Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 2 (section)

== 2.02 Daisuke Part 4 ==

Exiting the hotel come early morning, the five people came to the outskirts of Akamaki City.

Immediately after getting off the luxury car, Daisuke frowned.

“Was there a place like that in Akamaki City…?”

A fantastic new world wrapped in morning fog spread in front of him.

He could see many buildings in the style of Middle Age Europe—the type called baroque, if he remembered correctly—with all kinds of sculptures. A townscape full of churches could be seen on the other side of the fence.

Kii-kun unexpectedly turned to look at Daisuke.

“You never came here before? To Castello.”

“Castello?”

“Castello del Lago. I wanted to go on a date here someday. That girl dumped me yesterday, though…”

“Castello del Lago…”

Hearing that name, it felt somewhat familiar. It should have been a real theme park from overseas.

Due to certain circumstances, Daisuke had lived in Akamaki City several years ago. Perhaps due to being so focused on his mission back then, not only had he never come to play in this theme park, he hadn’t even noticed its existence.

Kasshi asked Mikko.

“Is the other test subject here?”

In front of the fences surrounding the spacious premises, the armed forces that were Rui’s private soldiers were already waiting. Men in camouflage suits holding projectile-type stun guns were communicating through wireless.

“Cough… yes, there is no doubt.”

Mikko rested for the evening and apparently recovered some. However, it didn’t look like her coughs would stop.

“How do you know?”

“Because there’s something here that he would want.”

People would live for their hopes—

Mikko said this last night. This was something completely different from a guess or a conjecture; she apparently had something she was convinced on.

“Looks like it’s true.”

Rui who went to speak with his private forces returned to Daisuke and the rest with a bitter expression.

“My subordinates confirmed that there’re strange monsters in the compound. Not only were they unable to reach the employees inside, no customers came to Castello since yesterday.”

Kii-kun startled.

“Ee? Then, that…”

“I used my Round Table connections to make sure no one comes here, but there’s limit to how much I can hold back involved people and the media. —What are we doing to do?”

“…Cough.”

Mikko started walking. She headed for the entrance that had no reception desk.

Daisuke also followed the girl. Kasshi came as well.

“Goes without asking.”

“E-eh…? I-I’m still not mentally ready, though…”

“You can just stay there, Kii-kun. In fact, that’d be better.”

“Uuugh… I-I don’t want to be left alone.”

Seeing Rui smile and start walking, the half-crying Kii-kun hurriedly followed.

Going through the entrance, they got into a plaza made of bricks. Lamps with carvings and a carriage connected to a horse statue appeared within the morning fog.

They all took out of the plaza and advanced further into the premises.

The inside of the theme park wrapped in an eerie silence looked completely empty of people.

However, that thought was soon betrayed.

Because they noticed human figures collapsed within the morning fog.

“E-eeeek!”

Raising this strained scream was just Kii-kun.

It wasn’t just one or two people collapsed there. Men and women of various ages and appearance were on the ground, completely unmoving.

Kasshi approached one collapsed person and put a finger on his neck.

“Not dead. But it looks a bit different from just being fainted, too.”

“So these are the customers who came here yesterday?”

Rui emitted a groan mixed with anger.

As far as Daisuke could see, it resembled the state of those who had their Mushi killed. Those who lost their emotions and memories, becoming the living corpses called Fallen.

“They probably became his prey. My family—my ‘big brother’—did this to them… cough.”

“T-they’re the same as my friends…”

Kii-kun spoke with a shaky voice.

“The same, meaning—”

Daisuke glared at the other side of the morning fog. From the shade of the baroque-style buildings appeared countless shadows.

“So it’s like that.”

There were rod-like objects that appeared like spider legs and things like insect heads floating in air.

He could see five of them, but that number kept growing.

These were Imperfect Mushi.

They were waiting for their comrades to gather there, or perhaps they were just checking on what Daisuke’s group was going to do. These Mushi were all looking at them.

“Eeee…”

Kii-kun fell onto his butt, causing Rui to grab his arm and force him to stand up again.

“Stand up, Kii-kun. If you don’t want to die, that is.”

Daisuke, who was ready to move at any given moment, frowned.

“These things… were they waiting here since yesterday? Aren’t these imperfect Mushi supposed to vanish quickly?”

“It is possible that these born Mushi are slowly changing… cough.”

If they were just changing it was fine.

However, if this was “evolution”—wouldn’t they become the same Mushi that Daisuke knew well, before long?

Daisuke’s worries only kept growing.

“Also, since my big brother has quite a large definition of his territory… these are probably like soldiers guarding him.”

Mikko casually went behind Daisuke to use him as a shield.

“Therefore, if something happened to my brother, these Mushi would be unleashed in Akamaki City.”

“So that means that before handling the test subject, we need to handle these things. If so many of them spread all over the country it’d be a mess.”

Daisuke clenched his fist.

If he could fuse with his Mushi, eliminating them wouldn’t be impossible.

However, although he tried it last night many times, he couldn’t use his Mushi powers.

Had the mist engulfing Akamaki City done something to him…?

Daisuke wasn’t as clueless as to be happy he became a normal person again. He had the fear that he was unknowingly affected by some Mushi’s attack and had his powers sealed.

“You seem like you know what these monsters are. Then I’m not hallucinating them.”

Kasshi saw the Imperfect Mushi for the first time, and yet he spoke calmly.

“Those who step any further will be attacked—to me it looks like that.”

“I do agree, but my forces spread around the premises aren’t so plentiful.”

Appearing one after another, the Mushi nervously approached Daisuke’s group. However, seeing that they weren’t going to attack soon, it looked like Kasshi and Rui’s reasoning wasn’t wrong.

“Let us think up a plan. I have come here once as a child.”

Mikko took a pamphlet from the nearby store without any permission and spread it at the five’s feet.

“If we… cough… split into two like this, we can go through this route… if we move like that, I believe we can pass through almost the entire premises, so—”

Her finger rapidly slipped on top of the pamphlet. Even while coughing, she explained her strategy without any pause.

“After we eliminate these Mushi, I will show you to the place my brother is probably at… cough.”

Mikko’s plan was simple and clear—but dangerous.

Everyone exchanged glances, all wearing serious expressions.

Silence was soon broken.

“Me and Kasshi will go north. You three go south.”

Deciding first was Rui.

“Don’t order me.”

Although complaining, Kasshi hid his head with the hoodie. He apparently agreed with the plan.

“So I gotta protect you again.”

“Cough… you may state otherwise with your mouth, but I am sure you’re happy to go along with a woma—ow.”

“No waaay… this for real?”

It was unexpected that he needed to take care of a sick person and a coward, but Daisuke had no other choice.

It wasn’t the first time they worked together and it was dangerous placing Mikko and Kasshi in the same group. Rui had apparently already understood each person’s position and personality.

“I’ll getcha something good to eat again if we live through this, brats.”

“This morning’s bread was a bit damp.”

“Why are you trying to climb on my back, walk on your own.”

“Cough… even while you act truly cold, I actually—ow.”

“I don’t wanna die…”

Each saying their own parting words, the five people split into two groups.

Immediately after this—

“—This is different from what I’ve seen…”

Mikko uttered this curious phrase.