Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 08 (section)

===Part 6===

“Oh?”

Daisuke’s left fist arrowed in onto Harukiyo’s surprised face.

He broke through the wall of fire, instantly closing the distance between them.

With his coat flapping behind him, Daisuke’s arm swung past. The wind pressure produced dispersed the heat haze surrounding the tattooed youth into all directions.

“…''Guh!''”

However, the one who raised a groan was Daisuke.

Harukiyo moved even swifter than Daisuke who was fused with his Mushi. He avoided the punch by a paper-thin breadth and drove his own fist gushing with flames into Daisuke’s abdomen. An impact like an explosion blasted him away.

Sent flying, Daisuke automatically assumed a falling position and stood up immediately.

When he raised his head, he found himself facing the Great Yama tiger beetle made of fire with its jaws wide open. His goggles was lit a scarlet red.

''Why am I fighting…?''

Making to a rapid turn, the friction between the floor and Daisuke’s boots caused sparks to scatter, leaving a semicircle trail on the ground.

“—Ooh?”

Making an instantaneous turn circumventing the Great Yama tiger beetle, Daisuke used his arm to lock Harukiyo’s neck from behind. He then spun the tattooed youth around and slammed the back of his head into the wall.

The metal alloy wall, centred around where Harukiyo’s head was smashed into, broke down.

''This guy is also a Mushitsuki… Why is it that Mushitsuki can only fight amongst themselves…?''

Daisuke’s arm grabbing onto Harukiyo’s neck folded with the sound of creaking.

It was not that the wall had broken down.

The wall had been melted red-hot from heat emanating from the tattooed youth. He had grabbed onto Daisuke’s arm with his own and freed his neck with a strength unimaginable coming from a flesh and blood body.

''—Rather than help one or two person, you’ve turned several ten, hundred times the number into Fallen.''

Who was it who said that to him.

“This is my second time asking, isn’t it.”

The blazing eyes of the demon stared at Daisuke.

“Don’t tell me you thought that something like that goggles is enough to hide the auras of lowlifes like us? This is what you call a touching reunion. —No playing dumb this time, okay.”

His fist drove into Daisuke’s abdomen again, shooting him into the air.

Daisuke’s view was dyed crimson.

“Who are you?”

Daisuke was caught in the maws of the Great Yama tiger beetle. It bit into Daisuke who covered his face with his arms and smashed him through numerous walls of the facility helplessly.

Even as his consciousness felt like it was being held on by a thread from being crashed through walls after wall, he propped up his handgun.

A cannon-like blast which did not sound like it came from a gunshot roared.

The Great Yama tiger beetle dissipated into nothing.

Daisuke run back through the path in which he was blasted away.

''That’s right… I should have a reason to fight for…''

Harukiyo was converging the flames with a dauntless smile, once again forming it into the shape of the Great Yama tiger beetle. Countless fireballs materialised around him and shot for Daisuke in its aim.

Daisuke met the fireballs with bullets of his own.

“''Hah Hah!''”

Harukiyo’s dramatically swung fist homed in on Daisuke as he closed the distance. The explosion of the impact rained down embers wildly, leaving a red-hot crater on the ground.

However, Daisuke had jumped in a split second. —His knee crashed into the side of the tattooed youth’s face.

Airborne, Harukiyo hurtled into the wall. A ripple of red vaporised the wall in a flash.

“Kakkou.”

Pointing his handgun ahead, Daisuke named himself.

Starting from the Interrogation Room Harukiyo was in, the whole floor has been turned into ruins. With the walls separating the passageways from the rooms demolished, the entire level was just a wasteland of fire and rubble.

''But, that doesn’t matter anymore—.''

Who cares about anything and whatever.

However much he thought about it, he still couldn’t do a single thing properly. Everything turns out the way contrary to what he wanted.

''—You do not have to think about anything.''

Someone whispers at him.

It was indeed just so.

So long as he stops thinking… if he just focuses on defeating the enemy before him, wouldn’t that be sufficient? He even felt that that should be his purpose.

If what he recalls causes him pain.

Then, he might as well forget all about the girl which he turned into a Fallen—.

A streak of red light flashed out.

“Oi, look now.”

A chill ran down his back.

It was as if he was like that from the very start, like it was most natural thing in the world. When Daisuke turned around, he met the burning gaze of the demon. Even as a trail of blood trickled from the corner of his lips, he still had a pompous and majestic smile on his face.

“The party’s just started getting exciting, so don’t you go putting on that gloomy face.”

His palm wreathed in flames grasped Daisuke’s face. Daisuke’s chin was lifted up strengthlessly as he stared at the floor with his thoughts at a halt.

“Like this, you won’t even enter my sights. —Didn’t I say that before?”

Harukiyo’s fist dug into his torso. The blow was so strong that it made him felt dizzy.

“…!”

Daisuke tried to return a blow by pointing his handgun towards him, but he easily dodged it by turning his head to the side. Harukiyo then followed up with a kick to his face.

“What’s with you? Are you done with already? It does feel like you’re weaker than that time we met at Hanashiro Mari’s room.”

Harukiyo chained into a punch at Daisuke’s temple as he was sent flying. The Great Yama tiger beetle rammed through Daisuke, sinking his body into a wall that had remained standing.

“Or could it be that you’ve used up all your strength just to come here.”

Daisuke immediately got up to counterattack. However, he hit nothing and received a kick in his chest in return.

“—Hah. How lame. Don’t you dare lose to the Mushi over something trivial like that.”

Fissures ran through the wall and it crumbled noisily.

''He’s strong—.''

Daisuke stood up robotically and pointed his handgun. He continuously pulled the trigger, but all the shots were swallowed up by the Great Yama tiger beetle without exception.

His vision wavered.

Harukiyo’s kick had sent him flying again.

''I’m going to lose—.''

Daisuke’s mindless counterattacks were evaded entirely. The tattooed youth did not even need to use his hands anymore. Even the grin was gone from his face. With his hands in his pocket, he used Daisuke as his kicking board.

''Is this going to bring about the end…?''

Unable to even feel pain anymore, Daisuke thought in a daze.

''That’s fine by me, it’s not like there’s anybody who’d wish for me to live anyway…''

He lowered his arms that was blocking the kicks.

“Are you the same as Hanashiro Mari?”

Harukiyo did not stop kicking.

''Hanashiro Mari—.''

Daisuke perked up at hearing that name.

“Do you think everything is hopeless? That you’ve already done all you could? That’s why you have no regrets left? You don’t want to think anymore?”

The youth wrapped in flames bellowed at Daisuke in rage, as though it was Daisuke’s fault that he was winning.

“To not have to think about anything, of course that’s easy! Once you give up, everything’s over and done with! But, you know, that’s just being half-baked! If you’re gonna give up, then don’t even bother in the first place! Don’t abandon everything just because you’ve experienced a wee bit of pain! Stop living your life rejecting others! Is that all you’re made off? Are you even living to your fullest? Aah? Don’t you live half-heartedly for even a single second, for a single fibre of your being!”

As Daisuke yielded himself to the flurry of attacks, he pondered.

''Hanashiro Mari—.''

''Who did that name belonged to?''

“Don’t you dare become a Mushitsuki with that half-baked dream of yours if you’re gonna give up on it midway.”

''Think.''

''Mushitsuki.''

''That’s right, Hanashiro Mari was a Mushitsuki.''

She was already departed from this world. A girl who was a Fusion Type Mushitsuki and lived in solitude, similar to Daisuke.

At the same time as he recalled that, he felt his cheek hurt

There were countless parts of his body which were supposed to be hurting a lot more, but there was the only part which burned up and felt unbearably painful. The pain was so much so that—his tightly shut eyes were forcefully opened, unminding of his own will.

“…”

He blocked the foot that approached his face. Harukiyo’s movement came to a sudden stop.

''—Just what in the world are Mushitsuki?''

The girl hitting Daisuke with teary eyes, Ichinokuro Arisu, said so. Earnestly, from the bottom of her heart.

''—I want to know what Mari truly thought. And also, just what are the Mushitsuki.''

Borrowing the words of the youth in front of him, she was thinking about things to her “fullest”.

Daisuke swung his arm around.

As expected, his attack was avoided and the counter from Harukiyo dislodged his goggles.

“…Don’t get in my way!”

Holding his ground, Daisuke glared at Harukiyo.

He remembered his own thoughts—and what was it he was fighting for.

Ichinokuro Arisu.

If he was together with her, would also come to know?

If he walked alongside her who was trying to find out what are the Mushitsuki—find out what did Hanashiro Mari thought, would he then understand?

About what are the Mushitsuki.

And why is it that they could only fight between one another.

If he is able to unravel this mystery, would he be able to achieve his objective for fighting all the time up till now?

“This is not the place for me to come to a standstill.”

He swung his left arm for a punch.

But, that was ducked.

[[File:Mushi Uta Bug 2nd p257.jpg|thumb]]

“You’ve finally looked up.”

The demon-like smile returned to Harukiyo’s face.

“No can do, I’m gonna stand in your way with all I’ve got.”

The reason for which he has fought so far.

''—So one day, you must recall your dream as well.''

For the sake of the girl with the same dream as him who he exchanged a promise with. A Mushitsuki girl who cried for all the people that she hurt.

Daisuke chose to fight.

And in these days of fighting, he dreamed of the day to come when he can converse with Fuyuhotaru.

The two who passed by each other that day.

The tiny dream exchanged between the two.

For a future where the two who shared the same dream can chat with laughter, without conflict nor anything to do with Mushitsuki—.

Until the time comes when the promise between Daisuke and the girl is fulfilled.

When she recalls the same dream as Daisuke of finding a place to belong.

He will make it come true.

None other than Daisuke himself will create such a world to welcome the girl back.

To end the fight between Mushitsuki and create a world where people do not need to hurt others—that is Daisuke’s purpose. That is the one thing he can do for the girl who had entrusted her dream to him with a smile.

“The one who was supposed to make my dream come true, Hanashiro Mari… You shall take responsibility for the disappearance of the one who was supposedly stronger than me.”

“Like hell I care. If you’re going to get in my way, then I shall crush you.”

The gazes of the two Mushitsuki clashed in close proximity.

Harukiyo’s fist struck Daisuke.

However, Daisuke’s fist also aimed true at him this time. Scattering embers all around, both of them bent backwards. But, they instantly got face-to-face again and started brawling.

Whenever the Great Yama tiger beetle raised a roar, a gunshot would ring out to dissipate the flames. When one’s face was hit, a blow to the stomach would be returned.

“''Hah hah!''”

Knocked back by each other’s blows, a distance was placed between the two. Harukiyo had a demon-like smile, while Daisuke glared at him reticently.

Right at that time.

“Kakkun!”

“…Kakkou-kun…”

Several presence appeared around them and Daisuke could hear some familiar voices.

The figure of Neiko and Kurisaka Ayuyu in white coats and goggles appeared. They must have been reinforcement sent from the other floors. A total of ten people in white turned up consecutively.

“''Tch'', so the small fries are here. What a downer.”

Harukiyo’s smile faded.

“Oi, Kakkou.”

The youth with the aura of a frenzied berserker rapidly settled down. He queried in an easygoing tone as if chatting with an old friend.

“What is the thing that you said that you must do no matter what just now?”

Daisuke did not let his guard down. He felt no obligations to answer him honestly, but an image arose in his mind.

It was the teary-eyed Arisu.

When asked what was the thing that he must do no matter what, the first thing that popped up in his mind was a headache-inducing problem.

“First, I’ll have to apologize to her, I guess… Don't make me remember something so unpleasant.”

Having heard the mutterings that leaked out from his mouth unconsciously, Harukiyo laughed amusedly.

“apologize? Oh? You, are going to apologize? You, who trust nobody apart from yourself such that you think you are the strongest, not mention being totally headstrong and obstinate, that you are going to?”

Daisuke thought of retorting at him to mind his own business, but did not as he was mostly spot on.

“I see. That certainly—sounds interesting. More so than settling things here right now.”

Following that, the grinning youth was swallowed up by an irregularly-shaped flame which grew fangs.

The Great Yama tiger beetle made of fire gaped its mouthpiece and let out a deafening roar.

The wild blaze then blew past Daisuke and rocketed through the facility.

“…!”

After the heat wave have passed, the tattooed youth was gone without a trace.

Daisuke clicked his tongue.

There was not even any vestige of his presence left. With his ability to show up and disappear like a phantom like back at Hanashiro Mari’s hospital room, and his overwhelming strength, it was highly probable that he could escape from here. —To speak nothing of the fact that he purposely let himself be captured, and probably memorised the escape route.

“Yet another troublesome fellow has showed up again…”

All the strength drained from the knees of the sighing Daisuke.

“Kakkun!”

Having long went past the limits of his body, Daisuke collapsed onto the ground without registering Ayuyu’s voice.