Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.00 OPS3 Part 1 ==


Several hours passed since the organization Mushibane headed by Anmoto Shiika agreed to take one of the operations of C’s annihilation.

The remaining time was 40 hours.

Even that time limit was dependent on the progress of Operation 2. Because they had to defeat Oogui before Harukiyo managed to wake Sleeping Beauty.

Their mission was to stop C from repeating what she did to Shinpu with Oogui as well, absorb her and evolve further.

Also, to stop the Undying Mushitsuki from getting revived, which would mean Oogui becoming immortal as well.

Shiika’s challenge could be said to be the most difficult one.

“Ah.”

She was inside a cutting-edge cinema theatre at Akamaki City.

They were just about to withdraw from that place, which also served as Mushibane’s hideout.

Shiika stumbled on the stairs. She hurriedly put her hand against the wall, so she didn’t fall down.

“Are you alright?”

The man with large goggles covering his face called from behind. He was the SEPB combatant called Kabuto.

Operation 3 was to be executed by Mushibane. However, to maintain the joint efforts with the SEPB and act as a liaison, Kabuto had been dispatched to Shiika’s group.

“Y-yeah.”

Turning around, Shiika saw her face reflected on Kabuto’s goggles.

Her childish face—she was told a lot that she didn’t look seventeen years old at all—was wrought with worry. She tried to at least grow out her hair to appear more mature, but it didn’t have much effect.

“We’re heading to an important operation now, pull yourself together.”

Akasegawa Nanana mocked Shiika. She was a girl of the same age who always carried a cane the shape of an upside-down letter J. She was the cinema’s owner, as well as Mushibane’s patron, the chairman of the great conglomerate called the Akasegawa Group.

“You’re the one pulling this operation together, so you have to act more leaderlike. Yaha.”

Leader.

Hearing that word, her heartbeat rose.

Nanana said this jokingly, but it was no joke.

She was betting on the lives of all Mushitsuki there.

No, perhaps she was putting even the entire country’s fate on the line as well—

“R-right.”

“Snow. May I have a moment?”

While walking, a girl approached Shiika. With her long, slender body and straight, long hair, she brought to mind a Japanese doll. She was one of Mushibane’s admins, called Halensis.

“I’m thinking of going around all regions from now.”

“Huh?”

“There’s still some remaining manpower for fighting among the Mushitsuki rescued by us Mushibane. I want to go around our hideouts and try to convince them to cooperate. We will need as many fighters as possible to face Oogui.”

“T-that’s true.”

Shiika agreed, but Halensis kept staring at her, unmoving.

“…? Err?”

“Is it really fine for me to go?”

Apparently, she was waiting for permission.

Being suddenly pressed for a decision, Shiika unconsciously looked around her.

Her eyes met with the boy walking next to her.

“You decide.”

He was Aijisupa, the boy who served as Shiika’s bodyguard. Although he was often misunderstood because of his sharp eyes and blunt tone, he didn’t mean it this way. His trademark headband was camo-patterned today. 

“T-then—please do that.”

“Roger that.”

Nodding, Halensis left Shiika.

''It was fine for me to approve, right…?

In her heart, Shiika felt this doubt.

Shiika was not originally the kind of person meant for leading people. However, since she inherited her late friend’s will to become Mushibane’s leader, she needed to decide on this.

Was her decision correct or mistaken?

She was constantly anxious, but she was definitely going to need to make more and more important decisions from now on. She was worried whether she could make the right choice—but even if she was wrong, she couldn’t let it out in the open.

“—Are we now headed to Alpha?”

In order to conceal the anxiety in her heart, Shiika spoke.

They were about to leave the movie theater.

Mushibane’s Mushitsuki as well as the few SEPB members including Kabuto all gathered there. They were getting on buses prepared for transport by Nanana one after another.

“But I… don’t know where Alpha is.”

“I was not made aware of it, either.”

Hearing Shiika’s words, the oldest person there, Namie, nodded as well.

Namie used to be a high-ranking Mushitsuki in the SEPB, but she had decided to follow after Shiika and put herself into Mushibane. With her strong gaze and supple body, this woman made an impression not unlike a member of the big cat family, such as a leopard or a tiger.

“If we let too many people know of Alpha’s whereabouts, there will be those who aim for him. —Just like back then when it was snatched away by that Kanon-sama cult.”

A white limousine parked next to Shiika and the rest.

As Nanana approached it, the door opened. Her secretary was inside.

“I’m the only one who knows. Alpha still remains asleep, but his body is weakened. He’s in a specially created medical facility.”

Nanana said this, then looked to the side.

A girl dressed in an exotic dress and holding a cellphone full of straps contorted her expression. She was one of Mushibane’s admins, Lucifera.

Right—she ''was'' an admin. That past form was the most accurate.

“We’re going to see Alpha as the condition for the deal made by a certain spy, are we not? You’re not going to grumble later about him being no use because he’s asleep, right?”

“R-right. It’s perfectly fine…”

Lucifera nodded, looking uncomfortable.

“As long as you let us meet Alpha-san, we will bring you Oogui’s bait—Ebina Yuu-san.”

Shiika stealthily bit her lips so that no one would notice.

This Ebina Yuu that Lucifera spoke about was one of Shiika’s few friends.

They were going to use Shiika’s friend as bait for Oogui—a lure to capture this Original Three, since they normally couldn’t tell when and where she would appear.

Although there was no other way, Shiika obviously felt resistance to that idea.

“Yuu-chan…”

She mumbled.

She should prioritize the current strategy over her personal feelings. This was Shiika’s duty as the leader, and she knew it was the right thing.

Even so—if she relaxed her guard, her sentimentality might show itself.

“What is it, Shiika? Let’s go.”

Being urged by Nanana from inside the limousine, Shiika came back to her senses.

“C-coming.”

Following Shiika, all Mushibane admins rode the limousine.

The limousine and buses all left the cinema.

“Let us not reveal Alpha to the SEPB.”

Inside the vertically long car, Namie spoke.

“Eh, B-but…”

While everyone there nodded, Shika spoke gingerly.

“Since we’re cooperating with the SEPB now, we shouldn’t hide…”

“You idiot.”

Nanana looked dumbfounded.

“Alpha is a clue about the birth of Mushi, you know? Once they know that Mushibane has it in their possession, do you really think that Miguruma Yaeko will leave it alone? We can just tell that Kabuto or what’s-his-face that’s following us that this is just one of our plans to defeat Oogui.”

“Yeah, that’s true. We have to cooperate in order to prevent the worst-case scenario, but still—”

Lucifera spoke rapidly in her usual tone, but then she came back to her senses. Noticing the gazes of the admins on her, she spoke more awkwardly.

“W-we can’t tell if that woman set up something to be able to use that to her advantage as well…”

“Right…”

Shiika agreed. She almost chose the wrong answer.

The Original Three were scary, and since C was trying to take them in—she could be said to be much scarier, completely unlike the time Shiika had briefly seen her.

However, adding even the woman called Miguruma Yaeko to that—she was clearly an abnormal person.

Shiika had once met Miguruma directly. Even back then she knew at a glance that this wasn’t a person she could ever hope to understand. Shiika heard more than enough from the people around her about how much of scary woman Miguruma was.

SEPB and Mushibane had been bitter enemies for many years.

Both were now cooperating against a common enemy, but it might take them more time to truly be able to understand each other.

And one of the causes of their need for time to understand each other—

Also related to Kakkou’s dropping out.

He was a Mushitsuki who held the same dream as Shiika and was also a Rank 1.

He left the stage in the midst of the fight, casting an indelible shadow on Shiika.

“—We’re here.”

After riding for some hour or so, Nanana wore a mischievous smile.

The limousine parked.

“Eh…”

Coming off the car, Shiika raised a shocked voice.

Within spacious premises there were lines of several buildings.

Almost all of them had unusual shapes. There was one with a triangular roof like a pyramid, or one enshrined within a perfect sphere.

There were walking paths created among the lawn and all sorts of objet d'arts placed here and there. There were also intertwined human dolls, as well as blocks placed on each other haphazardly.

Although it was her first time in a such a place, Shiika somehow realized how to call the scenery in front of her eyes.

“A museum…?”

It was clear that her mumble represented the same thoughts as all other members of Mushibane standing there.

Nanana spun her cane and turned to Shiika.

“Welcome to the up-and-coming museum managed by the Akasegawa Group.”

Making an elegant curtsey, she grinned.

“No one would think we’re hiding Alpha here, right?”