Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 02

Episode 02. The Night’s Song that Weaves the Dream

Gently, the evening sun rays illuminating the ground slowly retreated.

As if in replacement, the twinkling stars dotting the night sky approached. In fact, it was not as if the distance between the Earth and the stars have changed, but the feeling that it did was all that mattered. At least, that was the charm held by Ichinokuro Arisu's romantic daydreams.

“Woah… wow, that looks amazing! Look! You can see the sea from here.”

Arisu pointed out excitedly to Saionji Ena who sat diagonally opposite her, and had a look of dread in contrast. Sitting next to her, Kujou Takako had a gentle smile on her face.

“If we continue going higher, do you think we would be able to see our school? I can’t wait!”

The school Takako mentioned, was Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School, of which the three of them were second-year students at.

A colourful circle lit up the summer night.

Standing at over 100 metres, the large ride was revolving slowly.

Arisu and the rest were currently riding in a large Ferris wheel.

“Kyaah, did the gondola just sway? That was scary.”

The girls screamed loudly, with Arisu and Ena hugging Takako tightly.

“That’s so unlike you, Arisu. Since when were you the type to scream like a girl.”

Ena knock Arisu’s forehead. It was obvious that Ena was using more strength than required. Seeing the two of them messing around, Takako laughed out loud.

But then—.

“…Haah…”

They heard a heavy sigh that could only be described in one word as ‘depressing’.

The temperature in the gondola dropped.

“…”

Still in the position when they were messing around, Arisu and Ena looked at the corner of the seat with grave expressions.

There was a girl seated there. To be more accurate, she was more like leaning against the window glass rather than sitting down. She looked to be of foreign descent; having a well-featured face and a tall body, giving off the feeling of being a westerner.

“…Haah…”

A white patch of condensation had formed on the panel where the girl had sighed at repeatedly. She raised her slim finger sluggishly and traced it around the patch of condensation.

“Huhuu…”

As if finding something amusing, the girl laughed to herself. On the other hand, Arisu and the other girls’ faces darkened.

“So high up…”

The girl muttered seemingly to herself.

“How good would it feel… to just jump out like that…”

“Erm, it can’t be that that person…”

Takako tilted her head in a refined manner as she spoke.

“She’s not thinking of suicide, is she? If she jumps out at this height…”

“…!”

Arisu and Ena looked at each other and whispered.

“Wha-wha-what should we do, Arisu! In the first place, this is all your fault! You were the one who said that it’s okay for that unknown person to join us!”

“I-if it comes to that, we’ll just have to stop her!”

“Why, why did it turn out like this?”

Takako said with a sigh.

That was precisely what Arisu wanted to know as well.

Part 1

The sun began to retreat behind a group of faraway buildings.

Along with the darkening sky, the fluorescent lamps lining the courtyard automatically lighted up.

In the distance, a circular display of light could be seen.

It belonged a large Ferris wheel situated at a plaza near the sea. The Ferris wheel boasted of being the tallest in Japan, and was one of the most popular date spots in Akamaki City.

“Anyway, as I was saying, your Mushi is the first of its type seen.”

At the voice coming from right beside her, Ichinokuro Arisu shifted her sight from the window.

Arisu was walking along the corridor of a general hospital. Passing through the reception and the elevator, she had arrived at the fifth floor.

As it was just before the end of visitation hours, there were not much people around. Visitors were mostly on their way home, and patients also returned to their rooms. Nurses occasionally walked around, tending to their business.

“Heh.”

“Don’t ‘Heh’ me. This is about you, so why don’t you pay more attention.”

Kusuriya Daisuke said in displeasure. He was a boy with no distinct features, one who wouldn’t leave any impression even after having conversed with once.

“It looks like I’ll have to start getting used to explaining things in such a way that even an idiot can understand.”

“Arisu elbow~!”

Arisu elbow found its way to Daisuke’s solar plexus, causing him to cower in pain and clutch his stomach.

She continued to walk down the corridor with a look of aloof. Behind, she could hear someone asked, ‘What happened to you? Are you alright?’, and the reply, ‘I-it’s nothing’.

After she took a few more steps, Arisu was impacted by a blow to her head. Daisuke had hit her.

“How dare a freeloader raise his hands against his master, are you asking to be disciplined?”

“Who are you referring to as my master. I feel the same; if I could, I’d want to stop babysitting you as soon as possible.”

“Arisu double punch~!”

Arisu ended the confrontation by driving both her fists into Daisuke’s stomach. Leaving him behind crouched on the floor, she briskly walked down the corridor.

Arisu had just met Kusuriya Daisuke a few days ago, their meeting triggered by a certain incident.

A certain entity was deeply involved with the incident, one that was the prime subject of rumours.

The Mushi.

Referring to monsters that infest humans and feed on their dreams. They were named Mushi due to their external appearance resembling those of insects. Having surpassed the level of rumours by now, Mushi and the people who were infested by them, known as Mushitsuki, strike fear in the hearts of people.

However, Arisu knows the reality.

The fact that Mushi really exists.

Even as their aspirations and ideals are being consumed day by day, Mushitsuki strive to live on. They march forwards, bearing the fear of dying from having their dream being completely consumed by their Mushi someday.

Arisu did not know anything about Kusuriya Daisuke. She only knew that he belonged to a secret government organisation that captures and isolates Mushitsuki known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

Due to the incident in which Arisu was involved a few days ago, she was suspected of being a Mushitsuki and thus, she was to be placed under “observation” by Daisuke. As a result of negotiations with the Ichinokuro family, it was decided that Daisuke would stay in the Ichinokuro house.

“…”

Arisu came to a stop in front of a certain room. The blank nameplate outside of the room signified that the room was currently unoccupied.

The door was opened abruptly.

It had been opened by Daisuke from the side, with no consideration for Arisu who stood motionlessly, as if she being in the way.

“Get in quickly. A nurse will spot us.”

Even under Arisu’s glare, Daisuke remained cool. Although he usually hides under the guise of a normal middle school student, once in a while, he reveals a terribly icy look. She was curious as to what kind of life he had led, but the chance of him revealing it himself was as good as none.

“Get out of the way.”

Pushing Daisuke aside, Arisu entered the room.

There was a prior guest already in the hospital room. Within the darkness, a silver light danced.

It was a single morpho butterfly, however, it was not a normal butterfly. It had four antennas and its body was cladded in brilliant scales that seemed to emanate light.

It was the Mushi which followed Arisu. At the same time, it was the Mushi whose original host was Arisu’s close friend who breathed her last in this room one year ago.

The butterfly landed on the windowsill and closed its wings.

“So, this is the room that Hanashiro Mari was in.”

The sound of the door closing came from behind her.

Like the majority of Horusu Seijou Academy’s students, Mari hailed from an affluent family. As such, this private room differed from other six-person rooms; even the bed was a luxury item made of woodgrain. In addition to a large television, a fridge, and a nurse call line, there was even a painting hung above the bed. However, under the receding evening sun rays, everything appeared faded and only a cold stillness hung in the room.

—Ichinokuro… Arisu?

Arisu could almost see Mari tilting her head in puzzlement on the bed.

—I’m sorry. I don’t even know the names and looks of my classmates…

During Arisu’s initial visit, Mari had not even known who she was.

That was only to be expected, as even for Arisu, that was the first time she had seen Mari. Since her admission to the school, Mari had not attended even a single day.

“The Mushi that was supposed be Hanashiro Mari’s.”

Daisuke said as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

“It should have disappeared the moment its host died. Yet, why did that Mushi infest an unrelated person like you… No matter whatever it is, just tell me anything you remember that could be a clue.”

Looking at the side, Arisu realised that the bookshelf which was there previously was gone. It had been brought in for Mari who loved books.

“…”

Arisu did not know anything. Even the fact that Mari had been a Mushitsuki.

Silence filled the darkening hospital room.

After a while, she realised that Daisuke was silent.

Lifting her face and turning back, she found him with his arms crossed and head facing downwards. His eyes were closed.

“Hey.”

At Arisu’s low voice, Daisuke raised his head. It seems that he had dozed off.

“Just like the previous case with Harimoto-kun, it’s not like you care about what happened to Mari, right.”

Arisu spoke the words that just came into her mind. Harimoto referred to the Mushitsuki responsible for the previous incident who had already been brought in by the organisation Daisuke belonged to.

“…”

Daisuke let out a big sigh. Seeing his calm countenance touched Arisu’s raw nerves. But when she wanted to snap back, she realised that he looked terrible.

“Are you feeling bad somewhere? It seems to me that you look somewhat tired.”

He looked surprised for a moment, but immediately reverted to his original expression and got up from the wall.

“If you can’t think of any clues, then let’s go already. Someone will see us.”

“What’s with that, jeez.”

It was just as she stood up, her cheeks puffed up.

—Isn’t it beautiful, that Ferris wheel—.

She heard Mari’s voice.

Hit by a wave of dizziness, Arisu turned around.

She looked beyond the morpho butterfly shimmering with a silver sheen. Outside the window, a colourful and dazzling Ferris wheel could be seen.

“The Ferris wheel…”

Memories flowed out from the recesses of her mind.

Looking at the Ferris wheel out of this exact window together with Mari, they had made a promise to ride it together someday. Though, which one of them had been the one to suggest that they do so—.

“What’s the matter? Did you remember something?”

“Eh…?”

Called out to by Daisuke, Arisu snapped back to reality.

Just now, something important crossed her mind for an instant. However, she could not remember what was it about despite how hard she racked her brain.

She gazed out of the window. Over there, a circular display of light shined vividly in the darkness of the night.

Part 2

The Akamaki City municipal park had high pedestrian traffic even during nighttime.

Along the wide walkway, a variety of stalls could be seen. As the summer festival was approaching, there were also paper lanterns placed along the path. Amplifiers have also been installed every 100 metres along the path in preparation for live performances.

Still in their uniform, Arisu and gang were walking around the park.

“Is it okay for you to hang out so late? Won’t your parents scold you?”

From the back of the three girls, Daisuke’s sigh could be heard. His tone of voice was mild, unlike before at the hospital. In front of the other two, he presented a ‘normal middle school student’ version of himself.

“No problem~. I’ve already informed them with a call, so no need to worry about them being angry.”

The one who replied casually was Arisu. To her right, Saionji Ena nodded.

“Yup, yup. Anyways, for my family, unlike my sisters, I’ve always been treated with the attitude of laissez-faire.”

“That’s a problem in of itself…”

“If I am together with Arisu-san and Ena-san, my parents would not be that worried.”

The one grinning with a friendly smile was Kujou Takako.

After joining Ena and Takako at the hospital’s waiting area, the three of them decided to head here. At Arisu’s suggestion to ride the Ferris wheel, apart from Daisuke, the other two girls agreed readily.

“Is that so.”

Daisuke sighed again, not bothering to hide the look of annoyance on his face. With his mission to monitoring Arisu, he probably had to stay by her side at all times.

“Despite what Kusuriya-kun is saying…”

Ena approached Daisuke who was walking a few steps behind.

“In fact, you’re overjoyed, aren’t you? Being able to go on a date with three beautiful ladies. Don’t be shy.”

“Wai-… Saionji-san!”

“Come here too, Takako. Don’t let Kusuriya-kun escape!”

“Me? Erm, like this?”

Imitating Ena, Takako linked her arm with Daisuke’s.

“You’re so bashful, that’s so cute! Hey Arisu, how ’bout you let Kusuriya-kun to me!”

“Ari… Ichinokuro-san!”

Arisu looked frostily at Daisuke who was held on both arms by Ena and Takako.

“…What, you want me to join in too? Stop being so sleazy!”

“I’m asking you to help me stop them though!”

After walking for a few more minutes, Arisu and gang arrived at their destination.

In the large plaza, the extensive queues stretched so long that it resembled a snake choking its prey. At its front was the towering Ferris wheel.

With a diameter of 120 metres, the Ferris wheel was 130 metres at its highest.

When Arisu saw it from the hospital, the Ferris wheel was divided into six portions each lit with a different colour. However, it was completely blue right now, imparting a bluish glow onto the night sky.

“Uwah. So this is what a Ferris wheel feels like!”

“We are going to ride this, right. I cannot wait to try it!”

“Come on, stop sulking, Daisuke. Hurry up and join the queue.”

When Arisu called out to Daisuke, he looked back indignantly. It seems that he was still upset over being teased by Ena and the rest just now. Arisu thought about how he was weirdly childish in some respects.

Suddenly, Daisuke’s mobile phone rang and he picked up the call. As he spoke on the phone, his expression turned grave.

“What’s the matter?”

“Sorry, something came up. I need to return immediately, the three of you have fun.”

Saying so with a fake smile on his face, Daisuke promptly left.

“Eh? Kusuriya-kun isn’t riding the Ferris wheel?”

“What a pity.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter even if a guy like that is gone anyway. Let’s hurry up and join the queue.”

The three of them joined the snaking queue.

After waiting for around one hour, they could finally see the end of the queue. Daisuke had not contact them back at all, it seems like he has no intention of riding the Ferris wheel.

“My apologies, but, as there are only four seats…”

“What a bind, we’re in excess of one person.”

Discussions of what to do with the person left out could be heard from the attendant and the group in front. It was a group of five people of both genders.

“Sorry, Neiko. Is it okay if the four of us board first?”

“Eh…?”

They looked like they were from a band. The youth with a guitar case hanging off his back requested of the tall girl.

Arisu knotted her eyebrows with a muu. Even though they were supposed to be one group, no one seemed to have any disapproval. Without protest from the girl, it seems to be decided. Leaving her by herself, the other four people got on the gondola.

The attendant approach Arisu’s group.

“Dear customer, there are only three of you, right? My apologies but… would you mind if the person before joined the three of you? As you can see, there’s still a long crowd behind…”

“Eeh?”

Ena raised a voice of dissatisfaction.

Arisu looked at the girl left behind, she seemed two or three years older than herself. She wore a shirt with a logo covered by a jacket on her tall model-like body. Her beautiful side profile was looking up at the Ferris wheel.

“We don’t mind.”

Arisu agreed while glaring at the previous gondola. The attendant seemed to sigh in relief while saying, ‘I apologise for your inconvenience’, as he returned to the gate.

“Why did you give him the OK, we don’t even know that girl… It would have been so fun with just the three of us.”

“What’s wrong with that. Wouldn’t you be lonely if you had to ride alone too.”

“Huh? In the first place, Arisu… what are you so angry about?”

“Well, I don’t mind it at all.”

As they were speaking, it came to their turn.

The next gondola descended and the previous occupants alighted. The attendant guided the tall girl called Neiko and Arisu’s group onto the gondola.

Having entered the round gondola, the attendant closed the door. The gondola ascended shakily with a gotan, signalling that they had started moving.

The interior of the gondola had seats for two on both sides, for a total of four seats. Arisu sat next to Takako, while Ena and Neiko sat opposite.

“We’re moving, we’re going up, Arisu, Takako!”

“It feels kind of heart-pounding, doesn’t it.”

Ena and Takako looked out of the window in the direction of the sea in awe.

On the other hand, Arisu stared at the opposite side where the city was at. She could not see the hospital where they had came from yet.

“Aah, a bit more and we can see the sea. Come and see, Arisu!”

“It’s not like we know which direction the sea is at anyway, haha.”

The three girls were currently in high spirits, but.

“…Haah…”

Depressing.

A sigh as heavy as lead could be heard.

Still in the position with their bodies leaned forward, the three girls’ faces harden.

“…It feels like… I’m kind of tired…”

For a moment, they thought that an invisible ghost had spoken. As she did not have much of a presence, Arisu and the rest had almost forgotten about the other person.

In the corner of the gondola—which for some reason had its fluorescent light flickering—the girl who was reclining heavily on the seat muttered.

“…I just want to be at ease…”

It was the tall girl. Knowing nothing about her save her name Neiko, her forehead was pressed against the window, with her lifeless eyes just gazing down at the night scenery.

“…Haah…”

The temperature in the gondola plummeted.

“…”

Arisu and Ena wordlessly pulled themselves from the window.

“U-until we see the sea, I think I’ll just take a seat. It seems dangerous… to stick so close to the window.”

“That’s right. Aha, ahaha, do tell me when you see the sea, Ena.”

“What’s wrong, Arisu-san? Ena-san too.”

Unable to stand the heavy atmosphere, Arisu and Ena forced a smile. Takako was the only one who was oblivious to the situation and looked at the two strangely.

Neiko was as expressionless as a doll. But, she was exuding a gloomy, a sort of ‘problematic’ aura.

All of a sudden, Ena’s eyes lighted up and she raised her body.

“Ah! Isn’t that the lighthouse—”

“…Haah…”

“I guess it’s nothing after all… even a lighthouse…”

Lowering her hand that was pointing at the lighthouse, Ena sluggishly returned to her former position. Only Takako, who remain unmoved in a certain sense, happily replied, ‘You’re right, I can see it’.

“…Haah…”

As silence returned to the gondola, only Neiko’s gloomy sighs could be heard.

Part 3

“She’s not thinking of suicide, is she…?”

“If it comes to that, we’ll just have to stop her…!”

The three girls had put their heads together and whispered. Immediately afterwards, Ena was shocked by what she saw behind Arisu.

“A-Arisu!”

“Eh?”

Turning around, Arisu could feel something cold wrapping around her neck. She felt goosebumps rising all over her skin as she was pressed by something as cold as ice.

Neiko was touching Arisu’s neck with both of her hands. Their faces were so close to each other that they were almost touching.

“Wha-…?”

“Voice…”

“Eh?”

“Try saying something…”

In close proximity, Neiko’s lips moved. From that distance, Arisu could see that she had applied pink lipstick. She could also see the colour of her iris, which was closer to tawny than black.

“What is it…?”

Her body stiffened, she replied awkwardly. At this, Neiko smiled softly and released her hands from Arisu’s neck.

“As I thought… you have a good voice…”

Murmuring to herself with a satisfied look, she lowered her waist onto the seat.

“A-are you alright, Arisu?”

“Where’s the help… I-I was almost killed…!”

“How do I put it… what a strange person.”

“…Haah…”

At her sigh, the heavy atmosphere returned.

S-so she’s like that—.

As Arisu’s face cramped up, she came to a conclusion. She felt bad for Neiko, but she felt like she could understand a bit about why the rest of her group decided to leave her behind.

Their gondola has reached around the midpoint of Ferris wheel. At this height, the view of the whole city could be seen. The neon lights on the ground flickered like stars.

At that moment.

“Kyaa!”

Arisu, Ena and Takako’s screams overlapped.

All of a sudden, the gondola was hit by a tremor, causing it to shake violently.

“W-what happened?”

Ena and Takako clung onto the walls while Arisu immediately took a look at the steel pillars supporting the Ferris wheel. The illuminations along the Ferris wheel broke, causing the lights to flicker. Even as the Ferris wheel shook, it continued to rotate, bringing their gondola higher up in the air.

Outside of the window, a silver light was dancing about.

It was the morpho butterfly. As if trying to warn Arisu about something , it flew around in the shape of the number 8.

“Mari…?”

Arisu creased her eyebrows.

The tremors ceased after a while, but the flickering lights did not. The light bulbs along the Ferris wheel spewed out some sparks before dying out. Takako, grasping Ena’s hand tightly, looked at the surrounding anxiously.

“W-what was that just now…?”

In the silent gondola, the sigh sounded especially loud.

“…Haah…”

Arisu looked at Neiko who was sitting next to the window. Ena and Takako were shivering in fear.

Neiko was still in her own world, looking down at the cityscape without a care in the world. Her fair expression seemed to be filled with a different abnormality to it than before.

Another slight tremor struck the gondola. The sound of metal clashing against metal was transmitted throughout the Ferris wheel.

“W-why is she so calm…”

Ena questioned unnervingly.

Neiko’s lips moved.

—Ding Dong~, Ding Dong~, the chime ringing across the sea, deliver us to his land…—.

“!”

Arisu saw what happened in that instance.

A fog-like substance emanated from Neiko who was leaning against the wall. The thing that emerged from the fog before fading into particles of light had the visage of a long-horned grasshopper spreading out its wings. Arisu could even see its six compound eyes melting into the air.

—Gospel of light, child of resurrection, invite us with the chime of your bell, Ding Dong~, Ding Dong~…—

Neiko’s lips opened. However, the song seemed to echo in the surrounding air itself, overlapping with the ‘Diiing’ sound of a bell.

The shaking of the Ferris wheel intensified. Ena and Takako were speechless upon witnessing the scene before them.

The morpho butterfly outside the window flurriedly fluttered its wings.

“Don’t tell me you’re a…”

Arisu stared at Neiko.

“Mushitsuki…?”

—Neiko’s lips twisted into a smile.

“…Mushitsuki…?”

Ena shouted in disbelief. Surprisingly, the one to calm her down was Takako. She held Ena while telling her, ‘It’s going to be alright. Calm down’. This made Ena regain her calm and held Takako back.

The Mushitsuki that Arisu and Daisuke encountered in the previous incident was Takako’s childhood friend, thus, this was not the first time she saw a Mushitsuki. In addition, it was fortunate that Takako had been strong mentally in the first place, allowing her to soothe Ena down.

The more intense the tremors, the louder Neiko sang.

“Stop that!”

Arisu pulled on Neiko’s shirt, making her stop singing. At the same time, the tremors assaulting the Ferris wheel weakened.

Neiko raised her head languidly. Seeing her lifeless gaze, Arisu felt shivers on her back.

“I’m glad… to be able to see this city… from the highest point at the very end…”

Although her singing voice had stopped, the sound that seemed to vibrate along with the air itself persisted.

“This sound is your doing, right! What were you intending to do to this Ferris wheel? What were you doing?”

The Ferris wheel shook.

Neiko smiled and opened her mouth.

The sound of bell chime became louder. It was as if Neiko shook the surrounding air along with her windpipe.

Arisu recalled Daisuke’s explanation while they were at the hospital.

Mushitsuki were broadly separated into three types. One is the Minion type where the Mushi exist with a physical body and obeys the host. Another is the Fusion type in which the Mushi assimilates with the host’s body, giving them supernatural physical abilities. Lastly is the Special type which does not have a physical body, instead giving its host the ability to manipulate various power at will. In exchange for using these powers, the host’s own dream would be consumed by the Mushi. From what Arisu saw, Neiko’s Mushi belonged to the Special type.

“I told you to stop, didn’t I!”

The quaking subsided along with the volume of the sound of the bell.

“Look…”

From the position where Arisu held her down, Neiko looked out of the window.

Not letting her guard down, Arisu looked out of the window. What she saw caused her to involuntarily swallow her breath. Ena and Takako too, temporarily forgot about their current situation upon seeing the view.

The gondola which Arisu and the rest were in was currently at the apex of the Ferris wheel.

The ground was overlaid with a starry sky.

Countless shiny grains lay scattered across a vast black sheet. What differed from the actual starry skies was that each grain wriggled around like water droplets on a screen. The movements of the multicoloured grains served to show that they were alive.

“Over there…”

Neiko’s fingertip hit the window with a kotsun.

“I grew up over there in the suburbs. It’s an old town where telephone poles are still wooden. It's practically filled with the elderly so much so that people around my age could easily be counted with fingers…”

The three girls were all looking at Neiko.

“Over there…”

Next, Neiko pointed to the region which where railway tracks and the national highway ran concurrently. The station which Arisu frequented was located there as well.

“While we were still in middle school and couldn’t leave the suburbs, that was where we first performed before a crowd… At first, no one stopped to listen. But recently, several people would stop to listen to my songs…”

Neiko’s voice tailed off. Subsequently, the ringing of the bell which resonated with the tremors veered into noise. The Ferris wheel shook again.

Having passed the top, the gondola began its descend.

“‘Aah, the world is such a wide place’, I thought…”

Taking a breath, Neiko started recounting again.

“I want to go to a bigger, wider venue… With that notion, I heard the sound of the bell chime… And then, I became a Mushitsuki…”

Arisu could feel her sigh on her cheek. A look of deep fatigue emerged in Neiko’s expression.

Looking at her complexion, Arisu had an unpleasant premonition.

“Don’t tell me, the Mushi devoured your dreams…?”

It was rumoured that Mushitsuki whose dream were completely consumed by their Mushi would meet death. In fact, Arisu had already heard that it was true from Daisuke.

“H-hey, that is…!”

Ena, which was clenched on to the window, pointed outside. Far beneath their gondola, the largest supporting pillar of the Ferris wheel looked as if it was being carved down by something invisible. Overlapped with the support pillar, the shimmering silhouette of a long-horned grasshopper could be seen.

“Nonetheless, there is no return for us anymore…”

Neiko smiled, prompting Arisu to ask.

“…What do you mean?”

“There’s nowhere else we can escape, we’ve been chased to a dead end… By the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau…”

Arisu widened her eyes. The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau was the organisation that Daisuke belonged to.

“The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau… Mushitsuki captured by the SEPB will have their Mushi killed with no exceptions… And once they turn into a Fallen, they would never be able to dream a second time again. To be unable to sing… If you take my songs away from me, then there’s no reason to live for…”

“That’s why, you wanted to bring us down along with you?”

At Takako’s words, Ena whimpered a sob.

Arisu immediately looked towards the morpho butterfly outside of the window. —However, she did not have anything at hand that the morpho butterfly can assimilate with. Furthermore, she did not know how she could deal with Neiko’s Mushi which does not even have a physical form.

If only they could reach the ground, then something could be done. If the SEPB was coming, Daisuke should have known about this situation as well.

“Just now, you said ‘at the very end’, right. How did you know that you have been discovered?”

To buy some time, Arisu questioned Neiko. The girl smiled back.

“You know the people on board the gondola in front of us? I heard them talk to the SEPB… It seems that they made a deal with them to lead me here, and in exchange spare them… We were supposed to be in the middle of our escape, and yet they suggested to come here…”

Arisu was lost for words. The attitude they adopted before boarding the gondola, it was all to leave Neiko by herself—.

Forgetting their current situation, Arisu raised her voice.

“They betrayed you? Aren’t they your friends?”

But Neiko only smiled wordlessly. Arisu could feel her anger boiling over.

“Then, why didn’t you escape! Didn’t you already realised that it was a trap? Why… why are you still smiling even though your friends betrayed you!”

“Have you ever placed your trust in somebody…?”

Neiko stared back at Arisu. Her expression held no anger nor hatred at anyone. The only emotion she could see was deep sadness—.

“‘I was betrayed’. Have you ever felt that before?”

Arisu couldn’t make a word.

Hanashiro Mari—.

Arisu had thought of Mari as a close friend. Even more so than her friends in school, Arisu could talk to Mari about anything.

A student from the same grade who had never attended school ever since enrolling. That was Mari. In the eyes of Arisu who lived a normal school life coming to school and making friends, the seat that was always empty frequently came into her sights.

—I’m sorry. I don’t even know the names and looks of my classmates…

The opening sentence between Arisu, who had visited suddenly on a certain day, and Mari was a self-introduction.

From then on, Arisu visited Mari in the hospital nearly every day. She remembered having lots of fun chatting with Mari, but could not remember what they talked about. Arisu would share with Mari just about anything, and Mari would just happily listen to her.

But, she was mistaken.

One day, Mari just disappeared suddenly; leaving behind the morpho butterfly which made Arisu realise that she was a Mushitsuki.

“If you realised you were betrayed, what would you do…?”

Neiko looked at Arisu, then at Ena and Takako.

“How about you? Would you be angry? Perhaps, you would cry? You might just fall into despair, becoming unable to do anything anymore… The stronger you believed in them, the more helpless you feel when you are betrayed.”

The sound of metal creaking reverberated. The quavering of the Ferris wheel intensified. Seeing Arisu and rest gulping, Neiko smiled uncannily.

“And so… what do you think I did?”

“Please, just stop…!”

Unable to stand the situation anymore, Ena shouted.

Immediately afterwards, Arisu widened her eyes.

“Wha—”

Outside the window, countless strange looking monsters closed in to the gondola from the sky.

Some were flapping what seemed like wings, while others floated even without anything resembling a flying apparatus. What they had in common was the appearance of insects with a malicious look.

The monsters started to attack the gondola that Arisu and the rest were in.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Ena hugged onto Takako while screaming.

Several of the Mushi started ramming themselves into the gondola simultaenously.

“…!”

The gondola jerked more violently unlike any they had experienced before. The window glass cracked and the door bursted in, crushing Arisu and the rest—was not what happened.

At first, Arisu doubted her eyes. It wasn’t just her, even the hugging Takako and Ena stared at the sight irregardless of the situation they were in.

The destruction of the gondola they were in had stopped all of a sudden.

—Ding Dong~, Ding Dong~, eternal wind, oh, behold the sunrise—.

They could hear a song.

The broken glass and bent wall reverted back to their former condition as if somebody had turned back time. The gondola was wrapped in a pale light that restore the gondola to its original state.

“Eh…?”

Arisu muttered unconsciously.

“Someone is protecting us…?”

The Mushi floating in the air seemed to be caught in surprise as well. They hovered about in confusion before suddenly recalling their mission and restarted their assault on the gondola again.

“Nooo!”

The gondola juddered furiously again. However, the same phenomenon repeated itself. A pale light covered the gondola and repaired the damage done to it.

“We’ve misunderstood—”

Looking down at the support pillar, Arisu finally understood what was happening.

There, she saw large and sharp claws. The claws which seemed to sprout out of thin air were heatedly attacking the support pillar. In opposition, the shimmering silhouette of the long-horned grasshopper surrounded the support pillar, fending off their attacks. As the chime of the bell rang, the fissures in the pillar closed back.

“Were you the one protecting us all along…?”

“I’m sorry for involving you guys into this mess…”

Neiko’s face twisted in pain. She was likely suffering from overusing her power.

“At the very least, I’ll make sure to get you guys…”

In the midst of her words, her consciousness seemed to cut off for a bit. But, it was only for a moment. Clenching her teeth, she regained her consciousness.

“To the ground… no matter what…”

“…!”

Arisu clenched her fist tightly.

—It feels like… I’m kind of tired……

Neiko had already been exhausted from since she boarded the Ferris wheel. She must have been desperately escaping up till now. Even so, she mustered the last of her strength to ensure that Arisu and the rest did not come to harm. Doing so knowingly that her dream would be consumed from using the power of her Mushi—and that that would lead to the end of her life.

“…That means the one attacking us was the SEPB from the very beginning, right.”

Takako, who was being hugged by Ena, said.

“Even though that would incur so many casualties as well…”

“Those people are… that merciless…”

“Why… why are they targeting someone like you?”

Arisu did not think that Neiko was a criminal. Despite being hunted down and betrayed by her own friends, she had used her power to protect Arisu and the rest.

“I guess it’s because I’m a Mushitsuki…”

“Just because…!”

“You must have met other Mushitsuki before, right… Amongst them, aren’t there some who used their power nefariously?”

Arisu could not answer Neiko.

Harimoto Jun. The impetus which led to her meeting Daisuke; he was the first Mushitsuki Arisu met apart from Mari. He had used the power of his Mushi to hurt other people.

“We, just by being Mushitsuki, are a dangerous existence… For us, no matter what happens, our hearts would not change, that’s why…”

“…There’s no way I can accept that just because of this reasoning! I’ll bring a stop to this immediately!”

Arisu took out her mobile phone and called Daisuke. He should be somewhere on the ground. Alas, he did not pick up his phone.

“Indeed, there are surely those understand that in the SEPB… there’s no doubts that they are suffering.”

Arisu could not believe what Neiko was saying. She was implying that the ones attacking them right now were suffering.

“How could you possibly know that? You’ve never even met them before! It’s not like those people even care about others—”

“I know. After all, I’m also a Mushitsuki…”

Neiko said so with a sigh.

“There are no Mushitsuki who are not fighting their own battles…”

At that, Arisu recalled.

The look of weariness on the face of Daisuke at the hospital. He usually wore a look of calmness, but she saw him revealed a look of anguish for an instant. Was he also fighting a battle of his own?

“Mushitsuki… Just what are they…!”

Closing her mobile phone, Arisu yelled out loud as if squeezing all the air from her lungs.

“I don’t get it! I just don’t understand what any of the Mushitsuki are thinking!”

The gondola that Arisu and the rest were in was about to reach the ground. However, the intensity of the tremors was reaching its peak. In addition, the pale light surrounding the gondola was gradually thinning.

“Sor-… ry… I can’t… hold on anyone…”

Neiko’s eyes were growing listless. The glass windows finally broke, scattering inside the gondola.

“Something… there must be something we can do…!”

Glaring at the Mushi slamming their body against the gondola, Arisu grinded her teeth. If only there was a suitable object that the morpho butterfly could fuse with, then she would be able to counterattack. Regrettably, it was not like a pole would just fall from the skies.

The gondola was about to touch ground in just a moment. But at this rate, the Ferris wheel would collapse before they can even escape the gondola.

At this time.

The attack by SEPB stopped. The Mushi attacking the gondola has been struck by some attack and had fallen to the ground.

What had appeared out of the blue and assaulted the Mushi were as expected, other Mushi as well.

“It can’t be…”

There were four counterattacking Mushi in total. —The same number as Neiko’s friends.

“Did they not betray her?”

Neiko closed her eyes. Her lips formed into a broad smile.

—What do you think I did?

Arisu thought back on what Neiko said earlier and bit her lips.

“Even if you were betrayed… your feelings wouldn’t change…?”

Neiko smiled gently.

Even if she was betrayed, her feelings would not change. She would not be angry nor would she hate them.

—For us, no matter what happens, our hearts would not change, that’s why…

She shouldn’t have known that they did not really betrayed her. She ought to have felt forsaken, yet even so, Neiko still—.

“You still believed…!”

“I’m glad… to have seen such a beautiful view… in the end…”

Neiko sunk into her seat. Her eyes, which were reflecting the night scenery, rapidly turned dull.

The four Mushi used the element of surprise to defeat the SEPB’s Mushi one by one. Ena lifted her face.

“We’re…saved…?”

The gondola was just metres off the ground.

“…!”

Amidst the strong jolting, Arisu saw a Mushi fly past outside the window.

It was an insect with an unusually long antenna and green wings.

This Mushi belongs to—.

The figure of the green checkered beetle disappeared.

“Don’t say something like, ‘in the end’, so readily…!”

A thunderous rumble roared.

It sounded like as if somebody fired off a cannon. The four Mushi whose wings were punctured fell to the ground.

“Every-… one…!”

Neiko opened her eyes.

“If you say that all Mushitsuki fight till the very end, then show me that you are going to fight till the very end!”

Arisu evoked the memory of Mari’s smile.

Her close friend could not even struggle.

—No, that may have been wrong. She might have just gave up struggling and left the world for all she know.

Arisu would never be able to find out the truth now. So, there was only one thing she could do.

That was to believe.

Just as Neiko did when she thought she had been betrayed.

Thus, there was no way Arisu would let Neiko who have taught her that lesson give up here.

The gondola finally touched ground.

Immediately, the door was forcefully wrenched open from the outside.

—What it revealed was the Devil shrouded in black.

Part 4

There stood a figure covered in a jet-black coat and a huge goggle masking half of his face, his hair standing on end. One of his hand held a large automatic handgun which had fused with ‘something’ glowering with red eyes.

From the handgun, numerous feeler-like appendages stretched out. They instantaneously wrapped around devil’s body, forming a green pattern that extended up to his cheek.

“Neiko!”

The four injured Mushi positioned themselves between the demon and the gondola.

The black devil pointed his handgun at the Mushi.

“St-… op—”

Neiko’s face twisted as she reached her hands out.

“Stop it!”

Arisu shouted.

The morpho butterfly entered the gondola through the open door.

It landed on the handlebar Arisu held, its body releasing silver-coloured feelers which fused with the bar instantly.

It spreaded open its four wings, giving off silver light. One pair merged into a blade, while the another vented silver scales.

Fire spew from the handgun held by the person in the jet-black coat.

“…!”

Arisu jumped in front of the Mushi, barely cutting off the bullet with her spear.

The shockwave rocked the gondola.

Somebody’s scream could be heard. But, that was immediately drown out by the sound of the shockwave. The opened door was blasted away, leaving only the seats in a miserable condition.

“Tch…!”

Clicking his tongue, the devil in black—Daisuke, re-trained his handgun at the Mushi.

“Stop it!”

Yelling angrily, Arisu swung down the spear from above.

“Kh…!”

Daisuke scarcely managed to block the shaft of the spear with the grip of the handgun.

Spinning the spear around, Arisu swung the spear again at Daisuke’s feet. An explosion of silver scales blasted into the surroundings. Bits of asphalt were sent scattering in all directions and a deep gash was carved into the ground.

When the explosion died down, the surroundings became still.

The plaza was completely deserted. In the time it took for the Ferris wheel to make one revolution, all the members of the public had already evacuated.

As if replacing them, Arisu and the rest were surrounded by people with the same appearance as Daisuke. They were probably from the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau as well.

“Neiko!”

Four people ran towards the partially destroyed gondola. They all looked to be about Neiko’s age. In the lead was a young man with blond hair, followed by a bespectacled lad, then a youth with a muscular body, and finally a girl with a short hairstyle. They surrounded Neiko as if trying to cover her.

“Every-… one…”

Neiko raised her head to look at her friends with her clouded eyes. Opposite her, Ena and Takako had already fainted. They seem to have just collapsed from the ordeal they just faced instead of any external injuries.

“Sorry… it should have gone more smoothly…! If only that monster wasn’t here…!”

“Pretending to sell out Yomori Neiko then setting up a surprise attack from behind… Was that your intention to set a trap for us since the beginning?”

Glaring back at Arisu, Daisuke spoke, his voice much colder than usual. His current appearance as that of a member of the SEPB was his genuine character.

Neiko’s friends faced Daisuke with their Mushi.

“Escape from here, Neiko! We’ll deal with these people somehow! At the very least, we’ll take them down with us…!”

“Neiko, at least you alone…!”

Her friends who were acting as her shield looked at Neiko in anguish.

“Do you think that you can escape?”

However, Arisu thrusted the spear at Daisuke who pointed his gun at them.

“…What do you think you are doing.”

“Why are you targeting them?”

“That’s because they are Mushitsuki. Either way, I don’t have the intention of letting a single one of them escape. I will kill all of their Mushi and take them away as Fallen.”

“Do you think I will let you do that.”

“Why are you covering for those people?”

Arisu scowled at Daisuke.

“‘Because they are Mushitsuki’…?”

Arisu turned away from Daisuke and looked at Neiko. Neiko raised her pale face to look back at her.

“Fighting and giving up just because of that… All that is just an excuse to me. I can’t accept that.”

“You say that because you’re not a Mushitsuki.”

Saying so, Daisuke raised his other hand not holding the handgun. The people in black coat behind him entered a fighting posture. In response, Neiko’s friends also readied themselves to fight.

Arisu too, exerted strength into her hands holding the spear. She had already hardened her resolve to fight.

Right before Daisuke swung his hand.

“…To fight…”

Neiko’s voice disrupted the silence.

“Indeed… Isn’t it possible for us to continue to fight…?”

Her eyes were focused on Arisu.

“No matter how hard it gets… even if our freedom is taken away… As long as we are alive, surely someday we can sing again… Isn’t that right… Even if we have to literally sell our souls to the devil, as long as we can live…”

Everybody’s gaze gathered onto Neiko.

Even in the tense atmosphere that seemed like it would shatter any moment, Neiko sighed deeply. Although she had sighed repeatedly in the gondola previously, Arisu could feel that this one felt different.

Neiko's expression as she looked at Daisuke was one filled with determination.

“Hey, you… is there really no other alternatives apart from turning us into Fallen? Or could we… yes, perhaps, be like you guys—”

Part 5

—The ground was overlaid with a starry sky.

Countless shiny grains lay scattered across a vast black sheet. What differed from the actual starry skies was that each grain wriggled around like water droplets on a screen. The movements of the multicoloured grains served to show that they were alive.

She had just seen the same sight a few moments ago. But somehow, she felt detached from the beautiful night scene.

Perhaps the reason why it looked so beautiful then was because she was with Neiko just now. It was because of how much she loved the cityscape that Arisu and the rest also saw the cityscape through her eyes.

Arisu and Daisuke were currently in an ascending gondola.

“What’s going to happen to Neiko-san and the rest from now on?”

“Nene.”

“…?”

“She have already received a codename. A Mushitsuki belonging to the Special type, especially one with a restoration ability such as hers is extremely valuable. The higher-ups are probably satisfied with her. The other four… normally, with that level of strength, would have been turned into Fallen. But, they were probably inducted as a means to tie down Nene to the SEPB. At best, they would serve as foot soldiers.”

To become members of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—that was the choice that Neiko had chosen.

Surprisingly, Daisuke accepted her request readily. His reason being as he just explained. It seems that Neiko’s ability was desirable to the SEPB. Although her offensive ability was non-existent, she was able to swiftly restore injuries. That’s why the SEPB lured Neiko’s friends to the Ferris wheel, and switched their plan to a battle of attrition. They had given the order to Daisuke who just happened to be in the vicinity. On the other hand, Neiko’s friends had realised that they could not escape, thus choosing to set up a surprise attack—.

Right now, they are able to ride the Ferris wheel due to Neiko restoring it to its original condition. After that, Neiko wanted to continue singing. Daisuke tried to stop her, saying, ‘Don’t use your power any more than necessarily’, but.

—I want more people to see how beautiful these streets are…

Neiko said so with a smile while looking at Arisu.

—Thank you…

She did not know what was the “thank you” for, but in any case, it seems that Neiko was determined to continue living.

After a while, seeing that everything had returned to normal, the customers that had evacuated returned to the plaza. With only Arisu and Daisuke was left at the scene, the boy silently joined the queue for the Ferris wheel. Wondering what was he doing, Arisu joined the queue by his side.

Ena and Takako should have reached their homes by now. In the aftermath of the incident, Arisu had contacted the servant of Takako’s house, who took the unconscious Takako and Ena back home.

A silver light danced about the night view which Arisu was looking at. It was the morpho butterfly. In the distance, she could see the lights from the hospital which Mari was in.

“I see… I wonder if this was for the best?”

Just as Arisu was speaking.

Like a drop falling into a puddle, reflected in Arisu’s eye looking at the hospital’s light, a ripple expanded.

—Isn’t it beautiful, that Ferris wheel—

“…Arisu?”

Seeing Arisu behave strangely, Daisuke called out to her.

But, his voice did not reach her. A piece of memory flashed through her mind like lightning.

—Then, let’s go together when you are discharged!

The morpho butterfly. And also, the Ferris wheel.

That day, the one who had said that with her back facing the window was her.

No, that’s wrong.

The one who had said that was the girl called Ichinokuro Arisu.

—Yea, it’s a promise—.

The one nodding was herself, Hanashiro Mari.

Mari had been looking forward to that promise very much.

When she had mentioned the promise to Sensei, he had also smiled happily—.

“Sensei…?”

Mari muttered.

“Arisu?”

“…!”

At Daisuke’s voice, Arisu came to.

What was that…? Just now—.

That scene flashing past Arisu’s mind made her feel out of place.

A memory of the past? No, that’s not it… I saw myself there—.

“N-nothing, nevermind.”

“…There’s no point worrying about them anymore. They have decided upon it themselves. But…”

To him, Arisu appeared to be worrying about the well-being of Neiko and her friends. Looking at the night view expressionlessly till now, Daisuke glared at Arisu.

“This is not some child’s play. If I’m teamed up with some half-hearted folks, they would only be dead weight to us… Good grief, why did some busybody idiot just have to stick her nose in…”

At Daisuke’s words, Arisu woke up from her daydream, groaning with a muu.

“Then, what do you expect me to do?”

“Didn’t I tell you before to just not do anything.”

“Didn’t I also say that I don’t like not doing anything.”

“You’re just being wilful. Haah… That’s why I hate spoiled young ladies ignorant of worldly matters like you…”

“What’s with that, acting all so high and mighty. Blushing like a tomato just by being hugged by Ena and Takako, you’re just a pervy brat.”

“T-that’s completely unrelated! In the first place, if it wasn’t Saionji-san but someone flat like a washboard like you, I wouldn’t—”

“Arisu punch~!”

“Did you thought I was just going to let you punch me!”

Repelling her punches with his hands, he unintentionally hit her face. Holding her nose, Arisu flared her eyebrows.

“You… you dare hit me! And on my face too…!”

“W-what, you’re always hitting me too…!”

The scuffle between the two continued throughout the ride till they reached the ground with the attendant stopping them.

The vestiges of a bell chime could be heard echoing across the moonlit night sky.

Notes

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