Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4 (section)

== 4.03 Tamaki Part 8 ==

The abandoned nighttime harbor had cold, salty wind blowing through it.

Stepping on the weeds growing from the cracks in the asphalt, she walked toward the harbor entrance. Her white robes sewn with an emblem resembling a full moon fluttered with the wind.

Beneath the twinkling stars, the sound of her stepping on sand echoed in the harbor entrance.

Just as she was about to step inside the empty harbor, a low voice echoed.

“Who are you?”

A nervous-looking boy with glasses stood in front of the chain blocking the entrance. The silhouette of him crossing his arms was thin, but he was prominent within the darkness like a creepy shadow.

“This is private property. Unless you want me to report an unlawful intrusion, you should go back right this instant.”

“My name’s Kanon.”

Wearing the loose-fitting robe and a laurel wreath on her head, Kanon—no, Tamaki—smiled.

Keeping pace with her, other presences appeared in lines behind Tamaki. The number of elites wearing those same standardized clothes were probably about 50.

In the darkness, Tamaki’s smile shone like a crescent moon.

“Will you not become one of Kanon’s followers?”

“What?”

“If you give Alpha to Kanon, Kanon will also be able to save you.”

Kanon’s words didn’t move the bespectacled boy at all. Even while heavily outnumbered, Alpha’s guard asserted with a calm tone.

“…Seems like you’re not a mere trespasser.”

Ear-grating metallic sounds reverberated throughout the whole harbor. All shutters there opened at once and many silhouettes appeared from within.

A girl in maid clothes, a soldier with machineguns, a person in a space suit, an inhuman monster—elaborate, life-size puppets began filling the harbor. Even a plastic doll climbed from the ocean and zombie crawled up from inside the ground.

Their numbers were several times Tamaki’s forces.

The guard’s Mushitsuki ability was obvious at a glance. And yet, him being able to control so many puppets at once was evidence for him being powerful.

“I’ll warn you again. Go away.”

However, Tamaki in the form of Kanon merely smiled back at this warning.

“How unfortunate. —Kanon cannot save you.”

Tamaki spread her arms.

The believers on both sides took her hands. Then these believers took the hands of those next to them. They all ended up holding hands at the same time, forming a circle.

“What is that supposed to be…?”

The same time as the bespectacled boy mumbled this quizzically, something happened above Tamaki’s head.

The Mushi shaped like a laurel wreath started emitting a pale light. The light spread among the dark harbor and then floated in air.

“W—what is that…?”

The circle of light floating from Tamaki’s head moved slowly ahead. It was floating soundlessly a bit above the ground.

A ring of light.

Changed from a laurel wreath to a luminous body, it lit the harbor up to a godly degree.

And at the next moment—

“Uh—”

An invisible blade unleashed from the ring of light cut the bespectacled guard’s shoulder.

It wasn’t just him. All of the dolls around him were cut in halves, cruelly spreading their remains on the asphalt.

“Finish it…!”

He clearly acknowledged the ring of light as an enemy. Holding his shoulder, the guard shouted.

All of the puppets immediately leapt toward the ring.

The next moment, a roar and a tremor wrapped the harbor.

The typhoon with the ring in its center blew the puppets away, and then red hellfire turned the remaining ones to ashes.

More than a hundred puppets came to attack one after another, but they weren’t able to even touch the ring of light.

“I-is that… a Mushi?”

Seeing the puppets having the table turned on them one after another, the guard groaned.

The ring shone even brighter.

Along with the sound of something bursting, a large amount of steam became a whirlpool and assaulted the guard. The puppet that immediately leapt to block it broke down.

The guard widened his eyes.

“No way… t-this is Aijisupa’s—”

The ring glowed.

Butterflies made of flame leapt from the inside of the ring as if trying to pierce the guard.

“Is this Namie’s ability…?”

“Yes, it is.”

Tamaki grinned.

This was the Mushi originally brought by Nii, an ex-SEPB member. It was shaped like a laurel wreath and Tamaki had investigated its ability and reached full understanding of it.

Its original usage was probably allowing the Mushitsuki who wore it to also use others’ abilities.

However, Tamaki herself did not have a fixed ability. It could also be used as an amplification tool for abilities—and the number of believers was overwhelmingly large. Tamaki and the laurel wreath were the ideal combination.

A protean ability and an infinite amplification tool.

Tamaki and Kanon’s believers—have obtained the ultimate weapon.

“Gwaaaah!”

The butterflies wrapped in white flames swallowed the guard. Scorched by the hellfire, his knees shook as he collapsed on the asphalt—the plastic used for his skin melted, exposing the mechanical contents within. Apparently it was just another puppet posing as him.

“Go, believers of Kanon! To Alpha, while we can!”

After defeating the guard, Tamaki shouted.

The believers let go of each other’s hands and spilled into the harbor along with battle cries. The few remaining puppets were cruelly stepped over by the followers.

Once the circle of believers was gone, the ring of light gradually lost its shine.

“There is no longer need to be afraid! There is no need to obey powerful Mushitsuki like the SEPB or Mushibane!”

Passing by Kanon one after another, the believers raised a cheer.

“For weak humans like Kanon, they are nothing but enemies! This time we will exterminate them, and it will be your turn to be saved!”

As she swung her khakkhara staff, the laurel wreath on her head lost its light.

The more her lie spread around the world.

The more believers she gained.

Tamaki and Kanon’s followers would become invincible.

“This is a Holy War! You shall all take back what has been taken from you!”

Tamaki shouted.

And yet the voice emitted from that mouth wasn’t that of Tamaki.

“Defeat the enemies and protect Kanon!”

It was the voice of the Child of God, Kanon.

Kanon’s lie would never stop.

It could grow even larger.

The larger it grew, the faster it would reach the real Kanon, wherever he was.

He should show himself again.

At that time, Kanon’s lie would be completed.

“The SEPB and Mushibane are sacrifices made for your salvation!”

For that, she needed a much more intensive impact than she had until now. Tamaki thought up a suitable event for that.

Sacrifice—

It truly sounded like a ritual fitting for the being called Kanon to become the Child of God.

And it wasn’t just any old sacrifice.

Tamaki spoke about the SEPB and Mushibane, but that was another lie.

Even these organizations holding tremendous power were all part of the act.

For the true sacrifice—a single person would suffice.

No.

It had to be a very specific person.

“If you believe in Kanon, Kanon will save you all!”

A lie would change the world—

The girl enchanted by lies, Tamaki, had to view that moment no matter what.