Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 11

Episode 11. The Journey Lost in Dreams

—My dream, can I entrust it to you?

When she had been alive, Hanashiro Mari said this and smiled.

—Sorry, that was nothing…

She immediately took it back, but what had she really wanted to say?

—See you tomorrow.

The next day after this smile, Mari breathed her last.

Since she had been destroyed by her illness, Mari had no tomorrow.

She had entrusted Arisu with a silver Morpho butterfly. The continuation of Mari's dream.

When she touched it with her hand, the Morpho butterfly's body would transform and fuse with her.

Her body got hotter and her pulse quickened. By merging with the sweet dream embedded inside the Morpho butterfly, she could clearly feel the presence of another, different life.

While becoming one with the Mushi that Mari had left her, she asked herself.

Who—am I?

While fused with Mari's Morpho butterfly, she couldn't recall her name for some reason.

She felt as if the Mari in her memories wore a light smile.

…She had this dream a lot lately.

Part 1

Ichinokuro Arisu breathed, loosening her mouth. Brushing up the hair on her ear, she elegantly closed her eyes.

"An ace four-of-a-kind."

Sending a sidelong glance at the seat next to her, Saionji Ena smiled. Ena, who had a sophisticated atmosphere to her even among her classmates, stuck out her tongue.

"Full house."

Sitting on Ena's other side, Kujou Takako sighed with a troubled face. She shook her short hair, revealing her card with graceful hand movements.

"I have a straight."

Arisu, Ena, and Takako's line of sight focused on one spot. Their eyes all settled on the completely ordinary boy, Kusuriya Daisuke.

"…Trash hand…"

—The sparkle in Ena's eyes was probably only Arisu's imagination. Or so she wanted to believe.

"So it's your loss again, Kusuriya-kun! As for your penalty game, lose another piece of clothing! Come on!"

"…That's definitely odd! Ever since you started dealing, Saionji-san, I haven't been able to gather even a single meld! W-wait a minute, stop, Saionji-san! More than that and I'll—"

"No!"

"…Huh?"

"You should have tears in your eyes and say, 'S-stop it, Saionji-san…' right? Do it over!"

Arisu and Takako averted their eyes from Ena joyfully grabbing onto the innocent boy.

"It feels like Ena-san is going on a rampage lately…"

"You can't look. We can no longer stop Ena's Daisuke addiction…"

Outside the window next to the desperate battle enfolding between Daisuke and Ena was a mountain range with its summit covered in snow.

Not only Arisu's group was clamoring.

The bus stuffed with the students of Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School truly became a battlefield.

Arisu's group was on the Shinkansen. Since the train had been reserved so that each car was for an entire class, uniform-wearing students were running about.  Although Horusu Seijou Academy had many upper-class girls, Arisu's class had especially many energetic students.

It was the customary event of the second year of Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School, a field trip.

Their destination was the former capital where culture and tradition gathered, Gosen City.

"—I wish Mari could've come here, too…"

As a representative of the students that couldn't calm down, Arisu looked outside the window and sighed.

Hanashiro Mari. She was Arisu's friend that passed away without attending Horusu Seijou Academy even once. Succumbing to her illness, as she lay on her sickbed, she had said that she wanted to go outside once she got better.

"Do you feel unwell, Arisu-san?"

"No, it's nothing."

Arisu smiled at Takako who made a worried face probably thinking that seeing Arisu so quiet was rare.

Silver scales poured down outside the window. Although she couldn't see its form, the thing that Mari had left behind for Arisu was following her.

Right, Mari's still with me even now—

It happened just as she muttered this in her heart and smiled.

The voices of students around suddenly stopped.

Thinking it strange and raising her face, she saw that the gazes of the students were all turned toward the car's entrance. Even Ena, busy with the half-naked Daisuke, stopped her movements with a puzzled face.

A boy entered from the automatic door. He seemed to be a few years in age above Arisu and the rest, about high school. Part of his forelock was braided and he wore strange glasses.

The boy wore a business suit with an excess of belts at various places. With both hands inside his pockets he advanced through the corridor rather insolently.

"He… doesn't appear to be a teacher. This is the first time I have seen this man."

Takako muttered while tilting her head.

The Shinkansen Arisu and the rest were boarding was reserved for second year students. The car was supposed to have only people related to the school or the crewmen.

The bespectacled boy looked around the car expressionlessly. His gaze then stopped on Arisu.

Arisu and the boy shortly gazed at each other—

"…Humph."

The boy scoffed at her, snorting. Arisu stiffened. Leaving his sneer behind, the boy passed through the other direction and vanished from the car.

Arisu stood up, her fist shaking.

"He was picking up a fight with me, right? Right? Fine, I'll take him on."

Daisuke hurriedly stopped Arisu as she was about to pursue the boy.

"I-Idiot! Ar—Ichinokuro-san, if you go on a rampage, you'll break the Shinkansen!"

"I think the time has come for me to use the secret technique of the Ichinokuro family. It's called Arisu Corkscrew."

"Isn't that the one you're always hitting me with? Was it supposed to be secret?"

Daisuke did his best to drag Arisu back as she tried advancing through the corridor with a low laugh. Ena clung to him and Takako watched over them, smiling.

As the inside of the car turned noisy again, an announcement of their arrival resounded around.

The schedule for the first day of Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School's second year field trip was going around temples.

After disembarking the Shinkansen, Arisu and the rest rode on separate buses, reaching a vast park. The park was dotted with many shrines and temples, and there was also a pond with a garden and a museum.

Coming all the way from distant Akamaki City, Arisu's hair was caressed by the wind of the former capital. The faint fragrance of old trees probably came from the Buddhist temple and wooden pillars seen from afar. There were also the smells of grass and animals let loose. Different from the modernized Akamaki City, it was the smell of a capital living in harmony with nature.

"Wow, what's that? It's so big! It's so dirty! Let's go already!"

The one to raise a loud voice immediately after getting off the bus was a student from another class than Arisu's. She frolicked around while pointing at the distant pillars and shaking her blonde hair. Arisu grimaced thinking about the girl's ferocious true nature as Kasuou.

"Say… is that acting?"

"She's completely forgotten her position. Leave that idiot alone."

Next to Arisu, Daisuke sighed.

Although not to Kasuou's extent, the other students also looked around excitedly.

In this age, where public middle schools would even go overseas for field trips sometimes, why had the prestigious and renowned private school of Horusu Seijou Academy gone for a field trip inside the country?

The reason was simple. —The majority of the students were already tired of overseas trips. There were many from families that went on overseas vacation ever since they were young, so on the survey about the destination of the field trip it was actually sightseeing within the country that was popular.

They split into classes inside the park, all going to different places. Arisu ended up observing the park along with Ena, Takako and Daisuke.

"Who's that! What a weird face!"

They first arrived at a Buddhist temple with a large statue of Buddha. The large Buddhist temple at the center of the premises was made of wood, and there were also a lot of other shrines and temples scattered around.

"There're a lotta animals here! Is this Africa?! …Kyah! You bastard—"

Next they came to a garden with free deer. They walked past the blonde girl as she disappeared in a herd of deer.

Passing through the deer park, the line of Horusu Seijou Academy students entered the road to a large shrine. Going along the shrine treasury and offices, they visited the inner sanctuary with its lines of vermillion-lacquered courts.

Seeing the blonde girl getting reprimanded for ripping the shrine ropes, Arisu noticed a gaze being directed at her. It was Daisuke.

"What is it, Daisuke? Looking at people like this… it's creepy."

"You're the creepy one here."

Asserting this rude thing, Daisuke looked at Arisu's face as if it really was unpleasant for him.

"Leaving that idiot Kasuou aside, I thought that you'd definitely cause a commotion… Why are you so quiet? Have you eaten something bad?"

"…Seems like we need to have a nice long talk about just what do you think about me."

"Or are you still mad about what happened on the Shinkansen?"

She recalled the incident on the Shinkansen where an unknown boy had laughed at her. In the end she let him escape as Daisuke restrained her, but if she were to see him again, she fully intended to properly ask him what his deal was.

But the reason for why Arisu seemed to be quieter than the usual lay elsewhere.

"…I've dreamt about Mari again this morning."

Arisu mumbled, gazing at Ena and Takako who went around the temple compound.

A silver glow alighted from overhead.

It was an out-of-season Morpho butterfly with four antennas.

Mushi—that was the name of the unknown beings that ate people's dreams and granted them supernatural powers in exchange. The boys and girls possessed by these Mushi were called Mushitsuki, and although the government had officially denied their existence, people whispered about them as targets of fear and discrimination.

Arisu's friend who had passed away from an illness last year was a Mushitsuki. Her Mushi had clung to Arisu for some reason after her death. According to Daisuke, this was the first case of a Mushi remaining even after its host passed away.

Daisuke was a boy who had been sent to live along with Arisu so he could monitor that Mushi, and her as well. The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau he belonged to was a government agency whose true duty was capturing Mushitsuki. The blonde girl frolicking before was also from the same agency as Daisuke.

"So… I just thought it would've been nice if she could come with us… that's all."

Looking up, the Morpho butterfly circled around her, soaring high again. Blinded by the afternoon sun, Arisu narrowed her eyes.

"Why were you thinking that."

Daisuke slackened his shoulders with a cold face. More than being relieved, he seemed tired. He normally played the part of an honors student to blend with the student lifestyle, but when he was alone with Arisu he acted very bluntly.

Arisu was sullen and Daisuke spoke while looking at the Morpho butterfly.

"Being sentimental is your own choice, but if you're unable to enjoy things because of it then stop. Hanashiro Mari would probably not want this."

"Daisuke…"

Because he was bad at speaking, Arisu couldn't judge if those were his true feelings or if he cared about her. But these were definitely rare words to come out of his mouth.

"When you say such kind things… it's really creepy."

"…Right. Seems like we really need an opportunity for a nice, long talk."

Arisu lightly pounded Daisuke's chest as he wore a stiff smile.

"If so then you should enjoy yourself too. Forget about keeping watch over me, okay?"

Seeing her smile, Daisuke made a complex expression. —Kusuriya Daisuke was a Fusion Type Mushitsuki, just like Mari. Seeing him never voice any complaints was similar to Mari.

"I get the feeling that rather than watching over you, my job is more like taming a wild beast."

"Ena! Seems like Daisuke is planning on sneaking to the girls' room tonight."

"Welcome!"

"…Ena-san…"

As Ena turned around with her eyes sparkling, Takako sighed with a resigned look.

Abandoning Daisuke who was caught and flustered by the two girls, Arisu looked around the compound. The students received a few tens of minutes of free times, so they occupied the area. Some of them were jotting stuff down to be used in their reports of the trip for later, and some people left the shrine to go to other places.

"…?"

Arisu found a person sitting down hidden by the hanging lamps in a corner of the main shrine.

Thinking it was suspicious and approaching them, she saw a boy dressed in gaudy clothes—the clothes of a Noh play—shrinking and hugging his knees. A Noh play was a type of performance from ancient Japan.

He was probably a bit younger than Arisu. From his pale profile it was obvious something was wrong.

"U-umm… is something the matter? You look unwell, but is everything all right?"

Seeing his overly weak appearance, she spoke unusually polite.

The boy's shoulders twitched and he looked up at Arisu. He stared at her face then shook his head.

"I don't know…"

…He seemed to not be fine.

"U-umm, I was asking about you, though… do you have any problem with your condition?"

"I don't know anything about myself…"

The boy shook his head to the sides while still looking at Arisu. It seemed to be a serious illness.

He was attired in a happi coat on top of a hakama, the costume of a Noh play. This boy that had a handsome face despite being pale also grasped a folding fan.

Arisu was bewildered as if she was looking at an abandoned puppy. If she just abandoned him like this she would definitely regret it.

"A-are you performing in a Noh play somewhere? You're wearing Noh clothes, right?"

"What, Noh…?"

The boy seemed to come to his senses. Looking down at the clothes he was wearing, he turned his increasingly pale face at Arisu.

"What should I do…?"

"Even if you ask me that…"

She was actually completely at a loss as to what to do. When she turned around, she could see Daisuke and the rest still frolicking about. They didn't seem to notice her missing.

Thinking a while, Arisu sat right there.

"What is it about?"

"Huh…?"

"The plot of your Noh play."

Meeting there was also destiny. She thought that she didn't mind going along with this unknown boy until Daisuke and the rest noticed her.

"Oh, umm… the one I'm playing is—"

Having some unknown person speak to him just as he was worried about something seemed to induce a state of panic in him. Probably unconsciously, he ended up replying to Arisu's question as if reciting it.

"Tonight in the large shrine inside the garden we will be offering up the Housei-style play 'Mitsuhara'… In this story, after Akisame Sadanobu—a general from the Warring States Period—died in battle, his friend and subordinate Arihara Shirou Muneyoshi takes revenge for him, but because my older brother who's playing Arihara Muneyoshi suddenly collapsed, I was chosen as a replacement… Aaah, what am I supposed to do…"

Perhaps becoming anxious again while speaking, the boy held his head.

I see, so that's how it is—

Arisu understood the boy's circumstances. He seemed to be anxious and tense, falling into a state of panic after suddenly having to act out the main role in the Noh play.

"He takes revenge for his friend…"

She mumbled. Looking up at the sky, a silver Morpho butterfly was fluttering there.

Arisu's friend, Hanashiro Mari, had passed away a year ago.

—Her heart suddenly throbbed.

An unpleasant imagination rose to her mind.

What if Mari's cause of death wasn't just due to her sickness? Mushitsuki had their dreams eaten and consumed by their own Mushi. Mushitsuki whose dreams had been completely devoured would die—what if the reason for Mari's passing from this world had to do with Mushi…?

What killed Mari had been the Mushi flying above Arisu's head—and the one responsible for turning her into a Mushitsuki as well.

If Mari hadn't become a Mushitsuki… would she have perhaps not died…?

"The Original Three…"

Arisu mumbled unconsciously while looking at the silver butterfly.

She had heard about them from Daisuke. Those who turned people into Mushitsuki were the three beings known as the Original Three.

Arisu's pulse quickened.

"Aaah, what am I supposed to do…"

The boy's groaning brought her back to her senses.

Getting interested in the story about trying to avenge one's friend, she called toward him.

"Did he manage to avenge his friend in that story?"

The boy raised his face. He looked back at Arisu quizzically, but shook his head.

"…No, Muneyoshi gives up on revenge in the middle."

"Huh?"

"One of Sadanobu's vassals was the one to strike him down. Sadanobu was a strict, calm person. His vassal, afraid of being punished for a failure, killed him and defected to the enemy side. In contrast to Sadanobu, Muneyoshi was someone who honored emotions and duty… That's why he persisted on his revenge. But—"

A smile rose to the boy's pale lips.

"When his friends were being defeated in battle one after another he finally noticed. Rather than letting the people important to him die for the sake of his revenge, what he needed to do was succeed his friend's ambitions. The late Sadanobu had wished for a peaceful world with no fighting. That's why Muneyoshi defeated the vengeful spirits of his enemies and allies instigating the revenge, and went toward the decisive war of Mitsuhara."

"…"

"'Mitsuhara' is my favorite story. It's not very well-known, but my dream is spreading it throughout Japan someday… So I've been practicing it ever since I was little."

At some point, the boy's face as he was looking ahead seemed quite imposing. Arisu chuckled.

"Then you first have to beat your vengeful spirit."

"…Huh?"

"Because just now you looked like you were possessed by an evil spirit."

She said, pointing at his happy face. The boy blushed.

"B-but I'm still—"

"This is something I only heard second-hand, but apparently 'everyone's dreams are definitely connected somewhere'. Muneyoshi succeeded Sadanobu's dream… and if you splendidly perform that, your dream might also connect to that."

The Noh-costumed boy gulped. Biting his lips, he gathered strength in his hand grasping the folding fan.

The voice of the teacher calling all the students echoed around the shrine. It seemed like Arisu's short free time was over.

"Do your best, Muneyoshi-san."

Saying her farewell to the boy whose name she didn't even know, Arisu rose up. She headed for the court where Daisuke and the rest were waiting.

As she tried joining the lines of students when the roll-call began, she heard a war cry from behind.

"UOOOHHH!!!"

Surprised, she turned around.

"I'll do it! I will! I'll definitely do it! This is just the beginning!"

Although the boy teared up and shook of anxiety, he shouted. Just as Arisu thought he was bowing at her, he turned on his heels and rushed toward the exit of the shrine.

"Arisu… please stop getting involved with weirdoes…"

While the gazes of all of her classmates including Daisuke followed the back of the leaving boy, Arisu smiled.

Part 2

The Gosen City night had the smell of dew.

Because there were many ponds here and there inside the premises, the humidity covered the trees around in night dew. The garden path was shining ominously with water vapors as the lamps illuminated it.

Arisu returned to the park she had visited that afternoon. She was running toward the location illuminated by paper lanterns she could see ahead of the gloomy garden path.

"If you don't run faster I'll leave you behind, Daisuke."

While running she turned to look around. The sullen Daisuke was pursuing her. He carried a large sports bag on his back.

"…I only said it was strange you were quiet. I didn't say you can cause trouble. Running away from the hotel on the very first day of the school trip…"

"It's fine. If we combine meal time and after-meal time there's about an hour of free time. Are you scared being scolded by the teachers, Daisuke?"

"The problem here is your common sense. I don't care if it's Noh or whatever, it's not that important for you to sneak out to see it. Hah…"

"It has to be tonight!"

While Arisu smiled, Daisuke sighed along with, "You sure are energetic after spending this afternoon all quiet."

Since the first day of the trip also included the travel from Akamaki City, it ended with the sightseeing in the park. Their lodging was a high-class hotel near the park, so it was easy slipping out and going this far.

"If you keep complaining… then go back and lock yourself up with Ena in a room."

"Ugh…"

As Arisu said this, Daisuke's face flushed and he sank to silence. He apparently hadn't realized yet that his being weak against women in weird places was connected to the sexual harassment he was receiving from Ena.

Passing through the garden path, the pair finally arrived in front of their destination. Because of the paper lanterns hanging from ropes on the large structure illuminated in the center—the five-storied pagoda, the surroundings were bright.

Since the illuminated five-storied pagoda was built modeled after a certain shrine in the garden which was a national treasure, its spacious insides were something like a history museum or a kagura hall.

The plaza was bustling with many people who entered the pagoda. The programme of the event that would soon happen inside the tower was attached to its entrance. From the hotel Arisu had confirmed there were going to be Noh and kyougen plays here tonight.

Arisu bought two spectator tickets and entered the five-storied pagoda while pulling Daisuke's arm. They were headed for the kagura hall on the highest floor.

"It's here."

Following the clerk's guidance and opening the door ahead, the surrounding atmosphere completely changed.

The smells of burning oil and incense stimulated their noses. Even without these, an air of tension drifted in the air.

The seats were already close to being completely full. Aside from the illumination there were also a few lit bonfires near the open windows. On the stage in the back of the room, people in costumes were readying flutes, small hand drums and large drums in preparation for the act.

"That boy from noon is called Fuyuki Minato."

Next to the stage was a placard with the programme and names of actors written on it. The main role of the Noh play "Mitsuhara", Muneyoshi, had a paper affixed on top of the name to indicate it was Fuyuki Minato instead.

Arisu sat in the last row. Daisuke also sat next to her, lowering his bag.

"What, Daisuke, you brought your equipment even here?"

"It's my job after all."

Daisuke asserted bluntly, folding his hands. He seemed to acknowledge that his mission was monitoring Arisu, but he didn't like it at all and pouted.

Flying inside from the open window, the silver Morpho butterfly landed on Arisu's shoulder.

Then a flute's high-pitched sound flew through the kagura stage.

A representative of the Housei school appeared, and after greeting the audience, carried out the lighting of the bonfires. The representative bowed, and just as he left the kagura stage the illumination all turned off at once.

With the stage being illuminated only by the bonfires near the windows and on the stage, the Noh play began. Masked actors appeared on the stage along with a musical performance.

"Don't sleep, watch it properly, Daisuke."

Daisuke, who was about to close his eyes, clicked his tongue and glared at the stage.

The beginning was the scene of Akisame Sadanobu's death. The actors danced with the orchestra behind them.

Sadanobu fell on the battlefield due to the betrayal of his vassal.

The orchestra's tone fell, and a lone man leapt onto the now quiet stage.

He was a masked man who held up Sadanobu.

He was the actor of Arihara Muneyoshi, Fuyuki Minato. Since he wore the exact same clothes he did that afternoon, Arisu knew it immediately.

"He's here…! Look, it's him!"

Arisu got excited, shaking Daisuke's shoulders. He looked annoyed yet did nothing to stop her.

The Noh play upon the stage illuminated by the bonfires was magnificent enough to be called sublime. At some point Arisu had her eyes glued to the story's unique rhythm with the players alternating again and again.

"What, so you can do it if you try…"

She muttered unconsciously.

Although his movements at first seemed stiff, Muneyoshi played by Minato soon took the audience captive. Leading his comrades, he was acting the fierce yet sorrowful tale.

He had said that his dream was to make "Mitsuhara" known throughout the country.

The "Mitsuhara" reflected in Arisu's eyes seemed incredible enough to ascertain his dream would come true one day.

"So how is it? There was value in coming here to see it, right?"

As she turned her face to the side, she saw that Daisuke reclined his head and fell asleep. Filled with killing intent she tried performing her secret technique of Arisu Corkscrew, but as she heard the sound of violent drumming she stopped her fist.

The people wearing black clothes on the stage surrounded Muneyoshi. He moved around with all his might, but as they surrounded him he couldn't escape.

The ones surrounding Muneyoshi were vengeful spirits.

The Noh play approached the climax.

The ghosts that died in battle were trying to curse to death Muneyoshi who was filled with doubts about his revenge. Yet Muneyoshi danced among them splendidly and furiously. The spirits had the tables turned on them and collapsed.

It was a difficult act. In order not to bump against the actors of the spirits, Minato danced on the stage as if gliding around, finally defeating the last spirit.

A cheer rose from the audience. The applause grew louder as Minato struck a daunting pose.

"He did it…!"

It happened just as Arisu also clapped her hands.

The Morpho butterfly alighting on her shoulders emitted a silver glow. Spreading its wings and taking flight, it started flying above her head as if in warning.

Noticing the silver light illuminating the seats, the spectators started clamoring.

"…? What happened?"

The wind fanned the flustered Arisu's hair. Open air blew from outside the windows, and the bonfires were knocked off one after another. Oil spilled on the wooden floor, setting it ablaze. The actors froze in place and the audience was confused.

Arisu suddenly felt a chill. She felt as if the temperature had suddenly taken a sharp dive.

A small whirlwind appeared on the stage.

Although Minato was supposed to have defeated all the spirits, a blurry, shining figure appeared in front of him.

"—Get back."

When had he woken up? Daisuke touched Arisu's shoulders and glared at the stage with sharp eyes. He was no longer the gentle honors student he usually was nor the dishonest person he was when dealing with Arisu; he was the strongest Mushitsuki member of the SEPB when he drew his automatic pistol.

"Arisu… you said you've asked that boy on the stage about his dream."

A violet glow passed over the flood of people rushing to the exit due to the fire. Riding the wind blowing in from the windows, purple-colored grains converged on the stage.

They were phosphorescent scales. Different from those of the silver Morpho butterfly, these scales that were beautiful yet sinister—

"It seems like his dream invited the worst person to come here."

Beads of sweat appeared on Daisuke's forehead as he held the gun. This was Arisu's first time seeing him so tense.

Among the escaping spectators and actors, only one stayed frozen in place, Minato.

The purple scales were gathering to the figure floating in front of him. As the scales converged that silhouette became clearer—eventually creating the form of a tall woman.

She was a beautiful, tall woman with round sunglasses. She wore a crimson long coat and had narrow rainbow-colored pupils. Her body was enveloped in a pale glow.

"…!"

Arisu felt an instinctive fear and froze.

The woman's red lips moved sleekly.

"—Seems like you have a delicious dream?"

And while Daisuke glared at her, readying his gun...

The thing that took a woman's form with purple glowing scales smiled.

"Will you tell me what you dream is?"

White fingers crawled on Minato's chin. The name of the being that licked its lips was—

"One of the Original Three, Oogui…!"

Daisuke's stifled voice echoed on the kagura stage with the storm of flames and scales.

Part 3

Badump—

Arisu's heart pounded in her chest.

"Oogui…?"

She unconsciously repeated the words that Daisuke mouthed.

"The Original Three…?"

The Prototype Mushi that gave birth to Mushitsuki, the Original Three—so Daisuke called the woman that faced Minato on top of the stage.

—What are Mushi?

—What are Mushitsuki?

Arisu had fought so far in search for answers. After inheriting Mari's Mushi, she had met and parted with many Mushitsuki.

And now right in front of her was a being who should know the answer. The reason for Mushitsuki to fight so desperately was smiling calmly.

"Is she also the one who made Mari into a Mushitsuki…?"

"No, the one who turned people like me or Mari into Mushitsuki is a different one called Sanbikime. Until now Sanbikime produced only a handful of Mushitsuki, but she—"

Daisuke nimbly took out his SEPB coat from the bag, wearing it. Equipping mechanical goggles to his face, he readied his handgun again.

"She keeps birthing Mushitsuki endlessly. She keeps single-mindedly eating people's dreams. That's why she's Oogui, a glutton."

His tone was cool, but she knew Daisuke was suppressing his anger.

"Don't do anything. —I'll defeat Oogui."

She was continuously birthing Mushitsuki.

Mushitsuki who would be scared of their Mushi completely devouring their dreams every day, fighting each other, collapsing—and Oogui produced them one after another.

And now, right in front of Arisu's eyes, she was trying to produce another, new Mushitsuki—

"…Oogui!"

Coming back to her senses, she shouted loudly. She picked up one of the bonfires' pedestals that fell to her feet.

The silver Morpho butterfly alighted down. Its body morphed, and while emitting silver scales it fused with the vessel, turning into a spear.

The sound of a mask falling to the floor echoed. Removing her eyes from Minato who stood completely expressionless as if entranced, Oogui turned her face away.

"—What a coincidence, how are you doing, Daisuke-chan? And the small one near you… has brought quite the nostalgic Mushi along, hasn't she?"

The woman narrowed her rainbow-colored eyes behind the round sunglasses. Daisuke bent over, assuming a battle stance.

Yet Arisu strained her voice to stop him from leaping out.

"What are Mushi?"

She turned the spear in her hands toward Oogui.

"And what are Mushitsuki? Why do they have to—"

Keep fighting like this?

—She tried inquiring this, yet her chest was so full of emotions she couldn't speak properly. Including her best friend Mari, Daisuke and the other Mushitsuki fought each other, hurt each other and collapsed. Just thinking about their fate made her want to cry.

Yet Arisu bit her lips and preserved her self-control.

"Why do you give birth to Mushitsuki?"

She glared at Oogui with teary eyes.

"Answer me, Oogui!"

Having the tip of a spear directed at her, the woman curled her lips in enjoyment.

"—Because there is such a delicious dream right here."

Oogui brought Minato's face closer with her fingers as if sniffing a rich wine. She cast a sidelong glance full of enjoyment at Arisu.

"Do I need any other reason for devouring dreams, hmm?"

Arisu widened her eyes.

—If I was gone, would you be sad?

Mari's transparent smile rose to her mind.

What are Mushi? What are Mushitsuki? Although she had yet to find out the answer, all of the Mushitsuki Arisu had met so far have fought with something.

Hanashiro Mari should've also been fighting. With the disease gnawing at her—and with the Mushi eating her dream.

If she weren't a Mushitsuki, perhaps she would've still been alive. Perhaps she would've been able to go on the school trip along with Arisu and laugh together with her.

The reason for the monster called Oogui to take people embracing their dreams and turn them into Mushitsuki—was asserted by a single word.

It was mere "appetite."

"For such—a reason—"

It was so infuriating and intolerable that she couldn't speak properly.

Was there anything as unreasonable as continually creating Mushi for nothing other than hunger?

Her clenched molars creaked. Her vision blurred due to tears.

"I won't forgive you…"

As if responding to Arisu's fury, the silver spear she was grasping shone.

—The Original Three.

If Arisu was unable to defeat this being right now, she would keep on birthing Mushitsuki—

"I won't forgive you!"

Arisu shouted, running toward Oogui.

"…! Wait, Arisu!"

Ignoring Daisuke's voice, Arisu kicked aside the audience seats and got up onto the stage. She pushed aside Minato who stood frozen, leaping toward Oogui's chest.

Arisu's eyes blazing with hatred crossed gazes with Oogui's rainbow eyes.

"—Disturbing my meal like that, aren't you a naughty girl?"

Immediately after Arisu's spear sliced Oogui, a high-pitched ear-grating noise pressured her eardrums.

Air expanded and her vision distorted.

"Perhaps you need to be punished."

A shockwave with overwhelming destructive power blew apart the kagura stage.

Unable to do anything, Arisu was blown away along with the audience seats. She was pounded into the floor, broke chairs, bounded around several times like a helpless doll and crashed with her back against a pillar.

"…Kha…!"

The bones of her entire body creaked with an unpleasant noise. Blood was dripping from her forehead as she kneeled on the floor.

All of the spectators and actors had already escaped the blazing stage. The only ones remaining were Arisu and Daisuke, as well as Minato and Oogui.

"Stupid Arisu…! This isn't someone you could fight against directly!"

As Daisuke tried rushing toward Arisu, Oogui directed her rainbow-colored eyes at him.

"Fufu—so another nostalgic child was here, huh?"

"…!"

Another boy leapt out in front of Daisuke.

He wore a business suit and glasses. —He was the mysterious boy that had snorted at Arisu on the Shinkansen. Was he simply hiding somewhere until now?

"What's up with you! Move!"

As Daisuke charged toward him, the boy merely brought out a hand of his pocket. Immediately after Daisuke's arm had been grabbed as he was trying to shake off the other boy, he could feel his body rotating 180 degrees in air. Even Arisu, who underwent martial arts training, couldn't tell what the boy had done.

"Ugh—"

Daisuke also seemed confused as to why he was pounded against the floor. Unable to even assume a safe falling position, he was lying wide-eyed on the floor.

"Your training is lacking, Kakkou."

The first words to come out of the boy's mouth sounded grown up in contrast to his appearance. Shaking his braided hair, he passed his gaze from Daisuke to Arisu.

"Since I was finally released from the business trip, I came here to try and see Sanbikime's Spear-Type or whatever with my own eyes, but—"

"Gha…!"

The bespectacled boy's flowing movements turned the joints of Daisuke's arms to their limits.

"—This was a good opportunity. I will probe Spear-Type's performance. Kakkou, you stay quietly here."

"Fufu…"

Glancing at the battle of Daisuke and the unknown boy, Oogui turned around again to Minato squatting on the stage. He still stood frozen and she approached him.

Forgetting about her pain, Arisu rose up. Grasping the spear that never left her hand, she rushed ahead.

"I won't let you turn him into a Mushitsuki…!"

She had no idea who that bespectacled boy was, but right now the fact that Oogui was trying to turn Minato into a Mushitsuki robbed Arisu's reason.

She would definitely not let a Mushitsuki be born in front of her eyes.

She would never let someone like her late friend Hanashiro Mari be created—

"Run, Arisu…!"

"—Didn't I tell you not to disturb me, little one?"

Without even looking at her, Oogui raised one of her hands. The purple scales blowing around assembled, bringing birth to a strangely-shaped Mushi.

It was a large centipede with two heads. More than half of its split body was made of jaws sporting sharp fangs.

The double-headed centipede assaulted Arisu.

"Ukh…!"

Stopping the monster's jaw with her spear took her everything she had. Since she had no chance of resisting with her arm strength, she collapsed onto the ground.

One of the monster's heads sealed her spear, while the other attempted chomping her.

Since Arisu couldn't move her body she had no way of evading the incoming fangs.

The fear of death assaulted her.

Mari—

She suddenly thought of her late friend's face.

I might not be able to see the continuation of your dream—just as she thought this, Arisu could feel something other than herself pulse inside her.

—Ba dump.

The switch has been made.

So she thought.

It's fine, Arisu. We have yet to lose—

She sneered inside her heart.

"—So this isn't enough."

Hanashiro Mari wore a smile. A calm voice leaked from her mouth.

The spear she was holding in her right hand emitted a silver glow. The tentacles bursting from the spear stabbed her right arm. The Morpho butterfly's body permeated Mari's skin, encroaching all the way to her elbows and fusing with her.

"If my opponent is this mere small fry… this should be enough."

The spear that she grasped in the right arm fused with the Morpho butterfly spouted silver scales. The centipede biting into the spear raised a cry, detaching its mouth. Immediately leaping aside, Mari dodged the other head.

"You—"

"Hmph."

Daisuke's expression became that of surprise and the bespectacled boy snorted disinterestedly.

Mari brandished the spear above her head.

Fwish, along the sound of cutting through air, she drew silver arcs of light in the gloomy stage. She aimed the spear directly at the centipede.

Gazing to the side, she exchanged glances with the bespectacled boy.

The Morpho butterfly merged with the spear told her of the boy's identity.

"So you remember me? Seems like you have memories from before your death."

"…"

"But reminiscing isn't a good idea right now, Hanashiro Mari's ghost."

The bespectacled boy said coolly, gesturing at the centipede with his cheek. The double-headed monster was again attempting to attack Mari.

 She slightly winced, moving her gaze from the boy to the centipede.

"Hah!"

She thrust her spear forward with a spirited yell.

The pattern etched to her right arm glowed and a tempest of scales gushed out from the spear. Shaving the floor and destroying the ceiling, the silver scales swallowed the double-headed centipede.

By the time she had annihilated the centipede and opened up large holes in the walls as well, Mari had started dashing toward Oogui. The woman tried assaulting her with the shockwave that drove Arisu back, but it didn't work on Mari. A flash of the spear cut off the whirlpool of impact.

"Fufu…"

Leaping toward the sneering Oogui, she swung the spear's tip from directly above.

The spear fused with the Morpho butterfly pierced Oogui's chest. The purple scales enveloping the woman repelled the silver scales.

"I'll annihilate you, Oogui!"

As Mari wore a brutal smile, her right arm increased in glow.

The torrent of energy unleashed from her spear opened large holes in the floor. Breaking through both Oogui's body and the wooden beams, Mari gathered her whole power in her right arm.

Starting from the highest floor of the five-storied pagoda, she pounded and destroyed the floors that appeared one after another. The glow emitted by Oogui and the Morpho butterfly mixed, repulsed one another and broke through the surface and the night sky in a straight line.

Along with a thunderous roar, the now-exposed ground caved in.

Mari's spear destroyed Oogui's body, piercing all the way from the highest floor to the ground.

However—

"—So, Minato-kun?"

Oogui sneered with the spear still stuck in her. From inside the destroyed right half of her body, several hundreds of small insects crawled out. Gathering and taking the form of Oogui's missing portions, they melted into each other.

"…!"

Having restored her form in mere moments, Oogui smiled while standing on the ground. Her rainbow-colored eyes gazed over Mari's shoulder at the highest floor of the five-storied pagoda—at Fuyuki Minato who stood on the edge of the hole.

"Will you tell me your dream?"

Minato raised his face with a twitch. As if being controlled, he slowly opened his mouth.

"Kh…!"

Mari swung her spear horizontally. The Morpho butterfly's scales blew, bisecting the ground. Oogui's body was also split to two from her waist, but once again the insects crawled out of her body, stitching it together.

"I—"

Taken aback, Mari looked at the ceiling. The boy far above her muttered.

"I… want to spread 'Mitsuhara' through the country one day… That's my dream…"

The moment when the boy answered Oogui's question—

A gale swallowed the pagoda. The storm of purple scales covered Fuyuki Minato and something shining in gold overflowed out of his body.

The golden light pierced through the holes, being sucked into Oogui's mouth.

Gulp—they could hear the sound of Oogui swallowing. Her crimson tongue licked her lips.

"Thank you for the meal. It was a delicious dream."

Next to the boy enveloped by the sinister colored scales a single Mushi was born. Minato's new Mushi landed atop the shoulder of its unconscious host.

Mari grimaced.

It happened—just as Minato became a Mushitsuki.

"Fufu, goodbye… sad Mushi-san."

Oogui sneered in enjoyment at Mari at her feet. She immediately readied her spear, yet before she could repeat her attack the woman's body was enveloped by scales and vanished.

I let her get away—

Mari clicked her tongue and looked up at the opened ceiling.

"Just like I thought… I have to defeat him first."

Part 4

Daisuke clicked his tongue and looked down the opened floor.

He was being restrained on the other side of the hole but had watched it all from beginning to end. —While being unable to do anything.

He had let Oogui turn Minato into a Mushitsuki and escape right under his nose.

It was a complete blunder. He let the chance to defeat one of the Original Three escape.

"The Spear-Type's Mushi… I couldn't readily believe that case, but it certainly seems to be real."

Above Daisuke groveling on the floor, the bespectacled boy smiled with contempt. He had watched the abnormal sight in front of him without his expression changing in the least.

I let Oogui get away because of this guy—

Daisuke moved his face, staring at the boy.

"—Move."

He used his free hand to grab the boy's suit. Since he tried reaching with his hand in an impossible position, the arm caught by the boy creaked.

The boy looked down at Daisuke, grinning. Daisuke had the feeling that he had seen that smile, that cold penetrating smile that looked as if the boy was a resident of another world and transcendent above everything, somewhere before.

"Nice look you got there. —You don't hesitate."

The sneering boy was sent flying off of Daisuke. Daisuke rotated his body and forcibly flung him. The arm that had been restrained by the boy creaked.

A green Cleridae landed atop the rising Daisuke's shoulder. Its body started morphing and it extended tentacles to merge with Daisuke's body.

By the time the bespectacled boy had already fallen safely and stood up, Daisuke was closing the distance between them with his strengthened legs power. His fist covered by a green pattern stabbed into the boy's side.

"Mgh…!"

The suited boy was blown away, crashing into a destroyed pillar. The splinters ripped his chest.

Daisuke turned around toward the hole, jumping into air without any hesitation. Although Minato on the other side had been turned into a Mushitsuki, he was merely stunned right now. More important was to prioritize Arisu's safety.

He jumped down to the ground in a single leap and landed.

When he raised his face, a spear emitting silver light was pointed at his nose.

"Good evening, Kusuriya Daisuke-san…"

Arisu looked down at Daisuke, wearing a distorted smile.

He confirmed it with a glance; Arisu would have never worn a smile like that.

"So… you're Hanashiro Mari, then."

"Yes."

"—What on earth are you?"

Catching the silver spear, Daisuke faced Mari. She slightly tilted her head.

"I'm a Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like you. You and I are very much alike…"

"Don't screw with me."

Daisuke raised his handgun. The silver spear and the pistol fused with a Cleridae—their two weapons crossed as they aimed for each other's heads.

"You should no longer be in this world. So who on earth are you?"

"I am Hanashiro Mari. I wanted to see the continuation of my dream…"

"Are you saying that you're possessing the one who was your friend so you could one day take over Arisu?"

Hearing his words, Mari changed her expression for the first time. She sadly bit her lips.

"No… I just want to be with… But there's also another feeling inside me…"

"…?"

"Save me, Kusuriya Daisuke-kun…"

Daisuke widened his eyes.

Clear drops started spilling from Arisu's eyes borrowed by Mari. The spear held in her pattern-filled hand fell to the ground.

"I just wanted to be together with Arisu… but other feelings get in the way. So—please protect Arisu from me… Before I hurt Arisu any further, the Original Three must be…"

Mari approached Daisuke, leaning her body against him. She put her head on his chest, her shoulders shaking. With his gun still ready, he could do nothing but stand in astonishment.

"—She's unstable, huh. A dangerous condition."

The suited boy appeared near the two Fusion Type Mushitsuki. He seemed to have come down using the stairs.

Seeing the boy's figure, Daisuke was speechless.

Countless small insects came crawling out of where he had been hurt. Converging on his wounds, they changed their form and restored the missing parts. That scene was the one they had just seen before—the exact same as Oogui's regeneration.

"Before I break Arisu you have to defeat that man—the Undying Mushitsuki, and Oogui…"

Immediately after muttering this weakly, Mari lost her strength. Daisuke immediately grabbed hold of her as she collapsed. Completely changed from how she was while fighting Oogui, the tear-stained girl seemed weak and transient.

"The Undying Mushitsuki… you say?"

As Daisuke gazed ahead, the suit-wearing boy smiled.

Daisuke recalled who that smile resembled.

It was similar to the Secretary of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, Miguruma Yaeko—the woman who possessed a chaining smile.

"By my authority as the Director of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, Ichiku Mikitaka, I now confirm that Ichinokuro Arisu—"

The boy declared with a mature tone unbefitting his appearance.

"—Is officially recognized as a Mushitsuki."

Part 5

On the rooftop of the hotel they were lodging in, Arisu looked at Daisuke.

Seating down and leaning on the fences, he gazed up the night sky.

"Just where I wondered where you'd gone to… it'll be roll-call soon, so you have to come back to your room, Daisuke."

Even when Arisu called him Daisuke made no movement. Sighing, she sat down next to him and also looked up at the foreign sky. The stars she could see from there were even prettier than those of Akamaki City.

Wearing jerseys instead of their school uniform, the two sat shoulder-to shoulder in silence.

—After losing consciousness at the five-storied pagoda, Arisu had woken up on Daisuke's back.

She had fought some giant centipede, but had no memories afterward. According to Daisuke, once she had fainted after being assaulted by the centipede, Oogui had made Fuyuki Minato into a Mushitsuki, and then disappeared. He also said that the boy with glasses who had defeated him easily was someone related to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

"Say, now that Minato-kun's turned into a Mushitsuki… what'll happen to him?"

Arisu inquired, hugging her folded knees.

In the end she was unable to save Minato.

That fact vexed her more than anything, and she felt pitiful at being unable to do anything.

"He was secured by the SEPB. From now on the local branch will handle him."

"I see…"

"I was also unable to defeat Oogui. From now on it's the problem of the Mushitsuki himself. Even if you worry you can't do anything about it."

Daisuke spoke in monotone. Looking at the night sky, he seemed to be deep in thought.

There was no way for her to just be told "don't mind it" and stop caring. But in actuality it would probably turn out like that. Just as all Mushitsuki that Arisu had seen so far, like Mari or Daisuke, Minato would also be fighting with his Mushi.

"…All of us in the SEPB will settle this. You should just live normally like you always did."

Probably worried about the dispirited Arisu, Daisuke's voice sounded somewhat kind.

"I also told you this this morning… but when you act kind it's reaaally creepy…"

"That's none of your business."

As he looked up at the sky, Daisuke's face returned being sullen like always. But for some reason, he wouldn't look Arisu in the eyes.

"Aren't you hiding something, Daisuke?"

"…I'm not."

"What is it now. A naughty slave that hides stuff from his mistress needs to be punished. I'll leave you with Ena and—"

"Give Saionji-san a break already."

Saying this wholeheartedly, Daisuke dropped his gaze. Just as Arisu thought he sent a glance at her face, he said something completely different.

"Say, what kind of person was Hanashiro Mari?"

Arisu tilted her head. Just as she wondered what was going with him all of a sudden, she never thought he would inquire her about Mari.

"Why so suddenly? Didn't I explain it to you countless times already? You said it's required for your investigation."

"Isn't that fine. I just wanted to ask again."

"…Hmph."

As she sent doubtful eyes at him, Daisuke ashamedly averted his eyes.

She had no idea what he thought about that made him ask about Mari again. Yet Arisu smiled and closed her eyes.

Reminiscing about Mari on the school trip's night wasn't bad. Even her friend surely wanted to participate in the school events along with her.

She could still clearly recall Mari—

"She was very kind. Yet she was a late bloomer in certain areas, and the first time I came to visit her in the hospital, we couldn't really speak normally—"

While feeling the Morpho butterfly land on her shoulder, Arisu started speaking.

Notes

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