Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12 (section)

===Part 5===

The night wind blowing through Japan's old capital had a nostalgic scent.

The smell of stone heated by the sun. In this land with its many wooden buildings, there were also many stones used for walls.

She liked it more here than the disorderly modern town of Akamaki City. A land that respected culture and tradition was much like her nostalgic hometown.

She normally didn't feel yearning for her hometown, but here it was unavoidably reborn. Since she had still lacked power, it brought nothing other than pain to her. She had yet to fulfill her promise with the bespectacled man.

"Why did you call me here?"

It was the rooftop of the luxurious hotel the students of Horusu Academy Middle School stayed in.

Sitting on the water boiler that took advantage of solar heat, she looked down at the entrance of the roof.

The uniform-wearing boy looked up quizzically. He had no special features whatsoever, just an ordinary student.

"And why are you wearing your equipment? —Kasuou."

The eyes of the boy—of Kusuriya Daisuke—changed. His sharp eyes, vigilant against the girl, were the same as those of the demon that had once beaten her thoroughly. 

"I've warned you about this before, Kakkou."

Kasuou, wearing a pure-white long coat that glowed in the night's darkness, glared at the boy beneath her. 

The SEPB had goggles and coat as one set of equipment, but she wore no goggles at the time. Her blue eyes pierced her archenemy.

"Don't be such a wuss. What happened to you since coming to Akamaki City? Aren't you getting weaker by messing around with that spear-user brat?"

It has already been more than a year ever since they had first met in the Creaking Mansion.

Now that she had polished her powers in the Central Headquarters, Kasuou knew that she was incomparably stronger to back then. She had polished her battle techniques and gained fighting experience.

And yet on the other hand, Kakkou's former cruelty was vanishing. He might just be hiding his true nature, but at least it looked like it to Kasuou's eyes.

Kakkou was growing weaker.

It was an unforgiveable breach of trust regarding his promise with Kasuou. If she couldn't defeat him while he was the strongest, she wouldn't be able to prove she had unshakable power.

Whether or not he knew about Kasuou's anger, Daisuke drew a breath with a shocked face.

"Look who's talking. Your frolicking this noon didn't seem like acting to me."

"Don't change the subject. —I've heard that that brat Ichinokuro Arisu had been recognized as a Mushitsuki."

Kasuou didn't miss the boy's expression twitching.

"She's no longer a mere human, she's a Mushitsuki. If your opponent's a Mushitsuki you only have one course of action, right? Where did the demon I've met back then gone to? Why won't you kill that morpho butterfly and turn Ichinokuro Arisu into a Fallen!"

That was supposed to be the proper form of the best, merciless, and strongest among the Mushitsuki, the Rank 1 Blaze-Class Kakkou.

And yet a single girl was wrapping him around her little finger.

"Fuse with your Mushi. Now that you're weak I'll fucking kill you."

Daisuke turned a serious face toward Kasuou who was losing her temper. Perhaps thinking of something, after a while of silence he spoke unbelievable words.

"Aren't you the one who became weaker?"

"You… what?"

Kasuou started getting mad, yet Daisuke continued calmly.

"When we fought at the Creaking Mansion you were strong. If you hadn't been exhausted then even I would've been in danger. But now that I've met you after a while, you've downgraded into an idiot that only loves to battle. I don't feel like I'll lose to you like that."

Kasuou widened her eyes.

He said she was weaker?

For a moment she couldn't even understand Daisuke's words. But as his words sunk in, violent anger burst out. Along with the same hatred she'd felt once before while mistaking Daisuke for a demon.

"Don’t fuck with me…!"

Black mist gushed out from her entire body.

Sharp claws even stronger than they had been at that time were created in air. The mist-clad Kasuou leapt down from the boiler, swinging down her countless claws at Daisuke.

"—Or are you pretending to be an idiot?"

The sounds of destruction shook the rooftop.

The asphalt cracked and giant fissures spread all over the roof's floor.

"Not thinking of anything or even trying to—or actually, you seem to be only fighting in order not to think. Am I wrong?"

"…!"

Kasuou and Daisuke's gazes met in the distance of only a few dozen centimeters.

The claws born by Kasuou's ability grazed Daisuke in the last second and stabbed into the floor. Unable to stop her momentum, she ended up in a posture facing Daisuke from up close.

Far from his usual form of an honors student, Daisuke's cold gaze pierced Kasuou.

"It's because you can't allow yourself to think of anything unnecessary in a battle. —Such as about your hometown."

Kasuou's chest creaked.

Recalling her past self, she also recalled her past weakness.

Homesickness was unreasonable. She didn't need any memories related to weakness. She had to only devote herself to polishing her powers and become stronger.

She had no need for the power to think deeply.

She just had to get stronger.

She just had to keep fighting to remain strong.

She was able to live this far like this.

"Thinking isn't anything good. I don't need smarts."

During the era she had been told she was smart, her belief in education had been betrayed.

And so simply thinking was a waste of time.

"I became stronger. I trained in the SEPB, and completed many missions. I'm supposed to be able to win even against you now!"

"It's impossible."

Daisuke decisively interjected.

"You certainly might have advanced the usage of your ability. Yet only pure strength of ability will never defeat me. In the first place there are plenty of people whose ability is stronger than mine."

This time Kasuou became speechless.

That couldn't be.

Rank 1 Blaze-Class Kakkou was supposed to be the strongest Mushitsuki.

That was why Anneliese would win if she could defeat him.

"The Original Three, Fuyuhotaru, that Rina woman, Harukiyo… as well as Hanashiro Mari when she had her full power."

Counting on his fingers, Daisuke wore an unfitting grin.

"But the one who's really strong is me. No one was able to kill me, and ultimately I was the one to win."

Kasuou thought inside her confused mind.

She used her mind, that had abandoned her smarts and devoted itself to battle, on full throttle. Yet she couldn't ascertain the true meaning of Daisuke's words.

"Even though you're weaker you say you'll win? What're you saying…!"

"As long as you don't understand that, you'll always lose against opponents weaker than me, Kasuou."

Hearing the boy's prophetic-seeming words, Kasuou could vaguely understand.

Was the true strength Daisuke was walking about strength she had sought?

That unnamed power which was neither education, authority, nor violence.

And Daisuke was able to continue being stronger than anyone because he possessed it.

—Yet Kasuou still didn't know the identity of that power.

"If you don't know then stay put for a little while. When we wrap up this mission… yeah, we can have a fight. If you properly cooperate during this mission."

"…So it's true."

Kasuou made sure of it.

A new deal.

A new contract.

If she could fight the man in front of her another time—perhaps she would be able to ascertain what power he holds.

No, she had to find out.

Kasuou would definitely obtain it.

She would become stronger than everyone and come back to her nostalgic hometown where the specters were waiting.

That was Kasuou's dream.

That was Mitake Anneliese's wish.

"Don't forget those words, Kakkou."

Kasuou was advancing toward her dream.

So this time she would back off.

One day she would tear apart the demon in front of her and prove her power.

And when that happened, Kasuou would—

"I can't wait to fucking kill you."

—Retrieve the name of Anneliese Mitake.

Apparently already regretting it, Daisuke's expression stiffened while Kasuou wore an elegant grin.

[[File:Mushi_Uta_Bug_3rd_p212.jpg|thumb]]

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To be continued…

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===Notes===
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