Editing Mushi Uta:Snowy Day of Dawning Dreams (section)

== 1.00 Those who Wriggle ==

Akamaki City, the capital city that once bore all the main functions of Japan.

About a year ago, it received heavy damages during the localized “Typhon Disaster” and widespread electrical malfunctions. Although at the time all traffic, electricity, gas, water and other living infrastructure was completely paralyzed, that was temporary.

Right, the “Disaster” had already long since passed.

The cause of the thick mist covering Akamaki City and things like the golden lightning was a single person—no, a single Mushitsuki, but only very few people among the populace knew that. The Mushitsuki called C, a Super Class Rank 1, suddenly appeared like a real natural disaster, and was then eliminated by other Mushitsuki who joined forces to challenge her.

These facts were being hidden by the Japanese government and related people who’d been brainwashed by her, as well as the organization under their direct control. Including the reason why the neighboring Hashiba City fell to destruction.

All truths about this large incident that involved several cities were fully hidden.

The name of the organization that managed that seemingly impossible manipulation of information—was the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

This organization took the mission to train Mushitsuki in order to capture other Mushitsuki and thus conceal their existence from the general public.

“…Arschloch.”

Mitake Anneliese cussed inside a fast-food restaurant, where a Christmas song was playing in the background.

She was sitting in a table on the second story, where she could view a road in the middle of construction from the window. Drawing a triangle around the round table were this white, blue-eyed, blond-haired woman called Anneliese as well as two others.

“Eh? What did you just say?”

Saionji Ena, her classmate, removed her mouth from the straw of her drink and asked. She was a beauty with short cut hair, but because of her elegant atmosphere the tidy school uniform didn’t fit her.

“I got another double…”

Tears in her eyes, Anne collapsed on the table. Her other classmate already grabbed the hamburger set she’d ordered.

“Want more? I can still keep going, though.”

Saying this, the girl wearing large glasses took her eighth hamburger of the day and carried it to her mouth. She was thin and looked nothing but plain when compared to Anne and Ena.

“Why… is only the red… not coming out… there’s no Santa Claus in this world…”

A character-themed strap from some Sentai series slipped from Anne’s shaking hand. It was an item from the collaboration of the restaurant chain they went to.

“Hmm? By red, do you mean this one?”

As Anne raised her face, Ena opened up her own gift.

“You want it?”

“Oooh…”

Anne’s blue eyes sparkled. On impulse, she rose up and hugged Ena’s body.

“Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas! Ena!”

“E-everyone’s looking at us, Anne! Oh, but your hair does smell nice…”

“So embarrassing, geez.”

While Anne and Ena hugged each other, the bespectacled girl complained while still sucking even more hamburgers into her mouth.

There were people who looked at all three of them even before they started making a ruckus.

It was because Anne and her friends were wearing the uniform of Horusu Seijou Academy.

It was a famous private school where the sons and daughters of the rich were sent. Originally, they weren’t the kind of clientele to frequent this plebeian fast-food restaurant, and in the first place it was against school regulations to buy food on the way back home.

At present, Horusu Seijou Academy received a lot of focus by society.

“Whew, maybe I should order some more too? I got really tired after helping my seniors with the closing ceremony this morning. And I had an errand this afternoon besides.”

Because of the “Disaster” that attacked Akamaki City a year ago, many people left the city.

Even the main functions of the country were transferred to the place called Ouka City.

“You helped the student council, yes? Are you on familiar terms with them, Ena? Also, why are you still crushing my hand?”

Many civilians and businesses left the city, afraid of the second coming of the “Disaster”.

However, there were also those who chose to remain in Akamaki City.

“The current president is a fellow comrade of the ‘Loving Normality Club’! We ended up talking passionately about our next possible member today as well. Our recent hot stock is in our junior Manma Makoto-chan or Ebina Yuu-chan, but there’s also… you, for example, Yuniko-chan.”

“Sorry, can’t do. Please don’t mind me. Hey, please don’t touch me.”

The new Board Chairman of Horusu Seijou Academy, the man called Ichinokuro Ruisu, was also one person who made this choice.

He opened a press conference and declared that he would keep Horusu Seijou Academy open just like it was until now. He furthermore promised to help not only with the school itself, but everything related to the city’s recovery.

“Got any plans for later, Anne? You can come with and Takako if you’d like.”

“What are you doing? A Christmas Eve party?”

Horusu Seijou Academy—the school taking care of those elite candidates who would shoulder the next generation of the business world—choosing to remain in Akamaki City had a profound effect.

The financers did not abandon Akamaki City—

Now having this confidence, investors began pouring money into Akamaki City’s reconstruction work.

“We’re reading a picture book at an acquaintance’s orphanage. Then we’ll have a small party.”

“…Woah, that’s really unlike you…”

“Eh?”

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry, but I have a lesson today as well.”

“Despite it being Christmas Eve? You sure have it tough. What about you, Yuniko-chan?” 

“The children at the dojo say they’re doing a party, so I have to watch over them. Now, please stop touching me.”

Right now Akamaki City was abuzz with the redevelopment work. Although for a while the prices of land and stocks suffered a huge crash, the foundation called the Akasegawa Group bought out plots of land and local businesses. Thanks to their activities, the city could be said to be prospering.

And thus, the students from Horusu Seijou Academy, the school that set the opportunity for Akamaki City’s restoration and its symbol—exited the fast-food place and headed on their way home.

“—Say, Anne… you were friends with that girl during Middle School too, right?”

While walking through roads surrounded by construction boards and decorative lightings, Ena asked this hesitatingly.

“Have you heard something about her… about Arisu?”

Anne met eyes with the bespectacled girl. She turned back to Ena and shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Anne had met with the girl called Ichinokuro Arisu in the middle school section of Horusu Seijou Academy a few years ago already. It wasn’t a coincidence but certain circumstances that led to her intentionally meeting her at school, however—

Including Anne herself, many Mushitsuki were strung along by Ichinokuro Arisu. These days were filled with troubles and were exceptionally tiresome. Normally this chain of impossible “bugs” would make her head hurt—but it was also a lively time that wasn’t bad at all.

However, those who spent those days alongside her vanished one after another.

Arisu herself disappeared, and Anne had no idea where the boy who used to serve as Arisu’s monitor was nowadays. Since the girl who’d used to argue with Anne every day became an enemy that threatened the entire world, both of them bet on their lives on mortal combat.

Among all those people from back then, right now only Anne remained at Horusu Seijou Academy.

That fact caused a small lump to remain in her heart.

“I see.”

Ena’s expression didn’t change.

“…Do you know the person called Rina, then?”

Ena next named a surprising individual.

Caught by surprise, Anne was shocked inwardly. However, she didn’t let it appear on her expression and tilted her head.

“No? Who’s that?”

“She’s someone we met during the ruckus about a year ago. We promised to become friends. I just thought you might know her.”

“Why would I know her?”

“That’s because you’re both—”

Anne and Yuniko looked toward Ena with surprised expressions.

Seeing them react like this, Ena shook her head and swallowed back the words she was about to say.

“No, it’s nothing. Sorry…”

They parted from the apologizing Ena while headed to the station.

When she hailed a taxi to head for the orphanage, Ena retrieved her previous brightness. But she was probably disappointed.

“—Arisu’s the name of Sleeping Beauty, right? I hear she’s getting better and better.”

Yuniko spoke while walking alongside Anne.

She was a Mushitsuki. Just like Anne, she was a member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

“Yeah, she can remain awake for longer and longer periods. Although no one asked her to, she’s been running between Mushitsuki and poking her nose where it doesn’t belong. It’s like she’s the great leader of Mushitsuki or something.”

Anne now spoke in fluent Japanese. Now that Ena wasn’t near them, there was no need for any acting.

“Then why won’t she meet with poor Ena? I really feel for her.”

“We tried helping Ena, but Arisu herself feels like she failed. Including those Mushitsuki who died during the Night of the Meteor Shower. She’s not just thinking it’d be awkward to meet her, but apparently operating under the logic that something bad might happen. It shouldn’t matter if Ena recalls her dream, though, seeing that Oogui no longer exists.”

“I see…”

“She’s gotten all worked up. Right now, compared to when she was sleepin’—she’s the only Rank 1 that can move freely. She’s being burdened by all that unneeded responsibility.”

Yuniko frowned behind her large glasses.

“And the Rina that Ena mentioned is Lady Bird, right? Never mind the other three missing Rank 1s, what about Lady? Have you heard anything from Director Haji or Akasegawa Nanana?”

“SEPB, Akasegawa, Handyman… they all joined forces and tried using all possible means, but looks like it’s a hopeless case. She probably doesn’t have too long before she goes down along with Mimic.”

Yuniko bit her lower lips. She held her head with both hands.

“Why… even though we fought and even managed to survive, in the end all of us are…”

“Don’t give up.”

Anne grabbed Yuniko’s head and brought her own head closer.

“The only thing that fight’s changed is this world. Since there’re no more Original Three, no more Mushitsuki will ever be born. That’s all.”

Her blue eyes gazed directly at Yuniko’s eyes shaking behind the glasses.

“For all of us who were always Mushitsuki—nothing’s changed. Both today and tomorrow, we’re just gonna struggle to live pathetically. We’re all gonna wish to live even one day longer.”

“…”

“Both now and before, we’ve just been dying to the enemy our heart succumbs to—our Mushi.”

Saying this, Anne showed a cheerful smile. As if to push her out, she removed her hand from Yuniko’s head.

Anne started walking again and Yuniko also stepped after her.

“It’s obvious. We’ll never lose to our Mushi.”

People they passed while walking all looked at the many-colored decorative lightings around them and smiled. They wore completely opposite expressions from Anne and Yuniko.

“Still—I refuse to get killed by someone at this stage.”

“…”

“You’ve heard the report, right? A few days ago, one of the Mushitsuki survivors was killed. She was shot by a gun. Judging from how they did it, it might be a force from overseas…”

“…”

“They’re Mushitsuki hunters. Despite our nonintervention pact with foreign countries, the endangered species of Mushitsuki is now being targeted. I don’t know if they want to turn us to guinea pigs like Miguruma Yaeko or if they have another goal… but killing when they fail to abduct us? Who do they think they are?”

Anne grew silent and listened to Yuniko’s story.

“What’s Director Haji even thinking, continuing the Assimilation Project even in this situation?”

Assimilation Project.

After the battle with the Original Three ended, Mushitsuki stopped fighting among themselves, and the arrangements to conceal the traces of the battle with C from society ended as well—it was a long-term program established to return all those Mushitsuki to be part of society.

It was a project to return all those Mushitsuki who finished their roles to civilian life. However—

The Mushitsuki killed by the mysterious group was a participant of this program.

“I can’t believe he’d isolate Mushitsuki despite them being targeted…”

“What’s that got to do with anything? It’s that weakling’s fault, getting done in by weaklings who aren’t even Mushitsuki.”

“Are you being serious right now, Kasuou?”

“…Ha. I gotta head back to HQ. See ya.”

Anne tried leaving Yuniko on the crossroads, but the latter called out to her.

“Wait a minute, Kasuou. —Have you heard that rumor?”

“Rumor?”

As Anne turned back, Yuniko spoke hesitantly.

“—Rumor about a ghost.”

Anne goggled at her.

“It’s apparently becoming a rumor in all sorts of places, recently. Where nothing stood before, a long-haired girl suddenly appears… looking in your direction, she repeats the same words.”

The bespectacled girl hugged her own body, looking scared.

“She says… ‘It’s not that dream’.”

“…”

“After the girl says this and vanishes, the place where she stood becomes scorched—”

Anne reached her limits before Yuniko finished talking. She immediately lashed at her without any restraint.

“Pah! What the hell, bitch! Gettin’ scared of that kinda ghost story? It’s outta season! You turnin’ senile as well, Commander of the Central Headquarters’ suicide squad?”

“I am scared! Maybe doesn’t matter for other people, but for us—”

Yuniko’s eyes lowered and she spoke.

“Because we’re Mushitsuki. When the word ‘dream’ gets used, it almost sounds as if…”

“If you’re free enough to get your panties in a twist just from that kinda rumor, be on the lookout for those assailants. See ya, Merry Christmas.”

As Anne spun around and left, she could hear Yuniko emit a laugh behind her.

“Kasuou… I wonder when we can finally become happy.”

Anne pretended to not hear the words of her battle comrade playing the part of a classmate.

As she strayed from the main road, she aimed for a certain secret entrance at a certain neighborhood. Although the SEPB’s Central Headquarters had been destroyed a year ago, restoration work had, by and large, proceeded.

“Haa… Ever since I came to this country, I’ve become weak to the cold.”

She was walking through an alley that had remnants of snow freezing her neck.

Even last Christmas Eve she was busy with SEPB work. Since there was even a Mushitsuki who escaped from the organization, they had to go look for him.

This year she was also immensely busy. Although there was no longer any need to fight, she was still a Rank 2 member and her duties were not lessened in the least.

She was sure the same would happen come next year’s Christmas, too.

Anne didn’t even have time to get a boyfriend—not like she had any interest in that in the first place—so she was going to just buy one of the remaining few Christmas cakes on sale and eat it alone. That was going to be her Christmas.

“All of ‘em are such sissies.”

Nanana, as well as Yuniko.

The sad faces they’d shown Anne brought her unneeded sentimentality.

Or perhaps it was the fault of the ''Jingle Bells'' she could hear from somewhere.

“All of ‘em just keep running away from me…”

After she’d been taken to this country several years ago, Anne became a Mushitsuki.

Her Mushi was a deathwatch beetle. It had no corporeal form, only materializing as black mist that could become an amorphous shield or else claws to attack her enemies.

Ever since she became a Mushitsuki, almost all the people she met were enemies.

However, there were cases where her enemies somehow became her friends without realizing.

And yet there were also cases where those supposed to be her comrades became her enemies without her being able to do anything.

After defeating the enemy that used to be her comrade and finishing all of the fights—

A certain individual vanished without saying anything.

Another one barely even met her, despite waking up from a long slumber.

Plenty died, and there were also those who died while remaining her enemies.

Just like this, everyone vanished from Anne’s sight.

Not even a single person cared for Anne—

If she was being honest, every time she went through the gates of Horusu Seijou Academy, the faces of people who’d never come back there again would stab her heart—

“…”

Anne’s face raised with a twitch. She stopped in place.

She had a small uncomfortable feeling. The ''Jingle Bells'' she’d heard until now suddenly vanished. No—all presences vanished from around her.

Anne moved her fingertips, stealthily invoking her ability.

In the radius of several dozen meters, she spread grains of mist that would be difficult to see with the naked eye. Starting from the shades of power poles, to inside residential houses and even going down ditches into the sewers, she searched using sensory organs made from her mist.

“…Can’t feel any enemy nearby. So I’m the one being a scaredy-cat, eh?”

She couldn’t feel anything odd near her. Anne leaked a white sigh and started walking again.

No one cared for Anne.

Going back to her thoughts from just now, she now raised a doubt about herself.

If she felt bad about everyone leaving her, how come she didn’t chase after them?

Should she search for all those missing people? Or perhaps follow after her dead comrades’ footsteps?

Thinking about it, she didn’t feel like doing either. She wasn’t being obstinate, but simply couldn’t help to feel like that from the bottom of her heart.

Or perhaps—Anne was the one who didn’t care for herself.

Those who were gone all lived their lives to the fullest and knew what it was to fight to the death.

It was Anne herself who knew this fact.

Therefore, although she was feeling just a little bit sentimental, she never thought about trying to find them.

In fact, Anne actually—felt proud in their way of living.

“…”

She pulled out something that her fingertips touched in her pocket.

It was the strap that her friend had given her in that fast-food place.

Right, Saionji Ena was also without a doubt one of her friends. She was already aware that Anne was a Mushitsuki. She realized that Anne stayed near her to watch her, since she’d been targeted by the monster called Oogui before. Also, she pretended not knowing anything and became her friend.

''—Kasuou… I wonder when we can finally become happy.

Yuniko’s words from just now replayed themselves in Anne’s mind.

“It’s fine for Mushitsuki’s happiness to be like this.”

Smiling, Anne returned the strap to her coat’s pocket.

Just like she was proud of knowing the way of living of those who left her—

Anne wanted them to remember her way of living too, if at all possible.

That would definitely—be much more worthy of pride than them staying by her side.

“No matter what anyone says, I like living in this country.”

She’d end up grumbling about her mission come the next Christmas Eve anyway.

While imagining this small future, she entered an empty road.

Anne’s body was blown to the side.

In the report submitted to the SEPB’s Central Headquarters, the following was written.

Kasuou, Blaze Class Rank 2 member, had been shot by a sniper rifle from the distance of several hundred meters away. 



The number of surviving Mushitsuki:

286→285.