Mushi Uta:Volume 2nd Episode 05

Episode 05. The Dream-Enraptured Valkyrie

A full moon hung in the sky.

It was as if the rain that fell just a few hours ago was a lie. The starry sky seemed to hold a magical charm that stole her eyes. To pass on on a night like this probably feels not bad—that was how nice it felt like to her.

Gradually, a shadow was borne from the centre of the round moon.

It was a morpho butterfly which released a silver radiance.

The morpho butterfly slowly descended and eventually landed on the crutch she was holding. Its then morphed, turning into feelers that fused with her body and the crutch. She could feel her weak body being revitalised with strength.

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

At that voice, the girl turned her gaze from the full moon to the ground.

She was surrounded by a group of people, each commanding a Mushi of different outline.

The voice had come from one of them. It belonged to a girl that was around the same age as herself, but had a liveliness to her which she did not. Next to her was a small Mushi. It resembled a ladybird with seven red spots on its scraggy body.

—I don’t have much time…

Her lips moved by themselves. The spear fused with the morpho butterfly released an intense glow as if in threat, causing the Mushitsuki encircling her to take a step back in caution.

—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…

As she spoke, she suddenly felt strength sapping away from her legs rapidly.

An overpowering sense of lethargy drained away all her strength, irregardless of her fusion with the Mushi.

She immediately placed a hand on the wall to support herself. Looking down on the mirror-like surface of the puddle on the ground which displayed the full moon, she could see the pained expression on her face clearly.

The face reflected in the puddle was not hers—it was not Ichinokuro Arisu’s.

The face which stared back wide-eyed.

She recognised whose it was.

Hanashiro Mari.

The face that was reflected in the puddle smiled back at her.

—Arisu… you will listen to my request, right?

The Mari reflected on the water surface that was Arisu but not herself seemed to say that to her.

The piercing sun rays and the chirping of birds streamed through the paper sliding door.

“…”

Arisu raised her upper body from the futon and thoughtlessly straightened her messy bed hair.

“…What a strange dream.”

Today was Sunday.

It was the day when she would go to a certain location with the youth who lodged in her house.

Part 1

“You’ll definitely regret and complain that you shouldn’t have gone.”

The youth walking next to her grumbled with a sigh.

His name was Kusuriya Daisuke. He was the same age as Arisu and attended Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School in the same class as her. His facial features and hairstyle were nothing but ordinary, and even his appearance in usual wear seemed like it was designed to blend into the background. The only thing that could be said to be his defining characteristic was the plaster on his cheek.

“What do you mean I’ll regret. You can’t stop me with that kind of threat.”

On the other hand, Arisu’s appearance was contrastingly eye-catching. Her long hair was tied to her back and she wore an extravagant order-made coat. Even with her petite figure, her pompous attitude made her extremely conspicuous everywhere she went.

An out-of-season butterfly danced above the heads of the two. It was a morpho butterfly with brilliantly shining wings.

They were walking along an ordinary residential district. Seeing as they were getting further away from the city centre, they must been heading to the outskirts of Akamaki City.

In counter to Arisu’s high spirits, Daisuke’s face was covered in gloom.

“In order to quicken with the investigation of Hanashiro Mari, I even arranged for another observer to replace me, but… you really need to reign in your wilfulness.”

“The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau… the underground organisation created for the purpose of managing Mushitsuki. This is a chance for me to enter their secretive hideout! How can I possibly miss out on that!”

“I’m begging you, just don’t cause any uproar over there. Keep in mind my condition for bringing you along.”

“I know that already, stop harping on it. …So, what’s the emergency mission? It’s for that reason that you were relieved from monitoring me today, right?”

She stared at him with sparkling eyes, only drawing a deep sigh from him with a sour look.

There was a reason why Daisuke was living with Arisu.

The ordinary-at-first-glance middle schooler, Kusuriya Daisuke first met her a month ago.

Mushi—an existence that infests youths and feed on their hopes and dreams in order to grow. Nobody knew when rumours about them first started being whispered around, but presently, those infested by Mushi, the Mushitsuki are widely abhorred.

The official stance by the government is that Mushi does not exist, but Arisu knows the truth.

That is because, the morpho butterfly fluttering above her head currently is none other a Mushi.

The morpho butterfly’s original host was Arisu’s close friend, Hanashiro Mari. However, it had not disappeared even after the death of its sick-ridden host one year ago, and currently follows Arisu. To find out why did the morpho butterfly follow her, and also Mari’s dying wish, Arisu set out to search for other Mushitsuki.

And then, she finally found a Mushitsuki apart from Mari. However, that was when Kusuriya Daisuke interposed. He belonged to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—the SEPB in short, a governmental organisation that captures and isolates Mushitsuki in order uphold the stance that ‘Mushitsuki do not exist’. After a series of events, Daisuke became an observer to Arisu, an ‘irregularity’, and had to stay by her side closely at all times.

“It’s to convince a captured Mushitsuki.”

Walking ahead of her, Daisuke spoke.

“Convince… in order words, to get them to join the SEPB? Like that time with Neiko-san?”

“Yea.”

Neiko referred to a Mushitsuki that Arisu met the other day. She had been apprehended by Daisuke and was to have her Mushi killed originally. But, she had agreed to SEPB’s terms and joined them in order to avoid that.

“Hmm. But, why do they have to ask you to do it specifically? Can’t it be done by others?”

“Fight fire with fire, to neutralize a monster, just pit another monster against it, it’s probably something like that.”

“A monster…?”

With that, Daisuke was silent.

They came to a stop before a white three storeys building. There was a dirty-looking nameplate attached to the rusted gate.

“Akamaki City Folklore Museum?”

Arisu read the words on the plate out loud and raised her head to look at the building. It was a simple rectangular building without decorations.

“Ah, wait for me, Daisuke…!”

Daisuke just walked through the ajar gate and entered the premises. Arisu followed after him in a hurry.

He pushed opened the door and entered the building.

Inside, there was a staircase, an elevator, a glass window which acted as the reception and a pathway which leads to rooms further inside. Arisu thought that there was nobody around this floor, but a figure appeared from beyond the pathway just then.

It was a young woman dressed in a suit, most likely an employee here.

“Hii…!”

The woman had let out a shriek unknowingly when she saw them and cowered her body.

Looking at her reaction, Arisu realized.

—This person knows that Daisuke is a Mushitsuki…!

At a glance from Daisuke, the woman immediately turned to her back and ran down the passage.

“Hey, just now that person…”

“She’s the liaison here.”

Pressing the button for the elevator, he flashed a sardonic smile.

“She was probably in the midst of changing shift, but she had bad luck. Normally, she’d be behind the bulletproof door, observing us through the monitor without coming into contact with us directly at all.”

“Liaison? Monitor?”

“You didn’t notice whatsoever? There’s cameras everywhere in the foreyard and throughout this building.”

The elevator door opened before the speechless Arisu.

The moment they entered the elevator, Daisuke reached into his shirt. He retrieved a pair of goggles hidden at his back and put them on.

The piece of SEPB equipment was big enough to cover half of his face. A red spot flashed on the display surface.

“By the way, I heard that this elevator has a mechanism that vents poison gas if anything happens. I have no idea if it’s true or not though.”

“P-poison gas…?”

“Don’t call me by my name from here onwards. Members of the surveillance team are forbidden from even revealing their real names.”

The elevator moved.

—We’re moving underground?

Experiencing lightness of her body, Arisu surmised that they were not moving upwards. However, there were only floors 1 to 3 on the lift display.

Seeing the silent Arisu, Daisuke scoffed.

“Ha, already getting the cold feet, are you. Usually acting so tough, it sure didn’t take you long to chicken out—”

“Arisu Final Attack~!”

“…!”

Daisuke clutched his shin that was kicked powerfully by Arisu.

She wondered how far down they had gone. Without making a sound, the elevator door opened.

A huge platform spread before their eyes.

Below and ahead of the platform was a tunnel that led into darkness. There were railway tracks on the floor of the tunnel and two trains stopped at the platform. Daisuke headed for the closer one.

“Hey, is there no one around? Not even security guards?”

“There’s no way there would anyone around.”

“Why is that so?”

“Because there’s no one who’d want to get close to Mushitsuki, even if it’s for their job.”

In front of Arisu who furrowed her eyebrows, Daisuke’s goggles lighted up again.

The door to the train opened.

There were only two rows of seats facing each other inside. The moment they boarded, the sound of gasps could be heard.

There were prior riders in the train. They were a group with both sexes wearing different clothes from Daisuke, but a similar-looking goggles covered their faces as well. From their statures, they seemed to be around Arisu’s age.

All of them looked at the two—no, they were looking at Daisuke in shock.

Whispers of, ‘T-that guy is…!’, and, ‘Why is he in Akamaki City…’ could be heard. They moved further into the train as if trying to distance themselves from Arisu and Daisuke who sat close to the train door.

“H-hey, Daisuke… are they also.”

“They’re Mushitsuki.”

The train moved with a jerk and started accelerating.

“I understand that ordinary people like the one we saw at the building would be afraid when they see Mushitsuki, but… why are these people scared of us too. Even though they’re fellow Mushitsuki.”

“Ah, it’s the same thing.”

Daisuke smiled with a grin and looked at the Mushitsuki sitting further inside. Just by doing so, their shoulders trembled in surprise and they averted their eyes from him.

“No matter who it is, anybody would be afraid of monsters, that’s all.”

“…?”

Daisuke gave a simple explanation about how the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau worked to Arisu.

It appears that those people belonged to the jurisdiction of the Central Headquarters based in Akamaki City. However, Daisuke belonged to the East Central Branch which is situated in the east, at Ouka City. In addition, the SEPB ranks Mushitsuki based on their level of risk, and he was apparently quite highly ranked in this regard. The fact that other Mushitsuki fear Daisuke stemmed from these reasons.

“What’s with that. Are you actually someone that amazing? I couldn’t have imagined that from seeing how you that got all that flustered just because Ena and Takako hugged you.”

“S-shut up.”

“If you’re from another branch, not to mention so highly regarded, then how come you were sent to monitor me?”

“Like hell I’d know. That’s what I want to know as well—”

Saying so, he came to a start. He looked down as he mumbled in thought, ‘now that you mentioned it, this is definitely strange. Why is it…’

The train came to a stop.

“Are we there? What is this place…?”

“We’re somewhere deep underneath Akamaki City, that’s all I know. The only ways to come here from the surface are the train we took here, and the exits used exclusively by the employees. Apart from those, there’s only the vents for ventilation, I guess. …More importantly.”

Daisuke stared intently at Arisu and spoke.

“I’ll say this for the last time, prepare yourself. Because you’re definitely going to regret coming here.”

“B-bring it on!”

With those words, Arisu got off the train.

Part 2

After alighting from the train, Arisu and Daisuke proceeded down separate passageways.

The lightings placed at regular intervals reflected off the metallic walls. The long passageway that Arisu entered did not have a single door apart from the one she entered from.

[Please proceed forwards and stop before the wall.]

She could hear a machine-like female voice coming from somewhere.

Arisu did as she was told and advanced. The small surveillance camera on the ceiling tracked her and slowly rotated as she walked.

When she reached the end of the passageway, she stopped. There was no door handle nor buttons, only a blank wall.

[Pulse and breathing are normal. Please stand by in the entrance room until the signal is given.]

The wall slid to the side, revealing a small hidden room.

There was another door with the same design as the one she entered through, as well as a large door and three exits. There was a poorly maintained bench by the side of the wall and several people dressed in clothes that seemed to be sewn from rags sat there.

Before the large door stood two people. They were cladded in long coats with excessive belts and large goggles that covered the face—either of which were what Daisuke wore during his missions except they were white in colour.

“Sit down and wait for your turn.”

The man in white coat instructed Arisu.

At his commandeering tone, she felt indignant. However, she recalled Daisuke’s words to ‘behave herself’ and sat down on the seat.

“Hey, is this the entrance room? What do you mean by turn?”

“Shut your mouth.”

The man fully clothed in white cut her off callously. A vein popped up on Arisu’s forehead.

“Bear with it, bear with it… I’ll just let all this annoyance out on Daisuke later…”

[Subject 2587 shall enter the room for the inspection and adjustment of their safety choker.]

The other smaller door similar to the one Arisu entered from opened.

“…”

What appeared completely stole Arisu’s gaze.

It wasn’t just her. Everyone in the entrance room—even the guards in white coat, turned towards the door.

A girl dressed in thin clothing stood there.

She was more beautiful than anyone Arisu met before.

Her age was around that of Arisu’s. She had a well-featured face, but what caught Arisu’s attention the most was her powerful gaze that held a strong sense of presence and an unbendable will.

However, something about the girl seemed to catch Arisu’s mind; it felt as though she recognised her from somewhere.

The girl entered the room expressionlessly. Arisu noticed the silvery chain wrapped her neck as she unreservedly took a seat nearby. A metallic plate was attached to the chains with a red light lit up on the surface.

Furthermore, both of her arms were bounded by restraints. The tough-looking restraints were joined together by a long wire. There should be no trouble for her to walk normally, but it would be impossible for her to spread her arms wide open.

The beauty of the girl stood in contrast to her prisoner-like appearance. Even this mismatch seemed to magnify her otherworldly gorgeousness.

The girl sat down next to Arisu. Even after she sat down, Arisu could not tear her eyes off her. She looked back at Arisu.

“…”

The two of them stared into each other in close proximity.

“…What is it, is there something on my face?”

Arisu must have been staring too hard at her, as her face turned stiff. The unapproachable aura around the girl dissipated.

Arisu looked at her unblinkingly.

“Notwithstanding your face… you have a choker and a pair of arm restraints on.”

“Indeed, I guess so.”

“Why do you have such things on?”

At Arisu’s question, the girl had a look of surprise for some reason, but that immediately turned into a grin. It was a smile that seem unbefitting for someone like her, yet it suited her more than anything else.

“You must be here for the first time.”

Arisu nodded.

[Subject 5987. Please put on the safety choker.]

A space appeared in the wall. The white coated personnel took out a pair of arm restraints and a chain from within, the same as that worn by the girl.

One of the people seated stood up and had the choker and restraints put on by the people in the white coats. The large door then opened, and another white coated personnel on the other side took him away.

“These are the so-called safety apparatus. That is, to them… in the eyes of SEPB.”

“Safety apparatus?”

“These things are remote-controlled and are set to be able to send a jolt of electricity at any time. The moment you show the slightest trace of suspicious behaviour, they can send an electric shock to render you unconscious. Well, it’s like an insurance against Mushitsuki.”

She tilted her neck, showing Arisu the chains. In contrast to the gravity of her words, her expression was bright.

“Without such things, they’d be too scared to be in the same room as Mushitsuki. Jeez, even if they call themselves the SEPB, they’re just a gathering of cowards.”

More so than the anger she felt towards the SEPB’s treatment of Mushitsuki, Arisu was more attracted to the girl’s spontaneous changes in expression.

She went from giving a lecture in an exaggerated manner, to sneering at the SEPB, and then nodding to herself in satisfaction. Her wealth of emotions made Arisu thought that she would be terrifying were she to be mad.

She looked towards Arisu abruptly.

“Hey, what is your dream?”

“Eh?”

Being asked all of a sudden, Arisu could not respond.

“If you’re unwilling, you don’t have to tell me…”

Saying that, she smiled.

My dream—.

She had met Mari, followed by Daisuke, and many other more Mushitsuki since then. In doing so, she had come to know of their dreams.

However, when she tried to think of one herself, she realized that she could not give an immediate answer.

“Because I’m not a Mushitsuki, I…”

Arisu spoke.

The girl slightly raised her eyebrows. She must have thought that Arisu was also a Mushitsuki.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not you are a Mushitsuki! It can just be something that you want to do, or perhaps just something that you want. Don’t you think that it is marvellous to have something like that?”

Raising her index finger, the girl spoke excitedly. That out-of-place dazzling smile almost seemed to overwhelm Arisu.

“Wha-… What is your dream?”

“Me? My dream is… to build a place of belonging for Mushitsuki.”

“A place of belonging… for Mushitsuki?”

“Even though they are feared by society, and even their loved ones avoid them for some of them… not to mention that they have something unknown lurking within themselves, they are actually no different from any ordinary person. Or rather, I feel like Mushitsuki are even more vulnerable than ordinary people. Though they may occasionally hurt other people, they are the ones getting hurt most of the time… I want to create a place of belonging where such Mushitsuki are able to smile from the bottom of their hearts. At the very least, it should not be a place like this, where their every move is monitored.”

Her words resonated clearly in every corner of the quiet room. Even the people seated and the white coated guards seem to have heard the words spun by the girl.

“It’s the same for you guys, right? There’s no way you enjoy monitoring the very same Mushitsuki as yourselves.”

The girl looked towards the guards. Arisu could see that the two of them were biting their lips.

“I will definitely create that place. When that happens, you will not need to fear the SEPB like this any longer. Just wait for me until then.”

Unlike the brightly smiling girl, it was obvious that the men in white coat were shaken. Even the thinly-clothed people hanging their head previously were filled with spirit now.

This girl… she’s different from all the other Mushitsuki I’ve met so far—.

Arisu was once again awed by the charm and charisma held by the girl. Her words were not merely an idealistic argument, it held a definite persuasiveness to it.

“Even so, I know that this is not a dream that can be realized so easily.”

Exhaling a breath, the girl looked down on her arms that are restrained.

“Starting with the SEPB, there are many other challenges that Mushitsuki face… The fact that I am imprisoned here also mean that I am powerless. However, I will make it come true by any means. I will keep on fighting, and resisting, even if I were to die someday. In doing so…”

When she raised her head, there was a smile on her face.

“Surely, my wish would reach somebody. Hey, don’t you think so? That no matter whom, their dreams will definitely connect with someone else somewhere.”

Saying so happily, the girl swung her legs. Unlike when she entered the room, this gesture seemed to express the youthfulness in her.

“Ah, there’s one more thing in addition that. Something that I want to do.”

The girl said, as if just remembering it.

“I want to know just what are the Mushi. Why do they exist and why do they consume the dreams of the Mushitsuki?”

Arisu jerked in surprise.

“I’m—”

Arisu unthinkingly grasped the girl’s hand.

“I’m the same! I want to know about the Mushi… why does Mushitsuki exists. And also, why—”

Why did Mari become a Mushitsuki—Arisu’s words became stuck in her throat just when she was about to vocalise them. She thought that the girl wouldn't understand what she was talking about even if she spoke about it.

The girl flashed a mischievous smile.

“Then, how about we go find out? The two of us, together.”

“…Eh?”

“Just kidding.”

Perhaps recalling her current situation, the girl gave a lonely sigh. But, she looked joyful seeing her grasped hands.

“Even though I mentioned this earlier, it’s not going to be an easy task. In addition to the SEPB, our enemies are aplenty… Hey, do you have the determination to fight?”

Arisu was silent.

The determination to fight—indeed, in pursuing after Mari’s dream, it may be necessary for her to be resolved to do as much.

For a year, Arisu had continued in pursuit of Mari’s dying wish. It was all for the sake of finding out the true thoughts of her close friend who passed on without saying a word. She would never forget the chagrin she felt day after days of not having a single lead before she met Daisuke.

Arisu stared back to the girl.

“I won’t lose. Not to anybody or anything.”

“OK, that’s the spirit.”

With a grin, the girl closed in her lips to Arisu’s cheeks. To Arisu whose heart skipped a beat, she whispered into her ears.

“If you want to know more about the Mushi, look for the Hunter.”

Right next to Arisu with her eyebrows crossed, the girl spoke.

“That person knows about the Mushi… no, it seems like they know something even deeper. But, be careful. It was none other than their fault that I am locked up in here—”

She did not manage to finish her words.

[Guest No.19, please put on the safety choker.]

The white coats prompted Arisu to stand up. They wrapped the chain around her neck, but did not go so far as to put on the arm restraint. Arisu turned back to the girl.

“H-hey, what did you mean by…”

“We may never meet again for a second time. But—”

The girl held out her thumb and index finger at a right-angle pointed towards Arisu. Her pose with a wink reminded one of a model behind an easel.

“If we ever do meet again… You would tell me the most awesome dream, right?”

Arisu smiled back.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?”

The two exchanged smiles before turning to their respective directions.

Part 3

“Didn’t I warn you already, that you’ll definitely regret this.”

Meeting up with Daisuke again after ten odd minutes, that was the first thing he said to her pitiably.

“Kuh…”

Arisu could not speak, her face completely flushed.

After parting with the girl which held a mysterious charm, Arisu had her clothes stripped from her.

She then proceeded through a pathway where she was sprayed with unforgivably hot water for sterilisation, followed by passing through a metal detector and X-ray room before coming face to face with a person in a laboratory coat. After a simple health check, she was finally released to the floor where Daisuke and the other Mushitsuki wait.

She was still able to accept the stringent check that bordered on being excessive. After all, they were dealing with Mushitsuki that were of a nature that is unknown.

However, there was something which she could not accept no matter what. After leaving the shower room, she was provided with a set of clothing which she must wear in the facility.

It was a set of undershirt and suit tights that hugged close to the bodyline.

“It’s still not too late. Wouldn’t it be better for you to turn back now?”

Daisuke said in an unusually kind tone. His gaze flitted from her lower body to her chest area.

“WHY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KIND CONSIDERATION!”

She wanted to send him flying, but she was currently using her arm to cover her chest.

“THERE’S NOTHING FOR ME TO BE ASHAMED ABOUT! That’s right, I’m still in my growing phase… my growing…!”

“I-I get it, I’m sorry! So please don’t cry… Okay?”

Through her blurry sight, Arisu kicked Daisuke in his shin exclaiming, ‘I’m not crying!’

The safety choker was only for Mushitsuki that were not members of SEPB. Daisuke did not have one on his neck.

Led by Daisuke, the two of them went down a passageway. He mentioned that they were going to meet up with somebody.

It was as if the desertedness of the place up till now was a lie, and a large traffic of people scurried along the passageway. However, much of the people were adults wearing laboratory coats, and people like Arisu and Daisuke who wore black clothing were rare.

The walls and the ceiling were not made with concrete but covered by metal. In addition, all the rooms along the passageway were fitted with thick glass windows which exposed everything in the rooms. Contrary to the gloomy atmosphere she expected, the wide passageway and the rooms were all brightly illuminated.

“There’s surprisingly lots of people around here.”

“That’s because we are close to the entrance here. This place is split into eight floors with this floor being the sixth where inspection and management of Mushitsuki takes place. The two floors above us are experimental facilities while the lower two are the accommodation and training facilities for captured Mushitsuki. The first to third floors are barred from entry by Mushitsuki personnel.”

All the people walking past them opened up the path when they saw Daisuke.

“Looks like you are quite the hated one… Do you not have any friends or acquaintances here?”

“I do not need any allies.”

Daisuke flatly declared.

“Where the hell is that guy anyway. He didn’t mention anything else aside that he’s waiting at the sixth floor.”

Muttering to himself, Daisuke swiftly proceeded ahead and turned at the corner.

“Hey, wait up.”

Arisu rushed to catch up to him.

“What’s with that, you do have acquaintances here after all. Introduce him to me as well. I want to know more about the Mushitsuki—”

Turning at the corner, Arisu came to a stop.

Daisuke’s figure had disappeared all of a sudden.

“Hmm? Where did he go?”

“Acquaintance? He’s more than just that, he’s an ultra cool guy. Not to mention, he is strong but kind, the best kind of guy around.”

That was Daisuke’s voice. However, his figure was nowhere to be seen. Arisu looked around at her surroundings.

“Where are you hiding? Stop messing around and come out.”

“But, I’ll refrain from introducing him to you. If you were to be smitten by him, I’d be unable to live on anymore.”

“Disgusting! …Stop saying uncanny stuff and quickly—”

Hugging her body in disgust, Arisu could hear grunting sound from above her. It was the sound of something writhing with a, ‘Mnn! Mnn!’ sound.

Turning her head up, Arisu was speechless.

“Yo, pleased to meet you.”

A youth hanging upside down smiled to her with a grin. His legs hung off a pipe running across the ceiling and his two hands were restraining Daisuke. Who knew what kind of magic he used to bind Daisuke’s hands behind his back and stuff his mouth so quickly.

“Oof!”

He released Daisuke who landed on the floor with a thud. Swing his body on the pipe, he cackled in laughter.

“Ahaha, you can’t even land properly? Have you already become soft.”

“How the hell do you expect me to do that with my hands tied behind my back! Untie this right away, Aki! And don’t ever mimic someone else’s voice to say some sickening things!”

“Fine, fine.”

The youth landed on the floor without making a sound. But, he did not untie the ropes and just looked down at Daisuke.

“However, this is truly pathetic… do you actually have any self-awareness about your own position? You are the one feared by all the people here—”

“Didn’t I tell you to untie it!”

Ignoring the shouting Daisuke, the youth called Aki turned towards Arisu.

The youth had long slit eyes that hung under his long, bleached hair, leaving a deep impression on Arisu. He looks to be around one or two years older than Arisu. He does not seem to be from the surveillance team, seeing as he was not wearing goggles.

Judging from the situation, he seemed to have used the moment Daisuke left Arisu’s gaze to quickly bind him up. It was an unbelievable feat. Furthermore, it was hard to imagine that he had the muscle strength to lift Daisuke up with just both of his arms from just his external appearance.

“I am Blaze Class Rank 5, Aki from the combat team. Nice to meet you, Spear-type.”

The youth, Aki, held out his hand.

A smile formed naturally on Arisu’s face.

First, the mysterious girl she met at the entrance room at the very beginning.

Then, this young man who seemed peculiar but has an amiable smile.

They all held different positions. However, even in a place like this, there were still Mushitsuki with positive smiles—.

Arisu gripped his hand firmly.

“For some reason, I feel like we would get along well.”

“Ahaha, what a coincidence, me too. Oi, don’t be jealous that we’re getting along so well, okay.”

“I don’t care, just untie me already!”

Part 4

“I’ve already heard about the situation. Sounds like a troublesome fellow.”

“I’d say she is about as strong as myself. Using the Rank system, she’d be around a Blaze Class Rank 6.”

“What’s that, that’s not a very big deal.”

“However, when she had been captured one year ago, she had only been unranked. Unlike the rest of the unranked small fries who remains unchanged.”

“So, you’re saying that her rate of improvement is unprecedented…”

“That is one of the reasons that they’ve requested for you to convince her. They also felt that it was a waste for the experimental subjects to be turned into Fallen so rapidly. It seems like they really want for her to work for them as a member of SEPB.”

“One other reason is because of that, right. Well, fine. I already have a plan.”

“A plan?”

“…Even so, how did you fail to convince a measly inmate, Aki. You’re too soft as always. There’s no need for us to sympathise with them—”

“She is different from the other inmates… Well, you will see for yourself once you’ve meet her in person. Even for you, this time round it won’t be—”

In contrast to when they met just now, the two youths walking down the passageway now had completely different expressions.

With stern expressions, Daisuke and Aki walked down the passageway briskly.

As they entered deeper into the facility, Arisu realized that the number of people walking by decreased.

All of a sudden, Aki turned around to look at Arisu.

“Are you serious about bringing her along?”

“What’s with that. Is there a reason I can’t tag along?”

“Taking this opportunity, it’s better for her to see for herself as soon as possible.”

Daisuke said while facing the front as he walked, not meeting her eye. Arisu furrowed her eyebrows.

Eventually, the three of them reached the end of the passageway.

There were two elevator doors. Daisuke stood in front of the left elevator door, while Arisu was pulled by Aki to before the one on the right.

“We’re not going together?”

“The third practice hall on the seventh floor is partitioned by reinforced glass. Saying that you have a plan… what is it that you are going to do?”

“You will understand once it starts.”

The two youths completely ignored Arisu’s query. Then, the doors to the elevators opened simultaneously.

Right before they entered, Daisuke turned to look at Arisu.

“…?”

As Arisu tilted her head in doubt, he averted his gaze before disappearing into the elevator. She boarded the elevator on the right with Aki and it slowly began moving.

“Hey, didn’t he come just to convince the Mushitsuki? Why the equipment?”

“It’s probably to prepare for the worst or something. I was only ordered to bring him here, they didn’t tell me anything more. Don’t worry, even he wouldn’t do anything too overboard.”

The elevator soon came to a stop. The door opened, revealing a long passageway. The two of them proceed down side by side.

Arisu spoke out the question she had in mind.

“Aki, you don’t seem to fear Dai—him, right. Even though everyone else tries to avoid him.”

“Hm? I guess so, we’ve known each other for long, we’re comrade in arms so to speak. Besides, no matter how strong he is, it doesn’t change the fact that he is still just a brat.”

“Hmm, so he is that strong.”

Arisu replied in a light tone. Aki looked at her in surprise.

“What is it, staring at me like you’ve seen a freak.”

“No, it’s nothing… Don’t tell me that you’ve been staying by his side without knowing anything about him?”

“Of course, I know. Firstly, he lazes terribly in bed. Next, he’s weak to cute girls. In other words, he’s a closet pervert.”

“I-is that so? I… never knew that.”

“Then, next is your turn. Tell me what you know about him.”

Facing Arisu who plainly ordered him, Aki turned sombre. He looks as if he can’t decide whether to tell her or not.

“Well, tell me.”

Arisu restated. The youth opened his mouth in hesitation.

“He is the strongest Mushitsuki.”

“…”

“At least, that is how the people around views him, and he is in fact abnormally strong to match. It goes without any doubts that he had saved the SEPB from perilous situations multiple times. Most prominently, during that incident two years ago.”

“That incident?”

“It was a primary school girl. The SEPB set out to capture that girl who was a Mushitsuki. However, that girl was too strong. She was far stronger than anything the SEPB’s ever faced before or even imagined. It was due to her that several dozens of our members were turned into Fallen. For the SEPB of that time, a damage of that scale pretty much meant that they were wiped out. All at the hands of a single girl… by Fuyuhotaru.”

Arisu widened her eyes.

Fuyuhotaru—that was the name that Daisuke mentioned in his nightmare. The name that he told Arisu to never speak of again.

“The worst thing was that at the same time, a revolt was happening on the inside of the SEPB. The East Central Branch tried to usurp the Central Headquarters. However, that ended up in failure. …In addition, almost all of the members that participated in the coup d'état were turned into Fallen. All by hands of a lone Mushitsuki.”

Arisu stared straight at Aki.

“That was none other than him. Concurrent with subjugating the coup d'état, he also succeeded in capturing Fuyuhotaru. All this was accomplished by him alone. One could even call it a national-level crisis. I was also one of the personnel who participated in the mission to capture Fuyuhotaru, but there was nothing I could do. She was someone who possessed strength equivalent to a disaster. …And yet, he was still stronger than that girl.”

Arisu could almost see the fear bubbling up at the thought of that time from his side profile.

“I still remember clearly how he looked like when I first met him. It was as if he saw the whole world as his enemy. The other Mushitsuki fear him not only because of the fact that he is stronger than anyone else. It is also because he does not falter for even a second when defeating his enemies.”

But then, the youth’s strict visage flipped around all of a sudden to form a smile.

“But, like I mentioned earlier, the usual him is just a brat that behaves like how he is just now. You’ve mentioned it yourself too. I also wanted to know what was it that made him so merciless as such and tried to find out, but… lately, I’ve been wondering. Perhaps, I will never be able to understand him. Why is he the way he is… even though there are Mushitsuki like her too.”

“Her?”

Aki did not reply her and only smiled as if to gloss over the issue.

“Well, in any case, it may be impossible for someone like me to be able to understand him. For all I know, he might actually be a real monster—”

“If you speak any further, I’m going to hold you in disdain.”

Arisu realized that she was unconsciously glaring at Aki.

—No matter who it is, anybody would be afraid of monsters, that’s all.

Arisu recalled how Daisuke looked when he said that. She could not view him the way he spoke about himself seeing how he hid his expression behind an ironic smile.

“…My bad, that was a slip of tongue. Forget I ever said that.”

Aki raised both of his hands with a bitter smile.

“That’s right, it may be difficult for me, but if it’s someone the same—someone as strong as he is may be able to comprehend his thoughts.”

“…”

“You seem pretty strong as well. He did mention how you were the first to stop a straight-on attack by him.”

“Well, I guess I can do that sometimes.”

“If it’s you, then maybe… you can understand him.”

Looking at the side profile of the youth muttering to himself, he seemed to be brooding over something.

They reached the end of the passageway.

The door opened before the two of them.

It revealed a wide room. Large machines lined the floor and monitors were placed everywhere. A large number of adults in laboratory coats turned to look at them. There was a large glass window installed at the end of the room.

All of the adults stared at Arisu and Aki. Their gazes were as if they were going to swallow her whole.

“W-what’s with these people…”

“They’re bursting with curiosity at you. This is an observation room for gathering data, and all of them are observers. In the eyes of such people, Mushitsuki like us are nought but guinea pigs.”

Aki whispered to her softly.

“Get into standby, Blaze Class Rank 5 member, Aki.”

“Yes.”

Following the order, Aki moved towards the glass window inside with Arisu in tow.

“You just sit down here obediently. No matter what happens.”

“What do you mean no matter what happens…”

Beyond the glass was a vast hall that was as large as Arisu’s school gym. In the centre of the hall, a block of reinforced glass partitioned the hall into two areas. The inside of the hall was dark and she couldn’t really see anything.

“The other side is unable to see through to this side. This door over there leads to the hall, but it has never been used before.”

Just as Aki was speaking.

A figure appeared from a tunnel by the side of the wall.

It was Daisuke. He was wearing the familiar jet-black coat and a handgun hung from his right hand.

When Daisuke stood in front of the reinforced glass, a female voice rang out from the speaker.

[Test subject 2587 shall enter the training premises.]

A high-pitched alarm resounded noisily, causing Arisu to stiffen at the suddenness.

The alarm stopped just as randomly, causing the area to be enveloped in a tense atmosphere.

—Just what is going to happen now…?

Trembling, Arisu noticed a movement in the corner of her eye.

At a space in the hall where the illumination does not reach.

A pair of white legs appeared from beyond the darkness.

“…!”

Arisu’s breathing paused momentarily.

Standing before the illumination was a lightly-dressed girl. Her neck was wrapped by chains, and both of her arms were bound by restraints.

That was undoubtedly the girl Arisu met at the entrance room.

“That girl…!”

However, different from when Arisu met her the first time, she had a sharp glint in her eye. Looking at her eyes with her emotions fiercely suppressed, Arisu felt a chill run down her back.

The girl smirked. It was directed towards Daisuke who stood beyond the reinforced glass.

[No matter how many of you show up, my will will never change. I will never approve of you guys, SEPB…!]

The coldness of her voice shocked Arisu. Just how much anger was behind the voice for it to sound so icy.

[Just because they are Mushitsuki, you would capture these innocent people and lock them up here… And that’s not all, you guys even force them against their will to capture other Mushitsuki just like themselves. If you ask me, I’d say that rather than the Mushi, you guys are the real monsters!]

Daisuke did not even move an iota receiving her rant, only staring at her calmly.

Aki’s face twisted.

“More than ten members have tried to convince her one-on-one. However, all of the attempts ended in failure. That was because…”

Daisuke turned to face their side. He lifted his chin in the direction of Arisu and the rest who he should not be able to see.

[Understood. Let the other inmates in.]

“Wha-…?”

Aki uttered in surprise.

Several people dressed in the same light clothes as the girl appeared from behind her.

There were several dozens of people, all of them with chokers and arm restraints. They gathered around the girl facing Daisuke.

“This number… are almost all of the inmates gathered here? What the hell are you planning to do!”

This must have been beyond his expectations, as Aki became restless. On the other hand, the adults in coats watched over the situation in silence.

[Everybody…!]

The girl was caught by surprise as well, widening her eyes in astonishment.

[Rina…!]

[Are you alright, Rina!]

[Rina!]

Surrounding her, the inmates shouted chaotically. Rina must have referred to the girl with the sharp gaze.

“What? What is happening…?”

Arisu looked towards the youth next to her. Aki still appeared to be bewildered, but he swept his gaze across the hall and spoke.

“All these people are the Mushitsuki that the SEPB had captured… In the year that Rina had been imprisoned, all the Mushitsuki had gathered around her somehow. It was till the extent that even some the bureau members held the same opinions as her. As a result, they could not treat her roughly. This in turn affected the persuasion of other inmates.”

Arisu could accept that explanation readily.

She had felt it from the time they first met, be it her words or her expression—all of it held a charm which attracted people.

[What’s your intention? Are you planning on convincing all of us at the same time?]

Rina flashed a provocating smile towards Daisuke. Having gained allies, Rina and the other inmates seemed to have grown even more rebellious.

But—.

[K-Kakkou…?]

Out of the blue, voice erupted from behind Rina.

[Kakkou…! It’s Kakkou!]

[Run, Rina! That guy…!]

Voices that sounded like shrieks spread like wildfire, plunging the hall into a state of panic. All of their looks of fear were fixated at none other than Daisuke.

“Kakkou…?”

Arisu furrowed her eyebrows.

[Blaze Class Rank 1 member, Kakkou. Please execute your mission.]

A commandeering voice echoed in the hall.

[Understood.]

The one who replied was none other than Kusuriya Daisuke who had his face hidden behind the goggles. Arisu was shocked.

[Rina!]

[Kakkou…!]

[Rina!]

[K-Kakkou…!]

Between the two extremes of shrieks and angry cries, Daisuke and Rina stared at each other in silence.

—Just what are the two of them…!

Arisu was unable to even speak.

The mysterious girl, Rina, and Daisuke with a ruthless expression.

It was as if they were exact opposites.

Rina was probably a presence that instilled courage in her fellow Mushitsuki; that was evident from the behaviour of the people around her currently.

In contrast, the way Daisuke was reflected in their eyes was as if they were looking at a slaughterer looking to deprive them of their dreams.

A Mushitsuki that provides, and a Mushitsuki that robs.

The two polarising Mushitsuki stood face-to-face separated by the reinforced glass.

[I see. You are the infamous… Kakkou. The vilest and the worst Mushitsuki!]

[…]

The girl was overflowing with rage and hostility. Conversely, Daisuke was unchangingly expressionless.

Without warning, Daisuke opened his mouth to speak.

[Don’t you want to defeat this vilest Mushitsuki?]

The hodgepodge of voices in the hall came to an abrupt stop.

[Anyone is fine. If any of you can defeat me, then I’ll release every single one of you.]

Compared to how he was at school normally, it was a low voice that Arisu thought did not seem to belong to him.

The hall was wrapped in stillness. Then, a commotion interspersed with fear and doubt was raised.

[Do you really think that we would believe your words? Having locked us up all this time… just what are you planning now.]

[It’s up to you guys whether to believe it or not. Are you going to do it? Or are you not?]

At his words, Rina and the rest turned to face one another.

“What the heck is he thinking…”

Their hesitation reached up to where Arisu and the others were at. Aki groaned.

Having made up her mind, Rina readied into a stance.

[It’s not like we have any other choices, right. …Fine, bring it on, I’ll face you myself.]

[However. Anyone except for you, Rina.]

[Wha-…! Why—]

[F-fine… I’ll do it]

The one who raised his hand in place of Rina was a young man with short hair and a sturdy-looking body.

Several minutes later.

The short-haired young man was brought by several bureau members to in front of Daisuke.

[Y-you will really release everyone if I win, right?]

At the same time, the tension in the room Arisu was in rose.

“If it comes down to it, make sure that we can electrocute the inmates whenever.”

One of the elderly man ordered. The people sitting in front of the displays nodded.

“…”

Aki frowned towards the hall with an austere expression.

[Ah. I have to mention this before however.]

[…?]

[Do not expect me to hold back in the least.]

His words marked the start of the battle.

A green checkered beetle appeared out of nowhere and descended onto Daisuke. The moment it touched his handgun, the checkered beetle morphed into feelers that combined with his handgun and body,

The short-haired young man also materialised his Mushi. It was a large Mushi with alternating black and white stripes on its long and narrow body. With thin blade-like wings and an abnormally long and slender mouthpiece, it closely resembled a mosquito. A green fluid dripped from the tip of its mouthpiece.

The young man’s Mushi had been first to move. The moment it flapped its wings, its huge body already flew over Daisuke’s head.

—It’s fast…!

Arisu couldn’t even capture the moment the mosquito accelerated with her eyes.

Daisuke had not even readied his handgun and remained standing still. Behind him, the huge mosquito was flying at alarming speed.

Looking at how Daisuke did not make a single move, the young man must have thought he had a chance of winning and flashed a grin.

“It’s dangerous…!”

Arisu reflexively shouted out loud.

Having circled to his back in an instant, the mosquito accelerated aiming for Daisuke’s back.

But in the next moment, Daisuke jumped. Leaping into the air with superhuman leg strength, he did a somersault mid-air. The mosquito’s sharp mouthpiece barely grazed his coat.

A cannon-like blast of a gunshot reverberated.

[Guaah!]

The bullet shot by Daisuke pierced through the mosquito’s wing.

With a groan, the young man collapsed onto his knees. —The damage sustained by a Mushi is rebounded to their host’s psyche.

The injured mosquito rammed into the wall.

Daisuke landed on the ground and walked towards the young man who was grinding his molar with a look of frustration. —However, he then walked past him and approached the mosquito.

The sound of a cannon boomed out again.

[Ga… ah…!]

The bullet tore the mosquito’s leg into shreds.

[Wha-…!]

““Wha-…!””

Rina, Arisu and Aki’s voice overlapped.

[The match is already decided! It’s our loss! So, just stop!]

[Decide on who is going to come face me next.]

Daisuke said coldly. With another gunshot, another of the Mushi’s leg was blown apart.

[What… did you say?]

[We’re going to continue, until the very last person. —Or, until you pledge to cooperate with the SEPB, Rina.]

The hall and the room were dominated by silence.

On his face turned back to face Rina, there was a smile. As if he was enjoying how he was torturing the Mushi before him.

“Kakkou… You…!”

Aki glared towards Daisuke in the hall. His look of shock was gradually seeped with anger.

—Wrong…

In a daze, Arisu groaned in her heart.

—This isn’t Daisuke. That person is…!

[…You are not human…]

Rina broke the silence in a penetratingly cold voice. Pervading through the reinforced glass, Rina glared at Daisuke murderously.

[If you’re targeting me, then fight me yourself! Why are involving these unrelated people, Kakkou! KAKKOU!]

[There’s no way they’re unrelated. Those of you behind Rina, watch closely. As long as you remain here—as long as I am around, there’s no way any of you are getting freedom. I’ll teach you guys that you have no options other than to submit yourselves.]

“Oi, give Kakkou the order to stop! There’s no need for him to go so far!”

Aki turned towards the coated staffs.

“Everything is proceeding as planned. Continue the collection of data.”

The most senior researcher announced indifferently.

“What the hell… do you see us Mushitsuki as—”

[Those who still do not understand, step up. Before this guy’s Mushi is completely destroyed.]

The cannon-like booms continued, further wounding the mosquito. The young man continued to groan in pain.

The hall was absolutely inundated in fear. None of the inmates stood forward, only watching the tragedy unfold before them in terror.

[Stop! Stop it, Kakkou! KAKKOU!]

A Mushi materialised behind the screaming Rina. There were seven red spots on its frightful rugged carapace—giving an impression of a ladybird. Its ominously wriggling mouthpiece looks like it could bite off someone’s head in one go.

The ladybird slammed its body against the reinforced glass. However, that only caused the wall to shake a bit.

[That’s futile, the only one who can break that glass in the SEPB is me. Stand down your Mushi. If not, I will activate your choker.]

[Why are you going so far…! Even though we’re all Mushitsuki…!]

Rina scratched at the glass until her nails bled.

—My dream is… to build a place of belonging for Mushitsuki.

The girl who had said that with a pure smile was currently bawling right in front of Arisu’s eyes. At that ghastly scene, Arisu could only stand there in a stupor.

“Kakkou…! Why are you going so far…!”

Aki too was banging his hand against the glass. It was a voice tinged with anger, disbelief and slight loneliness.

“…”

Arisu wordlessly grabbed the metallic fence above the equipment.

A silvery radiance shone above her head. It was the morpho butterfly.

Unrest ran through the room. Aki turned towards Arisu.

“W-what are you doing?”

“What, you ask…?”

Muttering in a subdued voice, she turned towards Aki with a glare. She must have looked ferocious, as Aki took a step back in recoil.

“There’s no way something like this can be allowed. Why is there a need for him to go so far…!”

In her sights, Daisuke was still attacking the defenceless Mushi. The back that she always saw right next to her seemed to be emitting malice now.

However, there were no changes at all in the morpho butterfly fluttering above her head.

Arisu looked up at the silver butterfly.

—Mari…!

The morpho butterfly had once belonged to her close friend, Hanashiro Mari. That Mushi had now been entrusted to Arisu. She could not fathom its true intentions, but it had always protected her whenever she was in danger.

—Please, Mari…!

She shouted in her heart.

Even so, the morpho butterfly merely flapped its wings above her. Arisu bit back her molars strongly.

[Stop it, Kakkou! …Please, just stop!]

[Pledge your cooperation! All of you!]

The shouts of the two Mushitsuki intermeshed.

“…!”

Arisu released her hands for the fence at last and kicked off the ground.

She went before the door which Aki mentioned was connected to the hall. There were a multitude of buttons before her, but she just smashed them all at random.

“Oi, stop that immediately! …Activate the choker for the guest—”

“No… you will let her go.”

A low voice resounded in the room.

Having moved without anybody noticing, Aki stood in the centre of the room. In front of him was a staff before a machine that probably operated the chokers.

“If you activate the chokers, I will attack you with my Mushi. Open the door and let her go.”

Countless lapis lazuli spots were on the staff’s body. Looking more closely, they had small legs beneath a smooth and round carapace; it was a Mushi that resembled a leaf beetle.

“You dare… Aki! Don’t think you will get off lightly for pulling this!”

“No need for your threats. Quickly do as I said. This is not just an intimidation. You do know how much we Mushitsuki hate you guys, right?”

Arisu stared at Aki. He looked back at her with a look of pain, one that seemed unbearable.

“She… Rina said to me, someone who had always been her enemy, to build a place of belonging together.”

—Even though there are Mushitsuki like her…

—It was till the extent that even some the bureau members held the same opinions as her.

Aki had mentioned that before. No doubts he was referring to himself when he said that.

“And also, I… can no longer understand him. Kakkou—I cannot even stop him. That’s why…”

The door connecting to the hall opened.

Arisu turned around. Passing through the door, she ran down the dim stairway. She opened the door that stood at the end of the stairway.

Noticing Arisu and the silver morpho butterfly that burst into the hall, Daisuke turned around.

“Arisu…?”

A deafening alarm rang in the hall.

“…Stop it…”

She was planning to admonish him, but only a husky voice came out.

It had only been for a short moment that she had met the youth known as Kusuriya Daisuke and stayed with him under one roof. She had witnessed before many times the figure of him acting under his mission of capturing Mushitsuki.

However, the him that attend the same school as her was nothing but an ordinary youth. Whether it was during when he was caught up in one of Arisu’s whims, or when he blushed when held closely by Ena and Takako. She believed somewhere in her heart that that was the real him.

Despite that—.

“Stop what you are doing right now!”

Arisu screamed, her eyes turning wet.

“Why is it… why is it that you can do such a horrible thing? Isn’t that person a Mushitsuki like yourself! And yet…!”

Daisuke only faced Arisu with her eyebrows raised wordlessly.

A silence fell between the two, with only the alarm blaring in the background.

Daisuke opened his mouth.

“That is my mission.”

The sound of something within Arisu came to a halt.

“Dai—”

About to shout, however, Arisu widened her eyes.

Perhaps noticing the presence, Daisuke forcefully turned to his back.

The young man who he thought had lost consciousness stood up. The now legless mosquito got up to attack Daisuke’s back.

Daisuke, his attention caught by Arisu for a moment, instantly held up his handgun.

A roar rang out.

“Ah…”

Right before Arisu’s eyes, the body of the mosquito scattered.

All the light faded from the short-haired young man’s eyes. By the time his knees touched the floor, the expression of suffering on his face had already disappeared. It was replaced by a doll-like expressionless look that just stared at the ground.

Mushitsuki who loses their Mushi turn into Fallen, losing their thoughts and emotion—never to regain them. Arisu knew of that as well.

Arisu and Daisuke looked down at the fallen young man in a daze.

And then.

“—Fu… Ahaha…”

They heard the sound of laughter. It was a chilly laughter, one that froze the hearts of whoever heard it.

Daisuke and Arisu turned to looked beyond the glass.

Rina was leaning forwards. Her hair dangled over her face making her look like a vengeful spirit, and they spotted her lips curving into a smile.

“What the heck… from the very start, you were going to turn him… turn all of us into Fallen in the first place…?”

That’s wrong—.

Arisu shook her head.

Daisuke had only not noticed the mosquito because his attention was occupied by Arisu.

The hall shook violently.

The huge ladybird rammed itself against the reinforced glass ferociously.

“I clearly get it now. What we should do is not to submit ourselves, nor to come to an agreement. —We must fight!”

Rina raised her head. Her eyes were burning with fury and hatred.

“Not to mention, that morpho butterfly… Did you think I would forget? So, you—the Hunter was an ally of the SEPB as well…”

The hall shook repeatedly with intense tremors.

“The Hunter…? I am…?”

Arisu subconsciously muttered.

The body of the ladybird ramming the wall progressively increased in size.

The sound of something cracking with a Krr sounded out.

A large crack appeared on the reinforced glass.

“Unforgivable… The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau… I’ll crush every single one of you…”

The girl screamed.

“I’ll kill all of you!”

The ladybird spread its huge wings widely.

“Arisu!”

Daisuke threw himself towards Arisu who stood stunned.

An explosion occurred. —That was all that Arisu’s consciousness took in.

Right before her view was shrouded in white, she saw that the reinforced glass partition, the wall and the door connecting to the passageway were all blown away. Sent flying by the powerful shockwave, she lost her sense of direction.

A howl that seemed to shake the air resounded in the facility.

She had lost consciousness for a second. When she came to, she had been lying on the floor.

“Kuh… uh…”

She heard the voice of someone gasping in pain.

“…Eh…”

Arisu raised her head.

She came to face with Daisuke who was grimacing in pain. Blood covered most of his face.

Arisu was pinned under a thick shard of glass. By right, the impact of being hit by such a piece of reinforced glass should have injured her heavily.

However, she was mostly unharmed. The reason for that was none other than the presence of the boy between her and the glass.

“Why…! Daisuke…! Even if it was your mission to guard me—”

“It doesn’t matter… whether it’s my mission or not… How could I possibly let you die…!”

He spoke in a feeble voice that could only reach Arisu. At his words, her heart fluttered.

“W-what’s with that…”

He hurt other Mushitsuki mercilessly, saying that it was his mission. And yet, he tried to protect Arisu even if it risked his life.

Daisuke said that that wasn’t because of his mission.

She could not understand the youth known as Kusuriya Daisuke. For who or what reason was he acting so unfeeling, but still willing to risk his life to protect Arisu.

“Just why…! Daisuke…!”

Arisu’s voice was drowned out by the roar of the giant ladybird. It was a roar of excitement at being released.

“Where are you, Kakkou! I’m going to kill you! Don’t think about escaping either, Hunter!”

“A-… Activate test subject 2587’s choker!”

The explosion had revealed the observation room as well. In front of Aki who was smashed into the wall by the shockwave, a staff reached out his hand to the equipment.

“…!”

Rina’s eyes widened, and her body arched backwards.

However—.

Another roar shook the entire hall.

Having been hit by a surge of electricity, Rina kneeled on the ground weakly. However, she was still conscious.

Rather than disappearing, the ladybird must have sensed the danger its host was in. It pummelled its body into the wall in the direction of the observation room. A large tremor rocked the hall, causing large cracks to snake along the walls.

“Why isn’t it stopping…! Don’t tell me, it’s maturing—”

The words of the staff were cut off halfway. He had been kicked away by Aki.

“The choker had the opposite effect…! If such a strong Mushi as that goes berserk, there’ll be no stopping it…! If you don’t want to die, then stop using it!”

[An emergency has occurred. All combat members, please head towards the third practice hall—]

The voice coming from the speaker faded away into noise. Aki had rendered the operator of the choker unconscious and snatched away the announcement mike.

[…Protect Rina!]

Aki’s voice echoed in the hall.

Right when a large amount of personnel in white coats poured in to subjugate the inmates, the sudden voice caused them to falter.

[Everybody in the facility, listen to me! Rina has defeated Kakkou! I repeat, Rina has defeated Kakkou! The safety chokers are also inactive!]

Aki’s shouting voice reverberated in the hall through the speaker.

“Run, Rina! You will be captured again if you remain here!”

“It’s Rina! Protect Rina! As long as she is alright…!”

The liberated inmates formed a protective layer around Rina.

In addition, there were other bureau members who aligned with Rina apart from Aki. The oppressed and rebelling inmates and the white coats formed two sides which fought against each other.

“Aki…”

Daisuke turned his grimacing face towards Aki.

The gazes of Daisuke, and Aki who said that they were comrade in arms crossed.

“Kakkou… I do not understand you at all anymore.”

Aki said.

“That’s why, I’ll stake on Rina. Rina is different from those of us in SEPB… she truly fights for the sake of us Mushitsuki.”

“You idiot… You are mistaken on what our true enemy is…!”

His voice was so raspy that it could not have reached Aki.

The hall had fallen into complete chaos with angry cries and the sound of alarm in the background. Rina, whose consciousness was cloudy, was ferried away by the other inmates.

The angry shouts and explosions started becoming distant from the hall.

“Don’t go… Just stay still for now…”

Daisuke stopped Arisu who was about to move.

“…You… mustn’t die here no matter what…”

“Why…! He’s your friend, isn’t he! I have to stop…!”

“You’ve seen it too, she’s… Rina is strong… and so am I… But, those of us may eventually have our dreams completely consumed and our Mushi mature…”

Daisuke’s breathing become faint. She did not know if he even knew what was he saying himself.

“At that time… the only one who can stop us… is not any other Mushitsuki… but someone strong… and not a Mushitsuki. It’s you…”

Arisu widened her eyes.

“What’s with that—”

Daisuke ran out of energy. The weight of the glass and the unconscious Daisuke encumbered Arisu.

Does that mean you only protected me just so that I may defeat you—.

Rina, Kakkou, and the Hunter—these few words that she had just learnt recently floated in her mind before vanishing.

“Just what the hell are they…”

She slowly closed her eyes.

“What are they… Mushitsuki…”

Arisu lifted her head.

A silver light glinted above Daisuke’s head—slicing through the smoke, the morpho butterfly danced coolly in the air.

The sound of angry cries mixed with screams, followed by explosions.

The Central Headquarters of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau was in complete disarray due to the uprising of the inmates.

Arisu took in the scene motionlessly.

“Kakkou… I do not understand you at all anymore.”

The youth wrapped in a black coat, Aki said.

Trapped under a huge shard of broken glass, Daisuke groaned with his face blood-soaked.

“You idiot…!”

“That’s why, I’ll stake on Rina. Rina is different from those of us in SEPB… she truly fights for the sake of us Mushitsuki.”

“…You are mistaken on what our true enemy is …!”

Both the faces of Daisuke and Aki who glared at each other at a distance had pained expressions.

“Daisuke…”

Next to the injured Daisuke, Arisu could do nothing but watch their separation—.

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