.”

He—Kusuriya Daisuke—smiled, returning the necklace to his sister.

Large tears started streaming down Chiharu’s eyes. She rose up as if to leap into his arms, but soon shook painfully and crouched again.

“How can you—no… I just—”

“What about Sanbikime?”

As Daisuke asked this, Chiharu’s movements stopped.

The girl fused with one of the Original Three, Sanbikime, wiped her tears roughly. Raising her face, she smiled toward her younger brother, Daisuke.

“Don’t worry. Aria—will stay with me forever.”

By eating people’s dreams, Sanbikime would keep only moving from their vessel again and again. It was the only reason they managed to live thus far without getting found out.

Staying with that monster for life meant she would no longer give birth to any Mushitsuki.

Meaning that as long as Chiharu was alive, she would have to keep suppressing the hunger to eat a person’s dream.

It was probably hell.

However, Chiharu was resolved to live this life of suffering along with Aria Varei—

“Don’t make this face, Daisuke. Rather than that, take this—”

As if to avoid Daisuke’s eyes, Chiharu brought out something other than the necklace.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p243.png|thumb]]

It was an old model cellphone. It was wrapped by something like a bizarre mist.

“It has Recall-chan’s ability on it. We believe you’ll be able to get to the Ark with everyone if you have this…”

Chiharu’s hand holding the cellphone was slightly shaking. She probably didn’t want to hand it over to him.

“Got it.”

As Daisuke accepted the cellphone from his sister’s hands, a voice called to him from the side.

“Daisuke-san.”

Ikarino Kirari presented him with an automatic pistol and a black long coat. At her feet was an opened bag and large goggles.

“…Thank you too, Kirari.”

Daisuke received his equipment and put it on.

“—You told me you’d let me choose, but you actually knew this, right?”

As he wore his goggles on his head, Ikarino Kirari gave a low bow.

“Thank you for using our services.”

Raising her face, the girl suddenly looked like she was crying.

It was the exact same expression Kirari had when she’d seen the ending of a certain Mushitsuki along with him.

“We will probably never meet again.”

Whenever Kusuriya Daisuke and Ikarino Kirari met, someone would vanish from the world.

She didn’t want to repeat the same kind of tragedy ever again.

Her words of farewell contained this wish.

Daisuke turned his back to the handyman called Kirari and back to the entrance to the garage.

“—Ririe.”

He calmly faced the girl in control of the Revived.

“Thank you for waiting for my—for Taiki’s choice.”

“The experiment has failed.”

The girl clad in a golden glow spoke in a voice without any inflection.

Daisuke shook his head to the sides.

“That was probably—a good family.”

“…”

Those two who were siblings not long ago looked at each other.

As he lowered the goggles over his eyes, mist started slowly wrapping around Kusuriya Daisuke—the Mushitsuki known as Blaze Class Rank 1, Kakkou. It came from the cellphone handed to him by Chiharu.

At the same time, Ririe—C’s body double raised her face with a twitch. She looked to the distance for a moment as if in response to something, then turned to Daisuke again.

Those two who were family until yesterday would now go back to their previous relationship.

Although various feelings crossed between them in this short time, in the end nothing changed.

The new generation of Mushitsuki, trying to create a new world without any pain.

The old generation of Mushitsuki, who fought in order to make their dream come true despite choosing pain.

“Let’s settle this.”

“C accepts.”

The two glaring at each other were wiped away from the garage.

C probably returned her body double to the original.

On the other hand, Daisuke—felt like he was falling. In the space of a few seconds, he flew through a strange space where darkness and light mixed and moved as an expanding mist—

And appeared on top of the supporting pillar of a huge bridge.

Fanned by the side wind, his long coat fluttered.

Apart from him other clumps of mist appeared on the ground, and people who looked like Mushitsuki appeared one after another.

Including Daisuke, the Mushitsuki were all led there.

It was a star-studded Ark of light—

No.

Daisuke knew that place.

It was originally created as part of a development plan, a reclaimed land on top of the sea. With a lone hanging bridge and train lines connecting it to the shore, it commanded a wide area. On the coast were a series of high bridges surrounding the premises, while inside them there were rows of multi-tenant buildings and roads.

Unlike the mainland assaulted by the deluge of blackouts, here all lights were on. Above all else the blinding lights of the capital were gathered right in the center.

In the very center of these high-rise buildings there was a single especially tall building. With a silhouette that looked like a giant spear piercing Earth, it was wrapped in a golden glow. —That building was the only thing Daisuke didn’t know.

It was a city developed as an experiment, able to house a population of 100,000 people.

Daisuke knew everything about this city.

After all, this place was under the jurisdiction of the East Central Branch, where Daisuke belonged—and in fact, was the collection facility for the empty shells of Mushitsuki, called the Fallen.

“It’s GARDEN…!”

East Central Branch jurisdiction, Fallen Assembly Facility, Hashiba City.

It was once called GARDEN—

And at present, it was the Ark taken over by C.

== 3.03 Shiika The Last ==

“—So in the end I’m back here…”

Anmoto Shiika had disguised herself as the Dove and came back to C.

It was a giant city, studded with twinkling lights.

GARDEN.

“And now—”

Shiika was at the entrance to this reclaimed land called Hashiba City.

Behind her was the giant hanging bridge connected to the mainland. On both sides were the coastal road and high bridge connected from the interchange. And ahead of her—was a swarm of high-rise buildings jutting from the ground.

As Shiika had C’s brainwashing lifted from her, this scene looked like paradise to her.

A sea of blinding neon, as well as the golden fairies and C-butterflies filling the place.

It was heaven, and it was also like a shrine housing a God—

However, it was also a boxed garden without any feeling of life.

Shiika had once lived in this city.

She became a Mushitsuki, got turned to a Fallen by the boy who had the same dream, and lived in this land—a collection facility that existed only to manage and observe the Fallen.

She thought of nothing.

She felt nothing.

For long four years, in this city—

Now she came back to this city, called GARDEN.

“It’s finally time for the final battle…!”

Shiika held both hands aloft, materializing her Mushi.

“…!”

The fairies and C-butterflies who gathered to bless her noticed the abnormality and distanced themselves.

White snow began falling down from above.

At the same time, Shiika touched the tiara on her head.

“Uh…!”

Withstanding the surging electric shock, she forcibly removed the tiara from her head. Unlike back at Aoharima Island, Shiika’s body was free, this time.

A single flake of snow landed on the tiara falling from Shiika’s hand.

Along with loud sounds of destruction, light surged through the entrance of GARDEN. Large fissures ran through the ground and the tiara broke down to smithereens, causing bursts of golden light. Flinching, Shiika gritted her teeth to remain conscious.

“She is not the Dove—regard her as an intruder.”

All of C’s body doubles fairies spoke in unison. The fluttering C-butterflies and fairies on the surface were all linked together through golden electricity.

It was a close shave.

The moment after Shiika defended herself with the pouring snow, her view was dyed with golden light.

A large earthquake shook her footing. For a moment, Shiika’s small body floated in air from the tremor.

A massive lightning strike assaulted Shiika.

“Urkh…!”

She fell down, but soon rose up again.

The curtain of snow protected Shiika from lightning. Touching the snow, it broke down completely, flying to all sides like a living being in agony. It was something physically impossible.

“—She’s, nearby…”

Shiika groaned, heightening her consciousness while raising her Mushi aloft.

She thickened the raging blizzard, using everything she had to protect herself.

“C is somewhere in GARDEN…!”

Even someone as stupid as her could understand this clearly.

The pressure created by the lightning attacking her was something completely different from C’s power that touched her in Akamaki City.

Furthermore—

“She is not the Dove. That is Fuyuhotaru.”

“None of the old generation of Mushitsuki have the right to be invited to the Ark.”

“All intruders—”

“Shall be eliminated from the Ark.”

There were too many fairies and C-butterflies.

Even the number of Revived who were brought there after being guided by the voices of fairies—were already over a hundred.

“—”

With hundreds of guardians facing her, Shiika gulped. She felt cold sweat trickle down her forehead.

C was probably using the independent generators of GARDEN itself. Enough power to make an entire city function became the source for her powers—

“—C’s there…!”

Trying to snap herself from fearful paralysis, Shiika took a single step forward.

The isolated and unassisted Shiika faced hundreds of enemies.

And that very first step—

“—Kyaaah!”

She was repelled back by a golden flash and colorful lights.

She had no idea what was done to her.

No, it was something very simple.

She received a concentrated, simultaneous attack by the fairies, C-butterflies and Revived.

She tried walking forward, but the impact blocked her, pushing her back.

She just barely stepped in place and managed to prevent herself from falling down, recovering her blizzard curtain.

“She’s definitely here—somewhere in GARDEN…!”

Even C couldn’t control this much power from far away.

It was the sensation of the attacks hitting Shiika that told her this truth the most. She knew that she was attacked the most of everyone, ever since becoming a Mushitsuki.

The attacks carried out by the fairies—were for “defense”.

They weren’t meant to defeat Shiika. Obviously their main goal was to eliminate her, but it looked like the fairies and Revived just stayed in place, watching Shiika’s reactions and attacking her by force.

What were they protecting?

It went without saying.

“If C is somewhere here… then I—”

Bending down, she advanced along with the blowing blizzard.

If she just protected herself, she’d be chased out of GARDEN quickly. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

“I can’t afford to lose… until everyone comes…”

Shiika’s role was to keep remaining near C until her comrades arrived.

In order to approach even a step closer to C, she kept advancing toward where the pressure was the strongest. C was located where the fairies tried to protect.

“Kuh…!”

The attacks aiming for Shiika could only be expressed as “terrific”.

Lights and impacts bursting at the entrance to Hashiba City ripped the night sky and ground haphazardly.

“Until everyone comes—”

Right about now, the Mushitsuki on Aoharima Island should be moving.

They should sense Shiika’s powers during her fight and come rushing there.

Until then, all Shiika had to do was focus on approaching C.

She never thought she’d be able to beat C alone in the first place. Even just defeating the Revived who surrounded Shiika from a distance was probably impossible.

But that was fine.

Shiika was just a lighthouse.

All she had to do was wait for her comrades to come there by relying on the light she emitted—

“—”

She took a step.

And another step.

Being pushed by the impacts, she stood in place for a while.

She took another step, then got pushed back.

“…Hah… hah…”

How long did this fruitless endeavor continued?

After struggling for a what felt like eternity, Shiika glanced behind her with a pale face.

She ended up smiling.

Shiika hadn’t taken even twenty steps from where she started.

There were too many enemies.

Perhaps still cautious at being unable to beat Shiika at one go, the fairies and Revived kept taking their distance from her.

“You are advised to surrender.”

Not lessening the attackers, a fairy spoke.

“Secret Class Rank 1, Fuyuhotaru. I do not understand your reason to oppose C. The possibility of you beating C with your full powers is close to zero.”

Shiika couldn’t beat C. Shiika alone couldn’t even approach any of the Revived blocking her path.

However, it was a different story if her comrades were there.

If all these reliable Mushitsuki were there with her, Shiika would be able to reach C—

“The Mushitsuki of the old generation will not appear here.”

The fairy asserted this resolutely.

“I copied the same wavelength of the battle occurring here and started transmitting it all over the country. A sensor that can differentiate them doesn’t exist.”

Shiika put strength into her two legs, advancing further.

“You are all alone—and powerless.”

No one would appear next to Shiika.

If this was the past Shiika, she would definitely be shaken by C’s words.

But Shiika knew.

She hesitated, worried, and even started doubting the boy Kusuriya Daisuke with whom she promised to reunite, and escaped to the peace given to her by C.

And while that happened, Shiika came to know a certain fact.

Compared to doubting or running away—

“They’ll definitely come—”

She felt the happiest when she believed.

Belief could make you stronger.

Even now that she was a moment away from collapsing, just by waiting for those precious to her—

Shiika could keep walking ahead.

“Definitely…!”

Announcing this, she took yet another step forward.

Narrowing the span of the blizzard, she also increased its richness to protect herself. She was bad at controlling the snow and it took a lot out of her, but it should help her move further.

She wanted to approach C’s main body as much as possible before her comrades came—

She was resolved to do this.

“…!”

At that moment, Shiika felt wind.

It was a refreshing sea breeze.

Since she was protecting her body with the blizzard and was exposed to so many violent attacks, it should have been impossible for her to feel something like that.

However, she did feel it.

This familiar presence—right, that air mixed with the smell of grass on that island.

The wind of freedom.

“…!”

As if noticing something, the fairies all raised their faces.

They stopped their attacks and fell back, cautious.

Shiika heard the sound of cutting wind from behind her.

“—”

As she turned around, what jumped into her sight was a black bird appearing from the sky—

No, it was a human figure with large black wings sprouting from its back.

It leapt over the hanging bridge, crashing down on the entrance to Hashiba City. Rolling atop the asphalts devastated by the fight between Shiika and C, she crashed against a building and stopped.

This sight of her entire body dyed in black and her gnarled wings crumbling was abnormal.

However, Shiika realized at a glance who she was.

“Ubuki…!”

Shirakashi Ubuki.

Ubuki was the Mushitsuki who saved her when she’d been captured by the SEPB in the past. After that, they met with the companion called Ebina Yuu and had a short escape journey.

Why did this precious friend of hers appear here?

Why had she been reduced to a shadow of herself like that?

Before she could think of answers to those questions, she tried rushing to Ubuki—

“Transfer location—”

Seeing what rolled away from the chest of the unmoving Ubuki, she froze.

It was a girl’s head.

All body under her neck became mist. Shiika knew that face well.

“—Here.”

“Recall-chan…!”

She was a Mushibane member and Shiika’s comrade—Recall.

This young girl’s expression changed. The moment her widened eyes were dyed in black, even her remaining head dispersed to mist.

Then, great lumps of mist appeared at the entrance to Hashiba City.

As the fairies and Revived distanced themselves even further—

“…!”

People’s figures began appearing one after another from the mist covering the interchange.

She could see more and more people around the coastal road and surrounding buildings, on rooftops and such.

All of them facing the fairies and Revived in GARDEN, they were—

“This is—GARDEN!”

“Haji you bastard, your own turf got taken over by C!”

Including Terasu and Kasuou, they were the elites of the SEPB.

“GARDEN… is the Ark—”

“Who cares as long as C’s there.”

The forces of Mushibane led by the confused Namie and cool Aijisupa were also there.

“Shiika…! Are you fine?”

On the roof of a low building there was also the worried-looking Tachibana Rina.

Standing on top of a street light was also a figure carrying a sleeping girl on his shoulders.

“Haha, what a fitting place for zombies.”

They were the flame devil Harukiyo, as well as Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.

“You guys…”

Her comrades from Aoharima Island finally came.

She was not surprised.

Because Shiika had believe they were coming.

Therefore—she wasn’t surprised.

Even when another small mist appeared on top of the hanging bridge.

“…!”

Everyone was the same as Shiika.

As they looked at the black figure that appeared on the pillar supporting the hanging bridge’s wires, none were surprised—but seeing that stance, they probably all felt something well up inside them.

It was that Mushitsuki with hair standing up like the horns of a demon, with a black coat fanned behind him like demon wings, with his goggles’ lens appearing like red, demonic eyes.

He was someone supposed to be there.

However, even so Shiika felt tears rising to her eyes—

She couldn’t help but name him.

“Kakkou-kun…!”

Fuyuhotaru—Anmoto Shiika.

Lady Bird—Tachibana Rina.

The flame devil—Harukiyo.

Sleeping Beauty—Arisu.

As well as Kakkou—Kusuriya Daisuke.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p261.png|thumb]]

“—Daisuke-kun.”

Shiika mumbled that name only to herself.

In the paradise of the Fallen, in the land of genesis for a new world.

All five Rank 1s assembled for the decisive battle in GARDEN.

== 3.04 Daisuke Part 2 ==

“Kakkou-kun…!”

Reacting to this voice, Daisuke looked down from the hanging bridge to the surface.

The girl wrapped in a curtain of blizzard stood there.

He never forgot that face. —Ever since he turned her into a Fallen by his own hands five years ago to now.

Anmoto Shiika.

He fought and survived in order to meet her again.

Even so, he gradually got hurt, tired, exhausted himself and was about to sink into the depths of forgetfulness—

But he came back to the battlefield to meet with her.

“…”

However, he still couldn’t fulfill his promise to reunite with “Anmoto Shiika”.

His Mushi the checkered beetle landed on top of the large automatic pistol dangling from one hand. It transformed into tentacles that stabbed into the gun and his body.

The muzzle sprouted sharp fangs, becoming the checkered beetle’s maw. A pattern glowing in green wrapped Daisuke’s entire body, granting him supernatural physical abilities.

Right now, Daisuke was Kakkou.

And the girl beneath his eyes wasn’t Anmoto Shiika—she was Fuyuhotaru.

Before they could meet as Kusuriya Daisuke and Anmoto Shiika, there was something they had to do first.

To end the battles between Mushitsuki—

Daisuke went through countless battles for this sake, finally arriving here.

The Mushitsuki on the surface knew that as well. That was why they all looked up at him, and probably why they weren’t confused about the Mushitsuki called Kakkou being there.

Among the Mushitsuki there were Tachibana Rina, Harukiyo, and even Arisu.

It wasn’t just the five Rank 1s, including him and Fuyuhotaru.

All Mushitsuki there went through their own battles, survived and now stood here—

In GARDEN, the final battlefield.

“…”

Daisuke raised his gun voicelessly. A bullet rotated within the maw of the gun transformed by the checkered beetle, spreading roaring flames.

He aimed this first attack, literally pulling the trigger on this final battle, toward one of fairy C’s body doubles—no, he actually shot it toward a lump of black mist wafting in air.

“…!”

All the Mushitsuki and fairies on the surface turned to look where Kakkou was aiming.

And there was—

“—aaaaAAAAAAAaaaAAAAHH!”

Even while pierced by the bullet, the mist was taking a human shape again.

Shaped like a young girl, it looked like a ghost—no, like an evil spirit raising its eyes. Her wide mouth was a cavern and she was trying to evade the bullets by teleporting from place to place in the blink of an eye.

“Recall…!”

A pained voice came from the ranks of Mushibane.

Daisuke fired mercilessly, piercing through the girl spirit.

“Mushitsuki who are out of time—are nothing but a hindrance to the battle.”

As the evil spirit raised a shout every time it was shot, she transported right in front of Kakkou.

Calmly launching the finishing blow, he pierced the ghost’s chest.

“—”

However, this didn’t fully defeat her.

The girl’s evil spirit weakly yet barely tried taking shape again—

A shockwave grazing Daisuke blew the mist completely away.

“Lady!”

Looking down to the surface, he could see Tachibana Rina was commanding her giant seven-spotted ladybug. Still in the same pose as when she fired that shockwave, she was biting her lips and wearing a harsh expression.

“You were just tormenting her needlessly with your attacks…!”

“…”

Below Daisuke, a small mist was formed on top of the hanging bridge.

It became the petite girl called Recall, who then fell to her knees. Her emotionless, empty expression was proof that she had her Mushi killed and became a Fallen. —Since her Mushi had been killed before it fully ate her dreams and Matured, she remained alive.

Daisuke silently turned the muzzle toward his next target.

“UuuuuuAAaaAAAAH—”

Nearby there was a Mushitsuki with wings growing larger and larger.

Shirakashi Ubuki. Her body already turned black, and something that looked like carapace spreading from her wings at her back was trying to encroach from her shoulders to her neck.

It was too late for her as well.

Daisuke tried pulling the trigger—but after noticing something, he lowered the muzzle.

A small light was fluttering toward Shirakashi Ubuki.

“Ubuki—”

It was white snow.

“Thank you—I’m waiting for you…”

Shiika had her face scrunched up, shedding tears.

While Maturing, Shirakashi Ubuki looked toward Shiika—and smiled.

The snow touched Ubuki’s wings.

The giant black wings burst, twisted and scattered with a high-pitched sound. Even splitting from Shirakashi Ubuki’s body, they were unable to escape the snow’s destructive power that pulverized even the very last fragments.

As her Mushi was killed, Shirakashi Ubuki bent backward—and collapsed soundlessly.

She made no move after that.

“…”

Seeing off both Recall and Ubuki turn into Fallen, Daisuke turned his muzzle toward the last target.

A Mushitsuki who already had the signs of Maturation and could no longer control her own Mushi.

That final person was—

“…Senri.”

Clad in a robe of flares, the girl couldn’t even support her own body.

Haji Senri. She was the little sister of Daisuke’s boss Haji Keigo, and since she lived with him once, she was also like a sister to him.

“Thank you—Dai-kun—”

Her unseeing eyes looked to Daisuke. As the girl raised her hands, a sphere of ruby-colored glowing flames emerged above them.

“But—”

The smiling Senri’s gaze moved toward the boy hugging her from behind.

He was Kaguya—Ogata Akastuki. His handsome features distorted, he was already crying. He materialled his Mushi the mayfly.

“Akatsuki-kun—is going to do this for me, so—”

In the state of Semi-Maturation, unique for this mayfly, its tail started glowing. It emitted laser beams from the sharp tip, piercing the Mushi that Senri held up.

“—!”

Akatsuki hugged Senri’s body tightly as she jumped from the impact.

Daisuke naturally understood that the reason these three girls’ Mushi were Maturing before the fight was because they combined their abilities. It was probably thanks to them that he and the many other Mushitsuki could reach this decisive fight.

And not just the three of them.

To challenge C to this final fight, many Mushitsuki became sacrifices.

“This makes it… so that the only classmates who survived from back then… are just us two…!”

Raising his tear-stained face, Akatsuki glared at Daisuke.

Many Mushitsuki collapsed up to this point.

There were also those who finally woke up after reaching here.

“Haha! If you nap like this, you’ll be left wide open!”

Harukiyo leapt down from the street lamp and flung the girl he was carrying to the ground. He also threw the silver rod he found somewhere near the girl.

“Right, Arisu?!”

Standing atop her seven-spotted ladybug, Tachibana Rina also turned toward the sleeping girl.

“Arisu!”

“Arisu… san?”

Wiping her tears, Anmoto Shiika also turned back.

Daisuke also looked down on the girl with her eyes closed down on the surface.

He saw that her familiar features became slightly more mature. Although she had kept sleeping for a while, her appearance grew up from when the time she was with Daisuke.

“Wake up already.”

However, her insides probably didn’t mature.

Since he was convinced of this, Daisuke called the girl’s name for the first time in many long years.

“Idiot Arisu.”

She told him to wake her up one day.

She told him to call her.

As Daisuke fulfilled his promise and looked at her, the girl’s brows twitched.

A blinding light not at all inferior to any of GARDEN’s neon lights emitted from silver scales fluttered down to the girl lying on the road.

It was a silver-colored Morpho butterfly.

The rod rolling on the road extended to several times in length. The Morpho butterfly landed on top of it, transforming its beautiful wings to tentacles.

“—”

The girl’s arm moved and grabbed the rod.

The rod and the girl’s body began being dyed with a silver pattern. The rod’s tip became large, unfolded wings like a blooming flower, closed them again and became a sharp spear.

The girl used the momentum caused by this action to jump to a standing position. She opened her eyes.

Dark pupils that looked like an unblemished abyss of the deepest ocean and long hair. A white coat that belonged to the SEPB equipment. In her hand was a silver spear dyed with such vivid patterns that they looked artistic. —That form covered in silver scales looked as gallant as a knight.

Arisu opened her eyes, but the fairies and Revived all still remained silent.

“Looks like she stopped herself from Maturing, but she’s not fully awake, either.”

“As long as she can differentiate enemies, that’s good enough for now.”

Harukiyo laughed at Daisuke’s reply. Meanwhile, Rina looked at Arisu worriedly, while Shiika, who never knew her, looked puzzled.

Arisu raised her spear.

The glowing spear’s tip was pointing toward the spire at the very center of GARDEN.

“Is C over there?”

Arisu nodded to Daisuke’s question. He asked this because she had sensing abilities.

Now all the Mushitsuki and fairies who were frozen glaring each other became tense.

The enemy Daisuke and others had the defeat, C, was in the center of GARDEN.

All the fairies and Revived that were supposed to protect C were in the center of the Ark.

Everyone used all their strategies already.

All arguments between the two sides had already broken down.

All that was remained—was to start this battle for survival.

Only one side would win and survive, while the loser would perish.

That was all.

“—Fuyuhotaru.”

Daisuke called toward Shiika.

Right now, Daisuke didn’t have the right to use her real name.

“Y-yes.”

Although confused, Shiika raised her face.

Daisuke raised his arms, pointing with his muzzle at the central part of GARDEN.

“Charge.”

Shiika and all other Mushitsuki looked to where the gun was pointing.

“We’ll definitely help you reach there.”

There was no longer any need for tricks or strategies.

With this short order handed by Daisuke—all of them knew what they had to do.

“—Yes.”

Nodding strongly, Shiika wore her curtain of snow.

The enemy also realized what they needed to do. Trying to stop Shiika’s advance, they stood to block the Mushitsuki.

A world where no Mushitsuki were born, or a world filled with Mushitsuki—

The battle to decide this new world—

Began with Shiika taking her first step.

== 3.05 Daisuke Part 3 ==

The spire Arisu pointed at was a building that even Daisuke, who was familiar with GARDEN, saw for the first time today. C probably created it with the Revived’s powers.

Much taller than any other building, it looked as though it was made to be able to watch over all of GARDEN. Its tip was sharpened to a point, and its gently curving body stabbed into the ground. Some sort of construction that looked like a spiral piece of art coiled around the entire building, so it looked like a snake was hugging some treasured sword.

Shiika stepped toward that building that could be called a pagoda.

“Break…”

Whispering this was not Shiika herself, but her Mushi.

White snow became a protective wall around Shiika.

Trying to intercept Shiika and the other Mushitsuki, the fairies and C-butterflies increased their glow. The Revived also took battle positions at once.

“—”

However, the one who moved first was Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.

Swiping her spear horizontally, multitudes of scales gushed out from it. They covered the fairies and the Revived that blocked Shiika’s path.

When this happened, the fairies all started slowly closing their eyes. They noiselessly fell to the ground, unmoving. The C-butterflies and the Revived similarly collapsed one after another.

It was another of Arisu’s abilities. She had the special power to put Mushi to sleep.

“All hands, begin battle! Eliminate all fairies and Revived blocking the path!”

A girl’s voice echoed through the goggles.

“Create a path for Fuyuhotaru!”

Looking to the surface, a girl wearing the West Central Branch coat looked up to Daisuke.

She was Terasu.

“I won’t hand over command to you at this point—Kakkou.”

“…”

“You Rank 1 lot won’t listen to my orders, anyway.”

Apparently the opposition and hostility she felt for him remained unchanged even at this late stage.

However, she was reliable.

He knew that she was using the hatred she held inside her to lessen his burden.

She would take on overall command so he could fight freely with the Rank 1s—she was telling him that.

“Yeah. —Leave Fuyuhotaru to me.”

Terasu gave no reply as he decided to take care of the most important person. She silently glared at Daisuke, then turned to the enemy at front.

“Keep advancing while staying close together! Focus and aim your attacks on fairies that look like they’re going to shoot lightning! Sakura, set up lightning rods at fixed points! Tamamo, Kasuou, protect everyone with barriers! —If you get away from the squad even a little, they’ll finish you with concentrated attacks!”

The Mushitsuki’s attacks made the fairies and Revived retreat little by little.

“Because she controls so much power, C’s main body shouldn’t be able to leave from the facility supplying her electricity! We’ll get to that tower no matter what!”

Now with less pressure on her, Fuyuhotaru managed to advance step by step.

However, her gait was slow and she would require some time to reach all the way to the pagoda.

“Hey, Lady! How about we go over there for a little date?”

Tachibana Rina raised her face at the flame devil’s invitation.

Ahead of their two gazes was the towering pagoda.

“—Sure.”

Rina looked at Shiika only once and nodded. Riding her seven-spotted ladybug, she rose to the sky.

Harukiyo wrapped himself in flames and then looked at Daisuke.

“…”

Daisuke couldn’t stop the seven-spotted ladybug and the crimson fireball from flying together to the sky.

Even he wasn’t planning to count on Fuyuhotaru alone. He wanted to strike C down if he had the opportunity, and since those two could fly, they were well-suited for a surprise attack like that.

Leaping over the Mushitsuki fighting on the surface, Rina and Harukiyo flew toward the pagoda.

If these were the opponents he’d fought against this far, they’d never be able to stop those two.

However—Daisuke’s ears caught a certain sound.

“Come back, Lady! Harukiyo!”

The moment after Daisuke shouted this, some smoke appeared.

Clouds of white smoke from the entirety of GARDEN.

They numbered more than one or two. As if eruptions happened all around the city, those clouds of smoke pursued the seven-spotted ladybug and the fireball with great speed.

And that wasn’t all. Flashes of light launched from the surface along with roars assaulted those airborne Mushitsuki.

The night sky was wrapped in great explosions.

Furthermore—there were golden lightnings, bursting with violent glows.

“—”

Having witnessed this tremendous attack, all Mushitsuki stood in place, shocked.

What Daisuke heard—were the sounds of bombardment.

They were surface-to-air missiles.

The attack launched from the surface in a delay probably came from autocannons. It was apparently C’s lightning that set off both the missiles and the autocannons.

Having been attacked by this concentrated bombardment in the sky where there was no cover to protect them, the two started crashing down to the surface while raising smoke. Although they heard Daisuke’s voice and took evasive actions, perhaps it wasn’t enough.

“…Tch!”

Daisuke clicked his tongue and leapt down from the hanging bridge. Taking a detour around where Fuyuhotaru and other Mushitsuki were fighting, he was headed to the inner part of the city through the coastal road.

He rushed between buildings, aiming for where Rina fell down.

Several fairies stood in his path. They were linked to the C-butterflies around through golden lights.

Light burst beneath his feet, shooting lightning aimed at the sky.

He leapt, kicking the wall of a building to dodge.

Leaping over the fairies, he turned at an alley and came out into the road.

As he did, a shockwave passed right in front of Daisuke’s eyes.

“What did you come here for?”

Her face covered in soot, Tachibana Rina turned to Daisuke. She appeared to be uninjured, but the seven-spotted ladybug spreading its wings nearby had scorch marks all over it.

Nearby, there was a toppled autocannon. These anti-air autocannons were loaded onto a battery with caterpillar tracks.

“Did you really think they’d get me so easily?”

So the city had not just fairies and Revived, but even modern weaponry. Since C was better at controlling machinery than people in the first place, perhaps that was obvious.

“No, I came here to warn you.”

“Warn me?”

“You need to get away from here—”

Before he could finish talking, several unmanned self-propelled artilleries appeared on the other side of the road. Furthermore, fairies and Revived came swarming out from the shadows between buildings.

Daisuke and Rina were completely surrounded in the blink of an eye.

“…! She sure responded quickly. Isn’t she supposed to be busy with Shiika and Harukiyo?”

“That’s not C.”

Daisuke could see a lone figure as he looked up. Rina followed his gaze.

There was a slim figure sticking to a wall of the high buildings. That figure stood upright horizontally as though both legs were glued to the surface.

It was a Revived wearing a yellow raincoat. It also seemed to miss an arm.

Rina’s face twisted and she groaned with a pained voice.

“So that woman’s controlling them…”

“I’ll deal with her. You go and deal with as many weapons and Revived on the surface as you can. —Since anyone flying will just get shot down, we have to somehow control the surface.”

“I know that. How about you go already?”

As Daisuke turned his back to her, he felt Rina sighing behind him.

“To think I’d end up joining forces with you here in GARDEN… I want to laugh, but I can’t.”

“Not to mention with Arisu and Harukiyo, too.”

Rina had expired within Daisuke’s arms around a year earlier in GARDEN. It would be much too cynical to call this a fateful place.

Looking even back further in time, there was also the fight on the night of the meteor shower. Originally, Daisuke, Rina, Arisu and Harukiyo were supposed to join forces there.

“Don’t make Shiika cry anymore… Kusuriya.”

And Anmoto Shiika herself—Fuyuhotaru—had been enclosed here in GARDEN for four years.

It felt as if the fate that got twisted over many times by now finally got reconnected here.

Obviously, if they lost here—it would all become for nothing.

“Of course, Tachibana-san.”

Daisuke and Rina. How much time it had been since those two spoke alone?

Perhaps they would never have this opportunity again. —At the very least, the possibility would be gone if they died here.

The fairies and C-butterflies were wrapped in a golden glow.

Daisuke leapt from the spot.

A moment later, the seven-spotted ladybug’s shockwave mowed down the surface. Both fairies and Revived were blown away in all directions along with destroyed buildings.

Daisuke kicked the wall before it collapsed by the shockwave and leapt yet again to aim for the Revived wearing a yellow raincoat—Shishidou Inuko, aka Asagi.

“Wanko—”

Turning his gun toward his past comrade in arms, he pulled the trigger midair. The muzzle spat fire.

Purple lightning flashed.

The raincoat figure vanished and purple afterimages rushed around the entire city. She easily dodged the bullet and in no time at all appeared directly besides Daisuke.

“—!”

An impact struck Daisuke’s temple.

Receiving this superspeed attack, Daisuke was pounded on the ground. Just as he sank into the caved-in asphalt, an unseen power pulled him out again.

After being struck directly ahead, this time he flew to the side. —This strange phenomenon assaulting Daisuke was created by Asagi’s ability. On her first attack she charged Daisuke himself with electromagnetism, then used it to draw him toward the towering building next to them.

“Gwah…!”

The impact caused by crashing into it made the building’s wall crumble. Daisuke got buried and was getting crushed both by the mass of the debris as well as the pressure of the steel concrete.

“—WoooHHH!”

The patterns all over Daisuke body glowed. He used superhuman strength to push the concrete away and stood atop the debris.

“Gah…!”

The moment he exited to the surface, an impact pierced his sides this time.

It was another of Asagi’s attacks. Purple flashes flew between all buildings, power poles and lamps—meaning, all magnetic bodies around GARDEN.

Meanwhile, Daisuke had his legs caught up by the steel concrete, and he couldn’t follow this fast enemy with his naked eye.

Not only did Daisuke have no means to attack from range, he also had no way to remove the electromagnetism from him. Although he knew the enemy’s ability—no, ''because'' he understood the enemy’s fighting capabilities, he had to admit he was badly matched against her.

However, he had to defeat her here.

He definitely wanted to avoid having Asagi’s experience and intuition to C’s calculation abilities. Even if they managed to corner C, Asagi might appear at any moment to trip them up.

“—Are you really that happy, Wanko?”

Could she hear Daisuke talking while bleeding from his forehead?

The raincoat girl appeared, directly facing Daisuke. She fashioned herself a makeshift hockey stick made by using magnetism on steel pipes and tubes, resting it on her shoulder.

“There is nothing as pitiful as a warrior being hated by the battlefield… you used to say that a lot. And now you’re finally able to participate in a large battle. Even in that form.”

The berserker clad in purple lightning looked like she was smiling—

It probably wasn’t just an optical illusion.

“You’re the only one among the Revived looking so lively.”

He said this and readied himself.

“There’s something I gotta apologize to you about—but I ended up not caring about it, seeing that face. You feel the same, right?”

While Daisuke made his entire body’s patterns glow, Asagi raised her hockey stick in affirmation. Golden fairies and C-butterflies gathered around the raincoat.

He thought they’d shoot another lightning, but he was wrong.

The fairies and C-butterflies joined and fused with Asagi’s hockey stick. As a Revived, Asagi didn’t have to worry about getting numbed by her own electricity.

She readied her charged hockey stick.

“Tch…”

He was always able to take a lot of punishment, but now he lost this sole advantage. Daisuke was definitely tougher than a normal person, but even he wouldn’t be able to survive getting struck by C’s lightning again and again in speeds he couldn’t follow. Never mind any of the other flesh-and-blood Mushitsuki.

Daisuke and Asagi kicked the ground at the same time—

“…!”

Suddenly, Daisuke’s sight was dyed by orange. The steel pipes fell from his legs.

“What are you doing?”

A boy abruptly showed himself between Daisuke and Asagi.

He was Shiohara Shachito. With his casual wear and flippant smile—as well as the hockey stick carried on his shoulder—he looked much more fitting to some sports venue rather than a battlefield.

“You have no sensing ability or speed, so it’s gotta be tough for you to take on Inuko. Stopping you here is also part of Inuko’s strategy, you know?”

The boy who called himself Asagi’s last disciple spoke.

Daisuke had felt dubious about this until now, but looking at him like this, he had to accept it.

His stance, smiling like that with a hockey stick in hand—was like a mirror image of the other berserker in front of his eyes, Shishidou Inuko.

—''One day, those I’ve raised will fight alongside you.

During the conversation they had in her last moments, she told him this.

Her prediction became reality in a way that surprised even Daisuke.

“Leave this student and teacher fight to me.”

Speaking casually, Shachito then erased his smile.

“Right… Inuko?”

His expression looked sad.

Daisuke glared at Asagi.

The gaze of his past comrade in arms—went from Daisuke to Shachito.

Seeing that, Daisuke also looked away from her.

“—Sorry, Wanko. I told you to return to the battlefield, but…”

He turned his back to Asagi, entrusting that place to Shachito.

It was just like Shachito said. Daisuke had to fight more than one Revived.

“I never would have expected—you’d manage to raise a warrior even stronger than you.”

Leaving this behind, he kicked the ground and went away.

He could immediately hear violent sounds of battle coming from behind him. He felt an explosion, then immediately heard lightning rumbling in the distance. It happened on both surface and air.

Daisuke ran through the city, eliminating any and all enemies he ran across.

He used a burning bullet to destroy an autocannon on the road. Revived trying to surround Daisuke closed the distance, and he broke their Mushi to smithereens with punches and kicks.

“…!”

The number of light sources illuminating the night sky increased.

These were fighter helicopters. Clad in a golden, electrical light, they were equipped with missiles and guns. Connected to the lightning strike from the surface, they created a waterfall made of electricity.

Dragged by these destructive waterfalls, the helicopters were deployed throughout GARDEN. They probably numbered more than twenty.

He could see these waterfalls of lightning—that acted much like pillars supporting the shrine—mowing down the surface. They also shot their machineguns embedded with electricity, spreading destruction in three particular areas.

They were probably attacks against Rina, Harukiyo and Arisu.

“So they managed to split the enemies forces from focusing only on Fuyuhotaru… but since the number of enemies just keeps on growing, it’s probably meaningless.”

Two helicopters even approached Daisuke. Their lightning waterfalls mowing down everything below them, they got close to him.

Daisuke aimed his gun at the upper sky. He pulled the trigger and shot. The impact caused by the discharge blew away the Revived trying to surround him.

Two more bullets shot in succession destroyed two of the attack helicopters.

As Daisuke saw them lose most of their body and start falling down—it created an opening.

“—!”

Although the attack helicopter was supposed to lose all control over its flight, it started firing its guns toward Daisuke.

The vehicles controlled by C required no pilot. Even if they couldn’t fly, they could attack. He immediately took evasive action, but countless bullets hit all around Daisuke. Golden lightning rose from every spot they struck, one after another.

“Gwoaaah!”

Daisuke kept shooting back bullets even while being washed by the lightning attacks. This time the attack helicopter broke down without a trace.

“Kuh…”

He just barely avoided any direct hits, but his legs were numb and his head felt hazy.

He was probably able to avoid any follow up attacks because Shachito was holding back Asagi, who was in charge of commanding the Revived. Dodging the fairies and Revived that arrived in a delay, Daisuke withdrew.

“Helicopters coming! Kaguya, change your aim to the skies!”

“But we won’t be able to hold back the Revived like this!”

“Just go back to aiming at the surface after downing those helis! Until then, I’ll handle ‘em! —Sense Isolation!”

The voices he heard from the goggles informed him of his comrades’ struggle.

They had too many enemies.

Never mind gaining control of the surface, they might run out of stamina before that.

''What do I do here… should I try to go all for nothing and charge to the tower alone?

He shook off this thought entering his mind along with the remaining dizziness.

It was easy to imagine there were way more enemies nearer the pagoda. Also, C might have laid traps for them.

It wasn’t a battle Daisuke could win on his own.

He should scatter the enemy forces and then make a surprise attack on the pagoda—but if both were impossible, there was only one thing he could do.

Daisuke leapt, kicking walls to alternate between two building and climb like that, landing atop a high rooftop.

The GARDEN he could see from his vantage point really looked like a battlefield. All around the city there were violent explosions and columns of smoke.

“So we were thinking the same.”

The fights occurring in the outer perimeter of the town were starting to converge in one place.

Toward Fuyuhotaru.

While he stood on the rooftop, Daisuke started getting bombarded by self-propelled artillery shooting at him from the surface.

The moment before these autocannons hit their mark, Daisuke leapt down from the roof. Landing on the ground, he left the explosions echoing overhead behind him, running ahead.

Beating down the Revived swarming toward him, he mowed down the fairies and C-butterflies with bullets. He dodged the self-propelled artillery launched by the autocannons, kicked them into the air while passing by them and turned them over.

By rushing through the alleys, he soon leapt out into a wide roadway.

It was wide, two-laned road that connected all the way to the pagoda in the center of GARDEN.

A fierce battle was unfolding there.

He could see the blizzard-clad Shiika going in the front and behind her a group of fighting Mushitsuki. Rina, Harukiyo and Arisu were already there.

“Kakkou’s also back!”

“The helis are gathering…! There are suddenly many more Revived, too!”

“Why are they all coming back here! Change in strategy?”

While listening to Terasu’s tense voice, Daisuke looked at the traces of Shiika’s passage.

Too slow—

Right now, the hanging bridge that served as the entrance to GARDEN was still visible from their current location. Regardless of the unobstructed view created by destroyed buildings, roads and such. They only advanced a few hundred meters.

Even including the fact that the four Rank 1s attracted their enemies to lighten the combatants’ burden, if they kept going in this speed—the Mushitsuki were definitely going to exhaust themselves before reaching the pagoda.

Operating the goggles, he broadcast his voice to everyone.

“It’s useless for us to try approaching the tower on our own. And even if we lower the number of enemies on the surface—it’s probably useless. Because it looks like she’s sending weapons into GARDEN from the outside.”

“Should we gather and advance together like I thought, then? The enemies in GARDEN are assembling, but since we also have the Rank 1s, we might be able to somehow keep this pace—”

“It’d be too late. —Everyone here already understood this long ago, right?”

While in the middle of violent fights, a complete silence befell the comms.

Not even a single person denied Daisuke’s words. The already wounded Mushitsuki’s expressions becoming severe wasn’t just due to their injuries and fatigue.

Above all else, Shiika’s sorrowful face told it all.

It wasn’t like she was feeling pain for those Mushitsuki who fought in order to let her advance.

It was because—she knew that sooner or later, her comrades would just exhaust themselves.

“At this rate, we’d all die pathetically before even reaching the midpoint.”

“What are we supposed to do, then?! We can’t go back anymore, right?”

“Raise the pace.”

All Mushitsuki other than Shiika turned to Daisuke. —She was the only one without any equipment.

“All Rank 1s other than Fuyuhotaru will create the path to the tower. All other combatants are to take detours away from the front and clear the enemies. Now that Asagi isn’t here, the enemies shouldn’t be making any complex attacks.”

“Are you telling us to run all the way to the tower in one go?! We’ll never hold up for so long!”

“It’s fine as long as Fuyuhotaru reaches there.”

He could hear all Mushitsuki gasping through the wireless.

However—not a single one opposed his suggestion.

“C’s afraid.”

With the pagoda in the very center visible in the distance, GARDEN was ablaze with the color gold.

She mobilized the fairies, the C-butterflies, the Revived, the autocannons and even the attack helicopters to protect the one and single spire towering over the center.

“It’s clear, right? C’s being this cautious not because she’d scared of us. She’s afraid of one person and one person alone—Fuyuhotaru—coming to her.”

“…”

“We need no strategy or anything. As long as Fuyuhotaru reaches that place, we can end this.”

From the very beginning it had nothing to do with the Rank 1 or anything else.

C had attacked Daisuke and the other Mushitsuki simply because she feared a surprise attack. She was convinced she could beat any Mushitsuki at all if she isolated them and attacked with concentrated firepower.

Only a single Mushitsuki was the exception.

Only one person who wouldn’t let even a single attack pass, whose attacks could never be defended against.

That was—Fuyuhotaru.

A step.

Yet another step.

There was no doubt that her slow steps sounded to C like the clock ticking her own countdown.

As long as white snow kept falling from the star-studded skies—

The battle between the Mushitsuki and C would never end.

“…”

Not a single one of his comrades were able to utter any voice.

They had no way to win at this rate. Even so, charging while putting their lives on the line was a huge gamble. If they went on that one-way street, they might encounter the ending known as annihilation waiting for them.

However—all their remaining hopes were just ahead.

“—Once the Rank 1s begin their attack, we’ll deploy to both sides and behind Fuyuhotaru! You don’t have to watch the front! Just don’t let any enemies attack from the sides!”

Terasu’s order spread to all units.

Daisuke leapt, landing in front of Fuyuhotaru.

As he readied his gun, Rina, Harukiyo and Arisu also landed to his left and right. The four Rank 1s that assembled in front of Fuyuhotaru prepared to face the enemies ahead.

“Let’s go!”

A bullet clad in raging flames was launched from the gun’s muzzle fused with the maw of the checkered beetle.

The large seven-spotted ladybug unleashed shockwaves.

A crimson, blazing Great Yama tiger beetle was unleashed along with a roar.

The spear fused with the silver Morpho butterfly sent slashing attacks with scales.

“Chaaarge!”

Embodying overwhelming destruction, these attacks blew away the fairies in their way.

While opening the path ahead, this impact wouldn’t stop, creating a large path in front of Daisuke’s group.

—Or so it should have.

“—”

As Daisuke wanted to rush ahead, his legs stopped.

At first he couldn’t understand what happened in front of his eyes.

Up to the point they blew the fairies away, their attack went just like they expected it to—but no path opened up.

Because something flew out of the ground along with a tremor.

Higher than the surrounding buildings, there were creepy patterns tightly etched into its black surface. This rectangular object’s material looked like aged wood, but also like thick metal.

It looked like a coffin—but it was much too large for that.

The attacks launched by the four Rank 1s struck even this large coffin to smithereens.

However, inside the destroyed coffin—

Was another one.

Destroying even that, another one appeared behind it—

“This—is—”

He could hear Terasu’s groan from the wireless.

Daisuke and the rest’s attack was finally blocked by the fourth coffin.

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

A white brilliance was formed in front of their target, the towering pagoda.

Swelling from between the high-rise buildings and while crushing those, appearing as though to protect the pagoda—was something much too large to be acknowledged as a Mushi, a much too beautiful monster.

Its long and thin body was pure white and emitted a pale glow. Its sharpened, blade-like, smooth legs stepped firmly on the ground, and on its raised upper torso it readied a single, curved scythe. Its oval head had eyeballs like pearls, and on its back it unfurled wings that were pink like flower petals.

It was an orchid mantis glowing in white.

And even a veteran like Daisuke had never seen a Mushi so large.

“Genius—”

He heard the voice of Ogata Akatsuki coming from the goggles. Apparently he and Terasu knew this monster’s identity.

The orchid mantis made a deep howl.

Countless coffins began sprouting from all around the pagoda and the orchid mantis from the surface. Even seen from afar, they were large and formed a circle with no openings.

A moment later, even further new coffins appeared to draw a circle around their outer perimeter.

Earth tremors kept echoing one after another, and further coffins appeared—

The tremors finally stopped when the wall of coffins came right in front of Daisuke’s face. With electricity running through all of them, the coffins were glowing in gold.

“—No, way—”

Someone groaned this with a hoarse voice.

Enough coffins appeared to form a wall around the pagoda. If GARDEN was viewed from the sky, they would probably be able to see the circle of golden coffins like the loops of a cut tree.

Looking up the towering coffins, the Mushitsuki were frozen still.

Along with curtains of lightning, attack helicopters approached from the skies.

Even the fairies and Revived began gathering where Daisuke and the others stopped their charge.

Furthermore—

White lines passed through the sky and something was thrown toward the Mushitsuki on the surface.

An aircraft was carpet bombing the surface. Since they sparkled in gold, it probably meant that these bombs were also embedded with C’s lightning.

“—”

Watching the golden glows drop down from the sky as though in slow motion—all Mushitsuki felt despair.

However, even in such a situation—

Kasuou.

Harukiyo.

Arisu.

These three Mushitsuki instantly erecting a defensive barrier with their abilities was close to a miracle.

The three-layered barrier of mist, flames and scales engulfed all Mushitsuki. However, they weren’t able to fully defend against this overwhelming attack.

Attacks made by golden lightning, violent explosions or the Revived that managed to break through the barrier hit the Mushitsuki on the surface.

“WaaAAAhAAAH!”

“Ah—”

“KyaaAAAaAH!”

The wireless was filled with the dying screams of Mushitsuki.

While their sight was filled with flashes of light and explosions, the Mushitsuki collapsed one after another.

“Aah—Ah…”

Protecting herself with a blizzard, Shiika saw their end with a sorrowful expression. While the Mushitsuki were injured by golden lightning and explosive wind, she just stood there, unable to do anything.

“Uh—”

He heard a new scream through the goggles.

One of the Mushi desperately protecting themselves was trapped inside a coffin around two meters tall appearing from the ground. The moment it trapped the Mushitsuki, the coffin was enveloped by golden lightning.

More and more new coffins leapt from the surface. Quite a few Mushitsuki were taken inside and vanished.

Urgent voices of his comrades including Ogata Akatsuki echoed in the goggles.

“Genius is a Mushi-eating Mushi! If you get swallowed by the coffin it’s all over…!”

“Gwah! H-how many were taken down?!”

“Already, more than half our forces…! T-Terasu, give your orders…!”

“Uuh—if I Isolate the territory right now, Kasuou and the rest’s barrier will also be gone—t-try and resist by yourselves, somehow…!”

Terasu’s voice was also swallowed by explosions and he couldn’t hear her clearly.

Even if he could hear her, it was probably meaningless. A lone word probably came to the minds of all Mushitsuki there, including Terasu.

Annihilation—

Their worst prediction would probably become reality in a few minutes.

After the exhausted Mushitsuki fell, even the powerful Mushitsuki who lost their support would fold up one after another. And this would continue until even the Rank 1s like Daisuke fell.

The one remaining last—would be Shiika.

Left alone, even Shiika would be unable to either proceed or draw back, and eventually run out of power—

It was the common image that rose to all Mushitsuki’s minds.

For Daisuke, too.

However…

“Fuyuhotaru!”

It wasn’t over yet.

It was clear they wouldn’t be able to avoid annihilation at this rate.

If so, then Daisuke and the rest had only one way to survive.

Daisuke’s loud voice reverberated in the battlefield engulfed by the sounds of battle and flashes of light.

“Stop your ability!”

Forgetting about the situation, the Mushitsuki gasped. Everyone turned to look at Daisuke.

The patterns etched all over Daisuke’s body emitted green light. Grasping his large automatic pistol, he stepped hard on the ground.

Stopping Fuyuhotaru’s ability in this situation?

Removing the snow now would be suicidal—

Everyone probably thought this.

“Stop making it snow… and run!”

Howling, Daisuke kicked the ground. Rushing ahead, he struck down the overlapping barrier of mist, flames and scales from the inside.

“All other Mushitsuki, protect Shiika with everything you have!”

As he leapt outside the barrier, a storm of lightning attacks was immediately revealed. However, without considering his own injuries, Daisuke approached even the towering gold coffins in front of his eyes—

And shot a bullet with his full powers.

The flaming bullet struck through the coffin that was like a high-rise building.

At the same time, golden lightning surged from the broken coffin. This golden glow pierced Daisuke.

“—GAHHHH!”

He was assaulted by a strike that felt like it should blow him into a hundred pieces. His sight was dyed in white and his consciousness felt about to get blown away.

However, he couldn’t allow himself to stop here.

There were still more walls protecting the pagoda.

If he couldn’t break down all of them and then also defeat the monster called Genius, he’d never be able to reach all the way to C.

If he couldn’t reach her—they’d be all annihilated.

When Daisuke and all the rest died, it would be C’s victory.

The world would become one where Mushitsuki were born endlessly—

“Gu—uh…”

Daisuke tried rushing toward the next coffin, but his body wouldn’t move. Without him even realizing, his knees fell touched the ground and his head was hazy.

If he stopped here, he would get hit by another concentrated attack.

While he understood that, as his body was numb and unmoving, above his head appeared—

Something like a fluttering butterfly.

Like a bridge connecting hope to hope.

A lone silver glow leapt over him.

“—Arisu—”

The moment she passed next to him, the silver spear-wielding girl looked at Daisuke.

She spoke no words.

However, she wore a bright smile like that of her original self. Just like back then when she might have ridiculed Daisuke, but fought to save Mushitsuki.

Arisu got a running start and thrust the lance glowing silver straight ahead.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p300.png|thumb]]

Cracks ran through the gigantic coffin blocking the path ahead.

The next moment, as the coffin blown apart while spreading scales around—she received a violent electric shock.

“—!”

Struck by lightning, Arisu was thrown to the ground. She apparently immediately protected herself with scales, but it wasn’t the kind of damage she could fully nullify.

Having witnessed the second coffin getting destroyed, someone overtook Daisuke again.

They were Harukiyo with his body clad in flames, as well as Rina riding her seven-spotted ladybug. Without even turning to Daisuke, both looked ahead.

Furthermore—Shiika sprinted next to him.

Shiika was limited in how fast she could move while using her ability. However, since she stopped making it snow and ran, she was now much faster.

“...”

Shiika’s eyes that he saw for only a brief moment—were powerful.

She believed without doubt that Daisuke would rise to his legs again.

While protecting Shiika from the fairies and Revived, many Mushitsuki also passed by Daisuke, running. None of them worried about Daisuke or looked at him.

“—Guh!”

Howling, Daisuke got up. The pattern all over his body emitted a glow again.

The sight of Harukiyo destroying the third coffin leapt into his eyes. Unable to fully evade the lightning attack released from the destroyed coffin, the flame devil rolled on the ground.

Daisuke broke into a run.

He overtook Arisu who tried getting to her shaking legs.

He overtook Shiika and the Mushitsuki protecting her.

Her overtook Rina, who was blown back along with her seven-spotted ladybug by the lightning emitted by the fourth destroyed coffin.

He struck his clenched fist at the fifth coffin towering ahead of him.

“Gwah...!”

The moment the coffin broke down, Daisuke was struck by lightning. This impact that was superior even to the previous one caused him to fall forward. His limbs were numb and paralysed and his head was swimming.

Even so, as he raised his face and tried getting up again, Arisu overtook him. Her white coat was stained with fresh blood.

Arisu destroyed the next coffin again and was struck by lightning.

And once more, the Mushitsuki with Shiika in the center ran ahead. They numbered less than before. Either getting caught by coffins that came flying out of the ground or else protecting Shiika from the fairies, the Mushitsuki collapsed one after another.

Transforming into a fireball and reaching the very front of the group, Harukiyo destroyed the next coffin.

“AaAAH!”

Daisuke shouted and rose. His long coat was scorched and in tatters, and his face was dirtied by blood and soot. If he collapsed like this, he might get mistaken with debris.

Even so Daisuke ran ahead.

Overtaking his comrades, overtaking his collapsed comrades, he was headed to the frontlines.

Although their numbers went down, the Mushitsuki rushing with all of their power were approaching the pagoda.

A coffin was destroyed again and the seven-spotted ladybug was pierced by a golden flash.

“—!”

Bending back, Rina fell to her knees and remained there—

Daisuke broke the next coffin with bullets.

Even as his sight was dyed in gold, he didn’t feel any pain—because he lost consciousness for a second.

He regained it because Arisu poked him with the handle of her spear as she passed next to him. Kasuou and Terasu also struck his body. It was also thanks to the healer Mushitsuki called Nene who kept singing despite her face being blue on the verge of asphyxiation.

While switching with each other to destroy the coffins, the Mushitsuki kept advancing toward the pagoda.

Already, the only traces to their passage were debris strewn with collapsed Mushitsuki or Revived.

All those who were running were covered in wounds without exception. Even Shiika who stopped using her powers was bleeding from her forehead, perhaps from an attack that their comrades hadn’t managed to fully protect her against. Even including Shiika, those who still ran together numbered no more than about thirty.

“—...”

Daisuke stood up, wavering. He stepped ahead with a weak gait.

As he hastened his pace, the patterns on his body increased their glow. Switching his legs from walking to running, he finally raised his head and looked ahead.

They were approaching the pagoda.

As well as the orchid mantis that stood in front of it like a watchdog.

Overtaking the collapsed members that were pulled up by their comrades, Daisuke ran.

Rina destroyed another coffin.

Only one coffin remained—

“OOOooOOOOOHHH!”

Daisuke’s fist struck through the final coffin.

As he was struck by lightning, it finally opened up the view for him and the Mushitsuki following from behind.

Appearing on the other side of the raining coffin fragments—

Was the gigantic orchid mantis they needed to look up at.

As well as—a gigantic Shrine floating in the night sky.

“—“

Seeing the Shrine that appeared at some point, the Mushitsuki all froze.

Looking down on them, the orchid mantis swung down its massive scythe. A warm wind blew through the battlefield, and a swarm of white spheres was created on the surface.

“T-this is... Genius’s mental pollution—”

Terasu’s voice was cut off in the middle—because time itself seemed to stop.

Anything and everything was dyed in white.

In a world where even his blood was dyed white, Daisuke—

Was struck by lightning, losing all sounds and sense of time.

== 3.06 Daisuke Part 4 ==

Daisuke woke up from his head being hit.

“Hey, Kusuriya. We’re moving classrooms.”

His classmate Tachibana Rina was smiling at him. He’d apparently fallen asleep on his desk.

While rubbing his eyes and raising his face, he could see fellow students streaming out from the classroom of Class 2-F of Ouka High School.

His next class was an elective subject of Art. Since it was Rina’s specialty, she looked fired up.

“Dai-kun’s awake?”

“Yeah, but I wanted to see how long it’d take him to wake up.”

“Akatsuki… did you have that sort of personality?”

“It’s fine, Senri. Let’s just leave him alone and go ahead?”

Just like Rina, the four classmates peeked into his face.

Haji Senri, Ogata Akatsuki, Endou Iori and Sunakozaka Azu.

Daisuke looked at their faces absentmindedly.

Watching his friends wear rich expressions and smile—he returned a pained smile.

“…Maybe I should ditch class. I’m still so sleepy.”

“Do it if you want to? You’ll get scolded by the teachers, though.”

Saying this abruptly, his friends all went out of the class with Rina in the lead. Only Iori stayed behind. “C’mon,” he said, grabbing Daisuke’s arm to force him to rise from his chair.

Leaving the classroom with Iori, they reconvened with Rina and the rest in the corridor.

While shivering at the coldness of winter, Daisuke looked outside the window.

He could see the bare trees and the students heading to the school gym by cutting through the courtyard.

“You’ll come for karaoke today, right?”

“Oh… sorry, I have plans today.”

As he rejected Iori’s invitation, his friends all smirked.

Rina also turned aside and smiled.

“We need to get that girl a personal alarm. Three of them.”

“Oh, I see…”

This time she had no retort, just accepting it with an amiable smile.

After that, Daisuke went through art class properly. He submitted his picture which was below average in class and attended his next period.

At lunch break he chatted with his friends and attended afternoon classes properly too.

After going through normal classes like usual, he wore his coat to head home and found a petite girl waiting for him at the entrance to the classroom.

“—Well then.”

His friends turned around as he said this and left first.

They all exchanged words of farewell.

Burning their figures into his sight, Daisuke left the classroom in a fast pace.

“Sorry for making you wait, Shiika.”

“No problem.”

Anmoto Shiika, who was waiting for Daisuke, wore a carefree smile.

Walking together out of campus, they were blown by the winter’s cold wind. As they shrugged and brought their bodies closer, Daisuke and Shiika shrunk the distance between them.

Going into town, they saw many colorful, glittering illuminations.

“It’s almost Christmas, huh.”

As Shiika mumbled it, her profile seemed excited at seeing the decorative lights filling town.

“Yeah. Iori and the others said we’re going to have a party at Senri’s house.”

“Rina too?”

“Who knows? That girl seriously has too many friends. I’m sure her schedule for Christmas is packed full.”

“Wow.” Daisuke was joking, but Shiika seemed to show serious admiration. He almost ended up grabbing her hand without thinking, but recalling the existence of the personal alarm, he stopped himself.

Daisuke and Shiika went to an arcade and played with the prize corner, then just bought some sweets and went on the road back home early. Since the days were getting shorter, they also had less time for dates.

He walked through the residential district, escorting Shiika back home.

They walked, the setting down creating long shadows behind them.

As he turned his gaze aside, his eyes suddenly met with Shiika’s.

She smiled happily.

Daisuke returned that smile.

“…How many times will you show us the same illusion, C?”

“C will use whatever she can to eliminate her enemies.”

Shiika erased her expression. Watching Daisuke with doll-like eyes, her mouth moved mechanically.

“By overlapping the mental pollution abilities of Genius and Shinpu, I created an effective attack method to interfere with the deep subconscious. At present, I managed to affect all enemies.”

It certainly worked.

He knew it was an illusion from the very start, but couldn’t get out of it.

Apparently even C was aware that he hadn’t been completely affected.

“This is not an illusion. I can recreate these exact environments in the new world as well.”

“By manipulating our memories, right? I already rejected that as Taiki.”

“Taiki did reject it. However, what about Kakkou—Kusuriya Daisuke?”

“…”

“You are very tired. You must want to rest.”

Daisuke gave no answer.

Kusuriya Daisuke and Anmoto Shiika—or rather, C who took her form—walked back shoulder to shoulder.

Whether Daisuke really had a home to go back to in here—he didn’t know.

C had called this illusion an attack, but he felt no pain. In fact, he was even filled with relief that he didn’t need to fight anyone.

“Do you know why until now some people became Mushitsuki while others didn’t?”

Daisuke remained silent and unanswering.

“People have desires. Since they have instincts, that is natural. Even hunger can become a dream. Perhaps even those who aren’t human, like animals—perhaps even a cat on the side of the road might be holding potential to become a Mushitsuki.”

“…”

“But do you know what is a dream strong enough to become Mushitsuki? One so strongly wished for that it can even control people’s life and death?”

Although Daisuke and C were enemies, they kept walking the road without fighting.

What waited ahead?

Ahead of these Mushitsuki walking toward the future—he could see nothing but the road continuing on and on.

“That is—a dream that cannot come true.”

It was Anmoto Shiika’s voice, but she spoke in an inorganic tone.

Daisuke slightly narrowed his eyes. But he said nothing.

“Because it can’t be granted, they wish for it strongly and can even reject death. —Miguruma Yaeko hypothesized that the Primal Mushi called the Original Three are people who anticipated this fate.”

“…”

“While getting in contact with Shinpu, C—Horiuchi Erii also noticed this. She was unable to accept this truth, threw away her personality and ran away.”

“…”

“C takes Mushitsuki who can’t grant their dreams, fixes them in the form called the Undying and saves them from destruction. I am not an enemy of Mushitsuki. I actually—love Mushitsuki.”

“…”

“You should have realized this long ago, right? Both about dreams being unfulfillable, as well as me not being your enemy.”

Daisuke smiled.

Neither affirming nor denying C’s words, he said only one thing.

“They can be fulfilled.”

The girl in the form of Shiika looked at Daisuke’s face.

There was a car honking from somewhere.

“At present, no Mushitsuki who fulfilled their dream exist. —If such a Mushitsuki ever appeared, they would be a defect to the Mushitsuki system. An irregularity that can be called a bug. It is unknown what sort of being this Mushitsuki would transform into.”

His expression unchanging, Daisuke just kept walking while listening to C’s words.

“They even have the potential to be reborn as a frightening monster the likes of which humanity had never seen before.”

“…”

“Rather than risking the creation of monsters, evolving into the Undying is the right choice for Mushitsuki.”

Daisuke shook his head to the sides.

Raising his face, he looked around this world that had neither battles nor conflict.

“I don’t care about the Undying. It’s just that for me, the Revived—those who conveniently lost their pain and anything else—don’t look like normal people.”

This time C was silenced.

“It’s not like I wanna fight either, and I am tired. —Even so, I don’t want forget what happened to me or to others. I want to decide doing something for myself while not forgetting that. Because I believed doing that is what a normal person would do.”

Right now, Daisuke wasn’t walking in a created path like he was now.

His path that included him fighting, getting hurt and hurting many people was already soaked in blood, but even so—it was the proof of the person called Kusuriya Daisuke having lived.

“Those standing in the way are Mushi and the Original Three. Also—if you are going to take that and decide by yourself to make people into Undying…”

Daisuke looked at the girl walking right next to him and spoke.

“It looks to me as if ''you’re'' the one who’s becoming a monster.”

Shiika’s expression looked frozen—or perhaps it was just Daisuke’s imagination. Perhaps in reality she simply couldn’t understand his words and was trying to analyze that truth.

“I’ll make my dream come true.”

Daisuke’s heart was beating.

And that heartbeat—was no illusion. Relying on this heartbeat he certainly felt, he focused his consciousness.

His face became not that of Kusuriya Daisuke, but of Kakkou.

Convinced of the breakdown in negotiations, the girl transformed into not Anmoto Shiika, but C.

“By doing this, just by fulfilling my dream—I will become a mere human.”

It was already too late for C to swing her electric-clad arm.

Trusting his own heartbeat, Daisuke retrieved the sensations of his real body.

And—he howled.

== 3.07 Daisuke Part 5 ==

“—aaAAAAAAAHHH!”

Howling from the depths of his stomach, he forced his consciousness to come back to reality.

GARDEN dyed in white retrieved its previous colors and the flow of time resumed.

It wasn’t just Daisuke.

All Mushitsuki in that battlefield shouted loud.

It wasn’t just to resist the combined mental attack by C and Genius. Even as they were hurt and collapsed—they vowed that they’d fight, walk their own chosen path.

They were Mushitsuki who sang their dream’s praises as loud as their voices let them.

And the number of those among them who fell to the mental attack—was zero.

“—”

The surrounding air all rose up to the high sky. The gigantic orchid mantis blocking their sight swung up its large scythe.

Reversing the winds it whipped up, Genius swung down its right scythe.

This combination of mass and speed was aiming for the Mushitsuki on the surface—

“Haha!”

Harukiyo’s full-powered fist repelled it. The vast heatwave burned up Genius’s scythe in an instant, blowing away the fairies and Revived on the surface.

Genius swung his left scythe horizontally to swipe.

Cutting a high-rise building into two, the pursuing giant scythe’s tip—was pierced by the Arisu’s thrust spear.

Scales came gushing out from the silver lance fused with the Morpho butterfly. Not coming to a rest even after breaking Genius’s scythe to smithereens, this impact erased even the crumbling building’s remains.

“Arisu!”

Daisuke shouted and asked.

“—Where is she?”

Sleeping Beauty accurately surmised the meaning behind his question.

The tip of the silver lance raised aloft pointed to the head portion of Genius.

No—it pointed behind this thin and long head, to a certain point in the pagoda.

“…!”

Looking up where the spear pointed, Daisuke was wrapped in an orange glow. His body suddenly became lighter.

Turning around, he could see a boy on the other side of the swarming fairies and Revived.

It was a blood-soaked Shiohara Shachito. Kneeling on a collapsed building, he pointed the hockey stick at Daisuke. —Him being here probably meant that the fight between teacher and disciple was over.

His body now lighter, Daisuke kicked the ground and leapt high.

As he tried leaping over Genius, the orchid mantis opened its mouthpart wide to stop him.

Mountain-like fangs that attempted chomping down on him—were shattered.

The shockwave emitted by Rina’s seven-spotted ladybug struck the orchid mantis’s jaw from below as though it was an uppercut.

Daisuke kicked the orchid mantis’s head and used the momentum to leap again—

“—OOoooOOOOOH!”

His left fist pierced through the pagoda’s wall. Using that momentum, he stabbed both feet through the wall to hold his body in place.

“Gwuhhh!”

A fierce storm of electricity blew all over the windowless pagoda’s surface.

Daisuke held himself at the place close to the pagoda’s summit—the spot Sleeping Beauty Arisu had indicated with her sensing ability.

“OOooOOAAAAAAHHH!”

While receiving enough electricity to brighten up the entire sky above GARDEN, Daisuke put his gun muzzle against the wall in front of his eyes. Pulling the trigger, he destroyed the thick metal wall.

He finally reached the pagoda that held C’s main body.

He wasn’t going to leave it just for Fuyuhotaru.

Wringing out his remaining powers, Daisuke invaded the tower.

“AAAAaaAAHHH!”

The dark interior had nothing in it other than ceiling and floor. Daisuke destroyed the wall using his left arm while firing the gun with his right. He was constantly getting hit by the electricity raging through the building’s interior, so Daisuke was losing the sensation of his arms.

Destroying everything he found, Daisuke rushed through the floor. In this state where his consciousness was held only through sheer force of will, he searched for C’s main body, and his eyes—

Finally found it.

It was a spacious space with a freezing air.

There were no lights in that room, and there were electric devices blinking on and off that looked like bookshelves.

And further back—

There were two eyes staring at him.

Daisuke readied his pistol.

“C—”

The next moment, light holding vast amounts of energy burst.

Ceiling, floor and walls all broke to smithereens. Having lost his footing, Daisuke was flung back outside the pagoda helplessly.

As he was thrown into the air, what Daisuke saw was the scenery of the crumbling pagoda. He saw the building’s top part explode while the foundation burst into smithereens.

What remained after the crumbling pagoda was two figures floating in air.

One of them was inside a transparent box that was linked to the surface through golden electrical discharges. Rounding her body and covering both eyes with her hands was the girl Daisuke knew as Horiuchi Erii—C.

The transparent box was housed in a majestically-decorated enclosure, itself resembling a large chair or a bed. The girl sleeping inside didn’t move a muscle.

And the other figure—was sitting with her legs crossed on top of the sleeping girl.

Her face was the exact same as Horiuchi Erii. However, her body clad in something like a transparent negligee was pale and slightly see-through. Her worn tiara was shining, and eyes covered by eyelashes bursting with gold looked down on Daisuke.

It was C’s main body—and her body double that could be called the medium of her power.

“Guh…gaha…!”

As Daisuke fell right next to his friends, the orange glow left him and vanished. Since his mass was no longer reduced, the damage he’d accumulated made it impossible for him to move. He couldn’t get up. The healer Nene rushed next to him.

“C…!”

“So that’s her real body…!”

The Mushitsuki fighting with Genius all looked up at C floating above the debris of the treasure tower.

Looking down on them getting pumped up, C widened her eyes.

Much like a balloon instantly inflating—the remains of the pagoda gathered around the floating C. Revolving around her much like a planet’s rings, they formed a perfectly round shape. The sphere’s radius was probably several dozen time the petite C’s height.

And it didn’t end with this.

“…!”

While the Mushitsuki were looking up, C’s expression changed.

Golden wings slowly unfolded from the back of the girl who narrowed her eyes in anger. Patterns drawn with golden threads looking like the veins on a leaf drew the shape of the letter C.

Sitting on her majestic bed, the girl sprouting gigantic wings—

Was her form that of an angel with a halo?

Or was it a buddha with a mandala?

These golden wings—clearly holding vast powers—caused light to surge in the sphere protecting C. All the debris became connected through golden threads, transforming into a glowing golden sphere.

“N-no way, is she trying to Mature…?”

He heard Terasu’s mutter.

“No—t-that—”

Ogata Akatsuki denied this.

Her transformation done, C looked down on the Mushitsuki.

Her gaze was unchanged from how it was before.

“It’s Semi-Maturation—”

It was the ability of Akatsuki’s, Mushi the mayfly. She controlled it so perfectly it could be called Half-Maturation. Since C could control the life and death of Mushitsuki, she was now attempting to control even the phenomenon of Maturation—

“…!”

Genius also started changing in front of the shocked Mushitsuki’s eyes. White blobs gathered toward its lost leg and the large scythe was regenerating.

The entire orchid mantis’s body was transforming as well. It became even larger, and the remaining legs also became sharp scythes.

Furthermore—

The Mushi of the Revived surrounding the Mushitsuki also began to change.

“All of them—”

While holding down his shaking legs, Daisuke rose up.

It wasn’t just C. Even Genius and the Revived, meaning the entire enemy forces, were Maturing.

On the other hand, all surviving Mushitsuki were already with a foot in the grave. They sacrificed plenty to reach this far, using up their very body and soul to fight.

Coming all the way here—they no longer had the powers to face against such powerful opponents.

“—Leave the surface to us, Rank 1s.”

A soprano voice echoed in the despair-filled battlefield.

As Daisuke turned around—he could see Kasuou transforming into an entirely different person.

“You bastards need to go and beat the crap outta C already.”

Kasuou’s vivid golden hair was being dyed pitch black. One arm vanished, and she used condensed mist to sprout a clawed giant arm in its stead. A single eye became a black void, and her exposed teeth were growing sharper.

“Before it’s too late for all of us, like that stupid Himiko.”

Just like the groaning Kasuou said, all Mushitsuki other than her were also transforming.

The Mushi equipped to Terasu’s throat now covered her all the way to her mouth, becoming a mask with countless breathing holes.

Yotsuba’s limbs became dyed in white and black, her entire figure wavering while drawing faint afterimages.

Namie’s common albatross butterfly burning in white started multiplying as if engaged in cell division.

Aijisupa’s hairband and clothes were dyed in pure white, the steam making his body float in air.

“…!”

He could see other Mushitsuki change their forms as well.

They were Semi-Maturing just like the enemy—or not.

What Kasuou and the rest were doing was nothing more than a rampage, inducing themselves to Mature out of their own volition. It would increase their powers, but it wasn’t a state they could hold for long—in the first place, there was no guarantee they could go back to normal after this.

It wasn’t them just betting their lives.

A few minutes. Once this much time passed, it would be too late for them, and if they actually Matured—they would just increase the number of threats on the world.

However, right now, they judged this to be the time to fight and bet on everything.

And that was—the same as Daisuke.

“Yeah, we’ll beat her.”

The seconds hand counting down hundreds of seconds to decide this heroic fight already started moving.

They could no longer go back—

“ORAAaaAAaaaAAHHH!”

“WooOOOooOOOOH!”

“AaaAAAaaAAAHHH!”

The howling Mushitsuki and the Semi-Matured Revived clashed directly. Genius, that became even larger, swung down its sharp scythes.

The goggle’s wireless functions already broke long ago. His comrades’ shouts and the explosive sounds and impact filling the surface right after them shook his eardrums.

“OOOOOH!”

Daisuke made the pattern on his entire body glow and unleashed a bullet toward the floating C.

However, the electric attack shot by fairies from the surface and a concentrated fire from the autocannons, as well as the lightning from the golden planet protecting C, intercepted the bullet.

The same happened with Harukiyo’s flames, Arisu’s scales and Rina’s shockwaves. Their attacks were cancelled, not even reaching the sphere engulfing C.

Attacks from long range weren’t going to work.

Since he estimated this, Daisuke did not hesitate. He kicked the ground, rushing ahead.

“—ooOOOH!”

Avoiding obstacles, he ran through the battlefield where Mushitsuki and Revived fought. As he accelerated, the patterns over Daisuke’s entire body increased their glow.

“—ooOOOOOOOHHH!”

Making himself into a green-glowing bullet, he leapt with great momentum, kicking the earth.

Genius’s scythe swung down, attempting to intercept his leap.

The next moment, Genius was struck by a concentrated attack from all Mushitsuki on the surface. Attacking together while not caring about any damage to themselves, they managed to carve through the orchid mantis’s large body.

Enemy attacks were launched at Daisuke again and again.

The Mushitsuki on the surface blew all of them back.

He took a full-powered running start, followed by a full-powered jump.

And obtaining the full-powered support granted to him by his allies—

“—OoaaaAAAaaAAAAAHHH!”

Daisuke landed right on the top of the sphere protecting C.

Immediately fearsome lightning assaulted Daisuke—but his left arm and right leg covered by a thick, burly carapace grabbed onto the pagoda’s debris forming the sphere and wouldn’t let go.

Having released his power to the very brink of losing control, the change reached all the way to his right arm as well. It fused with the gun, becoming a giant maw of the checkered beetle spewing hellfire.

“aAAaaAAAAHHHH!”

The sides of his mouth ripped and spouted fangs. Daisuke emitted a bestial howl.

The bombardment unleashed from the beetle’s maw struck the golden planet protecting C from zero range.

Mixing with the lightning assaulting Daisuke, it caused so much light to burst that it felt like it was going to destroy the entirety of GARDEN.

“HahaaAAaaAAHHHH!”

The flame devil, Harukiyo, followed Daisuke. Becoming a crimson flame, his right arm stuck to the sphere of light, persistently pounding it with a fireball. As he sneered in great joy, the lower half of his body began transforming into ethereal flames.

“—!”

Sleeping Beauty—Arisu also leapt to the sphere of light. Her long, black hair became silver, and a slashing attack that once parted the sea struck the light sphere again and again. She also emitted a blowing storm of scales that weakened C’s abilities, covering the entire sphere.

“…aaAAAAHHH!”

Lady Bird—Tachibana Rina also pursued the sphere of light. Having swelled up to several times its size and sprouting nasty-looking thorns all over, the seven-spotted ladybug unleashed a shockwave that once half-destroyed GARDEN.

“—”

Even while getting hit by these four focused attacks, the expression of the C sitting atop her real body did not change.

Turning her eyelashes spreading golden sparks ahead, she raised her thin arms aloft. Light surged from her ten outstretched fingers, and she supplied the golden sphere protecting her with the energy known as electricity.

The lightning unleashed from the surface of the sphere became even stronger.

All four Rank 1s including Daisuke were assaulted by further impacts.

“Vanish, all of you incomplete Undying—”

“ooAAaaAAAAHHH!”

“HaaAAAAHHH!”

“—!”

“aaAAAAHHH!”

Lightning ripping through the night sky kept piercing through the Rank 1s—

Daisuke continued his bombardment single-mindedly.

Harukiyo clashed with fireballs.

Arisu swung down her spear.

Rina unleashed shockwaves.

“You failed worms—”

C’s golden pupils glared at Daisuke.

However, he and the others did not stop their attacks.

They clung to the golden sphere—literally like worms, continuing their attacks.

Impacts caused by these midair clashes reached even GARDEN’s surface. All high-rise buildings in the center of town were unable to withstand the storm of blowing energy, crumbling down.

C’s eyes glaring at Daisuke turned even harsher.

Lightning kept increasing its limitless power as it struck the four Rank 1s—

On the other hand, the attacks made by Daisuke’s group started weakening at some point—

At last.

All four exhausted at the same time.

“—…”

Using up power beyond their limits, they couldn’t even raise screams.

As tattered as a squeezed rag, they were finally blown away from the sphere.

And the result of this assault by the four Rank 1s, regarded the strongest, was—

Not even a single crack appeared on the sphere protecting Super Class Rank 1, C. It appeared like this unimaginable defensive hardness denied everything, creating an isolated territory. Not only that, but using her precise control she would instantly change to other domains, constantly repeating regeneration and hardening.

Daisuke, Harukiyo, Arisu, Rina.

The fight between the four Rank 1s and the Super Class Rank 1 ended in the former’s utter defeat.

However—they had no regrets.

Nor pain.

While returning to a humanlike form after spending their powers, they were falling down toward the surface.

Those four all had the exact same expression.

As for why—

“—The world, will change…”

All of them muttered this because they saw the same scene.

Super Class Rank 1, C, was descending on GARDEN just like a goddess.

Another glow appeared above that divine figure.

It was just a small glow.

But it was—the light that would change the world.

“…To a world where no Mushitsuki will be born again…”

Looking down the four smiling Mushitsuki, C widened her glowing eyes.

It was because she noticed while Daisuke and the rest were falling, that the surviving Mushitsuki had already vanquished Genius.

And because she saw something standing on top of the unmoving orchid mantis.

A lone girl—

“…!”

She looked above her.

There she finally noticed the small light coming down on her.

It was—a single flake of snow.

“…It’s our victory.”

Daisuke and the other three Rank 1s could not compare to the C.

However, there was another Rank 1.

The girl standing atop the defeated orchid mantis—was Secret Class Rank 1, Fuyuhotaru.

The one C feared the most—

The one Daisuke and the others defended to the death—

The course of the destruction that no one could evade finally reached their archnemesis.

“—aaAA—”

What meaning did this whisper-like voice leaking from C’s lips hold?

Sitting on the bed where her real body slumbered, C raised her arms right above her.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p330.png|thumb]]

An electric strike surged from the golden sphere.

All autocannons installed around town immediately launched a volley of bombardments and ground-to-air missiles.

Fairies, C-butterflies and the Revived on the ground launched attacks straight above them.

The sky of GARDEN became filled with golden flashes of light.

“—“

However, the snow that broke down even through all of those did not slow down its fall in the least.

C looked down at the surface. She reached out toward Anmoto Shiika.

However—

“...!”

Shiika calmly covered herself with a curtain of blizzard.

Even while protecting her body, she kept her gaze trained on above C. With a strong gaze that lacked any doubts she focused her consciousness on the flake of snow.

And the falling snow—touched the golden sphere protecting C.

Destructive noise loud enough to rupture eardrums echoed throughout the entire GARDEN.

This lone flake pierced through the sphere that Daisuke and the others hadn’t left a single scratch on. It broke through even C’s territory, and the snow glowing white got in contact with C’s body double.

“—”

C kept resisting, reaching her hand toward the snow.

However—

As if those golden eyes of her saw through this inescapable fate—

She let her arms that tried protecting against the snow drop down.

“…”

Why had she done this?

C erased her angry expression—and looked at none other than Daisuke.

And then—smiled.

“…”

Why had this being called Super Class Rank 1, C, smiled at Daisuke in her last moments?

He was thinking while watching the snow finally touch C.

Most likely, he would spend the rest of his life wondering about what this meant—

Daisuke was convinced of this.

== 3.08 Daisuke Part 6 ==

The moment the lone flake of snow touched Super Class Rank 1 C—a change occurred.

The sphere protecting C lost its brilliance, and even the connections connecting the bed and the surface vanished.

Genius’s corpse scattered along with a white light.

The fairies and C-butterflies filling the city’s center all vanished without a trace immediately. All the Revived collapsed one after another like puppets with cut strings.

And that wasn’t all.

All the neon lights illuminating the city turned off one after another.

All lights in GARDEN vanished from the center and to the outer circumference like a receding wave—

“—!”

While falling to the surface, Arisu swung her silver lance.

Gushing scales wrapped all the Mushitsuki on verge of Maturation.

Including Kasuou and Terasu, they all stopped their movements. They all gritted their teeth with desperate expressions to suppress their Mushi—and now that the ability of Arisu’s scales affected them, they just barely retrieved their previous shapes.

The moment before they fell to the ground, the four Rank 1s were wrapped by an orange glow.

Shiohara Shachito probably helped them from somewhere. Becoming lighter, Daisuke and the rest landed on the debris noiselessly.

“…”

Falling spreadeagled on the ground, he looked at the scenery visible in the sky.

The young Mushitsuki called Super Class Rank 1.

Her last moments were incredibly silent.

The moment the snow touched her, C’s body double lost its light.

Its golden brilliance absorbed by a single flake, it become a black statue.

And—along with a small light afterimage, it broke to smithereens and scattered.

“C…”

He could hear Shiika’s mumble.

Even the sphere of light protecting C returned being powerless debris. It crumbled down and rained down on the surface so noiselessly it felt lonely.

At the same time—the rectangular object also fell to the surface.

The bed where C’s main body slumbered.

Within the bed stabbed into the top of the pagoda’s debris, C faintly opened her eyelids.

However, there was no life in them.

A mere Fallen that lost her Mushi was there.

This was the Mushitsuki who tried making all people in the world into Mushitsuki and then Undying to grant an eternal calm to the entire humankind.

This girl had tried absorbing even the Original Three, and held much more power than any other Mushitsuki.

She wished for a new generation of Mushitsuki so much that she threw her original personality of Horiuchi Erii away—

It was the instant she ended within this boxed garden called GARDEN.

“…”

No one said anything.

Tottering, Daisuke rose up to his legs.

On the surface where the moonlight alone illuminated them, all other Mushitsuki also rose to their legs one after another.

“…What’s going to happen now?”

Acting as a representative of all surviving Mushitsuki, Kasuou mumbled.

Only about a dozen people or so still remained standing in GARDEN.

They had no idea how many of the Mushitsuki who collapsed in this city could recover. Even if they started treating them right now, it was probably too late for many of them.

It was certain they fought and survived.

But at the same time, they also felt as if they remained alone in this spacious world—it was this kind of loneliness.

They managed to prevent a future where everyone in the world became Mushitsuki.

However, it also meant that in this world, the Mushitsuki were the only ones left behind.

“You mean… to the world? Or to us…?”

Even Terasu’s voice muttering this felt somewhat lonely.

“I dunno.”

Daisuke spoke.

“I dunno how things turn out—but there’s still something we have to do.”

While everyone looked confused, only the girl Daisuke was looking at seemed to understand.

Anmoto Shiika.

Only the girl who held the same dream as him smiled while looking at him.

“—Do you still have power left to fight?”

Daisuke said, looking around all Mushitsuki on the ruins of the battlefield.

Everyone was so injured that his words sounded like a bad joke.

Even Daisuke himself was smeared with blood and went past the limits of fatigue. Even just standing there took everything he had. And everyone there was the same.

However, even so the Mushitsuki all laughed.

“Easy peasy.”

Harukiyo represented their feelings.

Daisuke smiled as well.

He had no idea what the world would become now.

He didn’t know what would happen to the Mushitsuki survivors, either.

However—it was way too early to think about that sort of stuff.

“…Leave Fuyuhotaru and me alone and get back.”

Saying this, Daisuke faced Shiika.

== 3.09 Daisuke The Last ==

GARDEN that became an empty lot was wrapped in silence.

Even leaving aside the pagoda smashed to smithereens, not a single place in town kept its original shape. Crumbled tall buildings and wall, destroyed cars and autocannons and fallen helicopters all reflected the moonlight, glowing dimly.

Perhaps this was the sight of the end of the world.

However, what ended here wasn’t the world.

What ended here—was the fight deciding the fate of Mushitsuki.

And the world would start from here again.

“…”

After looking over the destroyed townscape, Kusuriya Daisuke looked at the girl standing right in front of him.

Her name was Anmoto Shiika. She was a Mushitsuki girl who held the same dream as him.

Right now, only Daisuke and Shiika were there. The other Mushitsuki were all taking refuge nearby.

“—So this makes us the only survivors.”

Daisuke said this to Shiika.

Although they defeated their biggest enemy, C, he recalled that his comrades were still anxious.

A world where no Mushitsuki would be born.

If that became reality—then the existing Mushitsuki really would become “survivors”. They were the people burdened with the fate of being host to the supernatural beings called Mushi that might eat their dreams and cause their deaths one day.

They wished for no further misfortune to occur.

However, in exchange—they would have no new comrades.

They would be survivor Mushitsuki, waiting for extinction.

Anxiety.

Loneliness.

They’d just keep living with all of those emotions.

However—

While they knew this, Daisuke and the girl opposite to him smiled.

“Right.”

Shiika raised her arms aloft.

Her Mushi appeared, resplendent in white light.

Daisuke also materialized his checkered beetle and fused it with his gun.

Although they hadn’t spoken about this at all—both knew what they had to do.

“It’s finally over… I can finally put an end to this—”

While he spat this, he could only taste blood. He was dyed by dried blood from head to toes, and his goggles had long since broke down. His tired legs were shaking.

All fights ended.

However, what they were about to do wasn’t a fight.

It was simply—

Putting an end to everything.

“Yup, finally…”

Even the crying Shiika had blood running down her head. Not even a single person among the survivors remained unharmed.

“I—we came all the way here…”

“We almost gave up many times, but managed to get here…”

They smiled at each other.

Above the boy’s head, a glowing snowflake appeared.

Daisuke put strength into his finger on the trigger.

This silence, that was as though only the two of them existed in this world—was torn by loud gunfire.

The bullet launched from the gun shot through Shiika’s Mushi.

“—!”

Grimacing, Shiika bent back.

Her white Mushi was blown to smithereens, became fragments of light and scattered.

At the same time, a disharmonious sound echoed from Daisuke’s handgun as snow touched it.

The checkered beetle separated from the gun and was being crushed by some invisible force.

“—”

Being assaulted by a sensation as if something inside his chest was being crushed by a fist, Daisuke fell to his knees.

That was—the sensation of despair as the thing he cherished the most until now, his dream, was being crushed.

And there was also the relief at this harsh battle finally coming to an end.

The Mushi’s death throes sounded as though they lamented and cried over these two conflicting emotions.

Their cries overlapped and echoed in the ruins of paradise—

Then, fully vanished.

“…”

As the two Mushi were annihilated, their Mushitsuki collapsed to the ground.

Daisuke and Shiika crawled on the ground, reaching out to one another.

Their fingertips touched.

It was a nostalgic—and warm sensation.

While feeling each other’s warmth, Daisuke and Shiika smiled.

Although their fingers touched only for moments, he could feel Shiika’s heartbeat from them. Shiika could definitely feel his as well.

When he first met Shiika, he made her into a Fallen.

Reuniting with her grown-up self, he didn’t realize it was her and hurt her again.

They kept getting involved with and hurting each other, but now it was going to end.

Their fates of running into each other all the time was going to end.

“…”

Daisuke and Shiika’s eyes lost their lights at the same time.

Losing their Mushi, they were becoming Fallen without any emotions and feelings.

Their fingers still intertwined, the two collapsed to the ground—

This was the ending of the two Mushitsuki called Kusuriya Daisuke and Anmoto Shiika.

Why had they chosen this ending?

Why had they chosen to close the curtain on their story by becoming Fallen?

That answer—came to dye the skies of GARDEN.

Moonlight.

Twinkling stars.

These lights all slowly vanished.

GARDEN, created as a paradise for the Fallen, was being wrapped in pitch black. Lukewarm wind blew and soon became a fierce gale that blew through the surface.

Instead of the vanished moon and stars, purple glows illuminated the city.

Emitting this glow were wings gigantic enough to cover GARDEN’s skies—

Of an elegant swallowtail butterfly.

The drizzle of purple scales headed toward the surface congealed and took a human form midair.

A slim woman clad in a crimson coat. She floated in air without any assistance, and her eyes glowing in rainbow colors were clearly inhuman.

The woman went down toward the pair on the ground as if she was a divine messenger.

Her gaze looked much too enraptured, and she was slightly flushed. Remaining silent in the sky above the two collapsed on the ground, she moved her nose as though sniffing something.

“Ah. I knew it. A splendid dream—”

Curling her bright red lips, she sneered, looking happy from the bottom of her heart.

“An especially scrumptious one among those I ate… my main dish.”

The woman opened her mouth so wide it almost looked like it was ripped.

A small glow rose from Daisuke and Shiika.

Rising to the sky and scattering, that glow came flowing into the woman’s wide-opened mouth.

And then—

The two Mushitsuki called Kusuriya Daisuke and Anmoto Shiika.

They—restarted.

Their touching fingertips twitched.

“Ah, so delicious—it makes not only my tongue but my entire body melt.”

Daisuke’s sister, Ayukawa Chiharu once said.

''—Mushitsuki can recall their dreams over and over…

Those were also the words of Sanbikime inside her.

As long as they had an opportunity, Mushitsuki could recall their dreams.

The Mushitsuki designated as Super Class Rank 1, C, had manipulated the memories and feelings of the Fallen to fabricate that opportunity. And by using Shinpu’s abilities, she could revive Mushitsuki again and again.

However, right now Daisuke and Shiika didn’t need C.

There was the warmth they felt from their fingertips.

There was the heartbeat shouting their dreams transmitted from it.

The chance to recall their dream—was right in front of them.

“—…”

Raising their heads as if emerging from the deep sea—

Daisuke and Shiika stood up at the same time.

While receiving back the memories and feelings that came to them with frightening momentum, they looked at their opponent—and smiled at each other.

Next to them, a green checkered beetle and a white firefly were formed.

“—Thank you for the invitation.”

Daisuke and Shiika raised their faces toward the voice echoing from overhead.

It was there, floating above the city turned ruins.

One of the Original Three, Oogui.

Among the three Primal Mushi who gave birth to Mushitsuki, she was the one with an especially strong appetite—no, a monster whose behavioral principle was nothing but gluttony.

Once this monster felt dreams with strong emotions, no matter the situation, she couldn’t help but want to eat them—

“It was the best… and very last dinner.”

Wearing a full smile, Oogui calmly looked down the surface.

Already, all over the ruins—many Mushitsuki were standing.

Daisuke and Shiika. Harukiyo, Rina and Arisu were also there. Including Kasuou, the surviving Mushitsuki were all in battle formations.

The wings of the swallowtail butterfly dancing in the sky—which was the conduit for Oogui’s ability—were already being put to sleep by Arisu’s scales.

“Goodbye.”

Sneering at them, Oogui was wrapped in a flash of light and an impact.

They didn’t even give her a chance for a counterattack.

They wouldn’t allow her any resistance.

The attacks shot from all possible positions at once broke through Oogui’s body.

The swallowtail floating in air was being burnt to a crisp by a crimson Great Yama tiger beetle. Its wings, scattering around like ashes, were eliminated by Rina’s shockwave such that not even a speck of dust remained.

Even as her body broke down, Oogui smiled as if from the aftereffects of her full stomach. Leaving behind her sneering head, the body that received white snow was erased without any remains.

The Original Three.

Supernatural beings that were Primal Mushi who gave birth to Mushitsuki.

Until now—they were seen like that.

However, the truth was slightly different.

They could turn people into Mushitsuki, and, if Mushitsuki who became Fallen could recall their dreams again—

They could produce Mushitsuki ''any number of times''.

These were the monsters called The Original Three, simply ruled by gluttony.

And in the end—

“Goodbye.”

Daisuke gave his words of farewell accompanying them by gunfire that erased the remaining head.

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 2

2024-12-25T08:36:22Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 2.00 The Others == When Takashiro Taiki woke up, his room was dark. “—Uh…!” He tried raising his body, but was assaulted by violent pain. His head was spinning..."

== 2.00 The Others ==

When Takashiro Taiki woke up, his room was dark.

“—Uh…!”

He tried raising his body, but was assaulted by violent pain.

His head was spinning and his body was heavy. Did he have a fever, or did he catch the flu? He grimaced while thinking.

Although he somehow managed to raise his upper torso, he felt dizzy. His throbbing head and body were so dull he felt like a puppet. This made him angry.

“Shit—not again…”

He felt an unpleasant sweat form all over his body.

“Those dreams about Mushitsuki—”

Recently, Taiki had been having strange dreams every night.

The events there felt too real to be dreams, and he felt worse each time he woke up.

Furthermore, even in reality he was being followed by a pair who introduced themselves as journalists and caused him nothing but trouble. Putting aside the foreigner that called himself John Mash, his assistant Ikarino Kirai was tenacious to an eccentric degree.

—''You’ll definitely dream about her as well.

Ikarino Kirari’s unpleasant prophecy passed through his mind.

Although he shook her off and went back home, her prediction—hit right on the mark.

Taiki dreamt about another Mushitsuki.

Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.

And in this dream, at a place called Aoharima Island, Mushitsuki and people called the Revived were fighting.

“What’s up with that Fuyuhotaru Mushitsuki or whatever—”

Taiki’s mental state was probably at its limits due to the dream being so violent. So this was probably why he woke up so early in the morning.

His used his half-open eyes to peek at the clock nearby.

He thought it would be even before sunrise, but he was shocked upon seeing the clock’s hands.

“Eh—i-it’s already so late…? I gotta hurry—”

It was already past eight o’clock. He tried leaping out from bed without thinking, but then noticed.

No matter how much he looked around, the room was dark. There was no sunlight coming even from the curtains.

“W-what does that even—wah!”

He tried clumsily getting out of bed but then leapt back.

There was a small figure standing right in front of the door to his room.

“R-Ririe…?”

It was his youngest sister, Ririe. She was staring right at Taiki, without even turning on the lights.

“W-what are you doing here…?”

His sister remained unanswering. She was glaring at her big brother Taiki with eyes like those watching an insect. Since her body was so small even when compared to middle schoolers, she blended in with the dark.

“Ririe—it’s you, right?”

Was it not his sister, but just a ghost taking Ririe’s face?

As he began considering even things like that seriously, Ririe finally opened her mouth.

“Right, big brother.”

“Y-yeah… obviously… please turn on the lights—”

“I am Ririe. My big brother is Taiki. We’re siblings and we also have another sister, Noa. Our parents are a bit strict, but we’re an average, happy family.”

“…Ha?”

“But you’re a bit odd, big brother. I didn’t manage—to fix you properly.”

''—You’re the one saying strange things—

He was about to say this to his sister who was definitely acting weird, but stopped.

That was because he could hear footsteps coming from the door behind Ririe.

“Big brother, you’re finally awake?”

Opening the door without knocking was their middle sister, Noa.

“Eh, Ririe, you’re also here? —Is your cold better? We have gruel if you’re hungry. I made it this noon but you were asleep…”

Noa asked from behind Ririe with a worried face.

While Taiki did feel relieved at seeing Noa act normally when everything else was odd since he woke up—it made him even more confused.

“Cold…? Sleeping through the afternoon—wait, is it night now? I took today off from school…?”

If Noa was right, this wasn’t eight o’clock in the morning, but rather 8 PM.

However, Taiki had no memories of this.

He knew nothing about catching a cold and couldn’t remember skipping school—

“What dream were you talking about before?”

Ririe’s eyes became harsher. It was an expression even her brother had never seen before.

“Big brother, don’t tell me—that someone did something to you?”

“Ririe…?”

He couldn’t understand what his sister was saying.

Noa seemed to also find it odd. She tried peeking at their sister’s face from behind.

“Ririe, what are you talking—”

For a moment, golden electricity ran through Noa’s braids and her head.

Noa’s eyebrows twitched, then she turned back to Taiki like nothing happened.

“Oh, but the gruel’s cold already. There’s been a blackout just now, so we can’t use the microwave.”

“Noa…?”

What happened right in front of his eyes just now was abnormal.

Taiki was confused, while Noa didn’t seem to notice anything.

Sandwiched between the two of them, Ririe was mumbling something incomprehensible while trying to corner Taiki.

''Am I still dreaming?

Next to the confused Taiki, the glass window suddenly broke with a violent sound.

“Uwaah!”

“Kyaaa!”

A stone thrown from the outside broke the window.

While Taiki and Noa froze, Ririe mechanically moved her head toward the window.

“Taiki-san! Escape!”

A voice echoed from the other side of the window. It sounded familiar.

It belonged to Ikarino Kirai.

“E-escape…?”

Everything turned strange since the moment he woke up.

He thought it was morning but it was night, his sisters were acting odd, and just as the window was suddenly broken, he was told to run by a girl who had no relation to him. As an added bonus, there was a blackout.

Ririe stood in front of the door as though to block his path of escape.

If he were to run away—he’d have to jump out of the window.

In the first place, he was told to run away, but this was his house. Where exactly was he going to escape to, and why?

“…!”

However, he didn’t have time to think about it.

As Ririe slowly approached Taiki, her hand was clad in a golden glow. Seeing that, his body unconsciously headed to the window.

He unlocked it and opened the broken window.

He had no idea what was going to happen.

Even now that he had half his body out of the window, he hesitated—

“—Come here. Taiki-san.”

Waiting on the surface was the girl called Ikarino Kirari.

Seeing her frank yet powerful smile—Taiki threw his body into the air.

== 2.01 The Others ==

As far as Haji Keigo knew, the beings called Mushi and Mushitsuki were discovered ten-odd years ago.

The government captured Mushitsuki in secret, suppressed information about them and managed them. Behind the creation of this smooth process was probably the plan created by Miguruma Yaeko. There were also traces of her being backed by the Round Table, those influential people who controlled the business world.

In fact, in earlier days it was thought that the concealment, isolation and managing of Mushi was a success.

Because the organization called the SEPB operated and managed to quickly create the system to capture Mushitsuki. The abilities of the captured Mushitsuki were varied, and by training them as soldiers, they could manage other Mushitsuki more efficiently.

Although even society at large heard rumors about Mushi and Mushitsuki, it was only on the level of an urban myth. They were simply plausible rumors that caused them to become targets of vague hatred and fear. The monitor units embedded into the populace picked up these rumors and circulated them in ways that would assist capturing.

Mushi and Mushitsuki were handled perfectly.

So he thought—but then five years ago happened.

“It’s fine, just focus on attacking!”

On the fishing harbor of Aoharima Island, Terasu’s orders that were close to shouting echoed.

“If we don’t, we’ll get annihilated in the blink of an eye!”

A lone small boat was approaching the island.

Seeing the figure standing on the bow, Haji Keigo felt nostalgic.

It really was the first time in five years for him.

“Director Haji! Please give orders for retreat…!”

Terasu turned to him, asking instructions.

“Even if she’s being controlled by C, that thing—we can’t do anything against her!”

That day five years ago.

Until that time, everything went according to the government’s—no, Miguruma Yaeko’s plans.

Although it looked like they only just barely concealed them, in fact the existence called Mushi was being perfectly controlled.

Keigo had gotten into the SEPB for his goal of eradicating Mushi, but there was nothing he could have done at the time.

What finally formed cracks into this situation—was the event from five years ago.

It was a sight much like this one now.

In fact, it had been done by the girl who appeared in front of Haji and others now.

“—We can’t beat Fuyuhotaru!”

At the time, Anmoto Shiika had been an elementary schooler.

Later designated as Fuyuhotaru, a Secret Class Rank 1, she wasn’t someone with an especially important background. She wasn’t a tempered soldier and obviously not some kind of ESPer. She was somewhat alienated from the people around her, but otherwise a normal elementary schooler.

However—she cornered the SEPB to the brink of destruction.

One day, she suddenly became a Mushitsuki and just walked around town.

The SEPB tried capturing her like usual, but were all defeated in turn. Next they tried not to capture but to subdue her, and were defeated in turn. They already brought combined forces to try and keep the victims of the town in check as they challenged her—but were defeated in turn.

They simply couldn’t measure up to Anmoto Shiika. They were unable to stop a single Mushitsuki.

The SEPB that they spent years building up was half-destroyed in the blink of an eye.

With this incident as an impetus, the SEPB was forced to go through reform.

Estimating the second arrival of another Fuyuhotaru, they gave actual authority to each branch to be able to respond to all situations. They poured energy into the training of Mushitsuki, and rather than restraining them, they encouraged each to grow in their own way, and had no other choice to increase their fighting forces.

The lone Mushitsuki called Fuyuhotaru changed the Mushitsuki’s way of being that until then was being seized by Miguruma Yaeko.

By wedging himself into those reforms, Haji Keigo was able to increase his power on the inside of the SEPB—

“—Director Haji? Give us orders, quickly!”

While Keigo remained unmoving, Terasu wore a flustered expression.

On the verge of indulging in an uncharacteristic sentimentality, Keigo spoke while fixing the position of his glasses with an index finger.

“Don’t retreat.”

“Eh…? B-but—”

“Do you think there’s anywhere to escape to on this empty island?”

Hearing his words, not just Terasu but the other branch heads also fell into silence.

“Prepare someone with mental control abilities, Terasu. This time use them exactly as planned.”

Terasu startled.

“We’re doing ''that''…? B-but, against Fuyuhotaru?”

“It doesn’t matter against whom. We’re all exhausted and don’t even know where C is. To be frank, we currently have no chances of victory.”

“…”

“However, Miguruma Yaeko said that the Dove was unleashed.”

While speaking, Keigo looked toward the approaching small boat.

“Meaning—Fuyuhotaru herself is the Dove. There’s no more doubt.”

“B-but the snow? How will we get the mental control ability user past it…?”

As Terasu spoke in a hoarse voice, her body was slightly shivering.

He knew he was asking the impossible. After all, five years ago Keigo himself had keenly felt just how terrible the disaster called Fuyuhotaru was right in front of him.

At the time, Fuyuhotaru destroyed everything.

Wherever she passed became a wasteland, and even the SEPB was broken down. By the same token, even the state of Mushi and Mushitsuki in the country until then.

At the same time, Keigo also saw hope.

It wasn’t just the person who destroyed everything, Fuyuhotaru—

It was the potential shown to him by another Mushitsuki, who stopped her.

“Five years ago, we managed to stop her.”

“…!”

Terasu shut up. Keigo continued.

“This time we have Lady and Harukiyo. To survive this, we have to win.”

It went without saying that Lady Bird rode on her seven-spotted ladybug and rose into the air. She obviously couldn’t sit still while her friend came there.

Harukiyo also covered himself in flames and became a fireball. He flew fiercely toward the small boat.

“…Understood.”

Breathing deeply, Terasu nodded. In her pale face there was the shadow of death—although that was always the case for Mushitsuki.

“Our attack target is Fuyuhotaru!”

As Terasu rushed toward the battlefield, her voice echoed from the earphones.

“We have determined that she is being controlled by C! Don’t hold back!”

“Keigo-kun… what are you talking about, what mental control ability?”

Branch Head Takemi and Goroumaru Touko approached him.

“Haji-senpai. Have you possibly anticipated that Fuyuhotaru would be sent to us…?”

“Anticipated? Well, sure, yeah.”

If he told them he hadn’t, that would be a lie.

Since years back, he’s been thinking about how to create the path for erasing all Mushi and Mushitsuki from this world. In the end he estimated there would be a great battle and thought of various ways this battle might unfold.

Naturally, he even considered the possibility of Fuyuhotaru being involved in it.

The strongest ace that could overturn everything. There was no way this card wouldn’t appear at the most important stage of the game. Even if not as an enemy but a card that he possessed, it was a bomb that could blow up the entire board and ruin everything.

Therefore, Keigo feared Fuyuhotaru—no, any and all “violators” that could end up flipping the board.

And he raised a single card that could stop such cowardly methods.

“I did anticipate it, but…”

It wasn’t a beautiful card that everyone would admire.

It wasn’t a card that could move more easily than anyone.

It also wasn’t a card that no one could tell what happened until it got flipped over.

And it obviously wasn’t a card that could destroy everything, either.

“I also intended on being prepared, but—”

It was a card who’d stand in the way of those who ignored the rules and violators, aiming a gun at them.

Five years ago, the Mushitsuki had proven their powers.

However, unlike back then—that most important card of his was no longer at hand.

Just a single person.

If only that Mushitsuki had been there—

Keigo wasn’t the kind of fool to speak aloud about what-ifs.

He was simply the fool who’d anticipated this situation yet had been unable to keep that card with him.

“—Anyway, this is the critical juncture.”

As Keigo spoke in a low voice, Branch Head Takemi asked a question.

“Are you saying that we can beat Fuyuhotaru if we defend against her here?”

“Defend? That’s wrong.”

While Keigo and the others were looking, Fuyuhotaru finally started fighting with their allies.

“We have just—started our counterattack.”

“…Eh?”

While hearing Goroumaru Touko’s stupid-sounding exclamation, Keigo slightly winced.

That scene repeated in front of his eyes was much harsher than he imagined.

Fuyuhotaru’s curtain of snow managed to cancel not only the Mushitsuki’s attacks, but even that of Harukiyo.

Seeing this scene, Keigo—

“However, the fact we have to first stop the Dove… is true.”

Started the countdown to their annihilation.

== 2.02 Shiika Part 1 ==

As the Dove unleashed by C, Shiika came to Aoharima Island.

“Shiika…? Shiika!”

“You’ve grown into quite a woman to my liking, Fuyuhotaru! Zero sex appeal, though!”

The Mushitsuki who couldn’t give up on fighting and getting hurt assaulted Shiika.

Shiika pitied them, so she used her powers to save them.

Crouching on top of the breakwater, she focused everything she had on making it snow.

“…!”

“…!”

As Shiika curled herself and closed her eyes, she could hear the shouts and screams of Mushitsuki distancing.

Their resistance was violent, so it would probably take a while to exterminate them.

Without thinking of anything, Shiika just focused—

A prick.

She grimaced at a pain from her chest.

Shiika was supposed to have been released from all forms of pain by her Goddess, C.

Even so, what came to mind along with this impossible pain—

Was the vicious smile of Oogui she’d seen while fighting her at Akamaki City.

''—That was a weird way of saying it.

It was from back when the Mushitsuki-creating monster, one of the Original Three, had directly given Shiika information she didn’t know.

''—You spoke as if Kakkou-chan and Daisuke-chan are different people.

The moment she heard this, something that supported Shiika broke down.

The reason Shiika had been able to keep fighting was shaken from the very root.

“…”

Why had she recalled this now?

She closed her eyes shut and focused on purging the island, but the pain in her chest remained. These doubts that C was supposed to take away from her reared their heads again.

Shiika had lived while wishing only to fulfill her promise for a reunion with Daisuke.

Since Kakkou—someone who had the same dream—was fighting, she could also fight.

Even so he tricked her, pretending to be two people—

Why?

Because it was his duty as an SEPB member to capture her?

That was obviously natural.

However, if he pretended being a normal boy and approached Shiika for that—

''—I want you to wait for me next year, too.

Was his promise with Shiika just another lie?

Was it nothing more than a means to keep deceiving his capture target, the stupid Fuyuhotaru?

“You mustn’t think of anything unnecessary, my beloved Dove…”

C’s sweet voice whispered to her from the tiara.

''Throb''—the pain stabbing the depths of her chest was unceasing.

“…”

Shiika was definitely stupid.

It wasn’t just that she hadn’t noticed Kusuriya Daisuke’s true identity as Kakkou.

After being continually deceived like that—she turned Kakkou into a Fallen by her own hands. In order to save the life of the Maturing Kakkou, she killed his Mushi.

She did it because she believed in Kakkou, as one who shared the same dream.

She believed from the bottom of her heart that he would definitely recall his dream just like her and come back—

Five years ago, he was the one who made her a Fallen.

They spoke about their identical dreams and vowed to never forget them—

She believed that he would come back to her at some point, and yet.

Right now—she couldn’t believe.

If his two faces as Kusuriya Daisuke and Kakkou were simply masks that he freely switched in order to conveniently capture her—

What Shiika and Daisuke did was merely killing each other’s Mushi.

Any promise they might have had was completely meaningless.

“What is the matter, my Dove…”

She didn’t know what to trust and what to doubt.

She wanted to hear the truth from Kakkou—no, from Daisuke.

However, that would never come true. She doubted it could ever come true.

He was a Fallen.

And it was Shiika herself who made him this way.

If she hated him, that would be her revenge.

No, that was wrong. She never thought about revenge—

With this repeat of answers and questions to herself, she felt like she was going crazy.

“Please calm down, my beloved—”

C’s voice, who once saved Shiika, vanished as though blocked by something.

At the same time her headache was gone, too.

All sounds vanished and Shiika couldn’t even feel the snow curtain protecting her anymore.

“…”

Had the purging of the island already ended at some point?

That thought passed through her mind, but it was wrong.

She could see neither the pouring sunlight, nor smell the sea.

Shiika could feel nothing at all as she crouched in an empty space.

No—she could feel just another presence.

“—…”

Shiika could feel the breath of another person as she curled up and hugged her knees.

Since she had her eyes closed, she couldn’t tell who it was.

She didn’t know, and yet—

Sweat formed on Shiika’s brow.

How was she able to feel someone else in this place?

She made it snow, so all other people than her should be rejected.

It was just her imagination—she had a bizarre confidence that wouldn’t let her think that.

Although she had no basis for it, there was no doubt that someone was there.

No, it wasn’t even a “someone”.

Shiika knew that sense of presence.

After all, this presence that felt as though only it and Shiika existed in this indescribable world—was something she’d already experienced before.

“…”

Exactly because she’d experienced it before—she couldn’t raise her face.

Why was this person here?

If he really was here, once she saw his form—

What reaction would Shiika show him?

Would she begrudge him for tricking her and cuss at him?

Or would she try asking for his true motives? Despite the fact she wouldn’t be able to tell whether he would speak the truth or not?

She might apologize for turning him into a Fallen and seek forgiveness.

Or she would abandon either believing or doubting—and then they would, as if it was natural for them, treat each other as enemies who made each other Fallen, and kill each other again?

“—”

She was scared of what to do.

She was afraid of what the other party would say.

Although her eyes were still closed, she was shaking so much she couldn’t raise her head.

Even if she called C’s name in her mind that wanted to escape, the tiara gave her no answer. The world of tranquility did not come, and for some reason Shiika couldn’t escape the strange space she’d wandered into.

She could do nothing but curl and shake.

As if she reverted to how she was five years ago.

She became a Mushitsuki with no advance warning and gotten lost; she was a child who could do nothing but protect herself while being unable to accept reality. All she did was raise a tantrum.

It was as though she hadn’t changed in five years. No, as if she got even worse—

And then—

“…Shiika.”

That presence finally called her name.

Shiika’s heart screamed for a moment as though torn apart.

“—”

It was unconscious.

Compared to five years ago, his voice broke, but it was no illusion.

Shiika—raised her face.

He was there.

Kakkou.

Kusuriya Daisuke.

He stood all alone on the breakwater of Aoharima Island.

She immediately realized this wasn’t reality. After all, both Shiika and Daisuke were there on the fishing harbor that was supposed to be a battlefield, and all the waves were frozen as though time itself stopped.

Even so, Kusuriya Daisuke was definitely standing there.

Clad in a pitch-dark long coat, with the goggles hanging from his neck, in the form of Kakkou.

“—”

“…Him… kill him—”

She heard these barely audible orders from the tiara.

Shiika grimaced and put strength into her fists clenched on the ground.

Perhaps—this was what could be called fate.

White snow began pouring down around the crouched Shiika.

As if responding to her hostility, he also raised his arm holding a gun.

She didn’t even need to be ordered by someone.

It was just like five years ago, or that winter less than a year ago.

Shiika became covered in a blizzard, and the boy readied his gun.

That was how they were originally.

Shiika was the dangerous Mushitsuki, Fuyuhotaru—

And he was Kakkou, the one with the duty to stop her.

Now that things became like this, she also had the excuse that he tricked her.

Shiika had been caught by her feelings to him and then betrayed—

So she didn’t have a single reason not to fight.

“—Ugh.”

Even so.

Shiika could do nothing but keep grimacing.

“Waaaah…!”

Raising a pitiful voice, she erased the blizzard and rushed forward.

As Shiika ran to him, the boy tried pointing his gun—

However, it fell from his hands.

“—AAaaaAAahhh…!”

They could only fight.

Although these two should have nothing to do other than fighting, they clashed defenselessly.

“AaaAAAhhh…!”

As Shiika leapt to his chest with great momentum, Daisuke accepted her wordlessly. The boy’s arms hugged the crying Shiika’s petite body.

The moment Shiika heard his voice, she was confused.

She was afraid of seeing his face.

The moment she heard C’s orders—she was somewhat relieved.

Because she knew that if it happened once more… no, it would happen again and again.

If she saw his face, they would fight and hurt each other.

They had only that reason, and they had nothing else to think about.

However, the moment she saw his figure, all dark feelings inside Shiika melted away.

“AaaaAAAh…!”

As for why—because the boy right in front of Shiika’s eyes was in tatters.

His black coat was ripped, exposing his skin. Blood covered his entire body and he looked to be suffering from burns as well. There was a pool of blood at his feet, the goggles hanging from his neck were destroyed, and blood dripped from his forehead in streams.

What on earth had he been fighting against to end up like that?

Had he fought some God or devil?

He looked as if he was struck by all possible disasters of this world.

No, thinking of it like this—

Then until this very moment—

How many times had he managed to survive fights?

For how long had he been fighting with those many feelings carried by him all alone?

She needed no words. She could tell by merely seeing him.

It had nothing to do with truth or lie.

Shiika—wanted to be with him.

She didn’t mind not being forgiven.

She wanted to be with this person who constantly got hurt and fought alone.

She only thought of this.

“—Shiika…”

Daisuke looked at Shiika bawling her eyes out.

The boy’s eyes were lacking vitality, and he wouldn’t meet Shiika’s gaze. Perhaps his eyes could no longer focus already. Although the breaths she felt from his mouth were unreliable, they were extremely hot. As if his very life was pouring out of them.

“—”

While Shiika leaked sobs, Daisuke didn’t know what to say.

Instead of words, his expression changed. He looked apologetic as he bit his lips, but then wore a severe face as though resolved on something. However, that soon vanished and he looked to be in pain.

“—There are things I have to say… too many of them…”

The voice he finally let out was hoarse.

Shiika desperately stifled the sobs trying to escape her throat.

She had to listen to what he had to say.

“I gave up on saying them… and forgot about everything, not wanting to fight…”

A little strength was put into Daisuke’s arm that was hugging her.

There were countless things she had to say.

And there were also countless things he had to answer.

However, he cut off his words as though swallowing everything. The eyes looking at Shiika regained their power.

“But what I want to tell you most has to be—”

He smiled.

“I miss you, Shiika.”

It wasn’t the pitch-dark demon called Kakkou—no, the arms hugging Shiika let her feel his absurd strength, but that voice shaking while holding back tears—

Belonged, without a doubt, to the normal boy she just so happened to meet.

It was the face of Shiika’s beloved person, who was neither Mushitsuki nor anything. To Kusuriya Daisuke.

“Right now—that’s what I thought.”

Shiika also held back her tears and made a clear nod.

She smiled just like him and spoke in a shaky voice.

“I also miss you, Daisuke-kun.”

She wanted to forget everything—to throw away even the promise of a reunion and run away.

However, just by seeing that face, all of her doubts and anxiety were blown away.

She wanted to see him again.

Shiika and Daisuke felt the same here.

If so, then the next place they should head to—was the same, too.

“—”

Kusuriya Daisuke’s figure was growing thinner as she was hugging him as if he was melting into the wind. Even the sensation and warmth that were so clear were vanishing.

The moment he vanished, Daisuke muttered something to Shiika.

Shiika nodded. Since he lost his silhouette in the blink of an eye, she was unable to hear his words, but the words that passed between them were already determined.

They would fight, get hurt, but even so survive—and see each other again.

As Daisuke’s form fully vanished, Shiika curled her body atop the ground again.

Their promised reunion shouldn’t happen in this strange space created by someone unknown.

She closed her eyes and heightened her consciousness.

“…!”

A pain ran through the back of her mind and Shiika frowned.

“Please eliminate the failed products of the old generation…”

She rejected the orders coming from the tiara.

Shiika wasn’t meant to be in an artificial paradise, in a world where doubts and pain were being kept away by the absolute tranquility of the Undying—

“—WOOOOOOOH!”

“A-all hands, retreat while attacking! Abandon the harbor! Reorganize your positions at the entrance to town!”

“Haha! Things are gettin’ quite heated up, eh!”

Shiika retrieved her five senses while curled atop the breakwater.

Her eardrums felt like rupturing from the screams of those fighting for their lives and the sounds of destruction. The combined smell of salt and blood tickled her nostrils.

She’d once rejected it, this world filled with agony and hatred.

However, it was also a world filled with dreams and hopes that Shiika liked.

It was neither paradise nor hell.

It was simply reality—and Shiika came back to it.

“…”

As Shiika rose to her legs, she could see the fishing harbor having been destroyed by the blizzard.

Including the breakwater, even the beach cracked and became a carpet of mixed seawater and debris. The Mushitsuki gathered at the entrance to the wharf were attacking Shiika.

What destroyed the fishing harbor and expanded in order to crush the Mushitsuki was nothing more than the snow controlled by Shiika’s Mushi.

Shiika wanted to stop it, but she couldn’t move her body.

“…!”

Shiika flinched at an impact to her head.

The tiara on her head emitted a golden zap. It struck Shiika like a whip, stimulating her as if stirring the insides of her head.

“Please purge the Mushitsuki of the old generation…”

This sweet voice whispered and Shiika’s Mushi broadened the scope of its snow again.

''At this rate, everyone’s going to—

Shiika gritted her teeth and resisted C’s control. The Mushitsuki in front of her eyes were the same. They were those who challenged this tranquility and escapism, choosing to walk the path of making their dreams come true while suffering.

“…!”

The zap unleashed from the tiara whipped Shiika again.

“You are my Dove…”

C’s spell was powerful.

Even so, Shiika attempted resisting her.

She produced a single snowflake and made it flutter down to her head—

“—”

The shining flake weaved its way through the violent blizzard and fell slowly.

Shiika moved just her eyes, looking above.

She was attempting to look not at the flake she was controlling with all of her might—but at the tiara on her head.

She was going to destroy the tiara that held C’s will with her own snow—

This was a gamble.

She had no idea if a single flake could break through the curtain of snow.

Even if it did, would it be able to destroy only the tiara binding her?

Even if she broke the tiara, she didn’t think the Mushitsuki of Aoharima Island would stop their attacks. The moment after she unleashed the blizzard, she might get killed by their attacks.

However, even so—Shiika had nothing else to do right now.

“Break…”

Shiika’s Mushi whispered.

“Anything and everything…”

Her heart that feared getting hurt and wanted to run away.

C’s sweet temptations that whispered to her.

She wanted to break them all—and protect her tiny wish.

“—”

The Mushi’s whispering voice was erased by a high-pitched discordant sound.

The falling flake and the blizzard curtain clashed. The clash between fellow snowflakes distorted light, and the scenery of the fishing harbor started cracking like it was footage reflected on a mirror.

The glowing pierced through the curtain, heading for the tiara.

At that time, Shiika felt a certain presence. A line of sight directed at her.

Outside the blizzard, within the fragmented scenery, there was a familiar girl.

Tachibana Rina.

Her friend riding the seven-spotted ladybug looked at Shiika from above.

“—It’s the tiara, right?”

Rina managed to understand Shiika’s aim just from her line of sight.

“Are you trying to break it yourself? Doing that would be dangerous for you as well, Shiika…!”

Trying to reach the gap created in the blizzard by the single flake, Rina and her Mushi began diving from straight above.

Now a powerful shockwave was added to the clashing of snow. The entire island’s air burst and the tremors robbed Shiika of her footing. The waves pushing on the fishing harbor swelled, pouring down from the sky with a roar.

Receiving the support from the seven-spotted ladybug’s shockwave—

Finally, the single flake of white snow got through the curtain.

“—Shiika!”

At the same time, Rina and the seven-spotted ladybug overtook the snow. As it landed powerfully, creating an earth tremor, Rina leapt down from the seven-spotted ladybug.

Getting hurt by the aftershock, Rina jumped toward Shiika.

Her hand reached and grabbed Shiika’s tiara.

“Ugh…!”

Electricity unleashed from the tiara attacked Rina.

While Rina was being numbed and paralyzed by the electric current, the snowflake Shiika made fall came fluttering down above her head—

“Don’t look down on me—”

The seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings.

The unleashed shockwave struck the back of its host, Rina. Thrown away along with Shiika, the tiara fell from her hand.

Passing behind Rina and missing her by a hair’s breadth, the snowflake fell to the ground. It crushed the asphalt at the breakwater and made the ocean’s surface explode.

Shiika and Rina got entangled, rolling on the ground. Even in this situation, Rina hugged Shiika tight, trying to defend her.

Finally, the momentum stopped and as Shiika raised her face—seeing that nostalgic smile from up close.

Although Rina was so enchantingly beautiful, it was the strength of that face that was attractive rather than her beauty.

“Long time no see, Shiika.”

As her best friend smiled at her while covered in wounds, Shiika smiled back with tears in her eyes.

“…You really are cool, Rina.”

Both were unable to move due to wounds and fatigue as many footsteps approached them.

The moment the tiara was removed from Shiika, the curtain of snow stopped. When Rina leapt inside, the Mushitsuki stopped attacking as well.

“You’ve done a great job resisting C with your own powers.”

A suited young man looked down at the collapsed Shiika, wearing a thin smile.

The Mushitsuki called Kasuou helped Shiika and Rina up. Other than her there were also Terasu and the Mushitsuki she was pretty sure was called Nene. She could also see many other figures rush toward them on the debris.

“Right now, you aren’t the Dove but Fuyuhotaru—am I correct in thinking this?”

“…Yes.”

Shiika nodded toward the youth who was making sure.

She’d definitely retrieved control of herself, but this wasn’t done by her own powers or anything.

It was thanks to the boy she met in that mysterious space, Kusuriya Daisuke.

As well as her friend that saved Shiika without any regard for herself, Rina.

“…!”

Shiika could suddenly see a small figure moving in the distance.

Behind the many Mushitsuki watching cautiously over Shiika from afar—next to a certain building on the shore, a blue figure turned to her.

''Chiharu-san…?

She was Kakkou’s sister. Meaning—Kusuriya Daisuke’s sister, Ayukawa Chiharu.

It appeared like only Shiika noticed Chiharu. Everyone on the harbor was naturally focused only on Shiika—but as she looked there, Chiharu vanished as if melting into the building.

“I see. —But that’s no good.”

The youth’s unthinkable words brought Shiika’s attention back to the breakwater.

“If you don’t destroy us as the Dove, we’ll be in trouble.”

Saying this, the youth turned around.

There were two people rushing toward them. One was the girl with an eyepatch, probably Maimai. The other one Shiika didn’t know; they wore the white coat that belonged to the Central Headquarters.

“We’ll get annihilated here—and start our counterattack from there.”

As Shiika tilted her head, the youth moved his sight toward something.

It was the tiara that rolled atop the debris, glowing in gold.

== 2.03 Shiika Part 2 ==

While kneeling on the ground, Shiika looked at the person that appeared right in front of her.

“We’re going to falsify your memories.”

It was the person clad in the Central Headquarters coat. Both voice and physique were androgynous, and their hair was as white as their coat.

“My ability is so weak that it has no effect with even the slightest rejection… but as long as it’s accepted, it can affect even your deep consciousness.”

“Meaning, you need to open your heart fully to it.”

Haji Keigo wore a casual smile.

“There are obviously not many people who’ll allow others to meddle even with their subconscious. That’s why it was designated as an unranked mental control ability until now.”

“What are you doing to Shiika?”

Tachibana Rina stood up for Shiika. Her beautiful, gallant facial features and the strength that protected Shiika were Rina personified. —She really didn’t seem like the Mimic that the tiara had told her about.

“…”

Shiika raised her face and looked back at the faces of the people looking down at her.

The fishing harbor was covered with the dust created from the ruins of the breakwater and the crumbling shore. The powerful Mushitsuki all stood on it, surrounding Shiika. In addition to SEPB fighters such as Terasu and Kasuou there were also Shiohara Shachito, as well as her Mushibane comrades, Namie and Aijisupa.

Shiika knew well why they hadn’t gotten any closer than Haji Keigo.

It was because Shiika appeared there as a raider, clad in an unfamiliar attire.

Rina had been revived, although her nature was still unclear.

Were these two really their allies? They were probably confused, unable to tell whether Anmoto Shiika and Tachibana Rina could even preserve their egos.

“Maimai, Rinrin, how about you? Can you do it?”

Ignoring Rina’s question, Haji Keigo turned to the side.

“I-I can do itititit!”

“I-It’ll be difficult, but somehow…!”

The two Mushitsuki wearing desperate expressions reached out toward the tiara that until just now had been on Shiika’s head. Something transparent that looked like jelly covered the tiara on the ground, and Rinrin was fiddling with the glowing circuits that appeared on it with his fingers.

“I remember C’s program from the time I was at the East Central Branch and when I touched the Bed a-at the Underground Fortotot… b-but, the power in this tiara is on a whole different level…”

“Leave the output and remodeling to me. You focus on analysis… kuh!”

Flinching at the electrified jelly, the pair continued some kind of work.

“Haji-senpai? What is going on?”

Goroumaru Touko appeared with a delay. Apparently, only very few people knew what Haji Keigo was scheming.

“Yes, I was just about to explain it, but—”

Haji turned to Shiika again.

“To be honest, you being able to resist C’s interference on your own was unforeseen.”

Shiika couldn’t say anything.

“What on earth happened? I did expect the Dove to be sent here, but for you of all people to be chosen… To be honest, it was really close. Despite us having Lady and Harukiyo on our side.”

Shiika looked at Rina and Harukiyo.

These two Rank 1s were silent and expressionless.

Just like Haji said, she was on the verge of massacring all Mushitsuki. Even if her enemies were Rina and Harukiyo, even if she took them down with herself, her duties as the Dove would be fulfilled.

And the one who saved her on the edge—

“…It’s because I met someone.”

Shiika smiled.

She knew nothing about what happened during that strange time.

However, the person she’d reunited with there was definitely not an illusion—

The warmth that allowed her to confirm this still remained in her chest.

“That’s all.”

As Shiika spoke briefly, Haji frowned.

Only two people responded to her words.

“…Aha!”

Suddenly, Rina snorted.

Among those who looked confused, Harukiyo also snorted at the same time. As if recalling something all of a sudden, Rina and Harukiyo started laughing.

After laughing for a while, the two of them at once changed their expression.

“How infuriating.”

“Annoying as fuck.”

Perhaps they realized something—but seeing the two Rank 1s speak angrily in unison, everyone else was befuddled.

Rina relaxed her expression and stroked Shiika’s hair.

“What she says is probably the truth. …It’s fine now.”

“Hmph.”

Harukiyo spun his body, looking sullen. As if saying he had no interest anymore, he exposed his defenseless back and left.

Haji Keigo went silent, as if he was thinking about something. Whether he had no idea who Shiika was speaking about or did know but had no intention of seeking any further answer, he soon opened his mouth.

“There shouldn’t be many people who’d cause you Rank 1s to act like that—well, never mind.”

He spoke as if switching over his feelings.

“If Lady and Harukiyo are no longer on guard, that’s good enough. As for me, if you were removed from C’s control, that’s fine.”

He wore a thin smile and continued.

“Also—if you go under C’s control again.”

“…!”

All Mushitsuki around paled. Kasuou and Namie hounded Haji.

“Hey, what the hell do you mean?”

“Are you sane? Are you saying we’re going to hand Fuyuhotaru over to C?!”

“Indeed. Should we even fly the white flag while we’re at it? After all, we currently have no chances of victory.”

Within this tension, Haji just shrugged.

“Because even if we wanted to counterattack, we have no idea where our enemy is.”

“No way—”

Rina gasped. She put strength into her two arms protecting Shiika.

“You’re going to use Shiika to…”

“Not Anmoto Shiika. Not even Fuyuhotaru. It’s the Dove part that’s important.”

The youth gave a side glance toward the two Mushitsuki who were doing something to the tiara.

“After completing its duty—the Dove will return to God.”

“—”

Everyone there gulped.

Shiika too. Even someone as dull as her understood the youth’s goal, now that he said this much.

Haji Keigo was going to use Shiika for—

“If you’re the Dove, C will call you to her side.”

They would send Shiika’s to C’s hiding place, becoming a transmitter to allow them to know the location.

No—they would make her into a ticking time bomb to explode on C.

That explosion would become a beacon for the Mushitsuki’s counterattack—

“The mental control we’re about to cast on you is powerful. We’ll set a keyword to remove it, but the one to chant it probably wouldn’t be at your side when it’s needed.”

Haji Keigo’s dispassionate tone echoed at the silent fishing harbor.

“There’s a high possibility you’ll never retrieve your own self. Even so, if you return to C’s hiding place, and you manage to regain yourself like you did now—please use your full powers. We’ll work on identifying that place.”

Shiika said nothing, simply listening to the youth.

“Until then we’ll feign our annihilation, hide and recover, but… by the time we sense your powers, Lady and Harukiyo will use the boat they rode on to head toward you in full speed.”

“Head toward her—in full speed?”

Rina’s voice shook with anger as she was glaring at Keigo.

“How many hours do you think it takes to reach the mainland? Are you telling Shiika to survive all on her own until then? As well as—in the enemy’s HQ!”

“Well, there’s no doubt it’s going to take time even if we use Mushitsuki powers to make the boat go faster.”

With cool eyes, Haji Keigo looked down on Shiika.

Their enemy was C. There were also many Revived being controlled by C.

Now that she had to face all of them and endure until her allies came—

Never mind Shiika herself, but even Haji Keigo thought it was impossible.

“So you’re saying we need to sacrifice Shiika to find out C’s location—”

Rina was about to grab Haji in her anger, but Shiika stopped her with a hand.

“—‘My beloved Dove’.”

Shiika spoke in a calm voice, looking up at Haji.

“C will definitely call me that.”

Saying that, she smiled at Rina who turned to her with a shocked expression.

“Thanks, Rina. But I’m fine.”

“Shiika…”

“I’m not afraid of being the Dove again, either. Because C saying that she loves me—loves us Mushitsuki—is not a lie.”

Including Rina, all Mushitsuki were shocked at Shiika’s words.

They probably feared that C’s brainwashing hadn’t been fully lifted. But that wasn’t it. The sense of security that wrapped Shiika until just now was definitely no fabrication.

“Feeling that I no longer had to suffer or get hurt was very warm… and relieving. After all, I always thought like this since I became a Mushitsuki—no, even before that. I believed from the bottom of my heart that if everyone became Undying just like, I’ll have nothing to fear.”

“…”

Rina grabbed Shiika’s hand with a sad expression.

“But it’s no good. I thought that wasn’t enough for me.”

Shiika grasped her friend’s hand back.

“Because even if I suffered or got hurt, I recalled what I wanted.”

And what was that?

Rina should know even without saying.

No—everyone here would definitely understand.

After all, they were all Mushitsuki, just like Shiika.

“So it’s fine.”

She did think it was terribly sad.

She thought it was foolish.

However, Shiika was confident and was able to do this.

“No matter how much C relieves me, I’ll come back to fight.”

She declared this with a smile.

“Since we’re fighting, I’ll never give up.”

Rina looked like she wanted to say more.

However, her beautiful friend swallowed back her words and closed her eyes with an intense expression. She probably realized that she wouldn’t be able to stop Shiika no matter what she said.

“So you’re the ‘Beloved Dove’, then. Right, let’s make this the keyword.”

Hearing Haji Keigo’s command, the white Mushitsuki next to him nodded.

“If C doesn’t use those words you’ll need to snap out of the brainwashing by yourself, though.”

Shiika nodded and returned the gaze of Rina who looked at her.

Rina bit her lips. She gave Shiika a tight hug.

“I’m definitely going to rescue you, so wait for me, Shiika. —This time, I’ll definitely be there.”

“Yeah… I’ll be waiting.”

This time.

She couldn’t understand the meaning of her words, but Rina’s feelings were transmitted to her from the arms hugging her to a painful extent. Courage welled up within Shiika just from her friend being there.

Rina let Shiika go. She spun, rose up with a resolute expression and turned her back to her.

Rina distanced herself with unhesitating gait and stopped in front of a certain boy.

“—Reiji.”

She faced the Mushibane admin called Aijisupa.

Lady Bird—Tachibana Rina and Aijisupa. —As far as Shiika knew, it’d been several years since the pair faced each other like this.

They definitely had plenty to talk about now that they reunited, but they spoke little.

“Please… lend me your power.”

Rina spoke while wearing a complex smile.

Aijisupa wore a bitter smile—however, he answered as though it was natural.

“…Sure.”

Finishing this short exchange, Rina left with the other Mushibane admins. They were probably going to think up a strategy to save Shiika, not wanting to waste time.

“It’s not going to take long. Do you feel ready?”

Haji Keigo said.

“Yes.”

Shiika closed her eyes without any hesitation.

Soon a feeling that was unpleasant and aggressive invaded into her head. She could feel it stirring up her most precious place—the parts even she wasn’t aware of—and rewriting it.

Shiika accepted this feeling that would vanish if she resisted it even a little.

What came to her mind was the few people that she believed in from the bottom of her heart.

The face of the boy she came to love.

Her friends and comrades who helped her.

When her heart was fully released, even the unpleasantness was gone.

As the faces of people she thought of slowly vanished, she found herself floating inside a dark ocean.

A faint voice stopped her from sinking into this bottomless sea.

“Fuyuhotaru…”

Golden light illuminated the dark ocean.

This sweet, gentle voice brought Shiika’s consciousness floating back.

“My Dove…”

This sublime voice filled with genuine affection woke Shiika.

And Shiika—

“…”

Having been saved by the creator called C, she opened her eyes into slits.

Rising from her kneeling position, she checked the sight in front of her eyes.

She saw the transformed Aoharima Island.

Everything in the fishing harbor was in pieces. The only thing moving there was the waves.

Of the old generation of Mushitsuki—was completely gone.

Shiika had fulfilled the mission given to her.

“…”

The tiara on Shiika’s head reflected the sunlight, emitting golden light.

Burning the sight of Aoharima Island becoming an uninhabited island again into her eyes, Shiika turned around.

She went back to the small boat and out into sea.

Shiika obviously headed toward the Goddess who’d sent her here.

To C’s Ark.

Since the boat was slow, it kept sailing throughout the entire night.

Night passed, it became night again, and when she saw land, she could no longer wait and stood up.

She leapt toward the coast from the boat that was parked near some bay coast somewhere.

She could see a large hanging bridge.

She quickly proceeded to the empty bridge. The clothes she was clad in and the tiara she was wearing told her that her God was there.

As she passed the bridge while being guided by her God, the fairies came out to greet her.

C-butterflies glowing gold and tiara-clad fairies. These all danced around her as she completed her mission, blessing her and singing.

When she saw one fairy step out to the front, she kneeled.

“No more of the old Mushitsuki exist… those failed products are gone.”

As she spoke this with an enraptured expression, the fairy reached out to her.

A small numbness assaulted her head. Her memories were being searched.

“Confirmed. —You have done well to fulfill your duty. My beloved Dove…”

Wearing a satisfied smile, the fairy hugged her.

''—My beloved Dove.

Shiika’s eyebrows twitched, hearing that word.

“Come, please turn around and watch. You have the right to watch this through.”

She turned around as she was told and was stunned.

On the other side of the large bridge.

There was a change happening within the scenery of the capital with its lines of high-rise buildings.

“It is the time for creation. Now that all failed products are gone, it is time to wash over the world with the flood—”

It really was a flood.

And it was black.

A pitch-dark tidal wave swallowed the city whole.

However, it was not an actual wave—

“Let us see how many people are eligible to be invited to this land—to my Ark.”

It was a deluge of blackouts.

After the Dove confirmed the purging of the surface, the Deluge was going to screen out humanity.

What was going to start now?

Shiika knew.

The creation of a new world—

Also.

“—In the end, I came back here…”

The counterattack.

She felt her memories rapidly returning as if footage was being suddenly rewound.

As Shiika suddenly mumbled this, the fairies instantly leapt away from her.

The identity of the land she was currently standing on, the Ark.

As the sense of reality immediately returned to anything and everything, Shiika created a beacon.

It was in the form of a single flake of snow.

Glowing as it came fluttering down, this snow illuminated the Ark—illuminated that city.

“Now we can finally start the final battle…!”

This was the signal for the Mushitsuki of the old generation—

For those survivors who chose to fight rather than to rest, to start their counterattack.

== 2.04 The Others ==

Aoharima Island remained silent at night.

Just ten-odd hours ago there had been intense fighting on the fishing harbor, but now it was empty. Now transformed into nothing more than an empty plain with debris strewn around, the breakwater was illuminated only by the moon hanging in the sky.

A solitary island that banished all human presence from the surface.

Its peace was broken by a small voice echoing from somewhere.

“—‘Flame’ confirmed.”

The curtain of their counterattack was now raised.

The chagrin of those who became possessed by Mushi due to their dreams, were feared by people, and were finally pursued by the country. Their anger at being forced into a defensive battle all this time.

Giant doors sprung open one after another on the surface filled with debris. Multitudes of people came leaping out from stairs leading underground.

Under the moonlight, they immediately assumed battle formations, but the Mushitsuki at the center of those wearing white coats—were the combatants of the former SEPB.

Those gathered around the powerful combatants called Namie and Aijisupa were the members of Mushibane.

They were all annihilated by the assassin sent by C, Fuyuhotaru. —Creating this illusion had been a success because Fuyuhotaru’s second brainwashing succeeded.

Following that, Mushitsuki with matter control abilities used the destroyed large ships as materials to construct and underground evacuation shelter. All Mushitsuki retreated there temporarily and sent away Fuyuhotaru, who returned being the Dove, back to C.

The Mushitsuki that survived after these successive battles—now numbered in the whereabouts of just a few dozens.

“But it’s far away and hard to pinpoint the coordinates…!”

Groaning this was the Mushitsuki with sensing abilities, Himiko—Haji Senri. As she widened her unseeing eyes, red dots flashed on her hair.

“Looks like Fuyuhotaru’s reached the Ark, then.”

Standing next to his sister Senri, Haji Keigo mumbled.

And it wasn’t just Senri, but other high-ranked Mushitsuki as well. Other than the severe-looking Tachibana Rina or those like Shiohara Shachito, there was also the commander Terasu.

“Are you all feeling ready?”

Terasu was speaking not through the wireless, but calling to the Mushitsuki all physically present at the fishing harbor.

“Once we ascertain C’s current location, we’ll be able to move immediately!”

The Mushitsuki were able to rest while waiting for Fuyuhotaru to return to C. It definitely wasn’t enough, but since they recovered their stamina, their morale was high.

“Let’s start the counterattack—no, this’ll be the final battle!”

The voices of the Mushitsuki responding to Terasu’s cheer made the ocean around Aoharima Island tremble.

However—

“…! Multiple large ‘Flames’ appeared!”

Haji Senri paled.

Keigo and others promptly turned back to her.

“Multiple? Meaning, they’re where Fuyuhotaru is thought to be?”

“No, before I narrowed the location—ugh, it keeps spreading…!”

“What do you mean? Any sensors other than Himiko?”

As Terasu turned around, two Mushitsuki and Shiohara Shachito shook their heads.

“It’s too far away, I can’t even feel it…”

“I can feel it, but it’s not my specialty.”

Inevitably, all gazes around focused on their final hope, Senri. As hot-blooded as ever in readiness for this final fight, Kasuou glared at Himiko.

“Hey, what’s going on? Haven’t you just felt Fuyuhotaru’s presence?”

“I do not understand…! Similar ‘flames’ suddenly appeared all over the country, so I can’t tell which of them is Fuyuhotaru…!”

“—They’re dummies.”

Saying this was Rinrin, who specialized in electronic warfare just like C.

“C might’ve spread her own body doubles and had them transmit signal wavelengths that are similar to Fuyuhotaru. C should be capable of doing that…”

“Meaning that C found out our goal?”

Rinrin nodded at Terasu’s question along with a stifling silence.

The final hope for a counterattack left for the surviving Mushitsuki.

They all relied on Fuyuhotaru’s presence to designate C’s location. They couldn’t fight otherwise.

The Mushitsuki started clamoring.

“Looking at this in a different way, it means that Fuyuhotaru definitely managed to sneak right to C. Otherwise C wouldn’t have to slap together all those dummies.”

While fixing his glasses with an index finger, Haji spoke.

The first step of the counterattack plan, Fuyuhotaru’s infiltration, was a success. Feeling flustered due to C’s countermeasures was proof of this success.

However—C’s response came much faster than expected.

“Dummies are just dummies. I doubt she’d be able to fully copy someone as powerful as Fuyuhotaru. —Can’t you ascertain the real presence?”

“I will try…!”

Seeing his sister nod hard to his orders, Keigo felt himself grow depressed.

He simply couldn’t get used to see her fighting. He was supposed to be fighting in order to create a world where no Mushitsuki like his sister were ever born again, and yet—

He was relying on that very sister right here on this crucial moment.

He didn’t care about himself. He created many victims, resolved to get cursed by all Mushitsuki other than his sister. Since he’d conducted many inhuman actions, he’d definitely go to hell someday.

However, if the one to reap what he sowed was someone other than himself—

Every time he saw his sister fighting, he had a bad premonition.

Even so he couldn’t stop Senri—because to him she looked much livelier fighting like this than she had back when he’d been protecting her.

“—Is that true?”

At some point during Keigo’s ruminations Tachibana Rina came to stand next to him.

“What do you mean, Lady?”

“Don’t play dumb. You said it during our last strategy meeting. As long as we know where Shiika is, we’ll be able to get there not just in several hours, but instantly.”

Keigo recalled what happened inside the shelter. Before emerging to the surface, he’d gathered the Mushitsuki and made a small talk before they went for the final fight.

“Right, I did say that.”

“But you didn’t explain how. Why? If you dare and tell me it’s a lie at this stage…”

“It’s not that I haven’t explained it. I couldn’t. I don’t know how.”

Rina was speechless.

Keigo turned toward the sky behind him. A small shadow alighted down from the sky above the island illuminated by moonlight.

“It was like a bolt out of the blue. To think that in this situation and at this stage, a ‘collaborator’ would suddenly appear.”

“Is that a bird? —No, wait. A human…?”

Following Keigo’s line of sight, Rina narrowed her eyes.

“Is that the so-called ‘collaborator’? Who’s that?”

“For now, it’s a former SEPB combatant. But regarding her identity, I don’t know. According to her, there are other ‘collaborators’ as well. At some point she was inside the shelter—and promised that as long as she knew where C was, she’d be able to take us there immediately.”

“…Sounds suspicious. Do you really believe that?”

“I do.”

Perhaps finding his instant affirmation unexpected, Rina’s eyes gradually turned harsher.

“How can you say that?”

“’If a “Bird” or a “Cellphone” gets in contact with you, I believe you can trust them’—”

“…?”

“Contact came from one of the spies I’ve prepared just earlier. I do not know who this ‘collaborator’ is, but apparently they took this spy into their confidence.”

Rina grimaced, exposing her hostility.

“You really like that sorta stuff… you saying we can believe a spy’s information?”

“It’s obviously not quite that simple. After all, that spy had been too good of a kid both now and in the past, and asked me for a favor only one time before.”

“That being?”

“To give support when Kakkou broke.”

Rina’s expression froze. Haji continued nonchalantly.

“I don’t know how much that spy—that handyman—knows about the present situation and if she’s still working about it… but she’s doing enough to send me a message completely unrelated to my request. So those ‘collaborators’ are definitely good people that can be our allies. Those who, unlike me, haven’t dirtied their hands—”

He spoke with a thin smile.

“If they’re small fry that couldn’t become villains—I’ll trust them.”

“…”

“That Mushitsuki flying so happily over there in the sky looks like a ‘bird’ to me.”

There were other grounds to trust them.

If that “collaborator” actually belonged to C’s forces, there would be no need for them to set up such a roundabout trap. Besides that—if they feigned being a third party, it should be convenient for them, now that C and Keigo were fighting and exhausting themselves. For that reason, it wasn’t surprising for them to think it was in their best interest to help Keigo’s group, who were in an inferior position.

“Since the enemy called C is too big, there’s no other option but to combine all other forces together. Just like how the SEPB and Mushibane joined up despite being bitter enemies before.”

Speaking while fixing the position of his glasses with a finger, he added something in his heart.

''Not to mention that they snatched away Kakkou who was supposed to get collected by the handyman… they have to be at least this helpful—

He could faintly sense that there had been another force hiding somewhere. If that force was connected to his own spy, they might become an unimaginable faction.

Right, and as long as his spy hadn’t forgotten her duty, she might lead even that faction into the revival of Kakkou—

“…I see. Well, I’ll accept it for now.”

Being glared with half-closed eyes by Rina, Keigo came back to his senses.

“Even someone like you isn’t going to speak so casually and lie to us in this situation.”

“I’m an honest man at heart, after all. I’m tired of pretending otherwise.”

Just like Rina said, he seemed to be lacking in calmness. If even the commander started having hopes that weren’t part of the plan, it’d be their end.

What card would he use to win against the almighty C?

It was Keigo’s job to think about it.

Right now, they only had a single card to use.

She was Keigo’s one and only little sister, and yet, looking at the current situation—

“Uh… kuh…!”

Her eyes glowing in red, Haji Senri was clearly suffering.

Naturally. She was spreading her range of sensing to the entire country. Not to mention this would determine whether they could head to the final fight or not. He couldn’t even imagine the burden of this responsibility.

“Well? Can’t find it yet? Should I go back to sleep?”

Harukiyo appeared, his voice lacking any sense of tension. Where was he until now? He carried a girl on his back like she was a sandbag.

Lying still on Harukiyo’s shoulders was the Mushitsuki called Arisu. She was clad in an SEPB coat, sleeping soundly.

Seeing Arisu, Kasuou made a complex expression.

“Are we really taking her as well?”

“I fulfilled my promise to her. If she doesn’t actually see it, I don’t wanna get blamed later for it. If we throw her into a battle she’ll probably wake up.”

“Why you piece of… so have you constantly been looking for Arisu?”

“I do these things properly. That’s who I am.”

Spitting this, the flame devil glared at Senri then.

“I do wanna do this properly. If I can’t, there’s no sense in me being here.”

The SEPB Mushitsuki all stood in his path as if to protect Senri.

Rina also stepped between Senri and Harukiyo.

“Then shut up and sit still. We’ll call you when we figure out where the enemy is.”

“Is it fine for you to say that, bitch? While we’re all standin’ around here your pal’s fighting against C for her life, you know?”

“That’s why I’m telling you not to stand in the way.”

The two Rank 1s directed eyes full of killing intent at each other.

Apparently it wasn’t just Keigo who wasn’t calm enough. Everyone on Aoharima Island was on edge right before the final battle.

Perhaps to try and distract the two prickly Rank 1s, Terasu tried urging on Senri.

“H-how about it, Himiko? Are you still unable to differentiate Fuyuhotaru?”

“They all look the same to me… if that’s not enough, more and more dummies keep appearing…!”

“W-wait a minute—”

Rinrin raised his voice timidly.

“What if C isn’t creating wavelengths like Fuyuhotaru, but instead just broadcasting her wavelengths in real time to all sorts of places as they’re fighting… in that case, there’d be no way to figure out which is real or fake, and as time passes, even her strength will change according to the real one—”

“To cut a long story short, it means no dummies will disappear as long as Fuyuhotaru’s fighting?”

Getting impatient, Harukiyo spoke.

“If Fuyuhotaru dies, the dummies will be gone, but we won’t be able to find C. —Meaning, we can’t find C either way.”

A stifling silence befell the harbor.

They had no way to find C’s Ark—

Not only were they unable to embark to the final fight like that, they’d never get any chance for a counterattack, either.

Now that C knew about their existence, she’d probably send assassins to Aoharima Island again.

Having no means for a counterattack, the Mushitsuki side would be unable to bear another war of attrition and simply lose—

“B-but even so, dummies are dummies. Since I’m interfering with C’s abilities, there should be some noise mixed in, something that’s not like the real one… so she’d have to find that subtle difference…”

Even Rinrin’s supplementation tapered off weakly.

Harukiyo turned toward Keigo wordlessly.

He tried thinking of an excuse to have Harukiyo stay there—but the demon sighed first. He shook his head and turned his back.

“I will find her—”

The one to stop the leaving Harukiyo was a powerful voice.

It came from Senri.

“I’ll definitely find Fuyuhotaru-san…!”

“—”

For a moment Keigo’s heart leapt—and not because he was impressed with his sister’s bravery.

He was supposed to be used to his sister’s profile and voice.

However, he suddenly found both unfamiliar. Despite being her own brother.

“Oh?”

Harukiyo turned back.

The red lights vanished from Senri’s eyes. She slowly held up her hand, raising her index finger and thumb to make a pistol gesture. And she used her other hand to support it.

“Big brother.”

Seeing his sister’s carefree smile as she turned toward him—Keigo now realized.

He knew what Senri was about to attempt now.

He knew what she thought about, causing her to be able to wear that most beautiful smile.

The moment he realized this—he felt as if something very heavy fell from his back.

''There’s nothing for me to do here anymore—

They were about to embark on the final fight for all Mushitsuki.

However, only the man called Haji Keigo would be unable to relax and couldn’t pursue them any further, no matter how cruel it was.

When he realized this, Keigo also managed to wear an honest smile.

He spoke to his sister, who was playing it tough but couldn’t hide her body shake, to relax her.

“…It’s fine. I’ll follow you soon after.”

Senri happily widened her smile, turning to the side.

She was now looking to the Mushitsuki called Kaguya. Keigo heard that this boy called Ogata Akatsuki was her friend while she was a normal high-schooler.

“Senri.”

They’d probably already talked it over. Even so, although Kaguya made a pained face, he nodded, seemingly resolved. —There was no doubt that Keigo himself was making the same face right now.

“Thank you.”

Senri stopped shaking. Her smile vanished and she closed her eyes.

As Senri stood there quietly, a red glow began to emerge from her back. It formed a flickering silhouette in the form of a queen bee.

“So you—were also a ‘collaborator’.”

As Keigo mumbled this, Senri widened her eyes again.

In the depths of her widened eyes weren’t pupils that reflected anything—but a pair of rubies with a flickering glow. As though they were unfurling wings, these rubies emitted pillars of flames.

“Uh—everyone, stay away from Himiko!”

Hearing Terasu’s command, the Mushitsuki all distanced themselves.

Only Haji and Kaguya couldn’t part from Senri who was in the middle of transforming.

“Searching—”

While spouting fire from both eyes, the girl said this as though casting a spell. Small sparks hit her coat and it became ruby-colored as though stained. Even her long hair became dyed in bright red.

“Director Haji, stay away from her! You too, Kaguya!”

Terasu strained her voice.

“She’s Maturing!”

He knew that without being told.

He didn’t know how, but his sister immediately unleashed a power past her limits. Because of that, she was Maturing—meaning, the phenomenon where a Mushi would fully devour its host’s dreams and try to become free.

However, Keigo stayed standing in place.

“Searching—”

Clad in a robe of flames, the form of his sister with her eyes transformed into flames did no longer look human.

A red flare was created on the ocean surface where Senri’s thrust finger pointed.

More and more flares like this were created all over the ocean as far as the eye could see, dyeing it entirely in red.

“Searching—”

While her voice echoed with the machinelike repetition, the world was changing.

The ocean became entirely red and emitted a pale glow.

These flares started permeating even the ground of Aoharima Island, dyeing it red.

It was becoming a world of crimson—

“I-is she putting the entire country under her domain…?”

Someone groaned this.

Keigo remained silent, watching over Senri’s back.

These flares spread all over, but there was no heat.

She wasn’t attacking anyone, like back when she’d eat her brother’s dream.

“Searching—”

As her older brother, Keigo’s duty was protecting his much younger sister.

She was blind since birth, she was sickly, and she couldn’t even get out of the house without Keigo’s help. Her growing up properly and not twisted despite carrying all the difficulties was perhaps due to her not seeing all the filth of the world because of her eyes.

While thinking half-seriously about all of this, his sister was distancing herself from this world.

He only realized this was a silly assumption of his very lately. Meaning, only ever since Senri threw herself into the fights of Mushitsuki out of her own will.

“Searching—”

Senri could see.

Although she was blind, she could see through people’s hearts through their attitudes, voices and the like.

Among those Senri had seen through this far, most of them were likely evil. There were also those who were mad Senri couldn’t share their vision, and there were probably also those who tried attacking her.

Despite this Senri forgave them—and even tried helping them.

Why? Because she gave up on being a weakling. She probably thought that since she was weaker than normal people she didn’t have the right to stand against them, and that if she could help other people even a little bit, she had a duty to do so with her full powers.

This wasn’t kindness.

Since she was weak, she had to forgive people and help them.

His sister started thinking that way—because of none other than him.

Keigo had the duty to protect weak Serni, and because his little sister was a weak person—she had to follow this “duty”.

“Searching—”

Even though she was this strong—

It was Keigo himself who forced Senri to remain weak.

He kept pushing excuses to live and to attack other people on to his sister.

However, by allowing herself to get protected by her brother she supported him and so managed to grow up so much she could connect people’s hopes and end up much stronger.

“I’m the one who hasn’t dirtied his hands—”

Seeing Senri fight with her entire body and soul, a lone streak of tears ran down Keigo’s eye.

“Losing someone precious to you hurts so bad…”

His chest hurt so much his body twisted.

He was assaulted by such a freezing sense of falling that he wasn’t sure whether he was standing up or sitting down. He even thought that he wouldn’t mind falling down all the way to hell like this.

Keigo would most likely go to hell.

After sticking his sister in a birdcage to protect her, hurting and deceiving many people—

He was going to lose even the one and single reason he had to fight here.

There was no longer anything for Keigo to do—

“—Found her.”

Senri finally uttered the expected word.

Including Tachibana Rina and Harukiyo, all Mushitsuki now wore the expressions of warriors.

Keigo approached his little sister, hugging her slim body from behind.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p185.png|thumb]]

“Thanks, Senri.”

“—Promise me, you two.”

The flame vanished from Senri’s eyes. Her normally kind eyes turned to Keigo—as well as Kaguya, who was behind him. She smiled.

“Big brother and Akatsuki-kun... even after the battle ends—you can’t lose.”

Keigo bit his lips hard.

So even falling to hell—wasn’t allowed to him.

Although Keigo dirtied his hands, he was restrained by his sister, not allowed even to surrender.

She told him not to step down from his own will, but to keep fighting until he couldn’t move even a single finger.

Since it was his one and only sister who wished for this—

That was the only thing he could do.

“I’ll be waiting for you...”

It was too late for the kindly smiling Senri. She could probably not hold back her Maturation any longer.

Saying their farewells, the two siblings snuggled and swore in their hearts.

A single, black feather fell nearby.

== 2.05 The Others ==

To come into the forefront as the main character of the fights between Mushitsuki.

A poor Mushitsuki embraced this completely unsuitable dream.

She was the Mushitsuki called Konomura Chami.

“I’m pissed off.”

Chami mumbled this, standing on top of a certain building’s rooftop in a town whose name she didn’t know. Her dangerous gaze that couldn’t be hidden by her rimless glasses was directed town at the dark townscape.

The girl standing next to Chami murmured to herself subduedly.

“…I knew it, I can’t find C’s location…”

The girl with long bangs hiding her eyes—the Mushitsuki called Konoha—was Chami’s pawn. Next to her was a Mushi shaped like two overlapping leaves standing upright.

“…C might be blocking my sight using her abilities or one of the Revived…”

“It pisses me off they didn’t even doubt me.”

While being blown by wind in a high place, Chami kept mumbling.

If Konoha managed to discover C’s location, she thought she’d have a chance again. That was why she looked for a place with a good view.

However—it looked like it was impossible anyway.

Therefore, Chami thought of another scenario.

“Those guys… Himiko and the rest—”

Chami clenched her fists and spat out.

“While running away from Akamaki City, such a suspicious woman called out to her… normally she’d doubt me. I also explained the risks. If she used my queen bee’s powers—it might be a ticket for an express train to Maturation. I told her she’d die…”

Konoha didn’t even turn to her. She kept listening to Chami’s monologue quietly.

“But she nodded without hesitating… despite me telling her this.”

Chami raised her right hand and reached with her index finger.

The silhouette of a queen bee came to her fingertip. This Mushi was her ability, and she could sting Mushitsuki to bestow a rapid enhancement to their abilities.

“’If I ever need your power—will you sacrifice yourself?’.”

Chami erased the queen bee.

“So I told her about the strategy. —Even Haji Keigo wasn’t prepared enough to launch the counterattack against C. There were too many holes in the script to set the stage for the battlefield…”

“…And you’re filling those holes, right…?”

Konoha turned to Chami.

“…None of us had any objections… not a single one… even Chiharu is currently—”

“Right, I knew no one’d refuse. That’s what pisses me off. Those shithead Mushitsuki… but what pisses me off the most is the one who’s written this shithead script. Me.”

Rounding her body, her shoulders shook.

She felt her body about to get ripped by anger, hatred and chagrin. Obviously, all those emotions—were directed at herself.

“Even in this script I wanted to see, that created so many victims, that did so much scummy stuff—”

''—Kuhu.

She felt like she heard a cat laughing from somewhere.

Was it an auditory hallucination, or had her deceased partner crawled back from hell to mock Chami?

“I’m not part of the cast…”

Never mind dirtying her own hands.

She’d done plenty of crimes against humanity.

However, despite her constantly thinking of those as required actions for her to someday ascend to become the main character—who could have imagined she would set up a stage without any part for her?

All these girls accepted Chami’s invitations without hesitation despite them being the devil’s whispers.

These Mushitsuki all chose to become victims because Chami made them do it.

Not only that—

“I don’t even have the guts to rewrite the main cast…”

Chami had thrown away the red pen meant to fix the script.

Despite the fact that she’d fought to the death to obtain it.

“Konoha… please watch over what happens now closely.”

Raising her face, Chami spoke.

“These shithead sacrifices are going to bring the actors to the stage.”

After desiring the seat of the main character and writing the script for it—she never could write her own title.

Hearing the Mushitsuki’s ridiculous mutters—

“…Sure.”

Konoha silently nodded.

== 2.06 The Others ==

The night sky of Aoharima Island was full of twinkling stars.

The gentle wind mixed the scents of the sea and trees. This nostalgic air never changed ever since she was born.

Shirakashi Ubuki was born on this island.

“…”

As she circled around the island’s skies, moonlight reflected on Ubuki’s goggles, sparkling. The four black wings sprouting from her back were created from her Mushi fusing with her coat. The turban wrapped around her head was used to gather up her hair so that it wouldn’t get in her way while flying.

Ubuki made a sudden rise and raised her angle.

She then did a forward somersault, this time lowering her head, spun horizontally and let herself fall.

This was her favorite way of flying that she repeated constantly even during the time she only just became a Mushitsuki. She found the sensation as if the island was rotating above her, as well as being able to watch the entire ocean surrounding the island, to be very enjoyable.

As she approached the surface, she raised her head and kept her body level as though gliding. By doing this she almost felt like she could use the small island as a bed for an afternoon nap.

As Ubuki indulged in this nostalgic play, memories about Aoharima Island resurfaced in her mind.

It was her hometown, and many things happened on this island.

Her losing her parents shortly after being born was one especially sad event among them. Aoharima Island subsisted mostly on fishing, but there was rarely any fishing boat accidents. Ubuki was, however, one who lost her parents due to this rarity.

She’d been sent to the island’s orphanage and lived with other similar children as a family. They weren’t rich at all and they lacked plenty, but Ubuki loved her new family. They didn’t have the latest gaming consoles, but they always found things to play with in the nature around them.

Playing with the few children of her age, going to the very small school and before long even working in the marine food processing plant on the island, she lived as part of the island—

She wanted to live her life like that, without being dissatisfied with anything.

However, a while after Ubuki became a middle schooler, a certain person came to the island.

A young doctor.

Ever since meeting that person, Ubuki and Aoharima Island’s future changed.

Ubuki became a Mushitsuki.

This was something she only found out later, but the youth who came to the island—the one she was on friendly terms with, called only Sensei—was actually the monster called Sanbikime.

Unbeknownst to her, Ubuki had been turned into a Mushitsuki by him, and spent her days innocently making walks through the sky.

However, that did not hold out for long.

In order to erase Sensei (who was Sanbikime) from this world, a grand-scale massacre was carried out on the entirety of Aoharima Island. By that narrow-eyed woman, Miguruma Yaeko.

The residents were slaughtered by fire, and only Ubuki the Mushitsuki had survived, becoming a member of the SEPB.

She lost her beloved Aoharima Island.

She left it.

Betraying the SEPB, she created her small revenge against Miguruma Yaeko.

Along with new friends and comrades, she gained a new dream.

For some reason, although she returned to Aoharima Island, it was again covered in flames.

Right now, this island would become the land of the counterattack that would change the world.

“…I can hear your voices, y’all.”

While freely flying in the nighttime air, Ubuki closed her eyes.

She said “all”, but it wasn’t the voices of the many Mushitsuki beneath her.

It was the people who used to live on Aoharima Island.

The voices of Ubuki’s family, friends, and other workers—the people who lived here more freely than anyone, who spent their last moments here in an unwanted way.

If this was the period where she lived only for revenge, she’d definitely hear voices of resentment. The curse created by the murdered island residents would probably spur on Ubuki’s revenge and desire for destruction.

However, what Ubuki heard now—was laughter.

Only fun memories with the island residents who raised Ubuki passed through her mind as she danced through air.

The only resident who knew about the tragedy that befell the island was Ubuki.

But at the same time, the only one who knew how freely the people lived on this island was also just Ubuki.

She became able to think like that probably because she herself had changed.

“I’ll bring back this island, y’all. The same island from that time…”

That was Ubuki’s new dream.

To make Aoharima Island just like it was before, a place overflowing with smiles—

It was a much more difficult dream than mere revenge.

However, it wasn’t impossible as long as she was alive.

She was taught this because she had important friends.

“But I’m sure—y’all can wait just a little.”

Opening her eyes, the scenery of the island completely changed.

Both island and sea were enveloped in a vivid ruby color.

It was as though it had been instantly encroached by an entirely different world. Looking down on the surface, she could see the figure of Haji Senri clad in a cloth of flames, struggling.

“Before making my dream come true… I gotta save my friends.”

There was something Ubuki had to do now.

She’d infiltrated the shelter and gave Haji Keigo what she needed to.

And she was able to have her fill of flying above the island like in the old days.

All that remained was to fight.

“Because you’re my friends… as much as everyone on the island.”

She started falling toward the wharf.

The crimson world was starting to regain its normal color. The red glow dyeing the ocean surface and Aoharima Island was slowly vanishing.

Haji Senri managed to designate C’s location.

She was convinced of this even without checking.

Ubuki controlled the wings at her back, landing next to the hugging Haji siblings.

All the Mushitsuki around seemed shocked at Ubuki’s appearance. However, neither Haji Keigo nor Haji Senri moved a muscle. Even Ubuki wasn’t about to say something unneeded at this stage.

“Coordinates?”

Ubuki asked just this one word.

Being hugged by her brother, Senri looked at Ubuki sadly and shook her head. Her blazing eyes appeared to return to how they were, but her robe of flames wasn’t gone. It didn’t seem to hurt her brother—but it was obvious at a glance she already lost control of her Mushi.

“We don’t need coordinates…”

Prefacing with this, Senri mumbled.

“The place is…”

That land.

The place of the Ark, where C’s main body resided.

Ubuki knew it.

“…!”

Haji Keigo showed an expression of surprise. There was no doubt that seeing someone as rational as him be speechless was rare.

“—I’ve been such a fool…”

He mumbled only this.

Ubuki nodded, then raised her voice toward the many Mushitsuki behind them.

“Recall-tan!”

“…”

Not a moment passed since she was called that mist gushed next to Ubuki. It condensed, forming the form of a girl in her early teens. Her short hair and expressionless face coupled with plain clothes gave her the impression of a girl people would often ignore.

“We’re going.”

As Ubuki hugged the girl called Recall, a red glow rose from her.

It was a crimson queen bee.

Ubuki’s wings grew many times their size, creaking. The black pattern caused by fusing with her Mushi encroached up to her face and covered her eyes. Her pupils became sharper.

“Transfer condition—only Mushitsuki.”

As Recall muttered this, a queen bee appeared behind her as well.

The lower torso of the girl being hugged by Ubuki literally dispersed. The mist instantly propagated, covering all the Mushitsuki at the fishing harbor.

“Recall…? You—”

Mushibane’s admins, Namie and Aijisupa, wore expressions of shock.

Recall reached out a thin arm from within Ubuki’s embrace and lightly waved it.

“Bye-bye.”

With this farewell greeting as the signal, Ubuki leapt into the air with Recall in her embrace.

Reaching a high altitude, she then started flying horizontally.

And—accelerated.

Faster.

Faster.

“…We gotta go quickly.”

The form of the smiling Ubuki became something unsightly. Her wings kept growing larger and gradually the coat and wings melted into each other. Her face became pure black, and behind the goggles, her eyes were becoming compound eyes, like those of a dragonfly.

“You’re working too hard, Shiika-tan.”

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p198.png|thumb]]

As she increased her flying speed, Ubuki felt important memories inside her gushing away. She could tell that her dream, a source of power much unfitting for such a powerless, unranked combatant Mushitsuki like her, was being devoured by her own Mushi.

However, she didn’t mind it.

The important people who lived on Aoharima Island and the new friends she’d made.

As well as her important—Sensei.

She knew the memories of these irreplaceable people would definitely remain with Ubuki to the very end. Ubuki would never lose to her Mushi.

“Recall-tan, you okay?”

Even her voice became much lower, sounding like a different person.

The girl protected from wind pressure by Ubuki hugging her was losing her lower torso. Not only that—but the further away from Aoharima Island she went, the more her body began vanishing. Just like a scarf being unfurled by its threads, her body already vanished all the way to the chest.

“As long as my head remains… probably.”

“…”

“I can only transport people to places I can see… it’s a bit far, though…”

The girl mumbled this expressionlessly.

Ubuki felt like lowering her speed—but she gritted her teeth and accelerated further.

“Shiika-sama—”

Recall kept mumbling.

“Taught me… that it’s fine to fight even if you’re weak.”

Ubuki hugged hard the girl who was becoming lighter and lighter.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

All she could do was fly.

She had no other abilities.

Therefore, doing that—was her way of fighting.

“Shiika-tan’s also fighting now, y’know.”

As she gained speed several times—no, dozens of times past her limits, the scenery visible to her also changed.

There was no difference between the starry sky and the sea, and she couldn’t even see the waves undulating.

Ubuki and Recall cut through the interval between black and black as though sliding.

“So we gotta—go faster—”

Ubuki’s consciousness was dimming.

Could she hear something crumbling because her body was also crumbling along with her dream?

Even so she kept accelerating in this world where she lost not only recognition of color, but even of time—

Ubuki certainly felt it.

The fragrant, nostalgic air above Aoharima Island sky.

And that day.

''Thank you…

On the island’s solitary clinic, herself from when she received the necklace.

The presence of the smiling youth—

“—!”

She just barely managed to hang to her consciousness.

She fought with her own efforts—no, it was the feelings she’d received from those important to her that helped her resist the Mushi feasting on her dream.

As she wrung out her very last powers, her sight retrieved colors.

The world where only black and black existed now changed.

She arrived at the mainland.

Ubuki strained her eyes, climbing above and looking for the place that would serve as the landmark, aiming for her goal in a straight line.

Then—

“—!”

Ubuki flew down to a land in the city far away from Aoharima Island.

She didn’t have the leisure to soften her momentum. Rolling on the hard asphalt, she hugged Recall tightly to protect her from the impact, crashed against a wall—and stopped.

“—”

She felt the very last drops of her dream fall out.

Within her vanishing consciousness, reflected in Ubuki’s faintly open eyes was—

A swarm of glittering neon lights.

As well as something turning toward her somewhere nearby—the face of a precious friend.

“—Ubuki!”

An innocent face with a white blizzard surrounding her.

There was no doubt.

She was Ubuki’s precious—

“Transfer location—”

Recall’s head came rolling from Ubuki’s embrace. The girl’s face changed.

The surrounding mist shrouded over.

“—Here.”

The remainder of the girl’s head dispersed without trace.

The phenomenon that occurred at the same time looked like changing the TV channel.

Where only the blizzard-clad girl stood before, now many figures suddenly appeared.

Seeing this, Ubuki reached her limit.

Anmoto Shiika infiltrated it, Haji Senri found it, and Ubuki carried them there.

Everyone sent there knew that place.

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1

2024-12-25T08:36:12Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 1.00 The Others == Akamaki City, who could be called the center of the country, fell into a mysterious state of chaos. Although all citizens had been issued an evacuation..."

== 1.00 The Others ==

Akamaki City, who could be called the center of the country, fell into a mysterious state of chaos.

Although all citizens had been issued an evacuation order, the reason had to yet to be revealed. The mass media was gathering information as well, but it was clear from everyday news that they were unable to grasp the core.

This sudden situation made the entire country restless.

However, none of this was relevant for Taiki, who was nothing more than a normal high-schooler.

Also, he lived far from Akamaki City anyway. The only thing he cared about regarding the situation was seeing whether more of his classmates would take a break from school.

No—to be honest, there was something else.

These last few days, he dreamt about the people called Mushitsuki night after night.

Tachibana Rina.

Harukiyo.

He dreamt about Mushitsuki with these names.

Taiki had no idea why he started having these dreams.

And now, on his way back from school—

“You will tell me… why I’m having these dreams?”

The girl who was waiting for him there said she would give him that answer.

“Yes.”

The person called Ikarino Kirari nodded. She was a beauty with her bangs cut in a slanted line, and looked to be about the same as Taiki’s age. For some reason, she wore the same school uniform.

“W-what are you saying? Why would you even—”

“Because I know… what dreams you’ve been having.”

She first appeared to him a few days ago. At the time she was together with a foreigner journalist. She had introduced herself as his interpreter.

“You know—my dreams?”

Ikarino Kirari appeared to Taiki alongside the foreign journalist for an interview.

She said this was related to Taiki’s cousin—one Kusuriya Daisuke.

Now, however, she talked about something completely different than that so-called interview. After Ikarino Kirari so stubbornly clung to Taiki, this time she was apparently going to interpret his dreams for him.

While the cautious Taiki drew back, Ikarino Kirai spoke.

“It was about Tachibana Rina—and Harukiyo, right?”

“…!”

Taiki gulped and froze.

She got to the crux of the matter perfectly.

Until now Taiki lived a completely normal life without any serious difficulties. His only worries could be said to be about his grades in school related to his future. Obviously, he only knew Mushitsuki as an urban legend.

And he suddenly started dreaming about these Mushitsuki.

In his dream, they were all fighting against an enemy called C.

They challenged her, lost, and ran away, but even so they kept fighting intensely—

“—Takashiro Taiki. Your parents are in good health, and you have two little sisters called Noa and Ririe.”

Kirari spoke all of a sudden. Taiki was startled.

“According to the city database, you have no criminal record. No major illnesses, either. I did find a small record from your health insurance when a driver took his eyes off the road, hitting you and causing a bone fracture when you were young. According to the school records, your grades are the average of the average, and there doesn’t seem to be any problem with your conduct…”

Hearing her narrate this so indifferently, Taiki felt a chill run up his spine.

Had she investigated him?

That was without a doubt a crime. There was probably nothing as creepy as having a complete stranger check out his life.

“I have no intention of disturbing your peaceful life.”

Ikarino Kirari really had the gall to say something like that after being so creepy.

“However, I believe that’s something you have to obtain from your own choice.”

“Ha… what? W-who are you?”

He couldn’t understand what the girl was saying at all.

She appeared out of the blue, investigated him and then told him to make a choice.

In all honestly, this girl looked to him like someone deranged and disturbed.

“I’ve said this before, but—won’t you tell me about your dreams in more detail? I will definitely be able to help you solve all your questions and worries. Also…”

Ikarino Kirari suddenly looked up the sky.

“I think I can tell you why you’re the only one unable to hear the bells.”

Bells?

Just before, his classmates also said they could hear bells.

They said it was a very pretty sound.

“S-stop this.”

This was Taiki’s limit. He was just a normal student, after all.

He became scared at the girl’s incomprehensible actions and words and started walking in a fast pace. He walked past Ikarino Kirari who stood there to block his path.

“Since you’ve dreamt about Tachibana Rina and Harukiyo, you’ll definitely dream about her, too.”

While he passed by her, Kirai spoke.

“Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.”

Taiki’s shoulders twitched.

It was a name that came up countless times in his dream.

“S-shuddup. Don’t come near me ever again…!”

Grimacing, he started running.

He could hear the sad voice of the mysterious girl called Ikarino Kirari from behind him.

“In the end—”

Taiki left the place running, while Ikarino Kirari stayed in place.

And as he went—

“She hasn’t woken up…”

The girl’s whisper passed and vanished between them.

== 1.01 Arisu the Last ==

''She'' stood atop a large wharf.

There were cranes and lifts meant for hauling catches scattered here and there on land, and several vessels were anchored. Thin clouds covered the orange-tinted sky as the curtain of darkness began to descend.

Many figures took violent movements within these premises.

These weren’t the fishers or marketplace people.

They were Mushitsuki.

Fighting defensively while covered in blood, they were the combined forces made from both former members of the SEPB as well as Mushibane. —They were also those who had gathered to annihilate the calamity known as C, had lost as a result and now had to retreat.

On the other hand, the Mushitsuki who surrounded them were the assassins sent by C. Either those who’d once lost their Mushi and became Fallen or else died, had their dreams being controlled by C, turning them into the Revived.

The Mushitsuki were attempting to escape to sea.

The Revived attempted to pursue and root them out.

After their series of battles, they were all dirty with soil and mud, and it was impossible to tell how many were even dead.

“As long as I’m strong—isn’t that enough?”

She smiled, looking down the transport truck being protected by the Mushitsuki. Her familiar scarf and the sensation of the silver spear grasped in her hand stirred up her drive for a fight inside her.

She didn’t need a mirror to tell how she looked now.

Right now, she was fused with her Mushi, the silver Morpho butterfly, and had a silver pattern over her entire body. Her face and thin limbs, constantly deathly pale due to fighting with an illness for a long time, were glowing silver, and her long hair was set afloat by the scales gushing out from the silver spear. —She looked exactly the same as back then, when she’d expired from her disease.

And a boy covered fully in a rusty, dark red was standing in her way.

“Right now—you aren’t Arisu.”

His SEPB-issued long coat was in tatters, discolored by dried blood and scorch marks. The goggles on his face were cracked, and his Mushi, the checkered beetle, stood on the automatic pistol dangling from one hand.

She knew well who this boy was.

Kusuriya Daisuke—Kakkou.

A Mushitsuki who supposedly already had his Mushi killed and became a Fallen.

“Then who am I, then?”

She was supposed to be dead.

Kakkou was supposed to be Fallen.

She couldn’t understand why two people who weren’t supposed to be there now faced each other like this.

It was also unnatural how the surroundings became extremely quiet since a while ago. She could see the Mushitsuki fighting on the wharf, but their voices wouldn’t reach the pair of people glaring at each other.

While they were at the same place, it was also like they were in different worlds.

In fact, wasn’t this situation purposely crafted by someone?

But she cared nothing for that.

“You should know who I am.”

Saying this, she glanced behind her.

A long girl was lying inside the cargo of the transport truck stolen from the military. She was sleeping while covered by a blanket and a jacket.

Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.

Right now, the Mushitsuki in the harbor all fought to the death, prioritizing her protection over their own survival.

“You alone. Right, Kusuriya Daisuke-san?”

“You are Arisu’s friend, as well as the first host of the Morpho butterfly… Hanashiro Mari.”

Turning ahead again, Kakkou spoke to her in a hoarse voice. She had no idea why he was already so injured, but apparently he could barely even stand.

She—Mari—grinned.

Right. Although she died from her illness in the past, she still remained inside the Morpho butterfly and kept protecting her best friend, Arisu. The number of people who knew about this could be counted on one hand.

No, this had nothing to do with the past.

No matter where she was, no matter when it was, if Arisu was there—

Mari would become Arisu’s guardian.

That was Mari’s duty and the only possible response for the friendship the girl gave her.

However, Kakkou looked at Mari and spoke.

“…But you’re not Hanashiro Mari right now. Never mind your appearance.”

The tip of Mari’s spear twitched. She wore a provocative smile.

“Then who is it standing right here, then?”

“…”

“And in the first place—who are you, even?”

Kakkou gave no answer to her question.

“I’ve seen it all through the Morpho butterfly. —You became a Fallen, right?”

After getting saved from the Central Headquarters’ Underground Fort, she saw everything. She already knew that the Mushitsuki called Kakkou retired from the battle between Mushitsuki.

“And yet I’m here. What a strange space… is this an attack by C as well?”

Other than Mari and Kakkou, everyone on the harbor were fighting.

She could see a huge tanker anchored in the backdrop of this soundless, mortal combat. Since she’d watched everything until now, she also knew that this was the only way for these Mushitsuki to escape C’s pursuit.

“Even Kasuou, Neiko-san or Himeko-chan are still fighting.”

Some of the desperate fighting Mushitsuki were people she knew.

“They’re still fighting…”

She unconsciously put strength into her arm holding the spear.

Although they were right next to them, no one seemed able to see the figures of Mari and Kakkou.

“—We’re here now not because of C’s attack.”

Standing there listlessly, Kakkou spoke.

“If you really were Hanashiro Mari, you were supposed to notice at least this much.”

“…”

Mari glanced behind her wordlessly. She looked at the sleeping Arisu behind her again.

“They’re trying to wake up Arisu because they need strong Mushitsuki, right?”

“…Yes, true.”

“I am Mari. If they need strong Mushitsuki, I will fight.”

She glared at Kakkou and put herself on guard.

“So—please don’t try waking her up.”

A massive quantity of scales gushed out of the spear in her hands. Pushed back by the raging surge of scales, the wounded Kakkou staggered.

“You’re just pretending to be your strong friend…”

However, Kakkou did not collapse.

“It was the same during the night of the meteor shower. You wanted to challenge Oogui, but once you saw your comrades collapsing, you got so scared you tried running away. —With how you are now, even if you’re slapped awake, you’ll probably run away again…”

“…!”

As Mari grimaced with fright, Kakkou’s eyes stared at her from behind his goggles.

“Hanashiro Mari’s gone. Stop clinging to your friend.”

“And you—who are you to say this, anyway?”

Anger welled within Mari. Was it because her friend Arisu was being ridiculed, or was it to hide other feelings inside her? Even she herself wasn’t sure.

“What’s up with you? I don’t know what you’ve been fighting, but you are too pathetic, unsightly and pitiful. —What have you been doing while Arisu was gone? She believed in you, and yet… you haven’t been able to do anything, right?”

This time Kakkou was the one who went silent.

Silence befell the two—but the boy finally opened his mouth with a small breath.

“I did it my own way—nah, I acted completely unlike myself and tried fighting the Original Three to finish everything before finding you. However—”

She wanted to believe that Kakkou’s breath was due to his fatigue.

If it was a sigh, then—it would be much too sad.

This pair had a chance meeting once, parted, and then met again in this state.

Rather than shed tears, hearing this sigh resounding over their reunion made Mari’s heart clench.

“I haven’t managed to beat them. Not even a single time.”

How should she call the feelings gushing out inside her?

Rage? Or perhaps disappointment at having her hopes betrayed? If she used a simple name—despair.

It was a sensation like the ground crumbling under her legs and such grim resolve she felt her vision darken made her want to scream. Mari clenched her jaw and swallowed back her indignation.

“Arisu told you to wake her up at the continuation to her dream, right?”

Looking at her friend sleeping inside the transport truck, Mari spat.

Her sleeping face was much too peaceful.

Even if Mari wasn’t her friend, she would feel it was too cruel to wake her up at a place like this.

“Why…?”

She furiously spat abuse at Kakkou who couldn’t answer her.

“Erii’s already gone, right?”

Horiuchi Erii.

This young Mushitsuki, who had once been close to Arisu—had lost her personality due to losing control of her ability. She now became their strongest enemy in the form of C, the Super Class Rank 1.

Waking up Arisu would mean that she had to defeat Horiuchi Erii by her own hands. Although she was now a mere shadow of her former self, she thought of this girl that doted on Erii as a younger sister.

“Kasuou and the others also lost, right?”

These Mushitsuki, like Kasuou and others, who challenged C and lost.

They now had less than half their numbers, compared to back at the domed base in Akamaki City. Even the surviving Mushitsuki were exhausted; with dark circles under their eyes, they rushed through the hellish battlefield like demons.

“And even you, of all people, became a Fallen, right?”

Mari already knew for a while now that the Kakkou in front of her eyes wasn’t the real deal.

Even that powerful Kakkou—even that man feared as a pitch-dark demon, who had once been Arisu’s trusty partner—even that Mushitsuki became a Fallen.

“Arisu’s here only because that kid called Kanon sacrificed himself—”

In a past battle, Arisu became Rank 1 but fell into a long slumber.

She did it in order to seal a single source of despair.

She thought that by the time she’d wake up again, it’d be because a way to block that despair had been found—but it didn’t happen like that. Someone simply subbed in for her.

“I-is that… true?”

Mari asked the phantom of Kakkou.

“Are you saying that this is really—the continuation of Arisu’s dream?”

Although she fell asleep during the battle everyone forgot about, Arisu still had hope. Even if she fell asleep along with that source of despair, strong Mushitsuki like Kakkou and Harukiyo existed. And there were many Mushitsuki who would fight in order to make their dreams come true.

Arisu had supposedly gone to sleep because she believed that—

She dreamed that all fights would end by the time she woke up, and yet—

“Saving all Mushitsuki. This was Arisu’s dream.”

Kakkou suddenly sighed and spat this.

“Right. That is—the continuation of your dream.”

“—”

Mari felt strength leaving her entire body.

Widening her eyes, she felt the boy’s words echo within her again and again—

“…”

She slowly readied her spear.

Standing in front of the transport truck to protect Arisu from Kakkou.

“Stop.”

Kakkou spoke.

“I wanted to apologize for being unable to do anything… but if you’re going to act like that—you’ll make me unable to keep my promise.”

“…I won’t let you wake her up.”

Still standing frozen, Mari shook her head to the sides.

“This situation isn’t the ‘continuation’ Arisu wished for.”

“No, you’ve said it yourself, Arisu…”

As Kakkou spoke by himself, the checkered beetle sank into his handgun. Transforming its body to tentacles, the Mushi fused with the gun and Kakkou’s body.

“You asked me to wake you up at the continuation of her dream.”

There was a silver flash.

Mari kicked the ground and thrust her spear at Kakkou. Even that simple action instantly closed the distance between the two to zero, and the blowing silver scales severed land and ocean into two.

Violent tremors and water sprays assaulted the harbor, but no response came from the Mushitsuki fighting around them. As expected, it appeared like the space that Mari and Kakkou inhabited was separated from their original world.

“…!”

Kakkou twisted his body to dodge the spear, turning his gun to Mari.

She calmly drew an arc with her spear tip. Kakkou’s arm holding the gun was pushed down, and she kept going to sweep up his legs.

“Gwah…!”

As Kakkou tumbled and got pounded against the ground, she tried dealing an additional blow with the scales. Silver brilliance burst with the boy in its middle, causing the asphalt ground to cave.

Mari was stunned at this being so effective.

The collapsed Kakkou raised an arm. He pulled the trigger, aiming at Mari.

She moved just one step aside and easily evaded the gunshot.

Kakkou used this brief opening to stand up. He leapt inside the dancing water sprays and dust, vanishing from Mari’s line of sight.

“You seem to have forgotten that my Morpho butterfly has sensing capabilities as well.”

Being led by the spear she held in hand, she swung her arm to the right without even turning.

She tore through the curtain of water and dust. Surging silver scales captured Kakkou who was hidden on the other side.

“—!”

Pulverizing a warehouse, the boy was flung into the distance.

Mari calmly jumped. She leapt over the ruins of the warehouse with superhuman leg strength.

“For you to not only become a Fallen but come here to wake up Arisu in such a beat-up form…”

She found Kakkou. He was half-buried in the wreckage.

“Since Arisu fell asleep, you’ve made such a horrible ‘continuation’…!”

Leaping high, she pounded her silver spear down at Kakkou using the momentum of her fall.

Silver light burst and the surrounding buildings were destroyed all around her.

“Aren’t you just pushing everything to Arisu?!”

Red sprays mixed in with the silver light filling her sight.

“—Yeah, that’s right.”

Kakkou blocked the spear’s tip with the grip of his pistol. However, he was unable to fully stop the strike, so his worn coat was fully ripped and fresh blood streamed down his brows.

“I couldn’t do anything… so I wanted to apologize.”

Mari arched her eyebrows in disappointment and anger, seeing how spineless this boy was.

However, receiving the kick unleashed from his leg, Mari grimaced.

“Ugh—”

“Well, only if you weren’t like this, though.”

While glaring at Mari who leapt back, Kakkou stood up, swaying.

“You’re just making excuses for not wanting to wake up. You even imitated Hanashiro Mari…”

Mari returned Kakkou’s glance.

“I am Mari.”

“No, you’re completely the same as when you fell asleep. An idiot who never thinks of anything, a coward who becomes scared once she sees her friends falling… a spoiled brat.”

Both Rank 1 Fusion Types changed their expressions.

Mari made the silver pattern covering her entire body glow, calmly readying her spear again. Within that silver spear dwelt the power that one of the Original Three—Sanbikime—had once called the strongest.

On the other hand, Kakkou—was a mere shadow of his former self. His coat was ripped at the chest area and there were no traces of the air of intimidation he had when he was known as the pitch-dark demon.

“—”

“—”

The fight of these two opposites opened silently.

It was a chain of nothing but unexpected happenings for Mari.

What she first found surprising—was that Kakkou was way too weak.

“Give up and vanish already…!”

Kakkou just barely dodged Mari’s attack, but it took everything he had. Where on earth had he gotten hurt so badly? He literally threw his body to the ground in order to dodge, then stood up with a grimace full of agony.

Even his belated gunshot counterattack was repelled by the wall of scales protecting Mari.

Mari had hit with her attacks many times now.

She thought Kakkou would easily fall in his state.

However, seeing that her estimations were far from reality, Mari was confused.

He wouldn’t collapse—

Although he definitely should have gone way past his limits, the boy did not give up on approaching Mari.

“Stop already…!”

Slowly but steady.

Covered in blood like vengeful spirit, Kakkou kept approaching Mari.

No, he was trying to get to what lay behind her—

The transport truck, where a girl was still sleeping.

“I won’t let you wake up Arisu…!”

Finally, the most unexpected thing of all happened.

At that same time, it could also be called the natural conclusion.

Kakkou—could no longer dodge Mari’s spear.

“—”

Her thrust spear pierced Kakkou deeply in his stomach.

It was such a simple attack that not only Mari, but probably Kakkou himself thought he could dodge. As evidence of this, both froze with the spear stuck in him, unmoving.

It was a fatal wound.

No, speaking about fatal, then even the wounds he’d incurred before they fought—

“…!”

Mari’s body twitched and shuddered.

Kakkou grabbed the hilt of the spear stabbed into him.

He started walking as if to push Mari back.

“L—let go!”

Although Mari resisted, she couldn’t put strength into her arms.

With every step Kakkou took, the spear stabbed deeper into the boy.

“Let go…!”

“—Are you afraid of your friends being defeated, just like what happened during the night of the meteor shower?”

While walking and pushing Mari back along with the spear, Kakkou let leak a hoarse voice.

Mari grimaced.

“Or are you afraid of the Morpho butterfly Maturing the moment you wake up?”

An endless amount of blood kept gushing from his stomach as the boy advanced with a lowered gaze.

“Since you haven’t even been a Mushitsuki until that fight it’s natural, though…”

Unable to stop Kakkou from advancing over the debris, and not even being able to inflict the finishing blow, at some point Mari—

Found herself pushed all the way to the front of the transport truck.

“Stop—”

Mari’s shaking arm became lighter.

Kakkou let go of the spear. She could feel the nasty sensation of the blade being pulled out through her arm.

“I—don’t want to see Mushitsuki die anymore…”

Tears rising to her eyes, Mari still reached out to stop Kakkou.

And the boy—didn’t even turn to look at the girl.

With neither mercy nor pity, he left Mari behind and got on the transport truck.

“—There are still surviving Mushitsuki.”

Kakkou got on his knees and drooped his head toward the girl sleeping on the floor.

This posture was much like a pilgrim praying for forgiveness in front of an idol.

“And even if—even if only a single person survived, saving them would still be your dream, right?”

“…!”

To save Mushitsuki—

That was the dream that made Arisu a Mushitsuki.

When her friend Arisu—no, when ''she'' wished for this, she never gave any thought to how hard and cruel of a dream it was.

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p048.png|thumb]]

“Since I couldn’t do anything, I don’t have the right to say this—but that’s also the continuation of your dream.”

Although Horiuchi Erii was on good terms with her, she became an enemy.

Even her reliable partner was gone.

The Mushitsuki kept losing, and it seemed like they’d get annihilated before long.

“Don’t run away.”

In this situation, if this was the continuation of Arisu’s dream—it was too cruel to bear.

If she needed to wake up in order to save Mushitsuki—it was too hopeless to bear.

“Don’t lose to your Mushi.”

Even so, he was trying to wake her up.

She wouldn’t go as far as to say she wanted a good morning kiss.

He could simply shake her gently awake, but instead he was going to forcibly slap her awake.

“Wake up, Arisu.”

The boy’s words sounded like a plea.

Or perhaps they sounded like him apologizing for his powerlessness.

“You’ve tried gathering your comrades since you’re so useless alone, right? If you open your eyes—you’ll find out you have so many of them.”

The boy slapped the sleeping girl again.

Comrades.

Even now, Mushitsuki such as Kasuou were fighting against the Revived at the harbor. They were wounded and tired—but they never gave up.

Nothing changed from before she fell asleep.

They were the people called Mushitsuki, all fighting to make their dream come true someday.

“You need to make your dream come true by your own hands…”

The boy’s voice as he struck the girl’s cheek was becoming feebler and feebler.

Even so Kakkou kept persistently slapping the girl—

“—Guh.”

Then held his stomach, rounding his body.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear the wound received by the spear any longer.

Perhaps it was because something far more painful struck him—a white fist.

The girl who supposedly asleep moved her arm and punched the boy’s stomach.

“…Arisu Punch.”

The one who mumbled this wasn’t the girl who kept her eyes closed, but the girl in the form of Hanashiro Mari.

“That’s enough… you went overboard.”

She looked at the boy with disgust.

The pair glared at each other wordlessly.

They fought together before and parted.

If they ever met up again, what would they discuss?

Both of them should have prepared many words. She didn’t know about the boy, but she herself had way too much time to think about that.

However, right now with her borrowing the form of her dead friend, she made no attempt to mouth them.

The boy also said nothing.

Therefore—she said what needed to be said.

“—Please call me.”

She had no idea who prepared this world, but it was apparently the deadline.

The form of the Kakkou in front of her eyes was becoming transparent as if he was melting into thin air.

On the hand, her part that was in the shape of Hanashiro Mari, and the part of her that kept sleeping even after hitting the boy back—

The mind and body of Sleeping Beauty, Arisu—were not fully awake yet.

However, she would no longer hesitate.

If her past partner told her that many of their comrades were fighting—she might be able to believe it and wake up.

“If you do that, I will wake up.”

Kakkou’s mouth loosened.

“Yeah… I’ll call you.”

“Let me say this in advance, but it has to be you as well, right?”

The moment she said this, the boy erased his smile.

“I’m…”

The wounded, exhausted boy leaking sighs would vanish at any moment.

She spoke to him.

“I only managed to gather two Rank 1s and a limited number of Mushitsuki.”

“…”

“But if I could really assemble all of them—”

She had no idea if he actually heard the rest.

However, the moment he vanished, the boy wore yet another weak smile—probably because he heard her voice.

Thinking this—no, believing this, Arisu fell into another temporary sleep for the time being.

== 1.02 The Others ==

Super Class Rank 1, C, perfectly grasped the current situation.

With her ability to control electricity and electric signals, she watched everything through all cameras that existed in the country as well as the footage sent to her by the Revived that she controlled like puppets.

The old generation of Rank 1s.

Lady Bird, Harukiyo, Sleeping Beauty Arisu.

The three Rank 1s and their allies all came from different places, yet all attempted to ride large boats at the same time as if they were coordinated. Their footage escaping out into the sea was brought to C.

They managed to shake off C’s pursuit and escape to sea.

According to C’s simulations, all these Mushitsuki should have already been long since destroyed.

They could be called the failed products of the old generation.

Not only that, but they would definitely try to erase C from this world again.

There were no surveillance cameras that could see where they were going. Although she attempted using satellites to ascertain their location, it was impossible. All these ships had Mushitsuki with camouflage abilities on them.

It was clear where all of them were going to reconvene.

That would become the place of their counterattack.

They were going to rest and challenge C again.

They’d undoubtably come looking for this place, where C’s real body resided—

“…”

C’s main body, or more precisely her flesh and blood body, was in heaven.

It was inside the Ark.

A new world filled only with the Undying Mushitsuki it would carry—the land that would begin it all.

This place, a few square kilometers in width, originally had a different name. However, Miguruma Yaeko, who could also be called the birth mother of Super Class Rank 1 C, renamed it as the Ark.

In the very depths of the Ark, C sat on a large bed.

Her completely nude body was wrapped in a faint golden glow. Her pale body and each and every hair of hers were suffused with the electricity created by her ability. She had neither the capes no crowns that her body doubles wore. She materialized them through using Shinpu’s abilities, but had no need for them in this resting place inside the Ark now.

In the very depths of heaven, C kept running simulations about her enemies.

Where were they going to escape to?

She made a general review of all the entire country’s digitized map information and incidents, and continued her calculations hundreds of thousands, millions of times.

Would C find where the old generation’s Mushitsuki escaped to?

Or would they enemies find C’s location first?

With a probability of more than 90%, C estimated that it would be her victory—

And a result, in fact, came.

“—Aoharima Island.”

C muttered.

It was a small island in the middle of the sea.

Since its very existence was already wiped off from the country’s records, it took her a while to find it.

The one who erased the land of Aoharima Island—was the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. Erasing the records about the gruesome incident that took place there, they apparently tried hiding even the island itself.

After all, the one who caused the tragedy of Aoharima Island was the Director of the SEPB herself, Miguruma Yaeko.

Once, that place had one of the Original Three, the monster called Sanbikime, and the entire island’s residents were slaughtered in order to defeat it.

Only in the SEPB database remained the few top-secret records. There were even traces of C’s original personality, Horiuchi Erii, having tried to search the same information before.

By managing to calculate the enemy’s estimated destination, C started the next process.

She would send assassins to eliminate these failed products.

Also—

“It is time to unleash the Dove.”

She was now going to move the predetermined process according to plan.

She had obviously also hypothesized about her plans not going according to calculations. She prepared many backup plans in order to wipe the obstinate old world.

C would fulfill her own mission.

Instead of the old generation of Mushitsuki, she would create a world filled with Undying Mushitsuki.

“Then, the Deluge shall purge the earth and create a new world…”

At the Ark, which would become the center of the new world—

The small creator mumbled to herself with a doll-like, expressionless face.

== 1.03 The Others ==

That steel box advanced while cutting through the white-crested waves of the ocean.

It was a large oil tanker.

There wasn’t even a single crew member on board of the mammoth ship that could carry hundreds of thousands of tons. Lying on the board nearest the bow was only one person, a youth with a ghastly white face.

“…”

The young man threw up his lanky limbs and stared up at the perfect, blue sky absently.

Haji Keigo. The moment after he’d been appointed Director of the SEPB, C’s machinations cut off the organization itself from the country. The ship’s hold beneath him held his resting comrades. They were the Mushitsuki who challenged C and lost.

Keigo came up to the deck to try and arrange his thoughts, but his tired body was being dyed by the morning sun.

He was deeply aware he was the kind of being who fitted the shadows better.

“…Have you slept well?”

Noticing soft footsteps approaching him, Keigo opened his mouth.

It was a nostalgic sound, one that he heard every morning. Since the girl couldn’t see, her steps were uncertain, but she always tried walking more quietly than needed.

Almost as if she was a burden to him.

As if she didn’t want to cause any further trouble.

But even with these completely misplaced worries—she still ended up relying on him.

“Yeah.”

Keigo’s little sister, Haji Senri nodded and sat next to him.

Senri was a liar not at all inferior to Keigo.

She had a very rare sensing ability. Keigo knew that she spent the entire night vigilant against any pursuers of the tanker. It was definitely a lie that she slept well.

Come to think of it, these siblings always lived inside a lie.

Keigo hid the fact that Senri was a Mushitsuki, while Senri hid her weak body and always acted lively in front of her brother.

It was the same even after she found out she was a Mushitsuki.

Keigo pretended to be unconscious, and Senri lived in a world without her brother, acting out the part of a strong Mushitsuki—

It really had been a long time since the two of them talked by themselves like this.

The last time was before Keigo abandoned the battlefield—just before last year’s Christmas.

“You should leave your work to other sensors and go sleep. The captain’s cabin is free.”

“No way, that’s abuse of your authority. Everyone else is sleeping inside cold tanks and whatnot.”

“How about having my dream for the first time in a while? I doubt it’d help, though.”

“No. …I no longer eat anyone’s dreams.”

Still lying down, Keigo looked up at his sister shaking her head.

Her hair became longer. She apparently grew a bit taller, too. These small changes could only be noticed by Keigo, who lived together with her.

At the same time, there was things he knew only because he was her brother.

Although she was supposed to be tired, Senri’s profile as she was caressed by the salty wind—looked overflowing with vigor. Much more than it had during those peaceful days removed from any battle, when things were quiet.

He knew why.

After Keigo used all his time to pretend being injured and watch over her from the shadows, he finally figured it out.

And when he accepted this, he wanted to throw away everything and die. He was probably never going to confess to anyone about it.

“I might have already said this—but you’ve truly grown stronger, Senri.”

Looking at his sister’s face, he gave his honest opinion.

“…!”

Her breath caught, tears rose to Senri’s eyes.

The girl’s hand feeling around the deck found his own. She grasped it hard.

“Big brother… are you really there? Are you really here with me?”

“Yes, I am. It’s fine, both of us are alive and together.”

Grabbing back her hand, they felt each other’s warmth.

Even this reunited pair had many things they wanted to tell each other or ask each other.

Keigo in particular had a question he always wanted to ask his sister, who had resolved herself to throw herself into the battles of Mushitsuki. While watching how a sickly girl like her chose to fight and become much stronger and more resolute from the shadows, this doubt swelled even further.

''—Perhaps it was actually me who was trying to kill you all this time?

He never considered Senri getting stronger.

Therefore, he hid reality from her and tied her to her bed.

Perhaps even someone foolish like him was actually an evil being who tried torturing his beloved sister to death.

Compared to him, perhaps it was actually Mushi that saved his sister?

He was scared of himself immediately feeling like that once they met again.

“We’re definitely here.”

However, while doing this—he came to realize that these doubts and fears held no meaning.

The sister who grabbed her foolish brother’s hand while crying denied his doubts.

Although he lied to her, she was going to save her brother who blamed himself.

And he was able to believe this lie from the bottom of his heart.

Nothing changed from before.

Since they only had each other, these siblings were going to keep lying to each other—keep believing in those lies, and live by supporting each other.

“Yes… yes.”

Senri nodded again and again.

Following that they spoke of nothing, simply letting themselves get hit by the salty wind. There were definitely many things she should have wanted to ask and inquire him about, but Senri said nothing.

Perhaps she wanted to feel each and every second of their being together in her own way.

If she let this present run away, she might never be able to gain that time again—

They were both aware that this possibility existed.

“—Haji-senpai.”

Being called by this familiar voice, Keigo finally raised his body.

Appearing next to Keigo and Senri was a suited woman. Although she was a working adult, she hadn’t fixed her bed hair, but it could already be called her own unique style.

“Have you waited until now to call out to me, Goroumaru-kun? For you to be conscious about our family quality time like this, it seems like you’ve learned to read the room.”

“Y-yes, thanks… wait, are you angry? I did want to leave you for a bit longer, if at all possible, but we can already see the island.”

Being told this by his subordinate Goroumaru Touko and looking to the front of the ship, he could see a small dot floating at sea.

“Ah, so this is Aoharima Island.”

They were wary of their surroundings to a cowardly extent and took great care to have the ship take a detour to reach this place.

It was the island floating ahead—Aoharima Island.

Succeeding in their caution, they somehow made it safely there.

“Everyone’s coming here soon to give a sitrep and start creating our strategy for what we do after making landfall.”

“I see. So you came here alone to purposely inform me of that? When you could’ve just come along with everyone?”

“Geez, you sure are in a bad mood, you should’ve slept a little… n-no, there’s actually something I personally wanted to ask you about, Haji-senpai.”

Keigo stroked Senri’s head, then rose up. Leaning against the rails, he looked at the distant island’s shade.

Resolving herself, Goroumaru Touko spoke in a mumble.

“It’s about what Vice-Deputy… I mean, former Vice-Deputy Miguruma talked about. —Have you used Kanon-san and Mimic-san while being aware they won’t come back, Haji-senpai?”

“I have already denied that, haven’t I? You are a naughty subordinate, to disbelieve your boss like that.”

Seeing how Keigo wore his thin smile, Touko pouted.

His subordinate glanced at Senri for a moment. Her glare at his sister made him realize Touko’s goal.

“Ah, so you’ve calculated this exact timing, thinking that I wouldn’t lie in front of my little sister. Even someone who used to be as innocent as you became quite sneaky. It makes me sad.”

“I-I was being used as your replacement for so long. So I can do at least this much…”

She probably wanted to look resolved, but as she fixed her fallen glasses and tried patting down her bed hair, she looked nothing short of suspicious. It was clear she was forcing herself.

Not even a single time before had Touko gone against Keigo. So for her to ask about Keigo’s true aims now of all times—it probably meant she was feeling conflicted about it in her own way.

No matter what happened from now on, she couldn’t survive this battle without ascertaining her boss’s intentions.

If she acted like this after being resolved, she was a reliable subordinate indeed.

“—Yes, I knew they were not going to come back.”

Keigo said this casually.

“…!”

“Eh…”

Goroumaru Touko and Senri were speechless.

Keigo did not erase his faint smile. He spoke while looking at the island.

“You like Mushitsuki too much, Goroumaru-kun. Even though you don’t love them as much as Miguruma.”

“Th…that…”

Keigo turned around, looking at Senri.

That parasitic monster was tormenting his one and only sister.

And it was also—that ugly monster that was trying to take a sister away from her brother.

The hatred he felt for this creature remained inside him, completely unchanged from before.

“I hate them so much—to the extent that if every Mushitsuki on ship other than my sister was sent to fight C and they killed each other, it would be the best result possible.”

“—”

“But since we’d just lose to C if we did this right now, it’s an issue.”

While Touko and Senri were frozen, Keigo spoke in a joking tone.

Instead of Senri who was rendered speechless, it was Touko who wrung out her voice.

“Is that… also a lie? Haji-senpai.”

“I’m telling the truth. But, well, you won’t believe what I say either way. —That’s fine. There was and will be only one person who would ever agree with me.”

“One… person?”

Senri tilted her head. If possible, he wanted the only person in this world who understood him to be his sister, but that wasn’t the case.

“—‘It’s fine if only I survive’.”

His one and only understander wasn’t someone as kind as his sister.

“He was the kind of guy who’d just end everything with that one sentence, no matter how I used him.”

“…!”

Touko and Senri gasped. They probably guessed who he was talking about.

“Changing the world to one where Mushitsuki aren’t born—it was our only reason to work together. Thinking back on it, it almost felt like playing a chicken race. If one of us tried doing things too half-heartedly, the other would definitely turn his back on him… and because we knew that none of us would ever draw back—”

It was fun.

He cut off his words, since he was about to say something completely unlike him.

Until now Keigo cooked up countless evil schemes. Thinking back on it, he had the feeling that whenever he did something like that, he was trying to imagine not the face of his opponent caught up in his plan—but the response his lone comrade would make.

And at times he would be shocked, at times angry, and at times even turn his gun on him.

Keigo would deceive him with a thin smile, and while that guy would complain and complain—he would survive, and then survive the next time as well.

However—he no longer had that rival.

“What a letdown. To think that he’d be gone now, at the most vital of times.”

Saying this, Keigo wore a shallow smile.

He feigned a joke and pushed down the feelings inside him.

Although they were in such an inferior position, it’d be so much fun if that guy was still there—he painted over these feelings with lies.

“C’s trying to create a world made of only Mushitsuki. On the other hand, I’m thinking I want to make this a world without Mushitsuki.”

It was too early to look back to the past. It was useless talking of what-ifs.

Although his understanders were all gone, he couldn’t allow himself to stop in place.

“Look at me talking about changing the world despite not being any sort of God. I’m not planning on cutting any corners.”

Keigo stroked Senri’s head again and glanced at Goroumaru Touko.

“No matter what world it becomes, staying alive is also a form of victory. If you don’t like that world, then you should survive as well—and stand up against me.”

“…”

His sister and Touko made no attempt to say anything following this.

Perhaps it was only a matter of time before those two would end up viewing Keigo as an enemy.

For these two—no, for the things they loved, Keigo was way too merciless.

His hands were dirtied with blood, and he was the receptable for plenty of hatred.

Even if another person who tried living the same way tried defeating him in the future—

The person called Haji Keigo had to continue advancing in order to see this new world.

“Alright, the time for a pleasant chat is over. Although we’re about to start an unpleasant job, we might as well enjoy ourselves, if we have to do it. C’mon, give me a smile here.”

Keigo spoke, turning toward the people appearing on the deck in droves.

The approaching people looked between his little sister and useless subordinate and him—and forced themselves to wear awkward smiles.

“—Our forces are now at half of what we had back in the dome.”

It was the Rank 2 Mushitsuki called Terasu who started this report. Even this girl, who was a middle schooler in her civilian life, looked burdened by the fatigue of the battlefield.

“As for the safety of the forces that split off from us until we boarded… we cannot confirm it.”

The people gathered under Haji were the SEPB’s branch heads and their high-ranked Mushitsuki subordinates. Furthermore, there were the Mushibane admins, as well as the supplier of this tanker, Akasegawa Nanana.

“I see. I hope they’re all safe.”

Keigo nodded casually, and the surrounding air was that of anger.

In particular, Mushibane admins Namie and Aijisupa turned glances full of murderous intent to Keigo.

“What do you mean, split off…! We cut them off and turned them to decoys!”

The long-haired woman, probably the oldest among present Mushitsuki, lashed out at Keigo.

“Uh oh, let us not rehash this, Namie. We have already talked about this yesterday, haven’t we? If we hadn’t done this, none of us would have been here.”

“It’s not like I agreed to it!”

“No, you should. You were once my subordinate and the commander of the East Central Branch. While you might have betrayed us and turned over to Mushibane, stop pretending like you got your compassion back.”

As Keigo spat coldly, Namie’s face turned even harsher. She leaned forward as if wanting to keep this argument, but Keigo ignored her.

“I want us to forget all past discontent and unite SEPB and Mushibane again, but we have no time. There’s no need to change the current configuration of Terasu as the supreme commander and having Mushibane act as an independent unit under her. —Now, Terasu, continue.”

“…We are using both our sensor Mushitsuki as well as the radar equipment hastily constructed by the West Central Branch to be on guard, but we have found no pursuers just yet. However, since those with camouflage or healing abilities like Tamamo and Nene and the rest were working throughout the entire night, they will need to take a real break once we reach the island. The same goes for our nucleus of offense and defense until now, Kasuou and Yotsuba.”

“Right, I will allow it.”

“Although we’ve been using shifts to allow other Mushitsuki to rest as well, it only had our fighting forces to go up from 30% to about 40%. Furthermore, since the West Central Branch guys started remodeling important equipment without being asked to, this also lowers our fighting forces… this tanker doesn’t need any stealth or cannons.”

“Yeah, we don’t need them, and we don’t want the West Central Branch to waste their powers uselessly. After all, we’ll need them to lend us their powers once we reach the island to restore the water-purifying facilities and power generators and repair houses.”

Keigo turned his gaze to a girl standing a distance away who was looking bored. Noticing his line of sight, the Mushitsuki called Sakura swung her long-handled hand hammer and grinned.

“I’ll turn that island into a first-class resort in three hours.”

In this entire ship filled with fatigue, the only ones who were still lively were those who belonged to the West Central Branch. They were a gathering of weirdoes who had no interests other than building stuff, but they were extremely reliable in the present situation.

“Regarding the composition of guard and rest once we reach the island, I leave this to Terasu.”

“Yes sir.”

“By the way, Rinrin. Have you found out where our important enemy C is hiding?”

As Keigo looked to behind Terasu, a petite boy averted his eyes, uttering an awkward Ugh.

“C-controlling this ship’s steering system is hard enough, so there’s limit to using this slapdash equipment to search for our enemy… it’s also hard to keep taking over satellites to stop C from discovering us.”

“I’ve heard from your teacher Asagi that you are an excellent information officer who could serve as C’s successor, though. Once you run out of excuses, let me hear the conclusion.”

“P-please don’t compare me to that monster. —The only conclusion is that I haven’t found her yet… she can only be at some power generation facility that can handle vast outputs, so I tried looking into all the important power plants—but none of the country’s power plants seem to have anything like that.”

“Hmm.”

C’s power was vast. The amount of electricity she used should be accordingly large.

If so, then C was hiding somewhere where she could produce it—he estimated it would be a large-output power plant, but apparently it wasn’t that easy.

“Let me ask something for real.”

Someone behind Keigo suddenly raised their voice.

Turning around, he saw a boy carrying a hockey stick on his back put his chin on his palm. Although he was sitting atop the long and narrow railings, he was completely stable there as if he weighed nothing at all.

“Would we able to beat C, just all of us here?”

He was the Mushitsuki called Shiohara Shachito. He was powerful, but belonged to neither the SEPB nor Mushibane.

“I did tell Lady that we’re heading to Aoharima Island.”

Following Keigo, who spoke while wearing a thin smile, Akasegawa Nanana also added while spinning her cane.

“Earlier, I’ve had this Rinrin person help me and got in contact with my secretary. Harukiyo’s also heading to Aoharima Island.”

“Okay, so we’ll count Lady-chan and Harukiyo too. —So let me ask again. Do we have any chances at all?”

Shachito erased the amiable smile from his handsome face. Unlike his casual tone, the atmosphere of a battlefield grew heavier.

“Or are we survivors just going to escape into exile abroad?”

“The answer is no. To both questions.”

Keigo gave a straight answer.

Although the atmosphere on the deck grew colder, none of them tried blaming their weak commander.

Everyone present there knew that they were inferior in their battle against the powerful enemy called C.

No, even the expression inferior was too conservative.

“Try thinking about this. C can control an almost inexhaustible supply of electricity. Because she can freely use the most accessible form of energy in modern times, it’s like she holds the world in her hands.”

The depressed atmosphere sank even further due to Keigo’s casual speech.

“Furthermore, she can even manipulate the electric signals going through a person’s mind to control people’s memories. Putting it simply, she could send one of her body doubles to appear in front of some country’s prime minister and take control. And thanks to her also absorbing Shinpu’s power, she can even revive the dead or the Fallen under her control. Even if we were to escape overseas, it will already be filled with C’s puppets. —I seriously can’t believe that me so desperately trying to extend the non-aggression agreements with foreign countries all amounted to nothing.”

As the one who asked this, Shachito quietly listened to Keigo’s words.

“The more time passes, the more cornered we’ll become. Our numbers don’t matter; they’re secondary. The first condition we require for victory is—”

He raised his index finger.

“Finding out the location of C’s main body and send our forces there. —And it has to be as soon as possible. If we can’t do that, it wouldn’t matter even if we had multiples of Lady and Harukiyo. We’d eventually just run out of where to escape to and… game over.”

They needed to find C’s main base as soon as possible and send their combined forces there—

Was it possible or impossible?

Everyone there knew the answer.

Shachito made a complete reversal and spoke in a serious expression.

“It’s impossible for us to find C and beat her up like that. It’d be a miracle.”

“Right, C will definitely not wag her tail in front of us, and our forces are still lacking. —Sleeping Beauty hasn’t woken up, either.”

Shrugging, Keigo looked at the tanker’s route.

By now they approached Aoharima Island enough for it to become fully visible.

Takemi, the man who had served as the North Central Branch Head, stepped forward.

“…What are we to do, in that case? Are you telling us to simply hide and live on the island?”

For an ambitious man like him, retiring on a solitary island was probably unthinkable.

“There’s nothing else to do, right?”

As Keigo affirmed this, everyone on deck clamored as expected. Takemi was flustered.

“Hey, Keigo-kun. Are you being serious?”

“I am serious. Managing to live even a single day on that island—right now, that is the only thing we can do.”

He knew that the gazes directed at him were filled with doubts.

“We’re not the ones going to create our chances for victory.”

He mumbled as if talking to himself.

“Miguruma Yaeko.”

There was even more clamoring.

“She said it herself—that the ‘Dove’ would be unleashed.”

Right now, they had no way to win.

However—this didn’t mean there was no way for such an opportunity to be created.

“If we keep on surviving, then surely—the Dove will come.”

At that time, Keigo and the others were at the edge of despair.

But at the same time, perhaps their one and only hope would be born.

It was the sole remaining possibility for the remnants of the fighting forces—

“If we can’t find C, then we just need to call her to us.”

Probably not even a single person there understood Keigo’s monologue.

The tanker filled with an anxiety-filled silence—

Arrived at Aoharima Island.

There were no facilities to let such a large tanker anchor at the island. Keigo and the others lowered smaller boats and landed at the fishing harbor one after another. Mushitsuki who could fly started carrying personnel and foodstuff in a hurry.

The island that had been erased from the maps for several years now was in ruins.

It wasn’t because it was abandoned for all this time.

What made Aoharima Island uninhabited—were the scars of the cruel battle that took place there before. The fishing boats and houses used by the island inhabitants were all wiped away as though by explosives.

Scorch marks especially stood out. The island was covered in charcoals as if it had been completely engulfed by flames.

“Kasuou.”

While the branch heads and Mushitsuki were running about, Keigo called toward the girl standing at the fishing harbor.

The Mushitsuki called Kasuou was staring at the island absentmindedly. Unlike her elegant looks consisting of blond hair and blue eyes, she was the ace of the Central Headquarters, a berserker who was constantly shirked by enemies and allies alike.

“…Don’t act overly familiar, you shitty four-eyes.”

“Don’t be so cold with me. We were originally boss and subordinate in the same branch.”

Kasuou glared at Keigo who wore a thin smile. However, perhaps judging that even just listening to him was a waste of time, she averted her gaze and ignored him.

The relationship between Keigo and Kasuou began just as she became a Mushitsuki. Ever since then, they shared many events and bonds.

“Rest up while you can, Kasuou. I’m going to keep counting on you.”

Kasuou made not even the slightest response to Keigo’s light talk.

A single building was being distorted right in front of their eyes. It became a perfect rectangle almost instantly and transformed into a newly built house. It was probably the work of Sakura and others.

“Are you feeling emotional? You were also part of the Sanbikime cleanup operation a few years ago on this island, right? Are you feeling guilty at this stage, Anneliese?”

“…Don’t call me by that name. Also, since I was late to the party, I did nothing here. I haven’t seen you in a while, but nothing’s changed about me wanting to kill you after three seconds.”

“Even if you claim you did nothing, you’ve witnessed what happened here, right? And now you’re on the side protecting the island. Are you thinking this is a bad omen? How unlike you.”

He knew what Kasuou had witnessed here in the past.

But Keigo could tell from her profile that she couldn’t fully hide her complex feelings about this.

“…What should I do?”

Kasuou suddenly asked. Keigo snorted.

“You sure have become a lot meeker during the time we haven’t met. For you to ask me, of all people. If I asked you to save the world, would you do it?”

“…”

“Thinking about that is my job. All you need to do is defeat as many enemies as you can. And if you feel like it—you can even protect as many allies as you can. Just like you’ve done until now.”

Spitting this with a casual tone, Keigo used his index finger to fix the position of his glasses.

“And once everything’s over, just go and die along with your fellow Mushitsuki.”

“You die, bitch.”

Her beautiful smile distorted, Kasuou cursed him with a foul mouth.

If she had enough energy to cuss, she was still fine. He smiled and was about to leave when Kasuou stopped him.

“Hey, four-eyes jerk.”

Turning around, he saw that she was staring at him.

She looked like she wanted to say something—but stopped and closed her mouth. She was apparently hesitating.

“…No.”

Kasuou simply left this low voice behind.

What did she want to say to him?

No—Keigo knew very well ''who'' she wanted to talk about.

But he purposely didn’t point this out.

“Shitty four-eyes—come to think of it, it happened more than once or twice that you’ve set up a trap for me in every capture mission.”

Kasuou wore a violent smile. This was clearly different from what she wanted to say.

“Oh? Feeling grudge at this point? You managed to survive so there’s no harm done, right?”

“What I hate the most about you is how you can keep on waffling like that—but I’ll forgive you just this once. I’ll even do a kamikaze attack or whatever if we can win in this situation. I’m not gonna die so easily, though.”

“Haha, even that is much too late to say.”

Laughing it off, Keigo turned his back to Kasuou.

“I was already intending on having you do that.”

It wasn’t merely a probable loss, but a battle without any prospects of victory.

In order to grasp even a single thread of hope, it would probably require many victims.

It was also possible—that the price to pay would be much larger than Keigo estimated.

However, Keigo and Kasuou weren’t the only ones resolved for this.

None of the people who escaped to Aoharima Island had bright expressions. Even so they helped rearrange the island’s environment and spent their brief moments their calm doing both resting and guarding—

And the time to test their resolve came quickly.

“Something’s showing up on the radar! —A large ship’s approaching the island!”

Rinrin, who was in charge of all electronic devices and measurement systems, announced this.

Following Keigo, the combatants gathered on the coast and assumed ready positions—

“Ah, I really want to believe it’s Lady or Harukiyo arriving.”

Akasegawa Nanana appeared with a delay to voice this hope, but—

“I can sense multiple ‘flames’! …Enemies are coming!”

Even that was duly crushed by the declaration of Keigo’s sister Senri.

Rinrin’s warning did not stop.

“The number of ships keeps increasing… five, six—there’s even more! There are also flying objects! It’s probably fighter jets—”

The assassins sent by C.

Faced with the large enemy forces coming there to crush the old generation of Mushitsuki—

“All hands—assume battle positions.”

Keigo’s voice issuing orders was lower than normal.

“We’re going to survive this.”

== 1.04 The Others ==

The Mushitsuki at Aoharima Island took their positions in the island’s lone coast.

As if to protect the ferry landing on the shore, there was a very basic wharf made of a narrow breakwater that extended from left to right. At one end of it was a small lighthouse.

Commander Terasu and Kaguya, who specialized in long-ranged attacks, stood on top of the lighthouse. All other Mushitsuki formed lines on the breakwater, while on the shore there were other combatants on standby. Furthermore, the flying unit led by Kabuto were lying in wait on the anchored tanker near the fishing wharf.

Keigo was at a large warehouse near the ferry landing. It had apparently been used as a market in the past, and by opening the shutter one could see all the way to the Mushitsuki standing on the breakwater and through their gaps to the ocean clearly. It was a dangerous spot close to the frontlines, but there was nowhere to escape to, anyway.

“Four, five, six… man, there are a lot of large ships. I wonder how far C managed to infiltrate and manipulate the army’s chain of command.”

Keigo, who had an earphone-type comm device, counted the black dots floating on sea.

They were still far so he couldn’t see them clearly, but according to Rinrin, these were all warships. They apparently all stopped at a distance of about three kilometers away from the island.

“I doubt C’s main body’s there… but do each of these have about a hundred people aboard? Just thinking about the enemy numbers makes me depressed.”

“Then try looking like it. When you’re smiling it makes me extra nervous.”

Behind Keigo spoke Takemi, branch head of the North Central Branch.

Other than Keigo, all of the former SEPB Branch Heads were in the warehouse alongside bodyguard Mushitsuki. Included in the lineup were Keigo’s direct subordinate Goroumaru Touko, as well as Akasegawa Nanana who was clad in a completely out-of-place gorgeous dress.

“Let us calm down. This is no time to make a scene at this stage. —Look, it’s starting.”

While using his index finger to fix the position of his glasses, Keigo looked to the sky above the ocean.

For just an instant he could see a glittering, flashing point of light.

Yet it soon vanished and he saw a column of water rise from afar.

“What was that, just now? An attack?”

The voice of Terasu the commander was heard through the comms.

“Namie speaking. The light just now—was a missile shot from a fighter jet! Recall’s saying that the fog she spread in the sky caught twenty high-speed flying objects!”

“Did she manage to shoot them down?”

“Just as planned! All objects moving in a high speed that enter the fog are transported inside the ocean unconditionally!”

“M-missiles…”

“Once we know they’re coming, we can handle them. The problem comes after.”

Goromaru Touko’s expression was frozen, while Keigo wore a thin smile.

“What will the opponent’s first move be? If they approached us we could use Kaguya’s lasers to penetrate right through and sink them all in one fell swoop, though.”

“Keep defending against long-range attacks and focus on the approaching ship to sink it! If they make a landing, we have no chance here!”

One of the ships floating in the distance started advancing toward the island as if guided by Terasu’s issued order and the hailing Mushitsuki’s voices.

“It’s coming! All hands, prepare to sink it!”

If the enemy planned on encircling the island, they would attack each ship.

If they were going to focus their forces on a certain point, then those on the island was also going to focus their firepower and intercept them.

This was the defensive strategy that Keigo and others thought up.

They estimated it would become a war of attrition no matter what form the attack took, but—

“What an unbelievable speed! But the direction seems a bit slanted toward the harbor…?”

“I can sense a powerful ‘flame’! A strong Mushitsuki’s approaching!”

He heard through his headphones the voices of Rinrin and Senri, who were on patrol duty.

“Kabuto speaking! This is bad, our tanker’s being pulled toward the ship! This ability is—”

Kabuto was on standby on the tanker. Hearing his announcement, Keigo had a hunch.

It wasn’t just him; there was no doubt that each and every one of the defenders came to the same realization with a chill.

“—Asagi.”

“…Asagi!”

Keigo and Terasu’s voices overlapped.

The one who’d been responsible for coaching combatants in the SEPB had been the Mushitsuki called Asagi. She could control electromagnetism and had been a genius combatant, but she’d already died in battle, and was now being controlled by C as a Revived.

“T-to think her ability works from this far away…! Kabuto! Evacuate everyone from the tanker! At this rate, she’ll draw it to the other ship and make them crash!”

“It looks like they’re increasing their speed and trying to bump into us before sinking.”

Haji borrowed Touko’s binoculars and gazed at the ocean’s surface.

“Furthermore, Orion’s protecting the approaching ship.”

As if to guide the rapidly approaching warship, a small figure was running atop the ocean. She didn’t just control the water to make footholds, but even accelerated using water sprays.

She was Orion, a Mushitsuki who controlled water. She grasped a bizarrely-shaped sword.

“Orion…! We’ve defeated her at back at the Underground Fort, but she’s back…! Kabuto, turn the speakers I’ve given you toward the tanker! —Territory Isolation!”

“…It’s no use! Seems like the magnetism weakened for a moment, but Asagi’s powers—"

“Kuh…! We can’t be having a contest of strength with Asagi right at the very beginning! How was that girl called, Recall? Can she move the tanker itself like the missiles?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Recall’s ability to transfer matter has limits!”

“I’m reluctant to do this, but… I’ll try oxidizing it to have it be unaffected by magnetism.”

“Hurry up, Sakura! If you’re going to rust it… then have Yakugami also help you!”

“Understood. But no matter how I look at it—we won’t make it in time.”

That was true.

The approaching battleship only gained further speed, and even if they handled the tanker right now, they’d be too late.

“I can’t believe they got so close all of a sudden…! All hands, attack! I don’t care how, just stop that ship!”

The battleship was already so close it could be seen in all of its large size.

Receiving Terasu’s orders, the Mushitsuki’s long-ranged attacks hit the battlefield.

However, these were all cut down by the water blade shot by Orion. Even when Kaguya’s lasers pierced through the warship, it wouldn’t have time to sink it.

“Even if we attack directly, it won’t work against Orion! We gotta do something to attack from the side—”

“From this distance and location there’s no issue.”

These curt words belonged to the boy he was pretty sure was called Aijisupa.

The ocean surface was covered by what looked like haze—steam.

The superheated oceanwater whipped up large amounts of steam that covered Orion and the warship. The next moment—

A large explosion shook the coast.

It was a steam explosion. He’d never directly met or spoken with the boy, but even Keigo heard about his prowess controlling steam in the fights until now.

While the Mushitsuki standing on the breakwater for fanned by the explosive wind, the steam cleared up—

“Yesss!”

Voices of someone rejoicing echoed through the comms.

The battered-looking Orion floated on the ocean. Even she had been unable to put up a fight against something so powerful.

“The ship hasn’t stopped yet! Attack!”

Terasu shouted.

Although its guard collapsed, the momentum of the warship did not stop. The Mushitsuki on the island immediately launched their attacks, but they couldn’t sink it.

And finally—

“We won’t make it in—”

Terasu’s voice was drowned by such a loud reverberation that it sounded as though Aoharima Island was split in half.

The tanker and warship clashed. The impact created tall waves, and the sound of these great masses of metal clashing shook the entire island’s air.

Although the flying units had already retreated, the tanker was half-ruined, its flank stabbed by the warship. Even the warship itself barely preserved its shape after getting hit by the Mushitsuki’s attacks.

“Some of the enemies might have survived that! Prepare for a follow-up attack!”

The Mushitsuki all prepared to attack the half-drowned ship.

However—no matter how much they waited, no enemy showed themselves.

No, that was wrong.

They couldn’t see anyone on the destroyed ship—not even a single enemy.

“W-what…?”

The moment someone’s voice echoed, the tanker and warship were wrapped in a violet glow.

Appearing on the ship’s surface—were Chestnut Tiger butterflies clad in purple electricity.

Keigo turned on the mic and spoke.

“Looks like the next one’s the real deal.”

“…!”

So many people were surprised probably because they looked to the surface of the sea.

From the vast distance, multiple outlines of ships were approaching the island.

The two ships who were sinking right next to the fishing harbor were being pulled together using powerful magnetism.

Most likely, the first warship had been used as a decoy to make them waste their energy, while this time the ships carried actual soldiers.

It was a perfectly executed scheme.

“If several approach us with this speed, we won’t be able to deal with all of them…! Sakura! Yakugami! You have to do something to neutralize and warship and tanker before that happens!”

“You’re asking that when there are now two huge objects? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’ll do it, Terasu-chan. —Kasuou-chan, could you help me? I’ll take you all the way to the ship, so don’t act rough.”

Speaking casually was Shiohara Shachito.

He was neither SEPB nor Mushibane, but he was in fact the very last disciple of the one torturing them right now, Asagi.

Two figures leapt on top of the tanker and warship.

“Don’t you dare touch any funny places!”

“It’s a perk, just let it go. —Throw it once I give you the go-ahead.”

The bay coast glowed in orange.

Many glowing objects, enough to cover the sky, rose from the surface of the tanker and the warship. Looking closely, these took the shape of hazy dragonflies—Autumn Darters.

Shiohara Shachito’s ability was the control of mass.

“C’mon, it’s fine. Throw it at a low altitude so it won’t get caught by Recall-chan’s transport ability.”

“Ha? Throw what—oh, I see now.”

The doubts in Kasuou’s voice soon changed into understanding.

Black mist rose up on the surface next to the tanker, and the blond girl landed on it. The mist coming from the girl condensed, became claws and stabbed into the tanker’s belly.

“ORAAAH!”

The gigantic tanker flew above the ocean lightly but accompanied by a fierce gale.

Kasuou’s controlled mist did have frightening strength, but it wasn’t just that. Shachito controlled the tanker’s mass, making it as light as he possibly could.

“A good throwing form.”

Along with Shachito’s voice, the tanker dancing in air had a swarm of Autumn Darters land on it.

With the initial velocity induced by Kasuou’s strength and the tanker regaining its former mass through Shachito’s ability—it went flying toward the distant ships as fast as a bullet.

“Have this one, too!”

The remaining warship was also flung by Kasuou.

Behind Keigo, Branch Head Takemi emitted a hoarse voice.

“T-this is ridiculous… so this is a fight between Mushitsuki, then?”

Although the two ships crashed into the sea after receiving air resistance, they kept rotating countless times like they were skipping stones and headed toward the enemy ships.

“Y-yes! That’s great, Kasuou, Shachito—”

This time the two ships actually hit the enemy battleships—but were then instantly annihilated by a harsh light.

“—”

All Mushitsuki who witnessed this sight went speechless.

The enemy also did the same as the defending side.

They shot down the approaching danger with a simultaneous attack using Mushitsuki powers.

However, the difference in their numbers was too great.

The Mushitsuki on the island were unable to sink even a single ship. On the other hand, the enemy’s concentrated firepower managed to blow two ships to smithereens.

“How many Mushitsuki are there over there…?”

Rinrin’s hoarse voice cut through the silence of the fishing harbor, echoing.

While the Mushitsuki all gulped, something like smoke rose from the battleship.

No, that was wrong. It was a small swarm of figures—a group of Revived with flying abilities. Perhaps cautious of Recall’s mist spread around the sky, they approached them while flying low above the water surface.

By straining his eyes, he could even see something that looked like fast boats approaching Aoharima Island. They probably had enemy Revived on board as well.

Keigo groaned in a low voice.

“Right, it’s natural to move on to a war of attrition if a surprise attack’s impossible.”

If the enemies used normal boats to attack, they could simply sink them before they arrived at shore. Because they understood this, the enemy specifically used these material tactics to waste their stamina.

“They’re really using some rather thorough and nasty ways to attack, huh.”

“All hands, assume battle positions! Don’t let them land!”

Under Terasu’s commands, the defending Mushitsuki instantly materialized their Mushi.

Thus started the full battle between the Mushitsuki and the Revived.

“Our first line of defense is Kaguya’s long-ranged attacks! Our second line is Kasuou! Us on the breakwater will aim for those enemies who managed to run away! Try pacing yourself!”

Golden lasers were launched from the lighthouse right next to Kaguya. The rain of light raining on the sea pierced through the approaching Revived and their high-speed vessels.

Floating in the sea was Kasuou, clad in black mist. The black claws she produced struck down those enemies that managed to weave between the lasers.

Those who managed to dodge and circumvent Kasuou were intercepted by the Mushitsuki lined up on the breakwater.

The small fishing harbor was filled with shouts, impacts, and all sorts of flashes of light.

“Kaguya, Kasuou! Switch up with Toramaru and Yotsuba and have Nene treat you! The battle’s only just getting started!”

“I can feel a ‘flame’ approaching in a straight line! Is it… in the sea? It’s a powerful Mushitsuki!”

“So they’re finally sending high-ranked Mushitsuki… Namie, Aijisupa!”

“Yes!”

“Gotcha.”

Common Albatross butterflies blazing in pure white danced in the sky. Cutting through the water surface and flying inside, they caused an explosion within, raising a large water column.

Blown to above the water, the person was then engulfed by the steam hanging over it.

A large explosion formed.

The figure struck back to the ocean started sinking.

“The ‘flame’ has vanished—no, it’s weakened, but not gone…! They’re going away!”

“So we let them escape… high-ranked really are tough. But it’s fine as long as we can stop them from coming to land, there’s no damage, right?”

“The weakened ‘flame’ is especially—uh? Uu…aaaahhh!”

“What? What’s wrong, Himiko?!”

“It’s the guy from before! She’s being poisoned by mental pollution! —Healing Punch!”

“Kuh… what’s her guard doing?! If our sensors get offed, we’re finished!”

“I-I’m fine now… More importantly, there’s a small gathering of ‘flames’ that took a large detour and are coming to the other side of the island behind us…”

“A flying column…! Shachito, take care of them! Just in case, take Yakugami with you, too!”

“I mean, sure. But should I head to the enemy’s main forces and sink at least one ship?”

“That’s only if the enemy’s firepower got dispersed! They have so many in one place and that includes Asagi, so we can’t take that bet!”

“So we can’t tag out and rest like that. Yeah, it really is just like teacher to do that.”

The attacks from above sea continued without pause.

Revived were being sent one after another, and powerful assassins dealt surprise attacks as if they were aiming for gaps where the defending side grew lax. If even one of them made landfall there was a danger of the defensive lines being eroded from the inside. Terasu and the others had to snipe all of them without fail, exhausting both energy and morale.

Even so, when about two hours passed into the defensive battle, the attacking side seemed to lay off.

They managed to preserve the island’s defenses.

However—the Mushitsuki’s hearts were definitely being shaved little by little.

Exactly as their enemy intended.

“…Are Asagi and these Revived the so-called Dove?”

While watching over the battle, Keigo mumbled to himself.

''—And the Dove will be unleashed.

These were the curious words uttered by Miguruma.

If the Dove was the existence that Keigo thought it was, it fit.

“We still don’t have everyone here…”

As Keigo muttered this, Terasu’s low voice overlapped with his.

“The next batch is coming. …Everyone, prepare for interception!”

Just like the first wave, a swarm of Revived came from the enemy battleships. Judging from the number of fast vessels lowered onto the water, their numbers were higher than last time.

The defending Mushitsuki struck down the assassins one after another.

There were gradually more and more listless Revived floating in the waters as well as the remains of fast boats.

They managed to protect the defensive lines for an hour and then another hour—but both stamina and willpower of the Mushitsuki at Aoharima Island were slowly but surely wasting away.

When three hours passed, the laser beams raining over the ocean lost their momentum.

The same way, the claws of mist that wreaked havoc in front of the breakwater also grew duller.

Inevitably, the number of enemies approaching the island grew, and even the benched combatants came to rejoin the defensive battle.

Realizing this was a critical moment, the enemy sent more and more powerful Revived—

“Two powerful ‘flames’ are approaching from left and right…! And another one coming in a delay—”

“Tch, you pieces of shit! How dare you escape me…! If you’re gonna fight, come at me!”

“Poisonous Punch! Don’t use more strength than necessary, Kasuou! I have my hands full here, I can’t swap with you!”

“Recall can’t keep protecting from missiles for much longer, either! She’s still a child, she might have talent, but no stamina…!”

“So this is sink or swim… should we attack them while ready for honorable death?”

“Don’t be an idiot! Do you want to get bombarded by concentrated fire in the ocean where there’s no escape?”

He could hear these shouting voices all over the comms, but at the same time someone also spoke to him directly.

Terasu showed herself next to Keigo’s group who were at the warehouse.

Since the battlefield’s commander herself came to them, Keigo and the other Branch Heads realized the situation.

“…Thirty more minutes…”

Raising her goggles to her brows, Terasu spoke to Keigo.

“If they went through our defensive lines, we’ll be annihilated in no time.”

“Probably, yeah.”

While fixing the position of his glasses with his index finger, Keigo wore a thin smile. The other Branch Heads behind him started clamoring, but he paid them no heed.

Even if they evacuated starting now it was useless. Once the Revived pierced through the defenses, there was no doubt they’d scour the entire island to fully and thoroughly eliminate all Mushitsuki of the old generation.

Even if they tried escaping outside the island, they had no ship with which to do so.

Should they resolve themselves and fight as the very last line of defense as soldiers?

He thought that wasn’t bad at all, but they still had other things they could do before this.

“Terasu. The thing I’ve asked you to do before the fight—are there any mental control types still alive?”

“Ha…? Yes, that’s obviously—”

“Alright, then order that kid to wake up Sleeping Beauty.”

“…!”

Everyone there froze at Keigo’s words.

“This is different from the original plan—but we’ll use whatever we can. It’s fine for there to be some aftereffects. Anyway, let’s try kicking her off the bed and throw her in the enemies’ midst.”

“B-but that…!”

Exposing her agitation, Terasu argued back.

“She might go wild… and if that happens, we’ll incur victims even among our allies…!”

“You were the one who told me we were on the brink of annihilation, right?”

As Keigo spoke back, Branch Head Takemi grabbed his arm from behind.

“Are you saying we’ll self-destruct—no, cause ourselves to explode, Keigo-kun? If we’re going to do that, we should at least bet on an attack, or look for means to run away.”

“Self-annihilation is quite unthinkable. All of us just want to live as long as possible.”

Saying this, Keigo looked to the sea.

“Also, there is one thing I still do not understand.”

“Don’t understand…? At this point, you can shove your personal feelings—”

Each Branch Head began to object, and Terasu also fell into silence, unable to decide anything.

Ignoring all of them and looking into the sea, Keigo could see a red point being formed.

It looked like it appeared even further away than the enemy’s battleships. Curious, Keigo raised his binoculars and peeked at it.

“Terasu.”

“Ye…yes sir. I will now follow your orders—”

“No, forget what I said just now. We don’t need to unleash Sleeping Beauty just yet.”

Terasu looked confused. However, following Keigo’s line of sight to the sea, her face changed.

“Th—that is…”

Through his binoculars, Keigo managed to capture that red light.

For a moment he thought it was some sort of missile, but he was mistaken.

It was a blazing mass of flames.

A whirl of hellfire that could be called a second sun.

“It looks like—we’ve managed to hold long enough.”

Keigo’s mumble was erased by the air vibrating enough to shake to surface of the sea.

The sphere approaching the enemy warships burst and changed form to a gigantic Great Yama tiger beetle. Sporting tusks with differing lengths, this Mushi landed on one of the warships.

It raised a wave large enough to be clearly seen even from the island.

The Great Yama tiger beetle of flames swallowed the battleship whole. That impact and explosive wind created tall waves, shaking the surrounding ships.

It targeted another ship, but was blocked by a purple glow. The glow of haphazard electricity flying all over the sea surface and the crimson Great Yama tiger beetle began tussling and restraining each other.

“Ha—”

Even Goroumaru Touko’s voice coming from behind was blocked by the roar echoing from nearby.

In the part of the sea close to the fishing harbor, those Revived that hadn’t been defeated by those like Kaguya and Kasuou were now hit by a single strike.

It was done by a gigantic, half-dome-shaped Mushi. Suppressing the battles on the ocean in an instant, the Mushi flew along with the figure riding its head toward the storehouse where Keigo and the rest were.

It was a Mushi with seven spots on its wings, as well as its host.

Landing near Keigo, the girl jumped down from the Mushi’s head.

“I saw you fighting, so I came rushing here alone—but that was our enemy, right?”

With her beautiful face and the cloak she was wearing, her figure looked like the very picture of a hero.

Keigo shrugged.

“I do believe Kasuou got hit with some of the aftershock and is shouting toward us, though.”

The Great Yama tiger beetle flying all over the enemy ships became a fireball again.

Drawing an arc through air, it came flying at them with great momentum. As it landed nearby, running half the storehouse’s wall, a single human figure emerged from within, spreading sparks around.

“I saw somethin’ interesting, so I came here flying alone—but looks like I’m a little late, eh?”

Shaking his bright red hair, he wore a bold smile that spread smoldering flames.

“No, we’re still in the middle of this. Whether this is fortunate or unfortunate, I’m not sure.”

Keigo cracking a joke like this was the complete opposite reaction from all Mushitsuki gathered on the pier.

They were the beautiful girl controlling a seven spotted ladybug, and the flame devil in charge of a Great Yama tiger beetle.

Seeing these two people on Aoharima Island, Goroumaru Touko leaked a shaky voice.

“Lady-san…! Harukiyo-san…!”

As if in delay, there was a large cheer coming from the harbor.

Blaze Class Rank 1, Lady Bird.

Irregular Class Rank 1, Harukiyo.

These two aces that once couldn’t stand together now came to these dire straits—

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p099.png|thumb]]

As the defending side was on the brink of annihilation, they probably looked like Gods of salvation to them.

“...W-we’re saved—”

Terasu was about to collapse from relief, but regained her senses and hurriedly wore her goggles again.

“—D-don’t let your guard down! Reassemble the flying unit! Nene, you heal Kasuou! Create footholds for Kasuou to reach the enemy warships and also charge through the enemy ships with the Rank 1s and the flying unit!”

Keigo judged this decision to be correct.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the gap in power between them and the enemy forces shrunk down with the sudden appearance of Lady and Harukiyo. Since it would raise their morale, they should use this chance to attack.

“All hands, start the counterattack!”

It was time to switch defense to offense.

Until now they withstood a defensive fight, but they could finally see a hope for turning it all around.

“Wait a minute.”

Even so, one of the people vital for this—Lady Bird—stopped Terasu. Not covered by her fox mask, the beautiful woman’s eyes gazed straight at the enemy ships.

“Aren’t the enemies… leaving?”

“That’s why I thought I was late. Or was I being too much of a scaredy-cat?”

Smiling calmly with a hand on his hip, Harukiyo spoke.

“I tried getting all of ‘em in a surprise attack, but that familiar magnetism woman zombie stopped me. I thought she was annoying, and they’d already started preparing for drawing back.”

“Eh…”

Pushing down her goggles again, Terasu groaned.

“The response was far too quick! Even though it took our forces time to regain their positions…!”

“Go and buy us some time already.”

“Why’re you talking as if you’re just sending me on an errand to the nearby supermarket? You go, bitch. There’s still plenty of ‘em, so how about you cool ‘em off with your specialty wind?”

Anxious eyes were directed by the surrounding people at the two Rank 1s with clashing gazes that were hot and cold.

Should they just let the enemies go to prevent any further victims?

Or should they pursue the enemy even in this insufficient state?

While everyone hesitated about this, their gazes naturally flowed toward Keigo.

“…The enemy ships divided into two groups.”

However, while peeking through the binoculars Keigo had other worries than attack or defense.

“No—they’re making way for something.”

Following his actions, everyone in the storehouse looked to the sea.

There was a small dot that passed by the ships creating a path for it. Since it was far and much smaller than the battleships, they couldn’t yet see any clear silhouette.

“I agree with your opinion. We might win if we attack right now, but it’s also true the enemy still has many remaining forces. Even so, it’s too soon for them to judge this an adequate retreat.”

Keigo kept staring through the binoculars, unmoving.

“There’s one thing for sure. The appearance of Lady and Harukiyo—means that right now, all of the surviving Mushitsuki are on this island.”

Finally, his binoculars managed to capture the form of the small figure approaching them.

“So this probably means that it was Asagi’s aim to get us to hole up on this island in the first place…”

Keigo sighed, throwing the binoculars to Terasu. While wearing a puzzled expression, she peeked into those binoculars which had better zoom functions than her goggles.

“…! B-but that’s… I see! So it really means our forces are gathered now! That’s why the enemy escaped—”

“…”

While Terasu raised a cheer, Keigo shook his head to the sides.

“Am I wrong? But she’s—”

“What’s that? It’s coming right here.”

“What’s this all over the area, rain?”

Lady and Harukiyo also seemed to notice what was approaching.

However, it was still far, so probably only Keigo and Terasu were able to clearly see it.

“Eh—she already managed to slip past the enemies, so why is she still using her ability—not only that, but it’s growing stronger and stron—ger—”

Watching through the binoculars again, Terasu gasped.

“This—can’t be, right…?”

As the girl began to tremble, the binoculars fell from her hands with a clatter.

Keigo now became convinced and spoke.

“That is—the Dove.”

Seeing her figure, he accepted it so readily that he wanted to laugh.

“God unleashed a Dove… and its return showed that the surface had been purged—”

He recalled the tragedy of a few years prior.

It happened one day, without any advance warning, all due to a single, young Mushitsuki—

The mere act of that elementary schooler walking around town nearly caused the annihilation of the entire Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

And the boy who’d managed to stop this nightmare—was no longer there.

“Certainly, if the Dove managed to go back to C unscathed… it would mean that no more old generation Mushitsuki remained in this world.”

Keigo now realized Miguruma Yaeko’s—no, C’s aim.

The assassins that came riding the battleship weren’t sent there to rout the Mushitsuki of Aoharima Island.

She was waiting for all Rank 1s to gather in one place.

At the same time, she was waiting for the Dove who was sent there to arrive.

Waiting for the Mushitsuki to barely survive wasn’t for a chance to change offense to defense—

It was to set the guillotine upon the stage.

“N-no way, is she coming for us…?”

Keigo nodded toward the paling Terasu.

“—C-change in plans!”

Lowering the goggles to her eyes, she shouted.

“Refrain from attack! All hands, to defense—no, actually, take attack positions! It’s impossible to defend! I’ll give the signal, so attack using your full powers! K-Kasuou and Recall are to retreat all the way to the pier! Don’t touch that ability even by mistake!”

“Ah? Calm down, brat! Which is it, attacking or defending? In the first place, what’re you even talking about—”

Kasuou’s voice arguing back stopped.

Probably because she could see that figure first of everyone, being alone at sea as she was.

Even the Mushitsuki lines on the breakwater became able to see it with their eyes.

It was—a small boat.

They could see the lone human figure standing on it.

Who was it?

Although they weren’t close enough to see the face, everyone on the island understood.

“It’s fine, just focus on attacking—”

Terasu’s voice probably sounded like announcing the death penalty.

The morale that rose due to the arrival of Lady and Harukiyo was being dyed over by confusion and despair.

After all, only around the small boat approaching the island there was a certain localized phenomenon—

“If we don’t—we’ll just get annihilated in moments!”

Pouring down from the blue sky in complete regard of the season—

Was pure white snow.

== 1.05 The Others ==

She was the Dove.

After being unleashed from the Ark, her duty was to confirm when the surface had been purged for the creation of a new world.

As she stood on the small boat, her hair was dyed by a golden glow. On the surface of her out-of-place formal clothing flickered a luster like a diagram of an electric circuit for an instant.

“You are the Dove… Your duty is to confirm the land has been purged for the preparations in order to create a new world, and then return to the Ark.”

Both sublime and sweet, this voice whispered to her from the tiara she adorned on her head.

And the owner of this voice—could possibly be called God.

Perhaps that was wrong.

This distinction held no meaning for her.

Since her sins were forgiven and she became a being freed from all worries wracking her body—it felt natural to call her a goddess. Now that she was released from all suffering, she felt very blessed.

The enemies of the God that saved her remained on the island visible ahead.

What a foolish enemy—she had to purge those pitiful failed products.

Once she’d done it, she could say for the first time that the land was purged—

Spreading her arms, a small Mushi materialized in front of her.

It was a small firefly.

“Grant purging to this land… grant them salvation…”

The voice of the goddess transmitting from the tiara made the Dove’s cheeks blush.

A whisper came near her smiling self.

“Break…”

It was her own voice, but it didn’t come from her mouth.

Now that she had been saved by God, she finally noticed the feelings that were always inside her.

“Break… anything and everything…”

She wanted to break things.

This world, which had endless sadness and pain.

This world, that couldn’t stop fighting and hurting.

She would destroy everything down to absolute zero. She wanted to recreate it from square one.

She would change it into a new world, one without suffering or pain.

The goddess that saved her could definitely do that.

And she herself was the one who would inform of the change into this new world—as the Dove.

“Break…”

White fragments started pouring down from the clear sky.

It was snow.

She headed to the lone island along with dancing snow.

All in order to reach these failed products of the past that kept hurting, suffering and yet unable to stop fighting—to save them all.

“Break… everything…”

Her surroundings were wrapped by ear-grating sounds and blinding lights.

Attacks were launched from the island and hit her simultaneously.

The small boat decelerated. Not because it was pushed back by the enemy attacks; she was simply preparing to make landfall.

While the curtain of white snow repelled the attacks from the island, she could hear a voice from overhead.

“Shiika…? Shiika!”

She raised her face.

The person riding atop a Mushi’s head looked down at her with a sorrowful expression.

She was Lady Bird—no, her friend Tachibana Rina.

Why was this girl here when she’d died in battle before?

All reasons and explanations were converted to electronic data through the tiara, then transmitted to Shiika’s head directly.

Her friend came back to life through the Mushitsuki called Mimic sacrificing herself.

Her chest ached at seeing her friend’s nearly-crying face.

“What’s wrong with you? It’s me, Rina! Wake up!”

Shiika beckoned with her hands overhead, wanting to save her friend from pain.

“It’s fine, Rina. Let’s end all this pain already, alright?”

“…!”

Rina gasped and flew to the side.

White snow poured down the space Rina used to inhabit, and she evaded it by a razor’s edge.

The small boat stopped right at the edge of the breakwater. She came down to the ground with a light gait.

All Mushitsuki on the breakwater retreated already. Surrounding her from a distance, they kept attacking.

“Don’t stop your attacks! We can’t allow Fuyuhotaru to come any further to shore!”

A voice from somewhere in the fishing harbor echoed, and the attacks increased their momentum.

However, the curtain of snow remained unbroken, and all it did was shake her gold-glowing hair. She slowly walked on top of the breakwater, approaching her enemies.

“Haha!”

She raised her chin with a twitch.

The next moment, an impact not unlike an asteroid crashing down assaulted her. A part of the fishing harbor caved in only around her, and her vision was dyed crimson.

“You’ve grown into quite a woman to my liking, Fuyuhotaru! Zero sex appeal, though!”

Hearing this vulgar laughter, she slightly grimaced.

The density of the snow increased and pushed the flames back. As she did, she saw a person with an ugly smile.

Harukiyo, the flame devil. Since he could control flames against her snow, the compatibility of their abilities was bad; he was a troublesome opponent.

She started focusing in order to handle her largest obstacle.

However, something appeared at her feet—

“…”

A bizarre assassin.

A single arm grabbed the girl’s legs.

It was a thin arm glowing in blue. Growing out of the asphalt like in some out-of-season ghost story, the arm grasped Shiika’s ankle hard.

“…”

She controlled the snow to let a single flake fall down to her feet.

Just from the snow touching it—the ground was torn. Deep fissures ran in all directions, and a large amount of seawater came flowing through. It didn’t end at that, either, and the asphalt became like needles, stabbed each other, and crumbled down while leaving an echo not unlike a beast’s death throes.

This destruction took but a moment.

As several seconds passed, Shiika was standing on top of the debris—and the blue arm was completely gone. She had no idea whether it escaped or was annihilated without trace. It was probably hurt either way.

Forgetting about the disappeared assassin, she turned back toward the Mushitsuki on the fishing harbor.

They kept attacking her as always as if they were scared of her—no, perhaps they really were shaking in fear.

Harukiyo also added attacks of his own.

Dancing high above, Rina didn’t appear to be sending any attacks. She looked like she was hesitating.

Shiika smiled.

Getting attacked by the surviving Mushitsuki felt as though they were clashing with their lives against her. Their strength felt reliable, and made her happy.

She was also like that before.

“…”

But now she was different.

Now that she knew both the bitterness of surviving fights and the despair that awaited after that—she knew of the happiness that existed beyond it.

Everyone would be equally Mushitsuki.

Everyone would equally be unleashed from pain and death.

Since there was a being who could rewrite the world like this, Shiika just needed to wash everything away and attain the right to be reborn in this new world.

Only those baptized by the goddess known as C were eligible to board the Ark—

“—”

She crouched on the spot and rounded her body.

Hugging her own knees, she slowly closed her eyes.

And—she began to dream of a new world.

This world, where people only got hurt and wounded, was going to end right here.

A new world, filled only with happiness and tranquility, was going to start right here.

And she was not going to accept anything else.

She was going to completely reject anything other than the new world she wished for—

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

She felt her own power swell while curling herself on the ground. People’s screams lessened with time.

The snow of purging she controlled would travel from the shipping harbor to the entire port, and from there to the entire island.

In a world without any sense of time or light.

She felt true tranquility from the bottom of her heart.

This was—the place where she belonged.

No one was there. People wouldn’t wish for things from themselves or others, and wouldn’t hurt each other.

A world with nothing but tranquility.

After fighting to the end, any people who’d bother her long sought-after rest—no longer existed.

“—”

How much time passed?

When she opened her eyes again and got to her legs, she saw what spread in front of her eyes.

It became a literal uninhabited island.

Nothing there preserved its original form as far as the eye could see. Everything natural and man-made left nothing behind, becoming thin, silent plains.

In this world nothing moved but the waves and nothing could be heard but the waves.

She turned on her heels.

Unlike the destroyed island, only the small boat in front of the breakwater remained unharmed. As she calmly walked down to it, the engine started up as if waiting for her.

Since the boat held the power of a god, it automatically went out into sea.

And its destination was obviously to God’s side—

To the Ark.

She was going to inform God that the purging of the earth was complete, fulfilling her mission.

Since the boat was slow, it kept sailing throughout the entire night.

Night passed, it became night again, and when she saw land, she could no longer wait and stood up.

She leapt toward the coast from the boat that was parked near some bay coast somewhere.

She could see a large hanging bridge.

She quickly proceeded to the empty bridge. The clothes she was clad in and the tiara she was wearing told her that her God was there.

As she passed the bridge while being guided by her God, the fairies came out to greet her.

C-butterflies glowing gold and tiara-clad fairies. These all danced around her as she completed her mission, blessing her and singing.

When she saw one fairy step out to the front, she kneeled.

“No more of the old Mushitsuki exist… those failed products are gone.”

As she spoke this with an enraptured expression, the fairy reached out to her.

A small numbness assaulted her head. Her memories were being searched.

“Confirmed. —You have done well to fulfill your duty. My beloved Dove…”

Wearing a satisfied smile, the fairy hugged her.

“Come, please turn around and watch. You have the right to watch this through.”

She turned around as she was told and was stunned.

On the other side of the large bridge.

There was a change happening in the scenery of the capital with its lines of high-rise buildings.

“It is the time for creation. Now that all failed products are gone, it is time to wash over the world with the flood—”

It really was a flood.

And it was black.

A pitch-dark tidal wave swallowed the city whole.

However, it was not an actual wave—

“Let us see how many people are eligible to be invited to this land—to my Ark.”

It was a deluge of blackouts.

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Prologue

2024-12-25T08:36:01Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== Prologue == There were supernatural beings known as Mushi. Having suddenly appeared ten-odd years ago, these possessed adolescent boys and girls. By feeding on people’s..."

== Prologue ==

There were supernatural beings known as Mushi.

Having suddenly appeared ten-odd years ago, these possessed adolescent boys and girls. By feeding on people’s dreams—their emotions such as wanting to do or become something—they gave their hosts varied abilities. Since they outwardly resembled insects, they were called Mushi.

Those possessed by Mushi were called Mushitsuki.

“Excuse me.”

Akamaki City, the capital city that held Japan’s most important agencies.

In one corner of this city, already evacuated by its citizens, stood Miguruma Yaeko. A JSDF soldier approached her, cutting open the thumbcuffs that bound her hands behind her back.

“Vice-Deputy—sorry, ''former'' Vice-Deputy of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, Miguruma Yaeko.”

A middle-aged man appeared in front of Yaeko. He was the vice-minister of some department, dispatched by the government.

“I hereby clear you of all charges.”

“Is that so?”

While smiling, Yaeko looked at the scenery around her.

She was currently in front of the half dome-shaped facility. Until just a few days ago, it was a place filled with excited audiences of all kinds for events such as sports matches and concerts, but now it became a barren battlefield.

Even other buildings around the dome crumbled down, and soldiers and armored vehicles guarded the entire area. This strict atmosphere felt like they were at the site of a terror attack.

However, what happened here wasn’t merely a destructive event.

“The SEPB has been disbanded. That is exactly like I declared.”

Akamaki City had turned into a battlefield due to a certain powerful Mushi going wild.

Super Class Rank 1, C.

By manipulating electricity, this Mushitsuki could control other people’s memories or dreams. As a result of a certain experiment, C had lost her personality and started operating only to fulfill the goal bestowed to her.

And C’s goal—was to turn all of humanity into Mushitsuki.

For that sake, she was attempting to absorb even the Original Three, those primal Mushi who gave birth to Mushitsuki, and thus drown the world in Mushitsuki.

Right now, Yaeko could see the devastated Akamaki cityscape.

These were traces of the battles made by those Mushitsuki who gathered in order to defeat C. They had the tables turned on them and had to flee—thus serving as proof that the winner had been decided.

All those who attempted to stop Mushitsuki from being born suffered a complete defeat against C, who was scheming to turn humankind into Mushitsuki.

Even the government agency created to capture Mushitsuki in secret—the SEPB—had received the orders to disband. This was the result of C using her abilities to brainwash the country’s leadership.

In reality, one could say that the country was now being controlled by a single Mushitsuki.

The purging of the old generation Mushitsuki by Super Class Rank 1 C had begun.

And now, she started the creation of a new generation—

“As of this moment, we establish the new National Unification Records Bureau and appoint you as Director.”

As the vice-minister gave this appointment to Yaeko, a golden spark momentary passed through his head.

Controlling the electric signals going through a person’s brain, his memories and actions were being manipulated. —It could be called one of C’s specialties.

“The National Unification Records Bureau—meaning, a record of the process of unifying the entire country?”

Yaeko’s long hair was fanned by the wind. Her face, with its striking narrow eyes and beauty mark under one of them, was just slightly dusty. The same went for her meticulously worn business suit. However, her exceedingly calm behavior that did not seem fitting to someone in her late twenties remained unchanged even as she stayed in this former battlefield.

“So that is C’s will.”

Yaeko smiled.

She’d come this far while always smiling.

Even when she used her scientist father and the rich people of the Round Table to create the opportunity for the birth of Mushi.

Even when she used every bit of her ingenuity to create the organization called the SEPB and thought of managing and concealing Mushitsuki in order to control them.

Even when she kept isolating Mushitsuki from the populace and continued researching the Undying in secret through them.

Even when she set her eyes on the young Mushitsuki called C during her experiments and researched the techniques to control a person’s body and heart, and by extension their dreams.

Even as C was losing control over her abilities and she imprinted into her the mission leading into the Undying, to turn all people into Mushitsuki and bring them back to life by reminding them of their dreams again and again.

She was constantly overflowing with love toward Mushitsuki and smiling.

That was how she was.

The one and only woman called Miguruma Yaeko.

“C will use the Deluge to wash away the surface. And after unleashing the Dove to confirm that the old generation of Mushitsuki has been fully eliminated—”

This was just like that old story about God’s creation.

“She will ride the Ark along with C, ready to create a new world. Are you telling me to write that story, then—C?”

The deluge will wash away the surface, and the white dove shall inform of the land being purged.

And those seeds chosen to board the ark will form a new world—

C was telling her to write these details down.

“It certainly was me who told you to leave all records as data. However, this is much like a baby crying for her mother’s attention.”

Miguruma Yaeko smiled as she watched over the ruined Akamaki City. A soldier handed her a tablet computer. There was already footage streaming on the screen.

“Is this the SEPB’s system…? Ah, so it’s live broadcast from the goggles of the Revived being controlled by C, then.”

Within the shaky footage, she could see a familiar face.

“Lady Bird.”

Blaze Class Rank 1, Lady Bird. Real name: Tachibana Rina.

She was a Mushitsuki who’d once fought against the SEPB by creating the resistance group called Mushibane. Around a year ago she had died a heroic death, but came back to life due to a certain person’s plan.

“Hmm… this appears to be a port somewhere.”

Right after running away from C’s pursuit, Lady Bird separated from her many comrades in order to allow the few weaklings to escape. However, even she seemed to have already gone out of Akamaki City. The footage showed her fighting against C’s assassins, the Revived; she knocked out more than half of them and was boarding a ship along with her few companions.

“Ah, the sea. —True, that is definitely the only place you can use to escape from C.”

Even C wasn’t as almighty out in the sea, where she couldn’t access electricity, the medium of her powers.

This was an excellent decision by Lady Bird, who usually just charged recklessly ahead.

“However, Lady Bird—you may have escaped being revived by C due to all those dreams you took with you, but this isn’t what I expected. Although you came back to life, I would have expected your personality to have collapsed long ago, in that sort of state. …Something doesn’t add up.”

She wanted to watch a little bit more, but the footage quickly changed over.

She immediately knew who she was watching now.

All because she saw those blazing flames as well as the human figure cackling within them.

“Irregular Class Rank 1, Harukiyo. He also seems to be in some harbor. I can see the container ship as well as the semi-trailer… is Alpha inside it?”

It was a somewhat unexpected combination.

Harukiyo was the strongest and freest Mushitsuki. It was unexpected for someone hailed as the demon of flames to come in contact with Alpha, who could be called the primal Mushitsuki. Even if they did end up meeting, she couldn’t understand why Harukiyo would be protecting him.

“Has the Akasegawa Group led him to it? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised for him to notice Alpha’s true worth, regardless… but it’s still odd.”

Yaeko narrowed her already narrow eyes even further.

“In my estimations, Harukiyo should already be showing signs of Maturation. After going through so many consecutive fights, he should have Matured already—”

For Yaeko, all Mushitsuki were like her children. She stood there and watched the moment the race known as Mushitsuki was born, and she always watched over their growth from the side.

For someone like her to miscalculate the timing when a Mushitsuki underwent Maturation—

Although the fight between the Mushitsuki and C had supposedly been settled, there was something wrong with how things continued this far.

Had C noticed this slight discrepancy?

“Harukiyo also managed to escape to sea…”

Yaeko muttered. The footage switched over again.

“—Yet another harbor.”

This time it was clearly a group fight.

These were the joined forces of the SEPB and Mushibane being forced into a defensive battle. One could say that practically all Mushitsuki combatants in this country were gathered there.

And they were being attacked by the Revived sent by C.

A gigantic tanker was anchored at this harbor where these intense battles were taking place. Not many people were capable of preparing something like that in a state of emergency like this.

“I see, so it means that it was Haji Keigo and Akasegawa Nanana who planned on escaping to the sea.”

Tactician Haji Keigo and the rich Akasegawa Nanana were trying to let the old generation of Mushitsuki escape to sea.

“Since Haji Keigo has guided them to the sea, their destination must be…”

She could imagine where the Mushitsuki were going to flee to, but there was something else that bothered her before that.

Yaeko’s eyes captured the armored vehicle on the screen.

“Sleeping Beauty, Arisu—”

The Rank 1 who’d fallen asleep in a decisive fight that was already forgotten.

The girl was a complete and utter irregular in everything that went with her; even the fact that she fell asleep again immediately after waking up had been unexpected.

She didn’t think someone like that would move according to her thoughts at this stage, but—

“…”

The same sensation of wrongness like with Lady Bird and Harukiyo assaulted Yaeko.

It was just an intuition with no basis behind it.

Even as Yaeko considered this, the footage switched over to the next one.

Next, she could see a petite girl.

It was a Mushitsuki Yaeko knew well.

“Secret Class Rank 1, Fuyuhotaru.”

She was the Mushitsuki who brought the SEPB to the brink of destruction a few years ago.

That girl had suddenly appeared and nearly ruined everything that Yaeko built up. Although they’d barely succeeded in her capture at the time, the astounding potency or her power remained unchanged.

Fuyuhotaru could be said to an existence close to C.

She was a Mushitsuki who possessed the power to destroy everything—so that the world can be rebuilt anew.

“So you’re saying that all the conditions for the creation of a new world were fulfilled, C.”

While stroking the screen with her fingers, Yaeko smiled.

“Yes, I will watch over all of it. I wait to see how you unleash the Dove from your Ark and start screening the entire world with the Deluge…”

The footage changed again.

It now showed a single boy.

“—The most dangerous Mushitsuki of all does no longer exist.”

Yaeko wiped her smile.

It was like that back when Mushi were born, too.

He—no, they—definitely always did it.

Neither changing nor destroying everything, they’d simply stand in front of the change Yaeko wished for the world to take—and try to stop it.

They were the Mushitsuki born by the member of the Original Three known as Sanbikime.

“…Kakkou.”

She mumbled.

Yaeko flicked away the empty shell of the Mushitsuki called a demon with her fingertip.

<noinclude>

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Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Illustrations

2024-12-25T08:35:50Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "==Novel Illustrations== <gallery> File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|'''Cover''' File:Mushi Uta 15 001.png|'''Color Page 1''' File:Mushi Uta 15 002.png|'''Color Page 2''' File:Mushi Ut..."

==Novel Illustrations==

<gallery>
File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|'''Cover'''
File:Mushi Uta 15 001.png|'''Color Page 1'''
File:Mushi Uta 15 002.png|'''Color Page 2'''
File:Mushi Uta 15 003.png|'''Color Page 3'''
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Mushi Uta:Registration Page

2024-08-18T08:23:31Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Mushi Uta */

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two. However, more translators may join in if they have the approval of the Project Supervisor.

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here". Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

==Mushi Uta==
===Volume 01===
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 6 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 02===
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 6 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 03===
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 04===
* Prologue - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 05===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 06===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 6 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 07===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 08===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 09===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 00===
'''The Beginning of Dream'''
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
'''The Dream of Sunset'''
* Prologue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg/ C.E. Light Novel Translation] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword -

===Volume 10===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 11===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 12===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 13===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 4 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 5 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 14===
* Prologue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 1 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 2 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Chapter 3 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Epilogue - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

==Mushi Uta Bug==
===Volume 1st===
* Episode 01 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 02 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 03 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 04 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 2nd===
* Episode 05 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 06 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 07 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 08 - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 3rd===
* Episode 09 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 10 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 11 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 12 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 4th===
* Episode 13 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 14 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 15 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 16 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 5th===
* Episode 17 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 18 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 19 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 20 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 6th===
* Episode 21 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 22 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 23 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 24 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 7th===
* Episode 25 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 26 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 27 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 28 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 8th===
* Episode 29 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 30 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 31 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Episode 32 - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''
* Afterword - [[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]] - '''Completed'''

<noinclude>
{{SimpleNav}}
</noinclude>

Mushi Uta

2024-08-18T08:23:04Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Updates */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*August 18, 2024: Volume 14 Complete
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|100px|right]]

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. 夢謳う虫たち（上） (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15.夢謳う虫たち（下） (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta

2024-08-18T08:18:14Z

Fuyuhotaru: /* Volume 14 */

[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]

'''''Mushi Uta''''' (ムシウタ) is a Japanese light novel series written by Iwai Kyouhei and illustrated by Ruroo. The series was published between 2003 and 2014. A total of 24 Mushi-Uta volumes were published, 16 in the main series and 8 side story volumes. The side story series titled '''''Mushi-Uta bug''''' (ムシウタbug) ran alongside and intertwined with the main series. In 2007, a two volume manga series and a 12 episode anime series based on the novels were released.

==Story Synopsis==
Preying on the dreams of human beings, but also giving its host supernatural powers are the Mushi, which have appeared for a decade. Kusuriya Daisuke, while on the train to school, comes across a girl named Shiika and that meeting sparked an attraction between the two. However, Shiika was a MushiTsuki who had escaped from the countrys top secret facility. Due to that reason, the Special Environmental Prevention Bureau had dispatched their top and strongest agent, the MushiTsuki known as "Kakkou" on a mission to mercilessly eliminate Shiika.

The people who are harboring dreams, and the painful but strong wishes in them, are about to enjoy the coming Christmas.

This is the Encounter of a Boy and his meeting with a Girl.

The Most Beautiful yet Disastrous story of this Fateful Encounter

==Series Information==

'''Mushi Uta'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタ
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 16 Volumes (1-15 + 0)
*'''Series Status''': Complete

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*'''Genre''': Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Shounen
*'''Original Title''': ムシウタbug
*'''Author''': Iwai Kyouhei
*'''Illustrator''': Ruroo
*'''Published Volumes''': 8 Volumes
*'''Series Status''': Complete

== Translation & Registration ==
===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Mushi Uta:Guidelines|Project Specific Guidelines]] (contains spoilers)

=== [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mushi Uta:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on.'''

===Info===
Volumes 0-3 are currently hosted. Translations are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation's blog].

==Updates==
*March 23, 2024: Volume 13 Complete
*December 10, 2023: Volume 12 Complete
*July 9, 2023: Volume 11 Complete
*January 14, 2023: Volumes 7th, 8th Complete
*July 17, 2022: Volume 10 Complete
*February 26, 2022: Volume 6th Complete
*December 4, 2021: Volume 9 Complete
*March 8, 2021: Volume 5th Complete
*September 14, 2020: Volume 8 Complete
*April 21, 2020: Volume 7 Complete
*August 24, 2019: Volume 4th Complete
*March 4, 2019: Volume 3rd Complete
*November 6, 2018: Volume 6 Complete
*July 27, 2018: Volume 2nd Complete
*May 18, 2018: Volume 5 Complete
*November 19, 2017: Volume 4 Complete
*June 27, 2017: Volume 1st Complete
*May 4, 2014: Volume 0 Complete
*April 22, 2013: Volume 3 Complete
*October 27, 2012: Volume 2 Complete
*August 15, 2012: Volume 1 Rework Complete

[[Mushi Uta:Updates|All Updates]]

==Discussion and Feedback==
If you want to give your thanks to the translators and/or discuss the chapter, please leave a message via on their blog.

==''Mushi Uta'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 01. The Dreaming Firefly===
[[File:MushiUta01.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-volume-1-dreaming-firefly.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/06/mushi-uta-volume-1-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/09/mushi-uta-chapter-100-daisuke.html Chapter 1.00: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/11/mushi-uta-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-103-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.03: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-uta-chapter-201-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/mushi-utachapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2011/12/hey-guys-had-happy-xmas-sorry-about.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-203-others.html Chapter 2.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-utachapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/01/mushi-uta-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-303-others.html Chapter 3.03: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-400-others.html Chapter 4.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-uta-chapter-401-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.01: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/02/mushi-utachapter-402-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 4.02: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-utachapter-500-others.html Chapter 5.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-501-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 5.01: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/hey-guys-sorry-for-delay-and-due-to.html Chapter 5.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-503-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 5.03: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-504-others.html Chapter 5.04: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-505-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 5.05: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-506-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 5.06: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/03/mushi-uta-chapter-507-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 5.07: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utachapter-600-daisuke-last.html Chapter 6.00: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-chapter-601-shiika-last.html Chapter 6.01: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-utaepilogue.html Epilogue: Merry Christmas]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/afterwords-from-author-thoughts-and.html Afterwords from Author (As well as thoughts from TL staffs)]

===Volume 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth===
[[File:MushiUta02-000a.jpeg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-volume-2-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-prologue-chapter-000.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-others.html Chapter 1.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/04/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-101-daisuke-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Daisuke Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-102-daisuke-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Daisuke Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-103-daisuke-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Daisuke Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-104-toko-part-1.html Chapter 1.04: Touko Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/05/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-105-daisuke-part-4.html Chapter 1.05: Daisuke Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-200-daisuke-part-5.html Chapter 2.00: Daisuke Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/06/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-203-daisuke-part-6.html Chapter 2.03: Daisuke Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-204-touko-part-2.html Chapter 2.04: Touko Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-300-daisuke-part-7.html Chapter 3.00: Daisuke Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-400-daisuke-part-8.html Chapter 4.00: Daisuke Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/07/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-402-others.html Chapter 4.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-403-daisuke-part-9.html Chapter 4.03: Daisuke Part 9]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-404-touko-part-3.html Chapter 4.04: Touko Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-405-others.html Chapter 4.05: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-406-others.html Chapter 4.06: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-407-others.html Chapter 4.07: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-408-daisuke-part-10.html Chapter 4.08: Daisuke Part 10]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-409-others.html Chapter 4.09: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-410-daisuke-part-11.html Chapter 4.10: Daisuke Part 11]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-411-touko-part-4.html Chapter 4.11: Touko Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-414-daisuke-part-12.html Chapter 4.14: Daisuke Part 12]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-500-senri-last.html Chapter 5.00: Senri The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-501-daisuke-last.html Chapter 5.01: Daisuke The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-600-touko-last.html Chapter 6.00: Touko The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-epilogue-heart.html Chapter Epilogue: A Heart]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-v2-afterwordfeedback-from-tl.html Afterword/Feedback from TL staffs + Fan arts]

===Volume 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream===
[[File:MushiUta03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/10/mushi-uta-volume-3-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-prologue-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00 Prologue: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v2-chapter-100-yuu-part-1.html Chapter 1.00: Yuu Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-101-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/11/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-102-yuu-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Yuu Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-103-ubuki-part-1.html Chapter 1.03: Ubuki Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/12/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-200-yuu-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Yuu Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-201-ubuki-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Ubuki Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-202-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 2.02: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-203-ubuki-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Ubuki Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/01/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-204-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.04: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-300-yuu-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Yuu Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-301-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-302-shiika-part-5.html Chapter 3.02: Shiika Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/02/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-303-ubuki-part-4.html Chapter 3.03: Ubuki Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-400-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.00: Yuu Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-401-others.html Chapter 4.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-402-shiika-part-6.html Chapter 4.02: Shiika Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-403-yuu-part-5.html Chapter 4.03: Yuu Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-404-shiika-part-7.html Chapter 4.04: Shiika Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/03/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-405-ubuki-part-5.html Chapter 4.05: Ubuki Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-406-yuu-part-7.html Chapter 4.06: Yuu Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-407-shiika-part-8.html Chapter 4.07: Shiika Part 8]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-408-ubuki-part-6.html Chapter 4.08: Ubuki Part 6]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-409-yuu-last.html Chapter 4.09: Yuu The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-410-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.10: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://www.cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-411-ubuki-last.html Chapter 4.11: Ubuki The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-412-others.html Chapter 4.12: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-chapter-413-others.html Chapter 4.13: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-epilogue-girls.html Chapter Epilogue: Girls]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-v3-afterwordthoughts-from-tl.html Afterword/Thoughts from TL staffs + Fan Arts]

===Volume 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Prologue and Chapter 1 has also been translated by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/ C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] '''(by [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-4-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 08. The Seal of Dream's Prosperity ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 9|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta09-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 00. The Beginning of Dreams===
[[File:MushiUta00-000a.jpg|200px|right]]
'''All links below are external links to [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/p/projects.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/04/mushi-uta-volume-0-maincontent-page.html Novel Illustrations]
:'''The Beginning of Dream'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/05/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-shiika-part-1.html Chapter 0.00: Shiika Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-shiika-part-2.html Chapter 1.00: Shiika Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-kakkou-part-1.html Chapter 1.01: Kakkou Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/06/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-others.html Chapter 1.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-shiika-part-3.html Chapter 2.00: Shiika Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-kakkou-part-2.html Chapter 2.01: Kakkou Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/09/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-others.html Chapter 2.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-203-kakkou-part-3.html Chapter 2.03: Kakkou Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-shiika-part-4.html Chapter 3.00: Shiika Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-kakkou-part-4.html Chapter 3.01: Kakkou Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-others.html Chapter 3.02: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-shiika-last.html Chapter 4.00: Shiika The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/11/mushi-uta-v0-epilogue-kakkou-last.html Chapter Epilogue: Kakkou The Last]
:'''The Dream of Sunset'''
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-000-others.html Chapter 0.00: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2013/10/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-100-centipede.html Chapter 1.00: A Centipede]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/01/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-101-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.01: Rina Part 1]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-102-rina-part-2.html Chapter 1.02: Rina Part 2]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/02/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-103-rina-part-3.html Chapter 1.03: Rina Part 3]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-104-rina-part-4.html Chapter 1.04: Rina Part 4]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-200-hatter.html Chapter 2.00: A Hatter]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-201-others.html Chapter 2.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-202-rina-part-5.html Chapter 2.02: Rina Part 5]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/03/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-300-puppeteer.html Chapter 3.00: A Puppeteer]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-301-others.html Chapter 3.01: The Others]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-302-rina-part-6.html Chapter 3.02: Rina Part 6]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-303-rina-part-7.html Chapter 3.03: Rina Part 7]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/04/mushi-uta-v0-chapter-400-rina-last.html Chapter 4.00: Rina The Last]
:*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2014/05/chapter-epilogue-rina-last.html Chapter Epilogue: A Ladybird]

 

===Volume 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 10|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta10-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 11|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta11-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 12|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta12-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 12 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 13|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta13-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 14. The Insects Singing Dream’s Praises (Part 1) ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 14|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue|Prologue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 15===
[[File:MushiUta15-000a.jpg|100px|right]]

 

==''Mushi Uta bug'' by Iwai Kyouhei==

===Volume 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 1st Cover.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Episode 01 has also been translated at [https://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-volume-1-maincontent-page.html C.E. Light Novel Translation]'''

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 01|Episode 01. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation]] '''(by [http://cetranslation.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushi-uta-bug-v1-chapter-1-silver-lance.html C.E. Light Novel Translation])'''
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02|Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 03|Episode 03. The Rest Day Crushing Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04|Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd|Full Text]])===
[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd Cover.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05|Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06|Episode 06. The Vows of the Separated Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 07|Episode 07. The Ripples Reflecting the Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08|Episode 08. The Demon Who Burns Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug03-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 09|Episode 09. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10|Episode 10. The Dream Welcoming Feelings]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11|Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12|Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug04-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 13|Episode 13. The Tower Imprisoning Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 14|Episode 14. The Dream-Carrying Ark]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 15|Episode 15. The Dream-Protecting Magician]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Episode 16|Episode 16. The Dream-Connecting Warmth]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 4th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug05-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 17|Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 18|Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 19|Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20|Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug06-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 21|Episode 21. The Librarian Flipping Through Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 22|Episode 22. The Dream-Desiring Visitor ]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23|Episode 23. The Snail Slithering Toward Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24|Episode 24. The Sinner in Love with Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug07-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 25|Episode 25. The Secret Pledge of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 26|Episode 26. The Rumble of Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27|Episode 27. The Dream-Foreboding Gathering]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 28|Episode 28. The Narrator Resisting Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

===Volume 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams ([[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th|Full Text]])===
[[File:MushiUtaBug08-000a.jpg|200px|right]]

:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Illustrations|Illustrations]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29|Episode 29. The Hail of Dream’s Fall]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30|Episode 30. The Slumber of Unforgettable Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 31|Episode 31. The Prayer of a Shining Dream]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 32|Episode 32. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams]]
:*[[Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Afterword|Afterword]]

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Fuyuhotaru|Fuyuhotaru]]

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[http://cetranslation.blogspot.sg C.E. Light Novel Translation]
::*[[User:Natriumsodide|Natriumsodide]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
'''Mushi Uta'''
*Mushi Uta 01. The Dreaming Firefly (ムシウタ０１．夢みる蛍 - April 25, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428802-0)
*Mushi Uta 02. The Dream Calling Flame Moth (ムシウタ０２．夢叫ぶ火蛾 - October 31, 2003 - ISBN 978-4-04-428804-4)
*Mushi Uta 03. The Soaring Wings of a Dream (ムシウタ０３．夢はばたく翼 - April 28, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428805-1)
*Mushi Uta 04. The Paradise Where Dreams Burn (ムシウタ０４．夢燃える楽園 - September 30, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428807-5)
*Mushi Uta 05. The Dream Wandering Cocoon (ムシウタ０５．夢さまよう蛹 - June 30, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428810-5)
*Mushi Uta 06. The Dream Guiding Traveler (ムシウタ０６．夢導く旅人 - December 28, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428812-9)
*Mushi Uta 07. The Demon Lord Toying with Dreams (ムシウタ０７.夢遊ぶ魔王 - May 31, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428813-6)
*Mushi Uta 08. The Seal of Dream's Posterity (ムシウタ０８.夢時めく刻印 - February 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428815-0)
*Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams (ムシウタ０９．夢贖う魔法使い - June 30, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428817-4)
*Mushi Uta 00. The Beginning of Dreams (ムシウタ００．夢の始まり - August 31, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428818-1)
*Mushi Uta 10. The Saint Falsifying Dreams (ムシウタ１０．夢偽る聖者 - April 28, 2010 - ISBN 978-4-04-428823-5)
*Mushi Uta 11. The Prophecy of Dream's Destruction (ムシウタ１１．夢滅ぼす予言 - February 26, 2011 - ISBN 978-4-04-428824-2)
*Mushi Uta 12. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 1) (ムシウタ１２．夢醒める迷宮（上） - July 30, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100353-4)
*Mushi Uta 13. The Labyrinth Waking from Dreams (Part 2) (ムシウタ１３．夢醒める迷宮（下） - September 29, 2012 - ISBN 978-4-04-100493-7)
*Mushi Uta 14. 夢謳う虫たち（上） (ムシウタ１４．夢謳う虫たち（上） - February 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101196-6)
*Mushi Uta 15.夢謳う虫たち（下） (ムシウタ１５．夢謳う虫たち（下） - May 1, 2014 - ISBN 978-4-04-101443-1)

'''Mushi Uta bug'''
*Mushi Uta bug 1st. The Silver Spear of Dream’s Continuation (ムシウタ bug １ｓｔ．夢回す銀槍 - July 31, 2004 - ISBN 978-4-04-428806-2)
*Mushi Uta bug 2nd. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie (ムシウタ bug ２ｎｄ．夢囚われる戦姫 - January 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428808-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 3rd. The Flower Garden Aiming for Dreams (ムシウタ bug ３ｒｄ．夢狙う花園 - October 29, 2005 - ISBN 978-4-04-428811-9)
*Mushi Uta bug 4th. The Dream-Carrying Ark (ムシウタ bug ４ｔｈ．夢並ぶ箱船 - July 29, 2006 - ISBN 978-4-04-428814-3)
*Mushi Uta bug 5th. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream (ムシウタ bug ５ｔｈ．夢まどろむ迷子 - April 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428816-7)
*Mushi Uta bug 6th. The Sinner in Love with Dreams (ムシウタ bug ６ｔｈ．夢恋する咎人 - December 28, 2007 - ISBN 978-4-04-428819-8)
*Mushi Uta bug 7th. The Rising of Dream’s Rumble (ムシウタ bug ７ｔｈ．夢高まる鳴動 - May 31, 2008 - ISBN 978-4-04-428820-4)
*Mushi Uta bug 8th. The Silver Butterfly Bridging between Dreams (ムシウタ bug ８ｔｈ．夢架ける銀蝶 - December 27, 2008 -ISBN 978-4-04-428821-1)

[[Category:Light_novel_(English)]]
[[Category:Linked Project]]

Mushi Uta:Volume 14

2024-08-18T08:17:29Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "{{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2}} {{:Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3..."

Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Afterword

2024-08-18T08:17:15Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== Afterword == Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei. Even this long-spanning series is approaching its finale. In this first half of the finale, I attempted to depict whether the..."

== Afterword ==

Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei.

Even this long-spanning series is approaching its finale.

In this first half of the finale, I attempted to depict whether the many people who try to settle the battles revolving around Mushi and Mushitsuki—with some among them serving as linchpins—will participate in the final fight or not.

People who possess an intense sense of self even as fate toys with their lives.

If the story is reaching its end, then inevitably they will also need to settle their own fights as well.

I’ve written in previous afterwords as well about there being so many characters.

They obviously all have their own lives, their own destinies, and their own reasons that led them all the way up to the present. And not all of them have being Mushitsuki as their common point, either. Because there are also normal people who just became involved with Mushitsuki.

Perhaps some of you readers tried imagining the future path your lives will take. Perhaps you have also embraced your wishes to become a certain way. In fact, many of the letters I’ve received were from people who wanted me to write about their favorite characters. I am very glad. Thank you very much.

They have so many varied ways of livings and shapes they imagine, but will they all manage to unite as one to face this one final challenge?

I am going to depict two things at that time.

Firstly, whether or not they choose to participate in this final fight.

Secondly, what sort of future they will imagine before this decisive fight. —Despite the fact that it is still undecided whether they can live like that.

I earnest hope that my depiction of this will end up meeting the readers’ expectations.

As usual, publishing this volume required the help of many people.

Firstly, everyone in the editorial department, especially my editor in charge who helped with the series. Although this is your final time, thank you very much for your help. I seriously can’t state my gratitude enough. Thank you so much for your help up to now.

And llo-sama, who illustrates the novel. Thank you so much for the high quality of your illustrations despite needing to go along with my slow writing.

And to you the readers watching over me to this point, thank you so much.

I want to show you the final fight as well as the future of all these characters as quickly as I can.

I will be overjoyed if you enjoy this conclusion.

Iwai Kyouhei

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==Notes==
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Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Epilogue

2024-08-18T08:17:09Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== Epilogue == Anmoto Shiika was walking somewhere unknown. Back during the C annihilation operation and the decisive fight against Oogui— —Daisuke-chan is Kakkou-chan,..."

== Epilogue ==

Anmoto Shiika was walking somewhere unknown.

Back during the C annihilation operation and the decisive fight against Oogui—

—Daisuke-chan is Kakkou-chan, you realize?

Shiika believed that monster’s whispers.

She accepted that reality way too easily.

A normal high-schooler and a demon clad in a pitch-dark coat.

Although their figures, personalities and even their voices were different—

Perhaps Shiika had already felt somewhere in her heart that they were the same person.

“…”

An empty, soundless city.

Since Akamaki City was silent and empty after the evacuation notice, there was no one to stop Shiika there.

Almost as if everyone was avoiding Shiika in the road she walked through.

Or perhaps—some sort of will had purposely emptied the road.

“I… made him Fallen—”

Her reflection was visible on the glass window of a convenience store.

She was short. Her face was young and she couldn’t really tell how much she’d grown ever since she became a Fallen a few years ago. Due to her battle with Oogui her clothes were in tatters and her face was deathly pale.

Nothing changed.

She remained just like she was when she was young, when the boy called Kakkou turned her into a Fallen.

Although many things were supposed to have happened since then—

Her form as she walked on her own remained unchanged from how she was back then.

“I did this… to Kakkou-kun… to Daisuke-kun…”

The only difference—was that right now, Shiika no longer had anyone who would come for her.

It was none other than Shiika herself who did this to the person she promised to meet again—

Shiika herself caused her to lose the one and only person she was waiting for.

“Why—”

How long had she walked through this empty town for?

Perhaps she might have been walking like this the entire night.

During that, Shiika kept mumbling those questions to herself.

“Why did Kakkou-kun… how could he wait for me…?”

Her tears had already dried up long ago. Her face covered in dirt just had tear marks on it.

“How could he have waited all these years…?”

By meeting Kakkou after all these years, she immediately understood.

Just like she promised, he believed Shiika would return and waited for her.

At the time she was immensely happy.

But right now—Shiika couldn’t believe him.

“Have you never thought—that I might never return…?”

The empty part of town was over.

The army’s barricade appeared, but Shiika paid it no heed.

“How could I have—done this so easily to Kakkou-kun… how could I have turned him into a Fallen?”

As Shiika mumbled to herself and walked, the soldiers opened the path for her. —For a moment, it looked as though golden sparks flew over the camo-dressed soldiers.

“Even if Kakkou-kun never returned—because Daisuke-kun was there?”

As Shiika kept walking past the barricade, she entered a road where there were passersby here and there.

Some of them turned quizzical glances at the dirty and tattered Shiika.

“Because Daisuke-kun… was supposed to wait for me at Christmas?”

Although she supposedly dried of tears, Shiika grimaced.

''—Let’s meet again next Christmas.

The one who told her this was the completely commonplace high-schooler, Kusuriya Daisuke.

So it should have been—

“How—”

Shiika couldn’t believe in herself now.

She knew the reason for that.

Because she could no longer believe in the promise that supported her so far—in the one who made that promise, Kakkou and Kusuriya Daisuke.

“Why did Daisuke-kun… never tell me the truth…?”

Shiika revived from the state of a Fallen and the one she thought she met by chance was the boy called Kusuriya Daisuke.

However, in actuality he was the Mushitsuki entrusted with the mission to capture Shiika—Kakkou.

Shiika never knew that.

As a result, this time she was the one who made him Fallen.

Shiika lost the two people who were waiting for her with one blow—

Just like when she once became Mushitsuki—

She became alone.

“Why… haven’t you told me…?”

No—she didn’t want to know the reason.

If only she hadn’t known the truth that they were the same person—Shiika could believe.

That Kakkou would come back again.

That Kusuriya Daisuke would be waiting for her.

Although she could believe both—now she ended up doubting.

Kusuriya Daisuke—Kakkou—wouldn’t wait for the likes of Shiika. It was all a trap so he could recapture Shiika, and it might have been no more than a lie.

Someone who would wait for Shiika—was there actually even a single person like that from the very beginning?

“—”

Bell sounds echoed.

They were so clear that they felt otherworldly, and they permeated Shiika’s chest.

“I have told you so, right?”

Appearing in front of Shiika was a petite girl. Her hair tied into pigtails and the heart-patterned dress she was wearing were the same as when they met for the first time.

She was Horiuchi Erii—C.

“You had no one who allowed your existence from the very beginning.”

After having been captured by the SEPB, Shiika ran away with Shirakashi Ubuki and Ebina Yuu from Akamaki City. This already felt like the distant past.

Back then she met Horiuchi Erii, and now the girl appeared in front of her again.

“Even so, you have—really done well.”

Erii’s smiled and spread her arms to Shiika.

As if she was a mother praising her child, she tried kindly accepting Shiika.

“I will love you, who kept fighting all alone.”

Bell sounds echoed again.

A sweet, irresistible temptation made Shiika’s body tilt.

“I will make you needed.”

Shiika buried her head in the girl’s chest.

All doubts and misgivings torturing Shiika were dyed by gold and vanished.

“Sleep well, my beloved Dove—”

Resistance was unavoidable.

No—she was inside a world dyed in gold without any resistance.

On top of Horiuchi Erii’s head, a sublime tiara was materializing.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p357.jpg|thumb]]

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Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3

2024-08-18T08:17:03Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 3.00 The Others == The American journalist, John Mash. His interpreter and assistant, Ikarino Kirari. So named themselves the two people who appeared in front of Taiki w..."

== 3.00 The Others ==

The American journalist, John Mash.

His interpreter and assistant, Ikarino Kirari.

So named themselves the two people who appeared in front of Taiki while he was on the road to school like always.

And his younger sister Noa also appeared with a delay.

“Big brother? What is it?”

“Mr. Matthew wishes to interview you.”

Ikarino Kirari the interpreter said this.

“More precisely, regarding your cousin. That person’s name—is Kusuriya Daisuke.”

Kusuriya Daisuke. A name unfamiliar to Taiki.

No—for some reason, that name caught his attention.

The surname Kusuriya was something even his parents mentioned before. He was pretty sure they said something about his father’s little sister, meaning Taiki’s aunt, and the fact that she had a child, making it Taiki’s cousin.

However, even other than that, he felt like he’d heard that name somewhere.

“Or perhaps—have you felt anything strange around you?”

At Ikarino Kirari’s words, his heartrate picked up.

There was obviously something bothering him as of late.

However, he felt like the sudden appearance of these two people was suspicious, so Taiki grabbed Noa’s hand.

“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t talk to strangers. —Let’s go, Noa.”

“Eh? I see…”

Ikarino Kirari started walking right behind them.

“Do you find the name Kusuriya Daisuke familiar? —Taiki-san.”

“I don’t. Stop following me.”

“Despite him—being your cousin? You don’t know his face or voice? Or what he’s doing?”

He felt pissed off at her method of questioning that sounded as though she was blaming him.

She was just like some reporter trying to rise up a scandal he would see on TV. Had his cousin performed some kind of crime that would shake society? Was that going to be the subject behind the interview?

“I told you, I don’t know. As for what he’s doing… has he done anything bad? Even if he did, it has nothing to do with me.”

As he turned around and spoke, he saw only Ikarino Kirari there.

The youth called John merely remained in his original position, scratching his head. He called out something in English toward his attendant.

“…I see.”

The girl with diagonal bangs lowered her eyes. She seemed quite disappointed.

“Then will you at least accept this?”

Ikarino Kirari grabbed his hand.

Being touched by a person of the opposite sex, Taiki felt startled. He was made to grasp a small memory device.

“Eh… w-what is that?”

“This is a copy of the footage made by Chronicler. He possesses the original, though.”

Ikarino Kirari pointed with her head at the foreigner man behind them.

“Please watch it. Not with your cellphone or anything, but preferably with a standalone terminal with no connection to the outside…”

“Haa?”

He started feeling creepy, so he tore his hand from Ikarino Kirari’s and hastened his pace.

The two mysterious people didn’t try approaching him after this.

“That man… he’s saying ‘Is he really that important?’ and pointing at us.”

His sister walking next to his side said with a suspicious expression. Since she had an exchange student friend, she could understand some English.

“So he’s talking about you? What did she give you?”

“I dunno. I don’t get it…”

He spat this curtly. He was still shaken at this sudden event.

Parting with his sister as he arrived at school, he headed to his own classroom.

“Yo.”

“Morning!”

Surprisingly, the number of classmates that greeted him was not much changed from yesterday. They were slightly above half their numbers and the number of absentees stopped going up.

“Good morning.”

Should he try get their advice about meeting with that journalist or whatever before?

For a moment he thought this, but decided against it. His friends would definitely be curious, but if his cousin really was some dangerous person—this might hurt Taiki’s reputation in his daily life.

Although something happened to Taiki, the chime announcing the start of lessons sounded the same as yesterday.

All lessons in all subjects were simply solving questions on printouts.

They were probably going to deliver the same to the missing students and progress the lessons.

“…”

Unable to solve over 70% of the problems, Taiki quickly gave up.

As he ended up absentmindedly staring out of the window, he recalled what happened that morning.

''—You don’t know his face or voice?

He was certainly fed up with everyday life and wished for some thrills.

However, that seemed to be naïve.

He felt angry at a complete stranger barging into his life so forcefully like this.

He felt anxious at being unable to imagine what was going to happen to him from now on.

If he was going to feel all that, then repeating the same daily life as always was much happier.

“…”

Unconsciously, he put his hand on his uniform pocket.

The memory device handed to him by Ikarino Kirari.

It was the sort of trouble that was unimaginable and not part of daily life in the least, but he’d lie if he said he wasn’t curious about the contents. He was told not to watch it on any terminal connected to the outside, but—did that mean it had a so-called computer virus, then?

Taiki didn’t think handing over something like this to him had any meaning—

Classes kept moving quietly, and during break he discussed rumors about Akamaki City with his friends.

And classes started again.

Nothing changed from the days he’d spent this far.

If there was one thing that changed, it was only the strange dreams he’d had recently—

“Hmm?”

In the middle of the lesson, one of his classmates sitting next to him raised his head.

Wondering what was up with him as he looked at this classmate, Taiki raised a brow.

Everyone in class looked above them with vacant faces. Even the teacher who was writing equations on the blackboard stopped his hands, frowning as he looked at the ceiling.

“…?”

Taiki wondered what was going on when the students suddenly laughed.

“Are they having a wedding somewhere?”

“Wouldn’t it be in a church, then?”

“That was so loud.”

“It was a nice sound…”

“Please be silent. It’s probably just some strange advertisement car. Let us continue class.”

The teacher put a stop to it, but he heard even neighboring classes clamoring about it.

With Taiki completely befuddled, classes ended free of further incidents.

“—What was that just now?”

As the break started, Taiki asked a friend.

“Oh, that thing. It was so loud.”

“You’re saying it’s loud but… what was it?”

As Taiki asked this, his classmates goggled at him. Then soon laughed.

“What, you didn’t hear it? It was so loud!”

“Probably slept throughout.”

“Are you the kind that won’t notice even an earthquake?”

Seeing the confused Taiki, a female student spoke.

“It was the sound of a bell.”

As he looked confused, they just laughed at him again.

A bell? Taiki hadn’t heard it, but—

Had he simply missed it because he really was sleepy? That was probably all that was.

“—Taiki, where are you going?”

“I have something to do.”

As the next break came, Taiki headed to the audio-visual room.

He could no longer hold back his curiosity regarding the memory device in his pocket.

He was anxious about its contents, but was also scared to bring an unknown like that back home. He didn’t have the courage to plug it into his personal computer at home, either.

“If it’s some gory footage I’ll just throw it away…”

Leaping into the empty audio-visual room, he turned on the computer at the far-most corner.

“Outside connection… I can just plug this off, right?”

He removed the LAN cable from the device. —Taiki picked a PC that was used by the research club, but it was actually just a gaming PC. His friends had invited him to play with it before.

He logged in using the PC research club credentials, putting the memory stick in the right slot.

“I really hope it’s not gonna break the computer all of a sudden…”

It automatically displayed the contents of the memory device.

Apparently it was a video file.

''— This is a copy of the footage made by Chronicler.

Ikarino Kirari’s words passed through his head.

Taiki had no idea who this Chronicler person was.

Did they have anything to do with his cousin?

Although he felt a bit anxious, he clicked the file—

“—“

Taiki watched it.

These were records of people Taiki hadn’t known about.

However, from time to time he found faces of people familiar to him.

No.

They were—people Taiki knew though there was no way he could.

Even after the bell chimed, Taiki couldn’t tear his eyes away from the footage.

Even after it ended, he remained seated there, entranced—

When the bell for the last lesson chimed, Taiki pulled out the memory device.

He came back to his classroom and started preparing for heading home.

“Hey, Taiki. Where were you?”

“Ditched class?”

Not even minding his puzzled friends, he took his bag in hand and left the classroom.

As he exited the gate, a girl greeted him.

“—Have you watched it?”

Saying this and smiling was a person wearing the uniform of Taiki’s high school.

Although this morning she wore a suit, this was the interpreter girl—Ikarino Kirari.

“Chronicler’s video, that is…”

Where had she gotten her hands on it? Ikarino Kirari, clad in the uniform of the same school as Taiki, inquired him in a tone as if she was his classmate.

“What do you think?”

“—What do I think… who were they? Are they really Mushitsuki…?”

Taiki frowned and spoke.

“…”

Apparently, his answer once again disappointed Ikarino Kirari. Her expression clouded over.

However—

“But… I knew some faces.”

“Eh?”

The girl twitched.

“That can’t be… after all, they appeared in my dreams—”

“Dreams…”

Ikarino Kirari thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Can you tell me more?”

“…”

“If you tell me more—I might be able to give you answers.”

“Answers…?”

Seeing the questioning Taiki, Ikarino Kirari smiled.

“I mean the meaning of your dream—as well as why you’re seeing it.”

In front of the frozen Taiki, Ikarino Kirari looked up the sky. —As if she was being asked something he couldn’t hear.

“As well as why these bell sounds started.”

He mustn’t ask.

If he asked, he’d no longer be able to go back.

Whether or not she knew about that baseless anxiety—

No, she definitely knew and yet spoke in a merciless tone—

“It started… ever since those dreamers failed the three operations at the same time.”

Bitterness and sadness, and a lone ray of hope.

Speaking clearly, Ikarino Kirari showed him a gaze that possessed all possible emotions.

“It started ever since among those Mushitsuki who are designated Rank 1—Kakkou alone rejected the fight.”

== 3.01 The Others ==

Why had it become like this?

Had the decision she reached at the times been the correct one?

These thoughts were a constant in her mind—in the mind of the stingy Mushitsuki called Konomura Chami.

In fact, most of the time things never went well.

And the same happened this time.

To outwit the strong who were too cocky and dance out as the lead role—

Although she managed to survive while carrying that ambition inside her, things always failed at the critical moments.

However, coming here was—no, for Chami, this was where the largest miscalculation started.

“Ah, found you…”

The C annihilation operation.

This three-pronged fight launched by the Mushitsuki ended in failure.

Unable to vanquish their formidable enemy, C, she estimated that both the SEPB and Mushibane would start their retreat strategy and fall into chaos.

However, that itself was Konomura Chami’s goal.

“This is Daisuke’s dream—”

Although this happened just the day before, she felt like it was ages ago.

The SEPB and Mushibane failed, but at the time Chami had been able to make a fist pump in her mind.

After all, she was witness to Ayukawa Chiharu embracing Kusuriya Daisuke at that moment.

Ayukawa Chiharu—she was a beauty with long hair wearing a casket hat. Normally she was just an extremely attractive civilian, but right now she had the alternate personality of Aria Varei dwelling inside her.

Kusuriya Daisuke was her little brother and he was an SEPB Mushitsuki. Although he’d lost his Mushi and became a Fallen, he’d served long as a fearless fighter.

“If you say you don’t want him, I’ll make him my pawn!”

Because her efforts paid off, Chami shouted this.

Piercing through the opening granted to her by the two tacticians, Miguruma Yaeko and Haji Keigo, facing each other—

She snatched off the strongest pawn.

Ayukawa Chiharu had one of the Original Three, Aria Varei, nestling inside her again.

Then, she could use Aria’s Varei to revive Kakkou from the Fallen status.

Aiming for the gap right when he was revived, even Chami’s meagre mental control ability could control Kakkou.

“And with that, all the Ranks 1 will assemble…!”

The girl who became “decoy” to set up this stage, Ebina Yuu, mumbled. Perhaps since she exhausted herself to reach all the way here, she looked ready to collapse at any moment.

The former Demon Lord, Satou Youko, was trying to hypnotize Yuu and make her fall asleep.

All of them were pawns Chami had gathered for her own ambitions.

“If you ever recall your dream please call me again, Yuu-chan…”

The lone uninvited person—Oogui—also left these ominous words behind and left at the time.

Now, no one would stand in their way.

Until now Chami had no combatants among her pawns—but now she could finally gain the strongest pawn of all, Kakkou.

Using even the Original Three, she could also get up the stage again.

There was the precedent of Fuyuhotaru getting revived by Oogui.

Chami won her bet.

The footholds to allow Chami to flip over the stage, rewrite the script and replace the protagonist as she wished were finally in reach.

Or at least—so she thought.

“…Eh?”

Until she saw Ayukawa Chiharu’s surprised face, that is.

She definitely had a bad premonition.

For a social outcast like Chami, this happened more than she could count.

However, what happened at that moment—

“Why…?”

Forgetting both happiness and rage, she felt her brows lowering.

Chami, who could only use her head, found her thoughts put to a stop.

''I can’t believe I came this far for it to not work, what a fucking joke—

She could do nothing but pray in her heart.

“Why aren’t you coming back, Daisuke…!”

Seeing Chiharu yell this while crying, her bad premonition turned to certainty.

Chami’s face became as white as a sheet.

She set up the stage like this.

She risked her life little by little to gain these small pieces, and although she thought that she finally managed to assemble the stage for the ultimate reversal—

The fourth batter didn’t even attempt to rise from the batter’s box.

“Chami-chan…! Why isn’t Daisuke coming back?”

“—“

“Aria doesn’t know, either…! Wasn’t Aria supposed to be able to bring Daisuke back?”

''So does this mean—I lost my bet?

Seeing the teary-eyed Chiharu hug Kakkou, she felt all strength leave her body.

“Y-you…”

She tottered toward Kakkou and grabbed him.

“Don’t fucking screw with me, I came all the way here—”

“Chami…!”

Suddenly a small figure appeared next to Chami.

Konoha, the girl with eyes hidden by her bangs. She was another of Chami’s pawns, possessing two abilities—camouflage that allowed her to erase her form and presence, as well as the ability to see into the distance.

“The Revived are coming here… we must escape…!”

“Chami-chan… What’s happening to Daisuke? Tell me!”

“Chami-chan? Yuu-chan’s safely asleep, but… what’re we going to do with Shirakashi-san? If we push her so much, I’m not sure if she can wake up or not.”

Konoha, Ayukawa Chiharu, and even Satou Youko pressed Chami for instructions.

Each and every one of those Chami gathered had a guilty conscience.

They came from either the SEPB or Mushibane, there was a former Original Three and even a former Demon Lord. Even Ebina Yuu, who was a normal civilian, was nonetheless a weirdo who got involved with Mushitsuki.

However, all of them were pawns Chami risked her life to gather—

This result that she arrived by making them risk their lives ended so pathetically.

“…”

She could hear a cat’s cry from nearby.

This nostalgic yelp made her looked at her feet.

A familiar white cat rubbed against Chami’s leg affectionally.

She was just imagining it.

Mewling as if to invite Chami, that cat—was Chami’s very first pawn, as well as her first companion who died on the road to her ambition.

“—Alright, I get it.”

She scorned herself for being so lame that even an illusion pitied her.

Just like back then, when she found a dream above her station.

“So it means we need to start all over again—huh, that’s not bad at all, shithead.”

By the time she mumbled this, the white cat illusion was already gone.

In the first place Chami had nothing to protect.

She could start all over again, no matter when and where.

Because of that—there was probably no person as ambitious as her.

“Konoha! How’s our car and escape route?”

Chami stiffened her face and turned to Konoha.

The girl with her face hidden by her bangs hurriedly materialized her Mushi. Its body looked like two overlapped leaves and it had gigantic eyes. The Mushi extended tentacles to Konoha’s goggle.

“T-they’re not there… looks like the place where we hid the car and our escape route weren’t found out…”

“Then get on the fucking car already! We have no time to carry all of our fainted members to the hiding place!”

Being yelled at by Chami, Konoha broke into a run.

“Satou Youko! When the car comes, you and me are going to throw Yuu and Ubuki inside!”

“More physical labor? But I’m so tired after flying all over the place…”

While grumbling, Satou Youko started preparing to pack up her suitcase.

Following this, Chami turned to Chiharu hugging her brother.

“Chiharu! Our enemies’ll definitely get here faster! I will you take care of them! C can’t come all the way here, and I’m sure you can handle the Revived, at least!”

Right now, Chami and others weren’t in any house or building. It was a plain with a clear view.

Around them were no electrical lines that C could use. After making sure of that, they carried Kakkou all the way here.

Chiharu was no combatant, and she wasn’t even a Mushitsuki.

However, she had an Original Three inside her, weak as it was. She should at least be able to fight against C’s assassins to buy them some time.

“As for Kakkou—leave him here.”

“…!”

Chiharu widened her eyes, glaring at Chami.

“He’s no more than a Fallen now. We don’t have the space to be taking someone useless right now.”

Receiving Chami’s glare, Chiharu—

“…”

Hugged her brother wordlessly. Her face looked calm and determined.

“Are you going to commit double suicide with him?”

“It’s my fault Daisuke’s like this. So I’ll stay with him to the end—”

“Not gonna happen. I’m disappointed in Kakkou, but right now you have Sanbikime inside you. Do you even understand how deep of a shit we’ll be in if C absorbs not just Shinpu but even Sanbikime? This will cause many further victims.”

“…”

“Your brother obviously doesn’t want that, either.”

She’d say the shittiest of lines possible in order to convince Chiharu.

Chami had no idea what the boy in front of her eyes—Kakkou—wished for and felt while going through countless battles.

No, it wasn’t just Chami. Probably no one knew.

After all, even his own sister—found it impossible to get him to retrieve his heart.

“Kakkou fought to defeat C and fell victim. Since he can’t fight any longer, then you need to fight in his stead—”

“Don’t you dare speak so heartlessly at this point, Chami-chan.”

“…Then I’ll be curt.”

Glaring at each other, Chami spat.

“We’ve failed. It’s my fault for misreading this. We failed to bring Kakkou back to normal—because you’re worthless.”

“…!”

“It’s time to stop holding hope. All we need to do is avoid despair. —But if you’re still so naïve you’d rather destroy yourself, I’ll just throw you away along with Kakkou.”

Chiharu grimaced and her shoulders shook, but—

“—”

She hugged her brother’s body even tighter.

Chami clicked her tongue. She didn’t even have the time to think how she was going to tear this blockhead; countless human figures appeared in her vision.

“They’re here…! Get away from them, Chiharu!”

“Run first, Chami-chan! I’ll come from behind with Daisuke…”

“You fucking idiot! If you’ve got the time to spout out these awful lines, then just fend off those Revived alre—”

About to finish her entrance, Chami felt something was odd.

The number of pursuing assassins was about a few dozen, perhaps? Since some of them were wearing SEPB coats, there was no doubt they were Mushitsuki.

However, none of them were accompanied by any Mushi.

Furthermore, their battle formation wasn’t trying to surround Chami’s group. They weren’t trying to use their numbers to their advantage, but instead practically forming a line—

“—Shitheads!”

Seeing the golden glow from afar, Chami guessed what was going on. She leapt at Chiharu.

Chiharu, who made her right arm glow blue and was about to fight back, was separated from Kakkou out of surprise.

“It’s C, you idiot!”

“Ah—”

It happened the exact moment after the siblings were separated.

Chami did not miss it.

Chiharu’s right arm reached out toward Kusuriya Daisuke—

Her hand, glowing blue with Sanbikime’s power of merging—

Made a sticky sound as it buried itself into Kakkou’s chest.

It separated instantly, but there was something faintly glowing grasped inside the hand.

“—!”

Golden lightning pierced the space between the entangled two girls and Kakkou.

There was a violent roar and a gale. The air crackled.

If they got hit directly, then Chami obviously but even Sanbikime-fused Chiharu would melt down into a single mass.

This lightning that held so much tremendous power—

Passed through the line of Revived to be made able to reach Chami and the rest.

“What the fuck is that idea…! Using those Revived as conducting wire!”

“…”

Chami was cussing while on the ground, while Chiharu stared vacantly at her hand.

Chiharu took her faintly glowing hand—and stealthily put it against her chest. She had the necklace that had used to house Aria Varei’s personality dangling from it.

“Chami!”

The large van driven by Konoha appeared. Konoha leapt out of the driver’s seat and, along with Satou Youko, dragged Ubuki and Yuu inside.

“Let’s go, Chiharu! More people are coming!”

Chami pulled Chiharu’s arm by force, making the stunned girl rise to her legs.

From the distance, the second formation of the assassins sent by C was pursuing them.

“Konoha, come help! Let Satou Youko drive!”

Chami and Konoha forcibly got Chiharu on the van. The moment the door closed, she could see the crowds of Revived swarming over the Fallen Kakkou.

“Ah…”

Chiharu pulled back her hand reaching toward Kakkou and Chami closed the door.

“Get going, Satou Youko! Once we get far enough, we can use Konoha’s clairvoyance to escape from the enemy’s encirclement even without a sensing ability!”

“I like driving.”

Along with the high-shrieked sound of the tires screeching on the ground, the van accelerated.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p327.jpg|thumb]]

Inside the car, Konoha, Ubuki, Yuu and Chiharu were tangled together. It was probably about 50-50 whether they’d be able to shake off their pursuers.

“Chiharu...”

Even in this situation, Chami couldn’t help but grab Chiharu.

“What the fuck were you doing!”

Grabbing Chiharu with both hands, she slammed the back of her head against the seat.

Unlike Konoha and the rest who were surprised by Chami’s earnestness, Chiharu herself was completely dazed.

“Eh…?”

“Don’t play games with me! I saw it! When we went you did something to Kakkou, right? Tell the truth!”

As Chami blamed her, Chiharu’s face distorted little by little.

“I, I just thought that if we separated like this, we might never meet again—”

Her face overflowing with tears, Chiharu covered it with her hands and leaked sobs. In the hand hiding her face she was grasping the golden ring on her necklace.

“Once I thought these people might take him away…”

“And so—you took out Kakkou’s heart?”

Konoha and the others went speechless at Chami’s words. Even the driver Satou Youko felt the same.

Sanbikime’s ability was fusion.

Using that ability, Sanbikime themselves dwelt within humans and never let anyone know about their identity. She could assume that even Miguruma Yaeko and C’s ideas to keep the dreams of all Mushitsuki in a database was derived from Sanbikime’s mode of being.

And the girl called Ayukawa Chiharu—used that power on her brother.

“Do you understand what you’ve done…?”

“Uuuh…”

“That’s! The power of a monster! Those unknown things called the Original Three use that power to eat people’s dreams! Do you wanna use the power of the Original Three and play with people like C?”

“UuuUuuh…!”

“And you used it on your brother, even…! Have you turned into an Original Three in both body and mind?”

Even as Chami abused her, Chiharu merely cried and groaned.

She obviously understood Chiharu’s feelings.

Not giving up on her own blood-related brother—that was all this was.

“…I-if I keep calling out to him, surely Daisuke will—”

As Chiharu spoke as in groans, Chami pounded her against the seat again.

“Are you still on that, shithead?! Kakkou denied even his own damn sister! Even if someone else calls out to him, he—”

Chami gasped at her own words.

Although this was impossible for his sister, if there was anyone at all who could call out to him—

She had an idea.

Perhaps it was because Ebina Yuu was sleeping right next to her.

''—The Rank 1s are gathering…!

Yuu shouted those words.

If that came to pass, then perhaps—

“…”

“Chami?”

Konoha called out to Chami as she removed her hands from Chiharu and suddenly crouched.

“—That’s impossible…”

Although her mouth denied it, Chami’s mind started making stupid plans on its own.

“This is way more than just all or nothing… but in the first place, our chances to win are… no, if even a single part works out, it ends up as a plus… you idiot, there are too many risks… you won’t be able to take that back…”

She couldn’t ever call Chiharu a monster again.

Not only was the plan taking shape inside Chami’s mind was going to use that monster’s power—it would be like snatching away both stage and script and then set fire to them.

However, what if—

“…If I can’t whip a corpse back to life… what if I shoot it with a machinegun and set it on fire…?”

Chami moved her eyes to a certain spot in the van.

She could see the small devices that all housed the power of her currently absent pawn, Lucifera.

A large number of cellphones.

“Chami-chan.”

Suddenly the driver Satou Youko spoke.

“You look like you hit on some idea—but are we fine?”

As she raised her face, she saw through the back mirror the former demon lord wearing a creepy smile.

“We’ve searched for Alpha to find out the secrets of Mushi. We weren’t able to ask anything even after getting in contact, though. We went after Aria Next, but in the end the moment that Mushitsuki were born remains unclear. Next, you tried to rely on a powerful pawn, but couldn’t bring Kakkou back—”

It was some harsh criticism. However, Chami had no possible retort.

Because it was all true.

“It was a chain of failure after failure… should I really expect anything, this time?”

Although she wasn’t putting pressure on her with those creepy eyes, Chami knew.

In the end, Chami’s mental control ability didn’t amount to much. If the person themselves actually strongly rejected it—if they turned their back on Chami, they could easily break it.

If she failed again, Chami would lose what little few pawns she had.

Even so, the next word that came out of her mouth—

“No…”

Was a word of denial.

“This time—is definitely the shittiest strategy I’ve had this far.”

It was so stupid of a plan she could laugh.

In fact, even without hearing of it, Satou Youko giggled. Konoha next to her also wore a small smile.

However, the two—had nothing further to say to Chami.

“Konoha… right after we break through their encirclement, start the monitoring.”

Konoha tilted her head at Chami’s words.

“Monitor? Who, exactly?”

She knew she was depressed.

She was pissed at nothing working according to plan, including her own self.

However—Chami smiled.

Just like her first pawn, that cat.

“I need you to monitor—all Rank 1s, except for Kakkou.”

And thus.

The plan cooked up by the minor character called Konomura Chami became reality—

Cellphones containing her ambitions were delivered to each Rank 1.

One was Lady Bird—Tachibana Rina.

Another was the flame devil—Harukiyo.

And yet another one was—

== 3.02 Arisu ==

''She'' watched a part of the end.

Through her Mushi, the butterfly.

Landing atop her sleeping body, the butterfly—a Morpho butterfly with its vivid silver glow—twitched as it raised its antenna.

“—There’s no fucking way we can escape that!”

The one who shouted this was Kasuou, the girl who held her while running.

She embraced her body clad in a thick jacket and further supported her using her own ability of mist. She was also using vast amounts of mist to carry dozens of wounded.

“We have too many enemies and allies…! Do we even have somewhere to escape to?!”

Kasuou’s voice was drowned by the angry roars of battle.

They only just escaped from the domed facility that served as their headquarters for the C annihilation operation.

Even so—the mixed forces of the SEPB and Mushibane were soon surrounded by the Revived assassins as they reached the wide national road.

Most of these Mushitsuki were running away, not having yet recovered from the damages incurred during the failed operations.

It was there that C’s assassin Mushitsuki appeared in endless numbers.

If that wasn’t enough, even the JSDF gathered to block their path.

Their retreat soon turned into a chaotic battle—and their path was finally blocked.

“Let me borrow that, Kasuou.”

“Ah, you bastard!”

A suited youth snatched away Kasuou’s goggles.

He was Haji Keigo. His complexion was sickly, but he was even paler due to running so much.

“Why have you stopped? Report the situation in the frontlines, Yotsuba!”

Haji operated the goggles and turned on the speaker function. They could hear the rebuke from Terasu, their commander, as well as the exchanges between other Mushitsuki.

“I know you’re tired, but if our vanguard stops, we’ll all get wiped out!”

“Poison Mist Punch! —We’re outnumbered by soldiers! Neutralizing them without killing them is too hard for me alone! Send me some high-ranked members, even a single one! If possible, with a mental pollution-type ability!”

“Yakugami! How’s the rear guard? If you think you can leave it to Kaguya then go provide support to the frontlines!”

“That’s asking for a bit much… I have my hands full with some tough guys, are they ex-Annihilators?”

“Then… North Central Branch! How’s the right flank? If you can split your forces, then send even one person from Team A—”

“No can do, no can do. After all, with you missing from the usual team it’s all falling apart.”

“Kh… Tamamo! Stop preserving your stamina for the barrier! To the front!”

“Goootcha!”

“Wait…! The wounded and support members in the middle aren’t going to last! If you keep going ahead, they won’t make it…! I’ll heal them up even just a little, so wait a bit!”

“This is Himiko! Enemy forces are approaching from the left…!”

“Kabuto here. Mushibane has relatively little fatigued and damaged members. I’ll stop these new attackers with them.”

All news that came from the speaker spoke of their inferiority against their enemies.

Many people were shouting.

Gunfire echoed from time to time.

As well as the healer Nene’s beautiful singing voice, completely unfitting the circumstances.

In this battlefield of Mushitsuki who fought for their lives, the silver Morpho butterfly shook its feelers.

“Then—fifteen minutes!”

In these dire straits, Terasu struck out a painful plan in order to survive.

“Let’s stop in place for just fifteen minutes! All hands, focus on preserving our position! Tamamo, you should preserve yourself after all! —Rinrin, gather as many vehicles as you can, even army ones! Get all the support members and wounded boarded to lessen the load, and have Kasuou join the vanguard! Fifteen minutes later, we break through by force!”

It was a hefty gamble, but there were no other choices.

In this battlefield engulfed by anxiety, a completely calm voice then sounded.

“Test, test, can you hear me? Hiya, this is Shiohara Shachito. I borrowed a SEPB goggle. What should I do?”

“You…! Geez, what’re you doing!”

“I watched over this beauty called Lady at the dome. Once she’s finished knocking out C—C will probably be heading here.”

For a moment, all shouts passing through the battlefield vanished.

Although they were already fighting from an inferior position, C was coming along as though to seal the deal.

Perhaps afraid that this announcement would lower morale, Terasu immediately strained her voice.

“Let’s make it ten minutes, then! I’ll join the vanguard! —Once we break through the encirclement, Tamamo will create as large a barrier as possible! It’s already proven that your barrier can work even on C and other sensors, so buy us as much distance as possible and find a place to hide!”

“H-hum… I’m not really feeling confident about being able to control a lot of cars in ten minutes…”

“I-I’ll reaaally do my best, but the stamina needed just to stretch the barrier so much…”

“Stop complaining!”

Terasu’s lone shout echoed throughout the battlefield.

“If we fail, we die. —Wasn’t it always like this?!”

Hearing their commander, the battlefield fell into silence again.

“…You’re just like Kakkou.”

“S-shuddup, idiot!”

It was unknown who mumbled this, but it agitated Terasu.

Haji Keigo, who apparently finally managed to catch his breath, brought his mouth to the goggles.

“Kasuou, how do you switch the Central Headquarters goggles to the private channel?”

“Just work it out for yourself! It’s not so different from the East Branch’s!”

They seemed to have a bad relationship; the Morpho butterfly could see Kasuou shouting at Haji.

“Thank you. Oh, there it is. —Terasu, come to me for a moment.”

“…I’ll let the Director go over our current strategy! Shachito! Take over command for me for a bit!”

“Eh, me? Is it fine for a newbie like me?”

“Obviously not! But you can use your mobility to check the entire battlefield, and since you’re Asagi’s final disciple, you seem to have been trained on how to handle Mushitsuki, so we’ll just go for it! It’s just for a few minutes so obey him, you guys!”

“Ahaha, how horrible. Then apologies in advance if I do it better than you, Terasu-chan.”

While hearing a symphony of tongue clicking from the entire battlefield, Haji kept speaking.

“Kabuto. Can you tell Akasegawa Nanana to come to us?”

“Roger that.”

Not even two minutes later, Terasu and Akasegawa Nanana appeared in front of Haji Keigo.

However, there was another person there.

“And you are?”

She was a girl in her early teens. Since she was fidgeting all over, Nanana spoke instead.

“Recall. She’s my guard, so don’t mind her.”

“Oh, I don’t know her. —Hmm?”

The girl called Recall stepped forward silently.

And she approached—''her''. While looking up through the Morpho butterfly, the girl put a cellphone on top of her.

“Recall? What’s that?”

Returning to the confused-looking Nanana, Recall whispered in a low voice.

“Lucifera-san said to…”

“Lucifera told you to pass that to Arisu?”

As the girl nodded, Haji Keigo stared at her.

While the youth seemed to be trying to understand the girl’s mysterious action, Terasu called out to him.

“Director Haji. Do you have any issue with my orders?”

“—Oh, no, you’ve done well. North Central Branch really has some good members.”

As Haji said this and turned his gaze, he saw Branch Head Takemi. The man who looked like a gentleman (only outwardly) shrugged.

“I’ll start with you, Akasegawa Nanana-kun. I have a favor to ask you, as the Chairman of Akasegawa Group as well as a member of the Round Table.”

As Haji turned around, Akasegawa Nanana spun her stick, her face looking suspicious.

“A favor?”

“Can you use your connections to prepare a large ship for us? If possible, a fast ship that’s already ready to sail.”

Terasu and Akasegawa Nanana both raised their brows.

“For us to also recover our forces, we need to escape C for the time being. If so, it means we need a place she couldn’t reach—the Revived as well, but a place where C, who exists in the digital network, can’t reach.”

Terasu was the one who gasped.

“The sea—”

Haji wore a thin smile and fixed the position of his glasses with his index finger.

“Right, we will escape to sea and reorganize. Even C shouldn’t be able to pursue us there.”

“What a coincidence. I also thought that and was about to prepare a ship to carry something.”

Akasegawa Nanana said, returning Haji Keigo’s gaze.

“Of course, there’s also a shipping company affiliated with my Group in the nearest port to here.”

“So that’ll be our destination for now.”

The place where Haji and the rest were, several vehicles appeared.

There weren’t any drivers inside. The branch heads as well as the wounded carried by Kasuou were loaded into the cars. Inside there was also the East Central Branch Assistant, the anxious-faced Goroumaru Touko.

Nanana spoke.

“The ship I have ready to transport a certain something is planned to go someplace far and keep a low profile until the heat’s down. —Are we just going to wait in the middle of the sea until we recover? If so, we will need to gather some foods and daily necessities, so that’ll take time.”

“No, I have a destination in mind.”

“You have? I apologize, Director… but if you have a goal, isn’t that a problem? If it’s somewhere we can stay, our enemy might also reason out that location…”

“It’s fine. That place—no longer exists.”

“Hah?”

“Or to be more precise, I should say that no one knows about it anymore.”

While the youth wore his thin smile, Terasu and Nanana turned suspicious glances at him.

“That place—is a small island.”

Twitch.

Above her, the Morpho butterfly raised its antenna.

“I already left this message to Lady. She’s probably going to head there, too.”

“…Well, as long as we have a destination. Still, taking so many people to the same place is going to take time, though.”

“There’s no need to worry about that. The fewer ships, the better.”

As Terasu tilted her head, Haji spoke.

“Terasu. Once we escape from here, we need to split into several independent units. If we gather up so many people in one place, we’ll just end up surrounded like now and decimated.”

“Eh… b-but, isn’t it dangerous to split our forces like this? If our high-ranking members go all over the place, even our means of defense—”

“I said nothing about splitting our forces like that.”

As Haji narrowed his eyes, Terasu made a confused face—

But she soon gasped and grimaced.

Haji gave calm orders to Terasu who glared daggers into him.

“It’s impossible to protect everyone here anyway. So the high-ranked Mushitsuki should focus on protecting the minimal amount of important people, and we’ll let all other Mushitsuki split from our main forces for a little while.”

“—Meaning, they’ll act as decoys.”

Terasu’s blood-smeared visor was locked in a gaze with Haji Keigo’s glasses.

“I’ll obviously tell the people getting cut off about some goal. It’s fine for them to try heading somewhere far from our actual destination. —Akasegawa-kun. That’s how things are, so you can just bring us small ships. Hurry up with them.”

Akasegawa Nanana said nothing. She neither gave Haji a cold gaze, nor voices any oppositions to his strategy, but merely left along with Recall.

“If you have any other ideas how we can get away I’m all ears, Terasu.”

“…”

“Allow me to say this just in case, but it’s not like I hate Mushitsuki. In that sense, I might resemble Director Miguruma. —But there are also ways I differ from her.”

Haji Keigo spoke while looking at the fighting Mushitsuki.

“Unlike Miguruma, who wants to play with Mushitsuki forever… I want to finish up the fight already. For that I will protect what I need and cut off what’s unneeded. —It goes without saying that the most important person right now is Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.”

On top of her, the silver Morpho butterfly raised its feelers.

“…I will now mobilize.”

Terasu gritted her teeth and mumbled in a stifled voice. She turned around.

“Terasu here, I’m heading back to command. It’s about time, are we all ready?”

Haji Keigo got on the large transport truck used by the JSDF members. It was one of those stolen by Rinrin. Kasuou also carried her along with the Morpho butterfly and got on into the same cargo box as Haji.

“Me and Kasuou and Yotsuba are going to open a path ahead! After that, Tamamo, you’re going to create as large a consciousness-camouflaging barrier as you can! Shachito, reduce everyone’s masses on the way! We’ll all become lighter and break through!”

There, the tone of Terasu’s voice dropped.

“After we manage to breakthrough, the orders will be given directly to each team. —Just to make sure C doesn’t eavesdrop on us.”

“A nice excuse.”

The Morpho butterfly stared at Haji Keigo who was smiling in the luggage.

Noticing its stare, he mumbled toward the Morpho butterfly.

“Please don’t retire midway through, alright?”

“We’re doing this, Kasuou! Yotsuba!”

“Let’s go!”

“Alright!”

“—There’s a sudden powerful ‘flame’ approaching from the west!”

However, Himiko’s voice cut into Terasu and others’ warcries.

“It’s C!”

In the very center of the entire forces, golden light scattered around concentrations of Mushitsuki.

These were golden C-butterflies.

These countless fluttering forms melted into the ground and focused in a single point.

“I’ll intercept them.”

Along with a husky female voice, the ground shook.

Instantly appearing on the surface with a tremor was a spire made of metallic water pipes, wires, lights and the like entangled together.

Golden lightning pierced through the surface to the heavens.

Trying to catch the entire forces of Mushitsuki with one blow, C unleashed her lightning strike—but it was sucked into this suddenly created lightning rod, so it ended up discharged into the sky and vanished without hurting anyone.

“You’ve saved us, Sakura! Now, let’s break through—Sensation Isolation!”

“ORAAAAH!”

“Poison Mist Punch!!!”

Sounds of destruction echoed from the frontlines.

“Lemme lighten you.”

Along with Shachito’s voice, everyone on the battlefield was wrapped in an orange light. From the bodies of Mushitsuki rose faintly glowing dragonflies—a swarm of Autumn Darters.

“All hands, charge forward!”

By Terasu’s orders, the Mushitsuki began moving simultaneously.

“Let’s go, then.”

Inside the truck that rumbled as it moved, Haji Keigo mumbled.

The youth’s eyes narrowed as though he was looking to the great distance.

“To the land of our counterattack—to Aoharima Island.”

She saw it.

Through her Mushi, the Morpho butterfly.

The Mushitsuki who took her in, were all fighting while literally puking blood.

After failing in the operation to annihilate C and then constantly repeating this desperate retreat—

They fought, got hurt, and collapsed.

Even to the Morpho butterfly’s eyes, it looked like their numbers were quickly going down. Some were struck by the enemy attacks, some split into individual teams, and at times they collapsed powerless and were left behind.

She knew that hellish sight.

She too had ended up losing like that in the past.

Why had she lost?

She didn’t know.

“—”

Only the reason she came down to this hell.

Although she was forgotten long ago and most humans had no way to know of her, she knew the reason for her get woken up again well. Only that.

“…To fight, huh.”

This small mumble leaked from her mouth.

How many hours passed since they left their base in the dome?

How many Mushitsuki fought and depleted?

By the time even those sensations felt unclear—she noticed that the space she inhabited was cut off from reality.

Furious Mushitsuki and the Revived were engaged in hurting each other.

Inside this hell where they cannibalized on each other, she stood up.

“What you want from me—is the power to end this fight, right?”

At some point a lone ghost came standing outside the parked truck.

It wore a pitch-dark coat—no.

Wearing a long coat stained with fresh blood, it was a person with hair that stood up like horns, with a large automatic pistol dangling from one hand.

He was covered in wounds as though he already went through the border between life and death once—no, not only once but countless times, with how many wounds he was covered by.

“—Not at all.”

The ghost with broken goggles hanging from his neck appeared tentatively like a boy. His face smeared with dried up blood was stuck with sorrowful expression.

She knew him.

However, she didn’t know why he was making this kind of face.

“I wanted to entrust you with… no, to apologize to you. But—”

Wearing a weak-looking face, the boy hesitating to speak.

This was the mere shell of the Mushitsuki that had once been called a demon. She sneered at him.

''She then reached out into the other lying girl’s'' jacket, pulling out a metallic rod. Extending in her hand, the rod fused with the Morpho butterfly and transformed into a large spear that shone silver. At the same time, silver patterns rose to her four limbs.

Seeing her transform so grotesquely, the boy grasped his blood-stained gun.

“She said that she separated from ‘you’. —That’s why you’re still bothered about turning into her.”

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p349.jpg|thumb]]

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Does that have anything to do with the present?”

The scales gushing out from the spear wrapped around her neck, making her long scarf float.

“As long as I’m strong—isn’t that enough?”

She felt a strong power inside her.

This power was about to overflow at any moment.

She wanted to quickly unleash it.

In order to make her dream come true.

For the one who constantly consoled her during her long slumber.

All for the sake of the girl still sleeping next to her—her other self—her best friend.

That friend’s name was Arisu.

Splitting from Arisu and appearing here, her name was—

“Stop pretending…”

The boy in front of her eyes should know her name.

However, the blood-smeared demon that looked ready to fall at any moment made no attempt to name her.

“Right now—you’re not Arisu.”

He said this.

Then reequipped the broken goggles to his face.

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 2

2024-08-18T08:16:57Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 2.00 The Others == “Big brother.” Taiki woke up the same way as he did yesterday. His youngest sister Ririe peeked at him from the half-opened door to his room. Peti..."

== 2.00 The Others ==

“Big brother.”

Taiki woke up the same way as he did yesterday.

His youngest sister Ririe peeked at him from the half-opened door to his room. Petite, meek and wearing black-rimmed glasses, young Ririe looked nothing like either her sister or brother.

“Dad’s going to be angry if you don’t wake up soon.”

“Ngh…”

As he grimaced and raised his upper torso, he felt deadly tired. He was all sweaty.

Perhaps he was looking exceptionally tired, based on Ririe’s next words.

“Do you have a cold?”

“…I just had a weird dream again… I’m tired…”

Ririe pulled her face back. He could hear footsteps going down the stairs.

Taiki sighed heavily and stretched. It made him slightly less tired.

He went down to the first floor while scratching his bed hair, running into his other younger sister, Noa.

“Good morning.”

As he tried calling to her as they met, Noa suddenly reached to Taiki’s forehead with a hand.

“Doesn’t look like you have a fever.”

“Huh?”

“Ririe said you look like you’re feeling bad.”

Noa was already wearing her uniform.

“You can’t ditch school, though.”

Noa retracted her hand and smiled mischievously while Taiki found no words to reply.

As he went into the living room, there was a program about the situation of Akamaki City on TV. Nothing changed from yesterday. The only change was that the reporter sounded already tired of it all.

“Good morning, Taiki. Are you alright? Can you go to school?”

While preparing boxed lunches in the open kitchen, his mother turned to him.

“…”

Ririe was sitting on the sofa, her face the very picture of innocence. Noa was also next to her. His youngest sister apparently spread the rumors, and his older younger sister went on ahead to block his escape path. What a team combination.

“I’m going, I’m fine.”

Taiki sat down at the table full of breakfast.

Since it was so close to winter vacation, he wouldn’t feel guilty taking a day off. However, if his strict father found out it was a feigned illness, he’d be angry. His sisters knew this, so they went on a preemptive attack.

“You look more out of it than usual. Pull yourself together, son.”

While tightening his necktie, his father spoke not even looking at him.

If he “pulled himself together”, would he start having normal dreams again? Since he even started thinking it might be the case, he couldn’t argue back.

The strange dreams that Taiki started seeing—

Dreams where the people called Mushitsuki appeared. Regardless of whether those known as Mushitsuki actually existed, those dreams were far too removed from reality.

Before, he’d dreamt about a beauty wearing a strange mask.

And as for this night—

“So there’s no vacation today either, eh.”

When it became time to leave home, Noa sighed. Although she was a model student, it probably bummed her out going to a school where less and less students were in attendance every day.

Taiki felt the same. He secretly waited to hear school was on break, but they unfortunately reached the deadline.

“I’m going.”

Ririe, who exited the house a step before, didn’t seem as melancholic as her brother and sister.

Taiki also tried wearing his shoes, but perhaps he was still somewhat sleepy, since it took him some time to tie the shoestrings.

“Why are you slow?”

“Don’t kick me.”

He was urged by Noa’s foot from behind. It wasn’t like their relationship as siblings was bad, but it was embarrassing to go out together. Since Taiki took larger strides, he’d end up going out first.

“I’m heading out.”

While going on his usual route to school, he recalled the TV program from that morning.

It didn’t feel like they were going to reveal information about Akamaki City at all. As a result, it seemed like the populace was split into two—those whose anxiety kept growing, and those who just shrugged everything off and calmed down.

How was this town, with it being so far away from Akamaki City?

He didn’t feel like the number of people he saw on his way to school differed much from yesterday. Taiki was sure there’d be less of them, so this was unexpected.

“Maybe nothing’s going to change, surprisingly enough.”

He mumbled to himself.

Since his school focused on preparing students for high-ranking universities, the lessons were tough as expected, but that suited Taiki just fine. He had no complaints regarding his daily life.

However—it was true that somewhere deep inside him he wished for just a little special something to happen. People might think of it as imprudent, but it was every boy’s wish to taste a little bit of a thrill.

“Oh well.”

Just like yesterday, he would arrive at class and chat with his classmates about nothing important at all.

About the only thing changed from before was that he started seeing these strange dreams—

So he thought and started walking when it happened.

Just like his father said often, Taiki was normally absentminded.

Therefore, he ended up being overly startled by the person suddenly blocking his sight.

“—Mister Taiki?”

It was a tall foreigner. His short blond hair was waxed and he looked like an amiable young man. His worn-out suit and leather shoes created a mismatch with his young age.

“…?”

Taiki felt his entire body grow tense at this unusual happening.

Taiki had never talked to a foreigner. He was confused and unsure to how even respond.

“I apologize for suddenly calling out to you.”

A woman standing next to the foreigner spoke.

No, rather than a woman, it might be more precise to call her a girl. She looked to be around Taiki’s age. However, since her slim body was wrapped in a suit and she spoke politely, she looked more adult.

“This is Mister John Mash. He is an American journalist.”

While the woman explained this, the youth called John put out his hand to Taiki.

Taiki awkwardly shook it back.

The suited girl did not seek a handshake. Pushing away her diagonally-cut bangs with a finger, she made a Japanese-style bow.

“I am his interpreter slash assistant, Ikarino Kirari. —Nice to meet you.”

She was a calm beauty. She might actually be older than his estimations.

As Taiki just stood there like a statue, John started speaking at length about something in English.

“Eh…? Err—”

In the end, the voice coming out of his mouth sounded this pathetic.

“What’s going on, big brother?”

As Taiki got around, he saw his little sister, apparently having arrived there in a delay, standing there with a puzzled expression.

“I-I don’t really understand it either—”

“Mister Mash wishes to interview you, Taiki-san.”

Both Taiki and Noa were surprised at the interpreter girl’s words.

“Interview?”

“To be more precise, this is about your cousin.”

As Taiki furrowed his brows, John and Kirari glared at him.

“That person’s name is—”

She stared at his face as if to gauge his reaction—

“Kusuriya Daisuke.”

The girl called Ikarino Kirari spoke clearly.

“Also—has anything changed at all around you?”

Being asked this by an exceptionally powerful tone of voice, what came to Taiki’s mind was—

The dreams he started seeing every night.

As well as the dream he had that very night, about that overly powerful Mushitsuki.

That man’s fight was as fierce as a sea of flames—

== 2.01 Harukiyo Part 1 ==

Harukiyo took in that nostalgic smell.

“This is—what you’d call a coup d’etat.”

It started at the very moment Haji Keigo said this and turned the flag of revolution against the government.

There was the unpleasant smell of flesh and blood burning. Harukiyo had the feeling that this scent clung to him ever since he was born.

What one might call the scent of hell.

“—Time to go.”

Harukiyo spat, his voice mixed with a sigh.

The domed facility, serving at the Mushitsuki’s temporary headquarters, was now filled with hustle and bustle. Following Haji Keigo’s announcement of a coup d’etat, Lady Bird’s appearance caused the confusion to reach its peak.

“You really plan on letting that woman go free?”

Said Kusezaki Ume, his long-time companion. The boy clad in an androgynous-looking sailor uniform was looking toward the still-smiling Miguruma Yaeko.

“How many years has she been toying with the Librarian and the Custodian for? I gotta wrack up my brains to think of the proper punishment for her.”

“Let’s ask everyone for ideas on torture! I believe you’re going to use mine, though.”

As Ume spoke excitedly, a large mirror bug appeared at his back. The mirror surface on the insect’s back reflected Harukiyo and his comrades.

Harukiyo looked to the side, speaking to Kasuou who was carrying Sleeping Beauty.

“Give her a message from me once she wakes up, Kasuou.”

“Ah?”

“Look—this world is the continuation of your failed dream.”

Hearing this, Kasuou and the girls called Nene and Tamamo all turned harsh eyes to him.

“You can also tell her that she has to pay for it sooner or later. She and Kakkou never even noticed how dangerous C was. They shoulda let her participate in the night of the meteor shower—and kill her.”

They all became speechless, hearing his words. However, Kasuou soon spoke back to him.

“Why’re you even bringing that up in that stage? You’ve lost your edge, too.”

“I’m just stubborn. You know that, right?”

The moment after Harukiyo asserted this, the scenery visible to his eyes changed completely.

It was the townscape of Akamaki City spread out, with a side gale blowing.

Harukiyo was standing atop the very summit of the dome’s ceiling.

He was instantly transported to the rooftop like that through the use of Kusezaki Ume’s mirror bug. Since he could control multiple mirror bugs, Ume was able to take a person’s reflections and reflect them from one mirror bug to another, thus transporting them to different location.

Standing next to Harukiyo were his several companions, including Ume and Haruka.

“So what are we going to do now, Harukiyo?”

The youth with a scraggly beard asked while stretching. Harukiyo’s friend, alias Santa Claus, was a another powerful Mushitsuki.

“Nothing. Playtime’s over.”

“Really? Really? What on earth have you been trying to do, Harukiyo? …Uh, my wounds feel like they’re opening again. I have to rub in more medicine.”

The girl with a pointy hat started rubbing some suspicious medicine on her own stomach. Her alias was the Witch.

“Nothin’ much. I just wanted Sleeping Beauty to wake up and crush me like a bug.”

“Ooh, so hentai…!”

The blond woman—aka Maria—started panting for some reason, sounding excited.

“And that’s why you’ve been looking for her for more than two years…? Hardcore…”

Sakaki Haruka, who wore the kind of clothes classified as Gothic Lolita, mumbled to herself.

At that moment, the dome shook violently.

Along with a roar, dust blew from the edge of his vision.

He wondered if a missile exploded or something, but that wasn’t it. Apparently, some impact broke through the dome’s walls. He could see the Mushitsuki all busting out of the dome within the screen of dust.

“Oh, so it’s over? Then I’ll be heading back home. I got to enjoy the rate sight of seeing Harukiyo almost dying, after all.”

“Right, right. We also almost died, but that always happens. I gotta go back and watch the anime I was recording.”

“I is sleepy…”

Even among Harukiyo’s acquaintances, they were especially powerful Mushitsuki. They were never threatened by anyone; a gathering of people who were as free as they were peculiar.

They were all going to scatter as casually as after going to late-night karaoke, and Harukiyo didn’t have the right to stop them. Nor a reason for doing so.

“Eh, we’re leaving already? But it still looks fun. It’s a war out there!”

Only Ume seemed displeased at this. Apparently he hadn’t played enough.

“I get the shivers, working with groups of people numbering more than two digits. I might vomit.”

“No can do, no can do. You’re calling it a war, but isn’t it a witch hunt? I have enough of people beating me after I try to get close in class. Ah, I hope the world gets destroyed so I get a vacation from school…”

“War bad! Love & peace!”

Ume pouted at their friends’ cold behavior.

“Then at least leave a little of your powers for Haruka! Maria-san’s sensing ability and Witch-san’s medicine and fortune-telling are useful. We don’t need you, Santa Claus, so you can go.”

“Hey! What the hell? Am I not actually the most useful? Well, I am not going to reveal my hand even if you ask me to, though.”

“No! Fakkyu!”

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll give you my remaining medicine, so please let me go.”

Complete rejecting Ume, the three friends ended up leaving. And in a ridiculous manner, too; the Witch pulled out a broom from somewhere and the three of them rode it into the sky.

“Can this not go any faster?” “Lessgo!” “Can’t you fly with your own powers, Maria…?” These voices grew further and further away in the skies of Akamaki City.

“Aw, they’re gone. Is that fine with you, Harukiyo?”

“Huh? What is?”

“Shouldn’t we make them help us in defeating C? Or are we really finishing here now?”

After being asked this by Ume, Harukiyo sat down on the spot.

“What’s defeating C has to do with me in the first place? I only wanted to settle the score with Arisu.”

“And yet you’ve let even Arisu-san get away.”

“I’ve done it all properly, so it’s fine. She came to kill me without any hesitation, without a goal and while using her full powers. Sure, she might’ve been sleepwalking, but that’s fine. She told me two years ago she’d do it, and she finally did. We’re even now.”

“…”

“And since I’ve survived—it just means I’ve won again.”

Under his eyes, a fierce fight was unfolding.

The revived Lady Bird served as rear guard, trying to let as many Mushitsuki escape as possible.

“You don’t look very happy about your victory, though.”

“Ah, it’s just that once I think about having to look for the next… ‘disaster’, I feel kinda down.”

Those were his real feelings.

He’d never been able to get used to that—the absurd disappointment and everything feeling so meaningless. Even though he’d experienced those countless time to this point.

“I don’t really get it… but your dream sure is a bother, Harukiyo.”

Harukiyo’s dream, mentioned by Ume.

There was one, single time he’d ever spoken about it out loud. Even he thought it was a bothersome dream, and in fact, the person who heard about it—Arisu—was shocked.

No, that was wrong.

Once she heard Harukiyo’s idiotic dream, Arisu—had cried.

She never revealed the reason for her tears.

“I’m seriously sick of this…”

Recalling this silly moment, Harukiyo clicked his tongue.

An abnormal scene spread overhead.

A gigantic shrine appeared from between the clouds.

“…Ah… something’s coming…”

The moment Haruka muttered this, Harukiyo glared at the shrine floating in the sky.

A red-hot heatwave was emitted around Harukiyo. It scattered the abnormal presence that approached as though to engulf them.

“Did C try a mental attack just now? Is this Shinpu’s ability gained by absorbing him?”

“If she’s just attackin’ randomly, I don’t feel like playing along. Welp, that woman down there will surely take care of it.”

As the displeased Harukiyo spat this, Ume turned to look at him with a puzzled face.

“Say, Harukiyo. You want to fight powerful opponents, right? Isn’t C ideal for that, then? I do have some interest in this fight against C.”

“I don’t feel really excited about this… sure, strength-wise it fits, though. But I don’t think there’s any way for me to beat this alone.”

His answer was apparently unexpected. Ume looked surprised.

“Oh, so you are interested.”

“Not while working together with that lot down there, though. All the more if I fight seriously.”

“Although you can’t win alone… you won’t join forces with them…?”

Haruka also tilted her head. Harukiyo spoke calmly.

“No matter how you look at it—it’s a losing battle.”

Overhead, the shrine kept emitting a divine glow.

Having thought about ending all of this already, Harukiyo was now even angrier.

“Kakkou’s gone. Fuyuhotaru’s also missing. Dunno if they’ll be able to use Arisu. Their final hope’s that fake Lady Bird. There might be like maybe five or six other usable people? They’re just gonna get in my way if I join up with them.”

He could see a seven-spotted ladybug flying to the sky.

Along with an impact, the giant shrine was finally eliminated.

“Lady-san sure is strong. —Oh, but look.”

Ume, who was watching over the state of the battle, saw how things went on the surface and wore a bitter smile.

“Looks like she’s acting on her own. I guess she wants to help all those weaklings escape? She sure hasn’t changed a bit…”

“If she’s still the same even after getting revived, there’s really no savin’ her. She’s just gonna carry everything on her own, not rely on anyone and die along with all those weaklings.”

Harukiyo also knew a little about the Rank 1 called Lady Bird.

Most likely, this goddess bravely fighting for the sake of others was going to embrace that pure spirit of hers and die with her people again. Her remaining believers were going to then idolize her, praying for her to get revived again.

“Meaning, there’s no way for us to defeat C at this point. Picking up a fight against someone you can’t win against is plain suicide.”

While watching over Lady Bird and others who ran on the surface, he spat.

“I wanna live. For that sake—I’m goin’ around crushing all the ‘disasters’ that have the potential to kill me.”

Both looking resigned, Ume and Haruka exchanged glances.

“So, we’re heading back?”

“…Let’s leave…”

“Yeah. —First, though, there is a little something that’s been on my mind for a while now.”

Harukiyo rose up and looked at Ume.

To be more precise, he glared at the person standing between Ume and his mirror bug.

“Who the fuck are you?”

A business suit-wearing woman stood there completely still. She was a beauty who looked to be in her mid-twenties, but for some reason she hugged a teddy bear to her chest.

Ume and Haruka both turned to look at this suited beauty with a startled face.

“Eh! Harukiyo also saw her? She just went and jumped into my Mushi when we were moving and it did seem like she came with us… but since everyone just ignored her, I assumed I was hallucinating her!”

“…So she wasn’t a ghost… what a letdown…”

Having come up from the surface up to the top of the dome wasn’t just Harukiyo and his companions.

Yet another unrelated person had been there from the start.

“I do apologize for disappointing you. I am a live person, and I serve as the secretary to the Chairman of the Akasegawa Group, Miss Akasegawa Nanana.”

After she smoothly introduced herself, the woman made the teddy bear bow its head.

“And he is Septem Punctata-kun.”

“What business does the secretary of Akasegawa Nanana and her teddy bear have with us?”

Harukiyo didn’t care about the woman’s eccentricity. He was used to weird people.

“Harukiyo-sama. Chairman Akasegawa would like to offer you a job.”

Saying this, the woman introducing herself as a secretary spoke.

“Please secure a certain object and deliver it to a certain place.”

== 2.02 Harukiyo Part 2 ==

It was easy for Harukiyo to summarize his life.

''Everyone died except for me—

This sentence was all it took.

Each and every time, Harukiyo was assaulted by accidents and misfortune. And every time the people related to him were drawn into them and died. No matter how much Harukiyo tried saving them, it was useless.

Harukiyo called those events “disasters”.

His life was beaten down by these “disasters”, yet existed to celebrate this world.

Therefore, even him becoming a Mushitsuki was just par for the course. As he gained power in order to surpass even stronger “disasters”, he became stronger and enjoyed life even more.

Meaning, he didn’t have the slightest interest in the fights between Mushitsuki.

Although it just so happened that he got involved with Sleeping Beauty, he didn’t care about Mushi and Mushitsuki.

Even so, for some reason—

“Please secure a certain object and deliver it to a certain place.”

The woman introducing herself as Akasegawa Nanana’s secretary who was holding a teddy bear said this.

Although he had no interest in Mushitsuki, their secrets constantly came to him—

This seemed to be his fate.

Sometimes it was due to meeting up with key people by coincidence.

Sometimes it was information brought in by his friends, who were all weird but powerful.

Sometimes it was through cooperating with the SEPB in his search for Sleeping Beauty.

Harukiyo knew plenty of secrets about Mushitsuki. However, just because he knew about them it didn’t mean he was going to do something about it.

Why was it?

Until now—he’d been unable to find the reason.

“I would like to entrust you with securing of the primal Mushitsuki, Alpha, as well as his transport to a safe location.”

On top of the windy dome’s rooftop, the secretary spoke.

Alpha—

Harukiyo knew about his existence.

It was a product owned by Akasegawa Nanana that even the organization known as the Kanon Cult had once snatched away.

Akasegawa Nanana was a millionaire who served as the Chairman of the conglomerate called the Akasegawa Group. Since the period when she fought against the Round Table, the secret club serving as an authority in the business world, overlapped with the period she obtained Alpha—he had to imagine that Alpha’s origins were tied to the Round Table.

Harukiyo didn’t know as far as Alpha’s identity.

It didn’t interest him.

“This happened during the execution of Operation 3. C—not the one who became a Super Class Rank 1, but her original personality of Horiuchi Erii, tried using herself to eliminate Alpha.”

The secretary explained this dispassionately.

“Although the attempt had been just barely stopped, it later took our utmost efforts to keep him inside a vehicle equipped with a life-support system… and we were unable to move him from a certain place. Since the Mushibane and SEPB Mushitsuki who protected it also made a desperate retreat, they did not have the time to recover Alpha.”

Harukiyo and Ume exchanged glances. Haruka hurriedly lay down on the roof, sleeping.

“Akasegawa has invested a hefty sum into Alpha till now. We do not know why C would want to erase Alpha, but if C targets him again—we must do something to protect him. Because we have yet to make any profit out of Alpha.”

“…”

“Currently, Alpha is kept isolated to hide him from C, but the battery powering the life-support system will not hold out for long. We must move him to adequately furnished facilities as quickly as possible. As for the fighting forces required to do so… Akasegawa has judged you to be the only one capable of this, Harukiyo-sama.”

Ume, who until now remained silent and listened to the conversation, stepped in front of the secretary.

“Say, miss. Who’s Alpha?”

For a moment, she was silent at this question that struck at the very core.

“…I cannot give any further details other than saying he the first Mushitsuki who appeared in the world.”

“Ho. Is it really that important?”

“It could become a huge clue regarding what Mushi are. And as I have explained just now, since Horiuchi Erii had been willing to erase him even at the price of her life, we can reason out that he is hiding another important secret.”

“If he’s a clue, why not ask this Alpha guy? Like, ‘who are you, man?’”

“Alpha is in a constant loop of sleep and awakening. Also, he is missing parts of his body, making him weak, so he can’t withstand forceful awakening or questioning induced by medicine…”

“What do we have to gain from helping that Alpha guy?”

“We will pay you a suitable sum. Other than cash, we can even supply you hard-to-get items and the like after consultation.”

“Money, huh. But this country’s money’s about to go bust anyway, right? With how things are.”

“If you wish for it, we can pay with other country’s money. As long as the rich do not vanish from this world, the human called Akasegawa Nanana will never lose her funds again.”

“Wow, so confident. Hey, Harukiyo, this lady says she’ll give us money.”

“Wake up, Haruka. We’re going.”

Harukiyo held up Haruka with one hand, shaking her. He ignored the secretary right from about the middle, and Haruka didn’t wake up even after being shaken.

“Sorry. I don’t hate money, but I’m not feelin’ like it right now. This sorta thing happens, right? Times like when you really want ramen but can only find curry restaurants.”

“…There is something else we can supply to you.”

The secretary said. Although Akasegawa Nanana was an upstart who had nothing but money in her mind, she apparently didn’t actually think Harukiyo would be tempted by money.

“We will hold back nothing in support for the securing and subsequent full awakening of Sleeping Beauty.”

Harukiyo and the others froze in place.

It was an unexpected proposal in many different senses. Harukiyo spoke.

“Unless I’m mistaken, that woman’s also rich. Akasegawa doesn’t really need to butt in.”

“No, we are the only ones capable of that.”

The secretary spoke clearly.

“Before Sleeping Beauty went to sleep, she was on the cusp of Maturation. Some years passed since then and she seems to have physically grown, but… it’s impossible to estimate the rate of mental growth. Although she woke up, the possibility for her to Mature again is nonnegligible. Am I wrong?”

Harukiyo gave no answer.

“While retreating from Operation 3, Akasegawa Nanana had thought up several plans for our Group. Among them, the contract with the boy called Shiohara Shachito was included.”

“Shiohara Shachito? You know him, Harukiyo?”

“Nope.”

“He was the last disciple of the girl called Shishidou Inuko. When she was alive, she operated as a Mushitsuki in the SEPB under the codename Asagi, as an instructor.”

“Oh, I do know Wanko. When I lost against the Librarian in cards I had to go confess to her as a penalty game; it was my first time meeting her.”

“Oh, so that’s why you came back half-dead and in tears.”

“Asagi excels at analyzing the characteristics of Mushitsuki. Not only did she write manuals for retraining Mushitsuki as combatants, she analyzed the existing workforce and even tried giving suitable training for each and every member. —There’s the possibility that her last disciple Shiohara Shachito inherited something of her expertise.”

“Meaning, you’d let that brat train Arisu?”

Now realizing that she was trying to say this was an errand from Akasegawa Nanana, Harukiyo grinned.

“Train her—to stop any further Maturation.”

The secretary made a small nod.

“All the other Rank 1s like Kakkou, Fuyuhotaru and even that beautiful and perfect Rina-sama all rampaged shortly after becoming Mushitsuki. As long as one didn’t have a formidable mental strength from the very start, the power of a Rank 1 is too strong. However, after this they underwent training, gained experience and stabilized. And if you say that Sleeping Beauty has no time to gain experience—”

“Then you can just train her, you say.”

“Indeed.”

As expected from the shrewd Akasegawa Nanana. She knew what Operation 2 was about and was even convinced that Harukiyo’s goal was in Sleeping Beauty. And she hurried up to sit at the negotiation table.

Harukiyo had no complaints about this payment.

However—that was only if he hadn’t already fought Sleeping Beauty.

“Welp, sorry, miss. His business with Sleeping Beauty is actually done already.”

Ume spoke Harukiyo’s feelings for him.

“That’s too bad. It would’ve been great if Harukiyo hadn’t fought her yet.”

“Nah, Akasegawa’s offer wasn’t going to cut it in the first place.”

Harukiyo said.

“That woman was going to save Sleeping Beauty even without asking me, after all. —I know enough to at least say that even that miser wouldn’t support Sleeping Beauty just to gain money.”

The secretary might not have known this, but Harukiyo did.

Akasegawa Nanana had once cooperated with Sleeping Beauty. Their relationship was established not only based on the binary of profit and loss, but on Nanana’s personal feelings as well.

“No, Akasegawa Nanana will not help Sleeping Beauty.”

However, the secretary denied Harukiyo’s words.

“Besides, Harukiyo-sama—if you yourself claim your business is finished, why have you carried Sleeping Beauty all the way here?”

Apparently this stubborn negotiator wasn’t about to back down just yet.

Until now apathetic to it all, Harukiyo felt a small anger budding inside him.

“We finally fought and I settled things my way. I got even with her. After that, I settled things with Haji Keigo. Thanks to the liar that man sent me I was able to fight Sleeping Beauty without any interferences.”

The secretary looked back into Harukiyo’s eyes.

“Is that really the only reason?”

“You’re lookin’ kinda angry, what’re you tryna say?”

“If it’s just a Mushitsuki on a rampage, is it any different from a small fry undergoing Maturation? Has what you have been looking for been really nothing other than this sort of haphazard disaster?”

“Disaster”.

Flames lit up in Harukiyo’s eyes upon hearing that word. The surrounding air immediately started sizzling.

“Yeah. It’s just that. I wanted to beat the ‘disaster’.”

“Is that so? If you will allow me to borrow your own words, it also seemed to me like you were looking for Sleeping Beauty for reasons other than profit and loss, just like Akasegawa Nanana.”

“…”

“After all, if you were merely looking for ‘disasters’, you would have had plenty of chances until then. Fuyuhotaru’s birth, Lady Bird’s Maturation, as well as countless others, I’m sure. However, the one who stood against all those was Kakkou and not you.”

“…”

“You being so obsessed about looking for Sleeping Beauty wasn’t because just of her power as Mushitsuki… wasn’t it because you were waiting for her to wake up and give meaning to another kind of strength?”

As the secretary spoke emotionlessly, her bangs caught on fire.

“That’s creepy. Don’t start analyzing people with that know-it-all face.”

“This is no analysis. Akasegawa Nanana is determined. Sleeping Beauty might even be called her first friend—but she won’t save her.”

The secretary’s eyebrows, collar, and frill of her suit all started catching fire.

“Sleeping Beauty promised she’d win and sought Akasegawa Nanana’s assistance for the night of the meteor shower. However, as you’re fully aware—it ended up a loss. Akasegawa Nanana was definitely displeased to lose the one she invested into. That is her determination, and her way to finish things with the contract and promise.”

“…What a horrible human being. She doesn’t have any value as a friend.”

“In order to keep being Sleeping Beauty’s friend—Akasegawa Nanana needs to keep being Akasegawa Nanana.”

Harukiyo sneered.

''I see, so that’s the real reward Akasegawa Nanana’s offering.

She was declaring that she would not save Sleeping Beauty.

Saying it was up to Harukiyo whether she’d save her or not wasn’t a deal, but actually a threat.

She used even her friends for a hostage deal—

That brazen, upstart girl really was in her element.

“Meaning that if I don’t help, Arisu’s fated to die from Maturation.”

“Haji Keigo will definitely use her and throw her away. I heard he’s that kind of person. Now that the SEPB has been disbanded, the only place that can train her is the group with access to Shiohara Shachito. And the one holding the decision on whether it will happen or not—is you, Harukiyo-sama.”

“…”

“What? Are you still expecting Arisu-san to do something, Harukiyo?”

His arm pulled by Ume, Harukiyo’s expression crumbled.

The fire engulfing the secretary vanished like a dream.

“No—I’m not interested.”

No matter what she told him, Harukiyo completed his goal.

''—I believe… that his strength holds meaning.

How nostalgic.

That woman’s words that he already forgot passed through his mind.

“Right, if that Alpha’s a beautiful girl I might get excited!”

Ume spoke with a full smile, but the secretary shook her head.

“…He is a young man. Appearance-wise, at least.”

“Bummer. Let’s go.”

His back pushed by Ume, Harukiyo spun around.

He held no interest at all in Mushitsuki or the battles surrounding them. It simply came along with the other things he was pursuing.

It was the same with Sleeping Beauty.

The “disaster” that Harukiyo had attempted to make a preemptive attack on just so happened to be Mushitsuki. It just so happened she was an idiot who wished to save Mushitsuki.

“What a foolish man…”

Perhaps trying a sob story as her very last resort, the secretary’s words continued.

“He is already quite weakened… Even when he wakes up from time to time, he just says ‘let me sleep again’…”

“…”

He’d already settled matters with Sleeping Beauty after searching for her for so long.

This would also be his last time to get involved with the fights of Mushitsuki.

Harukiyo thought so and was about to leave all trouble behind, but—

''Twitch.

His shoulders shook and he stopped on the spot.

Ume and the sleepy-eyed Haruka witnessed his expression, gasped and paled.

“He constantly groans, ‘just kill me already’…”

“—Where is he right now?”

Harukiyo inquired, not even turning around.

“Eh?”

He felt that the secretary, who was on the verge of giving up, was shaken by this.

“You’d better tell me quickly, lady. Otherwise I’ll burn ya.”

Stiff-faced Ume and Haruka hurriedly distanced themselves from Harukiyo.

“A-Alpha is currently at—”

The secretary gave Alpha’s location.

After this, Harukiyo made no attempt to restrain the impulse rising inside him.

His body engulfed by flames, he became a fireball and got down to the surface. He blew away the armored cars still loitering around and flew toward Akamaki City.

While riding the heatwave created by his ability, at times leaping over the roofs of buildings, knocking down power poles—and from time to time also blowing away the small fries known as the Revived—he advanced toward his destination in a straight line.

And several minutes later, he reached the suburbs of Akamaki City.

It was a warehouse district with a garage for freight trains.

Passing through the area filled with many containers, he came standing in front of a certain warehouse. Even the thick door of entry instantly melted by Harukiyo reaching to it.

“—!”

He soon heard many voices.

Several semi-trailers were parked inside the warehouse. Surrounding them were men holding violent firearms. They were probably mercenaries hired by Akasegawa Nanana.

“Eat shit.”

Blown away by Harukiyo’s heatwaves, the men all lost consciousness.

“Lemme say this first. —I’m not here to save you, so don’t get your hopes up. I just gotta say somethin’ to those who get on my nerves to get some peace of mind.”

Melting the semi-trailer’s cargo door, Harukiyo hopped inside.

The insides were a gate to a different world with sprawling, haphazard tubes and electron tubes. In the very center was a rectangular pool shaped like a bathtub—or perhaps a coffin.

A young man was sleeping inside this pool full of liquid.

“I just hate suicidal people like you to death.”

Being touched by the heat produced by Harukiyo, a cloud of steam rose from the water surface.

“Bastards like you suck up all the air for people like me who wanna do our best to live, eh?”

The primal Mushitsuki, Alpha, as well as the flame devil Harukiyo—

That was how this pair met.

== 2.03 Harukiyo Part 3 ==

Harukiyo grabbed Alpha from inside the pool. He tore off the mask covering the youth’s face.

“Explain it to me so I can understand.”

He glared at the man’s face that was as pale as a wax doll’s from up close.

“You wanna get killed, right? Why you think so? Is there someone preventing you from living? Got a short lifespan or somethin’? So you need to kick your enemy’s asses to extend your life, right? But you want someone to kill you?”

After being yelled at from up close, Alpha opened his eyes thinly. Leaking a weak sigh, he moved his line of sight.

“Where’s… the girl…?”

“A girl? You blind or something? I’m the only one here. We’re alone.”

“She said… she’s like me… if she’s gone—”

Apparently Alpha’s life was leaking away with every soft yet long sigh of Alpha’s.

“I won’t talk anymore… let me sleep… that’s enough…”

“…”

It happened just as Harukiyo narrowed his burning eyes.

“He refers to Fuyuhotaru.”

He could hear a woman’s voice from outside the semi-trailer.

Another Harukiyo appeared there, carrying both Kusezaki Ume as well as Akasegawa Nanana’s secretary under his arms. After letting both get down, Harukiyo’s imitation melted to unveil Sakaki Haruka.

“Akasegawa Nanana was the one who bought him, but it was Fuyuhotaru who woke him up. He’d apparently been having some sort of sympathetic bond with her since then.”

“I don’t fucking care.”

Harukiyo spat, turning back to Alpha.

“I really don’t like you, bastard… you’re somewhat similar to those Original Three assholes. Since they’re self-aware about all sorta things they’re better, though.”

As Harukiyo spat this, he could sense some sort of nasty presence.

“Harukiyo! This is bad, this—”

Golden electrical discharge suddenly appeared at the ceiling. It took the shape of small C-butterflies that started fluttering around the warehouse.

“C found—”

Before Ume could finish his words, the air inside the warehouse changed.

The atmospheric pressure lowered as if the air itself was choked, and in the next moment there was an explosive roar and a gale.

“I’m currently busy—having fun talking with this son of a bitch.”

Harukiyo and Alpha’s hair was fanned by the wind.

In a position visible from the cargo, Ume, Haruka and the secretary looked around them, stunned.

Except for the semi-trailer Harukiyo and others were inside of, everything around them was turned to barren, flat ground. Everything around them simmered, with only the area where the collapsed mercenaries lay escaping the effects of the heatwave.

“You can’t go and blow up the entire warehouse just because you’re annoyed…”

Hearing Ume’s groan behind him, Harukiyo looked down coldly at Alpha.

“—Did C target me just now? Or were you the target? Well, at the very least it looks like there’re many people who’ll target you, so it’s got nothing to do with me.”

Alpha gave no answer. His slightly open eyes were listless and directed at Harukiyo’s chest.

“So many people target you, gang up on you and thoroughly bully you, eh? That wouldn’t happen unless you’re quite the bad guy, right? Have you killed hundreds of people? Or maybe you used some dirty means to squeeze money outta people? Or maybe you played with the hearts of innocent girls or trampled the dignity of weaklings and treated them like trash?”

Alpha gave no answer.

“You get what I’m saying, right? If a bastard like you feels anguished and tired and all—it’s a sort of punishment. You wouldn’t suffer so much if it wasn’t a punishment, right?”

“…”

“So you wouldn’t go all like… ‘I did nothing wrong, they just came up and started abusing me for no reason’ at this stage, right?”

Alpha finally closed his eyes.

“And if you still insist you did nothing—then your life itself is a sin.”

Harukiyo kept hurling abuse at him.

“Have you no shame, then, to be using all this machinery to keep living if it’s a sin? You’re causing so much trouble to people and you’re not even aware of it. You goddamn sinner, you shoulda died long ago. Aren’t you ashamed to still be alive?”

“…”

“Just so you know, it’s the worst of the worst criminals who don’t even know what they’ve done and yet look all like ‘I’m innocent, they are all just trying to kill me’, while you’re just chilling here, causing trouble for other people and trying to get punished for it. How much of a fucking coward are you?”

Alpha was speechless.

However—there was the smallest wrinkle formed in his brows.

“Oh? You mad? Am I being a bother? You’ve got some cheek, looking so uncomfortable at that. You wanna get killed, right? So isn’t me whispering some abuse to your ears a rather cute punishment, in comparison? Those who are content getting punished don’t resist, right? I won’t allow you talkin’ back to me, either. You’re spoiling the mood of all of us who wanna live, you living trashcan.”

Looking at the devices installed on the walls, the secretary warned Harukiyo.

“Alpha’s heartrate is rising. He is an important witness. He’s an irreplaceable person for Mushitsuki. Treating him so violently is—”

“Witness? I don’t give a fuck, I don’t need to ask him anything. —You said you’re a secretary, right? Just get behind the wheel and drive already.”

“Drive?” she asked with a tilted head.

Ume and Haruka came to the semi-trailer’s cargo.

“Uwah… Alpha-san, was it? Since Harukiyo loathes suicidal guys, he’s got his eyes on you. It’s way too early to find the next Sleeping Beauty.”

“…And now he’ll definitely not stop until you say ‘please, just let me live’…”

Golden electric discharges started forming around them again.

Understanding the situation, the secretary headed to the driver’s seat along with her teddy bear.

“I do not have license for large vehicles, though…”

“You can just pay a fine later, right?”

“…Just ignore it…”

“If you wanna die, you’re not gonna complain about whatever way you die, right? If you say you wanna get punished, keep cursing me till you run out of breath. Just as a mood cleanser.”

The large semi-trailer holding Alpha suddenly went in reverse.

Ume and Haruka rolled and bumped their head against the walls, but Harukiyo never let go of Alpha.

“If you say you wanna get punished, you gotta acknowledge your own sin, right? I’m not having a loser like you retort, and I don’t wanna hear any testimony comin’ from that dirty mouth of yours.”

Slapping Alpha’s mask back on his face, Harukiyo pushed his head into coffin-like bed again.

“Those pushing their sins on you aren’t gonna listen to you either, anyway.”

Changing directions, the semi-trailer flew out of the warehouse area.

“Therefore, your own means of resistance—are to keep living.”

Harukiyo felt like Alpha’s head twitched under his hand.

At the same time, the semi-trailer made a sudden brake, stopping in place.

“If you’re going to abandon even that and get punished, that’s quite the great sin in itself, right? Now I’m finally interested. I’m gonna watch your sin with my very own eyes and decide. I’ll be like Yama-sama down there in hell and give you my judgment. Don’t dare dream of an easy death if it ends up being something half-assed, though.”

The semi-trailer’s ceiling above Harukiyo’s head glowed dark red. The inner part was blown away as though from an explosion, opening up a circular hole.

He wrapped himself in heat and leapt. Landing on the semi-trailer’s roof, he scratched his chin.

The warehouse was being surrounded by multitudes of Revived.

“Hey, you bastards. You’re aimin’ for me? Or is for this living corpse?”

Harukiyo’s emitted heatwave instantly mowed down everything around. Containers and empty vehicles were all blown away, rails included, and the Revived were thrown backwards.

“Step on it, teddy bear lady. I dunno where to, though.”

He tapped the ceiling.

“I hit an idea on how to check this guy’s sin. And until then—I’ll keep him alive.”

The semi-trailer accelerated abruptly.

As they rushed out of the warehouse area and into the city proper, they came to a large road. There were some armored vehicles blocking the road, but Harukiyo just waved his hands to make these heavy cars flip over and clear the path.

Apparently, the secretary’s destination was distant. Passing through a great junction, the semi-trailer entered the highway connecting Akamaki City to other towns.

The semi-trailer broke through the toll gate’s bars.

As it rushed full speed on the empty highway, golden lights were formed around it.

They were countless C-butterflies. —Since Harukiyo weren’t running away or hiding, C wasn’t going to lose them.

The C-butterflies gathered in one spot and slid right beneath the semi-trailer.

“Haha!”

Harukiyo wrapped his body with a red fireball. Throwing himself midair, he grabbed the semi-trailer’s roof.

By Harukiyo yielding himself to the heatwave that struck from the side, he forced the semi-trailer to drift.

The next moment, huge lightning rose from below the semi-trailer.

Sliding on its side, the cargo box only just narrowly avoided direct impact.

“Fighting me from afar like that without showing yourself means you’re lookin’ down on me, C?!”

Following this, the second then third strike assaulted the trailer.

However, Harukiyo shook the vehicle to the side, avoiding each one.

“B-bleeeeh…! Harukiyo, is there no other way? I’m gonna hurl…!”

“…I hit my head and nose…”

He heard complaints from the cargo area, but didn’t let it bother him.

A barricade of armed vehicles and Revived blocked the path. However, the heatwave Harukiyo unleashed blew them away, opening the road again.

“That’s just not cutting it! Gimme your best shot, C! Since you’ve absorbed that disgusting Shinpu, there’s gotta be a better game you can play!”

The lightning stopped.

On the road ahead a human figure glowing in gold appeared on top of the noise barrier.

A young girl with a tiara on her head and cloak on her shoulders—C.

However, this wasn’t her real body. Her silhouette warped, the girl exchanged glances with Harukiyo as he passed by her.

“I must purge the Ark—”

C’s voice reached Harukiyo’s ears.

Another C appeared ahead.

“From the old generation of Mushitsuki—”

Not moving her mouth, C glared at Harukiyo as he passed.

“The Deluge will wash away all past Mushitsuki—”

Three Cs appeared and vanished behind Harukiyo’s semi-trailer while staring at him.

“And then I will release the Dove…”

While watching off the vanishing C, Harukiyo sneered.

“I don’t really get it—but I see now, so that’s the next ‘disaster’.”

Standing atop the cargo, Harukiyo calmly let the wind hit him.

“I’m not gonna die, though. Not even Sleeping Beauty managed to kill me.”

All lightning attacks stopped, and when C vanished—the overhead sky underwent a change.

A sublime radiance peeked from between the clouds, and something large was trying to show itself.

“Me or that suicidal guy below me… I dunno which of us this ‘disaster’ is meant for, but don’t lump us together. Unlike that guy, I’ll keep on living at any cost.”

A pure bell’s sound echoed on the highway.

A sweet sensation of drunkenness encroached his mind.

“Right, that’s the one.”

Smiling, he leapt inside the semi-trailer.

Ume and Haruka were collapsed on the floor. They were apparently downed rather quickly by C’s mental attack. They’d probably wake up on their own before long.

Forcing his increasingly heavier body to move, Harukiyo grabbed Alpha.

He raised the youth’s head from inside the tub once again.

“—I’ll never agree to this. As long as I’m alive, the fact of my life is no sin.”

Alpha frowned, opening narrow eyes.

“You’re formally invited, suicidal guy. I’m gonna show you the difference between us.”

He was purposely letting the bell noises affect him at this stage.

He grabbed Alpha’s head tightly. So he could take the suicidal guy in front of his eyes along for the ride.

“Once you’re on my level, you can even hijack a mental attack and take it over.”

Spitting this at his fellow sinner, the flame devil—

“Probably, anyway.”

Let C’s mental attack take over his body.

== 2.04 Harukiyo Part 4 ==

Hot.

Suffocating.

Painful.

These were the feelings that came to be experienced during the birth of the one called Harukiyo.

“Haa… Haa…”

Painful breathing sounds and horrible shaking transmitted a sense of fear to him, engulfing him.

He heard that there were people who possessed memories from right after their birth.

Harukiyo was probably one of them.

The first person he ever knew wasn’t his own mother.

“…L-lower your heads and head to the emergency stairs!”

She was a middle-aged nurse holding the newborn Harukiyo. Her hair was disheveled and her face was dirtied with soot and sweat, but her arms made him feel both warmth and strength.

“T-there’s a sign on the wall that leads to the emergency stairs, so follow that…!”

The nurse was shouting that toward the wall of fire.

This was something he’d investigated later, but the hospital Harukiyo was born in had been burnt down due to a fire of an unknown cause. It went up in flames just as he was born, and coupled with the fact that the fire-extinguishing equipment also malfunctioned, it apparently turned into a huge incident with many victims.

“Cough! Cough! Quickly, evacuate…!”

From the other side of the fire came another scream. The nurse warned them, and yet she herself was late to escape with Harukiyo in her arms.

The nurse went back to the corridor with the fire at her back. Weaving through the black smoke, she arrived at the stairs—

“Ugh…!”

Flames had already reached all the way to the regular stairway. Knowing the fate of the others who went down a floor to look for a means of escape, the nurse’s face froze.

“…!”

Apparently, the fire had yet to reach the upper floors. The nurse rushed up the stairs. Black smoke was flowing upwards, but she had no way to resist that flow.

Just as expected, as she came out into the top floor, the corridor was completely filled with smoke.

“It’s fine… it’s completely fine…”

The nurse peeked at Harukiyo’s face as he cried loudly. —This was the first and last time Harukiyo cried like that.

Right.

Harukiyo cried like this in his desire to not die so soon after he was born.

Although he knew nothing about this world, he felt attached to life—despite him knowing no words yet, this nurse who wasn’t even blood related decided to hear his wish and put her life on the line.

“Uuh—haa—”

The nurse crawled on the floor to look for an escape through the snoke.

Her fingertips then touched the knob of a door. She desperately opened it and rushed inside.

It led to a narrow room that was apparently empty.

She hurriedly closed the door behind her, but was unable to block the smoke from invading through the gaps.

“Haa… haa…”

The nurse and Harukiyo were cornered by the closed windows.

Soon the room was going to be filled with smoke and there was the smell of the door burning.

While feeling the pursuing heat, the nurse became aware of her own fate.

“—”

Looking at the Harukiyo nestled in her arms—she wore a gentle smile.

Had he been able to do anything for her at the time, as a literal baby? He couldn’t even grab her hand and take her somewhere safe, and he had no special powers like a Mushitsuki.

There was only one thing he was able to do at the time.

As she tried encouraging him despite herself shaking in fear, as the minimal attempt for comfort—

He returned her smile.

“…Pff.”

She probably hadn’t thought that he was going to smile back at her.

Wearing a smile as though she was relieved—the nurse gave him a tight hug.

She threw herself backwards in that position from the window.

The sensation of floating from free falling was etched deep into Harukiyo at the time.

The impact following this and the warmth of the nurse that stopped moving as well.

After saving Harukiyo she’d been carried to the hospital, but apparently soon lost her life.

“—”

At the time, Harukiyo had watched the burning hospital from the nurse’s bosom.

He stopped crying, didn’t smile anymore, and just stayed still.

Doing nothing at all, he simply realized that the world he’d been born into was that kind of place.

A world filled with misfortune where people ran around frantically trying to escape it.

However—it was also a world where people were able to smile while sacrificing themselves for strangers.

He started wishing to live more in this harsh yet beautiful world—

“—It isn’t my fault, right?”

The baby’s mouth moved, putting together actual words.

“I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even hold my neck straight, so what the hell could I’ve done?”

Speaking with a mouth that didn’t even have teeth, Harukiyo turned his gaze to the side.

A lone youth was standing there.

That person shouldn’t have been there on the day Harukiyo was born.

“But apparently there’re those who’d call this the origin of my sin.”

The silent youth—Alpha—just stood in place.

His form was getting progressively younger, finally transforming into a baby.

“C’s using the Shinpu’s powers and she knows that bastard’s methods. In short, she’s apparently telling us to ‘repent’.”

Conversely, Harukiyo’s form started rapidly growing, and he became a boy not yet ten years of age.

“In the end, that mental pollution shit is just inside our memories and minds. Puttin’ just a little bit of effort allows me to control it. Well? Hasn’t it turned out quite interesting?”

The flame devil Harukiyo.

The primal Mushitsuki, Alpha.

They were two Mushitsuki with completely different positions and histories—

“Now it’s your turn. Can you show me a sin worthy of death?”

Now, the trial comparing their sins was in session.

== 2.05 Harukiyo Part 5 ==

He was the most blessed in the world.

That was because he witnessed the most beautiful sight of all the moment he was born.

Namely, light—

Although his eyesight had yet to solidify, he felt it engulf him along with a blissful warmth.

As the light vanished, he started crying.

Losing this warmth-filled light made him hopelessly sad.

He realized on an instinctive level that he would never get to touch it again.

“—”

While he was crying his lungs out, a bearded man was watching over him.

From behind the bearded man appeared another man. Then another woman appeared, and another—one after the other, adults pressed together to see his face.

After all this time, he didn’t even know where he was born.

However, he did remember that he was born inside a dirty, small cabin. It was quite the shabby place, with its walls nearly ruined.

It was there that people pushed their way inside one after another to visit him.

Their eyes.

Eyes.

Eyes.

He remembered many, many eyes peeking at him.

They probably all came to see the light that wrapped him as he was born. As he tilted his head, he could see people on their knees, praying to him.

A blinding light and eyes that peeked at his face.

And the next thing that remained in his memories was a high-pitched sound of rupture that stimulated his ears.

It was a gunshot.

Coming from afar, this small sound was pregnant with misfortune. Even the newborn could instinctually understand that fact—but he couldn’t do anything.

As he cried loudly, he was purified and blessed.

The people surrounding him were also smiling, and they gently touched him one after another. Within this warmth that he felt for the first time, he could feel their wishes of happiness.

And they were most likely—wishes regarding their own happiness.

“This child—has been blessed by God—”

Everyone would say such things.

He couldn’t count on his childhood memories, but their expressions seemed to say this.

Hope.

It was all entrusted to him, who was just born.

Among the people living in a harsh environment, a child wreathed by light was born.

What else could they call it, if not a miracle?

They rejoiced, they caressed him gently, and they offered him a pledge-like blessing.

This was the first love he felt.

And also—his last piece of bliss.

“—”

It was the ominous sound.

Gunfire was approaching, and the celebrations of his birth changed.

The small hut became full of activity and the bearded man took him away from the cradle. He was yelling something at the other surrounding people as he leapt out of the narrow room.

After all this time, he didn’t even know what country this was.

He remembered the open air being full of dust and there being lines of shacks built directly into the ground. The sort of place a person from the outside would probably call a slum.

A beautiful light and the people celebrating his birth.

Right after witnessing those, the next scenery was in the form of countless black dots floating in the sky.

Following this, other smaller objects began falling like raindrops—

“—”

Explosions and screams.

After that, a violent shaking, making him completely lose his sense of direction.

The bearded man ran while hugging him. —Was this man his father? If so, he could understand why the man risked himself to protect him. If he wasn’t his father, he could respect this man trying to rescue someone who wasn’t even his child.

As he escaped from the explosions, the slum’s residents cleared the path.

The baby’s miraculous birth apparently already passed between them. Many of them even simply kneeled while seeing him, not looking at the destroyed houses or the carriers of misfortune dancing in the sky.

While receiving the gazes of the residents offering their prayers, the bearded man was focused only on running.

Escaping the slum, he kept running even through wild land—

And the man exhausted his strength.

Apparently he was already wounded, because the collapsed man’s back was dyed in red.

“—O light—I beseech you to guide us—”

The moment before he breathed his last, the bearded man was smiling.

It was a satisfied smile, looking like he believed he’d fulfilled his duty.

Remaining alone, the baby cried.

Although he was scared of being alone, he kept crying for the sake of the people who left him and left this world.

Hearing his cries, many unfamiliar people appeared.

They picked him up as he continued crying and left with him.

There was obviously no way for him to have understood who these were at the time.

And there was someone else other than those who took him—

Starting from the moment of his birth and until the bearded man dyed—there was someone who glared at him while watching the whole thing.

In this world where the line between past and future was vague and he didn’t know anyone, someone was always with him.

While watching the miracles and misfortune clinging to him, he wore an expression—that was very much like a sneering devil.

“—Not bad at all for a ‘disaster’.”

It was a creepy man, his face covered in tape.

He had hair that was as red as flames.

“Well, show me what happens next. Using C’s powers really is a piece of cake—”

He was about to say this, but the demon erased his smile.

A golden light was formed between the devil and the baby.

It instantly formed a fairy. Her nude body was clad with a fanciful cloak and she wore a tiara on her head instead of a crown.

The baby’s expression turned severe and between him and the devil—

The golden fairy emitted blinding light.

“—!”

Harukiyo opened his eyes in an instant.

He was locking gazes with someone.

With none other than him—Alpha, who was lying inside the life support system.

He also saw Harukiyo.

And his gaze—looked like he was trying to ask Harukiyo for something.

“Haha—”

As Harukiyo sneered, a fairy’s beautiful face appeared right in front of him without any advance warning.

Appearing upside down as though she was about to kiss him, C reached out with her slender arms.

“Tss—”

Receiving an electrical shock, Harukiyo was blown off from the opened door and outside the trailer.

“Harukiyo…!”

Ume, who had regained consciousness with a delay, extended his hand to Harukiyo, but he was too late.

As Harukiyo was flung out from the speeding trailer, he fell to the ground behind it. Immediately unleashing a heat wave, he stopped himself from crashing headlong with the asphalt.

Just as he tried catching up with the semi-trailer, he was surrounded by a swarm of C-butterflies.

“Tch—I still have business with that suicidal guy! Don’t hand him over to C, Ume and Haruka!”

He didn’t even know if his two companions were able to hear his voice. The distancing semi-trailer was heading to the highway entrance, and he could see it using the emergency brakes. The secretary had probably judged that she couldn’t break through the barrier on the highway without Harukiyo.

“Well, those two aren’t gonna get done in so easily… but more importantly.”

His hair fanned by his own heatwave, Harukiyo sneered.

Now the C-butterflies surrounding him were joined with fairies made of electricity—C’s body doubles.

“C… you little bitch, are you trying to—''separate'' me from that suicidal bastard?”

They numbered four, one in each direction of the wind.

“C. I get you’re trying to pick up a fight with me. I also understand you’re targeting that Alpha guy, more or less. So normally—wouldn’t it be easier for you to kill us when we’re together?”

“I will wash away the failed Mushitsuki—and then release the Dove—”

“Yeah, whatever. I understand it’s the goal Miguruma put into you. And you’re waffling on and on about me being a failed Rank 1. If you wanna kill me because I’m an eyesore that makes two of us, but—”

All lights in the vicinity of Harukiyo were flickering.

Electricity was gathering at this spot. Creating four body doubles meant she wanted to defeat Harukiyo right there and then.

“But seems like that Alpha bastard’s different. Looks like you don’t wanna kill us together—meaning, you wanna catch him alive?”

“I will use the Deluge to wash out the old world—”

“You’ve made a little mistake though, stupid brat. It’s me finding out you’re giving the suicidal guy special treatment.”

He sneered at the fairy who kept repeating incomprehensible words expressionlessly.

“I’ve started to gradually—get interested in Alpha.”

His two eyes flaring red, Harukiyo leaned forward.

Responding to him assuming a battle position, the fairies and C-butterflies emitted a harsh light.

“I have no plan of how to catch up to the semi-trailer, though… I should’ve asked where we were going.”

It happened just as he grumbled and was about to try breaking through C’s encampment.

A light melody began playing.

“…”

It came from nearby.

Next to the highway’s noise barrier was a cute-looking pink cellphone. He heard the light melody from it.

Still glaring at C, Harukiyo waved a hand. He controlled a heatwave to blow the small device right into his hand. He then pressed the call button.

“The owner’s missing. If you lost it, you should give it up.”

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p212.jpg|thumb]]

He spat this and was about to hang the call.

“—I’ll be tracking the semi-trailer’s coordinates from here... don’t lose this cellphone.”

The voice of a young girl announced this. It was a voice that made him recall his anger.

“I can’t say who I am... but I’ll help you protect Alpha for now...”

Harukiyo narrowed his eyes.

An unknown person suddenly offered him help in this situation—

Harukiyo quickly deciphered what this meant.

“You can’t say who you are? —But I know about you. Because I know about practically all Mushitsuki of note. Didja really think I wouldn’t the high-ranking Mushitsuki from the SEPB?”

“…!”

He could hear the other party gulp.

“Never mind the SEPB, though. This isn’t being done on Haji Keigo’s orders, right? He should be too busy at the moment—and besides, this fossil of a phone hadn’t been there a moment ago. I don’t know any Mushitsuki who can just leave a cellphone over there without me noticing. Meaning, it’s neither the SEPB nor Mushibane.”

“—”

The other party said nothing. However, the breaths she barely leaked were tinged with impatience and tension.

“Konoha—what’re you scheming, going around with people I don’t know?”

The moment Harukiyo named the other party, the call was hanged up.

Being exposed within a few moments probably made her panic. Harukiyo clicked his tongue and put the cellphone in his pocket.

“Don’t hang up on me, you weakling. Can’t imagine this sort of small fish made this move on her own. —Konoha’s got some kinda boss in control of her.”

As he turned back to the front, he could see that C’s body doubles looked at empty air.

“But we’re against C here, y’know? She probably immediately bugged and identified the call, judging you were allied with me.”

Two of the fairies surrounding him suddenly vanished.

Heading to the distance, street lamps vanished one after another in a straight line.

“Huh? You chasin’ after someone? Is it the one who left the cellphone there? If you’re leaving even me here to go after them, they must be a Rank 1—nah, there’s no way.”

While mulling over this, Harukiyo turned back to the two remaining fairies.

Seeing the C-butterflies emitting light as though pulling themselves together, Harukiyo sneered.

“Dunno who you’re playing with—but you’ve hurt my pride. How dare you underestimate me like that, you stupid brat who doesn’t even show her true self.”

Harukiyo howled, his entire body engulfed in crimson flames.

== 2.06 Harukiyo Part 6 ==

Golden lightnings blew from the surface toward the sky.

Having become a flaming ball of heat, Harukiyo leapt to the side to dodge the lightning. He also swung his arms toward the swarms of C-butterflies filling the highway.

“Hahaaa!”

Harukiyo’s Mushi—a Great Yama tiger beetle wreathed in raging flames—swallowed the highway. Asphalt instantly turned into liquid, and a storm of bright red, burning dust and steam blew.

Harukiyo landed on the edge of the bisected road.

The ground he’d been standing on until now was decimated, and the C-butterflies and body doubles also left.

However—

“Damn, so annoying.”

A golden surged gathered at the sneering Harukiyo’s feet.

Electric lines gathered from all directions like they were bomb fuses—and the new lightning attack tried piercing Harukiyo.

He leapt to the side to dodge, but the countless C-butterflies got in his way. By bursting and connecting to each other, they became a cage of surging electricity.

Harukiyo rode a heat wave, managing to escape from the cage a moment before it clamped down on him.

“Flames and electricity is a poor matchup, eh. My attacks just keep passing through.”

Falling safely and rising again, he ran on the highway while wrapping his body in flames.

Harukiyo aimed for the direction the semi-trailer went to, but the C-butterflies stubbornly blocked his path.

He nimbly leapt to the sides while dodging the cage of electricity and gold.

“That’s why this doesn’t feel like a proper matchup at all. How can I even fight this monster who’s thrown away her personality and uses her ability endlessly in a city where you can find electricity wherever you go?”

Harukiyo rounded his body. He transformed himself to a fireball and launched himself from the surface like a missile.

Leaping over the highway, he landed with both legs on the wall of a high-rise building on the side of the road. This impact caused the entire building’s glass to burst, melting it bright red and caused it to rain down on the surface.

C was chasing after Harukiyo.

Golden fuses surged from the surface to the building, unleashing lightning that possessed enough power to kill in one strike.

“I can do something as long as I find out where the real body is.”

Kicking at the wall, he dodged the lightning. This time he went straight through the shopping arcade’s roof like a meteor and alighted down the surface. The ground caved in from the impact of the landing, and all surrounding structures cracked with him at the center.

All the shopping arcade’s billboards flickered—and golden lightning pierced through the merchant district. Harukiyo dodged the strike by a hairsbreadth, leaping to the high-rise building’s side again.

A bright-red fireball being chased by golden fairies and C-butterflies.

The pair’s game of tag destroyed Akamaki City little by little.

“C’s real body should be somewhere next to a huge electricity source. It can’t be anything plain or it wouldn’t have been able to support the amount of power and information volume she has. Since she wasn’t in the SEPB’s Fort, had she taken over a civilian power plant?”

While flying all over town, Harukiyo thought rationally.

He heard a ringtone from his pocket. As he pulled out his cellphone, he saw he got mail.

“Head 12 kilometers to the southwest, then keep going south.”

This was probably the current location of the semi-trailer housing Alpha.

It being still on the move meant that it did not fall into C’s hands.

“Looking at it in reverse, C also doesn’t want her real body to be found. Therefore, she wants to kill both of her opponents together while they’re retreating. Since all of us just finished our big operations, none of the Mushitsuki are at full power right now.”

Including himself.

The damage inflicted to Harukiyo by his fight against Sleeping Beauty was by no means light.

Even now his breathing was slightly elevated. Normally he wouldn’t be this tired.

“Lemme just say it now, but this really feels like a losing battle. Could someone even inflict any damage to C at all in that state? Maybe someone who could take care of these masses of lightning that are her body doubles—”

Like Sleeping Beauty, Arisu.

Or perhaps—the one who destroyed everything she touched, Fuyuhotaru.

About to mumble this name, Harukiyo closed his mouth.

“Anywho, it’s meaningless unless you strike the real one. So it’s also meaningless for me to fight against C like this. —I won’t let you take advantage of my games, though.”

Although he cared nothing about Mushi and Mushitsuki—it felt far more important for him to cling to an opponent when he designated them as people he didn’t like.

“I only saw the very prologue. Your reason to want to die still looks to be far, suicidal guy.”

Chasing the semi-trailer that had Alpha, Harukiyo stood inside a vast park.

As he did, many Revived surrounded him as one.

“Haha, so you used your head a little and set up an ambush on me? But—you really are lookin’ down on me.”

Harukiyo attempted to just break through without minding them.

“Tired as I might be, it’s still not enough to let some small fries like you stop me.”

He was standing on a lawn where in normal times a father and son would be playing catch. Although they were smack dab in the middle of capital, there was no need to fear C’s lightning in places with no electrical conduction like this.

Harukiyo turned into a fireball and accelerated as the Revive charged at him.

And not their Mushi, but their actual physical bodies.

“What the hell are you doing? You wanna die?”

Harukiyo blew away those people leaping right at him with heat waves.

However, the Revived then came charging at him from behind without flinching at all.

“Tch—”

Turning around, Harukiyo tried waving them away again. And then he saw—

A golden flash surged.

Between the Revived leaping at Harukiyo—electrical discharges formed in air, preserved the bare minimal distance to be able to leap between them and through it make the line of lightning reach Harukiyo.

“GAAAAAAHHHHH!”

His sight was dyed in gold and Harukiyo’s entire body was engulfed by the impact.

Even so he was able to avoid a direct strike due to his experienced reflexes. Although he sensed danger and leapt back, the aftershock caused by the lightning erupting from the surface touched Harukiyo.

People’s bodies conducted electricity.

C gathered her Revived in a straight line and used them instead of wires.

“—…!”

With his hair raising smoke and his entire body becoming black with soot, Harukiyo tottered.

The remaining Revived tried leaping at him to finish him off.

However, they all stopped in place.

Their expressions—were filled with fear.

“—What an ugly way of fighting.”

Holding out the moment before collapsing, he glared at the Revived.

The flame demon’s blazing eyes paralyzed the controlled Revived.

“If you’re gonna come at me, use your own damn powers—”

The heat wave blowing with Harukiyo in its center threw all the Revived back.

“Don’t let yourselves get used like tools so easily! You pieces of shit!”

Howling, Harukiyo transformed into a flaming sphere yet again.

“Were all of you born just to be used as pawns by someone? Living such half-assed lives, all you’re doing is showing how pathetic you are!”

After turning the entire field to ashes and melting the fence and all electric lights around, he flew out of the park. While crushing parked cars and knocking down buildings, he was setting the entire urban jungle ablaze.

“You’re pissing me off even more than C…! If you seriously wanted to live for real, you can’t fucking surrender like that just because you became Fallen or died—”

Defeating further Revived coming to attack him, he was going after the semi-trailer—

He stumbled down.

As Harukiyo’s legs became numb, he crashed headlong into a mailbox.

“Guh…!”

C’s electric attack inflicted Harukiyo some hefty damage.

Although it hadn’t been a direct hit, his body was exposed to quite the high voltage. Even remaining conscious was a struggle, and he couldn’t shake off the remaining numbness of his body easily.

“—It’s finally gotten more like a ‘disaster’, eh? Haha!”

However, Harukiyo sprang to his legs, moving.

A moment later, C’s lightning assaulted the mailbox.

While the tattered remains of tape from his face and burnt hairs fell off, Harukiyo kept moving. If he didn’t, his body would turn into ashes the next time for sure.

“Oh, so you’re not broken. You’re as tough as me.”

Hearing a ringtone, he pulled the cellphone from his pocket.

“Five kilometers to the south.”

The semi-trailer’s current location was written on the cracked LCD screen.

The distance between the two was certainly shrinking.

However, rather than Harukiyo being fast—it was the semi-trailer being slow. He had a bad feeling about it.

“I wanna keep stringing C along like this and use her—but I can’t really say that, now can I. Should I blow her off for a while?”

There were C’s body double fairies, the C-butterflies, as well as the Revived coming at him in droves.

Leading all of those to the trailer would put it in danger.

Since the semi-trailer moved slowly, it meant that Ume and Haruka were fighting hard to protect Alpha. Drawing so many pursuers to them would amount to suicide.

“—Nah, I can’t do that. If I take a detour and Ume and Haruka are finished off in the meantime, that’d be seriously uncool. I’ll lose my chances to play with that suicidal little shit.”

While running on heat waves, he emitted heavy, painful breaths.

“Or actually… I don’t think I can shake ‘em off even if I try to.”

He was hit by C’s lightning while his injuries from his fight against Sleeping Beauty still remained.

In this situation, was there a reason for him to protect Alpha just because he didn’t like him?

“Doesn’t seem like C’s trying to kill that suicidal guy… should I just withdraw?”

If he just gracefully gave up and waited for his strength to recover, he could then look for Alpha again.

These thoughts went through his mind—but Harukiyo laughed them off.

“Meaning, I’m going to spend years searching for him again? —Just like with Arisu.”

Sparks of flames came spilling out from his twisted mouth.

“What a fucking joke. I’m not just stubborn, but also short-tempered.”

He resolved himself.

He’d catch up to the semi-trailer as quickly as possible, fend off C and the Revived, and have a blast fulfilling his original goal, comparing his sins against Alpha.

Even if he’d have to keep protecting Alpha for a long time until they reached the secretary’s safe location. Even then.

Because this was the path of the person called Harukiyo, who wanted to enjoy his life to the fullest.

And as for plans on how to accomplish all of this—

“I’m gonna do whatever I like and live to the fullest. So don’t fucking dare stand in my way—”

Nothing at all came to mind.

Having accrued damage and fatigue, his body was extremely heavy.

He was even dizzy, and for a moment his vision distorted.

In this situation where there wasn’t even a lone ray of hope, Harukiyo could do only one thing—laugh it off.

“I’ll burn ya.”

Harukiyo’s eyes were dyed crimson.

The tape covering his face was burnt off and his right cheek became a flickering flame. He also lost parts of his left arm and right foot, turning into lumps of bright red fire.

“Hahaaa!”

Becoming a literal flame devil in accordance to his alias, Harukiyo rushed through Akamaki City. He pierced through large buildings, made the ground under him cave and melted any and all obstacles that stood in his way during his mad rush.

Even C’s lightning couldn’t catch up with Harukiyo.

While turning everything in his path to molten lava, Harukiyo pushed forward.

He finally managed to catch up to the semi-trailer—

“Harukiyooo!”

Standing atop the cargo box, Ume was surrounded by multitudes of Revived.

If Harukiyo had arrived just a little later, he probably wouldn’t have made it in time.

No—you could say they were already in C’s grasp.

“You’re takin’ it real easy, aren’tcha, Ume? Already caught up to you?”

“Don’t be ridiculooous! We can’t go so fast in this narrow road! —Wait, Harukiyo, your face…!”

It was probably an escape route they had no choice but to take after getting cornered. The semi-trailer was parked in a small road sandwiched between apartment complexes, not even part of the main road.

“Welp, back into the fray.”

“Eh?”

Harukiyo spouted fire from his entire body. His thrust arm was wrapped by hellfire in the form of his Mushi, the Great Yama tiger beetle.

“This is mine. —Give it back.”

He swung his arm down toward the semi-trailer.

The large Great Yama tiger beetle of flames shot out of Harukiyo’s arm, crashing headlong against the semi-trailer. The surrounding Revived were blown away—and the flames kept going, swallowing the semi-trailer, including Ume on its roof.

“Gyaaaaah!”

Ume’s scream was drowned by the heatwave and impact.

Vast energy engulfed the semi-trailer, raised it up, and invited it to a world with no sense of up or down.

In this space where the entire vision was dyed in red, what passed through Harukiyo’s mind—

—''I think… there’s meaning to this power.

Was this again.

This was Sleeping Beauty’s evaluation of Harukiyo that she had told him before.

“…There’s nothing like that at all.”

As Harukiyo sneered and muttered this, the flame in his cheek was extinguished. His tattoo patterned after flames was revealed, and even his limbs fused with flames restored their normal appearance.

Then, along with a large impact, Harukiyo landed—

“Gya!”

Right next to the screaming Ume. Meaning, on top of the semi-trailer’s roof.

And the trailer itself—landed atop the hard asphalt.

And that surface was—

“Huh? This is…”

On the highway again.

Harukiyo used a heatwave to carry both himself and the semi-trailer all the way here.

“Y-you carried us all this way? This is crazy!”

“Haha! I really am fucking tired! Hit the gas already, secretary woman! From here on, you can drive as recklessly as you’d like!”

Harukiyo kicked the roof and the semi-trailer suddenly accelerated.

A golden glow was formed overhead.

“Looks like you finally understand. You can’t finish me off with a mere chase.”

Harukiyo looked up the sky, grinning.

“So you’re left with your little favorite technique then, C.”

Appearing from between the clouds was a divine shrine.

Seeing its form, Harukiyo leapt into the cargo box from the hole in the roof.

Inside the car filled with unknown machinery, the guy was closing his eyes again.

“How about at least welcoming me back, you suicidal bastard? The great Yama’s back!”

Grabbing Alpha’s cuffs, Harukiyo flared his eyes red.

“Second round. I’m not gonna let you pretend you’re asleep, alright?”

== 2.07 Harukiyo Part 7 ==

Harukiyo had never cursed his own life.

He was merely aware of the fact that this was how his life was.

He first understood it when he was little.

The fire caused at the time of his birth also erased his birth records. As his origin was a complete unknown, Harukiyo was taken in by a childcare facility. He grew up there until he was ten.

This facility was a remodeled old hotel that was used for children who had no relatives. He remembered there were much more children than employees there.

There were good and bad people among both the employees and the children. Harukiyo himself had nothing to complain about his living environment, and he knew it’d be the same no matter where he went to, anyway.

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?”

He had a friend who slept in the same room as him and repeated this subject every night as a matter of course.

He was about the same age as Harukiyo, and he also had a younger sister with the habit to sneak into their room. Both siblings had naturally curly hair as well as dark skin.

“Haru’s going be a president!”

Harukiyo was about to answer but the sister answered instead of him; yet another habit of hers.

“Right, he’s super strong in a fight, after all!”

“And smart! He’ll become really important and conquer the world!”

Even in the facility Harukiyo stood out, and the two curly-haired siblings spent every day along with him.

He saw his friend’s face distort—

When the ‘disaster’ finally arrived, just as expected.

“—Haru…! I can’t breathe…!”

It was an incident caused by a serial arsonist who did it on a whim.

Until then he was satisfied with small fires, but he just so happened to find that place.

A large building that looked like it could burn well.

“Haruuu…!”

Their childcare facility truly ended up burning well.

Flames spread all over the place in no time at all, and although it was the middle of the night the area became even brighter than during the day. Since it was an old building there wasn’t any satisfactory extinguishing equipment, and the flames that swallowed the first floor slowly encroached up the floors.

And while this happened, Harukiyo—

“Haru…!”

“Haru-kun!”

He was advancing through the scorching hell, leading not only children both below and above in age but even the staff.

Looking for places the fire hadn’t reached yet, he wandered between his house that he grew used to. While securing children who lost consciousness, calming down the panicking adults, shouting at those who froze in despair to rouse them, he kept looking for a way to escape.

“Haru… Haru…”

Next to him was also his curly-haired friend who carried his unconscious sister on his back. He’d probably never stop hearing the echo of his friend calling his name over and over like a curse.

More and more people joined Harukiyo who kept going without giving up—

But at a certain point, that number began falling.

Getting hit by a crumbling, burnt ceiling and engulfed by smoke, the people collapsed one after another.

Walking in the front, Harukiyo kept desperately looking for an exit and kept calling out toward his companions.

Finally, he found a lone ray of hope.

He made eye contact with a firefighter who just climbed the ladder and reached the window of the room Harukiyo managed to escape into.

Harukiyo turned around, shouting in joy—and his expression vanished.

He could only see a sea of fire there.

The firefighter in the window reached out toward the lone survivor.

“Hey, you…! Come here, quickly!”

So it happened like that—

Forgetting the heat of the flames and feeling his heart rapidly cool down, Harukiyo headed to the window.

In this world there were those with good and bad luck.

It was neither kind or harsh, but merely a world of possibilities. Some would have their lives end due to misfortune, and instead someone else would get visited by good luck.

So he would just live as a fortunate person.

Thinking like this, he was privileged with happiness.

Fortunately, he was taken to another facility, he was fortunately even enrolled to a school, and he even met a person of the opposite sex that he started fancying.

“Hey, you. You need to come to school more.”

She wasn’t some kind of exceptional beauty.

She went to the same class as him. Her most distinguishing features were her strong-willed eyebrows and braids. She was straitlaced and so exemplary that other people might have felt some revulsion on the inside.

“You’re making trouble for the others in your group. In cooking class, for example.”

She said this and gave a nasty kick to his desk. He remembered how this instantly changed his first impression of her. She probably wasn’t as serious as she looked.

“You were probably the one in charge of bringing potatoes, right? Your friends cried after having to eat curry without any potatoes, so how are you going to settle this? C’mon. —Eh, you weren’t crying? You had onions? That’s enough, just shut up. You can’t take it back anymore.”

On the other hand, Harukiyo was the kind of delinquent boy you could find anywhere.

Since he was so amiable, many vigorous boys gathered around him, and either won or ran away. Classes were boring, so whenever he’d gone looking for ‘disasters’—he didn’t mind playing the truant for the sake of his secret hobby. It was also around this period that he met Ume, who’d end up staying with him for a long time.

“It’s not just cooking class, either. Even when preparing for the school festival, don’t you feel bad for being the only one slacking off? …Oh, sorry for misunderstanding you… Everyone has cram school and clubs and things like that, right? So why are you the only one who—eh? I did apologize. It wasn’t half-assed at all. I-it’s fine, just shut up already! Am I saying anything wrong? What d’you mean, my ears are red? Is that even relevant to what we’re talking about? If he keeps going like that, then it might affect even our school trip—”

He began noticing her after that small event.

And he parted from her not long after that.

When Harukiyo parted from someone, it was ''always'' in a world dyed bright red.

“—”

A burning rectangular box.

Just minutes ago, it had been a large bus driving through the mountains.

According to the news later, an unlicensed driver on the other lane took his eyes off the road while driving and caused the accident. This tragedy hitting the students on their field trip shook the public with the absolute worst result. There were zero survivors.

The bus that drove between the mountains took a bad curve and fell off the cliff.

Gasoline ignited and the fire spread to the dry trees as well. Only one person—Harukiyo—had been able to escape from the upturned vehicle by himself.

Although he was covered in burns and his entire body was lacerated from the windows’ broken glass, Harukiyo never gave up.

The moment before the bus was fully engulfed by flames, he dragged out several of his classmates. He even tried giving them mouth to mouth resuscitation.

“—”

However, no matter what he did, the braids girl never opened her eyes again.

That was how it happened.

While standing there and looking at his completely silent classmates, Harukiyo came to realize.

In this world, life was decided by good and bad fortune.

Harukiyo had not been spared from this in the least. Even this time he did his best to remain alive, and tried saving those who were misfortunate.

As a result, all that happened was that a line got drawn between those who lived and those who didn’t.

Therefore, Harukiyo felt nothing.

However, even so—

As if to escape from the siren sounds coming from afar, he left the place.

Seeing on the news that he was being treated as one of the victims, he never again returned to any school, facility or community like that, and just kept living on his own.

It was just a simple, single fact.

Everyone around him always died and he alone survived.

Every time he overcame death, he felt himself growing stronger.

Just like—a flame.

Using the lives of his precious people as fuel, Harukiyo kept burning brighter.

And if he really was this sort of being.

Then his continued living—was a sin.

The simple act of him living burned everyone around him to cinders. He was the most sinful being of all.

However, Harukiyo wasn’t the kind of admirable person who’d just acknowledge it so easily, and he didn’t intend to act out the hero of a tragedy, either.

“Repent…”

In his mid-teens, Harukiyo became a Mushitsuki.

Even when that happened Harukiyo was, as a matter of course, in the middle of a “disaster”. His first friend who was able to overcome that “disaster” with him, Kusezaki Ume, was also there.

“You child who can become mine vessel… repent for thy sins…”

Apparently, the one who butted in that “disaster” was called Shinpu.

Shinpu, one of the Prototype Mushitsuki who gave birth to Mushitsuki, invited him into a foul church. As he did, he said that without any prelude.

“Repent…”

Harukiyo was on the verge of death, but he remembered himself flying into a rage when he heard those words.

“—Don’t fuck with me…!”

At the time he didn’t even properly know what a Mushi was, let alone the Original Three. He mistook him to be some god or demon and vent out on him.

“What’m I supposed to be repentin’ for? I was only staying alive! So you’re saying that those who died around me were my own fault? I did my best! I tried saving them, not slacking off in the least! Even so—you say that you’re gonna punish me?”

“However, thou doth wish for a punishment…”

Twitch.

Having shown this millimeter of agitation at the moment was the mistake of a lifetime for him.

“Thou, who burns all those around thee, wish for punishment much more than anyone…”

“—What a load of bull.”

He soon noticed that Shinpu was neither God nor anything like that.

He was something much inferior—a piece of trash that made one nauseous.

“Punishing yourself is just fancy suicide. I don’t want nothin’ like that. If I’m having fun living without caring in the least about any sin and then get crushed like an insect, that’s what you’d call a punishment!”

“…”

“I won’t die. No matter what happens… no matter what cowardly method is used, I’ll keep on living stubbornly. And if people still try to punish me for that—I’ll burn them all to the ground and keep living!”

As Harukiyo howled, Shinpu looked like he flinched for a moment.

“As long as I’m alive—my life’s no sin.”

Seeing Harukiyo’s blazing eyes, that thing sneered.

“—Dost thou wish for power?”

Harukiyo’s answer to that question—had already been set.

He swore that he’d keep living no matter what he did. He’d use both brains and brawns as much as needed, and use everything he could. Even if—it was the sort of trashy power that he never wished for.

“If thou wish for it, I shall give it to thee… since thou possess the possibility to become mine vessel, the aptitude of a king…”

Thus, Harukiyo became Mushitsuki.

Following this, he began looking for a being who could punish him by himself.

“Disasters” came down bearing on them, and before they could involve unrelated people—he kept looking for an opponent that could kill him.

All so he could live.

So he could prove that his life itself was no sin, as long as he didn’t die.

Even so, for some reason—

After his life changed by his becoming a Mushitsuki, he ended up getting dragged into the fights between Mushitsuki.

“I’d just… managed to run away from Hunter, and yet…”

The possibility of the next “disaster” he obtained from the Mushitsuki was also a Mushitsuki.

While looking for a Mushitsuki that could punish him, he met the Original Three again.

It was the incident where an entire small island was swallowed by flames, nearly all of its inhabitants massacred.

If he recalled, that island’s name—was Aoharima Island.

“Hunter’s… a Mushitsuki…”

The white coat-dressed youth who told him that—introduced himself as Sanbikime.

“She’s quite the beauty, too.”

Relying on this information, he looked for Hunter, the strongest Mushitsuki.

And while going around—he made friends, little by little.

Including Kusezaki Ume, they were all powerful Mushitsuki. They weren’t comrades who gathered for a so-called shared goal, but they were, without a doubt, friends who could live along with Harukiyo.

However, his journey to look for the “disaster” Mushi—ended in a half-assed manner.

“—You can’t die, you two, alright?”

The fight of the meteor shower that everyone already forgot about.

The girl who was the “disaster” he was looking for smiled at Harukiyo and Kakkou and fell asleep. Even in that fight many people perished, excluding Harukiyo.

“I don’t give a single fuck about the fights of Mushitsuki or those things called the Original Three.”

Harukiyo just kept looking for “disasters” and sought to make preemptive attacks.

“How dare you vanish like that after saying you’ll punish me? I’ll never forgive you, Arisu.”

In order to settle the score with the asleep “disaster”—Sleeping Beauty—he kept looking for her.

In that course, he also touched many secrets related to Mushi.

He never wished for any of it.

Although he didn’t care at all about the fights between Mushitsuki—he might be the one among Mushitsuki who knew the most.

“I need to beat Arisu and look for the next ‘disaster’…”

While mumbling to himself and searching for Sleeping Beauty, her words never left his mind.

—I believe… that strength holds meaning.

Harukiyo simply became stronger to keep living.

That was all that was—and yet he ended up reluctantly involved in fights between Mushitsuki.

If his strength truly had some meaning, was there any meaning for him to become Mushitsuki? Even the fact he came to know secrets he didn’t care about?

That miniscule doubt even now lingered uncomfortably in his heart—

“—Didja see it? Eh? Nothing’s here my fault, right?”

Standing within the flames, he raised his eyes.

Inside the roaring flames stood another person—a small boy.

“But it doesn’t seem like you think that. Since you’re tellin’ me you wanna die, you must’ve done something horrible. —Show me the rest.”

That boy wore tattered clothes.

“Alpha.”

In complete contrast to Harukiyo’s flaming eyes, the boy slowly closed his eyes.

== 2.08 Harukiyo Part 8 ==

What was the light he’d seen when he was born?

He didn’t know its identity.

However, apparently more than one or two people had seen that moment.

A small community picked him up as an infant. The women all spent their times washing and preparing meals, while the men constantly carried firearms that were as old as their tattered clothes.

Since he was still a child then, he didn’t really understand who they were.

However, that place was constantly in conflict with someone, and they used child soldiers as a matter of course, giving children guns. At times they took in children of unknown origins, just like him.

“—”

For several years, after growing up in such a place, he came to hazily recognize the situation he found himself in.

It was a country shaken by civil war with many rebel groups. They were guerilla organizations, and before long they fought against other guerilla organizations competing for both resources and people—and he was taken in as a member as well.

When he grew up enough to be called a boy, a small secret was born in the village.

“—Please, bless me—”

Adult women began sneaking into the shack where more than ten children slept.

Hiding their faces, these women quietly began to worship him.

“Please allow sinners such as us that light of salvation—”

Light.

They all constantly mumbled this word.

Apparently, the miracle that happened during his birth was whispered all over the community.

He himself wasn’t particularly blessed with any special knowledge or physical abilities.

All he could do was “see” faraway events from time to time.

It felt as if he had another eye there.

However, at the time he hadn’t told anyone about it even once.

“Please save my soul—please show me the light that guides me to God—”

The secret worship continued every night, and finally even the men came to pray.

He was pretending to sleep just like always, but that night was different.

The visions that he had from time to time—his “Eyes” in distant places—found enemies lurking in the forest. Equipped with firearms, this group was slowly approaching their village.

He rose and warned the “worshippers”.

“O, child of miracles—”

His “Clairvoyance” saved the village, and from that day they kept on winning.

And as days and months passed—

“—Please—guide me—”

One day, the village was easily destroyed.

Without him having time to warn anyone, several communities colluded to assault their base.

The familiar shack was on fire and adults and children collapsed while gunfire echoed. While people who knew him cried and yelled, clinging to him, he was being restrained.

The ones who got him were a village who conducted the attack.

“—O light, please guide us to God—”

He was confined in a shack and worshipped again.

He was apparently blessed. Without him doing anything, with nothing but pure fortune, that group won against all opposing forces and prospered—

“O light—so we can go—to God—”

Even that community was then massacred by an even larger group.

With the burning village to his back, he was taken away to another village—and it was further crushed by another larger force.

This happened many times.

How many hundreds of people died just to snatch him?

How many people were going to die just to protect him?

By the time he was in his teens, he understood.

Without exception, everyone involved with him—always died.

While speaking of their hopes to him, while seeking salvation to him, while wishing for happiness, all of them died right in front of his eyes.

And as a result of the repeating death and despair—

“—Don’t be afraid of the light!”

Finally, the country made a move.

As the political authority of the time found itself disturbed by the guerrilla groups’ new faith, they sought to nip it in the bud.

He was easily captured by the country and thrown into prison.

He hoped that he would end up on the death row before long.

“—Please bestow light to our country—”

But in the end, nothing changed.

It was probably yet another divine protection. His living place transformed from a prison to an altar, and the statesman became a tyrant.

And several years later—the scenery he saw from beyond his cell window’s bars was engulfed in flames.

Apparently, the tyrant ruler had been too terrible. Witnessing him committing atrocities against humanity through his despotic rule, the international community moved their armies under the pretext of sanctions and talk of liberation.

Fighter aircrafts flew above, and anti-air missiles shot by the tyrant’s soldiers came from inside cities.

How many thousands of people lost their lives in the flames?

“—Light—a light of guidance—”

He was taken away by the tyrant’s aide who tried escaping abroad.

However, even that aide was soon killed by the army of liberation.

A bloody scramble began. The tyrant’s army and the liberation forces began exchanging gunfire in order to get a hold of him. Those who reached their hands to obtain him all died without exception.

When the final two keeled over in a simultaneous strike, he was left all alone.

While walking through the mountain of corpses, he lost his sanity. As the scent of blood and flesh filled the surroundings, he walked, dyed completely red in others’ blood—

He wasn’t a God of salvation. He wasn’t even human.

He was a grim reaper.

Because of him, tens of thousands of people died. Even so, he himself couldn’t die.

“Light—fall asleep.”

Along with this mumble from behind him, he lost consciousness.

Perhaps having been administered some medicine, he apparently slept for a long while.

He might have slept for several weeks or months.

His body weighed by lethargy, the sight that welcomed him as he woke up again—

“Nice to meet you.”

Was a girl. She was very cute and had a mole under her eye.

He had never seen before such a smile filled with gentle affection.

“Please, do not be afraid. There is no longer anyone who would do anything horrible to you.”

Saying this, the girl—

“I will give you my love.”

Wore an expression that would paralyze anyone who gazed upon it, a Smile of Shackles.

== 2.09 Harukiyo Part 9 ==

It seemed to be a private laboratory on board of a large, remodeled transport ship.

Since they had samples of all living beings there, it was just like the Ark spoken of in the Old Testament.

Harukiyo was inside a room that had even stricter guard than anywhere else there. He saw the youth, who was restrained on top of a table that looked like an operation table, and the girl standing next to him.

“I will give you my love.”

The youth and the girl couldn’t see Harukiyo.

That was natural, since this scenery came from the youth’s memory—from Alpha, who was under C’s mental attack. It was his past.

“Why are you looking so relieved, you suicidal bastard?”

Harukiyo crossed his arms, glaring at the sight in front of him with a grin.

“This woman is, without a doubt, the worst shithead you’ve ever seen.”

So she really was involved in this right from the very beginning—

He had somewhat expected this, but now Alpha’s memories gave him evidence that turned it into conviction. The hatred he felt toward this girl multiplied many times over than it was before.

“My name is Miguruma Yaeko. Do you understand me? Mi-gu-ru-ma Ya-e-ko.”

“Mik…ko…?”

Alpha, who couldn’t understand Japanese, apparently only heard the very start and the very end of her name. Due to the breathing apparatus he wore, his mumble fogged it over.

“Mikko—well, that’s perfectly fine. I’ll teach you a little of our language.”

The smiling girl—Miguruma Yaeko—and the taciturn Alpha.

This was the worst encounter for all Mushitsuki who came later—no, perhaps in all of human history.

Rather than Alpha’s birth itself, it was his meeting with the girl that was the true miracle.

Two people who never should have met just happened to encounter each other beyond national borders.

This was—the moment everything began.

“Yaeko. I told you not to come inside here on your own.”

Appearing after saying this was a middle-aged man dressed in white. His nervous-looking wrinkles were prominent.

Next to the white coat-wearing man was another person. A youth, about twenty years old, dressed in a luxury suit. He had a playboy-like appearance and a severe face, so it looked unbalanced.

“Sorry, Father.”

As Miguruma Yaeko apologized obediently and was about to leave, the man wearing the white coat further yelled at her.

“And do stop entering my room without permission. It looks like you’ve been rummaging through my articles and papers, but it’s probably boring for you to look at such things that you can’t even understand.”

“Right, Father. For a person of my station—it was awfully boring.”

The playboy oversaw the girl obediently repeating her father’s words and leaving the room.

“Your daughter sure seems smart, Professor.”

“Not at all. She can’t even understand a single theory of mine or my underlings… she did receive some education, and yet… ah, what a waste… Well, but even this stupid daughter of mine can look after our specimens, including this one… since I want to use as little outside people as possible… she has to be at least that useful… yes…”

While glaring at Alpha, the white coat man mumbled to himself.

“Now, now, no need being humble. And she is a beauty. Her narrow eyes—her almond eyes are just like yours, Professor.”

The youth who gave this compliment looked familiar to Harukiyo.

Or, to be more precise, he’d seen a smile that resembled his before.

“Yup, I know who you are—the Chairman of the Round Table, Ichinokuro Ruisu.”

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p247.jpg|thumb]]

Saying this as if in a groan, Harukiyo glared at him.

However, none of the two people noticed this glare full of rage.

“Is this person... the one you’ve told me of?”

“Indeed... he is now under anaesthesia, so he won’t go wild... However, since you only told me very suddenly that you wanted to directly see the specimen, it should take a while more until this takes full effect, though...”

“It’s not me. It’s the members who agreed to put out funding. As for me, well, I’m the Chairman in name, but in the end I’m still a greenhorn who gets used for such errands...”

“No, without your business industry connections, not even the construction of this laboratory would have been possible, I’m sure... do you also hold an interest in the Undying...?”

Undying.

Hearing this word, Ichinokuro Ruisu kept silent. Neither denying nor affirming the professor’s words, he simply looked down at the silent Alpha on top of the operation table.

“’Everyone’s connected somewhere’.”

Harukiyo grimaced and groaned in a stifled voice.

A girl wielding a silver spear rose to his mind.

“It’s really like that. —So that’s how you were ‘connected’ to this from the very beginning…”

He cursed the girl who wasn’t there.

This youth called Ichinokuro Ruisu that was right in front of Harukiyo’s eyes…

He probably couldn’t have imagined the effect that his own actions would have.

Since he was no seer, that was natural. However—

“You shitty father. What you’ve done… took your daughter away from you.”

Not heeding Harukiyo’s verbal abuse in the least, Ichinokuro Ruisu removed his eyes from Alpha.

“Does this person—really hold the possibility of the Undying?”

“Yes, many people have died around him… and many times, at that… even as thousands fell victim, he kept living in the end… apparently, the locals referred to him as the child of miracles… in fact, those around him always increased their chances of survival, and I confirmed them even managing to flourish… well, people other than him have their limits so they still died in the end, though…”

“Just this is… well, how do I say it—if you’ll allow me to be direct, it sounds like a cock-and-bull story.”

“Have you seen the calculation regarding the chances of survival of the many ‘disasters’ that happened in his life thus far…? This is clearly past the limits of statistics…”

“The power to resist what’s known as death—the mental power wishing for life, affects the body and other related things, thereby raising one’s vitality. That’s your theory, Professor, right?”

“It’s not just a wish for life. It should be called a will to bet everything on your wish… you and the Round Table have given me the research funds and a place to conduct it because you believe, right?”

“Yes, it might sound masochistic, but the rich who tire of their position and honor are burning with desire for the Undying. —For some reason, it’s always like this from the olden days.”

“…”

“In every era, those with authority always sought it, but they were always deceived, and even while they knew they grabbed only fakes—this never changed.”

“…I beg your pardon, but is it possible you are hoping that the research you yourself had invested into, fails?”

“Perish the thought.”

Finally averting his eyes from Alpha, Ichinokuro Ruisu headed to the exit.

“No matter what you do here, neither the authorities nor any opposition will meddle here. —We all aim for the result, no matter what shape it takes.”

“Thank you very much…”

As Ichinokuro Ruisu and the white coat man exited the room, the surrounding scene started undergoing a dizzying change.

Events in this sealed laboratory area continued flowing like a video on fast forward. These were obviously the experiments Alpha had experienced.

“According to history, people searched for the Undying countless times—huh. What a load of bull.”

While Harukiyo watched those scenes, he spat this.

“Hey, suicidal shithead. So, after all those disasters you just found yourself involved with games played by the rich and swindlers throughout all of history?”

Alpha underwent torture under the pretext of research. At times he was wounded, at times he was psychologically abused, and at times they dangled items he wanted in front of his eyes while restraining him.

Exhausting both body and soul, his memories also became fuzzy. The scenes Harukiyo could see in front of his eyes had noise running through them from time to time, but there were also clear parts.

''—Alpha… that’s how they called you. Despite there being no Beta or Gamma.

Only his meeting with Miguruma Yaeko—no, the girl called Mikko were carved into his memories, crystal clear.

Between his meetings with all the researchers, the girl visited him to take care of him and his surroundings. Every time she met Alpha, she “educated” him.

She kept whispering words to stimulate his survival instincts.

''—Recall your birthplace.

Mikko’s whispers gouged into him deeper than any of the experiments made by her father.

Her Smile of Shackles that charmed all those who saw it did not allow Alpha to reject.

''—You have nothing at all. And yet you still desire, right?

Every time Alpha heard her words, he would shed a single tear.

''Recall your now gone place of birth.

''A place where you have no father, mother, or any neighbor, a place no one even remembers the name of.

''—Even so, until the day you return there… you can’t die, right?

The girl speaking to Alpha also spoke about other guinea pigs from time to time.

The several other guinea pigs apparently came from similar environments. Miguruma would sometimes stoke their hunger, their possessiveness, and at time she would stir up their nostalgia just like with Alpha.

Following this, Mikko unleashed a few of the guinea pigs and ran away from the lab.

''—I am about to go release my other family… but I won’t let you go.

After leaving, Mikko announced her farewell to Alpha.

Wearing the smile of a saint, she whispered to him.

''—Because you’re special.

Alpha bawled his eyes out.

He unleashed his feelings for his life and the people in it—he cursed, raged, hated, despaired and cried.

And something that had been restraining him until that point—cracked open.

“So even before the Original Three were created…”

Witnessing that moment, Harukiyo mumbled.

“You were a Mushitsuki?”

The thing that suddenly appeared there was trying to destroy the laboratory.

It was an object that looked like an enlarged human eyeball covered by a hard membrane.

“No—is this even a Mushi?”

Harukiyo knew about this object that floated in air while unleashing rays of light to burn the facility down.

“I did wonder about that during the meteor shower night as well. The Eye used by Oogui… it clearly looked like a human eyeball, and there were those Mushi that were only body parts. I’d never seen them until that point. But I just thought they were other Minion Types created by her—”

The laboratory taking form on the large ship was being demolished.

Even the in the white coat—Miguruma Yaeko’s father had been unable to escape this destruction, and he saw him expire.

“What came first, the chicken or the egg? Including me, everything thought it was the chicken—the Original Three.”

It wasn’t just Harukiyo.

There was no doubt that even Kakkou and the people relating to him thought that.

Therefore, they made defeating the Original Three into their ultimate goal. Therefore, they defeated multitudes of Mushitsuki.

However—

“The egg came first.”

The rampaging Alpha was thoroughly destroying the laboratory—

“—”

Light engulfed the world.

Everything mixed into one, and the light blinked as if forgiving all of them.

Harukiyo had never seen something so beautiful.

As the light vanished, they were on top of the boat.

Someone was battling someone.

“—How many thousands of years it had been, aiming for the Undying? And there it goes and happens by a complete fluke.”

Harukiyo somehow surmised who were those who were fighting.

The unleashed Original Three as well as the Mushitsuki who tried stopping their release.

“Dunno if it’s real or not, but it means you’ve dug out a complete unknown.”

Since Harukiyo hadn’t been there, he could only understand this.

However, through Alpha’s eyes and memories—

“Woa—AaaAaAAAAaah!”

Alpha was howling.

“Rui, it all happened just like you said. We must end everyone who remains here.”

The goggle-wearing boy was dying.

“—Indeed so.”

Ichinokuro Arisu lowered his gaze.

“This is all YOUR FAULT!!!”

“Let us part here.”

A familiar face parting away from Miguruma Yaeko—

He saw the moment the world changed.

It now became a world where the supernatural beings called Mushi would keep on being born inside boys and girls.

“I see—so it’s impossible to know who you are no matter how you think about it.”

While seeing Alpha get taken away by Ichinokuro Ruisu’s mercenaries, Harukiyo spoke.

“But as long as you exist, it means that the moment Mushitsuki were born might repeat itself.”

That was Alpha’s sin.

Harukiyo finally understood the reason he wanted to die.

“Yep, sure is a huge sin. You make so many people unhappy by your mere existence.”

And now that he understood, he was angry.

“If it was me though—I wouldn’t acknowledge that.”

Spitting this, Harukiyo noticed something strange at that moment.

“—WooAAAAAAH!”

The restrained Alpha howled, shaking off the mercenaries.

Behind him stood a small figure.

It looked like a small girl—who wore a tiara adorned with heart and crown symbols.

Harukiyo sneered and readied himself.

“How dare you do whatever you like in my own turf. —That’s what you’re tellin’ me, eh?”

The long journey to unveil Alpha’s sin.

C’s dark gaze told him enough to realize he hadn’t reached its end yet.

== 2.10 Harukiyo Part 10 ==

The outskirts of Akamaki City in the past.

Alpha’s howling form was simply bizarre.

His flank had been gouged by the goggle-wearing Fusion-Type Mushitsuki boy—probably the first ever Fusion-Type. Even now, fresh blood was gushing out of Alpha’s wound.

Even so Alpha kept shouting at the top of his lungs, glaring at Harukiyo.

“—OOOOoooOOOOH!”

“…!”

Countless Eyes materialized all around Harukiyo as if to surround him. These strange objects, shaped like eyeballs covered by a tough membrane, all focused their gazes on Harukiyo while floating.

The moment after, all eyeballs simultaneously launched heat beams at Harukiyo.

“Is this also part of your past memories? —Obviously not.”

Harukiyo instantly surmised their trajectory and weaved through the net of heat rays.

“And that bleeding… you shoulda kicked the bucket already without any medical care!”

“Uh—Uuuh…!”

Alpha was tottering. Although this wasn’t reality, he apparently couldn’t ignore this wound.

Coming behind Alpha, C’s body double—the golden fairy was approaching.

As her small hand touched Alpha, a lightning strike pierced the man’s body.

“Gwah! —KwaaAAAAH!”

Alpha’s eyes changed, turning a crazed glare to Harukiyo again.

The number of Eyes doubled.

While flying and rotating all over the place, the Eyes unleashed a rain of heat rays. The large transport ship was cut into slices as though it was cake, and bottomless valleys formed in the wharf’s ground.

“You can stimulate the memories of the dead or Fallen Mushitsuki to forcibly Revive them—”

Harukiyo turned himself into a ball of flames, and kept dodging the rain of heat by a razor’s edge.

“That’s how the experiment at the Central Headquarters worked as well, right? What you’re doing amounts to continuing the experiments Miguruma started here, then! This is so awful you could laugh, eh C?!”

The experiment of the Undying originally started by Miguruma’s father was inherited by his daughter, Miguruma Yaeko.

No, it was wrong to say she inherited it.

Unlike her father who chose to conduct human experimentation and just so happened to draw the Miracle Child—Miguruma was trying to achieve that certainly by conducting experiments on the new kind of humanity called Mushitsuki.

As a result, she gave birth to a new generation of Mushitsuki, starting with C.

She was the chicken—able to absorb even the Original Three, as well as cause the born chicks that could be called Mushitsuki go back into their eggs and reuse them again and again. Those who died as Mushitsuki and became Fallen, or else died as humans. Because she could Revive all of them in this form, she was the Super Class Rank 1, C.

A being that kept birthing the Undying and denied death.

Among those who Harukiyo met thus far, she was the most repulsive Mushitsuki of all.

“…Tch.”

More and more heat rays grazed Harukiyo. The heat wave flow he used to protect himself was disturbed and he was pounded against the roof of a storage container. Harukiyo took a landing position and soon rose up.

“Is that fine, C? Is this suicidal bastard the ‘egg’?”

He looked down at Alpha and the fairy snuggling up to him on the surface and spoke.

“Meaning he’s something like an insurance to you.”

The fairy did not answer.

“Because both you and Miguruma want a world where Mushitsuki are born. No matter what happens, you can return the world to what it was again as long as you have the egg. That’s why you’re trying to kill me and secure this guy, right? Because I’m in your way. —Still, you really thought you could make us fight and that I’d lose? You’re lookin’ down on me, eh?”

The expressionless fairy moved her arms, spurring Alpha with electricity.

Alpha raised a scream of agony and summoned more Eyes again.

“—You look like you can revive even the Egg if it dies. Looks like you lost all your charm along with your personality, stupid brat.”

Harukiyo kept dodging the vast web of rays that looked like a casting net using his heat wave.

“What pisses me off most is you, though. —Suicidal bastard.”

Kicking the wall of the container, Harukiyo instantly came in front of Alpha. He grabbed the youth’s collar.

“How long will you let her play with you? Try resistin’ just a little, damn you.”

However, Alpha just mumbled incoherently while glaring at Harukiyo.

“…Kill me.”

“…”

“As long as I’m alive, people will die—thanks to me, many people will become unhappy…”

Unlike Alpha’s grimace, Harukiyo erased his expression.

He used all of his might to throw Alpha away. Harukiyo’s physical strength managed to fling the youth many meters away, and he was pounded against the collapsing container’s walls. Fresh blood gushing out of the youth’s body created a path of red from Harukiyo’s face to the wall.

“The fuck’s this? You pretending to be hurt?”

While Alpha twisted his face in agony, C’s body double instantly moved.

Hit by golden lightning, the youth controlled his Eyes to shoot heat rays at Harukiyo.

“Or are you playing the victim?”

Not minding it in the least, Harukiyo calmly walked to Alpha.

Receiving concentrated attacks on his wall of flames, there were violent sparks spread around. Harukiyo was unable to fully defend against the attack and his body was ripped by the aftershocks.

“You’ve seen it just now, right? You’ve remembered it right now, right? —We’re under the influence of C’s mental attack, yeah? You realize she’s just showing you all your suffering to gouge your wounds, yeah? You understand she’d been showing you all those who died around you so she can push the blame on you, yeah?”

Seeing the slowly approaching devil of flames, Alpha’s expression transformed to that of fear.

“Alright, so I get to decide too. —You are an angel of death. Your living ain’t gonna help anyone and you’re an eyesore. Die already, you piece of shit. Not a single person in this world wishes you to live. This is the combined opinion of the entire fucking humankind.”

“—”

“Will you—acknowledge that?”

Harukiyo’s arm grabbed Alpha’s chest again. This time he was really pushed by the force of the heat rays, and while he was shedding blood from his entire body, his blazing eyes glared deep into the youth’s as he shook in fear.

“If you can think that, you’re free to just go and die already. —‘I’ve just been unlucky’, ‘this only happened due to some mistake’… you can play the victim like this and just end yourself. Don’t fucking tempt people by telling them to kill you. Aren’t you trying to be a victim to the very end?”

Harukiyo’s vision was dyed in gold.

C’s fairy was unleashing lightning at Harukiyo.

“Or do you actually think someone died because of you? If you’re really playing the victim like that—then you’re not allowed to wish for death.”

Harukiyo did not stop, however. He put strength into his arm to grab Alpha’s collar.

“Saying something like ‘please grant my dying wish!’ at the very end is not what the perpetrator does, dammit. Why’d I have to listen to a fucking sinner and kill ‘em? What a spoiled piece of mass-murdering shit you are.”

Alpha’s face was distorting more and more as he looked at it.

Even while he recalled his own life, suffered, and was about to despair—in the end, all he did was glare back at Harukiyo.

“—What am I supposed to do, then.”

It was like a hoarse voice of a question, but also sounded like he was raising a tantrum.

“I don’t give a single fuck.”

Harukiyo spat.

“Stop relying on me. You’ve got no allies. ‘Cause everyone’s thinkin’ you’re bad, anyway. So many people hate your fucking guts, but not even a single weirdo would ever try saving you. Even fucking fate itself is your enemy.”

“—”

“But if it was me, I’d say this. —I don’t give a single fuck.”

Harukiyo released Alpha, raised both arms and declared.

“It’s my own fucking life! No matter what anyone tells me, I’ve done nothing wrong! I’m neither a victim or a preparator; all I’m doin’ is living my own damn life! Everyone around me blabs about nonsense! No matter what they tell me, I’ll just keep happily livin’ my life and do what I want!”

Once electricity was added to the clash between the wall of flames and the heat ways, it was as though the area was assaulted by a typhoon. The warehouse was blown away without a trace, leaving only Harukiyo, Alpha and the golden fairy standing on the cracked earth.

“What will you do? I don’t care! Do whatever you want! If you don’t know what, then just keep living your life being used by others just like always! Isn’t it easy, not needing to think?”

Furrowing his brows, Alpha closed his eyes.

“However, you bastard—if you’re really some kinda monster born from a miracle or whatever, and you insist that you have enough conscience to think you’ve done something bad… I’ll come and kill you at some point.”

“…!”

Alpha widened his eyes in surprise. He looked up Harukiyo’s face.

“If you try and ask yourself even a little… couldn’t you have done better at the time—when people died near you, couldn’t you have saved even a single one? If you start really thinking of it as a crime like an adult even a little bit… you gotta first wish to live or nothing’ll come out of it.”

Harukiyo spoke.

“Doing your best to live and then get squashed like a bug. —That’s what being punished is all about, right?”

“…”

“When guys who did nothin’ tell you to kill them, they’re bastards who don’t even acknowledge their crime. Just do whatever you fucking please.”

Alpha gritted his teeth. It looked like he was about to look at Harukiyo with a face ready to burst into tears, but he then curled up.

Just like a kid.

Or perhaps he was like a newborn, even at this point.

While hugging up his own shaking body, the youth spoke in a thin voice.

“Can a person like… even think—of living?”

“You obviously can’t, you angel of death. Everyone’s dying because of you.”

Alpha gave a large shudder as Harukiyo gave this immediate answer.

At some point—the heat beams assaulting Harukiyo stopped.

“—GwaaaAAAH!”

As if telling him to move, the fairy unleashed her electricity on Alpha.

However, the Eyes floating in air made no attempt to move.

“I-I could only hold out this far… because I thought I might as well die whenever… guh!”

As Alpha was struck by lightning, Harukiyo kept punching him away as though to rub salt into his wound.

“GAAAH!”

“Hurts, eh? Feels painful? —What is it, so suddenly you’re greedy for life? You really are a piece of absolute flaming shit. Did you feel no pain until now?”

“B-but if I still live—and receive punishment…”

Alpha finally raised his face. He wore a weak smile on it.

“I wonder if I can apologise to all those who died because of me in this world…”

“At the very least you might feel better, rather than apologizing to those who had easy deaths.”

The devil sneered.

The world reflected in his eyes distorted.

The ravaged wharf and the caved-in transport ship all lost their shape, starting to melt away.

Alpha tried closing both eyes again. Completely unlike how he was thus far, his face was permeated by the hue of anxiety and fear.

“Perhaps… the thing that’s called life is very hard…”

He said it as if he only just now noticed.

“Nah—”

Harukiyo sneered and spat out lightly.

“It’s a piece of cake.”

For a moment, the blood-covered Harukiyo’s consciousness flickered—

When he woke up again, he was in a space completely unlike the wharf.

He could see Kusezaki Ume and Sakaki Haruka.

As well as Alpha, who was asleep inside the life support system.

Harukiyo came back to himself inside the cargo of the semi-trailer still rushing on the highway.

“Oh, you’re finally back! Are you okay, Harukiyo?”

Ume immediately spoke to Harukiyo.

Alpha probably repelled C’s mental pollution attack. As he lay inside the mysterious liquid, Alpha’s face became calm.

Harukiyo made a huge huff and sat down.

Although it wasn’t in the real world, he received too much of C’s attacks. He received quite a lot of mental damage, and although his physical wounds weren’t gone—

“—”

Harukiyo touched his own body and froze.

The blood wasn’t gone. Nor the wounds.

As he raised his head, still covered in blood—

“We’re in a pinch here! Since you were so late, we’ve been killed!”

As Ume said this, a cut appeared from his shoulder to his waist, cutting him cleanly into two.

“I died… It’s your fault, Harukiyo…”

Haruka also had a gaping hole opened in her chest, and strings of blood dripped from the edges of her mouth.

However, Harukiyo was not flustered in the least.

He calmly analyzed his remaining powers and this abnormal situation—

“Ah, damn… so I’m the only one still stuck inside C’s territory.”

He wore a bold sneer.

== 2.11 Harukiyo Part 11 ==

He came back half-dead from his fight against Sleeping Beauty in the SEPB’s underground facility.

Thinking back, he’d used up most of his stamina at the time.

From there they retreated to the surface, he protected the semi-trailer carrying Alpha, and was attacked by C.

He was once more affected by C’s mental pollution attack, and even in the world of the past he accrued a lot of damage.

Even if this was Harukiyo—it was his first time to be fighting for so long.

“Why didn’t you save me, Harukiyo! I don’t wanna die!”

“Harukiyo… you jerk…”

The bisected Ume and Haruka who shed tears of blood clung to Harukiyo.

“…”

Harukiyo grabbed Haruka’s head with flaming palms and struck Ume’s face.

“—GYAAAAAH!”

Watching them screaming from the corners of his eyes, Harukiyo leapt.

Exiting through the hole created in the ceiling, he stood on top of the cargo.

“Well, I doubt those two would actually die.”

The semi-trailer carrying Alpha ran on the highway. However, the flat road was dyed black, the buildings they went past were purple, and the vast sky was dyed green.

He knew at a glance that this wasn’t reality.

“With a normal Mushitsuki, I could just snap out of it… but I really played inside for too long. It’s my own damn mind, but it’s already been dyed by C’s colors.”

Around him there were no body doubles or Revived.

Had she intended to simply lock up the exhausted Harukiyo in this world and wait for him to exhaust himself?

“…!”

As he watched over this abnormal world, on the road ahead appeared a human figure.

From the fact her silhouette had a skirt, she appeared to be a girl.

The girl who seemed to be C’s new assassin leapt at him.

No, rather than saying she leapt, it was more like she rammed Harukiyo while flying.

“Wh—”

Harukiyo was about to sweep her off with flames, but he froze upon seeing her face.

She hugged his unmoving body. The momentum made both of them fall to the ground.

“Guh… you bitch—”

“Why didn’t you save me—”

As Harukiyo rolled on the asphalt, the girl ended up straddling him.

She was the braided girl who’d been his classmate. He had fancied her at the time, but she was supposed to have died during the bus accident.

“I died because you were there, and yet…”

As the girl hurled curses at him, sparks of flames began climbing her tattered uniform.

“Tch—”

Harukiyo clicked his tongue. He protected against the falling impact with a heatwave cushion, but the semi-trailer was driving away, leaving him behind.

“—You just had bad luck. I did what I could.”

Sneering, Harukiyo reached out with a hand toward the braided girl.

The Great Yama tiger beetle made of flames erupting from his arm annihilated the girl’s upper torso. Throwing her remaining lower torso aside, Harukiyo stood up.

His entire body wrapped in flames, he kicked the ground. He rode the heatwave to chase after the semi-trailer.

“A semi-trailer on the highway… since it’s somewhat similar to reality, seems like this means that my mind hadn’t been fully infected yet.”

Rushing after the trailer taking a huge curve, he tried leaping to it with one jump.

“If I can’t get out on my own, I’ll use whatever I can. If I use that suicidal bastard who’s already gotten out as an intermediary, I should be able to find the exit—”

However, the moment before he leapt, Harukiyo’s legs suddenly felt weighted down.

“Haru… why’d you abandon us…”

“Help… it’s so hot, Haru…”

The pair of brother and sister who grew up with him in the childcare facility clung to his legs.

However—

“—I didn’t abandon you at all. I was just a step too late.”

Increasing the vigor of the flames enveloping him, he instantly burnt away the siblings clinging to him.

“Haha!”

Along with this confident smile, he started running again.

Yet another person appeared in front of him to block his way.

“I wonder… why have I saved a child like you…?”

It was the nurse.

Although he was still a baby, her face had been etched and burned into his memory perfectly.

“There were other babies… so why did I have to save someone like you, who only spreads misfortune…”

“You just drew a bad lot, right?”

He started burning down the very woman who’d saved his life before.

All of it—was an illusion born from Harukiyo’s mind.

C was simply raising up the phantoms of dead people in order to corner him.

It was a stupid prank. The flame devil would never get affected by fakes like that.

“If you wanna kill me you’d better bring something far more interesting, C.”

“Why did all of us die, while you alone…”

“Waaaah, waaaah…”

Former classmates as well as babies in the same maternity ward, as well as fellow residents in the childcare facility.

As well as other people who lost their lives in “disasters”.

As many people as Harukiyo could remember were trying to block his path.

“I keep telling you it’s not gonna work—”

Without flinching in the least, he kept burning down all of them and ran after the semi-trailer.

He kept chasing it.

Although the other party was a vehicle driving full speed ahead, Harukiyo was a Mushitsuki referred to as the strongest. As he transformed into a flame sphere, he would catch up in no time—supposedly.

However, no matter how much he ran—

The distance to the semi-trailer didn’t shrink down in the least.

At some point, he heard whispers at his ears as the braided girl clung to his back again.

“Did you really think about saving me…? Haven’t you given up immediately?”

“Shuddup.”

Harukiyo’s single word made the girl at his back turn to cinders and crumble.

So even that semi-trailer was C’s illusion—

This doubt passed through Harukiyo’s mind.

If so, then the vehicle he saw ahead was a trap.

If he continued this game of tag like that, Harukiyo would only tire himself.

On the other hand, C probably wanted a war of attrition. Since she lost her personality, she couldn’t get mentally fatigued, and Akamaki City held enough of a supply for her source of power, electricity.

“Haru… back then you just wanted to save yourself, right…?”

“You thought of us as obstacles, right…?”

Since there were doubts in his mind, the dead kept their momentum.

“Well, you’re definitely obstacles now.”

Not minding this at all, Harukiyo burnt the wall of dead and kept going straight ahead.

The nurse crawling on the ground tried grabbing his legs.

“Do you begrudge me…? If I hadn’t saved you, you wouldn’t have to live like this…”

“I’m grateful to you. My life’s so fucking fun.”

Using his leg accompanied with an explosive wind to crush the nurse, he raised his speed.

It was natural to doubt. He’d have to focus on reaching the trailer first.

Although he was the one who called for C’s interreference, this was inside Harukiyo’s mind and memories.

This world was supposed to prioritize Harukiyo.

If he thought he would really catch up, there wasn’t any way he wouldn’t—

“Seriously—it’s a piece of cake.”

As Harukiyo wrapped himself in the most powerful flames, he ran toward the semi-trailer on the highway.

Victims of “disasters” clung to him one after another, but he burned all down.

Even so—he simply couldn’t catch up.

“Why do you think you can’t catch up…?”

How long had he been running for?

He even had the feeling like he spent hours or days chasing that semi-trailer.

“Shouldn’t you leave us behind…?”

How many of the dead had he buried already?

He had the feeling that he killed many, thousands of them, even.

“If it’s not your fault, you can just go ahead and leave us behind…”

Even so, he couldn’t shake off the dead.

His braided classmate put her arms around the running Harukiyo’s neck.

“I told you already—”

He glared at the girl with tired eyes with black bags under them.

“—This won’t wooooork!”

Howling, the Great Yama tiger beetle of flames boiled all the dead filling the highway.

Even as he ran through the empty road—he couldn’t catch up to the semi-trailer.

The nurse stood in his path again.

She did nothing, only stared at Harukiyo while shedding tears.

Harukiyo tried burning her off just like he did so far—

However, he simply couldn’t swing down his clenched fist.

The nurse smiled and hugged Harukiyo happily as he passed next to her.

“You’re finally… not able to kill us anymore…”

“Haru… you’re finally looking at us.”

“Obviously, because we all died because of you, Haru…”

Even the siblings from the facility clung to Harukiyo’s legs.

“—”

Both mind and body exhausted, Harukiyo had already spent his powers denying their words. He was deathly pale, but couldn’t allow himself to stop running.

“Of course you can’t shake us off, because you’re actually—”

The braided girl appeared on the road ahead. She spread her arms as though to invite him for a hug.

“A normal person.”

Harukiyo couldn’t dodge his classmate. She embraced him.

“Yes, you were also a normal baby when you were born…”

“Flame devil? Aha, what’s that! You’re just Haru!”

“You wanna apologize for killing us, right? You’re a good person, Haru!”

One after another, the dead people swarmed at him, increasing the weight on Harukiyo’s body.

Finally, his legs chasing after the semi-trailer—

Stopped in place.

“You do know that it’s your fault we’re all dead.”

His braided classmate caressed his chin with her fingers as he stopped in place, feeling faint.

“If you acknowledge your sin, you wouldn’t want to live anymore—so you’re just bluffing.”

As Harukiyo came to a stop, it felt as though his feelings and memories came spilling out of him.

His consciousness started fading and he didn’t even notice himself kneeling down.

He felt sleepy.

The nurse, the siblings and his classmate wrapped Harukiyo with a nostalgic warmth.

He wanted to surrender himself to the warmth of his first love, yielding to the impulse of falling asleep.

“There’s no need for you to pretend being a devil and live that sorta of painful life…”

Like a lullaby, his classmate’s whisper made Harukiyo’s eyelids feel heavier.

“—You’ve had this dream since you’re a normal person, right?”

A dream.

The dream he’d wished for before—

“You ‘want to get punished’.”

That was Harukiyo’s dream.

It was the shackling sense of guilt that continuously existed in his heart.

“Your mere existence in this world makes people around you die—that is your sin. You acknowledge your sin but never wish for forgiveness… you don’t want any sort of self-satisfaction, but merely want someone to punish you…”

“…”

“All so you could finally—stop pretending to be a devil and die as a normal person… just like those who died because of you.”

Harukiyo’s heart was on the verge of completely spilling out.

The final drop stopped inside him.

His dream, that he was on the verge of forgetting—remained inside him still.

“Yeah, that’s right. Thanks to you—I now remember.”

Harukiyo’s eyes lit up with a small fire.

However, with that very last scorch before it got extinguished—

“I wanted to receive punishment—”

He created a fiery carpet that swallowed the dead filling the highway.

The classmates, the nurse and the siblings clinging to Harukiyo all raised screams.

“So I’ll live—”

As Harukiyo sneered, his right eye, left arm, and right leg—fully became flames. He kicked the ground along with an explosive wind, rushing ahead while leaving a trail of flames in his path.

“As long as I’m alive, the fact I’m alive—is no fucking sin.”

Chasing after the semi-trailer that he already lost, he dashed through the highway.

Harukiyo’s left eye transformed to flames.

Following this other parts also transformed to masses of flames one another after; his shoulder and his back.

“If you’ve got any complaints, bring on anyone at all. Try and punish me—”

His body—his heart was becoming lighter.

He didn’t need to think of anything else.

It was fine for just granting his wish to remain in his head.

Right now, the cause of his running and what he was chasing—was completely irrelevant.

“And I’ll burn anyone and everyone who stands in my way—”

The flame devil madly dashing on the road couldn’t see the semi-trailer anywhere.

No matter how fast he went.

No matter how far he ran.

While being swallowed by flames, Harukiyo simply kept running forever and ever.

“If you’re not a normal person, then—you’re just flame.”

Without minding his classmate appearing ahead, flaming Harukiyo just burnt her to a crisp.

Next the nurse appeared.

“So this is your true form.”

The siblings appeared.

“You burn everyone who approaches…”

“And so you keep burning even stronger…”

“—”

Harukiyo howled.

This howl shook this other world’s space. Had he himself emitted it, or was it the raging Great Yama tiger beetle eating his dream? He couldn’t tell.

“—Confirmed signs of Maturation in Special Class Rank 1 Harukiyo.”

In front of him appeared a fairy wearing a golden tiara.

“There is no need to dispatch the Dove. I can just keep accelerating his own destruction—”

As if noticing something in the middle of the speech, the fairy turned—and her body broke to pieces.

“—”

Harukiyo also sensed that being and stopped in place.

Even the dead people surrounding him turned there with scared faces.

In front of Harukiyo—ahead of the large curve in the highway—stood an abnormal figure.

Standing atop a tall lamp was a person wielding a smoking automatic pistol.

Stimulating Harukiyo’s nearly lost memories, that person—looked as tattered as though he’d already experienced death, for some reason.

“So you—haven’t had enough of living, then.”

The boy looked down at the devil of flames and muttered so.

He was a Mushitsuki who was already supposedly gone, the one called a demon.

== 2.12 Harukiyo The Last ==

In this world based on his own mind, he didn’t find it strange for the boy to exist there.

Harukiyo’s lower torso became flames and his surrounding were also swallowed by hellfire. Those who died from the “disasters” coming down on him clung to him while cursing.

This was—hell itself.

And there were obviously going to be demons in hell.

He felt it was completely natural.

“…”

However, for some reason that demon was covered in wounds from head to toes.

The goggles worn on his head were cracked, his bristled hair and face were smeared with blood. Even his pitch-dark coat was dirtied with blood and dust, and his form while standing atop the light looked awfully insecure.

Had he already fought some beast somewhere?

Seeing the demon look like this in this situation—he felt abnormally angry.

Furthermore, the boy aimed the muzzle at him, and then intoned.

“So, are you just going to self-destruct without settling your score with me, Harukiyo?”

Another part of Harukiyo’s body—changed into flames.

Since his consciousness was muddying, he couldn’t currently recall who this demon in front of him was.

But he didn’t like him.

He felt a discomfort well up from deep inside him, like the bottom of his heart was seething—as if the boy saw through his heart, ridiculed him then beat him down.

“—”

A devil and a demon.

In this hellish pandemonium, they both glared at each other wordlessly—

The gunfire shot by the demon literally pulled the trigger on their fight.

“aaaHAaaaAAAAaaAAAH!”

Emitting a decidedly inhuman howl, Harukiyo stomped, using his entire body’s power.

A large explosion spread with him in the center. The asphalt cracked, blowing heat waves boiled the dead, and the highway and surrounding buildings were blown to smithereens.

Even the demon’s bullets were repelled by the heat, not reaching Harukiyo. However, since they held within them much more power than normal bullets, they pushed back the explosive wind and created a single path.

And the green glow pierced through that created path.

His face covered by a green pattern, the demon put his hands on the ground like a wild beast and closed the distance to Harukiyo instantly. He clenched his free hand in front of him, swinging it down at him.

“aaHAaaAAAH!”

His eyes literally blazing, Harukiyo formed a wall of heat.

The demon’s heat wave and the devil’s fist clashed. The shockwave gouged into the ground and created a deep valley between the two.

Harukiyo was the victor. The demon was blown away by the overwhelming energy, pounded against the ground, pierced through several destroyed buildings and vanished into the distance.

A normal person would have left no trace from that impact.

However, Harukiyo did not stop his attack.

“HaaAAAH!”

That eyesore of a demon would not die from this much—

Listening to the alarm bells ringing in his mind, he shot multiple Great Yama tiger beetles from his flaming body.

All of them possessing tusks of differing lengths, they were shot to the distance on after another. Crimson pillars connected heaven to earth, destroying the Akamaki City cityscape.

Large explosion sounds and gales arrived at Harukiyo with a delay.

Inside the dancing smoke, a great cavern was born.

Harukiyo swung his arms and shot a fireball. —The bullets shot toward him clashed with this fireball, the two cancelled each other and were gone.

The bullets were a feint. Using superhuman leg strength, the demon moved and appeared right next to Harukiyo. He was covered in more blood; as expected, it wasn’t like he remained completely unscathed.

“Hahaa!”

Once more, Harukiyo’s heat wave clashed with the demon’s fist.

As expected, the one to be defeated and get thrown back and roll on the ground was the demon. Harukiyo launched a rain of fireballs, but the demon soon stood up and dodged.

Taking advantage of an instant of an opening, once more the demon leapt within distance of Harukiyo. —Harukiyo was getting pissed off at how stubborn the demon was for close combat.

“HaaAAAH!”

Apparently, the demon had anticipated Harukiyo launching his Great Yama tiger beetle.

He vanished from before his eyes with frightening speed and got behind Harukiyo in an instant. A fist clad in a green brilliance struck his flank, which had yet to turn to flame.

He used his wall of heat to protect against the blow, but—

“—”

Harukiyo glared at the demon with eyes burning with rage.

The gap in their powers was evident.

While the demon was for some reason already hurt, Harukiyo was surging with power. Considering the compatibility between their abilities as well, the only way for the demon to win was to inflict damage on Harukiyo’s parts that had yet to turn to flames. On the other hand, Harukiyo simply needed to attack the demon.

Even so, he was unable to swipe him off, like an annoying fly buzzing around—

“—HaaaAHHH!”

He began a close-ranged mutual pummeling with the demon who so stubbornly clung to him.

Every time he launched fireballs or Great Yama tiger beetles, the demon managed to dodge them by a razor’s edge as if he’d foreseen them, ran around him and swung his fist. Every time, Harukiyo defended with a wall of heat.

Seeing through the monotone attacks repeated by Harukiyo, the demon toyed with him.

''No, but I feel like I was the one who specialized in beating like that—

This suddenly came to his mind, but swallowed by the joy of wielding all this power welling inside him.

Right now, Harukiyo had no need for cheap tricks.

“Haa!”

Trying to throw him to the distance again, Harukiyo emitted another heatwave.

The demon had been prepared for that attack. He stepped hard on the ground, entirely in a defensive posture, and although the asphalt caved in, he kept standing there.

Receiving damage as he let the attack pass, the demon readied his muzzle.

Bullets assaulted Harukiyo from a very close range.

“aaaAAAH—”

He protected against the bullets shot one after another with his heatwave in a chain.

The demon should already be quite exhausted. He didn’t feel like he’d lose in a contest of strength, but being reduced to a defensive battle upset Harukiyo.

“HaaaAAAAAAHHH!”

Repelling the bullets by force, the demon leapt along with the surge of flames.

Apparently, although he’d tried evading, his body wouldn’t listen to him. For an instant his reaction was delayed and he was hit by Harukiyo’s swung arm, rolling on the ground.

Harukiyo stepped hard on the tumbled demon.

He assaulted the surface with both explosive wind and earth tremors. The demon’s body became buried.

“aaaaAAAAH!”

Harukiyo kept stomping.

As large explosions shook Akamaki City, the fissures appearing under his legs kept spreading.

And just as he stopped feeling any resistance from below his feet—

“—”

He noticed that his flaming leg was being grabbed by something from below.

By five fingers that belonged to a left hand.

However—they weren’t human. Their surface was covered by a hard shell, and it was several times larger than a human’s. It was scorched and raising smoke.

“—ooOOOOooooOOOOOH!”

An inhuman howl reverberated and Harukiyo was blown away.

Riding a heatwave, he soon fixed his posture and saw—

It really was a demon.

His left arm, as bulky as a crag, swelled so much that it ripped his left sleeve. His right foot was also similarly covered by a pattern glowing green. The large pistol fused with the right hand became even larger, transformed into a grotesque insect’s mouthpart, and spat fire.

Seeing the demon reveal its true identity, Harukiyo’s other self mumbled inside his heart.

''Oh, so you’re at your limits, too—

The devil transforming into flames was glared by the demon who grew tusks from his left cheek.

“OooOOOooOOAAAAAAHHH!”

“HaaaAAaaAAAAaaaAAHHH!”

The devil and the demon clashed.

Bullets shot by the demon—or rather, these masses of destructive energy could be called cannonballs—clashed with the devil’s Great Yama tiger beetle, and they cancelled each other. Everything around them lost its shape, and the two approached one another as though to tackle each other, swinging down their fists.

The fist drawing a green afterimage was fended off by a heat wave, and the devil aimed for the demon with a flame-clad fist. His now grotesque-looking legs kicked the ground, allowing the demon to dodge the attack by a hairsbreadth. The fireball and Great Yama tiger beetle unleashed from the devil’s fist cutting through air turned the area around the demon to a sea of lava.

Fiery sparks colored crimson, as well as green trails shining in air.

Every time these two clashed, everything besides them was rendered null. The dead were annihilated, buildings and the ground were blown to pieces, and the world was remade to hold only these two alone.

The battle proceeded with the devil’s advantage.

He was slowly but surely accumulating damage on the already exhausted demon, however—

“—oooOOOOHHH!”

The demon’s fist finally blew through the defensive wall of several layers of heatwaves.

Still preserving a human shape, the devil’s chin was grazed at the very tip.

It was a glancing blow, but the devil’s head was shaken.

“—”

There was a blaze.

Leaving small smoke behind, the devil’s right eye became human.

There was no damage.

Therefore, the devil’s offensive continued, and he got pummeled by tens of fists in return.

However, another blow by the demon’s fist struck the devil’s stomach.

Although he hurriedly protected with his arm—

“—”

Another hiss.

The arm he used to protect with reverted to human again.

His counterattack managed to get through the heat waves one out of ten times—

And returned the devil to a human, little by little.

“—”

Every time he retrieved part of his human body, Harukiyo’s consciousness became clearer and clearer.

His emotions and memories that were dripping out.

Using the arms of his reason, he desperately scraped them together, unwilling to give up.

Finally, when his entire body other than his right became human again—

“…!”

The demon’s gigantic feast came right in front of the devil’s—Harukiyo’s eyes.

A direct touch would probably blow his head to smithereens.

Harukiyo leaned low. Realizing he needed so stoop so low to dodge such a simple attack, the very last flames vanished from his right eye, raising smoke.

“—Don’t you fucking look down on meeeeee!”

Leaping to the demon’s chest, he gave his strongest punch. He launched a heat wave at the same time, throwing the demon midair for a moment.

However, the demon was unmoving. He immediately turned the grotesque muzzle to Harukiyo.

“Who said we didn’t settle the score, eh?”

Harukiyo clung to the demon, haphazardly trying to push away the arm that did nothing but aim the gun.

Gunfire powerful enough to make the entirety of Akamaki City shake echoed. A huge crater was formed behind Harukiyo, but he put his own leg on the demon’s legs without minding it.

As the demon looked heavily unbalanced, this simple act made him tumble down.

“I won’t letcha be the only one to say that—”

Straddling the demon as he fell, he started pounding his face with fists clad in heatwaves.

Blood spurted from the demon’s green-patterned face.

“Kakkooou!”

Although the demon tried sweeping off Harukiyo, he wouldn’t allow him that.

He kept pounding the demon’s face and again and again.

“How dare you say that, as someone who made more Fallen than anyone! As someone who turned Fuyuhotaru into a Fallen and kept surviving all these battles! As someone who was by Arisu’s side and tried defeating the Original Three! As someone who could neither kill nor save Lady Bird!”

Every time Harukiyo struck him, the impact made his and the demon’s body rise in air.

The demon’s arms.

His legs.

His gun.

They were retrieving their forms as a human and an automatic pistol.

“As someone who’s trying to back out of all this without settling anything at all! So don’t you dare say thaaaaat!”

Harukiyo’s fist was no longer wrapped in heat.

Meanwhile, the demon already had his simple, blood-smeared, pathetic normal face back.

Kakkou.

He was a Rank 1 Mushitsuki just like Harukiyo, and as much as a sinful man.

“I did settle things.”

Harukiyo grabbed the unmoving Kakkou’s scruff. He didn’t even try to check whether his opponent was conscious.

“I woke up Arisu. Just like she wished for, to be waken up with the continuation of her dream.”

A lump of blood gushed out of Kakkou’s mouth. Apparently he was still alive.

“We both said it. And yet—what the fuck were you doing?”

Harukiyo was the devil of flames.

He was a Mushitsuki who felt nothing for his own life, living freely for his own wishes.

Therefore, he’d tell those he didn’t like that he didn’t like them to their faces.

And the one who pissed him off the most right now—was the boy in front of him.

“Arisu lost and you became a Fallen, forgetting all about her! Then what the fuck can you even tell me about settling the score! Even I’m losin’ interest with how much you keep losing! In the end this world is fucking boring, isn’t it?!”

He was the only one who survived, while all those around him were gone.

Nothing changed since the moment of his birth.

Next time for sure—

Even the voice whispering this inside Harukiyo’s heart was growing weaker and weaker.

The devil kept living without minding anything, not even feeling any guilt.

Although he was supposed to be like that—a small tremor was born in him.

“—Did you forget…?”

He thought Kakkou was dead, but he moved his mouth.

“When you get right down to it… Why have you joined forces with Arisu…?”

“Ah?”

“’Let’s make a world without any Mushitsuki’—”

Harukiyo widened his eyes.

“You were invited for that cause… and joined forces with her…”

While Kakkou spoke this, his lips looked like he was smiling. It was Harukiyo’s imagination—but since it looked like this to his eyes, he felt angry.

“That deal’s already done. She lost—and I settled the score.”

“Yeah, she lost…”

Kakkou leaked a soft breath and spoke.

“But—she’s woken up again, right?”

“…!”

Harukiyo’s arms grasping Kakkou twitched.

This time, the boy truly and clearly smiled.

“You started the ‘continuation’.”

“…”

“Since she’s awake, she’ll probably aim for a ‘world without Mushitsuki’ again. Even so, you feel like saying everything’s ended and cancel that first deal? And despite you being the one to wake her up… that’s not proper at all, isn’t it?”

''How can you speak so selfishly—

He was about to retort with that, but no words came out.

Because the opponent that he’d made this deal with was truly a selfish person.

She’d clung to him and forced out his dream—and the girl even shed tears despite it having nothing to do with her.

She was selfish, naïve, and as a result she drew up the short lot and fell asleep.

And the one who decided to go along with that girl’s pipedreams—was none other than Harukiyo himself.

“If we assume what you’re saying is true—it’s the worst.”

He simply felt like going with her on a whim.

Even so he was forced into mortal combat. When that was over, he kept looking for her to get his “reward”. And that took years.

He somehow managed to find her and get his reward, so he thought he was done.

However, it seemed like that was another trap.

Because from that very moment he became part of the “continuation”—

“What a fucking bother—I feel like I’ve been caught hook, line and sinker.”

“…She was that kind of person from the very beginning…”

Kakkou groaned.

He thought his problems already ended, but in fact they hadn’t. If that wasn’t enough, they continued because of the actions he took in order to end them.

It really was a huge bother.

However—

“Stop acting like that and start making an actual effort… Harukiyo.”

In this state, there were certain emotions that welled up in his chest.

But whenever he advanced, they were suddenly cut off.

Harukiyo had never experienced a life where this repetition never occurred.

If what the demon said was true—this was the first time.

“This isn’t the kind of person you can just half-ass when dealing with…”

Was he talking about the girl he’d made a deal with?

Or was he speaking of the enemy that he had to fight to finish that deal?

He could agree either way, but Harukiyo hated the way the boy talked of this as if it had nothing to do with him.

“I’m tellin’ you, you’re the last person I wanna hear this from. It doesn’t sound convincing at all after you came after me like a rabid dog the moment we met. —The fuck are you? How did you show up inside me like that? Are you a fake created by C?”

Kakkou remained unanswering and silent. Instead, he could hear an electronic tone echoing from somewhere.

It was a familiar melody.

“Well, not that I care. What really annoys me is people putting off things, leaving them to other people—it looks like you’re tryna push everything to me.”

“…”

At some point Harukiyo could see the destroyed Akamaki City again.

The sky was a weird color as always, but he was on the highway and the large semi-trailer was parked ahead of him.

“I don’t think it’s just me. The one who started this ‘continuation’, I mean.”

As Harukiyo got inside the cargo, the engine turned on.

The melody he’d heard from before came from the cellphone in the pocket. It was the very one he’d received from the Mushitsuki called Konoha. He had no idea how come he was able to hear it in this world, but since he was still in the middle of the conversation, he ignored it.

“Even Fuyuhotaru coming back from the Fallen state and Arisu having that silly dream—probably happened because they met with you. As well as your chaotic fight after failing to save Lady. In the first place… C being tricked by Miguruma also happened through your influence.”

“…”

“And me having a deal with Arisu was because she wanted to gather the Rank 1s. If you’re sayin’ it’s continuing now, it doesn’t make a lick of sense for you to be the only one missing.”

The semitrailer took off.

Kakkou remained collapsed, not trying to move.

Kakkou stayed there while Harukiyo moved ahead.

As the distance between the two grew, he spat toward the fallen boy.

“You started it all. —Take responsibility and put a fucking end to this.”

Harukiyo left his voice behind as the semitrailer accelerated.

He had no idea what this boy growing smaller in his vision—Kakkou—was. He might have been a simple illusion constructed by C.

But as a result, he made Harukiyo wake up after nearly Maturing.

If he really was created by C, it completely backfired on her.

On the other hand, if this element had been induced by a person other than C—

“Damn, you’re so annoying.”

The ringtone kept going on for a while now.

As if guided by it, the scenery of Akamaki City dyed in bizarre colors…

Was, little by little…

“I’m tryna think real hard here and yet you just keep going…”

Regaining its proper colors.

The sky was dyed a faint blue, and the ground settled down to gray.

As everything reflected in his eyes regained their original colors—

“—Hey, that phone’s been really annoying for some time now! Just hang up on them if you’re not going to answer!”

An annoying, high-pitched voice familiar to him shook his eardrums.

Harukiyo was in the cargo box of the semi-trailer running through the highway.

It wasn’t the different space he’d seen until just now.

Kusezaki Ume was sitting on the floor while complaining to him, and he wasn’t bisected. Sakaki Haruka also wasn’t puking blood. However, both of them had their clothes ripped.

“Nah, I’ll answer it.”

Suddenly, as Harukiyo raised his face, Ume and Sakaki shuddered.

“Y-you’re awake? Took you long! Pfft, thinking you’ve had it this tough against C’s mental pollution… have you weakened, Harukiyo? More importantly, we’ve had it real bad since you were fast asleep! Haruka even used the power she borrowed three times and ran out!”

Immediately after coming back to the real world, Ume’s high-pitched voice kept prattling on and on.

“…My collection… is running out…”

Haruka also looked tired. Harukiyo had no idea how long he’d spent unconscious, but it seemed like Ume and Haruka protected the semi-trailer alone.

“Things are relaxed right now, but another assassin’s sure to come here! It’s your turn next, Harukiyo! I’m going to sleep! I’ll definitely have a nap! In the first place, why do we even have to go to these lengths to protect this guy?!”

“Ah, fuck it, shut up already!”

Pushing Ume back, he pressed the call button of the cellphone.

“What do you plan on doing with Alpha…?”

It was the same voice he’d heard on the phone before. The Mushitsuki girl called Konoha.

“You’re askin’ that just now? But it’s almost as if you’ve calculated the timing.”

“…”

“Is there a Mushi in this cellphone? Since you were able to pull me back from that world, it’s probably a mental pollution or a mental control type—so it’s not you, Konoha. Could even the user of ability see what happened in that world?”

Konoha gave no answer.

“Meaning, you’re confused about Alpha’s worth being unlike what you estimated.”

“…”

“As you know, since he’s alive, even if we defeat the Original Three and C, there’s still a possibility for us to return to a world with Mushitsuki. —Does it make you want to keep him safe all the more? Or maybe you want to kill him?”

“Eh?” Ume sounded shocked from his side.

There were probably only few people who understood the value of Alpha’s existence and the dangers behind him.

Excluding Miguruma Yaeko, who was the main culprit, as well as the past members of the Round Table who were at the center of this—it might be just Harukiyo and the one on the other side of the line.

“Can’t talk ‘bout this with you, Konoha. Bring out your master.”

Although Harukiyo threatened with a low voice, Konoha kept silent—

And hanged the call on him.

This probably wasn’t because Konoha got scared like before, but probably received orders from the person controlling her.

“What you mean, Harukiyo? Is this person actually someone outrageous?”

“I’ll explain it later. —I’ve also had it real tough. Haruka, got any abilities to get them off our trail?”

“…I can use Tamamo’s ability to make anyone not perceive us consciously… with the amount I’ve borrowed, I don’t think it’ll last even for an hour…”

“Eh, Tamamo-san’s a high-ranking member of the SEPB, isn’t she? How did you get it from her?”

“…We’re Lolita fashion friends…”

Harukiyo turned toward the driver’s seat, lightly waving his hand.

The wall of the cargo box melted red, revealing the back of the head of the woman sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Hey, secretary. How much longer to our goal?”

“Eh? Oh.”

Although the secretary was surprised at seeing the hole behind her, she soon answered.

“I believe it will take the whereabout of two hours.”

“Tch, no choice then. So I’ll hold out for about an hour or so. It’ll be a piece of cake, though.”

Rising up, he peeked at the face of Alpha sleeping inside the life support system.

The youth’s complexion was as bad as always, but his expression seemed to be quite calm. He was the only one who knew what he thought about and decided in the world created by C.

“You’re for the most part quite the sinner. I don’t give a flying fuck what you are, but this doesn’t change the fact you’d be the ‘egg’ for Mushitsuki. Meaning, as long as you’re alive, there’ll always be a chance for Mushitsuki to be born.”

“…? What does that mean, Harukiyo-sama?”

“I’m saying that Akasegawa also pulled out quite the card. You’ll understand one day. It seems quite important so you need to treat it with care, though…”

Chairman of the Akasegawa conglomerate, Akasegawa Nanana, cooperated with Mushibane.

Meaning, they were both people who wanted Mushi to go extinct.

Even so, after spending so much money to protect him, if she found out that his very being went against this goal, what reaction would that rich girl show?

“Say, aren’t these some Revived far back there? It’s your turn, Harukiyo!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As he exited to the roof through the hole in the ceiling of the luggage, Harukiyo stopped thinking.

“Hey, secretary. I’ve been wondering since the start.”

“Hmm?”

“This guy is more or less a Mushitsuki as well… so you’ve done a great job to not get found out by the SEPB’s sensors thus far. Don’t you think it strange?”

Apparently, that question was within the secretary’s estimations.

“We are also in the midst of conducting research on him… but apparently, after going through fixed periods of awakening, he appears to be in deep slumber. His Mushi as well has an abnormally vague presence… there are times where his Mushi is out and yet it remains in a state of slumber…”

“…”

Harukiyo thought and inquired further.

“The Mushi’s asleep? Rather like Arisu’s ability, then. No, in the first place he’s the one who… can he do that out of his own will, then?”

“We cannot tell for sure at present. After all, he’d remained asleep for a long while ever since we made the bid on him, so we were unable to get any information… what about all of this?”

“Never mind—by the way, didja know? There’s a certain kind of vaccine that’s developed using chicken eggs.”

“…? I do not quite understand what you mean by this.”

“Harukiyo! They’re coming! Do something already!”

“Oh, you know. It’s a possibility of less than 1%—"

Urged by Ume, Harukiyo looked up the ceiling.

“Once you use all of your Akasegawa money to research him… then maybe one day you could create something that could put Mushitsuki’s Mushi to sleep for all eternity. That kinda pipe dream.”

Glancing at her, the secretary looked reactionless.

However, her not grabbing the wheel right before the curve in the road—was probably because she understood the importance behind what Harukiyo said and found herself shaken by it.

“Please drive safely.”

Spitting this, Harukiyo leapt up and danced atop the cargo box.

“I-indeed…!” he heard the agitated voice from his feet. The semi-trailer managed to brake right at the last moment.

“So my power has meaning—then.”

Why was it?

Harukiyo lived freely and intended on just doing as he pleased.

His life goal was to find enemies and defend against “disasters” through preemptive attacks.

However, that was all.

Although he never intended on getting involved with Mushitsuki and Mushi—

“And so, you can change the world into one without Mushitsuki, huh. —Will you lose today or tomorrow and end the story, or will you be able to gather all these small possibilities and make it a longer story?”

Harukiyo ended up involved in the fights of Mushitsuki regardless of his own will.

And without fail—he would always end up cornered to the point where he had to settle up the score by a contract that he himself had agreed to.

“So there’s one, this suicidal bastard—nah, I already made him graduate from that shit. One of them is this Alpha guy…”

This world would change to be one without Mushitsuki—

He couldn’t celebrate his life without settling this contract as well.

“As for the other—I finally have an idea about where you might be, C. Since you’re trying to kill me, you definitely are the ‘disaster’ aiming for me.”

However, the existence called Mushitsuki that got involved with him—

Seemed to be a huge problem, going past his own “disaster”.

Therefore, he had to settle matters.

“It looks like it’s going to be an itty bitty of a problem—”

Although he leaked sighs of fatigue, he—

The strongest Mushitsuki, called the devil of flames—

“But it’ll be a piece of cake.”

Wore a bold smile.

<noinclude>

==Notes==

<references/>

{{SimpleNav}}

</noinclude>

Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1

2024-08-18T08:16:52Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== 1.00 The Others == “Big brother.” Hearing this small voice, Taiki opened his eyes. As he opened his heavy lids and tilted his head, he saw his little sister Ririe pe..."

== 1.00 The Others ==

“Big brother.”

Hearing this small voice, Taiki opened his eyes.

As he opened his heavy lids and tilted his head, he saw his little sister Ririe peeking through the door. She had her hair in twintails and wore her middle school uniform.

“Mom says you need to hurry up and eat breakfast.”

After saying this, Ririe closed the door. He could hear her going down the stairs.

“Nngh…”

Rising from the bed, he groaned with his eyes still closed.

“—That weird dream again…”

He saw a bizarre dream.

He saw this same dream a lot lately.

No; to be more precise, the dreams themselves were different, but those that appeared in them went through the same things—

“…Ngh.”

He tried recalling his dream, but nearly fell asleep again. Taiki forced his eyes open again and exited his room with a sluggish gait. As he came down the stairs, his mom turned to him.

“Finally awake? Now, eat your breakfast already. You’re the only one left, Taiki.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Taiki, please remember to wake up on your own already.”

His father was glaring at him while putting on his suit. He worked in a management position at some company.

“Ah, you’re finally awake, big brother.”

Appearing from the corridor was the middle sister, Noa. Their father turned to her, his eyes narrowed.

“Noa, how many times do I need to tell you… tie your hair or cut it. It’s too long.”

“…Yes, dad.”

Watching from the side of his eye Noa obediently tying her hair with an elastic band, Taiki scooped up the miso soup on the table into his mouth.

It was a sight he was used to seeing every morning in his household.

His strait-laced dad would get dressed just on time while his methodical mother would take care of everyone’s preparations to leave for work or school. Taiki, the completely normal high-schooler in his second year, would oversleep, Noa who was one year his junior would get just about half-dressed, and middle-schooler Ririe would finish getting dressed perfectly.

Taiki’s family included five souls; two parents, then a boy and two girls.

Their family was just as always, but Taiki felt something was odd today.

“…”

It wasn’t Ririe, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room and watching TV. Everything about her, starting from her slender limbs to her hair tied into two pigtails, was the usual. She was meek, but she was a difficult little sister who often acted on her own, all the while wearing a composed face.

He was rather more interested in his other sister, Noa. She wore her school’s uniform properly and her conduct was fine. She supposedly had decent grades in both studies and athletics, but she apparently chose to live her life in school without standing out, not even entering any club. She released the hair she tied just now and was wondering whether to make it into a braid. That was the extent of her sense of fashion.

“Noa… did you grow taller?”

“Eh?”

She turned to him, her face in complete shock. Taiki got flustered without thinking.

“Ah, no, I mean… I guess it just felt this way?”

“What is this all of a sudden, big brother?”

Both Taiki and Noa tilted their heads.

“Ririe, please lower the volume a bit.”

Warned by her father, Ririe operated the remote control.

Shown on the screen was a scenery removed from normal life.

A swarm of armored military vehicles were blocking some roadway.

Residents were standing in front of the inoperative train station and the press corps were interviewing them.

A townscape full of tall buildings was filmed by aerial photography—

“…”

Taiki’s entire family went silent. They felt how tense things were even through the TV.

“—Unbelievable…”

His father sighed, sounding annoyed. His mother frowned in worry.

“It’s just horrible, what’s going on in Akamaki City. We’re fine since we’re far, but…”

“What’s the government thinking about, not even telling the citizens what’s going on?”

Akamaki City, the capital where the country’s central functions were gathered.

Just the other day, the residents had been issued orders to evacuate. As they were forced to evacuate just like that, and possibly because all news were suppressed, even the mass media was unable to pass along accurate information.

Since even the country’s functions were at risk, the TV obviously constantly focused on news programs. They reported about the state of the evacuees and the interest starting to gather from the international community.

In actual fact, Akamaki City and surrounding cities were in chaos.

But as Taiki’s region was far from it, they couldn’t stop schools or business. Just like always, most students went to school and most working adults went to work.

“It’s not Akamaki City, but is the neighboring Ouka City fine, dear?”

“What about Ouka City?”

“Isn’t he over there? You know, your sister’s kid. Kusuriya—”

“We’ve cut off ties. I don’t care about her kid.”

“But… it’s your nephew.”

Ririe twitched in her place and their father turned to her.

The reception was probably bad. For a split second, the footage showing the aerial photography of Akamaki City from the live broadcast camera was disarrayed. Static that lasted just a second shook the screen.

“—”

Both parents looked at each other wordlessly—and, perhaps not wanting to get into a fruitless topic, they both closed their mouths.

Taiki was quite a bit shocked. It was the first time he heard about his dad having a sister. And her having a kid meant that he’d be his cousin.

While seeing off their parents that headed to the front door as if nothing happened, Taiki asked Noa.

“Hey, Noa. Did you know we have a cousin?”

“Eh?”

Noa turned to him, surprised. For a moment she thought seriously—then shook her head.

“Nope, I didn’t know anything about it.”

“Right.”

Just in case he also looked to Ririe, but the girl shook her head to the sides.

The existence of a cousin—

While still pondering this small question, Taiki finished preparing for school and headed out.

His path to school, going along the national road, seemed quieter than usual to him. Even the cars running through it and the numbers of passersby were less than yesterday.

Taiki’s high school had a high deviation score in the area, with its alumni having high acceptance rates for university. The uniform blazer was quite popular too. Last year, Taiki—and his little sister Noa this year—managed to just barely squeeze through the fierce competition and get admitted to this popular school.

Even the school gate that was usually drowned in these blazers now almost looked empty.

The damage caused by the disaster striking Akamaki City did not reach all the way to Taiki’s region. However, it seemed like the anxiety and sense of danger definitely spread through the entire country.

Taiki was able to experience that by entering his classroom.

“Yo.”

The number of classmates that turned around to respond to Taiki’s greeting were about half their number yesterday.

“Heya, Taiki.”

“G’morning!”

“Oh, Taiki-kun’s here…”

About half the seats were empty.

A tall boy spoke to Taiki while putting an arm on his shoulder.

“Surprised? Everyone’s gotten scared of what’s going on in Akamaki and shut themselves home.”

“This isn’t an issue of being scared, is it?”

Taiki wore a wry smile and put his bag on his seat. Another friend approached him.

“Well, that’s right. Even if it’s far, you can’t tell what’s going to happen next. At least until things become clearer, it’s normal for parents to not send their kids to school, huh?”

“What does that mean about our parents, then?”

The girls also gathered.

“They should give us vacation time, then.”

“Teachers and parents are the same. No matter what’s going on in Akamaki, it’s important to not let our studies get affected.”

“So what’s going on there, anyway? Anyone here knows?”

“No, a lot’s being said online but it’s all fake news—”

His classmates talked about this and that.

Taiki sat in his chair and sighed.

They had no way of knowing what went in Akamaki City.

He found it difficult to believe something would happen in this region, so far away from the scene. He wasn’t intending to mock those who felt anxious and stayed home, though.

Taiki couldn’t feel anything changing around him. No matter what happened so far from him, Taiki’s daily life remained unchanged.

He had his parents—although they were a bit strict, he was never in want of anything, he had two little sisters, and schoolmates that studied together. Taiki had nothing to complain about. If anything, he was extremely blessed.

However, inside that blissful daily life—there was a small ripple, or rather a confusion.

This wasn’t related Akamaki City.

In fact, the reason Taiki sighed was completely different.

“What’s up, Taiki? Thinking you shouldn’t have come to school?”

A friend of his laughed while looking at him. Taiki put his chin on his palm.

“Not that. I just had a nasty dream…”

“A dream?”

Several classmates asked, and Taiki turned to them.

Should he tell them or shut up?

For a moment he hesitated—but he thought this was probably nothing to hide, so he opened his mouth.

“Say, have you guys—ever heard about Mushitsuki?”

A heavy silence befell the classroom.

Saying that they became even more anxious than when speaking about Akamaki City in a certain sense, Taiki felt flustered.

“Oh, err, it’s nothing. Sorry…”

So he apparently shouldn’t have said anything.

After all, those people called Mushitsuki were nothing more than a rumor yet caused some fear among the people—

And these people appeared in Taiki’s dreams.

In his first such dream the Mushitsuki that appeared was a beautiful girl.

“Yeah, never mind…”

Mumbling this, Taiki thought about that Mushitsuki girl—

He recalled that beautiful Mushitsuki who was could control a seven-spotted ladybug.

== 1.01 The Others ==

There were the supernatural beings called Mushi.

Suddenly appearing a decade ago, they possessed boys and girls in their adolescence. In exchange for eating their dreams—wanting to become someone, or wanting to do something—they granted their hosts various kinds of power. Since their appearance resembled insects, they were called Mushi.

Those possessed by Mushi were called Mushitsuki.

“Shortly, Terasu’s group will be returning from Operation 1!”

Japan, Akamaki City.

Several days passed since that largest city in the country had lost its functions as the capital.

And the reason for that—was Mushi.

The fight between the Original Three, who made people hosts of Mushi, and the Mushitsuki that resisted them, turned Akamaki City into a battlefield.

“Harukiyo’s group is also coming back after clearing Operation 2!”

In the already evacuated Akamaki City there was a dome facility meant for sports competitions.

Many boys and girls gathered inside the dome which was protected by military vehicles all around. They were groups of Mushitsuki, each equipped with coats and goggles of differing colors.

“The combined forces of Kabuto’s group and Mushibane return from Operation 3!”

These reports came one after another in the tent installed at the corner of the dome.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—was a secret government agency created for capturing Mushitsuki, as well as for concealing the existence of Mushi and Mushitsuki from society at large. Called the SEPB for short, it trained the captured Mushitsuki and dispatched them as soldiers to capture new Mushitsuki.

Those gathered in the dome were the elite Mushitsuki from all over the country.

And inside the tent were the branch heads, leaders of the SEPB. There were also the cabinet minister sent by the government, as well as Mushitsuki in charge of information management.

The entire organizational powers that rose in order to stand against Mushi ever since their first appearance were gathered in that spot.

Why?

In order for them to resist against a single powerful Mushitsuki that made a sudden appearance—

And now their plans all ended.

That is, in the form of the failure of all operations.

“What about any follow-up attacks from C or Oogui?”

As East Central Branch Head Haji Keigo asked this, the Mushitsuki sitting in front of the communication device turned to him. His appearance was reflected on the goggle’s surface.

He had a slim and slender figure and a sickly pale face. His almond eyes made him look older than his late twenties of age. He was just like a ghost appearing under a willow tree—is what he himself thought.

“It does not appear that C attempted to strike back Terasu’s group in pursuit.”

“Same goes for Harukiyo.”

Someone smiled at this report from another Mushitsuki.

She was a woman of the same age as Keigo. Her eyes filled with fondness and the beauty mark under her eye were striking. If what she wore was not a suit but a robe, she might look like a saintess.

“What about Kabuto and Mushibane?”

Miguruma Yaeko. She was the Vice-Deputy of the SEPB, as well as the leader of the entire organization in practice.

“After the battle, Oogui vanished along with Ebina Yuu, the lure.”

“I see.”

Still grinning, Miguruma turned to look at Keigo.

“It seems that the operations to annihilate C and Oogui both have failed.”

C.

The appearance of the Mushitsuki called by this name was the cause behind the lockdown of Akamaki City.

The Original Three were the primal Mushi who gave birth to Mushitsuki—

And the Mushitsuki called C attempted to absorb even those monsters.

She was given the special designation as Super Class Rank 1. Defeating this unprecedented threat by annihilating it became the ultimate goal of all the assembled Mushitsuki.

However, the elites sent in order to annihilate C had the tables turned on them, and they went through many hardships—

All Mushitsuki had completely lost.

“However, damages were kept to a minimum.”

This saint’s smile was answered by Keigo’s faint smile.

“We have revived two of the Rank 1s and brought them back.”

“Clinging to the Rank 1s of the old generation… does this mean you don’t intend to accept the changes to this new world, Branch Head Haji?”

“A new world is coming indeed. However, that will be a world with no more Mushitsuki being created, Vice-Deputy Miguruma.”

Exchanging smiles that were completely inappropriate to the current situation, Haji Keigo and Miguruma Yaeko glared at each other.

At that moment, several camo-wearing soldiers burst into the tent.

“That woman is no longer the Vice-Deputy.”

A middle-aged man who was apparently talking with some other place through his cellphone turned his sweaty face to Miguruma. He was the vice-minister of the Ministries of Japan, dispatched there by the government.

“Miguruma, you are under arrest. You will obviously bear responsibility for C’s rampage… and as for you saying that everyone will become Mushitsuki now? We also have plenty to ask you about your clearly immoral ideas.”

“I will gladly answer any questions.”

Miguruma narrowed her already-narrow eyes and gave no resistance. The soldiers brought her arms behind her back, putting resin-made thumbcuffs on her.

“Vice-Deputy Miguruma… I know this is quite late as someone who’s worked with you thus far—but I can’t understand your thinking. Were you really this crazy…?”

The gentlemanly middle-aged man who wore his fancy suit perfectly groaned. He was Branch Head Takemi of the North Central Branch.

All other Branch Heads also nodded, their expressions hard.

“Not only have you given birth to the monster called C, but trying to fill the world with Mushitsuki created by her… it’s too much…”

“How ridiculous…”

Miguruma received their blaming with silence, looking at a woman who was standing a bit further away.

The one she was looking at was Goroumaru Touko. Although she was an adult woman in her mid-twenties, she had bed hair and wore her suit sloppily. While Haji hid himself, she led the East Central Branch as the Acting Branch Head.

“Do you also consider me mad, Acting Branch Head Goroumaru?”

“I-I—”

Goroumaru Touko’s face, that still had traces of tears on it, showed a moment of hesitation—and glanced at Keigo.

“Why are you looking at me with those eyes? My, how unexpected. Do you consider me to be the same as her?”

When he showed his flippant smile, Touko lowered her head and went silent.

He knew her for a long time and she was his direct subordinate. Until just yesterday she had fully trusted him, yet it seemed like a small change was occurring within her.

“Terau’s group is back!”

Along with this report, the outside of the Headquarters tent became noisy.

Haji passed next to Touko and exited.

“Oh my, look here…”

He witnessed a scene that couldn’t be called a triumphant return even in flattery.

It should have been the team of elites high-ranked Mushitsuki assembled in order to annihilate C. Including Rank 2 Terasu, it was the crystallization of the fighting force polished for close to ten years by the organization called the SEPB.

And yet—they were beaten down horribly.

“—”

As the Mushitsuki on standby cleared the way, Terasu moved forward as the team’s leader.

Although she was in her young teens, this girl was the ace of the North Central Branch and thus an elite among elite—but she was now a filthy figure dragging its legs. Her coat was ripped and her North Central Branch-issued visor was broken. Every part of her body was discolored, whether from the large amounts of dried-up blood or sweat or the burn marks from some kind of attack.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p033.jpg|thumb]]

All her other teammates were covered in similar wounds, and even the Mushitsuki called Kasuou was no exception. Even this crazed warrior that always instilled fear even in her allies had her beautiful blond hair dyed black.

Even those Mushitsuki who didn’t hear the details of the operations now realized at a glance.

The operation was a failure.

Even the unit made of the strongest elites from all the SEPB ended up losing so pitifully—

“All—”

Finally, Terasu arrived in front of the Branch Heads in the dome wrapped in silence.

“All combatants dispatched for Operation 1 under Terasu’s command... h-have all returned safely...”

There wasn’t even a single casualty.

Terasu reporting it as though this was the best-case scenario was perhaps her putting up a bold front.

“T-the operation to annihilate C has failed… b-but, with our reserve plan—”

Saying this much, Terau’s dirty face froze.

Among the row of Branch Heads, she noticed Miguruma Yaeko being apprehended.

“A job well done, my beloved Terasu. I have promised you that upon your return from the operation you will be designated Rank 1, right?”

Miguruma Yaeko wore the small of a saint.

“However, unfortunately—I can no longer fulfill that promise.”

“Ah…”

For a moment, Terasu felt like she was drained from all strength, like her mind was full of mud.

“I—is that so… t-that’s fine… I-I don’t really… care about being Rank 1…”

As she lowered her face and smiled weakly, the girl looked like she lost the very last of her powers, despite her words.

“—Haji Keigo?”

A member of the elite team, Kasuou, was the one who mumbled this.

“Eh…?”

“Branch Head Keigo?”

“I-it’s true… the East Central’s…!”

“Wasn’t he in a coma?”

It wasn’t just the elites; this agitation spread throughout the entire Mushitsuki forces in the dome. His lack of presence was often acknowledged even by himself, but now he was apparently finally noticed.

The SEPB regarded him as if he was unconscious.

The reason for that was so that the man known as Haji Keigo could move freely. While he was at a standstill with Miguruma Yaeko, he concealed his awakening from all but a single person—his trusted confidant Goroumaru Touko—and began moving toward his envisioned plan.

That plan was the reserve plan in the operation to eliminate C.

Meaning—a counter against Miguruma Yaeko’s potential rampage.

That plan succeeded and, in addition to saving the SEPB fighting force that came to the brink of annihilation, managed to bring back a small hope. However—

“Great work, welcome back. —The feeling is mutual, right?”

There were only very few smiles on the faces of those who welcomed Keigo’s faint smile.

Most were shocked, and Kasuou looked even angry. Since he definitely wasn’t any kinder than their previous boss, apparently no one was going to wholeheartedly welcome him back.

One of the gazes, especially—

From among the elite team, the hostility he felt from someone wearing their hood low on their head was frightening.

He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was no ordinary person.

Naturally. After all, while she was the small hope brought back through his plan—she was also, at the same time, his bitter archnemesis.

“Bi—big brother…?”

Keigo found another girl who was reaching out in shock and approached her.

Although the girl’s eyes were wide open, they couldn’t capture his figure. She was wounded, yet looked like she grew up splendidly. The girl’s sightless eyes filled with tears.

“Big brother… really…? W-where are you…?”

Keigo smiled and hugged his little sister, Haji Senri, who had her hands wandering through air.

“I’m right here, Senri. You became so strong… you really have.”

“Big—brother—”

His ill little sister now became an indispensable part of the SEPB’s fighting forces, the Special Class Rank 2 member, Himiko. He did feel conflicted about sending her to the battlefield, but—

Keigo had elected to protect her from behind the scenes until now.

Would he ever be able to tell his sister the reason for it?

“You’ve done well to survive. It’s fine, I’ll be here with you now.”

“Big brother…! Big brother…!”

As if expelling something she was holding back, Senri returned Keigo’s hug while shedding tears. She buried her face in his chest as though to confirm her brother’s warmth and scent.

“Big brother… D-Dai-kun… he’s…!”

“I know. It’s fine, you have nothing to worry about… you need to rest now.”

While he attempted to reassure her, Keigo noticed someone was glaring at him.

“Are you Haji Keigo? Senri’s brother…?”

East Central Branch Rank 2 member, Kaguya. Keigo was well aware that he was Senri’s friend and that he used to belong to the Mushitsuki resistance organization, Mushibane.

“Seems like you’ve already been awake for a while now, right? Have you any idea how much Senri worried about you!? Was the one behind this reserve plan not Acting Branch Head Goroumaru but actually you?”

“Eh, is that really truewuwu?”

Maimai, another Mushitsuki from the East Central Branch, rounded her eye not covered by an eyepatch.

“Well, it turned out like that.”

While stroking his crying sister’s face, Keigo spoke.

“Regarding my reason for acting stealthily—it becomes obvious by looking at the present operation, does it not? I made plenty of preparations to fight someone, so there was a lot to do.”

“We’ll have time to talk later,” he whispered to his sister, turning his face to the side.

A certain person that Keigo spoke about—Miguruma Yaeko—was still smiling despite getting restrained.

Seeing them both face each other, North Central Branch Head Takemi spoke to the vice-minister.

“—Mr. Vice-Minister. I recommend him to succeed Miguruma Vice-Deputy’s position.”

“What?”

“Haji Keigo… that man has many achievements as the East Central Branch Head. Even looking at this current case, it’s thanks to him that we were able to bring out this result despite the difficult situation. I bet the other Heads have no counterarguments.”

The other Branch Heads remained silent and agreed with Takemi Head’s recommendation.

Keigo smiled while fixing his glasses’ position with his index finger.

“I am honored you hold me in such high esteem, Branch Head Takemi. I was certain you hated me.”

“I will not let my personal feelings get in the way while this country is in an emergency state. We need to prioritize the abilities to take initiative and to make decisive actions. You were the one who made that outrageous zone called GARDEN because you were obsessed with researching Mushitsuki. Handling Mushitsuki’s your forte, right?”

Rather than assuming responsibility for trying to turn everything over, the ambitious Takemi probably judged it wiser to push it all on Keigo. It really was an apt decision, just like he spoke of.

“…If there is no other personnel, we have no choice.”

The vice-minister nodded.

Keigo wore a smile.

Finally—finally, this time came.

“Haji Keigo. I appoint you to be the Vice-Deputy of Central Headquarters—no, the Director of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. You are to use the power of the SEPB and everything at your disposal to get rid of C’s unprecedented threat.”

Keigo raised his face and looked at the people around him.

At the SEPB Branch Heads, as well as the soldier Mushitsuki.

In essence, the power to freely wield and move all Mushitsuki in the country—

Had now been obtained by Keigo.

And he’d waited for this for a long, long time.

“I accept.”

Wearing a thin smile, he looked to Miguruma Yaeko.

She was no longer smiling.

This wasn’t because she felt pained at having her authority taken, nor did she feel self-pity for falling from grace.

She simply made a disinterested sigh and mumbled.

“I wanted to avoid at least having the SEPB fall into your hands… what a pity.”

“For you, that’s right. —We really are complete opposites.”

The person called Miguruma Yaeko loved Mushitsuki.

Never mind the shape of her love, she wished for them to exist forever.

On the other, the man called Haji Keigo never loved Mushitsuki.

“I simply lament the huge misfortune falling to my beloved Mushitsuki.”

Miguruma Yaeko closed her eyes as if to offer a silent prayer. —Keigo had estimated her aim beforehand, and she probably also divined Keigo’s aims as well.

However, that was irrelevant.

The baton to control Mushitsuki—now passed to Haji Keigo’s hands.

Looking up at Keigo narrowing his eyes, Senri furrowed her brows.

“Big brother…?”

“You don’t have to make that face. It’s fine. There’s no need to worry anymore.”

Stroking Senri’s head, Haji Keigo turned to Goroumaru Touko.

“Goroumaru-kun. I now appoint you officially as the East Central Branch Head. Is that fine?”

“…Y-yes sir!”

Goroumaru Touko seemed to have complex feelings about her promotion, but she accepted it.

The voices of the intelligence division Mushitsuki came flying out of the operation tent.

“Harukiyo and Kabuto’s groups have returned! They will soon arrive here!”

Keigo stepped in front of the lines of Mushitsuki.

“Let’s reorganize. C is a powerful enemy, but she’s definitely not unbeatable. Our first operations ended in vain, but our forces suffered no major losses. Not only that, we can even say we managed to gain a few aces.”

He would not deny that Terasu’s loss lowered the Mushitsuki’s morale.

However, they could easily recover.

Keigo managed to gain so many forces, and he always thought about it.

How to end the fight of Mushitsuki—

He was resolved to stop at nothing in order to accomplish that one and only goal.

“Now you need to focus on resting and save your energy for when we can rechallenge—”

“Wait.”

The one who stopped Keigo was neither a Mushitsuki nor a member of Mushibane.

It was the vice-minister, his face covered in sweat. Perhaps having reported the situation to the government, he lowered the phone that he just used to talk.

“—I take back what I’ve said just now.”

Keigo tilted his head.

“Haji Keigo, you are demoted from serving as Director. At the same time—”

The air around froze.

Keigo was shocked, and before he could reason out the meaning behind the vice-minister’s utterance—

He gave a declaration.

“Starting now, the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau is to be dissolved.”

As Keigo turned his gaze toward her without even thinking—

He saw that Miguruma Yaeko was grinning.

== 1.02 The Others ==

“Furthermore, all Branch Heads as well as Mushitsuki are to be restrained.”

The vice-minister’s declaration echoed throughout the silent dome.

None could even speak; none could make a single move.

What he just declared to them—

Was the dissolve of the SEPB as well as arrest of all its members.

Every single person there required a moment to even understand the meaning of his words.

“The SEPB’s… done?”

Someone’s leaked mumble shook Keigo’s thoughts.

Dissolving the SEPB? Impossible—

The SEPB led by Miguruma Yaeko was not the kind of brittle organization that could be so easily dissolved. It obviously had many cooperators spread among the nucleus of the country, and if it was decided to be dissolved, then it would require the joint opinion of several ministries and organizations.

Keigo also did some careful work behind the scenes. He’d never neglected keeping watch on the SEPB’s cooperators as well as opposition. If there were any movements related to dissolving them, he would have known of them long ago.

“Harukiyo has arrived!”

Something impossible was happening—

Miguruma Yaeko did not seem surprised. This meant that she alone had expected this situation.

Something Miguruma had expected.

Meaning—the loss of the SEPB.

C’s victory.

By the same token, Miguruma Yaeko’s downfall.

If she in fact managed to estimate the current situation as well as allow it to happen—

“Does that mean this is also C’s doing?”

Keigo glared at Miguruma Yaeko with a side glance.

The decision for dissolvement came too fast. —It happened right after Keigo managed to grasp real power and impossibly quick in spite of all the normal formalities.

He could only think that an inhuman power moved right next to the higher-ups.

The fact this became reality—meant there was no mistake someone had fixed it up like this in advance. It was clear and obvious who set it up like this.

“Since C had won, she’s not going to allow even the smallest counterattack?”

Hearing Keigo’s words, Miguruma Yaeko tilted her head and feigned ignorance.

“C is doing nothing more than taking the next step in creating a new world. If only you hadn’t appeared, everyone would have gained the Undying without suffering…”

“As mere Revived who simply keep on living, no different from the Fallen, though. —You were the one who created C. What on earth are you trying to do with C?”

Miguruma called it a “step”.

Since she’d planted traps even for the higher-ups of the country, it was already certain that everything was advancing exactly like Miguruma Yaeko had envisioned it.

C’s rampage was no mere rampage.

She was following some grand plan and everything was advancing according to it—

“I am creating an Ark, Haji Keigo.”

Miguruma Yaeko smiled.

“You said we were opposites—but in the end we are very similar.”

“…?”

Keigo frowned, unable to understand the meaning of Miguruma’s words. At that moment some sort of commotion came to his ears.

“—Are you in the middle of somethin’?”

Mushitsuki covered in wounds all over appeared inside the dome.

They were much less numerous than Terasu and the others that came before, but they were powerful Mushitsuki. Especially the red-haired man standing in the front—Harukiyo—was a frightening person called the flame devil.

“Well, not like it’s got anything to do with me, though.”

While all his comrades looked like they’d fall down at any moment, only the blood-smeared Harukiyo acted all high and mighty. His firm arms were hugging a girl covered by a jacket.

“…Is that—Arisu?”

Seeing the girl Harukiyo holding up, Kasuou stepped ahead, staggering. The Central Headquarters Mushitsuki called Nene and Tamamo also paled.

“Arisu-chan…? Is it really Arisu-chan?”

“Arisu-san…! Is she reaaally awake now? B-but that means the Undying’s—”

“She was subbed out. A lying bastard’s now gone to bed with the Undying instead of her.”

Harukiyo casually threw the girl at Kasuou. “Don’t throw her, piece of shit!” she yelled at him and caught her with mist.

Next to Harukiyo, Kusezaki Ume argued, “Woah, what’re we gonna do if she wakes up and raises hell again?!”

“Arisu…? Who is that?”

“A Mushitsuki?”

“H-has Harukiyo really…? Why here… and that woman…?”

Following the disbanding of the SEPB, the flame devil’s appearance caused another uproar in the dome.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p047.jpg|thumb]]

The girl brought back by Harukiyo was the Rank 1 Mushitsuki who was treated as non-existent. However, right now Keigo didn’t have the leisure to explain this to everyone.

“Good work, Harukiyo. However, she doesn’t seem to be back to normal...”

Harukiyo glared at Keigo who fixed the position of his glasses and approached him.

“Done pretending you’re asleep, then? That human sacrifice you’ve sent me was a great help.”

However, the flame devil passed right next to him and headed toward the restrained Miguruma.

“…”

“What is the matter, Harukiyo? You seem like you want to say something. Are you going to thank me for reuniting you with the lovely Sleeping Beauty?”

Harukiyo responded to Miguruma Yaeko’s smile with a smile of his own.

“You gotta pay the piper after playing with my buddies like that… I’ll need to put on my thinking cap and think really hard about it.”

The devil’s eyes were set ablaze. His red hair sizzled. Even the surrounding air produced a heat haze from the heatwave, causing the temperature inside the dome to rise.

“First of all, I really fuckin’ hate your ‘I don’t mind dying’ sorta look. I think you’ve got no siblings or parents… but if you die with some hope remaining, like some sorta samurai following his master to the grave, that wouldn’t serve as no punishment, now would it?”

While Harukiyo threatened her, Miguruma Yaeko’s face was cold.

Was she really unafraid of death? Or perhaps—

“…!”

Seeing how Miguruma acted, Keigo gasped. He turned toward the operation tent.

“Quickly, tell Kabuto and the others to not come back to the dome!”

“—They’re already here!”

When this voice came, the number of Mushitsuki in the dome increased.

They were the SEPB member Kabuto and a large number of Mushitsuki. Further added to that, Mushibane members showed themselves one after another.

Keigo softly clicked his tongue.

“B-Branch Head Haji…?”

His subordinate Kabuto was shocked, seeing him. Kabuto was yet another person who was convinced Haji was in a coma, but he didn’t have the time to handle that response.

“Kabuto, where’s Fuyuhotaru?”

Looking around the people returned, Keigo asked briefly.

Fuyuhotaru, leader of Mushibane and a Secret Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki, was nowhere to be seen. Other important people like Mushibane’s admins and Akasegawa Nanana assembled there, but the girl wasn’t.

“—She vanished while we were on the way back here.”

Keigo slightly widened his eyes beneath his glasses.

Voices of confusion rose from the Mushitsuki in the dome as well.

“We were so shocked at the operation failing and took our eyes off of her for a moment… we do not know why she had gone, and if this was done out of her own volition. But we have sent a few SEPB members to look for her. If the intelligence division also helps, we can quickly—”

“Unfortunately, that is no longer possible.”

Keigo spoke.

“…Ha?”

“As of a short while ago, the organization called the SEPB has lost its function.”

Kabuto and the other returning SEPB members, as well as Mushibane, all froze together. Harukiyo raised a brow and glanced at Keigo.

“T-that’s right. There’s also an order to apprehend Mushibane. No one is allowed to get out of here.”

The vice-minister loudly declared this, but his face was stiff. Since he was in front of those he regarded as monsters, he was obviously scared.

“If you resist even a little, it will be seen as rebellion against the country and you will all be put on the wanted list.”

The Mushitsuki all remained silent.

Soon this silence turned into a commotion, and their eyes moved from the vice-minister to Keigo.

“…”

“W-why are you silent, Haji Keigo! Order all of them to surrender and drop their weapons!”

Keigo could no longer even hear the vice-minister.

Their fighting forces—were too lacking.

There were two—no, three Rank 1s here. Originally, you could say that their forces wouldn’t lose even to a large-scale army.

However.

At present, most powerful Mushitsuki were exhausted and could barely stand. The reliable Rank 1 Fuyuhotaru was currently missing, and despite acting so brazenly, Harukiyo was visibly spent. Even Sleeping Beauty Arisu who was hoped to become the new leader of Mushitsuki remained asleep.

With things being how they were, the only way to break through this situation—

“W-we’ve also dispatched the JSDF. You can’t resist…!”

“None of this matters. Right now, our real threat is—”

Before Keigo finished speaking, something happened.

There was the shrill sound of something bursting, echoing from the corner of the dome.

If they were to supply electricity from the outside, there was the risk of C using it for an attack. As a countermeasure they prepared many generators, but now these were being drowned in golden light.

Standing next to a generator was a Mushitsuki clad in SEPB equipment. The golden light engulfing the generator extended from that Mushitsuki.

“No way… does Kabuto-san’s team not include a sensor?”

Kusezaki Ume muttered. Harukiyo snorted, sounding bored.

“Seriously lame. She not only tailed you but even set up a trap.”

While many Mushitsuki became restless due to being unable to understand the situation, Keigo groaned.

“So it’s not like we shook off her pursuit. —She simply waited so she could get all of us in one fell swoop.”

As Keigo turned his eyes to the side, Miguruma returned a silent, small smile.

“—This is C’s counterattack.”

The moment he muttered this, the Mushitsuki standing next to the generator collapsed.

Instead of them—an ethereal silhouette glowing in gold rose from the floor.

She was a petite girl wearing a slanted tiara that was covered in crown and heart symbols. Seated in a large chair—a throne—her figure with a thick cloak and wavy hair looked divine.

“—”

No one could do anything but gulp and watch her.

They all watched this fairy glowing in gold, serving as body double to C, launch many small C-butterflies, one after another.

They all watched the exhausted, powerless Mushitsuki get cornered by the golden wave.

While imagining the incoming destruction, they could do nothing but stand there.

“All old Mushitsuki will be purged by the ‘Flood’, while only the new Mushitsuki will board the ‘Ark’—”

Miguruma Yaeko spoke in a singsong voice.

“And… the ‘Dove’ will be unleashed.”

Along with Miguruma Yaeko’s prophecy of destruction, the number of C-butterflies increased.

While the dome was being engulfed by despair—

“Good grief, and just when I thought I finally got the SEPB in my hands… is this simply the fate of the East Central Branch?”

Keigo sighed. He turned back to the vice-minister.

“Vice-minister. Starting now, we will no longer belong to the government and will assume independent action.”

“Wha…?”

“This is—what you’d call a coup d’etat.”

Ignoring the speechless vice-minister, Keigo raised his voice.

“An announcement for all the SEPB, as well as Mushibane! Escape from this place with everything you have!”

The Mushitsuki overwhelmed by the golden fairies and C-butterflies all looked to Keigo.

“It appears that the government’s already under C’s control! If you don’t want to become Fallen—and then get Revived and become C’s underlings—you have no way other than retreat!”

There was no other choice nor any time. Keigo kept prattling on and on.

“Terasu! You take command of all the Mushitsuki. Help as many as you can get out.”

“M-me…? B-but, we’re too exhausted to even—“

Terasu argued against Keigo, her face shocked.

Just like she said, their comrades no longer had the power to fight. Even Harukiyo who could be called the strongest Mushitsuki was exhausted, and Keigo doubted he’d help other Mushitsuki without any reason. Sleeping Beauty Arisu also remained asleep.

However—there was a single person there who could still fight.

“Please buy us some time until we can retreat—”

Keigo turned back, calling out to one person among the Mushitsuki.

“Lady Bird.”

A silence spread throughout the entire dome as though time stopped.

Even the swarm of C-butterflies stopped their wings.

The following moment, a large tremor shook the surroundings—

This occurred due to the half dome-shaped giant Mushi that swelled into being right at the very center of the dome, as well as the shockwave whipped up by this Mushi’s wings.

It was a massive seven-spotted ladybug.

Riding on its back, the hooded person opened her mouth.

“I have no intention of following your orders.”

Keigo ignored her voice, wearing a faint smile.

It really was a nostalgic voice.

“I will simply protect Mushitsuki.”

Removing her hood, she revealed her face covered by a fox mask.

Tachibana Rina.

Lady Bird.

This Blaze Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki, who could also be called the archnemesis of the SEPB, had already lost her life in a past fight—and was now revived.

“That’s all I do, both before and now.”

Some worshipped her as a god, while some called her the weakest of the Rank 1s.

Did this Mushitsuki still possess the same strength and kindness she had before her revival?

Haji Keigo had to ascertain this before entering the final battle.

In the end—was she really the girl called Tachibana Rina?

== 1.03 Rina Part 1 ==

Who was she, actually?

Tachibana Rina, who had had her dream eaten by her Mushi and died.

Lady Bird, who was being idolized and admired by many people even now.

Mimic, who had offered both mind and body to call Tachibana Rina back into this world.

As well as—''something'' that got revived alongside her, swarming around like the dead clinging to a spider’s thread.

Right now, her being was a mishmash made from all of those.

“Lady…?”

“Lady Bird…! But she’s dead…!”

“…Lady! Are you really Lady?”

Many Mushitsuki in the dome, especially from Mushibane, started a commotion.

It was natural for them to respond like this, seeing their first leader who’d supposedly died in battle.

However, she—the one who came back to life in the form of “Tachibana Rina”—did not turn her gaze to them.

“I am… not Lady Bird.”

From within the fox-patterned mask, she glared at C’s body double standing next to the generator.

It didn’t matter who she was, right now.

As someone who stood there in the form of Tachibana Rina, there was something she was fully aware of.

The conviction that she’d been called back in order to fight again.

As well as—her strong sense of duty to save as many Mushitsuki as possible.

“I’m Mimic! I’m simply an imitation of Lady’s powers!”

At Rina’s feet, the giant seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings.

The shockwave created by the wings’ vibration blew C and the generator to smithereens.

“Do what Haji Keigo said! Escape and leave this place to me!”

Tachibana Rina and Mimic—Kitazawa Tamaki.

She had the memories and dreams of both inside her.

However, right now she shouldn’t put out her personality as Tachibana Rina.

Kitazawa Tamaki’s memories warned her of this.

Since Lady Bird had so many admirers, if she managed a true “revival” in the face of this adversity—even the faith in her would be revived.

And this despite the fact that her friend, Anmoto Shiika, had finally given them the power to stand up on their own legs.

It would also end up causing the silly split into the SEPB and Mushibane again.

In this situation—this sort of split would lead to the extinction of Mushitsuki.

“No—you are Lady Bird without a doubt.”

This soft voice echoed throughout the dome.

It belonged to Miguruma Yaeko.

“Although you are from the old generation, you are a Rank 1. Because you are Undying… you also embody it, in the form of a revival.”

Why was she speaking unnecessarily—

As Rina glared at her, Miguruma Yaeko narrowed her eyes.

“However, you are incomplete. In this incomplete world, you must be created anew…”

Above Rina and the rest’s heads, she could hear something crackling and bursting.

Golden light gathered near the high ceiling and reformed C again. Sitting on her throne floating midair, C unleashed lines of lightning from her fingertips.

These countless lightning bolts aimed for the Mushitsuki—or so she thought, but was wrong.

“—!”

This impact struck a person other than the Mushitsuki. It hit the suited men including the vice-minister and those who seemed to be his aides, as well as the soldiers restraining Miguruma.

“What are you planning…!”

Rina unleashed yet another shockwave, blowing C’s body double apart along with the lights.

Those struck by electricity, the vice-minister and the rest, fell.

“U-uh—”

They looked like they received quite the shock, but were still apparently conscious. The vice-minister held his head while raising his face, glaring at Rina with demonic eyes.

“Y-you pieces of—so you intend to resist! You terrorists!”

The Mushitsuki were all frozen at this sudden change to the vice-minister, who until then quaked in fear.

“You intend to use Mushitsuki powers to take over the country? Now you’ve shown us your true colors, you monsters!”

“—”

“An order to all forces on standby outside! Immediately enter and purge all Mushitsuki!”

While everyone was shocked, Haji Keigo wore a cynical smile.

“The ability to control electricity running through the brain nerves and thus manipulate memories—this was made possible through the experiments held at Central Headquarters by—”

“C, of course.”

Still bound, Miguruma Yaeko grinned.

Once more golden light was gathering near the ceiling. —Apparently, C’s figure on her throne was nothing more than insubstantial electricity. Although Rina’s shockwave was able to scatter it, it couldn’t completely destroy it.

“Now, Terasu. Retreat while we can.”

“Bu…! But, Branch Head—Director Haji! We’re all completely exhausted… our team wasted every last drop of power on coming back…! —Right, Harukiyo! Since things are like this, you guys also lend us—”

Terasu turned around flustered, then became speechless.

Although the flame of devil was there until that moment, he now completely vanished. The same went for his comrades.

“W-why you… pervert without any sense of cooperation! Uuh… If the soldiers out there are already our enemies, we’re completely surrounded… there’s not even space enough for us to go outside—”

“Lady will somehow handle that part. Am I wrong?”

Without even looking at Haji turning his gaze to her, Rina looked up the ceiling again.

C already reformed her lower torso, gathering a golden light in her raised arms. If she struck them with lightning, the number of victims would go beyond a few for sure.

As Rina dropped her gaze, she saw a Mushitsuki placing a hockey stick on his shoulder.

“…If the ceiling falls, I’ll leave it to you. You should be able to stop it.”

“Me? I don’t really get it, but can I expect something in return?”

This Mushitsuki, Shiohara Shachito, wore a flippant smile. He was somewhat suspicious, but they could rely on his powerful ability to control mass—thus told Rina the Mimic inside her.

“I can’t give you anything in return, but—”

Rina leaned forward on her own Mushi.

Her giant seven-spotted ladybug flew. With the shockwaves caused by its wings, she incidentally also pulverized the materializing C to smithereens, landing in front of the dome’s wall.

While the vibrations caused by landing had yet to settle down, the seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings again.

“If you refuse, I’ll do this.”

As Rina widened her eyes, she could see thousands, tens of thousands of thin fragments filling her eyesight.

The noiseless impact of destruction shook the entire dome.

“—”

Rina could feel something small deplete from somewhere within her chest.

It was a fragment of the feeling called a dream.

She never thought she’d once again experience this feeling of shaving part of her dream and using it. It even felt nostalgic to her, and it brought back Tachibana Rina’s memories from when she was alive.

Most of the time, she would direct her powers against a certain individual—the Mushitsuki who belonged to the SEPB’s East Central Branch, Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou.

During her battle with Kakkou, she also made her first friend, Anmoto Shiika.

According to Mimic’s memories, both Kakkou and Shiika continued their own fights even after Rina’s death.

However, in the end Kakkou became a Fallen and Shiika vanished—

Rina held the duty to save Mushitsuki.

However—there were definitely also an indescribable sensation of emptiness, as well as a sense of loss that felt like it would turn her to reckless abandon.

“—I was already gone, and yet…”

All Rina did was move a few dozen meters away from right next to the dome’s wall.

However, advancing while clad in this shockwave—she created a huge depression.

Neither thick wall nor asphalt, iron beams nor support pillars that held up the dome could stand up to her. Everything in Rina’s path was simply destroyed. She created a tunnel connecting the interior of the dome with the outside world.

Turning back, she could see all the shocked Mushitsuki standing there.

Apparently her worries about causing the ceiling to collapse were needless.

“L-let us retreat! Let the Mushitsuki that Kabuto took with him to Operation 3 lead the charge! Kasuou, can you carry the wounded? Tamamo, you protect the Branch Heads!”

Coming back to her senses, Terasu hurriedly issued orders.

Wind was blowing outside the dome, causing Rina’s hair to flutter. Beneath her rushed many groups of soldiers. They were all carrying small firearms.

The seven-spotted ladybug flapped its wings once, causing the soldiers to get blown away and collapse.

“I’ll secure the path of retreat! You must all get away as quickly—”

While the Mushitsuki started escaping in droves, Rina’s shoulders twitched in shock as they passed next to her.

She felt for a moment that her weight increased.

However, that was wrong.

What became heavier—was Rina’s heart.

In her sight through the fox mask, she could now see people who weren’t supposed to be there.

Some crawled up from inside the ground. Others tried embracing Rina from behind. One after another, arms reached out for her and clung to her.

Formless people only visible to Rina.

She knew their identity.

“—Ah, it really was awfully convenient for me to go and die on you after promising so much.”

They were past Mushitsuki.

The fragments of dreams of the Fallen sealed inside the Central Headquarters’ Database.

They were the dreams that sought salvation, clinging tight to Rina as she just came back to life on her own. Rina would never have been able to denying them who couldn’t give up on their dreams even after becoming Fallen.

“It’s fine. I’ll create a place for all of you… because that’s my dream…”

All the Mushitsuki were running away, leaving Rina behind.

She was Tachibana Rina—or at least had her form.

By sacrificing Kitazawa Tamaki, she came back to life along with many dreams.

“Because I have nothing left anymore…”

In this world where none of those she loved existed anymore—she mumbled in an exhausted voice.

== 1.04 Rina Part 2 ==

Weaving through the path opened by Rina, the Mushitsuki ran away one after another.

However, not all were able to escape safely. Those too hurt to move were wrapped by Kasuou’s mist and carried. The problem was with those not hurt seriously enough to secure and those who could move freely, meaning the lightly wounded.

They clearly moved slowly and were thus delayed from reaching the frontline where those like Haji and Terasu were.

“Do your best! If you remain here, you’ll just became prey to C!”

Rina appealed to them while Shiohara Shachito rushed next to her.

“Lady-san… was it? That’s enough. Terasu-chan said to retreat. —Oh, and since the ceiling held on there’s no need for any thanks or punishment, right?”

“…I’ll follow soon after the last person evacuates.”

Shachito watched Rina assert this with a confused expression.

“You’re a Rank 1, right? You came back to life, so I think it’s a bad plan to use your precious fighting power on just the ‘last person’.”

“You’re not even part of SEPB or Mushibane, and yet you speak like the SEPB.”

“Because my teacher was SEPB. I do believe Terasu-chan’s right, though.”

“I won’t say she’s wrong.”

After saying that, Rina gasped.

Above the heads of Mushitsuki running away from the dome there were countless spheres of lightnings being created.

“This is bad…!”

Rina moved her seven-spotted ladybug, covering up for those Mushitsuki late in running away.

The next moment, a rain of lightning came down on the surface.

“—!”

The impact caused debris to swell up, opening up countless holes in the dome.

The seven-spotted Ladybug was hit by several of the lightning bolts. The Mushi’s wings were singed, causing a sharp pain to run through Rina’s heart as though a bomb exploded inside it.

“L-Lady…!”

Beneath the seven-spotted ladybug, a boy that seemed to be a Mushibane member raised his head.

“—Run! Before another attack comes…!”

Using her fox mask to hide her expression of anguish, Rina shouted. She just barely managed to save one person, but by passing her eyes around she could see that many Mushitsuki were hit and collapsed.

“Impossible—”

Still next to her, Shachito mumbled in a low voice.

“For you to sacrifice yourself for Mushitsuki who couldn’t even fight… you’re an important part of our forces to beat C. Rather than staying here, you should go with Terasu—”

“If you think you can drag me away by force, I dare you to try.”

As Rina glared at her, Shachito looked serious. He might actually be thinking of dragging her away by force. She knew from Mimic’s memories that he was strong.

“—L-Lady…”

Hearing the voice from behind, Rina turned back.

There was a girl wearing a fashionable outfit and holding a cellphone full of straps who stood there.

“…Lucifera? W-what are you doing there! Run away already!”

She was Rina’s old acquaintance, one of Mushibane’s admins. Her name was Lucifera.

“A-are you really Lady? I, I…”

“This isn’t the time for that. This place’s dangerous, your body is weak—”

“It might be too late. Everything’s gone pear-shaped.”

At Shachito’s warning, Rina raised her face.

A golden glow was born midair.

Would another of C’s body doubles appear, or would she strike with lightning? —She considered these two options, but just like Shachito said, a new change appeared there.

Blinding light passed through gold and changed to pure white. This divinity robbed one’s eyesight.

While her vision was dyed in white, she could hear an echoing sound from afar.

It was the sound of bells.

A shrill bell sound that was sublime and full of blessings.

That sound gradually grew louder and louder—

“—!”

When she came back to her senses, Rina found herself standing on a marble floor.

The floor was scrubbed completely white and there was also an absurdly high ceiling. Supporting those were countless pillars engraved with vivid patterns.

''What on earth is this place—

She supposedly emitted a voice, but her mouth remained unmoving.

She could feel her mind grow flaccid due to the fresh air and sublime bell sounds.

“…”

When she came to, a rectangular box was placed in front of her eyes.

It was—Rina’s coffin.

She wasn’t told this by anyone, but felt it instinctively.

“You must be tired of dreaming…”

It was a young girl’s voice.

Although her ears were full of ringing bells, she heard that voice especially clearly.

“You have fought well… You are worthy to get invited to heaven…”

Rina’s body moved on its own. She kneeled and touched the beautiful casket in front of her.

“You will be allowed to rest in heaven without suffering… without sorrow…”

She would no longer need to fight.

She could forget everything—even her dream and attain relief.

Rina wished to be inside the coffin full of that tranquility.

However—

“—How conceited of you.”

Rina’s mouth moved and mumbled. Her fingers on the coffin stopped.

Her vague mind cleared up quickly.

“To think anyone would allow me to rest at this point… when I’m the one most unforgiving regarding myself.”

Biting her lips hard, she forcibly regained her sense of self.

Behind Rina, a huge shadow—the large seven-spotted ladybug appeared.

And not just her Mushi.

In this world wrapped by clean air, countless black arms were created. They clung to Rina as if seeking salvation, tearing her away from the coffin in front of her eyes.

“Also, they’re not going to let me rest, either—until I fulfill my promise to create a place for them.”

Behind the rising Rina, the seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings.

A shockwave broke through the world that had nothing but cleanliness in it.

The floor crumbled, the ceiling broke down, and the pillars were blown to smithereens.

The coffin was blown away, its stained glass ruined—

“—!”

Wind with dust and the scent of blood blew Rina’s hair.

Her sense of fatigue, as well as the pain in her chest that was the side effect of wasting her dream, nearly caused her to collapse. Coming back from the world that had no pain or uncertainty in it, this world was—like hell itself.

However, it was the world of reality Rina came back to.

This cruel world, that didn’t allow her to stop dreaming—that forced her to live.

“Oh, so you snapped out of it yourself. As expected of a Rank 1.”

Shachito next to her spoke casually. He was just about to swing his hockey, probably intending to save Rina using some method.

“It’s C’s mental attack.”

“…!”

Looking around her, Rina was speechless.

Butterflies glowing in gold filled her sight. Swarms of C-butterflies.

Standing on the surface filled with light were people standing there dazed.

These Mushitsuki who stood with dull faces—as well as camo-wearing soldiers who were gathered to attack them. Within this bizarre scene, only Rina and Shachito were able to move freely.

“Looks like they’re completely controlled by C’s domain. They don’t stand a chance without going through training to resist mental attacks. Have you done that as well, Lady-chan?”

“You constantly get attacked like that while fighting with the SEPB. —Lucifera!”

Although she called to the fashionable girl, she kept hugging her cellphone without any response.

“I see, so you grinded for a lot of EXP. —No use calling to that girl. The others are all completely infected. But why even people who aren’t Mushitsuki…?”

“Lucifera!”

Rina kept shaking the girl’s shoulders.

The girl called Lucifera was a Mushitsuki whom Rina once saved. She was relatively strong herself, but she was also weak to mental attacks. Although on one side she was aggressive enough to hurt others, she also tried withdrawing into her own shell. Rina too, even up to her “death”, had been unable to save the girl from herself.

However, Lucifera now got out into the world and threw herself into battle.

Rina was happy at that fact—and became convinced she was right to trust the girl’s strength.

“Lucifera, wake up!”

“I told you, it’s useless. Rather than that, what should we do? I don’t have enough power to save everyone here… no, even just us two should get outta here ASAP, I think. Or rather, we have no other choice—”

“Luciferaaa!”

She called especially loudly.

As she did—

“—!”

Lucifera’s body twitched hard. Light returned to her eyes that were glaring at empty air and she returned Rina’s glance with a shocked face.

“La…dy…?”

“—Ha?”

The boy carrying a hockey stick on his shoulder had his expression frozen.

“Lady’s… voice…”

“Sorry for forcing you to wake up.”

Rina smiled, hugging the girl’s head.

“I had the feeling that if I didn’t stop you, you would’ve gone to the other side… just a little more—there’s just a little more, so please try fight to the end…”

“U-uuuh… yes… yesss…”

Stroking the sobbing girl, Rina spoke.

“Sorry for cutting to the chase… but can you bring everyone here back?”

“…Yup!”

Lucifera separated from Rina and operated her cellphone with both hands.

Moments later, the silent space now had electronic tones echoing throughout.

The goggles worn by the SEPB Mushitsuki started ringing alarm sounds all at once. Furthermore, the cellphones of Mushibane members started ringing, and sounds also echoed from the camo suits’ wireless communication devices.

“I’ll send as much harassment as I can. I won’t give them a moment to rest…!”

While being swallowed by the deluge of electronic tones, people shook their bodies and came back to consciousness.

This was Lucifera’s ability. Using communication devices as a medium, she could interfere with people’s spirits.

“Still, why would C even attack normal people who are—”

While Rina was looking at one of the soldiers, a change came over him. It didn’t seem like he woke up yet—but the air around him twisted.

“Eh—”

Shachito also seemed to notice this. He turned to the man getting wrapped in heat haze.

“This forcefield… no way—”

He tried to say something when it happened.

A sublime sound of bells rang around.

They were without doubt in reality. Even so, what appeared above their heads—

“What is she trying to do…?”

Was a large structure supported by countless pillars.

It was a massive shrine.

== 1.05 Rina Part 3 ==

The divine shrine looked as though it was falling down from heaven.

Reflected in Rina’s eyes was the solemn and austere forms engraved into the pillars that supported this structure. It was even larger than the dome on the surface. From somewhere in this large shrine, illuminated by the sun as though blessed by the heavens, a beautiful bell sound could be heard.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p074.jpg|thumb]]

“Recall...”

A soprano voice echoed on the surface.

The camo-suit man wrapped in heat haze clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

“Uuh—“

“The dream you’ve had in days past... those important feelings that you’ve already forgotten—“

It was a girl’s voice as clear as a bell. Rina looked around her.

“That voice... is it C? It sounds just like—“

“—Shinpu, yeah.”

Shachito spoke while looking above.

“Well, it’s gone through quite the makeover when compared with his Church, though...”

“Think of your dream... I shall purge all foul, worldly thoughts that made you forget it...”

The heat haze engulfing the camo man seemed to be trying to assume some form.

Watching this scene, Rina came to realize what she was witnessing.

“She’s taking a non-Mushitsuki person—and trying to make them a Mushitsuki?”

Those who could birth Mushitsuki were called the Original Three. They were numbered according to their title.

So had C become able to give birth to Mushitsuki by absorbing one of them? Not to mention, with a person who already went past puberty, too—

If so, then it would go past the category of a Mushitsuki.

She would already become—a new kind of Original Three.

“A-a lot of people haven’t woken up yet... And the noise’s becoming louder than before...”

Watching Lucifera desperately operate her cellphone with a side glance, Rina groaned.

“Miguruma said something about this. She’s sweeping off the old Mushitsuki—meaning us—to create new Mushitsuki?”

Rina gritted her teeth, leaping down from the seven-spotted ladybug. She made her Mushi fly up. It started getting absorbed into the large shrine.

“But if she’s thinking she can do that right in front of my eyes—she’s pissing me off.”

A small spot was gouged into the center of the floating shrine.

A spot became a hole, and a hole became a cave—

An explosive roar and shockwaves shattered the solemn shrine.

Violent sounds of destruction and gusts of wind rained down on the surface and all clouds in the sky parted, creating a perfect circle of sky. Electronic ringtones, beautiful bell sounds and C’s voice were all gone, and thin fragments of debris started raining down on them.

“Hah...! Hah...!”

While adjusting her breathing, Rina looked up the sky.

As if the scenery from just before was a mere hallucination or illusion, the large shrine was gone without a trace.

After having destroyed the shrine with a single, full-powered blow, the seven-spotted ladybug came down from above.

“If this was the conduit of her power like with Shinpu’s Church, then that should—“

As the surface regained its silence, people started coming back to consciousness, standing there in shock. Even the camo suit-wearing man who was wrapped in a heat haze seemed to come back to his senses without any issues.

“—I’m glad the first Mushitsuki I’ve met wasn’t you.”

Turning back toward Shachito’s voice, Rina was startled.

All of those who were late in escaping gathered around Rina.

“If it was, I would’ve fallen head over heels with how amazing you are.”

The boy carrying the hockey stick on his shoulder grinned as he passed next to Rina. His face was pale, perhaps due to expending almost all of his power. —Apparently he’d run out of power and gathered all the delayed Mushitsuki under Rina. And in a split instant, to boot.

“Still, if I would’ve relied on you—I definitely wouldn’t have gotten any stronger.”

Shachito spoke, then started running.

“Sorry, but that’s about as much as I can do. I’m a warrior, so I need to be part of the strategy to defeat the enemy. —Unlike you.”

“…Thank you. I will pray for your success in battle.”

As Rina thanked him, Shachito left a smile behind. He started running to where Haji Keigo and the rest went to, so apparently he no longer even had the power to teleport.

“Lady…”

Lucifera looked to Rina with a worried face. The other Mushitsuki did the same.

“…”

The camo-wearing soldiers couldn’t understand what was happening. They just stood in place, confused.

It didn’t seem like C was going to reappear. Had they managed to actually inflict some damage to her by destroying her conduit—or was she just preserving her powers?

It was their only chance to retreat.

“Let’s look for a safe place while we can.”

It would probably be impossible to catch up to Haji Keigo and the rest while carrying the wounded.

She recalled her past as Tachibana Rina.

That night of the meteor shower—

Rina had given up on directly participating in that decisive battle that gathered the Rank 1s.

It was the same as that time.

Although she knew she was just repeating her actions—

“I’m going! Come with me!”

She was simply the weak Mushitsuki called Tachibana Rina—

“I’ll protect everyone…!”

While dragging behind her both the Mushitsuki seeking help as well as the ghosts clinging to her legs—

She ran, aiming for a peaceful paradise.

== 1.06 Rina Part 4 ==

An eerie silence wrapped the residential district of Akamaki City.

It had been already several days since the region was evacuated. Normally, this would be around the time past people commuting to school or work, when housewives would vacuum up the house or do the laundry.

Not even a single person remained there now. Familiar sights such as postal trucks, old people out on walks or housewives chatting on the road were nowhere to be found.

Oppressive engine sounds echoed in the streets empty of people.

It was a military armored car. Apparently, it was patrolling the region.

From time to time, there were also figures that appeared on the roofs of private houses.

They had varied appearance; some wore bizarre long coats, while others wore casual clothes.

They were the Revived—those who had once been Mushitsuki and became Fallen or had died. —Resurrected through C’s powers, they were being controlled as pawns.

“—It’s fine, no more Revived. I finally managed to shake them off.”

Rina checked the situation outside from behind an automatic door.

Those who hid behind her all emitted a sigh of relief together.

“Let us rest here for a while.”

They were inside a certain supermarket. The place had enough space to hide Rina as well as the wounded Mushitsuki numbering several dozen people.

Fashionable Lucifera appeared from within the store.

“The breaker’s down and the alarms are all disabled as well. We should be able to hide here for a while as long as we use no electricity or Mushitsuki powers. …If we used even one of those, we’ll probably get found by C or a Revived with sensing powers.”

“Good job. Eat something while you can and recover your stamina. I feel bad about taking things without paying… but we can just send it to them later with an apology.”

Inside the gloomy place the Mushitsuki started stuffing their mouths with foodstuff gathered around the counters.

Rina ate a banana while watching the outside from the window.

“…”

Rina noticed while eating that the Mushitsuki would glance at her from time to time.

After all, they had the supposedly dead Rina—Lady Bird—right in front of their eyes. Although she claimed that she was Mimic, they obviously couldn’t get immediately used to it.

“No matter where we run to, we have to find a way out of Akamaki City.”

Trying to shake off the heavy atmosphere permeating the store, Rina made an effort to speak with a powerful tone.

“At this rate, even if we exit Akamaki City our prospects look grim… at the very least, if we go to a city with many people, it might get them involved. We first need to rest properly.”

While putting a nutritional jelly in her mouth, Lucifera was fiddling with her cellphone.

“Hmm… reception’s good again. But it’s a trap. If anyone uses a cellphone in the empty Akamaki City, C will be able to find them instantly.”

“Getting out of Akamaki City without getting found by C and resting our bodies… including our need to join up with Haji Keigo’s group, looks like we have a lot ahead of us. —That being said, even they have nowhere to run. Since it’s that cowardly four-eyes I do think he’ll do something, though…”

Lucifera meanwhile sank into silence for a moment. She mumbled while looking at her cellphone.

“Well, I did hear something about where Haji Keigo’s planning to run to when we were escaping from the dome…”

“Really? Did he really think of a place where they could hide from C in an instant…? That itself makes me angrier—well, tell me. Where is he planning to go?”

Lucifera wanted to whisper it to her ears, but Rina stopped her.

“It’s fine. We’re all comrades here. Tell everyone.”

“…OK.”

While the dozens of people focused their gazes on her, Lucifera spoke about where they ran to.

A certain place and how to get there.

The Mushitsuki all clamored.

“—I see now. He’ll definitely be able to buy some time like that. As long as they reach it safely, C shouldn’t be able to get there…”

Rina nodded in agreement.

He was as shrewd as always—no, he was a man who liked doing what his enemy hated best.

Since C controlled digital information, perhaps “that place” was even further away than the other side of the planet.

“So the issue is how all of us get there, then.”

“Yup. Since Haji Keigo’s group have Akasegawa Nanana with them, she’ll probably do something. But we have no way of contacting her, plus moving after requesting help will make it all too late. We must somehow prepare on our own a way to transport this number of people…”

While Rina and Lucifera were deliberating, a single Mushitsuki stepped forward.

He was wearing a white long coat. Apparently he was a Mushitsuki who belonged to Central Headquarters.

“Lady—no, are you Mimic?”

“…”

Rina made no answer. Even she wasn’t sure how to accurately name herself.

“Even if it’s just you alone, you have to reconvene with Terasu and others as quickly as you can.”

There were no sounds of surprise or arguing.

“You should be able to escape from Akamaki City on your own right now. If you’re going to fight C, then you should—no, you must join their forces.”

There was not a doubt in her mind that several people there all though the same.

After all, even Rina herself knew that this was right thing to do.

All of them here were wounded Mushitsuki and there were no high-ranked combatants. Rather than helping all of them escape, she should become part of the forces to fight their powerful enemy, C.

She needed to do this—even if everyone in here would get annihilated after she left the place.

Everyone would probably say so.

However, Rina smiled and answered thusly.

“I refuse.”

The white-coated Mushitsuki bit his lips. He apparently expected Rina’s answer, but didn’t want to give up.

“B-but…”

“If I could do that, I’d enter the SEPB. I’d get along better with Kakkou—”

The moment she mouthed that name, the form of this Mushitsuki called a demon passed through her mind.

And there was another person. —No, although this boy was the same person as Kakkou, she recalled his foolish expression that made him seem like a completely different person.

“—No, it’s impossible either way…”

While Rina lowered the tone of her voice, Lucifera for some reason puffed out her chest in pride.

“Telling Lady to abandon Mushitsuki in need would be like trying to rehabilitate Harukiyo. They’re both quite a handful, after all.”

“Please don’t compare me to that pervert…”

The flame devil she’d seen back at the dome had a completely different atmosphere to what she’d seen before. Perhaps he matured a little since the period of time where he’d sexually harass her whenever they met.

“Anyway, let us at least prepare so that we can move at any time.”

Following Rina’s words, everyone focused on eating and resting.

While wary of the outside of the supermarket, Rina thought about what to do moving forward.

“A way to carry this many people… can’t rely on Akasegawa Nanana… And we can’t get in contact with Munakata-san, either…”

Should they rather just try breaking through with Rina leading the charge?

If they really were cornered, they might have no other choice. However, the result was easy to imagine. The difference in numbers was just too great; it’d end up with them collapsing one by one.

“…”

There was something.

There was only one single thing Rina thought that she could do.

Not Lady Bird. It was a way she could use only as Tachibana Rina.

However, that would be—

That alone—

Even just thinking about it made her pulse quicken. She emitted cold sweat and her arms were slightly shaking.

“I have to do that… is that why I’ve been revived? B-but…”

As Rina mumbled to herself, someone pulled her from behind.

As she startled and turned around, she saw Lucifera mildly grabbing to Rina’s clothes.

“Lucifera? What is it?”

“Lady… err…”

Mumbling, she was trying to pull Rina to a detached place.

“If you have an idea you need to tell everyone—”

“It’s not that… err…”

She fidgeted, apparently finding whatever it was hard to say, but she finally resolved herself and spoke.

“I-I’m—a traitor…”

A sudden confession.

“Ever since you were gone, Lady… S-someone called out to me… and I leaked information about Mushibane… I deceived my Mushibane comrades…”

Lucifera was crying and trembling like a child afraid of getting scolded.

“And while that happened… I let Genesis die…”

“…”

“And yet—when I saw you, I ended up tagging along without thinking… I became really embarrassed… I have to apologize… I know an apology’s not going to be enough… I… I’m…”

In the end, Lucifera was shedding tears.

Rina put a hand on the trembling girl’s head.

“Idiot.”

Lucifera’s entire body twitched and tensed.

“I also have Mimic’s memories. So—I already know all about it. About that girl you’ve joined forces with and the people who were with her…”

“…!”

Startled, Lucifera raised her tears-stained face.

“It happened while I was gone, right? So it’s not my choice whether to forgive you or not. I don’t think I can get along with that girl—Konomura Chami, but… I am grateful. Because she made you stand up again. Because—I couldn’t do that.”

“N-no…! It’s only thanks to you that I…!”

“So I’m not the one you need to apologize to, right?”

As Rina smiled, Lucifera suddenly grimaced.

“Fuyuhotaru-san…”

“I already know… what Shiika’s answer is going to be, though.”

Anmoto Shiika might be angry. However, whether or not she would forgive Lucifera in the end—was crystal clear.

—''Among all of us, Fuyuhotaru’s the strongest.

Kakkou’s words were revived within Rina’s mind along with a stab of her heart.

Anmoto Shiika would probably forgive Lucifera.

There were only very few things that kind girl would never forgive—

Only the Original Three.

“…Yes.”

Rina stroked Lucifera’s head again as the girl nodded.

“Lady… won’t you take off your mask?”

Being told this by Lucifera, Rina smiled. She turned her body back toward the other comrades.

“Oh, this? I can’t take it off. —I wonder if it’s cursed?”

She wanted to make it sound like a joke, but Lucifera startled and her face froze.

“If so, then it’s just desserts for me.”

Rina said this and started walking.

Right, this was just desserts. You could even say she was caught in her own trap.

If Rina’s revival had perhaps been acted out by some factor that wasn’t fate or someone’s plans—then this would be without a doubt the retribution for her actions.

Creating a place for Mushitsuki—

Although she chanted this and fought, she had selfishly retired in the middle. That was why she deserved this.

“Alright, everyone, listen to me.”

Therefore, she was going to rescue as many Mushitsuki as she could now.

And for that sake—she didn’t care whether she fell down to hell again.

“I’ve decided—that I’ll go on my own after all.”

Her being the only one to come back to life was too convenient—

She heard this voice coming from somewhere.

She had the feeling that a part of this was the voice that belonged to her parent, who could be said to be the origin of everything for her.

== 1.07 Rina Part 5 ==

When she was little, the world she saw outside the small window was very beautiful.

A room that was like a cage. A luxury car that took her in and out. A private school where she wasn’t even allowed to make friends.

The space created for her by her parents was very cramped.

Therefore, she always gazed at the outside world from her room.

The first thing she recalled was that beautiful, red sunset.

She’d once even depicted the sunset etched into her memories in a painting.

She thought she was released from that room and that she became free in the outside world. She thought that as long as the walls didn’t enclose on her, she could go wherever she pleased.

Therefore—she believed she’d be able to find a place that accepted her one day.

“…Haa, haa.”

While running through the empty residential district, Rina glanced around her.

Noticing the engine sounds of an armored car, she leapt over the fence of a private home and hid herself inside the premises.

“…”

Silencing her breath, she waited for the vehicle to pass.

She unconsciously touched the pocket at her waist and made sure of that hard sensation. It was something she’d been handed by Lucifera right before she got out of the supermarket they hid inside.

—''This is my spare cellphone. Please use it when push comes to shove.

Would she even have the chance to use it while C was monitoring the electronic web and all communication networks? She wondered about this, but Rina still accepted it.

—''So you’re going to prepare our means of escape… well, that’s probably true because it’s you, Lady. But I hope it’s a lie. Please escape on your own without minding us…

As they parted, Lucifera said this. Even people other than Lucifera hid their anxious expressions and nodded.

—''I’ll definitely come back.

Rina promised this and parted from Lucifera and the others.

It wasn’t a lie. She did intend to go to a certain place in order to escape Akamaki City with everyone. It wasn’t guaranteed to work—but first Rina needed to slip out of Akamaki City.

“…Alright.”

Confirming the armored car had passed, Rina flew out of the backyard.

Rina was headed—to Higano City.

It was the neighboring city to Akamaki, and Rina’s goal was located there.

“…!”

She saw a human figure on the apartment building straight ahead. It noticed Rina and put a hand to its goggles.

It was one of the Revived. They were probably transmitting the discovery of Rina to their comrades.

“Looks like C took over even the SEPB-use communication network.”

In front of Rina appeared her Mushi, the seven-spotted ladybug.

“Since I’m this far from the supermarket, it’s not an issue for me to get found.”

A powerful shockwave rocked the entire block. Several private houses and the apartment building the figure stood on were swallowed by a torrent of destruction.

Watching over the figure falling down to the ground along with debris, she climbed the seven-spotted ladybug’s head.

Ascending high above, Rina quickly checked the surroundings. The wind was strong so high up.

She could see flying-type Mushi trying to approach her from all angles. She could even see what looked like an attack chopper. Power lines around glowed gold; there was no doubt this was an omen of C about to shoot lightning.

“So running away through the sky is impossible, as expected. Any Mushi would get hit by missiles… as well as C’s lightning.”

It wasn’t just in the skies, either. Rina could see multitudes of Mushi on the surface heading for her.

“If I need to hide myself, then it’s better to do so on the surface…”

Rina’s body suddenly lost its support and started freefalling.

The seven-spotted ladybug left Rina in midair and started quickly descending toward the ground.

While using its thick body to repel the Revived’s intercepting attacks, the seven-spotted ladybug landed on the surface.

With a large thud.

Sounds of destruction that sounded even somewhat comical shook the ground.

The shockwave emitted by the seven-spotted ladybug knocked down everything around it in a circle. Dozens of buildings crumbled down, the Revived were all blown away and stopped moving. Even the lines glowing in golden burst without exception and lost their light.

“Sorry. I know you’re just being controlled by C, so I held back.”

Falling headlong, Rina spun her body. At the same time the seven-spotted ladybug leapt into the air again, killing Rina’s momentum well and letting her land on its head.

“So please—don’t die from just this much.”

The seven-spotted ladybug landed again with Rina.

It started running through the residential district transformed into a smooth wasteland.

“…”

Through her Mushi, Rina noticed the vibrations felt at its feet.

The seven-spotted ladybug swung its head, throwing Rina high into air. Getting thrown away by her Mushi like it was some trampoline, Rina was sent all the way to a private house’s roof.

A moment later—the road right ahead of the seven-spotted ladybug exploded.

A gigantic Mushi emerged from the ground. It wasn’t inferior in size even to the seven-spotted ladybug, and attempted to tackle it—

However, the ladybug gained crushing victory in their clash. With it accompanied by shockwaves as well, it simply crushed the Mushi as though it was made of paper and scattered it to smithereens.

“I’d knew the Revived would swarm like this once they found me.”

Getting a running start and leaping off the building, Rina was caught by the seven-spotted ladybug’s head. Several Mushi stood in her way then, but she soon blew them away with a shockwave.

Rina kept driving the hordes back of the Revived along with the buildings.

“There are a lot of them… but I can somehow handle them since I’m all alone.”

She mumbled to herself while defeated several dozen Revived in the blink of an eye.

There were apparently no high-ranked Mushitsuki in the area. If there were and they came to attack her alone, they’d never be able to compete with the Rank 1 Rina, even as imperfect as she was.

If so, then the largest obstacle was, just as expected—C herself.

As Rina ran through the alley, golden lights started glowing on the power lines.

“—I apologize, but I don’t really feel like fighting you for real right now.”

Bursting the power lines with a shockwave, Rina leapt inside an empty house lot.

Unsummoning her seven-spotted ladybug, she kept passing through homes by the fences.

“There shouldn’t be any more surveillance cameras in this area. Once you lose sight of me you shouldn’t be able to find me unless I use my Mushi, right?”

Rina’s reasoning hit the mark.

By getting mixed in the maze of residential district, she couldn’t sense C making any more attacks. She couldn’t see any Revived, either. Since Rina made her Mushi vanish, any sensors would also lose her location.

“I need to fight the Revived at several different locations and fool her so she won’t know where I’m going… once that’s over I can head to Higano City. Meanwhile, I’ll cut off as many of our enemies as possible, so that less of them will be able to head for Haji Keigo and Terasu’s group…!”

Even if she turned the Revived to Fallen, they’d end up getting resuscitated by C again. But this should be able to buy her time. Since she took off on her own, that was the least she could do to make up for it.

“I’m also used to guerilla fighting. They weren’t calling us a resistance group for nothing.”

She’d strike the enemy and vanish.

After vanishing, she’d appear in the midst of enemies and strike.

She recalled the time she’d led Mushibane and fought against the SEPB. Rina would become a decoy to let her comrades escape and played around with the SEPB while hearing hysterical shouts from people such as Kasuou or Minmin.

Compared to those times, now that all civilians had been evacuated there was no need to fear any damage.

For Rina, this was likely—the very first time she could exhibit her full powers as a Rank 1.

“For some reason I feel like I’m invincible right now… maybe I should do like Lucifera said—”

''I should just forget about everything and run away on my own—

Even such feelings welled up in her chest.

If she lived according to her will without needing to protect anything—she might gain the freedom she’d dreamed about as a child.

“But if that happens—there’s be no meaning for me to be here.”

She smiled bitterly.

After saving many and trying to lead many to salvation, she’d used up her powers and died.

Even so, she’d been called back to help many Mushitsuki yet again.

Perhaps this was the destiny of the human called Tachibana Rina.

“I don’t really… care about myself. After all—”

When she escaped into the next house, something occurred.

Until then completely silent, the residential district was suddenly wrapped in a lot of noise.

“Eh—”

It was the voice of some announcement. An artist’s comment about some luxury food. A murder culprit was interrogated and cornered by the police. The voice of an anime heroine fighting against evil.

She knew where these came from. The sounds of television came streaming out from each and every house in full volume.

“—What on earth is she trying to do?”

Rina knew only one being who could accomplish this.

“C, huh… is she trying to catch my attention with this strange phenomenon and call me out?”

Rina approached one home and peeked toward the TV screen from the window.

“Even if that’s true, if I get found I’ll just destroy everything around and run away…”

Suddenly, the noise stopped.

As Rina furrowed her brows, she saw the display changing.

“The current Mushitsuki are a failure…”

A young girl’s pale face appeared there. She wore a tiara that had patterns of hearts and crowns on it.

“C…!”

“They are not qualified to board the Ark…”

C’s voice echoed around. All the TVs around were probably streaming the same footage.

“I will wash all of them away… and in this purged world, the real Mushitsuki will be born…”

C’s eyes moved around, and her mouth was completely unmoving.

“That will be a new world… A reborn world, full of the Undying…”

“So that’s the goal Miguruma Yaeko implanted into you?”

Rina spat, her voice cynical.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about at all… but I do understand you’re scheming something bad. —An Ark? Purging? Are you saying you’ve turned into some kind of God?”

“In order for the world to change… I need to wash everything away with the Deluge… I must unleash the Dove… And then I will bear children in this purged world…”

“C-children…”

Hearing these words coming from that cherubic face made Rina unconsciously blush.

“Does she mean new Undying Mushitsuki…? Stop being all weird about this, just show yourself and fight me already. If you bring out your real body I’ll play along.”

She had a bad feeling.

Not just a feeling.

This sensation was familiar—Rina had once felt it, and it fit.

It was her final moments.

Could it be called that? A sensation as though the grim reaper’s scythe was slowly reaching her neck and whispering a countdown in her ears.

Rina had actually been constantly feeling that mysterious sensation since the very moment she’d been revived.

“Are you scared of me? Aren’t you the strongest Rank 1? Then come attack me from the front.”

To mask her ominous sensation, Rina made a cheap provocation—

And then C inside the screen suddenly glared at her.

“Tachibana Rina… Lady Bird… I must purge the failure of the Undying… And release the Dove…”

“The Dove…?”

“The Dove will confirm the world has been purged and I will descend to the new world for the first time—”

After saying this, C moved her eyes again.

Moving just her eyes to the opposite direction of Rina—she sneered.

Rina felt that this pure expression of a face filled with malice was familiar. Once, she just so happened to be present at a place where ''he'' attacked people.

It was just like Shinpu—

The smile visible on the screen did not belong to Super Class Rank 1 C.

This face was just like one of those Primal Mushi giving birth to Mushitsuki—like one of the Original Three.

“She’s coming…”

Leaving that small mumble behind, the TV was cut off.

As if nothing happened at all, the surroundings went quiet.

“What…? She’s coming?”

Being suddenly abandoned like that, Rina stood there in shock.

C’s behavior was definitely not normal.

C might have gone to do something important for her, rather than fight Rina.

“Simply blurting out whatever and just leaving like that… who’s coming, exactly?”

Although she hesitated, Rina summoned her seven-spotted ladybug.

Riding its head, she rose high into the sky. —Although she risked getting found out by sensors, she intuited that she should try and grasp the meaning behind C’s change.

Looking at the sky, she could see four masses of light created above the area of Akamaki City.

These were probably made by C’s abilities. Four points of golden light were gathered in fixed distances, as if to draw a square.

However, even after watching it for a while, there were no further changes.

“What’s C trying to do? What on earth—”

The moment she muttered this while being fanned by strong wind, the distant sky gradually underwent change.

The color of the sky changed as though dyed by ink—and it became purple.

“—Eh… no way?”

That ominous purple was familiar.

A sky dyed purple, and C who spread a net underneath that sky.

Seeing these two phenomena, Rina—came to realize what was about to happen.

“Hadn’t all of Akamaki City’s residents been evacuated yet? So why—”

Behind her fox mask, Rina’s face froze.

“Why did Oogui appear here…?”

Rina was supposed to run around in order to escape Akamaki City along with her wounded comrades, but now yet another tragedy was about to occur in front of her eyes.

A sky dyed in purple—

It was an omen for the appearance of one the Original Three, Oogui.

“Meaning—there’s someone there and they’re about to become Mushitsuki? Also, C is lying in wait to capture Oogui… At this rate, she’ll end up just like Shinpu…”

This was an unexpected situation—no, it was completely unthinkable. The absolute worst-case scenario.

What was going to happen, if C managed to absorb Oogui?

Oogui could use the abilities of all people she’d made Mushitsuki.

If C ended up gaining that power, she would evolve to become a real nightmare, this time—

“I will not—let you do that. I won’t allow you to turn whatever person’s there into a Mushitsuki…!”

She had no other choice. Rina directed the seven-spotted ladybird ahead.

She had to stop at least the worst-case scenario from happening.

Rina flew with resolve, however—

“Can I do it, though? All on my own…”

She unconsciously wore a weak smile.

== 1.08 Rina Part 6 ==

Rina thought of three ways to stop C from taking in Oogui.

One: Rina could defeat Oogui on the spot.

Two: Rina could defeat C on the spot.

Three: She didn’t know who it was, but she could find the person whose dreams were getting eaten—and do something about it.

“Who’s even dreaming right now, in this place and time…?!”

Methods one and two—were out of the question. If they were the kinds of opponents she could sacrifice herself to beat, she wouldn’t hesitate. However, Oogui could use Shiika’s powers and the location of C’s real body was unknown, so if she fought them Rina would just die in vain about nine out of ten times.

“There’s also Revived assembling there… if I don’t finish this quickly, this could be bad.”

The four glowing golden lights were apparently a trap in order to capture Oogui. Their middle was right above an interchange, where multiple roads crisscrossed each other.

Weaving her way through the assembling Revived, Rina made the seven-spotted ladybug land inside the interchange with great momentum.

She instantly found the human figure in question at this closed road that was empty from any vehicles.

“…There are two?”

There were two girls next to thick pillars supporting the interchange.

They seemed to be about Rina’s age. One had long, black hair and looked like a lady, while the other was a short-haired, androgynous-looking girl. They both supported each other.

“Which of them—no, I obviously can’t leave both of them here.”

The purple covering the skies turned thicker and thicker. Still controlling her Mushi, Rina rushed toward the pair.

“W-who are you?”

Seeing Rina, the long-haired girl spoke in a prim and proper tone of voice. Seeing as the other looked zoned out and made no response, it appeared like she was the one being targeted by Oogui.

“An ally! But I’ve got no time to explain! Let’s get away, right now!”

Pulling at the two girl’s arms, she made them stand up.

“A-an ally…?”

“I’m aware I suddenly showed up saying strange things. But please trust me. That girl’s in great danger. How do I put it—”

“She’s about to become a Mushitsuki… is that it?”

“…!”

Rina was so surprised she stopped moving.

“How do you—”

“Ena-san… experienced this before—”

“Before…? Ena…?”

A girl who was almost made a Mushitsuki before.

Ena.

These keywords raised sparks and booted up Rina’s memories—

“—”

She felt as though an icicle directly pierced her brain.

Letting go of the two girls, she took a step back.

“Ena—Saionji Ena…? From the night of the meteor shower…?”

As Rina unconsciously mumbled this, this time the long-haired looked shocked.

“Y-you know about it?”

She knew.

Rina obviously knew about that decisive fight.

After all, Rina was supposed to be one of its participants. She also heard the name of the girl who was supposed to be protected by it—Saionji Ena.

However, Rina had refrained from coming at the very last moment.

As a result, all the Mushitsuki who challenged this fight—

“Are you also phantoms…?”

“—Eh?”

Next to the long-haired girl furrowing her brows, she could see countless black arms reaching out.

They were the ghosts of the Mushitsuki Rina hadn’t managed to save. —Among them, there were also those who expired during the fight on that night.

That decisive fight had resulted in an almost complete annihilation and a loss.

During the Perseid Meteor Shower, the number of collapsed Mushitsuki among the falling stars was much more than a dozen or two.

“Were you two really there? O-or… are you two also ghosts that came back to life with me…?”

The line between reality and illusion was getting blurry within Rina.

“A-after all, why would you—appear in front of me now…?”

“W-whatever it is you are speaking about? I do not—”

Saying this, the long-haired girl’s face froze.

At some point, she noticed that many varied people were surrounding them.

They were the Revived.

Furthermore, there was a golden electrical discharge coming from the asphalt.

“…!”

Rina came back to her senses, and faster than she could turn around—

Reaching from the ground to the heavens, golden lightning pierced through the seven-spotted ladybug.

“—!”

A violent tremor and gale. As well as bursting air.

One of the four lights surrounding the interchange was unleashed by C. It was an electrical attack several times thicker than any of C’s lightnings she’d seen so far, and Rina bent backwards, voicelessly.

Not waiting for the aftershock of the lightning to settle down, the air was charging up yet again—

“—!”

The second lightning shot through the seven-spotted ladybug.

She might have judged that were she to strike Rina directly, she could have possibly also hit Ena who served as bait for Oogui. The seven-spotted ladybug hit by C’s powerful attack rose to the air from the impact, crashing against the intersection.

“This—”

Rina’s voiceless scream made her lungs vibrate.

Damage received by the Mushi would strike its host’s spirits.

Feeling an impact as though her heart was gouged, Rina slowly tilted to the side.

However, the moment before she collapsed—Rina fixed her position with all of her might, leaning forward.

“This is—nothing…!”

The scorched black seven-spotted ladybug unfurled its giant wings the moment before crashing down. As if to cover for the three girls, it began to hover above them.

“The other Rank 1s’ attacks—were much worse.”

The seven-spotted ladybug’s eyes were dyed in red. Its outer, scorched skin burst away, it vibrated its large wings in high speeds.

The scene in front of her eyes changed.

The road cracked, the Revived and their Mushi floated in air, and all high-rise buildings surrounding the road had haphazard cracks running through them.

Then—an explosion.

The soundless impact’s shockwave blew back everything that crumbled down.

“—”

The long-haired girl next to Rina opened her mouth wide in astonishment, unladylike.

This giant interchange could be said to be Akamaki City’s most important road.

Just seconds before, the modern cityscape was definitely there—but it became a plain of smooth debris in an instant. Here and there one could also see the Revived with half their body buried in dirt.

“N…Now, let us go! Get on!”

Hiding the fatigue and damage she’d accumulated, Rina brought the girls along with her on the ladybug’s back.

Stepping on the debris, the seven-spotted ladybug started running.

“Err… are you quite alright?”

While desperately clinging to the ladybug’s head, the long-haired girl spoke.

Rina smiled as she held up Ena.

“I’m perfectly fine. It was a nice refresher.”

That was a lie. The damage she’d received was large, and if they got surrounded again, she wasn’t confident she could burst through.

She needed to solve this situation as quickly as possible, so she needed to run.

“…”

Looking up at the sky, she could see it was dyed in purple as far as the eye could see.

“—I want to… see them… again—”

The girl called Saionji Ena mumbled as though in delirium.

Rina could see figures that seemed like Revived on the road ahead. She changed the seven-spotted ladybug’s course, running away with full speed.

“Why here and now…”

Rina asked Ena. The long-haired girl answered in her stead.

“Ena remained in her home even after the evacuation orders were sent. She said she felt that this tumult relates to Mushitsuki… so if she remained here, she might meet her past friends.”

''Idiot—

Rina groaned in her heart, biting her lips.

“I also lied to my parents and remained in the house with her… but even I felt like we took it too far, so I dragged her away. Once I did, though, some Mushitsuki people appeared here and there—and apparently Ena ended up recalling the past after seeing them.”

Saying that, the girl looked at Ena. She wasn’t shaken even after seeing Mushi, and she was worried for her friend even in this situation. Unlike her appearance, she seemed to have some guts.

“Err, my name is Kujou Takako. May I inquire as to your name?”

“…”

Rina couldn’t answer.

Even she felt unsure who she actually was. On top of that—the name she should introduce herself as belonged to the person who’d abandoned Ena before.

“—I wonder what’s up with this feeling like I can’t escape… there’s probably nothing I can do already… no matter where I go… as long as I don’t settle everything—”

As Rina mumbled to herself, Takako looked at her confused.

“I beg your pardon…?”

“Anyway, let’s escape for now. I won’t let this girl become a Mushitsuki—I’ll definitely get you out of Akamaki City safely.”

“But how…? The previous time, many Mushitsuki saved us. But now…”

Rina looked at the sky turning purple and sighed.

There was no more time. Oogui’s appearance was only a matter of time.

“Hey, listen to me. Saionji Ena-san—”

Rina held up Ena and called into her ears.

“The dream you have is very beautiful. A monster lured by that dream is coming.”

Ena just mumbled something to herself and made no response.

Takako looked worried, furrowing her brows.

“That it no good. Ena doesn’t seem to be able to hear anything… it was like that before as well.”

“Right, she dreamed before as well. Recall that time. Many Mushitsuki have fought to protect you. And among them…”

Rina’s comrades were there.

Many of her comrades went to the fight in place of her—and not a single one returned.

“Among them—there were your friends, right?”

Rina kept whispering.

“Why have they fought? Many people fought to protect you. Not because they wanted you indebted to them. Because they were trying to protect—their own dream.”

Ena showed no response.

“Because they all regretted it. All of them let such a monster find out about their precious dream. So they didn’t want you going through the same thing. And not just you; they wanted to more people like to be created… so they fought.”

“…”

“They didn’t want you to become a Mushitsuki. They wished for it, so they fought. That’s why so many Mushitsuki gathered there. Like your friend—Arisu.”

Ena’s shoulders twitched.

Takako looked shocked.

“You know about Arisu-san?”

“So… please, Ena—fight. It’s your turn, now.”

That fight on the night of the meteor shower no one knew about.

Rina had once even blamed Kakkou for that loss.

However, that distorted mutual hatred—had to end already. She had to stop averting her eyes away from her own sins and settle everything one matter at a time.

“Your dream isn’t something you should tell a monster like that, right?”

Ena’s mouth stopped.

“Fight, Ena! Could you lose to that monster again—and yet face Arisu?”

“…”

“Wake up! If you beat that monster, you could meet Arisu!”

Ena’s clouded pupils retrieved their light.

“Wake up! Ena!”

“Ena-san…”

Takako looked at her back worriedly.

The short-haired girl—raised her face.

Rina felt that her hugged body was regaining its strength.

Ena’s eyes now clearly looked back at Rina. A lone streak of tears ran down the corner of her eye.

“…Who are you…?”

“Ena-san!”

There were also tears in the jubilant Takako’s eyes.

Looking up to the sky, she could feel the purple presence distancing itself. Seeming almost regretful, as if it was being pulled back by its hair, the sky slowly retrieved its previous color.

“I heard… your voice…”

Ena hugged back Rina strongly.

“Welcome back. …You’ve done well.”

Rina stroked Ena’s head.

She had no confidence she could actually cause Ena to wake up just by calling her.

However—she felt like the girl understood her feelings once she heard the name Arisu. She knew that this name was special for her, and that it held that much power.

Anyway, she managed to avoid the worst-case scenario.

“Now we need to find a way to escape. Hold on tight.”

“Thank you very much. Truly…”

Takako grabbed Rina’s armed and thanked her.

Rina couldn’t return her smile. She actually felt her chest constrict.

“Please. Don’t thank me… I actually—”

''I actually abandoned you once before—

She couldn’t get these words out of her mouth. Rina looked back at Ena and Takako’s confused looks.

As if to escape their gazes, Rina turned her eyes to the front.

“It’s not going to be easy for the three of us to escape Akamaki City safely. The bridge connecting to Higano City’s probably sealed… I wish there was some way without any electricity so that C wouldn’t find us, but there’s no way a place like that—”

Ena and Takako who were with Rina were also in danger. Since Oogui had her eyes on Ena once, C might try to use her again.

“A place connected to Higano City without any electricity…”

Takako raised her voice.

“If that’s what we need—I have an idea.”

== 1.09 Rina Part 7 ==

Seeing that straight line, without being able to see the road ahead, made her feel the extent of madness men could reach.

This was the elevated railway stretching over Akamaki City.

It stretched over many houses, bridging the gap over the river and connecting with Higano City in the vast distance.

According to Kujou Takako, this was apparently part of the shinkansen line still in construction. In several years from now the new Maglev train would go on it, and the plan was to have it connect Akamaki City with other large cities.

“…Well, it’s true this is the shortest route for us to use to escape to Higano City.”

Going up the footing from the surface to a high floor, Rina peeked at the railway.

“And it seems like the power lines weren’t installed yet.”

A deployed crane and materials remained there on the unfinished train line. There were probably many workers who worked here until the evacuation notice was issued.

Following Rina, Ena and Takako also rose to the line.

“Right, this place existed. Good job remembering it, Takako.”

“It’s just a coincidence because Father has invested in this project… it’s still going to take a while, but I have heard that this line connects to the entrance to Higano City.”

Seeing the embarrassed Takako, Rina suddenly recalled.

“Kujou… so you’re from the Kujou family. But what was a young lady like you thinking about, staying alone with a friend in such a dangerous place?”

As far as Rina could remember, Kujou Takako’s family were of an old lineage. They weren’t members of the secret limited-member club for rich people called the Round Table, but she did hear they were plenty rich.

“Do you know my family?”

“Well… just a bit.”

While evading the question, she began thinking.

What about having the Kujou family assist Rina’s group to escape through Takako?

However, Rina soon denied her own thoughts. Never mind Takako herself, Rina didn’t think her parents would want to cooperate with Mushitsuki. Furthermore, she couldn’t risk them any further.

''So I have to do something by myself—

While groaning in her heart, she quickly walked to the center of the railway.

“Let’s try and gain as much distance as we can while they can’t find us. Let’s hurry up.”

Her body was heavy. She’d been hit by two of C’s attacks. Since she was in front of the anxious Ena and Takako she could feign calmness, but it wasn’t the kind of damage she could recover so easily from.

“You look like you’re hurt, but are you fine? Err… what’s your name?”

She apparently didn’t manage to hide it. She turned to the worried-looking Ena and smiled bitterly.

“I’m fine, really. I’m—Rina. You don’t have to add an honorific. We’re the same age.”

“Do you know even our ages?”

“So I’ve heard. From our… mutual acquaintance.”

Who was the mutual acquaintance Rina spoke of?

She’d already said the answer to that. The pair also probably intuited it.

“…Do you mean Arisu?”

Rina wordlessly affirmed Ena’s mumble.

“You know Arisu, right? How’s Arisu doing right now? Tell us!”

“Ena-san…! Calm down, we shouldn’t shout right now…”

As Ena grabbed Rina’s arm from behind, Takako tried pacifying her.

It was natural for them to be unable to remain calm. After all, she wished for their reunion so strongly that she managed to summon Oogui to her.

Rina averted her face from Ena and spoke.

“—Sorry. I can’t tell you.”

Once, there was a certain decisive fight.

That battle against Oogui with shooting stars in the sky all around—ended in the Mushitsuki’s defeat.

It was a huge loss of near annihilation. Oogui left and the one who arranged this fight became a Mushitsuki in the middle—then fell asleep for a long time.

With that, that fight became like an ephemeral night’s dream that no one knew about.

Even Rina herself didn’t know this truth.

However, right now she knew whatever knowledge Mimic assembled.

“It’s too complicated to explain what happened to her and where she is, so I can’t do it. I can’t even imagine whether you’ll be glad or in despair to hear that. At least until we reach a safe place in Higano City… I can’t tell you.”

In a certain sense, Rina and Sleeping Beauty—Arisu—were very much alike.

Both of them had been forced to wake up from their slumber in order to fight against C.

She didn’t know how Ena would accept this situation. Rina was worried the girl would pity her friend and break down into tears on the spot.

“So will you tell us once we get to Higano City?”

“Yes. There are some things I can’t say, though.”

She tried smiling, and it seemed like Ena accepted this for now. She released Rina’s arm.

“…”

''Stop.

Rina realized the meaning behind the silence that befell the three.

''Don’t ask anything else—

She unconsciously grimaced and wished for this in her heart.

“…Say, Rina.”

“No more talking. Just start walking.”

As Rina spoke coldly on purpose, new companions appeared next to her.

They numbered more than just one or two.

In front of Rina, behind her and next, the number of human figures walking through the rails grew little by little.

They were the Fallen or the deceased Rina hadn’t managed to save. They were the former shells of the Mushitsuki who got revived along with Rina—no, by clinging to her. They were already part of Rina.

Ena and Takako probably couldn’t see them.

However, to Rina’s eyes it looked like the march of a pandemonium—

“There’s another acquaintance that—”

“I told you to stop. I’m running!”

Perhaps it was to escape Ena and Takako’s eyes, or perhaps to escape the crowd of ghosts.

Rina started running, but Ena’s voice stopped her.

“It’s someone called Kusuriya Daisuke!”

All of a sudden.

She felt strength leaving her legs.

Just from hearing this unexpected person’s name, her legs stopped and her mind blanked out.

“…Rina?”

“Rina-san?”

As Rina stopped moving like a puppet with cut strings, the two puzzled girls caught up to her.

Kusuriya Daisuke. Of all names, to hear that one—

To think they would ask Rina not about Kakkou, but this normal boy’s name.

“…!”

Rina gasped and raised her face.

The ghosts walking alongside her all turned toward her. They all stopped in place as though by some signal and glared at Rina’s face.

“—No.”

Rina grimaced and weakly shook her head to the sides.

“It’s nothing… I was just a bit surprised… it’s not like I’ve forgotten about all of you—”

“What is it, Rina? What are you talking about?”

“You’re shaking so much… does it hurt somewhere?”

“It’s fine… I haven’t abandoned you… I wasn’t thinking of saving only myself…”

She was making excuses to the ghosts, but the more she spoke that more memories passed through her mind.

After meeting Kakkou, she spent many days constantly fighting him for the sake of revenge.

After fighting for so long and continuing to rescue many Mushitsuki, she reached her limit.

It was during that period of time—that she met a certain boy.

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke was her classmate, a boy without any distinguishing features—but his real form was the monitor sent to Rina, Kakkou—

He’d come to Rina for advice about falling in love with a girl.

And all while being aware that she was his target, Lady Bird, and his archnemesis.

Rina had drawn a single picture of that boy.

And her feelings, even now—

“Ugh—”

Feeling a violent pain, Rina crouched on the spot.

She couldn’t remove the fox mask stuck to her face. It gave a sharp pain to Rina’s face as thought constricting it, or perhaps as though stabbing it.

“Rina?!”

“Waaaah…! No… I wasn’t planning on betraying you…! I just…!”

She started crying from the pain.

“That guy, and Shiika—”

Their faces pale, Ena and Takako hugged Rina who was writhing on the ground.

Unlike those two girls—the ghosts all glared at Rina.

As if blaming Rina for trying to escape alone. Or perhaps in scorn, for not fulfilling her promise, for being a coward who worked only to make her own dream come true.

“…!”

Ena, Takako and the ghosts all looked down at Rina’s face. In the sky visible on the other side, she could see a small shadow. Grimacing her sweat-covered face, Rina rose.

“We’ve been found…!”

Several Mushi were approaching from the sky, heading toward the rails where Rina’s group was.

There would probably be other enemies coming soon as well. Even if they got off the rails and hid for now, Rina wasn’t sure if she could preserve her sanity later.

“Let’s keep moving to Higano City in one go!”

Materializing her seven-spotted ladybug, she rode on its head along with Ena and Takako.

Knocking aside the abandoned materials and welding devices, the ladybug charged through the rails.

“R-Rina! Are you feeling fine? Your complexion is horrible…! Is it my fault?”

“Rina-san…!”

“It’s fine. Relax, I definitely… won’t let even a single finger touch you!”

Right now, this was Rina’s duty and role.

Now she understood this well.

Although she was revived in order to fight C, by splitting up like this—she could now save the girl who she’d once abandoned.

Rina could settle all of her past sins. But she herself would not be saved.

Even after saving Ena and Takako, she would have to keep fighting to save Mushitsuki.

“Arisu… it’s just like you said.”

Rina recalled the words of this girl who’d lost in that unknown fight.

—''I’ll connect them.

This fight that supposedly no one should have known about became connected to the new battle like this.

“Everyone’s connected… I cannot—run away.”

A large river appeared in front of the groaning Rina.

They probably put it up in a hurry; the newly created overpass was blocked by a barricade made by the camo-wearing soldiers.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Kya…!”

She accelerated further, tackling the barricade. Ena and Takako’s screams overlapped.

The seven-spotted ladybug broke through, blowing the soldiers away.

It kept its mad rush through the bridge for a minute or so.

After passing the river, Rina’s group reached a new land.

It was the city developed to be a satellite of Akamaki City, called Higano City.

“We’re getting off…!”

The very moment she said that, Rina jumped down from the rails along with the seven-spotted ladybug.

“…!”

She landed on a road just alongside the river, causing a tremor. There were no people around, but in the distance she could something like a group of news reporters filming Akamaki City.

“Ena, Takako! Run!”

Recalling her ladybug, Rina leapt between the buildings located along the road.

While panting hard, she took a detour, running through several buildings—and she finally reached her limits. She stopped her legs.

“Rina?”

As Rina suddenly stopped in place, Ena and Takako turned to her with surprised face.

“…Keep going ahead. There should be a lot of people left in the center of town, so you should be able to shake off pursuit by heading there.”

“B-but what about you?”

“I have things to do. —Go ahead.”

As Rina said this, Ena and Takako looked confused.

However, they exchanged glances and then nodded at each other.

“Got it. Thank you…!”

Seeing off Ena and Takako thanking her and running off, Rina kneeled on the spot.

Fatigue overwhelmed both mind and body and she couldn’t move a single step.

Those two would probably be fine. Even this lone thought gave her a small sense of accomplishment.

She couldn’t move anymore, so her pursuers would catch up to her—but she didn’t care.

“Sorry, everyone… but please…”

Smiling at the ghosts haunting her, Rina gradually—

“Don’t wake me up again—”

Lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

== 1.10 Rina Part 8 ==

As expected, Rina’s wish failed to reach God.

As she woke up, Rina’s eyes reflected two girls. One was a prim and proper young lady with her long hair tied elegantly, while the other was a short-haired girl.

They were Ena and Takako.

“—Ah, I see.”

Rina moved just her face to grasp the situation.

She’d collapsed in the emergency exit of a building complex. Packed between the rusted emergency stairway and the trash disposal area, it was a place that wouldn’t catch people’s eyes.

Ena and Takako returned and brought Rina there, most likely.

“I promised to tell you about Arisu… and that guy, right.”

She raised her upper torso from Takako’s lap. The inside of her head felt fuzzy again.

“Sorry. It’s not like I forgot. If things weren’t like this—”

“I won’t ask.”

“Eh?”

As Rina raised her face, she saw Ena arched her brows. Her eyes were misty.

“If you think we came back here to ask about all that—I won’t do that.”

Ena looked angry.

Looking at Takako, she smiled bitterly with a troubled expression.

Seeing the two of them, Rina’s expression crumbled. She understood why they came back.

“So you… worried for me. Thanks.”

While brushing back her hair, she thanked them earnestly.

The two girls suddenly looked embarrassed and blushed. They elbowed each other.

“…? What is it?”

“Say, Rina. You’re definitely a beauty, so why are you wearing that mask?”

“Ehh?”

“Err, I apologize. You looked like you were suffering, so I tried removing it while you were sleeping, but I couldn’t—”

“…”

“You have slender limbs like some actress, your voice is clear and you’re so thin… ah, no. It’s not like I was ogling you while you were sleeping! I just looked a little!”

“Also, you are very strong—I talked a little with Ena-san about this… you’re probably someone very incredible, Rina.”

“Ahaha, well, thank you.”

She was used to being viewed with eyes full of admiration and respect. In complete opposition to her own self-evaluation.

However, as she saw those two having fun speaking even in this kind of situation, she was shocked at their strength. Could two normal girls who weren’t even Mushitsuki be so strong and resolute?

“Ah… Rina-san, you can’t get up yet. You should rest a little more.”

“Sorry, are you mad?”

Takako and Ena stopped Rina from getting up. She smiled bitterly.

“Why are you mad? If you’re fine with my legs you can look as much as you’d like, though—”

“What about touching, then?”

“…”

“Please, don’t make that face—well, I can’t see your expression, but still. Ena-san has acquired the habit to latch onto the things she likes and not let go. The poor girl…”

“…That doesn’t really matter… sorry. I’m in a hurry.”

She pushed back Ena’s face leaning toward her rather forcibly as she spoke.

“I have comrades who are waiting for my return. I must save them as quickly as possible.”

It was still light outside. Apparently only little time passed since Rina fainted. As long as her body could move, she had to hurry.

“So, about Arisu—and that other guy.”

Rina put a hand on the wall to support her tottering body.

Several black arms came flying out of that dirty asphalt wall. The arms of ghosts, unseen by Ena and Takako, stuck to Rina’s body like heavy mud, clinging to her.

Ena and Takako’s faces twitched.

Although she said before she gave up on asking, she was probably still curious.

“Arisu… had been sleeping, but she’s woken up recently.”

''It’s fine, I’ll definitely take you along—

She tried placating the ghosts in her heart.

“She’s apparently still unstable, though. Whether you’d be able to meet her again or not… depends on her.”

“S-she’s been asleep… is it some illness? Or—”

“Sorry, I can’t say anything further. …I really can’t say.”

Ena leaned again, and Rina pushed her back again.

If the information Rina, no, Mimic had gotten from people was correct, the general cause for Sleeping Beauty to fall asleep like that—was the person right in front of her eyes right now, meaning Saionji Ena.

No one wished for Ena herself to know that information, and Sleeping Beauty probably wouldn’t approve it either.

That fight ended without anyone knowing about it.

They couldn’t bring it up again after all this time. Let sleeping dogs lie, as the idiom said, and almost literally in this case.

This wasn’t about Sleeping Beauty having woken up. She couldn’t afford to stimulate Saionji Ena by accident because that might end up summoning Oogui again—

“So let’s speak about the other one instead…”

Averting her face from Ena and Takako, who didn’t look ready to accept this, Rina kept talking.

“That guy… right, Kusuriya Daisuke—”

She tried speaking, but her tongue wouldn’t listen to her.

Where should she start talking from?

As far as she understood from seeing how Ena and Takako acted, that man had probably acted out a normal person in front of them. As though he was just a harmless classmate. A normal friend one could find anywhere.

Right—just like he did to Rina, too.

“Oh, yeah… he’s—”

''He actually was the worst Mushitsuki called Kakkou—

If she told them that, would Ena and Takako be disappointed?

''He kept leading the frontlines of Mushitsuki and fought against the Original Three—

If she told them that, would Ena and Takako start treating him like a hero?

''He fell in love with a girl called Anmoto Shiika and had fun with her like an idiot—

If she told them that, how would Ena and Takako respond?

He was the one who originally turned Anmoto Shiika into a Fallen, could be called the one responsible for Rina’s death, had been unable to protect Sleeping Beauty Arisu, and yet for each such failure there was also at least one case where he protected the country from the threat of Mushitsuki. That was the kind of guy he was—

If she told them that, would she end up telling them about each and every grudge she held against him?

''Right now, he’s—

Should she just tell them about his ending?

''He used up his powers and became a Fallen—

Just like that.

Thinking this far, Rina felt that truth finally seeping inside her.

He was gone.

Rina’s hated archnemesis.

As well as the classmate that caused Rina’s fleeting feelings.

He no longer existed anywhere.

“…Please wait.”

This word unconsciously mumbled from Rina’s mouth.

Ena and Takako furrowed their brows.

“Eh…?”

“I know you’ve waited plenty already… but wait just a little bit more.”

“…”

“Right now, Mushitsuki are fighting. And they end up involving even those who aren’t Mushitsuki…”

Rina grimaced. She shook off the arms of the ghosts clinging to her and finally took a step.

“I won’t know until everything’s over. I’m sure no one will know what happened to him, what kind of life he had… I believe no one could explain it until after everything’s over.”

The two girls stared at her in amazement.

It was the obvious response. Even Rina herself didn’t understand what she was saying.

“When everything ends, if it’s in our victory—she’ll definitely come and tell you. Arisu, that is.”

If she stayed there any longer, her consciousness might get taken away by the ghosts’ thoughts again. Rina spun around to hide her expression, dragging her heavy legs.

“I know I told you I’ll explain, so I’m sorry. —Thank you for saving me. But please think of yourselves from now and don’t do anything reckless. Please.”

Saying this, Rina tried leaving.

“W-wait, Rina!”

She heard Ena trying to stop her from behind.

She felt regretful, but if that explanation wasn’t enough, she planned on just ignoring her.

However—

“Say, won’t you be our friend?”

These completely unexpected words made Rina’s legs stop on the spot.

“I want to meet you again, Rina! Can’t I?”

“I ask as well. Will you please become our friend?”

What carefree wishes these were.

The two girls’ request brought a pleasant warmth to Rina’s heart.

Rina hadn’t wished for them to want to become friends. Because up until this point in her life, the only one who became Rina’s friend was the lone girl called Anmoto Shiika.

However, while Rina’s heart felt warmed by their offer—at the same time it also brought her an unbearable pain.

“—I can’t.”

Even she noticed that her shoulders were slightly shaking.

Rina couldn’t become their friend.

After all, Rina had abandoned them once before. If Rina had fought for their sake at the time, it could be that their precious friend Arisu wouldn’t have fallen asleep.

Even so, to want to become friends at this stage—

For Rina, this was the most shameless wish there was.

“…”

As she felt an atmosphere of disappointment from behind her, it gouged Rina’s stomach even further.

“But… I’ve been told this by Arisu before.”

Rina spoke.

“If there were any people who definitely couldn’t hold hands together—she’d stand between them, taking their hands into her own.”

She couldn’t turn to face Ena and Takako.

She was too scared to check what faces they were making while listening to her.

“So, once everything’s over… even if it ends up being through Arisu—will you become my friends?”

Thise was Rina’s shameless wish.

Rina’s cowardly wish that used a girl who wasn’t there. And Ena and Takako’s response to it was—

“…Sure!”

“Yes!”

Both gave a clear answer.

Rina’s legs—or rather her body bound by the ghosts—became ever so slighter lighter. She stepped ahead.

Running through the empty alley, she got out from the area of crowded buildings.

“…”

As she carefully watched the national road passing right to these office buildings—she could see civilians walking here and there. There was also the fact that it was close to Akamaki City, but most residents probably refrained from heading out on their own.

Although she’d escaped from Akamaki City, C’s pursuers could still be around.

Rina trusted her own intuition, chose safe roads and kept running. Since her destination was not too far, she didn’t need to ride her Mushi.

Was her safe arrival there good or bad fortune?

Rina reached the place.

“—Ugh…”

Hiding herself in the shade, Rina looked up—at a large general hospital.

It was just about evening.

To Rina’s eyes, the hospital illuminated by the setting sun looked as though it was dyed with fresh blood.

“Uuuh…”

She held her chest with a hand, feeling as though it was painfully constricted.

Why had Rina chosen to come here?

What was in there?

Those answers tormented Rina as she finally arrived.

“I-I have to go—so I can save everyone—”

She spoke to herself, but her legs wouldn’t go any further.

“I, I have to meet him—”

He should be in that hospital.

Because he’d been enclosed there for several years already.

The origin of all of Rina’s sins.

The reality that could be called her original sin, that she averted her eyes from all this time.

“F-Father—”

Her vision was completely covered by the arms of the ghosts. Her heart beat so fast it felt likely to rip her chest at any moment, and the legs praised by Ena were shaking all over.

“UuuUuh—”

Rina’s first action after becoming Mushitsuki.

That was—injuring her own father.

In order to fulfill her revenge against her father that abandoned her mother and enclosed her in a birdcage, Rina was reborn as a Mushitsuki.

As a result, her father bore grievous wounds and kept going through hell on earth in a comatose state.

She averted her eyes from this sin—

As a result of trying to save Mushitsuki and forget her sin—

The past became an inviolable trauma for Rina, slowly permeating her heart.

“E-even if it’s Father—the Tachibana family—as long as it’s to help everyone—”

She spoke to herself again and again as though she was a child and tried approaching the hospital.

However—she couldn’t take even a single step.

Before long the hospital her father was hospitalized in came in front of her, and the biggest obstacle in Rina’s heart blocked her path.

Meaning, Rina herself.

If she had the resolve to face her own sin, she could save her comrades.

Although she understood this—her legs trying to advance actually retreated back.

“I-I can still—”

Her eyes glaring at the hospital slowly lowered.

This was Rina’s limit.

“I-if I think of another way to do this—i-if I look for Ena and Takako again—if I get the help of the Kujou family—then maybe—”

It happened just as she flinched back and averted her eyes from the hospital as though trying to escape.

The ghosts’ arms and the vision dyed in the bloody colors of setting sun were blocked—

“…!”

An azure glow suddenly appeared there.

Mixed in with the arms of ghosts, a single arm glowing in azure flew to Rina.

“Wha—”

As she was caught completely off guard, the azure arm managed to touch Rina’s brow—then vanished.

That was all.

That azure arm completely vanished as though it was no more than an illusion.

“W-what was that now?”

As she raised her face while rubbing her brows, she felt someone at her back.

Behind her was the hospital. She didn’t want to turn back to it, but—

“—”

She felt like she had to turn around.

It was hard to explain—but she felt a certain nostalgia.

At the same time, another thing came up.

She felt feelings that nearly went forgotten welling up in her chest.

It was on the rooftop of the general hospital. Just outside the fence, a familiar figure stood there.

She couldn’t see that figure’s face due to the setting sun behind it. However, she’d never mistake that pitch-dark coat that looked like demon wings, as well as the hair that stood up like horns.

“…Aha.”

She felt goosebumps.

That presence—that pressure—was definitely no lie or sham.

He definitely existed there.

“So you’ve come back to life again, too…?”

The ghostly arms that filled her sight distanced themselves like a receding wave.

Even those who already passed from this world feared him—

“Kakkou—”

Looking down Rina’s pathetic figure, he looked as though he was slightly sneering.

== 1.11 Rina The Last ==

The figure was wrapped in a green glow, leaping down from the rooftop of the general hospital.

A normal person would definitely die falling from this height, but the guy landed easily. She wasn’t surprised seeing this superhuman feat at this point.

“…”

Rina exited the shadows and started walking to the hospital.

There were supposed to be people around, but there was no one there. Silence and loneliness controlled the area, as though the world became for Rina and that guy alone.

''Is this a mental attack by C again…? Or maybe an isolated territory created by another Mushitsuki—

Witnessing this impossible phenomenon actually helped retrieve Rina’s calmness. Her thinking switched over to battle mode.

“If it’s a mental attack, it’s too crude. After all, his very presence here—immediately reveals that this is an illusion.”

The approaching figure was her archnemesis, one who’d already become a Fallen and dropped out from the battles of Mushitsuki.

Kakkou.

He wore a pitch-dark coat and had mechanical goggles covering his face. Also, his right hand grasped an automatic pistol. This was a familiar sight to her to a painful extent.

“If this is just an illusion, it should be erased with even the slightest resistance… but I have a bad feeling about this.”

In this world emptied of any hindrances, this was clearly abnormal.

Even so, the Kakkou approaching her had such a powerful presence she couldn’t believe him to be an illusion.

And there was something else.

“I don’t know if I’m Mimic or Tachibana Rina right now… but I’ve actually been feeling it all along since I was revived. The same kind of feeling I’ve had almost a year ago—”

Kakkou finally stood in front of Rina.

Rina looked at his nostalgic face calmly.

“The kind of feeling like, ‘Ah, I’m going to die’.”

How should she call the feelings she had now when facing her past archnemesis?

Loathing. Rage. Nostalgia. Self-hatred. Sadness. A certain kind of elation. All these emotions mixed together, becoming a completely different sort of feeling.

“So I thought I’m about to die soon.”

She didn’t know how to call these feelings inside her—but for now, she felt just a little bit of power welling out. It was only just enough power to stop her legs from shaking, though.

“Well, I don’t mind. I’ve already died once, and besides—after saving as many Mushitsuki as I can, I don’t mind dying by the roadside. No huge difference from what already happened.”

Kakkou was silent.

Right, he was originally taciturn. She recalled something so inconsequential.

Normally—when he acted out the part of the normal boy called Kusuriya Daisuke—he’d talk a lot. And yet.

“That’s why I thought I died when I saw you, though it’s a bit early. —Even though I know you’re just an illusion. Still, looking at you… I have the feeling that it’s wrong.”

She spat out toward the silent demon.

“What—are you? Aren’t you here to kill me?”

As if to respond to her words, Kakkou readied his gun.

His gun, fused with his checkered beetle, launched a flaming bullet from the muzzle.

“…”

Not moving at all, Rina made the seven-spotted ladybug flap its wings.

Kakkou’s shot bullet was easily repelled by the emitted shockwave. The aftershock created by the two competing attacks cracked the asphalt and raised dust.

Rina felt a presence at her back.

Having used his superhuman leg strength to instantly move behind her, Kakkou swung his fist glowing in green through the blowing screen of dust.

“…”

Rina spun ahead to dodge the attack. The ladybug spread its large wings.

“—!”

The shockwave caused the road to bulge and Kakkou was blown away. Pushing through power poles and the buildings built opposite to the hospital, he pierced through several buildings and finally stopped.

While the buildings with huge holes in them crumbled with an earth tremor—

In the distance, a green glow was rising.

Kakkou landed on top of the roof of a convenience store along the road. His long coat was dirtied with dust and the sides of his lips were bleeding, but that was all.

“This way of fighting… it’s just like the real one. In that he’s annoyingly tough, too.”

As Rina grimaced and folded her arms, Kakkou pulled the trigger again.

The bullet hit right in front of Rina. To dodge the broken asphalt fragments, Rina hid herself behind the seven-spotted ladybug.

While these fragments rained down, Rina felt a chill run through her spine.

Even while just standing there she felt a murderous impulse as though her inner organs were grasped hard—the feeling that Rina had felt many times before.

“…!”

The ladybug leapt up powerfully into the air as though it was making a backflip.

Rina instantly ordered it to do so.

The moment after, a green glow flew right at the space it inhabited.

Instantly approaching, Kakkou swung down his green-covered arm. If Rina hadn’t cause it to evade, the seven-spotted ladybug would have suffered a direct hit by that punch.

“You bastard—”

Rina’s eyes changed. She didn’t know the identity of this Kakkou in front of her, but there was no mistake he was trying to beat Rina for real.

The seven-spotted ladybug leapt to Kakkou. It tried biting him with its mouthpart.

Kakkou reflexively caught the mouthpart with both hands. However, this didn’t stop the momentum behind Rina’s Mushi. While emitting a shockwave, it charged forward along with Kakkou.

“I don’t know why you’re attacking me at this point… but since you’re raring to go, I’ll take you on.”

The roads and building surroundings them were being turned to deep moats as the ladybug charged.

However, this wasn’t a one-sided battle. Kakkou used his superhuman strength to block the seven-spotted laydbug’s momentum and threw its gigantic body to the surface.

“UOOO!”

“…! Even the voice’s the same…!”

Along with a vibration, pain ran through Rina’s chest. Half of the seven-spotted ladybug’s body was buried in the asphalt.

Kakkou immediately readied his gun, but Rina soon made the Mushi flap its wings.

A violent shockwave turned the surrounding debris to a barren plain.

“So you want to fight even without any reason? You really are the worst bastard, just like usual.”

As Rina put a hand on her waist and spat this, the seven-spotted ladybug came back to her side.

In front of her eyes—Kakkou advanced with a bleeding forehead.

“…”

Rina and Kakkou faced each other silently.

Even without looking at a mirror she understood. There was no doubt that she was currently wearing the kind of expression that she hated the most.

She wasn’t fighting to save someone.

She merely fought while using her accumulated anger and hatred as fuel; she was nothing more than an avenger.

“Begone.”

Rina and Kakkou—the two Rank 1s’ voices overlapped.

Their unrestrained attacks were altering the landscape of Higano City. Knocking down tall buildings one after another, both roads and shopping districts became uniform plains.

Rina had fought Kakkou for a long, long time without pausing. However, this might be the first time that both combatants clashed with their full powers.

When they faced each other before, Rina always had people she needed to protect next to her. And even Kakkou who was known as a demon never tried involving any innocent civilians.

“Die—”

While shedding blood from her forehead, Rina wanted to give Kakkou an extra-large shot.

“If I’m going to die anyway, I’ll take you along with me—”

Her premonition of death she’d felt near her was definitely going to become reality.

If she couldn’t escape that destiny—then even if she returned to reality by blowing away this phantasm in front of her, only hellish suffering would wait for Rina.

“I have no place I belong to.”

Enduring her attacks, Kakkou shot bullets.

Part of the seven-spotted ladybug’s wings was shot, and Rina’s chest was damaged.

However, right now—even that pain felt pleasant to her.

“Whether I die or live, I’m lonely…!”

As Rina laughed furiously, tears welled up the corners of her eyes.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p144.jpg|thumb]]

She fought the wrong way and perished. —Then, she was called back into this world at someone’s convenience.

She didn’t know whether or not she really came back to life. It might be that her memories and dream were simply copied into Mimic’s body.

However, right now she possessed both the personality and the feelings of the girl called Tachibana Rina.

Therefore—she couldn’t escape her past sins.

Hurting her actual father, breaking her promise to help in the decisive fight... she tried saving others in order to avert her eyes from these—she already blamed herself for things so much that she never wished for her own happiness.

Although she died once, she was simply a struggling zombie given another temporary life.

If someone so pathetic was simply going to commit suicide with an illusion—

It would be a fitting end for her.

“Die with me, Kakkou!”

Trying to use her full powers—her final attack—she made the seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings.

Kakkou, who was standing on top of the debris, raised his gun to intercept—

“—Eh?”

Kakkou’s next action made Rina doubt her own eyes. Before she could think about its meaning, her body moved on its own.

“Wa... uh—“

She tried stopping the ladybug at her side, but it was too late. Rina’s impulsive action caused her to get blown away as the shockwave toward Kakkou was unleashed.

However—she managed to alter the direction ever so slightly.

Escaping a direct hit, Kakkou was still blown away by the aftershock. He was easily blown away as though his earlier toughness was a dream, he rolled on the ground, then landed spreadeagled on top of the debris.

“Wha—what is this...!”

While covering her bleeding right arm, Rina stood up. She approached the collapsed Kakkou.

“After coming here, how dare you—hold back like that!”

Her eyes weren’t mistaken.

The moment before Rina unleashed her attack—Kakkou released his fusion with his Mushi. As a result, he received Rina’s attack on his unprotected body, getting covered in wounds.

“…Kill me.”

Looking up at Rina through cracked goggles, Kakkou mumbled softly.

“I’m already—tired…”

“—”

Rina’s body tilted.

Hearing her nemesis’s unexpected words, she felt dizzy.

“Ha...? What the... so it’s that kind of mental attack...?”

“I don’t wanna fight anymore...”

Even with his goggles on, she knew. Kakkou was grimacing in pain.

In the end, it was a mere illusion.

The Kakkou Rina knew would never make that face, and would never make those complaints.

Rina knew he wasn’t like that—

“Stop relying on me... Don’t call my name anymore...”

“Stop—”

She felt dizzy again and stopped herself from falling. Instead—she felt unfathomable rage rising within her.

Rina stepped on Kakkou’s stomach with her full strength.

“Don’t say things like that...! You’re the one who started this!”

Rina didn’t know this before, but now she did.

What did this Mushitsuki often called a demon fight for? Since Rina was also Mimic, she came to know this truth.

“You’ve fought against the Original Three... to create a world where no Mushitsuki are born anymore, right?! You’ve sacrificed so many Mushitsuki for that! You’ve survived so far just for that!”

She stepped on Kakkou again and again, wielding her hatred.

“And you’ve brought me back for that, right? You’ve even used a Mushitsuki as a tribute! You’ve brought me back in this pathetic form, nothing more than a copy!”

Rina gradually became angrier and angrier at the defenceless Kakkou. Now she stepped on his chest.

“So despite all this, for you to rest first... how dare you tell people to not call your name!”

Kakkou was speechless. He simply bit his lips a little.

“And to think the ones calling me… are only these arms of Mushitsuki who don’t exist anymore…”

At some point the countless ghost arms started clinging to Rina.

Rina could neither abandon them nor escape from them. Since they became a part of Rina, she’d probably fall even to hell with them.

“I… just wanted to stay alive. No matter what I sacrificed…”

Even while being grabbed by Rina, Kakkou didn’t move a single finger.

“But while I did that… so many things happened. Arisu was the one who started the goal to defeat the Original Three, and I—”

“I know! That’s why Arisu will call your name! Definitely!”

“…”

“And that girl, too!”

Forgetting that the one she was yelling at was a mere illusion, she grasped the boy’s face.

She pulled hard on his goggles and they easily came off, since they were so tattered.

“Shiika will obviously call your name!”

This exposed a boy’s face that looked exceptionally gentle.

Other than it being bloody as well as the band-aid on his cheek, his face looked completely normal. However, Rina knew that face better than anyone.

After all, she’d once painted in onto a canvas.

“…I just wanted a place where I belonged.”

This normal boy’s face grimaced with agony.

“I didn’t want any fight, but a place that needed me… I just wanted that—I wanted to wait for Shiika, who had the same dream… that’s all…”

“…!”

''I also—

She wanted to shout this, but just barely stopped herself.

“But it’s already useless… I’ve fought too much… I already don’t know myself why I’m fighting… I want to end it all already…”

“No…! I also…!”

It was as if he spat out the very complaints that she wanted to say in place of her.

Perhaps it was that kind of illusion.

Not caused by anyone’s attack, but an illusion born from her own weak heart—meaning, she really reached her limits.

“Someone like you still has people waiting for you, so if you’re gone first… making someone like me, who has no one like that, fight against my will—isn’t that just living hell?!”

She was revived into this empty world for nothing other than to taste the pain of hell.

That was—way too cruel.

“You definitely have people like that…”

Kakkou bent his face.

''How dare you speak so irresponsibly, try to leave everything to others—

Along with this anger she followed his gaze, and gulped.

“—”

In the far distance of the devastated Higano City, she could see a building standing there as if by a miracle.

It was the general hospital.

“…No! Once you’re gone, I’ll probably go there again, right…? But I can’t—it’s too much…”

Rina spoke.

Kakkou smiled. With Kusuriya Daisuke’s face.

“Ah, right… I also don’t want you to go back.”

“The heck? Are you saying you want me to stay? Is this some sort of love confession?”

Without noticing, Rina ended up sitting near the collapsed boy. Oddly, it was just like when Rina died, though their positions were reversed.

Still smiling, he said nothing.

Silence wrapped them both.

Was it really fine this way—

Rina’s chest swelled with these emotions.

Nothing but debris surrounded them and instead of a field of flowers it was a hell of crawling ghostly hands—but that scenery already passed the realm of creepy to look more like a farce.

“…So, what do you actually mean?”

When she could no longer understand how much time passed, Rina spoke.

Thinking she was unable to bear even that short while of happiness—she really lacked any charm.

“…If you go back, you’ll just end up fighting again.”

The boy said.

“Right, Tachibana-san?”

Using Kusuriya Daisuke’s face, he sighed.

Kakkou and Kusuriya Daisuke—which of them was his real face?

No—both of them were him.

Just like she was Tachibana Rina and Lady Bird.

“And so… well, I don’t really understand it…”

Just like when she saw him at the same classroom, after making a stupid face and stumbling over his words, he spoke.

“I feel like I’ve gotten—somewhat motivated.”

Ah—

Hearing those words of his, Rina finally understood.

She finally recalled how to call that sensation—what she felt the moment she’d seen Kakkou’s form again in this mysterious world, that she wasn’t able to put into words.

“I’m too late…”

As Rina groaned, her vision blurred.

The face of the lying boy was gradually losing color.

“The moment I saw you here I already felt motivated…”

While Rina stared at him with eyes full of grudge, she saw that the disappearing boy was wearing a bitter smile.

If the world Rina inhabited right now was an illusion created by her—

Then the fact her consciousness started slowly vanishing reluctantly and full with regrets was also probably in response to her feelings.

Wearing a resigned expression, Kakkou—no, Kusuriya Daisuke—slowly raised his arm.

His fingertips touched Rina’s fox mask—

“—”

Rina came back to reality.

She was hiding in the shade next to the general hospital dyed by the sinking sun. Passersby going in and out of the hospital here and there remained unchanged from before she’d gotten caught up in the illusion.

There was only one change.

Rina’s fingertips touched a fox mask lying on the floor.

“—What was even that…”

Mumbling this, Rina wiped her eyes with a sleeve. Instead of that inorganic hard surface, she finally felt her smooth, exposed cheek.

The world of reality she’d returned to was the same hell as always.

The towering silent hospital still blamed Rina for her sins, and she could see the arms of ghosts. She had no way of knowing whether the illusion she was caught in until just now was an attack by someone—or perhaps salvation.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p154.jpg|thumb]]

However, Rina raised her face and started walking to the hospital.

“...Yes, I know. I have to go there—“

Her body, that felt as heavy as lead—because just the slightest bit lighter. It shed weight equivalent to about that of a fox mask.

Her body, as heavy as lead, just a little bit—became slightly lighter, about as much as a fox mask.

Not bothering to pick up the removed mask, Rina entered the hospital.

Passing through the reception desk and waiting rooms, she went to the elevator—and headed to the very back of the inpatient ward.

“...”

Both perspiration and heartbeats became fiercer.

She recalled Kakkou’s face she’d seen just before.

That face—that seemed to say that they had to fight, made her angry.

She was immensely angry and pained by this, but she thought he was right.

Whether alive or dead, the only path they knew in the end was that of battle.

“—”

Rina finally stood in front of the VIP-use room.

She put her hand on the doorknob. There were no guards and wasn’t locked either. Although he’d been quite important when hospitalized, they probably decided he no longer needed security as the years passed.

As she opened the door, expensive-looking equipment and a large bed immediately entered her sight.

Moving her shaking legs, she entered.

She approached the bed, step after step, feeling as if the past was coming back to her.

“—I’m sorry.”

When she stood next to her father attached to the ventilator, Rina felt like she regressed a few years back.

She saw her emaciated, completely transformed father.

Looking down at his form, Rina reverted to her young self from the time she became a Mushitsuki.

“Father… I’m sorry…”

Kneeling on the floor, she grabbed her father’s thin arm with both hands.

This was Rina’s original sin.

She became a Mushitsuki and some years passed, but she finally—reached her starting point.

“I know it’s already in the past, and I’m not actually myself right now, but still… I might die soon too, but—”

Thinking about it, Rina tried moving on while still young.

Seeing those being oppressed and suffered due to those more powerful than them—their figures overlapped with her own young self, so she obsessed over trying to save them.

All in order to forget her own sin and justify herself.

However, even that was already over.

Once they won this fight, Mushitsuki would no longer be born.

Her young self—would never appear again.

“If I’m able to return alive—I’ll remain at your side. Until you wake up… I’ll apologize to you properly, until you curse me…”

She swore clearly.

At the same time, she also made a wish.

“So please—help me.”

Being obstinate, until now she tried saving anyone at all with her own powers.

However, she reached her limits. Now she was able to acknowledge that fact.

“Please lend me your power…”

She wished this, removing one hand, and pulled out a cellphone.

Lucifera had handed this to her just in case.

However, what she brought out—was broken in half, for some reason. She might have broken it in the fights until now.

Giving up on the cellphone, she took the communication device on the wall. Switching to the outside line, she pushed in the number from her memory.

“—This is Rina.”

The phone soon connected. She pushed in the number of her father’s former secretary.

“I’m next to Father right now. I’m sorry to have worried you for a long time now…”

Her father used to be someone very powerful, and some of his influence remained even now. However, this meant that she would have problems with lawyers, her mother’s side of the family and whatnot, so she couldn’t miss the secretary now.

After answering all her questions, Rina spoke.

“I would like to use whatever power of the Tachibana family I can to prepare a certain something.”

Not only had she hurt her father badly and escaped, she was even going to use his personal funds.

There was no doubt that her comatose father would lambaste such an unfaithful daughter.

“I must have a ship… as large as possible—go out into sea.”

That was why Rina had sworn.

All so one day, her father would be able to squeeze her neck with his own hands.

And also in order to wait for him to call out her name, Rina would come back here.

“I need it to end all of this.”

Doing this, she was finally able to move on from that day—

So she felt.

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==Notes==

<references/>

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Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Prologue

2024-08-18T08:16:45Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "== Prologue: 0.00 Shiika The Last == Shedding blood from her brow, Anmoto Shiika wore a smile. She knew it would end like this. She was fully aware that ''once all of the f..."

== Prologue: 0.00 Shiika The Last ==

Shedding blood from her brow, Anmoto Shiika wore a smile.

She knew it would end like this.

She was fully aware that ''once all of the fights were over''—they’d lower the curtains in this manner.

Anmoto Shiika was so small, yet held such vast power. It all started in a situation much like this—and she knew this would reach the exact same conclusion in the end.

“—So this makes us the only survivors.”

The boy facing against Shiika muttered this calmly.

His face was smeared with blood and his legs shook with fatigue, yet his right hand unerringly grasped a large automatic pistol and aimed it at Shiika.

He was covered in so much wounds it was a wonder he was alive.

Upon seeing him, what Shiika felt—was relief.

It was finally going to be over.

How many battles had he survived this far?

How many enemies had he defeated, and how many wounds had he accumulated?

Shiika herself was also the exact same.

And yet, even these painful, long days of battle—would finally end here.

“Right.”

As Shiika grinned at him, a white shadow rose next to her.

It was the Mushi holding Shiika’s dream within it.

Another Mushi landed atop of the boy’s held gun. It transformed and fused with the pistol in a split second.

“It’s finally over… I can finally put an end to this—”

The boy’s face, wet with fresh blood, twisted. He looked to be smiling.

Hearing how his wrung-out voice was tired, tears rose to Shiika’s eyes.

“Yup, finally…”

These two smiling Mushitsuki were watched over by the destroyed townscape and the piles of broken high-rise buildings. The city’s lights illuminated both of them, yet there were no cars or people around.

This scenery looked like some illusion, but it was neither a vision nor a dream.

What one arrived at the end of a long dream—was cold, hard reality.

“I—we came all the way here…”

“We almost gave up many times, but managed to get here…”

Above the boy’s head, a glowing snowflake appeared.

It fluttered down slowly, approaching the gun held by him.

The girl and boy stared at each other.

This silence, that was as though only the two of them existed in this world—was torn by loud gunfire.

The gun held by the boy spouted fire and the unleashed bullet pierced through Shiika’s Mushi.

“—!”

Grimacing, Shiika bent back. Her Mushi was blown to smithereens, became fragments of light and scattered.

She felt a sharp pain and an uncontrollable sense of emptiness.

However, there was also—happiness.

As Shiika was assaulted by these two conflicting emotions, her eardrums were shaken by a disharmonious, ear-grating cacophony.

The boy’s gun, touched by the snowflake, was crushed by some invisible force and broke down.

Death throes of the two vanishing Mushi echoed in the destroyed city.

This cry that felt like it would constrict her chest was the scream grieving for a dream that would never come true—

And it was also the voice singing of a small dream that was never going to give up.

“—”

The boy grimaced and dropped to his knees.

As the two Mushi were annihilated, their Mushitsuki collapsed to the ground.

“…!”

Shiika and the boy reached out to one another.

Their fingertips touched.

The last time their fingers touched was just a few months prior.

Even so, it felt nostalgic—and warm.

The boy surely felt the same as Shiika. She could tell from his smile.

When they could finally feel each other’s warmth, their eyes started to rapidly lost their light—

And then it vanished completely.

Their fingers still intertwined, the two fell to the ground simultaneously.

While Shiika felt herself being wrapped with relief and a sensation of loss, memories and feelings surged forward as a wave in her mind.

An omen of having her Mushi killed and becoming the living corpse called a Fallen.

Her life flashed before her eyes with these death throes of her dream.

“…”

Her rushing memories made her recall everything that led to this stage.

Why was this sort of conclusion reached?

Why had she—chosen this conclusion?

With that memory, Shiika fully lost her consciousness.

Shiika and the boy who held the same dream.

They both became Fallen of their own will, and put an end to it all.

This was…

The final destination that the two Mushitsuki chose for their dream.

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Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Illustrations

2024-08-18T08:16:34Z

Fuyuhotaru: Created page with "==Novel Illustrations== <gallery> File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|'''Cover''' File:Mushi Uta 14 001.jpg|'''Color Page 1''' File:Mushi Uta 14 002.jpg|'''Color Page 2''' File:Mushi Ut..."

==Novel Illustrations==

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File:MushiUta14-000a.jpg|'''Cover'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 001.jpg|'''Color Page 1'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 002.jpg|'''Color Page 2'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 003.jpg|'''Color Page 3'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p033.jpg|'''Page 33'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p047.jpg|'''Page 47'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p074.jpg|'''Page 74'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p144.jpg|'''Page 144'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p154.jpg|'''Page 154'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p212.jpg|'''Page 212'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p247.jpg|'''Page 247'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p327.jpg|'''Page 327'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p349.jpg|'''Page 349'''
File:Mushi Uta 14 p357.jpg|'''Page 357'''

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File:Mushi Uta 14 p357.jpg

2024-08-18T08:10:05Z

Fuyuhotaru:

File:Mushi Uta 14 p349.jpg

2024-08-18T08:10:03Z

Fuyuhotaru: