Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 2 (section)

== 2.06 Kanon Part 4 ==

The sun sank and the long shadows cast by the containers in the inspection railway soon changed to pure darkness.

“…”

Standing on top of the weeds growing from the cracks in the asphalt, Kanon looked up the night sky.

That golden circle floating there really was beautiful.

“Yup, a full moon.”

Ichi stepped in front of Kanon.

Kanon looked from the night sky back to Ichi, smiling.


“Right.”

As Kanon and Ichi faced each other, their allies formed a protective ring around them.

“Are you ready?”

“…”

Perhaps the fact that Kanon was smiling and unmoving was seen as approval. Ichi summoned his Mushi.

Seeing that many people gather and form a circle formation around the two of them—it was like some sort of solemn ritual. Not even a single person spoke. They were all waiting with bated breath for what happened next.

This somehow brought to mind an anime Kanon watched while young.

An evil mage recited a chant and summoned forth a demon from a magic circle. Although the mage succeeded in the summoning ceremony, the demon did not take the prepared sacrifice, but instead devoured the mage—

“Well, whenever you’re ready.”

“…”

Kanon made no move.

In the end—Tamaki did not come back.

Perhaps she no longer wanted to stay with someone who could only tell such inferior lies. But obviously the same thing would soon happen with those around.

Some part of Kanon was also happy at Tamaki not appearing.

They all called Kanon their friend, not knowing they were being deceived.

Lying to friends—was definitely bad.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Kanon just waiting without doing anything, Ichi raised a brow. The comrades surrounding them were also puzzled and restless.

Once they knew the power to erase Mushi was a lie, they’d surely be angry.

Kanon was already resolved.

Still accepting the happiness from Kanon’s friends, they were going to enact punishment—

“…No way, are you actually…”

Seeing Ichi’s expression, Kanon’s eyes widened.

The expression on the Mushitsuki boy’s face was not the kind of expected anger. For just an instant, the thing glimpsed there was—

Sadness and despair.

Kanon’s chest suddenly constricted so hard it hurt.

“N-no! K-Kanon just… needs to, focus…? Yeah, Kanon’s gotta focus!”

“I-I see.”

There was clear relief from Ichi and his surroundings comrades.

Kanon’s heart hastened, beating hard as if in reproach.

Ichi and the rest’s reaction was unexpected. If the lie was to be revealed, they’d be angry—Kanon was resolved for this, but now realized an entirely different resolve was needed.

Sadness and disappointment. Also, despair.

Only being ready to receive anger, Kanon wasn’t prepared to accept all that.

“…”

Now Kanon got scared. Hopelessly scary.

There was no longer any fear of getting killed.

But making them—Kanon’s friends—despair, was very scary. 

“S…save me…”

This mumbled was not heard by anyone. Kanon looked around.

Was Tamaki not going to come back?

She really wasn’t?

Kanon had no other hope than relying on that childhood friend.

“Kanon’s fine with it… so save everyone… Tama-chan…!”

Kanon looked around the inspection railway, hoping against hope.

And then—a figure appeared, standing on the containers.

“Ah.”

“Eh?”

Following Kanon, Ichi and the rest also looked there.

Two more shadows appeared on the container.

“…Eh?”

Yet another one appeared on another container.

The gradually rising number of figures—all wore long, white coat.

“—We’re the SEPB.”

One of the people standing on the containers announced in a cold voice.

“You’re all Mushitsuki, right? We’ll take you all with us. If you resist, we won’t show you any mercy.”

“Wha…! Why’s the Central Headquarters here?!”

The Mushitsuki all became lively.

The white coats were spread around in set intervals around the inspection rails, surrounding Kanon and the others completely.

The first to move among the agitated comrades was Ichi.

“—Shit! We’ve come this far, no way we’re getting captured!”

Coming back to their senses with that voice, the other comrades followed Ichi.

“We’ll turn the tables on you!”

“Protect Kanon!”

In the blink of an eye many people gathered around.

“Eh?”

Unable to follow the situation, Kanon looked around at the comrades.

“Kanon’s not a Mushitsuki!”

“As if we can reason with them!”

“Protect Kanon no matter what happens! If we do that, we’ll…!”

The comrades all spread to protect Kanon from the circle of the white coats that narrowed further and further.

Their faces were all familiar. Just like when Kanon was first introduced to them—they wore weak, defeated expressions. All of them were exhausted by their circumstances, and came to their very last hope.

After running away for a long, long time, they finally reached Kanon.

Even those weaklings changed by spending time together. They smiled at each other, at times voiced complaints or even got angry.

“Protect Kanon!”

The comrades shouting this like some slogan made faces Kanon had never seen before.

They possessed clear wills and strong gazes that allowed them to face fear.

“If you’re going to resist—we’ll annihilate every last one of you!”

The white coats commanding large Mushi leapt down from the containers.

The Mushi’s sharp claws swung toward the comrades protecting Kanon—

“S-STOOOOOP!”

Without thinking, Kanon leapt ahead.

Telling lies was a sin.

Even so, getting people killed for it—was unbearable.

Any more sins to bear would be too heavy.

“You idiot…!”

While listening to Ichi’s shouts, Kanon stood in front of the attacking Mushi.

“…!”

Perhaps it was true that time moved slowly before one’s death. Kanon felt as if the claws of the Mushi moved in slow motion.

No, it wasn’t slow motion at all.

It was as though time itself stopped.

No matter how much Kanon waited, the Mushi’s claws did not reach.

“…?”

While thinking it was rather odd—

The Mushi’s body broke to smithereens.

“Eh.”

Its body became small grains, heading for the night sky while sparkling—

The moment they overlapped with the full moon, they burst and vanished.

[[File:Mushi Uta 10 p143.jpg|thumb]]

Everyone was captivated by the Mushi’s scattering that carried beauty in it. The inspection railway ruins were enveloped in a momentary silence.

“Y-you—what did you just do?!”

The white coat whose Mushi had been erased took a step back. The others also lost their calm.

“She erased your Mushi…?”

“N-no way, then Kasuou’s Mushi really was—”

“S-shit! Retreat!”

Leaving behind Kanon and the rest who stood there in shock, the white coats left the inspection railway like a receding wave.

Kanon was puzzled.

“Eh?”

—Cheers rose.

Kanon’s comrades all gathered around.

“So it’s real! Awesome!”

“They also mentioned about Kasuou!”

“I thought we were goners for sure!”

The Mushitsuki were glad at their narrow escape from death being jostled by them, but Kanon stayed shocked.

What just happened?

No way that this happened for real, right…?

Such thoughts and others rose to mind.

“Even if you can erase Mushi, don’t do such dangerous things, idiot!”

Ichi joined shoulders and started rubbing Kanon’s head.

“U-um… Kanon’s really sorry…”

Being praised was fine and all, but what just happened there?

“Don’t mind about me! I’ll wait for the next full moon!”

“Eh…”

Wait for the next moon?

If he would wait—then he still needed Kanon?

Would they really keep waiting no matter how long it took?

If they already possessed enough strength to keep waiting—

“Ah…”

There was a figure hiding in the shadows of the container. Separating from the comrades hugging each other, Kanon stealthily approached it.

Hiding within the containers was a boy in t-shirt. He looked unfamiliar.

However, for some reason it seemed obvious who he was.

“Welcome back, Tama-chan.”

“I’m back. Sorry for coming late.”

The boy smiled, opening his hand. Shining grains floated in his palm.

“It’s an illusion ability that uses mirror fragments to create virtual images and rubbing them together to create sounds. It’s a decent one, considering I’d copied it just before rushing out of Central HQ. Is it a good souvenir?”

Mumbling this, the boy’s form returned being that of Kanon’s familiar childhood friend.

“Only I’ve found out something. I’m good at lying, but I have no talent at acting. Even for a mere illusion, the white coats just now had third-rate acting.”

Bandages were wrapped around the fingers of the shrugging girl, Tamaki. Perhaps wounded, her expression also looked tired.

“Your acting was good. You completely fooled us.”

As Kanon smiled, Tamaki returned a somewhat bitter smile.

“Although we’re both liars, we’re still completely different.”

Looking at the Mushitsuki around jumping in joy, the girl mumbled this.

“I can tell all sorts of lie… but you just need to let them believe in a single lie, Kanon.”

Kanon couldn’t really understand those words, but was still happy at Tamaki coming to help, holding out a hand.

“Thanks, Tama-chan.”

“You’re welcome.”

Smiling, Tamaki grabbed Kanon’s hand.

Holding hands, the two liars returned to their comrades.

“But… if Kanon’s not a Mushitsuki, what’s the source of her power?”

“It’s probably, y’know, that. …What is it?”

“Something like… a miracle?”

After celebrating for a while, the group of friends were now noisy for another reason.

Seeing how they acted, Tamaki smiled. Kanon shuddered. For an instant, it seemed like a dark shadow passed over her smile.

“—So you understand it.”

Tamaki spoke loudly.

The comrades focused on Kanon and Tamaki.

“Kanon’s power is nothing short of a miracle. Since it can erase Mushi, it’s something much more powerful than Mushitsuki. Meaning—”

While looking around everyone standing there, Tamaki put her hand on Kanon’s shoulder.

“It’s the divine power of a God.”

Underneath the full moon, Tamaki stated this confidently.

After seeing the comrades not even laugh at those unexpected words but grow silent— 

“…Eh?”

Kanon’s cheeks twitched.


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==Notes==

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