Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 7th Episode 27 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

The high-volume performance of Crawl live streamed from the radio hanging from the fence.


However, the fact the ground shook was not because of that.

The girl wrapped in a silver glow in front of Daisuke, Ichinokuro Arisu—no, the personality who encroached Arisu’s body—shed a tear.

The spear shining the girl held in hand swelled explosively. The wings that became its tip expanded, spreading enormous amounts of scales. The shockwave emitted from the spear shook the observation platform.

“I finally… finally remembered… right, I—”

The girl with the right half of her body glowing in silver, Hanashiro Mari, raised her face. Her tears flew off to empty air, and her hair missing its hairclip was fanned by the wind.

“I couldn’t choose until the end…!”

The blowing storm of scales seemed to reflect Mari’s heart. It violently rejected anyone else, and was filled with anger, hatred and envy directed at everyone.  To not get blown back, it took everything they had to step in place.

[[File:Mushi_Uta_Bug_7th_p171.jpg|thumb]]

Mari’s expression covered in the silver pattern broke down. Unlike the shockwave that spread so much energy around, her smile looked so thin that it might get blown away.

“Give up on my dream to remain myself… or make my dream come true and become Arisu—in the end, I couldn’t choose either! After all, Arisu is just as important as my dream!”

Her dream, wanting to live.

The one and only friend she knew, Ichinokuro Arisu.

Having wavered between these two, hesitated, and—left this world without an answer, the girl wailed.

“Therefore, I chose—to delay my answer…”

The silver Morpho butterfly was Hanashiro Mari’s hesitation given form.

The hesitations of a single Mushitsuki spread chaos and involved so many Mushitsuki.

That chaos reached its peak—as Mushitsuki who never should have met were drawn to this place.

“Ugh…!”

Daisuke became wrapped in a crimson explosive wind. He covered his face with his heat-resistant coat.

A Great Yama tiger beetle made of flames lurched toward the night sky. Smoke like from a rocket launch instantly scorched all the trees around, turning them to black ash.

“Oh, so after all this you’re the one trying to arouse me? Sorry, but I’ll be the one to say it this time. You’re dumped! —I can’t handle such an annoying woman, so I refuse.”

Harukiyo the flame devil sneered. While wrapped in hellfire, his pupils gazing at Hanashiro Mari also held within them flames of hostility that could scorch.

“The woman I fell for was a disaster incarnate of a Mushitsuki who’d even rip her best friend to shreds with a smile. You half-assed woman who keeps hesitating even after death, begone. —That body’s already reserved for me, though. Can you leave it behind?”

Daisuke widened his eyes. While protecting his body from the heatwave that instantly burnt even the bench and board to ashes, he turned to look at Harukiyo.

Harukiyo, just like Daisuke, was supposed to be after Hanashiro Mari. Even so, he now said that he had business with Arisu rather than with Mari.

Not belonging to any organization, the devil unbound by anyone—

When had Arisu managed to create a relationship with someone like this?

“…Guh!”

The pushing flames were struck by a shockwave coming from the opposite direction. It wasn’t just flames. Swallowing even the trees that were no more than cinders, the observation platform was instantly turned into an empty lot.

“Stop with your selfishness already, Hunter.”

The girl standing calmly atop the giant ladybug’s head glared at Mari with sharp eyes. The ladybug flapping its large wings the air around it made bursting sounds. Shockwaves shot in succession let neither the silver scales nor the crimson flames approach her.

“You still can’t calm down even after getting so many unrelated people involved? You’re just a selfish brat. You simply took advantage of your friend’s kindness and raised a tantrum. Release that girl already—”

A large earthquake shook the mountain.

The shockwaves shot by Rina’s ladybug blew away the surface of the observation platform and turned it into a basin. The aftershock knocked off trees, digging into the ground enough to change the topography of the mountain.

“I will not hold back.”

The girl who rescued all Mushitsuki other than herself and revolted against the SEPB, Rina, warned Mari in a low voice.

Rina was also trying to save Arisu—

Daisuke was stunned at this fact.

What on earth was going on?

He could no longer doubt that the one who called Harukiyo and Rina there was Arisu. He knew that she got in contact with them when he wasn’t there, but them being so close until she contacted them was outside his expectations.

“…”

Mari in Arisu’s form slowly moved her face. She seemed to be looking between Harukiyo and Rina’s faces—

And then she suddenly returned a very disinterested gaze back to Daisuke.

“…Haha, not even sparing me a glance? I’ve fallen for you again. Don’t make me regret my rejection so soon.”

“Hunter…!”

Being ignored by Mari, Harukiyo and Rina changed expressions. The flames and shockwaves enveloping the surroundings instantly increased in density.

“You told me you’d stay with me to the end… was that a lie?”

Mari bit her lips.

The girl who shouldn’t be there any more turned imploring eyes to Daisuke.

It wasn’t a lie.

That time, Daisuke truly wished to save her. After all, they were both Fusion Type Mushitsuki, and their strength to not give up their dreams until a moment before death—reminded him of a girl who once had the same dream that he personally handled.

However, seeing Mari right now, the emotion waking up within Daisuke—was rage.

“—Don’t screw with me…”

He slowly lowered his arm from protecting his face from flames, shockwaves and even more silver scales.

“All of you bastards—”

The red lights burning in his goggles captured Hanashiro Mari ahead. A green pattern rose all over Daisuke’s body, and an emerald glow enveloped him.

“Stop involving Arisu just because you want to when she’s not even a Mushitsuki!”

The roar of SEPB Rank 1 member, Kakkou, echoed through the place that used to be the observation platform. The mere impact of his feet stepping forward caused the whirl of energy surrounding him to scatter at once.

“She’s out of time!”

The muzzle of the automatic handgun fused with the Checkered beetle transformed, becoming the jaw of a monster spitting hellfire.

“Arisu’s at her limit! And not just her! All people you’ve involved are unable to move, being twisted… just like you said. This is just—”

Thrust into a mission outside his jurisdiction, Daisuke remained at Akamaki City.

Although he appeared to look for Mari, Harukiyo once tried leaving the town, and yet came back again.
Even while gathering more and more comrades, Rina kept obsessing over her archnemeses, Hunter and Kakkou.

Many Mushitsuki had been called by the Morpho butterfly, bound to the same place as if by strings.

“A gathering of lost children…”

Although he’d jumped into the maze, he’d been unable to find the exit. —No, perhaps there hadn’t been any exit in the first place.

Even so, despite this abnormal state, two girls who weren’t even Mushitsuki exposed their bodies to danger.

Ichinokuro Arisu.

As well as Saionji Ena—

“You—took too long to reach an answer.”

Daisuke and Mari.

How many times had the pair exchanged glances like this?

Anger vanished from Mari’s face.

“Right…”

As she closed her eyes, the pattern on the girl’s body expanded its range. The glow covering the right half of her body was slowly encroaching her left leg and left arm.

“In the end—I’m alone.”

As if drawing a square, the four Mushitsuki kept the same distance from each other.

However, their gazes were three against one.

Daisuke, Harukiyo and Rina were all glaring at Mari—the girl holding a silver spear, who kept calm and natural in front of the strongest Mushitsuki.

He thought Mari just opened her eyes again, but the next moment—the girl’s face approached Daisuke from up close. She kicked the ground with superhuman leg strength, instantly closing the distance between them.

“…!”

As he reflexively lowered his body, a silver flash grazed above Daisuke’s head.

The silver spear slanted downwards struck the ground. Along with a tremor, the belly of the mountain was cut into two, creating a bottomless fissure.

It was incredible destructive power. However—he knew all too well about Hanashiro Mari being strong.

It wasn’t just her. He wouldn’t be surprised if any of the Mushitsuki there could destroy this mountain down to rubble—

Having dodged one spear attack, Daisuke thrust his arm at Mari. His arm glowing in a green pattern grabbed her arm holding the spear.

“Is that hand’s weapon a decoration?”

Apparently, Mari had foreseen him aiming for her spear. With flowing movements, she spun her body aside. Daisuke’s arm cut through empty air, and the silver spear assaulted him from the side.

“—Tch.”

Judging it impossible to dodge, Daisuke pulled the trigger of his gun while on his shoulder.

A bombardment sound that sounded like it could rupture eardrums burst near his ears. The bullet spitting hellfire blew back the spear holding unfathomable power.

Even so, Mari’s wild attack did not stop. Successive cutting attacks by the spear assaulted him. Unable to do anything, Daisuke had to step back, striking the spear with all bullets.

Every time their weapons crossed, silver scales and green glows burst around. The shockwaves gouged large holes in the ground, shaved off the cliff walls, and changed the shape of the mountain.

If he let the next attack get past him, and followed with a counterattack—

Mari, as expected, read his thoughts. She stopped the spear she was about to lower on him in place, weaving through Daisuke’s gunfire. Wearing a smile, she leapt to his chest.

“—“

Daisuke’s chest was struck by Mari’s open palm emitting a silver glow. As if shot by a tank, his body was violently pounded against the ground, creating a huge crater. Even that wasn’t enough to kill all the momentum, so his body kept going, knocking down trees, rushing through the distant mountainside.

“Guh…!”

Although his body was strengthened through its fusion with the Mushi, he received plenty of damage. As he grimaced, he could see the figure of Mari coming for a follow up attack—

“…!”

Gasping, Mari took a defensive position. The spear became a shield that spread silver scales, protecting its host.

However, the silver wall was easily penetrated by crimson flames. With the same amount of momentum as Daisuke just now, she rebounded through the mountain path.

“Is that your full power? Are you actually trying to live, Hanashiro Mari?! I think you’re just not dead enough!”

Thrusting his flame-covered fist, Harukiyo laughed. Crimson flames spurt out as if in a delay from the devil standing upright with blazing eyes. The ocean of flames pursued Mari who was rolling through the mountain.

“I’ll scorch ‘em all! Both your stupid doubts! As well as the leftovers of your dreams! Time for you to rest in peace—“

Harukiyo’s loud laughter was drowned.

The devil’s body was thrown aside by an unseen shockwave. Even the vast flames he’d produced were pushed away as though by an invisible wall, burst and scattered.

“Don’t attack so rashly, you big pervert!”

On top of the ladybug with seven spots, Rina howled.

The mountain air crackled—the moment later, another tidal wave of a shockwave was produced. It swallowed Harukiyo and along with a vast amount of dust he vanished from sight.

“Hunter’s body belongs to Ichinokuro Arisu! Are you trying to kill her?”

Her attention caught by the devil of flames, she stopped focusing on Daisuke. He raised his gun.

A large bombardment sound shook the mountain.

Although Rina instantly turned and produced a shockwave, it wasn’t enough to cancel the flaming bullet’s power. Rina was blown backwards along with the ladybug’s massive body.

“I don’t have time to bother with you right now. If you don’t leave—I’ll turn all of you into Fallen.”

Wiping the blood running down his lips, Daisuke rose up.

With just a few minutes of attack and defense, the mountain scenery was completely changed. Both mountain and valley were erased, and the exposed ground became just basins and plains. He didn’t even know where the observation platform had used to be.

Just because Daisuke purposely moved away from the park section, there shouldn’t any damage to the area of the outdoor concert. —The radio half-buried in the ground played music mixed with noise, so he knew the stage was safe. Music that sounded violent enough to catch people’s attention over the cataclysm and destruction occurring right nearby made the cracked radio shake.

“Never asked for it. Do you really want it? Spare me any pain, though.”

Tearing through the piled dust, Harukiyo appeared as if nothing happened. His clothes were ripped but his burly body only sported a few scratches.

“Aren’t you mistaking something? You’re the one going to become a Fallen.”

Along with a great vibration, the giant ladybug alighted down. Standing on her Mushi’s head, Rina wiped the ashes from her cheeks. The ladybug became her shield to protect her from Daisuke’s gunfire.

“—Hehe.”

Silver scales alighted down. The unharmed Mari slowly stepped in front Daisuke and the rest.

“A Fusion Type, Minion Type and even Special Type are all trying to beat me. I thought you were all weaklings, but it looks like you’re just a little strong…”

Already the silver pattern spread to her entire body, and only a single eye was able to escape the encroachment. Unlike her right eye gleaming with murderous intent, for some reason the left eye’s black pupil was moist—and twisted.

“It’s as though I’m meeting with the Original Three.”

“Haha, that a joke? You dare call me a representative of that trash?”

“Your expression… it really is the same from when we’ve last fought. Do you really find fighting that enjoyable?”

“…”

Special Type Mushitsuki, Sehateno Harukiyo.

Minion Type Mushitsuki, Rina.

[[File:Mushi_Uta_Bug_7th_p183.jpg|thumb]]

Fusion Type Mushitsuki, Kusuriya Daisuke.

The strongest Mushitsuki of each Type that Daisuke knew of, and Hanashiro Mari. —Although their positions drew yet another square, their bodies were now oriented differently. Each faced their own opponent; Daisuke and Mari, then Harukiyo and Rina glared at each other.

There were no allies there.

There were only enemies.

Due to their own circumstances, they hated one another, disliked one another, and hurt one another. It didn’t matter who stood in front of them; if their opponent showed an opening, they’d probably pound them with their full powers.

''—If all you strong Mushitsuki held hands, don’t you think they could do anything?

Recalling the words that Arisu said with her eyes sparkling, Daisuke grimaced.

There was no way for that to happen.

Once they touched, there was nothing but battle. He should have fully realized that.

To make everyone’s hearts there as one was as impossible as making the dreams of all Mushitsuki come true—

“It won’t do any good even if you broke the spear, you know?”

Mari giggled. Her eye full of hostility was looking at none other than Daisuke. She probably realized that he was aiming for her spear.

“This body’s already used to the Morpho butterfly.”

Daisuke put strength in his hand grasping the gun.

“If so—”

While slightly leaning his body and assuming a battle position, he asserted in a low voice.

“I’ll target you.”

The one triggered by those words was Rina.

“Kakkou…! Are you being serious right now?”

As Daisuke stayed silent and answering, a green glow rose from his entire body.

“Is that girl—Arisu, not your friend?”

“…”

“Arisu said a demon like you was a good guy! And yet you’re going to…!”

''—Daisuke, you idiot!

The girl who did this to Daisuke every day, Ichinokuro Arisu.

Daisuke was at her side because she was his monitoring target.

However, while Arisu was aware of that, she still tried getting close to Daisuke like a friend. It was annoying only at first, and at some point he got used to these surroundings—

“—She’s getting her just deserts.”

Ichinokuro Arisu was kind.

She let her deceased friend borrow her body and she sympathized with Mushitsuki too much. That naivete invited the peak of the chaos created by the Morpho butterfly—a situation like now.

If the battle of these four people drew long, it wouldn’t end with just a single mountain being erased. There was no doubt that the aftershock would reach the town itself, causing an outrageous number of victims.

“She chose to commit suicide with her best friend. —That’s all.”

He would no longer hesitate on defeating Mari.

As a result, if Arisu went along with Mari and left this world—

That was his mission as Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou, as well as his reason for being there.

He could hear Rina grinding her teeth.

“Kakkou…! You really are incorrigible!”

“You’re turning out just how I like it, Kakkou! Your big brother’s so happy at your growth!”

“I’ll deal with you lot and look for the answer together with Arisu. —You can just stay like that until we find it!”

“I’ll annihilate all of you right here.”

An emerald glow and silver scales.

Crimson flames and colorless, invisible shockwaves.

Nearly unstoppable amounts of energy were about to be unleashed, each toward their own enemy—

But something happened just before that.

“—Ugh.”

A small groan flew into the ears of the Mushitsuki facing each other.

A hoarse voice that was really easy to miss.

And yet that very small happening—

“—!”

Although they decided to clash, the Mushitsuki all stopped their attacks.

The hostility that reached its critical mass and was about to be unleashed suddenly scattered as everyone’s gazes focused on a single point.

“Uuh…!”

Raising a groan—was Mari.

The girl wrapped by a shining, silver pattern was stuck in place as though frozen. While she readied her spear and wore a cruel smile, she was also leaking hoarse groans from between quivering lips.

“Uuuh—”

No one there should have understood what happened.

Including Daisuke, everyone there shouldn’t have hesitated to attack their enemies.

They all resisted one another and would never operate under the same will.

However—

What made this gathering of the strongest Mushitsuki take this impossible action—

“Ah—”

Mari leaked a trembling voice. None other than herself muttered the name of the one who caused the four Mushitsuki to hold their attacks.

“Arisu…?”

That name.

Most likely—not only Daisuke, but even Harukiyo and Rina, had all been unconsciously expecting it.