Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 11 Chapter 4 (section)

== 4.04 Daisuke Part 14 ==


The sound of the crying wind echoed in Daisuke’s ears as he quickly ascended through the darkness.

“You ain’t seriously joining forces with the SEPB, right?”

Kasuou’s low voice was instantly swallowed by the depths of the abyss.

“…”

Anmoto Shiika was silent. She probably exhausted her powers to dig down from the surface, so her breath was slightly raised and her face was pale.

“How many SEPB members do you think were done in by Mushibane?”

“Mushibane’s apparently tried changing after Lady Bird’s death. They don’t want to fight the SEPB anymore instead to join forces if the time to defeat the Original Three came…”

As Daisuke said this, Kasuou glared at him with her azure eyes.

Daisuke and everyone else were pushed up through the great hole connected to the surface by an unseen power at great speeds.

. It was Kasuou’s ability. Her Mushi, a mist with no corporeal body, took Daisuke and the Central Headquarters members together, elevating them toward the surface.

As she was holding up this outrageous weight, the burden on Kasuou was considerable.

“Kakkou. Why are you aware of Mushibane’s circumstances?”

“…”

It was something Daisuke heard from his sister, Kusuriya Chiharu. But he didn’t think Kasuou would approve if he explained this.

“We’re—”

Shiika turned to face Kasuou. Perhaps feeling dizzy, though, her body nearly fell.

Daisuke instantly reached out and gave Shiika his shoulder.

“Close your eyes. You should recover even a little of your stamina.”

“…Right.”

She bit her lips as if wanting to say something, but Shiika did as she was told.

The Underground Stronghold was at such depths that even a fast elevator would take quite a while to reach. Therefore, it was beyond imagination just how much Shiika had exhausted herself to be able to dig that far down all alone.

''—Let’s meet again next Christmas.

The one who promised this wasn’t the Mushitsuki Kakkou.

It was the normal high schooler called Kusuriya Daisuke.

There was still time until their promise.

Since he vowed to take care of everything he had to do until now, he couldn’t yet reveal his identity to Shiika.

Now he would have Shiika close her eyes—

Daisuke would use the voice and behavior of Kakkou only with her.

“We have also defeated many of Mushibane.”

Miguruma Yaeko spoke calmly.

“And you should be aware of them recently restraining themselves from attacks on the SEPB as you are out on the frontlines. Am I right, Kasuou?”

“…Yeah.”

While rising up the great hole where no light reached, at the very top were Daisuke’s group. Daisuke, Shiika, Kasuou and Miguruma faced each other, while all other members were below them.

At this speed it seemed like it’d take some more time to reach the surface.

“I can’t believe Lady Bird’s gone like that. It’s boring, not having any competition.”

“I understand that this the wish of the new leader, Fuyuhotaru. Not fighting the SEPB but instead joining forces with us when the time to fight the Original Three comes—in order to show their sincerity in this, it’s natural for Mushibane to use this opportunity to save us here.”

Miguruma’s narrow eyes looked at the girl supported by Daisuke.

“To begin with, since I love her so much, this kind girl will obviously save me, right?”

Shiika grimaced, her eyes still closed.

Daisuke and Kasuou glared at Miguruma wordlessly.

Had she predicted this development or was she actually calling this love?

He really couldn’t understand that sly woman.

“Even so, it was outside my expectations that they’d be so slow. Is it that they lack the brains behind the operating like always… or perhaps there are people within Mushibane who, just like Kasuou, don’t wish for us to join forces.”

Kasuou clicked her tongue, looking displeased.

“What really pisses me off is that Fuyuhotaru’s here all alone. Are you underestimating us?”

“She is very powerful. Although it was unavoidable for her to act alone, in order to not hurt anyone, her comrades must have opposed that. Above all else because we are enemies.”

“So can you explain how come she’s so calm and relaxed here with us, when we’re enemies?”

Daisuke’s body stiffened.

Inside his arms now he could definitely feel the body heat and breath.

They were the same he once felt—every time Shiika was wounded and weak.

He first felt it when Daisuke had killed Shiika’s Mushi and turned her Fallen.

“Kakkou. You and Fuyuhotaru should’ve been archnemeses. Not just me but everyone thought so. —How come you haven’t been fighting even after exchanging glances like that?”

“No…”

Shiika opened her eyes a little.

“Kakkou-san has never been my enemy…”

“Huuuh?”

Kasuou was speechless. Shiika closed her eyes again.

“There’s no fucking way! The hell are you saying!”

If possible, he wanted to hug Shiika right now.

However, Daisuke did not have the right to do that right now.

Shiika did say he wasn’t her enemy—but that was a mistake. He was Shiika’s enemy.

It wasn’t yet certain that what Miguruma told him was the truth, but Daisuke and Shiika had met as enemies. As a result, he turned her into Fallen—

Made her think he was another person, and they reunited.

As a result, Daisuke was also the one who made her suffer again.

He wouldn’t show her another half-hearted hope again.

Until all the Original Three were killed and everything was solved—

He couldn’t reveal his identity to Shiika.

“Right now, I could definitely defeat Fuyuhotaru. Yes, that Fuyuhotaru.”

Kasuou glared at Daisuke. He glared back through the goggles.

“Beating the Original Three comes first.”

“…! You’re fucking kidding me! What’re you tryin’ to do, protecting Fuyuhotaru like that?!”

“…”

“Aren’t you supposed to be protecting the Rank 1 who’s still sleeping?!”

“That woman…?”

Shiika widened her eyes, looking up Daisuke’s face.

Miguruma also looked at him.

“…”

Daisuke consciously went expressionless and silent.

He wasn’t about to be trapped by a long gone past.

Until now—he just pretended to forget.

At the very least he had to keep it up in this situation where Miguruma Yaeko was right there.

He couldn’t let anyone know that the trump card he’d always been looking for was in the hands of the East Central Branch—

“I do not mind you sulking, but don’t let our speed fall down, Kasuou.”

Miguruma rebuked Kasuou who even now looked like she was about ready to bite her.

“Wha…! Who’s sulking, hey!”

“It’s because you always got along like siblings while you were at the Central Headquarters. I do not understand why you don’t like it when it seems like he has some shared secret with Fuyuhotaru.”

“Huh? As if! —Fuyuhotaru, you bitch! What’re you lookin’ at me for!”

“Au… I-I’m sorry.”

“No, I also don’t remember us getting along…”

He was helped by this change in subject.

However, he sighed at Kasuou seeming to be the hardest to pacify, when it happened.

“…Kakkou-san? Can you hear me?”

Once again, the familiar shrill voice came from Daisuke’s goggles.

It was Goroumaru Touko.

“Touko-san? Can you hear me?”

“Looks like you got close enough for communication.”

Miguruma had earphones with a microphone on her head, and Kasuou also equipped her goggles.

“I can hear you, loud and clear! Meaning, you have successfully escaped to the surface! Hearing that Fuyuhotaru was acting alone to dig into the ground, I really was at the edge of my seat! You didn’t fight, right? Are you getting along?”

“Yes, she has responded to my love.”

Miguruma spoke through the microphone. Touko could be heard gulping.

“Haa! T-that is Vice-Director Miguruma! I-I’m so glad you’re safe…?”

“Thank you. We will soon arrive to the surface along with 280 combatants. And with Fuyuhotaru who helped us.”

“T-that is the most important thing! We’re already approaching our limits… the caterpillars just keep on multiplying and soon our evacuation wouldn’t be able to keep up…!”

“Please connect me to the other branches. We no longer need to be rescued, so please pour out your efforts on encircling Shinpu and keeping victims under check, centered around the North Central Branch forces. However, all members of Rank 3 and above are to wait for the arrival of Central Headquarters. When we arrive at the surface, we’ll begin an annihilation operation.”

“I-I will connect you!”

“We shall reach the surface in a couple dozen more minutes. Can you do it, Kasuou?”

“Ah, Kasuou-san! It’s me, Goroumaru! It’s been a long while, I’ve been promoted to Acting Branch Head!”

“Shut up, die.”

The cussing Kasuou was clearly tired. She was probably trying to hold back her fatigue by being so angry before.

Ten more minutes passed as they headed to the surface.

“You’re fine, Kasuou?”

Even with Daisuke calling to her, Kasuou made no reply. She glared above her with dark circles under her eyes, focusing on the control her ability.

Shiika opened her mouth. She removed herself from Daisuke’s arms and stood up.

“Thank you very much, Kasuou-san.”

A point of light appeared overhead as the girl bowed.

Kasuou raised her middle finger, silent.

They accelerated toward the lights of the surface.

And finally—

“—!”

Daisuke and the rest were pushed above the hole with great momentum.

Riding the spurting mist like a great geyser, the white coats were all thrown to the ground one after another.

It was probably an effect of using too much power quickly. Kasuou who fainted and collapsed to the ground had Nene, a user of a regeneration ability, rush over to her.

“Great work, Kasuou.”

Along with Miguruma Yaeko who narrowed her eyes, the Mushitsuki looked around them on the surface.

Daisuke and the rest were all standing in the middle of Akamaki City.

Citizens had apparently already been evacuated. There wasn’t even a single car on the highway that had three lanes at each side, and the townscape supposed to have thousands of people move through it was empty.

Instead of the humans supposed to be there, controlling this surface were—

“This is…”

Daisuke and Shiika were speechless at the sight.

The great capital of Akamaki City was fully swallowed by the caterpillar swarm.