Mushi Uta:Volume 5 Chapter 1

1.00 Chiharu Part 1

*

Gently swaying…

Lightly floating…

Every day was peaceful and warm.

Ever since she was young, she had always been bursting with curiosity and lacked what were known as a sense of danger and protective instincts. She believed that people around her thought of her as quite a risk-taking child.

Therefore, when she found that blue cocoon, she wasn't afraid at all.

Just like when she chased the fishes swimming in a creek.

Or when she chased the butterflies she caught sight of at a paddy field.

In the empty vacant lot, she touched it.

The fingertip that touched it became numb, and something from the cocoon slipped into her body.

Ba bump.

She heard a throb. It wasn't her heart but the sign of another life.

—Her body was split into two by an unseen power.

That was how she felt. It was the feeling as if she was thoroughly split into two starting from the top of her head down to her toes. 

The next instant, she who split from her stood in front of her eyes.

It was a mere illusion with no substance.

Precisely because it was ripped out of her, it looked exactly like her. It only had an ever so slightly meaner-looking face than her.

When she looked at her past self—meaning at her own face, she made an indescribable expression.

"Whoops, seems like my host this time is quite the stupid-looking brat. What a complete failure."

The drooping eye corners which she had from birth now slanted even more despairingly. She added the reaction of putting a hand on her forehead and looking up at the sky.

Having someone with her face and voice make fun of her made her angry.

Sorry for looking stupid, really—

She remembered to puff her cheeks just like the fearless child she was.

Her other self headed for her in a resigned manner, holding out both hands.

For some reason she held out her hands too.

Their slender fingers intertwined.

She couldn't feel anything.

Yet, a very faint warmth was conveyed through it. A relieving, pleasant warmth.

With that she realized.

Although her other self had a bad mouth and a bad attitude—and adding to that, although she knew that the one in front of her was nothing more than an illusion, she had a clear premonition.

It wasn't a bad person.

"Oh well, nothing I can do about it. Nice to meet you, my host. My name is—"

"Chiharu."

Hearing a voice from behind, she turned around.

A small silhouette with the setting sun at his back appeared.

She couldn't see his face as his back was facing her, but she realized who it was from the outline of his shadow, his voice and his presence.

"Daisuke."

The 6^th year elementary school student, Kusuriya Chiharu broke into a broad smile.

"Did you come to get me?"

"Mom got worried so she told me to look for you. Let's go back already."

"Coming!"

"My name is Aria Varei—wait a minute! Are you even listening?"

By the time Daisuke had called out to her, the illusion of her other self disappeared. However, she could still hear her own voice in her ears.

"With such a cute brother, I'm the happiest person in the world!"

"Wha-… S-stop! Don't hold my hand!"

"H-huh? No way? Did you not hear me? Can you possibly not hear me? I tried showing off because this is our first time meeting but was it all for naught? Aria is super shocked!"

Waving her little brother's hands, Chiharu chuckled while walking through the residential area bathed in twilight.

I can hear you—

She mentally stuck out her tongue.

This was her payback for being called a complete failure just now.

She didn't know if the voice she could hear was an illusion, a daydream or perhaps something else. Even so, she didn't want anyone to disturb her during this time.

"I told you to let go of me! It's embarrassing for siblings to do this! Chiharu!"

Gently swaying…

Lightly floating…

They swayed to and fro in their peaceful daily life.

The thing that secured the happy days of the risk-taking child Chiharu was the warmth of her brother's hand.

It was only for this moment when she had her brother all to herself that she did not want to let go of his hand.

"W-what, so you can hear me! Your acting almost made me cry! Teasing the host should be my duty, don't take other people's jobs!"

Although her other self was reproaching her, that voice also seemed somewhat relieved.

"I won't let go. You're too weak, Daisuke!"

Her brother desperately tried shaking her hand off, yet Chiharu kept holding it tightly. She was still stronger than her brother who was one year her junior.

Below the orange sky, she walked alongside her brother.

That was the day Chiharu first met with that abnormal being.

With the main culprit responsible for the birthing of the disaster-bringing Mushi.

The vagrant blue cocoon that wanders continually in search for a safe haven.

And its name was—Aria Varei.

*

Dispensing with the preliminaries, how are you?

I, Ayukawa Chiharu, am in the height of my youth.

Starting next month, I'll be a third year high school student. I have lots of friends, and I promised to work along with everyone in the student council. I've also been confessed to by a classmate. Ah, but I turned him down. It's not like I hate him, but I just feel like dating someone with half-hearted feelings is being rude to them. It's just that, really.

—But you know, I already gave up all of that. I already gave up forgetting everything and living happily. My enjoyable days of paradise ended yesterday.

Because I remembered.

I recalled the time when I wasn't Ayukawa Chiharu but Kusuriya Chiharu.

And your name as well.

…Right, Daisuke?

"Nnn…"

In a hotel bedroom in the suburbs of Nishito City.

In front of a large mirror, Ayukawa Chiharu rose to her full height.

In the mirror was her 17 year-old grown form. Having retrieved her lost memories from before five years ago, she also recalled that her drooping eyes were something she was born with. Her hair was long but her bangs were cut short evenly. She was taller than the average height of her classmates, her body thin and slender.

And you're already sixteen, huh—

While looking at the mirror, her "narrating" habit that continued for who knows how many years naturally showed itself.

Until now it was a delusion without any addressee.

But now it was different.

She clearly recalled who she was addressing.

I wonder what sort of face you're making right now, Daisuke—

"You awake already? If you are then come over here."

She heard someone knocking on the bedroom door. A blunt voice without a shred of fondness called to her.

Chiharu energetically opened the door and went to the living room.

"G'morning! What a great day!"

"Hah? Nothing's great about it. Not to mention I'm injured over here so I can't even move—"

The petite girl sitting on the sofa looked in her direction. At that moment her expression turned cold.

The girl dressed in school uniform seated on the floor also glanced at Chiharu. However, apparently losing her interest immediately, she returned to finely ripping a tissue in her hands—Chiharu had no idea why she was even doing that, but anyway she returned to her previous activity.

"You…"

The petite girl—Konomura Chami—raised her fingers to her brows and frowned. She was shorter than Chiharu by about half a head and the ends of her short hair were pointed up. On her face that wore glasses with thin lenses there were also band-aids. Bandages wrapped around her stomach could also be seen from the hem of her long-sleeved T-shirt.

"Haah… oh well. C'mon, get over here already."

"Eh? Is that your only reaction? How cold, how lonely, Chami-chan!"

Chiharu, who was boldly exposing her bare skin—as she was wearing a bikini swimsuit, held her head. That swimsuit was found inside the closet, meant to be used for the indoor pool.

—Yesterday was a day that could be said to be the turning point of Ayukawa Chiharu's life.

Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say it was the day she had finally recovered her true self.

For five years she spent her days peacefully in middle school and high school. Her mother remarried to one her past classmate, so she ended up changing her family name to Ayukawa, and she spent her days happily as the vice president of the student council.

However, Chiharu always had some doubts inside her about this happy everyday life. She always felt guilty about getting the "main role" on the stage known as youth.

And she finally recalled the reason for that.

It happened because of the fight inside the giant tower built as part of the Nishito Mega City Project, 'URBAN'. It was the decisive fight planned by the girl in front of her, Konomura Chami, who faced against her fate of having nothing more than a supporting role. Being involved in a battle against the government agency known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, the shock from the battle caused Chiharu to recall the past.

Why did she always felt so unbearable during such peaceful days?

Why has she always felt such anxiety and uneasiness amidst that happiness?

Chiharu now knew the reasons for that.

"I wanted to comfort you thinking that you'd both be tired after all that! Well? Look at this nice body that would make any guy swoon! Look, here's a sexy pose!"

She leaned forward, heading towards Chami who was furrowing her brows in the living room. She even added a blowing kiss.

"S-stop being an idiot."

It was surprisingly effective. Chami's cheeks became lightly flushed.

"Since we're both girls it wouldn't make me happy at all! More importantly, come over here already and explain some stuff! Even though I've done my best to run away with you from 'URBAN' yesterday I didn't get any explanation!"

"Hey Aya-chan, did it comfort you?"

Ignoring the angry Chami, she called toward the girl dressed in school uniform sitting on the carpet.

That girl, known as Sugitsu Aya, was the one who took care of Chiharu and the wounded Chami last night. She seemed to be one of Chami's comrades. With her long black hair and fair face, she was a Japanese-style beauty that invoked the image of a Japanese traditional doll.  Her fingers that kept shredding the tissue paper were long and slender.

Raising her almond eyes to look up the swimsuit-wearing Chiharu, Aya soon lowered her gaze again.

"If I break down something slowly like this, it makes me very relaxed."

"Huh, is that so? That's not what I asked though…"

Trying to go to the other side of the table, Chiharu flinched.

An eerie creature was hiding behind the sofa. Its azure body resembling a metallic armor was split into three parts, with its head and torso relatively small compared to its rear. Below its elytra emitting a metallic luster, a soft-seeming belly was continually rumbling. Its orange-colored sharp feelers and legs emitted a creaking sound while moving.

Judging just by its shape it looked like a ground beetle, but it was greatly different. Chiharu would never want to even try that, but if she were to wrap her hands around it she wasn't sure if her fingertips would touch. The creature gulped down cluttered cans of juice rolling on the floor with its elastic mouthpart.

As if reminded by Chiharu's response, Chami spoke to the girl at her feet.

"Don't let your Mushi out for such a long time, Aya. You're wasting energy."

"Aluminum is its favorite dish."

"…You don't listen to what people are saying at all are you. Or rather, did your personality change?"

Mushi—

About ten years have passed since these mysterious life-forms were discovered in Japan.

Since they visually shared many similarities with real life insects they were named "Mushi". However, the existence of Mushi couldn't be explained by physics, and regardless of the fact that many people witnessed them the government officially denies their existence.

The Mushi possessed boys and girls, growing by eating their dreams. Those possessed by Mushi were named Mushitsuki, and although they were treated as nonexistent, they were also the targets of fear and discrimination. Those who became Mushitsuki could use their Mushi's supernatural powers, but at the same time their vitality, mental energy and wishes of "I want to be like that"—i.e their dream would be devoured.

Having one's dream consumed meant the drying up of their physical and mental energy, leading the host along with their Mushi to weaken and die. Even if that doesn't happen, once their Mushi is killed, the backlash of losing that which became a part of them would turn them into a walking corpse, a Fallen.

"Gas can be replenished from the air, but it can't be done like that with metal…"

The muttering Aya was a Mushitsuki, and the thing behind the sofa was her Mushi.

It wasn't just Aya; even Chami sitting on the sofa was a Mushitsuki. The latter even belonged to the governmental organization that secretly work to search for and apprehend Mushitsuki, the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. That was, until yesterday at least.

In contrast to Aya and Chami, Chiharu wasn't a Mushitsuki. She was a completely normal civilian with no special power.

"I'll ask again to be sure, but there's no mistake about you being the older sister of Kusuriya Daisuke, right?"

Staying seated on the sofa, Chami did not even turn around. Accordingly, Chiharu could not see her expression.

Not understanding the meaning of her question, Chiharu tilted her head. But she soon understood and nodded.

"I see. You said you know about Daisuke, but you didn't know about me being his sister. Hmm, don't I have anything? Some sort of proof…"

"I don't need any proof!"

Chami suddenly raised a loud voice.

"I've now finally realized! I know why I've been ordered to monitor you for five whole years!"

Intimidated by the ground beetle, Chiharu circled around the sofa.

"'Since she's someone related to one of the Rank 1, we should keep an eye on her just in case'—so that's what it was? Haa, such a shitty job is a perfect fit for a Rank 10 small fry like me!"

Exposing her anger, Chami also pounded on the table. She then grimaced, perhaps her wounds hurting.

"The SEPB is especially scared of the appearance of a Rank 1 Mushitsuki… That's why they became paranoid and monitored you 'just in case', fearing that since you have a deep connection to Kakkou you might become another powerful Mushitsuki! And those with the possibility of turning into a Mushitsuki are boys and girl in puberty… so your mother not being under monitoring serves as proof!"

"Me, turn into a Mushitsuki…?"

"Shit, they made me do this bullshit for five years… Those SEPB shitheads are underestimating me!"

Chiharu unhesitatingly inquired Chami who was full of resentment.

"Say, Chami-chan. There's also something I didn't properly ask you about yet."

"Huh? About what?"

"About Daisuke! Chami-chan, you know my brother right? Tell me stuff like where he is now and what he's doing."

"Yeah, I know that demon."

Chami spat out. As if saying she felt bad even letting it out of her mouth.

"Demon? No, I'm talking about Daisuke! Ku-su-ri-ya Da-i-su-ke! Even if it's you, Chami-chan, there should be a limit to how much you can mishear! That was so rude!"

Chiharu lectured her while still wearing a swimsuit and clenching both fists. Chami frowned.

"No, as I'm saying, that demon…"

"Daisuke's no demon! He's a bit dishonest sometimes, but he's a good kid who's kinder than anyone!"

She puffed her cheeks and glared at Chami.

"…"

—Before they noticed a heavy silence befell the living room.

Since no one said anything, she reluctantly repeated it again.

"Daisuke's a good kid who's kinder than anyone!"

Chami stared at Chiharu with eyes as if she had seen a ghost. She diverted her gaze to Aya at her feet as if seeking her help. Aya expressionlessly shook her head to the side. She seemed resigned.

"Umm… well, let's put aside your brother complex, or rather your little brother obsession for now. There's a chance that both of us are thinking of the wrong person. It has to be the wrong person."

"I'm not thinking of the wrong person! Daisuke's a good kid! A good kid's Daisuke!"

"I don't get what you're even saying. Just calm down. …If you ask me then I'll tell you as much as you'd like about the Kusuriya Daisuke I know. But what will you after hearing that? If you just want to meet him after all this time then you're better off not asking."

Chami said in a cold tone, looking at her keenly.

"I only saved you because that's how things went, so I don't care about whatever you want to do or wherever you want to go. I can only hope that there's some amazing find in your retrieved memories that benefits me. But if you end up acting on your own it could be a problem."

Chami said in a bluntly refusing tone. In reality it was just like that.

Yes, Chiharu had retrieved her memories.

Five years ago…

What did Chiharu, the older sister, do to her one and only brother Daisuke that time?

She wasn't able to clearly remember it yet, but she was only able to understand the sin she had committed.

"It's just like you said, Chami-chan. I want to meet Daisuke… no, I have to."

She had done something terrible to Daisuke in the past.

—Even though you could've lived happily if you didn't recall it…

She heard a nostalgic voice from somewhere.

The unredeemable sin she had committed on her brother. That was—

"…I'm the one who turned Daisuke into a Mushitsuki."

Chami and Aya widened their eyes.

"I believe that Daisuke definitely hates me. And so I'm going to ask him this…"

Chiharu wore a cheerful smile.

'Please kill me'—

That was the emotion she had harbored five years ago.

The wish that the current Chiharu has retrieved.

1.01 Daisuke Part 1

In the center of Nishito City, the main road connected to the station was crowded with a great number of pedestrians.

As this time in morning could be called rush hour, there were many office workers wearing suits and students wearing school uniforms.

Kusuriya Daisuke mixed among these people, advancing directly ahead on the sidewalk.

Even among 16 year-old high school students, he had no outstanding features and had an average build. His hairstyle was also plain, as was the ordinary sports bag slung on his shoulder. However, there weren't any students to wear the same blazer he had. Because it was the uniform of a school in another city known as Ouka City.

None turned back to look at Daisuke as his appearance could be called nothing else than completely ordinary. It was precisely for this reason that he purposely had this appearance with no special features.

Even so, Daisuke realized a certain fact.

I'm being followed—

And it wasn't by just one or two of them. He searched for the presence at his back without standing out.

"Four, no, five people…"

He muttered inside his mouth. His mutter was erased by the car honking in the road, so even the woman who passed close by enough to touch his shoulder wouldn't notice it.

Daisuke began thinking.

…I've been followed ever since I came out to the main road. Are they tailing me knowing that I am Kakkou? It could get troublesome if I carelessly call my comrades. Maybe I should lure them to a deserted spot myself and then catch them—

For Daisuke, the title of a high school student was only meant to hide his real nature.

Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's East Central Branch surveillance squad Blaze Class Rank 1 member, Kakkou. That was Kusuriya Daisuke's real position.

Since he hunted Mushitsuki despite being a Mushitsuki himself, there were countless people who hated him.

But that was only if they knew he was Kakkou. Normally he played the part of a normal high school student. There should have been only few people who knew his real identity.

"…?"

While Daisuke thought of how to deal with the problem, the presence tailing him suddenly vanished.

Not understanding the goal of his opponents, he tilted his head.

"Well, if they're gone I can leave it alone."

Only the area with Ouka City at its center was under the jurisdiction of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's East Central Branch that Daisuke belonged to.

Nishito City was outside of his jurisdiction, and because of that he couldn't take any offensive actions beyond the absolute necessary. There was one time when the fact he had taken part in a large-scale battle outside his jurisdiction became a problem.

It would be best for him to not have to fight unnecessarily.

"Fuah…"

As the tension was absolved, he let out a yawn. He had barely gotten any sleep ever since arriving at Nishito City the previous day.

"I have to first make sure if there's anything in this city."

The front of the main road was a traffic circle.

It was Nishito Station. Looking to the side, police tapes surrounded the luxury hotel nearby. Looking up, he could see that the windows of the top floors were destroyed. Because the local police and people related to the construction work came in and out of the hotel's entrance, it appeared one couldn't enter the building.

He was curious, but decided to postpone the hotel. There was a place he had much more interest in.

The Nishito Mega City Project, 'URBAN'.

The tower seen at the other side of the station appeared to be called Urban Tower.

Undoubtedly it once exhibited a beautiful appearance, but it was now a shadow of its former self.

—When Daisuke had arrived in Nishito City yesterday, the great tower was enveloped by crimson flames. He even saw the large fire-trucks surrounding the tower hosing it down, but the force of the fire was dreadful. The fact there were a lot less ambulances than fire-trucks was due to there not being any people inside, probably because of the suspended construction work.

The fire was extinguished after lasting the entire night. People who entered the station raised their faces to look at Urban Tower that burnt down to ashes with mixed feelings.

"First comes 'URBAN'… The timing is far too good with me coming here."

Crossing the station's roundabout, he headed for 'URBAN'.

"It might have something to do with Fuyuhotaru… with Shiika."

He naturally hastened his walking pace.

Daisuke had come to this city due to receiving the information that "Fuyuhotaru is in Nishito City" from a certain person.

Secret Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki, Fuyuhotaru.

Anmoto Shiika.

"Shiika—"

He unconsciously looked down at his own palm. Although he had only held Shiika's hand once, he could clearly remember its warmth even now. He recalled the smile of that mild-mannered girl.

Forgetting that he was a Mushitsuki, even forgetting he had been followed, Daisuke's expression softened. It reverted from the expression of Kakkou, which everyone feared as the reaper, to the true face of Kusuriya Daisuke.

"…"

I want to see you—he closed his opening mouth just as he was about to blurt out.

Coming to Nishito City was fine, but what would he do if he actually met Shiika? He fully knew what would happen then.

They would probably end up fighting again.

Being the only Mushitsuki who ever managed to revive from the Fallen condition, Shiika was a key figure. Since Daisuke belonged to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, he was in a position to pursue her, and Shiika was currently on the run. To say nothing of the fact that they were both Mushitsuki who possessed the most dangerous powers. If they ended up fighting, they wouldn't be able to get out of it unscathed.

Biting his lips, Daisuke's expression returned to that of Kakkou.

"Even if there is some connection… she's probably not here anymore."

The entrance of 'URBAN' facing the highway was blocked by a police barricade, with only the officials coming in and out of the premises. He could also see people who seemed to be the media.

According to a newspaper he had seen in a convenience store on the way there, the fire that assaulted 'URBAN' was concluded to be man-made, meaning it was arson. 

However, the scale was too big for it to be mere arson. Daisuke thought that someone probably used the tower to accomplish some goal. They probably tried carrying out something different from the original reason for its construction.

In front of Daisuke's eyes was nothing more than ruins. It was merely the stage left after the actors had left.

Nevertheless, there should still be some traces left. Unless he investigated that, it was meaningless for him to have come here.

"Minmin also came from the direction of 'URBAN'. Seems like there's no mistake there was a battle there."

Daisuke went around the site, looking for a spot that had no barricade or people.

He had come to Nishito City to find the tracks of Shiika, yet met a different person there.

Former member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's East Central Branch, Blaze Class Rank 6 Minmin.

She was supposed to have turned into a Fallen during the mission to capture Fuyuhotaru last Christmas.

—Be careful, Kakkou-kun… Central Headquarters is hiding one of the Original Three…

The girl, her real name Horisaki Azusa, left these words to Daisuke before turning into a Fallen again.

—Aah… I want to meet you once more… Keigo-san…

The girl who adored Haji Keigo, the Branch Director of the East Central Branch, muttered this at the end.

Daisuke had already thrown away the emotions known as compassion and pity long ago. And yet, he still prioritized Minmin's safety—probably because he sympathized with her feelings.

At the end, Daisuke devoted himself to protect Minmin in the hideout that had been prepared for his use for the whole night without any sleep. Because of that he lost his chance of searching for Shiika.

"Central Headquarters is hiding one of the Original Three, huh? Those guys have been hiding secrets since long ago… What on earth are they scheming—"

The distrust he felt for the Central Headquarters until now rose conclusively.

He could no longer trust them.

"If I can find even a single clue here, I'll settle everything next time."

On the part facing away from the highway Daisuke found an inconspicuous entrance. He snuck into the premises of 'URBAN' and approached the tower that was now only burnt ruins. Moving to the shadows of the heavy machinery left behind, he entered the interior through a large hole opened up in the side of the tower.

Inside the building were policemen taking pictures of the location of the fire and a few journalists. They were using a certain stopped escalator in the center of the building, moving to inside the tower. 

Daisuke walked behind the destroyed pillars, aiming for the emergency stairs at the back. The wall's coating was charred black and there seemed to be no human traffic there.

While heading to the upper floors he equipped the goggles he took out of his bag. They were large goggles that covered his face completely. That was standard equipment for members of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

"The marks on the first floor… they're traces of Mushi fighting. I'll keep going up."

Daisuke climbed up the stairs while stifling his footsteps.

There was no mistake that the traces of destruction etched on the first-floor lobby were made by a large Mushi. He had no idea what conclusion the local police reached, but he would never mistake that.

I'm tired of seeing Mushitsuki battle traces—

As far as Daisuke, who had accumulated more battle experience than any other Mushitsuki, could see, there were no traces of Shiika's ability. If Fuyuhotaru had fought there, there would've probably been nothing left of the tower.

"Was Shiika at an even higher floor…? No, she might not have been here in the first place…"

And even if she was, Shiika hadn't used her power. Meaning—

"Did someone protect Shiika? Or had something completely different gotten involved in the battle…?"

That was the limit of what he could conjecture based on the current state.

While aiming above he peeked into the lobby from time to time, checking the state of the ruined interior. There were places policemen were still inspecting, but also empty floors.

"So there were two Mushitsuki fighting at the very least."

Putting the damage from the fire aside, the scars engraved in the building could be divided into two categories. There were traces that seemed to have been slashed by large claws and parts that seemed to have been gouged by impacts related to heat. Most likely the former came from a Minion Type Mushitsuki, but the latter was harder to pinpoint.

"But…"

If this was a battle revolving around Shiika, it was natural to think it was an assassin sent from Central Headquarters.

Another possibility was someone with a position protecting Shiika—such as Mushibane.

"Were there any other Mushitsuki as powerful as Rina still in Mushibane…? Never mind Akatsuki, there's a high chance they're hiding other troublesome ones."

The resistance group created by the Mushitsuki hidden in the general public to oppose the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—Mushibane.

It was believed that when Mushibane had lost Tachibana Rina—their leader who was known as Ladybird, they would only keep weakening. But, there was apparently a need to re-evaluate them again.

"If Shiika had been caught by the SEPB then Touko-san would've immediately contacted me. Since it didn't happen, does that mean Shiika escaped safely… or does it mean that Central Headquarters is hiding her?"

Daisuke's field of vision suddenly opened up.

The emergency staircase ended and he reached a transparent space.

It was an observation deck. All sides were fitted with glass.

Except for Daisuke there was no one on the floor. In the space at the center was the continuation of the suspended escalator. It had probably been surrounded by a cube-shaped plastic, but heat melted it into a miserable appearance.

Climbing the escalator, he reached the roof.

It was perhaps in the midst of being disassembled as there were the remains of a crane there. A drum that looked as if it would contain fuel was crushed, losing its contents. He could see a destroyed water pump further back.

The high altitude winds of Nishito City blew past Daisuke's blazer.

"…Tch."

He thought that perhaps he could find some clues such as scraps of clothes about the ones fighting here, even if it wasn't Shiika's. However, there was nothing.

Maybe, it was all burned down in the fire, or the local branch of SEPB could have possibly destroyed all evidence already. The SEPB already had a system in place to deal with any Mushitsuki-related incidents.

"So, it was all for nothing, huh. Requesting for cooperation from the local branch would reveal my presence in this city amongst many other things… Will investigating through Touko-san be fine?"

Leaning on the fence stained by soot, he brought out a cellphone from his pocket.

He then dialled the number that connected to the East Central Branch's intelligence division and waited for a reply. The other party immediately picked up.

"Please confirm that there is no third party in a radius of 10 meterztha! —I, I did not stutter! I really did not! Don't mind it, Maimai-chan! No one will find out if you just correct yourself and pretend nothing happened!"

"…You'll really get fired if you don't cut that out…"

The East Central Branch Daisuke belonged to had several staff in the intelligence division, but he apparently drew the short end of the stick. The girl who cannot manage to calm down tried to restate herself.

"U-umm, please confirm that there is no third party in a radius of 10 meters and state your member code—"

Cutting off her voice, Daisuke immediately recited his member code.

The communication circuits connecting the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau were all checked in real time by cutting-edge information technologies. This was done to prevent non-members from obtaining any information related to the Mushitsuki.

"Member code confirmed. Comparing voice print. —Complete. Switching over to special communication channel. Um, this is the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's East Central Branch information management division. Starting from now, the conversation will be recorded under the personal records of East Central Branch monitor squad member, Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkouwoaw. —D-don't mind it, no one has found out yet, so you're still OK!"

"You'd better prepare yourself for when I come back… Leaving that aside, connect me with Touko-san. This isn't as urgent a business for a direct line, so just pass on a message for me if you can't get her."

"Okay, the Acting Branch Director then. I will confirm her current location, so please wait. How about a song in the meanwhile? La~lala~la~… Kyan!"

"Ah, Kakkou-san? Is that you? Good, I have something I must talk to you about—"

"Touko-san? Why are you at the intelligence division…"

The girl he was just speaking to was probably thrust away by Goroumaru Touko. He could hear some clamor like, 'D-don't mind it, Maimai-chan! It's not like you almost bumped your head against the corner of the desk! You're not bleeding or anything! Even if your vision is dyed all red and you cannot see tomorrow, the shining future is—', and so forth in the background.

"I just contacted the branch in charge of Nishito City. Since I don't know how the various branch directors go about trading highly-classified information, I came here to do so directly…"

It was a miserable voice, fitting neither her 23 years of age nor her position as the higher-up in charge of a branch. Since it was her, she was probably tottering around without fixing her bed hair today as well.

"Classified information? With the branch here?"

"Y-yes. Umm… oh right. How's the siutation on your side, Kakkou-san? I was thinking I'd like to hear about your matters first if possible."

Her voice coming from the phone sounded unusually stiff. Especially so when considering that after the other girl he just talked to, Touko was next in line among the staff of the East Central Branch who lacked tension.

Daisuke raised an eyebrow, but he spoke about his situation first for the time being just like he was requested to.

"I've secured Minmin."

"…!"

Declaring this without any preface, Daisuke could hear her gasp.

"She's already gone back to a Fallen, but she said something peculiar at the end. —It'd be better off to think of the Central Headquarters as being untrustworthy, Touko-san."

"Did Minmin-san really revive? Ah, but why did she go back to a Fallen… W-why do you say we can't trust the Central Headquarters…?"

"I'm hiding her at my hideout currently. Since only you and I are supposed to know its whereabouts, I'd like for you to arrange transport as soon as possible."

Ignoring Touko's panic, he continued.

"I wasn't able to ascertain if Fuyuhotaru really was here, but I found traces of a large battle on site. I wanted to try asking the local branch if they knew anything about it, but… I didn't think you'd have already contacted them. So, you actually do your job sometimes, huh."

"H-how rude. Even I sometimes… no, I always do my job but… umm, since there was something worrying this time—"

"Something worrying?"

"Y-yes. Umm, how do I put it…"

Touko hesitated. Daisuke became increasingly puzzled.

"Please listen calmly, Kakkou-san. Okay?"

"What's going on, Touko-san. You're giving me a bad feeling."

"Since I confirmed this with the local branch, there's no mistake but… Oh, but I wasn't able to ascertain whether or not it has to do with the battle you told me about, Kakkou-san. So it doesn't necessarily mean she was exposed to danger. She might have simply run away from home."

"…Run away from home?"

He repeated her words, having completely no idea what was she trying to tell him.

"Since yesterday, a certain girl from Nishito Sousei High School disappeared. The contact with the low-ranking member of the local branch in charge of monitoring her was also lost at the same time."

Even Touko-san, who would usually complain one way or another, seemed more dismayed than usual today.

"I've had a bad premonition, ever since I heard of Nishito City from Ume-san… but I thought it was just a coincidence. Because only Keigo-senpai and I were supposed to know about it, and he even concealed her identity from the local branch here…!"

"Calm down, Touko-san. Just who is this girl you are talking about—"

"She left a will-like message in her house. It apparently says, 'I remembered. I'm going to look for my brother'."

She then took a deep breath as if finally resolving herself before speaking.

"Her name is… Ayukawa Chiharu."

The wind stopped.

At the same time, Daisuke's breath halted.

The scenery in front of his eyes froze over.

"The name she had before her mother remarried was Kusuriya Chiharu. —Kakkou-san."

Touko's sad voice sounded as if it came from very far away.

"She is your sister."

Daisuke's sister, Chiharu.

Ever since they end up being separated five years ago, never mind seeing her, he did not even know what kind of life she had been leading.

And that very sister had lived in this city, and went missing since yesterday—

"I have ascertained that your mother is fine. But, as for Chiharu-san, we couldn't grasp her tracks even from her friends' testimonies. Without any reasons whatsoever, the one in charge of monitoring her—as you know, the close family of high-ranking Fusion Type members are kept under surveillance, but anyway that person's whereabouts is also…"

Daisuke was standing stock still, ruminating more about the content of the note his sister left behind rather than the fact that she went missing.

—'I remembered'.

What had his sister, from which he was separated for so long, recalled?

He did not know.

However, the fact remains that his elder sister had left the words, 'I remembered' behind and vanished.

This woke up the memories buried inside of Daisuke.

"…Kakkou-san? Are you listening?"

He recalled the bewitching voice burned into his ears from the time he was in elementary school.

—Fufu, if one day your sister…

He recalled that inescapable sense of defeat along with those rainbow-colored pupils.

"'If one day'—"

Daisuke's mouth moved on its own.

—Ends up recalling everything that's happened this day…

"'Ends up recalling everything that's happened this day'—"

"Kakkou-san? What's wrong? What are you saying…"

The sound of his strongly clenched molars creaking echoed in his ears.

Thoughts of his search for Anmoto Shiika and the investigation of the battle that happened at 'URBAN' were completely gone from his mind.

Could what I heard about five years ago be happening now…?

His heartbeats growing in intensity, he desperately held on to his composure.

"Kakkou-san? Can you hear me?"

"Y-yeah…"

Even just saying that took all of his efforts.

"G-good. Umm, so, I have to acknowledge that she is in an extremely dangerous situation. Having the person monitoring her also disappear makes the SEPB anxious—because it could mean that their assumption of Chiharu-san becoming the same kind of Mushitsuki as you turn out to be true. Not to mention that if Central Headquarters were to come to know of this, it's possible that they would acknowledge her to be dangerous…"

"Chiharu is—"

He was going to speak when he came to a start.

If what Daisuke feared would come to pass—

Then, he had no time.

In addition, he could not rely on the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau while trying to stop that from happening.

He could no longer trust Central Headquarters. There was even the possibility that they would try to hinder his actions.

If that wasn't enough, the East Central Branch which he belonged to—lacked all kinds of resources in their current state.

In the first place, all of their correspondences were being recorded. If the Central Headquarters wished to, they could find out everything he talked about with Touko. And that would be the end of everything.

"—No."

Daisuke grimaced, clenching his cellphone.

He was probably the only one in the whole world who knows of what would happen in the worst-case scenario.

"Touko-san."

The will mentioning, 'I remembered', left by his missing sister.

A certain happening etched deep within Daisuke's memories.

Now that these two facts combined into one, he had to act.

Even though he knows that nothing but despair awaits him there—

"Even if I'm gone from the East Central Branch, don't lose to the Central Headquarters, okay."

Hearing him, Touko was at a complete loss of words for a moment.

"Eh…eh? Ehh? W-what do you mean by… Hyaa!"

Touko's voice vanished with a Thump, as if something had bumped into her.

"I sense an external interference on the current line."

It was the voice of the intelligence division girl.

"Attempting to trace it back to its source—Failure. Attempting to designate the frequency—Failure. Searching for the device used—Failure. Don't mind it, Maimai-chan. Assuming this is an intrusion by a Mushitsuki ability. In accordance to the East Central Branch Secrecy Rule Article 3 Clause 12, Maimai will forcibly destroy the corresponding device. Good~bye~, Kakkou-san."

"Wha…?"

"P.S., isn't this a failure on your part? Don't mind it, Kakkou-san."

At the same time as when the girl's voice vanished—

A liquid oozed out of the cellphone Daisuke was holding, staining it black. The liquid wriggled, and swelled up rapidly.

He dropped the cellphone out of surprise, but it was crushed to little pieces from the inside before even hitting the ground.

This was the result of the ability of the girl on the phone, Maimai. She is a Special Type Mushitsuki, and her Mushi inhabited the goggles of all the East Central Branch members.

"—'I've secured Minmin.'"

Daisuke turned around as he heard a voice from behind.

"…!"

Black shadows surrounded him on the roof.

"'Kusuriya Chiharu. —Kakkou-san. She is your sister.'"

As if replaying a recording, Daisuke and Touko's voice echoed on the roof.

The one transmitting it was a Mushi that swayed its swelling antenna-like feelers. Its body shone with a black luster like that of a manufactured mirror.

Daisuke immediately pulled out the black long coat from his bag. Throwing away the now empty bag, he put on the standard equipment of the East Central Branch.

Does that guy have a wiretap ability—

Aside from the black Mushi, several other Minion Type Mushi also surrounded Daisuke. The people standing next to them all wore black masks that covered their faces.

There were five people. However, the number of Mushi he could see was three.

"Where did you hide Horisaki Azusa?"

A lanky and thin silhouette standing atop the roof of the pump shed questioned him. It seemed to be a man judging by the voice, but there wasn't anything resembling a Mushi around him.

Something buzzed deep inside Daisuke's eardrums.

The sound of the wind had stopped at some point. Now, he could not even hear his own steps.

Not only that, but he hadn't even felt the presence of the men in front of him currently.

"A Special Class that can erase your presence… Tch, so purposely revealing yourself just now was to make me lower my guard?"

It was truly failure on his part just like the girl on the phone said. Although he had noticed someone was tailing him, he had lowered his guard when he felt that their presence was gone at some point.

To speak nothing of being taken by surprise, he had even allowed them to eavesdrop on his conversation with Touko.

On top of the fact that he had secured Minmin, he even divulged to them about the existence of his sister—

"Where is Horisaki Azusa?"

The man on the roof repeated.

In the space where all sound was gone, he could only hear the people present.

The ability to control sound… No, is it a mental pollution type that allows them to specify what sound come through…?

While analyzing his opponent's ability inside his mind, he asked back.

"Who're you? Did you come after Minmin?"

"I'm asking you where she is."

"Are you from the Central Headquarters' Annihilation Squad or whatever? What's your connection to Chiharu?"

The Annihilation Squad is said to be an assassination group unofficially managed by the Central Headquarters of the SEPB. They are not officially recognized and their structure unknown, but the squad made its appearance every time Central Headquarters made threatening movements. 

"…"

"So you won't answer, huh."

Inside the soundless space, a green checkered beetle flew down.

Daisuke drew a large automatic handgun from the holster hidden in his uniform.

"Seeing as you're not answering—you're my enemies then."

As if in response to his mutter, the body of the checkered beetle atop his shoulder burst. Countless green feelers stabbed into his body, assimilating with him as if being absorbed. In his hand, now covered in a green pattern, the handgun became one with the checkered beetle's jaw.

He could tell that the black masks surrounding him grew tense. Perhaps unable to withstand the bloodlust Daisuke emitted, a large Mushi rushed at him.

"You idiot! Don't act on your own!"

The scolding voice of the man standing on the roof was erased by gunfire.

The bullet from Daisuke's gun crushed the several times larger Mushi into smithereens.

Immediately after, his head was assaulted by a loud sound. The tremendous volume made him lose his sense of balance.

"We have no choice… finish him at once—"

While the man was trying to issue out instructions, his mouth was obstructed by Daisuke's left hand.

Daisuke had instantly leapt onto the roof of the shed with his superhuman leg strength.

"So, you can manipulate hearing? I'm already used to fighting those with sensory deprivation-type abilities though. It won't work on me."

He sent the man flying with the grip of his gun.

Immediately after the masked man was blown away, the sounds around him recovered. As its host has fainted, the Mushi's ability was also absolved.

A large shadow covered the area.

A flat Mushi bent over toward Daisuke from overhead. With a body large enough to cover the entire rooftop, it was trying to crush the crane installed nearby along with Daisuke.

Yet, the large Mushi raised a shrill howl immediately after.

Its cry became even louder which accompanied the echoing sound of a hard object breaking down.

In the end, its cry turned into death throes.

Daisuke had ripped the Mushi's body apart with sheer force. The dying Mushi then vanished as if melting into thin air.

His whole body showered by the Mushi's bodily fluids, Daisuke looked around.

"So, two of them escaped…"

The desolated rooftop already had no traces of the remaining masked figures. The bodily fluids stuck to his body started vanishing, leaving not a single stain.

"If those guys were from the Annihilation Squad… it means that the Central Headquarters would also know about Chiharu."

Daisuke bit his lips.

—'I remembered.'

If these words were true, he had to take action.

"Chiharu—"

He had fought all this time from when he became a Mushitsuki up until now.

Even till the extent that he was now known as the reaper and even acknowledged as a Rank 1, strongest of the Mushitsuki. He wasn't going to lose no matter who his opponent was, and he would survive any battle no matter how harsh they were.

Yet this time he could only imagine an ending of despair.

He also knew that he could never be able to accomplish this objective with his power alone.

But even so—none other than Daisuke had to do it.

"…"

Removing the goggles from his head, he threw them at the ground.

The goggles had a function that indicated the position of its owner installed on it. —Daisuke couldn't allow the SEPB to track him. If the Central Headquarters had guessed his goal, they would probably hinder him. Still, he also couldn't involve the East Central Branch with this.

The sound of gunfire reverberated.

Leaving behind the goggles shattered to pieces, Daisuke left 'URBAN'.

1.02 Chiharu Part 2

*

Gently swaying…

Lightly floating…

An intruder barged into the peaceful days of the young Kusuriya Chiharu.

It introduced itself as one of the Original Three, Aria Varei—

"Here goes. Ready, set."

The tiresome voice of a girl sounded out inside the gym storeroom installed near the sports ground of the municipal Shiou Elementary School.

—No.

It wasn't heard by anyone except for the lone young girl inside the storeroom.

"Yes, let's do it."

Kusuriya Chiharu, belonging to Year 6 Class 3 of Shiou Elementary School, reached for the rolled gymnastics mat. At her feet lay the red backpack belonging to her.

"Uah!"

Chiharu raised an idiotic utter at the weird sensation transmitted to her fingertips.

Her thin finger stabbed into the thick mat.

No, it didn't pierce it. It was also different from being buried in it.

"Yeah yeah, well done. Datch my fushion ability, ijn't it great?"

Fusion—meaning, the mat and Chiharu's finger became one. According to the explanation she received, the sellyular formation composing her body or whatever cut inside the molekyular structure or something like this—that was what she was told, but obviously it was all gibberish to her.

"Mm…"

Chiharu puffed her cheeks and detached her hand from the mat. Having used her ability on the mat, her finger became something akin to jelly, a material that offered a slight resistance with a soft sensation. At first it felt creepy, but perhaps she grew accustomed to it as it actually felt quite nice.

"Why are you speaking like that? If I did it well you have to praise me."

Turning around, Chiharu expressed her dissatisfaction.

However, there was no one in her view. Only Chiharu was inside the storeroom.

"I did praise you! Or rather, you being able to do that is natural! Since we became one, fusing parts of your body with other substances should be as easy as breathing! If you do that with your whole body it'll be another problem though!"

"Uu…"

The owner of the voice was invisible, yet Chiharu could hear it clearly in her ears to an annoying degree.

The same voice as hers.

In the same tone as hers.

And yet it had a mischievous personality quite unlike hers.

Chiharu had found a blue cocoon a few days ago in a vacant lot, and the moment she touched it, it snuck inside her.

It introduced itself as Aria Varei.

"Actually, why aren't you even a bit scared of the fusion power? And it was the same when I entered you! You have to be scared in the beginning, saying something like 'have I gone crazy?' or 'I've been possessed by a ghost!', otherwise it's bullying! Take responsibility!"

Chiharu lacked the things known as fear and sense of danger as compared to other boys and girls of her age. The people around her often had to stop her from chasing everything that caught her interest due to her strong curiosity. She was often called a "risk-taking child" by those around her.

"Eh…?"

Chiharu bumped her back against the wall with a pale face. The flags used for sports day fell down with a crash.

"You were a ghost, Aria…? Oh no… I'm scared…"

"You're well aware I'm not a ghost! What's with that realistic acting for nothing! Now I actually want to die! Ugh!"

"Even though you're the one who told me to take responsibility. You're so easily annoyed. And stubborn."

In a complete reversal from her frightened acting, Chiharu curled her lips and sat down on the mat.

"I already explained that it's also your fault! Did you forget it already?"

Aria Varei raised a vehement objection.

Indeed, Chiharu had received some explanations from Aria so far.

"I didn't. Umm… There's these Mushi that eat people's dreams, and those who are possessed by them are called Mushitsuki, right? And you're one of those Original Three guys that create them."

"Yup, I'm a super scary villain, right? You can be as scared as you'd like!"

"Unlike the other two, since you can't move yourself, you go inside someone's body and simb…simb… symbiosis? With them and be reborn like that or something."

"And I've been totally ignored! Aria's shocked! …Well, but most of that is true."

"And every time you're reborn your personality changes, right?"

Chiharu confirmed while looking up at the dust-covered ceiling. A somewhat exhausted voice replied to her.

"Yes, my original personality as Aria Varei was already erased from this world long ago. All that remains are instincts. A nonexistent afterimage. My personality as Aria now is a mirror image based off of my host's—meaning your memories and feelings, nothing more than a copy."

"…It's too hard so I don't understand."

"It's fine if you don't understand. After all, once your role is over you'll forget everything about me. You'll forget about Mushi too—as well as about the person you will turn into a Mushitsuki. Anything and everything related to Aria Varei."

If Chiharu told Aria that its voice sounded lonely, would it become mad?

She hugged her knees and looked down.

"Why will I forget?"

"Because I became like this… is all I can say. But it's because that unlike El and Dio – the other Original Three, I'm always in a sleep-like state. I'm just a wandering dream unknown to anyone—not like a wish, but in the meaning of a dream you see while you sleep; anyway I'm someone who always dreams. Once you wake up, you forget your dream… and the dream wanders in search for yet another person. You are simply someone who's gotten involved in my sleep."

"So you've always been sleeping huh, Aria."

Aria made no reply to Chiharu's mutter.

Now that the storeroom was enveloped in silence, the shouts of the Baseball club from the playground reached them. The only clubs to have extracurricular activities in Shiou Elementary School were the Baseball and Soccer clubs. Perhaps the result of the declining birth rates, they were due to combine with another elementary school in the coming years.

"Truth be told, you're making me troubled."

Aria's voice said abruptly.

"You need to be scared more… or even resent me, or this will be hard to do."

"Resent you? Why?"

"Asking me why… have you forgotten everything? Me residing in you means that someone close to you has a delicious dream—and you even know who that dream belongs to! You know you'll also forget about him right?"

"I won't forget."

She said clearly.

Chiharu would never forget. Never. No matter what happened.

"It's impossible."

Aria cut her off with these two words.

"As long as you coexist with me, the 'hunger' will never leave you. And because you'll stay hungry, it'll exhaust you as long as you don't satisfy it. Eventually you will definitely—"

"Is that so?"

"It is! Because everyone that Aria Varei has resided in until now were all the same! It's definitely impossible! It's impossible, impossible, impossible!"

Chiharu rose from the mat.

If she didn't go back home soon she would make her mother worry.

When she tried opening the storeroom's door, she stopped her hand. —She had an idea. Recalling the sensation from a while before, she focused her thoughts.

As if switching herself—or possibly even constructing herself up from scratch, Chiharu was replaced by another Chiharu.

Her hair fluttered as if fanned by the wind. Its color was dyed blue for an instant.

"H-huh? Chiharu…-san?"

Chiharu, who had turned into Aria Varei, reached her arm to the door.

Starting from her fingertips, Chiharu's body melded with the door without a sound. She stopped breathing unconsciously when her face passed through the door, but there was no need for that.

She passed through the still-closed door in the blink of an eye.

"Ehehe, this sure is convenient."

When Chiharu smiled, her hair had already returned to its previous black.

"But you've just learned how to fuse for the first time earlier… W-what the heck! Did you have some hidden training? But hiding from me is simply impossible… h-huh?"

Humming a song to herself, Chiharu walked along to the playground. Her backpack felt chilly, perhaps due to it being left on the ground.

Gently swaying…

Lightly floating…

Chiharu's happy days hadn't changed.

Even with the appearence of the bizarre roomie known as Aria Varei, Chiharu's daily life would keep going on like this forever and ever more—

"Oh boy… talking about the first Fusion Type Mushitsuki I had given birth to was a mistake."

More than regret, Aria's voice was filled with stronger feelings of resignation.

"Because of that, you're not going to ask any further question such as the reason the Original Three were born… And the worst—you've now come to hate the act of giving birth to Mushitsuki."

Walking towards the main gate, Chiharu smiled.

"I thought that being serious and threatening you a bit with that story would be fine, but to think that it had the opposite effect. In a certain sense, I guess you've already been scared since long ago."

About the first Fusion Type Mushitsuki that the person who first became Aria Varei had given birth to.

Chiharu had heard about this person from Aria.

"The person the first Aria made into a Mushitsuki… got in trouble, was hurt, suffered, and after losing various things, had his dreams eaten… and died. —I never want to create anyone like that."

She felt as if she could hear Aria's sigh.

"So you can just stay inside me forever, Aria. Isn't it better this way?"

"Forever… huh. —That's quite a difficult and nostalgic request."

"It's easy, it's easy."

Perhaps stunned with Chiharu being this carefree, Aria stayed silent.

When she arrived at the front gate, Chiharu found the face she was the most accustomed to.

It was a child wearing a black backpack for boys and was slightly shorter than Chiharu. He had no special features worth mentioning, but his scowling eyes gazed ahead. She felt as if he always looked at everything like that.

He is Kusuriya Daisuke.

Chiharu's one and only little brother.

"Dai—"

Just as she tried calling to him, several boys ran past Chiharu's vision. While laughing loudly, those boys who were about Daisuke's height kicked his backpack and rushed through the gate.

Being kicked from behind, Daisuke fell to the ground. Yet, the boys only turned around and laughed.

"Hey you!"

When Chiharu glared at them and shouted angrily, they just kept laughing. They stuck out their tongues at her, running outside the school gate.

"Those stupid brats… Hey, Aria! Don't you have any killer techniques that can destroy them?"

"Your character is changing, Chiharu-san…"

When Chiharu rushed over to him, Daisuke got up abruptly. He only glanced at her once and then walked toward the school gate without saying anything.

"Hey, wait, Daisuke…!"

She followed him from behind as he brushed off the sand stuck to his clothes.

"What's up with those idiots…! Daisuke, did you have a fight with them?"

"Shut up. It's nothing."

Daisuke bluntly asserted, frowning in annoyance. Yet, Chiharu was unperturbed.

"If something's troubling you, you can always tell me! What are their names? I'll definitely take care of them next time!"

"I told you it's nothing! Don't get involved, you're annoying!"

"I'm not annoying! It's normal!"

"Sorry, I don't really think it's normal…"

Daisuke couldn't hear Aria's voice. He separated from Chiharu with a trot, walking slightly ahead.

Normally at this point she would catch up to him and press him for answers.

Yet now, Chiharu held back and kept a slight distance between them.

While smiling.

Even though she wanted to approach him, she restrained herself from getting any closer than necessary.

"Say, Chiharu. Isn't it tough?"

Aria said in a tone with mixed emotions.

"To have such an exceptionally delicious dream right in front of you."

She could perceive a surge coming from Daisuke's back.

The sweet, rich and captivatingly fragrant dream.

It was being emitted by her younger brother.

And his older sister Chiharu craved for it.

"…"

Chiharu's hair swayed.

For just an instant, it swayed with a blue-colored ripple.

If she relaxed her will for just a bit, she would want to embrace Daisuke from behind.

She would cling to him and wrap her hands around his neck—and put his dream—to her mouth—

Yet Chiharu didn't come any closer to him.

She didn't want to lose him, so she didn't reach to him.

"I don't really mind, but don't try too hard for nothing."

Aria heaved a sigh.

Something touched Chiharu's cheeks as she was watching over Daisuke's back.

"If you keep dawdling then he might be snatched away by a greedy someone—"

Puzzled, she touched her cheeks and found something stuck to her fingertip.

It was something grain-like which shone in purple.

She knew what it was from the experience gained during her pursuit of curiosity.

It was—a butterfly scale.

*

The living room was enveloped in a silence brought forth by tension.

Chami and Aya's pale faces gazed at Chiharu who was sitting on the sofa while still wearing the swimsuit.

"…And that's as far as I can remember."

Chami became cautiously distant.

"…"

With a sharp gaze, Aya forced her way between Chami and Chiharu. The ground beetle that was eating cans until now clung to her slender left arm.

"Ah, it's fine. Aria's no longer inside me. I also have no powers left."

While Chiharu was smiling unworriedly, Chami stayed alert.

"So you used to be Aria Varei, meaning Sanbikime—you expect me to believe that contrived story…?"

"Sanbikime? Ah, I remember. I heard that the SEPB calls Aria like that. But, you made this sort of reaction because you believe me, right Chami-chan?"

Chiharu elegantly sat down on the sofa, pouting. She felt it was rude for them to exhibit such clear fear if they didn't believe her.

"Meaning to say that the one who turned Kakkou into a Mushitsuki was you, his sister?"

"The memories related to that are still vague, but… Daisuke's a Fusion Type Mushitsuki, right?"

 "…Right."

"See. I turned Daisuke into a Mushitsuki. There's no mistake about that."

She looked at her intertwined hands on her knees.

Chiharu turned Daisuke into a Mushitsuki.

Her memories were still incomplete, but she could remember that sensation clearly even now.

That otherworldly delicious flavor—

The amazing feeling she had after having stuffed herself full of it—

Chiharu had thrusted her brother Daisuke into this hopeless life of having his dreams eaten and being feared by people.

"Daisuke definitely hates me. I'm sure that he's only passed painful days ever since becoming a Mushitsuki. And all of that is my fault. As if that wasn't enough, I had even forgotten all about it and lived so happily… Looking at it from his point of view, he probably hates me so much that he'd want to come over and kill me the moment he knows where I am."

Chiharu said, smiling.

"That's why, when I meet Daisuke—I'll let him kill me."

Her body still tensed, Chami's complexion changed. She raised her hand to her chin and muttered as if brooding.

"…It sounds completely made-up… No, but… if Sanbikime gives birth to Mushitsuki, erases the host's memories and moves around like that, it would be consistent with there being no eyewitnesses, won't it…  Aria Varei… the prototype Mushi that creates Fusion Types… No way…"

Muttering as she ruminated over Chiharu's explanation, Chami glared at her with a rigid face.

"I thought this was a stupid monitoring mission but… it's absurd. Isn't this something much more valuable than if you were also a Mushitsuki? In a way you're a more powerful card than Fuyuhotaru."

Pushing Aya aside, Chami stood before Chiharu.

"But that's only if what you've told us is true."

"Such deep suspicions. How like you, Chami-chan."

"What else did you recall? How about Oogui or Shinpu's abilities? —No, we can postpone that for later. What I want to know is the core of everything."

Aya, exchanging looks with Chami, stepped forward in front of Chiharu. She thrust the ground beetle clinging to her left arm at Chiharu's nose.

"What are the Mushi—If you really are one of the Original Three formerly, I won't let you say you don't know the answer to that."

Chami's sharp gaze and Aya's emotionless stare bore at Chiharu.

However, she only scratched her head with a bashful grin.

"Umm. I actually have no idea."

"—Aya."

"Should I try cutting off about half of her head?"

"Eh, eh, what? Kyaa! There's a strange smell coming from your Mushi's mouth! Is something coming out? I'll die if I lose half of my head!"

Chami grabbed the head of Chiharu who was flustered. She then brought her face close and spoke with a severe expression.

"I have no time to screw around. I'm already on the run from the SEPB because I saved you thinking you could become of use to me. I don't even know when I'll be killed by an assassin. I can't go back. In order to survive I have no choice but to win. Against that shitty organization called the SEPB."

"C-Chami-chan…"

"In order to win against the SEPB, I have to grasp the core better than them. What are the Mushi? What are the Mushitsuki? I have to find that out and get the jump on them. You will be made into a tool for that purpose. I will have you become my pawn. That's non-negotiable. You cannot refuse."

Having Chami lean forward and press her with questions, Chiharu was puzzled.

"I also have plenty of things I'd like your help with. Thanks to you I remembered Daisuke, and you also saved me from Kanata. But just like I said before, I wasn't really interested about Aria at the time."

"You think I believe that?"

"I-it's true! But, if I'm able to remember other things, maybe I'll become more useful to you, Chami-chan…? Aria talked a lot. If I remember anything, I'll tell you immediately. Is that not fine?"

She looked at Chami with upturned eyes. The glasses-wearing girl seemed dissatisfied.

"…Tch, I have no choice then. I can't make any flashy moves since I'm injured now, so I have to stay put for a while. If you don't remember anything soon I'll kick you out."

"O-okay. Also, umm, Chami-chan…"

"What now?"

"Now you need to tell me. What's Daisuke doing now?"

Chiharu inquired with a serious expression and Chami's face changed.

"No way you're thinking of making a deal with me, right? That if I don't tell you, you wouldn't hand over any info related to Mushi—"

"N-no! You've got that wrong! It's true that I still can't remember!"

"…"

"Wow, what a look of suspicion you have there, Chami-chan! Do I look like someone capable of thinking of complicated stuff like making deals?"

Chiharu tried making excuses desperately, earning Chami's sigh in return.

"You want to know about your brother and meet him… just to be killed by him?"

Chiharu did not know what happened to Daisuke ever since separating from him five years ago.

She does not know of the Daisuke who had become Mushitsuki.

What sort of life was he leading now? Since he is a Mushitsuki, he was probably suffering. Chiharu had to know it.

And after knowing of Daisuke's agony, she has to be judged by his hands—

"…Yeah."

She smiled.

If Chiharu was to have a dream—thoughts about wanting to become such and such in the future, this would be her wish.

She does not have the right to wish for her own happiness.

Seeing her smile, Chami grimaced.

"…I don't like it at all."

"Huh?"

"Getting killed by your brother… don't go and pick out your death like that. Since you'll become my tool, you can't die without my permission. I have no need for any disposable incompetent trash. I only want excellent underlings that are able to stand on the stage until the very last."

Was she basically telling her to not die?

Her words were coarse, but Chiharu felt as if Chami was saying that.

"Well, in your position it would be difficult to avoid being killed by other Mushitsuki even before meeting Kakkou, though."

"W-what do you mean?"

"It means that Kakkou—Kusuriya Daisuke is hated by many Mushitsuki."

Chiharu widened her eyes.

"That guy's probably the worst Mushitsuki at present, being the one to turn the largest amount of Mushitsuki into Fallen. He truly is the Mushitsuki's natural enemy, a cruel reaper. There's not even one Mushitsuki who isn't afraid of that bastard."

She couldn't understand what Chami was saying and who she was talking about.

But when she realized she was referring to Daisuke, Chiharu reflexively raised her voice.

"T-that can't be right! Daisuke's a good kid who understands other people's pain!"

"…Your brother obsession is irrelevant right now. I don't know how that guy was five years ago, but at the very least, right now he's no good kid or anything like that. Rather he's treated as the worst killer in the world."

Chiharu was dumbfounded.

Sitting on the sofa on the other side, Chami started recounting.

Starting from around four years ago, how he had suppressed the coup d'état attempt, by turning each and every one of those assisting in the rebellion into Fallen, irregardless of the fact that they belonged to the same East Central Branch as himself.

Following that, he even turned the fearsome Mushitsuki Fuyuhotaru into a Fallen and captured her.

And how he went on to capture numerous Mushitsuki as a member of the SEPB.

Finally, during last year's Christmas Eve came the final fight with Mushibane. On top of recapturing Fuyuhotaru, he had killed Ladybird, who was Mushibane's leader.

He was a reaper who deprived countless Mushitsuki of their dreams.

That was Kusuriya Daisuke—Blaze Class Rank 1, the strongest Mushitsuki Kakkou, explained Chami.

"Everyone hates that guy, yet no one can rival him. Despite landing in countless near-death situations, he managed to get through all of them. He's even a legend among low-ranked Mushitsuki like me. Kusuriya Daisuke is the kind of guy who would rush straight to the center of any battle involving Mushitsuki."

Contrary to her indifferent expression while she explained, Chami's tone was mixed with envy and jealousy.

"But as I see it, that reaper's also taken care of situations that threatened the entire country countless times. And all by himself. It was like that with the East Central Branch's coup d'état. As with Fuyuhotaru. And with Ladybird. —But he's created so many grudges so that no one wants to recognize that, though."

"…"

"In that meaning, he was probably an essential existence for the SEPB from their point of view. And yet, his clashes with Central Headquarters lately are starting to become an issue. …He's probably already served his purpose by defeating Lady and weakening Mushibane. Now that they defeated their biggest enemies, the overly powerful Kakkou is actually a nuisance and dangerous for them… But since he's backed by the East Central Branch they can't carelessly make a move on him…"

At some point, the words coming out of Chami's mouth became a monologue.

"So Daisuke—"

A shudder welled up from the depth of Chiharu's body.

It's my fault—

Her mind went blank. Feeling dizzy, she shook her head violently.

"H-hey!"

Chami hurriedly supported Chiharu's shoulder.

She felt as if the temperature of the room had dropped suddenly. A chill ran up her body and her trembling wouldn't stop.

What she heard about from Aria and feared five years ago now became reality.

No, it couldn't even be compared.

What her child-like mind feared was just birthing a single Mushitsuki.

But this nightmarish reality was all done by Chiharu's hands—

"Don't think everything's your fault."

"…!"

Chiharu's shoulders shook with a start. Chami peeked into her face with an angry glare.

"Don't be so conceited. Even if what you said was true, and that you were the one who turned Kakkou into a Mushitsuki… that's the only thing you're responsible for. What comes after he become a Mushitsuki is his own responsibility. He did it all by his own decision and his own hands after all."

"B-but…! If I hadn't turned him into a Mushitsuki—"

"I'm telling you that's your conceit. Don't act like you're playing the main role of some tragic heroine."

"I'm not thinking that at all!"

"Certainly there are people who'd think that everything's your fault. No, almost everyone who bears grudges against him will definitely think so. But every last one of them is a spineless baby. They would make their retirement from the stage someone else's fault."

Still grabbing Chiharu's shoulders, Chami frowned.

Chiharu couldn't understand her anger at all. She had no idea what she was baring her hostility against.

"They'd think they lost because of Kakkou… and so it's also your fault since you turned him into a Mushitsuki. Then what's next? Is it Sanbikime's fault for choosing you? And who created it? Ha, how many other people are they going to blame before they're satisfied?"

Had Chami noticed Aya making a small nod at her side?

"Mushitsuki who fight having forgotten their dream will end up losing pitifully and vanishing."

Chami said in a tone full of hatred.

"But those guys who continue to avert their eyes nonetheless are worse. I don't need such an audience. I'll crush whatever started it all and gave birth to Mushi. If I do that it won't be anyone's fault. I won't be just watching from the side. Serves them right."

Chami, who shouted at herself being cowardly, dirty and weak at 'URBAN', now clenched her fists.

Her aspiration was audacious and outrageous.

But if it came true…

Rather than Chami herself being saved, it would actually mean—

Chiharu could vaguely understand, but she didn't put it into words. Because she knew that Chami would deny it even if she said it.

"I'll smash them—even if Kakkou possibly thinks the same as me."

"…Huh?"

"After all I only know about Kakkou from rumors. I don't know the truth about what's he thinking and trying to do. Small fries like me aren't told everything about such big shots."

As if a switch was pressed, Chami showed her a calm expression.

"What I really can't accept is him killing Lady. Up till now, Kakkou has always turned Mushitsuki into Fallen, so why would he kill only Lady… The damage to Hashiba City being so outrageous is also a question. I only believe in the information I get by my own hands. Maybe Kakkou didn't kill her—"

Hearing Chami, Chiharu's expression sparkled.

"Then, is it possible that Daisuke's actually a really kind and good kid even now?"

"…No, frankly I think that's impossible."

"I'll know if I meet Daisuke right?"

"I won't let you meet him until you fully retrieve your memories. But even bearing that in mind, meeting him would be difficult. He's a Blaze Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki. It would take extreme time and efforts even just searching for his whereabouts…"

"Then, how about someone who've directly met with him? If I ask about Daisuke directly from someone who knows him, I'll find out the truth right?"

Chami frowned as Chiharu bent her body over. Resting her chin on her hands, she made a blunt displeased expression.

"Hey now. I don't have any duty to fulfill your selfish requests—"

"If I clear things up about Daisuke I'll also remember the past! Yes, there's no doubt about that! I suddenly feel like it would work!"

"You… so you are trying to make a deal…"

"If you won't help me then I won't tell you even if I do recall everything!"

She puffed her cheeks and turned away. Chami squinted her eyes.

"That's different from what you said before. Meaning you're a traitor. —Aya."

"Since you have four limbs, I feel like you'll be okay even if you lose one of them."

"I lied! It was a joke! I'm sorry!"

Raising her arms at the approaching Aya, Chiharu appealed to Chami.

"Then I'll just ask! For example, I'll ask what kind of a person is he. I won't do anything more than that, I'll just want to know what kind of a person is he. Okay? It'll be just that, really!"

Sighing, Chami restrained Aya with her hand. Sending a side-glance to Aya who seemed slightly disappointed, she started thinking with a "hmm". Perhaps she herself also had an idea.

"Someone who's an acquaintance of Kakkou… Anyone of the executives of the East Central Branch would be an obvious choice. But, the difficulty of getting in contact with them isn't much different than with Kakkou. Other than that there are also those who were formerly members of the East Central Branch like Kasuou, Nene or C… but they're now all big-shots in the Central Headquarters. In a certain sense, it would be much more dangerous than contacting Kakkou. Also, I don't want Konoha to make so many obvious moves inside of Central Headquarters too much."

Obviously, the names that came from Chami's mouth one after another were all unfamiliar to Chiharu. And Chami dismissed all of them anyway.

"Maybe one of the other Rank 1s who have a connection with him… Lady's already dead, Harukiyo—I feel like I'll turn into yakitori just thinking about him. I still couldn't find where she is either… Hah, what's with that all-stars roster. They're all people who seem like they could possibly destroy the country alone if Kakkou wouldn't get in their way."

After smiling sarcastically and counting on her fingers, Chami's expression changed.

"…? What's wrong, Chami?"

"There is one… She's also a Rank 1, but that's outrageous. Even the SEPB couldn't control her… She's the Mushitsuki who created the opportunity for Kusuriya Daisuke to become the dreaded Kakkou. Although she was once a Fallen, she was revived and that monster's on the loose even now…!"

"M-monster…?"

Hearing the term 'on the loose' only gave the impression of some wanted criminal to Chiharu. That person had apparently met with Daisuke several times, but it didn't sound like their relationship was good.

Chami gazed at Chiharu and spoke clearly.

"You've also met her. And quite recently to boot."

"…Huh?"

"Secret Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki, Fuyuhotaru. —Her real name is Anmoto Shiika."

Chiharu's thoughts stopped for an instant.

It didn't take her long to recall the name of Anmoto Shiika.

—Ah… it's Anmoto Shiika.

The girl who lent her money after she had met her in Nishito City by coincidence.

Their meeting was not simply recent. It happened only yesterday.

At the silver tower, 'URBAN'. For some reason, Shiika also appeared in the violent fight that unfolded inside of it. Now that she thought of it, Chami did call the girl who suddenly appeared in the blazing lobby Fuyuhotaru. Chiharu has yet to receive the explanation as to why Chami had been fighting a Mushitsuki in that tower.

"Shiika-chan…? Huh? Fuyuhotaru is Shiika-chan?"

She was a lovely girl with an innocent face. When she had met her in Nishito City, she even thought that she'd like to have a little sister like her. Chiharu reflexively retorted.

"That's… that can't be true! Shiika-chan is a kind, cute and good kid!"

"What, did your brother obsession spread to include other people too…? —Doesn't matter if she's good or bad. The problem is the fearsome power she has. Don't be deceived by her looks. That girl seriously possesses power on par with the strongest even among the Mushitsuki. That's why I also targeted her and fought at 'URBAN'. …I failed, though."

Chami asserted with an unpleased tone, causing Chiharu to be surprised.

"You targeted Shiika-chan just because she's strong? You can't do that! I believed you were a good kid, I'm shocked!"

"Calm down. Also, don't just call people good kids like that. —And targeting her only because she's strong is natural. But that's not all; she's also the only Mushitsuki to have revived from the Fallen state. Taking possession of that girl would basically mean seizing the initiative for everything related to Mushitsuki. That's how the world is right now."

"No way…"

"Also, don't avert your eyes from the most important matter. —Such a kind, cute and good kid was forcibly captured by your brother two times."

Chiharu was lost for words.

Shiika had handed her money without any hesitation despite her being nothing more than a total stranger.

—But, you look like you really want to go.

This girl who wore a somewhat reserved smile had been hurt by Daisuke twice.

"She's a girl who has more reasons to hate Kakkou than anyone. If she finds out you're his sister—as expected I really can't agree to it, but well, you'll be undoubtedly killed. Even if you ask about Kakkou, as long as she's not an idiot or some fortunate person you'll probably hear nothing but grudges."

Grudges.

It was obvious. Shiika had the right for that.

"Also Fuyuhotaru's probably closely guarded by Mushibane right now. No matter how you look at it, you can't meet up with a Secret Class Rank 1 Mushitsuki so easily."

"Tomorrow, there'll be a large assembly of Mushibane's executives."

A monotonous voice suddenly cut into the conversation.

Chiharu turned around to the pale-faced girl.

Sugitsu Aya. —Chami had introduced her to Chiharu as a member of Mushibane.

"Apparently, Fuyuhotaru will also be attending."

Aya said while petting the head of her ground beetle that started greedily devouring the leg of the fallen table.

"Hah? I didn't hear anything about that! Why didn't you tell me until now, Aya!"

"I got contact from my sister last night. Haven't I told you?"

"Really, what's up with you! Aren't you acting strange lately?"

"Are you worried?"

Aya showed a happy-looking expression for the first time, making Chami lost for words.

Chiharu then inquired Aya.

"So, I can… meet Shiika-chan?"

"It would definitely be impossible to kidnap Fuyuhotaru herself. But, if it's just approaching her—"

"Don't be an idiot! I still can't move properly… Also, Aijisupa and other Mushitsuki are also going to be there! Someone might have leaked information to the SEPB and they might attack that place aiming for Fuyuhotaru in the ensuing chaos—"

"Of course I wouldn't do anything if you don't want to me to, Chami. But, there are plenty of other members gathering there other than the executives. We can hide our faces and I believe the SEPB won't have time to launch an attack. —Also, about the man called Aijisupa, you've said that he looks to be around the level of Blaze Class Rank 3 or 2 to you, right? I don't believe I'm going to lose to him as I am now."

As Aya explained all this with an extremely natural-sounding tone, Chami stared at her in puzzlement.

"W-what are you talking about? You only have about as much power as a Blaze Class Rank 8—"

"I'm going there either way. Because I'm interested in hearing Fuyuhotaru's plans. So, I'll comply with your orders regarding Chiharu."

Aya raised her face and gazed fixedly at Chami straight on.

"I wasn't able to do anything except for taking care of Owlet until now, but that cat's already gone. I can finally be of use now. Don't leave me alone even after you leave Nishito City. Use me, Chami."

Chiharu looked at Chami again.

"Chami-chan, please!"

Even if asking Shiika would only lead to vituperation.

Even if Chiharu would invite anger and expose her life to danger.

If that would allow her to know the true road that Daisuke had taken…

Then, she wanted to know that answer.

"I want to meet Shiika-chan again!"

She couldn't meet Daisuke without knowing anything—

"…Aren't you two aware I'm the one giving orders here?"

Being exposed to their gazes, Chami made a solemn sigh.

1.03 Chiharu Part 3

*

Gently swaying…

Lightly floating…

Kusuriya Chiharu's daily life felt like that.

Although she didn't have a father.

Although her mother was always busy and didn't really look after her.

She was fine because she had her younger brother Daisuke.

She went to a school where she had plenty of friends, after school she played however she'd like and then returned to the cramped apartment.

Such days continued.

And nothing changed since then.

It was a pleasant world where she gently swayed and lightly floated just like clouds in the sky.

That was the entirety of the world composing Chiharu's surroundings.

"Wha… Chiharu! In front of you!"

"What're you doing, Chiharu?"

Being pulled by her arm, Chiharu came to a stop.

A car zoomed pass in front of her eyes at a great speed.

She seemed to have reached an intersection at some point on her way to Shiou Elementary School. Absentmindedly gazing into the air as she walked, she apparently proceeded through the pedestrian crossing even though the light was red.

"…"

As Chiharu stared in puzzlement, her brother Daisuke looked back to her with an astonished face.

"W-what?"

"Ehehe. Thank you, Daisuke."

"Wah, why are you smiling, so creepy…"

As the light turned green Daisuke crossed the road with quick steps.

"Stop following me. It's embarrassing to go to school together with your sister."

"Why is it embarrassing? It's normal."

Chiharu walked a bit behind Daisuke.

Looking at his back and walking, she noticed that Daisuke has grown taller again recently. She had thought he was shorter than her, but looking closely there wasn't much difference. His backpack seemed a bit tight. She should loosen the straps a bit when school ends and they reach home today.

Shiou Elementary School was built on top of a large hill. The Kusuriya siblings came from the foot of the hill, so they walked up the road on the slope.

"He's at the age where siblings being close to each other is something embarrassing. He'll get made fun of."

A voice separate from Chiharu's consciousness spoke inside her head.

It was her mysterious roommate Aria Varei.

The other Chiharu with the exact same voice and tone was inside her as usual.

"Isn't that also why he doesn't call you 'onee-chan'?"

Chiharu puffed her cheeks.

No way, it's just a rebellious phase–

She protested against Aria in her mind. Since Aria shared her consciousness, she could communicate just by thinking.

"Yeah yeah. But you know—"

While looking at Daisuke's back, an urge swelled inside of Chiharu.

A sweet aroma drifted from him.

That aroma grew stronger daily, increasingly shaking Chiharu's rationality—

About a month has passed since Aria started inhabiting inside of her.

"You sure controlled yourself well. Even though you have such a delicious dream right in front of you."

Daisuke abruptly looked back at her while walking the road up the hill.

Chiharu came back to her senses with a start.

He saw through her 'appetite'–was what she thought.

"Don't come to school tomorrow."

"Eh?"

"Didn't you catch a cold or something? You seem to be out of it lately. Your face's pale, too."

Bluntly asserting this, Daisuke again turned to the front and kept walking.

Since she didn't have a robust body in the first place, Chiharu often caught colds and had fevers, taking days off school. It appeared that Daisuke thought she ruined her body again and worried for her.

See, Aria—

"Ehehe."

Chiharu talked to her neighbor in her heart.

Daisuke's a kind and good kid—

"You're laughing again… so creepy."

Saying this, Daisuke fastened his pace again. The distance between the two grew farther.

While Chiharu was grinning in a good mood, she kept watching his back.

Although they were far, she could clearly see that her brother's backpack had small tears on it. They had been increasing continuously for a while now. Even Daisuke himself had band-aids on his knees and cheeks.

"I don't know if he's a good kid or not, but I do know that you and him are two peas in a pod."

"Eh? People say we don't resemble each other though?"

Chiharu asked Aria back with a small voice. That voice probably didn't reach Daisuke and there were only a few other students around. Anyway, Shiou City has been troubled by its declining population that kept getting worse as years went by.

"You're exactly the same in that you're stubborn and never complain. When you get colds it's because you endure everything until the very limits and so you make your surrounding needlessly worry about you, right?"

"Uh…"

It was right on the mark.

"Even your brother is actually suffering. But he'll never tell you about him being bullied by his classmates."

Right—

It seemed that Daisuke had become a target for ridicule and violence. Chiharu came to know of it by secretly probing into the lower grade classes.

Furthermore, she heard that Daisuke never retaliated. That was probably why the other party only got more daring and the bullying never stopped.

She also knew why he was being bullied. It was because he had no father.

When Chiharu's mother was pregnant with her while she was still young, she overcame her parents' objections and ended up eloping with Chiharu's father. However, he had passed away in a traffic accident even before Daisuke was born.

Left to support the family alone, her mother was pressed by her job for their livelihood and could not attend during parents' day at school. That was also one of the reasons why Daisuke became the target of slander.

The fact that only Daisuke was bullied and Chiharu wasn't was, according to Aria, "because of your personalities". This was apparently because "even if you were bullied you'd stay bright to the extent it would seem like you didn't even notice it", while Daisuke was "unsociable and cheeky".

She couldn't bear the fact that only Daisuke suffered just because of this even though they were in the same circumstances. She thought of listing up the boys hurting Daisuke and spanking them hard at some point, but she also felt a bit lonely that Daisuke was not relying on her.

"He should just fight back even a bit. It's because he doesn't that they'll keep bullying him."

"That's why I'm always saying. Daisuke's a good kid who understands other people's pain."

"Is that so… Personally I think it's somewhat different. It's something like… yeah, you're scared. Extremely scared. None of the Aria until now were this scared."

Chiharu tilted her head.

Scared? Chiharu never thought of Daisuke as scary. That went without saying.

"You siblings really are similar. Daisuke's not retaliating not because he's scared of the other boys. —No, rather I don't think he's scared at all. It's just like you not being afraid of me, Chiharu."

"That's obvious. Daisuke's a strong kid who'll never lose against any bully."

"…Never mind being strong or not, it's not just that. Your brother is just like you – he's not scared to get hurt in the slightest. He's not scared of the 'enemy' or even getting hurt. Since he doesn't care about himself at all, he doesn't even hate the other party. Just like how you don't hate me, Chiharu."

At some point Aria's tone became serious.

"However, on the other hand, or should I say as a result of that… Anyway, he's thoroughly scared of what does scare him. Chiharu, what do you fear? You'd do anything in order to avoid that, right?"

Hearing that, Chiharu held her tongue.

The thing she was scared of.

She wanted to avoid Daisuke becoming a Mushitsuki–to avoid giving him a life full of agony and despair just like the Fusion Types of the past.

And in order to protect him–just like Aria said, Chiharu would probably do anything.

For the sake of that, she wouldn't mind no matter how much she got hurt, or how hungry she got due to Aria's dream-seeking nature.

"…It's too difficult so I don't really understand."

She didn't like confirming it so she tried saying this. Aria didn't mind it however and continued.

"Your brother is surely the same. He won't do anything when he's attacked, but if–when he finds some 'reason', I wonder what'll happen. I'm afraid of that. He doesn't fear any enemy and doesn't mind himself getting hurt. If someone like that turns into a Mushitsuki and finds a reason to fight… I can't even imagine how strong he'll become."

"And that's why I'm saying I won't turn him into a Mushitsuki."

"E-even if you don't want to, look, this and that is different. Even you would like to try feasting such a delicious dream, right Chiharu? Just gulp it all down in one bite, right?"

"No way. I'm not some kind of Dracula."

"If Daisuke becomes a Mushitsuki, even his wounds will heal in a flash. Isn't it a bargain?"

"Really?"

"Because Fusion Type Mushitsuki literally become one with their Mushi, they're slightly different than other Mushitsuki. It's like their bodies are remade from scratch? Ah, but it might be useless in the case of disease. Since a person's bodily functions become weird due to their bodies being remade even I'm not sure what would happen. I've never turned any sick person into a Mushitsuki."

"My reply's still no, though. You won't deceive me like that."

Aria's "tch" of disappointment overlapped with the sound of bells.

They could see Shiou Elementary School's main gate.

Daisuke passed through the gate a step ahead and entered the premises.

"Ah, I'll be late—"

Wanting to pursue him, Chiharu's legs suddenly stopped.

A purple glow suddenly passed her line of sight.

How long was she there?

How long was it like this?

In front of the school gate—

A tall woman wearing a crimson long coat—

Was gazing intently at the running Daisuke—

—Standing completely still.

"Uu…"

Cold sweat emitted from the pores of Chiharu's entire body. Her thoughts were paralyzed just by glancing at the woman once. The reason for this was bottomless fear.

"Uuh…"

Her body frozen with fear, she couldn't move an inch as if she was affected by sleep paralysis.

Having become one with Aria Varei, Chiharu's instincts informed her that this woman, who was covered by purple glowing scales, who fluttered her crimson long coat, who wore sunglasses that concealed pupils shining in the colors of the rainbow, was definitely not a mere human–no, she wasn't even human at all.

After seeing off Daisuke with a gaze that looked as if she was licking her lips, the woman turned her rainbow-colored eyes to Chiharu.

"—How do you do? You have quite the lovely appearance this time, Aria Varei."

The woman whispered with a charming voice. She walked closer to Chiharu without making any sound.

Chiharu's heart beat violently. She couldn't stop shivering and couldn't make a voice.

"Oh boy, so you found out after all. As I thought, you'd never miss such a delicious dream, Elvioréne."

The Aria inside of Chiharu replied in a light tone.

It seemed the woman could hear Aria's voice. While walking slowly, Elvioréne jeered.

"Before it ripens to the best flavor—"

"—There's still some time."

"If you don't it consume it when that happens—"

"—Then you will."

"For the times we desire the same dream, this is—"

"—Our rule."

"For you to go to sleep again—"

"—For you to keep on eating."

"Let us conduct a competition."

"Let's have a competition."

Elvioréne finally reached next to Chiharu. The woman brought her lips close Chiharu's ears as her teeth chattered with her face downcast. Feeling her sweet breath, the hairs on the nape of her neck bristled.

"You can't lose to Aria's sweet-talk, okay Chiharu-chan?"

Chiharu's shoulders trembled with a start.

"Your brother Daisuke-chan… please give me his delicious dream."

She left this whisper with a smile.

The oppressive presence which seemed to coil around Chiharu was gone.

As if she was a nothing but a daydream, Elvioréne suddenly disappeared.

Although the bells indicating the start of school reverberated, Chiharu—

"…Elvio…réne…"

Couldn't move even a single step, frozen stiff.

*

She was able to remember a little.

From the period when Ayukawa Chiharu was still Kusuriya Chiharu.

The memories of the time when Aria Varei still inhabited her body.

"What's wrong?"

A white mask designed like a squirrel turned to face her, catching the distracted Chiharu by surprise.

They were at the underground parking lot of a business hotel under construction. The main building above only consisted of steel beams for now, but the premises were strangely spacious. Once construction is completed, it would probably be a fittingly large building.

Meanwhile, the underground parking space was apparently one step ahead in construction. The space spanning four storeys underground already had temporary lines that divided parking spaces drawn.

"No… I just recalled more of the past. Only a little bit though."

Remembering why she was there, Chiharu feigned calmness. She wore a similar white mask designed like a deformed cat to hid her face.

"I see. You should tell Chami about it later."

The girl wearing the squirrel-mask–Sugitsu Aya–said so seemingly disinterested, before turning to the front and resumed walking. Chiharu followed suit.

The place they were headed to is where Mushibane's assembly was scheduled to be held.

Aya came here to learn of Fuyuhotaru's plans for the future and Chiharu snuck there to make contact with that very same girl. Since Aya was treated as one of Mushibane's executives, Chiharu was able to enter the premises without undergoing a stringent check as her companion, arriving at their current location.

"Still, it's quite dark and ominous. Can you hold my hand, Aya-chan?"

Chiharu and Aya were walking down what is supposed to a ramp leading to the underground carpark. It seemed the wirings for the illumination was still imcomplete so only the emergency lights were on. The meeting place was in the lowest floor.

"I wonder if Fuyuhotaru's Mushi really glows like a firefly. It sounds pretty."

"It sure sounds cute from the name Fuyuhotaru. …That's not what I was talking about though・

The ones heading underground weren't just Chiharu and Aya. People who wore animal masks just like them, and those who didn't mind and revealed their faces, and at times cars with smoke-covered windows were also heading down.

Conducting a secret assembly like this in a sealed space felt dangerous, but according to Aya there were plenty of escape routes since it was still under construction. They have also secured escape routes in case of an attack apparently. After all, the owner of the building is a collaborator of Mushibane.

"Chami-chan was angry until the end, huh. I wonder if she was worried about us?"

Chami effectively agreed to Chiharu's request to let her meet Fuyuhotaru.

But, she had had a violent quarrel with Chiharu in order to reach this conclusion. Chami probably wanted to avoid the danger of losing Chiharu before being able to draw any information out of her. But she wanted to directly ask Fuyuhotaru–Anmoto Shiika about her brother no matter what.

In the end, Chami folded in to Chiharu's selfishness or rather tantrum.

But there were some conditions.

Chiharu's face was known by Shiika and Aijisupa. Therefore, she couldn't remove her mask nor show anyone her real face.

She was also to never leave Aya's side as part of the conditions. In the unlikely event that she tried to escape, Aya would kill her. It was obvious from her expression that this was not a mere threat.

—Even if you do meet Fuyuhotaru, it doesn't mean you can approach and talk to her. It would be too rash to be worth it. …But I do want you to retrieve your memories as soon as possible. In a certain sense you can only act so rashly now that we just disappeared and the SEPB has yet to search the entire country.

Chami, staying to rest in the hotel for her injuries, told this to Chiharu.

If your lost memories contain something about the mystery of Mushi then it's worth making this bet. Since we don't even know Kakkou's whereabouts, if you retrieve your memories by meeting up with Fuyuhotaru it would be great. In exchange, if you don't end up recalling anything, you know what'll happen.

She didn't know. In case she didn't remember anything, what sort of punishment would Chiharu receive?

At any rate, they had this kind of exchange, and that was how she was allowed to go along with Aya.

"I don't dislike the angry Chami."

Walking on the front, Aya said without even looking back.

Chiharu's expression stiffened.

"I-is that so. You sure like Chami-chan, huh."

"Chami's always angry."

"…"

"Be it about the Mushi, or Mushitsuki, or SEPB, or Mushibane, she doesn't like it when someone else takes action. Because she wants to be the one who does it."

Aya's tone was indifferent and monotonous. But, Chiharu could tell she completely trusted Chami.

"…Say, what's your dream, Aya-chan? For some reason I became extremely interested in it suddenly."

Chiharu queried towards the back of the girl wearing a school uniform.

She was girl whose every action was mechanical and emotionless. As such, Chiharu wanted to peek into the wish hidden in her heart.

"I wanted to meet someone who would look only at me. Because being all by myself is lonely."

This time she replied with a clear answer.

"But, even if it doesn't come true–I don't mind."

"Huh?"

"Even if there was a person who really looks at me, I'm sure I'll soon become annoying to them. It's surely because I will just be pushing my self-conceit onto them."

For some reason–Chiharu's heart throbbed.

"And so I like Chami. Because she's cold sometimes and kind sometimes. And so when she's kind I feel very happy. Chami looks not at me, but at something much bigger–But sometimes she also looks at me. Even though I know I'm only being used, I like her."

Aya's spoken words were monotonous and had no hesitation. It was probably something that she found unnecessary to explain even if Chiharu didn't ask her.

"I believe that I'll someday die to help Chami. Since she has plenty of other pawns and only looks at the future, she wouldn't come to a stop and will soon forget me. But someday, by some whim, she would end up recalling me for a bit. Yeah–just like that cat. And just for that moment, I will do anything for Chami."

"Y-you'll die…? No, Aya-chan—"

"I hate being loved the most. It's annoying. But if I'm someone's umpteenth favorite and they'd end up recalling me for an instant, just for an instant–I will like them."

Perhaps she was no longer even aware that she was talking to Chiharu. The words coming from her were so pure to that extent.

Without knowing what to say, Chiharu tilted her head.

And so, she frankly voiced what she thought.

"I also like you, Aya-chan. I don't know which place you are though."

She said to Aya's back, grinning.

She couldn't really understand Aya's sensitivity to being liked the most. She thought it was the result of a very difficult reasoning, but more than anything it was frank.

Chiharu could only call her a mysterious girl, but at the very least she didn't hate her.

"I see."

Aya suddenly stopped in place. She turned around and lifted her squirrel mask.

"If so then I'll also start liking you."

She said, looking at Chiharu with her black eyes. She immediately put on her mask again and started walking.

Surprised, Chiharu came to a stand still.

"I-I'm not sure what to think about that way of being liked・

She was confused by her sudden words–still not understanding the meaning behind her words, Chiharu hurriedly rushed following Aya.

But, she was assaulted by an unexpected impact and lost her balance.

"Ah—"

She had bumped into a small person rushing down the road.

The other party staggered even more than her. Unable to stop his momentum, his head bumped into the wall.

"A-are you fine? I'm sorry!"

Chiharu rushed towards him flusteredly as the white masked figure separated himself from the wall unsteadily.

"[Rin has self-destructed]—[Rin has received 12 damage]…"

"Huh…?"

From his youthful voice, he appears to be a boy. But, the exposed skin from his cube shirt and leather pants made him seem quite delicate.

"Sorry, miss… [Rin apologized]—"

Rubbing his forehead beneath the mask, the boy lowered his head. With that, he just disappeared running down to the next floor without waiting for Chiharu's reply.

"We have to hurry, it's about to start."

Without even looking at the boy that went pass Chiharu, Aya turned around to her.

"R-right."

Now that they've walked for several minutes, they finally reached the lowest floor.

"Wow…"

Chiharu unconsciously raised a small voice at the bizarre scene spreading out in the gloomy underground space.

A large amount of people were standing at the parking lot supported by countless concrete pillars. There were many who hid their faces with white masks, but it was obvious that many of them were young boys and girls judging from their uniform and figure.

There were also people who seemed to be adults here and there. Some were watching over the situation from the window of their cars, while that were also those sitting against their motorcycles.

Aya pulled the overwhelmed Chiharu by her arm, cutting across the crowd to get to the center of the underground parking space.

"U-umm, Aya-chan… I think we shouldn't stand out too much."

"It's because my eyes aren't too good."

Chiharu could feel the gazes of the masked people gathering on them as they walked straight to the center, yet Aya didn't seem to mind them at all. Some people called out "yo, Gensis" upon seeing her, but she ignored all of them.

There was a scaffold used for construction work farther back in the parking lot. An iron plate was laid out above the pipes built with three stages.

Chiharu and Aya stopped right in the middle between the entrance to the underground parking lot and the scaffold.

A clanging sound echoed throughout the parking lot.

As the many white masks watched attentively, several men and women revealed themselves atop the scaffold.

—It's starting.

"The second one from the left is my older sister, Sugitsu Matsuri."

Most of the people on the platform did not wear any masks. When told so by Aya, Chiharu looked over and saw a girl who had the same atmosphere as her looking towards them.

"She certainly resembles you, a beauty."

"I wouldn't go that far… here's fine."

Saying so with an unchanged tone, Aya crouched down. Uncaring of getting her clothes dirty, she fiddled with a lump of coal on the ground as if to say she had no interest in what was happening.

"Fuyuhotaru has appeared."

How did she tell despite looking downwards?

When Chiharu glanced up, a familiar-looking girl appeared just like she said.

She looked just like when saw her at Nishito City station–and when she ran into her at Urban Tower as well; she was a girl who seemed so ephemeral one would think she'd disappear upon touch. Even the ribbon on her bangs was the same as back then.

Anmoto Shiika.

The kind girl who had given money to Chiharu despite being a complete stranger.

And as Chami mentioned–the one with the most powerful ability amongst the Mushitsuki, Fuyuhotaru.

The people in the white masks started clamoring just from Shiika's appearance. Rather than being surprised, they showed fear, with several people even drawing back.

"Shiika-chan…"

Among the executives that moved away, only one stayed near Shiika. Chiharu recognized him too.

It was the boy known as Aijisupa. In contrast to the disturbed white masks, he wore an expression lacking a single shred of interest. He looked as if he was about to yawn.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

A voice rose from the edge of the platform. It came from a middle-aged man dressed in a suit.

"That's Munakata Kaiji. He's the owner of this building and also something like Mushibane's patron."

Aya explained while squashing pieces of coal with her fingers.

"Today, we have gathered the remaining members of the South and West, a large portion of East and the few members of North, as well as each area's executives. Obviously, there are also many who are unable to attend, but it is more imperative that we stop Mushibane from breaking up as soon as possible. North's Leader is also absent, but we have confirmed that he will abide by the decisions made today."

The deep voice of the man known as Munakata reverberated throughout the underground parking lot and the clamoring gradually quieted.

However—

"As one who usually worked behind the scenes however, I have prepared this place here today in order to bring a halt to the falling apart of Mushibane. Ever since we lost Lady, the function of Mushibane an organization has collapsed. For all of us who have lost our leader, surely we will fall to the subjugation by SEPB in no time. My personal opinion is that there is only one way to prevent that: which is to reorganize Mushibane—to operate in a new form under a new leader."

Munakata spoke clearly and turned to face Fuyuhotaru.

"And so, I would like to nominate Fuyuhotaru as our new leader."

In an instant, the underground parking space was drowned by an uproar.

Voices of confusion and anger echoed about, creating a scene of disorder.

"A-Aya-chan! Things look bad!"

Covering her ears, Chiharu looked towards Aya squatting by her feet. However, she merely rolled another lump of bitumen around with her fingers in feigned ignorance.

All of a sudden, the place was hushed by an unexpected movement.

Shiika had took a step forward.

With just that, everybody became speechless. Although she only looked like a lovely girl which made Chiharu want to pet her head, it was apparently different for the others. What had silenced the disorder was a pure emotion—fear.

"U-umm…"

When Shiika uttered timidly, not a single person dared to make a noise.

"I'm… not strong like Rina, and I can't really… order you around and stuff like that, so I'm not sure if I can be a leader or something. But since Munakata-san told me to speak about what I think to all of you, I think I will do so."

She spoke with her face downcast amidst the perfect silence.

"—I do not want to fight against the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau."

The moment she uttered this sentence…

The area was enveloped by an obvious cold tension.

It was probably due to shock that no one let out any voice. Shiika also seemed to understand this. She said her next lines before disorder would reemerge.

"Most of the SEPB members are Mushitsuki just like us. So why must we fight against them, our fellow Mushitsuki?"

Her face was still downcast, but she kept going desperately.

"There is this person called Shirakashi Ubuki. She is the one who rescued me from the SEPB. Although she is one of their members, she told me that she loathes fighting. However, the SEPB had deprived her of her birthplace, and forced her to obey their orders unwillingly. —I believe that most of the other members are also like that. Despite none of us wishing so, we are forced to fight one another・

"—Stop with the lip service."

The voice of someone that felt like they could not hold it in any longer rose from the side.

It came from one of the executives who stood on the platform, a rough-seeming guy. He seemed to be injured, as he had bandages wrapped around his head.

"That's Kandori Youichi. The East Leader. His codename is Sinica."

Aya promptly explained.

"Are you an idiot? How can you say that when we've just been attacked by the SEPB the day before yesterday? Even if we don't want to fight, those in SEPB feels differently!"

"The person who attacked me that time・he also seemed to be suffering. He called himself a worthless soldier…"

"Huh? Don't fuck with me, I almost died there!"

Before Youichi could close in to Shiika, Aijisupa wordlessly stood in his way. Both of his arms were wrapped in a white mist along with the Pssh sound of air escaping.

Keeping a side-glance at Youichi who flinched in place, Aijisupa turned toward Shiika.

"It seems like you should've started on a more practical note. Do you want me to explain in your stead?"

"U-umm… will you please?"

"I don't mind if it's this much."

Aijisupa turned to face the audience again, and started explaining with a plain apathetic tone.

"Her idea is this. What we do won't change from the time when Rina–Ladybird was alive. We'll get to the Mushitsuki before the SEPB and protect them. But, even if we do end up fighting during the process, Mushibane won't initiate any attacks to the best of our ability. We'll protect the Mushitsuki and promptly withdraw. There will be times when we can't avoid going on the offense, but those will be the exception. To speak in a way such that even idiots can understand, we'll protect them, and then run away–that's all we'll do."

"To not go on the offensive, you say・"

"Of course, devoting ourselves to defense without defeating the enemy is impossible unless we're stronger than them. Thus, we'll cut down on most of the combat personnel and use only a selected few. Or rather, those who charge in recklessly solely based on their emotions will just get in our way. All the other members will coordinate with each other to best support the combat personnel, while securing the Mushitsuki to be protected."

Aijisupa declared indifferently while glancing at the glaring Youichi.

"Anyhow, you've probably all thought 'we won't lose as long as we have Lady' up till now. From here onwards, abandon any of such naïve thoughts."

"Aijisupa-san, there's no need to…"

Shiika tried to cut in, but Aijisupa paid no attention. Youichi clenched his teeth.

"You want us to run away and do nothing while watching our comrades get picked off…!?"

"Are you saying you wish to be defeated along with them? That's exactly how it's been so far. But from now on, get it in your head that it'll be none other than your own fault for failing to protect your comrades. If you don't want feel that way, then get stronger. Get stronger and protect your comrades, that way, you'll also be able to protect yourself."

Even Chiharu could tell how detached he felt from his tone.

"You're free to follow Lady to the grave if you want to, but I can't stand you saying that everything is 'because Lady's gone' and basing your death on her name. I wasn't able to protect her, but I'll at least fulfill my responsibility. By protecting this girl."

He spoke indifferently with a cold tone, but Chiharu finally realized.

More so than anyone else here–Aijisupa was enraged.

He was angry at these people who weren't able to protect the person known as Lady. And towards himself too to the same extent, for being unable to do likewise.

"There will definitely be sacrifices. But if we devote ourselves to defense, we'll be able to reduce them to a minimum. Over the course of our sheltering, there'll also be strong Mushitsuki joining us as allies. We can build up our power. And ultimately—"

Aijisupa turned to look at Shiika.

Shiika nodded and raised her head. Completely opposite from before, she declared succintly toward everyone in the parking lot.

"We will find the Original Three and defeat them."

This time…

A perfect silence enveloped the underground parking space.

"In addition, I intend to find out what the Mushi are. I wish to stop the fights between Mushitsuki and instead, begin a battle to defeat the very concept of Mushi itself."

Shiika bit her lips.

"I believe it will be an extremely painful fight. Much more so than fighting against the SEPB… I do not want to see any more Mushitsuki lose their dreams."

Saying this, Shiika–the strongest Mushitsuki who had spoke of herself as weak, deeply lowered her head.

"I ask of you. Please lend me a hand. I'm sure it will be a very tough battle, much more than not retaliating to attacks, much more than fights between Mushitsuki… Much more than having your Mushi killed and become a Fallen and even more than losing your lives. But if anyone is willing to help me—"

Chiharu noticed that even as Shiika kept her head lowered, her shoulder was slightly shaking.

She was afraid of fighting.

It was probably frightening to invite other Mushitsuki to such a battle.

Yet, Shiika endured the anxiety and fear and tried to face ahead even so.

"I swear that I will never give up… not until the fighting stops."

Now that the air reverted to deathly silence, the voices of people whispering began to spread throughout like ripples.

Youichi seemed like he was desperately suppressing something inside of himself. His face distorted and his fist shook. Confused voices of, "can we even do that…?", came from the surroundings.

"Hey, Aya-chan."

Chiharu smiled at the girl squatting by her side.

"As expected, Shiika-chan really is a kind and good kid."

Aya only replied, "is that so", indifferently.

Shiika still had her head lowered.

The atmosphere of bewilderment had yet to settle down. No voice had raised to agree with her. Aijisupa clicked his tongue and reached out to make Shiika raise her head.

"…Do you also not mind weak, good-for-nothing Mushitsuki?"

A voice with a tinge of reserve sounded out from near the entrance to the parking lot.

Turning back, Chiharu saw a person show up from inside the crowd. She wasn't wearing a mask, exposing her sharp eyes. She was also apparently injured as her right arm was in a cast supported by her neck.

The suited woman who seemed to be in her early twenties had an anguished look, but did not raise her head.

"Despite the fact that I had once sworn to protect you but failed… will you still accept even someone like me…?"

Everyone on the platform turned to look at her. Munakata raised a voice in surprise.

"Namie?"

She continued her appeal with a shaking voice.

"I wasn't able to protect you. Although I had sworn four years ago that protecting you was my justice, I wasn't able to accomplish it. Will you still take this powerless me who cannot even bear to face you alongside you to this fight…?"

Shiika lifted her face.

She was baffled for a while, but perhaps recalling something from her words, she widened her eyes in surprise.

"You're… the person from back then…?"

Seeing that Shiika remembered, the woman known as Namie bit her lips.

Even Shiika seemed to be hesitated for a moment. Yet before long, the girl timidly asked.

"Will you help me…?"

"…!"

The woman looked up for the first time. The next moment, she was dumbfounded to see Shiika deeply lowering her head.

"Thank you very much…!"

Gradually, Namie's expression warped. Large beads of tears started falling from her eyes.

"This time surely…! I will be sure protect you…! I will protect you without fail…!"

The woman squeezed out a trembling voice.

Aya spoke by Chiharu's feet.

"That's Takakuwa Minori. She was on the verge of death when Lady saved her, against the objections of her comrades. She has finally regained her consciousness only recently. —I don't know what happened to her four years ago, but she seemed to have been monitoring Fuyuhotaru at the Fallen facility in Hashiba City up till last year."

Chiharu knitted her eyebrows.

"She used to be a member of the SEPB's East Central Branch. Quite the veteran Mushitsuki. Calling herself weak is unthinkable. She was apparently once even designated Blaze Class Rank 3."

'She seemed to have caught Chami's eyes when she heard about her, but guess she ended up being stolen by Fuyuhotaru huh', add Aya in a seemingly bored tone.

The other white masks also appeared to know about Takakuwa Minori. The commotion was growing larger.

"…I have a condition."

The one saying it as if wringing the words out of his throat was Youichi.

"I don't mind if it's anyone else, but I'll never forgive that piece of shit…"

As Chiharu watched on, the boy's face distorted with hatred.

In front of none other than Chiharu—Youichi shouted so.

"I will definitely kill Kakkou!"

"…!"

Chiharu had never witnessed this emotion before—such an intense hatred, murderous impulse directed at another person.

"No matter what, I will slay the one who killed Lady, Kakkou! And it's not only just her! Do you even know how many of our comrades were done in by him, Fuyuhotaru! —Rather, you should also abhor him, isn't it! Say, why don't we start by destroying him! Everything can start from then! Now's our chance!"

Seeing the boy rave on like that in front of her eyes, Chiharu felt a shudder welling up inside of her.

The instant Kakkou's name was raised, the underground parking lot turned into a crucible of angry roars. People unanimously spat out abusive language directed at him.

The one they were currently cursing was none other than Chiharu's brother.

Her brother, Kusuriya Daisuke, gathered hatred from that many people.

"Uuh…"

She could barely withstand this shock by covering her ears.

Only by using her utmost effort did she manage to stop her legs from folding.

If this really was the hatred that Daisuke gave rise to, Chiharu had no choice but to accept it—

"Our chance? What do you mean, Sinica?"

As the puzzled Munakata asked this, Youichi returned a warped smile to him.

"Since yesterday, that scumbag—Kakkou went missing! Even the SEPB can't get in contact with him!"

"…!"

Including Chiharu, everyone present gulped.

"Right now, while he is cut off from the support of the SEPB, we will be able to slaughter him if we manage to find him first! How about it, a once in a lifetime chance! As long as we manage to kill Kakkou, I'll help you with whatever it is you're doing!"

The white masks raised loud, angry roars all at Youichi's words.

"Sinica…! Where exactly did you get that intel from—"

Even Munakata's question was erased by the people's voices.

Shiika bit her lower lip sadly. Aijisupa looked down at the white masks with a cold expression, and Namie who walked closer to Fuyuhotaru looked around vigilantly.

Murderous intent directed at Kakkou filled the underground parking lot.

"Shiika-chan—"

The people's anger and hatred were about to rip Chiharu's heart apart.

Yet, she couldn't ever accept that. She wanted to believe from the depths of her hearts that her brother was not such a horrible person.

"Shiika-chan…!"

She desperately looked up at the girl on the platform.

Even when about to be crushed by the wave of white masks that was trying to reach Fuyuhotaru, Chiharu looked only at Shiika.

If even by that kind, strong girl hated him–Chiharu could finally accept it.

"Shiika-chan!!"

She shouted, forgetting herself.

Shiika raised her face with a twitch. She looked around at the thong of people.

"Is Dai—Kakkou really such a…!"

Chiharu's voice was drowned out by an explosive roar.

A large hole suddenly opened in the ground near the scaffold Shiika was standing on. Not to mention the ground supposed to be there, several dozen pillars and the wall also evaporated without leaving any trace

"Silence, you idiots. You ended up like this because you're an untrained mob."

A Mushi fluttered while leaving white traces behind it, landing atop Namie's shoulder.

Aijisupa sighed in the ensuing silence.

"Just when we are about to enter a 'fight to not fight'… we've gotten quite the short-tempered comrade."

"You as well. Since you're at Fuyuhotaru's side make an effort to respect her will. She can't speak up."

Shiika stood flustered in the center of the two quarreling people. Aya added "someone of the level of Rank 3 protecting the Rank 1 Fuyuhotaru… well, it's fine as long as they don't stand in Chami's way" in a mutter.

"I've made a promise with Kakkou-kun."

With the gazes of the white masks gathering on her, Shiika calmly began to speak.

"To never give up our dreams…"

No lies could be felt from Shiika's voice that sounded as if she was reciting a song. She believed in the fact she believed in the other party and they believed her too—

"Ever since we made that promise four years ago, Kakkou-kun kept fighting. Now he might perhaps be nothing but an enemy, but he is also trying to end the battle. That's why when I'm able to find the Original Three, at that time—"

Shiika clearly asserted with an unhesitant tone.

"I believe we'll be able to combine our powers with Kakkou-kun – with the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau."

Silence.

Just like the calm before the storm.

"Not only do you not want to fight the SEPB… but you also want to combine our powers with them…!"

"Frankly speaking I'm also not sure about Kakkou or whatever. But we have to put up with that. Because if we can't surpass our hatred now, living past the battles ahead would be impossible."

The words uttered by Aijisupa became the trigger.

Including Youichi, a large amount of the white masks all raised voices of anger. There were people advocating to take revenge against Kakkou, with some of them also blaming Fuyuhotaru.

"Staying here any longer is dangerous. Let's get away."

Aya rose up. Pulling the dazed Chiharu's hand, she turned her body.

"B-but…"

Chiharu turned toward Shiika on the platform.

She realized more than enough about Mushibane's hatred toward Daisuke.

But hearing Shiika's words, she once again didn't know anything about him.

The girl that said she had made a promise with her brother and wanted to one day combined their powers – Shiika definitely knew the real Daisuke. She realized that, but she was yet to ascertain if Shiika's attitude was due to her overcoming her hatred or due to some other reason.

"Do you really think we can approach Fuyuhotaru like this?"

Aya was calmness itself.

"Also, you've shouted Fuyuhotaru's real name just now. —Even now some people are looking at us."

"…!"

"If the executives know of it we'll be in trouble. Let's run away while the place is in disorder."

Contrary to her looks Aya was strong. Chiharu had no choice but to be dragged along to the entrance of the underground parking lot.

"They're following from behind. Quickly."

Aya said without looking back, heading up for the expressway that connected to the surface.

"R-right!"

Chiharu ran strenuously as she was out of breath.

While climbing the gloomy road, bright sunlight shone in. They could see the exit of the underground parking lot ahead.

"Gensis? Is the assembly over already?"

Seeing Aya's figure, two white masks standing in the boundary between the parking lot and the surface raised their voice. They were the guards in charge of doing body checks to those who entered the building.

"Yeah."

Asserting this shortly, Aya tried passing through the exit with Chiharu.

But just before that they heard a voice from behind.

"Wait! Stop them! There's something we need to check!"

Turning around, there were two white masks rushing at them from behind.

Aya's legs stopped.

Although puzzled, the white mask guards stood in the pair's way.

With the exit in front of their eyes, Chiharu and Aya became sandwiched between four people.

"What does this mean? Did you do something, Gensis?"

"Gensis… who's that with you? She used another name to refer to Fuyuhotaru just now, but if that's her real name only the executives are supposed to know it…"

Aya left Chiharu's hand she was grasping. Her almond eyes calmly gazed at the white masks.

"…"

"Why won't you answer?"

"A-Aya-chan…"

In contrast to the tense Chiharu, Aya's expression was unchanged.

"Hey, contact the executives and make sure. Call Halen or Sinica—"

"I won't let you contact them."

Asserting with an unchanging tone, Aya swung her left hand to the side.

At some point a small ground beetle alighted on her fingers. It instantly swelled its body and clung to Aya's left arm. Black gas started spilling from its elastic mouthpart.

The white masks grew agitated at this preparation for battle. They also materialized their own Mushi.

"You… what're you doing! Do you intend to betray us, Gensis!"

"You can just shut up and let us pass. I never thought of Mushibane as comrades, but it wasn't like that with you right? I'll just warn you for now."

Aya's words were completely unchanged from the usual. Just by that she felt intimidating.

The white masks seemed perturbed. But seeing that one of them pulled out a wireless transmitter from their pocket, Aya pushed Chiharu's back.

"Run."

"Eh…?"

"Quickly."

Just as she was told, Chiharu kicked the ground. Passing next to the white masks, she aimed for the exit.

"We won't let you!"

She heard a shout from behind.

Wriggling its innumerable legs, a Mushi cut around in front of Chiharu. As she stopped without thinking, a gust of wind passed by her side.

Along with the knocking of light footsteps, the figure of a person landed atop the Mushi in the front.

It was Aya. —Chiharu had no idea when she had managed to overtake her and jump on top of the large Mushi.

By the point in time she stood on top of the Mushi, Aya held aloft the hand her ground beetle clung to.

Her long hair fluttering, she swung her left arm directly downward.

"…!"

The tremor caused Chiharu's body to float for an instant.

A white flash surged from the ground beetle's mouthpart, piercing the large Mushi. It was probably something with an extremely high pressure, as nothing was left of the Mushi pierced by the stake shining in pure white. A sizzling smoke rose from the large hole opened in the ground.

"Wha—"

The white masks were astounded. One person in the back lost his strength and slumped to the ground.

"Gensis, you…!"

With an angry voice, two Mushi assaulted Aya.

The jaw of a Mushi tried biting her, yet she evaded it like a cat–no, with even more instantaneous force than that and cut to the side. She thrust her left hand at two Mushi from an angle where both of them were lined up.

A green stake was launched from the ground beetle's mouthpart. The luster-emitting thick metal stake skewered the two Mushi at once.

"Guh…!"

Not minding the white masks raising a voice of agony, Aya again raised her arm overhead.

The ground beetle raised its elytra and a large amount of gas came blowing out of its rear. Its orange-colored feelers swayed.

"I warned you."

Heading towards the two skewered Mushi, Aya again waved her arm.

A crimson glow swallowed them. The large explosion burning the Mushi to a crisp kept going and even created a hole that seemed about three times bigger than Chiharu in the near wall.

Chiharu could do nothing but stand still.

Aya's Mushi could probably alter the composition of any substances it had eaten and eject them. She could attack with all kinds of stakes such as gas-state heat rays, masses of metal or super-compressed explosive flames. Even to Chiharu's eyes her ability seemed to be frighteningly powerful.

"Y-you… are you really Gensis…?"

Only one white mask remained. Raising a voice of fear, he turned around.

Aya stooped down her body like a predator beast hunting its prey, and without a moment's delay pursued the white mask.

"You don't have to chase him. Since it became this noisy the people downstairs are also sure to notice."

Aya stopped her movements hearing the voice echoing from the exit.

"Chami-chan?"

As Chiharu and Aya turned around, they could see a small girl standing there. Holding her still aching stomach, she looked at them with a rigid face.

"So you ended up coming, Chami. Did you worry?"

"Don't be stupid. I was just anxious to have you two alone, and my stomach hurt more than my wounds. C'mon, let's scram."

"Y-yeah."

Chiharu and Aya tried going past Chami to the surface.

Yet Chami didn't move from the spot.

"What's wrong, Chami?"

"Aya. You—"

Chami slowly approached Aya as she was turned around.

"I finally realized. What's happening to you is the same phenomenon as Kanata. Because of the ability I put inside you the balance of your mind and body is messed up. I can't explain your movements and your Mushi's sudden growth otherwise. My ability has effects even I still don't understand… I should've realized this during the time Owlet gained non-catlike intellect."

Saying this, Chami tried raising her hand at Aya.

Yet the one to grab and stop her hand was none other than Aya herself.

"…What are you going to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm canceling my ability. No matter how strong you become, if you break up like Kanata it'll be meaningless. If you become useless then I don't need you."

"I'm fine like this. I feel great lately."

Chami glared at Aya as she said this calmly. Yet she didn't withdraw.

"Also, if you lift your ability I might stop listening to your orders. You need pawns, right Chami?"

"…You still obey me even while knowing about my ability. If I need you I'll come to get you again."

"Liar. You'll never come back. And if I'm removed from the fight you'll never think about me again."

"Idiot…! Even that feeling of 'loneliness' is amplified by my ability. But you know this!"

"Anyway, I'm fine as is. The one to bring me in was you, Chami. Throwing me away is against the rules."

Cutting off the conversation one-sidedly, Aya turned her back to Chami and started walking.

"…Tch, don't regret this later."

She asserted, and suddenly glared at Chiharu.

"Eh? W-what?"

"How did it go for you? There was some result, right?"

She said, and Chiharu hesitated to answer.

Mushibane's new development.

Anmoto Shiika's resolution.

Daisuke who was hated by Mushitsuki.

Now that Chiharu came to know various things, the conclusion inside her only grew further.

"I recalled the past a bit, but… I still don't know a lot about Daisuke."

Hearing Chiharu's half-baked answer, Chami diverted her gaze with a bored "hmph".

"As if you'd understand one Mushitsuki so easily. —Let's go."

She still required plenty to understand Daisuke as he was now.

To Whom It May Concern, how are you doing—

The "narrating habit" she grew accustomed to in the days without Daisuke, her brother whom she has forgotten, now surfaced in her heart.

It will take a little bit more time to find you. But on top of knowing how you are right now I'll definitely meet you—

Looking at the two Mushitsuki girls walking in the front, Chiharu nodded.

"Right."

After five years she finally recalled the name of the person she had been addressing it to.

So wait for me, Daisuke—

Chiharu softly muttered in her heart.

1.04 Daisuke Part 2

*

Gaping open.

It was as if a hole was opened up.

The same feeling as if the very center of his heart fell off.

Since he had no center, he was able to stand the pain.

Since he had no center, he didn't want to do anything.

Since he had no center – he didn't have any sense of reality every day.

"…"

The voices of insects could be heard outside the class of Shiou Elementary School.

The voices of insects and giggles surrounded Daisuke holding his backpack.

Reflected in his eyes was the space opened up in the exact middle of the class.

As if reflecting his heart, that was the only missing thing in the scene.

—This morning, when Daisuke arrived at school, his desk was gone.

"Horrible… who did that? That's bullying."

"It's bullying, bullying."

His male classmates were laughing enjoyably in their seats by the window. It was the same group that always teased Daisuke. Only these comrades were laughing, and the other boys and girls pretended not to see anything.

"I wonder who did it… What do you say, Tsumura?"

"U-umm… Kusuriya-kun…"

Another boy from the same class, Tsumura Mitsuki, hesitatingly called to Daisuke. He hanged his head as if to shrink further his already small body.

"I… umm… sorr…"

Ignoring Mitsuki, Daisuke turned around in place. As he walked toward the entrance, his legs were caught up. Another laughter rose as the boys looked at Daisuke stumbling to the floor.

"…"

A dull pain ran through his knees. He apparently grazed them.

Yet Daisuke bit his lips as he stood up, grabbed his backpack and left the class. He kept going and passed through the corridor, climbing up the stairs.

Daisuke came to the school rooftop. Leaning against the wall next to the entrance, he sat down on the floor. Textbooks fell out of his dropped backpack, but he didn't even turn to look at those.

He didn't come to the roof to think.

He just didn't have any other place to go to.

Daisuke had no place he belonged to–anywhere.

"So stupid…"

He pouted and mumbled while hugging his knees. He didn't know if he was speaking about his classmate who hid his desk or about himself who just left the class without doing anything.

If he resisted even a little bit, perhaps they would stop teasing him.

But that was all.

The fact that Daisuke was all alone in the class wouldn't change. The facts that he was unsociable and that he had no father wouldn't change.

Thinking that, he didn't feel like resisting at all.

—Several hours later.

After Daisuke burned time by taking a nap and scribbling in his textbooks, the bell rang.

School was over.

Since he hadn't eaten lunch he was hungry. He estimated the time it would take the children to leave school and left the roof.

On the way he dropped by his classroom.

Apparently everyone had gone home. The vacant space in the center of the empty classroom was filled.

"…"

Perhaps someone brought it back or perhaps their homeroom teacher scolded the students and made them return it, but anyway Daisuke's desk returned to its previous spot. He left the classroom.

He replaced his shoes at the shoe rack, leaving the school building.

When he did he heard some voices speaking from nearby.

"You're a traitor, Tsumura!"

"B…But…"

"I don't even want to hear it, you stinking traitor!"

Tsumura Mitsuki was surrounded by his classmates, hit in his stomach and cowered.

What, is he getting bullied as well—

Daisuke ignored it and tried heading toward the main gate.

"Why did you return Kusuriya's desk!"

Daisuke stopped in place.

For the first time, what welled up inside him—

"…"

Was anger.

It was fine if Tsumura Mitsuki was ordered to hide Daisuke's desk against his will, but he probably couldn't bear it and returned it. Either way if he was bullied he wouldn't help him.

But Daisuke hated that what caused them to persecute Mitsuki was himself.

He could ignore everything that was done to him, but – having another person's peaceful life be destroyed because of him made him feel bad.

"…Stop that."

Daisuke said, heading towards the group of boys.

"Hey, it's Kusuriya."

"What, were you still in school?"

"Come here. Let's play with both of them."

One of them approached Daisuke and tried pulling his arm.

"…"

Daisuke shook it off.

"Ouch! What the heck? Do you want to go at it?"

He thrust him away.

"…"

"Wow…"

He pushed him back.

The boys looked at Daisuke with surprised faces. But their faces distorted more and more with anger.

—Later, even he wasn't sure how he faced his opponents.

Daisuke was just used to being beaten, and didn't have much of the feeling known as fear. But it appeared like his opponents weren't so.

When he returned one blow, the other party immediately held his head and cowered. As he did the other boys also grew scared of Daisuke and didn't want to come close to him. He could remember that at the point two of them started crying the others immediately ran away. Yet their wounds were much lighter than Daisuke's and one boy was also unhurt.

"…Ouch…"

No matter how used he was to it, pain still hurt. He wiped off his nosebleed roughly with his sleeve, picking up the dropped backpack. He wanted to leave just like that but Mitsuki hurriedly rushed to him.

"A-are you fine, Kusuriya-kun?"

"…"

"Umm… T-thank you!"

"I didn't really—"

"You're so strong! Why didn't you do anything until now?"

Mitsuki stubbornly clung to Daisuke ever since they exited the school premises. The entire time on their way back he directed a gaze full of respect toward him. Daisuke felt creeped out and couldn't return his gaze.

"How nice that you're strong… Since I'm a weakling I'll get bullied again…"

Mitsuki hanged his head while saying this and Daisuke spoke to him bluntly.

"If they try doing anything to you then I'll do something. They only got carried away because I wasn't doing anything…"

"Really?"

Being faced with a truly happy-looking smile, Daisuke could only mutter "uh".

Daisuke didn't feel like trying to save him but rather some sense of responsibility. But apparently Mitsuki didn't think that way. He made the mistake of thinking he was a nice person.

Separating from Mitsuki, Daisuke tried climbing up the stairs to his apartment.

Suddenly feeling he was being watched, he turned around to the road.

"…?"

It was his imagination.

As Daisuke turned to look behind he could see a granular object reflecting the setting sun's light.

It was a scale glowing in purple.

Tilting his head, Daisuke climbed up the stairs.

He heard a voice. "Falling behind on rent… until after the 10^th…" and it kept going.

When he reached the end of the stairs there was a middle-aged woman in front of his house. She was familiar to him. She was supposed to be the apartment's landlady.

Meanwhile, Daisuke's mother was lowering her head in the entryway. She was recently always busy with her job and seemed to become increasingly fragile.

Noticing his presence, the landlady left some words to his mother and departed.

"I'm home."

"Welcome back."

Daisuke's mother leaked a tired sigh and entered the house. She was brooding and didn't even look at his face. She apparently hadn't even noticed he was injured.

"…"

Daisuke also entered and closed the door.

It was a cramped apartment that only had a living room and bedrooms. That was the house his mother, his sister, as well as Daisuke himself lived in.

—He didn't like that house much.

Even before it was cramped, his mother always seemed pained whenever she was home. Probably tired, she would only sigh and seldom ever looked at Daisuke's face. There were also times when he spoke up to her and she was so absent-minded she didn't hear him.

Nothing changed regardless if Daisuke was there or not. That was the same as in school. No, if the cause for his mother's sighs was also him, then—

When he was at home he ended up with a lot of unnecessary thoughts.

Daisuke hated that.

"I'm hooome! Ah! Daisuke, you're back!"

As he put his backpack in the bedroom, a voice called to him from the door.

"Jeez! I thought of going back with you, but you weren't anywhere – kyaaa!"

Opening the sliding screen and flying into the bedroom, the girl raised a scream as if the world ended.

—Daisuke's sister, Chiharu, was an idiot.

She would clamor exaggeratedly at every little thing. Just like a protagonist acting on the stage.

She was bright and carefree to the extent he doubted if they were really related by blood.

"Daisuke, y-you're injured! Come here! Your sister will disinfect you!"

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt anymore. Stop it."

"Please be quiet. You'll bother our neighbors." Their mother called towards the scuffling kids while in front of the sink.

"Why are you hurt? Who did this? …It couldn't be El – some kind of mature woman or…?"

"Hah? No, umm… I fell."

"Really? What if – no! Daisuke's a strong kid!"

"…Who are you saying this to, stupid."

"Ah, no, umm, just talking to myself. I just wanted to shout a bit. It's just that, really."

While putting band-aids on Daisuke's cheeks, Chiharu desperately denied.

His sister was acting a bit strange recently.

She started tagging along with Daisuke more than the usual and at times she'd act as if she was talking to someone when alone. It seemed that she herself hasn't noticed it, but it was her habit to say "it's just that, really" when she was lying.

"Also, you can't call your big sister stupid. —I'll go back with you starting tomorrow so it'll be fine. C'mon, don't do that anymore."

"I told you I just fell. So annoying!"

"I'm not annoying! It's normal!"

Chiharu seemed to be eager to meddle in Daisuke's business.

For him it was more unbearable than anything else. It was obviously also embarrassing.

"It's not normal at all."

Chiharu was probably the one and only being in the world around Daisuke right now.

—A person who needed him when he had no one else.

Chiharu was very kind towards him, probably out of her duty as an older sister to protect her brother.

She was too kind.

Chiharu didn't play with her friends – because she recently became excessively worried about Daisuke.

By prioritizing Daisuke over everything else, the world around Chiharu isolated her.

She detached herself little by little from the place she belonged to for his sake.

And she herself hasn't noticed that.

"Don't follow me on the way to school or back from it anymore."

Daisuke said coldly, causing Chiharu to make a lonely face. It made his chest prickle, but he didn't let it show on his face.

—Daisuke's sister, Chiharu, was stupid.

Since she was stupid, she needed to find another place.

Daisuke shouldn't be there, he thought.

*

These were memories from five years ago.

The memories from before Daisuke became all alone and left that cheap apartment.

"Uh—"

He was in the backstreet of a town he didn't know the name of.

Sleeping in the corner of the empty alley, Kusuriya Daisuke opened his eyelids. He removed the SEPB's coat he had used to stave off the cold and stood up.

He intended on a nap but at he apparently ended up actually falling asleep at some point.

"I slept too much… shit."

He clicked his tongue, wearing his coat again. Confirming there was no one nearby, he started running.

But his legs kicking the ground suddenly lost their strength. Apparently his fatigue was not gone with just a little sleep.

—Ever since learning of Chiharu's disappearance at 'URBAN', Daisuke kept running toward a certain place.

He had no idea how many dozens of kilometers he had run. This nap was his first time to sleep ever since the day before yesterday when he had arrived at Nishito City and until now. His joints raised screams and he also accumulated quite a lot of fatigue.

Where was Daisuke heading to?

Except for him none knew the answer.

"Kh—"

Once again exerting power in his knees he stood up.

He had crushed the goggles that had the function to inform the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau of his location by his own hands.

It shouldn't be easy to grasp Daisuke's whereabouts. As to not be caught by the SEPB's search network that thoroughly encompassed the whole country, he chose to not rely on any public transit and to keep running through empty roads.

He couldn't allow himself to be discovered by the Central Headquarters as they would consider him an obstacle and obstruct him.

He couldn’t involve the East Central Branch he belonged to either.

That's why he decided on his own accord to cut all contact with the SEPB.

"If I don't hurry, she'll get there first…"

Clenching his teeth, Daisuke raised his face. He started running again.

—Dreaming of the past was no coincidence.

He knew that his older sister, Chiharu, had gone missing.

That was why Daisuke had to hurry.

He didn't know where Chiharu was now and what she was doing.

But, because of that—

He had no time.

Although he knew that only the worst situation possible might be waiting for him there, Daisuke had to go.

"I have to somehow get there before…"

 Would he be able to accomplish his objective all by himself?

—Such thoughts crossed his mind.

Daisuke knew the true identity of the despair waiting for him in the place he was headed to. He was the only one to know it.

If he could borrow the power of the East Central Branch—

"No…"

He threw away these naïve thoughts.

The current East Central Branch wouldn't be enough. He was the only one to know that, too.

"I'm fine alone. This time I will definitely—"

Until now he always fought on his own.

And he would keep fighting alone.

"This time…!"

The checkered beetle landed on his body.

Without minding his own exhaustion…

Not even caring the waste of his dream…

Fusing with his Mushi, Daisuke ran on the ground heading to a certain direction.

1.05 The Others

The curtains of a hospital room fluttered by a gentle breeze.

Goroumaru Touko rose from the chair used by visitors to close the open window.

Although it has become warm, the wind was still cold. Even the fresh outside air would become poison for the person lying on the bed were it to be in contact with him too much.

Closing the window, the noise from outside ceased all at once. The personal sickroom now became a secluded space for only Touko and the person on the bed alone.

"As expected it's a bit cold this time of the year. I hope Daisuke-san's not freezing now, tahaha."

She showed a loose smile at the youth lying on the bed.

There was naturally no reply. Touko smiled wryly and sat on the chair again. Her unkempt hair lightly shook. She fixed the position of her glasses using her index finger.

 "Ah, you also look cold, Haji-senpai. S-sorry for not noticing…"

Seeing the blanket was off, she hurriedly rose. After fixing it she took a breath as if completing hard work.

With his chest silently going up and down on the bed was Haji Keigo. He was the youth who served as the SEPB's East Central Branch Director. Since he was asleep there were no traces of his trademark sharp eyes and faint smile. The lines of his face became thin because he has lost a lot of weight.

Ever since the climactic battle against Mushibane in Hashiba City during last year's Christmas he remained unconscious. Every day his little sister Senri would come to visit and nurse him, yet there were no signs of him waking up until now.

"Ah, Senri-san? She has training today. But since it should be over soon I believe she will then come here. —Ah, no, I didn't force her. She also wishes to battle… so, umm… we ended up adding your little sister to the fighting, please don't be mad."

Despite Haji making no movements at all, Touko explained this with added gestures.

Since she shared the same blood as Haji, Senri was especially smart. Although she bore the handicap of being blind since birth, her growth through the training was astonishing.

"Also, umm… I still haven't told her. That Daisuke-san cut all contact…"

She unconsciously lowered her eyes. She looked at her hands crossed on her knees.

"And we still haven't been able to find the location of his sister – Chiharu-san."

They have lost contact with Daisuke visiting Nishito City right after Touko herself informed him of Chiharu's disappearance.

Daisuke's goggles were discovered on the rooftop of the building known as Urban Tower. The remains of his cellphone were found in the same place. She was also worried about him due to finding traces of a battle, but there were eyewitness reports about a boy similar to Daisuke that appeared to be fine running away from the tower.

Letting the local people see him probably meant he left the area in a great hurry. They also confirmed the fact that the goggles had been destroyed by his own gun.

Meaning Daisuke disappeared to avoid the SEPB out of his own accord.

Did he have any idea about the location of his sister Chiharu?

Perhaps.

But perhaps not.

The only thing they knew was that Daisuke ignored the organization known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau and moved.

It wasn't just Central Headquarters.

He had left behind even his supposed allies of the East Central Branch at 'URBAN' along with the goggles.

—Even if I'm gone from the East Central Branch, don't lose against Central Headquarters.

These were the last words Daisuke said on the phone.

Did he understand their meaning?

If his intent was certain, then Touko had to reach a certain decision as the commander of the East Central Branch—

"R…really, what is he thinking about! It's surely his rebellious phase! How could he disappear without saying anything and make us worry like that! When he comes back I'll firmly scold him! It's revenge for always being scolded – no, as an adult human, I should get angry when the time calls for it!"

Haji remained with a calm expression and closed eyes, saying nothing.

He was skilled enough to raise the boy known as Kusuriya Daisuke into the strongest Mushitsuki Kakkou, and he could even compete equally against the Central Headquarters despite him being only 28 years-old. He had risked his life to save Daisuke, so while he was said to be cold-hearted he also possessed unshakable intelligence and strength.

Meanwhile, the Acting Branch Director of the East Central Branch, Touko, was…

—Incompetent.

Her evaluation could be summed up with that word. Since she herself acknowledged it, she was beyond help.

Yet Haji chose none other than the incompetent Touko as his successor—

"In the first place, even if Daisuke's gone for a bit the East Central Branch won't give up! With my skills we got the Blaze Class Rank 2 Akatsuki-san as a comrade, and I even upturned the Central Headquarters' priority-based chain of command! If I hadn't done so then Daisuke wouldn't have received permission to battle when he went to Nishito City—"

Puffing her chest, she smiled. Yet both hands grabbed the bed's sheets tightly.

She intended on doing her best even while being incompetent.

She had sworn so during the time she used Anmoto Shiika–the girl known as Fuyuhotaru as a bargaining chip against Central Headquarters. And she had the resolution to fight.

She wanted to save the people fighting and hurting each other because of the unreasonable beings known as Mushi.

"So you don't have to worry one bit! The East Central Branch is fine! Yes, we're fine! Definitely fine! Fine…"

With the trust she had received from Haji…

And as long as Daisuke, who hadn't lost even once no matter his enemy, was there…

Even the incompetent Touko thought she would be able to do it.

However—

"It's fine… I will… somehow…"

Her voice shook. Slowly lowering her gaze, the white floor reflected in her eyes.

"I…"

Blaze Class Rank 1 member, Kakkou.

Touko currently lost that strongest card.

"…If it wasn't me but Haji-senpai, he probably wouldn't have even disappeared…"

She muttered these words unconsciously. But she suddenly raised her head.

"I-it's nothing. That doesn't count, doesn't count! Yeah, I'll do it! Who cares about Mushi! Who cares about Mushibane! Who cares about Central Headquarters! But I'll be glad if Vice-Director Miguruma, Harukiyo and the Annihilation Unit go easy on us a bit… A-anyway I'll do my best! Please watch me, Haji-senp- Ouch! My shin… my shin… the edge of the bed…!"

Bracing herself and trying to get up, Touko hit her leg on the bed and squatted.

While Touko was curled up on the floor—

She felt as if she could hear a familiar laughter.

A terribly cynical, faint laugh.

"—"

With her body still curled, Touko widened her eyes.

It was nothing more than an auditory illusion produced by her weak heart. —So she thought.

She was scared of confirming it so she couldn't raise her face.

—Enough being high-spirited. You have the habit to be wasting your efforts the more you are enthusiastic.

The cynical tone of Haji, unchanged from when he was her private tutor during her college days, was reborn in her ears.

—Look at this report card. You're a genius. Although you've taught me the meaning of the word despair for the first time since I was born, this actually makes me want to pay for your tuition.

Such was her extremely sarcastic and ill-natured private tutor.

Yet in some respects it was enjoyable, and Touko didn't dislike being under his command. Perhaps that was why she thought of trying to be unlike her enthusiastic self from that time a bit.

"—"

She felt like she could do better on that test she had enthusiastically studied for.

She simply thought of something.

—If her results were good, then she wouldn't have a need for a private tutor anymore.

In the end her feeling she could solve the problems was apparently her misunderstanding. Starting then, she wasn't able to focus on her studies so her results grew increasingly worse.

Yet, for some reason only when she tried the entrance examination for the same university as Haji she worked hard again.

As a result, Touko had miraculously passed the exams—

"Haji—senpai—"

In order to ascertain the faint laugh she heard was only an illusion…

Touko slowly raised her head.

—The wind outside the window grew increasingly stronger.

Was it already one hour since she had closed the window? Leaves flying at the transparent glass raised a small sound.

The gentle breeze turned into a strong wind.

The outside scenery visible from inside the sickroom was dyed by orange.

It was already sunset.

"—Ah, right. Come in."

Sitting in the chair and peeling an apple, Touko turned toward the door.

The person who knocked opened it.

It was Ogata Akatsuki and Haji Senri. Akatsuki gently held the blind Senri's hand.

"Acting Branch Director, umm… huh?"

Seeing the apple Touko was holding, Akatsuki was startled.

"That apple… no way, has the Branch Director—"

"T-this is a misunderstanding, Akatsuki-san!"

Flustered, Touko rose from the chair. She frantically explained while swinging around the apple and knife.

"It's not like I wanted to steal his food…! You see, umm, right right, I thought that it was about time for Senri-san and you to show up! How about trying one? It's sweet and delicious! —No! I don't really know if it's sweet, umm…"

"…"

Akatsuki looked more amazed the more she looked at him.

Next to the flustered Touko, Haji Keigo kept sleeping with a pale face without any change. Confirming this fact, the boy dropped his shoulders and sighed.

"I won't really spread rumors or anything, so please stop swinging the knife… Wait, aren't your eyes a bit red?"

"Tahaha, I hit my shin on the bed and it's really swollen… even I would like to cry. Oh, right, I should create a personal relief squad for our Branch—"

"Are you fine, Touko-san?"

Haji Senri wore a worried face. She was sensitive to changes in other people more than anyone.

"Your voice is a bit different than normal. Was that it really that painful or…"

"You don't have to be so serious, Senri. This person is always like this after all. —More importantly, Acting Branch Director. I have something to talk with you about. Do you have a minute?"

"Ah, yes. —Uh… The more Senri-san is kind the more conspicuous Akatsuki-san's coldness becomes…"

Akatsuki, who was once a member of Mushibane, hated the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. If his friend Senri wasn't there then he would've actually wanted to get out of there immediately.

Touko gave up the apple and returned it to the shelf. Noticing that Senri was looking at the bed, she followed her sight.

"…Leave this to me, Haji-senpai."

She said at the youth that had his eyes closed.

"Eh? Did you say something?"

"Ah, no! Just talking to myself, Senri-san."

While showing a forced smile and exiting the sickroom, she could see familiar faces lined up in the corridor.

The boy wearing the same uniform as Akatsuki was the member known by the codename Kabuto. His battle capabilities were not that high, but his mission success rate was outstanding. A subordinate like him that would successfully carry out any kind of mission was an extremely important human resource.

Another one was a girl who looked like an adult. She was Shirakashi Ubuki who got released from hospital just the other day. The turban wrapped around her head was used to prevent her hair from obstructing her vision when she used her special ability of flying. She was a Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like Daisuke.

"Huh? Weren't you all supposed to be on your normal duties… or rather, on standby? Oh I see, you came to visit Haji-senpai."

"Touko-san. Is it true that Dai-kun is missing…?"

As Touko tilted her head, Senri said this with an anxious tone.

"Eh…? How do you—"

"Seems like it's true."

Leaning on the wall and crossing his arms, Kabuto sighed. He seemed annoyed.

"Ehehe. I made friends with Maimai-tan and heard 'bout it from her. She said that the intelligence division is looking for him but still haven't found him."

The one with the special way of speaking was Ubuki.

"Hah, being friends with her is quite unusual – wait, ehh? W-what, isn't that a huge breach of the rules? No, more importantly, Ubuki-san, you still tentatively belong to Central Headquarters, and you're still recovering, so you shouldn't move around too much."

"He apparently disappeared the day before yesterday. Why did none of us receive orders to look for him?"

The gazes of the four teens glared at Touko.

They all probably had their own thoughts. But she kept silent.

"From the situation it appears that Kakkou cut contact with the SEPB out of his own accord. —And I've seen such cases countless times until now."

Kabuto said in a rigid tone.

"That's the pattern when members run away or betray us."

"…"

Touko was still silent. She calmly received the gazes of her subordinates.

The first to respond to Kabuto's words was Senri.

"There's no way Dai-kun betrayed us, right?"

She detached from Akatsuki, grabbing Touko's clothes.

"Why do you not get us to search for him quickly? Isn't Dai-kun targeted by a lot of people? He might be in danger right now…!"

"Well… perhaps."

Senri became speechless at her words.

"I hadn't given you any searching orders because it's impossible. Out of all the kinds of missions I can't appoint you four to look for a person."

"What do you mean?"

"Akatsuki-san. You are the person I can't allow to go out on this search mission the most. The information that Kakkou-san's gone might have been leaked to Mushibane. If that happens there's a possibility the East Central Branch will be targeted again. Just like their members attacked us before. In the first place you were invited to serve as Kakkou-san's replacement as a powerful member at hand in case of his absence."

Akatsuki calmly glared at Touko. Perhaps he had seen through her intentions.

Touko's reasons were actually half lie.

The boy known as Ogata Akatsuki harbored murderous hatred toward Daisuke as Kakkou. If he was sent to search for him, got caught up by his own feelings and took independent actions, there was no doubt it would turn into a battle. She wanted to avoid the worst-case scenario of allies fighting each other until they confirmed all facts.

Instead of Akatsuki Shirakashi Ubuki raised her hand.

"Then I'll be goin'!"

"Although your mobility is great, Ubuki-san, you're powerless when it comes to searching. As long as you don't have any enemy-searching special ability like Konoha-san, looking for a single person from the sky would be difficult."

"If it's an 'enemy-searching' ability you need – I have finished my training today."

Hearing Senri's earnest words, Touko was speechless.

She thought of her as excellent, but her growth was way beyond her estimations. Wondering if it was really alright to allow her to train, even now she felt doubts.

Haji-senpai, Senri-san might become someone indispensible to our battle—

"…Unfortunately, Senri-san has no mobility. Also, in the unlikely case it becomes a fight you also don't have a way to protect yourself. And this lack of fighting power would remain the same even if you add Ubuki-san to the team."

"…!"

Ubuki grimaced in vexation. In contrast to the other Fusion-types who possessed strong battle capabilities, she had no way to fight. Touko also knew that she had a complex about her fighting abilities.

Naming himself instead was Kabuto.

"Then you can just add me."

"I know this will anger you but… pairing you with Senri-san is very half-baked. It leaves a lot to be desired in mobility and fighting ability. Since there are many enemies targeting Kakkou it will turn into quite the dangerous mission. If you are unable to find him and even end up getting taken out… it would be the worst situation."

With just this much, a mission like this could be left for Daisuke to handle alone. Since it was him, he had searching abilities including mobility and information gathering, as well as obviously possessed fighting strength of the highest grade.

The problem was that Daisuke was the one to conceal himself.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

Daisuke withdrew from the East Central Branch out of his own volition. His actions would be regarded as violation of the biggest rule breaching of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

It was just like Kabuto said.

Even without knowing Daisuke's true intentions, the acts committed by him were in fact—

Running away from the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

Although she was a temporary commander of the organization, Touko had to issue orders.

"We lack the manpower to search for Kakkou-san. I asked Branch Director Assistant Ishimaki to leave for the Central Headquarters."

Touko asserted with a serious expression in front of her subordinates knitting their brows dubiously.

"So all of you please stay on standby so that you could move at any time. The moment we find Kakkou we will need your powers."

Haji-senpai—

She spoke to Haji Keigo in her heart.

I'm doing what I should—

"Since Kakkou-san's actions went against the regulations of the East Central Branch, I have no choice but to consider it a betrayal. So as soon as we locate him—"

Touko gave orders as the Acting Branch Director.

"We will use the full efforts of the East Central Branch to capture Blaze Class Rank 1 member Kakkou."

Notes

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