Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 4 (section)

== 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.