Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5 (section)

== 5.03 Tamaki The Last ==

Seeing the sun starting to set on the Holy Land, Tamaki knew that the time had finally come.

Retreating from their fight against Harukiyo, Tamaki’s group returned to the front of the Castle. Looking up the towering spire, she smiled.

“Now, you guys. Open it, please.”

She had Kanon’s face and spoke with Kanon’s voice.

The Castle’s gate opened. The robed believers hiding within the spire sluggishly came in front of Tamaki.

“This is the final Holy War.”

As Tamaki walked out, the believers followed her.

They numbered over 300.

All of them were Mushitsuki who gathered to seek salvation from Tamaki—no, from Kanon. There were also many in the SEPB or Mushibane, but there were also normal Mushitsuki who heard the rumors and came.

Explosions and sounds of impacts echoed from afar. The red robes who underwent battle training fought hard against Mushibane or Harukiyo to protect Kanon.

As the surroundings turned daker, lights turned on here and there in the Abandoned Land. The lights used for various construction or demolition work lit up automatically.

The hundreds of robed people made a large line inside the light. Blessed by explosions as fanfare, the believers walked through the rough land.

At the end of the line, was, obviously—Tamaki.

Tamaki and Kanon’s believers came back near the Castle where there was a large stage. It was a stage made of only exposed steel bars and steel boards. The lights at the edges of the stage illuminated its center.

There was an altar there.

The believers all stayed put, focusing on Tamaki and a few aides who climbed up.

Rising to the stage, Tamaki turned around.

“Everything here—”

She narrowed her eyes and mumbled.

Right now in front of Tamaki was everything that she’d obtained starting with a small lie.

A vast land, hundreds of believers praising her. As well as castle with a spire.

“Is what we’ve managed to obtain, Kanon.”

What a magnificent spectacle. The lines of believers in front of her eyes probably would gladly walk to their deaths if ordered by Tamaki.

And it all started from a single lie.

Kanon’s lie had protected him. He gained Tamaki as a partner, and then comrades.

Comrades started praising his name as believers.

“But it doesn’t really matter.”

At present, what they had was a force comparable to Mushibane’s.

Right now, they merely managed to build a single force.

It should become bigger.

As long as the God of Salvation and the ones who believed in it existed, it would keep on growing.

As long as she kept lying, her domain would grow, her believers would grow, and the castle would grow.

And when the lie became truth—

“Our lie will change the world.”

Lie would transform into truth.

Only a miracle would make that happen.

But a miracle was going to happen.

Tonight was the full moon.

Tamaki would create a miracle just like before—no, an incomparably greater one.

“For that… there is no need for two people who know the lie is a lie.”

Believers with tattered robes ran up to Tamaki as she whispered, smiling.

“Mushibane’s broken through our front lines…! Harukiyo’s forces as well…!”

At some point the sounds of battle stopped. The robed believers were probably annihilated.

Both Mushibane and Harukiyo arrived quickly. Two of the strongest Mushitsuki—Rank 1s—came to this place.

The believers clamored. They had just witnessed strength far beyond what they thought was humanely possible, especially with Harukiyo. It was obviously going to shake them.

“Please calm down, you guys.”

Kanon spread her arms and smiled.

The believers’ voices gradually settled down and soon silence returned.

“This night is the full moon. Kanon will make a miracle happen.”

Raising her index finger, she pointed at the sky.

A faint white circle rose through the darkened sky.

Now a different kind of clamor began. The voices pregnant with certain kinds of expectation and excitement were transmitted along with words revering Kanon.

Kanon smiled.

The scary Rank 1s came to the Holy Land. This could be said to be the largest disaster. No one could imagine a result other than annihilation.

Right—''just like Tamaki thought, she and the rest had been cornered''.

“Everyone, let’s hold hands.”

She snatched Alpha to summon Mushibane.

“Believe in Kanon.”

Provoking the SEPB, she summoned Harukiyo.

“If you believe in Kanon, you will all be saved.”

Finally, the single member of the cast more important than anyone else—she was convinced would arrive there.

It all started from his lie.

Therefore, she never doubted that he would come back to see its ending.

“However, to save everyone—Kanon requires a sacrifice.”

Tamaki too held hands with her aides. The laurel wreath on her head emitted light, slowly rising to the air.

An explosion echoed.

A large fireball fell next to Tamaki’s altar. It broke down the surrounding buildings, crashed into the mountain of rubble, and then finally stopped.

“I’m gonna tell you what I hate most. It’s what y’all doing now, praying to a god.”

Appearing from the bursting flames was a devil of flames with glinting, scorching eyes.

It was Harukiyo.

At the back of the devil folding his arms atop the debris, black-masked Mushitsuki also appeared. The secret unit of the SEPB’s Central Headquarters, the Annihilators, all lined up to face the believers.

Yet another group appeared behind them.

These were Mushibane.

Although they came with Snow Fly at their head, they were apparently shocked by the believers’ numbers. Seeing that Harukiyo also faced them, they were even more agitated.

“That person’s… Harukiyo…?”

Snow Fly gazed dumbfounded at the youth standing atop the debris. Harukiyo sneered.

“So you’re Fuyuhotaru, huh. —I see, the host herself seems brittle.”

“Eh?”

“You really are different from us Rank 1s.”

The sneering Harukiyo who opened his scorching eyes wide and Snow Fly who stood in place, unmoving.

Even the meeting of fellow Rank 1s had nothing to do with Tamaki.

Reflected in Tamaki’s eyes were just Snow Fly and the boy next to her. He looked between the faces of Mushibane, Harukiyo and the believers wedged between them.

“The sacrifice has finally come. Now, everyone—”

A shining ring formed above the smiling Tamaki’s head.

''Thump, thump'', the ring of light swelled while oscillating as if from a pulse. Every time an ear-grating noise like grinding metal emitted from it, the surrounding scene distorted.

“…!”

Starting with Snow Fly, some commotion grew within Mushibane. Harukiyo grimaced in annoyance and the Annihilator slowly stepped back.

The ring raised a shriek. Along with extremely loud noise and vibration, it was swelling so large it looked about to explode.

“Ngh… Ugh…”

Tamaki grimaced as well. Cold sweat erupted from her and she gritted her teeth.

Apparently the abilities of several hundred Mushitsuki went way beyond the limits of the laurel wreath. It sucked out the power of the combined powers’ medium, Tamaki, and she was about to lose control.

She didn’t care about what came later.

She just needed to control it for a bit longer.

Soon, the miracle would be complete—

“Believe in Kanon.”

The smiling Tamaki was enveloped in light.

Everyone at the Holy Land—even that flame devil—absently looked up at the night sky.

Clad in lightning and spreading explosive wind, the gigantic halo that connected the full moon and Tamaki with a pillar of light floated in the night sky.

“If Kanon does this, you will all be saved.”

The halo enveloped in divine light emitted a howl so loud it could rupture ears. Noise that did not belong to any living being of this world but rather to a god or a demon shook the entirety of the Abandoned Land.

The halo launched a small mass of light.

“Kanon will—erase all of your Mushi.”

In front of Tamaki who smiled and spread her arms, sounds of destruction and screams overlapped.

The rain of light shot by the halo was the crystallization of the acquired abilities’ compressed energy. Bullets of light hit the castle and smashed the spire, caused it to flame and boil. Surrounding buildings collapsed one after another.

The bullets of light did not attack just buildings.

It rained down even on Mushibane and the Annihilators, with many people screaming, blown away.

Also—

“Uwaaaah!”

“Kanon-sama…!”

The bullets of light rained even above Kanon’s believers’ heads. The orderly line fell apart and the believers receiving the full brunt of the rain of burst asphalt raised screams.

Even as the believers let go of their hands, the halo floating in the night sky didn’t vanish.

“You guys, don’t separate! Gather in one place and focus on defense! You can’t protect yourselves on your own!”

Mushibane moved. As they obeyed Namie and took a close formation, the especially powerful Mushitsuki gathered their abilities into one spot, protecting their comrades from the rain of light.

Harukiyo and the Annihilators all escaped the rain of light with their own powerful abilities. Harukiyo swung his arm and blew back the bullets with an explosion, while on the other side the black masks all evaded them with nimble movements. In the midst of this, however, were also people unable to fully defend themselves or blown away and unable to move.

The ones unable to fully respond to this were Kanon’s believers.

“Kanon-sama…! Please save us…!”

“Why, Kanon-sama…?!”

The believers with weak abilities and shallow battle experience ran around trying to evade the bullets of light. There were also those blown away as they tried clinging to Tamaki.

While feeling her energy sucked from her entire body to produce bullets, she wore a kind smile.

“Hadn’t Kanon told you that you were all being saved? There is no need to be afraid.”

A miracle would happen.

Seeing this scene, Tamaki was convinced of it.

The halo floating in the night sky was the crystallization of Mushitsuki’s abilities—of all the lies told this far. It packed everything Tamaki had accumulated and became a divine light.

Containing everything, the divine flames would scorch the Holy Land.

And by offering up a sacrifice—

“Tonight, each and every Mushitsuki in this place will be erased from this world.”

Lies would become truth.

Seeing Tamaki smile gently with Kanon’s face—

The believers all stood paralyzed in place. They looked like they couldn’t believe what they saw, no, like they couldn’t understand what was being said.

“Kanon has never said this before, but—Kanon loathes Mushitsuki.”

Along with a smile overflowing with saintly self-love, these cruel, piercing words were said to the believers. Above, the halo emitted divine light and rains of fragments.

The believers were all speechless.

Unable to accept this betrayal, some even now clung to Tamaki. There were those who sought salvation that now had no target, and those who yelled to the sky. Those who showered Tamaki with rage and curses. Those who were hit by the rain bullets and raised their last screams.

Kanon’s believers completely fell to a state of panic. They scrambled to escape from the battlefield, and some started fighting among themselves.

As she looked down the Holy Land that was full of agonized cries, Tamaki’s breath gradually grew rougher.

The halo emitting bullets of lights was heavily shaking. It spread a violent noise in the sky as it tried to escape Tamaki’s control.

Having acquired such great power, the laurel wreath was trying to release itself.

It was Maturing.

“Now then, seek salvation of Kanon!”

Tamaki raised a cheer. Right now, none of the believers were looking at her.

“…top it! …chan!”

It wasn’t one of the escaping believers. Nor was it one of Mushibane or the combatant unit who desperately protected themselves from the rain of light.

That boy came to the front of Tamaki’s line of sight.

“Stop this already! Tama-chan!”

The boy that had the exact same face as her right now yelled with tears in his eyes.

“…”

Tamaki smiled.

The halo floating overhead howled. It shot many times the amounts of bullets of light than before indiscriminately.

Every time light bullets came down the earth shook, the castle was gouged, and buildings were destroyed. People escaped while yelling for help, and the entirety of the Holy Land was wrapped in screams and sounds of destruction.

Tamaki waited for this.

A Holy War.

The end of the world.

Right—a miracle would only happen at the end filled with ruin and screams.

“Kanon-sama!”

“Kanon-sama!”

The believers who could still not believe the betrayal chanted Kanon’s name.

“Tama-chan…!”

The hooded boy ran toward her, weaving between them.

Tamaki smiled and called his name.

“Kanon.”

The next moment a warm impact stabbed Tamaki’s flank.

The bullet of light shot by the berserk ring of light pierced through the altar. The lump of energy compressed from all Mushitsuki pierced Tamaki.

“—”

Part of the altar blew to pieces and Tamaki swayed.

“TAMA-CHAAAAAAAAAN!”

Kanon’s scream echoed through the battlefield.

The movements of the escaping believers stopped. Forgetting about the chaos just a moment ago, they looked up at Tamaki’s swaying form on the altar.

“—…”

Tamaki wrung out her last strength to stop the ring of light above.

The bullets shot from it stopped.

Tamaki’s form—transformed from Kanon to Harukiyo. Then she became Akasegawa Nanana, next Tachibana Rina, and flickered between Sugitsu Matsuri, Aijisupa, Konoha.

The only thing unchanged was the smile on her mouth.

Tamaki—was smiling gently.

“Tama-chan! Uwaaaah! Tama-chan!”

Kanon’s scream echoed in the now-silent battlefield.

The believers turned back, seeing the shouting Kanon.

Seeing that scene, Tamaki—

The girl who, ''just as she planned'', offered herself as sacrifice—

“Welcome back… Kanon…”

Celebrated the return of the saint with a smile.