Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 8 Chapter 3 (section)

== 3.05 The Others ==
After parting from Tanaka Momo, he made his way back toward the office.

Yet when he reached an alley about several dozen meters from where he'd first met Momo, the place with the painted-over Coatl Head, he stood in place.

The night sky was covered by black clouds.

Nobody was passing in this alley surrounded by the many buildings with empty roofs.

He couldn't hear anything.

That place was too cold—

So he thought when he came there back when he was on the verge of death.

"I survived…"

Standing like a puppet, he hanged his head.

Yet on his face was a smile.

Back then, this place was unbearably cold, but now it felt very warm.

Because Momo had hugged him.

Because Momo had given him life.

Of course, he couldn't forget Ikarino Kirari as well. He'd been able to only thank her with his mouth. He actually wanted to help her with work and make things easier for her a lot more.

Both girls filled his empty self.

"Well, I should have died a long time ago already…"

Slowly raising his right hand, he held it toward the blinking streetlight.

This hand, that no longer had the strength to hold anything, had cracks running through it. His skin turned paler.

He stood in place because he no longer had the energy to walk.

"No… maybe I was like this from the very beginning…"

He smiled self-derisively, but his heart felt full.

''—Daiske.''

Momo's smile was burned in his eyelids.

''—Daiske-san.''

The girl that saved him was just like Momo said. She would never abandon him.

If he just kept living, how would tomorrow be?

He knew the answer fully well.

He didn't think anything was special.

He had nothing left to do with his remaining time.

He was able to live in a today that was the same as yesterday.

So another tomorrow the same as today would come.

While dreaming of this—he accepted this ending.

"It's too much of a happy ending for someone like me…"

He would be controlled by his own power.

No.

In his case, there was a much crueler ending.

Even when faced with a horrible death, he didn't feel any fear.

"…"

He absentmindedly raised his head.

At some point he'd been surrounded by black shapes.

He couldn't feel their presence, but only their awesome killer intent, so he knew their identity.

The unit directly under Central Headquarters Vice-Director Miguruma Yaeko, the Annihilators.

Just by looking around he understood.

Harukiyo wasn't there. He and his comrades were only mobilized when things had to do with the Rank 1 Mushitsuki—so obviously they wouldn't be here.

The ones surrounding him were probably an assault team without any abilities. They would lack in their rational thinking and control of their abilities, but be very powerful. Rather than Mushitsuki they could be called wild beasts or tanks. There were plenty, but they were treated as disposable.

"East Central Branch member, Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou—"

One of the black shadows spoke.

It didn't matter who of them spoke. After all they received orders from Vice-Director Miguruma and assassinated mechanically.

"We will annihilate you."

He laughed.

How ironic. The enemy he was supposed to be waiting for wasn't here—

"…"

He had no intention to resist. Letting his shoulders sag, he closed both eyes.

However—the thing nesting inside of him wouldn't allow that.

"…!"

''Thump'', his heart jumped.

Throwing his eyes open, he looked up to the far sky.

The far, far night sky over the suburbs of town was dyed in rainbow colors.

His pulse quickened, there was a violent beating inside his chest.

Seeing the column of light, from the angle and distance, it was definitely a place he knew.

The electrical substation where he'd once captured the ferret.

"Gh—"

As he grimaced, something like black smoke came gushing out of him.

"GWOOOHHH!"

As if resonating with the rainbow glow.

As if scared from the impulse of that great power.

The thing inside him went wild.

"OOhhh…"

Widening his eyes, he hugged his own body.

''—There was a Mushitsuki here… but she's gone now.''

Momo's shaky voice was reborn in the back of his mind.

''—This hole and this mark… Coatl Head is that Mushitsuki's grave.''

What was happening at the substation right now?

He had no idea.

Yet he had a bad feeling.

The black impulse planted within him felt the birth of unfathomable power. What could the thing inside him be so scared of?

''—If Coatl Head is gone, that Mushitsuki will appear again.''

Momo said this with a scared expression.

''—If that happens, I'm going to be killed…''

A strange uneasiness urged him.

He had to go to the substation right now.

It was obvious something was going on. He had to make sure what—

"…"

He stopped resisting the impulses of destruction coming out of him.

Cautious against his abnormal behavior, the Annihilators kept their distance from him, unmoving. —Although they were stupid, at least their senses were sharp.

Scattering about darkness from his entire body, he slowly raised his head.

"You said you're going to annihilate Kakkou…"

While absently gazing up the sky, he mumbled.

He intended on dying there, but now he couldn't do so anymore. To head toward the substation as fast as he could, he would squeeze out the very last drops of his dream—and sell all of them to the demon sleeping inside him.

"Fuhaha."

While wearing a self-derisive smile, his surroundings were rapidly dyed in the color of darkness.

The alley strewn with vacant houses was being replaced with a completely different space.

"Sorry to disappoint you, though. I'm just—a Kusuriya Daisuke."

The codename "Kakkou" had nothing to do with him.

Kusuriya Daisuke.

Momo had called him thus.

Kirari called him that as well.

He had no other name.

He had no name, and the two girls called him like that.

"Lend me power, Diorestoi…"

As if responding to his mumble, a large amount of tombstones came bursting from the ground.

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