Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 06 (section)

===Part 3===

“It’s alright, Arisu. They’re just made-up objects, that’s all. Ghosts are just a figment of imagination made up by mankind; wouldn’t it be weird to fear something which doesn’t even exist. Indeed, that’s just weird. It’s totally weird that your heart is thumping so hard it’s about to burst out.”

Staring into the darkness that propagated in front of her, Arisu murmured to herself.

“Please wait a moment while our staff checks the safety bar.”

Arisu and Himeko sat next to each other aboard the rail car. The rail car had four seats, two in front and two at the back. Arisu and Himeko were in the front seats.

Seeing the young girl seated next to her, Arisu braced herself. Being the elder one, there was no way she can appear to be scared.

“A-are you alright, Himeko-chan?”

She asked the girl in a shrill voice.

But, she did not receive a response.

“Himeko-chan?”

She called out once more. With that, Himeko got up with a jump and raised her pale face.

“Y-yes! I’m fine?”

Himeko tried to raise a smile, but her expression was stiff. Arisu began to worry.

“Are you sure? If you are so scared, there’s no need to go out of the way to ride something like this.”

“…I want to get strong.”

“…?”

“The more I like Kou-chan… the more we are together, the more afraid I am. Afraid that someday, Kou-chan will grow to dislike me. I keep liking Kou-chan more and more, but Kou-chan is always the same. I’m afraid to ascertain Kou-chan’s feelings…”

Biting her lips, Himeko clutched her fists tightly atop her laps.

“The more I like him, the more scared I become. I don’t want that! That’s why I must become stronger…! Even though I got this power because I wanted to become stronger… But, whenever I get scared, the power spontaneously…!”

“Power…?”

“I must get stronger no matter what. If I get scared, that thing will… If I get stronger enough that this place no longer scares me anymore, then… And then, Kou-chan will also—”

Himeko drooped her head with teary eyes, as if she was desperately trying to hold back her fear. At this point, Arisu began to regret boarding this ride just as Himeko wanted.

“I’m sorry, please let us alight—”

Arisu’s voice was cut off by the buzzer signalling the start of the ride. The rail car gradually picked up speed.

The dim surroundings revealed a laboratory that fell into disuse. On both sides of the track, there were broken desks and blood-stained laboratory coats lying haphazardly.

It happened right after the rail car accelerated and made a curve.

“''Kyaah!''”

Along with the deafening noise of glass breaking, a rotting corpse dressed in a lab coat fell down from the ceiling. Arisu involuntarily screamed loudly in terror.

Only after they passed the doll of the corpse did Arisu realized.

“H-H-Himeko-chan? Are you alright?”

Turning to look at her, Arisu found her in a daze with her eyes wide open. She seemed to have been so shocked that she could not even raise a scream.

“Himeko-chan!”

As she shook her, Himeko’s expression twisted. Her shoulders shuddered, and large beads of tears fell down her face.

“Kou-… chan…”

Himeko opened her mouth widely.

“Kou-chaaan!”

Green fog spilled out from Himeko’s entire body as she screamed.

“…!”

Arisu’s breathing stopped for a second.

The emergency brake for the rail car activated.

The green fog enveloped the rapidly decelerating rail car.

The fog eventually formed into a silhouette of a large insect with a long body—a millipede with its jaws gaping wide at the passengers.

“…!”

The moment the millipede passed through her, Arisu felt goosebumps rising all over her body. An uncontainable terror likened to falling off a cliff besieged her.

The screams of the passengers echoed in the darkness. The moment a scream terminated, it was immediately followed by another.

Arisu too felt like she was going to shriek again.

A baseless terror.

A fear which targeted the instincts slashed at Arisu’s body like blades.

“No—”

Just as she was about to let out another scream.

“!”

A silver light shined upon Arisu.

It was the morpho butterfly.

Brilliant silver scales descended on Arisu.

As if blown away by the silver scales, the green fog around her dissipated.

“Ah…”

Seeing the morpho butterfly circling around her, Arisu came to her senses.

Although slow, the rail car was progressing forwards nonetheless. But, all the props placed in the darkness were covered by the green fog and could not be seen. The passengers at the rear seats were all knocked out without exception.

“Himeko-chan—”

About to call out to her, Arisu gasped.

A large green millipede was coiled around Himeko’s petite body. Arisu instantly tried to pull it away, but her hands only went through it.

“T-this is… a Mushi?”

Mushi are categorised into various types. Mushi that fused with their owner like Arisu and Daisuke are Fusion Types, while Mushi with a corporeal body are known as Minion Types, and those without a physical body are known as Special Types. Arisu had previously met a Mushitsuki with the same type of Mushi called Yomori Neiko.

“Himeko-chan… you are a Mushitsuki?”

“Please…”

In a position where she clung onto the safety bar, Himeko moved her quivering lips. Her eyes that were staring down at her laps were losing consciousness but still opened widely.

“Don’t tell Kou-chan… If he knows that I am a Mushitsuki… Kou-chan would hate me… If that happens, I will…”

Her eyes slowly closed.

“I…!”

The millipede wrapped around her body screeched. It flew off towards the front like a bullet, spewing green fog along with it.

Unable to comprehend the situation, Arisu only watch as the millipede disappear into the distance blankly.

“…”

And then, the figure of a person appeared in the fog.

''That’s, impossible—.''

Arisu could only stare speechlessly at the person who appeared in bewilderment.

“I never wanted this power!”

Himeko’s shout drummed heavily in Arisu’s ear.

The figure that appeared in the fog fluttered gently.

Lowering itself towards Arisu who sat in the rail car was a girl in a pure white hospital garb—.

“Ma-… ri…?”

The girl which placed both of her hands on Arisu’s cheeks smiled.