Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 3 (section)

== 3.01 The Others ==

Why had it become like this?

Had the decision she reached at the times been the correct one?

These thoughts were a constant in her mind—in the mind of the stingy Mushitsuki called Konomura Chami.

In fact, most of the time things never went well.

And the same happened this time.

To outwit the strong who were too cocky and dance out as the lead role—

Although she managed to survive while carrying that ambition inside her, things always failed at the critical moments.

However, coming here was—no, for Chami, this was where the largest miscalculation started.

“Ah, found you…”

The C annihilation operation.

This three-pronged fight launched by the Mushitsuki ended in failure.

Unable to vanquish their formidable enemy, C, she estimated that both the SEPB and Mushibane would start their retreat strategy and fall into chaos. 

However, that itself was Konomura Chami’s goal.

“This is Daisuke’s dream—”

Although this happened just the day before, she felt like it was ages ago.

The SEPB and Mushibane failed, but at the time Chami had been able to make a fist pump in her mind.

After all, she was witness to Ayukawa Chiharu embracing Kusuriya Daisuke at that moment.

Ayukawa Chiharu—she was a beauty with long hair wearing a casket hat. Normally she was just an extremely attractive civilian, but right now she had the alternate personality of Aria Varei dwelling inside her.

Kusuriya Daisuke was her little brother and he was an SEPB Mushitsuki. Although he’d lost his Mushi and became a Fallen, he’d served long as a fearless fighter.

“If you say you don’t want him, I’ll make him my pawn!”

Because her efforts paid off, Chami shouted this.

Piercing through the opening granted to her by the two tacticians, Miguruma Yaeko and Haji Keigo, facing each other—

She snatched off the strongest pawn.

Ayukawa Chiharu had one of the Original Three, Aria Varei, nestling inside her again.

Then, she could use Aria’s Varei to revive Kakkou from the Fallen status.

Aiming for the gap right when he was revived, even Chami’s meagre mental control ability could control Kakkou.

“And with that, all the Ranks 1 will assemble…!”

The girl who became “decoy” to set up this stage, Ebina Yuu, mumbled. Perhaps since she exhausted herself to reach all the way here, she looked ready to collapse at any moment.

The former Demon Lord, Satou Youko, was trying to hypnotize Yuu and make her fall asleep.

All of them were pawns Chami had gathered for her own ambitions.

“If you ever recall your dream please call me again, Yuu-chan…”

The lone uninvited person—Oogui—also left these ominous words behind and left at the time.

Now, no one would stand in their way.

Until now Chami had no combatants among her pawns—but now she could finally gain the strongest pawn of all, Kakkou.

Using even the Original Three, she could also get up the stage again.

There was the precedent of Fuyuhotaru getting revived by Oogui.

Chami won her bet.

The footholds to allow Chami to flip over the stage, rewrite the script and replace the protagonist as she wished were finally in reach.

Or at least—so she thought.

“…Eh?”

Until she saw Ayukawa Chiharu’s surprised face, that is.

She definitely had a bad premonition.

For a social outcast like Chami, this happened more than she could count.

However, what happened at that moment—

“Why…?”

Forgetting both happiness and rage, she felt her brows lowering.

Chami, who could only use her head, found her thoughts put to a stop.

''I can’t believe I came this far for it to not work, what a fucking joke—

She could do nothing but pray in her heart.

“Why aren’t you coming back, Daisuke…!”

Seeing Chiharu yell this while crying, her bad premonition turned to certainty.

Chami’s face became as white as a sheet.

She set up the stage like this.

She risked her life little by little to gain these small pieces, and although she thought that she finally managed to assemble the stage for the ultimate reversal—

The fourth batter didn’t even attempt to rise from the batter’s box.

“Chami-chan…! Why isn’t Daisuke coming back?”

“—“

“Aria doesn’t know, either…! Wasn’t Aria supposed to be able to bring Daisuke back?”

''So does this mean—I lost my bet?

Seeing the teary-eyed Chiharu hug Kakkou, she felt all strength leave her body.

“Y-you…”

She tottered toward Kakkou and grabbed him.

“Don’t fucking screw with me, I came all the way here—”

“Chami…!”

Suddenly a small figure appeared next to Chami.

Konoha, the girl with eyes hidden by her bangs. She was another of Chami’s pawns, possessing two abilities—camouflage that allowed her to erase her form and presence, as well as the ability to see into the distance.

“The Revived are coming here… we must escape…!”

“Chami-chan… What’s happening to Daisuke? Tell me!”

“Chami-chan? Yuu-chan’s safely asleep, but… what’re we going to do with Shirakashi-san? If we push her so much, I’m not sure if she can wake up or not.”

Konoha, Ayukawa Chiharu, and even Satou Youko pressed Chami for instructions.

Each and every one of those Chami gathered had a guilty conscience.

They came from either the SEPB or Mushibane, there was a former Original Three and even a former Demon Lord. Even Ebina Yuu, who was a normal civilian, was nonetheless a weirdo who got involved with Mushitsuki.

However, all of them were pawns Chami risked her life to gather—

This result that she arrived by making them risk their lives ended so pathetically.

“…”

She could hear a cat’s cry from nearby.

This nostalgic yelp made her looked at her feet.

A familiar white cat rubbed against Chami’s leg affectionally.

She was just imagining it.

Mewling as if to invite Chami, that cat—was Chami’s very first pawn, as well as her first companion who died on the road to her ambition.

“—Alright, I get it.”

She scorned herself for being so lame that even an illusion pitied her.

Just like back then, when she found a dream above her station.

“So it means we need to start all over again—huh, that’s not bad at all, shithead.”

By the time she mumbled this, the white cat illusion was already gone.

In the first place Chami had nothing to protect.

She could start all over again, no matter when and where.

Because of that—there was probably no person as ambitious as her.

“Konoha! How’s our car and escape route?”

Chami stiffened her face and turned to Konoha.

The girl with her face hidden by her bangs hurriedly materialized her Mushi. Its body looked like two overlapped leaves and it had gigantic eyes. The Mushi extended tentacles to Konoha’s goggle.

“T-they’re not there… looks like the place where we hid the car and our escape route weren’t found out…”

“Then get on the fucking car already! We have no time to carry all of our fainted members to the hiding place!”

Being yelled at by Chami, Konoha broke into a run.

“Satou Youko! When the car comes, you and me are going to throw Yuu and Ubuki inside!”

“More physical labor? But I’m so tired after flying all over the place…”

While grumbling, Satou Youko started preparing to pack up her suitcase.

Following this, Chami turned to Chiharu hugging her brother.

“Chiharu! Our enemies’ll definitely get here faster! I will you take care of them! C can’t come all the way here, and I’m sure you can handle the Revived, at least!”

Right now, Chami and others weren’t in any house or building. It was a plain with a clear view.

Around them were no electrical lines that C could use. After making sure of that, they carried Kakkou all the way here.

Chiharu was no combatant, and she wasn’t even a Mushitsuki.

However, she had an Original Three inside her, weak as it was. She should at least be able to fight against C’s assassins to buy them some time.

“As for Kakkou—leave him here.”

“…!”

Chiharu widened her eyes, glaring at Chami.

“He’s no more than a Fallen now. We don’t have the space to be taking someone useless right now.”

Receiving Chami’s glare, Chiharu—

“…”

Hugged her brother wordlessly. Her face looked calm and determined.

“Are you going to commit double suicide with him?”

“It’s my fault Daisuke’s like this. So I’ll stay with him to the end—”

“Not gonna happen. I’m disappointed in Kakkou, but right now you have Sanbikime inside you. Do you even understand how deep of a shit we’ll be in if C absorbs not just Shinpu but even Sanbikime? This will cause many further victims.”

“…”

“Your brother obviously doesn’t want that, either.”

She’d say the shittiest of lines possible in order to convince Chiharu.

Chami had no idea what the boy in front of her eyes—Kakkou—wished for and felt while going through countless battles.

No, it wasn’t just Chami. Probably no one knew.

After all, even his own sister—found it impossible to get him to retrieve his heart.

“Kakkou fought to defeat C and fell victim. Since he can’t fight any longer, then you need to fight in his stead—”

“Don’t you dare speak so heartlessly at this point, Chami-chan.”

“…Then I’ll be curt.”

Glaring at each other, Chami spat.

“We’ve failed. It’s my fault for misreading this. We failed to bring Kakkou back to normal—because you’re worthless.”

“…!”

“It’s time to stop holding hope. All we need to do is avoid despair. —But if you’re still so naïve you’d rather destroy yourself, I’ll just throw you away along with Kakkou.”

Chiharu grimaced and her shoulders shook, but—

“—”

She hugged her brother’s body even tighter.

Chami clicked her tongue. She didn’t even have the time to think how she was going to tear this blockhead; countless human figures appeared in her vision.

“They’re here…! Get away from them, Chiharu!”

“Run first, Chami-chan! I’ll come from behind with Daisuke…”

“You fucking idiot! If you’ve got the time to spout out these awful lines, then just fend off those Revived alre—”

About to finish her entrance, Chami felt something was odd.

The number of pursuing assassins was about a few dozen, perhaps? Since some of them were wearing SEPB coats, there was no doubt they were Mushitsuki.

However, none of them were accompanied by any Mushi.

Furthermore, their battle formation wasn’t trying to surround Chami’s group. They weren’t trying to use their numbers to their advantage, but instead practically forming a line—

“—Shitheads!”

Seeing the golden glow from afar, Chami guessed what was going on. She leapt at Chiharu.

Chiharu, who made her right arm glow blue and was about to fight back, was separated from Kakkou out of surprise.

“It’s C, you idiot!”

“Ah—”

It happened the exact moment after the siblings were separated.

Chami did not miss it.

Chiharu’s right arm reached out toward Kusuriya Daisuke—

Her hand, glowing blue with Sanbikime’s power of merging—

Made a sticky sound as it buried itself into Kakkou’s chest.

It separated instantly, but there was something faintly glowing grasped inside the hand.

“—!”

Golden lightning pierced the space between the entangled two girls and Kakkou.

There was a violent roar and a gale. The air crackled.

If they got hit directly, then Chami obviously but even Sanbikime-fused Chiharu would melt down into a single mass.

This lightning that held so much tremendous power—

Passed through the line of Revived to be made able to reach Chami and the rest.

“What the fuck is that idea…! Using those Revived as conducting wire!”

“…”

Chami was cussing while on the ground, while Chiharu stared vacantly at her hand.

Chiharu took her faintly glowing hand—and stealthily put it against her chest. She had the necklace that had used to house Aria Varei’s personality dangling from it.

“Chami!”

The large van driven by Konoha appeared. Konoha leapt out of the driver’s seat and, along with Satou Youko, dragged Ubuki and Yuu inside.

“Let’s go, Chiharu! More people are coming!”

Chami pulled Chiharu’s arm by force, making the stunned girl rise to her legs.

From the distance, the second formation of the assassins sent by C was pursuing them.

“Konoha, come help! Let Satou Youko drive!”

Chami and Konoha forcibly got Chiharu on the van. The moment the door closed, she could see the crowds of Revived swarming over the Fallen Kakkou.

“Ah…”

Chiharu pulled back her hand reaching toward Kakkou and Chami closed the door.

“Get going, Satou Youko! Once we get far enough, we can use Konoha’s clairvoyance to escape from the enemy’s encirclement even without a sensing ability!”

“I like driving.”

Along with the high-shrieked sound of the tires screeching on the ground, the van accelerated.

[[File:Mushi Uta 14 p327.jpg|thumb]]

Inside the car, Konoha, Ubuki, Yuu and Chiharu were tangled together. It was probably about 50-50 whether they’d be able to shake off their pursuers.

“Chiharu...”

Even in this situation, Chami couldn’t help but grab Chiharu.

“What the fuck were you doing!”

Grabbing Chiharu with both hands, she slammed the back of her head against the seat.

Unlike Konoha and the rest who were surprised by Chami’s earnestness, Chiharu herself was completely dazed.

“Eh…?”

“Don’t play games with me! I saw it! When we went you did something to Kakkou, right? Tell the truth!”

As Chami blamed her, Chiharu’s face distorted little by little.

“I, I just thought that if we separated like this, we might never meet again—”

Her face overflowing with tears, Chiharu covered it with her hands and leaked sobs. In the hand hiding her face she was grasping the golden ring on her necklace.

“Once I thought these people might take him away…”

“And so—you took out Kakkou’s heart?”

Konoha and the others went speechless at Chami’s words. Even the driver Satou Youko felt the same.

Sanbikime’s ability was fusion.

Using that ability, Sanbikime themselves dwelt within humans and never let anyone know about their identity. She could assume that even Miguruma Yaeko and C’s ideas to keep the dreams of all Mushitsuki in a database was derived from Sanbikime’s mode of being.

And the girl called Ayukawa Chiharu—used that power on her brother.

“Do you understand what you’ve done…?”

“Uuuh…”

“That’s! The power of a monster! Those unknown things called the Original Three use that power to eat people’s dreams! Do you wanna use the power of the Original Three and play with people like C?”

“UuuUuuh…!”

“And you used it on your brother, even…! Have you turned into an Original Three in both body and mind?”

Even as Chami abused her, Chiharu merely cried and groaned.

She obviously understood Chiharu’s feelings.

Not giving up on her own blood-related brother—that was all this was.

“…I-if I keep calling out to him, surely Daisuke will—”

As Chiharu spoke as in groans, Chami pounded her against the seat again.

“Are you still on that, shithead?! Kakkou denied even his own damn sister! Even if someone else calls out to him, he—”

Chami gasped at her own words.

Although this was impossible for his sister, if there was anyone at all who could call out to him—

She had an idea.

Perhaps it was because Ebina Yuu was sleeping right next to her.

''—The Rank 1s are gathering…!

Yuu shouted those words.

If that came to pass, then perhaps—

“…”

“Chami?”

Konoha called out to Chami as she removed her hands from Chiharu and suddenly crouched.

“—That’s impossible…”

Although her mouth denied it, Chami’s mind started making stupid plans on its own.

“This is way more than just all or nothing… but in the first place, our chances to win are… no, if even a single part works out, it ends up as a plus… you idiot, there are too many risks… you won’t be able to take that back…”

She couldn’t ever call Chiharu a monster again.

Not only was the plan taking shape inside Chami’s mind was going to use that monster’s power—it would be like snatching away both stage and script and then set fire to them.

However, what if—

“…If I can’t whip a corpse back to life… what if I shoot it with a machinegun and set it on fire…?”

Chami moved her eyes to a certain spot in the van.

She could see the small devices that all housed the power of her currently absent pawn, Lucifera.

A large number of cellphones.

“Chami-chan.”

Suddenly the driver Satou Youko spoke.

“You look like you hit on some idea—but are we fine?”

As she raised her face, she saw through the back mirror the former demon lord wearing a creepy smile.

“We’ve searched for Alpha to find out the secrets of Mushi. We weren’t able to ask anything even after getting in contact, though. We went after Aria Next, but in the end the moment that Mushitsuki were born remains unclear. Next, you tried to rely on a powerful pawn, but couldn’t bring Kakkou back—”

It was some harsh criticism. However, Chami had no possible retort.

Because it was all true.

“It was a chain of failure after failure… should I really expect anything, this time?”

Although she wasn’t putting pressure on her with those creepy eyes, Chami knew.

In the end, Chami’s mental control ability didn’t amount to much. If the person themselves actually strongly rejected it—if they turned their back on Chami, they could easily break it.

If she failed again, Chami would lose what little few pawns she had.

Even so, the next word that came out of her mouth—

“No…”

Was a word of denial.

“This time—is definitely the shittiest strategy I’ve had this far.”

It was so stupid of a plan she could laugh.

In fact, even without hearing of it, Satou Youko giggled. Konoha next to her also wore a small smile.

However, the two—had nothing further to say to Chami.

“Konoha… right after we break through their encirclement, start the monitoring.”

Konoha tilted her head at Chami’s words.

“Monitor? Who, exactly?”

She knew she was depressed.

She was pissed at nothing working according to plan, including her own self.

However—Chami smiled.

Just like her first pawn, that cat.

“I need you to monitor—all Rank 1s, except for Kakkou.”

And thus.

The plan cooked up by the minor character called Konomura Chami became reality—

Cellphones containing her ambitions were delivered to each Rank 1.

One was Lady Bird—Tachibana Rina.

Another was the flame devil—Harukiyo.

And yet another one was—