Mushi Uta:Volume 1st Episode 04

Episode 04. The Hunter Who Entrusted her Dream

Beams of moonlight shining through the gaps in the clouds pierced through the darkness.

A silver light glistened over ten metres off the ground. The object which was reflecting the light of the full moon slowly descended onto the ground.

Like a piece of paper floating in the wind, the object descended in a disordered manner onto the roof of a new building.

“…”

The silver-coloured object on her shoulders did not even budge. Concealing her breathing, she continued to observe the shadows moving on the ground.

The night in Akamaki City was polluted with neon lights and noise. In the distance, the cluster of lights belonged to the city centre. However, what the girl was interested in was between the gap of the multi-tenant buildings right below her.

They would definitely not head towards a bustling place, but only watch from afar. The girl knew that from all her experiences so far.

Sensing a gaze, the girl quickly turned around.

A pair of eyes appeared in the darkness. It belonged a black cat with a coat which seemed as if it was cut out of darkness. Its long tail with a kink at the end stood upright displaying its hostility, indicating to her not to come any closer.

The cat’s ears flicked, and then it jumped away acrobatically, disappearing into the darkness.

[…Regarding the explosion that occurred the other day, the Akamaki City Police Department has swiftly opened investigation, and requests any citizens with relevant information to… Also, they have refused to comment on a witness testimony that cited the appearance of Mushi…]

A muzzled sound punctuated the quiet rooftop. The sound came from opposite the air-conditioning unit and water tank, approaching towards her.

[Regarding the matter, the Police Department has also firmly denied the existence of this widely disputed existence, citing the lack of any true evidence, also…]

The light from a torchlight flashed. The circular spot of light wandered around the darkness before coming to a sudden stop.

“Is there somebody there?”

Perhaps he spotted a silver glint, as a nervous voice sounded out. A security guard with a wireless radio hanging off his belt appeared from the side of the water tank.

The beam from the torchlight illuminated the girl.

“…!”

The man probably thought he was looking at a ghost.

She was dressed in jet-black tights, with hot pants and boots. On top of that, she wore a modified white coat with belts. In addition, a knitted hat covered the top of her eyes while a muffler hid the bottom half of her face. Supporting that body dressed in such an unreal fashion was a crutch.

What’s more, there was a butterfly sitting atop her shoulder which exuded light.

It was a glossy silver morpho butterfly—resembling insect, excluding the fact that its wings did not lose its brilliance even when the full moon was blocked by the clouds.

“Wha-… Who… Who are you…?”

The security guard barely managed to spit those words out.

The girl did not pay him any heed, only continuing to look downwards. All of a sudden, her gaze sharpened.

I found you—.

Under the muffler, the girl smiled.

Her sight was fixed on the shadows weaving around the dim back alley. There was more than one shadow. Behind a human-shaped shadow, a big mass was chasing after it.

Suddenly, her sight was distorted.

“…! Kuh…”

Losing strength in her knees, she lost her sense of balance.

There’s… no more time—.

Her body groaning, she lurched over.

“Aah!”

The security guard’s gasp immediately became distant.

Her swaying body had fallen off the rooftop and was headed straight for the ground. She felt the sensation of floating for a moment before gravity took over, the wind assaulting her ears noisily.

If I just hit the floor like this, would I be released from it all…?

Seeing the ground approach her as if in slow-motion, that thought went through her mind.

Perhaps it’s not that bad to just disappear into the night like this.

Be it this life. Or this dream.

She would probably just disappear just like that, leaving behind nothing cleanly. It was not like there would be anyone who would mourn her disappearance anyway. In the first place, there were always no one around her—.

She grasped the crutch in her right hand.

Silver light spilled out from the girl falling to the ground.

The morpho butterfly burst into a mass of feelers which wrapped around the girl. The feelers slid inside her clothing and fused with her body. Between the gaps of the hat and muffler, a silver pattern could be seen on her cheeks.

The girl revelled in the moment when they fused. In that moment, her battered and spent body would be revitalised, and it felt like an unknown power overflowed from within her.

The morpho butterfly’s feelers also engulfed the crutch, morphing it into a silver spear taller than the girl itself and its four wings turning into blades.

“…!”

Sensing a presence above him, the person on the ground looked up.

His age was around that of the girl, in his early teens. He was a smart looking boy, unsuited to the darkness of the back alley in the middle of the night.

But the boy was not alone. Right at his back was a gigantic monster—running on its eight wriggling legs, it was a creature with a huge carapace. With long and thin folded wings, its outline resembles a longhorn beetle. As if attuned to the boy, the monster turned its head towards the sky.

Without sparing a look at the boy, the girl swung the spear at the monster.

“Wha—”

The boy’s astonished gasp was drowned out by the sound of an explosion.

The spear was swung down with the momentum of the girl’s fall. The impact fragmented the asphalt ground, scattering silver scales in all directions. The back alley was hit by the aftershocks, causing the glass windows on both sides to shatter successively.

“Uu… aah…!”

After the explosion died off, only the boy’s cries of pain resounded in the back alley.

The girl’s figure gradually appeared from within the cloud of dust. Facing the girl approaching him, the boy retreated backwards with a look of fear.

By the side of the boy clutching his chest in pain, the remains of half the body of the gigantic longhorn beetle was leaking bodily fluid. —Any damage inflicted on a Mushi would be reflected onto its host’s psyche. The girl knew of this fact more than anyone else.

“What are… you…? The same as me, a Mushitsuki…?”

Having been attacked out of nowhere, the boy fell into panic. He groaned at the sight of the silver spear.

“…”

The girl did not reply, instead she raised her spear. Seeing that, the boy’s face turned stiff.

“Stop—”

She swung the spear from down up, releasing a wave of silver scales. The wave passed by the side of the boy, engulfing the writhing Mushi.

“!”

The boy bent over backwards. Without even the time to look at the Mushi that had been blown away without a trace, he collapsed onto the ground on his knees. All signs of life disappeared from his face, and his eyes turned into glassy orbs that stared at the ground.

He was not dead. However, he did not seemed alive either. Looking down at him, the girl bit her lips.

“It’s not him either…”

In the aftermath of the explosion, a siren could be heard. It seems that after the explosion incident the other day, the speed of response has been hastened.

The silver feelers separated from the girl’s body, coalescing into the shape of a morpho butterfly again which rested on her shoulder.

“…Haah, haah…”

With the assimilation cancelled, the girl was hit by a wave of powerlessness.

Her breathing turned ragged and she had to support her staggering body with the crutch. She felt deep frustration at her weak body that could not even stand on its own.

There wasn’t any sense of guilt however.

Rather, looking down on the boy, a feeling similar to resentment seethed in her heart.

“Even living on in that state… is a reason to rejoice, isn’t it.”

Turning back with a flutter of her white coat, she left the area.

The howl of a cat could be heard coming from someplace.

Part 1

Mushi—.

Infesting young boys and girls, they were a mysterious existence that feeds on the hopes and dreams of their host in order to grow.

They were labelled Mushi as such due to the fact that their external appearance resembled insects. Despite the government’s official refutation of such existence, witness testimonies of sightings since ten years ago had cemented a deep fear in the hearts of the populace.

In exchange for feasting on the host’s dream, the Mushi grants them inexplicable powers. The more the host uses the power of the Mushi, the more their dream is devoured, eventually leading to their death. Rarely, a Mushi which has completely consumed the dream of its host will mature, gaining its own will and going on a rampage. On the other hand, Mushitsuki whose Mushi were killed turns into a Fallen, an empty shell lacking will and emotions—.

To die from having their dreams completely consumed, or to become a Fallen from having their Mushi killed. With only the possibilities of these two endings, there remains no proof of the existence of Mushitsuki. Still, with the increase in sightings, the negative views towards Mushitsuki only proliferates one-sidedly.

“Haah… Haah…”

A light metal sound resounded in the dark room with a kara.

There was only one bed in Akamaki Central General Hospital room 3F300. A typical hospital room housed two to four patients, and only this room was special. In addition to the high-class bed and large screen television, there was also a large bookshelf brought in for her.

Entering the room through the window, she then unfused from the morpho butterfly. To climb up into a room three storeys high with just the flesh body would have been an impossible feat, no matter how athletic one was.

The crutch rolled on the floor with a karan.

Without even turning on the lights, she reached out for a glass bottle on the shelf next to the pillow. Taking out three tablets, she off-handedly swallowed them.

“Haah…”

She could feel her heartbeat relaxing.

She removed her hat, muffler and other clothing roughly, tossing them into the closet. She then dressed herself in the hospital garb left on the bed instead.

Walking to the basin, she grabbed the cup and pitcher. Just as she was about to drink some water, she froze.

She saw her reflection in the mirror.

Her face in the mirror lit up by the faint moonlight was deathly pale. No matter how tired she was from hunting, the sharp look in her eyes did not look like it belonged to a thirteen years-old girl. Seeing the animosity reflected in her gaze, she thought of the hostile cat and the frightened security guard.

Averting her eyes from the mirror, she gulped down the contents of the cup in one go.

“Looks like it wasn’t the right one tonight either, Mari.”

The figure of a young man appeared in the mirror. He was seated in the visitor’s seat in front of the shelf. Just a moment ago, the seat had been empty.

“…”

However, she—Hanashiro Mari, was not the least surprised.

The lanky young man was dressed in a doctor’s white coat. Under his unkempt hair, his calm eyes looked into Mari’s.

“Are you going to continue this? Akamaki City is the headquarters of a certain organisation after all. They would not remain silent about this.”

Ignoring the young man, Mari went straight to lie down on the bed.

“Besides, the Mushi of Elvioréne are innumerable… please, just stop. Even if you manage to find the Mushitsuki of your objective—the Undying Mushitsuki, what would it even do for you?”

The young man’s tone was tinged with a trace of anger. No, it may have been sadness instead. Either way, Mari knew that his words were definitely heartfelt.

“Mari…?”

The young man asked inquisitively. He must have realised that Mari was just laughing in silence.

It wouldn’t do a thing for me after all, that’s right—.

It was just as he said.

For someone like me who can’t even see through the continuation of my dream…

On the verge of closing her eyelid, she saw the sorrow in his eyes.

Still smiling, Mari fell into slumber.

—The next morning.

“So you took these tablets again.”

It seems like she was in quite a deep sleep.

To Mari who had just woken up, the luminosity of the morning rays caused her to narrow her eyes. The discrepancy between her having just fallen asleep and the arrival of daybreak made her felt groggy.

Her attending doctor was by the side of the bed. He was holding the glass bottle which contained the tablets.

“Although this medicine will ease the pain by prohibiting the contraction of your blood vessel, it is not recommended to take so many—”

Mari rubbed her eyes and looked at the visitor’s seat.

Obviously, the young man from last night was not there.

“…”

Looking at the Mari who was just staring out of the window mutely, the middle-aged attending doctor gave a small sigh. From his attitude, one could tell the difficulty he had with handling Mari.

Mari had been admitted to this hospital for over one year. The reason for her stay was due to complications from a heart attack, a congenital heart problem she had since young. Since last autumn, she had rarely even left the hospital premises. Notwithstanding her primary school graduation ceremony, she also did not attend the entrance ceremony for the prestigious Horusu Seijou Academy at which she was due to enter.

Mari’s family, the Hanashiro house was a head family with many followers in business and politics who practised flower arrangement. The VIP room which Mari was in depicted their prestige and tremendous financial wealth. As a matter of fact, with the Hanashiro house a major investor in the hospital, the attending doctor would not dare getting on Mari’s bad side even by mistake.

Also, the main reason why he had so much trouble dealing with Mari was because she knew her own body’s condition.

As a result of the assortment of drugs that she had to take, her organs were severely weakened. Furthermore, due to the hardening of her arteries, no one knew when her heart would just stop—.

“Preferably, you should reduce the use of this medicine so as to allow your body’s immune system to recover. This way, you will also be able to discharge sooner. Let’s work together to make that happen.”

With a smile, the attending doctor said in a placating tone. Even though his tone was somewhat awkward, he was truly concerned for Mari and was definitely not a bad doctor.

“…”

However, Mari continued to stare out of the window wordlessly.

Sighing again, the attending doctor left the room saying, ‘I’ll be back again in the afternoon.’

Once more, Mari’s morning began with emptiness.

Boredom can kill a person—who was it who said that.

There was nothing ahead of the day for Mari, having repeated day after days. Her day was only punctuated by medication time and consultations, followed by lights out. Due to the need for her to be hospitalised to recuperate, she did not manage to make any friends in primary school. Furthermore, she had yet to even step foot into her middle school since she was enrolled. As such, there was not a single soul who would come to visit her. As for her parents, they were so busy socialising and managing their practice that they only showed their faces occasionally in the hospital.

Having lived this life for days, then months and now for a year, she could not imagine there being any change to this situation.

However, when was it that such unmoving, boring and empty days have changed?

“…”

From the slightly ajar window, a pair of silver-coloured wing reflecting the morning sun approached.

It was the morpho butterfly.

The one who granted Mari her Mushi—it was none other than the young man in the white coat who was seated next to Mari right now.

“Here’s a new book, Mari.”

Out of nowhere, the young man appeared with a smile holding a book out to Mari.

The sudden appearance of the young man was no longer a surprise to Mari.

“This is the original work of the latest popular drama. It’s fine to read something like this occasionally, isn’t it?”

Facing the young man with a mischievous smile on his face, Mari pondered.

—Why is it that he can still smile like that?

Mari first met the young man just a few months ago. —Despite the tedious, repetitive days, these past few months had passed very fast.

After meeting Mari and turning her into a Mushitsuki, he had also imparted to her considerable knowledge about the Mushi.

Mari did not hate him for turning her into a Mushitsuki, for she knew that he had suffered as much as she did. Also, like Mari, he just lived waiting for the ‘end’ to come.

“Recently, there has been a surge in this kind of stories, these somewhat tragic love stories. However, there are still plenty of fun parts around…”

Ever since she met him, Mari’s days have changed.

For Mari who had lived her life without a single purpose, she now had one thing to look forward to.

Night-time—.

Mari looked forward to the late night.

Night was when she had the freedom to run and jump around, to use her brimming strength to do whatever she wants. In addition to this freedom, she had an objective to fulfil at the same time.

“It’s fine for today. …Pass me that book.”

Mari said, holding out her hand out of the window. The morpho butterfly then rested on her pallid arm.

“That book again?”

With a bitter smile, the young man inserted the book into the bookshelf. In exchange, he took out a thin book.

It was a picture book titled, “Potion of Magic”. Mari took the book from the young man and placed it by the pillow, turning to her sides.

“I’m going to sleep.”

In preparation for night-time, Mari needed to preserve as much of her stamina as possible. Even if her body was strengthened from fusing with the morpho butterfly, the energy to move still came from herself.

“…How is your research coming along?”

After lying on the bed for a while, Mari asked. Even though she could not sense his presence, Mari knew that the young man was still seated next to her.

“It was just finished the day before yesterday. Despite how I look, I’m a pretty outstanding apprentice, you know? Although I’ll be leaving this hospital where I met you… whenever I have time, I’ll come by to see you.”

“Is that so…”

Her voice sounded like it was coming from afar. Soon after, she felt her eyelids became heavy.

In the midst of a light sleep while waiting for night to approach, Mari’s consciousness drifted in the interstice between reality and dream.

The colourless landscapes of the past flowed past her mind before disappearing into nothingness.

—She had met the mysterious young man clad in a white coat during a summer day with clear skies.

With the reason that air-conditioning was poison to the body, the windows were fully opened, allowing the cries of cicadas to enter the room. That was when he appeared in front of Mari who was gazing at the fluttering curtains.

He wore a long white coat covering his entire body, something she thought did not suited him at that time. With a head of unkempt hair, one could not leave the impression of a student from him.

From the words of the attending doctor who brought him along, he was just a research resident fresh out of university, in other words, an apprentice. Mari thought that he had been brought along to act as a conversation partner for her, who led an uneventful life at the hospital. In actual fact, she knew that his role was to study Mari’s rare illness.

—Would you please tell me your name?

He should have already known her name from the patient chart, but what annoyed her even more was how his wording sounded as if he was speaking to a child.

—It’s Patricia.

Mari spitted out in displeasure.

What Mari depended on to stave off her boredom day after days was a large collection of books. Patricia was the name of the heroine that appeared in the book “Potion of Magic”, a picture book translated from an overseas fairy tale.

The content of the story was as follows.

A witch visited Patricia who had fallen sick.

The witch offered her two kinds of potion; one made by an angel, and the other by a devil.

If she drank the angel’s potion, in exchange for losing her loved one, her sickness would be cured and she would be able to live a long life.

On the other hand, her sickness would not be cured if she drank the devil’s potion, but her loved one would always be by her side.

Even at her deathbed, Patricia was still undecided.

If she chose the angel’s potion, everybody would lose their memories of her. And in return, she would live to a ripe old age, released from the fear of death.

However, if she drank the devil’s potion—.

In the end, Patricia drank the devil’s potion.

And so, she left the world. Even so, her loved ones would often visit her grave.

No matter how hard Mari thought, she could never figure out why did Patricia chose as such.

If she was Patricia, she would have chosen the angel’s potion without hesitation. As long as her illness was cured, she would not have to face the fear of death creeping up on her.

Why did Patricia pick the devil’s potion?

Not knowing the answer to this question, Mari read the picture book time after times—.

—Patricia…?

The young man was surprised.

His reaction was obvious. She did not think that he had read the picture book before, and he would not have expected that a young man who just recently graduated such as himself would be ridiculed by a girl much younger than him.

She saw the young man taking a peek at her bookshelf.

That was where she had kept the picture book.

—Do you understand Patricia’s feeling?

He asked with a bitter smile.

At his unexpected words, Mari was speechless.

Till now, Mari still did not understand the true intent behind Patricia’s choice.

—It’s fine even if you don’t know. Take your time to slowly look for the answer. That’s because you are different from Patricia, you still have a long road ahead of you.

From that day on, the young man would visit Mari whenever he had some free time. He would visit even when there were deep shadows around his eyes, probably due to a lack of sleep from spending his time in research.

At first, she thought that he was visiting her out of a sense of mission as a doctor. It would not take long for a young resident to sympathise with Mari’s situation.

He would talk about various things from his research to about books. At first, he would ramble on and on by himself. Eventually, Mari began to exchange a few words with him as well.

Be that as it may that a doctor’s mission was to save their patients, Mari was perplexed over why did he cared so much for her.

However, before long, she knew the reason after hearing about his secret.

That was because of how he could see himself in her, similarly bound by the threads of destiny which they could never escape.

—Mari. What is your dream?

Being asked that question, Mari answered unwaveringly. She had already heard from him the consequence of answering that question.

—I want… to live.

Biting her lips, Mari croaked out a voice that trailed off. That was the first time that she had revealed her tears in front of him. Also, that would be the first and the last time that he held Mari in his arms.

—Then, live on. Let us live on and see the continuation of the dream…

And so, Mari became a Mushitsuki.

Then, he told Mari about various things.

About the Mushi. About the existences known as the Original Three. And also, about the Mushitsuki known as Kusuriya Daisuke.

—He is strong. Even as he hesitates, he knows that he must continue. Although I have never actually met him… by all means, I want you to meet him.

Although the young man went out of his way to mention him, Mari had absolutely no interest in that person. She thought somewhere in her mind that she would never meet that person.

More so than him, Mari was interested in a certain Mushitsuki borne by Elvioréne—dubbed Oogui by a certain organisation, an existence that gave rise to Mushitsuki.

The Mushitsuki with the attribute of Undeath.

The existence of such Mushitsuki is closely intertwined with that of Oogui’s. As such, they are someone that Mari must defeat eventually no matter what—.

“…”

The outside of the window was that of darkness.

The bedside lamp lit up the last page of the “Potion of Magic” propped up at the side of the bed.

Mari closed the picture book.

Looking at the wall clock, it was currently one o'clock deep in the night.

Mari got off the bed and opened the closet. She retrieved the white coat hidden at the back of the closet and swapped out of her hospital garb.

After covering her face with the knitted hat and muffler, she approached the window which exposed the blackness of the night.

“Please stop this already, Mari.”

The young man’s voice came from her back.

At a corner of the seemingly empty room, a familiar young man in a white coat stood. As usual, there had been no sound of the door opening.

“Didn’t you promise me? To see the continuation of your dream together—”

“At the very least, I am aware of the condition of my body.”

Mari cut into the words of the young man.

“Please just let me do what I want in the end.”

“It’s not the end. You are still…”

Mari ignored his words. When she opened the window, silver light entered the room.

The morpho butterfly landed on Mari’s shoulder and transformed. Its feelers fused with her body as well as turning the crutch in her right hand into a silver spear.

She felt strength fill her entire body. But at the same time, she felt something at the depths of her heart being eroded.

“Also, didn’t you say so. That Mushitsuki… if it’s me, then it might be possible to defeat that Undying Mushitsuki. Apart than me, who else could?”

She had spoken without her true intentions. The reason why Mari was searching for the Undying Mushitsuki was definitely not to defeat him.

The young man scarcely choked out some words.

“Even so, there is no reason for you to have to deal with it…!”

“The one who gave me this strength was you. That’s why you have a responsibility to watch over me till the end.”

Without giving him an opportunity to reply, Mari jumped off the window from three storeys high unhesitatingly.

“Mari!”

Following the sound of slicing through the wind, Mari landed on both of her legs with a fierce impact. With her legs strengthened by the combination with her Mushi, she immediately broke into a run after her landing.

Running across the silent hospital premises, she jumped right over the fence.

Once again tonight, a silver bullet traced around Akamaki City under the moonlight.

Part 2

As usual, Mari’s morning began with emptiness again today.

“Your complexion does not look very good, you should get some more sleep.”

The attending doctor mentioned, looking at the glass bottle on the shelf. Apart from his usual sigh upon noting that the number of tablets has decreased, he had nothing to add.

The sound of the door closing seemed to ring especially loud in the silent room.

“…”

Mari’s chest-length hair fluttered in the wind blowing through the window.

Last night’s hunt did not bore any fruit as well.

Unable to find the Mushitsuki of interest, she had just turned another Mushitsuki into a Fallen.

In the room devoid of people, the sound of Mari grinding her molars reverberated.

If his words are true, then he must be in Akamaki City… yet why can’t I find him!

Putting strength into her fingers, she dug into the sheets.

The answer had been apparent to her. Just the number of Mushitsuki alone are already much lesser than that of the residents of the city, and to find a specific person from within such a small group would be a nigh impossible task.

Mari’s morpho butterfly had the ability to sense other Mushitsuki. If not for that, it would have been impossible to search for Mushitsuki in the first place.

Despite this natural conclusion, Mari could not bear the frustration. Even though she had not expected it to be an easy task, the impasse caused her to be extremely chagrined.

Mari sunk into the bed, covering her head with the blanket. Irritation and impatience shook throughout her body.

“Mari.”

A voice called out.

She was no longer surprised by now. The young man in the white coat appeared out of thin air seated on the visitor’s seat.

“Why don’t you at least take a break for tonight and not go out? At this rate—”

“There’s time no left!”

She bellowed unexpectedly loudly from under the sheet. She could hear the young man gasp.

That’s right. I do not have much longer.

The days of emptiness and boredom were coming to an end. Mari felt that clearly.

She shuddered heavily. It was different from the trembling due to irritation earlier. Unconcealable terror and unease ate into her, causing her to cling onto the sheet shivering.

“I can feel the strength slowly sapping away from my body! More so yesterday than the day before yesterday, more so today than yesterday…! Surely tomorrow would only be worse! Just what is with this body! What is it so broken and tattered! Why is it only me…!”

Mari’s words broke down into weeping.

I’m afraid.

Afraid of dying.

I fear that I’ll just disappear like that without leaving anything behind, without anyone knowing and without anyone remembering me.

Like that, it’s as if I did not exist in the first place—.

The thoughts that went through her mind caused chills to run down her back.

I don’t want that… I’m right here. Hanashiro Mari is right here.

The more she thought, the more she could feel the despair creeping up on her.

I’m right here… in this small room where no one comes, no one knows about…

Those words did not come out. The anger which has transformed into fear causing her to shudder now turned into sadness. Under the blanket where light does not reach, only Mari’s sobbing sounds leaked.

I want to become Patricia… I don’t want to die yet…

If Mari was the protagonist of the fairy tale, she would have chosen the angel’s potion.

It was not like she had anyone precious anyway. There were also no one who cherished her as well. If so, wouldn’t it at least be fair for her to be freed from the fear and unease of death? Despite there being so many people who were enjoying their life unknowing of her suffering outside the windows from which she could see—.

“…Someone give me the angel’s potion… please…”

Mari pleaded hoarsely.

“…”

The young man did not say anything. She could easily imagine him gnashing his teeth in exasperation at his own lack of power. But, just that would not bring any salvation to Mari at all.

“Hey… please…”

Mari’s groans reverberated in the empty room.

—While in the midst of crying, Mari fell into slumber.

She awoke to the light knocking on the door.

“…”

Mari lifted her blanket and raised her upper body.

It was probably just a consultation by the attending doctor, she thought. Usually he would just enter without making any noise. She made sure that there were no more traces of tears on her cheeks and confirmed that the young man was not around.

After crying out loud when she had felt like crying, she felt much more at peace now.

No, she could still only feel a void in her chest.

—In the end, what would happen will eventually happen. That’s all.

Narrowing her eyes, she gazed at the scenery beyond the window. The figures of the birds soaring through the sky appear faded through her eyes.

As she waited, she heard another knock.

“…?”

Mari creased her eyebrows. If it was as usual, the attending doctor would have just entered without waiting for Mari’s permission.

Then, she could hear someone muttering from behind the door.

“Maybe she’s sleeping… if so, I’d feel bad to wake her up just because I came. After all, first impressions are the most important… no no, it’s not like I’m here for a matchmaking or anything…”

Mari raised her eyebrows even more.

What…? What is outside the door?

“It can’t be, could she have collapsed… no no no, that can’t be… but, but, in the off chance that that’s so then I can’t be waiting here!”

Thinking that the voice started to turn urgent, all of a sudden, the door opened violently with a paan.

“…”

Mari stared at the rare visitor in amazement.

“…”

Still holding onto the door handle, the visitor gawked back at Mari.

“……”

With the two staring at each other, an awkward silence descended between them.

…Who…?

Mari’s mind was filled with many question marks. But, they were all blown away right after.

“…Hello!”

As if trying to hide her eccentric behaviour, the girl exclaimed with a large smile on her face.

Mari could only stare back at that unblemished smile without making a word in return.

That was the first meeting between Mari and that girl, Ichinokuro Arisu.

“Erm…”

That was all Mari could squeeze out. She could not even comprehend what was happening at the moment.

I think you got the wrong room—.

Before Mari could say that, the girl just entered the room without her approval. Carrying a bouquet of flowers, she looked around the room curiously before walking briskly to the basin.

“I thought that you might have collapsed so I just entered thoughtlessly, but I’m glad to see that you seem to be in good health. I did wanted to get something other than flowers, but a fruit basket seemed to be too commonplace so I decided not to. So, please tell me your request today, then you can look forward to it the next time. I’ll leave these flowers here, okay. In any case, that sure is a peculiar flower vase.”

“…”

She moved around while talking to her heart’s content, not minding Mari who was too stunned to do anything.

Whether it was the fact that Mari was currently hospitalised as she was not in good health, or that the ‘vase’ wasn’t a vase but a water pitcher, the girl’s overwhelming presence brilliantly swept them all aside. Even the fact that the way she arranged the flower made it look like an unspeakable horror to Mari who practised flower arrangement since young did not seem to register in her.

With nimble and lively movements, her healthy and youthful looks was dazzling. Her long glossy hair extended beyond her neck, looking as smooth as silk. Her stature was smaller than that of Mari and she wore the uniform of a certain school.

“Erm…?”

Mari began to feel slight annoyance at this girl who was walking around the room as if it was her own, ignoring the owner of the room. Creasing her eyebrows, she repeated in a stronger tone.

Finally, the girl released a breath of relief as though she had completed her work. She then sat down the visitor’s seat without permission and faced Mari with a smile.

Her worriless smile and big eyes seemed to suck the dejection out of Mari.

“Nice to meet you, Hanashiro Mari-san.”

Mari widened her eyes. It seems like she had not entered the room mistakenly.

“I am Ichinokuro Arisu. Your classmate, the first seat number among the girls.”

At those words, Mari remembered.

The uniform worn by the girl called Arisu was none other than that of Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School. The uniform that Mari had not had a single chance to put on ever since enrolling.

At her sudden self-introduction, Mari was flustered.

“Ichinokuro… Arisu?”

Mari repeated the name of the girl. Even so, she did not recall that name. After all, she had not attended school for even a day.

Mari swept aside the hair coverings her eyes with her finger. She glanced at her knees as though to avert from Arisu’s gaze.

Why did she… come here? We have never even met before, right…?

It had been a long time since she met someone of her age, as well as to speak face-to-face like this. Mari realised that she found it hard to deal with such unfamiliar visitor.

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

In contrast to Mari’s disappearing voice, Arisu was smiling happily.

“I know. That’s why, nice to meet you.”

Arisu grasped Mari’s restless hand with both of her hands, causing Mari to jerked back her shoulders in surprise.

“…”

Mari glanced at Arisu’s face timidly and she looked back with a grin.

There was no way Mari could win against her. Giving in with a smile, Mari muttered in a soft voice.

“…Nice to meet you too.”

Arisu beamed when she heard that. Just slightly, she looked relieved.

According to Arisu, she had always been concerned about Mari who had not turned up even once since school started. She was curious about just what kind of person was Mari, who had not appeared even after two semesters.

“But, why did you come all of a sudden…?”

In response to her question, Arisu was hesitant for the first time.

“That is… there was a transfer student.”

“Transfer student?”

“And then, it was decided that the student would use your desk.”

Mari widened her eyes. She seemed to hear something in her heart crack.

She smiled sadly.

No one knew of my existence… No one even remembers me.

The scene materialised in her mind. A long vacant seat being occupied by somebody else, returning the classroom to a state where students chat happily—that is indubitably the scene of the original classroom where Mari did not exist.

It is as if I did not belong anywhere from the very beginning—.

Her hands gripping the sheets trembled.

“But, don’t worry! After I strongly protested to the teacher, they agreed to provide a new set of desk and seat for that student!”

Arisu said forcefully.

Mari raised her head in astonishment.

“Eh…?”

“After all, it’s weird if you think about it. Even if you were missing for a while, you are still one of our classmates. To take away one of our classmate’s seat like that, that I absolutely cannot agree with!”

“…”

Raw emotions rised up from Mari’s chest, dyeing her vision completely white.

She was one of their classmates—Arisu had stated that unquestionably.

Arisu prattled on passionately along with some hand gestures, not seeming to notice Mari who was struck speechless. She spoke about how she had argued with the teacher, as well as the voices of the other students who agreed with her. And how she then thought of coming to visit her, along with her indecisiveness when it came to choosing the flowers to her internal conflict on whether to open the door or not. She also shared how she had rehearsed repeatedly in her heart so as to not appear rude when meeting her for the first time.

Mari was so overwhelmed by Arisu that from the start till the end, she could only answer with either ‘yes’ or ‘is that so…’.

Their strange one-sided conversation continued until the nurse came in to inform Arisu that visitation hours were over.

“Is it okay if I come tomorrow too?”

Standing up from the chair, Arisu enquired forthrightly.

“Eh…”

Mari was confused and could only hem and haw. To this question which she had heard for the first time, she could not think of how to answer her.

“You… don’t have to come if you’re not free…”

She answered unconsciously in a soft voice. Irritation and an unfamiliar peculiar feeling rocked her heart.

Anyway, she only came here out of politeness—.

Mari placed her hands on her chest, trying to suppress her conflicting emotions. Arisu looked on curiously.

“Why? There’s no problem on my side. If so, then see you tomorrow.”

Leaving those words, Arisu left.

In her place, the attending doctor arrived. After the usual consultation, he left with a ‘good night’.

As the time for lights out came, the room was wrapped in darkness.

However, Mari was not in the mood to sleep.

Just what is that girl…?

Even after Arisu had left and even during the consultation, Mari was in a state of slight panic.

Visiting from out of nowhere and then saying whatever she wants. Mari could not understand in the least what were Arisu’s true intentions or objective. Why would she come to visit someone whom she had never met ever before? Why did she spoke with her so familiarly?

“Ichinokuro… Arisu.”

Without realising it, she said the name of that girl out loud.

“Looks like someone came to visit you.”

“…!”

From who knows when, the young man in white coat was sitting on the visitor’s seat. Although already used to his sudden appearance, his abrupt arrival caused Mari who was deep in thought to stiffen.

“Aren’t you glad, Mari.”

The young man gave her a smile.

Mari could feel her cheeks heating up. Turning to the other side of the bed, she averted from his gaze.

“There’s nothing to be glad about…!”

“Why not? Aren’t you happy?”

“Happy? …That’s obviously not the case.”

Saying so, Mari realised the reason for the irritation that half-filled her heart.

“I was portraying to her a side of me that looks fine…! In any case, it’s not like that girl came here to visit me for anything other than pity!”

Her face twisting, Mari said harshly.

In her eyes, the figure of Arisu was very dazzling.

But on the other hand, Mari was certain that in the eyes of Arisu, she was only a target of pity. She was pained by anger and frustration when she thought about things like that.

If only I was like that girl—.

Mari could feel somebody whispering in her heart. But, she did not want to admit that that was just her true feelings, as doing so only made her felt more mortified.

“I’m sure all she felt was pity… seeing someone like me, an unfortunate classmate…”

Spitting out those words, she bit her lips.

Did Arisu only felt pity towards her?

Those large black eyes. Did they even see Mari with such gaze of pity even once?

The more Mari questioned herself, the more irritated she felt about herself who can’t help but think pessimistically.

“Wouldn’t it be great if she came back again.”

“Not like she would come again—”

Retorting reflexively, she was suddenly struck by a coughing fit.

She quickly raised her body, reaching for the water pitcher. But, right before she grasped it, her hands stopped.

“Kh…”

“I guess you can’t drink it like this.”

The young man burst into laughter.

The water pitcher was stuffed with flowers that were in disarray, with no thoughts to balance or colours.

Her face blushed red, Mari curled up on the bed.

Even as the night grew deeper, Mari was yet to be struck by sleepiness. In her mind, her conversation with Arisu repeated vividly, winding back to the start whenever it ended.

Still one of our classmates—.

“That’s right, I still have a place of belonging… right here…”

Mari muttered repeatedly till the early morning, when her consciousness was transported to the land of dreams.

By the time she woke up, the sun was already high up in the sky.

The midday sun’s ray blew away her sleepiness at once.

“As it looked like you were having a good sleep, the morning check-up has been skipped.”

The attending doctor who accompanied the nurse serving lunch said so with a smile. He was looking at the glass bottle on the shelf, which contents had not decreased since yesterday.

“…”

As time passed, Mari could feel her temper rising. Having used up more energy thinking about needless things, she managed to finish up her lunch cleanly despite not being able to finish even half usually.

It was now afternoon.

The young man in a white coat appeared out of nowhere as usual next to Mari who was reading the “Potion of Magic”.

“Your complexion looks better today.”

“What do you mean by better, there’s no such thing. Thanks to a certain somebody, I even forgot to go out last night. Even though I don’t even have a single day to waste…”

“I wonder if that somebody would come today?”

The hand turning the page came to abrupt stop. In the first place, Mari’s head was in the clouds and she could not absorb the contents of the book.

In fact, that was all Mari had been thinking about. She already knew that it was futile to expect anything, and that the more she looked forward to it, the more disappointed she would feel when she did not come. In that case, it would be for the best if she did not expect her to come in the first place.

“Didn’t I already say that she would not come? Yesterday’s visit would have been more than enough to satisfy her. By now, she have probably already forgotten cleanly about me.”

“Is that so?”

“How many times do you want me to say it.”

For a while, Mari and the young man’s squabble continued.

She’s here.

Unaware of the internal struggles in Mari’s heart, she appeared right on time as if it was completely natural.

A knock came from the door.

The figure of the young man immediately disappeared, leaving behind only Mari alone.

Another knock rang out to the stiffened Mari. And then, a voice came from beyond the door.

“…Maybe she’s still sleeping… It wouldn’t do for me to wake her up. But, but, what if…”

If this continues, the door would be flung open violently again in repetition of yesterday.

I wonder if she’s trying to repeat this routine everyday—.

Mari thought while watching the door in a daze.

Everyday—.

As Mari closed the picture book,, the various dissonances in her heart vanished as though they were just illusions.

As she watched on, the door sprang open explosively.

“Good afternoon.”

Mari greeted Arisu who burst into the room with a smile.

She looked surprised for a moment, but immediately returned a smile.

“Good afternoon!”

Part 3

Taking a seat on the chair, Arisu began with, ‘I failed’.

“I completely forgot about taking your request yesterday. Do you have anything you want? I’ll definitely bring it along tomorrow.”

At the sudden mention of tomorrow, Mari was stumped.

“T-there’s nothing in particular…”

“Is that so? Well, it’s fine then. Just tell me whenever you have thought of something.”

“I-Ichinokuro-san…”

“Arisu.”

“Eh?”

“Saying Ichinokuro-san each time is a mouthful, isn’t it? So, you can just call me Arisu. I’ll call you by your last name too, okay, Mari?”

Mari alternated her gaze between Arisu’s face and her hands placed on top of her knees, while Arisu looked straight at her. Her unwavering gaze caused Mari to turn away to avoid meeting her eye.

“Arisu… Is it okay for you to be here?”

“It’s okay?”

“Don’t you have other things…”

“Aah, it’s fine since I’m pretty leisurely after school. My friends all have their own club activities, so I don’t have anyone else to hang out with anyway. There’s nothing to do even if I went home too.”

Arisu said as she changed the water in the pitcher. Mari wondered when would she finally notice that the pitcher was not a flower vase.

In response to Mari’s further questions, Arisu explained why she did not join any clubs.

Arisu described how due to an old custom that had continued from the olden time in her family, she underwent strict martial arts training every morning. Being very much fed up with that already, there was no way she would want to participate in additional strenuous exercises after school. Furthermore, she did not join any cultural arts club as she couldn’t stand being trapped in a room for anything.

“If Mari could come to school, what club would you join?”

At Arisu’s question, Mari fell silent.

Mari’s condition was so severe that she did not even know when could she attend school. She could not imagine how it would be like to spend time in school.

“I see you have lots of books. Since you like to read, how about the Reading club?”

Arisu approached the bookshelf. She took out the book, “Potion of Magic”, and started flipping through the pages.

All those books were just there for Mari to dispel her boredom. It was not that she particularly liked reading.

“I would love to be able to go outside every day. Whether it’s a picnic, or a trip… anyway, I just want to go somewhere far.”

She spoke out subconsciously.

Mari imagined in her mind.

She envisioned herself attending Horusu Seijou Academy, showing up for lessons and moving her body during physical education. To chat with friends after school and try her best during club activities. She wasn’t like Arisu, but she wouldn’t want to camp inside a cultural arts club either. She already had more than enough of being stuck in a room.

Arisu looked at Mari in blankness before revealing a cheery smile.

“Mari’s kind of strange.”

Those words had a momentous impact for Mari.

Str-… strange? Me?

“There’s no way clubs such as picnic club or travelling club exist.”

Arisu finished with a smile, unwittingly causing Mari to be annoyed.

Although Mari acknowledged that her preference may be different from others, she was still vexed to have Arisu point that out.

“Who… who are you to say, you’re the strange one.”

Mari fired back timid but barbed words.

This time, it was Arisu’s turn to be shocked. She leaned her body forward over the bed.

“What, seriously? I’m strange? What are you referring to? Let me tell you first, my height is clearly within the standard region, probably.”

Mari had been referring to how she had used the water pitcher as a vase, or how she always opened the door violently after having hastily come into her own conclusion, and how she generally did things at her own pace. It seems that the person herself had not realised that.

Arisu’s self-defense continued all the way till the end of visitation hours. Her main defense being that her classmates were way weirder than herself. Mari could only interject intermittenly as she listened to Arisu, but all she learnt from her words was that there was no one with as strong a personality as Arisu.

“You look much better today than yesterday, I’m quite relieved…”

Before Arisu left, she said so.

This surprised Mari, causing her chest to tighten. She unconsciously forced a smile to hide her shock.

“My condition… have its ups and downs…”

“You know what my friends said? They said that if someone like me came to visit, that might even cause your condition to worsen. Or so they say.”

Mari lifted her face.

“Tahaha, even though I know that was just a joke. But because of this personality, I was often told that I do not notice other people’s feelings. Perhaps I’m just being a bother.”

“T-that’s not…!”

Mari denied her reflexively. Seeing her flustered reaction, Arisu knew that she was just trying to console her.

“I’m glad. Well then, see you tomorrow.”

Waving her hands with a smile on her face, Arisu left the room.

See you tomorrow—.

Arisu’s last words echoed in Mari’s mind.

“…”

Mari stared at the door as it came to a stop.

Left alone in the quiet hospital room, the time she spent with Arisu just moments ago felt like it was just an illusion. The current state of the room in which only the sound of her breaths could be heard was the one she had been accustomed to.

It was time for the attending doctor to visit. Mari accepted the pre-sleep consultation as usual.

“Looks like you managed to make a friend.”

At the words of the middle-aged doctor, Mari was reminded that Arisu’s visit was not just an illusion.

After the attending doctor left, it was time for her to rest.

“…”

In the room where light slowly vanished, Mari stared at the ceiling while lying on the bed.

When the needle of the clock pointed to one o'clock, Mari descended from the bed. She couldn’t remember exactly what had she been thinking about the whole time.

She opened the closet and changed into the clothes she wore when hunting.

“Are you going again?”

The voice sounded right as Mari was about to descend from the window.

Turning around, she saw the young man in white coat standing in a corner.

“Shouldn’t you take a good rest and let your body recover? If you collapsed, the girl who visits you will be worried.”

“…That doesn’t matter.”

The morpho butterfly that appeared about the window merged with Mari. A silver pattern ran across her cheeks peeking through the hat and muffler. The gleaming spear lighted up Mari’s side profile.

“After all—”

She would stop coming once she was bored.

Those words remained stuck in her throat.

Why couldn’t she just honestly express her happiness? Wasn’t it her wish to be rid of loneliness?

Or could it be that she had been alone for such a long time that she had forgotten what it felt like to have someone around?

“…”

Biting back her lips, she turned away from the young man. Placing her hands on the window, she unhesitatingly leapt off.

The sound of the wind assaulted her ears. Bounded by gravity, she began to fall towards the ground.

She somehow absorbed the force of the landing with her enhanced legs, immediately breaking into a sprint across the hospital premises.

Jumping over the fence, she aimed for an alley far from human gaze and dashed inside.

Running through the night, she left her unnecessary thoughts in the wind.

Truthfully, the reason why Mari left the hospital room was to blow away her feelings of restlessness. But now that she was running about, she remembered her original goal.

I’ll find it tonight for sure… the Undying Mushitsuki…!

By thinking her objective out loud for herself, she finally drove away the thoughts about Ichinokuro Arisu.

I don’t have time to think about her… because there’s something that I must do no matter what!

She gripped the spear tighter.

The moonlight did not shine through tonight. Avoiding the main walkway, Mari eyed one of the multi-tenant building. Taking a big jump, she kicked off a rain gutter, caught onto the fence and did a somersault to arrive on the rooftop.

She spied the surroundings cautiously.

There was no sign of anybody. However, there was a prior visitor.

“So, we meet again.”

The black cat with a kinked tail puffed up its fur upon seeing Mari. Its characteristic tail indicated to Mari that it was the cat she saw on a different building the other day.

“Just how many homes do you have…?”

Mari quietly questioned the cat. But, the black cat only expressed its enmity before promptly running away. That made her feel a bit lonely, and also somewhat guilty for rousing it from its slumber.

“…”

The morpho butterfly separated from Mari as she saw the cat off. As a sense of lethargy immediately hit her, she sat down on the rooftop.

All I have to do now is to wait.

Hugging her knees, Mari waited motionlessly. As she sat there doing nothing, her thoughts naturally drifted to that of Arisu.

I see—.

Mari realised the reason for her confusion in her heart.

There had been no reason to the whole time…

Up till now, Mari had always been all alone; she had never been as close with anyone else as she had with Arisu before. As the first experience of her lifetime, she had no idea about what to do or how to feel. In a certain sense, it was only to be expected that she would feel confused.

Burying her face in her knees, she thought to herself tranquilly.

What should I do from now onwards…

This was the first time that she had imagined a future apart from that of death. She wondered if Arisu would still come to visit her in that room? And if she did, how should she receive her?

Maybe someday, like that girl, I would be able to attend… to go to school together with her…

Tokun, tokun… she could hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

Perhaps due to her not having caught a wink of sleep during the daytime, Mari felt herself being pulled into the chasm between dreamscape and reality.

“!”

The morpho butterfly dancing in the night sky shone more intensely. Leaving silver aftertrails in the air, it danced around restlessly.

It’s here…!

Swiftly raising her head, she supported herself with the crutch.

“It seems like there’s a big catch tonight…”

Looking down on the ground, Mari saw a group of three youths walking down the back alley. She could see that they were walking while being vigilant about their surroundings. Straining her eyes, she could see small insects hovering about them as well.

Mari fused with the morpho butterfly. The shining spear conveyed to her the fact that those insects were more than they what seemed.

“One-versus-three, this’ll be the first time.”

A silver pattern running across her face, Mari grinned.

Her morpho butterfly was endowed with a sensor that can detect other Mushi. With this ability, Mari only had to wait for Mushitsuki to enter her net, such was her method of hunting.

She leapt off the rooftop.

“…!”

Sensing some movement, the three youths looked up.

That look of surprise on your faces, I’m already tired of looking at it—.

Mari brandished the spear coolly.

Let’s find out again… whether you guys are the Undying Mushitsuki or not!

It was the usual surprise attack, begetting the usual reaction. Except—.

“I-it appeared…!”

“Let Rina and the rest know…!”

“No, let’s defeat her here—”

Mari hesitated to swing her spear down for a second.

The response by the three youths felt different from the rest she had met. Three Mushi expanded in size and moved in to surround her.

A sharp gaze examined the three from within the muffler. In return, the youths watched for her movements anxiously. Among them, one was so gripped by fear that his body had completely stiffened up.

The three of them are Elvioréne’s Mushitsuki… but, these people—they said they were waiting for me?

Although they were surprised at Mari’s appearance, they did not fall into panic. It was obvious that they were expecting Mari to be hostile towards them.

“Are you guys from… the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau?”

Mari spoke her thoughts in a low voice.

“That voice… a girl?”

“You say we’re the SEPB?”

“Don’t lump us with those assholes!”

Shouting in anger, one of the Mushi reached out to attack Mari.

Apparently, they did not belong to them.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

According to the young man in white coat, it was a government agency which employs Mushitsuki to capture other Mushitsuki. To the best of her knowledge, there was no other organisation that was composed of Mushitsuki.

Mari deftly shook off the attack with her spear.

The silver scales released by the spear bisect the attacking Mushi. The resulting shockwave that swept past destroyed the surrounding walls of the building.

“Wha-…”

Witnessing the overwhelming difference in strength, the youths’ face paled. One of them, the owner of the Mushi which was just killed, collapsed with a look of agony on his face.

Looks like it’s not him either—.

Sparing a side glance at the fallen youth, Mari sighed in disappointment.

It did not matter to Mari at all who these youths were. There was only one thing left for her to confirm, that was whether or not one of them was the Mushitsuki of her objective.

“U…waaaa!”

“Damn it!”

Of the two left, one chose to attack. The remaining person having lost all his fighting spirit, turned his back towards Mari and ran away.

A gigantic Mushi swiped its claws at Mari. However, the huge claws which were almost as thick an adult’s body was stopped by the shaft of Mari’s spear.

“Fuu!”

From that postion, Mari swung the other end of the spear up below the Mushi. With the sound of something cracking, the huge body of the Mushi was blasted into the air.

Making a revolution with the spear, she thrusted the spear at the Mushi floating in the air.

Silver light enveloped the space.

The Mushi exploded into multiple pieces.

“Gah…!”

Revealing the whites of his eye, the youth crumbled on the ground.

It’s not him either…!

Mari directed her sharp gaze at the remaining youth who was escaping. Stomping off the ground, Mari chased the youth with incredible speed.

“Hii…!”

When he turned around, the youth let out a shriek. In a bid to protect its owner, the Mushi stood in her way and opened its huge mouthpiece to bite her.

Mari leapt off the ground, avoiding the attack. Kicking off the wall of the building with superhuman strength, she struck the side of the Mushi’s head with her spear.

“Uwaaa!”

It seems that the Mushi managed a frantic dodge. Although having avoided a direct hit, half of the Mushi’s body was blown away by the silver scales.

“Sto—”

The youth who had tumbled to the ground held his head with his hands and curled up. His Mushi having narrowly avoided death, he also barely escaped being turned into a Fallen.

“Stop… don’t kill my Mushi… please…”

Mari stopped in front of the youth. Taking a closer look, she found that the boy was even younger than her. He looked like he was barely a primary school student.

Mari swung the spear towards the Mushi which was still squirming.

But, at that moment.

—See you tomorrow.

Like a flash, Arisu’s smile crossed her mind.

“…!”

The spear stopped at the last second.

Why is that girl coming into my mind at a timing this…!

She looked at the boy on the ground in bewilderment.

“I don’t want to… forget everything… save me…”

Looking at his shivering figure, a single thought boiled over in Mari’s heart.

This boy too… may have promised to meet somebody tomorrow for all I know—.

She widened her eyes.

The strong feelings spouting from her chest shocked her more than anyone else. She had never felt this way before.

“Ah…?”

Still holding up her spear, she turned around to look behind her. Apart from the scars of carnage, there were the figures of two youths collapsed on the ground.

I… what have I been doing till now…?

The hand holding on to the silver spear trembled lightly.

In the search for the Undying Mushitsuki…

With her free left hand, she covered her face in a daze.

The trembling gradually grew stronger.

Mari had only intended to find the Mushitsuki of her objective. No matter how many she had turned into Fallen, she thought that they were still more well-off than herself as they were still alive. She thought that compared to the constant fear of dying she underwent, losing their emotions was merely a trivial matter.

However.

You are still one of our classmates—.

See you tomorrow—.

She recalled the conversations she had with Arisu.

I was wrong…? All their future… their dreams… I was the one who snatched it all away…?

“Aah… aah…”

Mari’s whole body shuddered.

She finally realised what was it that she had done. At the same time, a bottomless despair befell her.

All those people… like me… they had a future they were looking forward to…?

“Aaah…”

The groan leaking out of her mouth was covered by her left hand.

She did not even finish off the Mushi as she turned onto her back and ran away frantically.

I was the one… who deprived everything from them…?

Having turned a blind eye from all matters unrelated to herself, she had never realised the true consequences behind her actions.

The people who were turned into Fallen by Mari, if they had made a promise to meet the next day… what would happen to those who were waiting for their return?

The figure that came into her mind was, herself.

In a room where nobody ever comes, she saw the figure of herself as she waits amidst the emptiness and loneliness.

“Haah… haah…!”

Her heartbeat accelerated further and she felt like she could not breathe. Although she had never experienced a seizure when she was fused with the morpho butterfly, Mari could feel her body screaming.

“Haah! Haah!”

She ran all the way back to the hospital as if trying to escape. Jumping through the open window on the third floor, she entered her room.

The morpho butterfly unfused from Mari as if it was being ousted by her.

“Mari…?”

As usual, the young man in white coat was waiting for Mari’s return.

Without catching her breath, Mari reached out for the glass bottle on the shelf.

“Mari!”

The young man’s expression changed. Mari spilled countless tablets on her palm and swallowed them in one go. However, her heart palpitation would not slow.

“What are you doing…! That medicine…!”

Mari roughly shook off the hand which the young man placed on her shoulder. Not minding his presence, she took off the white coat and wrapped herself in the hospital garb.

“What in the world happened, Mari!”

Not even bearing heed to the young man, Mari dived into the bed. She threw the blanket over her head and stared into darkness. Even so, her heartbeat and the trembling of her body did not seem to settle down.

I… was the cause of many people’s loneliness…

Hugging her body, Mari’s quivering persisted throughout the night.

Part 4

“…”

In the hospital room suffused with the morning rays, Mari was gazing out of the window in a stupor.

She had not managed to sleep for even a second.

Although her body felt weak, her mental condition was in even greater disarray. Her thoughts were paralysed and she could not even think about anything at all.

As the time for morning consultation approached, the attending doctor came into the room. He may have seen the extreme drop in number of tablets in the glass bottle, causing him to have a look of startle on his face.

“I tried to pour one out, but many more spilled out… I threw away those which fell onto the ground.”

Still looking out of the window, Mari spoke lifelessly like a doll, only moving her mouth.

Although the attending doctor was further surprised when Mari spoke, he did not probe further. However, he did draw some blood which had never happened before.

After the attending doctor left, she felt a presence inside the devoid room.

“Why…”

Mari uttered.

“Why didn’t you stop me…? You already knew the consequence of what I did, didn’t you…?”

At Mari’s questions, the young man in white coat did not answer.

He had tried repeatedly to stop her.

He had always attempted to dissuade Mari from going out on her hunt. It was just that Mari had never lent an ear to him.

In the solemn room, time flowed ceaselessly.

When afternoon arrived, a knock sounded in the room where only Mari was around.

“…Come in.”

Mari welcomed the visitor with a smile.

“Good afternoon!”

It was Ichinokuro Arisu with the usual bright smile on her face. Mari smiled back to her.

“Guess what. Even though you didn’t have any special request, I feel bad coming empty-handed all the time. That’s why, today I brought something for you.”

Sitting on the visitor’s seat casually, Arisu held out a large bag.

“Thank you.”

While grinning happily, Mari gave her thanks.

I have no rights to meet with her… no rights to be waiting for her—.

With those thoughts, Mari no longer felt any unease when she welcomed Arisu unlike before.

Even if someday Arisu decides not to come anymore, I would not hate her. I wouldn’t feel sad either—.

After all, that’s only to be expected.

Having deprived other people of their engagements, Mari couldn’t be the only one to continue meeting Arisu. It was only fitting for her to be living in solitude as well.

“Wawaa, sorry!”

When Arisu opened the bag, the contents scattered all over the bed.

A large quantity of paper spilled before the surprised Mari. They were all dated, with the latest one bearing the title, ‘Notice on the recent frequent explosion incidents’.

“These are the letters of notice handed out by the school since the first semester. Mari didn’t receive a single one, right? See this, this was the previous cultural festival’s programme list. Our class did a cafe. And then those boys completely revealed their perverted side when we were choosing the costume—”

While collecting the paper sheets, Arisu explained.

“This is…?”

Mari held up a notebook she randomly plucked out from the mess.

“Ah, that’s not supposed to be here. That’s today’s Math assignment. I thought I’d start on it when I return home.”

“…Can I see it?”

“Eh? Sure, go ahead.”

Flipping through the pages, she looked at the questions under today’s date. Mari could understand the contents just barely even with her level of knowledge. In fact, the hardest part was trying to decipher that unique cursive handwriting.

“…Ah.”

Mari lifted her head.

Arisu had seized the notebook back from Mari. She closed the notebook wordlessly and place it back into her bag.

“Arisu?”

“…Sorry.”

Arisu closed her bag and stood up from the seat.

“Your complexion doesn’t look so good today. How to say it, you look like you’re suffering.”

At these words, Mari jerked in surprise. She had not slept a single wink last night, and she also barely touched her breakfast and lunch. Her body condition was undoubtedly at its worst today.

“Aah, I’m so slow, only noticing so late. …I’ll return home for today. Have a good sleep and let your body rest.”

Saying so, she smiled ashamedly.

“Ah—”

Mari quickly opened her mouth.

It was her own fault that she felt terrible, Arisu did not have to feel bad.

But, those words were not for someone like her to say.

However, when Mari thought about how lonely she would be after Arisu left, she could not help but open her mouth.

Arisu turned around with a, ‘Nn?’.

“Will you… still come by?”

At Mari’s words, Arisu’s expression became firm.

But then, a look of joy flashed across her face such that it almost looked like she was sparkling.

“I’ll come by tomorrow!”

Giving a thumbs-up to Mari, Arisu left.

She heard the sound of the door closing.

And then, silence.

“…”

Mari looked over the papers she held on her hands.

Parsing through the papers, she saw that each of them was marked with pens of many different colours. On the piece of paper about the programme list of the cultural festival Arisu was talking about, there was a, ‘Like hell I’m wearing this!’, written. The arrow at which that phrase pointed to, was a miniskirt costume that did not even bother to hide the lascivious thoughts of the boys at all.

Mari burst into laughter unconsciously. She could imagine Arisu scribbling these during lesson, hidden from the view of the teacher.

“She’s a good girl.”

Out of nowhere, the young man in white coat appeared on the seat.

“…”

Mari’s laughter faded.

Just what am I—.

Wandering between the land of the living and the dead, wanting to live even if it meant depriving others of their dreams.

Just what do I want to do…?

A strange feeling was born in Mari’s heart.

This feeling that she felt for the first time, perhaps it was the feeling known as ‘joy’.

Being visited by Arisu and conversing with her brought Mari tremendous joy.

“Hey.”

With her gaze still on the papers, Mari muttered.

The young man looked toward Mari.

“From tomorrow… can you help me with studies.”

Hearing Mari’s request, the young man widened his eyes slightly.

“Because the only thing I can do to repay her is to lend her a helping hand for her assignments…”

Mari looked at the young man and said in a soft voice.

The young man smiled joyfully, as though he felt happy from the bottom of his heart.

“I’d be glad to.”

—See you tomorrow.

It’s okay even if it was a lie.

It’s okay even if she was betrayed someday.

Mari finally understood for the first time the true joy of hearing those words.

Starting the next day, Mari began to study.

In the morning, Mari pulled out the textbook from the back of the bookshelf. It was brand new, not been opened even once.

Mari had also not held a pencil for a very long time as well. As her condition was not at its best, she sat on her bed with the notebook propped up.

“It’s a good thing that you want to study, but don’t overdo it, okay?”

Seeing Mari coughing, the young man in white coat said.

“I’ll be alright.”

She replied with a smile. But, her condition couldn’t possibly have improved much since yesterday. Although she still felt some discomfort in her left chest, she did not reach out for the tablets.

By the time she decided where to start from as well as settle on a schedule to follow, the morning was almost over. She continued to study Mathematics till it was noon, when Arisu visited.

“Good afternoon!”

Arisu arrived at the usual time.

As Arisu shared about the events that happened in school, Mari queried if she had any assignment for today. Arisu revealed a look of puzzlement as she replied that she did not. Although Mari felt a bit of regret, she immediately changed to another topic.

Arisu seemed like she just remembered and shared about herself. Such as how she suffered during her martial arts practice every morning, and what primary school did she graduated from et cetera.

Similar, Mari shared her own circumstances. About how she belonged to a house that was a master in flower arrangement or that she did not had any siblings. And also, about the primary school she attended before her condition worsened.

After they finished telling each other about themselves, the conversation naturally came to a halt.

Before they noticed, it was already night-time and visitation hours were over.

“What’s the matter, Mari?”

Arisu questioned with a puzzled look.

But, Mari was looking at the nightscape behind her—her gaze glued to the ring of light which dispelled the darkness of the night.

It was a Ferris wheel.

Speaking of which, Arisu had mentioned that before to Mari. At the plaza near the coastline, a new Ferris wheel was being built. With the construction proceeding smoothly, it seemed that the company had decided to light up the Ferris wheel until its completion as advertisement.

“Isn’t it beautiful, that Ferris wheel…”

Unconsciously, Mari muttered.

Till now, only a vast expanse of darkness could be seen beyond the window, but currently, it looked as if a gigantic flower had bloomed. The brilliant light show drew Mari’s attention to it like moths to a flame.

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

Her face beaming, Arisu exclaimed.

Discharged—.

A throbbing pain struck her heart.

Arisu did not seem to have realised it.

About how hopelessly far that dazzling ring of light appeared to be in Mari’s eyes.

“…Yea.”

Supressing her feelings, Mari narrowed her eyes.

“It’s a promise.”

Their smiles overlapped.

The following day, Mari continued her studies.

It appears that Mari was able to digest new knowledge quickly. In addition, she also had a good memory.

On the other hand, Arisu was weak in studying. In less than a month, Mari’s academic abilities had already surpassed that of Arisu.

“I can’t believe it…”

Arisu said while feeling gobsmacked.

Mari’s notebook and textbooks laid at the side of her bed.

She finally had a chance show off the fruits of her studying. When Arisu mentioned about the difficulties she faced with her assignments, Mari had offered her a helping hand.

The problems which caused Arisu to groan for hours were easily solved by Mari.

“You need to use this here…”

As Mari tried to explain to her, Arisu turned red as she frantically tried to find an excuse.

“I-I can also do it if I just put my mind to it! It’s just that I hate this subject, if not I wouldn’t even need to attend remedial lessons—”

“You… need remedial lessons?”

“Uu…”

Mari who kept up her studies.

Arisu who visited Mari every day without fail.

Their personalities may be the exact opposite of each other, nonetheless, that might be why they got along so well.

In contrast to Mari who thought things through rationally, Arisu was the kind of person to takes action without much thought. But, it was precisely this simple-mindedness about Arisu that Mari liked about her.

Mari’s nightly getaway from the hospital had also stopped ever since that night.

Just because of Arisu, Mari’s everyday life took on a noticeable change.

“…”

On a certain afternoon, Mari twisted her face at the pain in her left chest.

“Mari!”

The young man who had been teaching her reached out to her in panic.

She felt her chest being constricted and her breathing became rough.

Mari quickly reached out for the glass bottle on the shelf, but then she stopped. —The number of tablets in the bottle had not decreased since a month ago.

It’s alright… at this level, it will settle down in no time. Just like usual…

She composed herself, taking deep breathes. After a while, the palpitations stopped.

“I’m okay. It has already stabilized.”

“Really?”

“Yea, it’s just a bit of pain in my chest. Lately, I’ve been feeling great.”

Mari gave a smile to the young man, causing him to sigh in relief.

“Is that so… hopefully, there’d be some promising results in today’s check-up.”

Ever since the night Mari misused the tablets, she could feel her body gradually recovering. Even her hands felt like they had regained the grip strength she had in the past. However, she would still feel a seizure-like pain in her chest once in a while. Even so, it would always calm down after a while, and she feel to be in good condition otherwise.

At this rate, perhaps I can—.

The faint expectation caused her chest to heat up.

I can go to school together with Arisu…?

Thinking about such matters, her heart soared.

However, her smile disappeared immediately.

“Mari…?”

Despite seeing a ray of hope for the first time in her life, Mari could not simply chase after it.

Ever since that night, she had been thinking deeply.

“I… Is it okay for me to be together with Arisu as it is?”

The young man creased his eyebrows.

Grasping her chest, Mari bit her lips.

I have deprived so many of their dreams… despite all that, does someone like me even have the right to dream about the future—.

“If my illness could be cured, do I still have the rights to search for happiness…?”

Mari stared at the young man. A pain different from that of her illness assailed her heart.

“Mari.”

The young man’s expression softened.

“That is your dream, isn’t it?”

Mari jolted.

Her shoulders shook and her sight turned blurry.

“Can it… come true…? My dream… really…?”

The young man nodded.

I… want to live—.

That was Mari’s dream which she had known from the start would not come true.

But now, it might be possible for her to see the continuation of her dream.

“Thank you, Sensei…”

Mari thanked him with a trailing voice.

“Sensei?”

“To thank you for teaching me… and also because you are going on to become a great doctor, right? That’s why, I’ll call you Sensei from now on…”

He had a proper name, but Mari chose not to call him by that. As she spoke, her voice was tinged with the sound of sobbing.

To Mari who wept soundlessly, Sensei seemed to shine so brightly.

—In the evening.

“Welcome back, Mari.”

Arisu greeted Mari who had just returned from her periodic check-up.

“I’m back.”

Mari returned the smile.

As usual, Arisu placed her assignments on the bed while they talked. As they chatted engrossedly, they even forgot about the questions and visitation hours was over in no time.

“Hey, this may be a weird question, but.”

Arisu who stood up from the seat inquired Mari with some hesitation.

“Eh?”

“Is there some other person visiting you apart from me?”

Mari tilted her head in thought. There shouldn’t have been anyone else who visited her other than Arisu.

“Why do you ask?”

“Once in a while, I can feel some warmth on the seat. It’s like as if someone was just sitting on it moments ago.”

Arisu had a look of wonder on her face.

Finally understanding what this was about, Mari grinned slyly. It must have been the body warmth left by the young man in white coat.

“…Hey, Arisu.”

After thinking for a while, Mari looked up at Arisu.

“I have a request… Is that alright?”

“So, it finally comes! Hit me with anything!”

Arisu leaned forwards in delight, after all, Mari had always declined any get-well gifts from her.

“There is something I want. However, that is not something I want for myself… instead, I have a favour to ask of you.”

With these words as a preface, Mari requested of Arisu. At first, Arisu was a bit puzzled, then she simply agreed.

“Well then, see you tomorrow!”

The next day, as Mari requested, Arisu brought a small box.

Mari took the box and very carefully hid it under the blanket.

When night came and Arisu left, Mari waited for Sensei.

Now that she thought about it, this was the first time she was waiting for his visit. Sitting in the dimly lit room, Mari thought of what to say to him.

—Hey, Sensei. What do you think about this?

First, she would show Sensei the box. Surely, he would not be able to tell what is it for at first. Just imagining the inquisitive look he would have caused a smile to widen across Mari’s face.

While waiting, before Mari even realised, she had fallen asleep.

“Nn…”

Sensing the presence of somebody, Mari opened her eyes.

Looking at the clock, she found that it was already deep in the night. Raising her upper body, she found the figure of Sensei blending into the darkness.

“You’re late today, Sensei…”

Mari rubbed her eyes and smiled. Secretly groping under the blanket, she felt the sensation of the box.

“Y-yea…”

However, the young man was averting his eyes away from Mari.

Looking at his mannerism, Mari felt a sense of unease. She immediately realised the source of her unease.

All this time when he was by her side, he had never once looked away from Mari. No matter whether it was when she felt depressed due to hollowness of her life, or when she threw her temper out of irritation, he had always looked straight at her.

“…Hey, Sensei. I can’t see your face from here, why don’t you come closer.”

Mari directed her words at the young man who stood amidst the shadows. But, he look like he was struck by hesitation.

Tokun, tokun—Mari could hear the sound of her heartbeat hasten. Even when she stared at Sensei until her eyes went dry, she could not blink.

Mari’s hunch made her recall about one matter.

“The report for yesterday’s periodic check-up was released today…”

She saw his shoulders trembled.

“Tell me the result. Please, Sensei…”

Sensei did not speak a word, only maintaining his silence

From his taciturnity, Mari could already infer the results of the check-up.

—See you tomorrow!

Arisu’s smiling face came into her mind before disappearing right after.

Part 5

A witch visited Patricia who was afflicted with sickness.

She said as such.

Here is a potion made by an angel, as well as one by the devil. If you drink the angel’s potion, you will lose all your loved one, but in return your sickness would be cured and you would live on. On the other hand, if you drink the devil’s potion, your illness will remain and you will die. However, you will always be remembered by your loved one. Now, which will you choose?

And so, Patricia replied like this.

I want the devil’s potion.

And the witch granted her request.

Thus, Patricia entered an eternal sleep under the watchful eyes of her loved one.

Even so, Patricia never felt lonely, for her loved ones would regularly come to visit her on the hill where she rests—.

“…”

Closing the picture book, “Potion of Magic”, Mari gazed out the window peacefully.

When morning came, the attending doctor made his usual rounds, finished his usual consultation with few words and left. Mari found it laughable how he had tried not to let his discomposure show.

Mari was completely calm. But, inside her heart which resembled a lull sea, a small ripple propagated. Slowly but gradually, the ripple expanded.

A sardonic smile appeared on her face.

She recalled the exchange she had with Sensei the night before.

—This is not the end. If you underwent operation…

Mari laughed off his words.

—Can my body even withstand the operation?

And his words were quashed. It was only this moment that Mari felt like ridiculing him for his honest to a fault nature.

Mari had already discovered the truth of her condition through her own research. For her heart which had weakened till the point where she required an operation, it would not be strange for it to stop anytime. That day might be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow… whenever it was, Mari was sure that that day would not be too far off. The frequent pains she experienced recently are an indication of the fact that the countdown has already started.

In the room devoid of people, Sensei appeared.

“…”

He seemed to be saying something to Mari who was staring out of the window, but his words could not reach her.

In Mari’s heart, a new wave spawned. The waves overlapped with each other, causing their heights to grow even taller.

—Can it… come true…? My dream… really…?

Who was it that had muttered that while crying.

“How idiotic…”

Sensei did not seem to have heard her soft mumbles. He muttered a ‘Eh?’, to which Mari closed her mouth once again.

I want the devil’s potion.

The words of the protagonist of the picture book came into her mind before disappearing again.

I don’t need the devil’s potion… If it was me, I’d choose the angel’s—.

A silver morpho butterfly descended by Mari’s side.

“…”

Looking at the morpho butterfly which rested on her shoulder, Mari had a certain thought.

One could even call it an angel’s whisperings.

The thought that randomly came up in her mind was extremely ridiculous—dreadful even. But, the sweet angel-like whisperings within her head generated new waves in her heart.

—See you tomorrow.

She thought of Arisu’s pure and innocent smile. To Mari who was trapped in the enclosed hospital room, Arisu’s bright smile seemed to belong to that of angels.

Mari wanted the angel’s potion.

In that case, who was Mari’s angel…?

“I want the angel’s potion…”

A smile formed naturally on Mari’s face.

“Mari…?”

She wondered what kind of smile she had on her face at that time. Sensei had been startled upon seeing that face.

I want the devil’s potion.

I want the angel’s potion—.

The voice of Patricia and herself mingled in her head.

Then, Mari noticed the presence of a certain object on the bed.

It was the small box.

That reminded her that she had cleanly forgotten about her intention to hand it over to Sensei.

“Sensei.”

Mari turned with a smile to the young man in white coat. Sensei who seemed to be embroiled in his thoughts looked up.

“Yes?”

Mari held out the small box to him who was obviously forcing a smile.

“This is, for me?”

“Yes. This is a present from me to Sensei.”

He looked surprised for a moment before revealing his joy. He opened the small box and took out what was inside.

It was a silver necklace with a gold ring affixed on it.

Previously, while Mari went out for a hunt, she came across the necklace on display and developed a liking for it. The favour she requested from Arisu was for her to buy it in her stead.

“This is another proof that I had lived…”

In contrast to Mari who had a serene smile, Sensei had a look of pain.

“The other proof, I leave with Arisu… If she knew what my dream was, surely she would hate me for it.”

“Hate you…?”

The young man knitted his eyebrows. Mari shifted her view from him to the scenery outside the window.

“…Yeah, I know it for sure.”

She nodded.

Mari knew better than anyone else how sincere Arisu was.

“Because Arisu is kind, even for my request, she will…”

Sensei stared doubtfully at Mari who wore an innocent smile. But at the presence beyond the door, he immediately disappeared.

After a few more knocks, the door opened.

A familiar girl entered the room. She had mentioned yesterday that she would be coming in the morning as today onwards was a consecutive holiday.

“Arisu.”

Mari welcomed her close friend with a smile.

Arisu froze for a moment, as if she was charmed by her smile. But, she soon came to her senses and took a seat.

The morpho butterfly took flight from Mari’s shoulder.

“Hey Arisu, listen to me. I am…”

“Nn?”

Arisu lifted her face. Facing her directly, a pain ran through Mari’s heart.

I am actually a Mushitsuki. And also, soon… I’ll drink the angel’s potion—.

“No, nevermind…”

Stopping before she was about to speak, her face twisted slightly. She clenched her fists holding the sheets.

She must not tell her. Arisu should not know about it. For some reason, Mari thought so.

“My dream, can I entrust it to you?”

It seems like Arisu could not comprehend the meaning behind Mari’s question. She returned a blank stare to Mari.

Mari shook her head, laughing frailly.

“Sorry, that was nothing…”

Arisu tilted her head with a, ‘Is that so?’, and laughed amusedly.

“I guess Mari’s kind of weird after all.”

“That may be so, but not as much as you, Arisu.”

“Y-you’re kidding right. Is there really something strange about me?”

The two continued their conversation all the way till night-time.

As the end of visitation hours arrived, Arisu stood up from her seat.

Mari stared absentmindedly at Arisu who was about to leave.

“Hey, Arisu.”

Unconsciously, she opened her mouth.

“If I was gone, would you be sad?”

Arisu widened her eyes, and then her eyebrows rised immediately. It was an expression that Mari only saw for the first time.

Both of her cheeks were hit with the sound of a smack.

Mari had no idea what just happened. Her eyes stared in astonishment at Arisu’s face right in front of her.

Arisu had lightly clasped Mari’s cheeks with her hands. In that position, she continued to held Mari’s head. The warmth of her hands was transmitted to Mari through her cheeks.

“I’ll get angry if you say this kind of things again, okay!”

Arisu glowered at Mari with a look of seriousness.

Mari’s sight started to distort. Despite the tears welling in her eyes, a smile formed on her face.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you get mad.”

Noticing her tears, Arisu got flustered.

“Aah, sorry! Is it painful?”

“No…”

Wiping off the tears with her index finger, Mari smiled. It was just for a bit, but Mari felt a warmth sprout in her heart compared to the other times she cried.

“Thank you.”

Arisu blushed.

The huge wave in Mari’s heart seemed to subside a little.

And goodbye—.

She added in her heart.

Arisu pronounced with an ear-to-ear grin.

“See you tomorrow!”

Mari’s heart throbbed.

I see, that’s right—.

In response to Arisu’s feelings, Mari sent her off with the greatest smile she could muster.

I’ll still see you tomorrow, right—.

“Yup, see you tomorrow!”

With that, Arisu left.

And so, Mari’s tears stopped.

The attending doctor came for the pre-night consultation. He informed her, ‘Your family will be visiting you tomorrow’. He probably intended to reveal the severity of Mari’s current condition to her at that time. And then, he would recommend for her to undergo surgery despite the futility of it. Mari merely replied with a, ‘Is that so’.

After the attending doctor left and the lights off, Sensei appeared in the dim room.

“Hey, Sensei… what happens to a Mushi after its owner dies?”

He bit his lips when he heard that.

“The Mushi… will disappear as well. That’s because people’s dream fade away as they die.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Mari muttered as she gazed out of the window. She could see the slowly revolving Ferris wheel as it changed colour.

“Don’t you think that there are some dreams that remain even after their owner has died?”

The young man did not respond, plunging the room into silence once more.

Mari gazed at the Ferris wheel tranquillly while time passed.

The colour of the Ferris wheel changed once again.

When the needle of the clock pointed to one o'clock.

Mari lowered herself from the bed quietly.

“…!”

Unable to exert strength in her legs, she tumbled on the floor.

“Mari!”

Sensei lifted Mari up.

Like a bursting dam, her heartbeat rose wildly. The pain and difficulty breathing made her face twist up.

“Haah…! Haah…!”

She blacked out for a moment as she wheezed.

—See you tomorrow.

Even as light faded from her eyes, all she could think of was the time she spent with Arisu. She went over each and every conversation they had, from the day they first met up until today.

“Mari!”

At Sensei’s voice, Mari regained consciousness.

Still out of breath, Mari flashed an ironic smile.

It’s not just my body… even my heart is becoming hollow.

When one utilises the power of their Mushi, they pay the price of having their dream consumed. When one’s stamina and willpower burns out, their power as a Mushitsuki rapidly weakens as well.

Mari quickly reached out for the glass bottle on the shelf. But before she could do so, Sensei took it.

“You must not took anymore of this. This will only cause your symptoms to worsen.”

“Haah… Haah…”

Clutching her chest, Mari glared at Sensei. However, she immediately turned away and headed for the closet. Stripping off her current outfit, she put on the white coat placed within.

“I don’t need that anymore…”

“Where are you going…? Don’t tell me, you’re going out with that body—”

Ignoring the young man, she grabbed her crutch and approached the window.

Mari felt a slight pressure on her arm.

Sensei glared at Mari with a strict gaze. Mari could tell from his expression that only tonight, he would not allow her to go out even if he had to use force.

“You can’t go out. I won’t let you go, Mari.”

“This is first time I see Sensei get angry. But you were too late. Just earlier, Arisu had already gotten angry at me.”

The morpho butterfly flew to the side of the smiling Mari. The feelers extending out from the transforming butterfly became one with Mari’s sick-ridden body. The crutch also turned into a spear, with the four wings of the butterfly coming together to form a single blade.

Energy filled Mari’s entire body. The pain in her chest disappearing, she turned around to face Sensei.

“Sensei mentioned this before, right. The person known as… Kusuriya Daisuke? You said that he’s a strong Mushitsuki, but who is stronger between him and the current me?”

Mari focused her sharp glint at Sensei from within the hat and muffler.

“Right now, I… feel like I would not lose to anyone. Even if it’s against one of the Original Three, Aria Varei—even if it’s you.”

She knew that he had taken a gulp.

Taking advantage of the moment when he softened the grip on her arm, Mari leapt out of the window.

“Mari!”

With the silver spear in her hand, she jumped right over the hospital’s fence.

The thought of preserving her strength never even crossed her mind. Running from shadow to shadow, she scurried across Akamaki City in the night.

Borrowing the power of the Mushi to exceed her body’s limits, Mari could feel something fading inside her heart. But, even so, she did not stop for a single moment.

See you tomorrow—.

She thought of Arisu’s smile.

I… want to live—.

And of her own dream.

“Haah… Haah…”

The rate of her heartbeat rising, Mari’s face twisted.

Mari and Arisu, dream and friend; the two differing thoughts clashed violently within her.

Mari was at a loss.

She must make a decision.

But, before she decide, there was something she must know no matter what. She could not choose without knowing that first.

If she cannot make the decision, she would be left with nothing and no hope.

“I’ll find you for sure tonight… definitely…!”

Who knew how long she had ran.

As she was running through an alley, the spear started to glow, prompting her to stop.

Over at the dim walkway in front of her, a single boy stood. He looked only slightly older than Mari. The side profile of the boy illuminated by the light from the expressway seemed razor-sharp.

The boy had noticed Mari. By his feet, a Mushi as tall as an adult appeared. Having over hundreds of abnormally long legs, its long and narrow wriggling body resembled that of a centipede.

“Elvioréne’s Mushi…”

Mari rushed forward to the boy unhesitatingly.

Facing the attacking Mari, the boy’s movements were agile. With no intentions of counterattacking, he turned around and ran into an alley opposite the expressway.

“I won’t let you escape…!”

In terms of running speed, Mari was vastly superior. Turning around the corner, she had already caught up to him.

While running, the boy was speaking into a mobile phone. Mari swung the spear down at the centipede running alongside the boy.

The silver scales released gouged into the ground.

However, the centipede had swiftly climbed onto the wall, avoiding the blow.

Spinning the spear around, Mari launched a second attack. But, it seemed like the centipede had been expecting the attack. Sliding onto the ground without making any sound, it also dodged the second attack.

This person has experience fighting…!

Clenching her teeth, Mari let loose a consecutive series of slashes. However, not a single one of them hit.

“I don’t have the time to waste on a single opponent like you…!”

Spitting out in irritation, Mari swung the spear with greater strength. The silver scales released from the spear destroyed the path the boy was running on, sending him and the centipede rolling on the ground.

“Kh…!”

Mari was just about to thrust her spear at the defenceless Mushi, but—.

“!”

A sudden piercing pain struck her heart. Unable to breathe, her whole body stiffened up as if struck by lightning. She felt something vital in her body breaking.

The spear stabbed into the ground.

“Haah! Haah!”

Supporting herself with the spear stabbed into the ground, Mari grabbed her chest.

“…?”

Having escaped from a pinch, the boy looked at Mari warily. He then quickly stood up and ran down the alley.

“Wai-…!”

Mari pulled the spear from the ground and continued to chase after the boy. However, it was as if the lightness of her body previously was a lie and her limbs were currently as heavy as lead.

My body is already so weak… that not even the Mushi’s power can support it…?

Dragging along her broken body, Mari bit her lips.

Even my body… wouldn’t allow… this last bit of wilfulness…!

Her face twisting, she continued down the alley using the spear as a crutch.

Please…! Just a bit more… I only need a bit longer… because this is the last time…!

When Mari exited the murky alley, a large piece of land greeted her eyes. Rusted steel frames and construction machines were discarded haphazardly, giving the impression of a graveyard of scrap metal.

“Haaah, Haaah…”

In her hands, the silver spear emitted a radiance brighter than it ever did.

“Looks like it’s not just because its dream is being consumed. …It’s sick?”

Further in the scrapyard, the owner of the centipede muttered.

“That doesn’t matter. This is the Hunter, isn’t it? In that case, we will just take our revenge for all the anguish it’s caused us.”

Said another boy who commanded a gigantic Mushi which resembled a Hummingbird Hawk-moth with long triangular shaped feelers.

“Isn’t it just a kid. Eh? It’s a girl?

Sitting atop one of the construction machine, a blond-haired male spoke in a light tone. A Mushi with mottled wings and a needle on its round abdomen hovered above his head.

Furthermore, in a corner, there was a timid-looking boy. Mari had some remembrance of the boy. He was the Mushitsuki who Mari had let escape a month ago. When he met Mari’s gaze, he cowered and ran away into a back alley.

“…”

A young girl walked towards the centre of the scrapyard. Her age seems to be around that of Mari. But, her beautifully sculpted face in addition to the sharp gaze which seemed like it could cut through darkness would cause anyone to take a gulp. Next to her, a Mushi with a small but thick and round shell followed with its mouthpiece wriggling. There were seven red spots on the shell.

“Haaah… Haaah…”

The hand grabbing onto her chest tightened.

It was a trap. It was clear that they had intentionally led Mari to this place.

“You are the Hunter, right.”

The girl at the centre spoke in a dignified and resounding voice. Her voice filled with vigour broke the tense atmosphere.

“Now, tell us the reason why you are hunting the Mushitsuki on these streets.”

Hunter—that was what they referred to Mari as.

A smile formed on Mari’s face even as she remained out of breath.

“…You people…”

Mari took several deep breathes. The palpitations of her heart gradually relaxed.

It’s alright… I can still go on for just a bit—.

She filled her arms with strength, grasping the spear tighter.

The girl placed her hands on her waist and talked.

“We are a group of friends who had met on the streets and banded together to escape from a certain organisation. However, we would never have thought that there would be another Mushitsuki that would hunt fellow Mushitsuki apart from them—”

“All four… have Elvioréne’s Mushi. Fufu, I’m glad…”

As Mari’s smile deepened, the four youths eyed her suspiciously.

To Mari who was in a rush for time, finding four Mushi gathered together at one place could only be referred to as good luck.

The girl frowned.

“Elvio… réne?”

“Dioresutoi’s Mushi are just hindrances… Of course, that goes the same for Aria Varei’s Mushi such as my own… However, the one which numbers the most and are the most unpleasant… belongs to that woman, whose appetite is as voracious as he mentioned…”

While catching her breath, Mari muttered in a soliloquy. The girl and her friends stirred in unease.

“Is there something that you know? Something about us Mushitsuki… about the Mushi!”

“I do know… Mushitsuki of Elvioréne… even the fact that you people are the most beyond salvation amongst us… As long as you are around, Elvioréne will indefinitely… Fufu…”

By this time, Mari already had no idea about what she was talking. Whether it was because of the lack of blood flowing into her brain, or that she have overused the power of the Mushi and had lost most of her dream, Mari could only hear the violent beating of her heart from within.

Their expressions changed.

“Just what in the world do you know? Spit it out!”

“Anyway, all of that doesn’t matter to me…”

Mumbling those words, Mari readied her spear once more. The first target in her sights was the girl’s Mushi. With seven red spots on its back, it reminded one of a ladybird.

Kicking off the ground, Mari rushed at the girl.

However, three Mushi cut into the space between Mari and the girl straightaway. The centipede crawled along the ground, the Hummingbird Hawk-moth flew directly in front of her and the mottled bee buzzed overhead with its needle primed.

Mari was unfazed, swinging the spear horizontally in a straight line.

Silver scales gushed out from the spear.

Gouging a gash on the ground, the blast sent several metal beams flying away.

“…!”

However, Mari saw three figures pass by in the edge of her vision.

At the same time as when Mari attacked, the three Mushi split off and escaped into her blind spot. The centipede and the Hummingbird Hawk-moth restrained Mari’s spear with their fangs and antennas respectively.

The needle of the bee closed in from above her.

Right now, I… feel like I would not lose to anyone—.

Mari had said that to Sensei.

The conviction behind those words had not dissipated even in the least, even as the flame of her life is currently on the verge of extinguishing.

“Wha-…!”

The gasps of surprise from the youths overlapped.

Displaying inhuman strength, Mari forcefully swung the spear around. Along with the two Mushi clinging onto it, the shaft of the spear smashed the bee onto the ground. The three Mushi rolled turbulently on the ground.

But in the next moment, Mari was hit on her back by a shockwave.

“…!”

Catching a glimpse behind her, she saw a ladybird with its wings opened. She could feel an invisible shockwave being released in her direction.

Pssh—.

Mari knew that something has cracked somewhere in her body. Her knitted hat blown away, revealing her long hair.

To the previous her, a weak shockwave like that would not even cause her as much to stagger. However, just one blow from the ladybird now was able to cause something important inside her to break.

“Aaaaah!”

Mari released a beast-like howl.

Widening her eyes, she turned around and threw the spear with all her strength.

A silver light pierced through the darkness.

“Rina!”

The blond youth shouted. The mottled bee rammed into the ladybird, pushing it out of the way.

The shining spear penetrated the bee’s torso, skewering it into the wall of the building. The momentum of the spear was so strong that it caused the surrounding structure to collapse.

“Guah!”

“Ryuuji!”

The scream of the girl called Rina echoed in the back alley. The three of them ran towards the blond youth.

“Haaah! Haaah!”

Having difficulty breathing, Mari staggered towards the wall where the spear was impaled in.

“It’s not him either… faster… the next Mushi…”

Mari pulled out the spear. The body of the bee fell onto the ground, scattering bodily fluids everywhere before disappearing into a haze.

“I don’t want to die… in a place like this without finding anything…!”

The spear hanging off her hand, Mari walked in a half-dead manner towards the girl’s group.

“…‘I don’t want to die’?”

Embracing the fallen youth who was ashen pale like a doll, Rina lifted her face. Her tears-stricken face was distorted with anger.

“Just because you are afraid of dying alone, how many people do you think you’ve dragged along?”

Rina and the other two had the same look as they glared at Mari.

“I will absolutely never forgive you…!”

Mari grasped her right arm which was holding the spear with her left hand. —Like water spilling from a glass, strength was leaving her arms.

“I don’t have much time…”

Mari did not have the luxuriance to deal with these small fries at a place this. After defeating Rina and the rest, there was still a Mushi that she must find no matter what.

“If you’re going to get in my way, I’ll just kill all of your Mushi. Just like how I’ve done so thus far…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Rina stood up.

“The one that’s going to die is you!”

Mari aimed at the three Mushi and dashed. The opposing Mushi also directed their attacks at Mari.

But, at that moment.

Mari’s spear started to shine even brighter. The four wings forming the spearhead flapped greatly, producing a large quantity of silver scales.

“…!”

Approaching unnoticed, a large group of people in white coat had surrounded the area. They were all dress uniformly, with a large goggle covering most of their face and a white long coat with belts hiding their body. In addition, each of them had a Mushi by their side.

“Target confirmed! Capture it!”

Following the command, the Mushi of the people in white coat all attacked Mari and the rest at once.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau…!

Having heard from Sensei, Mari knew of the identity of the attackers. They belonged to an organisation that captures and isolates Mushitsuki, in order to make true the official stance of the government in which they are ‘non-existent’.

“Where are you looking at, Hunter!”

“…!”

The ladybird facing Mari spread its wings. Mari instantaneously swung the spear in response.

The shockwave hit Mari in her chest squarely.

Pssh—.

For a moment, Mari’s heart stopped.

Time froze. All sound and pain disappeared from Mari’s surroundings.

—See you tomorrow!

The image of Arisu’s dazzling smile burned into her mind cracked a little.

“…Auu!”

Rina recoiled as she cried in pain.

Once again, time began to flow.

The single strike released by Mari scraped off a part of the ladybird. Taking advantage of the moment she flinched, the people in white coat moved in to hold down Rina.

“Rina!”

“Don’t worry about me… the two of you just escape…!”

Numerous Mushi were also headed towards Mari.

“…”

Mari swung her spear wordlessly.

Silvers scales released from the spear blew away those Mushi.

That ladybird… isn’t it either—.

Muttering in her heart, she brandished her spear repeatedly and broke out of the encirclement.

“…”

Blowing away several Mushi, Mari dashed into a back alley.

…Isn’t it? What… isn’t it…?

Wondering in confusion, she just ran through the darkness at full speed.

“Haah… Haah…”

Her breathing sped up steadily. Conversely, her running speed started to drop steeply.

“Haah, Haah, Haah…”

Slowing down from a run to a walk, Mari continued to advance along the dark alley with her head drooping.

“Haaah! Haaah…!”

The sound of her breathing and her drumming heartbeat irritated her deeply.

I… was searching for something… But, what is it…?

She could not even exert any strength into the hand grasping her chest anymore.

Her memories and dreams were fading. On the other hand, an unspeakable terror and emptiness began to encroach her heart.

I… must find that something… If not, there will be nothing left for me…!

Her face twisted. She felt herself being slowly cornered by pain and sadness.

—I’ll get angry if you say this kind of things again, okay!

She could hear somebody’s voice.

However, she could not remember who did that voice belong to.

The important and irreplaceable ‘something’ inside her scattered like petals and faded away successively.

I… don’t want to disappear… just like that…

Ultimately, Mari’s legs completely lost strength and both of her knees slumped onto the filthy ground.

“Have you already reached your limit… Spear-type of Aria Varei?”

Suddenly, she could hear a voice.

“…!”

Faster than she could think, the Hunter instinct of her body reacted. In a kneeling position, Mari thrust the spear in the direction of the voice.

She could feel a response. But—.

“Don’t waste your energy on useless actions…”

Due to the glaring neon display behind him, she could only see the silhouette of the owner of the voice.

Mari’s spear had definitively plunged into something. It was stuck into the torso of the human-shaped silhouette. There was a laceration at the spot where the spear had gouged into.

However, the human-shaped silhouette regenerated back till its original state right before her eyes.

Seeing that, Mari’s fragmented memories began to fit into pieces.

“The Undying… Mushitsuki…”

Mari muttered.

“Is this… real…?”

There was no response from the silhouette.

The Undying Mushitsuki—indeed, that was what Mari had been searching for since forever.

Mari had met the young man in white coat and became a Mushitsuki.

Sickness and Mushi… she passed her days living in fear of death caused by these two factors. In addition to that, everyday was empty and monotonous.

“You… do not die…?”

The spear fell from Mari’s hands.

However, in that everyday life, the appearance of a certain girl completely changed everything.

—See you tomorrow.

Ichinokuro Arisu.

She had acknowledged Mari and accompanied her every day. She was Mari’s first ever friend, the one who always promised to meet her the next day.

Thanks to Arisu, Mari managed to gain some hope. For the first time in her life, she had a reason to live. That was to attended school together with her—.

She wanted to live.

She had thought that her dream was nearly within reach.

However, that was but an illusion.

“Did you… drank the angel’s potion…?”

Despair and hope.

Just what was the point of living for Mari whose life swung between those two extremes on a whim?

To disappear just like that, isn’t it just too cruel?

“The “Potion of Magic” eh…”

The silhouette muttered. The voice sounded like that of a young man who still had some remnants of adolescence. However, the emotions behind the voice seemed to belong to that of an old man.

In her hazy view, the silhouette looking down on Mari appeared to her as the Patricia that appeared in the picture book. It was a different Patricia which had drank the angel’s potion instead and lived a prolonged life.

—A witch visited Patricia who was afflicted with sickness.

She said as such.

Here is a potion made by an angel, as well as one by the devil. If you drink the angel’s potion, you will lose all your loved one, but in return your sickness would be cured and you would live on. On the other hand, if you drink the devil’s potion, your illness will remain and you will die. However, you will always be remembered by your loved one. Now, which will you choose?

And so, Patricia replied like this.

I want the devil’s potion—.

“Hey, tell me… how does it feel to not die…? What do you, who managed to live on, think? I… I…”

As her life burns out, a certain thought came up in Mari’s mind.

“I… want the angel’s potion…”

It was an extremely dreadful notion; an awfully cruel method.

“…I want to see… the continuation of my dream…”

But, to Mari who could not escape from the clutches of death, this was the only method left to her.

The method for Mari to live on.

To Mari, her angel was none other than her close friend, Ichinokuro Arisu. From her, Mari would receive life.

“That’s why, I… will become Arisu…”

She looked at her hands which were covered in silver patterns.

The morpho butterfly which is the manifestation of Mari’s dream.

If Arisu inherits the morpho butterfly in which Mari’s dream lie, perhaps—.

“Because that girl is kind… she will definitely listen to my request…”

Her hands trembled. A frail smile formed on her lips.

“Indeed, you could say that I have drunk the angel’s potion…”

The silhouette muttered. The soft voice almost sounded dry and weary to her.

Mari had thought that she must meet the Undying Mushitsuki no matter what.

At first, she intended to curse and shout at him when they met. To Mari who was sealed to the fate of dying, the fact that there was someone who could not die was unpermittable to her.

Mari raised her head.

But now, such thing doesn’t matter anymore.

Tonight, Mari had cut off her hesitation for the sake of meeting the Undying Mushitsuki. If that person was no longer bound to the fear and unease of death, then they would no doubt have the answer to Mari’s question—.

“You may have the choice to choose between the two potions before you presently… If so, then let me question the you who have drunk the angel’s potion.”

The tone of the silhouette changed. It questioned Mari directly.

“Having gotten a new lease of life, who would be by your side?”

Mari widened her eyes.

The insides of her head were completely dyed white.

—See you tomorrow!

The smiling face of her close friend came into her mind before disappearing.

In her vacant consciousness, the scene that appeared in a flash, that was—.

The figure of herself from before she met Arisu, imprisoned in the small hospital room where there was nobody and no one ever came to visit—.

“You… mustn’t be deceived by the devil camouflaged as an angel.”

That voice no longer reached Mari’s ears.

She slowly covered her face with her shivering hands.

Ah, I see…

She finally became aware of her misconception.

“I had been mistaken… over what was important…”

She murmured blurrily.

Just the slightest bit of strength welled up in her legs. That was undoubtedly the final bit of strength she had remaining in her waning life.

“…I must go…”

She stood up and walked.

—See you tomorrow!

That was what Arisu said.

Mari must keep this promise that she made with her precious friend no matter what.

The silhouetted person did not stop Mari as she walked away.

Patricia had replied as such.

I want the devil’s potion—.

“I…”

Mari’s mutterings melted into the darkness of the alley.

Part 6

In the heartland of Akamaki City.

The morning sun ray shined upon a corner of the high-end residential area.

A silvery figure landed on the roof of a detached house with a don.

“Haah… Haah…”

The sound of rough breathing jumbled into the sound of birds chirping.

Mari, who was fused with the morpho butterfly, gazed underneath with a pale complexion.

Her line of sight was fixed on an estate that stood much larger than the surrounding ones.

“Haah… Haah…”

With a smile, she sat down on the rooftop.

But, there was a prior visitor.

Is this another one of your home as well? Excuse me for occupying here a bit—.

Her lips moved, forming into the shape of words, but with no voice coming out. Only the sound of heavy breathing came from her mouth.

What Mari was facing was the black cat with a kinked tail, which raised its fur on its end upon seeing her. From its appearance and enmity towards her, she could tell that it was the same black cat she saw previously countless of times.

“Haah… Haah…”

Her breathing was not relaxing, instead the interval between each gasp shortened. At the same time, her heartbeat drummed in her ears irritatingly.

Please, just a little more…

She grasped her chest and clenched her teeth.

Just a bit longer would be enough…

The morpho butterfly separated from Mari’s body. Her muffler fallen off, the morpho butterfly rested on Mari’s shoulder with her face revealed.

Hey, Arisu. Will you please listen…?

She had already given up on voicing it out loud. That’s why, she muttered in her heart.

To my dream, my request…

In contrast to her rough breathing, her heart was as calm as a millpond.

In her mind, memories of the past resurfaced one after another.

Laden by her sickness, she was shut in a small room.

It was a barren space with nobody and no one ever came to visit. During those day, her heart has been worn thin by the solitude even more so than her illness.

Then, she met Sensei.

I… want to live—.

Her dream was heard by Sensei. And thus, Mari became a Mushitsuki.

Even with Sensei’s frequent visits, the loneliness nested deep in her heart could not be erased.

Exasperated by the ennui of her daily life, the Hunter persona of Mari was born.

As if possessed, she robbed others of their dreams every night. Although her original intention was to search for the Undying Mushitsuki, now that she reflected, it was just as the girl called Rina said. She had purely been doing so to vent her anger and frustration. When she finally realised the true consequence of what she had done, she had been paralysed with fear.

And then—she met Ichinokuro Arisu.

Hugging her knees, her lips formed into a smile.

She still remembered clearly all the conversations she had with Arisu. Be it what they talked about and laughed about. She would repeat the conversations in her head as she laid in bed at night, in anticipation for tomorrow’s visit.

When she learnt about her eventual end, she was crushed by despair once again.

Lost and at wits end, she reverted to her past self.

“…”

Her breathing finally calmed down, her smile also turned tranquil.

The sound of her heartbeat began to soften.

She no longer felt any fear or unease as she gaze down peacefully.

She had finally found it.

Her very own answer to the question that has always plagued her.

The words of the witch whispering into her ears while she was falling into despair.

—Now, which will you choose?

Right now, Mari could answer unhesitatingly.

You know, Arisu, I—.

Mari smiled so widely that her smile seemed to reach her ears.

Right in her view, the door to the estate opened. A lone girl dashed out hurriedly. In her hand was a bouquet of flowers picked arbitrarily. Was she planning to arrange them in the water pitcher again?

It began to melt away.

Her life, and the continuation of her dream.

Even the scene of the girl running under the morning sunshine slowly vanished.

“Good morning, Arisu.”

Imparted with her dream and wish, Mari spoke.

“See you tomorrow, okay.”

The silver morpho butterfly flew into the sky—.

The black cat purred softly.

Approaching her softly, it licked her pale limp hand gently.

Suddenly, the black cat’s ears folded up.

Raising its light body, it jumped away from Mari.

“…”

A person looked down on Mari who laid down with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.

It was the lanky young man wearing a white coat.

A single teardrop fell on the dry rooftop.

With his strong arms, he lifted up Mari’s body—.

Part 7

Silver light flooded through the window.

Who was it who opened the window?

A cold wind blew through the spotless private room devoid of any signs of life.

Closing the door behind her, Ichinokuro Arisu entered the room.

It was a certain general hospital in Akamaki City.

Even within the hospital, one could tell that this room was special at a glance. In addition to the high-class bed, there was also a bookshelf, a television and even a nurse call line.

“Hello, Mari.”

Arisu approached the bed.

Having entered the room since who knows when, a single butterfly fluttered above Arisu’s head. It was a morpho butterfly with wings shimmering in silvery brilliance.

There was no one else in the room.

—It had been exactly one year since Mari left this world.

“I’ll leave the flowers here, okay.”

She placed the bouquet of flowers into the water pitcher atop the basin.

She tried putting on a smiling face, but she failed to do so.

That the water pitcher was not a flower vase, it was only when the boy who lived with her—when Kusuriya Daisuke ridiculed her, that she realised it for the first time.

On this day one year ago, Arisu had visited this room just like today carrying a bouquet of flowers.

—Good morning!

Having expected a warm welcome from Mari as always, she was greeted by a wordless Mari however.

To the stunned Arisu, the attending doctor pronounced to her that Mari had taken her last breath without anyone knowing—.

Arisu was dressed in mourning clothes as she gazed at the empty bed.

The one year death anniversary held by the Hanashiro family was an exceedingly muted event. Apart from her relatives, the only other mourner of the same generation as Mari was Arisu.

“Mari…”

A plaster adorned her clenched fist. It was an injury she sustained from the fight against the matured Mushi the other day.

Even now, I am still fighting so as to figure out what were you really thinking—.

Arisu muttered in her heart. Instead, what came out of her mouth was a question directed to her close friend. The only indication of the fact that Mari stayed in this room was the bookshelf lined to the brim with books. That was a request by her family, to leave the room as it was.

“Why… why didn’t you tell me anything…?”

She felt a presence approach behind her.

“If you’re done here, then let’s go.”

Arisu did not even need to turn around to know who it was. It was Kusuriya Daisuke who she knew very well, a Mushitsuki that had fought together with her.

“But, don’t worry. I will definitely find out is it, what your real wish is, Mari…”

Saying so, Arisu turned around with a smile on her face.

What was Mari thinking when she entrusted the morpho butterfly to Arisu.

She would definitely find that out.

Mari’s true dream—.

“Can’t you even wait for a bit? Boys without patience are not popular, you know.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you who is acting sentimentally out of character—”

“Arisu upper~!”

Along with a dull thud, the door to the empty room was closed.

A breeze blew from the window, causing the book at the corner to collapse. The pages of the book—“Potion of Magic”, flapped gently in the wind.

To be continued

Notes

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