Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 6th Episode 24 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

The moment that boy appeared, he felt like he could somehow understand him.

Because the boy, who was like a devil clad in flames, had the same wish as him.

Or perhaps it was because—he was a special being, far removed from any normal person.

“Ah…”

He met the devil in the scorching heat quite a while after he’d parted with the girl called Hunter. He kept his memories of her in his chest, trying to calmly greet the time of his end.

Although only for a while, Hunter had gone wild in a certain city.

It was fine for this Mushitsuki girl to be the sole victim of a sad end because of him.

So he thought—

“This is horrible…”

Dirtied by mud and soot, he wore a white coat like a dust cloth that was singed, burnt and cut.

Filling his sights were flames, flames and flames—

He heard someone scream. And it was terribly lonely—the thing called a death throe.

“Seems like we’ve finally been found… Aria…”

At the edge of his vision there was a large explosion. Several of the few houses were all blown apart together.

The small dots passing overhead along with roars were fighter jets. He didn’t think that dispatching all these conventional weapons to deal with him was an exaggeration. Because they were probably afraid of the continued existence of him and of the third party—the “parasite”.

“Why haven’t I lasted just a little bit longer…”

A burning hell where everything living had been reaped away.

Until yesterday, this place had been called Aoharima Island.

It was a peaceful and beautiful island, housing only fishermen and their families.

“Just a little longer and I would’ve been able to sleep…”

Stumbling and glaring up the sky, the young man had tears hidden by sparks.

This pitiable, pathetic figure was often called Sensei.

Right now, he could only feel despair and sadness.

“Even though I no longer have any intention to escape, or power to resist…”

Perhaps—that itself was his sin?

He had committed some sins.

Anyone would blame him and detest him. And he kept repeating the same actions and living.

“Yes, indeed. I have the feeling that we’ve only ever conversed about despair…”

In this hell, where he could hear only explosions and screams, he mumbled to himself.

''Hurry up and kill me.

''Hurry up and destroy me.

''Hurry up—and punish me.

Still wishing for that, he kept living slowly until now.

For how long had he been speaking to the “thing” inside of him? Even right now the flames that should have swallowed him were avoiding him.

''Why do you let me live—

Feeling even hatred, he glared at the hellfire burying the island.

Did this mean that there were still things he had to do and people he had to meet?

There isn’t supposed to be any such person. Everyone in the world wanted to kill him. Even if someone didn’t want to, it meant they weren’t human.

It could be the grim reaper who dragged him into hell, or perhaps another criminal drenched in sin as he was—

And that definitely appeared right in front of him.

“—Damn, this is really terrible. Just like when I was born. Is this my nostalgic hometown, my guardian deity?”

It was as if the dead people of hell—took the form of a boy.

As if he was born from within the flames, as if he was sent out from the very depths of hell.

The devil who leisurely walked through the sparks had a fire-pattern tattoo on his cheek. His blazer that looked like it belonged to some high school had no burn marks on it.

“Oh.”

With his hair fanned by the explosions at his back, the boy approached right in front him.

“So someone other than me managed to survive this place. —No, aren’t you actually dead?”

Kneeling on top of scorch marks, he looked up at the boy in a daze.

The boy glared down at him with hands stuck in his pockets.

Two sinners met at the most suitable place for them—the depths of hell beyond any salvation.

“Wow, you’re quite the ‘disaster’. I really do sympathize with you.”

He started talking casually as if discussing today’s weather.

“I mean, looks like we got involved in a mission to exterminate some monster called Sanbikime or somethin’? Although I ended up coming across a unit of that SEPB or whatever by chance, ended up hearing about their mission by chance, got interested in it and came to the place they headed for by chance, this time it definitely wasn’t my fault, right? Doesn’t count at all, right?”

The devil appearing from the flames sighed as if he really was bothered about it all.

Sanbikime—that was one of the Original Three who birthed Mushi along with Oogui and Shinpu. They really were fit to be monsters, beings that should be detested.

“…”

“Thought that if I came here many other Mushitsuki would come as well, but there’s nothin’ like that here, eh? Have they already arrived? Or are they hiding somewhere? Maybe they decided to bombard these places and then come clean up the remnants so they’ll appear if I wait?”

“…”

“Hey, you even listening? A person’s having a nice friendly talk with you, you should at least answer. Are you actually dead?”

The side of his face was kicked.

He did not resist. Neither did he try to attack. His body just tilted and he let out a small cough.

The devil, looking pissed off, clicked his tongue.

“So you were alive. This is our first meeting, but lemme say this. I fucking hate people like you. Just can’t accept ‘em on a visceral level. You wanna die? If you don’t feel like living, then stop breathing. You don’t deserve the oxygen that Sehateno Harukiyo uses to breathe.”

He finally received just the tiniest bit of information on who the boy was.

First, apparently that devil was called Sehateno Harukiyo. Also, he thought that Harukiyo came from the SEPB, but that was wrong.

Even more shocking was the fact that this devil Harukiyo—was just passing by.

He just came to the very depths of hell by chance.

“Should I just kill you right here and now?”

The devil spoke in a light tone as if he thought up a good idea.

Hearing those words—

“…Heh.”

Unbelievably even to him, laughter spilled out.

''So I can still laugh even in this situation—

Perhaps that was good.

No, he even thought that it would be a fitting punishment for him.

He would be killed not by the one supposed to kill him, and not even killed by those who came for that purpose; he would simply be killed “on the way” by the devil visitor that just so happened to pass by.

It was a fitting end that he thought would be good for him.

“Kill me…”

He opened his mouth.

“—Wishing for this is definitely illogical… we can’t die until killed by the those who should kill us…  I don’t want to be killed by a mere passerby, of all people…”

Soot and smoke clung to his throat, so his voice sounded horribly husky.

“So, getting killed by you would be a punishment…”

“Oh, so do you understand it, bastard. I’m seein’ you in a slightly better light now.”

Flames at his back, the devil wore an exceedingly delighted smile.

“Lemme hear your name, at least. I’ll soon forget it, though.”

“I am Sanbikime…”

“Huh, that’s a rare one. —No wait, so this is all your fault. Don’t drag people into your own troubles, you menace.”

How many people have sought him desperately thus far?

How many people have hated him?

The devil truly sounded as if he had no interest in his existence.

“Well, if you’re asking for a name, I do have another. I’ve been called Sensei…”

He thought that, rather than the name given to him by his parents, that nickname would better convey it to the devil.

A devil and Sensei.

The pair’s conversation, unfittingly calm in this island that only had the presence of death on it, continued.

“Huh, Sensei? You don’t really look like a doctor, honestly.”

“True… that name doesn’t fit me at all…”

“You said something about being punished? Then what was your crime, exactly?—oh, you mean being one of the Original Three and creating Mushitsuki. So giving birth to Mushitsuki is a crime then, huh. Hmm? Is it, really? Well, if I ever saw Shinpu I’d want to kill him, but still.”

“I’ve already created several Mushitsuki… that is my sin as Sanbikime…”

“And does your Sensei name have any sins?”

“I am going to forget my own sin… that is my sin as Sensei…”

“You’re saying as if inside you there are two people called Sanbikime and Sensei.”

The devil hit the nail right on the head. No matter who heard what he said, they’d never understand it, probably.

“I’ll forget my crime. I won’t have any sensation of it. Is there anything—as sinful as that?”

''Twitch'', Harukiyo reacted. His smile vanished.

“I also think that.”

“Perhaps I was simply involved in fate, misfortune and all that. But as a result I’ve had a carefree life…”

“Yeah, you’ve been the only one surviving. That’s the result.”

“But when I turn back on it, I end up thinking. Perhaps everything is my own fault…”

“It’s so useless that there’s no sense in keeping thinking about it. I’ve thought about it thousands, millions of times.”

“In the end, I found no answer…”

“Obviously. An answer that comes out just ‘cuz you feel like it is no answer at all.”

“…Perhaps it was just a ‘disaster’. Perhaps I just have slightly more bad luck than people… even so—I tried doing something.”

“…”

“But it was all for naught… so I started thinking that was my sin…”

He no longer understood what he was saying. He was probably just speaking up the emotions accumulated inside him for his own self-satisfaction.

But the devil looked as if he was feeling something.

“I fucking hate anyone like you who gives up on everything and just wants to die, but—”

The devil’s blazing gaze looking down at him was loaded with smoldering emotions.

“Seems like we’re two peas in a pod.”

Two peas in a pod.

Right, only two similar sinners like them could meet in this scorching hell.

He spoke what he needed to speak about himself.

Raising his face, he looked up the devil who resembled him. This time he wanted to hear him speak.

“Let me hear your circumstances… I don’t think I can help you, but if that’s fine with you…”

“I’m looking for Hunter.”

He widened his eyes.

“I only know that they’re a crazy powerful Mushitsuki like some sorta monster. —Huh? They’re a Mushitsuki, right? Oooh, I’ve been looking for so long but I only now realize the truth? Nobody said anything about them being a Mushitsuki at all! Wait a minute, this is way past being just careless! Since I couldn’t find them no matter how hard I tried, does that mean they’re not Mushitsuki? What am I going to do with me?”

“…”

Looking at the boy writhing while holding his head, Sensei’s eyes—

Began shedding tears.

“Whoa, you surprised me! What’re you crying for, all of a sudden? That’s scary!”

It was too much; no voice could come out.

To hear that name right now.

So this was where—they were connected.

Even now, at the very last moments when he was trying to die, he ended up recalling her smile.

''—I want to live.

She wanted to live.

Her much too pure, ephemeral dream, caused his frozen heart to restart right here and now—

“Hunter is… a Mushitsuki—”

Looking up at the sky dyed in red by the flames, he moved only his mouth.

The great heavens fully covered in smoke and ashes.

Just as if it really was inside hell.

Her heart was definitely the same.

He knew this girl who tried climbing her way up from the very depths of hopeless despair—

“I made her—into a Mushitsuki…”

Harukiyo’s movements scratching his head stopped at once.

“Her name was Hanashiro Mari…”

“For real…? Wait, wait, wait, for real, for real, for real, for real?! If you’re lying then I’ll fucking kill you!”

The boy who grabbed his collar had his eyes sparkling like a child.

It also caused him to smirk.

“Also… she’s an exceptional beauty.”

“Wow, seriously?! Is she strong? Hey now! She’s definitely strong, right?!”

“She is. Even among Mushitsuki, her ability is the best… You could say she reached the perfect form.”

“Haha! The strongest, huh! That’s awesome! Amazing! I’m getting goosebumps!”

Harukiyo was also probably a strong Mushitsuki. He knew it at a glance.

Seeing the devil’s wild joy, he thought up of a certain mischievousness.

A small payback for getting kicked before.

“Hey, where is she right now? I won’t let you tell me that you don’t know! If you do then I’ll burn you to a crisp even before you say the letter I!”

“Her hospital—is at Akamaki City.”

“Akamaki City… Akamaki City…”

Harukiyo mumbled this several times, his expression feverish.

He maliciously narrowed one eye.

“But, I wonder if you… can find ‘her’?”

The traces of the girl called Hanashiro Mari.

The continuation of the dream of the girl who earnestly wished to live.

“Her, who wished for the magic medicine…”

“The magic medicine? The hell’s that! As if I give a fuck! I’ll fucking find her! I’m going to find her, no matter what!”

“I wonder about that… Since Ichiku Mikitaka and Miguruma Yaeko have gone back, I wonder if you could outmaneuver them… how many years it would take to go back to Akamaki City…”

“Who the fuck are they! I don’t give a flying fuck about any of them! I only care about Hanashiro Mari! Hanashiro Mari! Hanashiro Mari! There, etched her in my memory! I’ll definitely find her, no matter what happens!”

Crimson flames burst from Harukiyo’s entire body as he howled in joy.

Appearing there was a Great Yama tiger beetle made of fire. Along with an ear-splitting howl the flame Mushi flew, blowing flames with an explosive wind.

“I give up on killing you.”

Seeing the devil wear a full smile, he realized his own miscalculation.

By speaking about Hanashiro Mari, even Sensei was no longer reflected in Harukiyo’s eyes.

“I want her to face me with her full powers! But I refuse to have it done half-heartedly! Getting killed on purpose is not punishment at all. Suicide’s no punishment! Getting squashed like a bug while not wanting to die at all, though! That’s what I’m talkin’ about when I say punishment!”

“…”

“—Go west. The boat I’ve taken is there.”

“…”

“I’ll draw out the enemies ‘till you get there. I’m letting you live on a whim.”

“…”

“I dunno if your sin really is a sin! You don’t even feel guilt! No matter how you think, you don’t find an answer! So I decided—I’m going to let the result decide it all!”

Sehateno Harukiyo was shouting.

“If you die, it means it was a sin! However, as long as I live—the fact that I’m alive is not a sin!”

What kind of a life did this boy have?

How much death had he seen with his very eyes?

The flame devil’s shout broke through the flames surrounding them, piercing the skies.

“—That’s what I recommend. You do it too.”

Asserting this, the boy wore a smile completely different from the one until now.

“Hanashiro Mari…”

Feeling dizzy by the heat, the form of the boy smiling comfortably was just like—

He was burning with love for Hanashiro Mari.

“Wait for me. I’m coming to getcha.”

The boy yearning for a girl he hadn’t ever seen vanished into the sea of blazes.

Astonished, he watched him getting away.

“…Haha.”

Leaking laughter, he slowly rose to his legs.

He’d committed quite the sin.

He never thought that a bit of mischief on a boy in love would end up adding to his sins.

“—Let’s go, Aria.”

Giving birth to Mushitsuki.

In hindsight, perhaps even the beings born from this mortal sin left room to commit another sin.

Not being killed when he should’ve been killed, he would not be allowed to have such an irrelevant death after all—

“Our sins are heavy… it seems like we need to try living desperately before our deaths…”

The “pair” then conversed for a while.

Inside their hearts.

And finally reached a conclusion.

“—”

Closing his eyes, he wished from the bottom of his heart.

While feeling that something was vanishing from within him.

He wished that they could keep living desperately just like that flame devil after their brief meeting.

And on top of that, one day—they’d be punished.

That was the final wish of the man called Sensei.

“—”

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself, ''for some reason'', in a hellish place.

Everything was burning.

“…Where am I…?”

He had to escape this terrifying place as soon as possible.

If he went to the west, there’d be a boat—

For some reason this vague piece of information rose to mind.