Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.11 Rina The Last ==

The figure was wrapped in a green glow, leaping down from the rooftop of the general hospital.

A normal person would definitely die falling from this height, but the guy landed easily. She wasn’t surprised seeing this superhuman feat at this point.

“…”

Rina exited the shadows and started walking to the hospital.

There were supposed to be people around, but there was no one there. Silence and loneliness controlled the area, as though the world became for Rina and that guy alone.

''Is this a mental attack by C again…? Or maybe an isolated territory created by another Mushitsuki—

Witnessing this impossible phenomenon actually helped retrieve Rina’s calmness. Her thinking switched over to battle mode.

“If it’s a mental attack, it’s too crude. After all, his very presence here—immediately reveals that this is an illusion.”

The approaching figure was her archnemesis, one who’d already become a Fallen and dropped out from the battles of Mushitsuki.

Kakkou.

He wore a pitch-dark coat and had mechanical goggles covering his face. Also, his right hand grasped an automatic pistol. This was a familiar sight to her to a painful extent.

“If this is just an illusion, it should be erased with even the slightest resistance… but I have a bad feeling about this.”

In this world emptied of any hindrances, this was clearly abnormal.

Even so, the Kakkou approaching her had such a powerful presence she couldn’t believe him to be an illusion.

And there was something else.

“I don’t know if I’m Mimic or Tachibana Rina right now… but I’ve actually been feeling it all along since I was revived. The same kind of feeling I’ve had almost a year ago—”

Kakkou finally stood in front of Rina.

Rina looked at his nostalgic face calmly.

“The kind of feeling like, ‘Ah, I’m going to die’.”

How should she call the feelings she had now when facing her past archnemesis?

Loathing. Rage. Nostalgia. Self-hatred. Sadness. A certain kind of elation. All these emotions mixed together, becoming a completely different sort of feeling.

“So I thought I’m about to die soon.”

She didn’t know how to call these feelings inside her—but for now, she felt just a little bit of power welling out. It was only just enough power to stop her legs from shaking, though.

“Well, I don’t mind. I’ve already died once, and besides—after saving as many Mushitsuki as I can, I don’t mind dying by the roadside. No huge difference from what already happened.”

Kakkou was silent.

Right, he was originally taciturn. She recalled something so inconsequential.

Normally—when he acted out the part of the normal boy called Kusuriya Daisuke—he’d talk a lot. And yet.

“That’s why I thought I died when I saw you, though it’s a bit early. —Even though I know you’re just an illusion. Still, looking at you… I have the feeling that it’s wrong.”

She spat out toward the silent demon.

“What—are you? Aren’t you here to kill me?”

As if to respond to her words, Kakkou readied his gun.

His gun, fused with his checkered beetle, launched a flaming bullet from the muzzle.

“…”

Not moving at all, Rina made the seven-spotted ladybug flap its wings.

Kakkou’s shot bullet was easily repelled by the emitted shockwave. The aftershock created by the two competing attacks cracked the asphalt and raised dust.

Rina felt a presence at her back.

Having used his superhuman leg strength to instantly move behind her, Kakkou swung his fist glowing in green through the blowing screen of dust.

“…”

Rina spun ahead to dodge the attack. The ladybug spread its large wings.

“—!”

The shockwave caused the road to bulge and Kakkou was blown away. Pushing through power poles and the buildings built opposite to the hospital, he pierced through several buildings and finally stopped.

While the buildings with huge holes in them crumbled with an earth tremor—

In the distance, a green glow was rising.

Kakkou landed on top of the roof of a convenience store along the road. His long coat was dirtied with dust and the sides of his lips were bleeding, but that was all.

“This way of fighting… it’s just like the real one. In that he’s annoyingly tough, too.”

As Rina grimaced and folded her arms, Kakkou pulled the trigger again.

The bullet hit right in front of Rina. To dodge the broken asphalt fragments, Rina hid herself behind the seven-spotted ladybug.

While these fragments rained down, Rina felt a chill run through her spine.

Even while just standing there she felt a murderous impulse as though her inner organs were grasped hard—the feeling that Rina had felt many times before.

“…!”

The ladybug leapt up powerfully into the air as though it was making a backflip.

Rina instantly ordered it to do so.

The moment after, a green glow flew right at the space it inhabited.

Instantly approaching, Kakkou swung down his green-covered arm. If Rina hadn’t cause it to evade, the seven-spotted ladybug would have suffered a direct hit by that punch.

“You bastard—”

Rina’s eyes changed. She didn’t know the identity of this Kakkou in front of her, but there was no mistake he was trying to beat Rina for real.

The seven-spotted ladybug leapt to Kakkou. It tried biting him with its mouthpart.

Kakkou reflexively caught the mouthpart with both hands. However, this didn’t stop the momentum behind Rina’s Mushi. While emitting a shockwave, it charged forward along with Kakkou.

“I don’t know why you’re attacking me at this point… but since you’re raring to go, I’ll take you on.”

The roads and building surroundings them were being turned to deep moats as the ladybug charged.

However, this wasn’t a one-sided battle. Kakkou used his superhuman strength to block the seven-spotted laydbug’s momentum and threw its gigantic body to the surface.

“UOOO!”

“…! Even the voice’s the same…!”

Along with a vibration, pain ran through Rina’s chest. Half of the seven-spotted ladybug’s body was buried in the asphalt.

Kakkou immediately readied his gun, but Rina soon made the Mushi flap its wings.

A violent shockwave turned the surrounding debris to a barren plain.

“So you want to fight even without any reason? You really are the worst bastard, just like usual.”

As Rina put a hand on her waist and spat this, the seven-spotted ladybug came back to her side.

In front of her eyes—Kakkou advanced with a bleeding forehead.

“…”

Rina and Kakkou faced each other silently.

Even without looking at a mirror she understood. There was no doubt that she was currently wearing the kind of expression that she hated the most.

She wasn’t fighting to save someone.

She merely fought while using her accumulated anger and hatred as fuel; she was nothing more than an avenger.

“Begone.”

Rina and Kakkou—the two Rank 1s’ voices overlapped.

Their unrestrained attacks were altering the landscape of Higano City. Knocking down tall buildings one after another, both roads and shopping districts became uniform plains.

Rina had fought Kakkou for a long, long time without pausing. However, this might be the first time that both combatants clashed with their full powers.

When they faced each other before, Rina always had people she needed to protect next to her. And even Kakkou who was known as a demon never tried involving any innocent civilians.

“Die—”

While shedding blood from her forehead, Rina wanted to give Kakkou an extra-large shot.

“If I’m going to die anyway, I’ll take you along with me—”

Her premonition of death she’d felt near her was definitely going to become reality.

If she couldn’t escape that destiny—then even if she returned to reality by blowing away this phantasm in front of her, only hellish suffering would wait for Rina.

“I have no place I belong to.”

Enduring her attacks, Kakkou shot bullets.

Part of the seven-spotted ladybug’s wings was shot, and Rina’s chest was damaged.

However, right now—even that pain felt pleasant to her.

“Whether I die or live, I’m lonely…!”

As Rina laughed furiously, tears welled up the corners of her eyes.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p144.jpg|thumb]]

She fought the wrong way and perished. —Then, she was called back into this world at someone’s convenience.

She didn’t know whether or not she really came back to life. It might be that her memories and dream were simply copied into Mimic’s body.

However, right now she possessed both the personality and the feelings of the girl called Tachibana Rina.

Therefore—she couldn’t escape her past sins.

Hurting her actual father, breaking her promise to help in the decisive fight... she tried saving others in order to avert her eyes from these—she already blamed herself for things so much that she never wished for her own happiness. 

Although she died once, she was simply a struggling zombie given another temporary life.

If someone so pathetic was simply going to commit suicide with an illusion—

It would be a fitting end for her.

“Die with me, Kakkou!”

Trying to use her full powers—her final attack—she made the seven-spotted ladybug spread its wings.

Kakkou, who was standing on top of the debris, raised his gun to intercept—

“—Eh?”

Kakkou’s next action made Rina doubt her own eyes. Before she could think about its meaning, her body moved on its own.

“Wa... uh—“

She tried stopping the ladybug at her side, but it was too late. Rina’s impulsive action caused her to get blown away as the shockwave toward Kakkou was unleashed.

However—she managed to alter the direction ever so slightly.

Escaping a direct hit, Kakkou was still blown away by the aftershock. He was easily blown away as though his earlier toughness was a dream, he rolled on the ground, then landed spreadeagled on top of the debris.

“Wha—what is this...!”

While covering her bleeding right arm, Rina stood up. She approached the collapsed Kakkou.

“After coming here, how dare you—hold back like that!”

Her eyes weren’t mistaken.

The moment before Rina unleashed her attack—Kakkou released his fusion with his Mushi. As a result, he received Rina’s attack on his unprotected body, getting covered in wounds.

“…Kill me.”

Looking up at Rina through cracked goggles, Kakkou mumbled softly.

“I’m already—tired…”

“—”

Rina’s body tilted.

Hearing her nemesis’s unexpected words, she felt dizzy.

“Ha...? What the... so it’s that kind of mental attack...?”

“I don’t wanna fight anymore...”

Even with his goggles on, she knew. Kakkou was grimacing in pain.

In the end, it was a mere illusion.

The Kakkou Rina knew would never make that face, and would never make those complaints.

Rina knew he wasn’t like that—

“Stop relying on me... Don’t call my name anymore...”

“Stop—”

She felt dizzy again and stopped herself from falling. Instead—she felt unfathomable rage rising within her.

Rina stepped on Kakkou’s stomach with her full strength.

“Don’t say things like that...! You’re the one who started this!”

Rina didn’t know this before, but now she did.

What did this Mushitsuki often called a demon fight for? Since Rina was also Mimic, she came to know this truth.

“You’ve fought against the Original Three... to create a world where no Mushitsuki are born anymore, right?! You’ve sacrificed so many Mushitsuki for that! You’ve survived so far just for that!”

She stepped on Kakkou again and again, wielding her hatred.

“And you’ve brought me back for that, right? You’ve even used a Mushitsuki as a tribute! You’ve brought me back in this pathetic form, nothing more than a copy!”

Rina gradually became angrier and angrier at the defenceless Kakkou. Now she stepped on his chest.

“So despite all this, for you to rest first... how dare you tell people to not call your name!”

Kakkou was speechless. He simply bit his lips a little.

“And to think the ones calling me… are only these arms of Mushitsuki who don’t exist anymore…”

At some point the countless ghost arms started clinging to Rina.

Rina could neither abandon them nor escape from them. Since they became a part of Rina, she’d probably fall even to hell with them.

“I… just wanted to stay alive. No matter what I sacrificed…”

Even while being grabbed by Rina, Kakkou didn’t move a single finger.

“But while I did that… so many things happened. Arisu was the one who started the goal to defeat the Original Three, and I—”

“I know! That’s why Arisu will call your name! Definitely!”

“…”

“And that girl, too!”

Forgetting that the one she was yelling at was a mere illusion, she grasped the boy’s face.

She pulled hard on his goggles and they easily came off, since they were so tattered.

“Shiika will obviously call your name!”

This exposed a boy’s face that looked exceptionally gentle.

Other than it being bloody as well as the band-aid on his cheek, his face looked completely normal. However, Rina knew that face better than anyone.

After all, she’d once painted in onto a canvas.

“…I just wanted a place where I belonged.”

This normal boy’s face grimaced with agony.

“I didn’t want any fight, but a place that needed me… I just wanted that—I wanted to wait for Shiika, who had the same dream… that’s all…”

“…!”

''I also—

She wanted to shout this, but just barely stopped herself.

“But it’s already useless… I’ve fought too much… I already don’t know myself why I’m fighting… I want to end it all already…”

“No…! I also…!”

It was as if he spat out the very complaints that she wanted to say in place of her.

Perhaps it was that kind of illusion.

Not caused by anyone’s attack, but an illusion born from her own weak heart—meaning, she really reached her limits.

“Someone like you still has people waiting for you, so if you’re gone first… making someone like me, who has no one like that, fight against my will—isn’t that just living hell?!”

She was revived into this empty world for nothing other than to taste the pain of hell.

That was—way too cruel.

“You definitely have people like that…”

Kakkou bent his face.

''How dare you speak so irresponsibly, try to leave everything to others—

Along with this anger she followed his gaze, and gulped.

“—”

In the far distance of the devastated Higano City, she could see a building standing there as if by a miracle.

It was the general hospital.

“…No! Once you’re gone, I’ll probably go there again, right…? But I can’t—it’s too much…”

Rina spoke.

Kakkou smiled. With Kusuriya Daisuke’s face.

“Ah, right… I also don’t want you to go back.”

“The heck? Are you saying you want me to stay? Is this some sort of love confession?”

Without noticing, Rina ended up sitting near the collapsed boy. Oddly, it was just like when Rina died, though their positions were reversed.

Still smiling, he said nothing.

Silence wrapped them both.

Was it really fine this way—

Rina’s chest swelled with these emotions.

Nothing but debris surrounded them and instead of a field of flowers it was a hell of crawling ghostly hands—but that scenery already passed the realm of creepy to look more like a farce.

“…So, what do you actually mean?”

When she could no longer understand how much time passed, Rina spoke.

Thinking she was unable to bear even that short while of happiness—she really lacked any charm.

“…If you go back, you’ll just end up fighting again.”

The boy said.

“Right, Tachibana-san?”

Using Kusuriya Daisuke’s face, he sighed.

Kakkou and Kusuriya Daisuke—which of them was his real face?

No—both of them were him.

Just like she was Tachibana Rina and Lady Bird.

“And so… well, I don’t really understand it…”

Just like when she saw him at the same classroom, after making a stupid face and stumbling over his words, he spoke.

“I feel like I’ve gotten—somewhat motivated.”

Ah—

Hearing those words of his, Rina finally understood.

She finally recalled how to call that sensation—what she felt the moment she’d seen Kakkou’s form again in this mysterious world, that she wasn’t able to put into words.

“I’m too late…”

As Rina groaned, her vision blurred.

The face of the lying boy was gradually losing color.

“The moment I saw you here I already felt motivated…”

While Rina stared at him with eyes full of grudge, she saw that the disappearing boy was wearing a bitter smile.

If the world Rina inhabited right now was an illusion created by her—

Then the fact her consciousness started slowly vanishing reluctantly and full with regrets was also probably in response to her feelings.

Wearing a resigned expression, Kakkou—no, Kusuriya Daisuke—slowly raised his arm.

His fingertips touched Rina’s fox mask—

“—”

Rina came back to reality.

She was hiding in the shade next to the general hospital dyed by the sinking sun. Passersby going in and out of the hospital here and there remained unchanged from before she’d gotten caught up in the illusion.

There was only one change.

Rina’s fingertips touched a fox mask lying on the floor.

“—What was even that…”

Mumbling this, Rina wiped her eyes with a sleeve. Instead of that inorganic hard surface, she finally felt her smooth, exposed cheek.

The world of reality she’d returned to was the same hell as always.

The towering silent hospital still blamed Rina for her sins, and she could see the arms of ghosts. She had no way of knowing whether the illusion she was caught in until just now was an attack by someone—or perhaps salvation.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p154.jpg|thumb]]

However, Rina raised her face and started walking to the hospital.

“...Yes, I know. I have to go there—“

Her body, that felt as heavy as lead—because just the slightest bit lighter. It shed weight equivalent to about that of a fox mask.

Her body, as heavy as lead, just a little bit—became slightly lighter, about as much as a fox mask.

Not bothering to pick up the removed mask, Rina entered the hospital.

Passing through the reception desk and waiting rooms, she went to the elevator—and headed to the very back of the inpatient ward.

“...”

Both perspiration and heartbeats became fiercer.

She recalled Kakkou’s face she’d seen just before.

That face—that seemed to say that they had to fight, made her angry.

She was immensely angry and pained by this, but she thought he was right.

Whether alive or dead, the only path they knew in the end was that of battle.

“—”

Rina finally stood in front of the VIP-use room.

She put her hand on the doorknob. There were no guards and wasn’t locked either. Although he’d been quite important when hospitalized, they probably decided he no longer needed security as the years passed.

As she opened the door, expensive-looking equipment and a large bed immediately entered her sight.

Moving her shaking legs, she entered.

She approached the bed, step after step, feeling as if the past was coming back to her.

“—I’m sorry.”

When she stood next to her father attached to the ventilator, Rina felt like she regressed a few years back.

She saw her emaciated, completely transformed father.

Looking down at his form, Rina reverted to her young self from the time she became a Mushitsuki.

“Father… I’m sorry…”

Kneeling on the floor, she grabbed her father’s thin arm with both hands.

This was Rina’s original sin.

She became a Mushitsuki and some years passed, but she finally—reached her starting point.

“I know it’s already in the past, and I’m not actually myself right now, but still… I might die soon too, but—”

Thinking about it, Rina tried moving on while still young.

Seeing those being oppressed and suffered due to those more powerful than them—their figures overlapped with her own young self, so she obsessed over trying to save them.

All in order to forget her own sin and justify herself.

However, even that was already over.

Once they won this fight, Mushitsuki would no longer be born.

Her young self—would never appear again.

“If I’m able to return alive—I’ll remain at your side. Until you wake up… I’ll apologize to you properly, until you curse me…”

She swore clearly.

At the same time, she also made a wish.

“So please—help me.”

Being obstinate, until now she tried saving anyone at all with her own powers.

However, she reached her limits. Now she was able to acknowledge that fact.

“Please lend me your power…”

She wished this, removing one hand, and pulled out a cellphone.

Lucifera had handed this to her just in case.

However, what she brought out—was broken in half, for some reason. She might have broken it in the fights until now.

Giving up on the cellphone, she took the communication device on the wall. Switching to the outside line, she pushed in the number from her memory.

“—This is Rina.”

The phone soon connected. She pushed in the number of her father’s former secretary.

“I’m next to Father right now. I’m sorry to have worried you for a long time now…”

Her father used to be someone very powerful, and some of his influence remained even now. However, this meant that she would have problems with lawyers, her mother’s side of the family and whatnot, so she couldn’t miss the secretary now.

After answering all her questions, Rina spoke.

“I would like to use whatever power of the Tachibana family I can to prepare a certain something.”

Not only had she hurt her father badly and escaped, she was even going to use his personal funds.

There was no doubt that her comatose father would lambaste such an unfaithful daughter.

“I must have a ship… as large as possible—go out into sea.”

That was why Rina had sworn.

All so one day, her father would be able to squeeze her neck with his own hands.

And also in order to wait for him to call out her name, Rina would come back here.

“I need it to end all of this.”

Doing this, she was finally able to move on from that day—

So she felt.


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==Notes==

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