Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5 (section)

== 5.01 Kanon Part 9 ==

Kanon and Mushibane led by Anmoto Shiika charged into the Abandoned Land.

Debris and structures that were in the middle of getting demolished stood in their way as if it was an obstacle course. Passing over or circumventing them, Kanon and the rest aimed for the spire visible in the distance.

To the Castle.

Tamaki and Kanon’s believers were definitely there.

No, perhaps they’d foreseen Kanon’s group’s invasion and were taking some action—

“Kanon, are you fine?”

“Y-yes.”

Among the first group rushing ahead, Kanon was the first one to raise a voice. Crouching on top of the mountain of concrete rubble, Nii lent him a hand. His breath erratic, Kanon grabbed Nii’s hand.

“G-go ahead.”

Shiika passed next to Kanon. Although her breath was elevated just like Kanon, she continued while gazing straight ahead without making any noise. She passed the mountain of rubble with her comrades.

“I-I’m sorry.”

While apologizing to Shiika’s back, he felt how pathetic he was at this late of a stage. 

“They really are amazing, those who stand above people…”

Anmoto Shiika—the girl known as Snow Fly was a very powerful Mushitsuki.

“Completely unlike Kanon.”

People gathered around the strong. Because they possess the power to bind people together. Those who were weak like Kanon did their best to live while being protected by the strong.

And so he knew.

The days when everyone relied on Kanon, thought salvation from him, gathered and lived together were incredibly fun—but also twisted.

He knew fully well what brought this impossible situation.

Kanon’s lie.

The fabrication that he could save Mushitsuki put the weak Kanon in the center.

The result was the present situation.

“I really don’t get her.”

Pulling Kanon’s hand, Nii pulled him up to the zenith of the mountain of rubble.

“Until now I only heard rumors about Fuyuhotaru. Now that I actually met her, she really is different from what I imagined.”

“Eh?”

“She resembles you in some way, Kanon.”

Seeing Nii grin, Kanon tilted his head.

“I-is that really so?”

“Yeah.”

Kanon and Nii rushed down the rubble after Mushibane.

Kanon and Shiika were similar? He didn’t really think so. She was a Mushitsuki that held power, was trusted by her comrades, and had the courage to confront her enemy.

Most importantly, she was kind enough to help Kanon despite him having nothing to do with her.

Kanon, too, wanted to save the believers; he thought so even now.

But at the root of that was only the selfishness to protect himself—

“Kanon’s not that strong.”

“Don’t you think that Fuyuhotaru is unexpectedly like that too?”

“No way that is true.”

“I wonder.”

While talking to each other, the two circumvented a decayed building.

A flash of light then greeted them.

“Eek!”

An impact shook their footing along with the light’s blinking. An explosion rocked Kanon’s eardrums and small concrete fragments started falling like rain.

“…!”

Fearfully widening his eyes, Kanon was blown away by a sudden gale.

This was the section with lines of buildings that were being demolished. There were all sorts of structures, from small to big, that had their walls removed, concrete broken and left nothing but bare steel frames.

As if it was the skeleton of some large monster.

Or perhaps a large jungle gym.

“They” were in the space with raging wind in it.

“You guys…!”

Kanon shouted without thinking.

The people standing on the steel frames while holding hands looked familiar. Some among them were not familiar, but he still knew who they were at a glance.

These were the believers who sought salvation and gathered under Kanon.

As well as—

“…Tama-chan!”

In the center of the followers was a petite girl—no, boy. While it had the exact same face and costume like Kanon, it was not Kanon.

It was Tamaki.

“…”

Surrounded by the believers, Tamaki calmly looked down on Kanon. He couldn’t see even a hint of surprise or any agitation regarding his arrival there.

“They’re attacking again!”

Aijisupa’s voice echoed.

Although he thought that they were surrounding Tamaki and the rest standing atop the steel frame, Shiika and the Mushibane were apparently fighting against something on the ground.

Aijisupa and Namie produced steam and flaming white Common Albatross butterflies. They assumed a formation and protected their comrades.

On the surface of steel there was a storm brewing.

“Eeeeeek!”

Kanon, who held his head, was pushed by Nii into the cover of a steel bar.

The steam and white butterflies were unable to fully protect against the attack. Along with groans, the people of Mushibane were scattered, and what Kanon saw then was—

Something like a ring made of light. It floated in the center of the aftershock, standing in front of Tamaki’s group as if to protect them from Mushibane.

“That’s… my friend’s laurel wreath? I didn’t know it could be used like that!”

Poking his head out from the shade of the frames, Nii grimaced.

The laurel wreath. Meaning, the Mushi that Kanon had left behind in the Castle.

“Please leave right now.”

Illuminated by the ring’s light, Tamaki with the face of Kanon smiled.

“This is where people who wish to be saved gather. Not the place for people like you, who hurt others, to step in.”

A piercing chill passed through Kanon’s spine.

That was wrong.

She had the same face and voice as him, so how come she was so different?

“This land, called the Abandoned Land, is our Holy Land.”

The fake Kanon—smiled. This wasn’t a strong tone just to threaten Mushibane. Her voice was like a whisper, and kind.

The ring glowed even harder.

Standing on top of the blinding light, the fake Kanon’s form with a smile full of mercy—

Was even more Kanon-like than the actual Kanon.

The God of Salvation that came to Mushitsuki’s minds, Kanon. That divine form now ascended in front of him.

“Ugh…”

Kanon gritted his teeth.

What was this feeling?

Although he was the real deal, the Kanon everyone desired was another person. Facing that reality, he was restless.

Envy.

The form of the God of Salvation Kanon that everyone wished for.

It wasn’t just the Mushitsuki—but Kanon himself who wanted to turn into it as well.

Kanon shook off the arm of Nii who covered for him and rushed toward Shiika and the rest.

“Idiot, wait, Kanon!”

“P-please stop this!”

Standing between the ring of light and Mushibane, he pulled back his hood and revealed his face.

“T-that person’s a fake! Kanon’s the real Kanon!”

Kanon thrust his finger pointing at the fake Kanon standing on top of the steel.

“Please stop doing all of this! Fighting is dangerous!”

He shouted the loudest he ever had. It even made him think his throat was about to rip.

''I’m sorry, Tama-chan—

While shouting, guilt constricted Kanon’s chest.

No matter how she chose to do it, Tamaki kept protecting Kanon’s lie. Even so, Kanon was trying to expose her lie.

It went against the unspoken rule between the two.

This action went against the secret promise to not break each other’s lies.

Kanon’s once-in-a-lifetime shout echoed throughout the area of steel frames. 

Kanon emitted the once-in-a-lifetime voice, echoed through the steel land. Judging how shaken the believers were, Shiika’s group were also looking up at the steel frames.

However—

“—”

There was only silence.

None of the believers were moved and they all looked down coldly at Kanon.

“Eh…? Eh…? Umm, you guys… why—”

“So you really came here, Mimic.”

The fake Kanon grinned. Kanon gulped.

“Mimi…? What’s that? You’re talking about Kanon?”

“After attacking SEPB and Mushibane you’re here to attack Kanon and the rest, right? You’re the Mushitsuki who can transform into anyone, Mimic-san.”

“W-what is that? Kanon isn’t…”

He tried speaking but then gasped.

Transform into anyone… Kanon knew a Mushitsuki like that.

Mimic was Tamaki.

When he realized this, he shuddered.

Tamaki disguised as Kanon and the Kanon looking up at her.

''Their positions—were switched.

“N-no… t-that’s what Kanon should be saying!”

Kanon tried desperately explaining, but the believers’ cold eyes didn’t change. Before coming to the fight, Tamaki had probably warned them that a fake with Kanon’s appearance would appear.

“Kanon’s the real Kanon… and that one’s fake…”

Even as he strained his voice, he felt how futile this was. Kanon looked shabby and powerless, while Tamaki had transformed into a divine, glowing Child of God.

Which was the real Kanon?

Which was the Kanon that everyone wished for.

Kanon knew that answer better than anyone.

In fact, the ones shaken were Mushibane. They clamored and some of them even turned clearly suspicious eyes toward Kanon.

“Or will you people of Mushibane also come to Kanon? Kanon’s weaker than anyone and can’t do anything, but—”

The fake Kanon whispered in a kind voice.

“Kanon will save all of you. Due to Kanon’s power of erasing Mushi.”

A temptation sweet enough to melt one’s heart.

All Mushitsuki wished to be released from the shackles of their Mushi—

Tamaki knew that well.

“Amazing…”

He heard a small mumble.

Mushibane faltered.

The one to have spoken was none other than their leader—Anmoto Shiika.

“Fighting to protect each other while knowing that you’re weak is amazing…”

With an absent expression, Shiika looked up at the fake Kanon. Her profile, with eyes sparkling as she was captivated by the fake Kanon, was exactly the same as all the believers.

“Shiika…?”

“Fuyuhotaru! Have you lost your mind?”

“H-hey, Snow…!”

Starting with Aijisupa and Namie, the executives all turned to Shiika at once.

Shiika looked like she was truly impressed. She turned back to her allies with an excited face.

“I mean, isn’t it true? Not being protected by someone but helping each other to protect each other’s dream… yes, I want Mushibane to be like that, too!”

Aijisupa and the rest froze upon seeing their leader so happy.

“…That might be true.”

Lucifera agreed with Shiika. Averting her eyes from the cellphone, she mumbled with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“Being weak and still managing to outwit all the strong people, catching both the SEPB and Mushibane off-guard… I’m sure that Chami-sama’s also…”

She uttered the latter part of her words too low for Shiika and the rest to hear. But Shiika nodded.

“These people… are the ideal Mushibane strives for.”

Kanon opened his mouth wide.

He couldn’t understand this heavily unexpected development.

Mushibane was his last ray of hope to convince Tamaki or the followers. And yet their leader so easily agreed with Tamaki.

“Uh… Ah… Uu…”

Even as he opened his mouth to try and convince Shiika, no words came out.

He was too powerless.

Kanon had no way to oppose his fake self—

“Therefore—it’s a pity you have to lie.”

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

Raising his face, he saw Shiika looked up at Tamaki again. However, her eyes were now so sharp she looked like another person.

She was angry.

Secret Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki, Anmoto Shiika, glared at the fake Kanon with a gaze that contained unmistakable anger.

“Mimic is definitely you.”

The air froze.

The real Kanon couldn’t say anything or move, while the shocked believers and Mushibane were all shaken by Shiika’s words.

Only one person was unperturbed.

The Child of God sitting on the steel frames, the fake Kanon.

“Why do you doubt Kanon? Kanon is Kanon. Everyone knows that, and, most importantly—wish for it.”

That was true. Being struck by that truth, Kanon squeezed his body.

“You said you were weak… but that was your first lie.”

Shiika didn’t retreat. She spoke with confidence.

“You are strong. No—you are scary.”

“Kanon’s scary? Why’s that? Kanon can’t do anything, so what’s so scary?”

“Because I’m weak.”

Kanon raised his head in surprise.

Anmoto Shiika was weak? The strongest Mushitsuki, who was rumored to have destroyed the SEPB once?

“I am able to stand here now not because I am strong. It is because I have people who help me. If not for that, my dream would have ended long ago. It is all because I met this many strong people and scary people this far…”

Shiika looked directly at fake Kanon and asserted.

[[File:Mushi Uta 10 p337.jpg|thumb]]

“So I know this. You don’t think of yourself as weak. You are merely pretending to be weak—and that makes you scary.”

“…”

“A person lying that they’re weak and lying that they’re Kanon-san, is saying that they’ll save us.”

Shiika slowly shook her head to the side.

“But I cannot believe you.”

The Mushibane allies were no longer shaken. Standing near Shiika as if to protect her, they assumed battle position so they could attack the halo at any time.

“Until now I have ended up almost giving up many times. There were ways to run away. However, to save ourselves using our own powers, we have decided to fight to the end.”

Shiika asserted.

“Please return Alpha-san to us. We do not wish to fight among Mushitsuki.”

Why was it?

As he watched the divine fake Kanon and Anmoto Shiika who faced her straight on—he felt some inexplicable camaraderie.
 
Until just now, Shiika didn’t look like someone strong.

Even so—the fake Kanon looked so divine, and yet less scary now.

Kanon suddenly realized what the reason for that was.

''Oh, that person’s definitely really weak—

Perhaps there was a certain kind of feeling shared between those who were weak and useless. At the same time, he also realized a decisive difference between himself and Shiika.

She wasn’t just aware of the fact she was weak, but was trying to grow stronger—

Even her Mushibane allies probably knew that. That was why they protected Shiika, who didn’t seem all that reliable, as their leader, and were all trying to grow stronger together.

Shiika said that her ideal was Kanon’s believers, but it was the other way.

They were—the originals.

Neither a lie nor a fake.

Kanon earnestly thought that he wanted to become like that.

“…”

On top of the steel frames, the fake Kanon tried opening her mouth.

But she turned away as impact sounds and a tremor came from afar.

“Those flames…!”

Nii let leak a hoarse voice.

Everyone there looked at the other side of the Abandoned Land—no, the Holy Land.

Across the Castle, on the horizon of the opposite side of where Kanon and the rest where, crimson flames howled. When the typhoon of flames heading to the sky fell to the surface—

“…!”

His legs shook from the tremor. To the extent he thought the impact erased the ground.

“That bastard… is right there…!”

As Nii was gazing at the flames, his forehead was sweating profusely. Whether due to anger or the forced fear, he grimaced.

“…Leave this place to the warriors.”

Smiling, the fake Kanon turned around on the steel frames. The ring of light floated up to the sky, drawing an arc and settling above her head.

“Wha…!”

People wearing red robes leapt down in front of the excitable Mushibane.

“Kanon’s believers, who were originally weak but trained hard to get stronger. —They would never lose to those who were strong in the first place, you know?”

Taking the followers along, the fake Kanon turned one final time toward the real one.

For a moment, the fake Kanon’s—Tamaki’s—eyes met with Kanon’s.

“Tama-chan…”

Kanon appealed to her with his eyes, but his childhood friend’s expression was cool. She said nothing with her gaze, but simply left Kanon behind.

Nii put his hand on Kanon’s shoulder.

“Kanon… sorry.”

Leaving these words with a harsh expression, Nii turned his body. While looking up at the distant flames, he ran ahead, avoiding the steel frames.

The running Nii.

The waiting red robes and Mushibane.

While looking at them starting to move at once, Kanon wondered—

Why did it become like that?

With those feelings in his heart, he could nothing but stand there.