Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 15 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.04 The Others ==

The Mushitsuki at Aoharima Island took their positions in the island’s lone coast.

As if to protect the ferry landing on the shore, there was a very basic wharf made of a narrow breakwater that extended from left to right. At one end of it was a small lighthouse.

Commander Terasu and Kaguya, who specialized in long-ranged attacks, stood on top of the lighthouse. All other Mushitsuki formed lines on the breakwater, while on the shore there were other combatants on standby. Furthermore, the flying unit led by Kabuto were lying in wait on the anchored tanker near the fishing wharf.

Keigo was at a large warehouse near the ferry landing. It had apparently been used as a market in the past, and by opening the shutter one could see all the way to the Mushitsuki standing on the breakwater and through their gaps to the ocean clearly. It was a dangerous spot close to the frontlines, but there was nowhere to escape to, anyway.

“Four, five, six… man, there are a lot of large ships. I wonder how far C managed to infiltrate and manipulate the army’s chain of command.”

Keigo, who had an earphone-type comm device, counted the black dots floating on sea.

They were still far so he couldn’t see them clearly, but according to Rinrin, these were all warships. They apparently all stopped at a distance of about three kilometers away from the island.

“I doubt C’s main body’s there… but do each of these have about a hundred people aboard? Just thinking about the enemy numbers makes me depressed.”

“Then try looking like it. When you’re smiling it makes me extra nervous.”

Behind Keigo spoke Takemi, branch head of the North Central Branch.

Other than Keigo, all of the former SEPB Branch Heads were in the warehouse alongside bodyguard Mushitsuki. Included in the lineup were Keigo’s direct subordinate Goroumaru Touko, as well as Akasegawa Nanana who was clad in a completely out-of-place gorgeous dress.

“Let us calm down. This is no time to make a scene at this stage. —Look, it’s starting.”

While using his index finger to fix the position of his glasses, Keigo looked to the sky above the ocean.

For just an instant he could see a glittering, flashing point of light.

Yet it soon vanished and he saw a column of water rise from afar.

“What was that, just now? An attack?”

The voice of Terasu the commander was heard through the comms.

“Namie speaking. The light just now—was a missile shot from a fighter jet! Recall’s saying that the fog she spread in the sky caught twenty high-speed flying objects!”

“Did she manage to shoot them down?”

“Just as planned! All objects moving in a high speed that enter the fog are transported inside the ocean unconditionally!”

“M-missiles…”

“Once we know they’re coming, we can handle them. The problem comes after.”

Goromaru Touko’s expression was frozen, while Keigo wore a thin smile.

“What will the opponent’s first move be? If they approached us we could use Kaguya’s lasers to penetrate right through and sink them all in one fell swoop, though.”

“Keep defending against long-range attacks and focus on the approaching ship to sink it! If they make a landing, we have no chance here!”

One of the ships floating in the distance started advancing toward the island as if guided by Terasu’s issued order and the hailing Mushitsuki’s voices.

“It’s coming! All hands, prepare to sink it!”

If the enemy planned on encircling the island, they would attack each ship.

If they were going to focus their forces on a certain point, then those on the island was also going to focus their firepower and intercept them.

This was the defensive strategy that Keigo and others thought up.

They estimated it would become a war of attrition no matter what form the attack took, but—

“What an unbelievable speed! But the direction seems a bit slanted toward the harbor…?”

“I can sense a powerful ‘flame’! A strong Mushitsuki’s approaching!”

He heard through his headphones the voices of Rinrin and Senri, who were on patrol duty.

“Kabuto speaking! This is bad, our tanker’s being pulled toward the ship! This ability is—”

Kabuto was on standby on the tanker. Hearing his announcement, Keigo had a hunch.

It wasn’t just him; there was no doubt that each and every one of the defenders came to the same realization with a chill.

“—Asagi.”

“…Asagi!”

Keigo and Terasu’s voices overlapped.

The one who’d been responsible for coaching combatants in the SEPB had been the Mushitsuki called Asagi. She could control electromagnetism and had been a genius combatant, but she’d already died in battle, and was now being controlled by C as a Revived.

“T-to think her ability works from this far away…! Kabuto! Evacuate everyone from the tanker! At this rate, she’ll draw it to the other ship and make them crash!”

“It looks like they’re increasing their speed and trying to bump into us before sinking.”

Haji borrowed Touko’s binoculars and gazed at the ocean’s surface.

“Furthermore, Orion’s protecting the approaching ship.”

As if to guide the rapidly approaching warship, a small figure was running atop the ocean. She didn’t just control the water to make footholds, but even accelerated using water sprays.

She was Orion, a Mushitsuki who controlled water. She grasped a bizarrely-shaped sword.

“Orion…! We’ve defeated her at back at the Underground Fort, but she’s back…! Kabuto, turn the speakers I’ve given you toward the tanker! —Territory Isolation!”

“…It’s no use! Seems like the magnetism weakened for a moment, but Asagi’s powers—"

“Kuh…! We can’t be having a contest of strength with Asagi right at the very beginning! How was that girl called, Recall? Can she move the tanker itself like the missiles?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Recall’s ability to transfer matter has limits!”

“I’m reluctant to do this, but… I’ll try oxidizing it to have it be unaffected by magnetism.”

“Hurry up, Sakura! If you’re going to rust it… then have Yakugami also help you!”

“Understood. But no matter how I look at it—we won’t make it in time.”

That was true.

The approaching battleship only gained further speed, and even if they handled the tanker right now, they’d be too late.

“I can’t believe they got so close all of a sudden…! All hands, attack! I don’t care how, just stop that ship!”

The battleship was already so close it could be seen in all of its large size.

Receiving Terasu’s orders, the Mushitsuki’s long-ranged attacks hit the battlefield.

However, these were all cut down by the water blade shot by Orion. Even when Kaguya’s lasers pierced through the warship, it wouldn’t have time to sink it.

“Even if we attack directly, it won’t work against Orion! We gotta do something to attack from the side—”

“From this distance and location there’s no issue.”

These curt words belonged to the boy he was pretty sure was called Aijisupa.

The ocean surface was covered by what looked like haze—steam.

The superheated oceanwater whipped up large amounts of steam that covered Orion and the warship. The next moment—

A large explosion shook the coast.

It was a steam explosion. He’d never directly met or spoken with the boy, but even Keigo heard about his prowess controlling steam in the fights until now.

While the Mushitsuki standing on the breakwater for fanned by the explosive wind, the steam cleared up—

“Yesss!”

Voices of someone rejoicing echoed through the comms.

The battered-looking Orion floated on the ocean. Even she had been unable to put up a fight against something so powerful.

“The ship hasn’t stopped yet! Attack!”

Terasu shouted.

Although its guard collapsed, the momentum of the warship did not stop. The Mushitsuki on the island immediately launched their attacks, but they couldn’t sink it.

And finally—

“We won’t make it in—”

Terasu’s voice was drowned by such a loud reverberation that it sounded as though Aoharima Island was split in half.

The tanker and warship clashed. The impact created tall waves, and the sound of these great masses of metal clashing shook the entire island’s air.

Although the flying units had already retreated, the tanker was half-ruined, its flank stabbed by the warship. Even the warship itself barely preserved its shape after getting hit by the Mushitsuki’s attacks.

“Some of the enemies might have survived that! Prepare for a follow-up attack!”

The Mushitsuki all prepared to attack the half-drowned ship.

However—no matter how much they waited, no enemy showed themselves.

No, that was wrong.

They couldn’t see anyone on the destroyed ship—not even a single enemy.

“W-what…?”

The moment someone’s voice echoed, the tanker and warship were wrapped in a violet glow.

Appearing on the ship’s surface—were Chestnut Tiger butterflies clad in purple electricity.

Keigo turned on the mic and spoke.

“Looks like the next one’s the real deal.”

“…!”

So many people were surprised probably because they looked to the surface of the sea.

From the vast distance, multiple outlines of ships were approaching the island.

The two ships who were sinking right next to the fishing harbor were being pulled together using powerful magnetism.

Most likely, the first warship had been used as a decoy to make them waste their energy, while this time the ships carried actual soldiers.

It was a perfectly executed scheme.

“If several approach us with this speed, we won’t be able to deal with all of them…! Sakura! Yakugami! You have to do something to neutralize and warship and tanker before that happens!”

“You’re asking that when there are now two huge objects? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’ll do it, Terasu-chan. —Kasuou-chan, could you help me? I’ll take you all the way to the ship, so don’t act rough.”

Speaking casually was Shiohara Shachito.

He was neither SEPB nor Mushibane, but he was in fact the very last disciple of the one torturing them right now, Asagi.

Two figures leapt on top of the tanker and warship.

“Don’t you dare touch any funny places!”

“It’s a perk, just let it go. —Throw it once I give you the go-ahead.”

The bay coast glowed in orange.

Many glowing objects, enough to cover the sky, rose from the surface of the tanker and the warship. Looking closely, these took the shape of hazy dragonflies—Autumn Darters.

Shiohara Shachito’s ability was the control of mass.

“C’mon, it’s fine. Throw it at a low altitude so it won’t get caught by Recall-chan’s transport ability.”

“Ha? Throw what—oh, I see now.”

The doubts in Kasuou’s voice soon changed into understanding.

Black mist rose up on the surface next to the tanker, and the blond girl landed on it. The mist coming from the girl condensed, became claws and stabbed into the tanker’s belly.

“ORAAAH!”

The gigantic tanker flew above the ocean lightly but accompanied by a fierce gale.

Kasuou’s controlled mist did have frightening strength, but it wasn’t just that. Shachito controlled the tanker’s mass, making it as light as he possibly could.

“A good throwing form.”

Along with Shachito’s voice, the tanker dancing in air had a swarm of Autumn Darters land on it.

With the initial velocity induced by Kasuou’s strength and the tanker regaining its former mass through Shachito’s ability—it went flying toward the distant ships as fast as a bullet.

“Have this one, too!”

The remaining warship was also flung by Kasuou.

Behind Keigo, Branch Head Takemi emitted a hoarse voice.

“T-this is ridiculous… so this is a fight between Mushitsuki, then?”

Although the two ships crashed into the sea after receiving air resistance, they kept rotating countless times like they were skipping stones and headed toward the enemy ships.

“Y-yes! That’s great, Kasuou, Shachito—”

This time the two ships actually hit the enemy battleships—but were then instantly annihilated by a harsh light.

“—”

All Mushitsuki who witnessed this sight went speechless.

The enemy also did the same as the defending side.

They shot down the approaching danger with a simultaneous attack using Mushitsuki powers.

However, the difference in their numbers was too great.

The Mushitsuki on the island were unable to sink even a single ship. On the other hand, the enemy’s concentrated firepower managed to blow two ships to smithereens.

“How many Mushitsuki are there over there…?”

Rinrin’s hoarse voice cut through the silence of the fishing harbor, echoing.

While the Mushitsuki all gulped, something like smoke rose from the battleship.

No, that was wrong. It was a small swarm of figures—a group of Revived with flying abilities. Perhaps cautious of Recall’s mist spread around the sky, they approached them while flying low above the water surface.

By straining his eyes, he could even see something that looked like fast boats approaching Aoharima Island. They probably had enemy Revived on board as well.

Keigo groaned in a low voice.

“Right, it’s natural to move on to a war of attrition if a surprise attack’s impossible.”

If the enemies used normal boats to attack, they could simply sink them before they arrived at shore. Because they understood this, the enemy specifically used these material tactics to waste their stamina.

“They’re really using some rather thorough and nasty ways to attack, huh.”

“All hands, assume battle positions! Don’t let them land!”

Under Terasu’s commands, the defending Mushitsuki instantly materialized their Mushi.

Thus started the full battle between the Mushitsuki and the Revived.

“Our first line of defense is Kaguya’s long-ranged attacks! Our second line is Kasuou! Us on the breakwater will aim for those enemies who managed to run away! Try pacing yourself!”

Golden lasers were launched from the lighthouse right next to Kaguya. The rain of light raining on the sea pierced through the approaching Revived and their high-speed vessels.

Floating in the sea was Kasuou, clad in black mist. The black claws she produced struck down those enemies that managed to weave between the lasers.

Those who managed to dodge and circumvent Kasuou were intercepted by the Mushitsuki lined up on the breakwater.

The small fishing harbor was filled with shouts, impacts, and all sorts of flashes of light.

“Kaguya, Kasuou! Switch up with Toramaru and Yotsuba and have Nene treat you! The battle’s only just getting started!”

“I can feel a ‘flame’ approaching in a straight line! Is it… in the sea? It’s a powerful Mushitsuki!”

“So they’re finally sending high-ranked Mushitsuki… Namie, Aijisupa!”

“Yes!”

“Gotcha.”

Common Albatross butterflies blazing in pure white danced in the sky. Cutting through the water surface and flying inside, they caused an explosion within, raising a large water column.

Blown to above the water, the person was then engulfed by the steam hanging over it.

A large explosion formed.

The figure struck back to the ocean started sinking.

“The ‘flame’ has vanished—no, it’s weakened, but not gone…! They’re going away!”

“So we let them escape… high-ranked really are tough. But it’s fine as long as we can stop them from coming to land, there’s no damage, right?”

“The weakened ‘flame’ is especially—uh? Uu…aaaahhh!”

“What? What’s wrong, Himiko?!”

“It’s the guy from before! She’s being poisoned by mental pollution! —Healing Punch!”

“Kuh… what’s her guard doing?! If our sensors get offed, we’re finished!”

“I-I’m fine now… More importantly, there’s a small gathering of ‘flames’ that took a large detour and are coming to the other side of the island behind us…”

“A flying column…! Shachito, take care of them! Just in case, take Yakugami with you, too!”

“I mean, sure. But should I head to the enemy’s main forces and sink at least one ship?”

“That’s only if the enemy’s firepower got dispersed! They have so many in one place and that includes Asagi, so we can’t take that bet!”

“So we can’t tag out and rest like that. Yeah, it really is just like teacher to do that.”

The attacks from above sea continued without pause.

Revived were being sent one after another, and powerful assassins dealt surprise attacks as if they were aiming for gaps where the defending side grew lax. If even one of them made landfall there was a danger of the defensive lines being eroded from the inside. Terasu and the others had to snipe all of them without fail, exhausting both energy and morale.

Even so, when about two hours passed into the defensive battle, the attacking side seemed to lay off.

They managed to preserve the island’s defenses.

However—the Mushitsuki’s hearts were definitely being shaved little by little.

Exactly as their enemy intended.

“…Are Asagi and these Revived the so-called Dove?”

While watching over the battle, Keigo mumbled to himself.

''—And the Dove will be unleashed.

These were the curious words uttered by Miguruma.

If the Dove was the existence that Keigo thought it was, it fit.

“We still don’t have everyone here…”

As Keigo muttered this, Terasu’s low voice overlapped with his.

“The next batch is coming. …Everyone, prepare for interception!”

Just like the first wave, a swarm of Revived came from the enemy battleships. Judging from the number of fast vessels lowered onto the water, their numbers were higher than last time.

The defending Mushitsuki struck down the assassins one after another.

There were gradually more and more listless Revived floating in the waters as well as the remains of fast boats.

They managed to protect the defensive lines for an hour and then another hour—but both stamina and willpower of the Mushitsuki at Aoharima Island were slowly but surely wasting away.

When three hours passed, the laser beams raining over the ocean lost their momentum.

The same way, the claws of mist that wreaked havoc in front of the breakwater also grew duller.

Inevitably, the number of enemies approaching the island grew, and even the benched combatants came to rejoin the defensive battle.

Realizing this was a critical moment, the enemy sent more and more powerful Revived—

“Two powerful ‘flames’ are approaching from left and right…! And another one coming in a delay—”

“Tch, you pieces of shit! How dare you escape me…! If you’re gonna fight, come at me!”

“Poisonous Punch! Don’t use more strength than necessary, Kasuou! I have my hands full here, I can’t swap with you!”

“Recall can’t keep protecting from missiles for much longer, either! She’s still a child, she might have talent, but no stamina…!”

“So this is sink or swim… should we attack them while ready for honorable death?”

“Don’t be an idiot! Do you want to get bombarded by concentrated fire in the ocean where there’s no escape?”

He could hear these shouting voices all over the comms, but at the same time someone also spoke to him directly.

Terasu showed herself next to Keigo’s group who were at the warehouse.

Since the battlefield’s commander herself came to them, Keigo and the other Branch Heads realized the situation.

“…Thirty more minutes…”

Raising her goggles to her brows, Terasu spoke to Keigo.

“If they went through our defensive lines, we’ll be annihilated in no time.”

“Probably, yeah.”

While fixing the position of his glasses with his index finger, Keigo wore a thin smile. The other Branch Heads behind him started clamoring, but he paid them no heed.

Even if they evacuated starting now it was useless. Once the Revived pierced through the defenses, there was no doubt they’d scour the entire island to fully and thoroughly eliminate all Mushitsuki of the old generation.

Even if they tried escaping outside the island, they had no ship with which to do so.

Should they resolve themselves and fight as the very last line of defense as soldiers?

He thought that wasn’t bad at all, but they still had other things they could do before this.

“Terasu. The thing I’ve asked you to do before the fight—are there any mental control types still alive?”

“Ha…? Yes, that’s obviously—”

“Alright, then order that kid to wake up Sleeping Beauty.”

“…!”

Everyone there froze at Keigo’s words.

“This is different from the original plan—but we’ll use whatever we can. It’s fine for there to be some aftereffects. Anyway, let’s try kicking her off the bed and throw her in the enemies’ midst.”

“B-but that…!”

Exposing her agitation, Terasu argued back.

“She might go wild… and if that happens, we’ll incur victims even among our allies…!”

“You were the one who told me we were on the brink of annihilation, right?”

As Keigo spoke back, Branch Head Takemi grabbed his arm from behind.

“Are you saying we’ll self-destruct—no, cause ourselves to explode, Keigo-kun? If we’re going to do that, we should at least bet on an attack, or look for means to run away.”

“Self-annihilation is quite unthinkable. All of us just want to live as long as possible.”

Saying this, Keigo looked to the sea.

“Also, there is one thing I still do not understand.”

“Don’t understand…? At this point, you can shove your personal feelings—”

Each Branch Head began to object, and Terasu also fell into silence, unable to decide anything.

Ignoring all of them and looking into the sea, Keigo could see a red point being formed.

It looked like it appeared even further away than the enemy’s battleships. Curious, Keigo raised his binoculars and peeked at it.

“Terasu.”

“Ye…yes sir. I will now follow your orders—”

“No, forget what I said just now. We don’t need to unleash Sleeping Beauty just yet.”

Terasu looked confused. However, following Keigo’s line of sight to the sea, her face changed.

“Th—that is…”

Through his binoculars, Keigo managed to capture that red light.

For a moment he thought it was some sort of missile, but he was mistaken.

It was a blazing mass of flames.

A whirl of hellfire that could be called a second sun.

“It looks like—we’ve managed to hold long enough.”

Keigo’s mumble was erased by the air vibrating enough to shake to surface of the sea.

The sphere approaching the enemy warships burst and changed form to a gigantic Great Yama tiger beetle. Sporting tusks with differing lengths, this Mushi landed on one of the warships.

It raised a wave large enough to be clearly seen even from the island.

The Great Yama tiger beetle of flames swallowed the battleship whole. That impact and explosive wind created tall waves, shaking the surrounding ships.

It targeted another ship, but was blocked by a purple glow. The glow of haphazard electricity flying all over the sea surface and the crimson Great Yama tiger beetle began tussling and restraining each other.

“Ha—”

Even Goroumaru Touko’s voice coming from behind was blocked by the roar echoing from nearby.

In the part of the sea close to the fishing harbor, those Revived that hadn’t been defeated by those like Kaguya and Kasuou were now hit by a single strike.

It was done by a gigantic, half-dome-shaped Mushi. Suppressing the battles on the ocean in an instant, the Mushi flew along with the figure riding its head toward the storehouse where Keigo and the rest were.

It was a Mushi with seven spots on its wings, as well as its host.

Landing near Keigo, the girl jumped down from the Mushi’s head.

“I saw you fighting, so I came rushing here alone—but that was our enemy, right?”

With her beautiful face and the cloak she was wearing, her figure looked like the very picture of a hero.

Keigo shrugged.

“I do believe Kasuou got hit with some of the aftershock and is shouting toward us, though.”

The Great Yama tiger beetle flying all over the enemy ships became a fireball again.

Drawing an arc through air, it came flying at them with great momentum. As it landed nearby, running half the storehouse’s wall, a single human figure emerged from within, spreading sparks around.

“I saw somethin’ interesting, so I came here flying alone—but looks like I’m a little late, eh?”

Shaking his bright red hair, he wore a bold smile that spread smoldering flames.

“No, we’re still in the middle of this. Whether this is fortunate or unfortunate, I’m not sure.”

Keigo cracking a joke like this was the complete opposite reaction from all Mushitsuki gathered on the pier.

They were the beautiful girl controlling a seven spotted ladybug, and the flame devil in charge of a Great Yama tiger beetle.

Seeing these two people on Aoharima Island, Goroumaru Touko leaked a shaky voice.

“Lady-san…! Harukiyo-san…!”

As if in delay, there was a large cheer coming from the harbor.

Blaze Class Rank 1, Lady Bird.

Irregular Class Rank 1, Harukiyo.

These two aces that once couldn’t stand together now came to these dire straits—

[[File:Mushi Uta 15 p099.png|thumb]]

As the defending side was on the brink of annihilation, they probably looked like Gods of salvation to them.

“...W-we’re saved—”

Terasu was about to collapse from relief, but regained her senses and hurriedly wore her goggles again.

“—D-don’t let your guard down! Reassemble the flying unit! Nene, you heal Kasuou! Create footholds for Kasuou to reach the enemy warships and also charge through the enemy ships with the Rank 1s and the flying unit!”

Keigo judged this decision to be correct.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the gap in power between them and the enemy forces shrunk down with the sudden appearance of Lady and Harukiyo. Since it would raise their morale, they should use this chance to attack.

“All hands, start the counterattack!”

It was time to switch defense to offense.

Until now they withstood a defensive fight, but they could finally see a hope for turning it all around.

“Wait a minute.”

Even so, one of the people vital for this—Lady Bird—stopped Terasu. Not covered by her fox mask, the beautiful woman’s eyes gazed straight at the enemy ships.

“Aren’t the enemies… leaving?”

“That’s why I thought I was late. Or was I being too much of a scaredy-cat?”

Smiling calmly with a hand on his hip, Harukiyo spoke.

“I tried getting all of ‘em in a surprise attack, but that familiar magnetism woman zombie stopped me. I thought she was annoying, and they’d already started preparing for drawing back.”

“Eh…”

Pushing down her goggles again, Terasu groaned.

“The response was far too quick! Even though it took our forces time to regain their positions…!”

“Go and buy us some time already.”

“Why’re you talking as if you’re just sending me on an errand to the nearby supermarket? You go, bitch. There’s still plenty of ‘em, so how about you cool ‘em off with your specialty wind?”

Anxious eyes were directed by the surrounding people at the two Rank 1s with clashing gazes that were hot and cold.

Should they just let the enemies go to prevent any further victims?

Or should they pursue the enemy even in this insufficient state?

While everyone hesitated about this, their gazes naturally flowed toward Keigo.

“…The enemy ships divided into two groups.”

However, while peeking through the binoculars Keigo had other worries than attack or defense.

“No—they’re making way for something.”

Following his actions, everyone in the storehouse looked to the sea.

There was a small dot that passed by the ships creating a path for it. Since it was far and much smaller than the battleships, they couldn’t yet see any clear silhouette.

“I agree with your opinion. We might win if we attack right now, but it’s also true the enemy still has many remaining forces. Even so, it’s too soon for them to judge this an adequate retreat.”

Keigo kept staring through the binoculars, unmoving.

“There’s one thing for sure. The appearance of Lady and Harukiyo—means that right now, all of the surviving Mushitsuki are on this island.”

Finally, his binoculars managed to capture the form of the small figure approaching them.

“So this probably means that it was Asagi’s aim to get us to hole up on this island in the first place…”

Keigo sighed, throwing the binoculars to Terasu. While wearing a puzzled expression, she peeked into those binoculars which had better zoom functions than her goggles.

“…! B-but that’s… I see! So it really means our forces are gathered now! That’s why the enemy escaped—”

“…”

While Terasu raised a cheer, Keigo shook his head to the sides.

“Am I wrong? But she’s—”

“What’s that? It’s coming right here.”

“What’s this all over the area, rain?”

Lady and Harukiyo also seemed to notice what was approaching.

However, it was still far, so probably only Keigo and Terasu were able to clearly see it.

“Eh—she already managed to slip past the enemies, so why is she still using her ability—not only that, but it’s growing stronger and stron—ger—”

Watching through the binoculars again, Terasu gasped.

“This—can’t be, right…?”

As the girl began to tremble, the binoculars fell from her hands with a clatter.

Keigo now became convinced and spoke.

“That is—the Dove.”

Seeing her figure, he accepted it so readily that he wanted to laugh.

“God unleashed a Dove… and its return showed that the surface had been purged—”

He recalled the tragedy of a few years prior.

It happened one day, without any advance warning, all due to a single, young Mushitsuki—

The mere act of that elementary schooler walking around town nearly caused the annihilation of the entire Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

And the boy who’d managed to stop this nightmare—was no longer there.

“Certainly, if the Dove managed to go back to C unscathed… it would mean that no more old generation Mushitsuki remained in this world.”

Keigo now realized Miguruma Yaeko’s—no, C’s aim.

The assassins that came riding the battleship weren’t sent there to rout the Mushitsuki of Aoharima Island.

She was waiting for all Rank 1s to gather in one place.

At the same time, she was waiting for the Dove who was sent there to arrive.

Waiting for the Mushitsuki to barely survive wasn’t for a chance to change offense to defense—

It was to set the guillotine upon the stage.

“N-no way, is she coming for us…?”

Keigo nodded toward the paling Terasu.

“—C-change in plans!”

Lowering the goggles to her eyes, she shouted.

“Refrain from attack! All hands, to defense—no, actually, take attack positions! It’s impossible to defend! I’ll give the signal, so attack using your full powers! K-Kasuou and Recall are to retreat all the way to the pier! Don’t touch that ability even by mistake!”

“Ah? Calm down, brat! Which is it, attacking or defending? In the first place, what’re you even talking about—”

Kasuou’s voice arguing back stopped.

Probably because she could see that figure first of everyone, being alone at sea as she was.

Even the Mushitsuki lines on the breakwater became able to see it with their eyes.

It was—a small boat.

They could see the lone human figure standing on it.

Who was it?

Although they weren’t close enough to see the face, everyone on the island understood.

“It’s fine, just focus on attacking—”

Terasu’s voice probably sounded like announcing the death penalty.

The morale that rose due to the arrival of Lady and Harukiyo was being dyed over by confusion and despair.

After all, only around the small boat approaching the island there was a certain localized phenomenon—

“If we don’t—we’ll just get annihilated in moments!”

Pouring down from the blue sky in complete regard of the season—

Was pure white snow.