Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 5 (section)

== 5.00 The Beast and the Beast ==
Walking through the alley assaulted by the strong downpour, he felt as if he'd entered inside a painting.

In the space full of vacant houses, there was no other sound than that of rain. Bizarre people wearing black were collapsed around, covered in the water flowing to the gutter. He didn't see anyone who seemed to be mortally wounded, but none of the people seemed about to get up.

The alley itself contained no traces of battle. All of the collapsed people looked as if they had been expelled from a different space.

Even so the slightly remaining dreary atmosphere was being cleaned by the severe rain.

A dirty alley and a cleansing rain.

And one other thing.

There was a statue kneeling on the ground and facing the rainy sky as if praying to god.

Perhaps it had been a human a while before—supporting this impression was one part of the blackened skin that still retained a normal skin tone. Also, the small lights that could be seen from the gaps in the cloth covering the face were perhaps his eyes.

The hoodie-wearing boy approached the statue. Putting both hands inside his pocket and keeping the hood on, he looked down the statue.

He heard a cracking sound coming from the statue's mouth.

The statue facing toward the heavens wore the smile of a beast. It was the smile of someone living alone, finding their place and fighting until the very end to protect it.

"—Yo, Kusuriya Daisuke."

It was unexpected he could still speak. Unsuited to his appearance, his voice was casual as if he was merely chatting.

He was sure the other boy had already died or at least become a Fallen.

Yet he wasn't surprised. He opened his mouth without any smile.

"Yo, Kusuriya Daisuke."

There was a bandage on the boy's cheeks hidden by the hood. Other than that he had no distinguishing features—unlike the statue with his handsome face barely visible, his was just plain normal.

"You're late. Why have you come here?"

"I am late. What should I do?"

"I wore those clothes the day before yesterday."

"I wore those clothes three days ago."

"So Kirari was also taking care of you. She really is too kind."

"Because she didn't know who of us was Kusuriya Daisuke… or so she said."

Silence befell. —The statue tried laughing, but no sound came out.

The hooded boy gazed down the unmoving statue.

Which of them was a statue? Even the question of which of them had the expression of someone heading toward their death was vague. The boy thought that the statue in front of him looked much more "alive" than he was.

"I've heard about you from Kirari. You have also—"

There wasn't even the faintest trace of any motivation in the hoodie boy's voice.

"Been tortured by your Mushi's rampage, shamefully begged for your life to those trampling on you, ran away pathetically from your delusions, and feared a monster—meaning me, right?"

"You're the one who's been tortured by his Mushi, shamefully tried to repent and escaped from an illusion, on top of being scared of a monster—which was me, right?"

"Well, we don't even know which of us is Kusuriya Daisuke now."

"Obviously? Because both of us are Kusuriya Daisuke."

The hooded boy looked with clouded eyes toward the lively statue.

"You—who were you?"

"How many times do I have to say? I'm Kusuriya Daisuke."

The statue's voice sounded cheerful.

"But, a while before… I might have been in the crazy place called the Annihilators."

"…"

"Do you know about the experiments conducted by the Central HQ?"

"I don't care. No need to ask. After all it's—"

"Well, just listen. Think you're looking into a mirror. …There's this thing called the Fragment of Diorestoi. It's the Fragment of this sort of community or network known as Shinpu. I don't know why the SEPB's in possession of that thing, but—"

The statue spoke quickly as if giving a lecture. His tone had a cynical smile mixed in with it, but he didn't stammer. He didn't stop. Words came flying out of his mouth as if he was a machine spitting out its records.

"—And, well, if you also use C's ability, you can abuse it quite a bit. The Annihilators also kept lengthening the experiments. By stimulating the Fragment, you can amplify its ability. There were still many side effects, though… I was an exception even among them; they attempted to fix the Fragment itself onto my Mushi. Most of the Annihilators including me were strong, but none of them lived long. Maybe those who could are only monsters like Shera or Harukiyo…"

"…"

"What I know is only the result they acquired at the current time. The amplification of an ability and pseudo-revival from Fallen state—since the reviver Fuyuhotaru appeared, perhaps they used the Fragment for that kind of experiment as well… but anyway, in the end I hadn't been able to investigate what the experiment's goals were."

"What do you mean by investigate? Where have you come from before joining the—"

"Who knows…? I've already forgotten."

"Why are you talking to me about this?"

"Isn't it obvious? Do I look like I can go and tell anyone else about it?"

"I'm already… I can't use my Mushi's power anymore. If I use it, I won't be able to go back. Nobody needs a Mushitsuki like that."

"Wasn't it someone else who decided that?"

The statue looked at the same things the hooded boy had seen so far.

The eyes of those who pushed his back in exchange for stopping.

Those who couldn't help but stop walking there.

There was much hatred and anger, envy and jealousy.

However, there were slight hope and expectation, as well as—his dream embedded inside his chest.

All of them were saying the same thing.

Move just one step forward.

A bit further.

Go on.

Run.

"I'm tired…"

The hoodie boy hung his head.

The statue laughed.

"Don't be spoiled."

"Haven't I done enough already?"

"You can still go further."

"It's impossible…"

"Don't say that."

"I'm not strong at all…"

"I know. I'm Kusuriya Daisuke after all."

The statue remained with both knees on the dirty ground, his face pelted with clear rain.

There was another sound of cracking and the statue's smile deepened.

"So… Kusuriya Daisuke will die here once."

The hooded boy widened his eyes.

"I don't have a choice, right? You're a troublesome guy."

With his pupils that seemed about to lose their light any moment, the statue asserted this as if he had reached enlightenment. 

No, he probably knew it.

What they held was similar, as well as their pains.

The only difference was—

One had stood in place, and the other was still standing on the ground. Just that.

"Isn't that so? I can die once. So in exchange—"

The statue said.

"I'll give you my secret."

"Secret…"

"Even someone like me fell in love."

"…"

"Right now that girl's probably a Mushitsuki with a beautiful pattern on her body—"

The smile vanished from the statue.

"She's a coward and a weakling… just a normal kid unsuited to be a Mushitsuki."

For an instant, the statue's cheek hit by the rain was colored by a more transparent liquid.

Was this his last remaining liveliness? The final drop?

The statue's eyelids were slowly closing.

"So, Kusuriya Daisuke… If I go and die here, you should be able to keep walking for a while…"

The hooded boy bit his lips.

The sound of a shuffle announced the boy turning on his heels. With his lifeless eyes directed at the ground, he walked inside the raining alley.

"I'll… die in your place… so…"

[[File:Mushi Uta 8 p321.jpg|thumb]]

"—Wait."

Just for a little bit.

The vanishing flames would burn somewhere else.

As if returning something entrusted to him—

"Please be Kusuriya Daisuke for just a little while longer."

A little light returned to the eyes of the boy walking in an unsteady gait.

He didn't fully understand it.

Each of the two had about half of the name Kusuriya Daisuke.

"Fuhaha—"

His voice was hoarse and mumbled, but it was undoubtedly a laugh.

"This is the best… place to die… my dream is finally…"

"…"

"The world's looking. It's watching what's going on in your country…"

Still expressionless, the hooded boy didn't look back.

"But, for just a little bit more—I'll let you off the hook."

Although of a different face and shape, they were both beasts.

One looked for a place he belonged to so he could live in it, while the other sought a place where he could die.

The two Kusuriya Daisukes thus parted.