Mushi Uta:Volume 3rd Episode 12

Episode 12. The Doll Playing the Melody of Dreams

In the center of a gloomy double room, Ichinokuro Arisu's face rose up in a daze.

"…T-the Ghost of the Creaking Mansion?"

An aromatic candle's flame flickered between the two beds lined up.

As the wax melted, the room was filled with a citrusy scent.

"Yes."

On the other side of the candle, her classmate Kujou Takako wore an elegant smile. Yet since she was illuminated by the candle, her carefree smile actually looked eerie.

"When you approach the supposedly empty mansion… creak, creak, you hear this as if there someone's footsteps. And when you think it strange and approach the mansion even more to look inside the broken window—"

"I-inside the broken window…?"

Her head peeking from underneath the blanket on the same bed as Takako, Saionji Ena asked fearfully. Even she who was normally carefree seemed to have a weak point.

"A blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl… stares at you."

"…"

Arisu groped around the bed with both hands expressionlessly.

Kusuriya Daisuke who was lying on the same bed searched for her objective, passing over the blanket. Following Ena, Arisu also covered herself in the blanket with only her face peeking. Daisuke sighed.

The faces of Arisu and Ena who merged with their blankets, Takako who was grinning for some reason, and Daisuke who made a complicated expression all met. They all faced each other in the center of the room. The three girls were in pajamas, and only the single boy was dressed in his school uniform.

It was the second night of Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School's school trip.

The lodgings in the hotel assigned one double room for two students of the same class.

Originally boys and girls would be on different floors of the hotel, but the trio used their teamwork to avoid the patrolling teachers' attention and stealthily sneak the unwilling Daisuke into their room. Incidentally, he was yet to find out that they gave no thought at all about the way back.

"I-I thought you were also weak against stories like that, Takako… you traitor."

As Arisu protested with teary eyes, Takako retorted with a sadistic smile.

"But I am weak against this? Fufufu…"

"She's scary because she can lie with a smile like this. …Could we at least switch? I feel like I could still stand it if I was next to Kusuriya-kun!"

Ena sought salvation in Daisuke on the other bed. The boy in question twitched with an exaggerated response, clearly averting his eyes. He was apparently better with ghosts than he was with Ena.

At first they talked about love or rumors in the school and such things, but it ended up becoming ghost stories. Arisu played along and even prepared the candle, but she quickly regretted it.

"I-I can't deny that it does seem like you overdid it. Shouldn't we stop with these kinds of stories already?"

"Ah! I forgot that I got a single room because of our number! Hey, Arisu, lend me Kusuriya-kun for the night! Really! I'm not joking!"

"No no no! If you're serious it's really bad, Saionji-san!"

Takako looked over the three as they fell into panic. They wanted to believe that her smile seemed so sadistic only because of the candlelight.

"By the way, this story just now was one I'd heard from an acquaintance in Ouka City, so it's a true story. It is scary?"

"You can tell by looking! Stop showing us these dark sides of yours, Takako!"

Finally hiding everything but her eyes with the blanket, Arisu suddenly recalled.

She gazed at Daisuke who was near her face.

"…What?"

Daisuke made a glum face and replied so that Ena and Takako wouldn't hear. In front of people other than Arisu he had to act the part of a "harmless honor student".

She could spot a silver glow outside the window visible over Daisuke's shoulder.

Dancing in the unfamiliar night sky was a Morpho butterfly with four antennas.

—Mushi.

These were mysterious beings that possessed boys and girls, feeding on their hopes and dreams and granted them supernatural powers in return. These so-called Mushi were officially denied. But since rumors spread around, the people possessed by Mushi, Mushitsuki, became the target of the populace's hatred and fear.

Kusuriya Daisuke was a government agent dispatched to investigate the Mushi that Arisu had inherited from her late friend, the silver Morpho butterfly. The organization he belonged to, called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, had the duty to conceal everything related to Mushitsuki.

"Thinking of it, haven't you come from Ouka City too, Daisuke?"

As Arisu said this, Ena and Takako also turned to look at him.

Daisuke made a bitter expression.

He had originally belonged to the branch of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—in short SEPB—that had Ouka City under its jurisdiction. He had met up with Arisu in order to help the Headquarters, and so he ended up living under the same roof as her under the pretense of monitoring her.

"Do you possibly also know about that so-called Creaking Mansion?"

"I do."

Arisu and Ena hurriedly got away from Daisuke.

"Well, if so, then perhaps you know it even better, Daisuke-san. Will you not tell us in more details? I also heard the rumor that the mansion was destroyed one night, though."

"I-if we're bullying Kusuriya-kun, maybe I can bear it a little…!"

"Y-you can't rush it, Ena! No wait, please return to the proper path!"

"From what I've heard the ghost girl was forcefully brought back from France, the poor thing…"

"We don't want to know, Takako!"

"It wasn't France. She said that she's from Germany."

Finally speaking up, Daisuke muttered as if recalling it.

The girls' expression stiffened. Arisu and the rest took distance from Daisuke little by little.

"She said…? W-what? Does that mean the ghost was your friend?"

"The mysterious Daisuke is so cool… I think…?"

"Ena-san… I'm not Arisu-san, but please recover your sanity…"

As the three scared girls' gazes focused on him, Daisuke reluctantly started speaking.

"Well—"

But suddenly, loud music reverberated in the room.

"KYAAA!!!"

Arisu and Ena were frightened and clung to Takako.

The origin of the sound was Daisuke's cellphone. He had apparently received mail. Pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the LCD screen, his eyes narrowed.

"…?"

Arisu felt something was strange. It was rare for Daisuke to make such a harsh expression in front of Ena and Takako.

"I'm sorry. I have something urgent to take care of, so I'm going back to my room."

He sprang off the bed before he finished speaking, heading for the door.

"Eh? W-wait a minute, Daisuke."

"The Creaking Mansion's no longer there, but… it doesn't mean that the blue-eyed ghost is gone."

Daisuke stopped his feet, turning back to Arisu and the rest. The three girls were frozen.

"Do you want to know where the ghost went after losing its residence?"

"…"

"Well, even if you don't want to know, you might end up meeting her. …As long as you live in Akamaki City."

Leaving these meaningful words behind with a grin, Daisuke closed the door and left.

Left behind, Arisu and the rest gazed at each other's faces—

"…!"

And a voiceless scream echoed through the hotel room.

Part 1

The hard feeling on her shoulder and her throat gave her just the proper amount of tension.

The scent of turpentine tickling her nose allowed her gaze to focus from her surroundings to her hands.

The vibration of the bowstring she held with her left hand fingers led her to the next scale carved into her body.

The melody played by the bow held by her right hand enchanted the people enough to make them speechless.

"—"

Her father, who, being Japanese, was diligent and good-natured, once told her this.

What she needed the most to receive respect from people was a cultured education.

Her mother, who, being German, was overly serious and a perfectionist, once told her this.

What she needed the most to protect herself was being more excellent than anyone.

"—"

Anneliese Mitake, playing her violin in the center of the spacious hall, was brought up as the lone daughter of these two people.

She inherited her blonde hair and blue eyes from her mother's bloodline. Her red one-piece dress exposed her thin shoulders. She thought that the gloves reaching all the way to her elbows would disturb her playing, but since her parents praised her that it looked good on her she decided to wear it obediently.

Not only Anneliese was in formal wear.

The audience, made of men and women of all ages clad in dresses or tuxedos, lent their ears to Anneliese's performance.

Mozart's Violin Concerto no.3—this was the music that the 13-year old Anneliese was the best at.

Anneliese was offering her music to the old Japanese lady sitting in front of her. The woman wore the distinctive Japanese cloth known as a kimono, and she was from her father's side. She was called Mitake-Ou—or in Japanese, Lady Mitake. It was said that she had entered the high society of Japan and Germany ever since the time she was a diplomat, and that even now she held immense influence.

Wearing a gentle smile, Lady Mitake continued watching Anneliese's performance.

"—"

Anneliese hated that old woman.

Every time Lady Mitake came for a visit, Anneliese's home would be thrown into a commotion. Her father would be pressed by arranging seats to an opera and organizing a feast, and her mother would put even more effort into her violin lessons.

She simply loathed the cunning gaze that could be seen from within the old woman's wrinkled eyelids. She had never seen that woman get angry, but she had also never seen her eyes truly smiling.

Seeing people influential in the fields of politics and business trying to approach Lady Mitake made Anneliese sick. Behind the brilliant stage known as the world of politics everyone sabotaged each other, so in order to win the battles of political power they all inquired into the old lady's temper.

—Creak.

Even while playing the violin, Anneliese's sensitive ears picked up a creaking sound coming from the ceiling.

Creak, creak, the sound continued like someone's footsteps.

"—"

She could feel her sunken mood being lifted again. A smile rose to her mouth.

The real audience for Anneliese's violin was elusive.

How is my performance today? You spectersgespensters—

The hall where the feast took place was Anneliese's home. Her friends, the invisible audience, could be found anywhere inside the mansion.

Anneliese finished her performance perfectly, lowering her bow.

She hated Lady Mitake.

She hated the whirlpool of conspiracies in the political world.

However—

"Welcome to Munich. It is an honor to see you again, Frau Mitake."

She spoke nothing but elegant words.

She did nothing dirty.

If she said something wrong, if she did something wrong, Anneliese knew that her daily life would be over. She couldn't use curses or dirty looks on that woman.

Thank youDanke schön, young ladyfraulein.  I like youIch liebe dich."

Lady Mitake's mouth slackened, and she replied in fluent German.

By finishing the welcoming ritual, applause finally broke out from the audience. The audience started praising Anneliese and welcomed Lady Mitake even more.

Even her father exchanging hugs with her appeared relieved. He was probably relieved that Anneliese's performance was completed safely. Her failure would cause a big minus for the Mitake family since they preserved their position in the political sphere due to Lady Mitake's influence.

While high-class food was being set on the hall's table, Lady Mitake was still showing a gentle smile and seemed to be in good humor, her line of sight met with Anneliese's.

Father, Mother, I have no intention of doubting your teachings. However—

Even while she and the old lady smiled at each other, inside she was full of hatred. At such times Lady Mitake's eyes weren't smiling at all.

I have the feeling that this old lady hides something terrible other than education—

Anneliese, who was unable to make any friends due to always refining her education and art, could feel the seeds of doubt sown inside her.

But perhaps these were—the whispers of the the specters whose footsteps were still heard from upstairs.

Part 2

On her day off, Anneliese liked visiting the place of the violin craftsman.

While the violin she had received from her parents couldn't be compared with famous labels such as Stradivarius or Guarneri, it was still of a high quality. It became her habit to go once a week to the craftsman to check its condition and so.

It was road she'd taken along with her mother or father until last year, but stepping on the stone paving by her lonesome wasn't bad at all either. As she walked while hearing her leather shoes squeaking, she held her head high.

The townscape of Munich still had the vestiges of the kingdom of Bavaria. Even the street that now had many open air cafés on it still had buildings made of stone heated by the sun here and there. Youths wearing casual clothes blended in this culture that honored the tradition of the capital of art and music.

Finally a new government building that looked like a palace appeared in front of her.

In front of the government building was the Marienplatz. This plaza, the center of Munich, was crowded with people who looked like foreigners that came for sightseeing or shopping.

"Whew…"

She stopped her legs, taking a small break.

Since Anneliese had her time stuffed full with her violin lessons and private tutor lessons, she had less stamina than boys and girls of her age. While they were running around, the only thing she was chasing were the notes lined up on the musical sheets.

As Anneliese held her violin case in both hands, drooped her shoulders and took a breath, several adults turned to look at her. Due to the appearance of her meticulously combed blonde hair, silk blouse, and high-quality violin case, everyone probably knew at a glance she was the local young lady. Even an oriental group of people probably on a sightseeing tour looked at her in interest.

Noticing the gazes, Anneliese's expression stiffened and she resumed walking. The daughter of the Mitake family couldn't expose herself to a shameful audience.

As she tried leaving the plaza, she saw several boys she was familiar with. They went to the same school as her.

Not doing anything in particular on their day off, they simply gathered at the edge of the plaza and saw off the people passing by while grinning. People like them who had wealthy parents usually start doing drugs and ruin their families.

Spending the day in idleness without refining their education was depraved. The smart Anneliese knew of the ugliness brought forth by laziness and hedonism.

"It's Anne!"

She attempted passing by them feigning ignorance but she was noticed. She attempted passing through the plaza without even returning their gaze.

The boys started poking fun at her with words like, "The dollpuppe's walking!" or "So the caged bird went outside?" but she ignored them. These were both Anneliese's nicknames.

"Hello, Anne. Do you not have a lesson today?"

One of the boys came after Anne. With his brown hair and neat facial features, he was popular even among his female classmates. His name was Erik. He was also smart, and served as the leader of the group that was up to no good.

Immediately the boys started jeering at him with words like "Aren't you bringing her a rose today, Erik?" He turned around, raised his middle finger and also his voice.

"asseholesArschloch!"

Still walking, Anneliese grimaced. It was a dirty slang word. Even the adults around all looked at Erik while furrowing their brows.

Catching up to Anneliese in a trot, Erik walked next to her.

"Don't mind it. The guys are just curious about you is all. Christo suddenly starts talking when it's about you. He probably likes you."

"Can you please not speak to me? I'll be embarrassed if people think we are friends."

Asserting this coldly, Anneliese quickened her pace. But since Erik's steps were larger, he caught up to her easily.

"We're going to see the Liga now. Won't you come along? You like Bavaria, right?"

"So you started lying instead of bringing me roses? If you have a ticket for a soccer match I'd like you to show it to me."

"We're going to get it now. 'If I had the wings known as you, I could go over any wall!'"

"The opera writers would pity you if you use famous quotes to pick up girls."

"How can I make you stop? 'Beautiful moment, do not pass away'!"

"Mephistopheles will destroy you."

The name Mephistopheles referred to the demon from the work of the German author known as Goethe. There he bound a contract with the old scholar Faust. Mephistopheles helped Faust regain his youth. Unable to obtain his ideal world, in the end Erik would be destroyed by the curse of destruction he had uttered—

Yet even while retorting back and ignoring him, Anneliese sighed in her heart. If he could cite operas and knew about Goethe's works—if he possessed that much education—then he should have applied it differently.

Education and depravation—perhaps Erik, who possessed these contradictory attributes at the same time, looked free from other people's view. Yet since Anneliese hated depravation, she was far from willing to accept him.

"So cold. Then at least smile. Don't you think we should both spend our day off in happiness? We have to thank God for giving us this day."

Erik said with Peter's Church at his back. He thought what he was saying was reasonable.

"Yeah, today's warm so it seems like I'd be able to play well on the violin. So much that speaking seems like a waste."

Grinning sociably, Erik blushed and went silent. "Have a good day," she parted with him, making him stop in place, raise his index finger and middle finger and shake them.

For Anneliese, who still had no interest in love, having boys of her age interfere with her business was bothersome. Her true will was to not have them approach her more than necessary.

Yet she didn't speak it out loud.

If Anneliese mouthed this rejection, her relationship with her classmates would worsen. If any troubles in her school life were to arise and her parents found out about them, it would make them sad.

She couldn't accept Erik's affection.

And so she couldn't speak her true feelings.

It was all in order to protect her happy current life and her important parents and home.

"—Is something wrong?"

The middle-aged violin maker called out to Anneliese as she was looking at the violin strings lined up in the shop. The old man, with his scrawny cheeks and white beard, looked more like a clergyman.

"What? Is it broken anywhere?"

"I'm talking about you, miss. Your expression's a bit dark. Made a mistake during your performance?"

The man asked while putting Anneliese's violin on his shoulder and checking the sounds.

"…I just don't really feel like going back home."

"Oh, how rare. Have you had a fight with your parents? Or have you seen a ghost?"

"All of the ghosts are good kids."

As Anneliese immediately replied, the old man leaked a mumbled laughter. He probably thought it was a joke.

"It's just that my house right now has someone much more unpleasant than ghosts…"

Starting from the dinner party the previous night, Lady Mitake would be staying in the Mitake household for several days. All of the family was expected to entertain this powerful old lady against their will.

The craftsman in front of her was someone unrelated to the political world or to school. She was allowed to voice some of her true opinion there.

"It's because you're clever. You can see what people are trying to hide sometimes."

"…I don't need cleverness."

Her parents said that education was important.

Yet her cleverness tried whispering to her about things other than education.

Anneliese wanted only the pure education that would let her avoid seeing anything dirty and avoid voicing her true feelings.

"There are enough novels and operas about clever people meeting sad ends. I pray for you to become happy."

Putting the violin back in its case, the old man handed it to Anneliese. His words of blessing have always cheered up Anneliese ever since she was young.

She said her thanks and left the shop.

Coming back on the road she came from, she returned home.

As she passed the gate and entered the mansion, the inside of the house was again silent. There were no signs of either her parents or any servants; they were probably accompanying Lady Mitake on her excursion. She climbed the stairs from the lobby and headed to her room.

On the way there, she changed her mind and went toward the hall.

After walking through the corridor, she saw the door to the hall was open. Entering it, she found the room with vast space that was several times the size of all other rooms completely empty. There were no traces of the dinner party from last night.

Standing in the center of the hall, she could hear creaking sounds from the ceiling.

Anneliese narrowed her eyes. The specters appeared to be welcoming her back. And so she had to answer their expectations.

"Do you have any request, specters?"

Anneliese asked the friends that stayed with her ever since she could remember herself.

Creak, the sound sounded again.

Anneliese smiled and took her violin out of the case. She placed it on her shoulder.

Rather than her parents that swung through all emotions during her performance, or the adults of high society that applauded her mechanically no matter how she performed, only they alone listened to her melody without saying anything.

Anneliese started her performance in the mansion that was empty except for her.

Although it was empty, the ceiling kept creaking along with the performance.

—These are called shibanmushi.

Anneliese's father had once told her young self about the identity of the specters.

He said that the name of "shibanmushi" came from Japan. In Europe they were also called deathwatch beetles—as if they were clocks counting down to death. They appeared to have the habit of hiding in houses, eating books and documents. In the past people heard them creaking in abandoned mansions, and so feared them as the guards of death.

They were rare insects, but apparently her father's hometown had them as well. He also said that perhaps they had hidden inside the books and documents that he brought with him from Japan.

Anneliese once searched around the mansion in order to find them. But in the end she was unable to do so and merely got scolded by her mother for dirtying her clothes.

Ever since then, Anneliese decided to accept them as ghosts. As long as she couldn't see them, she couldn't tell whether they really were insects or not. Perhaps they were real specters. For her, these formless footsteps were something she couldn't touch, just like mist.

"—"

While Anneliese played the violin a natural smile rose to her mouth.

She felt like she could give her very best performance. Forgetting about all her unpleasant problems, the girl focused on playing.

She finished the first-rate performance that was incomparable to how it was last night.

It happened just as she raised her face to the ceiling in order to inquire the opinion of the specters before letting the music linger off.

"Bravo."

She could hear applause from the hall's entrance.

She turned around in surprise to see Lady Mitake clapping her hands with servants at her side.

"…Thank you very much."

How long had she been there? Anneliese's mood was destroyed since the performance was meant for the guests of honors which were the specters, but she pinched her skirt and bowed at Lady Mitake.

Yet as she heard a large amount of footsteps coming from behind her, she raised her face.

They weren't the specters' footsteps. They were rude and wild. Feeling an unusual presence, Anneliese leapt into the hall.

"…!"

She could see the first floor lobby from the corridor filled with a crowd of adults. Some wore casual clothes, but most of them wore uniforms.

They were police officers.

"Poor Anneliese."

Lady Mitake's restrained voice caused Anneliese to turn back.

The kimono-clad old woman spoke sadly.

"Your parents have been arrested by the authorities just a while ago. They are charged with selling classified information from their workplace to other countries… They will surely be arrested."

Lady Mitake hid her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono and approached Anneliese.

"…? …?"

Anneliese couldn't understand what the woman in front of her was saying at all. It was true that her father belonged to the army's Development Department and her mother worked part-time in the same agency. Yet her overly serious parents would never betray their country—

Looking down the stairs, the police officers began searching the mansion. The investigator broke into her father's study and called loudly. Holding out what looked like documents, he passed them to a plainclothesman. She could hear them speaking about things such as codes and transaction history.

"It is a pity about your parents, but you are innocent, Anneliese. You could probably no longer come back to this country, but do come over to mine. Until your parents atone for their crimes…"

Anneliese, still glued to the spot with her eyes open wide, couldn't even voice a groan.

Her diligent father.

Her education-crazy mother.

The mansion with the invisible roommates.

Everything important to Anneliese—that she had protected thus far and intended to keep protecting—was all vanishing like smoke.

Wondering whether it was only a dream, she gazed at the ceiling.

The specters, Anneliese's only real friends and audience, were silent. As if they had run out immediately due to the unfamiliar people storming the place.

Anneliese was unable to accept the vision in front of her, and was about to lose her sanity, but the one to bring her back to reality was the one she hated the most in the world.

"Come to Japan, Anneliese. We will become family from now on."

Lady Mitake was hiding her mouth with her sleeve.

Although the old woman seemed to pity the girl, only her eyes were—

"Starting from this moment, you will become Mitake Anneliese."

—Smiling for the first time.

Seeing the old woman's smile, Anneliese's brain told her the truth. She dragged her shaking feet away from Lady Mitake's extended hand.

"Was something not to your liking…?"

While barely standing thanks to grabbing the railing in the corridor, Anneliese threw a desperate question at the old woman.

"What on earth did you not like about mother and father, Lady Mitake…!"

The old woman stopped her legs. She tilted her head quizzically, but Anneliese had already seen through her acting.

"Both mother and father have been obedient to you! Every time you visited Munich they welcomed you, revered you, and devoted themselves for you! Then what does this treatment mean!"

"Are you confused due to everything that has happened? What on earth are you—"

"I know you! Someone like you would be able to protect my parents from the police even if they have committed a crime! But you didn't do that!"

Looking down her father's study, she then passed her gaze to the servants near Lady Mitake. The two servants that originally belonged to the Mitake household averted their eyes as if afraid of the girl's gaze.

"I've seen them enter the study this morning. You've used them to—"

"Be silent, Anneliese."

Lady Mitake said bluntly, wearing a gentle smile. Conversely, the smile behind her eyes vanished.

It was what Anneliese avoided seeing thus far.

She averted her eyes although she knew it.

Anneliese knew what it was.

"We mustn't have any misunderstandings now that we are about to become a family. We need to have respect for one another."

"…!"

"—Also, what you have said is untrue. There was one time your parents have disobeyed me."

The eyes under her wrinkled eyelids looked down on the powerless Anneliese.

"My smart and educated Anneliese… When I asked them to let me adopt you into the Mitake family, they have refused."

Then this time—

"Now, come and make preparations to leave for Japan, Anneliese."

The important things Anneliese protected were all smashed to pieces.

It wasn't that Lady Mitake didn't like her parents.

It was the opposite; it was because she liked Anneliese Mitake herself—

Her knees began trembling.

The education Anneliese poured herself into in order to keep her parents' teaching and thinking that it was needed to protect the Mitake family now took everything away from her.

Father, Mother… What was it that we really lacked…?

Lady Mitake reached her hand to Anneliese, using her fingertips to raise her chin.

Even while Anneliese was teary-eyed and about to succumb to despair, she reflexively gazed at the old woman.

She had lost what she was supposed to protect.

She noticed the dirtiness she had been averting her eyes from.

When she realized the truth, the words that she thought she would never say—after enduring for so long—were spat out of her mouth on their own.

"asseholeArschloch."

A dry sound rang in the mansion. The police officers searching the house looked above.

Anneliese realized she had been slapped only because the violin she had been holding fell from her hands, slipped through the railings and fell down to the first floor.

Her precious violin that she tuned every single week without rest crashed on the floor and broke.

"Never use words unfitting for the daughter of the Mitake house again."

The old woman's voice could be said to be gentle, but Anneliese couldn't hear it due to the sobbing coming out of her mouth.

Her shoulders shaking, she stifled her voice and shed tears.

Creak—the specters above creaked only once.

This lament from her only friends in the world served as farewell.

—Thus Anneliese lost her hometown.

Part 3

Japan, Ouka City.

In this city that was still rapidly developing even in this age, Lady Mitake had a villa.

On the way from the airport to the mansion Anneliese looked at the townscape, but it didn't seem to possess even one element that she might come to like.

There were no stone paving that would make leather shoes squeak, nor old buildings with the smell of sunburnt bricks. Everything was brand new, and it was all clustered together as if stealing her very air.

Everything was greatly different from Munich, the capital of art and music. At least on the surface, Ouka City hadn't a shred of education in it.

And above all—there was not even one thing here that Anneliese needed to protect.

"…"

In the spacious room that had nothing in it but minimal furniture, sitting in an Italian-made chair, Anneliese was doing nothing except breathing.

Her white dress was of the highest quality, and if she looked outside the window the mansion was even more gorgeous than the one in Munich. The bed, the shelves, the table as well—although this was Japan there was nothing Japanese-made to be seen around. Did Lady Mitake hate Japan despite being pure Japanese?

In the room's corner lay the violin she had been given by Lady Mitake. Yet for the last days ever since coming to Japan Anneliese hadn't even touched it. No matter how fine of a product it was, it couldn't rival the one she had grown attached to, the one that had been given to her by those important to her.

She also didn't touch the food left on her desk. Anneliese simply spent her days in idleness and absentmindedness.

She became unexpectedly depraved.

Although once she hated it more than anything, now Anneliese enlisted to it.

…So I really wasn't even a doll or a bird in a cage, huh?

She spoke in her heart to her classmates, including Erik.

Because… what I am now—

What did Anneliese's classmates think about her vanishing one day like that? The Mitake family's scandal probably spread through all of Munich in no time. And even if her parents' innocence would be proven, they wouldn't be able to return to the brilliant business world. The Mitake family collapsed.

No, her family's honor didn't matter anymore.

She was worried about her parents' well-being.

How were they treated ever since being apprehended by the authorities? Were they not facing anything terrible? Were they not worried about Anneliese?

She was also anxious about what was going to happen with her from now on. It might have even been fear.

Ever since they arrived in Japan, Lady Mitake hadn't showed herself in front of Anneliese. Would the old woman have loved her as an adopted child if only she hadn't shown her smarts? Perhaps the childless Lady Mitake was raising Anneliese to become her successor. That was also horrifying, but since Anneliese had noticed the darkness in her heart, she was also scared about her treatment.

The heart of the thirteen years old Anneliese was being crushed by despair and fear.

The education her father had pounded into her in order to protect her was of no use at all. Rather it was the very reason for that sly old lady to have an eye on her. Lady Mitake took everything from her. Her parents and house, her hometown, and even her very freedom.

As she was denying all meals, even her body was withering away.

"…"

Anneliese's body inclined forward.

Even as she was about to reach her limits and lose her consciousness, her unneeded cleverness caused her to notice something.

Ah, I see—

Anneliese closed her eyes, a smile rising to her mouth. A smile like she never had before, mixed with hatred and rage.

She knew Lady Mitake's true, dark nature. Perhaps she would take revenge against her before long. She didn't think that old woman would show mercy against her enemy.

At this rate I'll be slowly killed—

It happened just as Anneliese felt as if the last thread of her life was about to snap off.

"…!"

She opened her blue eyes wide.

Although she was about to collapse, her body sprang up like a coil. Just like a sleepwalker, she paced around the room, looking around the ceiling and the closet.

She definitely heard it.

That sound.

That mist-like voice that protected her ever since she was young—

Creak—

"…!"

It wasn't an auditory hallucination. She didn't mistake that sound.

She could hear the sound from the ceiling. It made the ceiling creak as if by some invisible person's footsteps.

Deathwatch.

Shibanmushi.

The watchers of death that never showed themselves.

Her whole body started shaking.

"Uu… Uuuuh…"

With her face pale, a low groaning spilled from Anneliese's mouth.

The specters' footsteps called back her robbed memories.

Her important parents. Her important house. Her important hometown Munich and its scenery. And her precious violin—

"UuuUuuh!"

She started shouting and ruffling her hair.

"UAHHHHHH!!!"

For the first time ever since coming to Japan, her blue eyes shed tears.

—She wanted it back.

Everything.

All of it.

While Anneliese wished for this along with the whirlpool of emotions in her heart, she didn't notice the air around her decaying and covering her.

As she kept shouting, the vision around her distorted. Not because of her tears, but because part of Lady Mitake's mansion was sucked into another space.

The remaining rational part of Anneliese's mind recalled.

The sound of the Easter bells Faust had heard in Goethe's play.

Anneliese could definitely hear those now.

The filthy sounds of a bell echoed loudly.

—When she came to, Anneliese found herself in front of a small church.

It was an exceedingly simple place.

There was a single withered tree and a crumbling church. —That was all there was.

Dark clouds hanged over the sky, concealing the sun. Damaged stone steps sprouted from the bare ground, but they didn't feel like they were actually there. It was because there was no smell of ground or rocks.

Where on earth am I—

Looking around her absentmindedly, Anneliese felt as if it she wasn't really there.

The violent emotions that drove her crazy just moments ago vanished like a puff of smoke. Here she couldn't feel anger, hatred or fear.

She could only feel one emotion.

I don't know where I am, but—

Anneliese's white face distorted. She narrowed her blue eyes, glaring at the church in front of her.

"I feel sick…"

It was irritation.

Some dark mud-like emotion was squirming inside her heart.

Bell sounds echoed.

Far from its common description of sublime, it was a cracked, horrible sound. For this girl who had pursued to perform the best music, that sound grated on her ears as if sticking inside. In the play, when Faust heard the bells of Easter he gave up on killing himself, but Anneliese felt the opposite, that she would like to throw her life away.

Was this also somewhere in Japan? She had no memories about when and how she had come to this place. Even so, being there felt natural, much like a mysterious sense of déjà vu.

As if she was inside a dream.

—No, she probably was dreaming. Or perhaps after her long house arrest in a foreign land she was starting to lose her sanity.

Yet right now both of them were the same—

Anneliese snorted in laughter. Whether it was a dream or a hallucination, the conclusion was the same. What awaited her was a lonely death. She couldn't escape it.

"O stray girl…"

Anneliese raised her face with a twitch.

"Come to me…"

She could hear a hoarse man's voice mixed with the bell coming from somewhere.

Anneliese unconsciously looked up at the church. The pointed roof only had one broken stick on it, with no sign of the cross supposed to be there.

"…"

Inside her chest she felt sick and the irritation only worsened. She didn't like the dirty air around, and the old man's voice got on her nerves.

"O stray girl… come to me."

I'll come, so just shut up—

The words that came from someone or something, whether they were German, Japanese, or perhaps something that transcended language itself, rubbed her the wrong way.

Pushing open the destroyed door, she stepped into the church.

There were lines of old wooden benches inside. There were lit candles on one wall, and on the altar stood a hunchbacked person. Since he wore a dirty hood she couldn't see any of his expression other than his mouth.

He looks so dirty—

Anneliese looked down on the man in her mind. She had never felt such scorn even for the beggars on the streets during the time she lived in Germany. It was because she knew that they had their own circumstances.

Yet the appearance of the old man in front of her got on her nerves for some reason. Perhaps because he made the ear-grating bell sounds, or perhaps her remaining brains could feel something evil from him.

"Thou art full of hatred—"

The hooded person smiled. He spoke in a worriless voice of ridicule.

Anneliese grinded her teeth.

Why you… someone like you has no right to laugh at me—

"Thou art full of hatred toward the one who took everything from thee… Thou hate everything about the one trying to take everything dear to thee…"

Shut up—

Along with her irritation toward the old man, violent hatred was revived in her heart.

She hated it. She hated it.

It was obvious. Anneliese had been, for some unfathomable reason, robbed of everything.

Even her education was of no use. Anneliese had no intention of relying on something as powerless as that.

"Thou hast been deprived of it all due to thy weakness… Weaklings are robbed by the strong. That is the unavoidable providence of this world…"

Anneliese's eye became sharp. Her eyes, blue like those of a pedigreed cat, shining with anger and hatred, changed to those of a predator watching their prey.

"…Who are you? On whose authority do you say this to me?"

Anneliese spoke for the first time. She wrung her last remaining reasoning power for this question.

The old man laughed without concealing his scorn. Anneliese was starting to lose herself to rage again.

"Such good-mannered speech… A beautiful voice… Hast thou truly believed thou were protected by these thus far?"

"…!"

"There is nothing for thee to protect here. Even though there is naught for thee to protect anymore… why dost thou still wear this mask of falsehood?"

"…I'm—"

"Thou should have lost it all. There is no longer any need to hold back thy words…"

"Shut…up—"

"Thou art no longer a doll."

The old man's words caused everything Anneliese believed in to crumble to pieces, one by one.

She had nothing to protect anymore.

And so she had nothing to hold back for.

Anneliese was no longer—just a doll who saw how people feel.

"—Shut the fuck up."

She exposed her molars, spitting out these words with a low voice the likes of which she had never put to her mouth before. Her blue eyes emitted a light full of killing intent.

The rationality inside Anneliese was decisively destroyed.

She didn't need any education.

She also didn't need her useless violin.

What she wanted right now was unshakable power. Absolute power that would allow her to retrieve everything important to her without being robbed by anyone.

There was no longer the Anneliese that had been admired like an angel.

She threw herself into decadence and revenge; she was now a misfortunate fallen angel.

"I've been asking who you are, you piece of shit."

As if she was becoming someone else—no, as if she was being turned inside out, a weird sensation took control of Anneliese. Her other self that was brought out by the old man's whisper spoke on its own.

She was still slightly confused about her new self. Yet since her other self broke free from her desires and impulses, it suppressed her reasoning power.

"If I declare mine true name thou shalt not comprehend it, thus—"

The old man spoke while staring at the changed Anneliese with satisfaction.

"Shinpu… I am called this along with Oogui and Sanbikime…"

Shinpu?

Since Anneliese could understand a little Japanese, she knew it was pronounced the same as the word referring to a Catholic priest.

For the first time in her life, Anneliese wore a smile of clear scorn. She couldn't bare such a filthy messenger of god. That old man in front of her rather felt like he was on the side opposite to God—

"Power… I shall give thee power. If thou wish for it…"

—Shinpu said with the whisper of a devil.

Hmph, Anneliese snorted.

"You'll give me power, you say?"

Anneliese only came to know the identity of the supernatural being in front of her much later.

She only found out later that this country had beings that grant the power known as Mushi in exchange for dreams and that those possessed by it were called Mushitsuki.

Anneliese was yet to know who the being standing in front of her was.

The beings that gave birth to Mushitsuki and were known as Prototype Mushi.

One of the Original Three.

Wandering along with the territory known as a church, the evil prophet that gave birth to Special Type Mushitsuki.

His name was Shinpu.

"Oh, I know your real name."

At the time, Anneliese named the hooded devil without any hesitation.

"Mephistopheles."

The demon that hated light.

The fallen angel drawn to the greed of humans who tempted them by offering them power.

Anneliese was trying to walk the same path as Faust who was degraded and heard the bells of Easter. Just like with him, a swindler offering a contract appeared before her.

She had no doubts that this was the identity of the devil in front of her right now.

"If you even possess that kinda power."

Anneliese reached out toward the devil.

She was betrayed by the contract she had made with education and art. The power she had cultivated by believing in her parents' words stole away everything she had.

And so Anneliese reached out for a new contract.

"If I can use that power to retrieve anything and everything."

If she could enact revenge upon the one who took everything from her.

If she could gain absolute power the likes of which she had never seen before.

"Hand it over. Give me power that won't lose to anyone."

She was trying to make a contract with a demon without any hesitation.

"Thou hast accepted me—"

The devil wore a sly smile under the hood's shadow.

"…!"

A mist of darkness burst from Anneliese's body.

That mist was nostalgic, warm, and felt like it possessed unparalleled power. Making her golden hair bristle, she felt like she could hear the familiar formless footsteps near her ears.

I will regain everything I've lost by my own hands—

This was the earnest wish embraced by the doll that broke out of her shell.

—There was a hall made for parties even in Lady Mitake's villa.

Anneliese sat in a chair she had brought from her room all alone.

While a crunching voice was coming out of her mouth, a dark mist was drifting around the girl.

From the ceiling came the creaking footsteps of the unseen neighbors.

Anneliese had finally come to know the identity of the invisible footsteps. They weren't specters or friends. For years upon years they watched vigilantly, waiting.

For the moment Anneliese would fall.

For the moment she would despair from the false powers of education and art and yield herself to her cursed fate.

Now that Anneliese realized this, she had no doubts or regrets.

"Ooh… What is this shameful behavior… Anneliese!"

Appearing in the dim hall was an old woman dressed in kimono, Lady Mitake.

She probably came to check on Anneliese's condition after hearing she was growing weaker. Or perhaps she came to sneer at her wasting away and dying?

By saying shameful, Lady Mitake probably referred to the girl sitting in the hall like that.

The sleeves of her white dress were torn, and by hugging her knees her white thighs were boldly exposed. Cold food lay on the floor and she used her hands to stuff her cheeks full of it. Her beautiful blonde hair stayed the same, but her blue eyes glinted with a light so sharp she looked like a completely different person.

"How do you do, you old hag?"

Wiping her ketchup-dirty mouth, Anneliese stared at Lady Mitake.

"How vulgar…! Is there no-one here? Why have you let Anneliese out of her room?"

The old woman possessing the absolute authority called, yet none answered her.

Instead, the mansion itself replied.

From the ceiling, the wall, the floor, from every possible place echoed a creaking sound. As if cornering the residents of the mansion, the sound grew gradually louder.

They were not Anneliese's friends nor her audience—but her devil messengers.

At last they were joined together.

"There's nobody here. They all got scared and ran off."

The floor near the grinning Anneliese suddenly caved in. From the hole opened up as if by a drill, black mist erupted and vanished.

"…!"

Lady Mitake turned pale. She suddenly looked around the hall.

At some point its entirety became filled with the black mist.

"Oh no… Have you been possessed by evil spirits, Anneliese…!"

Another impact smashed the hall's floor. With the third and the fourth, what looked like the footprints of a giant left gaping holes as it approached the old woman. Unable to hold back the expanding mist, the hall's window broke.

"Ah…! Ahhh…!"

Mist was rapidly converging in the empty space the trembling Lady Mitake looked up to. Near the ceiling with a hanging chandelier, it materialized into dark blades.

The sharp claws of a formless devil were formed. Without any head, chest or stomach, the dark claws started filling up the hall.

—No. They did have a body.

The filthy yet beautiful girl showered by the moonlight shining from the broken windows—Mitake Anneliese—was the mistress of the countless claws. The blue-eyed beauty opened her mouth wide in laughter.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"EEK—"

With giant holes opening up at her feet, Lady Mitake fled the hall. She ran through the corridor, heading to the stairs.

"dieStirb, you old hag!"

The mist drifting around the mansion changed into claws and assaulted the old woman's path. They played with Lady Mitake while destroying the walls and breaking the floor. While using every slang curse she knew, Anneliese walked calmly after her.

"Uuh…!"

Lady Mitake rolled down the stairs, attempting to crawl toward the front door. Yet by making use of claws stabbing into the walls instead of her legs, Anneliese floated in air and blocked the old woman from the front.

Lady Mitake rolled on the floor with a deathly pale face. While breathing so hard she seemed to be hyperventilating, she gazed up Anneliese who was wearing a twisted smile.

"S-save me—"

Anneliese, who was about to inflict the finishing blow, opened her blue eyes wide.

"Forgive me—Please, do not kill me…"

The old woman known as Lady Mitake and feared by everyone rubbed her head on the floor and begged for her life. She trembled pitifully and lowered her head in front of the 13 year old Anneliese.

"Please do not curse me—"

It was Anneliese's victory.

The filthy power that had nothing to do with either education or art thoroughly trampled the old woman's authority.

"….Ha."

A loud laughter erupted from the girl's mouth.

"AHAHAHAHA!"

Anneliese's laughter knew no stop. Her half-crazed voice echoed throughout the destroyed mansion.

—What had she done this far?

While looking down at the old woman and laughing, various feelings welled up inside Anneliese.

Her mother and father taught her that education would become a power to protect her.

Anneliese believed her parents' words and devoted herself to them. Striving in her studies without even making friends, she acquired education. Devoting herself to operas and literature, she learned art. She also practiced etiquette so that she wouldn't embarrass herself on her debut in the high society. Blessed with the talent of music, Anneliese's violin was supposed to be become world-famous through Munich.

Yet it was all taken away by the old woman in front of her.

She was robbed clean.

And now, even that power of authority was easily defeated by the power Anneliese had gained by her contract with the devil.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

While she held her stomach laughing, Lady Mitake desperately crawled past her on all fours.

As Anneliese couldn't help but laugh, the old woman was already nowhere to be seen.

"Ahahaha…"

Even now that she had expelled all air in her lunges by laughing, tears streamed down Anneliese's cheeks.

Anneliese gained power.

She gained the cursed power from her deal with the devil.

It was very powerful. Yet at the same time, the clever Anneliese despaired.

Was this filthy power really stronger than anything—

"Haha, ha, ha…"

Lady Mitake dashed out of the mansion and disappeared. Yet she didn't even care about Lady Mitake anymore.

She covered her face with both hands.

Her ceaselessly spilling tears stained the floor that creaked although no one was there.

The power Anneliese had gained was taking away something precious from her even now.

Her extremely precious parents' faces, the scent of her hometown, the melody of her violin—

Even now, they were vanishing from inside her.

"Ha, ha…"

Father—

Mother—

"…"

The formless footsteps comforted Anneliese who was crying while laughing.

It was the voice of welcome.

The devils, who corrupted Anneliese for their own greed, bound her with the chains of sin.

Now that she had been cursed, she could no longer go back.

"…I can no longer go back…"

Now that Anneliese became someone else, she would never see her parents again.

She could never go back to the beautiful mansion on Munich.

Anneliese couldn't regain anything.

She had been taken in by Mephistopheles's lies—

Part 4

Ptoo, Anneliese spat the mass of caviar unto the floor.

Sitting in the Italian-made chair in the ruined mansion's hall, Anneliese wiped her mouth using her red dress.

It was rotten.

Even this high quality caviar couldn't be preserved inside an unpowered refrigerator.

But since it had been abandoned for a week it was obvious.

"…"

With a cat-like glint in her eyes lighting the darkness, she looked around the now silent hall.

There was heavy rain outside the mansion. Droplets flew inside from the broken glass windows, and unceasing lines of water were dripping from the broken ceiling.

The thin Anneliese's golden hair lacked care yet it hadn't lost its luster. She had as many changes of clothes as she needed, and the water pipes were still working. She also had enough food to keep living. —At least until now when she spat out the last remaining caviar.

Aside from the darkness of the night, the hall was filled by mist with Anneliese in its center. And as if comforting her, the formless specters made creaking sounds around the mansion.

"…"

Anneliese simply stared at air with hollow eyes.

Ever since driving out Lady Mitake, she did nothing but keep living.

Once in a while children from around gathered wanting to explore the ruined mansion, but the sounds of the formless footsteps were too creepy for them and drove them away. There were also times where, when she went to look down on them on a whim, they probably thought her a ghost and ran away from the mansion scared. Perhaps they started whispering about the ghost mansion amongst themselves.

But even living already reached its limits.

She wasn't gaining any nutrition, she wasn't even sleeping well, and the black mist kept taking something important away from Anneliese.

She was even unable to think properly. Never mind the scenery of her hometown, but now she couldn't even recall the faces of her parents. She would lose consciousness without even noticing, and every time she woke up she thought so I'm still alive half-tired.

"…"

Not losing to the sounds of the fierce rain, the ghosts in the mansion kept urging her. Creak, creak, by echoing this sound here and there, they threw requests at Anneliese who had lost her power.

"What song should I start with today…? Maybe your favorite…?"

Even in this extreme situation, for an instant Anneliese's expression flashed a smile the likes of which she had in Munich.

Still sitting on the chair, Anneliese readied an invisible violin.

Placing it on her shoulders, feeling a hard sensation under her chin, she used the bow smelling of turpentine to rub the bowstring. There was nothing there, but their sensations and smells were momentarily revived in the hazy girl's mind.

Mozart's Violin Concerto no.3.

It was the music that Anneliese was best at.

The music that the specters whose only footsteps echoed especially liked.

In the mansion where only the sounds of the fierce raining hitting the roof could be heard, the illusion melody of Anneliese's violin echoed around.

As she continued her performance with a smile, nostalgic memories were reborn in her mind then vanished.

The faces of her strict yet kind parents.

The scenery of her hometown, the capital of art and music.

The violin craftsman that looked like a clergyman, her free and wild classmates like Erik, the nostalgic people of Munich.

Anneliese definitely left herself behind in her lost happiness.

I wish—

Please stop right now, time—

"…"

Listening to Anneliese's performance, the specters were happy and made the mansion creak.

In actuality only the sounds of the rain were heard, but it was the best performance.

The gratifying performance surpassed her last one.

Anneliese would probably never play the violin again.

And also—never wear the smile of an angel from the bottom of her heart.

"…Fufu."

Anneliese's smile slowly warped, changing into that of a filthy, fallen angel.

"Kuku…"

The light of her life would probably be extinguished just like this without doing anything.

—Yet thinking this was naïve.

"Beautiful moment, do not pass away."

She mumbled.

In the end, Anneliese wished for this.

It was the spell of destruction.

The declaration of a loss in the wager against the demon.

The moment when Faust, who became young yet unhappy, declared this, the one who came to him was—

"Wanting to die like that, aren't I asking for too much?"

Anneliese could feel it.

The existence of a tremendous power.

She couldn't see it, but Anneliese knew that an intense pressure and merciless killing intent were directed at her.

—Some dreadful being came to the mansion of Anneliese's territory.

Putting her imaginary violin aside, Anneliese's expression returned to that of dark hostility again.

"So you came for my soul, Mephistopheles."

He came to welcome her.

In order to rob Anneliese of a peaceful death. To bring her soul down to hell.

Those who had received powers from deals with the devil couldn't save their souls.

She could hear footsteps full of unwavering power coming closer and closer.

"—But."

Anneliese rose up.

"…My revenge isn't over yet. I've done well to deceive you."

The contract she had signed was gaining power to retrieve what she had lost.

And yet Anneliese was unable to regain anything. Never mind that, she was about to lose even her life right now.

It was an unforgivable breach of contract.

Right now, the demon pursuing Anneliese was trying to take her soul after giving her the false power.

Not like she'd let him—

She wasn't thinking of salvation so late into the game. However, she had no intention of simply giving up her soul.

"I'll tear you up, gouge you, and drag you down to hell with me."

Anneliese's eyes, combined with the mansion's darkness, captured the form of the approaching enemy.

"Right, Mephistopheles?"

As if in response to the call of the cursed girl, the entire mansion shook from an impact.

Anneliese's legs were unable to bear the impact that was much larger than expected. She staggered and plopped down on the chair.

"…!"

The front door had apparently been destroyed.

As if by lightning.

As if by a tornado.

She could feel that impact, which was like the fire and brimstone that annihilated Sodom and Gomorrah, swept aside the mist supposed to be drifting around the first floor.

"…Kuku."

Anneliese widened her eyes unconsciously, but she soon started laughing. Putting her elbows on the chair's arm and resting her chin on her hand, she narrowed her blue eyes.

"Right, come at me, you demon."

The mansion itself was now part of Anneliese. The demon's assault from the front gate was praiseworthy, but he wouldn't be able to win against Anneliese like that. She would show him how powerful the power she had received from him was.

Without lifting a finger, Anneliese materialized claws made of mist around the mansion.

In an instant, sounds of impact and destruction echoed around.

The demon appeared to possess a dreadfully powerful weapon. The claws dispatched by Anneliese were smashed to pieces and returned being mist.

But Anneliese's ability wasn't inferior at all in destructive power and number of moves. Every time the demon destroyed one claw, she produced another and continued the attack.

"Gu… Uugh…!"

As she sat on the chair, Anneliese's face warped in agony.

Every time one of the claws was destroyed, the recoil damage pierced her heart. And the more she produced other claws, the more something important was spilling out from inside her heart.

"Gh… Go to hell!!!"

Anneliese's shout echoed in the desolate hall.

She launched a simultaneous attack of claws at the demon trying to climb the stairs. He used his weapon to repel the claws, at times evading them by leaping.

Yet the attack from the front was a feint. The claws created behind the demon pierced his back.

The attack hit and the demon was pounded against the second floor corridor. Anneliese used her countless claws to try and finish him off.

"This is your end, demooooon!"

She rose from her chair in the empty hall, howling.

A tremor surpassing even that of the first attack on the mansion shook the whole building. The mist spread around the mansion like feelers all focused into one mighty blow at a single point. It was powerful enough to destroy even the walls and the floor.

The giant earthquake-like tremor gradually settled down.

"Hah! Haah…!"

While breathing heavily, Anneliese wore a smile of victory.

However—

"Uuh…?"

Although the ground was supposedly completely annihilated, something twitched there.

That presence stood up, albeit staggering in its gait, and jumped from the destroyed hole. It reached the second floor corridor that had avoided destruction in one leap. No human could've done that.

"What…?"

She tried blocking his path with a newly formed claw, but of all things the demon blew it away using his bare hands.

Inside the hall filled with the specters' creaking, Anneliese was shocked.

Why had the claw not pierced him?

How was he still alive?

"Why you…! As if I'd give my soul to someone like you!"

The battle of Anneliese and the demon resumed.

Every time there was an impact, the specters creaked as if in fear. The interior of the mansion was Anneliese's domain, yet the demon was able to proceed toward the hall slowly but surely.

Anneliese's attack should have hit the demon. She felt it.

Yet he never stopped.

Even after being hit by an attack and collapsing, he rose up like a zombie, approaching Anneliese.

Their powers were even. The situation should have tipped in Anneliese's favor since she had caught the enemy.

Yet she couldn't stop the demon's advance—

"Hah… Hah…"

Using her power successively, Anneliese was weakened. She was clinging to the chair's arm, barely able to preserve her consciousness.

"…!"

She raised her face with a start.

The specters' footsteps, supposed to be heard from around the mansion, suddenly all stopped.

Mixed in with the sound of rain, the hall's door slowly opened.

—The demon finally revealed himself to Anneliese.

What perfectly repelled her claws was a pitch-black, long coat much like the cloak of a grim reaper. Blazing eyes like those of the guardian of hell were red lamps lit up on the front of mechanical looking goggles covering his face. What spread endless destruction like lightning was a large automatic pistol.

On his slightly uncovered cheeks were a green pattern and clotted blood. Although he had supposedly suffered quite a lot of damage, his stance was calm and merciless.

Anneliese was now face to face with the demon that had come there to perform her cursed last rites.

However—

"…Who the hell are you?"

Gazing at the hall's entrance, she muttered this in shock.

The person she thought was a demon—no, his superhuman presence was that of a demon, but his form was actually that of a boy around Anneliese's age.

"You aren't Mephistopheles…?"

She was certain that the man she had met inside a dream, the old man who called himself Shinpu, came to her.

She had formed a contract with a robed devil.

Not with the boy in front of her.

After her question in German, the demon answered instinctively.

"Kakkou."

A short, curt reply. The demon raised his gun. —Looking closely, the black coat-clad boy's shoulders rose and fell. Although he had slipped through Anneliese's attacks so far, he still appeared to have received some damage. His voice was also hoarse with fatigue and pain.

Kakkou.

He was neither Mephistopheles nor Shinpu.

Yet the boy who introduced himself as Kakkou was able to push Anneliese back with pure strength. Just like Lady Mitake. Just like Shinpu. Yet another demon was toying with her.

"I see. …So you're another person coming to take something away from me."

Anneliese exposed her canines and glared at Kakkou.

He was trying to rob Anneliese of her wish to regain everything.

As if I'd let you—

Anneliese groaned in her heart.

Her opponent was exhausted. He was powerful, but not an enemy she couldn't defeat. No, if she lost here, she would lose even her life.

The empty space in the hall was filled by several dozen claws.

"I'll fucking kill you…! Each and every one of you who wants to take something from me!"

The condensed mist claws and the bullet shot by Kakkou clashed directly.

Destroying the walls, blowing away the roof, the savage claws covered the black demon.

Kakkou returned gunfire, evaded attacks, and repelled the claws using his fists and legs. A few claws the demon couldn't fully evade hit him, but they were unable to pierce the robust coat.

While getting hit, Kakkou pointed the muzzle at Anneliese.

"…!"

Perhaps she had done so unconsciously, or the specters did so in an attempt to protect her—

In order to defend Anneliese, all claws stood in the way between her and the boy.

"UOOOOH!!!"

The demon howled.

The blazing bullet was fired toward Anneliese in a straight line.

Their two strongest powers were clashing—

"—"

The dark mist vanished from Anneliese's line of sight.

The mist controlling the mansion was blown off and the surroundings cleared up.

As if blowing away the dark clouds cursing Anneliese, the mist was completely dispelled from around Anneliese.

Rage. Hatred. As well as despair and hope.

They were all blown away by the new demon that came to block Anneliese's way.

A rumble was transmitted to now empty girl's ears.

From the night sky revealed by the lost ceiling a fierce rain came pouring down. Sitting in the beautiful chair, Anneliese's blonde hair was drenched by the rain and stuck to her cheeks.

The specters' footsteps were also completely gone.

—Anneliese lost.

"What the hell's that power…"

Having lost even the strength to move her fingers, Anneliese bit her lips. Transparent tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rain.

Education and art lost to authority, and authority lost to Anneliese's cursed power.

And now, even that power bent down to the demon in front of her.

"How much stronger do I… What power do I need to keep anything being taken away! Something that would help me get everything back! Are you the number one? Or is there anyone stronger than you? You piece of shit!"

Clinging to the chair's arm, she used dirty words to curse the demon.

She had neither education nor art.

Not even the filthy power she had obtained from the deal with the hooded demon.

What would be able to save Anneliese from her cursed fate?

How would she be able to regain her happy days?

Even in this situation, where she was about to lose her life, Anneliese had no idea what to believe in.

She couldn't let herself end like this.

She didn't want to let everything end with it all stolen and lost—

"…"

Even as he could hear Anneliese's lament, the demon never spoke. He also appeared to have used his whole energy. The boy was breathing heavily and his legs shook.

It wasn't a fight she couldn't have won. There shouldn't have been a gap in their powers.

Yet Anneliese lost.

The boy in the form of a demon in front her had something that she lacked. Anneliese had no idea what that was.

"…!"

Anneliese gritted her teeth.

He understood her earlier by instinct, but that boy apparently didn't know German. He probably couldn't understand what she was asking him.

So he wouldn't even answer her question at the very end?

That was much too unreasonable.

"—Are you the strongest?"

Unable to give up her question, Anneliese implored him with her unaccustomed Japanese.

Taught by her Japanese father, she was able to use simple Japanese.

"If I beat even you will I no longer have anything taken away from me?"

She asked desperately with large tears spilling from her eyes.

The soul of one who had formed a contract with the devil couldn't be saved.

Exactly so.

If left like this, Anneliese would sink into the depths of despair. Even if she was killed like this, she would be tortured by her doubts and despair in hell for all eternity.

Even if this was her reparation for gaining this cursed power, the treatment the girl was received by fate was far too cruel.

"If I become even stronger than you… will I be able to regain everything this time…?

Behind the silent demon who readied his gun echoed footsteps.

They weren't the footsteps of the specters. They were clearly a human's.

"Exactly so. He is stronger than anyone."

A tall youth appeared in the hall's entrance. Since the shadow covered most of his white face, the only thing clear was that he was wearing a business suit. He raised one hand, apparently in order to fix the position of his glasses.

"W-who… are you…"

Anneliese's shoulder twitched.

Was he yet another demon?

She had no power left.

The only thing that remained was a weak, misfortunate girl who had been beaten by the strong.

And even so fate was yet again causing her to suffer?

She couldn't take it anymore.

Don't hurt me anymore.

Don't take anything from me.

Forgive me.

"I'm the East Central Branch Director of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, Haji Keigo."

Introducing himself, the young man smiled. It was a faint, cynical smile. One could tell he wasn't a good person at a glance.

"Anneliese Mitake—no, Mitake Anneliese. We shall detain you."

"…"

"We've finally finished the investigation about the Ghost of the Creaking Mansion. Even about what happened in your motherland and what circumstances brought you to this country. Seems like old Lady Mitake went a bit overboard. It's fine, we can probably lift the false charges on your parents in Munich as well."

Anneliese widened her eyes.

Inside Goethe's work, Faust formed a contract with the demon Mephistopheles. Yet the moment he was about to lose his life due to the spell of destruction and his soul was forfeit, it was saved from the demon's clutches by love.

Did salvation come for her just as it did for Faust?

Did the time finally come for her to be saved by a messenger of God?

—Yet her expectations were betrayed immediately. By a superficial smile.

"How dull the villains of this country are."

Asserting this much too enjoyably, he also added "I also dislike the way she betrayed her relatives" with a light tone.

—He was the worst.

Anneliese curled up on the chair, her body trembling.

"Uu… Uu…"

What's up with this country?

Never mind Lady Mitake, Never mind Shinpu, but Kakkou and the bespectacled man in front of her…

They were demons.

Pure demons.

Or had Anneliese drawn all of them to her? She couldn't remember doing something so bad. She led a pure, proper life in Munich. She shouldn't have any sins.

"She's dangerous, Haji."

Kakkou turned toward the young man and objected.

"It was actually pretty bad… She was the strongest among my opponents thus far. We should turn her into a Fallen now that she can't fully control her powers."

"It's good you're passionate about your work ever since your promise with Fuyuhotaru, but… we can use this girl. Just like you said, she was the first Mushitsuki who went toe to toe with you."

"Use her…?"

"Central Headquarters seems to be sending a large unit to some island. Your dispatch request arrived just the other day. But if possible I'd like you to remain here at least another year to strengthen our foundation. So let's use her to deal with the Central Headquarters. We can even give her to them as she is. Until the day we get her back."

Anneliese widened her eyes while shaking.

The impact she felt after her surprise was somewhat ridiculous.

Their conversation had too many words she didn't know, so she could barely understand anything. Yet even she could understand the latter half.

She was being sold off somewhere again.

That was her fate as a loser.

Next she would be forced to act like a doll somewhere.

—No.

"…"

In this situation, where even after she had used all her power something invisible was still putting out the flames of her life, Anneliese's body yielded itself to drowsiness. It tempted her to fall and never wake again, turn into a sleeping beauty.

Perhaps she would rather turn into a real doll.

If she turned into a real doll that felt nothing and thought of nothing she wouldn't suffer anymore. She wouldn't be hurt and wouldn't have anything taken away. Because she would have nothing in the first place.

The life was being lost from Anneliese's blue eyes that were closing. Losing their light and leaving behind tear marks, they were becoming mere glass beads.

Father, Mother—

She thought about the parents whose faces she couldn't even remember.

She thought of her homeland that she would never see again.

She thought of the violin's melody.

Good night—

Anneliese was falling asleep.

Her life was destined to end in tragedy. She was unable to retrieve anything. She couldn't regain anything.

Her fate was to be toyed by demons, and end.

"—It's still too early to fall asleep, Fraulein."

Anneliese was roused from peaceful sleep by having her chin raised.

"Are you giving up? Since you became a Mushitsuki you should have a dream. Are you going to let it end here without making it come true?"

In front of her thinly opened eyelids was a superficial, faint smile.

It was a smile truly fitting for a demon playing with an innocent girl—even more than Lady Mitake and Shinpu.

"I will allow it."

A real demon's whisper was being whispered to Anneliese's ears.

"If one day you… become stronger than Kakkou. When you become stronger than anyone, I'll allow you to go back to your hometown."

Like a flash.

The nostalgic scenery of Anneliese's hometown was revived in her mind.

Her parents' faces. Her classmates. The craftsman. The violin's sound.

She only recalled it for an instant and then it became as blurry as mist again, but it was enough to bring her back to reality after she had attempted to lull off into sweet slumber.

"…ill you…"

Another tear streamed down Anneliese's face.

This would be her last.

She would never cry again.

"…I'll fucking kill you…"

Haji Keigo.

This worst demon.

Now that she was on the verge of death, was he trying to form a new contract?

He was holding up Anneliese's final ray of hope in front of her.

So was the cursed girl not even allowed to be set into restful sleep?

What a cruel bastard.

Even death would be too soft a punishment for you.

No, it wasn't just Haji Keigo. Kakkou was also an accomplice.

—No, not just Kakkou. Anyone and everyone aside from Anneliese should all be cursed.

"I'll fucking kill you… I'll become stronger than Kakkou… and then fucking kill each and every one of you… I'll make you give back everything you've taken…"

While muttering in German, Anneliese shook off her drowsiness.

She found her one and only hope and recalled.

Her parents' faces… the scenery of her hometown.

And finally—her dream, which was to regain them.

"I'll fucking kill everyone… even those stronger than me… If I do I will be able to… when I get everything back—"

Anneliese kept spitting out these curses.

"Let's make a promise. If you become stronger I'll save you."

The bespectacled youth said with a faint smile.

Remember that—

These words.

That contract.

This time Anneliese would become stronger.

She would return home with unshakable power and protect what she needed to protect.

—Thus Anneliese became a subordinate of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

Part 5

The night wind blowing through Japan's old capital had a nostalgic scent.

The smell of stone heated by the sun. In this land with its many wooden buildings, there were also many stones used for walls.

She liked it more here than the disorderly modern town of Akamaki City. A land that respected culture and tradition was much like her nostalgic hometown.

She normally didn't feel yearning for her hometown, but here it was unavoidably reborn. Since she had still lacked power, it brought nothing other than pain to her. She had yet to fulfill her promise with the bespectacled man.

"Why did you call me here?"

It was the rooftop of the luxurious hotel the students of Horusu Academy Middle School stayed in.

Sitting on the water boiler that took advantage of solar heat, she looked down at the entrance of the roof.

The uniform-wearing boy looked up quizzically. He had no special features whatsoever, just an ordinary student.

"And why are you wearing your equipment? —Kasuou."

The eyes of the boy—of Kusuriya Daisuke—changed. His sharp eyes, vigilant against the girl, were the same as those of the demon that had once beaten her thoroughly.

"I've warned you about this before, Kakkou."

Kasuou, wearing a pure-white long coat that glowed in the night's darkness, glared at the boy beneath her.

The SEPB had goggles and coat as one set of equipment, but she wore no goggles at the time. Her blue eyes pierced her archenemy.

"Don't be such a wuss. What happened to you since coming to Akamaki City? Aren't you getting weaker by messing around with that spear-user brat?"

It has already been more than a year ever since they had first met in the Creaking Mansion.

Now that she had polished her powers in the Central Headquarters, Kasuou knew that she was incomparably stronger to back then. She had polished her battle techniques and gained fighting experience.

And yet on the other hand, Kakkou's former cruelty was vanishing. He might just be hiding his true nature, but at least it looked like it to Kasuou's eyes.

Kakkou was growing weaker.

It was an unforgiveable breach of trust regarding his promise with Kasuou. If she couldn't defeat him while he was the strongest, she wouldn't be able to prove she had unshakable power.

Whether or not he knew about Kasuou's anger, Daisuke drew a breath with a shocked face.

"Look who's talking. Your frolicking this noon didn't seem like acting to me."

"Don't change the subject. —I've heard that that brat Ichinokuro Arisu had been recognized as a Mushitsuki."

Kasuou didn't miss the boy's expression twitching.

"She's no longer a mere human, she's a Mushitsuki. If your opponent's a Mushitsuki you only have one course of action, right? Where did the demon I've met back then gone to? Why won't you kill that Morpho butterfly and turn Ichinokuro Arisu into a Fallen!"

That was supposed to be the proper form of the best, merciless, and strongest among the Mushitsuki, the Rank 1 Blaze-Class Kakkou.

And yet a single girl was wrapping him around her little finger.

"Fuse with your Mushi. Now that you're weak I'll fucking kill you."

Daisuke turned a serious face toward Kasuou who was losing her temper. Perhaps thinking of something, after a while of silence he spoke unbelievable words.

"Aren't you the one who became weaker?"

"You… what?"

Kasuou started getting mad, yet Daisuke continued calmly.

"When we fought at the Creaking Mansion you were strong. If you hadn't been exhausted then even I would've been in danger. But now that I've met you after a while, you've downgraded into an idiot that only loves to battle. I don't feel like I'll lose to you like that."

Kasuou widened her eyes.

He said she was weaker?

For a moment she couldn't even understand Daisuke's words. But as his words sunk in, violent anger burst out. Along with the same hatred she'd felt once before while mistaking Daisuke for a demon.

"Don’t fuck with me…!"

Black mist gushed out from her entire body.

Sharp claws even stronger than they had been at that time were created in air. The mist-clad Kasuou leapt down from the boiler, swinging down her countless claws at Daisuke.

"—Or are you pretending to be an idiot?"

The sounds of destruction shook the rooftop.

The asphalt cracked and giant fissures spread all over the roof's floor.

"Not thinking of anything or even trying to—or actually, you seem to be only fighting in order not to think. Am I wrong?"

"…!"

Kasuou and Daisuke's gazes met in the distance of only a few dozen centimeters.

The claws born by Kasuou's ability grazed Daisuke in the last second and stabbed into the floor. Unable to stop her momentum, she ended up in a posture facing Daisuke from up close.

Far from his usual form of an honors student, Daisuke's cold gaze pierced Kasuou.

"It's because you can't allow yourself to think of anything unnecessary in a battle. —Such as about your hometown."

Kasuou's chest creaked.

Recalling her past self, she also recalled her past weakness.

Homesickness was unreasonable. She didn't need any memories related to weakness. She had to only devote herself to polishing her powers and become stronger.

She had no need for the power to think deeply.

She just had to get stronger.

She just had to keep fighting to remain strong.

She was able to live this far like this.

"Thinking isn't anything good. I don't need smarts."

During the era she had been told she was smart, her belief in education had been betrayed.

And so simply thinking was a waste of time.

"I became stronger. I trained in the SEPB, and completed many missions. I'm supposed to be able to win even against you now!"

"It's impossible."

Daisuke decisively interjected.

"You certainly might have advanced the usage of your ability. Yet only pure strength of ability will never defeat me. In the first place there are plenty of people whose ability is stronger than mine."

This time Kasuou became speechless.

That couldn't be.

Rank 1 Blaze-Class Kakkou was supposed to be the strongest Mushitsuki.

That was why Anneliese would win if she could defeat him.

"The Original Three, Fuyuhotaru, that Rina woman, Harukiyo… as well as Hanashiro Mari when she had her full power."

Counting on his fingers, Daisuke wore an unfitting grin.

"But the one who's really strong is me. No one was able to kill me, and ultimately I was the one to win."

Kasuou thought inside her confused mind.

She used her mind, that had abandoned her smarts and devoted itself to battle, on full throttle. Yet she couldn't ascertain the true meaning of Daisuke's words.

"Even though you're weaker you say you'll win? What're you saying…!"

"As long as you don't understand that, you'll always lose against opponents weaker than me, Kasuou."

Hearing the boy's prophetic-seeming words, Kasuou could vaguely understand.

Was the true strength Daisuke was walking about strength she had sought?

That unnamed power which was neither education, authority, nor violence.

And Daisuke was able to continue being stronger than anyone because he possessed it.

—Yet Kasuou still didn't know the identity of that power.

"If you don't know then stay put for a little while. When we wrap up this mission… yeah, we can have a fight. If you properly cooperate during this mission."

"…So it's true."

Kasuou made sure of it.

A new deal.

A new contract.

If she could fight the man in front of her another time—perhaps she would be able to ascertain what power he holds.

No, she had to find out.

Kasuou would definitely obtain it.

She would become stronger than everyone and come back to her nostalgic hometown where the specters were waiting.

That was Kasuou's dream.

That was Mitake Anneliese's wish.

"Don't forget those words, Kakkou."

Kasuou was advancing toward her dream.

So this time she would back off.

One day she would tear apart the demon in front of her and prove her power.

And when that happened, Kasuou would—

"I can't wait to fucking kill you."

—Retrieve the name of Anneliese Mitake.

Apparently already regretting it, Daisuke's expression stiffened while Kasuou wore an elegant grin.

To be continued…

Notes

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