Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 23 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

“—Hah! Hah!”

Perhaps even her breathing had stopped.

Sinking on the lobby’s floor, Arisu sent a mouthful of oxygen to her lungs. Her entire body was leaking cold sweat.

It was fortunate that Maimai who was collapsed with her was unconscious. If that cowardly girl had seen what just happened, she might have possibly lost her mind.

Even Arisu couldn’t be said to be mentally stable. Her arms hugging Maimai were still shaking. The only reason she hadn’t fallen into panic was because the lobby they returned to had a firm sense of reality. She could just barely cling to the possibility that everything that happened just now was only a nightmare.

“I-Ichiku Mikitaka’s a Mushitsuki…?”

While regulating her breathing, she desperately tried organizing the chaos in her mind.

Looking to the side, she saw the Fallen boy collapsed there. He’d called himself the Custodian.

“The SEPB’s… Director is… a Mushitsuki—”

And not just any Mushitsuki.

Despite having accrued grievous wounds, Ichiku Mikitaka was calm.

It seemed that he was—

“The Undying… Mushitsuki?”

She no longer knew what was what.

She had too little time to regain her calm.

There was a small clunk as the silver rod fell to the ground. Having absolved the fusion, the Morpho butterfly began flying, grazing the ceiling.

As Arisu waited dazzled for her reasoning power to return, she heard a light tone in her ears.

It was her phone’s ringtone, coming through the earphones. Pulling out her cellphone, she switched it from her conversation with Maimai.

“Nihi.”

Once she heard the other party’s characteristic laughter, she immediately realized who it was.

It was a person she’d fought against and now waited for a certain favor after a long time with no communication.

“The Librarian…”

“I’ve found him.”

The woman’s voice spoke without any greeting.

Who exactly had she found—not letting Arisu the time to recall the query, the Librarian gave a certain address and the name of the building there.

“He is being sheltered there.”

“…”

“However, since he’s protected by a certain peculiar Mushitsuki, you might find it hard to handle him. Then again, since he’s not as powerful as me, you should win easily. Nihi.”

“…”

“Are you there? He’s at the highest floor in the building.”

“—I’m there right now.”

Arisu rose to her legs, staggering. She put the still-unconscious Maimai on the floor.

“Eh?”

“Thank you, Librarian.”

After cutting off the call, her body moved on its own. She removed the earphones, and pressed the button of the elevator near her, practically punching it.

She leapt inside as the door opened with a light electronic sound and instantly pressed another button.

The elevator climbed toward the topmost floor.

The name of the building the Librarian had just told her was the same as where Arisu was. Since she’d looked at it before entering, there was no doubt about it.

Leaving the elevator that reached the last floor, she came to the corridor.

The long corridor had only one door other than the elevator’s.

Rushing full speed, she put her hand to the doorknob.

It opened.

Opening the door that even had no lock, she rushed inside with her shoes still on.

She also opened the door at the end of the corridor and the scene immediately jumped to her eyes.


“…”

Arisu narrowed her eyes.

Should she be surprised or angry?

She didn’t know what expression to wear.

The living room had no furniture in it and trash was strewn all around. In its center, on top of the one and only sofa, a shirtless boy was sleeping.

“Harukiyo…”

Seeing the devil of flames sleep like a baby, Arisu ended up naturally—smiling.

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