Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 10

Episode 10: The Dream Welcoming Feelings

"You're… going to take responsibility, right? Right?"

"…"

"…"

It happened just as they opened the large gate of the Ichinokuro estate and were about to exit the premises.

It was early morning.

Ichinokuro Arisu and Kusuriya Daisuke left the house in order to depart for Horusu Seijou Academy like always.

What waited for them there was an extremely weak tearful voice.

"Right? Are you listening? Have you actually forgotten?"

Yet they couldn't see anyone there.

Arisu and Daisuke looked around, finally finding the owner of the voice.

They were on the second power pole from the front gate of the Ichinokuro estate.

A girl was peeking with half her face from behind the power pole, gazing at them bitterly. She was probably around high school age. Her black hair cut short drew a gentle wave, and she wore glasses.

"Say something. Pleeease."

Large tears appeared in her upturned eyes. Jumping out from behind the power pole, she once again hid behind the power pole closer to the two.

"C'mon, Kakkou-kuuun."

Getting out half of her body from behind the pole, the girl touched Daisuke's shoulder with her fingertip. His body stiffened up with a twitch, and he violently shook off the girl's arm.

"Wah! Don't touch me!"

The girl seemed to have received a shock. She bit her lower lip, and hid completely behind the pole.

"Ugh… How horrible… Even though you did something like that to me… Even though Kakkou-kun was the one to invite me…"

They could only hear sobbing from behind the power pole.

"S-so annoying… W-what do you want?"

A butterfly alighted on top of the pale Daisuke's head.

It was a butterfly with diamond-shaped wings shining in azure. It was similar to the moth known as Nordstromia japonica, but the real insect would never appear during winter like now.

—There were the beings known as Mushi.

They were abnormal monsters that possessed humans and grew by devouring their hosts' dreams. Those possessed by Mushi were known as Mushitsuki, and despite their existence not being acknowledged, they became the target of hatred and rumors.

Kusuriya Daisuke was a member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, an organization created in order to capture and conceal Mushi.

"No, wait. That voice… Are you that girl from Higano City? Kusakabe Rinka, if I'm not mistaken."

Perhaps recalling something, Daisuke approached the sobbing sound behind the power pole.

"That's why I thought you would take responsibility, Kakkou-kun… Uuu… You hate me…"

"…"

A butterfly also landed on Arisu's shoulder who was grasping her bag wordlessly. In contrast to the other's girl butterfly, it was a Morpho butterfly shining in silver. It was a Mushi she had inherited from her late best friend.

"Ah, Arisu doesn't know you. This is Kusakabe Rinka, from Higano City—"

As Daisuke turned around, a leather bag with the force of Arisu's full weight behind it slammed into his face.

Part 1

They were in a certain park on the way to school.

Sitting on a small bench, Arisu looked up at Daisuke standing in front of her.

"Kusakabe Rinka, a high school freshman living in Higano City. Before I came here to Akamaki City I'd caught her as she ran into Ouka City and handed her to the Central Headquarters."

Daisuke explained with a sullen face competing with Arisu's. Arisu's bag seemed to have inflicted more damage than expected, so his nose was stuffed with tissue.

The jurisdiction of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—the SEPB in short—was divided into different regions. Akamaki City, where Arisu lived, and the neighboring Higano City, were under the control of Central Headquarters. It seemed like Ouka City which was further was under the control of the East Central Branch which Daisuke had originally belonged to.

"It looks painful, are you fine? Is it my fault? Is it my fault, I wonder? Does it hurt? Hey, does it hurt?"

Rinka's voice was heard from a grove of mixed trees adjacent to the park ahead of Arisu. By straining her eyes, she could see the figure of the girl hiding among the trees.

"Obviously it hurts! Actually, stop hiding and come over here!"

"No! I don't want to! Don't make me do such a horrible thing by force!"

"Aahhh, you're so annoying! Also, stop talking in a way that invites misunderstandings!"

"Uuh… I've been called annoying again…"

Daisuke grabbed Rinka's arm and forcibly dragged her out of the grove.

Arisu watched their exchange, a cold smile on her face.

"Oh? So you've done some sort of mistake with her at the time. …Won't you pay for it by dying?"

"Arisu… I don't know what you're misunderstanding here, but stop looking at me like that…"

"When I said that I don't want to become a Fallen, Kakkou-san said I'll be saved if I join the SEPB, right? Did you forget? You didn't, right? Please don't do it?"

Unable to relax, Rinka looked around her. Finding a street light nearby, she hid behind it. But since it obviously wasn't enough to hide her whole body, she gazed at Arisu and Daisuke while fidgeting.

"I see. I understand the details now."

What Rinka said about "Daisuke doing to her" meant her capture, and the "invitation" was him recommending her to join the SEPB, apparently.

"Then what responsibility were you talking about? Anyway, will it be solved if Daisuke dies?"

"Why are you trying to kill me! You don't understand it at all!"

Raising an angry voice, Daisuke gazed at Rinka.

"In the first place this responsibility has nothing to do with me. I've already turned many Mushitsuki to Fallens and sent about that many to isolation facilities. It's too late for you to bear a grudge against me. Or…"

The boy's face changed. Wearing a provocative smile, he approached Rinka.

"If you're here for revenge, I'll play along with you. I'll finish it all in three seconds."

"Wait, Daisuke—"

"Revenge?"

Yet Rinka stared at him in puzzlement. She soon shook her head frantically.

"N-no…! I couldn't possibly do such a scary thing…! In the first place, I'm no match for Kakkou-kun and I hate pain! You also don't like pain, right? Or do you like it?"

"Ah, geez, so annoying! Then what is it! Speak up already! School's about to start!"

"I-I just wanted to be friends with you!"

"…Hah?"

"Since I've been caught by you I haven't been able to go to school… And since I'm a little overly shy…"

"You have the gall to say 'a little' when you act like this."

"T-that's exactly why! I can't make any friends even at Central Headquarters… So I thought about asking you to help me make friends…"

Rinka explained along with a flurry of gestures. It was as if she didn't feel cautious even against the enemy that had caught her before.

Daisuke grabbed Rinka's sleeve.

"If you don't want me to shoot you, go back to HQ this instant."

"Nooo! I don't want tooo! Help me make friendsss! Take responsibility for my body not being able to make friends!"

"I told you to stop making it sound so scandalous! You're definitely doing it on purpose!"

Arisu moved in to stop Daisuke from trying to drag the other girl out.

"W-wait a minute, Daisuke. She's gone all the way to ask you for help, don't drive her off like that, the poor thing."

"Am I annoying?"

"Huh…?"

"Am I really that annoying? There's no way right? Right?"

Clinging to the street light, Rinka turned her upturned eyes at Arisu. With these tear-filled eyes gazing at her from behind the street light, Arisu inadvertently averted her gaze.

"Umm… I-it's fine! I think it's within the acceptable limits! …probably."

"Uuh… Don't reject me…"

"Aren't you misunderstanding something?"

Daisuke asserted with a cool tone.

"We're Mushitsuki. We're beings that spread misfortune around us just by living. Could we even have friends? Even if we do make friends, it'll only cause more misfortune."

Rinka gulped. She opened her mouth apparently intending to say something, but ended up sobbing and casting her gaze down.

"If you understand then quietly go back to—"

About to say this, Daisuke separated himself from Rinka's body with a surprised expression. He barely evaded Arisu's bag cutting through the air along with her grunt. 

"There's no way one wouldn't be able to make friends just because they're Mushitsuki!"

Readying her bag, Arisu gazed at Daisuke.

"I was friends with Mari and she was a Mushitsuki!"

Hanashiro Mari.

A girl who had left her Mushi to Arisu and passed away. Kusuriya Daisuke went along with Arisu not just in order to monitor her; it was also in order to investigate the irregular Mushitsuki known as Hanashiro Mari.

"Hah, I wonder about that."

Daisuke sneered.

Mushitsuki would never think of normal people as friends. There was a Mushitsuki girl that said the opposite was also true. And now Daisuke said the same.

Arisu could never accept that.

"This person can't make any friends not because she's a Mushitsuki! It's because of her personality! Because she's annoying!"

"She's definitely annoying, but it's not just that. The very act of a Mushitsuki trying to make friends itself is wrong!"

"If she wasn't annoying she would've made countless friends!"

"No, even if she wasn't annoying it would be the same."

"Uuh… So I really am annoying…"

Ignoring Rinka who broke down in tears, Arisu pounded her own chest.

"Then I'll become her friend! You'll see then!"

"That won't do it. You're only feeling pity. At least it looks like that to me."

Next to the two arguing, Rinka rose up.

"I-I want… to fix my personality."

Perhaps perceiving Arisu as her ally, she clung to her arm instead of Daisuke's.

"If I do I'll be able to make friends, right? That's what you're saying right? Will you take… responsibility? Because if you won't I'll resent you?"

"Uh… Y-yeah! I'll prove it!"

Arisu declared in a loud voice while unconsciously forcing Rinka's head back.

It was lunch break.

Daisuke looked outside the classroom's window, sighing.

"Hey, what're you trying to do?"

"Asking me what I'm trying to do… I said I'll prove that even she can make friends."

Arisu pouted.

Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School had strict security. Only those related to the school received identification cards and couldn't enter without them, and the fences surrounding the school were high.

Along Arisu's line of sight, on the other side of the sports ground, above the fence surrounding the tennis court, was a suspicious figure.

In the shadow of the power pole standing near the road stood a girl staring at their direction. Not minding the passersby that raised their eyebrows at her, she wore a smile and waved toward Arisu and Daisuke.

They obviously didn't wave back.

Incidentally, during gym class she had watched them from inside the thicket in the backcourt.

"S-she's somewhat… how do I put it, too pure. She needs to become, uh, more docile?"

"In short she's annoying?"

"…Yeah."

"Why do you poke your nose into things that have nothing to do with investigating Hanashiro Mari… So what are you actually going to do?"

"That's—"

As Arisu sank deep into thought, two classmates approached her.

"What are you doing? You two are doing something in secret. I want to be a part of it too."

"Is something the matter?"

They were Saionji Ena and Kujou Takako.

Looking at her two friends, Arisu was struck with an idea.

"Ena, Takako."

Grabbing their shoulders, she grinned.

"You two aren't shy, right? You have lots of friends."

Ena and Takako tilted their heads in puzzlement. Perhaps having a bad feeling about this, Daisuke grimaced.

"Hey, are you possibly going to involve them in—"

"What're you saying? It's not just them, you're also going to help."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Do you want to have a stalker like that for all eternity?"

Arisu gestured with her eyes at outside the window.

Rinka gleefully waved her hands from the shadow of the distant power pole.

Daisuke held his head and sighed.

Part 2

The first.

Saionji Ena.

Ena was Arisu's classmate who became closer to her ever since she started second year.

In addition to her cheerful and refined impression, she excelled in both academics and athletics. Yet she never put any effort into either studying nor into any clubs, but simply had fun.

Her circle of friends was vast, and when moving classrooms she would even be called out by many students from other classes. As even after school there were many adults who knew her name, she was quite sociable.

Based on the above, one could say she was a girl with great expectations placed on her as the top batter.

"Being friends means hanging out together and having fun!"

A rollercoaster passed in front of Arisu's eyes at full speed.

"And so! If we share fun times together we'll get along!"

After school, Arisu went to an amusement park not far off from Akamaki City. Daisuke and Rinka were obviously there, but their two classmates were also present.

"This is Kusakabe Rinka-san. She's my friend. Now, Ena, become friends with her!"

Arisu introduced Rinka.

"Become friends with her… you…"

Daisuke next to her made a glum face, but Ena was different. Despite the sudden introduction, she spoke to Rinka with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Arisu's classmate, Saionji Ena. You seem to be above me in age, so you're probably a high school student, right Kusakabe-san? Also, umm…"

Ena's amicable tone suddenly became lower.

"…Why are you hiding?"

Rinka seemed to be apprehensive in front of Ena's sociable behavior. She jumped out from behind the trash can she was using to hide, approaching Ena and grabbing her hand.

"H-hello! Umm, I'm, Kusakabe Rinkaff! Rinka!"

"Eek!"

Suddenly having their faces up close, Ena flinched.

"Kusakabe is written as 'the part under the sun'! You know that 'Be' kanji? Just like in the word 'portion'! You know it? Rinka is made of… uh… what 'Rin' should I use? S-sorry! Wait a bit, I'll think of a good example!"

"I-it hurts! You're using too much—"

"How do you write your name, Ena-chan? Ah, is it alright if I call you Ena-chan? Is it overly familiar for our first meeting? If you don't like it tell me, okay? Okay?"

"…So annoying!"

Finally unable to endure it, Ena distanced herself from Rinka.

"So we struck a problem even before riding the rollercoaster…"

Next to Arisu hanging her head, Daisuke declared the first failure in an indifferent voice.

The second person.

Kujou Takako.

She was normally gentle-mannered and polite, so she was like a representative of Horusu Seijou Academy where there were many girls from rich families.

Suiting her adult-like look, she treated everyone kindly no matter who they were. As she had been mollycoddled by her parents, she almost never mistrusted or hated people.

Arisu had great expectations of Takako.

In fact, one of Takako's acquaintances had been a Mushitsuki boy. Even after knowing the truth, Takako tried protecting him. She had the kindness to not discriminate someone even if they were a Mushitsuki.

"You can't give up, Rinka-san! You become friends with people without even noticing! By the time we've gone through one round of the rollercoaster, we'll already have become friends!"

Daisuke, Arisu, and Ena who was shaking and hiding behind Daisuke watched over the two sitting down from the rollercoaster's entrance.

Takako and Rinka were sitting in the front row.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kujou Takako."

Takako turned a gentle smile at Rinka. She shook her hands with teary eyes.

"I-I can call you Takako-chan, right? Are you fine riding this, Takako-chan? It's impossible for me! If you ask me how much, I feel like I'm going to faint on the spot!"

"…Huh?"

"Kyaaah! I-it's moving! It's started moving! W-what'll I do! What should I do? What can I do in this extreme situation?"

"U-umm… if you cling that much to me, it would be anno—a bit uncomfortable."

Arisu saw off the slowly advancing rollercoaster with a smile.

"If she's hugging her that much they'll get along in no time! I can't wait for them to get back!"

"I'm don't like either option, really…"

Daisuke mumbled, following the rollercoaster with his eyes as shouts echoed from it.

A few minutes later…

The rollercoaster car returned to the entrance.

"…"

Daisuke, Arisu and Ena were completely silent.

In the very first seats were two limp girls—Rinka who had swooned due to excessive fear, and Takako who had fainted due to Rinka strangling her neck.

"What a tragic sight…"

Ena mumbled.

The third person.

Yomori Neiko.

She was a Mushitsuki girl that got involved in trouble not long after Arisu had just met Daisuke.

Even while they were being pursued by the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, she kept believing in her comrades that had betrayed her. And even though they betrayed her, they were actually only trying to protect her.

She was taciturn, but her belief in people was strong. Since she had aspired joining the SEPB for her dream to keep singing her beloved songs, she should be able to understand the feelings of a fellow Mushitsuki.

"The most important thing for friends is communication! If you take your time to speak about each other, you're sure to become friends in no time!"

Stressed Arisu, who was wearing a dress with revealed shoulders, and clenched her fist. Behind her was the scenery of the sunset over Akamaki City.

After parting with their two classmates in the amusement park, Arisu and the rest changed their location to a restaurant on the highest floor of a high-class hotel.

"Is that it…?"

Daisuke, wearing a suit, made an especially doubtful face. He seemed to be displeased with having to wear rented formal wear like Arisu.

"…But I just finished my training period and can finally go outside freely…"

Having been called out by Daisuke, Yomori Neiko seemed apprehensive. She was also wearing in a dress that had been prepared by Arisu.

"What, Kakkou-kun…? Are you going to do horrible things to me by force again…?

"…Daisuke?"

"I just asked her identification number recently! Why are you all you using phrasing that causes misunderstandings!"

Despite the troubles on the way, Arisu introduced Rinka to Neiko. Rinka was also wearing a dress, but she wouldn't come out from under the table.

"I know this girl… she was at the training facility—"

"I also know you! Hey! I was too shy to talk to you until now, but I was always watching you from afar! I was so embarrassed! I feel like I could really get along with you!"

"The annoying girl in the training facility… I made sure not to approach her…"

Although she was just about to exit from under the table, Rinka's movements completely stopped.

A heavy silence fell between the two.

"…She's already been rejected…"

Daisuke's uttering made Arisu collapse on the spot.

The fourth person.

Kurisaka Ayuyu.

She was a member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau who possessed the ability to dig up the memories of Mushi.

"If we're talking about friends hanging out, it has to be karaoke, right! Now then, sing to your heart's content!"

They were in a karaoke place at town.

Arisu held the tambourine and turned toward Rinka and Ayuyu.

"H-hello! Nice to meet you, I'm Kusakabe Rinka—"

"I'm so happy you've invited me, Kakkun. *Lick* *Lick* Do you have any business with me? *Shake* *Shake* It's fine even if you don't, though. *Kiss*"

Since she had been invited by Daisuke, Ayuyu wore causal clothes. She was wearing the sort of monochrome style of clothes that could be called gothic Lolita.

Ayuyu ignored Rinka sitting next to her, moving closer toward Daisuke who was sitting in the corner of the room. There was a gloomy and suspicious atmosphere only in the spot Ayuyu and Daisuke sat in.

"Umm, I'm Kusakabe Rinka—"

"I'm so excited being in a closed room alone with you, Kakkun. *Lick* *Lick* *Kiss*"

"…We obviously aren't alone here… and stop touching me in weird places."

"I'm Kusakabe Rinka! A-are you listening? Are you listening to me?"

"*Anger* *Anger* What d'you want? You're annoying so get out of my sight. *Shoo* *Shoo*"

Asserting this with a bothered expression, Ayuyu again wrapped her hands around Daisuke's neck.

"Uuh…"

Rinka hanged her head, still holding the microphone.

Her sobbing flowed along with the ballad music playing from the speaker.

And finally…

Kasuou.

She was also a member of the SEPB, serving as Daisuke's replacement as Arisu's monitor when he wasn't present.

"If we're talking about two girls mingling, it has to be shopping… right…?"

Arisu tried declaring in front of a clothes shop in the main street at night.

Yet she froze after seeing the scene in front of her eyes.

"What's up with this annoying woman? Are ya trying to pick a fight with me? Ah?"

The blonde girl wearing the same Horusu Seijou Academy uniform, Kasuou, grabbed Rinka's face with her right hand. She opened her eyes in anger, gathering strength in her hand.

"Ouch ouch ouch, ouch! I'm going to die, die, I'm dying!"

Rinka raised a shriek, flapping her limbs around. She struggled as to not let her legs off the ground.

"Hey, Daisuke. No matter what you say, I think there's a problem in the choice of the person this time…"

"I have no decent people to call out… even if it's a bit late to say that…"

"Since you don't seem to have any business with me, I'll be going now. I have another mission."

Flinging Rinka aside as if she was an empty can, Kasuou turned around to look at Daisuke.

Rinka groaned and broke down crying at her feet.

"A mission?"

"One of the members that hadn't finished their training yet escaped from the facility. They seem to be a problem child that can't control their own Mushi no matter how much they trained. Since I'm unranked and on a support role, they haven't even told me anything about the target to make sure I won't go on a rampage, though. What a shitty mission, really."

Rinka's shoulders twitched at Kasuou's feet.

It wasn't just Arisu to notice; Daisuke also saw Rinka's reaction. Only Kasuou herself hadn't noticed.

"Ah, if only someone here got in danger again so I could get an excuse to fight."

Seeing her grin, Arisu grimaced. She was apparently low in rank due to always fighting against orders, but Kasuou's fighting prowess was enormous. She was someone Arisu never wanted to fight against ever again.

"Yes, just like recently with… Harukiyo, was it? That flame bastard eventually vanished from Hanashiro Mari's household."

"What's up with him?"

"Central Headquarters is apparently searching for him as an enemy in all branches. He's apparently been bringing comrades to meddle in SEPB affairs. They have someone with the ability to change into other people and someone who nullifies attacks against them, so HQ's at a loss. And he might come attacking you again."

Arisu gulped.

She recalled the boy called Sehateno Harukiyo.

He became her enemy.

She never thought she'd ever meet someone who was an "enemy" to her.

And another surprise was—

"He has comrades? That guy?"

He was an extremely powerful Mushitsuki even alone.

She was surprised that someone as bold as him would have allies. If he had other people who shared his intent, she couldn't imagine what he was trying to do.

Just like her, Daisuke also found it unexpected. He widened his eyes a bit.

"What's important about fighting him isn't your mission success rate. It's pure fighting power. —My turn is going to come regardless of my rank, so I hope we'll get attacked as much as possible. I won't let him escape next time, I'll finish him up for good."

In a complete change from her dangerous smile, Kasuou left a lady-like greeting of "now then, farewell" and was gone.

Daisuke stepped next to Arisu who was frozen in place.

Rinka was trying to distance herself by stealthily crawling away, but the boy stepped on her back.

"Fugya," was her murmured shriek.

"Hey. I don't really think so, but don't tell me that the idiot that escaped from the training facility is…"

"I don't know, I don't know! It's not me! I'm telling the truth okay? Okay? …Ouch ouch ouch, you're breaking me! It is me! I'm the one who escaped! I'm sorryyy!"

"Now I finally know why you came to me. Because I'm actually not hearing about such small matters. And no one would think that an escapee would be near a Rank 1 like me. Just like Kasuou. In a certain sense there's no better refuge."

Daisuke said in a low voice, looking down at Rinka squirming under his foot.

"You used me, didn't you?"

"Ow ow ow!  It's really… painful… ow! It… hurts…!"

"Stop, Daisuke!"

With his sharp eyes, Daisuke seemed to be truly angry. Seeing Rinka was actually suffering, Arisu thrust Daisuke aside.

Now released, Rinka shook on the ground without saying anything.

"What were you thinking! Did you really try to kill her?"

"Yeah, I was."

Arisu widened her eyes.

"At the very least, if I wouldn't put them close to death once, these kinds of people won't realize their position. We Mushitsuki either become Fallen or we have to live while making sure to control our own Mushi. Those who act half-heartedly will simply lose to their Mushi and die."

Daisuke clearly asserted with a voice full of suppressed anger. It was something that only a Mushitsuki like him, someone who had seen the ending of countless Mushitsuki, could say.

"No—"

"Don't come closer."

Daisuke stopped Arisu from approaching Rinka.

The Nordstromia japonica fluttering in air shone in blue. At the same time, the decorative plant in front of the shop wilted at once.

"Her Mushi's about to go wild. If you come any closer you'll also get your liquids sucked out by its ability."

Arisu widened her eyes.

It wasn't just the decorative plant. The concrete around Rinka cracked, and the paint of the store's wall started audibly peeling off.

As it absorbed the moisture around it, the glow of the Nordstromia japonica strengthened. Rinka's sobbing as she cried on the ground also gradually grew louder.

"I'm willing to bet on it. She will someday lose to her Mushi and die. So right here and now I will—"

Daisuke looked up at Rinka's Nordstromia japonica.

"Kill this Mushitsuki and make her a Fallen. It's better than her dying."

"Sto—"

It happened just as Arisu tried stopping him from reaching his hand and crushing the butterfly.

"Uuh… So I really am useless…"

They could hear a voice mixed with sobbing coming from their feet.

"Won't anyone become my friend… Does everyone wish to never see me…?"

Kusakabe Rinka was crying. Still stretched on the ground with her shoulders shaking, she spoke in a faint voice.

"He surely also… doesn't think of me as a friend… Even if I wait for him, I'll definitely only bother him…"

Arisu knit her eyebrows. Daisuke also stopped his arm and looked down at Rinka.

While she cried in a stifled voice, the azure Nordstromia japonica emitted light above her head.

Part 3

The Ichinokuro household at night was wrapped in silence.

Even the exhaust sounds of the cars on the other side of the vast premises and tall walls couldn't reach the main house.

Inside the dreary guestroom—Daisuke's room, Kusakabe sat seiza-style on the tatami. Even her tone as she mumbled about her circumstances lacked any power. Even while speaking she was still crying.

"Umm, so I'll summarize."

Since Rinka's explanation was messy, it was hard deciphering it.

"So your friend who moved away long ago is coming back to Higano City? And tomorrow, to boot?"

Rinka nodded while wiping her snot.

"Training was so hard… I ended up reminded of him, so I tried calling my old classmates from the facility…  They said he's lost both parents in a traffic accident and moved in with his relatives…"

"…"

Daisuke was speechless. Leaning against the wall while standing, he gazed outside the window.

"He was a boy I used to play a lot with during elementary school… and when people bullied me for being annoying he'd come and save me…"

Finally large drops came spilling out of Rinka's eyes. The fists clenched on top of her legs shook.

"I thought that he's definitely lonely… I thought that I could at least come and welcome him back to Higano City and I couldn't stay put… But I just couldn't get permission to go outside…"

"…"

"But… was I really a bother? If I come and greet him will he think I'm annoying? He probably didn't think of me as a friend right? Or…"

Rinka raised her face. She looked at Daisuke.

"Maybe I should never meet him because I'm a Mushitsuki…"

Daisuke, until now silent, opened his mouth. Yet he didn't turn his gaze to Rinka.

"Obviously. We're—"

"No, you can obviously go and meet him."

Arisu interrupted Daisuke's words.

Meeting people you want to meet.

There was no way simply being a Mushitsuki would be enough to forbid that.

"If you want to go meet him, whether or not you're a Mushitsuki is irrelevant."

Rinka looked at Arisu with a surprised face.

"Do you know when your friend's train arrives?"

"Y-yeah…"

"All correspondences within the facility are recorded. If you heard it there, the SEPB also knows it and will probably send a capture team there. No matter what you do it's impossible."

Daisuke said sullenly.

Arisu was at a loss for words. Rinka also hanged her head dejectedly.

However—

"Kasuou… if she's there, the mission's success rate goes down by a lot. If we set her up on something she'll go on a rampage."

Arisu widened her eyes, looking at Daisuke. He was still looking outside the window, not catching her eye.

"So what?"

Daisuke's attitude was cold.

"Since you know about Kasuou being a member of the team, have you also heard where are they coming to Higano City from?"

Daisuke didn't nod at Arisu's question.

However—

The silent boy didn't deny it either.

Part 4

Under the clear sky, Arisu inquired Kusuriya Daisuke who stood next to her.

"Hey, what's wrong? I was sure you'd be much angrier. You're awfully kind."

The pitch-black long coat the boy wore fluttered in the wind.

Since there was no cover around, the sudden gale directly hit their bodies.

There was nothing below the metal Arisu was sitting on. Far below her was only a large river.

A lump of steel passed through along with a rumble.

The gust of wind pounded Arisu and Daisuke.

"Because I can never tell what you're trying to do. Since I don't know your goal, I can only keep monitoring."

He didn't have just his long coat. The boy's face was covered by large goggles, and in his right hand he grasped a large automatic pistol. He was fully equipped.

—Arisu was sitting above a river connecting Akamaki City and Higano City.

Arisu and Daisuke were on the metal rails spread around the metal bridge.

A scheduled train passed behind them as they hid behind an iron pole.

"Then why did you let Rinka-san get away?"

"She simply ran away while I wasn't paying attention. I'll capture her again."

"She won't be punished later, right?"

"…I'll let her get away just this once."

As if in reaction to something, Daisuke turned to the side. In his line of sight—in the direction of Akamaki City, he could see a few figures running on the rails.

"It's because I'm also waiting for the return of someone who became all alone…"

"…?"

Arisu tilted her head, having no idea who he was talking about. Yet as she confirmed the oncoming figures, she rose. In her right hand she grasped an object she had brought from home, a stick for training use—a staff.

Rushing through the passage for workers were people clad in white clothes. The color and small details of the design were different, but they resembled Daisuke's battle uniform.

Arisu and Daisuke revealed themselves from behind the iron pole, blocking the passage.

"…!"

The people clad in white—the members of Central Headquarters all stopped in place, surprised.

"W-who are you?"

"Ah? Isn't it Kakkou? What're you doing here."

The person at the end of the line of the Central Headquarters members raised their voice.

Her face was concealed by goggles, but due to her high voice and blonde hair it was obvious she was Kasuou. Hearing the name of Kakkou, a disturbance spread through the members.

"We're going on a walk!"

Arisu declared, puffing her chest.

The disturbance changed to silence for an instant.

"Hmm, you seem to be taking a walk in a really weird place… As if, are you an idiot?! As if anyone would come here for a walk all geared up!"

"We're here! You're in the way, so go someplace else!"

"I-in the way…? You're the ones in the way. If you won't move—"

"If we won't move then what will you do?"

Daisuke's low voice caused the members' faces to stiffen. Arisu pointed her finger at them with exaggerated acting.

"Coming here and picking up a fight with us, it means you're all… Harukiyo's comrades!"

"…Huh?"

Kasuou raised a silly-sounding voice.

"I mean, he has someone with the ability to transform, right? You're impersonating the SEPB to make us lower our guard and attack us! That's obvious."

"Hey now, that couldn't possibly be true. If they were Harukiyo's group…"

Daisuke looked at Kasuou in shock.

"Then we'd have to fight, right?"

Kasuou twitched. Slowly, a smile rose to the girl's mouth.

"W-what are you saying?"

"—Hey, aren't you bastards actually Harukiyo's comrades?"

Interrupting her comrades' voices, Kasuou's laughing voice resounded on the bridge.

"K-Kasuou? Stay silent! Your orders are to not make any move until—"

"Orders? Hah, orders you say?"

Black mist appeared around Kasuou's body. The other members were intimidated and flinched.

"There're guys trying to pick up a fight in front of me. I don't understand why and I have no clue what they're thinking about, but since they're showing hostility doesn't that make them our enemy?"

"We have no time to fight! The time is already…!"

"I don't care. If you want to, go on yourselves."

No sooner than she said this, Kasuou leapt at Daisuke. A part of the mist enveloping her morphed into claws, swinging down at Daisuke's head.

"The first ones to raise a hand were the Central Headquarters."

As the boy smiled, a green Cleridae alighted on his shoulder. It explosively transformed into tentacles, fusing with Daisuke's body and handgun.

Perhaps sensing Kasuou's hostility, the Morpho butterfly also alighted at Arisu's side.

It fused with the staff she was holding, becoming a silver spear.

Daisuke, becoming one with the Cleridae, shook off Kasuou's pursuing mist claws using his entire body's strength.

The claws broke down loudly. The part of Kasuou's Mushi that returned to mist was pounded against the river below.

A column of water large enough to reach the bridge rose up.

"Take this!"

Leaping over Daisuke who just repelled Kasuou's attack, Arisu flashed her silver spear to the side.

The scales shining in silver blew violently.

"You're surprisingly working smoothly together, aren'tcha!"

Wriggling the mist claws, Kasuou climbed on top of the bridge and ran into air.

The silver scales scraping Kasuou and the Central Headquarters members cut the large column of water into two. A spray of water splashed all over Arisu and Daisuke.

"Leave me behind and go ahead. But I'm not taking responsibility if any stray bullets hit you."

Completely entering battle mode, Kasuou glared at her comrades.

Seeing this extraordinary destructive power, the white coats apparently lost their fighting spirits. Completely stunned, they couldn't move even one step away from the spot.

"It's that train."

Putting herself on guard while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Daisuke, Arisu looked at the other side of the members.

There was a train headed for their location far away on the rails.

Preparing his handgun, Daisuke nodded.

"Yeah. —More importantly, have you thought about how to stop her after this?"

Shrouded in black mist, Kasuou slowly closed the gap between her and the two.

Up until provoking Kasuou to buy time, everything went according to plan.

Yet the girl in front of them didn't seem likely to stop fighting at this point.

"It's obvious."

Arisu nodded confidently.

"I haven't given it any thought!"

The sound of the vibration coming from the train overlapped with Daisuke's sigh.

Part 5

Standing in front of the Higano City station, Kusakabe Rinka was unable to calm down.

All of the passersby overflowing through the rotary seemed to her like they were the SEPB monitors sent to capture her.

She walked back and forth places where she could see the ticket gates from.

"Au, uu…"

Becoming scared, she hid behind a vending machine. Yet threatened by its pervious inhabitant, a stray cat, she was chased back to the street.

"What am I going to do if the SEPB finds me… They'll be really angry at me, right? Never mind being angry, will they turn me into a Fallen? What am I going to do…"

Muttering while walking around, Rinka's feet stopped in place.

—It's fine, leave it to us.

Although Rinka was scared, Arisu smiled at her and said this.

Arisu's eyes were powerful, and they lacked any hesitation.

"…"

Rinka raised her face.

Deciding to believe in the girl called Arisu, her fear mysteriously vanished.

What pushed it aside instead was anxiousness.

Did Rinka's childhood friend even remember her?

Even if he did, did he not think of her as a bother?

When she came to greet him, would she end up speaking all flustered like she always did?

—Just say what you want to tell him.

His cool attitude towards her hasn't changed, but Kakkou told this to her.

Kakkou. When she had been pursued by a Mushi capturing team and driven all the way to Ouka City, he had offered her to join the SEPB. For him it was probably a mere whim, but thanks to that she was here now.

She was able to wait for her childhood friend.

Tomorrow she would have probably already been captured and restrained in the Central Headquarters.

But she was not scared anymore.

"…It's fine, I'm not scared anymore."

She spoke towards Arisu and Kakkou who weren't there.

The train coming from Akamaki City arrived at the platform.

After waiting for a while, she could see the figure of a boy come out of the ticket gates.

He held large luggage in both arms, looking over the townscape of Higano City.

"Let me carry one."

Rinka approached the boy, calling to him.

As he turned around in surprise, Rinka smiled with her whole face.

"Welcome back."

The boy stood in place, eyes still open wide.

However, he soon smiled just like her.

"I'm back."

Notes

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