Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 14 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.06 Rina Part 4 ==

An eerie silence wrapped the residential district of Akamaki City.

It had been already several days since the region was evacuated. Normally, this would be around the time past people commuting to school or work, when housewives would vacuum up the house or do the laundry.

Not even a single person remained there now. Familiar sights such as postal trucks, old people out on walks or housewives chatting on the road were nowhere to be found.

Oppressive engine sounds echoed in the streets empty of people.

It was a military armored car. Apparently, it was patrolling the region. 

From time to time, there were also figures that appeared on the roofs of private houses.

They had varied appearance; some wore bizarre long coats, while others wore casual clothes.

They were the Revived—those who had once been Mushitsuki and became Fallen or had died. —Resurrected through C’s powers, they were being controlled as pawns.

“—It’s fine, no more Revived. I finally managed to shake them off.”

Rina checked the situation outside from behind an automatic door.

Those who hid behind her all emitted a sigh of relief together.

“Let us rest here for a while.”

They were inside a certain supermarket. The place had enough space to hide Rina as well as the wounded Mushitsuki numbering several dozen people.

Fashionable Lucifera appeared from within the store.

“The breaker’s down and the alarms are all disabled as well. We should be able to hide here for a while as long as we use no electricity or Mushitsuki powers. …If we used even one of those, we’ll probably get found by C or a Revived with sensing powers.”

“Good job. Eat something while you can and recover your stamina. I feel bad about taking things without paying… but we can just send it to them later with an apology.”

Inside the gloomy place the Mushitsuki started stuffing their mouths with foodstuff gathered around the counters.

Rina ate a banana while watching the outside from the window.

“…”

Rina noticed while eating that the Mushitsuki would glance at her from time to time.

After all, they had the supposedly dead Rina—Lady Bird—right in front of their eyes. Although she claimed that she was Mimic, they obviously couldn’t get immediately used to it.

“No matter where we run to, we have to find a way out of Akamaki City.”

Trying to shake off the heavy atmosphere permeating the store, Rina made an effort to speak with a powerful tone.

“At this rate, even if we exit Akamaki City our prospects look grim… at the very least, if we go to a city with many people, it might get them involved. We first need to rest properly.”

While putting a nutritional jelly in her mouth, Lucifera was fiddling with her cellphone.

“Hmm… reception’s good again. But it’s a trap. If anyone uses a cellphone in the empty Akamaki City, C will be able to find them instantly.”

“Getting out of Akamaki City without getting found by C and resting our bodies… including our need to join up with Haji Keigo’s group, looks like we have a lot ahead of us. —That being said, even they have nowhere to run. Since it’s that cowardly four-eyes I do think he’ll do something, though…”

Lucifera meanwhile sank into silence for a moment. She mumbled while looking at her cellphone.

“Well, I did hear something about where Haji Keigo’s planning to run to when we were escaping from the dome…”

“Really? Did he really think of a place where they could hide from C in an instant…? That itself makes me angrier—well, tell me. Where is he planning to go?”

Lucifera wanted to whisper it to her ears, but Rina stopped her.

“It’s fine. We’re all comrades here. Tell everyone.”

“…OK.”

While the dozens of people focused their gazes on her, Lucifera spoke about where they ran to.

A certain place and how to get there.

The Mushitsuki all clamored.

“—I see now. He’ll definitely be able to buy some time like that. As long as they reach it safely, C shouldn’t be able to get there…”

Rina nodded in agreement.

He was as shrewd as always—no, he was a man who liked doing what his enemy hated best.

Since C controlled digital information, perhaps “that place” was even further away than the other side of the planet.

“So the issue is how all of us get there, then.”

“Yup. Since Haji Keigo’s group have Akasegawa Nanana with them, she’ll probably do something. But we have no way of contacting her, plus moving after requesting help will make it all too late. We must somehow prepare on our own a way to transport this number of people…”

While Rina and Lucifera were deliberating, a single Mushitsuki stepped forward.

He was wearing a white long coat. Apparently he was a Mushitsuki who belonged to Central Headquarters.

“Lady—no, are you Mimic?”

“…”

Rina made no answer. Even she wasn’t sure how to accurately name herself.

“Even if it’s just you alone, you have to reconvene with Terasu and others as quickly as you can.”

There were no sounds of surprise or arguing.

“You should be able to escape from Akamaki City on your own right now. If you’re going to fight C, then you should—no, you must join their forces.”

There was not a doubt in her mind that several people there all though the same.

After all, even Rina herself knew that this was right thing to do.

All of them here were wounded Mushitsuki and there were no high-ranked combatants. Rather than helping all of them escape, she should become part of the forces to fight their powerful enemy, C.

She needed to do this—even if everyone in here would get annihilated after she left the place.

Everyone would probably say so.

However, Rina smiled and answered thusly.

“I refuse.”

The white-coated Mushitsuki bit his lips. He apparently expected Rina’s answer, but didn’t want to give up.

“B-but…”

“If I could do that, I’d enter the SEPB. I’d get along better with Kakkou—”

The moment she mouthed that name, the form of this Mushitsuki called a demon passed through her mind.

And there was another person. —No, although this boy was the same person as Kakkou, she recalled his foolish expression that made him seem like a completely different person.

“—No, it’s impossible either way…”

While Rina lowered the tone of her voice, Lucifera for some reason puffed out her chest in pride.

“Telling Lady to abandon Mushitsuki in need would be like trying to rehabilitate Harukiyo. They’re both quite a handful, after all.”

“Please don’t compare me to that pervert…”

The flame devil she’d seen back at the dome had a completely different atmosphere to what she’d seen before. Perhaps he matured a little since the period of time where he’d sexually harass her whenever they met.

“Anyway, let us at least prepare so that we can move at any time.”

Following Rina’s words, everyone focused on eating and resting.

While wary of the outside of the supermarket, Rina thought about what to do moving forward.

“A way to carry this many people… can’t rely on Akasegawa Nanana… And we can’t get in contact with Munakata-san, either…”

Should they rather just try breaking through with Rina leading the charge?

If they really were cornered, they might have no other choice. However, the result was easy to imagine. The difference in numbers was just too great; it’d end up with them collapsing one by one.

“…”

There was something.

There was only one single thing Rina thought that she could do.

Not Lady Bird. It was a way she could use only as Tachibana Rina.

However, that would be—

That alone—

Even just thinking about it made her pulse quicken. She emitted cold sweat and her arms were slightly shaking.

“I have to do that… is that why I’ve been revived? B-but…”

As Rina mumbled to herself, someone pulled her from behind.

As she startled and turned around, she saw Lucifera mildly grabbing to Rina’s clothes.

“Lucifera? What is it?”

“Lady… err…”

Mumbling, she was trying to pull Rina to a detached place.

“If you have an idea you need to tell everyone—”

“It’s not that… err…”

She fidgeted, apparently finding whatever it was hard to say, but she finally resolved herself and spoke.

“I-I’m—a traitor…”

A sudden confession.

“Ever since you were gone, Lady… S-someone called out to me… and I leaked information about Mushibane… I deceived my Mushibane comrades…”

Lucifera was crying and trembling like a child afraid of getting scolded.

“And while that happened… I let Genesis die…”

“…”

“And yet—when I saw you, I ended up tagging along without thinking… I became really embarrassed… I have to apologize… I know an apology’s not going to be enough… I… I’m…”

In the end, Lucifera was shedding tears.

Rina put a hand on the trembling girl’s head.

“Idiot.”

Lucifera’s entire body twitched and tensed.

“I also have Mimic’s memories. So—I already know all about it. About that girl you’ve joined forces with and the people who were with her…”

“…!”

Startled, Lucifera raised her tears-stained face.

“It happened while I was gone, right? So it’s not my choice whether to forgive you or not. I don’t think I can get along with that girl—Konomura Chami, but… I am grateful. Because she made you stand up again. Because—I couldn’t do that.”

“N-no…! It’s only thanks to you that I…!”

“So I’m not the one you need to apologize to, right?”

As Rina smiled, Lucifera suddenly grimaced.

“Fuyuhotaru-san…”

“I already know… what Shiika’s answer is going to be, though.”

Anmoto Shiika might be angry. However, whether or not she would forgive Lucifera in the end—was crystal clear.

—''Among all of us, Fuyuhotaru’s the strongest.

Kakkou’s words were revived within Rina’s mind along with a stab of her heart.

Anmoto Shiika would probably forgive Lucifera.

There were only very few things that kind girl would never forgive—

Only the Original Three.

“…Yes.”

Rina stroked Lucifera’s head again as the girl nodded.

“Lady… won’t you take off your mask?”

Being told this by Lucifera, Rina smiled. She turned her body back toward the other comrades.

“Oh, this? I can’t take it off. —I wonder if it’s cursed?”

She wanted to make it sound like a joke, but Lucifera startled and her face froze.

“If so, then it’s just desserts for me.”

Rina said this and started walking.

Right, this was just desserts. You could even say she was caught in her own trap.

If Rina’s revival had perhaps been acted out by some factor that wasn’t fate or someone’s plans—then this would be without a doubt the retribution for her actions.

Creating a place for Mushitsuki—

Although she chanted this and fought, she had selfishly retired in the middle. That was why she deserved this.

“Alright, everyone, listen to me.”

Therefore, she was going to rescue as many Mushitsuki as she could now.

And for that sake—she didn’t care whether she fell down to hell again.

“I’ve decided—that I’ll go on my own after all.”

Her being the only one to come back to life was too convenient—

She heard this voice coming from somewhere.

She had the feeling that a part of this was the voice that belonged to her parent, who could be said to be the origin of everything for her.