Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

From the roof, one had a full view of the students going back home after the ceremony.

“Ah, there she is. I just need to monitor her, right?”

The girl grasping the rails and looking down had a high-pitched voice, like some anime voice actress. She was looking at Saionji Ena who just exited school, holding her bag.

“Yeah.”

The one nodding was Kusuriya Daisuke, sitting on a bench.

“…”

Arisu puffed her cheeks, glaring silently at Daisuke. However, he didn’t even look at her.

“What a poor young lady. —To think Oogui set her eyes on her.”

“There’s no need to worry. No matter how small, if something unusual happens around that girl, inform me immediately. There’s no need for you to sympathize with the monitoring target or wanting to protect or save her.”

“Yessir.”

Pouting, Isa Himeko turned around. Clad in fashionable clothes, her figure with a backpack that had something resembling bat wings got her the feeling of a cute imp. She apparently just became a middle schooler.

“I really am worried.”

Arisu repeated yet again the argument that Daisuke had rejected once.

“Why is it Himeko-chan? It should be someone stronger from the SEPB…”

SEPB, full name Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, was a government agency. The organization was made to isolate and conceal the supernatural beings known as Mushi. They all united the people possessed by Mushi and gave them the mission to capture further Mushitsuki.

“Because she’s the best fit for this mission.”

Kusuriya Daisuke’s reply was curt. He was a combatant from the SEPB, and stayed at Arisu’s side after being sent to monitor the extremely rare case of a person being possessed by another person’s Mushi.

“I already told you it’s not enough for me to understand! Why’s Himeko-chan the best fit?”

The girl called Isa Himeko was a Mushitsuki. When Arisu and the rest once met her by chance, she’d been captured by the SEPB. At the time she was a mere scaredy-cat, crybaby elementary schooler.

“I don’t want HQ to know until we confirm it’s Oogui. Since this girl’s only just been dispatched to real combat she has no missions, so she’s free. Also, the teacher in charge of her training had unusually given her praise, so thinking in terms of power as well, it’s much better than leaving it to anyone else.”

“Yup, let me handle it!”

Himeko energetically thrust both hands ahead. A green mist erupted from her open hands, assuming the shape of a millipede. The green millipede ran lightly across her arms, shoulders and waist.

“I’ve been taught much more than I wanted to about the usage of my ability! Not only can I show people scary things, but if I use it on myself, normal people get so scared upon seeing me that they faint. No one even noticed me when I came to this school. —I’ve practiced lots so I can protect Kou-chan!”

“…Eh?”

“I mean, Kou-chan’s way too cool so he’s popular with girls, y’know? I don’t want any sneaky thieves, so I used my power to protect him!”

''Isn’t this just called being a stalker?

Arisu stopped the words about to come out of her throat upon seeing Himeko’s wide smile.

“N-never mind that, is that really fine though? Kouta-kun doesn’t look like the kind of boy who’ll cheat on you.”

Himeko suddenly looked serious. She averted her eyes and mumbled with a tone completely unlike her.

“If he ever does cheat on me… I’ll curse him for life.”

“…”

“Alright, here I gooo!”

Immediately resuming her cheerful expression, Himeko started skipping away from the rooftop.

Kouta was the boy currently seeing Himeko. Arisu was glad that the girl wasn’t dyed in the colors of a ruthless SEPB combatant and remained a maiden in love, but had the feeling that there were some new worries.

“L-looks like she got all sorts of power-ups, I’m relaxed. She’s reliable… I guess?”

“I actually became more anxious instead. Will she herself become a monitoring target someday…?”

The summer wind blew through the middle school rooftop. Daisuke’s bangs shook as he sat on the bench while Arisu, who stood before the fences, had her skirt lightly lifted.

“Are you really not going to tell the SEPB?”

Arisu turned back, asking Daisuke.

Although this was such a sunny day, the Mushitsuki boy kept staring at his feet.

“Tell me why. Isn’t the goal of the SEPB to conceal Mushitsuki from the world? Isn’t their job beating Oogui?”

The Prototype Mushi birthing Mushitsuki, the Original Three—

Whether human or monsters, their identities were shrouded in mystery. Oogui was one of them, and those targeted by her became Mushitsuki.

That being was currently after Saionji Ena. —It was only recently they found this out from a certain individual. Oogui ate people’s hopes and dreams, turning them to Mushitsuki. Meaning that Ena had that much of a dream.

“Ena’s my friend. I’ll do anything to stop her from becoming a Mushitsuki. If you don’t make me agree with hiding this from the SEPB… I’ll ask them to cooperate through Kasuou or C.”

Arisu looked overhead.

In the pure blue sky, there was a small silver glow. It was a butterfly with wings that had otherworldly beauty, a Morpho butterfly. It was the Mushi that belonged to her friend who died from an illness, now inherited by her.

“I had enough regretting not knowing anything back when Mari died. This time—I have to save Ena.”

As Arisu bit her lips, Daisuke slightly raised his face.

“The SEPB—can’t save Ena.”

Arisu widened her eyes.

“Since this will risk a lot of victims, they’ll simply watch from the side. They’ll just send a few monitors and then capture Ena once she becomes Mushitsuki.”

“Wh—”

She couldn’t understand what Daisuke was saying. Arisu kept pressing for an answer.

“Why’s that! They fought against one of the Original Three… Sanbikime, right? At this place called Aoharima Island! Then why aren’t they fighting Oogui!”

“Who knows. Even that Aoharima Island fight barely has any records left. Even if it was the exception—I feel like the SEPB’s avoiding fights with the Original Three. Oogui’s a lot more prominent than Sanbikime… and yet there are exactly zero records of any fight against her.”

“I-isn’t that strange?!”

“They’re probably scared of the fatalities incurred through battle with Oogui. …There was incident once where the SEPB was nearly destroyed. They probably don’t want to lead a united charge of Mushitsuki against an unknown monster—or so I used to think.”

“''Used'' to think? Meaning, there’s another reason?”

“It’s like you said. Central Headquarters sent many forces to Aoharima Island to annihilate Sanbikime. Meaning—they’re not scared of fighting the Original Three. Even so, since they’re not fighting Oogui, there might be another reason.”

“…”

“What if—the upper-ups of the Central Headquarters know about Oogui’s ability?”

She could control and reproduce the power of all Minion Type Mushi borne by her—Arisu and the rest knew this secret about Oogui.

“Oogui’s definitely strong, but if we fight her with great numbers, won’t we somehow—”

“You know nothing. It’s way past that level already.”

As Arisu hounded him, Daisuke’s sigh attacked her. She pouted, groaning.

“If this ability became known among Mushitsuki it’d be real bad. I haven’t told even my superiors about it.”

“Daisuke’s superiors… meaning, that South Central Branch whatever? Oh, right! If Central HQ’s a no go, how about asking help from your branch? This isn’t the time to tell me that’s not their jurisdiction!”

“Yeah, if I tell my branch head about this, we might end up fighting against Oogui. He’s got views that are the complete opposite of Central HQ in a certain sense, and I trust him. He’ll definitely think up of a plan to beat Oogui.”

“That’s amazing! If he’s that reliable, there’s no need to hesitate—”

“In exchange—around half of currently living Mushitsuki will not survive.”

Arisu’s expression froze. Meanwhile, Daisuke wore a cynical smile.

“He won’t care about Ena in the least, and after however many years it takes to hunt down each and every Minion Type Mushi, we’ll definitely beat Oogui. —He’s a person who can kill all Mushitsuki today to make sure no Mushitsuki is born tomorrow. You still want his cooperation?”

“…”

She would obviously not nod.

She’d never allow this way of fighting. However—it was true that this method might perhaps beat Oogui.

“Then… what are you planning on doing?”

Arisu’s voice was shaking. Was he telling her to just sit and twiddle her thumbs while watching her best friend become a Mushitsuki?

“Are you also going to just quietly watch Ena become a Mushitsuki?”

“—I’ll take responsibility.”

Daisuke stood up. His profile had a certain kind of resolve in it.

“Since it’s my fault she’s gotten herself a dream—I’ll defeat Oogui by myself.”

“Arisu Axe Kick!”

Along with a dull sound, Daisuke’s head was hit by Arisu’s shoe. “Ugh…” he cried while clutching his head. Arisu stabbed the groaning boy on the floor with her finger.

“Don’t be stupid! Have you forgotten how easily Oogui beat you not too long ago?!”

“That’s because I was unaware of her abilities…! Ow, you made me bite my tongue so hard…!”

“So you’re telling you can fight alone against someone using the abilities of all Minion Type Mushitsuki? That’s not taking responsibility or anything! That’s just suicidal!”

“I’m a Rank 1…!”

Rising up, Daisuke glared at Arisu.

“I’m the number one strongest Mushitsuki! If it’s impossible for me, it’s impossible for anyone!”

“The number 1 strongest Mushitsuki? —How much do you think that’s worth?!”

Arisu’s hand grabbed Daisuke’s cuff. She brought his frozen face closer.

“You’ve been beaten by Oogui and crying from a single kick by me—even if you call yourself the strongest Mushitsuki, that’s all you’ve got in the end, right? Aren’t you making a mistake about your strength, trying to carry everything by yourself?”

“Then who else can do it?! I’m the only one! Also, I wasn’t crying!”

“We can do it with everyone.”

As Daisuke shook off Arisu’s arm, she stared him straight in the fact.

“We can fight with all Mushitsuki together. If we do that, we can easily defeat Oogui.”

Daisuke became speechless for a moment. But he soon wore a wry smile.

“All Mushitsuki together…? What are you even saying? We’d never be able to do something like that!”

Arisu was not shaken.

“Who decided we couldn’t?”

“Mushitsuki aren’t that strong! All of them have their hands full fighting their own Mushi! You’re not even a Mushitsuki so you can’t understand!”

“You’re just pretending to understand! Mushitsuki are strong! Much more than you think!”

“Isn’t that the opposite of what you said just now?!”

“There are weak parts and strong parts! Mushitsuki have both of those, right?”

As Arisu looked at him, Daisuke scowled.

“Are you going to preach to me about Mushitsuki? I’ve seen many more Mushitsuki than anyone else. —I know much more about Mushitsuki than you!”

“No, you know nothing about Mushitsuki.”

Daisuke stared back at Arisu as she dropped her voice.

“Hey, did you know? Kasuou’s birthday is approaching.”

“…And?”

“C told me she made a new friend at school.”

Daisuke spoke in a disinterested manner.

“I have no need to know all that.”

“No, you do.”

“…”

“Mushitsuki, too… are people.”

Daisuke was a Mushitsuki. While drawing lines between normal people, there was something he forgot.

Arisu finally realized what that was.

“If you go on like this, you might even forget the day of the week.”

Daisuke stayed silent. That silence affirmed Arisu’s question.

Arisu let her expression soften. She grabbed the silent boy’s hand and pulled him closer.

“C’mon, let’s go. It’s going to start if we don’t hurry up.”

Daisuke made a suspicious face, but—this time, he didn’t shake off the girl’s hand.