Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 30 (section)

=== Part 5 ===

Even if she tried to recall it, she knew.

For Mari, the important thing was not Oogui, but the power of Undying—an immortal flesh.

Right now, in the place of the decisive fight against Oogui, she was being pressed to decide.

Her answer—she had supposedly made it already.

“Do you understand, Hanashiro Mari? What your answer means?”

Ichiku Kimitaka’s tardigrades covered the Morpho butterfly silver spear.

“If you were Hanashiro Mari, who possesses the qualifications of a Rank 1, I’ll overlook it. However, if you’re that Ichinokuro girl—I won’t show any mercy. Since she’s connected to Mushitsuki despite not being a Mushitsuki herself, I’ll cut off her fate right here.”

If Mari wouldn’t erase the existence of Arisu right here, Arisu would probably try to defeat Oogui. Ichiku would never allow it.

Mari grimaced.

“I—”

The Mushitsuki who had Arisu’s body as a hostage couldn’t move.

Only a single person.

Daisuke alone saw Mari and spoke.

“You can answer honestly, Mari.”

—''We’ll find you, the true Hanashiro Mari.

The boy who’d grasped Mari’s index finger and told her this was none other than the one looking at her.

“No matter your answer—Arisu will definitely accept your choice.”

“…!”

Mari widened her eyes.

''I won’t do that, picking my answer after hearing yours —

Arisu said that, and Mari also thought she wasn’t that kind of person.

However.

In the end, was that true?

The girl called Ichinokuro Arisu would never do anything cowardly. Because she always went straight into the heart of the matter and hated shortcuts or distractions.

However, what about someone other than her?

What about her friend’s answer?

“That’s not fair, Arisu… you’ve been silent for a while now—”

By yielding her answer to Mari, she didn’t even try to take back her consciousness.

“You haven’t even blamed me once until now—”

To be honest, she should have begrudged her long ago. It was natural for Mari to be hated and loathed.

After all, entrusting the Morpho butterfly to Arisu was nothing more than Mari’s selfishness.

Even so, Arisu didn’t blame Mari at all.

“You’ve waited for my answer—”

What was that about comparing answers?

It was just like Mari’s friend she was proud of did back in that sickroom.

Whenever Mari wanted to say something and would get stuck, Arisu would for her however long it’d take.

She always waited.

To hear Mari’s answer from her own mouth.

And if Mari said that with her words, no matter what answer it would be—

“I knew it, rather than me, it’s Arisu who’s changed a lot…”

Even if anyone else would laugh at her as stupid.

She intended on nodding along.

She tried to cowardly wait for her answer until the very last moment for Mari’s sake—

“If you exchange with Arisu, that’s fine. Just like promised, I’ll see you off.”

A Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like Mari, Kusuriya Daisuke, spoke.

“Also—I’ll keep chasing you until I defeat you.”

He was the only one other than Sensei and Arisu who noticed her existence. Only he alone never doubted Mari’s existence.

He saved Arisu countless of times, but also secretly saved Mari at times.

If he was about to keep going after her—

“How fantastic.”

A life of eternal chase.

That wasn’t too bad—

She really felt that way.

“—”

Many Mushitsuki watched Mari biting her lips.

Kasuou was looking at Mari. She wasn’t sure how to regard this violent girl.

Himeko looked at Mari. The fact she stopped being a crybaby and turned strong was probably, fitting her, due to love.

Neiko looked at Mari. She always looked sleepy, but she loved her singing voice.

Ayuyu looked at Mari. That girl decided she was her rival on her own, and every time she approached her she said something mean. However, she didn’t hate Ayuyu.

Ena and Takako looked at Mari. These were important classmates and irreplaceable friends. Every day in school was fun just from their existence.

Aki and his comrades looked at Aki. They all treated Kakkou unlike Daisuke, but she wished for all of them to be able to hold hands one day.

Also.

Harukiyo was looking at Mari. Had he noticed that the expectation hidden in his blazing eyes changed into something completely different from when they first met?

“I’m sorry—”

All of her memories with them—were those of the girl called Ichinokuro Arisu.

They weren’t Mari’s—definitely not.

“I’m really… sorry…”

However—

Mari was at her side.

She was together with Arisu, taking the form of the Morpho butterfly.

Gritting her teeth, she leaked a hoarse voice.

“…ank…”

Hanashiro Mari was a lonely girl.

Was that—really so?

No.

She wasn’t actually lonely.

The lonely girl called Hanashiro Mari was no longer lonely when she died.

The girl called Ichinokuro Arisu had released Mari from her lonely prison.

Mari no longer remained lonely.

“—ank you.”

And now, thanks to Arisu, there were many people who’d call her name.

They would surely—remember Mari forever.

Her mouth agape, Mari shouted.

“Thank you!”

For gathering due to Mari’s invitation.

For going along with the lonely Mari’s selfishness.

In the end, she couldn’t even tell if she was really Hanashiro Mari as she was during her life. Perhaps, just like Aria Varei, she was a mere copied personality.

However, that didn’t matter.

Mari finally remembered.

“Thank youuu!”

Tears came gushing out of Mari’s eyes.

That time when, the moment before the light of her life was extinguished, she looked down at her best friend from the roof of a private house.

She had no regrets in her life.

Because Arisu was there, she wasn’t alone.

However—she did have a selfish wish.

She ended up embracing a new dream.

''—See you tomorrow.

She wanted to live with Arisu tomorrow.

She wanted to protect her promise with her friend and live with her, even for a single day.

“Thank you—Arisu…”

The continuation of Mari’s small dream—

The lonely Mushitsuki, Hanashiro Mari, was full with happiness and surrounded by so many people.

Hanashiro Mari.

Now that she was no longer alone, that name was so lovely.

She couldn’t throw it away.

The girl who was no longer lonely, Hanashiro Mari, definitely lived in this world.

Starting with Daisuke, she smiled at everyone on the beach.

“Take good care of Arisu.”

The promise they made that day.

''—See you tomorrow.

Mari’s wish—

Had already been granted.

“—So that’s your answer.”

A low voice echoed on the beach.

A sound loud enough to tear heaven and earth resounded, and the gigantic door floating in the night sky was completely destroyed.

Arriving from the other side of this door blown to smithereens—was Oogui.

“Goodbye, Hanashiro Mari’s ghost.”

Daisuke and Harukiyo kicked the sand at the same time.

However, faster than they could save her—the tardigrades were eating the silver spear.

“—”

All those there would remember the girl called Hanashiro Mari.

Mari, who was released from the cage of loneliness.

When the Morpho butterfly spear would get eaten, she would die for real this time—

She accepted it with a smile.