Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20 (section)

=== Part 3 ===
The dirty plastic bag flew up instantly toward the orange sky.

The humid, strong wind gathered dark clouds from afar. It was just a matter of time before this thick mass of clouds hid the crimson setting sun.

Mari borrowing the form of Ichinokuro Arisu used her right to hold her rampaging hair and the other pressed down on her skirt. Looking up at the plastic bag growing more and more distant, she saw it off until it vanished behind a large building.

"Who was it? That Hunter faker."

Mari said in a tired voice.

There was a group of rivers running near the center of Akamaki City. In the ancient times of the Sengoku Period they were used as a canal, but were currently a river held in place by concrete. The waterways were divided by regions, and nearer the sea there was also a pleasure boat parked.

Walking from Horusu Seijou Academy to the town was quite a bit of a detour.

The breakwater along the river was dirty from the city’s exhaust gases and it carried a moldy-smelling wind. Separated by a single large road, on the other side she could see lines of old buildings.

"I'll ask you again. Were you actually in the infirmary this whole time, Arisu?"

Daisuke asked from a spot a bit further from where Mari was. He seemed to be trying to get in touch with someone on his phone the entire way, but finally got calm enough to talk to her.

Mari sighed and turned around.

Seeing the setting sun in front of her, she felt a chest-constricting nostalgia. However, unlike the time when she watched it from her hospital bed and what she felt back then, now it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

Even this dusk did not make her feel depressed.

It was a mere temporary sentiment, since she knew that tomorrow would definitely come.

"Again, I'm not saying that. Since there wasn't a teacher, it's not an alibi though…"

Hunter was the alias of Mari who had in the past been hunting Mushitsuki at Akamaki City. Arisu being suspected due to having inherited her Morpho butterfly was perhaps quite natural.

When she walked from the road to the highest breakwater and looked down from it, another person walking next to the suspicious-looking Daisuke entered her sight.

"This is such a bother. Just torture her to make her spit it all out."

Speaking flippantly with two hands behind her head was a blonde girl. With her most prominent features being her elegant face and rough words, she was their classmate called Kasuou. Like Daisuke, she was an SEPB member and had cooperated with her many times before.

Kasuou had never met the actual Hanashiro Mari.

Even so Mari knew about this blonde girl's character—because the Morpho butterfly had watched her.

“You’re probably good at torture, right, Kakkou? I mean, you’re such a pervert after all.”

“Stop speaking lies so naturally.”

"Hehe."

Finding these two Mushitsuki funny, she broke into a smile.

The townscape dyed in the sunset's orange.

The voices of car horns and the fresh smell of the water running through the river.

Everything that was in Akamaki City as a matter of course felt as fresh as she had just been born.

If she had to use a metaphor for this great feeling—right.

It was as if—she had been reborn.

Mari had the feeling that there was no possible better metaphor for her current situation.

“It looks like it’s true there wasn’t a teacher there. We could try collecting evidence from other teachers…”

"What would lying help me? Do you ''actually'' think that I'm the culprit? I mean, have you even asked what sort of person was the Hunter that appeared today was?”

Turning her back to him again, Mari purposely made large steps on the breakwater.

"If you're waiting for me to show an opening… isn't that too cruel?"

As she let her dissatisfaction show while puffing her cheeks, Daisuke and Kasuou sank into silence. Since Mari was walking ahead didn't know what faces they were making.

"—Today, just past noon, a Fallen was found near the center of town."

Daisuke's voice was calm.

Although there was nothing special about it, she quite liked the boy’s voice that didn’t lose against the sound of the wind.

"It was an SEPB trainee, but apparently still a strong Mushitsuki. Even so—there weren't any traces of a combatant at the scene. Meaning, someone quite strong defeated that person one-sidedly."

“I see… that—sucks.”

Letting her ponytail flow as she turned around, she lowered her voice.

But Daisuke was expressionless. For Kasuou it was apparently just another person’s problem, so she just played and intimidated a stray cat passing nearby.

"Were there any other clues?"

"…"

“Huh? Don’t tell me you decided this was the deed of Hunter only because it was a strong Mushitsuki. If so then you should’ve suspected Harukiyo first.”

"The member that turned Fallen left a message."

Fallen meant the state of someone whose Mushi had been killed. Their feelings, memories and so on would be lost, so they'd become able to only obey other's orders—an empty shell that was like a walking dead.

"A message?"

"'Please tell that Mushitsuki that Hunter is back'—he was apparently ordered to tell this to whomever found him."

Hearing Daisuke's words, Mari furrowed her brows.

"That Mushitsuki, huh… which Mushitsuki is it?"

"Who knows?"

"It's a really strange story, though. I can’t believe you’re doubting me just because of that suspicious message. First of all, wouldn’t it take too long to reach the center of town from school? I’m not even sure that rushing out there I could be back before classes were over.” 

"With the legs of a Fusion Type it's not impossible."

Daisuke asserted.

Being so openly doubted was definitely not a good feeling.

Biting her lips, she got down from the breakwater. Waiting for Daisuke to catch up, she looked up at him with accusing eyes.

"Are you actually suspecting me? Daisuke…"

"Ugh," Daisuke groaned. Averting his eyes from Mari, he scratched his head.

"No, well—since it's all bothersome, I want to pray it's not you. It's just that the timing is bad."

"I got it. I'll confess."

Mari asserted. Daisuke and Kasuou widened their eyes, glaring at her.

"I’ve actually… lost the rod I've been given. It was stolen."

That was the truth.

The silver rod hidden in her bag disappeared. When Mari took her eyes off of it, it was taken by someone.

It was apparently created from some rare metal, but it shouldn't have been some pricy material. She didn't think it was theft for money.

"Perhaps the one who stole my rod is involved with that fake Hunter. Like you said, the timing is way too suspicious."

Daisuke glared at her as she said this and raised her index finger.

"Why were you silent about something so important?"

“I mean, I just felt bad about it. I don’t know who’s the creator but they did it all for me and yet it got stolen…”

Daisuke sank into silence. But soon he averted his face and spoke.

"No, that can't be. The rod and this Hunter are unrelated."

"Huh…? What do you mean?"

Even when she asked back, Daisuke once again stayed silent without answering. While Mari tilted her head, she recalled.

"By the way, Daisuke. Before I went to the infirmary you said there was something you wanted to talk about. What was that?"

"No, that's—that doesn't matter. It's not important anymore."

The boy was dodging her questions.

Mari was unable to understand him, and groaned.

She was supposed to celebrate a blissful time today.

Even so, she couldn’t even enjoy this special time while being suspected.

"I feel a bit sick… so let's do this!"

Suddenly having an idea, Mari leapt on the breakwater again. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked down at Daisuke and Kasuou. 

"Let's capture that fake Hunter!"

"Huhhh?"

"It's something you see a lot in mystery books! The one being suspected suggests to catch the true culprit in order to clear themselves. I feel really bad being suspected like that!"

The dynamic and energetic Arisu would definitely say something like this. Mari raised her fists to the heavens.

"Some kinda bastard is impersonating Mari! We will catch them by our own hands!"

As expected, Daisuke mumbled "Not again," with a tired face. Kasuou also looked sick of it.

On the other hand, Mari's heart was pounding.

She would rush to solve the mystery with her friends.

As if she'd become the protagonist of a detective mystery.

The turned around on the breakwater. Imagining the adventure that was about to unfold now, her heart thumped with excitement.

"Now, let's go! First, we need to collect some evidence from the crime scene! Please come, both of you!"

What would be standing in front of Mari? A vicious monster, or perhaps a century-years-old mystery?

As she was now, she would be able to easily handle either one.

Nothing existed that could scare Hanashiro Mari after she overcame even death and gained a new body.

"Ah—"

A sudden wind blew as if to block Mari’s cheerful steps.

As Mari spun and was about to lose her balance, Daisuke suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Hey, are you alright, Mari?"

"Y-yeah. Thank you."

Mari thanked Daisuke while smiling—and then realized what she did.

The eyes of the boy looking at her changed. Even Kausou’s eyes started emitting a sharp light as she looked up at Mari.

''—Are you alright, Mari?''

He had definitely called her like that just now.

For an instant she thought about feigning ignorance.

But their eyes brimming full of confidence would allow her no excuse.

Mari narrowed her eyes and bit her lips.

"…Since when have you noticed?"

Still grabbing her arm, Daisuke put his other hand inside his blazer.

"I thought you were acting strange since this morning. But—"

Drawn out of his pocket—was the silver rod.

The one who stole the rod had been Kusuriya Daisuke.

While being surprised at this truth, Mari also realized the meaning of his action.

"You're too good at lying."

When the rod was gone, while Mari was smiling carefreely, she asserted that there was nothing wrong.

She lied way too unnaturally.

Since Arisu was righteous, even if she lied, it would come out in her actions.

Daisuke had stolen the rod—to test the girl with Arisu’s appearance.

Apparently, Mari fell for his trap.

"…"

Mari smiled, grabbing Daisuke's arm back.

At the same time a silver glow came flying at her in a straight line. Fluttering with the speed of a bullet, the Morpho butterfly landed on Mari's shoulder and changed its body.

In the span of an instant, a silver pattern appeared on Mari’s left and right arm.

A creak came from Daisuke's arm.

"Tch…!"

Scowling, he let Mari go. She spun her body.

Drawing silver loci in air, Mari's reverse roundhouse kick hit Daisuke’s shoulder. The rod left his hands and danced in the air.

"Why you…!"

Kasuou shouted, black mist gushing out of her entire body. The claws made of coagulated mist smashed the breakwater Mari was standing on.

But after an instant, Mari leapt to the heavens.

Catching her rod in midair, she used that momentum to leap into the center of the flowing river.

''Thud''—the recoil shook her legs.

Mari landed on the roof of the yacht passing by. Perhaps in the middle of preparing it for business, the only two passengers raised their heads in surprise.

"Hanashiro Mari…!"

Looking around the road, Daisuke had already fused with his own checkered beetle. However, his fusion speed couldn’t compare with the one of Mari, who had been called a genius by Sanbikime, one of the Original Three.

Meanwhile Kasuou had no way to locomote herself to the distant yacht so she grinded her teeth. Since the river was deep, she probably couldn't use her claws in place of her legs.

"Ehehe."

While letting out laughter, Mari lengthened the rod in her hand.

The silver patterns on her arm and leg glowed. The range of the glow gradually expanded, permeating all over her body.

At the same time, the feelers leaping out of the rod became thick wings and slid to the top of the rod.

Right now, this body was and wasn't Arisu.

Through the rod, the Morpho butterfly sensed the existence of the original host.

"Ahahahaha!"

Bursting on top of the rod, the Morpho butterfly's wings emitting a silver light flapped.

They became as large as Mari’s body several times over. Enough to push back the blowing wind, a storm of scales blew through the riverside.

Ichinokuro Arisu was only able to control part of the Morpho butterfly’s true abilities, the one controlling scales.

But it was different for Mari.

Mari's body covered from head to toe in the silver pattern was overflowing with energy.

Hunter, Hanashiro Mari.

This girl, one of the few Fusion Types, retrieved her former form.

"Ahahaha!"

Seeing the faces of Daisuke and Kasuou standing there in a daze, Mari kept sneering at them.

"You—"

Daisuke wrung out a low voice.

"So you were the Hunter that appeared today."

Mari stopped the smile on Arisu’s face.

The Morpho butterfly's wings twirled violently, transforming the rod into a silver lance.

She grinned, tilting her neck.

"—Right, that's true."

From the yacht's roof, she glared calmly at Daisuke and Kasuou growing distant.

Following after the yacht, they ran on top of the breakwater.

"But that was self-defense. —Not that I think you'd believe me at this stage."

It wasn't a lie.

Mari had simply gone to certain place on a whim.

But even so—

Mari said she was going to the infirmary and slipped out of school, because she couldn't stop her chest from pounding.

Anything and everything was too fun for her, so she couldn't just stay still in the classroom.

Having no heart pain or inability to breathe—being completely normal made her so happy she couldn't stand it. Her body moved freely and she could even jump. Simply going to gym class and the like wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

Fusing with the Morpho butterfly, she could leap over the fence of Horusu Seijou Academy while having one arm and one leg strengthened.

Landing on the ground, after making sure no people were watching, she leapt high. Rotating in air, she jumped on top of a residential house roof. Following the wind, she leapt from house to house.

"Ahaha."

She already forgot about having lost the rod.

The creator of the rod said they had “no idea what would happen”. 

Had Mari really been able to achieve the ultimate happiness of being alive once again because of that stick?

She realized it was a one-of-a-kind weapon just by touching it.

But in the end—it was just a lump of metal. The chance for Mari's personality to rise to the surface—even if it caused the switch, could it be said to be the very cause?

If so, then the real cause was—

"Ahaha."

Her own laughter stopped her thoughts.

The reason she rose to the surface despite there being no emergency—didn’t interest her in the least.

If she ended up going back to sleep and return being Arisu again…

Then she must never sleep.

As long as Mari could move this body, her happy days would continue.

A free body and a family that loved her.

Friends that cared about her.

And the boyfriend she made through bizarre circumstances.

This world that she couldn’t have lived in was full of things that Mari would have never gotten no matter what.

"Ahaha—"

She landed in a back alley near the center of town.

Silver light burst and Mari's body separated from the Morpho butterfly.

Running out of the gloomy place, she entered a large national road. The sounds of car’s exhaust gas and the clamor of people walking around flew into her ears.

Standing in the middle of a crowded road, she looked around town.

Reflected by the towering building around, she was showered by dazzling sunlight.

That light was much too bright—

Mari who was like floating up inside a dream, stopped at that place.

"—"

Bathed in that light's glow—bright enough to erase even the Morpho butterfly's glow—Mari's paralyzed rationality was woken up for just an instant.

Mari currently felt fulfilled.

But in the end—was it actually so?

"I…"

''—I want to live…''

The dream she'd once embraced.

Right now, Mari was in the continuation of the dream she had once lost.

However.

''—Are you fine, Arisu?''

Daisuke's voice was resurrected in her mind.

''—Arisu?''

''—Arisu-san.''

She recalled the faces of the classmates worrying for her.

"I am… Hanashiro Mari."

She mumbled.

None of the people walking around turned around toward her.

Nobody knew Mari.

Nobody was looking at Mari.

This world, in which she achieved everything she wanted—

Had only her existence as Hanashiro Mari missing.

"…"

The Morpho butterfly flying overhead brightened its glow.

''Don't wake up''—as if warning her that.

Yet the sun with the strongest light couldn't allow the silver butterfly to resist.

"Right, Arisu? I'm Hanashiro Mari, right?"

She asked herself, putting a hand on her chest.

She could feel the heartbeat signaling her life. However—no response came.

Obviously. Since Mari had overtaken her body, Arisu's personality was sleeping.

Suddenly, she was assaulted by an unknown fear.

"A-Arisu…"

She became hopelessly lonely, and although she knew it was useless, she called to her own body.

Controlling herself was good.

Until just now, she was drunk with the joy of living. Pushing aside the original host of the body, she even thought of becoming Arisu. But even so.

Mari couldn't remember the time when she was alive well.

All she remembered was after her death. —Only the things that went around Ichinokuro Arisu, under the watch of the Morpho butterfly.

"I-I am—Hanashiro Mari, right?"

Her voice was shaking.

No people in the world have noticed her existence.

Even she herself—couldn't remember the girl called Mari well.

Although she was one among the countless people in town, she was assaulted by a horrible loneliness.

Although so many people lived in this world, none of them knew Mari.

Was Mari actually Mari?

No, never mind that—had the girl called Hanashiro Mari even existed in the first place?

If it turned out that she was actually just a mere illusion, a figment of imagination born by the bizarre Mushi called the Morpho butterfly—

"A-Arisu!"

Although her illness was gone, for some reason her chest felt tight.

Along with agony, the despair and fear she’d nearly was reborn.

"Arisu…! Hey, Arisu…!"

Arisu didn't reply.

Her one and only friend who knew the fact the girl Hanashiro Mari had lived.

If she called her name, she would be able to make sure she was alive.

Even so—due to the fault of none other than herself, Ichinokuro Arisu couldn't reply.

Mari raised her face, looking around.

Anyone else—

She desperately tried recalling if anyone else knew Hanashiro Mari.

"There's S-Sensei—"

One of the Original Three who was awkward but kind.

She remembered that youth who treasured her only vaguely—but because these were her memories, she had no confidence.

Perhaps even the memories pertaining to him—were nothing more than those of the Morpho butterfly.

"…"

Running to the direction of the hospital she'd been once admitted to, she recalled.

Sensei was probably—no longer there.

''He wanted to vanish.''

He said that him not having vanished was a mistake.

He was terribly tired and resigned, and told her that his only duty was seeing Mari’s wish come to fruition. He had probably set out on a journey to find the next dream long ago. And, although he was the being called Sanbikime who was forever waiting, he probably used his own legs.

More than a year passed since then.

He had probably already fulfilled his own goal and went to sleep by now.

Sensei was already gone.

"S-someone else…"

There was no-one else.

She wanted someone to call out her name.

Thinking of other people who knew her in life, she stopped in place.

Her family and the hospital workers?

No, they'd be useless. They would never believe she was Mari when she looked like another person.

Anyone else?

There no longer remained even a single person that knew Mari.

Was it really so?

"…"

No, there was.

At the very end of her lonely life, she met a certain person.

''—Having gotten a new lease of life, who would be by your side?''

Unlike their young voice, that person had a stifling sort of presence.

"The Undying… Mushitsuki."

At the same time she mumbled this, she started running without thinking.

Rushing between the pedestrians, she crossed the side road, passing in front of the station.

''—You… mustn’t be deceived by the devil camouflaged as an angel.''

The moment she faced the one she was looking for, what had she thought?

When she tried recalling that, her head blanked out.

The silver flash stopped Mari’s thinking.

“Hah…! Hah…!”

''I’ll become Arisu—''

Had she been the one to choose this figure?

Was her current form of Arisu the continuation of Mari’s dream?

"Hah…! Hah…!"

She was out of breath when she reached a narrow road near the main street. Sandwiched between complex buildings, with dirty trash scattered on the ground, and a power pole full of scratches.

She followed her vague memories and came there.

Once, Mari had been there—and met the Undying Mushitsuki.

"…"

Of course, the Undying Mushitsuki wasn't there right now.

But over a year ago, there was definitely someone facing her there.

Her tired self and the Undying Mushitsuki.

That time, Mari should have grasped the answer.

Even so, Mari couldn’t recall the continuation of her dream now.

"I'm…"

The inside of her head was dyed by a bright flash.

Her memory blurred, overwritten by silver light.

"I… am—"

The same type of glow was dancing above Mari's head.

It was a single Mushi with beautiful wings.

By entering an area that the sun's rays couldn't reach, the silver glow once again permeated Mari.

The eyes of the fluttering Morpho butterfly were gradually dyed in red.

The fear filling Mari's heart to the brim was thinning.

The despair of loneliness was being paralyzed.

"I don't need—a name."

While staring intently at the Morpho butterfly above, she smiled.

The hole caused by fear and despair in her heart was filled with pleasure.

The sense of release known as life.

The freedom known as power.

She lacked nothing now. There was nothing she couldn't do.

Perhaps this world was prepared just for her renewed arrival.

Hadn’t the miracle of this day had given her the greatest gift of all—this very world that was so filled with pleasure and beauty?

"…Do you have any business with me?"

Smiling, Mari looked on the other side of the road.

The red-eyed Morpho butterfly glowed in a strong light as if in warning.

"Ichinokuro Arisu—"

Appearing ahead of her wasn't the Undying Mushitsuki that Mari had been searching for.

It was a boy wearing a hat low on his head. He wore common clothes consisting of a t-shirt and jeans ripped at the knees, but the fact he’d hidden his presence until that moment meant he was no amateur.

Mari’s instincts told her so due to his stance and unique atmosphere.

"That aura… are you friends with the grim reaper from this morning?"

The combo of the gasmask-wearing grim reaper and the fashionable imp.

The boy in front of her reminded her of the ominous pair watching Mari from the school gate that morning. The fact that the Morpho butterfly responded and regarded him with hostility was also the same.

Seeing that he didn't deny this, she was apparently right on the mark.

The Morpho butterfly alighted down on the smiling Mari’s shoulder.

“Sorry to disappoint you, though.”

Mari's clouded eyes and the Morpho butterfly's red eyes glared at the Mushitsuki in front of them.

"I'm not Arisu."

She had no idea who the boy was.

But that had nothing to do with it.

More freedom.

More pleasure.

"But no one left in this world would believe me, anyway."

Mari surrendered to the desire swelling inside her.

"I have nothing against you… but I will have to hurt you a bit in order to escape hell.”

Asserting this, the boy kicked the earth. He quickly approached Mari.

She thought he was swinging his arm toward empty space, but a large Mushi appeared at the boy’s back.

The Mushi hanging to his back extended large claws from the boy's arm to his fingertips. Following the boy's movement, the Mushi's sharp claws assaulted Mari from overhead.

But by the time the boy blinked, Mari was already behind him.

"—Tell this to 'that Mushitsuki'."

In a split second she not only fused with the Morpho butterfly and dodged from the boy’s attack.

With a hand blade covered in a silver pattern, Mari sliced the Mushi on the boy's back.

"Hunter is back."

She ordered the boy who had lost his Mushi and become Fallen without even turning around.

Mari knew where that Mushitsuki—that Undying Mushitsuki—was hiding.

The Morpho butterfly remembered that Arisu had met him during her school trip.

She had left this message with the boy she never met because she noticed the white goggles hanging from his neck.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

The Undying Mushitsuki was part of that organization—

"Hehe."

If he knew that Mari obtained Arisu's body, what would that Mushitsuki say?

Now Mari was different from back then, when she kneeled and couldn’t take a single action.

"Ahaha!"

Mari didn't care if anyone would call her name anymore.

The current Mari was Mari, and at the same time she was Arisu.

And starting now to the end of time, Mari would use Arisu’s guise to celebrate her existence in this amazingly enjoyable world.

Because of that—the Undying Mushitsuki was in her way.

She was going to keep living as Arisu like this, and only one person knew about her when she was alive.

He knew about the possibility of her switching with Arisu.

If she erased his presence from the world, no one would ever doubt Mari anymore.

If so then Mari would feel the same happiness she felt today every day.

"Ahahaha!"

No need to rush.

When the Undying Mushitsuki himself appeared, she could just let him tell it directly. For that reason, she left a hint with the Fallen boy.

Laughing to the heavens, Mari ran through the sky back to Horusu Seijou Academy.  

The sky was already covered in thick clouds, and the surroundings grew dark. In the townscape surrounding Mari, neon lights started turning on one by one.

With the sunlight vanishing, a completely different glow engulfed the river.

The Morpho butterfly-turned-lance emitted a silver light.

As if celebrating the vanishing of the pesky sun, the surroundings were filled with unending, blinding light.

“You’ve called my name for the first time in this world where there’s no Arisu.”

On top of the yacht roof, Mari smiled, the pattern on her entire body glowing.

Her wish to have someone call her name.

As well as what she actually wanted in the past the led to her leaving the Mushi to her friend.

Both were filled with silver light in her head—and she was made to forget them.

"Kusuriya Daisuke-san."

Untying Ichinokuro Arisu's trademark ponytail, her long hair was fanned by the strong wind.

Unable to fully withstand the impact created by Mari and the scales emitted by the Morpho butterfly lance, the pleasure boats all tilted and were thrown upward.

“Even before dealing with that Mushitsuki—I should have killed you."

She glared at Kusuriya Daisuke with bloodshot eyes.

Red eyes.

That color was the same as the Morpho butterfly's eyes, the color of blood.

"Arisu isn't gone. You're just holding her back."

Daisuke opened the sports bag on his back, equipping the SEPB-issued long coat and goggles.

While running on the breakwater, Daisuke leapt over to her with his body low.

"Ehehe."

Raising a dull, light sound, Mari threw herself to the air as if dancing in the wind.

At the same time, she swung the silver lance to the side.

The scales spurt from the lance cut off the room portion of the pleasure boat. The glass windows, wall partition and the entire roof was blown off by the wind, flying toward Daisuke.

"…!"

[[File:Mushi_Uta_Bug_5th_p271.jpg|thumb]]

Daisuke immediately prepared his gun and Kasuou formed new claws of mist.

The two Mushitsuki's attacks smashed the boat roof to smithereens.

This opening allowed Mari to land on the board, using the recoil to leap high in the air.

Mari's thin body leapt over the river, being sucked into the city sky as if flowing with the wind.

"Wait, Hanashiro Mari…!"

Daisuke's voice was soon swallowed by a roar.

Mari landed on the roof of an old vacant building, immediately kicking the ground to leap to another building.

Cutting through the wind, kicking the wall of a crowded building and landing down on the ground, she ran through the night.

"Ahaha!"

No matter how strong Kusuriya Daisuke was, he didn’t have sensing abilities like Mari's Mushi. Once he lost her, finding her again shouldn't be easy. Furthermore, the blockhead Kasuou lacked mobility and so would never catch her.

She ran through empty alleys while drawing afterimages of light.

By being far from the river, Mari raised her face. Kicking the ground, kicking both sides of two neighboring building, she instantly rushed overhead.

Landing on the roof, Mari looked down below her.

"Ehehe—"

She arrived at a large road that connected to the train station.

There were all kinds of buildings, large crowds of people, and many cars. She could see all of the lights and swaying people.

"This is time to part with this city… with Akamaki City."

If her identity had been revealed, there was no other way.

There was no longer even any need to kill the Undying Mushi to seal his lips.

"Right, Arisu?"

She felt fresh.

The current Mari was unbound by anything.

If she went through this path, Mari would reach a town unknown to her.

As Mari knew nothing but Akamaki City, this would be a completely new world.

There would definitely be a paradise to bless Mari’s new life there.

"Hehehe…"

Mari's eyes as she peeked down the bright townscape were dyed in red.

The power surging through her and the excitement enough to make her back shudder permeated her.

"Ahahaha!"

Throwing her body from the building roof, she entered freefall.

Midair, she spun her body, landing on the roof of a fast-food restaurant. The impact made the asphalt cave beneath her, but nothing happened to her.

Transforming to a bullet of light, Mari raced along the wide road.

She ran, overtaking cars, moving at speeds that the pedestrians couldn’t even see, from rooftop to rooftop and from power pole to power pole.

No one could stop Mari.

No one could chase Mari.

This place where she was born, lived with her illness, became a Mushitsuki, met with her friend Arisu, and where she had accepted her end once—

Now that she was going to be unleashed from the spell called Akamaki City, Mari would be reborn.

"Ahaha—"

Mari kept running while sneering.

However—suddenly she felt a sense of discomfort.

Stopping on top of a gasoline stand, she looked down the dark road.

To add to her awareness, the Morpho butterfly lance was glowing violently.

"…"

A raindrop fell down Mari’s evil grin.

The starting rain dampened the now-silent road.

At some point—not even a single car remained on this entire wide road.

And the lights on the other side were all green.

It was a strange sight.

Even among the pedestrians protecting themselves from the violent rain with an umbrella some noticed the abnormality. They looked at the empty road, puzzled.

No. It wasn't that all cars vanished from the road.

She could see the lights of cars in the road full of green lights.

"Are you… trying to race with me?"

Appearing there were two roofless two-seat jeep and a vintage bike—a completely red vespa.

She could see several silhouettes riding these, and one of them was familiar.

He was equipped with gas mask and wore a full-body grey blazer.

The grim reaper that found Mari this morning.

"Very well. If you think you can catch me, go ahead and try."

With her glowing red eyes, Mari welcomed the messengers of hell with a smile.