Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Prologue (section)

== Prologue: 0.00 The Others ==

Mushi—

These were supernatural beings who suddenly appeared more than ten years ago.

Since their outward appearance resembled insects, they became known like that.

“Deepest Layer Restricted Block, Walls A to D… are all fully open!”

“We cannot transmit the emergency quarantine signal! Intelligence division members with electronic control abilities dispatched!”

Mushi nested within adolescent boys and girls.

Feeding on their host’s dreams and hopes, they granted them supernatural powers in exchange.

Those possessed by Mushi—were called Mushitsuki.

“Communication with dispatched members was cut off…! All high-ranking members at once…?”

“E to H… a-are open!”

The government created the agency called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau and concealed the existence of Mushi.

Also called the SEPB for short, this organization captured Mushitsuki and used all possible methods to conceal them. At present they trained these captured Mushitsuki and moved behind the scenes to have them capture further wild Mushitsuki.

“All exits to the surface have been sealed…! The system won’t listen to me!”

“W-we’re trapped…?”

“Restricted Block, remaining walls I to L are also opening!”

Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, Central Headquarters.

This base was located deep underground in Akamaki City, where all the country’s important agencies were gathered. Called the Underground Stronghold, this vast space was now filled with shrill alarms all over.

“Please dispatch the Annihilators to Restricted Block.”

In the room with monitors that showed the situation around the Stronghold, Vice-Director Miguruma Yaeko dispatched commands.

“All members. Please get ready for what appears from the other side of the barrier.”

All subordinate Mushitsuki obeyed Miguruma’s calm voice. Clad in pure white coats and goggles, they started running around inside the monitors.

“There is no response from Harukiyo—Irregular Class Rank 1 member, Ooenma. All other members dispatched.”

One of the members inside the room spoke. Their urgent-sounding tone of voice spoke of the harsh situation.

Right now, not even a single person in the Stronghold could remain calm, except for Miguruma Yaeko.

She simply narrowed her already narrow eyes and looked up at the monitor in front of her eyes intently.

On her mouth was a kind smile, completely unchanged from the usual.

“Deploy Tamamo to the 28th Layer, Yakugami to the 20th Layer, and Kasuou to the 5th Layer and have them all erect their lines of defense. When we reform the command center at the 5th Layer, we will start to evacuate the higher Layers in order.”

“Meaning, we retreat?”

The members around stirred.

“Vice-Director… What on earth is happening?”

“Just a rebellious phase.”

The members all raised brows, but soon their expression became tense.

Among the monitors installed in the center, a large door slowly opened.

It emitted white steam like the breath of a giant and the thick door opened to both sides.

While Miguruma and the rest were watching it, what appeared from inside was—

“…A caterpillar?”

Someone muttered.

Appearing from the other side was a small object slithering on the floor.

However, the next instant…

A veritable tidal wave of caterpillars flew out from within the door. Seeing this scene with crawling caterpillars everywhere—on the door, on the floor, on the ceiling—the members all gulped.

“Kasuou, do you read? I will leave supreme command to you. Start the evacuation plan immediately.”

It wasn’t just the swarm of caterpillars appearing from the door. There was also an electric line glowing in bluish-white that surged on the walls as if to compete with the caterpillars.

“UWAAAAAHHHH!”

A shout echoed inside the room. A line of lightning surged through the wall, assaulting the members.

Yaeko was no exception to this electrical attack as well. Crawling up her legs and going along her body surface, the bluish-white line reached her face.

However, Yaeko was unmoving.

“Even if the organization called the SEPB will vanish from this world today—”

She accepted the sharp pain of the electric blade piercing her brain with a kind smile.

“I will still love you.”

Wearing her “smile of chains”, Vice-Director of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, Miguruma Yaeko—

Had her consciousness swallowed by the darkness.