Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 5 (section)

== 5.04 Kanon Part 10 ==

The believers’ clamoring voices spread in the Holy Land.

“Kanon-sama…?”

“That Kanon-sama was a fake?”

“Right, there’s no way she’d be the real Kanon-sama…”

But Kanon didn’t care about any of those. The only thing reflected in his eyes now was just the girl about to collapse on top of the altar.

Even as she collapsed, Tamaki looked at Kanon. She wasn’t the evil fake Kanon from before. This was just the face of his childhood friend—his precious friend was smiling at him.

Even so—

“—”

He couldn’t believe it.

Not a single person was looking at the wounded Tamaki. It was obviously a grave wound. Although they worshipped her moment before, now that this girl was about to die—now that Kanon’s precious childhood friend might die, the believers acted as if they completely forgot she existed.

Instead, everyone was looking at Kanon.

All the believers, Anmoto Shiika and Mushibane, and even Harukiyo were looking at Kanon.

“Tama—chan—”

He took a step forward.

His line of sight opened.

As if the ground was torn. Or perhaps by a large wave.

The believers blocking Kanon’s path instantly opened the way. Everyone lowered their heads and welcomed him.

“…”

Kanon walked unsteadily through the path created by the believers.

Toward the altar.

Stepping on the rough earth, while being illuminated by spotlight, he headed to the altar.

Everyone in the Abandoned Land were unable to emit any word, and simply stared at Kanon passing between them. The Mushitsuki of Mushibane and even the Annihilators all had their attention taken by his figure.

Wrapped by dirty, tattered clothing, the form of Kanon advancing through the scene of the end—

Was like the return of a saint.

The path of a messiah who stopped the fights between Mushitsuki and came back to those seeking salvation.

“Tama-chan…”

Kanon climbed the stairs, standing in front of his childhood friend who was kneeling and about to collapse any second now.

Tamaki smiled. Her barely supported body fell, burying her face in Kanon’s chest.

“You’re busted, Tama-chan… they saw your disguise.”

Kanon caught her, hugging her. Firmly touching her body for the first time, he found his childhood friend was much thinner than expected. And—she was warm.

He smiled, tears in his eyes.

“Let us both accept punishment. Repaying everyone for deceiving them… Kanon alone would be too scared, but if you were with me, Tama-chan… Kanon will…”

“…”

Tamaki shook her head in Kanon’s chest. She stripped off her robed with shaky hands and pushed it to Kanon.

“Tama-chan?”

“I’m fine… stand up and wear this…”

Speaking in a weak voice, Tamaki separated from Kanon as if pushing him away. She showed the confused Kanon a weak smile and nodded.

Despite being puzzled, Kanon did as she said.

He wore the robe with a loud rustle and turned around.

As he did—

“………!”

Kanon almost thought his body was blown from the impact.

A large explosive cheer rocked the entirety of the Abandoned Land. It went past being just voices and turned to screams, no, to yells.

Hit by this overwhelming volume of noise, and not as a metaphor, Kanon’s robe fluttered.

What a loud voice.

Such zeal.

Could people really yell so loud? Could people really fling their emotions to such a crazy extent against a single person?

Seeing the believers all raising a cheer while glaring at him with scary expression, Kanon started shaking.

“But—why—”

Tamaki’s cover was blown in front of everyone.

So he thought that it was obvious that the two of them were colluding.

“Kanon-sama!”

“Kanon-sama saved us from the impostor!”

“Kanon-sama’s back!”

“Kanon-samaaa!”

Hearing the praises for Kanon, he felt a shock similar to the sensation of falling.

No way.

No way.

All of this was—

Including Mushibane and Harukiyo coming here, everything—

“Tama—chan…!”

Turning back his childhood friend, he widened his eyes.

Tamaki lay on her side, sinking in a pool of blood. His smiling childhood friend could barely keep her eyes open.

“I’m a liar… but Kanon’s… not a liar…”

“Aah?! Tama-chan…!”

Rushing to her, he held Tamaki up.

Although she was so warm just before, Tamaki’s body was now ice cold. He had the feeling that if he let her go all of her remaining warmth would vanish, so he hugged her desperately.

He thought many times that shorter hair would suit her better. As he caressed Tamaki’s slightly too long hair, her cheeks loosened to a smile.

“You will now… become… the messiah of Mushitsuki…”

“—!”

He finally understood when he heard those words.

Everyone acted according to Tamaki’s plan.

She’d invited Anmoto Shiika and Harukiyo, the two extreme enemies to the Abandoned Land.

Fooling the believers, she intended on turning everything to a massacre.

And—she waited for Kanon’s return, so she could sacrifice herself.

“Look… no one doubts you anymore…”

Tamaki narrowed her eyes, looking at the zealous followers.

They were all single-mindedly praising Kanon, shouting at the top of their lungs. Their eyes were already not those of looking at a fellow human.

A God.

Or a messiah.

Eyes of mad people who worshipped a being beyond human.

“Give them a command… right now… using that ring and the believers, you could beat even Mushibane and Harukiyo…”

The halo floating in the night sky started shaking and creaking again. It was obvious that after losing its controller, Tamaki, it really was falling out of control this time—

“If you do that—the Mushitsuki in this world… will definitely worship you, Kanon…”

Kanon widened his eyes.

Not even a single person among the zealous believers held a shred of doubt about Kanon.

They were Mushitsuki.

Just like Kanon saw them doing right now—a day would come when every Mushitsuki in the world bowed in front of Kanon.

“You will become… the King of Mushitsuki… if you turn every Mushitsuki into your believer… don’t you think you could even obtain the world…?”

The world was changing.

Kanon’s lie would paint over the world, and then—

Lie would become truth.

Kanon would become a God of Salvation, leading Mushitsuki.

“Why…? Tama-chan—”

[[File:Mushi Uta 10 p389.jpg|thumb]]

He covered Tamaki atop his knees.

As if trying to stop her bleeding even a little.

As if trying to not let any warmth escape, no matter how little.

“Even if you protect Kanon’s lies… nothing good will come out of it…!”

Tamaki tried raising the corner of her mouth, but she lost too much blood, and she apparently couldn’t even smile anymore.

“Have I ever told you about when you’ve saved me…?”

“You have…! But what does that—”

“Unlike mine, your lie was so bad… and yet it was much more powerful…”

Several figures appeared atop the altar.

They were Anmoto Shiika and her executives.

Tamaki spoke.

“I wanted to see if even a lie could change the world… if I can think up a lie that can do that… I just wanted to do that, no matter what…”

“…!”

Kanon’s words became stuck in his throat.

“After all… we can do nothing but tell lies…”

“H-heeelp!”

Unable to withstand it, he turned around and shouted.

He entreated Anmoto Shiika who probably came there to finish Tamaki off.

“H-help her! Please save… Tama-chan…! Save her, please…!”

Shiika turned to a boy with piercings and nodded. He made a severe face and walked toward Tamaki.

“S-stop…! Tama-chan can’t… do anything anymore, so…!”

Leaping to the boy, he trying pushing him back from Tamaki. But his lack of power couldn’t stop even a single step of the boy’s. In fact, Aijisupa came from the side and forcibly shoved him aside.

“Calm down, Kanon-san. We’re helping Tamaki-san.”

Hearing Shiika’s words, Kanon completely stopped from resisting Aijisupa.

“Please.”

Shiika told the pierced boy. Obeying her, he kneeled next to the collapsed girl. He reached a glowing hand toward Tamaki’s wounds and grimaced.

“D-don’t be ridiculous… my power alone isn’t…”

Seeing the boy wear a despairing face, Kanon shook off Aijisupa’s arm.

Running to the edge of the altar, he called toward the zealous believers.

“P-please save her…!”

Kanon’s believers always protected him.

They always listened to him.

If they thought him a messiah, they should obey him.

“Tama-chan’s dying…! Kanon begs you, save her! Someone who can heal Tama-chan…!”

The believers kept praising Kanon at the top of their lungs.

“She’s Kanon’s precious childhood friend! Kanon’s precious friend… is dying…!”

The voices worshipping Kanon even now continued growing in zeal.

However—none of them even tried listening to his words.

Although they were supposed to revere Kanon, they didn’t try to listen to his request.

“…No, Kanon… the believers aren’t waiting for that kind of order…”

Pulling her cheeks, Tamaki formed a smile.

“The order they’re all waiting for is—‘Defeat Fuyuhotaru and Harukiyo’…”

Mushibane’s members turned to look at Tamaki with a start.

“Come now, Kanon… order them… in order to see all Mushitsuki, whether friend or ally, obey your orders, I…”

Tamaki mumbled as if in delirium.

Namie looked around the zealous believers and groaned with a low voice.

“This is bad, Fuyuhotaru. Everyone here’s gotten crazy in all this chaos. If they all come attacking…”

“That ring also looks like it’s going to move again.”

Aijisupa said as he looked up the night sky. Just like he said, the halo was shaking wildly, about to shoot a rain of light again.

“Kanon… don’t waste everything we’ve done…”

Tamaki’s weak voice gouged Kanon’s chest.

“We’re… friends, right…?”

Kanon’s heart shouted.

It was just like Tamaki said.

This Abandoned Land, every believer here, and even the halo floating above—even including Mushibane and Harukiyo being here.

All of them started from Kanon’s lie.

That lie was protected by Kanon and Tamaki.

“Become the King of Mushitsuki… a god…”

''Thump, thump '', Kanon’s own heartbeat roused him.

When he was young, Kanon told a lie.

Almost ten years passed since then and Kanon ran away from home and met his childhood friend again.

They lied together and gathered many more comrades.

But in the middle Kanon became scared—and ran away. Becoming alone, Kanon was unable to do anything and couldn’t even live by fishing out trash, so he would have died in a ditch at some point.

However, the very same Kanon—

By giving a single word, a single order, could become a God.

“—”

Unsteady and swaying, Kanon stood at the center of the altar.

Perhaps feeling Kanon’s abnormal aura, the voices of the believers settled down. They were apparently under a kind of hypnosis. Even while silent, their faces yearned for Kanon’s order.

Right now they would only accept an order to strike down their enemies.

The continuation of the Holy War.

Annihilating what cornered them would be their salvation.

“Kanon-san…!”

Shiika’s voice of restraint didn’t enter the current Kanon’s ears.

It was a magnificent scene.

Mushitsuki that numbered in the hundreds looked only at Kanon.

More.

More.

The Mushitsuki who revered Kanon would probably keep on growing.

He was convinced.

Kanon’s lie had the power to change the world.

Right now, Kanon possessed far more power than any other organization, more than any Mushitsuki.

It would take just a single shout from him.

The orders to make him into a God—

He opened his teary eyes.

He wore a forced smile.

Kanon opened his already shaking lips.

“Everything was a lie.”

Spreading his arms, Kanon wore a foolish smile.

The believers widened their eyes as they looked up at him.

“There’s obviously nothing like the power to erase Mushi. It was aaaall just a lie made to protect Kanon!”

Kanon wore a forced smile.

The Abandoned Land froze.

No, it was as if time stopped in the entire world. Silence enveloped the surroundings.

All of them, every single person in Kanon’s sight, stopped moving. It looked ridiculous.

Although still Maturing, the power of the halo itself was being sucked from the believers. The ring floating in the sky expressed the feelings of the followers above as they were.

Its light lessened, even its vibrations stopped—

And it was swallowed by a large pillar of flames coming from the surface.