Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4 (section)

== 4.05 Nanana The Last ==
“I sell my bidding rights—to Akasegawa Nanana.”

Nanana goggled at her name suddenly coming out.

Why would he call her name here?

In the first place, how did Chouya Nihei came to hold bidder rights—

“Nihei-kun… was the other bidder who fought with Munakata?”

The secretary was shocked as well. She was so stunned she nearly let her teddy bear fall.

Nanana completely thought that once she lost, Munakata would get Alpha.

But apparently the auction continued even now.

After Nanana dropped, Chouya Nihei continued the auction battle against Munakata Kaiji—

“B…but how? I-it’s impossible! I mean—”

Nanana had bought Chronicler’s video from him. With that money, he wished to revive his own account that was frozen by the SEPB.

At the time it seemed to her to be useless.

If those were the whole assets of Chouya Nihei—they were much too small. He wouldn’t be even able to buy a new car. With only this much money Nihei would never fulfill the condition of joining the auction, being a member of the Round Table.

“This is the first time someone has sold their bidder rights. And selling it to one who is supposed to be penalized. What a conundrum…”

Sotheby spoke in a pompous manner.

“Ha—y-you liar—you actually—don’t really care about that, right?”

Nihei pulled the corners of his mouth. Apparently he could no longer smile properly.

“The Round Table—doesn’t matter—you bastard—as long as you can get some ridiculous sum—then anyone’s fine—“

“…”

“When Shiika-chan first said she wanted to participate—you laughed at her—but if she did bring out a large sum—you wouldn’t have laughed—that’s how it is—”

Hearing Nihei’s words, Nanana widened her eyes.

She finally understood what he was saying. And it was probably the truth of the matter.

Was it actually like this?

While waiting for the bid, Nanana had frantically looked into the movements of the rich people in the Round Table. Munakata probably did the same.

A person who knew Alpha’s value and had enough assets to win the bid.

She only watched the people who filled these conditions.

That was why she forgot—about the possibility of a fool who knew Alpha’s value and ''would bid despite having no chance to win''. There was the “precedent” of Anmoto Shiika, after all.

The decisive difference between Shiika and Nihei was only the amount of money they presented.

“Even my own bidder rights—in the end I’ve exchanged for a measly sum—so selling them to another person so late—well, I’m just complaining but still—“

Nihei had bought the bidder rights for money.

''Sorry—the reward I was supposed to pay you—I’ve already used all of it—

He used whatever small assets he possessed as a bribe.

He had that chance. When he waited for Sotheby at the camp used by Mushibane, the one who had announced his arrival was none other than Chouya Nihei himself.

He’d probably obtained the bidder rights because he wanted to attempt a one-on-one fight against Nanana. However, when the other unfamiliar bidder—Munakata—had appeared, he folded once and gave up. Unless he could compete with a bidder he knew, his “bluff” would have no meaning.

But then came Nanana’s breach of contract.

“Hmm…”

Sotheby pretended to think. But that was merely acting.

He should have already known that Nihei didn’t possess enough money to compete. Even so—with Nanana’s dropping out of the race, Sotheby revived Nihei’s bidding rights.

“After all—it can be anyone—as long as there’s a stalking horse, meaning a feint—anyone can—”

Stalking horse.

A figure used in auctions.

Sotheby would want a bidder who could bring him even a single yen more. If they raised the value to the limits, even if he knew they couldn’t pay—he could simply have Christy kill them, present their heads to the other bidder and thereby make them agree.

That was Nihei’s role. As a stalking horse, he would serve to raise the bid among the contestants.

Nihei made money in town. He could have easily arranged meetings with Sotheby in advance and continue bidding.

“Bfft… the suggestion of none other than Chouya Nihei-sama… I will acknowledge it as a special exception…”

Along with that menial laughter, Sotheby lowered his head with exaggerated acting.

“—”

Nanana grimaced. She felt just about ready to collapse from how foolish this all was.

But—they’d been thoroughly fooled.

Nanana thought only about money.

Munakata thought only about Alpha.

These two of the richest had been both outwitted.

Since the boy saw through the auctioneer’s true disposition, he continued his bargaining with Sotheby.

Perhaps at the start he meant to do a mere gamble. But once he knew the results of the penalty, he should have realized his life was on the line. If Munakata fell he would be killed.

How much fear had he felt?

This cowardly boy acted the part of a stalking horse while risking his life.

He won the bet and got his great chance.

The reward he got for risking his life was huge. He could sell off Nanana to the secretary or fold to Munakata and receive a large amount of money.

Even though he’d gotten this far—

He sold the chance to none other than Nanana.

“I’m—as long as I can show you—I’m satisfied—”

While distorting his face painfully, Nihei groaned.

“Nanana-chan, you—should get Alpha—something as large as that, would be wasted on me—”

“…”

“If the Paradigm Shift happens—this country will be in shambles—and the weak ones will be in trouble—we can’t let that happen—”

“…”

“Hehe… that’s three-way satisfaction—right, Nanana-chan—didja see it?”

The self-proclaimed merchant wore a strained smile.

That cheerful smile blew Nanana back. If his goal was to return it to Nanana and the rest, then he did it exceptionally well.

She thought this battle was between her and Munakata.

But she was wrong. There were three of them.

The bravest merchant of all was right in front of her—

“The cost is fine—I’m already used to handling bills from my parents—this is called margin trading.”

“But why—”

Nanana tried retreating, hitting her back against the door. Although she wanted to escape, since it was a running car there was nowhere to escape to.

“I will move the ‘insurance’.”

The secretary said, calling somewhere on her cellphone.

“Why…? I don’t get it… I don’t understand anything!”

She knew.

She wouldn’t lose to anyone when it came to money.

She was already aware since long ago that she was a being loved by money.

And that—could also be called a curse.

Bound by the chains of money, she knew what was going to happen and how she could escape it unharmed; she now knew it all.

The Paradigm Shift was coming.

An outrageous event was about to happen.

And to overcome it, she needed the power of magic.

“It has to be you, Nanana-chan—otherwise it’s useless—I definitely couldn’t—”

“S-stop—”

Nanana almost fell into panic.

“I haven’t given you anything—so why are you—”

With the braking sound echoing, the jeep made a sudden stop. Black suits were coming from the front.

Kirari stopped the jeep in the shadow of a thicket, readying her crossbow in the driver’s seat.

“Pochi did the same—”

She didn’t want to think about it, but the figure of the boy collapsing in front of her came to her mind.

“I haven’t given you that much money, so why are you doing this for me—”

She simply picked up the Mushitsuki boy on a whim.

Apparently he’d begun living in cardboard after losing the crime syndicate that hired him. At first, he—who knew only how to hurt people—looked confused at Nanana’s orders. Protecting Nanana—even while confused at this job, he was frantic about it. Seeing how he acted, she just thought that a wild mutt was trying to become a watchdog.

But he decided to pay her back way beyond what she gave him.

And not only Pochi.

Shiika said that Nanana was her friend.

Despite having been beaten down cruelly by Nanana, Kirari said she’d protect her.

And Nihei—said he would pass this chance, that he risked his life to obtain, to Nanana.

“Why… I’m so stupid and my personality is the worst… I have nothing but money, so why would they all do this for someone like me…”

Holding her head, she groaned.

“Even if you stay near me, I can’t give you anything other than money… the Magician never came back because I hadn’t given her any money…!”

“Nanana, sorry for staying silent this far.”

While loading her crossbow with arrows, Kirari looked at Nanana.

“The Magician—Kidou Tsukasa, is dead.”

Nanana widened her eyes.

She wasn’t surprised. She already had a vague feeling of this, and she saw in Chronicler’s video that the person herself had prophesized her death, so she could understand it.

''Ah, I knew it—

She only felt an unfathomable sadness.

The disappointment she’d accumulated in the depths of her heart was swelled even further by Kirari, and constricted her chest.

“Although she treasured me so much, since I never gave anything to her…”

The memories from the Kind Magician, Kidou Tsukasa, were vanishing from her mind.

''—What I want? But I… I can’t really explain it well, but you’ve already given it to me.

''—Then I don’t understand. Well, if you ever have something you want, please tell me about it.

This was the conversation that they had while waiting for Nanana’s bus like always.

Happy days where she could feel that she was being loved.

The Magician had given her so much happiness, but Nanana gave nothing in return.

“No, that’s wrong. —I definitely can’t tell you how she died… but she told me that she wanted to stay as the Kind Magician in front of you until the very last moment. She always said that this was your bond…”

“B-but—”

“She didn’t betray you.”

Kirari smiled.

“Even without you giving us money, we will never betray you, Nanana.”

Asserting this, Kirari prepared to leap out of the driver’s seat. Stuck in this place, she probably judged it impossible to break through the encampment. Holding a crossbow and a rod-like weapon, Kirari was going to charge toward the men to open a path.

But Nanana suddenly grasped Kirari’s arm.

“Why are you making this face—”

Kirari turned back.

“I don’t understand—I really don’t! Not the Magician! Not Kirari! Shiika! Nihei! Even Pochi! If it’s not money, what do you all want!?”

Nanana had nothing but money.

Other than that, she only had things that would be hated, she was the lowest of humans.

She couldn’t understand what was what; Nanana felt like she was going crazy.

“It’s so hard! Why do you look as if you already understood this difficult thing long ago?! Why am I the only one who doesn’t!”

“…It’s not hard at all.”

“…”

“I just think of repaying that person for what she gave to me.”

Kirari spoke as if it was natural.

“—”

“Just like she did for you, you need to do back to her. —You’ve never given the Magician money, right?”

Saying this, the handyman girl trying leaping from the jeep again.

However, Nanana wouldn’t let go.

“Nanana?”

Had Kirari noticed the contradiction in what she was saying?

Give that person back what she’d given her.

With that logic and Nanana as she was, even getting killed by Kirari countless times wouldn’t be enough. She had given so much abuse to Kirari just do divert from the sense of emptiness after losing the Magician. In return for that, even just killing her once or twice would never be equal.

Even so, Kirari wouldn’t do that.

Not only that, she was trying to do the exact opposite.

There was only one thing that Kirari wished to do despite all this.

The thing she wanted to do since long, long ago.

However, Nanana was always unable to.

“—I-I’m sorry.”

Tears streamed out of Nanana’s eyes.

[[File:Mushi Uta 9 p381.jpg|thumb]]

They weren’t equal at all.

These words did not balance everything that Nanana did this far—

“D-don’t go—”

If she let go, the girl would vanish again—she had this feeling, so Nanana kept shedding tears. She didn’t want to lose important people any longer.

It was fine if they didn’t forgive her. It was natural. She would accept any sort of punishment.

But she didn’t want them to go.

Kirari had no need to do anything for someone like her—

“…”

Kirari looked surprised. Her eyes were wide open.

A tear came to her eyes, but she grinned.

And after strongly shaking off Nanana’s arm, she left the jeep.

“Ah, ahh—”

Kirari moved swiftly. Keeping the surrounding men in check with her crossbow and using the darkness and thickets around to her advantage, she leapt on them. The men couldn’t use their guns due to fear of friendly fire and Nanana saw them getting hit by the rod one after another. It was probably some gadget, as she could see sparks flying every time the rod struck.

Kirari’s movements were just like those of the Magician she’d seen in Chronicler’s video. As 
if the Magician herself returned to protect Nanana—

''—I won’t betray you.

Nanana thought that the Magician had betrayed her.

But wasn’t it so?

Had the Kind Magician Kidou Tsukasa as well—left her emotions to Kirari and kept protecting Nanana?

“Nanana-chan—buy it from me—my bidder rights—”

The collapsed Nihei in the back seat was already out of her sight. The lower half of his body was soaked red with blood.

“What you need to do—You definitely understand, Nanana-chan—”

Nanana leaned forward, touching Nihei’s leg.

“N-no…”

Her voice mixed with sobs couldn’t even be called a voice anymore. It was only a coarse breath leaking from the very depths of the throat.

“No… don’t die…”

Kirari was hit by a man from the back. No matter how nimble her movements were, they were just too many. Just one attack was enough to dull her.

“This is not equal… with the life of someone like me…”

Nanana kept shaking her head.

From now on, she would repay love with love.

Repay kindness with kindness.

However, if it was life—she didn’t want life like Pochi’s to be lost for her sake.

There was no way the life of such a hopeless girl equaled their lives—

“D-don’t die…”

Nanana’s hair was ruffled by the wind as she wished this.

As she raised her head, she could see more and more swarms of people approaching.

Boys and girls of various appearances appeared next to Nanana’s group. Large Mushi defeated the men pointing guns at Kirari.

“Let’s charge through!”

A woman came rushing in front of Nanana’s eyes.

It was Namie. Leading her comrades, the direction they came in a formation from—was the center of MOCC, where the flakes of darkness and light clashed.

Nanana finally understood who all these people who rushed at them were.

They were Mushibane.

“Ouch!”

''Thud'', the jeep that Nanana and the rest were riding vibrated.

Two boys leapt into the driver’s seat. Nanana vaguely stared up at that face.

“Aijisupa—”

The boy with the hairband stood there. He’d probably survived the fight against Christy back at the Akasegawa Offices. Looking down on Nihei coldly, he grabbed him by the cuff and pushed him at the other boy.

“You stay here. I’m leaving Nihei to you.”

“Aah! Shuddup, I get it!”

Shaking off Aijisupa’s arm, the boy with pierced ear got on the back seat. Opening the door, he dragged Nihei’s body to the ground and dropped him off.

Nanana remembered that boy. If she recalled—he should be a Mushitsuki with healing abilities. A small sphere of light was produced around the boy, assembling on the collapsed Nihei’s back.

“But is this fine? If I stay here, I won’t be able to help Snow if anything happens to her, you know?”

Aijisupa stayed silent. Turning his body, he followed to chase after his comrades.

“…Shit! I don’t have enough of my medium! With just moonlight I can’t… Dammit, what’s Lucifera doing? Isn’t she slacking off again?!”

While shouting angrily, the boy with piercings focused on his healing. Just by seeing him this flustered she could see that saving Nihei would be difficult.

“Nanana-chan—the bidder rights—”

Nihei kept mumbling incoherently. He probably no longer knew what he himself was saying.

“Everything is ready.”

Finishing her cellphone call, the secretary looked at Nanana.

“Nanana… are you fine?”

A grimace on her face (perhaps due to getting wounded), Kirari also came back.

Nanana bit her lips hard.

What they wanted from her.

Nanana—knew what it was.

“…I will buy the bidder rights from Chouya Nihei.”

Turning around, she spoke toward the auctioneer who watched them all calmly as if he had nothing to do with the situation.

“Understood! I will pass the bidding rights from Chouya Nihei-sama to Akasegawa Nanana-sama!”

Sotheby’s declaration echoed around the nighttime MOCC.

Nanana had once—admired the Magician.

There was a time she believed that if she became a Mushitsuki like Kidou Tsukasa she could be a Magician as well.

But Nanana wasn’t able to become a Mushitsuki, and she came to realize it was neither magic nor anything else.

What the Kind Magician had given her was nothing like that power.

“Akasegawa Nanana-sama—”

Anmoto Shiika and Chouya Nihei said that her techniques of controlling money were like magic.

If that was true—

If they really believed so—

“Will you bid or fold?”

Nanana would use that power.

To overcome the looming Paradigm Shift.

Akasegawa Nanana narrowed one eye, preparing to invoke her magic.

“Fold.”

The girl’s gallant declaration echoed in MOCC.