Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.01 The Others ==

There were the supernatural beings called Mushi.

Suddenly appearing a decade ago, they possessed boys and girls in their adolescence. In exchange for eating their dreams—wanting to become someone, or wanting to do something—they granted their hosts various kinds of power. Since their appearance resembled insects, they were called Mushi.

Those possessed by Mushi were called Mushitsuki.

“Shortly, Terasu’s group will be returning from Operation 1!”

Japan, Akamaki City.

Several days passed since that largest city in the country had lost its functions as the capital.

And the reason for that—was Mushi.

The fight between the Original Three, who made people hosts of Mushi, and the Mushitsuki that resisted them, turned Akamaki City into a battlefield.

“Harukiyo’s group is also coming back after clearing Operation 2!”

In the already evacuated Akamaki City there was a dome facility meant for sports competitions.

Many boys and girls gathered inside the dome which was protected by military vehicles all around. They were groups of Mushitsuki, each equipped with coats and goggles of differing colors.

“The combined forces of Kabuto’s group and Mushibane return from Operation 3!”

These reports came one after another in the tent installed at the corner of the dome.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—was a secret government agency created for capturing Mushitsuki, as well as for concealing the existence of Mushi and Mushitsuki from society at large. Called the SEPB for short, it trained the captured Mushitsuki and dispatched them as soldiers to capture new Mushitsuki.

Those gathered in the dome were the elite Mushitsuki from all over the country.

And inside the tent were the branch heads, leaders of the SEPB. There were also the cabinet minister sent by the government, as well as Mushitsuki in charge of information management.

The entire organizational powers that rose in order to stand against Mushi ever since their first appearance were gathered in that spot.

Why?

In order for them to resist against a single powerful Mushitsuki that made a sudden appearance—

And now their plans all ended.

That is, in the form of the failure of all operations.

“What about any follow-up attacks from C or Oogui?”

As East Central Branch Head Haji Keigo asked this, the Mushitsuki sitting in front of the communication device turned to him. His appearance was reflected on the goggle’s surface.

He had a slim and slender figure and a sickly pale face. His almond eyes made him look older than his late twenties of age. He was just like a ghost appearing under a willow tree—is what he himself thought.

“It does not appear that C attempted to strike back Terasu’s group in pursuit.”

“Same goes for Harukiyo.”

Someone smiled at this report from another Mushitsuki.

She was a woman of the same age as Keigo. Her eyes filled with fondness and the beauty mark under her eye were striking. If what she wore was not a suit but a robe, she might look like a saintess.

“What about Kabuto and Mushibane?”

Miguruma Yaeko. She was the Vice-Deputy of the SEPB, as well as the leader of the entire organization in practice.

“After the battle, Oogui vanished along with Ebina Yuu, the lure.”

“I see.”

Still grinning, Miguruma turned to look at Keigo.

“It seems that the operations to annihilate C and Oogui both have failed.”

C.

The appearance of the Mushitsuki called by this name was the cause behind the lockdown of Akamaki City.

The Original Three were the primal Mushi who gave birth to Mushitsuki—

And the Mushitsuki called C attempted to absorb even those monsters.

She was given the special designation as Super Class Rank 1. Defeating this unprecedented threat by annihilating it became the ultimate goal of all the assembled Mushitsuki.

However, the elites sent in order to annihilate C had the tables turned on them, and they went through many hardships—

All Mushitsuki had completely lost.

“However, damages were kept to a minimum.”

This saint’s smile was answered by Keigo’s faint smile.

“We have revived two of the Rank 1s and brought them back.”

“Clinging to the Rank 1s of the old generation… does this mean you don’t intend to accept the changes to this new world, Branch Head Haji?”

“A new world is coming indeed. However, that will be a world with no more Mushitsuki being created, Vice-Deputy Miguruma.”

Exchanging smiles that were completely inappropriate to the current situation, Haji Keigo and Miguruma Yaeko glared at each other.

At that moment, several camo-wearing soldiers burst into the tent.

“That woman is no longer the Vice-Deputy.”

A middle-aged man who was apparently talking with some other place through his cellphone turned his sweaty face to Miguruma. He was the vice-minister of the Ministries of Japan, dispatched there by the government.

“Miguruma, you are under arrest. You will obviously bear responsibility for C’s rampage… and as for you saying that everyone will become Mushitsuki now? We also have plenty to ask you about your clearly immoral ideas.”

“I will gladly answer any questions.”

Miguruma narrowed her already-narrow eyes and gave no resistance. The soldiers brought her arms behind her back, putting resin-made thumbcuffs on her.

“Vice-Deputy Miguruma… I know this is quite late as someone who’s worked with you thus far—but I can’t understand your thinking. Were you really this crazy…?”

The gentlemanly middle-aged man who wore his fancy suit perfectly groaned. He was Branch Head Takemi of the North Central Branch.

All other Branch Heads also nodded, their expressions hard.

“Not only have you given birth to the monster called C, but trying to fill the world with Mushitsuki created by her… it’s too much…”

“How ridiculous…”

Miguruma received their blaming with silence, looking at a woman who was standing a bit further away.

The one she was looking at was Goroumaru Touko. Although she was an adult woman in her mid-twenties, she had bed hair and wore her suit sloppily. While Haji hid himself, she led the East Central Branch as the Acting Branch Head.

“Do you also consider me mad, Acting Branch Head Goroumaru?”

“I-I—”

Goroumaru Touko’s face, that still had traces of tears on it, showed a moment of hesitation—and glanced at Keigo.

“Why are you looking at me with those eyes? My, how unexpected. Do you consider me to be the same as her?”

When he showed his flippant smile, Touko lowered her head and went silent.

He knew her for a long time and she was his direct subordinate. Until just yesterday she had fully trusted him, yet it seemed like a small change was occurring within her.

“Terau’s group is back!”

Along with this report, the outside of the Headquarters tent became noisy.

Haji passed next to Touko and exited.

“Oh my, look here…”

He witnessed a scene that couldn’t be called a triumphant return even in flattery.

It should have been the team of elites high-ranked Mushitsuki assembled in order to annihilate C. Including Rank 2 Terasu, it was the crystallization of the fighting force polished for close to ten years by the organization called the SEPB.

And yet—they were beaten down horribly.

“—”

As the Mushitsuki on standby cleared the way, Terasu moved forward as the team’s leader.

Although she was in her young teens, this girl was the ace of the North Central Branch and thus an elite among elite—but she was now a filthy figure dragging its legs. Her coat was ripped and her North Central Branch-issued visor was broken. Every part of her body was discolored, whether from the large amounts of dried-up blood or sweat or the burn marks from some kind of attack.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p033.jpg|thumb]]

All her other teammates were covered in similar wounds, and even the Mushitsuki called Kasuou was no exception. Even this crazed warrior that always instilled fear even in her allies had her beautiful blond hair dyed black.

Even those Mushitsuki who didn’t hear the details of the operations now realized at a glance.

The operation was a failure.

Even the unit made of the strongest elites from all the SEPB ended up losing so pitifully—

“All—”

Finally, Terasu arrived in front of the Branch Heads in the dome wrapped in silence.

“All combatants dispatched for Operation 1 under Terasu’s command... h-have all returned safely...”

There wasn’t even a single casualty.

Terasu reporting it as though this was the best-case scenario was perhaps her putting up a bold front.

“T-the operation to annihilate C has failed… b-but, with our reserve plan—”

Saying this much, Terau’s dirty face froze.

Among the row of Branch Heads, she noticed Miguruma Yaeko being apprehended.

“A job well done, my beloved Terasu. I have promised you that upon your return from the operation you will be designated Rank 1, right?”

Miguruma Yaeko wore the small of a saint.

“However, unfortunately—I can no longer fulfill that promise.”

“Ah…”

For a moment, Terasu felt like she was drained from all strength, like her mind was full of mud.

“I—is that so… t-that’s fine… I-I don’t really… care about being Rank 1…”

As she lowered her face and smiled weakly, the girl looked like she lost the very last of her powers, despite her words.

“—Haji Keigo?”

A member of the elite team, Kasuou, was the one who mumbled this.

“Eh…?”

“Branch Head Keigo?”

“I-it’s true… the East Central’s…!”

“Wasn’t he in a coma?”

It wasn’t just the elites; this agitation spread throughout the entire Mushitsuki forces in the dome. His lack of presence was often acknowledged even by himself, but now he was apparently finally noticed.

The SEPB regarded him as if he was unconscious.

The reason for that was so that the man known as Haji Keigo could move freely. While he was at a standstill with Miguruma Yaeko, he concealed his awakening from all but a single person—his trusted confidant Goroumaru Touko—and began moving toward his envisioned plan.

That plan was the reserve plan in the operation to eliminate C.

Meaning—a counter against Miguruma Yaeko’s potential rampage.

That plan succeeded and, in addition to saving the SEPB fighting force that came to the brink of annihilation, managed to bring back a small hope. However—

“Great work, welcome back. —The feeling is mutual, right?”

There were only very few smiles on the faces of those who welcomed Keigo’s faint smile.

Most were shocked, and Kasuou looked even angry. Since he definitely wasn’t any kinder than their previous boss, apparently no one was going to wholeheartedly welcome him back.

One of the gazes, especially—

From among the elite team, the hostility he felt from someone wearing their hood low on their head was frightening.

He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was no ordinary person.

Naturally. After all, while she was the small hope brought back through his plan—she was also, at the same time, his bitter archnemesis.

“Bi—big brother…?”

Keigo found another girl who was reaching out in shock and approached her.

Although the girl’s eyes were wide open, they couldn’t capture his figure. She was wounded, yet looked like she grew up splendidly. The girl’s sightless eyes filled with tears.

“Big brother… really…? W-where are you…?”

Keigo smiled and hugged his little sister, Haji Senri, who had her hands wandering through air.

“I’m right here, Senri. You became so strong… you really have.”

“Big—brother—”

His ill little sister now became an indispensable part of the SEPB’s fighting forces, the Special Class Rank 2 member, Himiko. He did feel conflicted about sending her to the battlefield, but—

Keigo had elected to protect her from behind the scenes until now.

Would he ever be able to tell his sister the reason for it?

“You’ve done well to survive. It’s fine, I’ll be here with you now.”

“Big brother…! Big brother…!”

As if expelling something she was holding back, Senri returned Keigo’s hug while shedding tears. She buried her face in his chest as though to confirm her brother’s warmth and scent.

“Big brother… D-Dai-kun… he’s…!”

“I know. It’s fine, you have nothing to worry about… you need to rest now.”

While he attempted to reassure her, Keigo noticed someone was glaring at him.

“Are you Haji Keigo? Senri’s brother…?”

East Central Branch Rank 2 member, Kaguya. Keigo was well aware that he was Senri’s friend and that he used to belong to the Mushitsuki resistance organization, Mushibane.

“Seems like you’ve already been awake for a while now, right? Have you any idea how much Senri worried about you!? Was the one behind this reserve plan not Acting Branch Head Goroumaru but actually you?”

“Eh, is that really truewuwu?”

Maimai, another Mushitsuki from the East Central Branch, rounded her eye not covered by an eyepatch.

“Well, it turned out like that.”

While stroking his crying sister’s face, Keigo spoke.

“Regarding my reason for acting stealthily—it becomes obvious by looking at the present operation, does it not? I made plenty of preparations to fight someone, so there was a lot to do.”

“We’ll have time to talk later,” he whispered to his sister, turning his face to the side.

A certain person that Keigo spoke about—Miguruma Yaeko—was still smiling despite getting restrained.

Seeing them both face each other, North Central Branch Head Takemi spoke to the vice-minister.

“—Mr. Vice-Minister. I recommend him to succeed Miguruma Vice-Deputy’s position.”

“What?”

“Haji Keigo… that man has many achievements as the East Central Branch Head. Even looking at this current case, it’s thanks to him that we were able to bring out this result despite the difficult situation. I bet the other Heads have no counterarguments.”

The other Branch Heads remained silent and agreed with Takemi Head’s recommendation.

Keigo smiled while fixing his glasses’ position with his index finger.

“I am honored you hold me in such high esteem, Branch Head Takemi. I was certain you hated me.”

“I will not let my personal feelings get in the way while this country is in an emergency state. We need to prioritize the abilities to take initiative and to make decisive actions. You were the one who made that outrageous zone called GARDEN because you were obsessed with researching Mushitsuki. Handling Mushitsuki’s your forte, right?”

Rather than assuming responsibility for trying to turn everything over, the ambitious Takemi probably judged it wiser to push it all on Keigo. It really was an apt decision, just like he spoke of.

“…If there is no other personnel, we have no choice.”

The vice-minister nodded.

Keigo wore a smile.

Finally—finally, this time came.

“Haji Keigo. I appoint you to be the Vice-Deputy of Central Headquarters—no, the Director of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. You are to use the power of the SEPB and everything at your disposal to get rid of C’s unprecedented threat.”

Keigo raised his face and looked at the people around him.

At the SEPB Branch Heads, as well as the soldier Mushitsuki.

In essence, the power to freely wield and move all Mushitsuki in the country—

Had now been obtained by Keigo.

And he’d waited for this for a long, long time.

“I accept.”

Wearing a thin smile, he looked to Miguruma Yaeko.

She was no longer smiling.

This wasn’t because she felt pained at having her authority taken, nor did she feel self-pity for falling from grace.

She simply made a disinterested sigh and mumbled.

“I wanted to avoid at least having the SEPB fall into your hands… what a pity.”

“For you, that’s right. —We really are complete opposites.”

The person called Miguruma Yaeko loved Mushitsuki.

Never mind the shape of her love, she wished for them to exist forever.

On the other, the man called Haji Keigo never loved Mushitsuki.

“I simply lament the huge misfortune falling to my beloved Mushitsuki.”

Miguruma Yaeko closed her eyes as if to offer a silent prayer. —Keigo had estimated her aim beforehand, and she probably also divined Keigo’s aims as well.

However, that was irrelevant.

The baton to control Mushitsuki—now passed to Haji Keigo’s hands.

Looking up at Keigo narrowing his eyes, Senri furrowed her brows.

“Big brother…?”

“You don’t have to make that face. It’s fine. There’s no need to worry anymore.”

Stroking Senri’s head, Haji Keigo turned to Goroumaru Touko.

“Goroumaru-kun. I now appoint you officially as the East Central Branch Head. Is that fine?”

“…Y-yes sir!”

Goroumaru Touko seemed to have complex feelings about her promotion, but she accepted it.

The voices of the intelligence division Mushitsuki came flying out of the operation tent.

“Harukiyo and Kabuto’s groups have returned! They will soon arrive here!”

Keigo stepped in front of the lines of Mushitsuki.

“Let’s reorganize. C is a powerful enemy, but she’s definitely not unbeatable. Our first operations ended in vain, but our forces suffered no major losses. Not only that, we can even say we managed to gain a few aces.”

He would not deny that Terasu’s loss lowered the Mushitsuki’s morale.

However, they could easily recover.

Keigo managed to gain so many forces, and he always thought about it.

How to end the fight of Mushitsuki—

He was resolved to stop at nothing in order to accomplish that one and only goal.

“Now you need to focus on resting and save your energy for when we can rechallenge—”

“Wait.”

The one who stopped Keigo was neither a Mushitsuki nor a member of Mushibane.

It was the vice-minister, his face covered in sweat. Perhaps having reported the situation to the government, he lowered the phone that he just used to talk.

“—I take back what I’ve said just now.”

Keigo tilted his head.

“Haji Keigo, you are demoted from serving as Director. At the same time—”

The air around froze.

Keigo was shocked, and before he could reason out the meaning behind the vice-minister’s utterance—

He gave a declaration.

“Starting now, the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau is to be dissolved.”

As Keigo turned his gaze toward her without even thinking—

He saw that Miguruma Yaeko was grinning.