Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 4 (section)

== 4.01 Tamaki Part 7 ==

There were no people around the harbor.

Stagnant air, fully rusted containers and warehouses, as well as cracked asphalt that grew wild weeds. That desolate scenery resembled how the Abandoned Land had been not long ago.

The chains blocking the entrance to the harbor shook faintly. Marks shaped like fallen leaves appeared noiselessly on the surface of sand brought by the salty wind.

The fallen leaves passed the entrance, slowly being engraved inside the harbor as if sliding ahead. Those marks—the silent footsteps—directly climbed one of the warehouse walls, stopping entirely on the roof.

“…”

The space above the roof, until now empty, was torn in two. A seagull that landed nearby was startled and flew off.

Two slender arms peeked from within the ripped space. Putting her hands on the edges, a girl with long, black hair came crawling out. She calmly clung to the roof, and a grotesque monster resembling a weevil appeared. The Mushi that had swallowed the girl and brought her there now vanished again.

“Hmm, so that thing’s the guard?”

The moment she mumbled this, the girl’s black hair changed to short hair and her face changed. Tamaki transformed into a Mushitsuki suitable for stealthy movements—Sugitsu Matsuri—and her eyes captured a single person.

A boy sat on a folding chair, fishing at the harbor. From a glance he didn’t look like a student from a nearby village who came to kill some time.

However, Tamaki was looking at the warehouse behind the boy.

It looked the same like the other dirty warehouses, but looking more closely there were something suspicious. The water tank next to the warehouse was brand new; it was obviously installed lately. There was barely any sand piled at the entrance to the warehouse, evidence that people used to frequently come in and out.

On top of another roof, Tamaki was grinning.

“So that means Alpha’s hidden there.”

The primal Mushitsuki, Alpha.

He was the first person to become host to a Mushi—the first person who became a Mushitsuki. He’d been hidden by the Round Table for more than a decade, and Mushibane managed to obtain him with Nanana’s cooperation.

Alpha went back to sleep and had yet to wake up. It was said that he was connected to life support provided by Akasegawa Nanana.

Tamaki grasped this information because she’d scouted a lot, just like today.

“Something about that guard feels weird. Might be dangerous to just attack carelessly.”

The boy lowering his fishing line on the breakwater was full of openings. However, looking at his back Tamaki felt something was amiss. In situations like this, powerful Mushitsuki often have already activated some kind of ability.

“Since he’d been positioned to guard over Alpha, he’s definitely not your average Mushitsuki. Oh, how scary.”

Despite her words, Tamaki chuckled and showed a confident grin.

The courage to leap alone into a dangerous zone and the power of insight to be able to tell her enemy’s powers at a glance. Right now Tamaki was aware not only of these abilities, but also of her having honed all her senses.

She felt thrilled risking her life.

Every time she got into a predicament and escaped it by the skin of her teeth.

She could feel her abilities blossoming within her with frightful speed.

“Maybe I should try poking him a bit. I want to show off my abilities just a little bit. Hmm…”

The ability to transform into a person taken from a touched person’s memories. In the past Tamaki had used this ability to gain the information of Mushitsuki with powerful combat strength.

But no matter how powerful of a Mushitsuki she transformed into, it didn’t matter in the face of truly powerful opponents. She learned this lesson when she’d infiltrated the SEPB’s Central Headquarters. She was simply saved because her opponent at the time was also a fake.

Gaining this valuable experience, Tamaki came to know.

Her ability wasn’t meant for pure strength.

Tamaki’s greatest strength was her being able to transform into any and all Mushitsuki. By choosing to transform not simply into powerful Mushitsuki but those with advantageous abilities, like a game or rock-paper-scissors, Tamaki could become stronger than anyone.

When she woke up to this fact, Tamaki underwent immense growth as a Mushitsuki.

There was no opponent Tamaki couldn’t win against.

There was no opponent she couldn’t deceive.

Convinced of this, Tamaki resolved to move to the next step.

“Alpha… the one and only clue to the reason for the birth of Mushi.”

Tiring of glaring at the fisherman guard, Tamaki moved her gaze to the warehouse.

She mumbled.

“If I figure out the mystery of how Mushi were born, I might find out a real way to erase Mushi—”

What were Mushi?

If she solved this mystery, she might figure out a way to cut off their very existence—

“Geez—turning Kanon’s lie into a reality sure isn’t easy.”

While staring at the warehouse hiding Alpha, Tamaki grinned.

The moment she truly gained a way to erase Mushi, her childhood friend’s lie would become reality. Not just bad acting or illusions—not even the cheap trick of stealthily turning one comrade into a Fallen and masquerading as them.

Kanon’s lie called forth many Mushitsuki.

Even the desolate place called the Abandoned Land turned into a paradise.

Being revered like a God, Kanon-sama even now gathered more followers.

On top of that—if Kanon’s lie became true, what would happen then?

Just thinking about it made her incredibly excited. The thrill of wondering what would happen and the paradigm shift of making a lie come true set her heart aflutter.

Tamaki and Kanon’s lie would change the world—

She was convinced of this.

“SEPB, Mushibane, and even the Round Table, many Mushitsuki and people fought, finally reaching the hint of Alpha…”

On top of gathering information regarding Alpha, Tamaki had naturally gathered information that allowed her to reach that far.

Until now many Mushitsuki fought, were hurt, and died. Those who survived and overcame their dreams and death throes, finally reached toward Alpha.

The one who grasped it was Anmoto Shiika.

She was the Mushitsuki who once nearly destroyed the SEPB, became a Fallen and yet came back. Called either Fuyuhotaru or Snow Fly, the girl walked a heroic path, carrying many things on her back.

However—none of that had anything to do with Tamaki.

“I don’t care at all about any Mushitsuki that live now or those who died before. This hint called Alpha… belongs to us.”

In order to allow a single lie to change the world—

Chuckling to herself in her heart, Tamaki returned looking at the fisherman.

“Oh, he’s actually caught something even in this place?”

While she herself aimed for Alpha, the fisherman also seemed to have a big catch of his own. The line was tilting heavily toward the water.

Tamaki frowned. Unlike the fact the line was moving so violently, the fisherman made no move at all.

“What’re you doing? You have to pull—”

As she tried to say it, she gasped.

The fisherman’s neck rotated 180 degrees, looking at her. The fisherman’s face that she saw for the first time had a grainy texture, and its mouth twitched as it moved with hinges.

“A puppet…!”

It wasn’t a fisherman at all.

It was a dummy meant to fish out intruders—

Tamaki moved the moment she understood this.

Her short hair transformed to long, black hair, and the moment after this—

''Bam! '' Along with this impact sound, a figure casually landed on top of the roof. It was a girl who wore a black and white apron dress—what was commonly called a maid.

It wasn’t just a girl. Her white skin was made of inorganic material, and her golden glinting eyes were transparent like camera lenses.

“…”

The maid girl moved her seamed neck. She looked around the rooftops.

However, there was no one other than the puppet on the roof.

“I see, so it’s an ability that allows you to plant your Mushi inside a puppet to control it.”

Next to the maid puppet, Tamaki breathed. Transforming into Sugitsu Matsuri—known as Halensis within Mushibane—she hid inside the body of her weevil Mushi. Sugitsu Aya’s Mushi could swallow anything and isolate its very presence from the outside world. The weevil itself was almost nonexistent as it used camouflage to erase itself.

“I’ll just retreat for now.”

The inside of the weevil was vast, making her feel like she was floating in water. As the Mushi folded its legs and allowed Tamaki to view the outside like through a magic mirror, she saw that the puppet was pulling someone onto the roof.

“—Is this the user? Maybe I should finish him off, then.”

In front of the grinning Tamaki, a boy wearing glasses was looking around the rooftop. His lean body and wrinkles between the brows gave the impression of him being very highly strung.

He didn’t notice Tamaki despite her being close by. He took out a cellphone.

“…This is my periodical report. My girl found something moving on the roof. Might’ve been just a bird, but when it rushed there, it found nothing. I have a bad feeling about this, this might be an intruder.”

He apparently got in contact with someone from Mushibane. While his attention was on the call, Tamaki took the invisible weevil and moved it further away.

“Should I pretend to be Sugitsu Aya and land a surprise attack…?”

As if he could hear Tamaki’s mumble, the boy spoke.

“I know. I won’t let any Mushibane member inside. I’ve heard about that Mimic person who morphed into Akasegawa and Lady.”

“Ugh.”

That was a close one. Tamaki lowered her weevil from the roof, deciding to retreat.

While she distanced herself from the warehouse, Tamaki giggled. She immediately understood who the boy was talking about.

“So they’re calling me Mimic, huh. Not sure if that’s in good or bad taste.”

Letting her weevil run, she left the harbor.

There was no need to hurry.

They were wary, but Mushibane currently didn’t seem like they were going to move Alpha anywhere else. Perhaps they trusted that puppet-user or had another reason they couldn’t move.

As long as she knew the place, she could try it anytime.

She was the one who gained advantage from time passing.

Even now Kanon’s lie was expanding, calling many comrades—

“The Abandoned Land’s remodeling is also going great.”

The drive inside the weevil was pleasant. She came back home and after piercing through the center of the Abandoned Land, she reached their base, the Castle.

Coming out of the weevil at an empty spot, she lifted Sugitsu Matsuri’s form.

When she was in the Castle, she was just plain old Tamaki. She was neither a Mushitsuki nor the transforming Mimic.

“I’m back.”

Nothing changed from the time when she’d stopped by the family restaurant on her way back to school.

As Tamaki entered the Castle in a natural manner, she expected Kanon to greet her like always.

''Welcome back, Tama-chan.

However—

“Tamaki!”

Instead, welcoming her were believers with faces as if they saw the end of the world.

“Oh?”

Startled, Tamaki looked back at their faces. Next she looked up the large stairs of the main hall.

The throne at the top was empty. She couldn’t see her innocent childhood friend who was supposed to always be there.

“It’s almost meal time. Where’s Kanon? Went to the toilet?”

It really was rare for the gluttonous Kanon to miss a meal.

The believers answered the question just as Tamaki asked it.

“Where’s Kanon-sama?”

“So she wasn’t with you, Tamaki?”

“We’ve been looking since morning, but we can’t find her…!”

“Eh?”

Tamaki’s head tilted.

“We can’t find Nii, either!”

“As well as the car we bought…!”

It took a few moments until she understood the meaning of the believers’ words.

“Kanon’s… gone?”

As she unconsciously mumbled this to herself, she came back to her senses. She arranged everything the believers told her in her mind.

Kanon was missing since morning.

Nii was missing, too.

A car also vanished.

These facts all seemed to point at a single possibility—

“No way… did Kanon-sama abandon us?”

These words silenced the entire main hall.

No, they weren’t just silent. The believers wordlessly exchanging gazes were all sickly pale.

Seeing the believers like that, Tamaki felt a chill.

Rather than the disappearance itself, just the fact they hadn’t seen Kanon for a few hours made them wear this face. It was scary.

“W-wait a minute. Maybe Kanon and Nii went for a drive? They’ll be back soon.”

Tamaki feigned calmness, trying to laugh it off with a light tone.

However, all that did—was make an ominous sensation grab hold of Tamaki’s heart.

A chill passed through her spine.

No one was even listening to her. Until just yesterday they all laughed together and made fun of each other, but now the believers’ empty, dead eyes stared at air.

“We’ve been… abandoned by Kanon-sama?”

“Who was it that made Kanon-sama mad?”

“Right… maybe she didn’t want to eat the hot cake this morning…”

“You…”

Unconsciously losing her calm, Tamaki shouted.

“You idiots! Do you actually think Kanon would be gone just because of something so stupid—”

“Stupid…?”

The gazes of the believers all focused on Tamaki.

She almost found herself raising a shriek. She had the confidence to be able to face any kind of Mushitsuki, but now a different sort of fear skewered her heart.

The believers all looked straight at Tamaki with eyes that concealed their anxiety.

“W-wait! Really, wait a minute! Why are you all looking at me like that! Haven’t I also saved you? Actually, rather than Kanon, I was much more—”

“More than Kanon-sama…?”

“What are you… even talking about?”

Tamaki’s words had the opposite effect. Perhaps thinking she made fun of Kanon, the believers’ eyes became severe.

“Ah, n-no… I-I was just lying, obviously… alright?”

Even as Tamaki hurriedly gave excuses, their eyes didn’t change.

Right, she’d completely forgotten. Since Tamaki had done only behind the scenes work, from the believers’ point of view, she was nothing more than Kanon’s childhood friend.

—No.

That wasn’t the issue.

“Kanon would never leave like that without telling me anything! Probably just went to play somewhere.”

It was a miscalculation—no, things have simply progressed much beyond Tamaki’s estimations.

They all gathered, laughed, and huddled together because Kanon was there. Kanon’s lie served to wipe away their fear and anxiety. However—

She never thought it was to this extent.

Who could have imagined that Kanon’s lie grew so large?

The hundreds of Mushitsuki here would only listen to Kanon.

They wouldn’t try to listen to other people’s lies—

“So Kanon-sama’s actually gone…”

“Where’s Kanon-sama?”

“I g-got it! I-I’ll go look for Kanon! I’ll be right back! Ouch! Please, stop it!”

They were just like zombies crawling out of the grave. Until just yesterday these Mushitsuki worked around the Abandoned Land, but now they grabbed Tamaki.

“Please, let me go!”

Shaking off the believers’ arms, Tamaki ran to the elevator. She pounded the button many times.

“I-I’ll bring Kanon right back…”

The followers did not come after her. They fixed their glass ball-like eyes on her until the door closed.

“U-ugh…”

Tamaki slid down to the floor as the elevator rose. She hugged her shaking body with her hands.

Kanon’s influence grew way bigger than Tamaki had anticipated. In a sense she should have been happy it went as she intended it to.

However—

“S-so easily…?”

Within a few hours of Kanon’s disappearance, they all went back to being lumps of despair.

No, they were even worse than they were before—

“Everything ends so easily…?”

It all depended on Kanon.

Without Kanon, the lie created together with Tamaki would easily vanish.

She didn’t fear getting cornered by the believers. Even if they started a rampage, she could just run away.

Tamaki was simply scared of how excessively brittle they were.

What she built with her childhood friend was crumbling due to such a small happening.

“Kanon…!”

Getting off the elevator, she ran around the Castle.

“Kanon! Kanon!”

The kitchen, believers’ rooms, emergency staircase.

She ran around every place, looking for her childhood friend.

“Kanon! Where are you!”

Kanon was gone.

Her childhood friend wasn’t anywhere.

“Kanon!”

At the very end she came to the highest floor, to Kanon’s personal room. She hadn’t come there first was because her mind was quite shocked.

Jumping into the vast room, she soon felt it.

The air was stagnant. Kanon was not here.

“Kanon… where are you…”

''Why did you leave?'' Until now, Kanon spoke to Tamaki about everything, and yet—

Thinking this as she stepped into the room, she noticed the laurel wreath left on the table.

It was the one left by Nii’s comrade. As she approached it and touched it with a finger, she could feel a slight heat and heartbeat.

“…?”

She noticed there was a piece of paper under the wreath. She reached for it and turned it around, then gasped.

''Tama-chan, you’ve lied to Kanon. Kanon will not forgive you about Ichi-san.

This was undoubtedly Kanon’s writing. She would never mistake those bad letters that looked like worms.

“Ichi…! But how did…?!”

No one should have known about Ichi. She knew that Kanon would be against it, so she made persistent efforts to make sure there were no people around.

Kanon shouldn’t have noticed that she transformed into Ichi.

So how did—

“Someone snitched on me…!”

She couldn’t think of anything else. She didn’t know how they found out the truth, but someone saw what Tamaki did and told it to Kanon.

When that happened, Nii was taken away—because Kanon realized he was the next in danger.

“Kanon… why—”

She knew it was a sin.

Even Tamaki thought that sacrificing Ichi and hiding it from Kanon was bad.

However, wasn’t it still cruel?

“Everything was going so well… but you were still going to throw everything away for that…?”

Tamaki did everything for her childhood friend.

She protected the lie, gathered more comrades, and even built up a castle.

It wasn’t a small lie like the ones she’d told before.

Tamaki’s lie and Kanon’s lie.

Just when she was ready to test how far the pair’s lie could go—

“…”

Tamaki’s hand grasped the laurel wreath. Kicking the floor, she went to the closet, pulling out the robes made for Kanon.

She flipped—and by the time she wore them, Tamaki transformed into Kanon.

“Our lie is not yet over.”

She put the laurel wreath on her head.

Leaping out of the room, she got into the elevator.

“Our lie isn’t over yet. So it’s fine.”

The elevator headed to the surface.

And the door opened.

“I’m waiting for you… so come back, Kanon.”

Seeing the smiling Tamaki—Kanon—caused a cheer almost loud enough to crack the main hall to erupt.

“Kanon-sama!”

“Where on earth have you been…!”

As the believers all bustled to her and raised their arms to the sky, Tamaki tilted her head.

[[File:Mushi Uta 10 p251.jpg|thumb]]

“What’s wrong, you guys? Kanon was just exploring a bit inside the Castle.”

Everyone’s expressions regained their vitality. Them trying to capture Tamaki before looked nothing more than a passing nightmare.

“By the way, what about breakfast? Kanon’s really hungry.”

When Tamaki who looked like Kanon said this, the believers all looked relieved. Smiling, they said “We’ll go get it ready!” and went away.

“Don’t you want to see how far we can go and make a lie the truth?”

Tamaki mumbled quietly to herself.

The lie raised by Kanon and Tamaki would continue to grow.

One day, it would even end up swallowing the world. The pair’s lie would control the world.

At any rate, there were only two people who knew this lie.

“Have you stopped believing our lie…?”

While climbing the stairs to the throne, Tamaki noticed something.

She had the confidence to continue with the lie.

However, what about the other party?

 “The only ones who know the power of this lie is me and… Kanon.”

Turning back, Tamaki sat on the throne. Below her eyes were filled with the people who worshipped Kanon’s face like a god.

The lie would keep on growing.

No one could stop it.

Or perhaps there was a single person who could.

While knowing that, the script for the best possible ending ran through Tamaki’s mind.

“You can’t run away. No matter what you’ll do, you can’t stop it.”

While looking down at the worshipping believers, Tamaki smiled.

“I will show you… just how much power a trifling lie possesses.”