Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 3 (section)

==3.02 Chiharu Part 7==

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Gently swaying…

Lightly floating…

Chiharu's happiness filled days – were about to be erased without any trace.

The striking rain created a stream mixed with the blood flowing from Daisuke's body.

There were only two people on the rooftop of Shiou Elementary School.

The unmoving Daisuke and Chiharu who held him.

And also two non-humans – Elvioréne and Aria Varei.

"Daisuke! Daisuke! Daisukeee!"

Why has this happened?

Inside the body of the elementary school 6<sup>th</sup> year student Chiharu was the mysterious being known as Aria Varei.

And at the same time the being known as Elvioréne also appeared.

And both of them were after the sweet, delicious dream harbored by Daisuke.

"Daisuke! Daisuke!"

She had been resolved to fight in an attempt to stop them from turning Daisuke into a Mushitsuki.

And yet—

Why has her brother in front of her, the one she was supposed to have protected—

"Daisuke! Daisuke! No…! Open your eeeeyes…!"

Without understanding anything she could only shout.

The only thing she understood was that her one and only brother had gotten hurt instead of her.

"You said that you hate me…! You've called me annoying…! So why have you covered for me…!"

Inside Chiharu who could only cry and scream Aria Varei squeezed out a shaking voice.

"I'm so stupid…! Even though I knew it… Even though I knew these siblings aren't afraid of getting hurt even a single bit…!"

"I thought I would get it this time – but it turned out like this, Aria. Couldn't I have snatched away the dream you aimed for?"

Elvioréne smiled no longer. She felt nothing at the fact she was about to lose Daisuke due to her fault.

"Daisuke! Daisuke!"

Daisuke's body in grew heavier in Chiharu's arms.

Flowing blood.

Her brother's body was losing its warmth.

"Chiharu! Chiharu!"

She couldn't think of anything due to her excessive fear.

Daisuke was losing his life right now.

No matter how much she called him, no matter how hard she hugged him, Daisuke's life was spilling out from between her arms. 

It was fear incomparable to the time she was resolved to die herself.

"Aaah… Daisuke's… dying… he's dying…"

"Chiharu! Pull yourself together, Chiharu!"

"No… No… Daisuke…"

What had gone wrong?

When had she lost him?

—Gently swaying…

—Lightly floating…

Chiharu's world was supposed to be composed of pleasant days. 

There wasn't supposed to be even a single thing that endangered her peaceful life.

"No… I don't want you to die… Daisukee…"

In that daily life Chiharu doted on her beloved brother. 

Her brother that was a bit unsociable and so lonely.

Only Chiharu knew…

That Daisuke was in fact a good kid who was strong and kinder than anyone.

That was why only his sister thought of taking care of him.

She pampered him a lot and doted on him a lot.

All so that Daisuke – wouldn't be lonely.

"—Chiharu!"

"Ariaa… Daisuke's… Daisuke's… Ariaa…"

She wanted to keep spending such a daily life forever.

Even if the incomprehensible beings known as the Original Three were to disturb them, Chiharu wanted to protect him.

No matter how much she was hurt.

No matter how much she suffered.

She was going to protect her happy and peaceful days forever.

Even so, the center of those days which was her brother was slipping through her arms.

"…Let's eat Daisuke's dream, Chiharu."

Chiharu raised her tear-stained face.

Elvioréne who was standing calmly returned her an ecstatic smile. —As if she was ascertaining Chiharu's suffering. As if Chiharu's choice was a condiment that stimulated her own appetite.

"—No… I can't… I just can't…"

Chiharu hugged Daisuke strongly.

Her brother was unmoving, and the intervals between his faintly felt heartbeats were growing farther.

Turning Daisuke into a Mushitsuki…

It was the same as thrusting her one and only brother down to hell by her own hands.

She heard from Aria about the unimaginable lives lead by Fusion Type Mushitsuki so far.

Those who became Mushitsuki were hurt, fought, lost, and finally – reached a pitiful ending. Perhaps he would have his dream consumed and perish, or possibly just like Chiharu did to his friend Tsumura Mitsuki he would have his Mushi killed and end up as an emotionless Fallen—

"I told you this before! When I, Aria Varei, give birth to Fusion Type Mushitsuki, the moment I eat their dream they're reborn once – it should be able to heal even those wounds!"

"No… Doing such a horrible thing… to Daisuke… I can’t…"

''Bump, bump'', the heartbeats transmitted from Daisuke weakened.

Looking at the paling Daisuke, she grimaced.

At such a time—

While her cherished brother was breathing his last, at such a moment—

Being merged with Aria Varei, Chiharu was attracted to him.

Daisuke's dream – seemed awfully delicious.

"Also, if I turn him into a Mushitsuki… I will…"

She bit her lips to suppress her urges.

If Chiharu abandoned herself to Aria Varei's appetite and ate Daisuke's dream he would be reborn as a Mushitsuki.

Then Aria Varei would leave Chiharu and she would forget everything about Daisuke.

That was the absolute rule for those involved in Aria Varei's sleep.

She would even forget that she had turned Daisuke – her one and only brother into a Mushitsuki.

"If I forget about Daisuke… who will I turn into…?"

Hugging her brother, she shed endless tears.

—''Bump, bump''…

She could clearly feel Daisuke's pulse.

"If I choose either of those… then I'll lose Daisuke anyway…"

"At this rate he'll die!"

Aria urged Chiharu.

Aria Varei, who became one with Chiharu.

Another Chiharu that had the exact same voice and personality.

That voice was also–crying.

"Even you should understand! There's no other way!"

"Turning Daisuke into a Mushitsuki… and forgetting all about it… doing such a cruel thing… it's too cruel…"

Would she let her brother die without doing anything here?

Or would she thrust him to the life of a Mushitsuki where nothing but despair awaited him?

—It was far too cruel of a decision to make for Chiharu was still an elementary school student.

"Don't misunderstand, Chiharu…! Certainly he will suffer if he turns into a Mushitsuki! He will surely be hurt, lose many things, and yet still fight… and plenty of Mushitsuki also die! But they're all doing their best to live! They're living desperately while not giving up even if they become Mushitsuki!"

"No… I don't want to do that to Daisuke…"

"Even aware I will be begrudged and hated, I will say this as one of the Original Three that give birth to Mushi! All people who become Mushitsuki live desperately! As long as they're alive they'll be hurt, lose things, and yet they can still fight! All to see their dream continuing!"

''—Bump… bump…''

Her brother's heartbeats slowly grew more silent.

"Let's eat his dream, Chiharu!"

"I can't… Turning Daisuke into a Mushitsuki… I would never…"

''—Bump… bump…''

Involving the kind Daisuke in the battle of Mushitsuki.

His sister Chiharu would throw him into days of battle by her own hands.

"Eat his dream, Chiharu!"

"No… No… NONONONONO!"

She shook her head, disheveling her hair.

''—Bump…'' 

Daisuke's heartbeats—

"Eat it!!!"

"NONONONONONONONOoooOOOO!!!"

''—Bump…'' 

Were growing weaker—

—…

And stopped.

"But he's your brother!!!"

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Chiharu's body was enveloped by a blue glow. Her blue hair stood up as if being fanned by the wind, and a surging stream of energy repelled the violent rain.

A golden light was flowing out of Daisuke in her embrace.

The light mixed with Chiharu's blue glow and began being absorbed into her open mouth. 

Large tears started streaming from her eyes.

''So sweet—''

''So rich in flavor—''

''What a painful dream—''

The blue light enveloping Chiharu also started soaking into Daisuke in her embrace. 

While crying, Chiharu stuffed her cheeks full of her brother's best dream.

''Sorry, Daisuke—''

While chewing the supreme taste that didn't seem part of this world, Chiharu could also feel something coming out of her.

''I've done something terrible to you—''

Chiharu was losing the being inside of her, Aria Varei.

''No, what's really terrible is that I'll end up forgetting I even did that—''

The memories of her precious brother were also vanishing along with Aria Varei.

''I think that you'll have a lot of difficulties from now on. You will fight a lot, get hurt a lot, and lose a lot. And all of that is my fault—''

"This is the best dream so far. Your brother will surely be strong."

She felt Aria's voice growing distant.

''So—''

Chiharu swallowed Daisuke's dream while wishing in her heart.

''Gulp''… rang from Chiharu's throat.

''So you can hate me plenty. You can begrudge me plenty. Every time you suffer, think about me and—''

Being given Chiharu's blue glow, Daisuke was enveloped by a dull light.

"Even though I thought I finally found my safe haven…"

The next moment, a green light erupted from Daisuke's body.

The torrent of light mended his injuries.

An intense drowsiness assaulted Chiharu. A pleasant euphoria was making her eyes close.

''I might forget about you, Daisuke… but I'll definitely recall it. I'll recall everything and find you. I'll go and see you again, my one and only brother. So when that happens, Daisuke—''

The green glow emitted from Daisuke broke through the sky.

Piercing through the black clouds, a single ray of light shone above him.

Swooping down from the light that connected Daisuke to the night sky was a small Mushi.

It was a green checkered beetle with long feelers.

''So when that happens, please kill me by your own hands—''

Since she turned her brother into a Mushitsuki by her own hands, she would have to atone for the sin of making him shoulder such a cruel fate.

That was the dream Chiharu harbored.

The only way she could atone for what she did to Daisuke.

"Good night, Chiharu."

As her body tipped over with irresistible drowsiness, in Chiharu's embrace—

"Let's meet again… is too embarrassing to say."

Daisuke slowly opened his eyes.

Chiharu smiled.

''Thank god.''

She could feel his pulse clearly. The most important was that her precious brother lived—

"Good night, Daisuke—"

Eating her brother's dream and losing Aria Varei, Chiharu went back to being just Chiharu.

In her slowly closing vision, Daisuke silently stood up.

She could see her brother look down at her expressionlessly.

That was Chiharu's last memory of Daisuke from five years ago.

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—She remembered everything.

During that day and in this place, on the rooftop of Shiou Elementary School, Chiharu had eaten Daisuke's dream.

And she turned him into a Mushitsuki.

Ever since that day she forgot about Daisuke and even about the dream inside of her.

"—"

Seeing Chiharu who recalled everything, Oogui–Elvioréne–was jeering.

"Certainly… you have become stronger, right Daisuke-chan?"

In front of Chiharu's dumbfounded gaze, the boy stood up while fluttering his long coat.

It was the same as the scene she had seen just before losing her memories.

Daisuke stood in front of Chiharu while being pounded by the violent rain.

But Daisuke right now was much stronger than he used to be—

"Dai…suke…?"

Looking down at Chiharu with calm eyes, Daisuke bore wounds all over his body. Even she couldn't understand how he was able to stand up in that condition.

"Daisuke…!"

Seeing her brother stand still, Chiharu immediately grimaced.

''Thank god.''

Five years passed ever since the day she had turned him into a Mushitsuki.

The most important thing was that her precious brother lived—

"Daisuke…"

Her vision blurred due to her overflowing tears.

Although she wanted to see the figure of her grown brother much more she couldn't.

"—I've heard everything from Oogui."

Daisuke muttered toward Chiharu with his changed voice.

She bit her lips and nodded countless times. She couldn't speak.

Now that she's seen Daisuke she realized.

He had probably suffered much since becoming a Mushitsuki. He was hurt, lost a lot, and still kept fighting.

The one to make him shoulder that fate was Chiharu.

And she was finally able to recall that fact.

"Yes… I've turned you into a Mushitsuki… It's because of me you're so hurt…"

And it was now the time for her to be punished for that.

Chiharu was finally–able to meet with Daisuke.

"So, Daisuke… you can—"

''Kill me—''

She was about to say that but unconsciously swallowed her words.

Daisuke raised the edges of his lips just a slight bit. She needed only the shortest of moments to realize with her brain he was smiling.

He smiled at Chiharu only for an instant.

"This time I'll protect you, Chiharu."

She came to know the reason he came back to Shiou City.

She came to know the reason for him being covered in wounds.

It was all to protect her—

"…Daisuke—"

Chiharu could no longer see her brother dragging his feet walking toward Elvioréne.

Even though she was the one to turn him into a Mushitsuki…

Even though she was the one to do such a horrible thing to him…

He was still trying to protect her.

"…You really are kind, strong—"

''And a good kid—''

Because of the sobs welling up from her she couldn’t speak.

However, in contrast to all people who called him a demon, Chiharu was able to speak unashamedly.

Chiharu's one and only brother was a strong and good kid who was kinder than anyone—

"Have you still not fought enough, Daisuke-chan? What can you even do by standing up again?"

"I'll… defeat you."

While Oogui was smiling calmly Daisuke spoke in a hoarse voice.

"—It's useless. You should be the one to realize it the most. No matter how strong you are… isn't it impossible to defeat me all alone?"

Chiharu reached her hand toward Daisuke.

''You can’t—''

She tried raising a voice, but all that came out of her mouth were sobs.

''Stop it already—''

Finally able to move her mouth, Chiharu's hair was fanned by the wind.

She turned around after feeling the wind blowing away the rain.

"I—"

Chiharu's eyes reflected a large Mushi that resembled a rhinoceros beetle.

Countless human figures were riding atop the Mushi fluttering in the air with their wings spread. They were people wearing the long coat of the East Central Branch.

Other several Mushi filled the skies. There were an overwhelming number of people clad in white, long coats.

These people were all turned into Mushitsuki and went through battle training.

—The Mushitsuki of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau filled the sky of the closed school.

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