Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4 (section)

== 4.03 The Others ==
At the entrance to MOCC, outside the brickwork gate, the secretary was waiting for Munakata Kaiji.

Not just her. More than ten burly men lowered their heads as Munakata appeared.

“Welcome back.”

“I will go back to the Akasegawa Offices. —I will leave the matter of Akasegawa Nanana to you.”

“Understood.”

As Munakata passed in front of the secretary, he seemed mysteriously resolute while operating his wheelchair.

But his illness was unexpectedly severe. She’d gotten a copy of his medical records and checked it. His disease was certainly proceeding, and his symptoms would probably soon appear on the surface.

The secretary called to Munakata as he entered the car parked at the slope.

“Acting Chairman.”

“What?”

“Have you met Sotheby?”

She knew that tonight was the day of payment.

“The other bidder announced a ridiculous bid. —I’ve folded.”

Munakata said while leaking a disappointed sigh.

“…”

The secretary’s expression was frozen.

“The auction’s over, but take hold of Akasegawa Nanana. There’s no reason to corner her anymore.”

“Another thing. Have you known that several of the participating businesses made some suspicious movements?”

While hugging her teddy bear, Coccinella Septempunctata, the secretary threw another question at Munakata.

“I didn’t. Launch an investigation and put out a report.”

“Understood.”

The car Munakata was riding started up. It drove away silently.

“It’s almost time. Let us go.”

The secretary spoke to the men, going through the gate.

Unlike the classic gate and roads, all buildings on campus were modern. Some were rectangular, some triangular, and some spherical.

The gate the secretary passed through was the university’s entrance. She walked through the dark road headed toward the center of MOCC. Tonight was a full moon, so even without any lighting she could walk around freely.

“…”

Since Munakata served as the Acting Chairman, the Akasegawa Group recovered its tranquility.

The chaos created by sacking Nanana soon settled; actually, all employees looked much calmer than they were during Nanana’s time. Everyone was grateful for Munakata’s capabilities and trusted him.

Nanana and Munakata.

In the end, this was the difference between the two.

Akasegawa Nanana could be said to be a girl loved by money. She saw nothing other than money, played with money, and so she was able to control money as she pleased.

Nanana’s playing with money was like magic.

That was why people—couldn’t understand her. They really couldn’t understand what she was doing. The people around her grew anxious, and when they saw that the money was growing, they only grew even more anxious.

On the other hand, Munakata excelled at controlling people. By moving toward the same goal with other people, he’d managed to plant a false sense of camaraderie at some point. 
Doing this he was able to obtain the shield and lance that would fight in his stead. At times his actions were kind, and he would spare no effort. But in actuality—he would not trust any other person.

The match between Akasegawa Nanana and Munakata Kaiji ended in Munakata’s victory.

Nanana was young and her heart was inexperienced.

Munakata aimed for that.

If this was a different way of fighting—such as a race to see who made the most money, similar to what she did at the Round Table party—Nanana would have won the battle.

Nanana saw nothing but money.

Munakata trusted no one.

The one to win the clash between people in the form of the auction—had been Munakata Kaiji.

“Well then…”

In front of her the cross-shaped building reflecting the moonlight was visible.

The large shrine, the center of MOCC.

Her “insurance” remained.

Correcting her posture, the secretary waited there.

After a while passed, she could see three shadows appear from the side.

While fearfully glancing about, they came to the temple in a trot, hiding in shadows.

“I’m here.”

As the secretary called out, the people came in a trot along the shrine’s wall.

Revealing their figure from the shadows, they were illuminated by the lights.

Akasegawa Nanana, Anmoto Shiika, and Chouya Nihei.

“A job well done, Chouya Nihei-kun.”

Seeing the secretary stand there, Nanana and Shiika looked at Nihei’s face.

“Nihei-kun…?”

“—Pfft.”

Nanana, staring frozen at Nihei, burst in laughter.

“Yahahah! I knew it, you sold me! Right, I thought you’d do it! That’s so much like you, you cheapskate! Yahahah!”

While raising shrill laughter, Nanana was crying. Despite her saying she expected being sold out, she probably had a small hope in a corner of her heart.

Nihei sold Nanana.

The secretary received contact from Nihei and they arranged to have her brought here. This was the Foundation’s private property. Just like the camping spot that Mushibane used as their headquarters, this was private area, so the SEPB wouldn’t be able to meddle.

“You sounded so conceited! I knew it, you’re just a coward!”

Hurling insults while she was laughing, Nanana didn’t seem to be acting. Nihei hadn’t revealed to the girl that he was going to meet the secretary. The secretary sympathized with Nihei after having received these sorts of barrages of insults every day, though.

“S-shut up! I just thought that—”

“What did you think about? If you really did, then spit it out! Yahah.”

“I-I mean… M-miss secretary, well… hehe…”

Nihei wore a pitiful smile, approaching her.

She really did sympathize with him.

He did have a bit of skill in commerce. However, he was simply too average when compared with Nanana and Munakata. Since he’d watched both of their talents from up close, he probably knew to a painful extent how powerless he was. It wasn’t his fault he was so average.

“Yes, I know.”

The secretary nodded.

Immediately after, a series of metallic sounds reverberated from the surroundings. 

“…!”

Nihei and the rest’s expressions froze.

The black suits around the secretary all drew out handguns at once. The lustrous guns were aimed at Akasegawa Nanana.

“Eh? What’s that? It’s a joke, right? M-miss secretary?”

“…”

The secretary widened her eyes as well.

When Munakata had assigned her bodyguards despite her not asking for it, she found it odd.

But him choosing such a forceful method—

And that wasn’t the only strange thing.

Drag, drag—

Hearing that sound, the three of them twitched their shoulders.

Nihei, Shiika, and Nanana.

The other black suits were also agitated by that bizarre sound that appeared as if out of nowhere.

Drag, drag—

They heard this voice from above.

As the secretary looked up toward the source, her eyes reflected a shadow going down the cross-shaped building’s roof.

Slowly.

Like leaves falling off a tree, swerving without pause, that shadow fell to the ground.

Nihei raised his voice.

“Sotheby…!”

The shrine was right next to the secretary and the others. All people there looked at the strange auctioneer wearing shabby clothes.

The lantern-holding Sotheby then declared.

“—Just now, a new bid has been announced by another bidder.”

The secretary grimaced.

''I knew it… that foolish man—

Munakata’s claim that he was folded was a complete lie.

No, what he said before was full of lies.

“W-why is Sotheby here…?”

With a surprised face, Nanana looked at the secretary.

“N-no way… are you the final bidder—”

“Before I confirm the next bid—let us exercise the penalty toward the violator!”

Sotheby shouted.

“Bestow judgment to the shameless violator, Akasegawa Nanana! Come, Christy!”

The full moon and starry sky were wiped off.

Along with high-pitched singing, the heavens were filled with darkness.

From the sky above the shrine, a belle clad in a darkness-colored dress alighted down.