Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 3 (section)

== 3.03 Nanana Part 10 ==
Inside the gloomy alley, Nanana sank down to the floor. She hadn’t been to a dirty and dark place like this ever since she’d gotten lost as a child.

The smell of garbage tickled her nose and the hem of her order-made dress was dirtied by the unknown liquid covering the floor.

But right now Nanana didn’t care about such things at all.

No—she wasn’t in the right state of mind to care.

Everything Nanana had accomplished thus far popped like a bubble. She tried to become the richest person in the country, but became the poorest overnight. She was at complete zero. It was like she was sitting there completely naked.

“Aah…”

Absently grimacing, she held her head.

“Wah…”

She was scared.

Just imagining what would happen to her from now was scary.

Would Christy find her and rip her apart? Even if she wasn’t found, she might slowly starve to death. Or would she be caught by a violent gang, abused and in the end thrown away like trash?

Right now Nanana had nothing.

Since she had no money, Nanana couldn’t do anything.

Never mind protecting herself, she couldn’t even take a single step from there.

When she’d wandered into such a dirty alleyway before, she was saved by the Kind Magician.

However, that Magician—was gone.

“Nanana…”

Worriedly touching Nanana’s shoulder was Anmoto Shiika.

Nanana neither heard her voice nor felt her touch. There was no reason for the girl to protect her, and Nanana no longer had any way to thank her.

Just like her grandfather and the Magician in the past.

There was no doubt that Shiika too would soon abandon her.

“Looks like Christy isn’t following us for the time being…”

How much time had passed?

It was already close to dawn.

Chouya Nihei, watching over from the entrance to the alley, returned to the two girls.

“Her not chasing us means that Aijisupa-san and the rest beat her… or perhaps there’s a reason she can’t chase us. Well, the important thing’s that she gave up.”

The boy wearing a dirty formal wear sat on a large bag with a hole in the middle. The boy who’d carried Nanana and ran away now had dark circles under his eyes from fatigue and lack of sleep.

“What’s that, Nihei-san?”

“I picked it up. We can use it to store all sorts of stuff.”

Looking at Nihei wearing a weak smile, Nanana laughed deeply. It was rare for a dirty, holed bag to fit such a merchant.

“—We’re going to be found by Christy soon anyway…”

Shiika and Nihei turned toward Nanana.

“Look, she’s right behind you…”

“Eh!”

Shiika and Nihee looked around. But never mind Christy, no one was there.

“S-stop with these kinda jokes! It’s really not funny!”

“Yahah… it wasn’t a joke… she’ll come to kill me any moment now…”

Rounding up her body, Nanana mumbled.

Shiika bit her lips.

“…I’m sorry. If only I could fight—”

“Hey, don’t say that, Shiika-chan! It’s not your fault!”

“If it was at least some spacious area with no people around…”

Shiika looked pained from the bottom of her heart.

“Aijisupa-san… I pray he’s safe and sound…”

“A spacious area, huh. That’s tough. We’re smack dab in the city. Even if we weren’t, both you and me are being chased by the SEPB.”

“R-right. Moving a great distance while hiding from the SEPB… it would be very difficult.”

Nihei wore the bag again and let out a long sigh.

“Anyway, our main priority is getting in contact with Mushibane. Also—finding a place where we can safely catch our breath. We have to be ready to sleep outside for a few days. Oh and also, our clothes right now will stand out like a sore thumb anywhere we’d go. Thinking about our stamina, we also need food…”

“B-but, moneywise we’re…”

“We’ll manage somehow. There’s a limit, but… I’m used to handling small money.”

Nihei laughed, clearly not full of confidence, and Shiika’s expression was clouded with sadness.

“Who could have imagined that Munakata-san was the other bidder…”

A heavy silence befell the back alley.

“Why hadn’t he told us…”

Nihei thought for a while, his mouth drawing a thin line. He started speaking after getting resolved.

“No—I think Munakata-san was very rational.”

“Eh…?”

“How do I explain this… we were overwhelmed. It shows that this was the perfectly best way of doing it. If we hadn’t been friendly with Nanana-chan, perhaps we would have all seen Alpha together happily right now.”

“N-no way…! I mean, we were able to reach an agreement with her—”

“I wonder about that. Even if we reached an agreement, this doesn’t mean we trusted each other. In the end, all it means is that Munakata-san chose a surefire method.”

Shiika looked at Nihei, shocked. The boy grimaced.

“I will never forgive him either! His method of trade always leaves someone unhappy! It’s obviously wrong!”

“Nihei-san…”

“But we can’t do anything about it! I can’t forgive him… but I don’t know any way better than this… so I couldn’t do anything but watch—”

Seeing Nihei bite his lips with chagrin, Shiika clenched her fist.

“There definitely should’ve been a better way. That’s why I have to speak with Munakata-san again…”

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t forgive him. I think that Munakata-san—was ready to betray Mushibane right from the very beginning. Sotheby’s near him too, so it’s too dangerous to approach him right now…”

He trailed off, perhaps becoming depressed by his own words.

Perhaps scared of the silence, Nihei grabbed Nanana’s arm. He was trying to get her to stand up.

“Anyway, let’s move. We might’ve been seen by someone while coming here.”

Nanana shook off Nihei’s arm.

“Nanana…”

“…Stop this already! Don’t cry over spilled milk! Do it after you’ve reached a safe place!”

Neither Shiika’s worried face nor Nihei’s menacing look that seemed like he was trying to cover his fear felt like it was related to Nanana.

He legs hurt. After getting carried by Nihei, her stomach hurt. Leaning against the hard wall for several hours, her back and neck also hurt.

Nanana couldn’t move anymore.

If she moved, she wanted to be taken in a white, large limousine. Of course, high-quality wine would be waiting for her inside.

“It’s fine, stand up already! —Ouch.”

Once again, she shook off the arm trying to grab her. Her fingernails scratched Nihei’s face.

“…Goddammit! Who do you think we’re running away for?!”

“N-Nihei-san, Nanana’s still in shock…”

“Eh, what’s this, you’re pretending to be a delicate lady despite no longer having any money? That’s how it feels! I’m not your servant! I admired you no matter how cheeky you were, but I’m really disappointed! Waaah, all this shouting really pisses me off! Anyone? Please save me! In many different senses of the word!”

Nihei raised a tantrum for a while. He was probably putting on a bold front because he was the only man there. All tension was lost and paralyzed.

Shiika only glanced over the pair’s faces.

Nanana vaguely raised her face, narrowing one eye.

“Yeah, that’s fine… you can go away already… if you do at least that, Christy’s not going to attack you…”

“Wha—”

“Saving me doesn’t get you anything… I can’t pay you even a single yen as thanks…”

Shiika and Nihei looked so surprised obviously because she hit the nail on the head.

Inwardly, they were ready to abandon her at any time. She had seen through them and they were merely fighting against their small conscience.

Nihei glared at Nanana.

“Don’t misjudge us! I saved you because you’re my client!”

“…?”

“You told me to look for Chronicler! When you did, you became my client!”

Oh, she did ask for that.

However, even recalling it, did it have any meaning? Nanana was no longer able to pay him for that. So her request should be null and void.

“So I’ll save you, Nanana-chan! Since I believe in three-way satisfaction!”

That three-way satisfaction bullshit again?

Nanana snorted. That boy was really obsessed with that pipedream.

A sale where everyone was happy was a mere ideal. In reality the winners and losers were decided based on how well you deceived your opponent and how much you gained from it.

Right—just like Munakata Kaiji deceived her and obtained victory.

“And that’s why I can’t forgive your method as well as Munakata’s this time! Human trust is worthless! If it was me, I would’ve…!”

“Such an idiot… not like you can do anything… Yahah, stupid Nihei.”

“—Oh yeah?! If you weren’t my client I woulda done this and that, and it would be way worse for you!”

Nihei headbutted against the wall, kicked and hit it.

Nanana turned her cloudy eyes toward Shiika.

“You can run away too, you know…? If you’re going to abandon me soon, just do it already…”

“…”

“You have no reason to save me…”

As Nanana said this, Shiika puffed her cheeks.

Looking angry for the first time, she turned her face away. —As if admonishing her for not understanding something exceedingly simple.

“…?”

Since Shiika was an idiot, did she still think they had a chance to get Alpha?

That was no longer possible.

Nanana’s bubble had already burst.

To do something despite that, she would need a change massive enough to flip over the entire country—she would need to stage a revolution that itself could be called a Paradigm Shift.

“Enough already, just move your ass! You have to, Nanana-chan!”

She already had no energy to shake him off. Nihei forcibly made her stand up.

“Some people sacrificed themselves to protect you! Since Pochi and his group saved you, we must make sure you get away!”

Standing there like a doll, Nanana recalled her bodyguard Mushitsuki, Pochi.

But her head blanked out and she couldn’t think any deeper about it.

Only one thing—the sensation of her shoulder being pushed was reborn in her mind.

It was perhaps her first time to be touched by that boy who was always too shy to even look directly at all. Ever since she picked him up, he’d always protected Nanana. He always cared for her, so him pushing her body aside was unreasonable.

Even so, he pushed her away.

By force.

As if telling her to run away.

She was about to recall the moment she’d picked up that Mushitsuki boy—but her thought process shut down. She had the feeling she mustn’t remember what happened after that. If she did, something remaining inside her would break apart.

Her other Mushitsuki bodyguards were the same. They all followed the actions of their leader Pochi without a shred of hesitation. Thinking that they were all united that they were practically a hive mind with Pochi, perhaps it was the obvious decision.

Everyone fought for Nanana and was defeated.

“Oh, Pochi and the rest…”

That was definitely—a small payback.

So she thought.

Since Nanana had treated him so coldly until that moment, he used a bit of violence.

That was why she didn’t want to think any further.

“Mushitsuki really are all idiots… I’m not even their owner anymore…”

Seeing Nanana cackle to herself, Nihei scowled.

“You…!”

“Nihei-san.”

Shiika stopped the boy who tried approaching Nanana. He wordlessly shook his head to the sides.

“Shit! Why do I have to…”

Cursing under his breath, Nihei walked ahead.

Nanana, who stayed standing, had her hand grabbed by Shiika—

Since resisting would be too much of a bother, she started walking as well.