Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 13 Chapter 3 (section)

== 3.02 OPS3 Part 13 ==

The electricity consumed by this powerful illumination split from the machinery and assumed shape.

A nude beauty glowing in gold.

There were four of them. Each commanded an endless swarm of C butterflies.

Shiika and the others, as well as the emergency workers were all completely frozen in front of this situation—

A ringtone echoed.

Lucifera gasped and looked at her cellphone’s screen.

“—She’s aiming for Sanbikime! Protect the boy!”

Lucifera screamed, but it was the enemy who moved first.

One of C’s duplicates created by her ability—the electric fairy—flew. While creating a surging thread of electrical discharge between the machines on the floor and around, she stretched both arms toward the boy wearing headphones.

In comparison, the various Mushitsuki around acted one step too late. It was because they attempted to activate their abilities all of a sudden.

As a result, the person to move against C’s surprise attack was a girl who wasn’t a Mushitsuki at all—

“…!”

Leaping to Aria while risking herself and rolling on the floor was Ayukawa Chiharu.

In the space of a second, the golden fairy reached where Aria was, crashed against it and scattered.

“’C-Chiharu…!’”

“You can’t create any more Mushitsuki, Aria…!”

The girl who now hugged the headphone boy to her was crying. Although until then she showed no extreme emotions, Kakkou’s sister now raised her face and turned to Shiika.

“Right, Shiika-chan!”

It was her first time to see Chiharu’s emotions on full display.

As she saw Chiharu hug the boy serving as Aria’s host and shout her throat out, Shiika thought to herself.

She’d probably made Kakkou into a Mushitsuki at the time because there was no other choice.

But now other choices still remained—

“Yes!”

Looking Chiharu in the eyes for the first time, Shiika shouted as well.

The electric lump that burst and lost its shape now swelled atop the floor. It was recovering its form as a fairy.

“Looks like Operation 1 is also having a tough battle. Having C’s abilities reach so far means that…”

Aijisupa stood in front of Chiharu and Aria to protect them. He reached with both arms toward the assaulting golden fairies.

The moment before the fairies touched Aijisupa, he snapped his fingers loudly.

“—!”

There was a violent sound like striking a wet cloth.

As well as a golden radiance bursting in a radial pattern.

The leaping fairies were instantly vaporized, becoming particles of light spread in the lobby. These too were instantly boiled away by vapors, though. Shiika didn’t really understand the principles behind this, but apparently he used his steam to disperse C’s duplicates.

“Guh…!”

Aijisupa grimaced in agony. His hands were scorched and raising smoke.

“Aijisupa-san!”

“Leave battling to me.”

The hairband boy erased his expression again and raised his burnt arms high.

“But there’re too many uninvolved people here. Take Sanbikime and run.”

“Yes, let’s hurry!”

The one who took Aria from Chiharu and carried him was Namie.

“Escaping the airport’s our first priority. Chafer! You say here, you have to save that girl. Got it?!”

“All the light sources for my ability are broken, though—alright, I’ll do it, don’t glare at me like me!”

“W-we cannot allow you to do this. —Members of Mushibane!”

While staring at her cellphone, Lucifera spoke in a shaking voice.

“With the situation being what it is, we need to beat Fuyuhotaru’s group by force and create a Fusion-Type here!”

“…”

Shiika’s face stiffened. The Mushibane members in the lobby were the same.

“If we do that, Oogui won’t be able to use Fuyuhotaru’s power and we’ll gain a powerful ally. Sanbikime will end his role and might return to the neckless, so everything will end well!”

“Lucifera, you little…!”

Glared by Namie, Lucifera grimaced. Her arm holding the cellphone shook.

“Right now, we should be able to beat Fuyuhotaru easily… she’s not going to use her powers because she won’t hurt the people around…!”

Exactly so.

Lucifera was apparently acting out someone’s plan, but that person was right.

Shiika’s ability was about to become a major obstacle for their fight against Oogui. If they killed Shiika that problem would be gone, and if Sanbikime birthed a new Mushitsuki then they could create an ally on par with Kakkou.

It wasn’t just killing two birds with one stone.

It was the right answer such that no one would even think of any other option.

“—”

Even so—the Mushitsuki of Mushibane Mushitsuki couldn’t even move.

Even the one commanding them, Lucifera herself, put enough strength into her fist holding the cellphone that she was about to break it. Was her gritting her teeth like that out of opposition to the one issuing her orders, or perhaps—was she irritated at herself for being unable to move despite this being right?

Shiika looked at her Mushibane comrades.

Many things happened between them, but these Mushitsuki accepted Shiika, ate with her and slept with her.

Thinking back, not only did Shiika not help them at all—but rather felt like as someone who couldn’t even peel vegetables properly, they helped her much more than the other way around.

And now their eyes looking at Shiika—were full of doubts.

Just like Shiika herself, their expressions indicated that they didn’t allow themselves any display of emotion despite knowing the right answer.

“—But if you can’t do even that?”

Lucifera’s face changed with a startle. She received new mail on her phone.

“Then fucking save Fuyuhotaru already!”

“Eh…?”

“In exchange—throw away your naïve ideas about Fuyuhotaru or the Fusion-Type that could be created here saving all of us!”

Lucifera, who opened her mouth wide and shouted, instantly wore a smile.

“Make this no one’s fault by your own, make your own calls! It’s your own damn responsibility, choosing to throw away the only right answer! And resolve yourself to beat Oogui with the people gathered here no matter what!”

Lucifera was shouting toward the frozen Mushibane members.

“I’m telling you to brace yourselves for some tough shit, you shithead Mushitsuki! …Is what she says!”

Bursting, golden light overlapped with the voices echoing throughout the lobby.

Two fairies aimed for Aria and were intercepted by Aijisupa’s counterattack.

“Gwah…!”

Seeing how Aijisupa suffered with smoke rising from both hands—

All the Mushitsuki started moving at once.

Turning their backs to all the fairies, they fled.

“I’ve prepared a prisoner transport van with insulation in Terminal 2! Ride that and escape!”

Akasegawa Nanana, who remained in the lobby, shouted. She’d probably prepared it for them to pick up Sanbikime in. As they parted, she wore a displeased expression—definitely because she was mad at Shiika for choosing the wrong answer.

“Don’t fight C’s duplicates head on! Destroy all the walls and ceiling after you pass and bury the path with concrete! All the staff and passengers evacuated already anyway, so this is the right way for you shits-for-brains to escape! You shitheads, all of you are shitheads! …Is what she says!”

Seeing Lucifera shout all that merrily while running away, Shiika thought.

It was obvious that the person issuing orders to Lucifera disapproved of Shiika’s decision.

However, she changed her mind quickly. Although she was furious, not only had she not abandoned her thinking, she even saved Mushibane from falling apart.

It was the kind of human resource that Mushibane didn’t have even now—no, that they needed.

Why was she so stubborn about not revealing herself to Shiika—

She was terribly curious about that.

“Gwah…!”

She heard a scream from behind.

Turning around, she witnessed several of her slower comrades becoming prey to the fairies.

“It’s my fault…!”

If only she did as everyone told her, even her comrades that collapsed now might have been saved.

There was a part of her that had to think that. Even if everyone in Mushibane decided to follow Shiika again.

On the other hand—

“Thank you…!”

While running, Chiharu held her mouth with both hands and cried. Tears were falling from her eyes.

“Thank you, Shiika-chan… For not letting someone like my brother get born again…!”

Chiharu, who should have begrudged Shiika, was thanking her.

The pain constricting Shiika’s chest was not the fault of fatigue from running at full speed.

“I—”

Shiika couldn’t do anything more than biting her lips.

With Namie who was carrying Aria leading at the front, Mushibane ran out of the airport.

The outside was a mess. Many police cars were parked there to keep the customers or curious onlookers away. There were even people who looked like news agencies trying to get the best scoop. Ambulance sirens were also heard from afar. In a few more minutes, the place was definitely going to be under strict guard.

“Shiika-chan! Here!”

On the other side of the transport van, Chouya Nihei was waving his arms. He wasn’t a Mushitsuki, but he was a dependable merchant just like Nanana.

“Nihei-san—”

Trying to head toward Nihei, Shiika stopped in place.

That was because she saw golden butterflies dancing around.

“This’s bad—”

Namie groaned, her voice low.

C butterflies were produced one after another from the lights and cars parked in the terminals. Normal civilians unrelated to Shiika and the rest were getting confused by the events.

The one who moved to avoid tragedy was unexpected.

“—Erii?”

Erii, who should have been in a faraway place along with the Mushibane members, was heading there, her arms spread. From each finger she produced a pale C-butterfly.

Erii swung both arms horizontally.

The ten pale C-butterflies spread all around—

“…!”

It happened instantaneously.

The electric current surging from the pale C-butterflies entangled the golden butterflies—then absorbed them and left in the form of lightning that shot from ground to sky.

Finishing the discharge, crackles of remnant static electricity danced in the terminal that was now empty of C-butterflies.

“She saved us…? Is she our ally?”

Lucifera mumbled in shock, looking at Erii. The other girl was perhaps tired, as she was out of breath and her face was pale.

“We’ll block this exit and stop the fairies. Namie, take care of Shiika.”

“Goes without saying! Let’s go, Fuyuhotaru!”

Aijisupa and other allies stopped at the entrance. Namie dashed out of the terminal.

“Y-yes…!”

Shiika followed after Namie and Aria, Lucifera, as well as Erii.

Police officers stood in their way, but Shiika and others ignored them and passed through.

Within this mess, the existence of Mushitsuki was revealed to many civilian witnesses. But it was after Shinpu caused such huge damages. It was already unavoidable for the entire world to discover about Mushitsuki.

“Hurry!”

Nihei led them to a vehicle about as big as a city bus. —That being said, it resembled a bus just in size, as the walls and ceiling were all covered by thick steel plates and there were no windows.

As they all got on, the door closed without even time to look back toward Aijisupa and others.

The engine roared and the transport van deployed.

“We’re using several similar cars as dummies. Once we manage to escape to the countryside where there are less machines and surveillance cameras and the like, I think we’ll be able to escape… are you all fine?”

Looking at Shiika and the rest, it was natural for Nihei to be shocked.

Shiika, Namie and Aria, who saw the accident from close by and even entered the smoke-filled fuselage, were all covered in black. Chiharu and Lucifera were also tired, while Erii was covered in sweat and shaking.

“Thank you for saving us, Erii…”

“…”

Although Shiika expressed her gratitude, Erii did nothing but glance at her. She soon averted her eyes.

Being in the van was just like getting stuffed into a box. Just like they saw from outside there were no windows and it had no seats, either. The gloomy interior was illuminated only by lights on the ceiling.

“Aria…! Are you fine?”

Chiharu peeked at Aria’s face. The headphone-wearing boy hugged his own body and trembled.

“’I-I already told you, this body’s at its limits already… if I don’t eat a dream quickly, this boy’s mind will break first and foremost…’”

“Come inside me!”

Aria widened his eyes.

“Leave that boy and come inside me just like you did before!”

“’Are you—are you stupid? Don’t say something like that so easily… if you remember the past then surely you also remember that pain and hunger?”

“Yup, I recalled everything. The things you’ve said as well.”

Chiharu hugged the shaking boy.

“One day, one of the Aria Vareis will be able to live without eating someone’s dream—you were the one who said this, Aria.”

“…”

“Do you also remember what I told you?”

“…”

“I told you that you can stay inside me forever.”

In Chiharu’s chest, Aria grimaced. As if withstanding feelings that weren’t hunger—something unbearable—yet his wry smile also looked somewhat happy.

“’So this is your atonement, then… although you’ve done nothing wrong.’”

“I just want my old partner back. That’s it, really.”

Saying this, Chiharu flashed a bright grin.

''Ah, so she actually was someone who smiled like this—

Seeing Chiharu’s smile, Shiika’s heart throbbed in pain.

It felt like she was watching a famous scene from some movie with the lead actress smiling like that. She came to realize that this was how Ayukawa Chiharu normally was.

Although she knew she’d suffer her entire life, she was willing to accept one of the Original Three.

And it was an exceptional smile. How much kindness—as well as strength could it hold? It was a resolve Shiika could never even imagine.

“’But that’s impossible… going into another person while I’ve yet to eat any dream might work for someone like Diorestoi, but not me…’”

“Aria? Are you alright?”

“’Sorry… I’m a bit sleepy…’”

The boy hugged to Chiharu’s bosom slowly closed his eyes. Still grimacing as he drifted off to sleep, he was hugged hard by Chiharu as though to encourage him.

“—Conditions—”

“…!”

Everyone including Shiika looked at a certain person.

A bizarre voice suddenly emitted. It was cracked and filled with noise like it came from the radio and the speaker was the girl who sat on one corner of the car while hugging her knees.

“There are—conditions—but my ability—Aria’s transport—possible—“

“Erii!”

Shiika leapt at Erii. The girl who had Ebina Yuu’s face kept facing ahead, not even looking to Shiika. Her mouth was open, but it didn’t look like she was moving her tongue.

“Even waking up Alpha—”

“Here! I knew it was Erii! Her personality being erased was a lie!”

Shiika started shedding tears.

Lucifera was shocked as she stared at Erii.

“R-really…? Before getting swallowed by Shinpu’s power, she might have let her personality escape… even if she’s a Mushitsuki, is such a thing possible…?”

“In the first place—I—used as a medium—Shinpu and Mushitsuki—Mushitsuki and the Database—a few Shinpu fragments remained—”

“I don’t really get it… but if we have her, can’t we solve everything? About that Aria or whatever and Alpha.”

Erii answered Nihei’s question.

“Impossible for me here—this is just an imitation of Shinpu—a landmark—”

“A landmark?”

As Shiika furrowed her brows, Namie tore Erii away from her.

“You said something about conditions. If you’re Erii and you say that this form is a fragment, where’s the main body?”

“…”

Erii suddenly averted her gaze.

“So you don’t want to answer? This isn’t the time for sulking—”

“W-wait, Namie-san.”

Shiika had seen Erii act like this many times until now.

Her profile gazing afar. She was always gazing at the same direction.

“You’re—over there? The real Erii, that is.”

Shiika followed her gaze. The others did the same.

“Was there anything there? As far as I know, there’s only the sea…”

“Miguruma already said that C’s personality is gone. So it needs to be a place not under C’s influence that the SEPB had been unable to find…”

“O-overseas?”

Nihei, Namie and Chiharu gave their theories, but Erii made no nod.

“There was no longer—where to escape—on the surface—“

Lucifera also tilted her head, but she suddenly gulped.

“Not the surface… no way—”

Erii looked at Shiika.

Her eyes that had the letter C in them—

“Please, I want you to—bring me back to life—”

Were shedding tears.