Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 2 (section)

== 2.01 Shiika Part 1 ==
If Shiika recalled correctly, it happened soon after she’d officially inherited the part of Mushibane’s leader.

Avoiding conflict with the SEPB, they prioritized securing wild Mushitsuki. Even if there were clashes with the SEPB during this they never fought and would not begin the chains of hatred.

Changing their policy, they were reborn as a new Mushibane.

Although they were resolved to this—at that period they were fully committed to recombining the divided Mushibane. After the organization lost its previous leader Tachibana Rina and the various regional leaders retired, Mushibane lost its connections and became easy prey for the SEPB.

They were lucky to have found the northern regional leader, Lucifera. She was the lone woman among the regional leaders and a Special Type Mushitsuki. She was smart, and advised Shiika to reconnect the information network of the various regions of Mushibane members.

Gathering all the confused members into one spot was extremely dangerous. Because of that, she’d dispatched Aijisupa and Namie to each place, gradually securing the contact networks there. Following that, they finally managed to retrieve Mushibane’s former connections.

That was when it happened.

“It is said that falling in love is a state of being while loving someone means acting on it.”

The man who never looked Shiika in the eyes, Munakata Kaiji, said this without any advance warning.

“Eh?”

It happened when she looked around their base which was the camp.

Munakata Kaiji and Shiika were of completely different ages and heights, and sometimes their allies would turn to look at them.

“Sorry, this old man likes saying strange things from time to time.”

Munakata Kaiji laughed. Yet he didn’t look at Shiika’s face.

“What does that mean?”

“Just like it sounds. Have you fallen in love?”

Being asked this, Shiika felt her cheeks flushing.

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke passed through her mind. She only spent a short time with him, but the happiness and bliss she felt during that time—as well as the bitterness and pain—were special in her life. Even now she cherished the painting of Daisuke drawn by Rina.

“…I see. Then, have you done anything for his sake? Even something you’ve done together with him.”

Thinking a bit, Shiika shook her head.

Daisuke had done many things for her. He invited her on a date, he consoled her when she was crying, and at Christmas, he held her hand and saved her.

On the other hand, had Shiika done anything for him? Had she accomplished something while with him?

She couldn’t nod to that.

“I see. Then in your case, you’re still just in love. Perhaps admiration. —But not real love, yet.”

“…”

“I hope you will forgive my boasting, but I was very popular with the ladies when I was young. I have done anything a man of my age could do, and my face wasn’t too bad either. And, above all else, I was good at making money.”

This sudden confession made Shiika twitch and look at Munakata. Since he looked very young even now, she could easily imagine how handsome he’d been in the past. But it was the first time Shiika saw a person say that sort of thing about themselves.

“So I think I’ve been blessed with chances to fall in love. Yes, I’ve fallen in love many times.”

“I-is that so?”

“Receiving goodwill from someone and responding with loyalty, I did everything I could to catch the attention of the woman I liked. But that was all definitely done just to attract the person I fell in love with to me—meaning, for my own sake. So it was mere falling in love.”

While Shiika’s cheeks reddened and she lowered her glance, Munakata was unabashedly monologuing.

“So there was only one person I felt true love for.”

He definitely wasn’t looking at her, but Shiika watched his profile.

“Do you… still love her even now?”

“Yes.”

Munakata Kaiji’s response sounded proud and grand.

“Since we’re very far removed in age, everyone would talk behind my back. However, it is for certain that I—for the first time—became obsessed, and came to knew what loving a person meant. Loving meant suffering, and it was much more pleasant than anything I felt so far. Oops, saying this much makes even me feel embarrassed.”

“…”

“When I lost the person I love, I became depressed. I realized how dull the world was. However… when Aijisupa dragged me back, I noticed something. That I could keep on loving her.”

“So that’s why you’re helping the Mushibane left by Rina… helping us?”

“That’s what I meant.”

Shiika looked puzzled.

“Past tense?”

“I gave a certain amount of money to Mushibane. But on the way I started thinking that this wasn’t enough. There were many other people who could make money.”

“…?”

“I know that thing called money. They had it in any era. Those that felt that everyone belonged to them were rampant in the world. Their curiosity, too, was something out of this world. At any given time in history, those guys were always next to fate.”

Even while speaking so nonchalantly as if they were discussing everyday matters, Munakata still looked ahead.

Once, he’d told Shiika that he couldn’t look in her eyes since he hated her for letting Rina die.

It was exactly so.

However, Munakata knew he was guilty of the same sin. Therefore, if he met Shiika’s eyes even once—he might end up forgiving her.

Wasn’t he trying not to look into her eyes because he knew that?

Even the sufferings incurred from love were better than any other sort of happiness—

Seeing him say that, she thought this.

To him, even hatred was the special privilege of those in love. He had no right to take it from Shiika.

“If my pet theory is accurate—the thing called money was definitely seen at the time.”

“The time?”

“The time when everything started.”

Munakata put his hand on his chin, sinking into deep thought. He kept talking like he was mumbling to himself.

“More than ten years ago, there were three incomprehensible movements in the business world… perhaps they were not without reason after all—they were perhaps hidden and unseen, but they existed…”

Ignoring Shiika who was completely out of her depths, Munakata kept muttering.

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift—”

These were all terms Shiika never heard.

“Should I try to nudge them more…? no, I can use slightly more forceful methods. The Round Table will—”

“Munakata-san?”

“O-oh, I apologize.”

Munakata nearly looked at Shiika as if only now recalling she was there, but soon dropped his gaze.

“Are you doing something dangerous?”

When Shiika asked, Munakata smiled bitterly.

“Rather than dangerous, I’m trying to do something unreasonable for my age. It might not end pretty.”

“Eh…?”

“No, you don’t need to worry.”

Noticing he was complaining, Munakata raised his face.

“To be honest, I’m still hesitating—but I’ll try doing it properly.”

At that time, Shiika had no idea what any of Munakata’s words meant.

But he was trying to do something in his own way. He had enough confidence to do that, and probably didn’t hesitate.

The man who kept loving a person who was dead, Munakata Kaiji.

He went missing a few days following that conversation.



The blazing sun’s early heat scorched the white beach.

The deep ocean spreading all around was calm and the waves hitting were also small. The boundary between the endless horizon and the blue sky swayed faintly as if in dance. Turning to the right there was a cliff, turning to the left there was a forest, turning back there was a shack, and all of them were distorted with heat haze.

A private beach.

She thought that this term only existed on TV or in books, but now she actually viewed it with her own eyes. The fact that it wasn’t overseas and that there was actually such a place inside the country was also a surprise.

Sweat dripped from her chin. Falling to the ground it drew a black line but soon evaporated.

As she vaguely stared at that, her vision suddenly shook.

“Here you go.”

“Ah… thank you, Aijisupa-san.”

Looking up at the boy that came to her at some point, Anmoto Shiika thanked him. Touching her own head, it now had a straw hat. Her two-piece swimsuit was sky blue and the bottom part was skirted. Adding the hoodie she wore on top of her swimsuit and the straw hat, she felt as if the sea ahead of her was even further.

“Can’t you swim?”

The boy wearing standard swimming trunks inquired in his usual flat tone. Because he’d removed his trademark hairband, his bangs were spilling out. It was Aijisupa, the boy who told her he’d protect her—Shiika didn’t know his real name.

“I-I still haven’t done my warmup exercises… please don’t mind me and go to swim.”

Shiika unconsciously averted her gaze. Her being unable to swim was a secret.

“I see,” said Aijisupa curtly. Standing still next to Shiika, they watched the resort-like scenery.

She saw the infinite ocean, a girl wearing a fashionable swimsuit and a tired-looking boy. Stuffing her cheeks with an extra-large serving of ice cream on top of a floating mat was Lucifera, and the one swimming and pulling that mat was the boy called Chouya Nihei.

In the space between the beach and the shack, a place covered in gravel, there was a roofed kitchen set. It was a full-fledged set that even had an ice cream-making machine on a metal board. A tall woman was there, receiving a drink from the chef.

The woman holding the drink came to Shiika. She wore the same kind of hoodie as Shiika, but even Shiika as a member of the same sex felt that it was a pity for the woman to hide her bikini-clad body like that when it looked so good on her.

“Are you not going to swim, Shiika?”

“T-the wind just feels nicer…”

As Shiika received the drink and averted her eyes, Namie nodded with “I see”. Not even noticing Aijisupa’s presence, she finished off all the remaining drink.

“It feels so strange.”

She mumbled this while seeing Nihei accidentally causing the mat to turn over and Lucifera slapping him.

“Munakata-san came back and it’s such an important time now. Should we be playing here like? I bet the other members of Mushibane feel bad…”

Namie smiled as she listened. Aijisupa smiled as well.

“You sure are kind, Shiika.”

“You don’t need to mind it too much. We’re simply participating in that selfish girl’s victory celebrations. Since this is rich people property, we also don’t need to fear the SEPB finding us.”

“Haa.”

“Yeah. Also, it’s just a small breather. And if you think that’s bad, then start working even harder starting tomorrow so no one could complain. Let’s get some souvenirs for Halen who’s still on her expedition.”

Namie, who said that while smiling, used to belong to the SEPB. She was an older Mushitsuki and often helped the other members, so she was popular even within Mushibane. She helped them emotionally and carried duties that the others executives couldn’t handle.

Aijisupa was unparalleled in combat and Lucifera was somewhat capricious but helped them countless times in tactics. Halensis managed the entirety of Mushbane’s manpower and intelligence, and as for managing and making money, the boy called Chouya Nihei stood out from the crowd in no time at all as a definite authority.

Looking at the result of Munakata’s disappearance, it gave the organization called Mushibane a chance to reform itself from the very root. One could say it gave them the power to be reborn in the full sense of the word.

“Yes… right. This is so we could do our best tomorrow.”

“You have to relax sometimes. So, let’s swim? I’ll go with you.”

“Umm, I don’t really feel like swimming… what should I do? I don’t really know how to play.”

“We can bring out the boat, we have a banana boat as well. Apparently we can even go parasailing. Or should we go fishing? There’s also a diving spot nearby.” 

“Will you die if you don’t keep moving your body…?”

“Thinking about it, when I went with my older sister to the beach, we built sandcastles together.”

Shiika recalled elementary school, the time from before she became a Mushitsuki, and narrowed her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Namie changed her expression. She used her finger to scratch her cheeks. She mumbled softly while facing the other way.

“Sh-Shiika… I mean, if you’re lonely, umm… I-if you’re fine with me, ah… you can refer to me as your si—”

“Oh wow! Did you see it? Nihei-san just suplexed Lucy-san. They’re getting along so well.”

“Nihei was probably just pissed off.”

“—”

“Namie-san? Oh, I’m sorry, you were just saying something, right? What was it?”

Shiika tilted her head while Namie flapped her mouth. The older girl then suddenly pushed her drink to Aijisupa, took off her hoodie and flung it away. “I’m going to swim!” she yelled, dashing toward the sea.

She probably couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Shiika looked around, her eyes going to one of the parasols laid on the beach.

“Umm, I’ll go there. I’ll be fine alone.”

Aijisupa followed Shiika’s gaze and sighed. “Maybe I’ll take a nap…” Seeing off the boy walking toward the sun shelter, Shiika walked ahead on the sandy beach.

As she approached the parasol, she saw the girl around her age lying in a tube bed. She wore a floral bikini and was covered by pricy-looking accessories, including sunglasses.

“Are you not going to swim, Nanana?”

The owner of this beach and the one who invited Shiika and the rest—Akasegawa Nanana—lowered her sunglasses a bit with sluggish movements.

“I’ll get my swimsuit dirty. Doing warmups is also a bother, so being in the wind feels nicer.”

“…! Hehe.”

“Don’t do that ‘oh, you’re just like me!’ face… I’ll have you know that I can swim.”

“…”

“Well, sit down.”

Doing as she was told, Shiika lowered herself on the bed next to Nanana. Nanana gestured as if she was holding a glass, and the boy near her, Pochi, poured some wine for Shiika.

Looking at another further parasol, she could see that under it was Nanana’s secretary, clad in a one-piece bathing suit. She lay on one of two beach chairs side by side, while the other was occupied by a teddy bear with sunglasses.

“Well? Are you having fun?”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

''Clink'', the two glasses touched and a light sound echoed.

“But is it really fine? We’ve done nothing for you and yet you do this… You’ve even rescued Munakata-san, so in the end, you’re not even contracted with us.”

“I’ve still not given up on it, and it was decent for passing time.”

Nanana slid toward Shiika a card that was left on the table.

“What’s this?”

Pinching the card in her fingers, she fixed her gaze on it. It was about as large as a prepaid card, but its pitch-black surface had a golden circle that was surrounded by small stones embedded. They numbered twelve. They were precious stones unknown to Shiika, and one of them was larger than the others, probably made out of something like silver. The letters “XII” were carved on the edge of the card.

“This is my Round Table member card. The one I’d kicked down was apparently the twelfth member.”

“The Round Table was that group with only rich people in it…”

“I’ve snatched a whole lot from that bearded chin, and thanks to my new title as the Round Table I can advance any business I wish. I no longer have enemies. Maybe I’ll buy a submarine or something to reduce my taxes, yahah.”

“You’re incredible, Nanana.”

“Hehe, flattering me won’t get you anything—no, I won’t say anything as stingy as that. Right, shall I gift you whatever it is your heart desires?”

“I-I don’t need anything.”

Shiika hurriedly shook her head.

''Don’t need anything''—Nanana erased her smile at those words.

“You’ve already given us plenty. You’ve rescued Munakata-san and helped Mushibane as well.”

“…Is that it?”

“Eh?”

“Haven’t I given you some other things as well?”

As Nanana said this and laughed, Shiika desperately searched her memory.

“I’m joking.”

Seeing Shiika keep groaning as she thought, Nanana narrowed one eye.

“After all, I can’t give people anything other than money.”

Why was it?

When Nanana smiled while narrowing one eye she showed her true self much more when cackling drunkenly or when she wore her business smile—but even so, her face looked lonely.

“Oh, but you did give me a certain something.”

“…Eh?”

“Umm… You became my friend…”

Shiika spoke, fidgeting with her wine glass in hand. 

Silence fell.

As her ears reddened Shiika thought it was strange and raised her face to see Nanana wear an odd expression.

“Haa? When have I become your friend?”

“Well, I mean… We’ve spoken a lot… And about me unable to swim as well…”

“You’re the one who spoke to me all on your own. Who’d even want to be a friend of a Mushitsuki?”

Nanana roused her body, pushing her wine glass against Shiika’s face. Shiika had noticed it during the party, but Nanana was very much a bully.

“Uu…”

“Yahah, you look so weird! Now, you come here too. Isn’t it amusing?”

The secretary slowly rose from her chair. Approaching them wordlessly, she obeyed the order and snatched Shiika’s glass from her hands. Now her face was getting squished by glasses from both sides.

“So squishy. Yahahah, what a strange face! I definitely don’t want you to be my friend!”

“Auu, s-stop it… i-it hurts, why’s the secretary doing it so seriously—”

“Will you please stop at this point? I do not wish for this beach to turn into a battle zone.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Shiika turned around.

The man, sitting in an electrical wheelchair, came to them. The only physical evidence of his age seemed to be the white mixed in his hair. He wore a hoodie and shorts.

“Munakata-san!”

Munakata raised his hand to the side as if to stop something.

Looking around, she saw Aijisupa having approached them at some point. Namie was also fiercely walking toward them, but she stopped with Munakata gesturing to her. They were probably going to save Shiika from being bullied. With the pair glaring at Nanana, they returned to their previous spots.

“Is your body alright?”

“Yeah. Sorry for making you worry.”

Munakata Kaiji was safe.

After the party, Nanana had questioned the man she’d kicked out of the round table. —Shiika hadn’t heard any details about the interrogation and whether the man had honestly confessed. However, just as expected, Munakata having gone missing during a certain negotiation was a crime arranged by the bearded man.

Munakata had been taken captive and was under house arrest at a certain hotel. But because his guard slacked off on the job, he’d apparently not received enough nutrition. When Pochi and the rest attacked the place, he was quite weakened. He was promptly taken to a hospital connected to his company, and had been recuperating until this very day.

Shiika had heard all this also after she’d received the invitation to this beach.

Today, Munakata had been “handed” to them by the Akasegawa Group.

“Please do not overdo yourself. You are quite old, after all.”

As Nanana wore her business smile, the white-streaked gentleman also smiled.

“How lovely. Being greeted by two beautiful flowers is a blessing for an old man as me.”

“Oh my, what a flirt.”

“Oh, you don’t have to wear a mask at this point. I have already heard the rumors about you.”

“Then I will oblige. You lecherous old man.”

“One should always compliment women. A person who doesn’t know women will never succeed in business.”

Munakata Kaiji and Akasegawa Nanana.

The two distinguished businessman even within the country smiled at each other, raising sparks. Was it a mere greeting or were they both exhibiting their displeasure for one another? Shiika timidly glanced between them.

“—No, this is not the time to badmouth one another.”

Munakata loosened his expression and lowered his head.

“I am indebted to you. I am grateful to you for saving me.”

“As long as you understand that. Yahah.”

Nanana seemed to become uplifted.

“Will you give me all of your money as thanks?”

“Please spare me. I will thank you, however.”

“I’m glad you’re safe, Munakata-san… I really do.”

Shiika mumbled, feeling a bit teary.

Munakata smiled bitterly—and averted his gaze, perhaps not to see the crying Shiika.

“I’ve also caused problems for Mushibane. I apologize, it was my complete defeat. I never thought they would use so blatantly illegal methods… he probably got carried away with the Round Table backing him up.”

“Things were chaotic while you were gone… it made me feel just how dependent we were on you. I wonder what would’ve happened to us if Nanana hadn’t saved us.” 

“I didn’t volunteer to help you. I loaned my help, alright?”

“Oh, also, there’s a new—eek.”

Trying to point at the boy playing with Lucifera at sea, Shiika raised a shriek. Although he was far out in the sea until now, Chouya Nihei was now sitting seiza-style on the sand right near them.

“My name is Chouya Nihei! Wooow, you’re the real Munakata Kaiji-san, right? I didn’t know it when we spoke on the phone, but to think that you were the one who gave me a helping hand… I’m so moved! As a fellow businessman, I deeply admire you! Can I shake your hand?”

“Y-yeah. I don’t mind, but… this is the boy I introduced you to, right? Sorry for being unable to get to the campsite. I’m glad you were able to safely meet up with Mushibane regardless.”

“Wow, you’re so kind! As expected from an adult! You’re completely different from that bully who instantly threatens people! You’re completely different from that bully who instantly threatens people! “

“Why did you say that twice…” Nanana muttered angrily.

“Chouya-san was a great help to us with matters relating to money. He helped us make do with what small funds with have, so we were able to start over again somehow.”

“Ho? If you managed to grasp Mushibane’s accounting without even an account book, it’s quite impressive.”

Being praised by Munakata, Nihei’s face instantly glowed.

“Yes! I am a businessman, even if a small one! My motto is three-way satisfaction!”

“Three-way satisfaction? That is quite… rare, nowadays.”

Apparently troubled over what to say, Munakata smiled wryly. —Although his words were different, his response was similar to how Nanana rejected Nihei’s motto in the past.

Nihei probably also felt that. Although he’d gotten excited, his expression now became clouded.

“By the way, you can stand already. Isn’t the sand hot?”

“…No! What is this, a ''teppanyaki''-style fried human? Or so it feels, but I don’t mind it! Let me study from you like this!”

“I-I see, so you’re very persevering. Well, the handyman who introduced you to this place is someone I trust. If you need anything, you can rely on her.”

“Yes! Right now I’m trying to earn money to pay her!”

“You too, Snow. I might have spoken to you a little about this before, but the girl called Ikarino Kirari could prove to be a huge help, so please remember her. She’s a rare person who helps Mushitsuki out of goodwill.”

“Yes.”

Why was he talking about this now—

Although she harbored these doubts, Shiika nodded, while next to her Nanana raised an angry voice.

“Ikarino Kirari, you say?”

She turned around and glared at him. This hateful stare pierced Munakata. This was an expression of pure, unconcealed hatred the likes of which Shiika had never seen before.

“Don’t screw with me. If you plan to involve Kirari I’ll be merciless.”

“N-Nanana?”

“Well, since she seems to have some connection to Akasegawa, when you talk to her, do so in secret.”

As the gentleman drank wine while wearing a bitter smile, Nanana snorted with a displeased face.

“I tire of this collusion. Let us resume what we spoke about before. That is why I let you recover while waiting here.”

Looking at Munakata, Nanana spoke with a serious expression.

Or rather than serious, perhaps it was more accurate to call it desperate. As if she had been looking for that answer for years upon years.

“Munakata. Why have you been confined by the Round Table’s underlings?”

“Hmm? Have you not heard? We’ve had a bit of a trouble in our business—”

“Enclosure. Bubble. Paradigm Shift.”

Munakata’s expression changed.

“That’s the real reason you were captured, right?”

“…You got me. So you already knew what I finally got hold of.”

Munakata easily surrendered. Yet Nanana didn’t seem to mind this sort of small victory.

“Why on earth have you been trying to investigate that? Why did you think it is related to the Round Table? And—how did you come to know these words in the first place?”

Munakata looked surprised. He raised an eyebrow.

“What a strange question. Have you not started investigating it for the same reason as me? Your way of saying it sounds as if—you only heard these words from someone.”

“Have you reached them with your own powers?”

“Of course. That is why this happened to me.”

“…Was a certain person involved in your way of investigating this? With long hair, always wearing a coat, at times covered in wounds, always wearing headphones—”

Even to Shiika it was obvious that Nanana was acting abnormally. She listed the characteristics of a certain person—but she expected a certain answer, and despite how desperate she seemed, she lowered the tone of her voice.

Munakata Kaiji shook his head to the sides.

“No, I don’t know anyone like that.”

Nanana was stunned. For an instant she looked about to cry—and scowled.

“There’s no freaking way—”

Rising up, she closed in on Munakata. Nanana’s hand grabbed his hoodie.

“You were looking for the same thing, right? There’s no way you don’t know! Now remember already!”

“I’m sorry, but I really have no clue.”

Munakata repeated this, looking disturbed. But Nanana still didn’t give up.

“Stop lying! Why do you think I’ve saved you?”

“N-Nanana?”

“Nanana-chan, stop! Munakata-san was only just discharged!”

Shiika and Nihei pulled Nanana away from Munakata.

“Why do you think…”

Glaring at Munakata angrily, Nanana bit her lips so hard they turned pale. She probably knew that Munakata wasn’t lying at all. Shaking off Shiika and Nihei, she hugged her legs on top of the chair, burying her face in them.

“Nanana? D-did something happen with that woman?”

“…It has nothing to do with it. Now keep explaining already.”

Apparently receiving a large shock, Nanana’s voice was shaking.

“…”

Only Shiika next to her heard her small sob. She had no idea about her circumstances, but this was probably something important for her. Thinking back, Nanana had agreed to help them rescue Munakata after hearing those terms from Shiika.

“Can you continue your story, Munakata-san?”

The one to pierce the silence was Nihei. He seemed to be trying to not look toward the silent Nanana as if to not embarrass her.

“You’re… no, it’s fine. Please listen to it as well. Since you appear to be a person involved with money as well.”

Namie swam beautifully in the sea distorted by the heat shimmer. As if on a competition, Lucifera on a dolphin-shaped float kicked the water in pursuit.

As for Aijisupa, he was breathing softly while sleeping at the sun shelter. He apparently had no interest in either swimming or tanning.

“This is something that all of us people who always count money have probably considered once.”

Munakata sounded calm.

“Money is the devil. —I have talked about this with Snow before, but people always take each other’s money, and so money, at any given era and time, serves to monitor people.”

What was Munakata actually seeing as he gazed into the sea? Shiika had no idea.

“Snow, you also understand this, right? You were with Akasegawa, even if only for a short while. She showed you how good at using money she is. With money, she found out Mushibane, found out where I was and rescued me.”

It was just like Munakata said.

Nanana used a form of power invisible to the eye and found the people she was looking for, rescuing Munakata in no time at all. She was just like—

“Right. Nanana was exactly like a… magician.”

Nanana’s shoulders twitched.

“Magic, huh? Perhaps all of us businessmen are entranced by that magical power.”

With a serious face, Chouya Nihei listened to Munakata.

“I also spoke about Snow about that. —Is it fine for me to simply distribute this magic power to Mushibane? I suddenly thought about this. Wasn’t there anything else I could do for the person I loved? And then I recalled her words.”

Munakata gazed at the horizon on the sea as if gazing even further than that.

“’I wonder what Mushi are?’”

Shiika widened her eyes.

“She would often say that. —I finally found what I need to do.”

“What you need to do…?”

“Finding out the roots of Mushi.”

The roots of Mushi—

Meaning, to find out when, where and how they were created.

In front of the man announcing this, Shiika was speechless.

“The roots… of Mushi.”

“The devil known as money had definitely observed the moment they were born. Starting then I thoroughly investigated the economics of this country. Eventually I discovered that at a certain time over ten years ago, there was a strange disturbance in the markets. You could say that it shook the entire country.”

Munakata calmly explained.

“It caused three movements. Vast amounts of money vanished as if stolen, and this backlash expanded the entire country’s economy, which then burst—causing the alternation of generations among those who ruled money. Naturally there were similar movements in the past as well. Those were the periods of economic turbulence that appear in history books. But that thing I noticed was obviously not recorded—and there was seemingly no cause for it to happen.”

“No cause at all… that’s impossible.”

Nihei interjected, sounding puzzled.

“There definitely should have been some opportunity. Whether some minor matter to something affecting the entire world, during both prosperity and depression, people will not move money without a reason behind it.”

“Exactly so. There definitely should have been one. So let me rephrase. For one of those movements, there was a reason—but it had been skillfully hidden.”

“Hidden…? I see, the Round Table!”

Shiika couldn’t follow the two men’s conversation.

“The Round Table was there even ten years ago! They obviously knew about the state of the economy at the time!”

“That was my expectation. But out of all members at the time, more than half fell out during the shift of the third and final movement. And that includes the ones who were thought to have participated in the chaos.”

“…!”

“The fallen members from back then vanished without a trace. Some are missing, some killed themselves. Even now most of their old stocks belong to those who watched the third wave from the sides. Even if they know of the three movements, they don’t know the truth behind them.”

“Then… are there no other clues?”

“No. There’s a reason the Round Table persevered despite losing most of its members. You could say these are the ‘aftereffects’ of riding those three waves a decade ago…”

“Aftereffects…?”

“Among them, they secretly called these three movements thusly. ‘Enclosure’, ‘Bubble’, and ‘Paradigm Shift’—”

The period of monopoly caused by Enclosure.

The excessive economic expansion of the Bubble.

The period of revolution caused by changing generations, Paradigm Shift.

Shiika burned these three words in her memories.

“As much as I could gather by investigating, everyone in the Round Tables knows these three words. Even those who were unrelated to the business at the time. Why do they all know it and made it a taboo? —I have the feeling that the gathering called the Round Table are all hiding something together.”

“Something…?”

“The aftereffects. They have inherited something born from these three movements and keep hiding it to this day. I heard that their membership fees are enormous. The steps taken to pursue the flow of that enormous money—ended up confining my own movements.”

“…Alpha.”

Hearing this mumble, everyone turned to look at the girl.

At some point Nanana raised her face, gazing absently at her feet with reddened eyes.

“What was that?”

“That money all flows to where the first Mushitsuki Alpha is…”

The first Mushitsuki, Alpha.

Shiika and the rest became speechless.

At present Mushitsuki existed in this country. Since they existed, there had to be a first one among them. But where was that person right now?

“Akasegawa… did you join the Round Table because you knew something?”

“I don’t know anything about the Round Table. I just heard about this from that person.”

“That person? Was there someone other than me that also investigated the Round Table?”

“There isn’t. I mean, she’s already—gave up there. She’d said that someone else had already found it.”

“I can’t believe this so easily. I thought that I was the only one who could investigate it from the outside… Alpha, huh… so this is my limit.”

Seeing Munakata distort his face in pain, Shiika looked at the girl next to her.

Nanana was staring at the sand with a powerless expression, not moving at all.

“Nanana… why did that person tell you about this?”

“For no reason. It was more like she was speaking to herself.”

“What kind of a person was she?”

“Just a Mushitsuki… the kind I hate the most.”

Nanana muttered in a completely flat tone, void of any emotion.

“Akasegawa. You might not know anything right now, but it might not stay that way forever.”

Munakata said.

“Now that you are also part of the Round Table, you will probably receive a greeting as well.”

“What the heck’s that…”

“Something that forces you to keep the secret. —But thinking another way, this might be your chance. You might be able to understand the meaning of the three movements from within the Round Table. And that is most likely…”

“I have no interest in it. It matters not.”

Nanana again lowered her gaze. She buried her face into her knees.

“I mean, there’s no way that person would be there after she gave up…”

The words of the despondent girl silenced Munakata. Even Nihei, who fervently listened to Munakata’s story, did not call out to Nanana.

When the three businessmen went silent, Shiika opened her mouth.

“U-umm, Nanana. Do you like that person?”

Nanana made no move.

Shiika clasped both hands together, fidgeting. Recalling her own love, her cheeks were blushing.

“I heard from Munakata-san. If you only think about a certain person all the time, then it’s love.”

“…She’s a woman. Can we keep the love gossip for later? I’m not in the mood.”

“He said that admiration is the same. Also, umm… if you do something with that person, or do something for them, that’s also called loving them.”

“…”

“She might not be there if she gave up, but—”

Shiika smiled, speaking to Nanana who kept her gaze down and didn’t move at all.

“There is… what she’s been trying to find.”

Nanana’s fist hugging her knees—clenched tightly.

“…You don’t even know anything about her.”

“R-right…”

“All of you are only interested in those secrets. Don’t push it on me.”

“I do want to know, but… I’m also envious.”

Nanana sank into silence again.

“I have no idea… what the person I like wants to do or wants to know.”

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke did many things for her. Even so, Shiika knew practically nothing about him.

But Nanana knew.

And Shiika was jealous of that.

“Even if she’s not by your side right now… if you can achieve what she couldn’t, wouldn’t it be the same as if you’d done it together?”

“…No way. If she gave up there’s no way I could it.”

“Well, I understand if you didn’t want to—but if it’s something you can do, I’m sure you could do it.”

Shiika spoke what she truly thought.

“Because you’re like a magician, Nanana.”

Nanana slowly raised her face.

She bit her lips to stop herself from crying again.

“She… was also a magician.”

Nanana whispered in a hoarse voice as it happened.

“—Who’s that?”

This sharp voice belonged to Aijisupa.  At some point he came out of the sun shelter and stood on the beach. He was looking at the area of the cabin, next to which was the road connecting to the entrance to this private area.

Shiika followed Aijisupa’s line of sight. The others did the same.

“I’ll have the gatekeeper check.”

Nanana’s recovery was quick. Grabbing the stick that lay nearby, she rose up.

“…Apparently no one has passed through the entrance.”

Hearing the secretary’s response, everyone stiffened their expression.

“Then who…?”

Seeing that abnormal thing, Shiika muttered in an unconsciously shaky voice.

It was—a dark mass.

Originally it was perhaps a suit. That pitch-dark cloth was now extremely worn out, so it preserved nothing of its original shape. The same went for the leather shoes and gloves. Also, wearing a large coat like that when it was so hot was also unnatural. That person’s entire face was hidden by tattered cloth and a wide-brimmed silk hat. The clock wrapped around their wrist was broken, turning into nothing more than a golden cord.

All of those clothes were probably originally of a high quality. However, as that person slowly turned and approached while covered in these rotten garments, it was much more like a vengeful ghost out of a nightmare.

If he didn’t pass through the entrance, where had he appeared from?

At the very least it seemed that Nanana didn’t invite him. Namie and Lucifera also came running.

“Who are you? I have no memory of inviting a bum such as yourself.”

Nanana asked with a cold voice.

The black mass continued slowly advancing. Dragging his feet audibly on the ground, he approached Shiika and the rest.

“If you approach us any further without saying anything, I will acknowledge you as an intruder. I’m going to attack you, is that clear?”

The shadow kept walking.

“Understood. You can go, Pochi. Attack—”

Aijisupa started moving even before Nanana issued her order. He thrust out his arm forward and flicked a finger. Pssh, a sound like pulling the tab of a carbonated beverage echoed.

The moment some cold moisture was produced—bright white light dyed the area. The bombardment of steam bursting from Aijisupa’s fingertips pierced the creepy figure.

“…!”

Everyone there widened their eyes.

It was probably meant for intimidation. Aijisupa’s attack was such that it could be easily evaded, and he aimed for the arm. Even so the figure in black hadn’t evaded at all and the white steam scored a direct hit on his arm.

The figure’s arm should have been blown away.

But only his sleeve was ripped off—and it had nothing inside.

The ripped suit gathered again and covered the empty space. While they watched this sight, stunned, the black human figure retrieved its previous form in no time. Shiika had the feeling that she glimpsed small, golden glints mixed in with the clothing.

“T-this is no human…!”

Nihei’s shout stopped the figure.

With dull movements as if moving in slow motion, the black figure put one knee on the ground.

“I congratulate you…”

It was a low man’s voice that oddly lingered in their ears.

“Congratulations, Akasegawa Nanana-sama, for your joining the Round Table…”

It was an excessively slow way of talking, invoking an insolent feeling. It was impossible to even tell if that voice was made by a human’s vocal cords.

[[File:Mushi Uta 9 p181.jpg|thumb]]

“Munakata. Was this what you meant by the Round Table’s ‘greeting’?”

“Who knows? I obviously hadn’t imagined anything like this.”

As Nanana and Munakata cracked jokes, both stiffened their faces.

“Akasegawa Nanana-sama, as you have been appointed as the newest member… I have come to invite you to the auction.”

“An auction?”

“Pardon my late introduction… I am the auctioneer, Sotheby… As I am acquainted with the Round Table, I am also pleased to make your acquaintance…”

The person calling himself Sotheby slowly lowered his head again.

Although it was humid, it suddenly felt as if the temperature sank. Shiika’s body sweated all over and a chill ran through her spine.

“Hmm, you call yourself an auctioneer? Don’t you look a bit too seedy for that? Do you have any proof that you’re related to the Round Table?”

“Kukuku. Pardon me…”

Reaching to his pocket, Sotheby pulled out a black card.

It was the same member card like the one that Nanana possessed. Yet Sotheby’s card lost all of its gems and there wasn’t even a number written on it.

“If you doubt even this… you may ask me whatever you please about the Round Table… it does not have to be about the present; I do not mind talking about the past as well…”

Nanana’s eyebrows twitched.

“Oh? Then do you know these words? Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift.”

“I have heard that this is how they currently refer to what happened at that time…”

Sotheby answered smoothly without looking perturbed in the slightest.

“Enclosure… that refers to when everything started. It began slightly more than ten years ago from now, when the Round Table of the time had sought to finance a certain something…”

Nanana’s expression changed.

“…Do you really know about it?”

“But of course… at the time, several Round Table members financed it. That amount was incalculable, so to the world it appeared as though vast amounts of money vanished overnight… but in actuality, they were all used in order to isolate a certain something… and today that is called Enclosure…”

Nanana and Munakata exchanged glances.

Perhaps judging it to be true, or just wishing to drag out further information, Munakata spoke.

“And what was that thing?”

“That is the item of our current auction…”

“You really are a pompous jerk. Answer the question; tell us plainly the identity of that item.”

The black figure delayed for a while before answering Nanana’s question.

And then he spoke.

“…The original Mushitsuki, Alpha.”

Nanana widened her eyes at Sotheby’s declaration.

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… Alpha was the origin to all of those phenomena… Alpha could be called the pandora’s box to all disasters…”

“Is Alpha still… there? Really?”

Even Nanana was shaken, as expected. She repeated her question.

“But of course…”

The beach was wrapped in silence.

Shiika knew a bit about auctions. People who wanted the item would compete over its price, and the one who gave the most amount of money would end up possessing it.

“The starting price for bidding is—”

At first Shiika couldn’t understand the meaning of the amount stated by Sotheby. She only understood that all other people, especially the members of Mushibane, were speechless.

Even Nihei who prided himself as a merchant was frozen. Going back to his senses, he let a dry laugh.

“Ha…haha… so stupid. Will anyone pay that much for a complete unknown? Impossible.”

“…I would like to make sure of something. Are there any other bidders?”

“I cannot tell you.”

Sotheby answered immediately.

“However, for these last ten years… none have tried to get involved with Alpha…”

The expression Nanana wore upon hearing the answer—was a smile.

Narrowing one eye, she spun her stick again and again. She started walking in circles while humming a tune as if she truly enjoyed the situation.

She looked to be thinking.

No, Nanana was only pretending to think.

“N-Nanana-chan, don’t tell me that you…”

Seeing Nihei almost speechless, Nanana snickered.

“Wait, Akasegawa.”

Stopping the girl who was about to open her mouth was Munakata Kaiji.

“There’s something I’d like to check.”

Akasegawa Nanana, the new member of the Round Table. The bodyless auctioneer, Sotheby, was gazing at her from within the cloth that hid his face.

“Will you bid or fold?”

Would she bid—offer money, or else fold—drop out?

The mysterious auctioneer pressed Nanana for a decision.