Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.02 OPS3 Part 3 ==

The first thing that surprised Shiika was Alpha’s unexpected hiding place.

It was a large museum made of many different structures.

According to Nanana, it was the property of the Akasegawa Group. They remodeled part of it, brought Alpha’s life support system inside, and this was known only by Nanana. —For safety, even those working here didn’t know who Alpha was.

What surprised Shiika next was the unexpectedly fast arrival of the “messenger”.

This tall person was also sent by whoever it was that manipulated Mushibane member Lucifera from behind the scenes.

“H-hello, Mushibane.”

While fiddling with the long bangs covering her face, the girl introduced herself, sounding embarrassed. She stooped as if to hide her well-proportioned figure and wore plain glasses. A large suitcase was at her feet.

“M-my name is Satou Youko. I’m the friend of Lucifera’s true mistress… well, definitely not a friend, but well… anyway, I’m an emissary. Oh, and I’m not a Mushitsuki, just a normal person.”

While speaking, Satou Youko waved her arms around embarrassedly for some reason.

“…”

Including Shiika, all members of Mushibane simply stared at the emissary girl wordlessly.

“Really, I’m just a disgustingly normal person… well, I do have a little bit of a special technique, but that’s a secret. Well, I call it a secret but I’m going to reveal it you soon. I don’t want to. But I was told that this might be a chance for an amusing experiment and it really might be true—”

The girl kept mumbling to herself embarrassedly. Midway through it was pretty much a monologue already.

The emissary introducing herself as Satou Youko had appeared just after Shiika’s group arrived at the museum. As Shiika got off the car and was surprised at this unexpected hiding place, the girl suddenly appeared from somewhere.

“—You sure made a fast appearance.”

Furrowing her brows, Nanana spun the cane she was holding.

Not only had they yet to enter the premises, but they hadn’t even exited the parking lot.

“Have you been tailing us?”

“Eh? Oh, y-yeah, exactly. You’ve met Konoha-san, right? She apparently has good eyes; she’s followed you all the way from that movie theater. By the way, Fuyuhotaru is… oh, it’s you, right?”

The girl spoke politely only at the very beginning of their meeting. Satou Youko started speaking much more strangely casual at some point.

Shiika felt a sense of déjà vu at that creepily familiar manner of hers. It resembled the owner of that Smile of Shackles that she met only once before.

“Wow, you’re really as scary as the rumors say.”

“…I’m not Fuyuhotaru. This is Fuyuhotaru.”

Saying this, Namie pointed to Shiika with a displeased expression.

“Ah, I-I’m so sorry! I see, so you are—Fuyuhotaru, then.”

Satou Youko hurriedly turned over to Shiika.

Noticing the eyes visible from within the black-rimmed glasses, Shiika startled.

She had the feeling that she saw a dangerous twinkle there, contradictory to the girl’s otherwise plain appearance.

“N-nice to meet you.”

Seeing Shiika awkwardly lower her head, Youko slightly hung her head.

“…This is really unexpected. On the contrary, isn’t it worse like that? I’m scared…”

“E-err?”

Shiika tried calling to her, but Satou Youko kept mumbling to herself and apparently didn’t hear her.

The one to cut this tension was Nanana.

“So, where’s that Konoha? I can’t see her around.”

“Oh, she said she had to go to the toilet. —Ah, sorry, that’s a lie. I’m not going to speak about a lady’s circumstances out in the open like that, right?”

“You there, you should pick a better lie—”

“E-excuse me!”

Shiika cut off Nanana from getting excited.

Nanana had a cautious personality, and the other girl was likely like that as well. Since they were probing each other from the very beginning, at this rate, not only was the conversation not going to proceed, it would probably stray off course completely.

There was something that Shiika had to confirm first and foremost before that happened.

“Yuu-chan’s going to become the bait for calling Oogui—is that true?”

“Hmm? It is, so?”

Puzzled, Satou Youko tilted her head.

“Ebina Yuu-chan. She’d been targeted by Oogui once—and apparently even shrugged off that temptation by her own powers. I actually heard that she was with you when you escaped from the SEPB; is that wrong?”

“Eh…”

That was news to her.

Certainly, Shiika had been on the run together with Ebina Yuu for a few days.

However, she knew nothing about Yuu meeting with Oogui.

If that actually happened—it would have to be right after she parted with Yuu as well as their other companion, Shirakashi Ubuki.

“Oogui’s super persistent about the dreams she likes. She’ll definitely come again if the owner of a dream she targeted before will recall it. —There are two people who can guarantee this. Not Yuu-chan, but people who were in the same situation: there’s me, as well as…”

Satou Youko once again turned her eyes alight with a strange glint toward Shiika.

“Fuyuhotaru-san—you were also targeted twice by Oogui, were you not?”

“…!”

Not just Shiika, but all Mushibane members gulped.

Nanana alone just kept spinning her cane.

“Even if that’s true, will she really have the dream again in such convenient timing for us? We can’t have a deal if you offer us something useless.”

“There is nothing to worry about regarding that.”

Satou Youko grinned. She sat down on her large suitcase.

“I’ve already finished the clinical trials.”

“Trials…?”

Shiika frowned. Satou Youko just grinned at her; she didn’t look about to answer.

“I see, so for now, assuming we believe you…”

Despite her words, it was clear from Nanana’s bearing that she didn’t trust her one bit.

“Your demands are merely being able to meet with Alpha?”

“Yes, apparently our mistress’s request is just that.”

“Then I would like for that mistress to show herself. I can show her around—”

“I wonder, though.”

Suddenly, Satou Youko pouted. She played with her long hair.

“—Is this deal even really necessary?”

Not only Shiika, but even Nanana and the Mushibane comrades all had their expression freeze.

“What… was that?”

As Nanana wore a strained smile, Lucifera jumped ahead from behind her.

“W-wait, what are you saying, Satou-san!”

“I’m right though, aren’t I? Although our mistress offered this deal, if things kept going like this, I feel bad for Mushibane-san.”

“You… feel bad for us?”

“What are you going to do once you lure Oogui to you? Can you really win?”

Youko’s words made everyone there freeze.

“No one ever beat her before, so are you really confident you can achieve it this time? Otherwise, even if we hand Yuu-chan over to you, it would be like helping you get wiped out. I’ll feel horrible.”

Satou Youko spoke while wearing an expression of sympathy.

The parking lot became silent.

No one there could answer a clear “yes” to Satou Youko’s question.

That included Shiika.

Many a Mushitsuki challenged her, yet they all suffered defeat. From what she’d heard, not even Kakkou had managed to match her.

Shiika and the rest were going to attempt to defeat such a powerful enemy.

As Mushibane’s leader, Shiika probably had to say “we can” reassuringly—

“…I do not know.”

Shiika had no conviction.

Just like the SEPB, the members of Mushibane underwent training and raised their fighting strength.

But it was likely still not enough to grasp victory.

“So, will you, err… please cooperate with us?”

“…Cooperate?”

Youko narrowed her eyes.

“Whether or not we borrow Yuu-chan’s powers… if that happens, how should we fight? —The person you call your mistress has actually already considered all of that, hasn’t she?”

Satou Youko fell silent.

“Please. Will you not lend us your powers?”

“So that’s another part of our deal?”

Shiika was at a loss for words, hearing the other girl.

“I-I don’t mean this as a deal… just my personal request.”

“…”

“Please let us meet her. We need her.”

She looked Satou Youko straight in the eyes and entreated her.

“Hmmm. Whatever shall I do?”

It happened just as Youko sneered at her, looking like she had fun.

A shrill alarm started ringing throughout the museum.

Shiika startled and her shoulders froze.

“Eh? W-what’s going on?”

“This alarm is Alpha’s… no way, you lot!”

Nanana startled and glared at Satou Youko.

Satou Youko shrugged.

“Sorry?”

“W-what do you mean, Nanana? What happened?”

“This is no emissary! She was just buying time! While she was keeping us busy—”

As if saying that explaining it was a waste of time, Nanana started running.

“W-wait, Nanana!”

Shiika also hurried after her. Aijisupa and the other admins also followed from behind.

Rushing through the premises, Nanana dashed toward a domed building. With its rows of hexagonal windows, it looked like a beehive.

Leaping inside, Shiika asked Nanana who ran ahead of her.

“A-Alpha-san’s here?”

“Right! I dunno how they found out, though!”

Shiika, Nanana and Mushibane’s admins rushed through the corridor, going down stairs that went underground. They passed by several security guards on the way, but all of them were crouching and holding their heads. They appeared unhurt, but things were definitely not normal with them.

As they passed through the door that appeared at the end of the corridor, they were inside a room filled with electronic devices to the brim.

And slipping through the door even beyond that—

“…!”

The entire wide space was a gigantic bedroom that functioned entirely as a life support system.

The pale-faced youth sleeping in the center of the room was—

Alpha.

The primal Mushitsuki, saved after Shiika and the rest risked their lives.

“Yuu-chan!”

However, not just Alpha was inside the room.

Shiika immediately noticed the petite, familiar girl.

Ebina Yuu.

As well as—

“…Shiika-chan.”

A girl who looked toward her with a vacant face.

The girl wearing a casket hat was older than Shiika and had a slim body.

“Shiika…chan.”

For some reason, she repeated this.

As the girl repeated Shiika’s real name, for a moment—

“Eh…?”

It looked as though there was a flash of hatred in her expression.

Who was this girl who was there with Ebina Yuu? Why did she know Shiika’s name?

Shiika felt confused enough already, but Ebina Yuu befuddled her even further.

“—”

Ebina Yuu turned belatedly toward Shiika.

The face of this nostalgic friend—was wrought in an emotion that Shiika had never seen from her.

Once again, hatred.

A pale shadow momentarily passed through Ebina Yuu’s eyes that were dyed in anger.

And that shadow took the form of butterflies—

With the letter C on their wings.