Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 2 (section)

== 2.02 OPS3 Part 7 ==

The town called Kurobishi was next to the large metropolis of Akamaki City.

It had no sea or mountains, only one large river passed through it, and there were no places for sightseers. However, it had the largest area and largest populace among Akamaki City’s satellite towns. It even had a station for the bullet train that connected all of the big cities, and from there it branched out into countless routes, both large and small, looking like veins.

Super Class Rank 1, C—real name, Horiuchi Erii. The house where this Mushitsuki girl was born was in the low-lying part of the city.

Around the small elevated train station there were izakayas, fast food places and all sorts of restaurants. Even going just 100 meters away you could find old-fashioned stores making ''tsukudani'' or ''senbei''. Shiika had no idea whether the fact most of them had their shutters down was because of feeling anxious due to the situation at Akamaki City or if they were simply closed in the first place.

“This is where Erii was born…”

Getting off the limousine, Shiika scanned her surroundings.

There were few people walking in the street in front of the station. The white limousine stuck out like a sore thumb, so passersby glanced curiously at the boys and girls getting off.

“She really lived in a surprisingly low-brow place. I thought she was more of a city girl…”

The one saying that was C’s former colleague, Namie.

Shiika felt the same. Although she’d met her only for a short while, it was very different from the image she had from her beautiful face and decorative clothes.

Nanana spun her cane.

“This town only has C’s family home and her former elementary school. Our company’s investigators already monitored both of them, but they were unable to find C—or someone that looks like Ebina Yuu.”

“For now, let’s split and go there as well.”

Aijisupa spoke.

“Y-yeah.”

Shiika nodded and so she, Chiharu, Nanana and Lucifera were going to go to C’s family home.

Namie and the other admins were in charge of C’s elementary school. The remaining members would walk around and try looking for clues regarding C.

“I’m leaving Fuyuhotaru in your case, Aijisupa.”

Speaking to Aijisupa, Namie then took several people and left. Seeing her off, Shiika’s group also started moving.

“What a miserable place. We can’t even drive around properly!”

While walking through the narrow alleys, Nanana cussed while looking displeased. As they entered the part of city with clusters of residential districts, the long limousine couldn’t take turns anymore so they ended up needing to go by foot.

Aijisupa walked without any complaints, and Chiharu was as taciturn as always. Perhaps feeling guilty due to her betrayal of Mushibane, Lucifera also remained quiet and obedient.

“It’s such an elegant, nice place.”

Shiika finally found something to say, but Nanana just snorted.

“It’s musty and old. I really can’t believe that someone ruling over information and technology machinery came from here. At the very least I personally don’t like it. Jeez, did my heel just snap off? They should at least pave the roads.”

“There’s little less over 39 hours remaining.”

Aijisupa said without looking at a watch.

“If you’ve got any complains you shouldn’t force yourself to come. Matching our pace to you is a waste of time, too.”

Nanana’s brow twitched and she glared at Aijisupa.

“A-Aijisupa-san, you shouldn’t…”

“Right. I already told you about the place, so I’ll just wait in the car. Just tell me later if anything happened.”

“Eh, Nanana?”

“I got curious and came along, but my legs hurt. Goodbye, Shiika.”

Showing a forced smile, Nanana turned on her heels. Without Shiika having the time to stop her, she took the secretary along and they headed back where they came.

Shiika pulled on Aijisupa’s sleeves as he kept walking ahead without slowing down at all.

“Aijisupa-san, you shouldn’t have talked like that…”

“Time is precious. Akasegawa should be aware of that.”

“W-well, true, but still.”

Only Shiika protested against this; Chiharu looked completely apathetic, and Lucifera kept walking with her face down.

What Aijisupa said was true. Just like he said, Nanana should’ve been aware of that.

However—the atmosphere was bad.

The same happened while they were in the car on the way to Kurobishi Town.

Mushibane’s members and the traitor Lucifera, as well as Nanana who gave orders to her own employees through her cellphone—all of them were so tense there were sparks in the air. Because of the government’s traffic control and the congestion of cars escaping from the capital, they weren’t able to approach Kurobishi Town like they thought, so there was some dissatisfaction there as well—

But Shiika knew the real cause for it all.

“…But that’s certainly true. Let us go back to Nanana with good news as soon as possible.”

Shiika endeavored to smile brightly, pumping her small fists.

Aijisupa nodded, but Chiharu and Lucifera made no reaction whatsoever.

Ever since they left Akamaki, tension clung to them like some sticky substance.

Its cause was impatience—as well as anxiety.

Could they really trust Lucifera’s mistress or whoever she was?

Where did Ebina Yuu go to?

Was C, who was controlling Yuu, really in Kurobishi Town?

Could they actually defeat Oogui within the allotted time after losing their key person?

These thoughts were spreading to the entire Mushibane led by Shiika.

“Ah! It’s that house, isn’t it? That nameplate says ‘Horiuchi’ on it.”

Shiika pointed ahead to a two-storied house. The wooden house looked decrepit, and its edges were dirty with black soot. There were lines of plant pots behind the entrance gate.

“It’s fine we managed to come here and all, but what now? Should we look and see whether C—or rather Ebina Yuu is nearby?”

Lucifera asked.

“The Akasegawa Group’s probably doing that.”

“…”

Looking at the Horiuchi household from a distance, Lucifera, Aijisupa and Chiharu were silent.

Shiika made up her mind and spoke.

“Err, I’ll go speak directly with the people in the house.”

“Eh?”

Lucifera raised a voice of surprise.

“If we want to ask about Erii, going to her family is best. Right?”

“That might be true, but… alright, then I’ll come with you as well.”

“I’ll be fine on my own.”

Shiika endeavored to speak in a powerful tone of voice.

“If it’s just me alone I think they’ll be less cautious… and if I say I’m a past friend of Erii’s, they might believe me.”

“No, there’s no way we can let you go alone. It’s dangerous.”

“It looks like a normal house; there’s nothing dangerous.”

Lucifera’s cellphone rang. Glancing at the screen, she then spoke.

“I’m also against this. We came here on the premise that C might be there, so if we hypothesize that C really is present—”

“I’ll shout if anything happens. Leave it to me, please!”

She spoke cheerfully to not have them worry. Shiika glanced at Chiharu.

“…”

Chiharu simply stared at Shiika, offering neither assent or rejection. From her expression—Shiika couldn’t tell if her choice was right or not.

“Wait, Shiika.”

“Wa…wait a minute!”

“I’ll definitely bring back a clue!”

Shaking off the two trying to stop her, Shiika headed to the Horiuchi household’s front door.

Mushibane was very anxious right now—

And the cause for this was with Shiika.

As their leader, she had the duty to lead them.

Just like her past friend, Tachibana Rina.

Just like the SEPB member who functioned as a sort of leader and she met into Fallen, Kakkou.

They always took the initiative, stood right at the very front with their comrades and moved. Therefore, Shiika had to lead by example just like them.

“…”

Even so, she felt tense as she stood in front of the gate.

She was going to face C’s parents now. Meaning, it was the family of the mastermind who plunged the country into fear, as well as—

The real family of the Mushitsuki Shiika and the others had to defeat.

“It’s fine, I’m fine…”

Telling this to herself, she pressed the doorbell. It was just a button and there was no microphone connected to the inside, let alone a camera.

“Because I have to do something…”

The fate of Mushitsuki and by extension the country rested on her shoulders.

She didn’t have the time to hesitate or stop in place—

“Yes, coming.”

Opening the front door, a woman showed herself from inside the house.

She looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her slightly pudgy build was covered by an old-fashioned apron. Perhaps she was in the middle of cooking, since Shiika could faintly smell fresh vegetables in the air.

Shiika had intended to introduce herself as calmly as possible to not arouse any suspicions in the other party.

However—

“—”

Seeing the woman’s overly plain appearance, she felt her throat get clogged.

''Is this person—a relative of Erii’s? Her mother… no, probably her sister—she doesn’t really look like her—but she’s very, very plain—well, that’s a given since she’s not a Mushitsuki—

There was also the fact that Shiika had never been an extroverted person in the first place.

However, seeing this completely unguarded familial woman, she thought to herself.

''Hmm? How long has it been—since I spoke to a completely normal person unrelated to Mushitsuki—

“Err… and who might you be?”

Just like she aimed for, the woman didn’t seem cautious of Shiika. However, seeing her sink into silence, she was puzzled.

“U-um—I’m, Erii…-san’s friend.”

Hearing that words that finally came out of her mouth, the woman’s expression froze.

“Erii’s…?”

“Ah, err, rather than a friend…”

She’d been acting suspiciously right from the get go, and Shiika’s face reddened now.

This was a blunder.

The woman would definitely be put off by her now.

So she thought, but as the nervous Shiika looked at her—

“I see, Erii’s…”

Her expression suddenly softened.

“So you came to light some incense for her?”

“—Eh?”

Shiika froze.

The woman turned to go back inside, leaving the door open.

“Thank you. You may come in.”

“Eh… incense…?”

Seeing the frozen Shiika, the woman smiled. She could even sense some relief from that expression.

“I’m so glad. Even that girl had an actual friend…”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Come on, come inside.”

Being urged inside, Shiika took off her shoes. She didn’t really understand the situation, but apparently C’s relative trusted Shiika.

Still, for her to be talking about incense—

“Right, if she’d still been alive, she’d be around your age.”

Looking at Shiika with a nostalgic expression, the woman narrowed her eyes.

“Were you Erii’s classmate?”

“Wha—”

Shiika startled and looked at her own body. Her hand unconsciously touched her own chest.

Shiika had a childlike face, she was short, and even her physique—no, but even so, Erii was three years her junior. Should she deny this? But it was convenient for the woman to have this misunderstanding—

Feeling conflicted, Shiika made her decision as Mushibane’s leader—

“…Yes…”

To smoothly advance their strategy.