Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2 (section)

== 2.02 Youko Part 3 ==
"I-I tried this on, but it definitely looks bad… it's weird, right?"

"T-that's not true at all! It looks great!"

In the school corridor, her lips were receiving Akatsuki's praise. She was glad to have had gotten the courage to put the lipstick on. She'd actually also shortened her skirt a bit, but she didn't think he'd notice that.

Since Akatsuki was kind, this might have been empty flattery.

But she was still happy. It was the first time in her life she had been complimented by a boy.

She could feel Loci was once again moving inside her pocket. Perhaps responding to Youko's violent heartbeats, he was emitting attraction pheromones. 

Was that why Akatsuki's cheeks were slightly flushed? Unlike before, she couldn't scold Loci.

''Maybe if we keep this up—''

A small expectation crossed her mind.

''If I keep using Loci-chan's power, will Akatsuki-kun keep looking at me?''

Would she keep feeling the pleasant anxiousness flooding her chest?

Maybe it was a prize from God, rewarding her for her fight against the Demon Lord. Such thoughts surfaced in her mind.

"Well then, I'll get back to Ako…"

Akatsuki said his goodbyes while Youko spaced out. Perhaps he was perceptive or he was able to notice something abnormal about his mind.

"R-Right. Good luck with recruiting!"

''I wonder if Akatsuki-kun has someone he likes—''

Seeing her underclassman off, Youko mumbled inside her heart.

''Even if he has, I can use Loci-chan's power to make him mine—''

Youko did a double take.

"I-I can't… I can't use my powers as a Hero for things like this…"

Loci's ability could strip the hearts of people bare. If Akatsuki had a favorable opinion on Youko, it would be evidence that he liked her in the first place.

Pushing aside Akatsuki's feelings for the one he loved now, he would view Youko as number one. It was easy enough to change these sorts of cheap human emotions.

So even if she had her reservations with using her powers as a Hero for herself—she wouldn't feel any guilt toward manipulating Akatsuki's heart.

"But if I defeat the Demon Lord… it would be fine for me to use it, maybe?"

Youko's pupils gazed on the girl passing near Akatsuki.

It was a member of the army of darkness, Orion. Youko had already investigated long ago and found out that this girl infiltrated the school in order to monitor civilians.

A smile that no one could see rose to Youko's mole-covered mouth.

Orion passed by her as she kept her head down.

"I feel a bit motivated."

Youko's muttering voice vanished into thin air without reaching Orion's back.

That day, Youko skipped her afternoon classes.

She first came home to take her suitcase and then took the bus to a certain place.

Since it was still not after school, the bus was empty. Coincidentally it was also the bus where Youko had once created a Spirit Zone.

In midst of several passengers, she chose the two-people seat on the fifth row to the right.

When she did, she heard a voice of someone who wasn't there from behind.

"Your lipstick looks great."

It was Akatsuki's voice.

Youko became happy and her cheeks flushed.

"Ehehe…"

What number of Spirit Zone was it? Loci, still unused to cooperating with Youko at the time, had used its power on its own accord and turned a girl into a Mushitsuki without asking. The Mushi's ability caught in the coffin was trifling; it could merely create a comforting auditory illusion of someone you wanted to hear the voice of.

The Mushi in the coffin was trapped under her feet. Even Youko didn't know where it was hiding under the thin floor. At the very least it had no physical manifestation. Yet there definitely was a coffin there, and it connected to Loci's main body, Genius.

Only Youko knew that a Mushitsuki had been born that day here. Never mind the driver who'd been affected by Loci's ability, even the person herself hadn't noticed it. She felt sorry for the driver missing his schedule and getting scolded by his boss, though. 

Mushi were scary, but turning them into Spirit Zones was Youko's habit. Once she'd found the conditions of the ability leaking into the ground from the rampaging Mushi trapped there, there was nothing to fear.

And perhaps—the coffin-like feelers were an entrance to another dimension where the main body slept underground. The more she'd gotten used to handling Loci and Genius the Mushi, she ended up thinking this.

"That pudding looks great."

"Ehehe…"

While smiling to herself, she didn't notice the other passenger looking at her, disturbed.

Youko took off the bus at the museum. After looking around and seeing there was nobody around, she turned toward a somewhat far corner and vanished.

Putting her suitcase on ground, she sat on it and waited. She pulled out her cellphone and spoke to Loci attached to its strap.

"I wonder if your true form will be satiated soon, Loci-chan?"

The more Spirit Zones she created, the more Loci's half-transparent body gained color. When it first took Youko as its host it was pretty like glass. Now it was nearly pure white.

The Mushi using Youko as a host and growing with her, Loci and Genius.

They were originally supposed to have vanished from this world along with their unconscious host.

Its abilities were supposed to only include emitting pheromones and feeling the presence of Mushi, and there was the main body underground that could attack using coffins.

But Loci then met Youko. Resisting its fate of vanishing with their host, it turned her into a host to gain a different source of sustenance.

And so it evolved into a Mushi-eating Mushi.

For Youko, Loci and Genius was a fated meeting. By using them she obtained the power to fight against the Demon Lord and wipe away the fear planted inside her.

Because of that, Loci was special to Youko despite her fear of Mushi.

They both needed each other and so cooperated.

"I don't know how many Spirit Zones I've created with you. And I also know the activation conditions for only a handful… I'd like to eliminate the Spirit Zone with effects I don't know, but that would cause too many Fallen."

Also bored, Youko mumbled to herself. Very recently, she'd failed in putting one into a coffin and created a single Fallen. She didn't want to leave any traces behind, if possible.

"Never mind the Demon Lord's minions, but people investigating me would be bad. Whaddya think, Loci-chan?"

Genius and Loci had been named by Youko.

Within miniature garden therapy, the concept of Genius Loci had an important meaning. The ground (Loci) housing the spirit (Genius) could bring people the power of imagination. Meaning, people used their imagination gained by the "earthbound spirit" (Genius Loci) and materialized it within a miniature garden.

As Youko had given birth to Genius and Loci using a miniature garden, that name fit them.

"I should investigate the underlings of the Demon Lord a bit more before I finish raising Genius."

Loci made no response to Youko's words. The only times Genius and Loci could perfectly understand her intentions was almost always in front of their prey Mushi.

She heard a motorcycle engine.

"There she is."

Peeking from the corner, she saw a motorcycle park in front of the museum. It was Orion's Hornet.

Confirming that Orion entered from the front, Youko also started her movements.

Crossing the fence near the museum, she entered the premises. She went around the road along the building and put her suitcase on the ground. She also put the cellphone Loci was attached to there.

"I guess it's fine now?"

After quite a while has passed, Youko lightly climbed on top of the fence. She passed to the entrance timidly. She climbed the water pipes to peek into the second floor corridor.

"Although she's a Demon Lord subordinate, being such a happy fool sure looks fun."

She could see the rest corner in the corridor, where Orion was sleeping on the couch.

Youko opened the locked window and snuck into the museum's second floor. Since it was a museum about to get closed, there were no security measures. There were also many holes in the security patrol.

Walking in the corridor, white grains warped around. The Spirit Zone was activated.

Without resisting the sudden sense of sleepiness, Youko collapsed on the spot.

"—Hmm, the second floor's closed? I guess that would be my final time using this body then."

When she opened her eyes again, she looked around the empty surroundings. Rising from the sofa, Youko approached her self collapsed in the corridor.

"I should shorten my skirt a bit more, meow."

Youko in Orion's form grinned at her own body collapsed on the floor.

She knew since a long time ago that Orion, who went to the same school, was the Demon Lord's underling.

It was because the girl had appeared many times after the creation of Spirit Zone. She would stealthily investigate the area for a while and then bring out her Mushi, probably as a precaution, so Youko had thus found out she was a Mushitsuki.

Starting then she'd investigated Orion. As not to be noticed by the person herself, she started innocently collecting rumors about the girl. She then found out that the girl turned napping in the museum to her raison d'etre. 

Youko, who feared any Mushitsuki other than the ones she'd given birth to, tried defeating her. She created a Spirit Zone on top of the sofa she rested on.

The result was a personality switching ability. The activation method was having two people around, one of them sleeping on the couch. She'd created this Spirit Zone to defeat Orion, but decided to use this to investigate her.

After experiencing this result, Youko turned into Orion learnt about the armies of darkness. Incidentally, the method for cancellation was for the affected person to return inside the Spirit Zone or just wait a certain amount of time.

"Oh, I need to hurry meow."

White particles gushed from the nearby room.

There was another Spirit Zone nearby. It happened because during the moment she'd given birth to a Mushitsuki, she'd unfortunately been seen by another person. Since the eyewitness was a young girl, she cornered her in another room and made her into a Mushitsuki too. That Spirit Zone perfectly fit as a protector of the sofa.

A white Doberman appeared in the hallway.

"Oopsie daisy."

Youko in Orion's form dragged her own body.

The dog statue with no lower body leapt toward Youko's throat.

"Should I go for the toilet today, meow?"

A moment before it bit into Youko, the dog was repelled backward as if by an unseen barrier. —She had already confirmed the range of the inorganic matter-controlling ability long ago.

Without turning to even look at the dog, Youko took her own body to the girls' toilet. She sat her down inside one of the stalls. While their personalities were changed, she would not awaken while sleeping.

Exiting the toilet, the Doberman statue was still there. But after waiting for a while, it turned to the right and returned to the room it came from. The Spirit Zone activation time passed.

Going down one floor, she noticed the elevator moving. Youko hurriedly returned to the sofa and pretended to sleep.

"Hey you."

Since the second floor was sealed, the guard's time was apparently changed. Called by the man, she pretended to have just woken up.

"You're not allowed to enter here anymore. Didn't you see the paper on the elevator?"

"Sorry, meow. I didn't notice it at all~~"

She'd perfectly investigated Orion's personality and quirks.

"Sorry for the trouble, meow."

Going down to the first floor, she exited the elevator while wagging her hands.

It was fun becoming an eccentric person. When she turned into someone else, she felt as if her mood brightened up.

Youko especially admired people with personalities like Orion's. Going into town like this, she would go shopping in places she'd never normally go near.

Yet she had no time to play and she had to avoid human eyes more than was necessary. If she'd met with Orion's friends it could get troublesome.

"Ehehe. I learned how to ride this properly."

There was something she secretly looked forward to. She wanted to drive a motorcycle ever since she was born.

Wearing a helmet and plopping down the seat, the revved up the engine. For now she had to move to a place without any people. A little bit of playing around was fine.

"Blasting off, meow!"

Being carried over, she turned the throttle too much. The unexpected speed caused the front wheel to float in the air.

"Eek! Eek!"

Hurriedly restoring balance, she somehow managed to ride out into the road. With the sudden change in speed causing her to go from joy to despair, she headed toward the suburbs.

The countryside she was sick of seeing seemed different. She was moved by the speed and elation she'd never felt before, so even her driving blunder seemed so funny she laughed at herself.

"Ahahaha. This bike's so fun. Maybe I should also get a license, meow."

She stopped the Hornet on the river bank. Removing the helmet, she got off the bike.

She'd just said that on the spur of the moment.

The real Satou Youko would get depressed just imagining herself on a bike.

"Well then. Time for work."

Youko pulled out Orion's cellphone and picked a number in its memory.

The number indicated was "North Central Branch Information Division". —Orion was her enemy, but was it really fine for her to save such an important number like that? Well, Orion being so careless helped Youko.

"Please confirm there is no third party in a radius of 10 meters and state your member code."

The other party immediately answered the call. She recited the number that was in the memory the same way.

"Member code confirmed. Comparing voice print. Switching over to special communication channel. This is the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's North Central Branch information management division. Starting now the conversation will be voice recorded under the personal records of North Central Branch monitor squad member, Blaze Class Rank 6 Orion."

From the voice, the other party was probably a girl of Youko's age. This was the third time she used this same method to find out information about her enemy.

"Hello, Orion-chan. Did something happen?"

The girl's tone turned so friendly that it was hard to think of her as an underling of the Demon Lord.

"Nyathing special. I just wanted to reconfirm something 'bout the mission~~"

"Again? Ever since you came to the countryside you've turned into a stupid country bumpkin. If you don't work for your salary they'll send you to an uninhabited island next, y'know?"

"I don't mind meow!"

"Do mind it! —Ah, but maybe you really don't. Despite you being so strong you're still stationed here because of our branch's way of doing things. Well, what did you want to ask?"

"I just wanted to make sure no new information came in since the last time I asked, meow."

Youko had already confirmed that Orion was investigating the strange phenomenon happening in town—sensing the presence of Mushi despite no Mushitsuki ever being found.

"Hmm… Ever since finding the first Fallen there wasn't anything, really. There was nothing even in that residential district you've gone to before, right?"

"Meow~~"

"…Does that mean yes? Anyway there're no real new clues. We haven't received any reports from Kaguya-san either. Did you ask him?"

Kaguya?

She thought about asking, but held back.

Since the other girl talked about it normally, there was probably a new dark minion called Kaguya near Orion.

"Actually… I've seen Kaguya act a bit suspiciously~~"

She decided to deceive her. The girls' voice turned low as she muttered an ''Eh''?

"Just to be safe I'd like you to tell me about Kaguya. Obviously don't tell him though~~"

"I can bring out the information in the range of what a Rank 6 member can obtain, but… what exactly was suspicious about him?"

"He adds stuff like 'meow' to his sentences. Pretty scary~~"

"So you're spreading it like a disease…? …I'll hang up if you keep messing with me, geez."

She bullied the other girl too much. Since she planned on switching with Orion for the last time, she played more than the usual.

"Well, you're always like that. I'm going to give you the information about Kaguya-san now, meow."

She really had infected her. She thanked god that this person was close to Orion.

"East Central Branch Battle Squad, Blaze Class Rank 2 Kaguya. He'd been sent here due to a request from the North Central Branch. I can only reveal the data regarding his real name and personal info to those at the level of branch head assistant and above. He's currently infiltrating the same place as Orion to help in her investigation. Once his required period passes, he's planned to return to the East Central Branch. …And you already know all that."

"Nothing else~~?"

"For a Rank 6 this is it. Why would East dispatch a big fish like a Rank 2 to us? It causes problems for us as well. The previous Branch Head Haji would have just told us in secret to 'bring out some disposable pawns'. I feel like the rumored incompetent Acting Branch Head is trying to gain points by sticking her nose in places she shouldn't and accomplishing nothing."

Seemed like even an evil organization had its own complex situations. Since she didn't want to expose herself, she merely hummed noncommittally.

What sort of monster was a Rank 2 Mushitsuki? Just imagining it gave her the chills.

"There's one last thing I want to know, meow."

"Sure, what is it?"

Youko gulped.

Since the museum's closing was near, this would be her last time to switch with Orion to gather information. She couldn't tell when she'd have another chance to investigate the evil organization.

That was why she had something she had to confirm right now.

The identity of her archnemesis, the Demon Lord—

"…If you know anything about that name, any special data or something, do tell me, meow."

She had said the name of the girl with the chaining smile from her father's records.

Her hand started shaking just from voicing that name. The fear engraved into her when she was young was revived.

She was certain.

That girl was definitely connected to the organization known as the SEPB.

"Hmm. Why do you ask?"

Yet the answer through the phone was too casual.

Youko hid the beatings of her heart and attacked with her normal tone.

"I just got curious about something and wondered if she had any connection to this~~ I might just be mistaken so I can't say anything for certain."

"I see. Who's that person?"

"I only know their name, meow."

"Oh, sorry. Could you repeat that name again."

"It's … ~~"

"Understood. —Oh, right. The other day the Vice-Director of Central Headquarters came to visit our Branch Director. That woman withdrew some of our forces again. Do you remember her?"

"Yup, I remember meow. But rather than that, tell me the—"

"Huh, even though you remember the Vice-Director you've forgotten only her name?"

Youko froze.

The voice coming from the phone instantly changed.

"Orion's suspicious remark confirmed. Commencing attack."

''Shit'', the moment she tried to cut the call, it was already too late.

"Sense Isolation!"

Concurrently with the girl's motivated shout, a loud voice erupted from the cellphone.

"…!"

Youko's entire body was pierced by invisible sound waves. Although her mouth ripped open for a shout, it didn't come out. Her limbs were numb and she couldn't move.

''This is bad—''

Gritting her teeth, she wrung out her power.

Her shivering fingers were placed on the button to end the call.

"Consciousness Isolation!"

The moment before the second wave pressed on her…

Youko's finger pressed the button.

"Kh…!"

But she still received a bit of effect. She felt drowsy and kneeled down on the spot.

"Hah! Hah…!"

Waterfalls of sweat poured from her skin. The other party apparently possessed an ability that could attack her even through the phone. She had nearly fainted.

Quite a bit of time passed before sensations returned to her limbs.

"Ugh… Mushitsuki really are scary. I was almost done for…"

Wearing her helmet, she straddled the Hornet. The enemy probably judged Orion as dangerous. Pursuers would soon arrive.

"But I finally understood."

She started the engine and rode the bike.

"She really is related to the Demon Lord—"

From the exchange until now, there was no mistake that the girl who'd planted fear in her when she was young now served as the Vice-Director in a place known as the Central Headquarters. It was obviously suspect for an underling to suddenly investigate their superior.

Youko was finally able to ascertain her enemy.

The Demon Lord was the Central Headquarters' Vice-Director.

The armies of darkness were known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

Controlling the fearsome monsters known as Mushi, they were scheming to lead the future where people were controlled by fear—

"I can't lose…"

Youko returned to an empty back alley near the museum.

Still straddled on the Hornet, the time for the personality change reached its limit.

"—Because I'm the Hero."

When she next opened her eyes, she was inside the museum's toilet. She confirmed in the mirror that she was Satou Youko again.

Exiting the corridor, she returned to the window she'd snuck in through.

She heard the sound of the elevator reaching behind her. Perhaps the guard came for another round. Youko hurriedly exited through the window and went down the same way she went up.

Grabbing the suitcase and cellphone she'd left behind, she headed for the back alley running.

She saw the parked Hornet. Orion was sleeping on the handle.

Youko tapped her shoulder and Orion awoke with a groan.

"Meow… hmm? Why am I—"

Looking around her, Orion noticed Youko standing behind her.

"Hello, Orion-san."

Seeing Youko smile at her, her complexion changed.

From the situation she found herself into, she probably realized Youko was an enemy. Orion's Mushi appeared at her back.

But Youko was already prepared for battle.

"Bon appetit, Loci-chan."

A large coffin appeared from her feet. The shivering clay structure swallowed Orion's Mushi instantly.

"I'll erase it all completely. I don't need it anymore."

Loci transmitted Youko's will to its real body as if it was a remote control. Crunching sounds came from inside the coffin receiving her orders.

"…!"

The death of her Mushi caused the girl straddling the bike to bend backward. She slumped without even raising a scream.

She became a Fallen. Orion looked at her with lifeless, empty eyes.

"Orion. Return to the museum and wait for your comrade's arrival."

Obeying Youko's order, the girl moved sluggishly to start the engine. —Fallen had no self-will or any feelings, but they would obey orders given to them unconditionally.

Once the Hornet left and the back-alley was silent again, Youko mumbled to herself.

"I can't go back anymore…"

Orion would soon be discovered.

This was Youko's declaration of war against the SEPB.

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