Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.09 Rina Part 7 ==

Seeing that straight line, without being able to see the road ahead, made her feel the extent of madness men could reach.

This was the elevated railway stretching over Akamaki City.

It stretched over many houses, bridging the gap over the river and connecting with Higano City in the vast distance.

According to Kujou Takako, this was apparently part of the shinkansen line still in construction. In several years from now the new Maglev train would go on it, and the plan was to have it connect Akamaki City with other large cities.

“…Well, it’s true this is the shortest route for us to use to escape to Higano City.” 

Going up the footing from the surface to a high floor, Rina peeked at the railway.

“And it seems like the power lines weren’t installed yet.”

A deployed crane and materials remained there on the unfinished train line. There were probably many workers who worked here until the evacuation notice was issued.

Following Rina, Ena and Takako also rose to the line.

“Right, this place existed. Good job remembering it, Takako.”

“It’s just a coincidence because Father has invested in this project… it’s still going to take a while, but I have heard that this line connects to the entrance to Higano City.”

Seeing the embarrassed Takako, Rina suddenly recalled.

“Kujou… so you’re from the Kujou family. But what was a young lady like you thinking about, staying alone with a friend in such a dangerous place?”

As far as Rina could remember, Kujou Takako’s family were of an old lineage. They weren’t members of the secret limited-member club for rich people called the Round Table, but she did hear they were plenty rich.

“Do you know my family?”

“Well… just a bit.”

While evading the question, she began thinking.

What about having the Kujou family assist Rina’s group to escape through Takako?

However, Rina soon denied her own thoughts. Never mind Takako herself, Rina didn’t think her parents would want to cooperate with Mushitsuki. Furthermore, she couldn’t risk them any further.

''So I have to do something by myself—

While groaning in her heart, she quickly walked to the center of the railway.

“Let’s try and gain as much distance as we can while they can’t find us. Let’s hurry up.”

Her body was heavy. She’d been hit by two of C’s attacks. Since she was in front of the anxious Ena and Takako she could feign calmness, but it wasn’t the kind of damage she could recover so easily from.

“You look like you’re hurt, but are you fine? Err… what’s your name?”

She apparently didn’t manage to hide it. She turned to the worried-looking Ena and smiled bitterly.

“I’m fine, really. I’m—Rina. You don’t have to add an honorific. We’re the same age.”

“Do you know even our ages?”

“So I’ve heard. From our… mutual acquaintance.”

Who was the mutual acquaintance Rina spoke of?

She’d already said the answer to that. The pair also probably intuited it.

“…Do you mean Arisu?”

Rina wordlessly affirmed Ena’s mumble.

“You know Arisu, right? How’s Arisu doing right now? Tell us!”

“Ena-san…! Calm down, we shouldn’t shout right now…”

As Ena grabbed Rina’s arm from behind, Takako tried pacifying her.

It was natural for them to be unable to remain calm. After all, she wished for their reunion so strongly that she managed to summon Oogui to her.

Rina averted her face from Ena and spoke.

“—Sorry. I can’t tell you.”

Once, there was a certain decisive fight.

That battle against Oogui with shooting stars in the sky all around—ended in the Mushitsuki’s defeat.

It was a huge loss of near annihilation. Oogui left and the one who arranged this fight became a Mushitsuki in the middle—then fell asleep for a long time.

With that, that fight became like an ephemeral night’s dream that no one knew about.

Even Rina herself didn’t know this truth.

However, right now she knew whatever knowledge Mimic assembled.

“It’s too complicated to explain what happened to her and where she is, so I can’t do it. I can’t even imagine whether you’ll be glad or in despair to hear that. At least until we reach a safe place in Higano City… I can’t tell you.”

In a certain sense, Rina and Sleeping Beauty—Arisu—were very much alike.

Both of them had been forced to wake up from their slumber in order to fight against C.

She didn’t know how Ena would accept this situation. Rina was worried the girl would pity her friend and break down into tears on the spot.

“So will you tell us once we get to Higano City?”

“Yes. There are some things I can’t say, though.”

She tried smiling, and it seemed like Ena accepted this for now. She released Rina’s arm.

“…”

''Stop.

Rina realized the meaning behind the silence that befell the three.

''Don’t ask anything else—

She unconsciously grimaced and wished for this in her heart.

“…Say, Rina.”

“No more talking. Just start walking.”

As Rina spoke coldly on purpose, new companions appeared next to her.

They numbered more than just one or two.

In front of Rina, behind her and next, the number of human figures walking through the rails grew little by little.

They were the Fallen or the deceased Rina hadn’t managed to save. They were the former shells of the Mushitsuki who got revived along with Rina—no, by clinging to her. They were already part of Rina.

Ena and Takako probably couldn’t see them.

However, to Rina’s eyes it looked like the march of a pandemonium—

“There’s another acquaintance that—”

“I told you to stop. I’m running!”

Perhaps it was to escape Ena and Takako’s eyes, or perhaps to escape the crowd of ghosts.

Rina started running, but Ena’s voice stopped her.

“It’s someone called Kusuriya Daisuke!”

All of a sudden.

She felt strength leaving her legs.

Just from hearing this unexpected person’s name, her legs stopped and her mind blanked out.

“…Rina?”

“Rina-san?”

As Rina stopped moving like a puppet with cut strings, the two puzzled girls caught up to her.

Kusuriya Daisuke. Of all names, to hear that one—

To think they would ask Rina not about Kakkou, but this normal boy’s name.

“…!”

Rina gasped and raised her face.

The ghosts walking alongside her all turned toward her. They all stopped in place as though by some signal and glared at Rina’s face.

“—No.”

Rina grimaced and weakly shook her head to the sides.

“It’s nothing… I was just a bit surprised… it’s not like I’ve forgotten about all of you—”

“What is it, Rina? What are you talking about?”

“You’re shaking so much… does it hurt somewhere?”

“It’s fine… I haven’t abandoned you… I wasn’t thinking of saving only myself…”

She was making excuses to the ghosts, but the more she spoke that more memories passed through her mind.

After meeting Kakkou, she spent many days constantly fighting him for the sake of revenge.

After fighting for so long and continuing to rescue many Mushitsuki, she reached her limit.

It was during that period of time—that she met a certain boy.

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke was her classmate, a boy without any distinguishing features—but his real form was the monitor sent to Rina, Kakkou—

He’d come to Rina for advice about falling in love with a girl.

And all while being aware that she was his target, Lady Bird, and his archnemesis.

Rina had drawn a single picture of that boy.

And her feelings, even now—

“Ugh—”

Feeling a violent pain, Rina crouched on the spot.

She couldn’t remove the fox mask stuck to her face. It gave a sharp pain to Rina’s face as thought constricting it, or perhaps as though stabbing it.

“Rina?!”

“Waaaah…! No… I wasn’t planning on betraying you…! I just…!”

She started crying from the pain.

“That guy, and Shiika—”

Their faces pale, Ena and Takako hugged Rina who was writhing on the ground.

Unlike those two girls—the ghosts all glared at Rina.

As if blaming Rina for trying to escape alone. Or perhaps in scorn, for not fulfilling her promise, for being a coward who worked only to make her own dream come true.

“…!”

Ena, Takako and the ghosts all looked down at Rina’s face. In the sky visible on the other side, she could see a small shadow. Grimacing her sweat-covered face, Rina rose.

“We’ve been found…!”

Several Mushi were approaching from the sky, heading toward the rails where Rina’s group was.

There would probably be other enemies coming soon as well. Even if they got off the rails and hid for now, Rina wasn’t sure if she could preserve her sanity later.

“Let’s keep moving to Higano City in one go!”

Materializing her seven-spotted ladybug, she rode on its head along with Ena and Takako.

Knocking aside the abandoned materials and welding devices, the ladybug charged through the rails.

“R-Rina! Are you feeling fine? Your complexion is horrible…! Is it my fault?”

“Rina-san…!”

“It’s fine. Relax, I definitely… won’t let even a single finger touch you!”

Right now, this was Rina’s duty and role.

Now she understood this well.

Although she was revived in order to fight C, by splitting up like this—she could now save the girl who she’d once abandoned.

Rina could settle all of her past sins. But she herself would not be saved.

Even after saving Ena and Takako, she would have to keep fighting to save Mushitsuki.

“Arisu… it’s just like you said.”

Rina recalled the words of this girl who’d lost in that unknown fight.

—''I’ll connect them.

This fight that supposedly no one should have known about became connected to the new battle like this.

“Everyone’s connected… I cannot—run away.”

A large river appeared in front of the groaning Rina.

They probably put it up in a hurry; the newly created overpass was blocked by a barricade made by the camo-wearing soldiers.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Kya…!”

She accelerated further, tackling the barricade. Ena and Takako’s screams overlapped.

The seven-spotted ladybug broke through, blowing the soldiers away.

It kept its mad rush through the bridge for a minute or so.

After passing the river, Rina’s group reached a new land.

It was the city developed to be a satellite of Akamaki City, called Higano City.

“We’re getting off…!”

The very moment she said that, Rina jumped down from the rails along with the seven-spotted ladybug.

“…!”

She landed on a road just alongside the river, causing a tremor. There were no people around, but in the distance she could something like a group of news reporters filming Akamaki City.

“Ena, Takako! Run!”

Recalling her ladybug, Rina leapt between the buildings located along the road.

While panting hard, she took a detour, running through several buildings—and she finally reached her limits. She stopped her legs.

“Rina?”

As Rina suddenly stopped in place, Ena and Takako turned to her with surprised face.

“…Keep going ahead. There should be a lot of people left in the center of town, so you should be able to shake off pursuit by heading there.”

“B-but what about you?”

“I have things to do. —Go ahead.”

As Rina said this, Ena and Takako looked confused.

However, they exchanged glances and then nodded at each other.

“Got it. Thank you…!”

Seeing off Ena and Takako thanking her and running off, Rina kneeled on the spot.

Fatigue overwhelmed both mind and body and she couldn’t move a single step.

Those two would probably be fine. Even this lone thought gave her a small sense of accomplishment.

She couldn’t move anymore, so her pursuers would catch up to her—but she didn’t care.

“Sorry, everyone… but please…”

Smiling at the ghosts haunting her, Rina gradually—

“Don’t wake me up again—”

Lost consciousness and fell to the ground.