Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 5 (section)

== 5.00 Ako The Last ==
Seeing off the end of the Demon Lord, Ako was walking.

The sky retrieved its sunset color.

With the wind blowing all over her, Ako headed for the radio tower.

Genius lost its head yet even now preserved its form. The slowly vanishing giant body fell in the field surrounded by mountains.

The laser beams that had finished it had probably been fired by Akatsuki. She felt relieved to know that he was safe.

Defeating Genius, the Mushitsuki fulfilled their jobs.

Crushing the aspirations of the Demon Lord, she returned being a normal person.

The fight was over.

"Nngh…"

Ako narrowed her eyes at the light of the sunset poking from the side.

Climbing up the stairs of the radio tower, the clatter of her footsteps flowed with the wind. The two-spotted cricket on her shoulder clung desperately to not be blown away.

She climbed to the first floor where there were antennas, to the second floor, and to the final, third floor.

Standing at the foot of the main antenna, she was able to see a view of the peaceful town. By destroying all of the Zones now it truly would become peaceful.

On the other hand, the area where Genius was defeated looked like it went through an apocalypse. The mountains were shaved, the ground was gouged, and the land was carved with scythe-like valleys. She could also see the Mushitsuki around the large Mushi.

The battle caused by the Demon Lord closed its curtains while leaving heavy scars.

And so—this was now Ako's battle.

She would continue to bet everything she had on this fight.

She had mistaken her way in the middle.

She had stood in place due to loneliness.

"I've finally reached this far."

Ako brought out the digital camera from her backpack.

She spontaneously smiled.

"'What are Mushitsuki'—I've pursued this truth for so long."

Readying her camera, her Mushi, the two-spotted cricket, climbed on top of it.

She understood instinctively what her Mushi was capable of. Even now, the marine-blue cricket shook like ripples on water, receiving certain information from Ako.

Truly an ability befitting her.

Had Oogui seen her dream and gave it to her on a whim, or had her own feelings gave birth to this power?

"The question of what Mushitsuki are would probably be solved by those Mushitsuki themselves. But before the world knows I am a Mushitsuki, I have to transmit myself as a journalist."

Mushitsuki.

She had to purely transmit the information about what kind of being they were.

The fake truth painted in the color of fear wouldn't do.

"Because those who fear Mushi could even toy with them and plunge the world to chaos."

Ako had seen one such example, after all.

She'd seen the normal person Satou Youko, who had feared Mushi, had become a Demon Lord and had almost destroyed the world.

"Before I become like that, I shall spread the truth as Chronicler."

The marine-blue coloring the two-spotted cricket's body shone in a vivid light. Its tiny wings spread, and blue light enveloped the radio tower.

The blue, rippling light was absorbed into the small antennas attached to the railing as well as the main antenna that towered over Ako.

The LCD screen of Ako's digital camera started filming a fuzzy picture.

Civilian TV and satellite broadcast, and even voice-only radio, all the information flying through the air—was transmitted through the antenna.

The two-spotted cricket spread its wings, but what it produced was not just sound waves.

It made all manners of electrical waves.

The two-spotted itself was confined to the range of its ability, but by using the antenna as a medium she was able to greatly expand it.

Ako used all the power in her possession.

A lot of mental energy was consumed, and her petite body nearly stumbled. Yet she barely held on by sheer force of will.

The broadcast finished.

After completing it, the cricket spread its wing even more violently.

Ako replayed the footage.

The two-spotted cricket was transmitting electrical information recorded in the memory card to the antennas around.

"—This work has no title."

The blue glow kept transmitting Ako's masterpiece.

From the radio tower to the satellite.

From the satellite to the world.

The truth Ako found out rode on magnetic wave.

"Yet it contains the unmistaken truth."

The violent mental consumption caused scenes from Ako's past to flash in her head.

Although she was young, when Ako first started using her grandpa's camera she was soon smitten by it. She'd use it all over the place and the photos turned out horrible, but her grandfather still praised them all.

Ever since her grandfather went missing on the battlefield, she'd pursue subjects with her trusty digital camera. Ako's capabilities, as she desperately sought to expose the truth, were truly of a genius level. Since her grandfather always praised her like that, she was obviously a genius.

Obtaining more and more info about Mushi, Ako got carried away. Drunk with the power of truth, she used it needlessly to hurt other people. When she noticed it and turned around, everyone called her the Demon Lord and took their distance.

Meeting the real Demon Lord, she resolved to fight. The Demon Lord, who attempted doing as Ako once tried but on a global level, was too powerful, and she'd once even given up.

Then she met the Mushitsuki boy called Ogata Akatsuki. He became her one and only friend.

Ako ran ahead with full speed.

Therefore, now, she had the truth she looked for in her hand.

"—Mushitsuki can become our friends."

She had to transmit the true form of Mushitsuki.

They got angry, they hated, they hurt, they shouted, but even so they smiled, got happy and fell in love.

They were Mushitsuki, but they were undoubtedly also normal humans.

"The heart that fears Mushi distorted that truth…"

The blue glow surrounding Ako began being disordered.

That disorder grew in intensity, and before long all the signals sent from the radio tower were swallowed.

She was being obstructed—

The two-spotted cricket's ability was being jammed by someone.

"Transmitting that fact—"

Yet Ako didn't move.

She'd already felt the presence of her monitor from long ago.

The SEPB would soon know she became a Mushitsuki. If she was caught by them, she wouldn't get a chance to transmit the truth easily.

Just like she'd told Akatsuki, there was a limit now to how much they could hide Mushi.

Now, there was no second chance.

The two-spotted cricket flapped its wings, increasing its power consumption. It pushed against the ability jamming the waves.

She didn't think that passing on the truth was her duty.

As a Journalist, she thought it was her natural job.

And so the work filmed by Ako didn't have the name of its compiler—

"There is something I must do as the Chronicler."

The magnetic waves transmitted by Ako, and the ability jamming them.

The two powers mingled inside the radio tower.

"—I have already informed you."

Her vision blurred with a slight impact.

The two-spotted cricket's cry echoed.

"Never mind you just gathering information, but if you try to transmit it, you'll be killed."

In front of Ako appeared a thin figure. When had she arrived there? Ako who'd been focused on using her power hadn't noticed her.

She was a tall woman with a black mask hiding her chin. Perhaps a foreigner, her eyes and nose looked east-western and her skin was sunburnt. Her body completely clad in a dark trench coat, she stuck her right hand toward Ako.

Her sleeve transformed, and two needles flew from her right hand.

One of them pierced the two-spotted cricket, and the other—

"…"

Ako coughed.

The lump of blood flowing from her mouth dripped to the floor.

One of the transformed needles pierced Ako's right chest.

"Your footage will not reach anywhere."

The woman spoke mechanically.

Annihilation Unit member, Shera.

The woman who'd once appeared before Ako to warn her and named herself thus.

"…"

Even while dribbling a line of blood from the sides of her mouth, Ako smiled. She shook her head.

"—I won."

The woman changed her expression.

"I was just a second faster. There should be a person who received it even for a second—"

She knew she was being jammed. Although it was the truth, if it spread through the whole world, chaos would not be avoided. As one who was fascinated by news, Ako knew that the most of anyone.

And so, just for a second.

If Ako's footage flowed through the world, even for a split second, it would be her victory.

One person was fine.

The one who saw Ako's work should feel something.

The power of truth was mighty.

Through the person who received Ako's feelings, it would spread even further.

"You can transmit the truth not using just electrical waves—but also the connections between people."

She felt refreshed.

Ako was able to accomplish her goal.

One day the world would accept the existence known as Mushi.

She was able to take this "first step" and transmit it to the world—

"I'll set an example."

The woman grimaced.

"We are aware that the network used by people is vast. The people's connections you speak of will let people know of your death and serve as a warning to those who seek Mushi."

The next flying needle pierced Ako's abdomen.

She fell to her knees.

"Thinking of people who use such power as friends… humph, how silly."

The two-spotted cricket was skewered by countless needles.

The blue glow surrounding the radio tower was vanishing.

"There's no way such a thing would be possible."

She felt the woman's mumbles growing further away.

The thump she heard next was her body hitting the floor.

She saw her vanishing Mushi in front of her eyes.

[[File:Mushi Uta 7 p383.jpg|thumb]]

Just like her assassin said, she knew she was risking her life. She'd already known long ago that those who took "the first step" would risk their lives.

Yet the woman still underestimated a couple of things.

The courage of journalists.

People's connections.

Because the woman who killed Ako herself would transmit the truth one day to someone.

That was the power of truth.

"—The actions of our journalism club cannot be stopped by anyone…"

She could picture it.

Mushitsuki who weren't any different from normal people, and the figure of the girl who became a Demon Lord who feared Mushi—their decision would end up bringing out the truth.

That was Ako's wish.

When people accepted Mushitsuki, Ako's wish would come true.

With her great victory, the True Journalist, Haemori Ako—closed her eyes.