Mushi Uta:Volume 5th

Novel Illustrations

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  Page 17

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  Page 31

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  Page 45

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  Page 73

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  Page 95

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  Page 125

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  Page 177

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  Page 311

Episode 17. The Stray Child Dozing Off to Dream

From the second floor of the fast-food restaurant, she could see the faces of passersby walking the main street.

Overlapping with this scene was her own face reflected on the window.

Her black pupils seemed faintly sleepy, and she held a straw in her mouth. Her hairstyle made of tying her hair behind her back was the same as it was for some years now. Since today was a warm spring day, her Horusu Seijou Middle School uniform was left unbuttoned down to the second button from the top.

Ichinokuro Arisu, who'd just advanced to become a middle school senior, was sitting alone at this four-person table. Not doing anything in particular, she was just absentmindedly watching the flow of everyday life.

A small shadow fluttered outside the window.

It was a Morpho butterfly flapping its silver-colored wings. However, unlike the real insect it had four antennas and its body itself was emitting a silver glow.

—Mushi.

That was the name of the supernatural being that possessed adolescent boys and girl and fed of their dreams and hopes of wanting to become this or that. Not many people knew that these monsters, whispered among the populace since almost a decade ago, could look so pretty.

No, even the very existence of Mushi was hazy in this country. It featured in rumors, but was never made public. The government's official stance was that they "did not exist", so only very few people knew of them. However, for the civilians becoming paranoid, those possessed by Mushi—Mushitsuki—became targets of discrimination and fear.

The Morpho butterfly was the Mushi that possessed none other than Arisu herself.

However, it wasn't her Mushi originally. She had inherited it from her best friend, the Mushitsuki called Hanashiro Mari, who had passed away due to illness. And regardless of her own will.

Mushitsuki actually existed.

Perhaps there were even some Mushitsuki mingling in the peaceful scene Arisu was currently watching.

With only a pane of glass separating her from them, the normal people passed in front of Arisu.

In the end, which "side" did she belong to?

A Mushitsuki who inherited the Mushi from her friend?

Or nothing more than a normal civilian that got involved with Mushitsuki?

She thought about this sort of thing a lot lately—

"*Pitter-patter*."

From behind Arisu she could hear an emotionless voice.

"*Goggle*. Found her." Following this mumble, the voice saying "*pitter patter*" started approaching again.

"*Thud*. I'm here."

Leaving the tray with her drink on it on the table, a single girl sat in the opposite seat to Arisu.

The girl had a peculiar hairstyle where her bangs were cut evenly but varied in length from left to right. Countless star-shaped stickers pasted under her left eye sparkled under the lighting. Unlike the last time they'd met, she wasn't wearing her monochrome casual clothes but a uniform of a different school than Arisu's.

"*Grin*. Long time no see, Spear-Type-san. —As well as Kasuou-san."

The star-stickers girl glanced at a different table. Sitting there was a blonde girl completely focused on devouring the mountain of hamburgers piled in front of her.

The blonde girl too stopped moving. Turning to them, she wore an elegant smile that was completely different from how she was before.

"Please don't disturb me while I'm eating. Otherwise I'll kill you, okay?"

Asserting this in Japanese with slightly weird intonation, Kasuou grabbed the burger again.

Forcing a smile, Arisu looked at the two of them.

"It really is amazing how people can ruin a serious atmosphere so splendidly…"

"*Grin*. There is no need for me to be considerate to you. —You've bribed Kasuou, but now I would like for you to explain why you have called me here personally."

Drinking from her cup, the girl mumbled a "*gulp*". Arisu still couldn't get used to the girl's strange habit to voice all of her sound effects.

The blonde girl, Kasuou.

Kurisaka Ayuyu sitting in front of Arisu as well.

Following her previous line of thought, both these girls existed on the side opposite from normal civilians.

Meaning, they were Mushitsuki.

And not just mere Mushitsuki.

In order to isolate and conceal the supernatural phenomenon of Mushi, the government had founded a certain organization.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—an organization that implemented the idea of "fighting fire with fire" to respond to the great variety of Mushitsuki abilities. That organization, called the SEPB for short, trained the Mushitsuki they'd captured, using them to capture further wild Mushitsuki.

Mushi and the SEPB.

By becoming involved with them, Arisu's daily life was greatly changed.

But Arisu herself also wished for it. In order to find out what her sick, late friend had dreamed of—she wished to learn more about Mushitsuki.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it something important, but…"

"*Twitch*. Are you perhaps going to ask which parts of Kakkun's body are the most sensitive? *Shudder*, it's Ayuyu’s secret so I will not tell you."

"I don't care about that. At all."

The "Kakkun" Ayuyu spoke of referred to the boy who was an SEPB agent, Kusuriya Daisuke. Due to various circumstances, this boy was living with her to monitor her.

"Your ability can view the memories of other Mushitsuki, right?"

"*Shudder*, more precisely it's the Mushi's memories."

"Among those you've seen so far, well… were there any people with bad lives?"

"I do not like your self-important way of saying that. There are no Mushitsuki with happy lives."

Arisu moved her line of sight to outside the window.

"I… see.”

Ayuyu said "*question mark*?" and tilted her head. But she apparently realized something as she then muttered a "*whee*".

"*Grin*. I know about the incident you've gotten yourself involved in the other day. You've seen the memories of a Mushitsuki that used mental controlling abilities, right?"

Arisu's heart leapt in her chest.

Wanting to know more about her Mushitsuki friend, she'd met with many Mushitsuki so far.

Starting with her Mushitsuki classmate, which became the opportunity for her to find out about the SEPB, there were the Mushitsuki singer that never doubted her comrades, the girl trying to become a leader for Mushitsuki, as well as the witch and the berserker that were with her now. She had also been played with by the flame-controlling devil or the annoying woman.

Thus Arisu came intended to slowly understand Mushitsuki.

However—

"…"

Recalling a certain Mushitsuki's final moments, she closed her eyes.

That girl was called "The Kind Magician". She was a Mushitsuki who couldn't do anything properly and used her ability only to help other people. Living her entire life while being toyed with by her Mushi's power, in the end she chose a heroic end and served as a sacrifice to save her friend right in front of Arisu's eyes.

Even so the Kind Magician smiled.

That was—

That sort of life was—

Was this sort of life natural for the group of people called Mushitsuki?

"*Giggle*. Are you perhaps finally starting to feel fear? Even though you were so adamant about wanting to know about Mushitsuki? Please look, Kasuou. That person is obviously just a civilian. Serves her right."

"I told ya not to interrupt my meal."

As Ayuyu turned around, Kasuou grabbed her smile. "*Creak*. *Slump*," muttered Ayuyu and her movements stopped.

Arisu couldn't reply.

Perhaps it was just as Ayuyu said.

A small sense of discomfort was born inside her. Thinking of her friend Mari and of various Mushitsuki, she felt her chest prickling with pain. That sensation was vague, but it remained a thorn in her heart.

"Well, I do not know which Mushitsuki's life you have seen."

After pretending to be dead and escaping Kasuou's clutches, Ayuyu mumbled a "*Grin*."

"But don't forget that the Mushitsuki who had the most horrible life is right next to you."

Arisu's face jerked up. She immediately realized who Ayuyu was talking about.

"Daisuke…?"

"All Mushitsuki fight against something. The one who walked through the depths of hell, both in the past and present, is that boy."

Arisu bit her lips.

She'd often forget this because he was near her, but Kusuriya Daisuke was also a Mushitsuki. Since she'd been cold to him until now, she felt guilt.

Normally she would constantly bicker with him about something or the other, but she should try looking at him kindlier from now on—

"Oh yes, speaking of Kakkun. I'm glad I've been meeting him more frequently lately thanks to you. The last time I didn't just lick him, but even got him to rub—"

"Maybe it's fine for him to keep falling into hell?"

Wearing a full smile, Arisu rose from her seat. 

Part 1

"…"

"…Hey, Arisu. It's about time you explain why you've been looking at my face this entire morning like you’re seeing trash.”

By the time they arrived at their Horusu Academy classroom, the boy made up his mind and said this.

Compared to her other male classmates, his height and build were average. Even his usual lifestyle was in harmony with his surroundings, so he never got in any trouble with his classmates. His only distinguishable characteristic was perhaps just the band-aid pasted to his cheek.

His name was Kusuriya Daisuke. After they met up at a certain incident, the boy began living with her to monitor her unique case. Normally he acted the part of an honors student, but when he fought, he changed to the cold combatant Kakkou.

"Oh, Saionji-san, Kujou-san."

Daisuke looked at the classroom entrance.

Arisu's friends have just arrived.

The girl who had a stylish impression even among her classmates, Saionji Ena. Although the school regulations were strict, her clothes were worn out of shape and her healthy-looking chest and thighs were partly exposed. Since she liked Daisuke, it was worrying that she might have gone too far as of late.

The other one was Kujou Takako. She could be said to be a model student of Horusu Seijou Academy that housed many sons and daughters of wealthy families. With her short-cut black hair swaying, she entered the classroom in a relaxed gait.

"Something's wrong with Ichinokuro-san. Do you two know any—"

Before Daisuke approached, Arisu grabbed Ena and Takako's arms and stopped them. Pulling them away, she whispered in their ears.

Their expressions changed instantly.

"W-why are even Saionji-san and Kujou-san looking at me with cold eyes now…! Heeey! Didn't Kasu—I mean Anne passing by in the corridor looked at me the same way just now? What have I done?!"

Kasuou's real name was Mitake Anneliese. She had infiltrated the school to assist his mission. The instant when the blonde girl passed through the corridor, her elegant smile transformed to a scorning gaze. Along with a gesture as if she was spitting.

"Think it over carefully until you find an answer in your heart. —Or have you found it in another person's heart already? Through touching their chest, that is."

"Why would he do it with that woman…? If only he'd asked me, I…"

"How indecent…"

"I-indecent? Wait, Arisu's 'that was a good one' face is pissing me off…!"

Although they'd changed classes when they advanced to their third year, Daisuke and Arisu as well as Ena and Takako all stayed in the same class. It was a coincidence, or perhaps the SEPB acted with the school behind the scenes.

Perhaps because the faces from second year were unchanged, their normal life was also unchanged from before. The days passed with friends smiling together. Since there was a system of automatic advancement in this school, the studies for advancing to the High School Department were easy.

When the morning bell rang, a sparkle passing outside the window caught Arisu's eye.

It was a silver Morpho butterfly.

The Mushi she'd inherited from her friend Mari was always near Arisu. It did so as if to draw her attention, as if to insist that it wasn't an illusion.

However, Arisu—

"…"

Unconsciously averting her eyes from the Morpho butterfly, she returned to Ena and Takako's friendly chat.

How many days passed ever since she met the Mushitsuki called the Kind Magician?

These days without socializing with any Mushitsuki brought back stability to Arisu's heart. After losing her friend she began looking for Mushitsuki, and since meeting Daisuke she came in contact with many Mushitsuki.

Arisu herself wished for this.

She wanted to know more about Mushitsuki.

She wanted to know why there were fighting, hurting others, and getting hurt in turn. She thought that by doing so she'd find out why her friend had left her Mushi behind.

But now that she went back to her peaceful daily life, it was different from the past boring days.

Days without any pain of hurting others and getting hurt in turn.

The completely normal life of a middle schooler healed Arisu, but at the same time it also seemed to melt away something boiling in the depths of her heart—

"So, pervy Daisuke. Have you reflected on your actions a little?"

After school, Arisu called out to Daisuke. Confirming that no one was looking at them, he threw away his mask as an honors student.

"I'm not a pervert, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to reflect on… what do you want?"

"There's apparently a new amusement park in front of the station. Will you go with me there?"

Saying this, she pointed behind them. Ena and Takako were flipping through a listing magazine and chatting.

"No, I have other business to take care of. Your monitoring will be done by Kasuou as usual."

"What? Isn't that too many times lately? Since her blonde hair always stands out wherever she goes, Ena and Takako will start getting suspicious soon."

"My duties aren't just monitoring you."

Asserting this, Daisuke took his bag and left the seat. As he glanced at her with a suggestive look, Arisu noticed what he was trying to say.

"Oh… I'm also thinking of investigating about Mari. My leg is still bad, but once that's healed—"

She hurriedly gave excuses. But Daisuke didn't avert his eyes. He'd probably already seen that her leg was healed for a long time already.

"You don't need to do anything. It'd help me much more if you don't cause trouble like you always do."

"W-what's that supposed to mean. Your way of saying that—"

"Mushitsuki will take care of Mushitsuki's business. That's obvious."

Unusually, the boy wore a smile. Arisu heard that his organization had acknowledged her as a Mushitsuki, but he apparently didn't share their opinion.

"This is a good opportunity. Think again on where you belong to."

Leaving this behind, the "Mushitsuki with the cruelest life" according to Kurisaka Ayuyu left the classroom. Ena immediately approached her.

"Oh? Kusuriya-kun's not coming? …Tch, I was going to take him to a haunted house and assault him while he was scared."

The Daisuke-addict said something so outrageous nonchalantly, but her expression suddenly turned serious.

"Say, Arisu."

"Yes?"

"Kusuriya-kun won't even leave us, right?"

Arisu felt her heart leaping.

Daisuke was infiltrating Horusu Seijou Academy to monitor Arisu. Obviously, if the Morpho butterfly case ever got resolved, he would probably go back to Ouka City, where he said he was stationed before.

"W-what's up with, all of a sudden? He's just somewhat busy recently…"

"Because we managed to end up in the same class again, I guess. I was thinking about this recently. Our current relationship is simply the best… or maybe, once it was sometimes boring, but now it doesn't feel that way anymore."

The smart Ena rarely sank in deep thought like that.

"Sorry, maybe I don't really understand it myself. It's like the first time I felt this ever since I was born? I mean, finding something that I really want."

"You're being really vague…"

"True. I haven't really given any thoughts about the future until now."

Although she was able to be above average in anything—no, perhaps because of it, that usually unserious girl now smiled embarrassedly. Suddenly having some hopes for the future, Ena's expression seemed much livelier.

What Ena felt was perhaps similar to what Arisu currently felt.

Daisuke being with them became natural, and Ena and Takako also accepted that. They spent more and more time together, and it became all the more pleasant.

"Right. This kind of daily life isn't bad at all."

Mumbling this, Arisu smiled.

However—

The peaceful days didn't continue for long.

A few days passed.

Seeing the girl standing near their teacher during the early morning's short homeroom class, Arisu could hear her peaceful daily life crumbling away.

"Uno Noiru-san came here as an exchange student from our sister school. I hope you can all learn about the differences in culture between her school and Horusu Seijou Academy and get along—"

The teacher was introducing a slender girl. Her long hair was held up by a hair clip with a scales motif, and she wore a white hoodie on top of her uniform. Her limbs were long and her figure was eye-catching. However—

"Ughh, so it's finally happening… why did I have to come to this placeee…? Ugh, sob."

With her black eyes tearing up, Uno Noiru suddenly collapsed on the spot. Seeing the girl suddenly breaking down in tears caused a stir in the classroom.

Looking at Noiru's pupils was the one who sat directly behind Arisu—Kusuriya Daisuke.

"There's no way that demon wouldn't kill meeee. Nooo, I don't wanna die so younggg… I'm sorry, I'll do whatever you say, please don't kill me! Oh, this hoodie? It really is against school regulations. If you don't like it, I'll just take it off so don't kill me… the hoodie's not enough? Uh, I got ittt, I'll take off my uniform toooo…"

Stripping off her hoodie, Noiru started unbuttoning her shirt as well. This unbelievable happening caused everyone including the teacher to freeze.

Breaking down in tears, Noiru intersected her arms in front of her body, turning the palms of her hands upwards. She shook her body to both sides in the imitation of a set of scales.

"Fear scaleee, plus oneee… Uuugh, since the demon is here then which of them is the Spear-Form…? Why do I have to inspect thattt… I'll definitely die… I'll strip more so don't kill meee!"

Arisu rose from her seat with a thud.

"Teacher. She seems to be confused in this new environment. I will take her to the infirmary. —Can you help me, Kusuriya-kun?"

Before receiving the teacher's permission, Arisu promptly adjusted Noiru's uniform and brought her back to her feet. Daisuke also quickly rose from his seat.

With both of them grabbing Noiru's hand, they brought her outside the classroom without leaving her any choice.

"Aaah, so I'm being taken to the gallowsss. How horrible… as expected from the person called a demon… Cruelty scaleee, plus oneee…"

Holding the swaying Noiru's head, Arisu glared at Daisuke with a strained expression.

"There's no doubt she's from the SEPB, right? Do they only have such weirdoes? Definitely. And she's also a Special Type Mushitsuki, right? Isn't it so? Please say no, for goodness' sake."

"No, I’ve heard that a member was going to come here, but… why are you here?"

Noiru's crying reverberated in the corridor leading to the infirmary for a while. 

Part 2

Uno Noiru.

She had introduced herself as a member of the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

"An inspector?"

Arisu's and Daisuke's voice matched in the passage near the infirmary.

Noiru shrugged with a twitch. Her back clashing against the fence, she was putting her fingers on her uniform with a pale face.

"No, don't strip."

"What exactly do they think of you in the SEPB, Daisuke…?"

She was a cute girl with large pupils. Yet the way her expression paled with fear and her entire body shook was suspicious. To any third party watching it would probably look like Arisu and Daisuke were threatening her.

"I heard nothing about a new inspector coming here from Central Headquarters. What's an inspector, exactly? Explain."

Daisuke hounded Noiru, grabbing her hands that were about to take off her clothes. Noiru averted her eyes and wrung out a shaky voice.

"W-will you abstain from killing me if I explain this, the one feared as a demon, East Central Branch Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou-san?"

"…That's way too longwinded."

"I am the Central Headquarters member called Kanakana. After the exception among exceptions of someone inheriting another person's Mushi—Ichinokuro Arisu—had been deemed a Mushitsuki, I was dispatched to conduct a necessary process. I'm sorry that a failed Mushitsuki such as me took on such an outrageous mission. Does it annoy you? But please don't kill me."

Noiru spoke in a mechanical tone, not even looking at them.

"A necessary process?"

"Sorry for being so roundabout. Please don't kill me. This necessary process being the need to designate Ichinokuro Arisu, alias Spear-Form, with a Rank."

Arisu widened her eyes. Daisuke also froze with surprise.

"A Mushitsuki's Type is decided according to which of the Original Three—meaning the three Prototype Mushi—had made them a Mushitsuki. Those created by Oogui are Minion Types, who control their Mushi that possesses a separate body, those created by Shinpu are Fusion Types, only manifesting their Mushi through their ability of a certain medium, and those created by Sanbikime are Fusion Types, able to merge their bodies with their Mushi—among these, Hanashiro Mari's Morpho butterfly is a Fusion Type. Please don't kill me. Ah, I might be out of luck."

Noiru kept mumbling.

"The SEPB divides Mushitsuki to three kinds according classification and strength of their abilities—Blaze Class, Special Class, Hidden Class, and then assigns a Rank of 1 to 10, thereby managing them. Since there was very scarce data on Hanashiro Mari when she was alive, the Morpho butterfly's classification had yet to be decided. Please, spare my life."

"Are you making fun of us? We already know all that. I told you to explain what you're here for."

"Aah, I'm going to be killed. To determine Ichinokuro Arisu's Rank, I came to directly inspect her. —Until now the Central Headquarters' upper brass were the ones to decide Mushitsuki's Ranks, but to check again whether or not Ichinokuro Arisu-san is actually a Mushitsuki, it was decided that I, someone useless, hopelessly weak, please don't kill me, but loyal to the SEPB would be sent to inspect as a test case."

Arisu and Daisuke exchanged glances.

Even if she was told she was being ranked as a Mushitsuki, she didn't really get it.

"Arisu doesn't need a Rank."

Daisuke stated this plainly.

"Because I don't consider her a Mushitsuki."

"Daisuke…"

"Selfishness scaleee, plus oneee."

Shaking her body to the sides, Noiru returned Daisuke's gaze. Her scared face wore a dark smile for an instant.

"Central Headquarters acknowledged her as a Mushitsuki. Since I have been officially sent to inspect Ichinokuro Arisu by Vice-Director Miguruma, please think of my actions as the will of the SEPB as whole. So please don't kill me."

"Miguruma… that sly woman, huh. Go back to HQ and tell them this. I don't know what you're planning at this stage, but don't do more than necessary to stimulate Hanashiro Mari's Morpho butterfly."

"S-savageness scaleee, plus oneee… If you threaten me with such eyes, you will be violating your orders, Kakkou-san, oh no. I'm going to die."

"I got it."

Arisu raised her voice, cutting between Daisuke and Noiru. She didn't really understand the situation, but leaving it like that would probably lead to trouble.

"Shut up, you. If we allow this kind of thing, who knows how far Central Headquarters will want to—"

"This so-called inspection isn't something particularly dangerous, right? I'm also being monitored by you and Kasuou, so adding this inspection whatever at this stage isn't a big deal. Aren't you bullying her? Look how scared she is."

"Likability scaleee, plus oneee. Spear-Form is a good person, unlike this demonnn."

The teary girl hid behind Arisu's back. Daisuke clicked his tongue.

"Well, if you end up regretting this later it's your problem."

The boy's ominous prediction would soon come true— 

Part 3

The following day after Uno Noiru's arrival, Arisu's daily life completely changed.

During Math lesson, Arisu's face was strained with anxiety.

It wasn't just Arisu. A tingling, tense atmosphere engulfed all the other students as well.

It wasn't that their Math teacher was strict. If anything the teacher was gentle, and his hand writing equations on the blackboard was stiff.

The teacher turned around, and with slightly hesitant mumble of "Now, please solve this equation, Ichinokuro-san," he pointed at Arisu.

"Yes sir."

Arisu rose from her seat, advancing to the blackboard. When she solved the problem that wasn't really difficult, the teacher said, "Correct," and nodded.

Bang! In the center of the classroom, one girl rose vigorously from her seat.

"Calculation abilityyy, plus oneee."

Uno Noiru intersected her arms, her body swaying to the sides.

While everyone in class stared in wonder, Noiru returned to her seat as if nothing happened.

The teacher's cough echoed in the silent classroom. "U-uh, let us move to the next question," he continued as if he saw nothing.

"Why isn't she being scolded…?" Ena mumbled.

"Let us have Uno-san solve it," said the teacher, pointing at Noiru. The girl rose from her seat and stood in front of the blackboard while passing by Arisu.

After thinking for a while, Noiru put her hands on her uniform as if thinking of something.

"…Uuh, sorry for being an idiot. Will you kill me if I don't solve it? I'll strip so don't kill meee…"

"So you can't solve it?"

While everyone was completely shocked, only Daisuke's voice rang through the classroom.

During Gym class, Arisu and Noiru were in the same team playing basketball.

"…"

"Good movementsss. Athletic abilityyy, plus oneee."

"…"

"Nice pass. Decision-making abilityyy, plus oneee."

"…"

"Nice shot. Decisiveness abilityyy, plus oneee."

Kujou Takako, playing on the same team, tilted her head innocently.

"Say, Arisu-san. Why is that person not playing and just shaking like that?"

"I have no clue…"

Arisu could only mutter this in a muffled voice with her fist shaking.

When gym class was over, the girls went to the changing room.

Perhaps checking even the way she undressed, Noiru started stripping unnaturally and stared at Arisu’s underwear.

Swearing in her heart to not mind this, Arisu chatted with her friends. But Noiru seemed to be calmly comparing Arisu to Ena and Takako with her eyes.

Noiru intersected her arms with a sad expression.

"Physical development scaleee, minus—"

"Arisu Dropkick!"

The vibration caused by the girl slamming against the lockers shook the changing room. "V-violence scaleee, plus oneee…" she left behind as she stopped moving.

Noiru's "inspection" continued day after day with no signs of stopping.

When Arisu had picked up fallen objects for students on the corridor, a voice saying "Kindness scaleee, plus oneee," echoed next to her.

When Arisu went shopping with her friends after school, Noiru looked at the clothes she bought, said "Fashion senseee, minus oneee," and left.

During elective class, when Arisu crafted something out of clay, Noiru glanced at it, and when comparing it her own statue of a nude woman, she gloated "Skillfulness abilityyy, minus oneee."

At any rate, Noiru would grade anything and everything in Arisu's life around the clock.

Arisu's stress levels were about to explode.

"Ngh, nmnm, fourme shcaleee, flas oneee."

During lunch break, when Noiru snatched the side dish of Arisu's bento, her body swayed and she seemed to be saying "Gourmet scale, plus one".

"…"

Having even the final article of her enjoyment taken away, something snapped inside Arisu. Rising from her seat, she cornered Daisuke who was eating lunch with classmates.

"W-what's the matter, Ichinokuro-san—Gwah! It hurts… wait… a minute…!"

Daisuke's collar was grabbed as he was playing the part of an honors student and he was dragged to outside the classroom.

"Cough, cough… what're you doing all of a sudden! Are you trying to kill—ouch! Hey, sto… hitting me with a body blow while smiling… guhah!"

"So, Daisuke-san… how can I vent my anger about my inspector? By hitting you, right? This choice is correct, right?"

"You said you were fine with the inspection! Don't hit me!"

"Do all SEPB members get such stalkers as their inspectors? Have you gone through the same thing when your Rank was determined?"

While asking this in a low voice, she again buried her fist in Daisuke's solar plexus.

"I obviously didn't have this stupid inspection."

Daisuke stated as he stopped Arisu's fist. She raised her brow.

"They never used one of the members to designate another member's Rank. She herself told us that this is a test case."

"So starting now this sort of thing will become the norm… the SEPB's going to be destroyed."

"As if. —Did you find out anything, Kasuou?"

Being pressed against the wall of the corridor, Daisuke glanced behind Arisu.

Turning around, she saw that a blonde girl was standing there starting at some point. When she glanced back to her classroom, Arisu saw that Noiru started stealing even Ena and Takako's bento.

"Oh, I threatened that Rank 6 to tell me."

Unlike how she usually acted, the girl responded in her normal way of talking.

"Don't threaten Ranked people when you're Unranked… oh well, so?"

"Kanakana, was it? There aren't many people who know that woman even in Central Headquarters. That Rank 6 wasn't able to get any information."

"According to what I investigated with my Rank 1 authority she definitely belongs to the Central Headquarters. Even so other people from there don't know her… what does that mean?"

Apparently, they'd been secretly looking into Uno Noiru.

"In other words, despite her being a member of Central Headquarters, they have no idea what missions she'd been doing. —Ain't this interesting? I'll take any excuse to fight that I can find."

Revealing her berserker nature, Kasuou smiled.

"Stop being so violent… Daisuke, don't be silent, stop her."

Daisuke was silently watching Noiru. It was an expression he showed only rarely while outside of battle.

"Kasuou, do you have a minute? Let's have Nene help us investigate into the intelligence division—"

"Ah, wait, Daisuke…!"

Pushing Arisu to the side, the boy walked along with Kasuou.

"You're excluding me again? Even though this is about me…"

Pouting, she saw off their two backs.

Was he going to say "it has nothing to do with you" yet again?

They lived under the same roof, and were supposed to be spending their daily life with Ena and Takako. The more days passed the more comfortable they felt with each other, and they had so much fun that she nearly forgot everything about Mushitsuki or the SEPB.

It wasn't just Arisu. Even Ena and Takako were already thinking of him as a friend.

Even so, Daisuke would never attempt to close the distance with Arisu.

Thinking about it, perhaps even Hanashiro Mari, a Fusion Type just like Daisuke, acted the same.

She had taken the fact of her being a Mushitsuki from Arisu to the grave—

"What's up with that…"

Turning to look at Noiru who was being chased by Ena, Arisu mumbled softly.

After school.

Refusing an invitation to hang out, Arisu left the classroom.

"Hey, Arisu. Where are you going?"

Her monitor Daisuke hurriedly chased after her. Yet Arisu ignored him with an indignant expression.

"What are you sulking about?"

"It has nothing to do with you."

Declaring this, she left the campus. By the time she reached the shadowy back of the campus, she could no longer see anyone other than herself and Daisuke.

Yet she noticed the presence of another person. She turned back and called to them.

"Noiru. You're there, right?"

When Arisu's voice echoed, she felt a presence from behind a nearby tree.

"Sensitivity scaleee, plus oneee."

Revealing herself, Uno Noiru swayed her body to the sides. It was the usual, but she didn't look guilty at all about tailing her.

"Noiru, I have a request for you."

"Uuh, the demon and Spear-Form are staring at meee. I'm gonna be killeddd. I'll strip, so don't kill me…"

Whether or not she heard what Arisu said, Noiru started removing her clothes.

"I definitely said I'll go through your so-called inspection. But can't you be less conspicuous while doing that? You're causing problems not just for Ena and Takako… but for the entire class."

"I refuse."

Her swaying body with the intersected arms stopped in place.

"My inspection is the SEPB's will. No one can stop my inspection so please don't kill me. Ah, you're finally going to make me strip down to my underwear—"

"Stop that already."

Annoyed, Arisu spoke in a stronger tone. The most curious thing about Noiru's action was that she always acted scared.

"After spending a few days with me you already understand, right? Never mind me, but even Daisuke's not going to kill you. Do you think we are monsters?"

"Obviously, why wouldn't I?"

Arisu was shocked. The paling Noiru shook her trembling body.

"For my inspection, I have investigated the Morpho butterfly's previous host Hanashiro Mari and its monitor Kakkou. Both of you are monsters. Hanashiro Mari alias Hunter and the Rank 1 Kakkou… Uuh, so scary. Don't kill me. Even while knowing you're a cruel monster that turned countless Mushitsuki to Fallen, I beg you. Please don't kill me. I'll do anything. Please, please!"

Shaking all over, Noiru even shed tears. Seeing this girl's abnormal behavior, the shadow of fear creeped all the way even to Arisu.

"…"

Glancing at the boy next to her, he was simply looking down at Noiru with a cold gaze.

Had even the late Mari worn this very same face where Arisu didn't see her?

"Out of the only three discovered Fusion Types, two are monsters… so the last one has to be a monster as well. Other than that there's the berserker, so this school is way too scaryyy. I'm definitely going to be killeddd…"

"Please stop this already…!"

Arisu finally raised her voice.

"Mari wasn't a monster, and neither is Daisuke! Never call them like that again!"

"Monsters are monstersss. My judgment as an inspector is absoluteee."

While shaking her body to the sides, Noiru pouted.

Anger welling up inside her, Arisu walked to the girl.

"Stop, Arisu."

Daisuke grabbed her shoulder.

"Her behavior is just her mocking us. This is probably just part of the inspection, anyway.”

"Loyalty scaleee, minus oneee. Please don't hinder my work as an inspector. Don't kill me."

With a calm face, Noiru once again shook her body. Glancing at Arisu, she added "Composure scaleee, minus oneee".

"What will you do if we make you angry? I'm used to being called a monster. It's not a big deal so mghbg…"

"You shouldn't be used to it!"

Receiving a punch from Arisu in his solar plexus, Daisuke stumbled. Immediately she turned wrathful eyes to Noiru.

"I'll say it again, Uno Noiru! Don't call people's friends monsters!"

"I'm gonna be killed, I'm so scareddd!"

Her eyes glistening with tears, the girl shook her body like usual. Arisu heard a groaning voice stating that "before deciding on calling other people your friends, do something about your habit of hitting friends…"

Interrupting this heavily explosive and tense atmosphere was a ringtone.

It was Daisuke's cellphone. After asking something, he replied "got it" while clicking his tongue.

"I'll be going for a while. As always, your monitoring will be left to Kasuou, but please stay put."

"What happened so suddenly?"

"Well, the woman who served as the Central Headquarters' ace retired, and because of that they'd been giving me missions outside of my jurisdiction. That stupid Wanko causes nothing but trouble for me…"

Turning his back to the head-tilting Arisu, Daisuke brought the cellphone to his ear. He was probably going to call Kasuou.

"The mission is just like the first time I met you—capturing an unregistered Mushitsuki."

"…!"

"Great timinggg!"

Uno Noiru called out.

"Please let Ichinokuro Arisu-san go on that mission too."

Arisu and Daisuke both looked back at the girl.

"…What did you say?"

"Don't stare at me, I'll be killeddd. —There's only one final thing remaining for my inspection. The most important part of a Mushitsuki's Rank, meaning their combat capabilities."

Arisu widened her eyes.

“By letting her join live combat, I’ll be able to inspect her battle prowess.”

"No way. There's no way that would've been permitted."

"Denied. I permit it. There is information that she had already fought against Mushitsuki in the past. This time will not be too dange—"

Noiru's words were suddenly cut off.

Daisuke's expression changed. Perhaps not wanting to take Arisu along no matter what, he watched the girl with a gaze full of calm anger.

"It's a mission they handed over to me. This is different from the Mushitsuki she'd met by chance this far."

"U-uhh… p-please don't kill me…"

Noiru acted like she was being overwhelmed by Daisuke's murderous impulse; her movements stopped.

"However, denied."

"Don't get carried away, Kanakana…"

"Ichinokuro Arisu-san. Have you any objection?"

Arisu's shoulders twitched.

Normally she would have instantly agreed. She herself wished to meet as many Mushitsuki as possible.

By knowing Mushitsuki, she might learn more about the late Hanashiro Mari—

"I will—"

I will go with you.

She wanted to nod, but couldn't continue.

A dull pain ran through her chest.

—What do you think Mushi are?

The words of the Kind Magician she'd heard the other day after taking a peek at her life passed through Arisu's mind. Just like a dam opening up, the faces of all Mushitsuki she'd met so far rose to her mind and then vanished.

"I will…"

She tried replying again, but the words wouldn't come out.

She noticed she was slightly shaking.

If she ended up agreeing here, would Arisu end up facing those people who led special lives, known as Mushitsuki, yet again?

Far removed from fun and normal daily life, if she once again saw the deaths of Mushitsuki such as Mari and the Kind Magician—

However, Arisu had to meet Mushitsuki for her friend's sake—

"I-I will—"

"That's enough."

Suddenly her vision was blocked.

Daisuke covered Arisu's face as if hugging her from behind.

She didn't know what expression she was currently wearing.

She didn't know what expression Daisuke made as he covered her.

"I can't take her."

"Then you will be violating orders. Please don't kill me."

"If you want to make me obey, then do so through Haji. If not for his order I wouldn't have come here in the first place."

Daisuke's arm brushed against Arisu's eyes.

"She's not a Mushitsuki. Just a normal civilian."

Stating this, he went away from Arisu.

"Defiance scaleee, plus oneee."

While hearing Noiru's voice, she looked at the leaving Daisuke's back.

The silver Morpho butterfly was fluttering between the two of them.

The figure of the boy leaving without looking back overlapped with that of her dead friend.

"…"

She bit her lips.

Hanashiro Mari never spoke with Arisu about her being a Mushitsuki.

Daisuke would never show his true heart to Arisu and always took his distance.

Somehow—

She had the feeling that their reason for doing so wasn't out of malice.

If she let them do as they wished, she'd be able to recover her peaceful life.

But if she did, she had the feeling her hand would never reach them again.

The backs of Hanashiro Mari, who had distanced herself, and Mushitsuki like Daisuke would be forever beyond her reach—

"…I'll go."

Daisuke's legs stopped in place.

His expression when he turned around was rigid.

"Don't. You're not part of 'this' world."

"Then take me with you."

She extended her arm to Daisuke who was rejecting her. Although she was smiling, her hand was still shaking.

"Please, Daisuke."

Daisuke scowled.

He probably noticed that Arisu was hesitating.

However, she noticed that he was hesitating just like her.

Hesitating meant that he was thinking of her. He was seriously considering what would be a good choice for her.

Just by understanding this, Arisu could believe in Daisuke.

If he was a true monster, he wouldn't worry about it at all—

"…If you go over the line, I'll take you back immediately."

Daisuke started from the conclusion.

"Whether or not I'll let you take me back quietly is another matter."

The smiling Arisu's hand stopped shaking. 

Part 4

The Mushitsuki was hiding in the remains of a factory on the outskirts of Akamaki City.

Apparently having been the production base of a major manufacturer of electric appliances, its premises were vast. It wasn't just a gathering of the countless factories needed for manufacturing, but there were also a supervising facility and a storage area. Since it was decided they'd move the factory abroad, they were currently selling the grounds.

Arisu and Daisuke were in front of the guardroom near the front gate. Around them several people wearing the white coats of the Central Headquarters members were conducting wireless communication through their goggles.

"How many victims were there?"

Daisuke was wearing his East Central Branch pitch-black long coat and goggles.

"Two people during the chase… another two since we cornered them here… two were healed, but two became Fallen…"

Yomori Neiko, codename Nene, answered in a low voice. Since her Mushi possessed restorative abilities, she served the role of a healer.

"Seems like a troublesome opponent. Do you at least know where they're hiding?"

"It took all of our efforts just to surround this place… at present all we know about the enemy's abilities are what I just told you, but they might be hiding other abilities…"

Neiko glanced toward Arisu.

Noticing her gaze, Arisu strained her face.

The white coat supplied by Central Headquarters was actually much lighter than expected. Since the size of the goggles wasn't right, she hung them from her neck. She hadn't been supplied with any weapon, so she picked up a rusted pipe from the ground.

Apparently a weapon was being manufactured for Arisu’s sake—as she possessed one of the extremely rare Fusion Type Mushi—but that would still take some time. She hadn't been told who was making it and where, though.

The silver Morpho butterfly alighted down along with shining scales.

"Is she also part of the mission…? She hadn't gone through training though…"

"And with that weirdo, too."

"Nervousness scaleee, plus oneee."

A voice unsuitable for the battlefield echoed. Behind Arisu, Uno Noiru still clad in her hoodie was shaking her body.

"If you die I won't be able to heal you, you know…?"

This one calm sentence from Neiko made her heart leap. Completely changed from when she'd first met her, Neiko's face now looked like that of a combatant.

Daisuke wore gloves and checked the gun attached to the holster on his waist.

"Just come with me. I won't let you fight."

"Dissatisfaction scaleee, plus oneee. How will I be able to inspect her like this? Please don't kill me."

"Since we're leaving command to Kakkou… we'll provide support—"

"No need. You're in the way."

Asserting this, Daisuke started walking on the asphalt.

"You don't have to say it like that. Poor Neiko-san—"

Arisu held back her tongue.

A green checkered beetle flew down from above Daisuke. Its body transformed explosively, becoming countless tentacles and fusing with his body.

His pitch-dark long coat flapping as he walked, Daisuke's cheeks were branded with a green, shining pattern. He emitted a strange pressure from his entire body.

There was no trace of Daisuke's usual look as he advanced through the completely silent premises. The cruel and merciless demon was marching through the battlefield.

"…"

On the other hand, the silver Morpho butterfly flying above Arisu as she jogged to catch up with the boy showed no conscious movements. It spread its scales in erratic paths in the air.

Arisu put strength into her hand grabbing the steel pipe. The tension of not knowing when an attack might be directed at her caused sweat to pour from her brow.

"Boredom scaleee, plus oneee."

She jumped at this sudden loud voice.

"P-please don't speak so suddenly like that! You scared me!"

"Calm down. They're not nearby yet."

As if saying he had the intuition as someone who accumulated experience in battle, Daisuke advanced.

The sun was sinking at the other side of the premises. Since there was no power in the factory, the curtain of darkness covered it.

Daisuke stopped his legs in a corridor between two small factories.

The surroundings abruptly turned light.

The silver Morpho butterfly suddenly made its wings shine. It nimbly landed on top of the pipe Arisu was grabbing, transforming its body.

"They're coming."

The steel pipe was transformed into a shining silver lance at the same time as Daisuke's whisper.

The factory's wall nearby exploded.

Crushing the concrete-made wall, a large mass came flying from within.

Arisu stood frozen at this sudden event.

Regardless of her will, however, her kinetic vision clearly captured the full mass.

Arisu could see that this sphere, several times larger than her, had two axles and punctured tires. —The large mass was a balled-up forklift.

This transformed forklift was a moment away from hitting the stunned Arisu.

And then a green afterimage covered her vision.

It was Daisuke.

The fist covered in a green pattern hit the sphere pursuing them in the speed of a bullet.

"…!"

An explosive impact and roar blew around.

Struck by superhuman strength, the sphere was reflected back to the factory with even greater momentum. Destroying the wall, even the roof started crumbling.

In front of Arisu's eyes, an entire factory cluttered loudly as it collapsed.

"Tch… I missed?"

Daisuke clicked his tongue as if in boredom.

Lost inside the storm of dust, they could see a running human figure. It was probably the attacking Mushitsuki.

A calm voice echoed from behind the frozen Arisu.

"Sensing ability confirmeddd. Rarity scaleee, plus tennn. Reaction speed scaleee, minus twooo. Reaction to situation abilityyy, minus twooo. Tentatively, Blaze Class Rank Six."

Uno Noiru swayed her body. She was apparently inspecting Arisu's Mushi.

"Don't just stand there. Let's hide."

"…!"

Piercing the dust, more and more mysterious spheres were being sent flying toward Arisu and the rest.

Spheres of various sizes—those with the color of concrete, balled-up conveyor belts, twisted steel frames that looked like they were part of the roof and so on—any and all kinds of material distorted to the shape of a sphere were launched successively at them.

"Eeeek…!"

Arisu couldn't respond to the situation, but Daisuke stood in front of her to guard. He struck down the shells flying at them from afar like missiles using both fists.

The enemy's attack repeated without stop.

Countless big holes opened in the ground and large amounts of water were sprayed from ruptured water pipes.

The curtain of dust and water blocked Arisu's vision. The rumbling ground and the sensation of cold water robbed her of the ability to think calmly.

"Uuh…!"

Seeing an especially large shell thrown at them, Arisu recklessly swung her spear.

The silver scales pulverized the large shell. The excess momentum of the spear split the ground, destroying their footing.

The scales remaining after destroying the shell filled the surroundings. Visibility turned even worse.

"Calm down, Arisu!"

"'Scales attack', 'physical attack', and even 'domain control' confirmeddd. Rarity scaleee, plus eighttt. Destructive powerrr, plus tennn. Calmness scaleee, minus fourrr. Ability control scaleee, minus fiveee. Assessment abilityyy, minus fiveee. Tentatively, Blaze Class Rank 5."

"Just move already! At this rate we'll be hit by the enemy!"

Devoting himself to defense in front of Arisu, Daisuke shouted. Repelling the enemy's attack took everything he had, so he couldn't even pull the gun out of his waist.

However, Arisu's legs were frozen and she couldn't move.

"Ah… ah…"

This was different from what she'd faced until now.

Merciless attacks full with the intent to kill aimed for Arisu. She couldn't even talk to the other party.

"If you can't move, then at least cancel your domain! Staying here cancels even my own power…!"

Although she was told to absolve her ability, Arisu did nothing but hold the spear transformed by the Morpho butterfly. She knew nothing about either activating or cancelling that ability.

—Arisu…

She felt like she heard a whisper in her ears.

—Switch with me…

The spear in her hand shone even brighter. The silver scales were blown away.

"Guh!"

The green glow surrounding Daisuke weakened as if being erased by the scales. His fist that failed hitting the shell was blown back.

Arisu's head blanked out.

The whispering voice she heard from somewhere was eroding her mind. Succumbing to that voice, she was engulfed by a mysterious sensation.

"Risk aversion abilityyy, minus threee."

Unheeding that the rain of shells nearly grazed her nose, Uno Noiru swayed her body. She didn't appear willing to lend a hand to Daisuke at all.

—Arisu…

This familiar voice echoed in her head.

Arisu's mouth moved on its own.

"I would be able to—"

The silver spear rippled.

"Protect Arisu—"

"You stay out of it!"

Daisuke's roar shook Arisu's back. She suddenly raised her face.

It was as if she was mumbling something just now. But she couldn't remember what she said.

"Daisuke…?"

"Arisu! You're the one who chose to come here! Don't run away at this stage!"

A red droplet flew to Arisu's cheek as she absentmindedly raised her face. Fresh blood was deflected from Daisuke's swung fist.

"Hold on! If you don't… Hanashiro Mari's Mushi will take control of you!"

Arisu gulped. She lowered her spear.

"The Mushi will…?"

Daisuke grabbed Arisu's arm. He threw her forcibly to the side.

"Eeek!"

Arisu rolled after being thrown to the ground. Her ears caught Daisuke's anguished voice.

"Gwah!"

He probably judged that he couldn't fully defend against the sphere. Throwing Arisu away, he also tried himself escaping from the dangerous zone. Yet he was unable to fully dodge the sphere, and one of his legs got hurt.

"Daisuke!"

"Run! Go back to the front gate!"

Putting one leg on the ground, Daisuke shouted to Arisu.

That was a moment of carelessness.

"Dai—"

The boy's body was directly hit by the large sphere. As it held enough force to smash the asphalt to pieces, it instantly blew Daisuke away from her sight.

Arisu's entire body got goosebumps.

"Daisukeee!"

Rebounding on the ground several times, he rolled away.

The enemy's attacks did not stop.

Simultaneous attacks assaulted the collapsed boy, aiming to finish him off.

"…!"

Her body moved faster than she could think. She rose up with great vigor, slashing her spear toward the shells launched at Daisuke.

Silver scales swallowed the bombardments.

Spheres of various sizes and shapes were blown to smithereens.

"How dare you hurt Daisuke—"

Arisu's wide-open eyes glared at the direction the shell was launched from.

The attack just now apparently changed its target to Arisu. There was a rain of shells.

Kicking the ground vigorously, she rushed directly toward the shell. Even the curtain of dust and water was sliced along with the shells in a single stroke of the lance.

The shells' fragments hit her temple. Even so, she pushed through the rain of bombardment without minding it.

The enemy seemed to be taking their distance while attacking. Shells were being fired, but she knew they came from a certain factory in the distance.

Arisu ran directly toward the launch scene.

The shells assaulting her were cut off by a single swing. Although the spear had fierce power, Arisu's thin hands controlled it. The power pressing on her was too much, and she collapsed.

She soon leapt back on her legs and was running again as another round of bombardment rained on her.

"Found you…!"

In her vision, she spotted a squirming figure behind the open shutter of a factory.

It was such a large Mushi that its figure was visible even from afar. On its head that was as big as Arisu's body there were glowing red compound eyes and countless antennas, and its chest was covered by yellow cilia. Its abdomen, as big as a truck, had a striped yellow and black pattern, and its edge was a gaping hole.

That Mushi, resembling a striped bumblebee, assumed a position of pointing its abdomen toward Arisu. The figure standing nearby was probably the Mushi's host. She could see their thin limbs and long hair illuminated by the moonlight.

The monstrous striped bumblebee opened its mouthpart wide. It used its eight legs to drag a metal-made barrel to its mouth, swallowed it in one gulp and sent it to its thorax. The thorax squirmed as if it was made of rubber and appeared to be compressing the metal barrel. The compressed object was then sent to the abdomen.

The bee-like abdomen was swelling in front of her eyes. The Mushi pushed out of the edge of its abdomen a large needle made of the compressed barrel. —No, unlike the shells until now, it was a sharp, shining arrow.

The sharp arrow was fired from the bee's swollen abdomen.

Arisu wouldn't be able to fully defend against this—since she had this intuition, she hurriedly swung the spear.

"…!"

It was thrown directly toward the bee, scattering scales about.

The silver spear and the bee's arrow.

Two incredibly destructive attacks clashed. The air exploded and caused a tremor.

The winner was Arisu's spear.

Having blown away the large arrow without trace, the silver spear stabbed into the Mushi's legs.

The shockwave generated by this threw the bee’s host. The factory's exterior was blown by the explosive wind, and the broken roof flew into the night sky.

"Hah… Hah…"

Breathing heavily, Arisu approached the destroyed factory.

From within the mountain of rubble, she pulled out the Morpho butterfly's spear stabbed into the ground.

Her attack had opened a large wound in the striped bumblebee's abdomen. Since a few of its legs were pulverized, it couldn't even stand.

"Uh…"

The long-haired girl buried in the rubble of concrete raised an anguished voice. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at Arisu.

The girl was staring at Arisu. Looking at her more closely, she had traces of dried blood on her body. She'd probably gone through a difficult battle until she came here. The girl's expression looked tired both physically and mentally.

Arisu just held the spear, unmoving.

No. She couldn't move.

The spear's tip slightly shook.

"Will you not finish me off?"

The wounded girl narrowed her eyes.

"If so, then I'll attack."

Still collapsed on the ground, the bumblebee's abdomen swelled. Apparently using the last remaining dregs in its body, it produced the tip of a small arrow.

Her hesitation, once blown away by the rage of seeing Daisuke get hurt, now returned.

The figure of this resolved girl overlapped with the Mushitsuki she'd met so far.

If Arisu captured this girl here, would she become an SEPB member and return to the battlefield? Just like Yomori Neiko, who she'd met just now. Had Neiko truly wished for that?

She met with yet another Mushitsuki.

She didn't hate the girl in front of her. She was simply angry since she saw her friend getting hurt.

Although they had no reason to fight, they met and hurt each other. —That pain was so strong Arisu couldn't bear it any longer.

But because they've met, Arisu had to ask it.

"What is… being a Mushitsuki?"

Her head cast down, she wrung out her voice.

All Mushitsuki fight against something—

When had Arisu heard these words?

She came to learn that during the time she was alive, Hanashiro Mari had fought under the alias of "Hunter".

"Why are you all doing nothing but fight…?"

After the death of her best friend, she met Kusuriya Daisuke. Following that opportunity, she met many Mushitsuki, and all of them were fighting against something.

"You're the ones who came attacking me in order to capture me. Until yesterday I was just living normally, so I can't let you do that just because you've figured out I'm a Mushitsuki."

The girl cackled.

No—

Arisu wordlessly shook her head to the sides.

"…?"

The girl craned her head.

Some Mushitsuki have indeed fought against the agency known as the SEPB.

But was that the only reason?

The Kind Magician she met before didn't even think about the SEPB. Since Arisu had glanced at her memories, she knew that well.

Even the meddling Harukiyo was the same. He sneered at that organization, and was searching for Mari.

Even Daisuke who was an SEPB member seemed like he was fighting for something. He also said that he was waiting for someone's return.

What about Mari, then?

What was Arisu's friend fighting for? Why had she left her Mushi to Arisu and was whispering to her even now?

"Tell me… please…"

Still glancing down, Arisu bit her lips.

The bee's host snorted. As if she was sneering at all Mushitsuki.

"If I need to have another reason, then… isn't it because all of us Mushitsuki can't give up our dreams no matter what happens to us?"

"Can't give up… your dream…"

In the end this was it.

Mari had left behind such strong emotions that she was able to die and bequeath her Mushi.

Would this keep happening as long as Arisu didn't know Mari's goal? Did she have to throw away her peaceful life, fight enemies she didn't hate and keep hurting them and being hurt in turn?

As long as she didn't find out Mari's wish, Arisu would never be released.

The thing she searched out of her own volition became heavy pressure for Arisu.

Arisu had it tough every time she met Mushitsuki.

Was there value in throwing away her peaceful life for this?

If she ended up going through such suffering, perhaps she should just forget about her friend—

—The moment she wished for this, Arisu's sight was covered in a silver glow.

"…!"

The silver lance grasped in her hand emitted a blinding light. The tip transformed to a wing rampaged, blowing away the rubble around.

"W-what is happe—kwah!"

Unable to support the spear, Arisu's arm was pounded against the ground. The remaining destructive power of the spear crushed the earth, assaulting the area with a tremor.

She grimaced at the pain. She immediately tried letting go of the spear, but for some reason her hand wouldn't move.

The spear raging to all sides crushed the rubble even further. The striped bumblebee was blown away and the host girl flew backwards.

Looking down her arm, Arisu widened her eyes. She raised a shriek without thinking.

"Eeeek!"

Silver-colored tentacles spread from the spear and dug into her right arm. The tentacles emitted a silver light pattern and started permeating Arisu's body from her shoulder.

At the same time her arm was assaulted by sharp pain.

It was probably the recoil from fusing with a Fusion Type Mushi despite not being a Mushitsuki. Her arm fusing with the tentacles was about to get ripped.

—How horrible…

Near her ears, a familiar voice whispered.

—Even though I chose the devil's medicine…

It was her first time to recall the owner of that voice with fear.

"Ma-Mari…?"

A chill ran her back.

The voice she heard belonged to none other than her dead friend.

The tentacles passed her back and pursued her neck. Indescribable fear welled up inside her.

"Ku…AAHHHH!"

It happened just as she raised a voice of anguish, a moment before Arisu's consciousness was dulled.

A shrill sound echoed in the desolate ruins of the factory.

Arisu remembered hearing that sound. Was it during music class? She heard it when some instrument was being tuned—the sound of a tuning fork.

The tuning fork's tone echoed and at the same time the silver scales engulfing Arisu were blown off. Space was distorted and ripples were caused in her vision.

"Inspection suspendeddd. Spear-Form's rampage confirmed."

On the summit of the mountain of rubble was Noiru, having appeared at some point.

Intersecting her arms in front of her chest, she swayed her body to the right and left like scales.

"Danger scaleee—"

A grin rose to Noiru's mouth.

"Plus, one hundred thousanddd."

The tuning fork's tone echoed. Space rippled with Noiru in the center, and momentarily there was afterimage of an insect resembling an evening cicada.

The girl had taken off her hoodie and turned it inside out. Wearing this reversible hoodie, she also equipped a black cloth mask and goggles that she brought out from somewhere.

"Kanakana has determined the Spear-Form's Mushi is dangerous, and will henceforth commence its annihilation."

The girl's clear voice overlapped with the tuning fork's sound. 

Part 5

"…!"

Noiru’s movements were swift, her figure black from head to toe. She stuck out the heel of her palm toward empty space.

Immediately afterward, Arisu heard the sound of the tuning fork near her.

Penetrating through the silver-colored scales, a shockwave pierced her.

"Ugh…!"

Unable to do anything, Arisu was hit by the invisible blow. She felt an impact as though something hit her but without any solid sensation. Much like standing in front of a loud speaker.

"Impact sound"—

When her body felt the identity of the domain controlling the surrounding it was too late.

Noiru leapt into the air.

The girl's legs kicking at empty air created ripples in space. Along with the tuning fork's sound, Noiru advanced upward as if being launched.

Kicking the wall of impact sound, Noiru instantly leapt toward Arisu's chest.

"Impact scaleee, plus oneee."

Sticking out both arms, she pounded something invisible against the spear in Arisu's hand.

The explosive impact sound pierced the silver Morpho butterfly. Arisu was thrown into the air along with her spear, crashing on the hard ground.

"Kuha!"

Rushing up the invisible stairs created by the impact sound, she climbed in air.

"Impact scaleee, plus twooo."

The sprawled Arisu's right hand was driven into the ground by an invisible strike.

The Morpho butterfly wings forming the tip shattered.

"Impact scaleee, plus threee. Plus fourrr. Plus fiveee."

The tuning fork kept echoing.

The Morpho butterfly's wings were ripped and the spear rampaged about as if writhing in pain.

 Arisu herself also withstood pain, grimacing while seeing the hurt Morpho butterfly.

"S-stop—"

It was the first time she thought of the Morpho butterfly left by her friend as scary.

But even that was undoubtedly proof that Mari had been alive.

The floating Noiru sneered.

"'Don't call people's friends monsters'!"

Noiru mimicked Arisu’s tone.

"But will you allow yourself to become a monster despite saying that?"

"…!"

"If not, then please stay still. I will release you from the Morpho butterfly."

Release her from the Morpho butterfly—

For an instant, Arisu's heart shook.

The sound of a tuning fork echoed from Noiru's hand in the night sky. The ripples spread among the stars.

"Impact scaleee…"

Confronting the Mushitsuki who lived in the battlefield was very scary.

She had no choice but acknowledge that already.

However—

Mari's smile rose to her mind.

—My dream, can I entrust it to you?

She put strength into her hand gripping the spear.

"Plus ten!"

She hated being scared.

She definitely hated feeling pain.

Arisu couldn't bear having the dream entrusted to her by Mari being taken here—

"Mari…!"

Arisu called the name of her dead friend.

The impact sound assaulted the silver spear.

And responding to Ichinokuro Arisu's call—was her own mouth.

"Arisu…"

When Arisu's mouth mumbled this, Hanashiro Mari moved to behind Noiru.

With the silver pattern emerging on her right arm, right cheek and left leg, Mari swung the silver lance.

Immediately the surroundings were filled with silver scales.

"Emergency situation confirmeddd. Danger scaleee, plus ten million!"

With her impact sound having been evaded, Noiru kicked the air to get distance from Mari.

Still angry, Mari grimaced with Arisu's face.

"A child of Diorestoi attempting to erase me… unforgivable."

"Mobilityyy, plus fiveee. Judgment capabilityyy, plus sixxx. Ability control scaleee, plus eighttt. Tentatively, Blaze Class Rank 3!"

Mari's spear slashed through empty air.

At the same time Noiru's tuning fork also echoed.

The scales attack and the sound impact clashed.

In the instant when the two waves repelled each other and vanished, Mari kicked her Mushi-fused leg into the ground. Moving toward Noiru with the speed of a bullet, she swiped with her lance.

However, Noiru fluttered above using her sound impact, dodging the spear attack. Revolving once above Mari's head, she stuck out her palm heel.

Mari instantly leapt to the side.

Along with a great vibration, the ground that Mari had just stood on caved in.

"What a restless and troublesome ability you have…!"

"Impact scaleee, plus twelveee!"

Mari and Noiru's battle proceeded like a seesaw.

Offensively Mari was overwhelming, but Noiru had an edge in speed.

However, the situation of the battle soon changed.

"Ah…!"

Unable to fully dodge Noiru's attack, the silver lance was blown away from Mari's hand.

"Here's my chanceee. Impact scaleee…"

Noiru, finding a good opportunity just like she said, leapt toward Mari. She let her tuning fork echo, creating ripples around her readied palm.

"Plus tennn!"

Mari grimaced at this predicament—or so she wanted the other girl to think, but she looked at Noiru coldly.

"You've been caught rather easily."

"…!"

Mari, with the exact same movements as Noiru, swung her right arm and made the silver pattern on the spear glow.

The two girls' arms crossed.

The sound of the impact bursting echoed around.

"—Cough…"

Breaking through the wall of impact sound and burying her palm in the opponent's solar plexus was Mari.

“The weapons of a Fusion Type aren’t just their strengthened equipment, you know.”

The current Mari was different from how Arisu was until now.

It wasn't just the spear being fused with the Morpho butterfly. Even her body covered by the pattern was strengthened the same way.

Noiru held her stomach, kneeling on the ground. Her impact sound halved the strike's force, but even so her flesh and blood body couldn't stand against Mari's attack.

Mari picked up her spear and swung it.

"…Even if you strip I won't forgive you, alright?"

She grinned and lowered her spear—

But then, feeling pressure at her back, she turned around.

Mari could see in her vision a bullet spewing fire flying directly at her.

"…!"

She hurriedly intercepted it with her spear.

Yet the bullet's power was fearsome. This time it was not acting; the spear really was blown out of her hands.

Mari herself was also thrown against the ground, but she soon stood up and raised her face.

"Why are you shooting me—"

She spat, gritting her teeth with anger.

"Kusuriya Daisuke-san…!"

The pitch-dark demon approached.

It was Kakkou—Kusuriya Daisuke. The form holding the large gun fused with the checkered beetle wouldn't allow any counterattack.

Daisuke slightly moved his face. She couldn't see his expression due to the goggles, but he appeared to be glaring at Noiru lying on the ground.

"So you weren't going to inspect anything in the first place then, Kanakana. Your goal was to provoke Arisu, put her life in danger and make her go wild in order to eliminate her, right?"

"I-I've judged Spear-Form to be dangerousss. Kakkou, please destroy Spear-Form at onceee."

"By whose orders? Director-General Ichiku? Vice-Deputy Miguruma? …Either way, it means that now the Central Headquarters views Arisu as trouble."

Saying this with a harsh tone, Daisuke turned back to Mari.

"Why did you come out, Hanashiro Mari?"

Mari grimaced. Anger welled inside her for the boy in front of her.

She couldn't forgive him for unhesitatingly firing at her. Right now Mari was fused with Arisu. Arisu thought of him as a friend, and yet he’d shot a bullet at her body.

"Because Arisu's body was in danger—"

"Tell the truth."

With the muzzle still pointed at her, Daisuke coldly pushed aside Mari's answer.

Mari was speechless.

When she'd cornered the striped bumblebee's host, Arisu was no longer in danger.

Even so, pushing her consciousness aside, Mari tried coming to the surface in order to—

"…If Arisu forgets about it, wouldn't it be as if I hadn't even existed in this world in the first place…?!"

Mari held her head.

Even her memories of approaching her death without meeting anyone and without being noticed by anyone were engraved into the Morpho butterfly.

Hanashiro Mari had definitely lived. Even so she was helplessly scared of being gone from this world without anyone remembering her and without leaving anything behind.

"That is way too horrible…!"

"I thought this every time you appeared instead of Arisu, but… in the end, is that really so? If, in order to keep living, you want to take over Arisu—"

"No! It's just that I chose the devil's medicine…!"

Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

"The devil's medicine… is that the picture book from your hospital room?"

"I just wanted to live with Arisu… But there was something I had to do…"

"Something you had to do? What was that?"

"—I can't remember."

Still holding her head, Mari strained her face. The pattern emerging on her face emitted silver light. The Morpho butterfly fused with the spear was starting to go berserk.

She didn't want to be forgotten by Arisu.

"What am I trying to do…?"

The more these feelings strengthened, the more Mari lost her ability to think. The more her fear for loneliness deepened, the more Mari's head blanked out.

"So even Hanashiro Mari's memories are becoming unstable."

Daisuke groaned in a low voice.

"Anyway, go away for now. Return to Arisu. If you don't… I'll kill your Mushi."

"…!"

Mari raised her face with a start.

What expression was she making at that moment? Even the merciless demon seemed obviously agitated for a second.

"Don't make that face."

"…"

"Arisu will never forget about you. —You'll just be a memory."

Mari looked at her right arm covered in the silver pattern. Due to the Morpho butterfly's forceful fusion, it was already numb.

She hurt her friend's body. When she realized that, she grew weak.

"Say, Kusuriya Daisuke-san. What are you going to do with me and Arisu?"

She asked this with a serene expression. The readied gun’s muzzle twitched.

"If you want to save Arisu, you just need to kill the Morpho butterfly. If you sympathize with me, you wouldn't tell me to go back, right?"

"I will simply monitor the Morpho butterfly."

"Tell the truth."

The black demon fell silent against Mari's smile. After waiting for a while, there was no response.

"You're also hesitating. You're unsure of what you want to do, then."

"…"

"We are all a gathering of stray children."

She felt a bit like she was saved.

Hesitating and worrying were proofs of being alive.

While where people surrounding Arisu hesitated, Mari kept existing. Even if the memories left to her Mushi were vague and even if she was beginning to lose sight of who she was.

Arisu—

She slowly closed her eyes. The Morpho butterfly split from the weakening Mari's body.

"—Nngh…"

She felt as if she'd heard someone calling her name somewhere.

Ichinokuro Arisu retrieved her consciousness, opening her eyes.

"Daisuke…?"

When her eyes opened, she saw Daisuke directing his gun at her.

She couldn't see the boy's expression, but was it her imagination that he looked relieved? Lowering his gun, Daisuke approached Noiru collapsed on the ground.

"Did you see it just now, Kanakana?"

"Spear-Form is dangerousss. Spear-Form is dangerousss."

"No, I'm still holding it back. If it doesn't seem like her rampage will stop, I'll take responsibility and annihilate the Morpho butterfly."

Walking closer, he grabbed Noiru's head with his green-patterned arm.

Bringing the girl's head to him, he glared at her from the distance of a few centimeters. As if trying to plant his own power and fear into her, he asserted from up close.

"Put this matter on hold."

"Uh…"

"Tell this to the one giving you orders. Don't do anything unneeded. If you were to ignore this warning—"

Arisu felt like she could hear a cracking sound from Noiru's skull.

"I'll kill you."

Daisuke let go of the girl's head. He looked down at the shaking girl with a truly devilish smile.

"I won't forgive you even if you strip."

"Uuuh… I don't wanna be killeddd… please don't kill me. I knew Kakkou was a demon… I don't want to be killed… on hold, on hold…"

Hugging her own body, Noiru shook like a leaf in the wind.

"Arisu."

Daisuke turned back to Arisu.

Her shoulders twitched. She looked as if her mind was foggy.

"That Morpho butterfly is becoming unstable. Same goes for the Central Headquarters—they'll surely play dumb if we ask them about it, but they started regarding that Mushi as dangerous."

"…"

"We may have no time."

Daisuke extended his hand to Arisu.

"If I kill the Mushi now, you might be able to return to your former life. —Shall I take you there?"

Arisu looked up at the night sky.

Having split from the spear and returned to the form of a butterfly, the Morpho butterfly was dancing.

Perhaps it would be better to turn her best friend into a mere memory.

Getting involved with Mushitsuki only hurt her.

Getting hurt was painful, and hurting other people was just as well.

However—

“Do you really not have any clues about people who know Mari? Please tell me everything without hiding it.”

If she stood back there, she would definitely regret it.

When the Morpho butterfly was nearly killed by Noiru, Arisu became painfully aware of it.

Mari believed in Arisu, and so she bequeathed to her the crystallization of her dreams—her Mushi.

If so, then all Arisu had to do was just keep moving.

She grasped Daisuke's hand.

"There's the possibility that Sanbikime came in contact with Hanashiro Mari."

The mysterious Prototype Mushi that created Fusion-Type Mushitsuki. Since Arisu had previously received this explanation, she knew that.

"So we have no choice but reach out to the Original Three."

Daisuke mumbled. It was apparently an opponent of a caliber that made even this boy hesitate, but he still looked resolved as if it related to him directly.

Since her right arm and right leg were numb, it was very painful for Arisu stand up. Daisuke stopped her from falling when her knees buckled.

She didn't know what was waiting ahead.

But Arisu could still move forward.

If she could take even a single step ahead, she thought that she'd be able to keep moving without hesitating.

Doing this alone was hard, but she had this reliable boy at her side—

Thinking of this and looking at Daisuke, she suddenly recalled something.

"Even though I went out of my way to help you get up, what's up with that face?"

"If you do anything weird I'll kill you."

"What's that supposed to man?"

"Don't touch any part of my body…"

As Daisuke's expression stiffened up, he was pierced by Arisu's look of scorn.

Underneath the moonlight, the shadows of the pair walking shoulder to shoulder stretched all over the vacant factory. 

Episode 18. The Dream-Controlling Fairy

The elementary school during the dead of night was enveloped in a pregnant silence.

The isolated school building in the vast premises had a classical triangular roof. A stone pathway extended all the way from the main gate, leading to a still water fountain.

A Morpho butterfly glowing in silver landed on Ichinokuro Arisu's shoulder.

"So this is the Center of Hearts…?"

Next to Arisu mumbling this with a serious expression, Kusuriya Daisuke tossed down his sports bag. He wore the pitch-black coat that was hidden there.

"According to that Village Chief or whatever, apparently. Or was it the Sage?"

"It was the King… I think."

While putting her arm in a white coat similar to Daisuke's, Yomori Neiko said in a soft voice.

"Meaning this is the final stage."

As she was gripping a stick made of steel, Arisu's face was illuminated by a blinding light.

Suddenly the lights in the elementary school were all turned on.

The lights of all classrooms flickered on as if the school came back to life. The illumination of the stone pavement turned off one by one, and the needle of the large clock attached to the school's triangular roof suddenly revolved quickly. The fountain raised countless water spouts, and the lights installed underwater lit the sky.

Unlike the school's classical appearance, it apparently had a high-tech electrical control system. The electronic lock on the main gate started opening slowly.

At the same time, a large monster appeared inside the premises. The makeup of its body resembled an insect, but it was several times larger than Arisu.

"So this is the final boss then. Are we near the end?"

On top of Arisu's shoulder, the Morpho butterfly's body transformed. Its tentacles reached out explosively, fusing with the metallic pole she was holding to form a silver lance.

A green checkered beetle alighted down on Daisuke. Just like the Morpho butterfly it extended its tentacles, fusing with the boy's body.

Neiko too started humming a beautiful song. The image of the cricket using her singing voice as a medium floated vaguely in the darkness.

"No, that's just a physical attacking type Mushi. I do not believe this is the mastermind playing with us."

"A middle boss…"

"Then does that mean there's still something inside?"

"Possibly. We can only search for it with the Morpho butterfly's sensing abilities."

The pattern etched all over Daisuke's body emitted a green glow. He kicked the ground, rushing toward the monster baring its fangs toward them.

The impact caused by the monster's sharp claws and Daisuke's strengthened arm clashing shook the pavement.

"Just who on earth in responsible for this bad game…!"

Grimacing, Arisu also started running toward the enemy in front of her eyes. 

Part 1

The rooftop of Horusu Seijou Academy's campus.

With Arisu leaning on the fences, her ponytail was blown by the fresh wind of early spring.

A single butterfly lifted by the crosswind alighted down.

It was a Morpho butterfly shining in silver. Its appearance resembled the actual insect, but it was actually one of the beings that possessed adolescent boys and girls, and fed on their dreams and hopes to produce supernatural powers.

Mushi—

These were fantastical beings that, while coming up in people's rumors, were never officially announced. With the populace still not knowing what they were, they felt shapeless fear toward them.

The reason Mushi weren't revealed was due to the government organization known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

The people possessed by Mushi—Mushitsuki—were captured, received training, and then used as combatants to capture even more Mushitsuki; thus worked the organization. As they isolated Mushi from the public, their actions appeared to be successful as of now.

To any normal civilian, speaking of the supernatural beings called Mushi and the SEPB was like talking of another world.

Arisu was once nothing more than a normal civilian herself.

However, there was no doubt that in front of her were the Mushi the Morpho butterfly and agents belonging to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—the SEPB for short.

"It's still unconvincing. Do it over!"

Crossing his arms and emitting a harsh voice was a normal boy, or at least he appeared like that. He was a middle school senior student with a medium build and completely average hairstyle and face, Kusuriya Daisuke.

Daisuke, as a member of the SEPB, was there in order to monitor Arisu who had received her dead friend's Mushi. Normally he acted like a harmless honors student, but he was actually a combatant feared as a demon.

"I-Ichinokuro Arisu's inspection is on holddd. Danger scaleee, zerooo."

Meaninglessly starting to open up her uniform, the girl kneeling in prostrating position on the ground shook her body to the sides.

She was Uno Noiru. She was also an SEPB member, and just the other day, she'd transferred to their school for the purpose of inspecting Arisu.

Daisuke looked down at her with a cold gaze.

"Stand up!"

"Uuh, don't kill me…"

"Don't strip. …Turn right!"

"Submissiveness scaleee, plus oneee…"

"Now go!"

Following Daisuke's instructions, Noiru dashed away in the direction she was facing.

Watching over this line of actions, Arisu sighed without hiding her anxiety.

"Say, will that really work?"

Although they'd worked for several days now on getting their story straight, Noiru's acting couldn't be called good.

Daisuke shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him.

"She's probably really obvious. Or rather, I doubt anyone exists that could fool Miguruma."

"Then isn't this useless?"

"As long as it conveys the message to the Central Headquarters to watch out. They probably don't want to turn me, a Blaze Class Rank 1, and my East Central Branch into direct enemies. —Conversely, this won't mean I'm allowed to do anything I want within our jurisdiction."

Arisu wanted to find out the will of the previous Morpho butterfly host, Arisu's friend Hanashiro Mari—

Wishing for this, Arisu resolved not to run away until she accomplished her goal. Perhaps feeling conflicted, Daisuke was also going along with her.

However, the Central Headquarters viewed Arisu—the rare case of someone becoming the host of another person's Mushi—as dangerous.

Dispatching the "assassin" Uno Noiru was an event that indicated this.

"I don't really get it… but seems like there's a complex power struggle."

"I did this all under my boss's orders. He said it would probably buy us some time. He would shake the Central Headquarters by himself with some plan. We can just leave the complex tactics to those who like that kinda thing."

He probably trusted his boss, the Branch Head of the East Central Branch. Despite his flippant tone, Daisuke didn't seem pessimistic about the current situation.

"Anyway, now we can devote ourselves to look for clues about Hanashiro Mari."

Arisu's face stiffened.

The one holding a hint to why her friend had left her Mushi was someone wrapped in even further mystery.

"So we need to search for the person who made Mari a Mushitsuki… Sanbikime."

"They're not a person. They're one of the Original Three who give birth to Mushitsuki. It’s a given they were in contact with Mari."

Arisu nodded.

"When Ayuyu used her ability to see the Morpho butterfly's memories, I also saw it. Mari called the 'Doctor' that was with her, one of the Original Three… so he's Sanbikime."

"It's hard because we’ve never been able to determine Sanbikime's appearance or voice. On the other hand, using Ayuyu's ability again would be too dangerous. —We can only wait for Sanbikime to get in contact with another person."

Still crossing his arms, Daisuke leaned his back on the fence.

Arisu craned her head.

"Haven’t you been made a Mushitsuki by Sanbikime too? Don't you know anything about them?”

"Since I became a Mushitsuki without even noticing, my memories from immediately following that event are fuzzy. I've never seen Sanbikime."

She'd also received an explanation about the Original Three before.

They were the elusive three Prototype Mushi that were invited by people's dreams and appeared all over the country. Since most of the ecology and logic governing their actions was shrouded in mystery, especially in the case of Sanbikime—the one who gave birth to Fusion-Type Mushitsuki—they weren't able to confirm even their physical appearance. Other than the late Hanashiro Mari and including Daisuke right in front of her, only very few such Mushitsuki have been created.

"As far as I know, the only ones who have likely been in contact with them were Director-General Ichiku, his subordinate Miguruma, and… Harukiyo. But I don't think Ichiku and Miguruma would volunteer information."

"Depending on our negotiations, perhaps Harukiyo will tell us about Sanbikime?"

"Because he also seems to want to find more about Hanashiro Mari."

"…Can't we just directly search for Sanbikime?"

"We can't predict where the Original Three will appear. Also, if what I heard from Miguruma was true, then Sanbikime's already—"

"…?"

"No, it's nothing."

Seeing Daisuke block his own mouth, Arisu furrowed her brows.

Yet another secret he was hiding. She knew that pressing him about him would yield nothing, though.

"We still have some open doors. We can find at least a few clues."

The boy sounded like he was saying that to himself. Or perhaps the situation surrounding Arisu was becoming even more difficult than she thought—

"So, Arisu. Summon Harukiyo this instant."

"Leave it to me. Oh, Harukiyo-sama, Harukiyo-sama, please come to my aid! —As if I could do that."

Raising both hands toward the sky, she gave Daisuke a back kick.

"…It was a joke…"

Holding his stomach, Daisuke groaned.

"And now seriously, where's that pervert gone to? He always appears when it's not convenient for us, but when we finally have business with him he's gone for a long time…"

"How would I know? He's basically an enemy."

"…I wonder. He appeared from time to time and seemed to get along with you."

"Hah? Who's exactly getting along? While we're on the subject, then haven't you talked to Mari when I switched with her or whatever? —Oh, speaking of it, you said before that quiet girls are your type. Since Mari is so pure, there's no way that you…?"

"W-why would Hanashiro Mari be my…! Where did you hear that? Was that from Harukiyo too?"

"Then what's up with you!"

The pair gazed at each other as they walked closer.

They heard the shouts of the baseball club from the sports ground below.

The weather of early spring served to disperse the bad atmosphere that was about to engulf them.

Both of them rotated their bodies at the same time, turning their backs at each other.

"What are you so impatient about, you idiot?"

"Be a little less carefree, you idiot."

Their fight was like the usual, so they were used to it.

The situation was urgent. The Morpho butterfly was becoming unstable, and the Central Headquarters was viewing Arisu as dangerous. Also, the person that could provide a hint did not appear.

Arisu and Daisuke had no way to make contact with Harukiyo. Even while they were arguing like this, time kept ticking.

"I wonder what we can even do right now. Just wait for Harukiyo to appear?"

"…We lack information. I can't do any investigation that goes over the scope of my monitoring mission, and I have no connections to use to pull out information from the secretive Central Headquarters. We’ve already investigated about as far as the two of us can.”

Turning around, Daisuke's expression turned vexed. Arisu wasn't really familiar with his circumstances, but even a superb combatant like him had some limits.

"Will your East Central Branch not lend a hand?"

"Their suggestion to me is just about the limit. If they carelessly start a big movement, the East Central Branch itself might be destroyed. I can ask for some help, but we can't rely on that."

"So this is the limit of the two of us investigating together…"

Thinking a bit, Arisu drew a certain conclusion.

They couldn't just wait for Harukiyo. They had to take an action of their own.

"Then there's only one thing we can do."

Daisuke looked confused, but Arisu grinned. 

Kurobishi Town was a commuter town located near Akamaki City where Arisu resided.

Unlike Akamaki City, which housed and gathered the country's most important agencies and large businesses, Kurobishi Town had many facilities putting emphasis on normal daily life. It still had a similar feel to the capital, but they devoted themselves completely to tree-planting and welfare. The town was famous for its many green parks and social welfare facilities.

Especially in recent years, it was said that they put effort into advancing air purification and the usage of electrical energy. By employing machines that used electricity without polluting the air, they supported the minds and bodies of all citizens. They also used monorail trains that were noiseless and kind to the environment.

The unmanned monorail running through Kurobishi Town was made reality by the use of a cutting-edge remote-control system along with autonomous driving. However, since the expenses to design it were enormous, the pricy ticket fare was its major flaw. Perhaps because of that, there were few passengers on board.

"It's been a while since I was in this area. Probably ever since my elementary school extracurricular activities?"

From inside the car speeding through a bridge, Arisu looked at Kurobishi Town's townscape. Since it was their day off, she wore a casual shirt adorned with a ribbon.

"…"

Daisuke, sitting opposite of Arisu, wore a glum face. He wore a plain T-shirt and jeans, with a large sports bag at his feet.

"What is it, Daisuke? You look dissatisfied."

"Even if there's nothing else we can do, I still think that this is a waste of time."

"But it's much more productive than just waiting for Harukiyo, right? There's a limit to what we can do by ourselves, so I just thought of another way."

She thought it was logical, but the boy was unsatisfied.

"A Mushitsuki that will help us—and an owner of power that excels in information gathering will not be found that easily."

Searching for comrades.

That was Arisu's suggestion.

Arisu and Daisuke's Mushi were powerful, but they possessed nothing more than abilities specialized in combat. Among Mushitsuki who possessed varied abilities, there should be someone who could help them.

"There are Mushitsuki that can see Mushi's memories or switching between senses and such. So there should be some Mushi specializing in looking for people."

"There are certainly people like that. And, if they're Mushitsuki not found by the SEPB yet, they wouldn't be affected by the meddlesome Central Headquarters. …But it wouldn't be easy to find them, and I doubt that they'd really help us."

"But you found one, right? Isn't that why we're going to Kurobishi Town?"

Daisuke agreed to Arisu’s suggestion somewhat unwillingly. Since he'd happened upon information about a Mushitsuki that could fit, he and Arisu had left Akamaki City.

"To be precise, we haven't found them yet."

"What does that mean?"

"Before I explain it, explain why you've brought her here too."

Daisuke glared at the seat next to Arisu.

The older girl folded her legs elegantly on the seat. Her slim body was covered in a blouse and cardigans and she had a hat on her head. She had sleepy eyes and at her feet was a sports bag just like Daisuke's.

"Even I learned a bit about handling danger. We have no idea what’s waiting for us, and if anything happened I wanted to have a comrade we could rely on."

Next to Arisu who puffed her chest, the Mushitsuki girl with restoration abilities—Yomori Neiko—smiled. She pointed at Daisuke and then at her, mumbling to herself.

"…Comrades…"

Daisuke also returned her smile, raising his arm. Whack, Daisuke's finger flicking Neiko's forehead reverberated inside the car.

"Who's your comrade? You're nothing but a burden."

Ignoring Neiko who collapsed on Arisu's lap while holding her head, Daisuke turned his gaze to the side.

Yet Arisu grabbed the boy's head with both hands, forcibly turning it to her. As she raised herself, Neiko's head fell to the floor.

"She's our comrade."

"Hmph."

Daisuke laughed scornfully, shaking off Arisu's hands.

Slowly raising her body, Neiko rubbed her forehead and smiled.

"I… was saved by Arisu-chan. If she hadn't stopped you, Kakkou-kun, we wouldn't be able to be here like this…"

Compared to Daisuke, Arisu had met only very few Mushitsuki. All of the Mushitsuki she'd met so far appeared to be fighting against something and were getting hurt as a result.

Meeting and getting hurt. If that was how Mushitsuki were, she didn't care.

However—

"I actually fought against the people I've met until now, and until recently I was so scared of that that I didn't want to get involved with Mushitsuki anymore…"

Arisu spoke to Daisuke.

"But it's definitely not meaningless. No matter how I meet them, I should be able to save all of them."

Parting from people after hurting each other was too sad. They should be able to go past battles and help each other.

Perhaps it wasn't so easy to create such a relationship.

After all, just like Arisu was a while before, people were afraid of getting hurt again. They averted their eyes from one another to escape pain.

Even so, Arisu didn't want her meeting with her late friend Hanashiro Mari—no, with Mushitsuki—to end up being meaningless.

"And we can obviously also save everyone. We are very strong, after all."

It was just that hating each other and fighting was scary.

Even if they fought and got hurt, they could join hands in the end.

As long as she thought this, she didn't fear any new meetings—

By the time she thought of such thing, Arisu suddenly realized something.

"—Oh, right."

Raising her face, she recalled the Mushitsuki who were especially strong among those she met.

"Mari, Daisuke, Harukiyo… and Rina. If all these powerful people became comrades, all the other Mushitsuki would have to follow them and stop fighting."

"Wha—"

Daisuke became speechless. Neiko, too, widened her eyes.

Daisuke the Demon, Mari the Hunter, the Flame Devil Harukiyo, and Rina who possessed absolute charisma. —If there were any other Mushitsuki as strong as them, then these monsters as well.

If they combined their forces and stood next to each other—perhaps everyone would stop fighting.

This ideal future rose to Arisu's mind.

"There's n-no way something like that could ever happen! Never mind that Mari's dead or that pervert, you want even Rina to join? She hates my guts! This is too ridiculous even for a joke!"

Perhaps quite surprised at the girl's plan, the boy wrung out an unusually agitated voice.

Even so, Arisu had the feeling that what she had in mind wasn't completely impossible.

"If none of you are going to directly join forces, you just need a middleman that will connect everyone."

"…!"

Were her thoughts really so astounding? The speechless Daisuke and Neiko looked like they were seeing aliens.

Arisu herself felt that it was far stranger that no one thought the same thing before.

The girl she'd met before, Rina, said she was only fighting to create a place where Mushitsuki would belong.

Yet Arisu held the exact opposite thinking.

If the strong Mushitsuki stopped fighting, at some point their influence would affect all Mushitsuki, and wouldn't the fighting just vanish then? Their existence was that meaningful.

"You can't be that much of an airhead—"

As Daisuke raised his voice in order to hide his agitation, a ringtone echoed from his phone.

Daisuke clicked his tongue and answered. An annoying voice immediately reached Arisu's ears.

"Thank you very much for using the services of the idol of the East Central Branch, Maimai-changh! …I-it's barely safe, they didn't find out I bit my tongue!"

"…Although the Central Headquarters intelligence division is useless, I'm even more pathetic for asking you for help…"

He appeared listless with self-hatred. Daisuke's shoulders sagged.

"This is information regarding your search request for 'an undiscovered Mushitsuki excelling in information-gathering abilities'! Isn’t Maimai-chan awesome for working hard even outside her jurisdiction? You have told me that you were infiltrating Kurobishi Town, but, would you look at that? I managed to get in contact with that Mushitsuki! As expected from Maimai-chan, a bright future awaits me!"

"Get in contact… meaning, you spoke with them? Isn't that incredible."

Near Arisu who voiced her honest impressions, Neiko clapped her hands.

Only Daisuke felt differently.

"Tell the truth, Maimai. I've certainly asked you to find them, but how have you done it so easily?"

As Daisuke questioned the person on the other side, the sound of something popping came from the phone in his hand.

"…?"

For an instant the lights on the train flickered. A line of static electricity sparked between the lights and Daisuke's cellphone.

"Ugh… I-it's alright, they haven't found you yet! They have no idea that this Mushitsuki features at the very top of the intel division's blacklist so everyone knows about them… The one who found this Mushitsuki who's scary enough to be able to hack even in the Central Headquarters' database was obviously Maimai-chan!"

Daisuke widened his eyes.

"W-wait a minute! Is it someone who was fighting against the Central Headquarters and still managed to get away?"

"Yes! Not to mention that we know nothing about their abilities! All we could determine was that their point of origin focused in Kurobishi Town! All of the SEPB agents sent there had the tables turned on them!"

"No, that's—"

"Since, honestly speaking, this is out of our control, the Central Headquarters are currently taking a defensive position and are waiting for that enemy to exhaust themselves! Some think that this might end up as the second coming of Fuyuhotaru—ah! It's barely fine, I haven't touched Kakkou-san's taboo!"

The moment he heard the term "Fuyuhotaru", Daisuke's expression changed.

"Daisuke…?"

The silver Morpho butterfly landed on Arisu's shoulders as she raised a brow. It nervously flapped its wings, spreading around scales emitting a silver glow.

Seeing the Morpho butterfly's behavior, Arisu finally noticed the abnormality.

The monorail started running faster. Since it was so silent, she was late to notice.

The lights in the car kept blinking.

"I-is something happening?"

"Maimai… I realize the opponent's famous. How did someone as excellent as you get in contact with such a dangerous person?"

"They apparently have eyes anywhere and know about everything. Also, regarding Kurobishi Town itself, they basically control the entire town…"

"…"

"J-just now, Maimai-chan's Mushi was attacked while searchingngh. I-I didn't bite my tongue! And they even traced back Maimai-chan's Mushi that was inside Kakkou-san's cellphone, but I will never tell—"

"That doesn’t count as getting in contact…! What you're saying is that we've been found out!"

At the same time as Daisuke's shout, the emergency stop button on the car's back started raising sparks.

"The enemy definitely thinks that Kakkou-san and the rest are the SEPB assassins! But it's fine since it's you! Nice bait strategy, Maimai-chan! Everything turned out alright!"

Reflexively, Arisu looked at the front of the train.

She could see the final station ahead of the gentle curve. There were no rails past that.

"The monorail's being controlled…?"

As long as they kept the same speed, they were going to burst through the station's wall and head-first beyond the elevated structure.

Unlike the frozen Arisu, Daisuke and Neiko took swift action.

"…Since we're unable to see the Mushi's body, it means that one attacking us is a Special Type…"

Neiko intertwined her fingers, closing her eyes.

"I'll try controlling the monorail with my Mushi's territory and driving out the enemy Mushi…"

A singing voice echoed.

The purple glow that appeared as the medium for Neiko's voice enveloped the running train.

Special Type Mushitsuki could take any sort of space and transform it into their own domain in order to activate their abilities. Also, as long as they had some catalyst for the medium of their ability, they could control their Mushi even outside their domain.

After the inside of the car was wrapped by the purple domain, the lights stopped flickering. Also, a jelly-like liquid came bursting out from Daisuke's cellphone—it was probably Maimai's Mushi.

"Now we can stop the acceleration… we can try the emergency stop, but I doubt we'll make it in time… if we stop it right before, my ability could restore the wounded and the destroyed car though…"

"Other than us there are several unrelated passengers. If there are any instant deaths it won't work, and more importantly you can't heal your own wounds, right?"

Daisuke wore a severe expression as a green checkered beetle alighted on his shoulder.

"I-I can also—"

Besides Arisu, the Morpho butterfly was growing wild. She searched for anything it could fuse with as a weapon, but couldn't find any pole-like object nearby.

"You stay seated and hold out."

Standing in the center of the car, Daisuke's Mushi fused with him. The Mushi's tentacles pierced his skin, becoming a green pattern and emitting a faint glow.

Swinging his green glowing arm, Daisuke stuck his fist through the floor without any hesitation.

"…!"

The car shook with the impact.

The strong vibration and violent gravity assaulted Arisu on the seat.

The roaring of metal being crushed and something hard breaking echoed. Raising an ear-grating sound, the monorail running at a wild speed was rapidly decelerating.

Realizing that Daisuke did something, she was dumbfounded.

Stabbing through the floor up to his shoulder, he grabbed the rails underneath the car with his bare hands.

Daisuke's physical strength he gained from fusing with his Mushi lowered the car's speed.

"Guh… Ugh…!"

Daisuke wore an expression of anguish.

Arisu tried rushing to him, but she lost against the vibration and sudden deceleration. She collapsed onto the seat again.

Raising a shrill sound, the monorail crashed against the station platform.

They passed by the surprised faces of the people waiting there.

"Uh…!"

The car swerved with a jerk.

Arisu shut her eyes without thinking—and when she opened them again, she saw the ticket gates outside the window.

The roars and vibration stopped completely.

"W-we're saved…?"

In front of Arisu who muttered this in shock, Daisuke dragged his right arm out of the floor.

"Obviously, stupid. We'll not be killed that easily."

The arm of the boy separating from the checkered beetle was covered in abrasions and red blood.

Neiko's singing voice echoed.

The shining cricket began fixing the hole opened in the floor and Daisuke's wounded arm.

"Seems like we're fully being treated as enemies. We have to get out of here already."

"…I still haven't fully healed you yet…"

With the sports bag hanging from his shoulder, Daisuke pulled Arisu's arm. Unheeding to Neiko, he exited to the platform from the open door.

Arisu, still overcome by fear, let herself be pulled by Daisuke.

But once they passed through the ticket gates, Daisuke suddenly stopped in place. She bumped into his back.

"What's wrong?"

A boy was blocking Daisuke's path.

Seeing that, Arisu froze without thinking.

"You have splendidly overcome the first trial, oh great heroes."

The boy welcoming Arisu and the rest to Kurobishi Town wore a white beard. He also wore a white-haired wig and used a wooden walking stick. His clothes were like the costume of some play, obviously hand-made old-style clothes.

Excluding the strange costume, both face and voice were those of a young boy. However—the eyes looking at Arisu and the rest curiously appeared somewhat murky.

All of the passengers' gazes focused on the boy dressed like an old man.

"I am the Chief of Kurobishi Village. I shall give thee the item that will lead thee to the legendary 'Center of Hearts'."

Arisu and the rest exchanged glances.

"W-what does all this mean…?"

"…Heroes…"

"Looks like this is turning into another stupid event…"

The trio's muttering echoed in Kurobishi Town station and vanished. 

Part 2

The sun sank and the curtain of darkness fell over Kurobishi Town's center.

Arisu, Daisuke and Neiko wandered around the town center with tired expressions.

"I wonder which character will it be next…"

Mumbling this, Arisu grasped a handheld terminal. This equipment, about the size of a cellphone, had an LCD display and it showed the current location of her and the rest.

That was the "Item" they had been handed by the mysterious boy they met at the monorail station.

It was a location device that used a satellite, meaning a GPS. After the boy suddenly gave it to Arisu and the rest, he mumbled "Now, head out on your journey" in monotone and left.

"…I'm tired… I want to go back…"

"…"

The sighing Neiko's gait was unsteady. Daisuke looked very stressed and hadn't said anything for a while now.

While walking through the road that went alongside the national highway, Arisu checked the GPS device. Not far from the red arrow indicating their location was a blinking yellow circle.

"Do your best, Neiko-san. The next spot is apparently that crossroads."

"…Hey, taxi…"

"Stop, idiot. How can you even think of using vehicles after that monorail had been taken over?”

Above the trio walking for a few hours now, the city lights were crackling with blue static electricity as they blinked on and off.

"What's wrong, Daisuke?"

Noticing that he was looking up the blinking lights, she called out to him. Yet he only said, "No… it's nothing," and kept walking again.

The lights of cars passed near Arisu the rest dragging their legs.

"How many people will we have to go through? After the one in the station… that Village Chief or whatever was the Villager. He was quite a strong Mushitsuki."

"The one blabbing about not letting us reach the Center of Hearts? And after saying all that, when he realized he was no match for us he told us to meet with that Sage or whatever and ran off."

"And the Sage was surprising for another reason entirely. Not only was he not a Mushitsuki, but he was a perfectly normal salaryman."

"…The Center of Hearts is the holy ground, the land of salvation that no one must enter… was that what he said? His explanation was so long-winded and incoherent…"

"Then we went to the Stone Monument. That person was very determined… but what the hell's up with them, anyway? This can't be just a simple role-playing game—eek."

When they approached the crossroads, suddenly Daisuke wrapped his arm around Arisu's waist. Carrying her body, he rushed ahead.

The Morpho butterfly dancing in the night sky emitted a glow, flying around erratically.

A large car now passed through the spot where Arisu stood a moment ago. It crashed against a power pole with a roar, swerving on the road and spinning.

"W-what the…?"

The car that crashed against the wall and stopped was empty. Neiko dodged just like Daisuke, so there were no victims.

"So our movements are completely visible. It's possible that someone's watching us or that this device you're holding sends them signals."

Daisuke muttered in an annoyed voice, lowering Arisu to the ground.

"This device?"

"…But since we have no further clues, we can't let go of it… as long as we keep getting hints, even if we know it's a trap, we can only head to the next spot… looks like the opponent is pretty smart…"

The surroundings became busy. Arisu and the rest quickly crossed the crossroads.

"By hints, do you mean that Center of Hearts place? Is there something there?"

"Perhaps the goal is to make us think so and walk into their trap. Actually, there've been pretty strong Mushitsuki so far. Probably those combatants sent to Kurobishi Town were defeated the same way."

Daisuke sighed, and suddenly stopped walking.

"I think that the problem is the one who controlled the monorail and that car just now. They're probably also the one who interfered in the Central Quarters database. The others are either controlled by that Mushitsuki or threatened by them… never mind which, they're just followers."

Neiko also stopped in place.

"…But we still don't know what kind of ability that is… they're probably Special Type, but if they're actually exerting their ability to all of Kurobishi Town, they possess something incredible… And since they can see us while we can't see them, they have a constant advantage…"

"W-wait. Daisuke, Neiko-san, why have we stopped?"

As Arisu turned back, the two SEPB agents sighed at the same time.

"Let's go back."

"…Yes."

Turning their bodies around, the two went back the same road. "…Don't you want to carry an older girl on your back?" "You have legs, so use 'em." "They'll be worn out by the time we get back to Akamaki City…" they mumbled as they switched over to go-home mode.

"W-wait a minute!"

Arisu hurriedly came to stop the pair.

"You're giving up after we've come this far? We might meet the Mushitsuki we're looking for next time!"

"This stupid game might not have any ending. I'm not going along with it."

"…Since they have so much power, they'll definitely go wild… I can see why the Central Headquarters decided to just wait for them to destroy themselves…"

"Then isn't it all the more reason to find them? Don't Mushitsuki die when they use their powers too much? We have to save them!"

Daisuke turned around, grimacing.

"Save them? Even though the enemy tried to kill us? Just how stupid are you…"

"Have you forgotten what I said earlier? If we give up here, it won't end up with us hurting each other. But if we approach them, surely we'll be able to cooperate—"

"Stop with this already!"

Daisuke violently shook off Arisu's arm.

"We obviously can't help each other! We Mushitsuki do everything we can just to survive! I don't need anyone's help and have no intention of saving anybody!"

As if spitting his accumulated anger, the boy's voice was wild. Neiko also agreed with him.

"Either way… I can't use my ability to restore their spent mental power…"

But Arisu didn't falter.

"Haven't they said that this town's Mushitsuki is the second coming of Fuyuhotaru?"

Daisuke's expression became agitated.

"I don't know much about that Mushitsuki, but what if… if it was Fuyuhotaru there, what would you have done?"

"…!"

Everyone's dreams are connected somewhere—

The one to have taught Arisu that was a Mushitsuki.

"Living alone despite being a Mushitsuki is quite the misunderstanding."

Yielding himself to anger, Daisuke was about to open the mouth. However, he was unable to say anything in reply and averted his gaze.

"Say, Neiko-san."

Arisu turned to Neiko.

"Is your voice there just to fix things?"

Neiko raised her face with a start. She held her fists in front of her chest.

"You weren't as strong as you are now when we first met, but… back then you were kinder. Back then, although you sang to help your friends, now it's almost like you're singing to fight."

"I-I… am…"

Sounding as if she was trying to excuse herself, Neiko's voice was stiff.

Arisu put the GPS device in her pocket. Grabbing the still indecisive Daisuke and Neiko's hands, she made them grasp one another.

"Please come with me at least until the next location. If that's another dead end let us think of a different way. Is that fine?"

"Tch…"

"…"

Daisuke clicked his tongue and Neiko was speechless.

"Here."

Checking the GPS, Arisu stopped.

They reached a large game arcade. There was a line of crane games, and they could see stairs behind.

Only a few minutes remained until the closing time indicated on the entrance. Arisu and the rest were cautious about their surroundings as they stepped inside the shop.

Perhaps because it was about to close, they could see no one at the reception desk. A lone couple passed near them and left.

"No one's here anymore. The indicator says it's here though."

"The upper floor."

Brushing Arisu aside, Daisuke led the way going up the stairs.

The second floor was a spacious lounge. It was cramped with rows of arcade machines.

There was only a single customer there. With his back turned to the stairs, a small person operated the controller and played a fighting game.

It was a boy that looked probably 2 or 3 years younger than Arisu. "Take this!" At the moment he operated the controller, his frameless glasses reflected the game's light. They had a glance of his handsome profile.

"A kid…?"

Arisu mumbled this just as an electronic tone rang from the boy's pocket.

"Ah, crap, customers. Sorry, I'm just getting to a good place."

The bespectacled boy turned around to glance at Arisu and the rest for just a moment. He soon returned to the screen and skillfully manipulated the controller.

"Oh well. Umm—you have done well to reach this place. I am the King. Art thou the Heroes seeking to challenge the mysteries of the Center of Hearts?"

It was clearly half-assed acting. Yet this behavior also indicated that he wasn't being controlled.

Arisu and the rest exchanged glances.

"Are you part of the weird people we've met so far? If you're the leader, we'd like for you to explain matters. We're not enemies."

"Take this, shit… umm, I was about to hand thee the legendary weapon, but I will not conduct this meaningless conversation. After all, my beloved daughter has been kidnapped by monsters—oh crap!"

Ignoring their words, the boy continued his lines. Unlike the Village Chief and the rest, he didn't appear to want to seriously play his part.

"Never mind, I got distracted so I'll just cut to the chase. —If you save the princess, I will hand thee the legendary weapon."

Next to Arisu, the Morpho butterfly emitted blinding light.

The sound of metal clashing came from the first floor. They heard the employees' screams.

A large tremor from directly below shook the building. Arisu turned back to the stairs.

"Eeek—"

She raised a strained voice without thinking.

A strange-looking giant came climbing up to the second floor. Its body, made of countless crane games folded together, couldn't stand upright due to the low ceiling. Torn cords spread sparks and scorched the walls.

On a closer look, a small human form was dangling from the giant's chest. It was a princess doll, probably one of crane game's prizes.

"Wha…wha…"

The giant reached out toward the overwhelmed Arisu. That hand was large enough to grab her petite body easily.

"So it's a material-controlling type."

Standing in front of Arisu, Daisuke came forward. At some point he'd already fused with his Mushi, raising his arm embedded with a green pattern.

"Shall we have a contest of strength?"

Daisuke's thin arm stopped the giant's arm that must have weighed several hundreds of kilograms.

The giant's movements stopped with a jerk.

The sound of metal being crushed echoed around. Daisuke, wearing a thin smile, slowly started walking. The giant's arm broke, and his wrist, elbow and shoulder were crushed as if they were made of paper.

The giant raised a death throe. After pulverizing the giant's arm, Daisuke grabbed the princess doll directly. Turning around, he threw the doll in his hands.

"Ow—"

The doll hit the bespectacled boy squarely in the back of his head. He turned back, startled.

"Whoa, you're really strong… well, as expected from someone who came this far."

He was surprised only for a moment; mumbling "oops", he went back to the game.

Neiko's singing voice brought Arisu back to herself. The machines scattered in the place returned to their previous positions like a video being played back.

"W-was that a monster now? Well? We beat it."

"Aah, so thou art truly the true Heroes. As promised, I shall give thee the legendary weapon! —It's over there so go and take it."

As if he couldn't be bothered with it, the boy pointed at the wall to the side. There was a metal pipe left lying there.

"I don't really know about it, but it can be used with a Mushi's power, right?"

"…! How did you—"

"Do you seek the Center of Hearts?

"What, thou ask about the Center Hearts location? I see. The legend says that if you went to 'Kodaka Hill' you will be able to fulfill the prophecy. If thou seek the Center of Hearts, then go there—"

The boy didn't finish speaking.

Daisuke grabbed his head from behind. Seeing Daisuke's eyes reflected on the screen, the boy's movements stopped in place.

"What is it? We no longer have any business, right? Please just go?"

"…"

"Making that scary face won't help you. We can't speak of anything other than our roles. The ones you've met this far were also like that right?"

Without getting angry at the snorting boy, Daisuke turned back to Arisu.

"Arisu. Use the Morpho butterfly's sensing ability to find where this guy's Mushi is."

"Huh?"

"You said that if we reach another dead end we'll find another method, right? —From now on, we'll turn everyone we find to Fallen. The one remaining would be the leader."

Arisu widened her eyes. The boy lost his composure.

"W-wait a second…! Why would you go that far! All of us are just—"

There was a dull sound. Daisuke pushed the boy's forehead against the screen.

"Daisuke!"

"O-ow…! W-what is it! Stop it, let go!"

"Does it hurt? If you think what you did was just a prank, I'll open your eyes."

"Don't screw with me! We're just playing a game! Right, this is just a game…! Mushi are also just game characters…"

The boy's behavior changed. Unlike before when he was completely calm, he mumbled to himself with his face against the screen. His shoulders shaking, they heard him grinding his teeth.

Now lit by the screen, they noticed the boy's face was dirty. Even his expensive-looking shirt was quite dirty.

Daisuke grimaced.

"So this is escapism…"

"Huh?"

"It's something that happens during capture missions at times. Fearing their own Mushi, and being feared by other people as Mushitsuki, some guys stubbornly refuse to look at reality. …Shit, why haven't I noticed until now? All of the ones we met so far were the same."

The surprised Arisu looked at the bespectacled boy.

"He probably also ran away from somewhere. So that means he'd been picked up by someone."

The young boy became pale. More than being afraid of Daisuke, he looked like he wanted to run away from everything.

Arisu bit her lips hard.

"Say, kid. Where's that Center of Hearts place?"

"No… I won't tell you… If the Center of Hearts is gone, no one would help me… and we'll be caught by you, the SEPB…"

Daisuke grimaced.

"So you're protecting that Center of Hearts place in exchange for being protected. Who's the one protecting you all?"

"The people covering for you might be gone. If they keep using their power like that, they wouldn't last long."

"…! Erii wouldn't last…?"

The boy changed his expression. He held his mouth with a surprise.

"We are not your enemies. We simply want to talk with this Erii. Is Erii in that Center of Hearts place?"

"Uh… Uuugh…"

Perhaps hesitating, the boy groaned.

A short while later, the boy playing the part of a King named a certain elementary school in Kurobishi Town. 

Part 3

It was already late night by the time they found the elementary school given to them in the game arcade.

As if protecting this classical campus, a large Mushi raised a howl.

Close-range fighter Daisuke leapt back, taking his distance from the Mushi.

"It's a tough Mushi. The host's probably hiding around here somewhere, but if that Erii person runs away while we're looking it'd be bad. You two go ahead."

Daisuke readied his pistol. Its muzzle—the checkered beetle's maw—spat fire as it launched a bullet.

It scored a hit on the large Mushi. However, never mind that fact that it didn't even cause the Mushi to collapse, it was only knocked back a bit.

"Got it. —You mustn't kill the Mushi, Daisuke. Because these people aren't our enemies."

"Be careful…"

Using the opening caused by the Mushi flinching, Arisu and Neiko kicked the ground. They ran toward the school building.

The Mushi fixed its posture, swinging down its sharp claws toward the pair trying to rush by it.

Silver light flashed.

The silver lance thrust upward by Arisu repelled the Mushi's leg. Its large body was blown away, thrown on the ground with an explosive roar.

Along with Daisuke's covering fire, Arisu and Neiko rushed past the monster screaming in pain.

The Morpho butterfly could sense another Mushi. It pulled Arisu toward the school.

"Neiko-san, this way!"

Leaping into the building from the open front game, they ran toward the end of the corridor.

The lighting on the ceiling was blinking violently. Blue static electricity was crackling all over the corridor.

"…!"

Unlike its classic appearance, the building apparently made use of an advanced security system. The fire shutters for emergency use slowly started blocking the corridor.

Arisu swung her spear, slashing ahead.

Silver-colored scales blew wildly. The shockwave pulverized the shutters one after another.

When she successfully rushed through the corridor at full speed, she saw a metallic door in front of her. The Morpho butterfly emitted a strong light the likes of which she'd never seen before.

Arisu thrust her spear toward the electrified door.

The surge of scales pierced through it.

Arisu and Neiko leapt beyond the door. And then—

"Ugh…!"

After her vision was filled with pallid light, Neiko was blown backwards.

"Neiko-san!"

Arisu also was engulfed by the light.

The Morpho butterfly sent out large amounts of scales. These scales stormed around Arisu, dispersing the light closing in on her.

While being protected by the scales, Arisu finally looked around her.

She had stepped into a courtyard between the two school buildings. —No, perhaps it would be better to call it a garden.

The garden had a few fruit trees planted in it and had a network of waterways running through it.

In the center of this space enclosed in grass there was a small spring. In the center of the spring were several statues and a small dais with a clock on it.

"Is this… the Center of Hearts?"

She stared at this phantasmagorical scene without thinking.

Pallid butterflies danced around the garden.

Perhaps ethereal, they seemed to be connected to the waterways and the trees through threads of static electricity. The surface of their wings had the English letter "C" on them.

In the center of this fantastical and marvelous scene was a fairy.

Leaning on the brass statue, she sat in the shallow water. The surface of her clothes with heart marks drawn on them was covered by pale blue light. Her fingers spread lazily and were connected to the mechanical components of the clock by what seemed to be electrode cords.

"Are you Erii?"

It was an unconscious question. Perhaps she was trying to ascertain that the girl in front of her eyes was neither a fairy nor an illusion.

The eyes of the girl gazing at Arisu became fiercer. The pallid insects resembling comma butterflies came to attack her all at once.

Yet the Morpho butterfly spat out scales, pushing back the swarms of butterflies.

"…So you're using electricity… as a medium…"

Neiko, collapsed on the grass, grimaced. Perhaps her limbs were numb, so she couldn't move the way she wanted to. If she hadn't been wearing an insulating coat perhaps the effects would have been harsher.

Arisu realized that it was this ability that allowed the girl to grasp each and every one of their moves.

There were practically no places without any electricity in a city. There were electric lines, obviously, but other than that there were plenty of water, metals and other conductive materials.

"Hey, Erii. We are not your enemies, so please listen to me."

This time a battle wasn't their goal. Arisu lowered her spear, trying to approach Ellie.

However—

"Don't come any closer…!"

The girl wrung out a hoarse voice. She appeared to be considerably tired.

As Arisu tried to approach, the comma butterflies raised sparks to deter her.

"Wait! We haven't come here to capture you! We did want you to help us first, but—"

"You came to save me, right…?"

Arisu widened her eyes.

"H-how did you know?"

"There's nothing I don't know… Since my Mushi gathers information from everywhere… cellphone conversations, hard disk memory, the footage from all cameras… no matter who speaks in town, as long as there's a transmitter nearby, it can be converted to electrical information and be brought to me…"

The fairy-like girl grimaced.

"Everything's flowing here… even unpleasant scenes I don't want to see, as well as dirty secrets… my head… it's going to explode…"

Perhaps lacking even the energy to hold her head, Erii made no move. Feeling anxiety at the girl's behavior, Arisu took a step closer.

"Cancel your ability right now! You're going to use up all your powers!"

"I don't want to…!"

Erii raised her face. She gazed at Arisu with a demonic expression.

"If I do that I'll stop understanding…! I knew everything so far, but if I became alone… I can't do something so scary…!"

The girl shouted contradictory words.

She said that there was nothing she didn't know. Therefore, not knowing something even for a second was perhaps like becoming blind. It was the biggest fear for this young girl.

"B-but, if you keep using your powers, you will…"

"…I shouldn't have thought about trying to peek at all the secrets in the world… everything hidden in the world is dirty… I don't want to see this anymore…"

Erii didn't seem to even hear Arisu's voice anymore.

Finding out secrets you didn't want to know about was painful. Yet she also couldn't endure the worries and fear at not knowing anything. Arisu became speechless at Erii's information addiction.

"—So it really was a kid."

A voice came from behind.

Daisuke, with his pitch-black coat flapping, appeared in the garden. Perhaps having struggled in his battle against the monster, his head was bleeding.

"It's fine gathering up people like you, but you weren't able to save them, right?  Even though you don't want anyone to get close, you also want someone to save you and give you hints… and that way is role playing. I thought you were a brat."

"Daisuke…"

"You're Kakkou—"

Erii responded to Daisuke's voice. Raising her face, she wore a derisive smile.

"I knew about you ever since peeking into the SEPB's database… you are the absolute worst demon, having turned even Mushitsuki sharing the same dream to Fallen… Unlike this woman, you probably do want to make me a Fallen…"

"Turned Mushitsuki with the same dream to Fallen, huh… that's what it would look like after just seeing the database."

Ignoring Erii’s contempt, Daisuke walked to the center of the garden.

The comma butterflies immediately surrounded him. Pallid electric shocks engulfed the boy.

"…!"

Instantly, Daisuke's body collapsed.

Yet immediately after, a calm song echoed in the garden.

It was Neiko.

Only rousing her torso, the girl with a healing ability sang a gentle melody. Unlike when she fixed the monorail, it was obvious she put her deep feelings into it.

The serene singing voice seemed to grab even Erii's heart for a second. The comma butterflies filling the garden were pushed back by the figure of the cricket emerging in empty air.

Daisuke's wounds were being healed by Neiko's song.

"Some people, even when losing to their own Mushi, wanted to leave their dreams and lives behind."

Daisuke's glanced at Arisu. He looked at the silver lance in her hands.

Was he speaking about Arisu's friend, Hanashiro Mari? After death, Mari had left her Morpho butterfly behind, bequeathing her dream to Arisu. —Perhaps he was equating Mari to someone from his past.

The pitch-dark demon took another step toward Ellie.

"Uh—"

Erii's expression showed fear.

"D-don't come any closer…!"

The comma butterflies gathered, transforming to a mass of electromagnetism. As if invited by this mighty electrical charge, lightning came from the cloudy skies.

The lightning attack pierced Daisuke.

Its roar and vibration shook the entire elementary school.

"Daisuke!"

Grass was scorched and trees were set ablaze.

The water running through the channel boiled, and a cloud of steam covered the surroundings.

"Ee…"

Erii froze.

When the steam cleared, Daisuke's figure extending a hand toward the girl appeared. His long coat was crackling and his cracked goggles fell onto the grass. His exposed cheeks were also covered in burns.

"S-stop, Daisuke…!"

Wanting to suppress him, Arisu kicked the ground.

"But there's no need to turn you into a Fallen."

Daisuke's hand rested on the scared and shocked Erii's head. He sank his own fingers into the girl's hair.

"You can probably still control your Mushi—"

The wounded boy's profile was calm. Neiko's singing voice was fixing him.

"Seeing only the surface and getting scared is just what kids do. I don't even need to fight you."

"I-I'm… not a child! I know everything…!"

With a face about to cry, she tried escaping Daisuke's hand. However, perhaps as a result of a lack of power, she couldn't even shake off his hand.

"You wanted to know things just because you have a somewhat strong power. I don't know why there are dirty things in the world or why it has to be dirty…"

"I-I don't—"

As if her throat was blocked, Ellie's words were cut. She was unable to form any sentence and went silent.

"Cancel your ability. You don't even know what you want to do right now. Even if you start knowing just a little bit less now, nothing's going to really change."

Daisuke's tone that was calm turned lower.

"If you don't, then I'll let you know by force you're nothing but a brat—"

"Stop. Why do you always have to be like that?"

Arisu gave a chop to the back of Daisuke's head.

Erii started sobbing, looking frustrated. Without the pale blue light covering her body, she looked like an ordinary elementary schooler.

"Then let's do this."

Going on her knees, she grabbed Erii's listless hand.

"Whatever you don't know, I and the rest will teach you."

The girl stopped sobbing, surprised.

"Then you won't feel anxious anymore, right?"

The comma butterflies flying around the garden started disappearing one after another.

"Uuh…"

Erii grimaced. She killed her voice and started sobbing again as the pallid light vanished from her.

"Uuuuuhhh…!"

With her hand held by Arisu, Erii was crying.

"Are you even capable of teaching anything…?"

Daisuke, having lost his edge of anger, sighed in a resigned way.

Arisu and Neiko exchanged glances.

"Of course. I'll teach her about love matters and stuff."

"About singing…"

"…"

"What's with that look? You should teach her as well. You were the one who said that there's plenty of things Erii doesn't know."

"As if I'd waste my energy on that. She can just look for what to learn by herself."

Erii's crying turned to wails. Arisu's fist and Neiko's kick hit Daisuke.

"Tch… then I'll at least help her a bit. If I feel like it."

Daisuke's mumbles as he rubbed his cheeks overlapped with the voice of Erii crying. 

Part 4

The midnight Kurobishi Town was wrapped in silence.

In an attempt to catch a cab on the main street, Arisu and the rest walked around the residential area.

As the clouds in the night sky parted, moonlight illuminated Daisuke walking at the front as well as the sleeping face of Erii carried on his back.

"Erii and the rest will be taken to the SEPB, right?"

When Arisu asked this, Neiko next to her nodded.

"If she doesn't receive proper training, she would probably lose control again… more importantly, Arisu-chan…"

"Yes?"

"What you said this noon… are you serious?"

Neiko wore a serious expression. Arisu tilted her head.

"Trying to make people like Kakkou-kun and Harukiyo get along as comrades… that is way too impulsive. I just thought that, because they're so strong… if we try to stand between them, we'll just get ripped apart by that power… so it's worrying…"

She was probably referring to what Arisu spoke about when they were riding on the monorail.

"And I don't think they'll listen to people weaker than them… if you still want to get along with them, you'll need to be stronger than them… and if you can do that, then it wouldn't be mere role playing like today, you will become like a real demon lord—"

Arisu wore a wry smile.

"A demon lord? That might be fine as well."

"…"

"I'm joking."

She laughed at Neiko's calm gaze.

"It's just something I thought up… but don't you think it's a good idea? I mean, strong people exert a lot of influence when they fight. So the opposite should also be possible."

Neiko neither agreed nor denied the girl's words.

"Also—"

Beneath the starry sky, Arisu brought up her hand to the moon. —The numbness aftereffect from fusing with her Mushi before remained, but she felt as if the burden lessened recently. Arisu couldn't tell what this meant, though.

"Mari should be gone but I'm connecting her Mushi to this world, right? Right now I am not a normal civilian, but I'm also not a Mushitsuki… I might be unexpectedly suited for the role of someone who 'connects' people."

Keeping the late Hanashiro Mari tied to this world and possessing a Mushi without being a Mushitsuki.

A truly vague and ambiguous being.

That was the current Ichinokuro Arisu.

In order to bind together the Mushitsuki pushing forward for their dreams, perhaps they needed someone who would serve as cushioning.

She exaggeratedly started thinking of such things—

"Just kidding. It's too good to be true, right?"

She lowered her arms and laughed.

Neiko wore a worried face for a while, but finally returned her smile.

"Oh, Daisuke. Erii's drool is falling on your neck right now."

"Wipe it off! Don't just look!"

Ahead of Arisu's group walking through the residential area, the sky was growing brighter. 

Episode 19. The Deliveryman Carrying Dreams

Hello.

I am called Kuuga.

Is that a strange name? It is obviously not my real name, but the thing called a codename. Since I can suspend myself in the sky I am "Kuuga"—how I suspend in the sky is still a secret, though.

I am just a normal middle school senior living in modern Japan, but I am involved in a somewhat unique environment.

For example, the situation I have found myself in now.

"I actually want to deliver it by my own hands. But since I have a stupid amount of work, I don't even have time to go to high school despite having just started enrolling. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked it from a half-wit like you."

I am being lectured.

I was in an excessively spacious room about as large as the gymnasium of the school I go to. However, since it was packed full with machinery, the space one could move freely in was only about a classroom's worth. Umm, that is a frequency counter, that's a transformer… oh, and that's a laser generator and a gas burner.

"As they say, you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. And it's your specialty."

Wielding a hammer that produced a clang sound was Sakura, one year my senior. Her real name is Yoshihara Munechika. What a weird name for a girl. But the jumper suited her.

The hammer she held stopped on some shining object. It resembled a jewel beetle, but actually wasn't a real insect.

Mushi—

These are mysterious creatures that appeared at some point in this country to eat the dreams and hopes of boys and girls. The country apparently frantically hides these Mushi, but they couldn't put a stop to people talking. The existence of Mushi, and those who were possessed by them—Mushitsuki—currently receive a lot of fear from the populace.

"Do you understand? Just this once, drop your bad habits. Deliver this directly to the addressee without taking any detours. Go straight ahead without looking right or left."

Perhaps I should explain a bit more.

How was the country hiding Mushi? They had created an organization to capture and conceal them. This government agency, called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau, trained the captured Mushitsuki and used them to capture other Mushitsuki… a pretty horrible way of doing things.

"Sorry."

The voice of another woman came from the darkness further in.

"Sorry. It's because my metal engraving took so long. Sorry."

The comrades who all did their work from the shadows spoke one after another.

"…Shuddup. Hey, if you can laze around here then bring me those materials already… you don't want to because today is hot? So selfish. That makes you really cute, sister of mine."

"You are not going to say it is the fault of my perfect energy optimization, right? You really are obsessed with patterns, you bastard."

"Stop fighting. It's not eco-friendly. If you're asking why, then try taking the calories exhausted by two minutes of arguing and convert them to heat energy—"

Even if I couldn't see their forms, I could hear their unique ways of talking. They couldn't cooperate at all, but they were all good people. …Probably.

Sakura glared at the people in the shadows.

"Silence. All you bastards weren't even asked for help, you just joined up because it seemed amusing. And this despite none of you doing any shared work until then."

Turning around, this time she glared at me.

"Hey, are you listening? —Ugh. If you don't wipe that airheaded grin off your face right this instant, I'll stab your forehead with my driver."

I was currently in one the SEPB's branches, the West Central branch base. I will omit where it was and what building it was, but it was a workshop in one of those.

Right—I cannot hide the fact that I am also a member of the SEPB.

Meaning, I'm a Mushitsuki.

Oh, please do not be frightened. I'm such a weak Mushitsuki that I couldn't even win fights against my classmates.

"What do you say, Kuuga?"

I stayed in a prostrating position on the cold floor. My legs were already numb, and I voiced what was bothering me for a while now.

"I'm your senpai, Chika-chan, so why—"

Are you so bossy?

—I didn't even have time to finish my sentence. A Phillips head screwdriver came flying at me, passing a few centimeters before my eyes.

"Gyaaah!"

Taking the kick scooter and wooden board left nearby, I ran away. Since this person always resorts to violence, I'm weak against her!

"Don't give weird pet names to someone older! —You're forgetting your precious package, you idiot!"

My favorite crossbody bag hit the back of my head as I was trying to run away. Oh right, this time the important thing was inside.

"And you still dare to call yourself a deliveryman!?"

While being hit by Chika-chan's abuse, I escaped nimbly like a rabbit—when compared to that misanthropic tool maker, I really was like a rabbit—and exited the workshop.

I am the member of the West Central Branch Special Unit, Kuuga.

The West Central Branch mostly works on equipment development, and delivering that it my job. I specialize in small to medium-size objects, and in close to middle-range delivery.

Honestly speaking, just delivering is a simple job. So much that I feel sorry for all the monitors, combatants and researchers that go through many difficulties.

This time the recipient is Ichinokuro Arisu-san.

I started yet another easy job today.

…Now then, I will write the rest of the report once I finish the job. 

Part 1

Kuuga's main job was delivering the special items used by SEPB members.

He'd heard that he was the only member who specialized in deliveries. Most of the time when they needed to transport objects, they would prepare a specially-made vehicle, and it was normal to have a few combatants accompany it.

It was stranger for there to be members whose specialty was something as easy as delivering objects. Because all other missions, whatever they were, always had the members put their lives on the line.

Even so having a special profession such as his was probably because he was part of the West Central Branch that specialized in technological development. There were times when one needed emergency goods and temporary provisions.

Simply delivering luggage was an easy mission.

Even this time the mission was simply delivering a package to a girl in Akamaki City.

Using his powers as a Mushitsuki, Kuuga would fly to his destination in no time—

"I'm so done with Chika-chan. Why is she so violent? They say the West Central Branch is full of weirdoes because all of them are like that."

—Well, not really.

"It's unexpected that someone with a common sense like me is also part of it."

The new railroad line going directly through Akamaki City and into the western part of the capital, Akamaki Express. Abbreviated AX, it was headed to Akamaki City smoothly.

Kuuga's body was spread over the door of the interior of AX. His cheeks rubbed against the glass window.

"Haa… whatever, as long as I get to ride my beloved AX it's fine. Normally for my missions I can only ride normal trains because of being frugal. But now I get to ride this train which is fast and safe, noiseless, can go through curves and take sharp turns… also, it looks really cute. Ehe, ehehehehe."

His own figure reflected on the glass window.

Although he wore short pants and a short-sleeved shirt and looked like he was cold, he didn't feel like it was too early to wear that. A digital watch and an analog watch were each attached by a pin to two ties with mismatching colors. The woolen hat and crossbody bag were his trademarks.

The wooden board he carried on his back crossed with the bag was perhaps also characteristic of him. In one arm he held the folded electrical kick scooter used exclusively by the West Central Branch.

The other passengers regarded Kuuga, who was rubbing his face on the door with a bewitched expression, with suspicious eyes.

"AX is so wonderful. Both form and function are just the best, and it's so pretty, ehehe."

Outside the window there was an insect flying alongside the train.

About as large as a thumb, this insect frantically flapped its transparent, thin wings. With its head comparatively larger than its body, it resembled the species called giant resin bees that specialized in carrying pollen.

If it was a mere bee, it wouldn't have been able to catch up with the train. It also wouldn't have a glowing abdomen that left afterimages of light as it zigzagged in air.

It was Kuuga's Mushi.

"We're finally together, AX."

He was a delivery expert, but that only counted to situations when he used his ability.

But it wasn't inconvenient.

Modern society was a treasure trove of vehicles.

Train, bus, taxi… there were plenty of options to choose from. Everyone used the safe and efficient convenient tools of civilization called vehicles.

But since Munechika paid out of her own pocket, he could use AX this time. Since "reducing costs" was the slogan of the West Central Branch, he barely had the chance to come in contact with cutting-edge vehicles.

He just skipped school, rode on his beloved AX, and was going to deliver a package to Akamaki City.

Was it fine to have such an easy mission?

Was it fine for him to be so happy?

“I… umm… fell in love with in first sight.”

Still spread on the door, Kuuga blushed.

Vehicles were humanity's greatest invention.

Fast, safe, and yet beautiful.

Air, land and sea vehicles all had different shapes, but each had their own charm, making Kuuga shower them with love.

Among these the AX was fast and safe, could turn and was soundless, not to mention its streamlined shape; it truly was the best of—

"Sooo gross!"

After ascending to dreamland, Kuuga was brought back to reality by a voice from behind.

Turning around, he saw a girl about his age looking at him. Perhaps hating being tanned by the sun, she wore a wide-brimmed hat and a black long skirt. Her first impression was like a rich lady on a summer retreat.

"What… me?"

When Kuuga pointed at himself, the girl nodded many times. She had a black teardrop-shaped sticker under one eye.

"I just can't believe this guy. You're unbelievably gross."

"Me? Gross?"

West Central Branch was headed by a misanthropic tool maker, a perverted brother and sister duo resource handlers, a sharp-tongued integrated circuit craftsman, a metal engraver with guilt complex, a shut-in programmer, a miser that destroys everything they touch and so on; a den of weirdoes.

But he alone was different.

His comrades were definitely gross, but he was just a normal boy.

"Ahaha, what do you mean by that? Is it some kinda popular joke?"

Seeing Kuuga laugh innocently, for some reason the girl wore a sorrowful face.

"So you have no self-awareness, huh…"

It happened as Kuuga tilted his head in front of the mumbling girl.

AX suddenly decelerated and an announcement played through the car. "Due to unforeseen issues with the control cables near Akamaki City, we cannot proceed. We deeply apologize, but we have to make a stop at the next station until the repairs are made." Following this they also announced that it was unknown how long these repairs would take.

"Nooo!"

Kuuga shouted without thinking.

"I've only been on it for five minutes!"

His desperate appeal in vain, the AX stopped in the station.

The inter-car announcement played again and the doors opened. The passengers stirred.

After a few dozen minutes passed without any new notification, most of the passengers had left. They probably switched to the temporary bus services provided.

However, Kuuga stubbornly refused to move from his seat. He ignored the announcement recommending him to move to a bus.

"I will definitely ride AX. I've waited so long for this, so I can't bear this."

He groaned, puffing his cheeks.

"So you're not only gross but immature as well."

He heard a girl's voice from the long seat opposite of him.

It was the rich lady with a black teardrop under her eye. Just like the few remaining passengers, she sat down inside the car.

The disgruntled Kuuga averted his eyes.

"Ah, now you're sulking."

"…"

"It's no use no matter how long you wait. Aren't you going to move soon?"

"Huh?"

—How do you know it's no use?

Just as Kuuga was about to ask this, he heard a small "ah!"

The mom and child who were the last passengers except for him and the girl were just about to give up and get off the train. The baseball cap worn by the boy was blown away by a gale.

The baseball cap had fallen to the platform, but was then lifted by the wind toward the surface.

Since the platform had a flood-control channel nearby, it was flowing with drainage in the depth of several meters.

Kuuga took swift action.

Opening his folded kick scooter, he turned the throttle the moment he rode it.

Leaving scorch marks on the train car's floor, Kuuga's scooter flew onto the platform. Dodging the surprised passengers, he accelerated straight ahead.

"…!"

Wind blew again from behind him.

The baseball cap flew even higher.

Kuuga leapt on the fences along with the kick scooter and then jumped off.

"Got it!"

His extended hand grabbed the baseball cap.

"—Uh."

But there was no ground beneath his feet.

At this trajectory, he would fly over the platform and fall headlong into the deep flood-control channel.

"Fngh!"

Holding the hat in his mouth, he grabbed the electric light pole installed on the edge of the platform. He used centrifugal force to rotate once and wedged the wheels on the pole.

There was a screech as the wheels started shaving the metallic surface of the pole. He used the pole he was grabbing with one hand to kill his momentum.

Doing this, he finally managed to land on the station platform. The skin on his hand peeled off because of the friction with the pole, but the baseball cap was safe.

Before he would be found by the staff, he hurriedly returned to the mother and child. Seeing him kick up the scooter and fold it in no time, they were both stunned.

"Here you go. It might have some teeth marks, though."

As Kuuga squatted down and handed him the baseball cap, the boy's face sparkled. "Awesome!" he went excited with a look of admiration.

The mother wore a troubled smile.

"T-thank you very much."

"Are you getting off of AX?"

"Huh? Oh, we wanted to reach Akamaki City as soon as possible, but now that it's gotten like this we have to get to our destination."

I see, replied Kuuga.

"Because people are waiting for us."

The woman saying this sounded somewhat happy. There was probably someone important waiting for them.

Leaving a slight bow, the mother and child went to the ticket gates. The boy also bowed with a mumbled "thanks!"

Carrying the kick scooter, Kuuga saw them off. When they were no longer visible, he looked at the great AX standing near him.

"Nngh…"

Closing his eyes, he let a low groan. His desire to ride his beloved AX tortured him.

The boy's smile from just now was reborn in his mind.

—Thanks!

The desire smoldering inside Kuuga was washed away.

"Refuelling over!"

Opening both eyes, he poked the train with a finger.

"Sorry, AX! There's something I have to do! Until the next time we meet, farewell!"

Asserting this, he ran toward the ticket gates.

"…Gross."

As he resolved not to look back, he felt like he could hear a girl's cold voice. 

Part 2

Inside the bus with a gentle melody playing in the background, Kuuga wore a bewitched smile.

"Ehe."

Kuuga boarded a vehicle with a different design than the normal road bus.

Its tinplate toy-like appearance went without saying, but even its interior was intricate. There were lines of golden pillars and the seats were fitted with red cushions.

"Ehehe. You're so cute."

He rubbed his cheeks on the walls painted in vivid primary colors.

It was an ornamental bus that only ran in limited regions. Since it looked north-European, it was mostly used for tourists.

However, perhaps both its production and use in tourism was on the decline. Only Kuuga was on that bus.

"I wanted to ride you for a long time now. No other buses currently use the same type of engine. Ehehe."

As Kuuga spent his time in utter bliss, his surroundings suddenly turned dark.

They apparently entered the shadow of a large building.

"You're still doing it… so gross."

The moment after the bus overtook the shadow, he heard a girl's voice form nearby.

Kuuga opened his eyes wide and turned around.

"…Huh? W-what?"

A girl was sitting directly behind him.

She was a girl clad in a wide-brimmed black hat and a black long skirt. The eyes of this rich lady in a summer retreat, one of them adorned by a teardrop mark, stared at Kuuga.

"What? Huh?"

There shouldn't have been any passenger other than Kuuga. Turning toward the driver's seat, he saw through the back mirror that the driver was surprised as well. But perhaps thinking he’d simply missed her, he simply tilted his head and resumed driving.

"Hah… you really aren't cautious at all. That's so annoying, I want to chop off already."

Sighing, the girl raised a hand. Raising her index finger and middle finger, she made a gesture of cutting something just like when playing rock paper scissors.

"Huh? Chop off? What, exactly?"

"You still don't understand the situation. I'm your enemy. Your enemy."

"Enemy… what? You're an enemy?"

He unconsciously held down the bag on his back. The word "enemy" brought to mind a certain rumor spreading within the SEPB.

"N-no way, are you the comrade of that guy called Harukiyo…?!"

Previously, there was the Mushitsuki called Robber who'd stolen SEPB equipment. He was apparently a comrade of a Mushitsuki called Harukiyo that was against the SEPB, but they thought there were would be no further victims since Sakura had defeated him.

However, even after this the West Central Branch was being monitored by someone.

Apparently, deliverymen other than Kuuga were also attacked during missions.

Because of that, there were rumors that perhaps another one of Harukiyo's comrades appeared…

"Boo."

The rich lady raised another hand, moving both hands like scissors.

"It's something like that—there was someone like Harukiyo's comrade, but I chopped off their Mushi and made them a Fallen. They were annoying and stood in my way."

Kuuga rose from his seat. But even if he tried escaping, there was no way to escape out of a running bus.

Seeing Kuuga was frozen, the girl spoke plainly.

"I won't chop you off just yet."

"…Huh?"

"Honestly, I can chop you off whenever I'd like. —Or rather…"

The movements of her scissor hands stopped at once. The girl averted her melancholic face.

"I just don't feel motivated. It's that thing called a slump? I'm just not in the mood."

"I-is that so?"

Anyhow, she apparently wasn't going to attack him straight away.

But conversely, he hesitated on what to do. —Although he'd received training on how to run away from enemies, he'd received no instructions on what to do when meeting with an enemy in a slump. He obviously couldn't encourage her.

"…So, were you on the AX because you targeted me?"

There was still time until the bus would reach its stop. Since he couldn't escape, Kuuga attempted investigating his enemy.

Cutting the air with her fingers, the girl raised a brow.

"Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't want to be anywhere near someone as gross as you."

I'm not gross, he was about to reply but shut his mouth. Rather than going along with her joke, he needed to prioritize investigating her identity.

"Are you a Mushitsuki?"

He should probably think of her appearing inside a bus that was running suddenly as some sort of ability.

"Yuuko."

Pointing at herself, the rich lady added, "that's my name" coldly.

Perhaps it wasn't her real name, because she said it like it was some foreign word.

"So, Yuuko… were you the one who attacked our branch members' deliveries recently?"

"Yup."

She readily confessed it.

"Why would you do that?"

"I was just ordered to do so by Aki. We have to protect against the second coming of Hunter or something, I don't really get it. We were monitoring a delivery sent to Akamaki City. Your package doesn't seem like it though."

"Aki?"

He knew that name. He was an elite from Central Headquarters who once released a Mushitsuki captured by the SEPB and betrayed them. Aki would definitely know the location of the West Central Branch and information about its members.

"You're also heading to Akamaki City. You're carrying something, right?"

Kuuga's expression stiffened.

The SEPB had many members and many strong Mushitsuki. Their influence spread to all directions, but they shouldn't have been fighting against any other organization.

However, recently the Mushitsuki called Harukiyo was meddling in their business.

If what Yuuko said was true, then perhaps another opposing organization had been born.

Mushitsuki were gathering forces and fighting each other—he had this nasty premonition.

Without answering about his package, he asked a question of his own.

"U-umm, err… what is Aki trying to do by betraying the SEPB?"

"Apparently he's gathering a lot of Mushitsuki. He said he was going to oppose the SEPB and stuff. Only Aki is really fired up, though, so I feel like there's a huge difference in enthusiasm with those around him."

"Gathering Mushitsuki…"

"Although apparently that woman could do even by herself even without his help. I feel like if Aki picked up a fight with the SEPB he'd be into it too deep to be able to retreat. And that woman doesn't seem to realize what Aki's been doing yet. …Oh well, it doesn't really matter."

Saying this with a flippant tone, Yuuko lowered her scissor hands. She watched the scenery flowing outside the window with bored eyes.

"That woman?"

"A girl called Rina. …Ah, the more I recall about this, the less motivation I have."

"…?"

"I'm pretty strong and stuff, so I acted freely until now. But her power's just unfair. I fought her with the intent to kill, but even so she easily defeated me, then asked me 'will you not come with me?' with a full smile and invited me along… no one could reject that. What's up with me not even hating the one that defeated me? Seeing her face, I lost all reason, pride and all that."

For just an instant, Yuuko wore an expression that was half-crying, half-smiling.

"I have the feeling I understand the true fear of those who have unfair strength. If someone like that was at your side, you'd always depend on them. Because we'd feel saved by them. Even so if they pushed you away, you'd feel rebellious, but… Rina accepts everyone. When she saved me, it also felt like—something inside my heart was chopped off."

Yuuko again raised her hands and brought her index and middle fingers together.

"I lost both the need to get stronger and my motivation to do anything. I mean, Rina now protects me and all that. No matter what I do, I was already saved so nothing'll change. …Therefore, I will probably always just halfheartedly do what I'm told and keep living like that from now on."

Kuuga couldn't really understand her, but she apparently had her own worries.

"I think I can't keep going like this, but I can't get away. I mean, it's comfortable and easy. But, like I thought… I feel like everything's pointless."

Apparently even the enemies of the SEPB had their own complex circumstances.

And so he voiced the suggestion that came to mind.

"Then why don't you come to the SEPB?"

Yuuko's expression froze.

"…Hah?"

"If you feel like everything's pointless for you right now, what if you come to the SEPB? It's a relatively harsh place, but since everyone's desperate it's a fun place. Also…"

If Yuuko became his ally there would be no need for her to attack him anymore. It would be a bargain for someone like him who couldn't fight. —It was that simple of a thought.

"At the very least there's no salvation there."

He said while grinning.

He only knew the West Central Branch, but other branches were probably the same.

The government agency called the SEPB were not allies of justice or anything like that. There was no guarantee of safety, so everyone was desperately protecting themselves. The sense of camaraderie was also thin, so plenty of them used other people to protect themselves.

Therefore, everyone was starving.

Everyone dreamed of a future wherein they would be saved.

Being unable to trust one another despite being fellow Mushitsuki felt a bit lonely—even so, everyone was able to feel they were the same in the truest sense.

"I don't really get it."

Yuuko raised an eyebrow and glared at Kuuga.

"Why would I purposely go to where I can't be saved?"

"Yeah, you're right. Ehehe."

"Also, I understand by looking at you."

"Huh?"

"You're weak, incompetent and they send you for all these useless missions, right? Then nothing would change about the fact that I would just do what I'm told."

"A gofer, huh. Perhaps I am one."

Kuuga nodded.

The appearance of the enemy called Yuuko cranked up the difficulty level, but the fact this was an easy mission to deliver a package was unchanged. If the enemy appeared, he just needed to run away to his destination.

"This kind of job is the same whether you do it or not. All the really strong ones are social outcasts anyway. Weaklings like us make no difference."

Kuuga finally understood what caused Yuuko's apathy.

Whether they were there or not, nothing would change—

Something that everyone worried about at some point.

While they had this doubt they could still work hard. And it could even give birth to antagonism or competitiveness.

But Yuuko had met the overwhelming presence of Rina, and that doubt changed to "conviction".

Meeting up with Rina saved the girl—while at the same time taking something important from her.

"…"

Kuuga himself was someone removed from the center stage. In most likelihood no one would focus on him from here on.

So he finally understood Yuuko's worries.

However—

"Now, let's switch!"

The bus stopped.

"If I don't deliver this within the day, Chika-chan'll kill me. Since I couldn't use the AX, I gotta hurry!"

Kuuga rose from his seat energetically.

Yuuko raised the brim of her hat.

"…You're not listening to me."

"I did listen. Both of us suffer because we're outcasts."

Grinning, he walked to the bus door with a light gait. Midway there, he turned once more toward the seat, and he saw Yuuko still staring at him and didn't seem about to get up.

Had she given up on chasing after him? It would really help him if she did.

"Bye-bye."

Waving his hand, he got off the bus.

The bus had stopped in front of a certain shopping mall on the suburbs. He could see a flower garden inside the premises.

Riding on his electrical kick scooter, Kuuga took the road along the premises.

If he couldn't use the path AX took, then after taking a bus, it would take him less time if he took another route to the neighboring town.

"Is this package really that important?"

He softly touched the bag on his back.

If what Yuuko said was true, an object that a new opposing Mushitsuki organization viewed as dangerous was being sent to Akamaki City.

He didn't know if that was what he was carrying right now.

However, Sakura had never asked him to deliver something she'd created. Whether or not she'd foreseen this situation, he knew this wasn't a normal delivery.

"Hmm, oh well. Anyway, if I complete this mission, I'll get that."

Dropping his smile, Kuuga faced forward.

No matter what package he carried, it wasn't any different of what he always did.

Delivering a package to a place.

That was all.

"If it all goes well, I'll reach Akamaki City by evening or night."

He stopped his kick scooter at a red light.

A red car passed in front of him. It was a mail truck.

Looking at where the truck came from, he saw a red mail box in the residential area.

As he did, an older woman came in front of the mail box in a light jog, gripping a normal envelope in her hand.

"…"

Kuuga raised his tie, looking at the digital clock on it. After thinking for a while, he averted his eyes from the green light.

He used his kick scooter to approach the woman standing in front of the mail box.

"Should I deliver that to the postman?"

While grinning, he called out to her.

Being suddenly spoken to, the older woman seemed terribly surprised. She looked at Kuuga suspiciously.

"I know the post's normal route, is all. If I take a shortcut, I'd be able to catch up to them."

Even after the mail truck left, the woman didn't drop the envelope into the mail box. She would probably not make it in time if it wasn't the postman just now.

"Who are you?"

The woman raised a brow quizzically.

"I'm a deliveryman."

He wore an innocent grin.

"Oh, but when I say I'll deliver it, you have to believe in me."

He couldn't deliver any package unless he was entrusted with it. Without the trust of the requester, the job known as a delivery would never come to fruition.

The older woman was confused. Since a complete stranger was trying to get her to give one of her belongings, this was the obvious response.

"I'll definitely deliver it."

Kuuga kept his smile.

A smile was something mysterious.

Even with someone you met for the first time, it would infect them with the same expression just like magic—

"…Then, please do so."

What the older woman wore was a slightly troubled kind of smile. She took the envelope she grasped so importantly and handed it to Kuuga.

"I will take care of it."

Carefully receiving the envelope, he put it in the mini cross-body bag he carried on his back. When he opened his bag, a pole-shaped package became visible for a second.

Putting the bag on his back again, Kuuga started the scooter. He headed directly further inside the residential area on the opposite direction the mail truck had left.

"I need to hurry a little or I won't make it."

Mumbling this, he picked up speed.

Passing by a gathering of elementary schoolers that looked like they were on their way back home, he overtook a bicycle, then swerved so low he almost fell in order to take a sharp turn.

"Whoa."

He was barely able to jump over a cat leaping out of a bush.

"A shortcut!"

Avoiding the road, he leapt onto an empty lot. While parting the grass left to grow wildly, he used an abandoned car as a ramp to leap over the barbed fence.

This was the West Central Branch's beloved kick scooter model, but none were able to use it as expertly as Kuuga. It was his one and only advantage, even acknowledged by others.

"Ouch…"

Since he cut through the grass, his face and arm were covered in scratches. Yet the face grimacing in pain soon changed to a smile.

He found his target mail box.

"Here!"

Parking in front of the bright red mail box, a rectangular vehicle showed from the other side of the road. It was the mail truck.

Kuuga brought the envelope from his bag, opened the lid and put it inside.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Standing next to the mail box, he welcomed the postman. The deliveryman getting off the truck returned the grinning boy's smile. He retrieved the envelope that Kuuga had just put inside.

As Kuuga saw off the leaving postman, his surroundings turned darker for an instant.

A large truck passing near the mail truck blocked the sun.

"Gross."

A cold voice echoed from directly next to him.

"Uwaaah!"

A girl was crouching on the other side of the mail box Kuuga was standing next to. She had both arms on her knees and held her chin, looking bored.

"W-when have you…!"

"I don't really get what you're all smiles about."

It was Yuuko. Although he'd supposedly left the girl back on the tourist bus, she once again showed up.

He stepped back without thinking and looked at the watch on his tie with a surprise. Carrying the folded kick scooter in hand, he quickly walked away from the mail box.

"I probably used too much of the battery. I have to get on the bus."

Stealthily checking his back, Yuuko was actually following him.

"D-don't come after me."

"I'll do whatever I want to. —Say, what were you so happy about? Weren't you just running an errand now? She could have sent it tomorrow. Nothing would have changed."

"Something would have changed. That person wanted to see her grandson as soon as possible."

"…Hah?"

"That letter was meant for her son and his wife and their kid living in the capital. She wanted to say she was living here happily and ask them if they would come back in the summer. —You two are probably busy, but won't you come for a visit? Since this summer will be hot you can come to cool off for a bit…"

Yuuko went silent.

"The same goes for the mother and son I helped at the station. The father has moved to work in Akamaki City. This weekend, all three were going to an amusement park. Have you seen that his cap was signed? It's a memento the parents and child bought on their baseball trip."

"No way, you… do you have an ability that allows you to read object's memories?"

"Nope. It's just my own delusions."

He returned a smile. Yuuko stopped in place, astonished.

"Even if I had that ability, looking inside an object is violation of privacy. This is a deliveryman's common sense, you know?"

"So that's why you're only imagining it? …Way too gross."

Mumbling this, Yuuko again began walking after Kuuga.

"It's only half my imagination. The other half is true."

"The heck?"

"Every delivery is packed with feelings for the addressee. My job is delivering these emotions without letting a single drop spill."

It was just that simple kind of job.

Taking a package full of feelings and delivering it to the destination was natural. Kuuga was nothing more than a deliveryman doing that natural thing.

They approached the nearest bus stop.

The shadows of the pair walking through between the houses were lengthened to the end of the road.

"Chika-chan—my comrade apparently underwent lessons by a combatant teacher."

While feeling the heat of the setting sun on his back, Kuuga touched the surface of his bag softly.

"She was told that everyone's dreams are connected somewhere."

"…!"

For some reason.

He felt that she gulped from behind him.

"…Rina also said similar things."

He heard her mumbling. Kuuga wore a smile.

"Delivering something is the same. A job that connects people's feeling… that's what I'm doing."

It all started—when he'd picked up a fallen object.

At the time he was just a normal boy without any codename like Kuuga. He had no talent and he looked at the ground with cold eyes.

He believed he was just like Yuuko was now. Although he had a faint sense of uneasiness about his situation, he didn't know any way to change himself.

"I believe that—the world is connected by invisible lines. There are lines connected to the past, as well as lined connected to the possibilities of the future. And there's someone at the end of every line."

One day, he had picked up a love letter.

He knew it was a love letter because the seal was heart-shaped.

He didn't know what to do with it. He was curious about its contents, but didn't have the courage to open it up. At the time he was cowardly and half-hearted.

"And what makes up those lines… is people's varied feelings. I believe that some of them are the things called dreams."

"The heck. I can't see any of that."

"Yup, you probably can't see that. But a certain type of person can."

After hesitating on what to do with the love letter, Kuuga—had sought out the sender.

And he’d found them.

The person he’d found was actually a female classmate he had interest in, so it hurt him a bit.

More importantly, though, he’d been surprised at the girl suddenly crying upon receiving her unopened love letter back. Shedding many tears, she’d thanked Kuuga.

And when a few days later he’d seen that girl walking side by side with another boy—Kuuga had become a Mushitsuki.

"People like me—deliverymen."

Turning around, Kuuga grinned.

At that time, Kuuga touched the connections between people with his hands. He managed to connect that faint line that was about to snap at any moment by his own hands.

That trivial event became his dream.

 That was, preserving the invisible "connections".

"Since I'm dealing with invisible things in the first place, I don't care whether I'm being called plain or an outcast. Because I actually only get easy jobs. But I am sure that—"

He wore a carefree smile toward the silent Yuuko.

"If there weren't any people like me, people would lose their connections… the world would have been destroyed."

Since Kuuga had delivered the love letter and connected that couple, in the future they might wed and bring up children that could save the world.

A single invisible line could save the world.

"…"

Turning his back to the pouting Yuuko, he started walking.

"The things I'll deliver from now are the same. Perhaps it's a final weapon meant to save the world? If so then I, as its deliveryman, might be the messiah. Not only its user, Ichinokuro Arisu."

"…! Ichinokuro… Arisu?"

"Oh no, I'm starting to blush. What will I do if they decide to interview me as a hero?"

From behind the smiling Kuuga, he heard the girl's low voice.

"—Hey, I'll gladly join the SEPB."

A balloon passed way overhead.

For just a moment, a shadow fell on the surroundings.

"Huh?"

He turned around merrily.

However—

"…What?"

The girl supposedly behind him completely vanished.

"Show me those lines or whatever you can see…"

It wasn't said in the same cold tone as until now.

"If you're able to stop me from chopping them off, that is."

The girl's strained-sounding voice came from the roof of a nearby house.

With the wind flapping her long skirt, Yuuko looked down on Kuuga. Seeing the large, black monster standing at her side, he gulped.

Its body was several times Yuuko's size. Its pointed head had nothing that looked like eyes. It resembled the insect known as a conehead cricket.

—Excluding a certain part of it.

"Thanks."

A conehead cricket would normally have a mouthpart there. Instead, piercing through its head was a large, rectangular platform. Equipped with thick and sharp blades—was a grotesque guillotine stand.

Yuuko held her wide-brimmed hat against the wind as she spoke.

"I recalled my dream thanks to you. I wanted to chop off all of my restraints and fly away. It might be a dream opposite to yours. I was wrong about being saved."

Her mouth twisted into a clearly sadistic smile.

"I don't need other people to save me. I wanted to move forward using my own two legs."

Kuuga had a very bad feeling about this.

"For some reason I suddenly feel very motivated."

He had the feeling he'd done something completely unnecessary.

"I decided. After completing my final job… after I chop off that package of yours, I'll even say farewell to the place Rina and Aki want to create."

Raising her hand, the assassin with a teardrop sticker under her eyes made a victory sign—no, a scissors sign. 

Part 3 

Accelerating his kick scooter to its limits, Kuuga rushed through the streets.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have said that. I forgot she's my enemy…"

As Kuuga passed near students going back from school, a line of blood ran down his brow. The legs of his shorts were ripped and a small part of the scooter's handlebar had also been cut off.

Seeing the sharp cross-section left on the handle, he felt a chill.

"To think that the West Central Branch's product could be cut so easily…"

Then it would probably also cut through Kuuga's living body like a katana through vegetables. When he imagined his head and torso coming to a tearful farewell, he grew pale.

He took a sharp curve at incredible speed.

"Ugh."

There was a spacious road ahead. There no cars or any pedestrians.

Empty places were dangerous.

But if it was a place one could overlook from—he might be able to obtain a hint to expose the identity of his enemy’s ability.

When he entered the shadow of a three-story building he stopped, looking back and forth the road.

"I should be able to tell if she's approaching right away—"

It happened just as he got ready for the enemy.

"Chop—"

A cheerful girl's voice echoed from above him.

"…!"

By the time he noticed, Kuuga was already on the conehead cricket's jaw—on the guillotine stage.

It wasn't an issue of speed.

He hadn't even noticed when the cricket was approaching.

"Off."

Standing on top of the guillotine, Yuuko laughed while holding her round hat.

Presently the thick blade fell toward Kuuga.

"Waaah!"

Activating the kick scooter, he managed to escape the guillotine by a hair's breadth. His tie was cut off and the analog clock fell to the ground.

"I've been wanting to check something for a while now. Is it true that if I chop off your neck from below, your body liquid would flow backwards and the decapitated head would cry?"

The conehead cricket made no move to chase after Kuuga who was running away in a straight line. Letting its host sit on top of it, it simply watched Kuuga go.

It happened the exact same way so far.

Although it had such long legs, the conehead cricket never moved even a single step toward him. Even so, it would appear without any warning and the guillotine would capture Kuuga.

There was no way to escape like this. On the other hand, if he stayed still, he would become prey for the guillotine anyway.

He looked at his remaining digital watch.

"At this hour there should be—"

Changing his course, he aimed for a street corner a bit removed.

"Like I said, I won't chop you off if you just leave that bag behind."

The moment he entered the shadow of a building that was lengthened by the sun, Kuuga was on the guillotine again.

"If you think you can run away without even summoning your Mushi—"

When Yuuko on top of the guillotine said this, he suddenly raised his face.

There was a high-pitched honking sound.

A road bus was about to crash with the cricket.

"All of the bus schedules of the area are inside my head…!"

"Tch…!"

Apparently she couldn't let a bus crash into her. Yuuko clicked her tongue as her figure vanished along with the cricket's.

The suddenly decelerating bus passed near the released Kuuga.

"I'm sorry!"

Apologizing to the bus, he looked around him.

"It's there—"

The cricket was in the road ahead. It stood inside the shade of a persimmon tree in a garden.

Kuuga looked where he was now and the place the cricket newly appeared.

And searched for their common point.

"…It's the shade!"

Kuuga finally noticed it.

The conehead cricket possessed the ability to move from shadow to shadow—

"Hmph."

While holding down her hat, Yuuko pouted.

As long as he understood the enemy's ability, it wouldn't be impossible to run away. Kuuga changed the route of his kick scooter, accelerating.

From here he should just head directly toward Akamaki City. As long as he passed through places with many people, his pursuer would probably give up. Once he entered the jurisdiction of the Central Headquarters, he could ask for help.

The dusk time street was a treasury of shadows. Any and all covers extended their tongues of shade toward the road.

The edge of the kick scooter touched a building's shadow.

"Chop off."

When his vision became dark, the cricket put Kuuga in its jaw.

"Now!"

But Kuuga had already leapt off of the kick scooter toward the sunny spot.

He heard the sound of the guillotine's blade cutting through air.

"If you just stay still I'll forgive you and take only about one arm."

"I don't want that!"

If he entered any shadow, he would be assaulted by the conehead cricket.

As long as he knew that, he could dodge. Kuuga avoided the shade as much as he could, and whenever he entered a shadow he would step out into the sun.

"Ah… yes!"

He entered a road with the setting sun at his back.

Because of the angle, there weren't any shadows on the road.

"…"

Inside the last shadow, Yuuko stood motionless along with the cricket. Without seeming pained in the least, she looked at Kuuga from beneath her hat.

Not much after his worry about a sudden attack was lifted, he accelerated his scooter.

"Wow, that was close. It sometimes hurts that despite all these good functions the battery life is so short."

The relief at having escaped the assassin brought back his smile.

There was still some distance to Akamaki City, but once he finished this road he would finally attain some peace of mind.

Of course, there was a reason for that, but only Kuuga knew it.

“If I properly deliver this, will Ichinokuro Arisu-san be glad?”

As Kuuga mumbled and smiled to himself, he felt something cold on his cheek.

Wind blew.

It was simply a gust of wind created from passing between two tall buildings—

"Who cares about that?"

Kuuga's smile froze.

He hadn't entered any shade.

He was running in the sunlight all along.

Even so, he heard the familiar girl's voice from overhead.

The large conehead cricket—caught Kuuga's head in the guillotine.

"No—way—"

Yuuko's eyes glared down the frozen Kuuga while holding down her round hat.

The girl's mouth wore a cruel smile.

"—Chop off."

The fact he was able to move his body was nothing short of a miracle.

Abandoning the kick scooter that lost its acceleration, he leapt out of the guillotine reflexively.

"Ngah!"

But he wasn't able to fully avoid that thick blade.

A deep laceration was engraved on his body from shoulder to elbow. It had avoided his vitals because he'd unconsciously shielded his luggage.

A stain of blood burst around Kuuga who was thrown to the ground. Abnormally sharp pain reached even the nerves of the wound. Perhaps a tendon was also severed.

"Uh… Gah…!"

The girl riding the guillotine looked down at Kuuga writhing on the asphalt.

"Everyone always thinks it's an ability used to move from shadow to shadow."

Raising both hands, Yuuko cut the air with her fingers.

"A normal grasshopper can leap several times its height… so my Mushi can also leap to high places. However, the position it can leap beyond isn't determined by physical height—but by the difference between high and low temperature."

Leaping to places with high air temperature—meaning, leaping through the wall of temperature.

That was Yuuko's Mushi's real ability—

"The wind now made the temperature around just slightly lower. If places lit by the sun create a high wall, then in the shadow, where temperature is lower—"

Yuuko stopped in the middle of speaking.

"…What're you doing?"

"Nnngh…!"

Kuuga wasn't listening to the girl. He wrapped the remainder of his tie around his wounded left shoulder and grasped the end using his right hand and mouth.

"Nnnnngh!"

While enduring sharp pain that seemed to stab directly through his head, he used his mouth and right arm to fasten the tie.

"Bhah! Hah!"

Having stopped his bleeding, Kuuga tried crawling out of this wind passage.

He hadn't the time to smile at all. He was tottering due to the blood loss, but still managed to somehow get up. —The kick scooter already received the blow instead of Kuuga and so was cut in half.

"You're a sore loser."

Yuuko grimaced, leaping down from the guillotine. She was walking after Kuuga who left a trail of blood as he advanced in the road.

His vision blurred by a sudden jerk.

The girl grabbed the bag on his back.

Kuuga turned around, trying to shake off Yuuko using his right arm.

"…It hurts."

Holding her struck arm, the girl pouted.

"Haa… Haa…"

While putting a hand on the wall to support himself, Kuuga advanced slowly in the alley.

Just a little bit more.

"That place" that only he was able to see was just a step ahead.

"You’ll never be able to run away already. Once the sun sets you'll have nowhere to run to."

Then she had the confidence she could defeat the wounded Kuuga at any time? Yuuko walked from behind, matching herself to his staggering pace.

"After being heated by the sun during the entire day, asphalt will quickly cool down and emit heat once the sun sets. That situation creates a wall of temperature difference all over the place. The moment the suns sinks, there's no place my Mushi can't jump to."

On the other side of the residential street, the red setting sun was still sinking.

Even so Kuuga didn't stop.

"Hey, can I ask you a simple question?"

Yuuko inquired.

"Which is more important, your package or your life? You probably don't even know what it is, right?"

"…I do."

"Really?"

"It's a final weapon meant to save the world—"

"That's just your delusion."

Yuuko directly denied Kuuga's words.

"Or actually… maybe I shouldn't deliver it? Aki said some troubling things. He said that it might make a lot of people unhappy or something like that."

"…Perhaps."

His face streaked with greasy sweat, he smiled wryly.

"But that's an undeniable 'connection'. I just need to connect it…"

"I still don't really get you."

"It's a simple mission. Just delivering a package I've been given to a certain address…"

Just like yesterday, he was going to fulfill this easy mission today as well. It was simply the delivery of a package.

An obvious job that anyone could fulfill.

Because of that—

"Delivering it is obvious. That's why I have to…"

"Delivering it won't get you anything, though."

"No, I will gain something…"

"Something like a sense of accomplishment, right? So boring."

"I wanted it for so long… if I complete this mission, I'll be able to have it…"

Seeing Kuuga muttering with hollow eyes, Yuuko scowled.

"It's useless. You're not going to deliver this package, so you'll not get whatever it is you want."

Kuuga moved further and further ahead with unreliable steps.

"The sun sets soon. If you won't surrender during this countdown, I'll chop off both you and that package. Ten, nine…"

The girl's voice counting down echoed in the road lit by the sinking sun.

Kuuga raised his head with a twitch.

Looking at the rapidly darkening sky, he mumbled absently.

"…It's connected."

Yuuko raised an eyebrow.

"You finally accepted it? But it's a bit too late. Three, two, one…"

Kuuga widened both eyes. He pulled out the board from his back with nimble movements.

And the sun—sank.

"Zero!"

As the girl shouted this, the giant conehead cricket appeared there.

At almost the same time—

"Now then…"

A resin bee appeared from overhead.

Its small body glowed.

Kuuga opened the folded wooden board and threw it ahead with all of his strength.

Immediately following this, a wave of light surged around.

With the bee that landed on his shoulder at the center, an explosive locus of light was produced.

"Wha—"

Yuuko gazed up the sky in shock.

High above a line of light came out of nowhere, stretching out to the surface.

Kuuga jumped, riding on the wooden board being pushed by the whirlpool of light.

Created out of a light alloy, the board was like a miniature surfing board. It was created just for him, and Kuuga called it an "airboard".

"…Let's go!"

Raising his voice to his Mushi, Kuuga kicked the wave of light.

"I won't let you escape!"

The conehead cricket leaping past the wall of temperature difference captured Kuuga on the airboard.

However, by kicking up the waves of light, Kuuga performed a backflip and escaped higher.

Now jumping onto a different midair line, he bent his body and leapt to yet another line.

"Chop off!"

Now that the sun had set, she could use her ability to its fullest—the girl's words appeared to be no lie. The grasshopper was stubbornly chasing Kuuga even as he flew through the air.

However, Kuuga held the board down with his right arm and performed a sideways rotation, at times spinning around and kicking lines, dodging the fierce attacks.

"Chop! Chop!"

—It wasn't that Kuuga had hidden his Mushi.

Ever since being chased by Yuuko he let it drift in the upper air. The resin bee zigzagging around had continuously left lines of light in the sky.

Those lines haven't disappeared. Once it passed there, the lines would remain indefinitely.

Kuuga's ability was to glide along these lines.

Why hadn't he used that ability thus far?

Because the road he'd taken thus far was one that Kuuga went through for the first time.

At the end of that single road was a large line that Kuuga had left in the past, connecting from a different town to Akamaki City. These could be called Kuuga's special highway that allowed him to travel from any city to any city.

Normally there wasn't any need to use these lines.

Because his ability was always conspicuous and he had a memory equivalent to a car navigation system—he knew the schedules of all public transport around the country by heart—using normal vehicles was enough.

"Chop! Chop!"

Kuuga riding up the night sky and Yuuko chasing after him. The pair's attack and defense continued so high up that the buildings around looked like rice grains.

"Ugh—"

It happened when he decided to perform a high jump. Perhaps as a result of losing too much blood, he felt dizzy and his pose was thrown off-balance.

"Chop!"

Yuuko didn't miss the opening created by this. The cricket's guillotine captured him.

The blade trying to slice off Kuuga and the airboard kicking up the lines of light crossed each other.

"Augh…!"

The one to raise a scream was Yuuko.

Evading the blade by a hair's breadth, the airboard made a cut on the cricket's triangular head.

"Why you…! Snip!"

Yuuko glared with rage at Kuuga as he rose again.

But the cricket didn't move.

"Cho—"

She was out of time.

The time for her Mushi to bring its ability to the fullest probably passed. Yuuko biting her lips in regret was left behind.

"I'll never… let you get away…!"

Leaving behind the girl spitting these words, Kuuga leapt further into the sky.

Soon he reached a thick line of light.

That line connected to Akamaki City.

"Hah… hah… I can finally reach Akamaki…"

As he smiled with a pale face, Kuuga's knees buckled. Since he moved too much while having lost vast amounts of blood, he knew that he was about to go into shock.

"This package… Ichinokuro Arisu-san…"

The mumbling Kuuga's pupils were losing their light.

He was still conscious.

However—his body was stopping moving.

"I have… to deliver… this—"

The boy gliding through the upper air tilted.

Kuuga was slowly collapsing.

The airboard riding on the lines of light—

The airboard carrying a single deliveryman—

Sliding through the silent air, it was being led toward the lights of the capital visible from afar.

Part 4

Finding Kuuga standing in the darkness, the girl seemed surprised.

"Who are you?"

Had she gone to play with friends and so arrived late? The ponytailed girl appearing in front of the mansion with the nameplate "Ichinokuro" was carrying a large stuffed doll that looked like it came from some game arcade.

There was also a boy next to her. Other than the plaster on his cheek he looked completely normal, but his eyes gazing at Kuuga were sharp.

"Good evening! Are you Ichinokuro Arisu-san?"

First he had to confirm he had the right person. It was the basic of a delivery.

"U-umm, yes…"

Although confused, Ichinokuro Arisu nodded.

Kuuga wore a full smile, bringing out the package covered in cloth.

"A delivery for you!"

"…A delivery?"

As Arisu attempted to accept the package, the boy near her stopped her.

"Who're you? Who sent this package?"

He was staring at him with clear alertness, but Kuuga kept his smile.

"The sender is the West Central Branch Development Unit. I'm part of the Special Unit, called Kuuga."

"From West? Didn't hear about it."

"Oh, how strange. Chika-chan… I mean, Sakura said you knew about this delivery."

"Sakura?"

The boy raised his face as if recalling something.

"Her… then, this is—"

"What is it, can I just take it?"

Although still suspicious, Arisu received the package.

Kuuga closed his eyes.

Along with the weight in his arms being lifted, he felt his heart turned lighter as well.

He savored the feeling of accomplishment as he protected yet another connection by his own hands.

"…A rod?"

Pulling off the cloth, Arisu's hand now held a rod. It was metallic and glowed in silver, and its length was only half of Arisu's arm.

“Yes, it does look like a rod.”

While glaring at the silver rod from many different angles, Arisu furrowed her brows.

"But it's somewhat… warm."

She asked Kuuga.

"What is this? How do I use it?"

But Kuuga couldn't answer. A hoarse sigh leaked from his barely open mouth.

"…?"

Arisu tilted her head quizzically when it happened.

The surroundings were enveloped in a silver glow.

"Eh…?"

Near the surprised Arisu a single butterfly alighted down.

Kuuga gulped as he watched this scene.

Kuuga had never seen a Mushi as beautiful as this. The Morpho butterfly with four antennas landed on Arisu's hand.

"Eek!"

The silver rod Arisu was holding instantly unfolded to be several times as long.

Immediately after, the Morpho butterfly transformed explosively. It became countless tentacles, stabbing into the long rod.

For some reason—Kuuga thought the Morpho butterfly looked happy. The silver glow was overflowing with vitality, and its motions transforming its body rapidly were extremely lively.

The Morpho butterfly's wings changed to a blade that emitted silver scales.

And the changes didn't stop with that.

The surface of the rod transformed to a silver glowing lance had traces of light running around it. The silver loci circulated all around the rod and its surface was faintly glowing.

When he narrowed his eyes and looked better, he saw the glow's identity was a vivid pattern etched on the surface. The energy emitted by the Morpho butterfly ran through the entire rod as if amplifying it.

It was built of light yet solid material, equipped with a length-adjusting mechanism, possessed a route computation to reduce its energy consumption to its limits, the engraving based on those routes, and above all it had the molecular structure giving it the "warmth" desired by Mushi.

This weapon could be said the crystallization of the West Central Branch techniques, but even the user herself, Arisu, appeared to not understand the situation.

"W-what is going on with that…?"

"Idiot, don't just stand there! Since the Morpho butterfly's responding, there's an enemy—"

Before the boy finished talking, a large shadow captured Arisu who stood in a daze.

It was a black conehead grasshopper.

"I told you I won't let you get away!"

On top of the guillotine stage above Arisu's head, Yuuko was wearing a cruel smile.

"Chop!"

"Tch!"

The boy immediately reached toward Arisu. However—

"…!"

The Morpho butterfly's spear created a storm of scales.

Scales numerous enough to cover their entire vision moved like a living being. They swallowed the large cricket along with Arisu.

"W-what's happening…"

Shaking off the scales, Yuuko raised a shriek.

The guillotine stopped moving.

"I can't… use my ability…? This is—"

Looking down her Mushi, Yuuko groaned.

The cricket's long legs folded. On top the guillotine stage losing its balance, Yuuko paled.

"My Mushi is sleeping—"

Arisu came back to her senses. With awkward movements, she swung the silver lance.

The cricket raised a cry.

The spear's flash shattered the guillotine and the scales it emitted scraped off half of its large body.

"Guh!"

The damage to the Mushi recoiled back as mental damage to the host. Holding her chest, Yuuko jumped to the ground with an anguished expression.

Glancing at Arisu with regret, she turned her body away. Unsummoning her Mushi, she vanished into the darkness with an unsteady gait.

Looking at her leaving form was all Kuuga could do.

Inside his blurring vision, the silver spear kept glowing brightly.

"I won't let you get away!"

"Wait, Daisuke! Something's wrong with this guy!"

He heard himself crumbling to the ground.

Noticing Kuuga's wounds that they hadn't seen due to the darkness, Arisu hurriedly called.

While feeling his body growing colder—

"…Maybe it was a bit of a tough mission, this time…"

Kuuga slowly closed his eyes. 

Part 5

—The following is the report about my last mission.

Like always, it was supposed to be a simple job that no one would even think about. However, this time I was attacked by a strange girl, so it was a bit different.

Oh? My wounds?

Ehehe, it's fine already. After what happened, a person called Nene with healing powers came and patched me up. But since I didn't have enough blood, I had to lie down for a while.

Even Ichinokuro-san told me "Thank you" with a smile.

Smiles are like fuel to me.

Since I was given fuel, I want to start my next job already.

Umm, I want it to be safe, but more importantly—

"I can't believe you… You were attacked by an assassin because you took a detour. If you dare put even a single scratch on my creation I'll crack your head open—uh. Stop with that creepy smile immediately."

I was being scolded.

At a certain workshop at West Central Branch, I received complaints about my job one-on-one by Chika-chan, alias Sakura.

But I felt no pain.

Because I would finally be able to obtain what I desired.

It would be no exaggeration to say that I risked my life on this mission for this very moment.

I presented both arms toward Chika.

"More importantly, Chika-chan. Give me what you promised!"

"Oh, you mean that. I won't admire you for doing your job just for the reward, but a promise's a promise. I created it, of course. I did create it, but… well… how do I put it…"

The manly Chika unusually found herself hesitating on words.

When I tilted my head, I felt the presence of a certain person from within the factory.

I heard the voices of my other comrades, some sounding proud, some displeased.

"Oh, you mean that toy? Those circuits were like child's play, so I managed to recreate some of it. Hehe, rub your head against the floor and thank me."

"…I can't believe you've gone and used me and my sister's rare metals for something like that. I'll never give it to you again."

"That's not ecological at all. Electricity is behind the times. So I switched in another power source, like I thought the energy of the future is definitely light, and the drill at the front is a bonus."

It went without saying that my smile was frozen.

In front of my shaking body a spectacular object was presented.

When I saw it, something broke inside me.

The "thing I desired"—or rather its remains were revealed in their sorry state to me.

"Uwaaah! This is horrible, it's too cruel, I can't believe it!"

"A complete replica of AX… is what it was."

It was supposed to be the one and only model in the world that fully recreated shape, functions and mobility, but it no longer had any vestiges of AX.

Also… what did it mean that it wasn't able to move?

Chika bitterly averted her face.

"Also, because that guy touched it… it broke."

"Waaaaan!"

"Like I thought, we're not suited for joint work. That rod is nothing short of a miracle."

On the other side of the sighing Chika, the door to the workshop opened.

The girl hidden on the other side of the door called out timidly.

"Welcome back, Kuuga. You know, earlier the branch head looked at your report, and since there's no date written you need to rewrite it… oh, no, it's fine. Sorry. I'll just write it again and it'll be fine, sorry."

"This is a disaster! I risked my life and worked hard just for this!"

"Also, there was this Mushitsuki who claims knowing you that 'turned herself in'. She's called Yuuko and she said something about having promised this, but I don't really understand the circumstances… oh, this isn't the time for that right now. Sorry."

Even when bad things happen, I will not give up.

It was a job no one cared about, but I believe that tomorrow I will deliver something to someplace as well.

"My AX…"

"Annoying. Someone make him shut up."

"If you hit the back of his head he'll shut up."

"Tears aren't ecological. Energy's leaking."

"That Yuuko girl shouted at me. She said to bring Kuuga out. Sorry for being so useless."

"So, I'll go back to work…"

I'm part of the West Central Branch Special Division, Kuuga.

As part of the West Central Branch that mainly works on equipment development, my job is delivering their equipment and other materials. My categories are small to medium-size luggage, and I specialize in close to middle-range delivery.

Tomorrow, just like yesterday, my easy job will continue.

Where will I go next time? 

Episode 20. The Day of Dream's Resurrection

"Follow me"—

She was young.

Very, very young.

Well, only half of her life had passed at that point, though.

After being examined in the special hospital, she had been told to go directly home.

But the sky dyed by the sunset was too pretty.

As she walked ahead, she strayed from the main road just a little bit—

Coming back to her senses as she heard laughing voices, she noticed that she was standing at the entrance to a small park.

It was a park constructed right in the middle of a residential area. It contained only a sandbox small enough for an adult to touch from edge to edge if they spread their arms, and two swings.

There were children playing even in this enclosed space. Perhaps playing tag, they ran around while flapping their short limbs.

There were also familiar children along them. They were her classmates from the elementary school she had been enrolled into recently. Tired of playing tag, they were probably thinking of a different game.

"Follow me"—

One child was saying this and raising their pointer finger high, and the other children started jumping at it.

When all children at this park became one group, they all noticed her.

Many eyes glared at her standing at the entrance.

And so she—

Relaxing her arm holding the medicine bag, she timidly reached her hand out toward the park.

She bit her lips.

And her hand—was lowered.

The children's gaze left her. As if nothing happened, they already became engrossed in a different game.

Being unable to take even a single step was sad, pathetic and embarrassing, and so she turned her back to the park.

She had been told by her mother to come back quickly.

The doctors have forbidden her to have an intense workout.

But she knew that wasn't the reason she wasn't part of the laughter she could hear at her back.

On the road back, while holding the small medicine bag, she never looked at the sky anymore.

Next time for sure—

Thinking this, she hid her lack of courage.

She always heard the laughter of children who were playing, but never joined their circles.

When she became a middle-schooler, she ended closed up in the hospital.

The only thing changed from her childhood was that instead of carrying a bag of medicine, she held a picture book.

"Follow me"—

Was that finger she hadn't grasped at the time wrapped up in laughter somewhere even now?

She could never grasp anything again.

Because she was about to pass away from this world—  

Although her tears were supposed to match her body temperature, why did they feel so warm?

The sensation of the tears streaming from the corners of her eyes brought her to wakefulness.

"…"

Wiping the tears with her pajama sleeve, she removed the blanket and roused her body.

She had a bad dream.

Her cheeks were warm and her head was foggy.

Perhaps she'd worked up a fever again. Unlike her dull thinking, her body felt as light as a feather. As if she could leap off and run away. —Would she actually be able to shake off the sleep from her head by running at full speed?

She was also used to such silly delusions.

If she actually ran, Sensei would be mad at her. Even if not, it would take less than 15 meters before her heart screamed with agony.

The curtains were thick and a ray of sunlight peeked from within their gap.

While rubbing her eyes, she looked for the pitcher of water with her hand.

Clink. —This sensation was harder than the pitcher she was used to.

Her hand touched a thin rod-like object. It was about the same size as a folded umbrella.

"…?"

The moment she touched it, a silver glow passed through its surface.

She'd never seen this rod before.

Even so, she felt as if she knew these complex patterns that appeared and vanished on it very well—

"Sensei…?"

Hearing footsteps, she raised her head.

"—How long are you going to sleep?"

Suddenly her vision became lighter.

The door to her hospital room opened without any knock.

"…"

"…"

No, she was wrong.

Completely wrong.

The space revealed to daylight differed completely from what she remembered.

What she slept on wasn't a bed with a cushion, but a futon spread on tatami.

What covered the window wasn't a curtain, but an old-style paper sliding door with a shutter.

She inhabited not a dreary hospital room but a spacious Japanese-style room, with its walls decorated by many pictures and assorted posters.

And the one who had greeted her was not a young man in white uniform—

"…"

"…"

Opening her eyes wider than she ever did before, she glared at that person.

Standing at the entrance and directing a puzzled glance at her was a boy.

"Eeya?"

A strange voice came out of her throat.

Receiving the glance of a boy her own age, she could only think of her current getup. Her face reddened and she hurriedly hid the neck part of her pajama. Well, not like it was unbuttoned or anything.

As if it was something caused by the boy, her shoulders shook with an exaggerated twitch.

As she glanced around her, she looked for something to hide her body with. However, since she was unable to find anything, she simply adorned her blanket to hide her pajamas.

Looking up with teary eyes, she saw that the boy also seemed to be just as agitated as her.

"H-hey…? W-wait a minute… what's up with that reaction?"

"…"

"Your face is beet red. Do you have a fever?"

"Eeyaaaaa!"

"D-don't flinch back like that! It looks like I did something to you—I see, is that a new form of bullying?"

"Eeek—"

"Got it! I won't come any closer! I looked away, alright? So please don't scream! You’re just going to make things complicated! Stop with this unfunny bullying, please go back to normal!"

Timidly retreating was a boy with completely ordinary looks other than the band-aid on his cheek. His plain hairstyle and normal features, as well as his build, were average on all accounts. Although he wore a familiar uniform, since his tie was loose, he was probably still getting ready for school.

Kusuriya Daisuke.

She knew his name. As well as his position. —Unlike his appearance, he was feared as a demon, so if he ended up sexually assaulting her it would be quite the problem.

She tried using her confused head desperately to recall the situation she’d been thrust into.

Why did she know him?

Where was she, exactly?

"Are you still half-asleep…?"

The boy timidly asserted.

"Arisu."

Ichinokuro Arisu.

That name had been directed at none other than her.

"…!"

She once again widened her eyes and looked to the side.

On the standing mirror near the window, she could see the figure of a girl tearing up with a blanket wrapped around her body.

Although some youth remained in that visage, she would never forget those large, black pupils. It was also her first time seeing the girl’s hair let down instead of her usual bouncy ponytail. The fearless smile she always wore was gone, and she gazed at her with a face on the verge of crying.

Embarrassedly blushing was Ichinokuro Arisu.

For some reason feeling that she saw something that she shouldn't, she averted her eyes.

Inside the room a silver glow was dancing.

Appearing above Daisuke's head was a Morpho butterfly emitting silver light. With its glowing silver wings and four antennas, it was an organism unlike the one it was named after.

Mushi.

These were mysterious creatures that possessed adolescent boys and girl, granting them supernatural powers in exchange for eating their dreams. To her, this silver Morpho butterfly was much more familiar than Arisu's face.

"…You're acting weird."

Hearing Daisuke mumble, she came back to her senses.

"Are you… really Arisu?"

The boy's expression changed. Her heart leapt.

Being pressured by Daisuke’s intimidation that made him seem like another person, she became speechless.

Her mind was in disarray.

Why had it turned out like this?

This situation right now was clearly—abnormal.

If the boy in front of her realized the truth, what would happen? Without thinking, there was no doubt that a bad result was waiting for her.

Her self-preservation instincts kicked into full gear. The words leapt out of her mouth before she could think.

"I-I'm… Arisu! What do you even mean?”

"…"

"W-what's up with those eyes? Are you doubting me?"

While being disorderly, she recalled the normal relationship between "herself" and the boy.

"Y-you're a mere manservant and yet you doubt your Mi-mi-mi-mistress? So rude for a slave! You trash! Pervert!"

"—Tch."

Daisuke clicked his tongue. Seeing his displeased face, she shrugged without thinking.

"Oh… I-I'm sorry, I went overb—"

"You're the same as always, so you really were just half-asleep."

"…"

The boy turned on his heels, seemingly let down.

"I was just surprised since you were suddenly acting like a 15-year-old girl."

Ichinokuro Arisu was a senior Horusu Seijou Academy Middle School. And a girl, obviously.

"That instructor granny was angry about you skipping morning practice. Start getting ready for school already."

While scratching his head as if he found it bothersome, Daisuke turned to left, but then stopped.

Turning around, the boy pointed to Arisu’s hand. She was holding the silver rod.

“’I can guarantee the rod’s functions, but I’ve no idea what would happen when it’s actually used. If something unthinkable happens… then do your best to take care of it. By the way, we have a no return policy’—this message came from the rod’s creator.”

Her breathing stopped for an instant.

An unthinkable event.

That truly is what happened to her now—

"…"

She couldn't tell exactly what was happening.

However, she was able to determine what was likely the cause.

She touched the rod with a surprised expression—grinning, she looked up to the boy who was living with her.

"—Right. That sounds scary. I'll be careful."

“I just don’t get that hammer woman… after giving so many excuses like the specs are too high or that there’s only one Morpho butterfly so she couldn’t run test, she just said ‘do your best’… what’s up with that? Also, she only told me that after you’ve already used it once.”

“Well, that’s how it is. I need to be thankful to her even just for creating this for me.”

"And so, don't use it recklessly. I also forbid you from using it to hit me like last night."

As he said this and went away, she saw him off with a smile.

"…"

Removing the blanket, she noticed her body was as light as a feather. She jumped in place. Although her head felt slightly warm, apparently the lightness of her body wasn't her imagination.

Standing in front of the mirror, she moved her limbs, trying to form an elegant smile.

"Good morning, Arisu."

She elegantly bowed to herself in the reflection.

When she raised her head again, there was a girl there smiling completely differently.

An unthinkable event.

That definitely happened.

Kicking up the rod at her feet, it rotated in front of her eyes and she grabbed it with her right hand.

Was it a miracle that happened by chance?

Or a reward given to her by a fickle god?

Or perhaps—everything was brought by the irregular Mushi the Morpho butterfly, just one of the incidents no one could have predicted.

“Shall I enjoy this… good luck just for a short while?”

Putting a hand on her waist, she pleaded to her friend reflected in the mirror.

That was how the Morpho butterfly’s previous host, Hanashiro Mari—had started this dreamlike, single day filled with happiness and despair. 

Part 1 

How long had it been since she felt the early morning air on her skin?

The blue sky had a warm, glowing morning sun floating in it.

The wind was strong and she could see thick clouds in the distant sky. Since the wind blowing from the side was slightly damp, they were probably rain clouds. This spring air full of the scent of grass filled her soul.

She was probably already used to this spring wind. Exiting the Ichinokuro estate, Daisuke and the Morpho butterfly just headed to school without paying attention to anything.

But noticing that the girl wasn't next to him, Daisuke turned around.

"…Hey, what's up with those creepy movements?"

"Huh… b-but…"

Arisu—Mari in Arisu’s body held the hem of her skirt, cheeks blushing. She bashfully walked toward the boy’s back, pigeon-toed.

"Isn't this skirt a bit too short?"

There was a thud. Daisuke let the sports bag hanging on his back fall to the ground.

"I-isn't it against school regulations? We’re only middle schoolers, so don’t you think revealing our legs like this is indecent? Also, there’s strong wind today, so it’s possible that my underwear would—"

Calmly picking up his bag, he grabbed Mari's thin shoulders with a serious look on his face. Although he seemed calm, there was a sparkle of agitation in his eyes.

“W-w-w-what’s going on with you? It’s impossible that you just now noticed it. You always kick me without a care in the world but suddenly you think it’s indecent? It is spring? Because it’s spring?”

"Eeeeek!"

“Got it! I’ll let go of you! Here, I did it! So please don’t scream!”

Since she’d never been touched by a boy, she raised a shriek unconsciously.

But according to him, it was “impossible” for her to have not noticed this before. Meaning—did Arisu and Daisuke have that kind of relationship? There was no way for them to have a relationship where she wouldn’t feel any danger at having her underwear be seen… unless they were lovers. At the very least, according to Mari's knowledge.

"N-no… u-umm—"

Arisu and Daisuke were lovers.

She inputted this new information into her head.

"Y-you're just more daring today, so I was just surprised."

Putting her index finger on her cheek, she tried wearing a strained grin.

"…"

Apparently, she got it wrong.

Daisuke was quickly paling, so she puffed out her chest with hands on her waist.

"S-silence! It's my freedom to do what I please! You just need to shut up and walk ahead! Because you're too incompetent for anything else! Please don't turn your dirty face this way! You make me feel sick!"

"—O-oh, is that so?"

It was the right answer this time, apparently. Daisuke turned around with a relieved face, muttering, “Your bullying really damages my spirit this time…” as he walked.

It seemed like a very strange relationship, but Mari was aware she didn’t know the ways of the world. Perhaps the relationships of middle schoolers were like that.

While minding her skirt she watched Daisuke walking ahead. At times he would turn to look at her, but she would glare at him and it would end without incident.

Passing near a couple that looked of high school age, she followed them with her eyes. If they were lovers, wouldn't they walk hand in hand like that couple?

"Aren't you mad? What have I done?"

"Eh? I-I'm not mad."

"I see. …Then may I ask why you are clenching your fist and aiming at my hand? So it’s a direct attack this time, huh. I'll tell you in advance, but if you think I won't hit you back you're mistaken."

“R-right. Then I’ll keep it to verbal abuse. You pervert. Lower than trash. You, umm…”

"If you need to force yourself to add insults then just shut up. You’ll ruin your pretty face."

He told her she was pretty.

Being complimented by a man other than Sensei for the first time, Mari blushed.

"A-anyway, if you turn around, I'll kill you. I’ll take my fist and hit you here, burying this sharp part about three millimeters into your head.”

"Stop being so specific. It’s scary when you're being so serious. Why am I not even allowed to look back…"

At the very least she seemed to avoid suspicion from Kusuriya Daisuke.

Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she secretly opened her bag. When she touched the silver rod hidden inside, it looked like a shining pattern appeared on the surface for an instant.

"…"

Narrowing her eyes, she closed the bag.

As she looked up at the Morpho butterfly, her expression was undoubtedly something that Arisu had never worn before. At the very least, Mari had never seen her best friend wear a smile which was mixed with doubt and cynicism.

We're not even in battle, so why am I—

Even up until now, Mari's personality had controlled Arisu's body several times.

However, all of them were only when Arisu was in danger.

Furthermore, Mari's personality appearing on the surface was also incredibly unstable—since it appeared by forcibly pushing Arisu’s personality away, it was something very feeble. Mari could only remember these times like they were dreams.

Or rather—it was extremely abnormal for Mari, who had supposedly passed away due to an illness, to remember what happened after that in the first place.

Why could she remember?

Where had she accumulated these memories?

In the first place, how had she left her Morpho butterfly to Arisu—

"…"

She couldn't recall.

She had memories after her death, although vague, but trying to recall what happened during her life was like grasping mist and she couldn’t even think about it.

She had—a terrible premonition.

This morning, Mari pushed down Arisu's personality upon awakening and allowed her own personality to rise to the surface.

The cause for that was apparently the medium of the rod with its overly high specs. The manufacturer was apparently too good at their job; this weapon preserved heat and could be said to be the best option for harmonization with Arisu, who wasn't the original host of the Morpho butterfly.

But did it really turn that way?

Was it fine to end with this conclusion?

As Mari let her thoughts run, the Morpho butterfly fluttered above her head innocent-seeming.

"—"

The name of the boy walking a bit ahead of her was Kusuriya Daisuke.

He, just like her, was a Mushitsuki. Also, he belonged to the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau—the special organization that concealed the existence of Mushi as well as captured and trained Mushitsuki to control them as members. In order to monitor the abnormal Mushi the Morpho butterfly and the one who possessed it, he began living with Arisu.

She knew these particulars because the Morpho butterfly had been watching.

Right now, she possessed both memories—of Hanashiro Mari and the Morpho butterfly.

"Hehe."

"…Stop wordlessly patting and stroking my back. Are you Kororo?"

He was a Fusion-Type Mushitsuki just like her that she hadn’t met while alive.

It was mysterious walking next to the rumored Kusuriya Daisuke like this. When Mari tried touching his back to ascertain he wasn't an illusion, he kept up his guard without turning back.

"Stop being so docile, Daisuke. I wonder if all SEPB members are like that?"

"As if. Especially recently, there’s been a gathering of various problem children in the Central Headquarters in order to be reassigned and it was very annoying. Furthermore, Headquarters apparently started getting interested in you…"

"Interested in me?"

"You're quite famous in parts, since everything about you is outside the norm. You need to acknowledge that already.”

“What an honor for a demon like you to care about me.”

The previous times when Mari’s personality came to the surface, Daisuke acted as the warrior called Kakkou.

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

A silver lance and a gun.

When their weapons were crossed, he asked her this.

What had she answered then?

If she had her memories from when she’d been alive now, what would she answer?

If the answer was "yes"—

Then had Mari finally made that wish come true today?

The period when she was alive.

When she tried digging into those memories, her head blanked out.

"…"

Removing her fingers from Daisuke, she looked around her.

She was walking straight through the town engulfed by the morning air.

The wind was strong. Her ponytail, tied awkwardly because she wasn’t used to it, was blown to the side.

They passed near a married couple that was having an idle conversation. The small dog they were taking along with them turned to look at Mari as it walked. A bus with students on it made low engine sounds as it overtook them.

These things were completely ordinary, and yet they took away Mari's ability to reason.

The warm sunlight and the blowing wind felt too good.

She was alive.

That certain feeling raised Mari's spirits.

The reason she pushed Arisu aside to resurface, and her memories from her life—

Meant nothing anymore.

"Arisu?"

She overtook the boy walking ahead by jogging.

"I'll be going ahead, Daisuke!"

What sort of smile was she wearing at that moment? Daisuke’s puzzled face as he watched her going ahead made her smile deepen.

She couldn't bear it anymore. She stopped minding her skirt.

Skipping over a garbage bag dropped by a garbage worker, she grabbed a telephone pole and spun toward the corner. Leaping to the raised edge of the sidewalk, she rushed ahead with arms spread to preserve her balance.

Slipping into the intersection just as the green light started blinking, she stepped only on the white paint on the pedestrian crossing.

As she returned to the road, a bicycle passed right in front of her eyes. It almost crashed into her as it made an emergency stop. Spinning her body as she passed by the bicycle, she kept running again.

Running alongside a white wall that appeared next to her, she finally reached the front gate of Horusu Seijou Academy. On the other side of the security gate for students she could see the modern campus.

"Hah…! Hah…!"

When the first bell rang in front of the gate, there were only few students inside school. Mari put her hands on her knees, taking ragged breaths.

Her heart was beating so much it was about to tear. Her lungs wanted oxygen and raised a shriek. Her throat hurt and large tears came to the corners of her eyes. The dew dripping on her skin from the green trees around felt refreshing.

"Haa, haha, hah, ahaha…haha!"

Her ponytail drew half-circles in the air. Mari immediately raised her body to look at the sky, laughing.

Running with her own power felt pretty good.

She hadn't borrowed the power of her Mushi. As proof, several minutes later she was sweating all over. Her breathing was in disarray and even moving her fatigued limbs was painful.

However—she felt good.

It was something completely different than the fatigue from her illness. That one was only heavy, dark and gloomy.

"Ahaha!"

Hiding her face with both hands, she couldn't stop herself from forming a smile. The other students turned around to look at Mari giggling in front of the school gate.

More.

She wanted to run more.

She wanted to run forever like this.

As she started wishing for this, Mari hadn’t noticed that for a moment the eyes of the Morpho butterfly overhead were glowing red—

"…!"

The moment she felt a gaze on her, her body moved on its own. She instantly pulled out the silver rod from her bag, rotating it and catching it perfectly.

The flying Morpho butterfly emitted blinding light.

Mari's eyes and the butterfly’s antennas all turned to the same direction.

Beyond the fence surrounding the school premises there was a large shadow made by a cherry tree.

In that darkness stood a strange figure.

"…"

A grim reaper.

That concept rose to her mind.

Immediately leaping to her eyes was the pole-like object resting on that tall person's shoulder—that object that could be only called a scythe. The long, curved blade and the obviously long handle. Even taller than a person, it was dyed in a dull color almost like rotten food.

The appearance of this scythe-wielding person was absurd to the extreme. Although it was already spring, their entire body was covered by a close-fitting suit made of leather. She judged him to be a man due to his build and despite his slimness, but couldn’t ascertain it due to the gas mask-like equipped with lens that covered his face. Including the robe and boots covered in fasteners, everything he wore was rusted and ragged.

Another small person stood at the side of the scythe wielder. If the latter was a grim reaper, then the former was probably an imp. From this imp’s inexperienced yet rounded posture, she looked like a girl. Although she wore fashionable clothes, since her back was turned Mari couldn’t see her face.

Were they human or emissaries from hell?

Since Mari herself was an irregular existence, it wasn't a joke and could actually be possible.

However, there was only one thing for certain.

"Even a grim reaper can become a Mushitsuki… how exquisite."

Since the Morpho butterfly responded to it, it meant that he was a Mushitsuki. Also, there was a high chance he’d already used some kind of ability.

Why had this creepy duo appeared in front of Mari?

Perhaps they came to escort her, a girl who remained in this world even after death, to the netherworld.

"I wonder how much I need to chop a grim reaper to kill him?"

She grasped the rod again with a cool face, and the shoulders of the imp twitched.

As if scared by her killing intent, she grabbed the arm of the reaper next to her—and then pulled back her hand as if recalling something. They seemed to be arguing for a while, and then the both of them left.

As they left, Mari noticed something on the girl’s neck.

Those white goggles—

She had the feeling they resembled the equipment of the SEPB's Central Headquarters.

But as far as Mari knew, she'd never seen a member wear something this strange.

—There’s been a gathering of various problem children in the Central Headquarters in order to be reassigned and it was very annoying.

Vaguely recalling Daisuke's words, she soon lost interest.

"…"

As she narrowed her eyes and put the rod back in her bag, a voice called out from behind.

"What're you doing, Arisu?! We'll be late, hurry up!"

Coming with a delay, Daisuke’s body shook with his rough breaths.

If he came to know that her current personality was Hanashiro Mari—what exactly would he do?

At the very least he would undoubtedly want Arisu to return. He would possibly attack Mari without asking for her opinion.

Kusuriya Daisuke. For Mari, he might be a real grim reaper—

"Yeah."

She turned around, grinning.

It was the time for her to be filled with the joy of living she hadn't imagined she could gain.

At least for a little while more—no.

If at all possible, Mari wanted to celebrate her life even a second longer. She wouldn't let anyone interfere.

Neither the unknown grim reaper nor Kusuriya Daisuke.

Once again, the eyes of the Morpho butterfly above her glowed in red.

"I'm coming."

Seeing Mari smile brightly like Arisu, Daisuke furrowed his brows a bit. 

Part 2

The strong wind made the classroom door creak. Dancing sand clattered as it hit the glass window.

But no matter how much the wind blew, it would never disturb the inside of the class—

"Hey, Kusuriya-kun! If you're free, will you play with me? I brought this game from home. It's fine, look, it's just a board game. Nothing suspicious."

"Oh, a sugoroku? Looks like it has all sorts of patterns on it, waaaait, what’s that?! All of the squares have punishment games on them! Also, the subject is always me!”

"Rolled a 3. One, two, three… umm, 'make Kusuriya Daisuke wear glasses and breathe in his ears. In real life', apparently. Well, I have some glasses prepared."

"What's up with that crazy setting! This has to be homemade by Saionji-san. You're wasting your talents again… wait, when did these glasses got on me! I'm not playing! I'm not playing, Kujou-san!"

Unrelated to the weather outside, the storm inside of the classroom combusted spontaneously.

It was Ichinokuro Arisu’s class in Horusu Seijou Academy, Middle School Year 3.

The students all formed their own groups and did whatever they pleased. The words "self-study" written on the blackboard asserted themselves silently.

Gathered around the board game on Kusuriya Daisuke's desk were two female students.

The refined-looking Saionji Ena and the elegantly smiling Kujou Takako. As usual with this school full of children of rich people, all of them were raised in privileged households, a fact which was apparent by their well-groomed hair and good complexion.

Ena and Takako were Arisu's friends. She knew that as well.

"Now's my turn. Go! 6! 'Do something inappropriate for a middle schooler on Kusuriya Daisuke'! Oh yeah, the cooking practice room should be empty right around now!"

"What are we going to do there?! Your roulette techniques seem to be far from amateurish and you’ve checked the empty room beforehand, so it feels like it’s a fixed game!”

"Now, now, Daisuke-san. Look, this square alone right here says ‘If Kusuriya Daisuke lands here he gains the right to refuse’, so it’s fair.”

“Creating a meager thread of hope to make me play is such a pro move!”

To hide the fact that he had infiltrated the school for his mission for the SEPB, Daisuke played the part of a normal student in front of his classmates. Since he, who was feared as a demon, had been brought to tears just by associating from his female classmates, it was quite the realistic acting.

On the other hand, only Arisu—Mari who borrowed Ichinokuro Arisu’s body—stood there with a strained face among the frolicking classmates.

She couldn't take a careless action and get suspected. —No, that was just an excuse.

The truth was that she didn't know how to act.

This was a middle school classroom she hadn't been able to attend even once while she was alive.

It was way more boisterous and energetic than she thought. Perhaps because she was used the always-silent hospital room, being surrounded by these loud voices caused her ears to start ringing.

On top of that, all of those classmates were people Mari hadn't talked to even once. Unsure of how she should talk to them, she was unable to match eyes with even one of them.

Ena turned around.

"What's wrong, Arisu? Aren't you playing? This is the ‘Kusuriya Daisugoroku’."

"That's the game’s name?! It's not subtle at all!”

Mari twitched, hurriedly raising her face.

"B-but it's self-study period, so we should use this time to study prop—"

Speaking disorderly, she opened her textbook full of incomprehensible drawings.

At once, all the noise around class ceased.

Ena and Takako, Daisuke, and all other students froze at once. As if time itself stopped, they gazed at Arisu with widened eyes.

With the eyes of looking at someone abnormal.

It was a situation Mari had experienced countless times.

"Follow me"—

She always heard the laughter from afar. She had no confidence and she was too scared to be rejected, so she was unable to join that ring even once.

However, now—she knew how she could join the circle of laughter.

"…Did you really think I'd say that?"

Mari rose up vigorously, throwing the textbook at Daisuke.

"I don't care about self-study period at all! You fell for my trap, stupid Daisuke!"

Her classmates averted their gazes, relieved. The classroom retrieved its former activity

Ena and Takako also looked relieved. Daisuke alone looked unconvinced, rubbing his nose.

“You were so weird I thought you had food poisoning for a moment there. Well, it’s your turn next, so go for it. We’ll be using him after that.”

“Ignoring the fact that I got a nosebleed because of that textbook… so no one cares about me, huh.”

"Y-yeah. Got it. …Rolled a 1. 'have Kusuriya Daisuke princess carry you and go to some place fitting the mood'—Eeeek."

"What's wrong, Arisu-san? You made a weird noise."

“Oh well, we can do them all at once later. With this sort of stuff the momentum is the most important thing. Now, since everyone had a turn, it's Takako again next."

"Wait… my turn… my thread of hope…"

Arisu would have probably laughed like this. Said this. Moved like this.

Imagining her friend's words and actions, she acted accordingly.

"Oh, 'make Kusuriya Daisuke wear female gym clothes’."

"…!"

"Kusuriya-kun's escaped! Arisu!"

"Just do it, Daisuke! Arisu Drop Kick!"

As long as she could pretend to be Arisu, she could join the ring.

Without anyone noticing she was Hanashiro Mari, they were able to laugh together like always. At first she was anxious whether she'd be found out, but gradually she was able to become calm enough to enjoy the situation.

Laughing together with many people was much more fun than she imagined.

"Ahaha!"

Losing track of time probably felt like this.

For her past self, time was merely something annoying. The sounds of the clock’s hands moving she had listened to in her lonely room were nothing but the stages leading her to death.

Was the time she spent not alone but along with other people—that happy?

She thought so again.

No, she should've already realized this.

When she spent time with the girl called Ichinokuro Arisu. During that very short period of time.

She recalled.

The moment that her classmate Arisu appeared in Mari's sickroom.

Perhaps then Mari came to know the shape of the thing known as happiness for the first time.

Just by recalling this, her cheeks loosened. When Arisu came to visit Mari’s sickbed for the first time, she mumbled incomprehensibly in front of the room, took the water pitcher and—

"…"

Took the water pitcher and…

What—had she done then?

"Arisu!"

"Arisu-san? The bell rang."

Called by Ena and Takako, the gym clothes-clad Mari came back to her senses.

"I-it's nothing. Let's go."

Wearing a smile, she exited the changing room along with her friends.

Right. Self-study period was over, and so they came out to the sports ground for gym class. It was then that this happened.

She tried recalling her past, but it was all blurry.

Apparently, she was still unable to clearly recall her memories from when she was alive.

If it was found out that Mari and Arisu were switched, Daisuke would probably not stay silent.

It might even become a battle.

If so, then until she was found out she could at least indulge in the joy of life—

It happened just as she thought this.

"…?"

Looking at the Morpho butterfly fluttering above her, she tilted her head.

For an instant—its eyes looked like they were glowing red.

But looking again, the butterfly's behavior was the same as the usual; it simply fluttered about leisurely.

It was probably her imagination. After all, even she, the butterfly’s host, had never seen it with red eyes.

Gym class was a marathon. Racing against Ena in the strong wind with Daisuke as a prize, she lost against her but strangely felt fine with that. It was probably the first sweet loss that a sore loser like her experienced.

The strong sunlight and the wind kept growing stronger. Loud voices of other people at her ears. The long lecture of the creepy teacher. The minor wound she received due to a small mistake in gym class. Her hair ruffled by the wind. The sleepiness and dullness of afternoon—

When she was being eaten by her illness, all those would have been gloomy for her.

But right now all that actually felt pleasant.

Everything she felt with her body connected to the sensation of being alive.

"Ehehe."

Drinking water from the tap near the classroom, she laughed. It wasn't a pitcher full of mineral water but merely water from a pipe with the smell of chloride. Even so it was so ridiculously tasty.

Wiping off her mouth not with a handkerchief but with the palm of her hand, she raised her face.

When she did, she found Ena and Takako staring at her face.

"…What's wrong? Ena, Takako."

"You really have a pretty face, now that I think about it."

Takako nodded at Ena's mumble.

Following Daisuke, another person told her she was pretty.

“You laughed like a girl for once… so it was a bit strange.”

She probably meant those words as a joke.

Yet Mari's heart leapt.

"What's that? It's like you're implying I'm not usually girly."

"Well, umm, how can I say this…"

"Right… you're usually quite manly, sorta."

I see, manly. She had the feeling it suited Arisu more than "girly".

So apparently despite Mari thinking her acting was good, there were still some discrepancies. Mari thought she knew Arisu well, but her friends that knew her for longer were probably more sensitive to small changes than her.

"…"

Mari's only friend was Arisu, but it was different for Arisu.

What Mari felt was fun right now, was originally all Arisu's.

"Arisu?"

"Arisu-san?"

And so naturally, they called Arisu's name.

A small pain like being stabbed with a needle pricked in her heart.

However, without letting it show on her face, Mari once again wore an Ichinokuro Arisu-like, bright smile.

"You two have forgotten that I'm a girl, geez!"

Turning back on her heels, she walked ahead to the classroom.

They hadn't figured out Mari's true identity yet. Never mind that, probably no one would believe that the current Arisu wasn't Arisu.

As long as Mari acted the part of Arisu, this happy time would never run out.

And so, after some time, Mari would truly become Arisu in every sense—

"…"

She felt a chill at her own thoughts.

She would become her one and only friend.

Although it was very cowardly and cruel—it was a sweet temptation.

I’ll become Arisu…

She mumbled this in the depths of her heart.

If this really was what I had wished for—

"…!"

Seeing a silver glow pass through her line of sight, Mari face twitched upward.

On the other side of the corridor’s windows, she saw the Morpho butterfly flying about. While she saw its silver afterimages, she felt her thought process growing duller.

"—"

The previous Mari's memories consisted only of painful things.

Rather than recalling about her long road to death, it was better for her to enjoy these moments even a little while more.

The day she had been given as a gift from god.

She would thoroughly enjoy today’s fortune.

"…I need to get ready for the next class."

Averting her gaze from the Morpho butterfly, she entered the classroom.

If she wasn’t wrong the next class should be mathematics. It wasn't a subject she hated, but just sitting in her chair quietly was boring.

Perhaps she hadn't moved her body enough in gym class, as she felt sluggish and couldn't calm down.

She had so much fun she wanted to have even more of it with each passing second.

Mari felt like she could fly to the sky.

"…Eh?"

Opening the bag on her desk, Mari strained her face.

She wanted to get her textbook out, but noticed that there was something missing.

The silver rod.

That weapon, which was probably the reason for her switching with Arisu, was magically gone.

"O-oh no… why—"

She supposedly hid it in her bag. Her memories were blurry due to many things in the past, but she at least remembered this entire day.

"Arisu? What're you doing?"

Suddenly hearing a voice from behind, she straightened up in surprise.

Turning around, she saw Kusuriya Daisuke making a puzzled face. He'd probably come back to the classroom from gym class.

Should she tell him she'd lost the rod?

The answer soon came inside her.

"It's nothing. I was just preparing for the next class."

Mari tried grinning. Like Arisu.

"…"

Perhaps suspicious, Daisuke frowned. Mari pouted.

"What's up with that face? Is me preparing for class so weird? You really are being cheeky toward your mistress, you slave."

"Well, that's fine."

Saying this disinterestedly, Daisuke pulled Arisu while still grabbing her shoulder.

"Arisu. There's something I want to tell you. Come outside with me for a—"

But still standing in front of her desk, she resisted the boy.

"Hey, Daisuke."

"Hmm?"

"Today after school… we’re going to investigate things again, right?"

Arisu spoke quietly. Daisuke nodded matter-of-factly.

It went without saying what investigation she was talking about.

"I'm just a bit tired after gym class… I'm going to rest in the infirmary for a bit."

"…"

"It's fine, don't make that face. I believe I'll recover until school ends."

Seeing Mari wear a somewhat weak smile, Daisuke furrowed his brows.

Was he suspicious? As expected, the strong Blaze Class Rank 1 had such deep attentiveness and guessing power so that he wouldn’t miss even these small discrepancies—

"Are you fine?"

"…Eh? O-oh, I'm fine. Don't worry."

She never thought someone other than Arisu or Sensei would worry about her. As she let out a silly voice without thinking, Ena and Takako approached her.

"Is something wrong, Arisu?"

"She apparently feels unwell. She said she'll go to the infirmary."

"Will she be fine alone?"

"I-I'm fine. It's not such a big deal."

Not wanting them to see her agitated face, she left the classroom to escape them.

After walking for a while in the corridor, she started spontaneously smiling.

"Ehehe."

The rumored demon Kakkou asked her "Are you fine?" with a straight face. Perhaps she'd seen something very rare.

She was also happy that Ena and Takako worried about her.

This world was filled with so much happiness.

Just by living she was able to feel that.

In order to take another step to enjoy this wonderful world, Mari walked lightly in the corridor. 

With the chime indicating afternoon classes were over was ringing, Mari was walking lightly in the corridor.

Her face cheerful, she passed near the teachers and students who were starting to leave class.

When Mari entered her classroom, Ena and Takako immediately turned around. Seeing they both had worried faces, she became happy again.

"Arisu, are you feeling well already?"

"Your complexion looks good, Arisu-san."

"Yes, I am perfectly fine."

She answered with a smile to those who worried about her.

She felt much better even with such small things.

When she was alive Sensei also worried about her, but since she knew she had an incurable illness, they did nothing but vain exchanges.

Even so Mari was happy that Sensei worried about her, and she—

She was happy and… what did she do?

If she recalled correctly, Mari had given Sensei a small present.

What had she given him?

"…"

She suddenly felt dizzy.

It was definitely just something boring. If she couldn't recall it, it meant that it was something trifling.

Since Mari was enjoying the world, she had no need of such memories.

"…Daisuke, what are you doing?"

Smiling again, she walked to Daisuke with light steps.

At a corner of the class, Daisuke put his cellphone to his ears. He was apparently speaking with someone in a hushed voice, but soon finished the call and looked at Mari's face.

"Arisu."

The boy grabbed her arm and dragged her out of class.

"W-what is it? Did something happen?"

Even while blushing at the boy's forcible actions, she came to the corridor just as instructed.

After letting herself be dragged to the nearest window, Daisuke brought his face closer to Mari's.

"D-Daisuke? W-wait a minute, what are we suddenly, doing at this place, eep—"

Thinking about it, Arisu and Daisuke were lovers. Recalling this, although she was agitated, she reflexively shut her eyes.

But the bitter happening that she expected didn’t happen no matter how much she waited.

"You… where were you until now?"

"Huh?"

When she nervously opened her eyes, she saw Daisuke glaring at her with sharp eyes.

Outside the window, with the wind blowing fiercely, the Morpho butterfly was fluttering.

"—Apparently, Hunter has appeared."

The voice of the dancing sand hitting the window overlapped with the boy's low voice. 

Part 3

The dirty plastic bag flew up instantly toward the orange sky.

The humid, strong wind gathered dark clouds from afar. It was just a matter of time before this thick mass of clouds hid the crimson setting sun.

Mari borrowing the form of Ichinokuro Arisu used her right to hold her rampaging hair and the other pressed down on her skirt. Looking up at the plastic bag growing more and more distant, she saw it off until it vanished behind a large building.

"Who was it? That Hunter faker."

Mari said in a tired voice.

There was a group of rivers running near the center of Akamaki City. In the ancient times of the Sengoku Period they were used as a canal, but were currently a river held in place by concrete. The waterways were divided by regions, and nearer the sea there was also a pleasure boat parked.

Walking from Horusu Seijou Academy to the town was quite a bit of a detour.

The breakwater along the river was dirty from the city’s exhaust gases and it carried a moldy-smelling wind. Separated by a single large road, on the other side she could see lines of old buildings.

"I'll ask you again. Were you actually in the infirmary this whole time, Arisu?"

Daisuke asked from a spot a bit further from where Mari was. He seemed to be trying to get in touch with someone on his phone the entire way, but finally got calm enough to talk to her.

Mari sighed and turned around.

Seeing the setting sun in front of her, she felt a chest-constricting nostalgia. However, unlike the time when she watched it from her hospital bed and what she felt back then, now it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

Even this dusk did not make her feel depressed.

It was a mere temporary sentiment, since she knew that tomorrow would definitely come.

"Again, I'm not saying that. Since there wasn't a teacher, it's not an alibi though…"

Hunter was the alias of Mari who had in the past been hunting Mushitsuki at Akamaki City. Arisu being suspected due to having inherited her Morpho butterfly was perhaps quite natural.

When she walked from the road to the highest breakwater and looked down from it, another person walking next to the suspicious-looking Daisuke entered her sight.

"This is such a bother. Just torture her to make her spit it all out."

Speaking flippantly with two hands behind her head was a blonde girl. With her most prominent features being her elegant face and rough words, she was their classmate called Kasuou. Like Daisuke, she was an SEPB member and had cooperated with her many times before.

Kasuou had never met the actual Hanashiro Mari.

Even so Mari knew about this blonde girl's character—because the Morpho butterfly had watched her.

“You’re probably good at torture, right, Kakkou? I mean, you’re such a pervert after all.”

“Stop speaking lies so naturally.”

"Hehe."

Finding these two Mushitsuki funny, she broke into a smile.

The townscape dyed in the sunset's orange.

The voices of car horns and the fresh smell of the water running through the river.

Everything that was in Akamaki City as a matter of course felt as fresh as she had just been born.

If she had to use a metaphor for this great feeling—right.

It was as if—she had been reborn.

Mari had the feeling that there was no possible better metaphor for her current situation.

“It looks like it’s true there wasn’t a teacher there. We could try collecting evidence from other teachers…”

"What would lying help me? Do you actually think that I'm the culprit? I mean, have you even asked what sort of person was the Hunter that appeared today was?”

Turning her back to him again, Mari purposely made large steps on the breakwater.

"If you're waiting for me to show an opening… isn't that too cruel?"

As she let her dissatisfaction show while puffing her cheeks, Daisuke and Kasuou sank into silence. Since Mari was walking ahead didn't know what faces they were making.

"—Today, just past noon, a Fallen was found near the center of town."

Daisuke's voice was calm.

Although there was nothing special about it, she quite liked the boy’s voice that didn’t lose against the sound of the wind.

"It was an SEPB trainee, but apparently still a strong Mushitsuki. Even so—there weren't any traces of a combatant at the scene. Meaning, someone quite strong defeated that person one-sidedly."

“I see… that—sucks.”

Letting her ponytail flow as she turned around, she lowered her voice.

But Daisuke was expressionless. For Kasuou it was apparently just another person’s problem, so she just played and intimidated a stray cat passing nearby.

"Were there any other clues?"

"…"

“Huh? Don’t tell me you decided this was the deed of Hunter only because it was a strong Mushitsuki. If so then you should’ve suspected Harukiyo first.”

"The member that turned Fallen left a message."

Fallen meant the state of someone whose Mushi had been killed. Their feelings, memories and so on would be lost, so they'd become able to only obey other's orders—an empty shell that was like a walking dead.

"A message?"

"'Please tell that Mushitsuki that Hunter is back'—he was apparently ordered to tell this to whomever found him."

Hearing Daisuke's words, Mari furrowed her brows.

"That Mushitsuki, huh… which Mushitsuki is it?"

"Who knows?"

"It's a really strange story, though. I can’t believe you’re doubting me just because of that suspicious message. First of all, wouldn’t it take too long to reach the center of town from school? I’m not even sure that rushing out there I could be back before classes were over.”

"With the legs of a Fusion Type it's not impossible."

Daisuke asserted.

Being so openly doubted was definitely not a good feeling.

Biting her lips, she got down from the breakwater. Waiting for Daisuke to catch up, she looked up at him with accusing eyes.

"Are you actually suspecting me? Daisuke…"

"Ugh," Daisuke groaned. Averting his eyes from Mari, he scratched his head.

"No, well—since it's all bothersome, I want to pray it's not you. It's just that the timing is bad."

"I got it. I'll confess."

Mari asserted. Daisuke and Kasuou widened their eyes, glaring at her.

"I’ve actually… lost the rod I've been given. It was stolen."

That was the truth.

The silver rod hidden in her bag disappeared. When Mari took her eyes off of it, it was taken by someone.

It was apparently created from some rare metal, but it shouldn't have been some pricy material. She didn't think it was theft for money.

"Perhaps the one who stole my rod is involved with that fake Hunter. Like you said, the timing is way too suspicious."

Daisuke glared at her as she said this and raised her index finger.

"Why were you silent about something so important?"

“I mean, I just felt bad about it. I don’t know who’s the creator but they did it all for me and yet it got stolen…”

Daisuke sank into silence. But soon he averted his face and spoke.

"No, that can't be. The rod and this Hunter are unrelated."

"Huh…? What do you mean?"

Even when she asked back, Daisuke once again stayed silent without answering. While Mari tilted her head, she recalled.

"By the way, Daisuke. Before I went to the infirmary you said there was something you wanted to talk about. What was that?"

"No, that's—that doesn't matter. It's not important anymore."

The boy was dodging her questions.

Mari was unable to understand him, and groaned.

She was supposed to celebrate a blissful time today.

Even so, she couldn’t even enjoy this special time while being suspected.

"I feel a bit sick… so let's do this!"

Suddenly having an idea, Mari leapt on the breakwater again. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked down at Daisuke and Kasuou.

"Let's capture that fake Hunter!"

"Huhhh?"

"It's something you see a lot in mystery books! The one being suspected suggests to catch the true culprit in order to clear themselves. I feel really bad being suspected like that!"

The dynamic and energetic Arisu would definitely say something like this. Mari raised her fists to the heavens.

"Some kinda bastard is impersonating Mari! We will catch them by our own hands!"

As expected, Daisuke mumbled "Not again," with a tired face. Kasuou also looked sick of it.

On the other hand, Mari's heart was pounding.

She would rush to solve the mystery with her friends.

As if she'd become the protagonist of a detective mystery.

The turned around on the breakwater. Imagining the adventure that was about to unfold now, her heart thumped with excitement.

"Now, let's go! First, we need to collect some evidence from the crime scene! Please come, both of you!"

What would be standing in front of Mari? A vicious monster, or perhaps a century-years-old mystery?

As she was now, she would be able to easily handle either one.

Nothing existed that could scare Hanashiro Mari after she overcame even death and gained a new body.

"Ah—"

A sudden wind blew as if to block Mari’s cheerful steps.

As Mari spun and was about to lose her balance, Daisuke suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Hey, are you alright, Mari?"

"Y-yeah. Thank you."

Mari thanked Daisuke while smiling—and then realized what she did.

The eyes of the boy looking at her changed. Even Kausou’s eyes started emitting a sharp light as she looked up at Mari.

—Are you alright, Mari?

He had definitely called her like that just now.

For an instant she thought about feigning ignorance.

But their eyes brimming full of confidence would allow her no excuse.

Mari narrowed her eyes and bit her lips.

"…Since when have you noticed?"

Still grabbing her arm, Daisuke put his other hand inside his blazer.

"I thought you were acting strange since this morning. But—"

Drawn out of his pocket—was the silver rod.

The one who stole the rod had been Kusuriya Daisuke.

While being surprised at this truth, Mari also realized the meaning of his action.

"You're too good at lying."

When the rod was gone, while Mari was smiling carefreely, she asserted that there was nothing wrong.

She lied way too unnaturally.

Since Arisu was righteous, even if she lied, it would come out in her actions.

Daisuke had stolen the rod—to test the girl with Arisu’s appearance.

Apparently, Mari fell for his trap.

"…"

Mari smiled, grabbing Daisuke's arm back.

At the same time a silver glow came flying at her in a straight line. Fluttering with the speed of a bullet, the Morpho butterfly landed on Mari's shoulder and changed its body.

In the span of an instant, a silver pattern appeared on Mari’s left and right arm.

A creak came from Daisuke's arm.

"Tch…!"

Scowling, he let Mari go. She spun her body.

Drawing silver loci in air, Mari's reverse roundhouse kick hit Daisuke’s shoulder. The rod left his hands and danced in the air.

"Why you…!"

Kasuou shouted, black mist gushing out of her entire body. The claws made of coagulated mist smashed the breakwater Mari was standing on.

But after an instant, Mari leapt to the heavens.

Catching her rod in midair, she used that momentum to leap into the center of the flowing river.

Thud—the recoil shook her legs.

Mari landed on the roof of the yacht passing by. Perhaps in the middle of preparing it for business, the only two passengers raised their heads in surprise.

"Hanashiro Mari…!"

Looking around the road, Daisuke had already fused with his own checkered beetle. However, his fusion speed couldn’t compare with the one of Mari, who had been called a genius by Sanbikime, one of the Original Three.

Meanwhile Kasuou had no way to locomote herself to the distant yacht so she grinded her teeth. Since the river was deep, she probably couldn't use her claws in place of her legs.

"Ehehe."

While letting out laughter, Mari lengthened the rod in her hand.

The silver patterns on her arm and leg glowed. The range of the glow gradually expanded, permeating all over her body.

At the same time, the feelers leaping out of the rod became thick wings and slid to the top of the rod.

Right now, this body was and wasn't Arisu.

Through the rod, the Morpho butterfly sensed the existence of the original host.

"Ahahahaha!"

Bursting on top of the rod, the Morpho butterfly's wings emitting a silver light flapped.

They became as large as Mari’s body several times over. Enough to push back the blowing wind, a storm of scales blew through the riverside.

Ichinokuro Arisu was only able to control part of the Morpho butterfly’s true abilities, the one controlling scales.

But it was different for Mari.

Mari's body covered from head to toe in the silver pattern was overflowing with energy.

Hunter, Hanashiro Mari.

This girl, one of the few Fusion Types, retrieved her former form.

"Ahahaha!"

Seeing the faces of Daisuke and Kasuou standing there in a daze, Mari kept sneering at them.

"You—"

Daisuke wrung out a low voice.

"So you were the Hunter that appeared today."

Mari stopped the smile on Arisu’s face.

The Morpho butterfly's wings twirled violently, transforming the rod into a silver lance.

She grinned, tilting her neck.

"—Right, that's true."

From the yacht's roof, she glared calmly at Daisuke and Kasuou growing distant.

Following after the yacht, they ran on top of the breakwater.

"But that was self-defense. —Not that I think you'd believe me at this stage."

It wasn't a lie.

Mari had simply gone to certain place on a whim.

But even so—

Mari said she was going to the infirmary and slipped out of school, because she couldn't stop her chest from pounding.

Anything and everything was too fun for her, so she couldn't just stay still in the classroom.

Having no heart pain or inability to breathe—being completely normal made her so happy she couldn't stand it. Her body moved freely and she could even jump. Simply going to gym class and the like wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

Fusing with the Morpho butterfly, she could leap over the fence of Horusu Seijou Academy while having one arm and one leg strengthened.

Landing on the ground, after making sure no people were watching, she leapt high. Rotating in air, she jumped on top of a residential house roof. Following the wind, she leapt from house to house.

"Ahaha."

She already forgot about having lost the rod.

The creator of the rod said they had “no idea what would happen”.

Had Mari really been able to achieve the ultimate happiness of being alive once again because of that stick?

She realized it was a one-of-a-kind weapon just by touching it.

But in the end—it was just a lump of metal. The chance for Mari's personality to rise to the surface—even if it caused the switch, could it be said to be the very cause?

If so, then the real cause was—

"Ahaha."

Her own laughter stopped her thoughts.

The reason she rose to the surface despite there being no emergency—didn’t interest her in the least.

If she ended up going back to sleep and return being Arisu again…

Then she must never sleep.

As long as Mari could move this body, her happy days would continue.

A free body and a family that loved her.

Friends that cared about her.

And the boyfriend she made through bizarre circumstances.

This world that she couldn’t have lived in was full of things that Mari would have never gotten no matter what.

"Ahaha—"

She landed in a back alley near the center of town.

Silver light burst and Mari's body separated from the Morpho butterfly.

Running out of the gloomy place, she entered a large national road. The sounds of car’s exhaust gas and the clamor of people walking around flew into her ears.

Standing in the middle of a crowded road, she looked around town.

Reflected by the towering building around, she was showered by dazzling sunlight.

That light was much too bright—

Mari who was like floating up inside a dream, stopped at that place.

"—"

Bathed in that light's glow—bright enough to erase even the Morpho butterfly's glow—Mari's paralyzed rationality was woken up for just an instant.

Mari currently felt fulfilled.

But in the end—was it actually so?

"I…"

—I want to live…

The dream she'd once embraced.

Right now, Mari was in the continuation of the dream she had once lost.

However.

—Are you fine, Arisu?

Daisuke's voice was resurrected in her mind.

—Arisu?

—Arisu-san.

She recalled the faces of the classmates worrying for her.

"I am… Hanashiro Mari."

She mumbled.

None of the people walking around turned around toward her.

Nobody knew Mari.

Nobody was looking at Mari.

This world, in which she achieved everything she wanted—

Had only her existence as Hanashiro Mari missing.

"…"

The Morpho butterfly flying overhead brightened its glow.

Don't wake up—as if warning her that.

Yet the sun with the strongest light couldn't allow the silver butterfly to resist.

"Right, Arisu? I'm Hanashiro Mari, right?"

She asked herself, putting a hand on her chest.

She could feel the heartbeat signaling her life. However—no response came.

Obviously. Since Mari had overtaken her body, Arisu's personality was sleeping.

Suddenly, she was assaulted by an unknown fear.

"A-Arisu…"

She became hopelessly lonely, and although she knew it was useless, she called to her own body.

Controlling herself was good.

Until just now, she was drunk with the joy of living. Pushing aside the original host of the body, she even thought of becoming Arisu. But even so.

Mari couldn't remember the time when she was alive well.

All she remembered was after her death. —Only the things that went around Ichinokuro Arisu, under the watch of the Morpho butterfly.

"I-I am—Hanashiro Mari, right?"

Her voice was shaking.

No people in the world have noticed her existence.

Even she herself—couldn't remember the girl called Mari well.

Although she was one among the countless people in town, she was assaulted by a horrible loneliness.

Although so many people lived in this world, none of them knew Mari.

Was Mari actually Mari?

No, never mind that—had the girl called Hanashiro Mari even existed in the first place?

If it turned out that she was actually just a mere illusion, a figment of imagination born by the bizarre Mushi called the Morpho butterfly—

"A-Arisu!"

Although her illness was gone, for some reason her chest felt tight.

Along with agony, the despair and fear she’d nearly was reborn.

"Arisu…! Hey, Arisu…!"

Arisu didn't reply.

Her one and only friend who knew the fact the girl Hanashiro Mari had lived.

If she called her name, she would be able to make sure she was alive.

Even so—due to the fault of none other than herself, Ichinokuro Arisu couldn't reply.

Mari raised her face, looking around.

Anyone else—

She desperately tried recalling if anyone else knew Hanashiro Mari.

"There's S-Sensei—"

One of the Original Three who was awkward but kind.

She remembered that youth who treasured her only vaguely—but because these were her memories, she had no confidence.

Perhaps even the memories pertaining to him—were nothing more than those of the Morpho butterfly.

"…"

Running to the direction of the hospital she'd been once admitted to, she recalled.

Sensei was probably—no longer there.

He wanted to vanish.

He said that him not having vanished was a mistake.

He was terribly tired and resigned, and told her that his only duty was seeing Mari’s wish come to fruition. He had probably set out on a journey to find the next dream long ago. And, although he was the being called Sanbikime who was forever waiting, he probably used his own legs.

More than a year passed since then.

He had probably already fulfilled his own goal and went to sleep by now.

Sensei was already gone.

"S-someone else…"

There was no-one else.

She wanted someone to call out her name.

Thinking of other people who knew her in life, she stopped in place.

Her family and the hospital workers?

No, they'd be useless. They would never believe she was Mari when she looked like another person.

Anyone else?

There no longer remained even a single person that knew Mari.

Was it really so?

"…"

No, there was.

At the very end of her lonely life, she met a certain person.

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

Unlike their young voice, that person had a stifling sort of presence.

"The Undying… Mushitsuki."

At the same time she mumbled this, she started running without thinking.

Rushing between the pedestrians, she crossed the side road, passing in front of the station.

—You… mustn’t be deceived by the devil camouflaged as an angel.

The moment she faced the one she was looking for, what had she thought?

When she tried recalling that, her head blanked out.

The silver flash stopped Mari’s thinking.

“Hah…! Hah…!”

I’ll become Arisu—

Had she been the one to choose this figure?

Was her current form of Arisu the continuation of Mari’s dream?

"Hah…! Hah…!"

She was out of breath when she reached a narrow road near the main street. Sandwiched between complex buildings, with dirty trash scattered on the ground, and a power pole full of scratches.

She followed her vague memories and came there.

Once, Mari had been there—and met the Undying Mushitsuki.

"…"

Of course, the Undying Mushitsuki wasn't there right now.

But over a year ago, there was definitely someone facing her there.

Her tired self and the Undying Mushitsuki.

That time, Mari should have grasped the answer.

Even so, Mari couldn’t recall the continuation of her dream now.

"I'm…"

The inside of her head was dyed by a bright flash.

Her memory blurred, overwritten by silver light.

"I… am—"

The same type of glow was dancing above Mari's head.

It was a single Mushi with beautiful wings.

By entering an area that the sun's rays couldn't reach, the silver glow once again permeated Mari.

The eyes of the fluttering Morpho butterfly were gradually dyed in red.

The fear filling Mari's heart to the brim was thinning.

The despair of loneliness was being paralyzed.

"I don't need—a name."

While staring intently at the Morpho butterfly above, she smiled.

The hole caused by fear and despair in her heart was filled with pleasure.

The sense of release known as life.

The freedom known as power.

She lacked nothing now. There was nothing she couldn't do.

Perhaps this world was prepared just for her renewed arrival.

Hadn’t the miracle of this day had given her the greatest gift of all—this very world that was so filled with pleasure and beauty?

"…Do you have any business with me?"

Smiling, Mari looked on the other side of the road.

The red-eyed Morpho butterfly glowed in a strong light as if in warning.

"Ichinokuro Arisu—"

Appearing ahead of her wasn't the Undying Mushitsuki that Mari had been searching for.

It was a boy wearing a hat low on his head. He wore common clothes consisting of a t-shirt and jeans ripped at the knees, but the fact he’d hidden his presence until that moment meant he was no amateur.

Mari’s instincts told her so due to his stance and unique atmosphere.

"That aura… are you friends with the grim reaper from this morning?"

The combo of the gasmask-wearing grim reaper and the fashionable imp.

The boy in front of her reminded her of the ominous pair watching Mari from the school gate that morning. The fact that the Morpho butterfly responded and regarded him with hostility was also the same.

Seeing that he didn't deny this, she was apparently right on the mark.

The Morpho butterfly alighted down on the smiling Mari’s shoulder.

“Sorry to disappoint you, though.”

Mari's clouded eyes and the Morpho butterfly's red eyes glared at the Mushitsuki in front of them.

"I'm not Arisu."

She had no idea who the boy was.

But that had nothing to do with it.

More freedom.

More pleasure.

"But no one left in this world would believe me, anyway."

Mari surrendered to the desire swelling inside her.

"I have nothing against you… but I will have to hurt you a bit in order to escape hell.”

Asserting this, the boy kicked the earth. He quickly approached Mari.

She thought he was swinging his arm toward empty space, but a large Mushi appeared at the boy’s back.

The Mushi hanging to his back extended large claws from the boy's arm to his fingertips. Following the boy's movement, the Mushi's sharp claws assaulted Mari from overhead.

But by the time the boy blinked, Mari was already behind him.

"—Tell this to 'that Mushitsuki'."

In a split second she not only fused with the Morpho butterfly and dodged from the boy’s attack.

With a hand blade covered in a silver pattern, Mari sliced the Mushi on the boy's back.

"Hunter is back."

She ordered the boy who had lost his Mushi and become Fallen without even turning around.

Mari knew where that Mushitsuki—that Undying Mushitsuki—was hiding.

The Morpho butterfly remembered that Arisu had met him during her school trip.

She had left this message with the boy she never met because she noticed the white goggles hanging from his neck.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

The Undying Mushitsuki was part of that organization—

"Hehe."

If he knew that Mari obtained Arisu's body, what would that Mushitsuki say?

Now Mari was different from back then, when she kneeled and couldn’t take a single action.

"Ahaha!"

Mari didn't care if anyone would call her name anymore.

The current Mari was Mari, and at the same time she was Arisu.

And starting now to the end of time, Mari would use Arisu’s guise to celebrate her existence in this amazingly enjoyable world.

Because of that—the Undying Mushitsuki was in her way.

She was going to keep living as Arisu like this, and only one person knew about her when she was alive.

He knew about the possibility of her switching with Arisu.

If she erased his presence from the world, no one would ever doubt Mari anymore.

If so then Mari would feel the same happiness she felt today every day.

"Ahahaha!"

No need to rush.

When the Undying Mushitsuki himself appeared, she could just let him tell it directly. For that reason, she left a hint with the Fallen boy.

Laughing to the heavens, Mari ran through the sky back to Horusu Seijou Academy.  

The sky was already covered in thick clouds, and the surroundings grew dark. In the townscape surrounding Mari, neon lights started turning on one by one.

With the sunlight vanishing, a completely different glow engulfed the river.

The Morpho butterfly-turned-lance emitted a silver light.

As if celebrating the vanishing of the pesky sun, the surroundings were filled with unending, blinding light.

“You’ve called my name for the first time in this world where there’s no Arisu.”

On top of the yacht roof, Mari smiled, the pattern on her entire body glowing.

Her wish to have someone call her name.

As well as what she actually wanted in the past the led to her leaving the Mushi to her friend.

Both were filled with silver light in her head—and she was made to forget them.

"Kusuriya Daisuke-san."

Untying Ichinokuro Arisu's trademark ponytail, her long hair was fanned by the strong wind.

Unable to fully withstand the impact created by Mari and the scales emitted by the Morpho butterfly lance, the pleasure boats all tilted and were thrown upward.

“Even before dealing with that Mushitsuki—I should have killed you."

She glared at Kusuriya Daisuke with bloodshot eyes.

Red eyes.

That color was the same as the Morpho butterfly's eyes, the color of blood.

"Arisu isn't gone. You're just holding her back."

Daisuke opened the sports bag on his back, equipping the SEPB-issued long coat and goggles.

While running on the breakwater, Daisuke leapt over to her with his body low.

"Ehehe."

Raising a dull, light sound, Mari threw herself to the air as if dancing in the wind.

At the same time, she swung the silver lance to the side.

The scales spurt from the lance cut off the room portion of the pleasure boat. The glass windows, wall partition and the entire roof was blown off by the wind, flying toward Daisuke.

"…!"

Daisuke immediately prepared his gun and Kasuou formed new claws of mist.

The two Mushitsuki's attacks smashed the boat roof to smithereens.

This opening allowed Mari to land on the board, using the recoil to leap high in the air.

Mari's thin body leapt over the river, being sucked into the city sky as if flowing with the wind.

"Wait, Hanashiro Mari…!"

Daisuke's voice was soon swallowed by a roar.

Mari landed on the roof of an old vacant building, immediately kicking the ground to leap to another building.

Cutting through the wind, kicking the wall of a crowded building and landing down on the ground, she ran through the night.

"Ahaha!"

No matter how strong Kusuriya Daisuke was, he didn’t have sensing abilities like Mari's Mushi. Once he lost her, finding her again shouldn't be easy. Furthermore, the blockhead Kasuou lacked mobility and so would never catch her.

She ran through empty alleys while drawing afterimages of light.

By being far from the river, Mari raised her face. Kicking the ground, kicking both sides of two neighboring building, she instantly rushed overhead.

Landing on the roof, Mari looked down below her.

"Ehehe—"

She arrived at a large road that connected to the train station.

There were all kinds of buildings, large crowds of people, and many cars. She could see all of the lights and swaying people.

"This is time to part with this city… with Akamaki City."

If her identity had been revealed, there was no other way.

There was no longer even any need to kill the Undying Mushi to seal his lips.

"Right, Arisu?"

She felt fresh.

The current Mari was unbound by anything.

If she went through this path, Mari would reach a town unknown to her.

As Mari knew nothing but Akamaki City, this would be a completely new world.

There would definitely be a paradise to bless Mari’s new life there.

"Hehehe…"

Mari's eyes as she peeked down the bright townscape were dyed in red.

The power surging through her and the excitement enough to make her back shudder permeated her.

"Ahahaha!"

Throwing her body from the building roof, she entered freefall.

Midair, she spun her body, landing on the roof of a fast-food restaurant. The impact made the asphalt cave beneath her, but nothing happened to her.

Transforming to a bullet of light, Mari raced along the wide road.

She ran, overtaking cars, moving at speeds that the pedestrians couldn’t even see, from rooftop to rooftop and from power pole to power pole.

No one could stop Mari.

No one could chase Mari.

This place where she was born, lived with her illness, became a Mushitsuki, met with her friend Arisu, and where she had accepted her end once—

Now that she was going to be unleashed from the spell called Akamaki City, Mari would be reborn.

"Ahaha—"

Mari kept running while sneering.

However—suddenly she felt a sense of discomfort.

Stopping on top of a gasoline stand, she looked down the dark road.

To add to her awareness, the Morpho butterfly lance was glowing violently.

"…"

A raindrop fell down Mari’s evil grin.

The starting rain dampened the now-silent road.

At some point—not even a single car remained on this entire wide road.

And the lights on the other side were all green.

It was a strange sight.

Even among the pedestrians protecting themselves from the violent rain with an umbrella some noticed the abnormality. They looked at the empty road, puzzled.

No. It wasn't that all cars vanished from the road.

She could see the lights of cars in the road full of green lights.

"Are you… trying to race with me?"

Appearing there were two roofless two-seat jeep and a vintage bike—a completely red vespa.

She could see several silhouettes riding these, and one of them was familiar.

He was equipped with gas mask and wore a full-body grey blazer.

The grim reaper that found Mari this morning.

"Very well. If you think you can catch me, go ahead and try."

With her glowing red eyes, Mari welcomed the messengers of hell with a smile. 

Part 4

They had probably manipulated the traffic lights around to make the road empty of cars.

On the large national road pelted by the raging rain was a line of green lights. On the other side, the opposite road was all red, stopping any cars that would want to enter.

Pursuing Mari who ran on top of building rooftops were two jeeps.

One was probably just checking the situation. The red vespa accelerated, following it from a bit behind. She couldn't see the driver well because of the rain, but they appeared to be small.

Who were they?

What was their goal, why were they chasing Mari?

She didn't know anything, but since they went to such lengths to prepare this stage, Mari’s pride wouldn’t allow her to run away from this road.

With the silver flash filling her mind to the brim, she was moving by her fighting instincts, intercepting the grim reaper and the rest.

"Let's gooo!"

On the black jeep, there were two people other than the driver. One of them—the fashionable imp she'd seen at the school gate that morning—swung her fists to the sides while holding her index finger and little finger up.

Her body spouted a thick, green-colored mist. The mist was absorbed into the ground and formed the shape of a centipede with countless legs, charging toward Mari.

The centipede was like a shadow running on the surface of the ground and building—and there were four of them.

“Among Special Types with long-range Mushi, many have mental interference abilities."

As the centipedes assaulted from all sides, Mari kicked the roof of a western confectionary, leapt and evaded.

But the needlessly spinning centipedes changed their orientation. Accelerating again, they pursued Mari as she landed at a convenience store.

"Automatic chasing—meaning that I fulfill the conditions for their ability."

Turning around with a calm face, Mari swung her lance to the sides.

Silver scales blew, swallowing the incoming centipedes one after another.

Yet one of them dodged the silver scales attack, stabbing its giant fangs into Mari's body. Turning into a thick green mist again, the centipede was absorbed into Mari's chest.

"Ugh—"

Her vision blurred.

Welling up in her chest without any reason was fear. The indescribable anxiety and paralysis muddied Mari's consciousness, making her lose her sense of direction.

For a moment, as she ran in incredible speed, Mari’s body tilted.

But—that was all.

"…You shouldn't have tried eating me. What a boring ability."

When Mari opened her eyes again, her body had already retrieved its calmness.

"Trying mental attacks on me is a nice joke."

Accelerating again to overtake the jeep, Mari sneered.

Mari had always been accompanied by the feeling known as fear. No attacks would work on her after she’d lived along with the true despair of not being able to have an easy death.

"I don't feel like going through training again, meow."

Riding along with the centipede girl was a tall woman. She stood with both legs inside the jeep that speeded on the road, her body shaking due to the movements.

"Even if this is punishment for slacking off on my job, it's a bit too much~"

At the same time she heard this flat voice, Mari's body was blown backwards.

"—A rare ability."

Mari instantly guarded with her lance due to her battle experience.

The woman standing in the jeep lowered her body slightly. At her waist she held a long and narrow Mushi full of pulsating, creepy holes.

As if sheathing her sword to cut, the woman slashed with her Mushi.

The pouring rain droplets sliced the air aiming at her.

"An equipment-type Mushi."

It apparently sucked the liquid into the hole and shot it. The ground that Mari stood on before leaping was crushed by the water blade.

"I'd like to go back and sleep, so die for now, meow!"

When Mari leapt to the air, she probably saw her chance. Shouting nonsense, the woman swung her Mushi in a straight line.

“It looked like a short-range ability, but you’re actually quite adaptable, aren’t you?”

Mari swung her silver lance downward.

The woman's attack split an empty building and it crumbled down.

On the other side Mari's attack gouged the ground like a tidal wave toward the jeep.

The victor was Mari’s attack. The scales that managed to slice even the woman’s water blade hurt the black jeep. It soon started spinning and was left behind.

She was curious about the “training” the woman mentioned, but the current Mari didn't question it.

"How about I try to guess the abilities of the rest?"

Running alongside the white jeep, Mari sneered.

“It works within the range of a Special Type, or perhaps some an indiscriminate ability. Since you didn’t attack me while you were with your allies, it was probably meant to protect them. —You probably possess a powerful ability, then."

Mari slashed her lance.

The scales cut off the road the jeep was driving on.

Not making it in time to step on the brakes, the jeep bumped against the hole in the ground and crashed.

"And so it ends. Goodbye, grim reaper."

She saw off the gas-masked person riding the jeep with a smile.

“Now, the only one remaining… is that small child.”

Until then only following from behind, the Vespa instantly accelerated.

Mari swung her lance.

The silver scales assaulted the Vespa.

"Why must I—"

The Vespa driver started crying. The finger she stuck out toward the scales brought forth a swarm of butterflies with C on their wings.

These pallid butterflies—the comma butterflies shot out.

The storm of electricity blew off the silver scales with a roar.

"Why must I fight Arisu-san like this!"

Mari knew the name of the girl who raised her head.

Horiuchi Erii. Just the other day, Arisu and Daisuke captured this Mushitsuki for the SEPB.

Even controlling this area's traffic lights was probably the work of the electricity-controlling girl.

"I borrowed this analog bike but I can't ride it well…! My ability isn’t suited for the frontlines…!”

The eyes of Erii visible beneath the goggles were welling up with tears. She desperately gripped the handle as to not be blown by the wind, using one hand to hold down her helmet.

"…!"

Mari's eyes caught something approaching her with the speed of a bullet.

A silver string—no, a chain.

The thing attached to the edge of the chain… was it a sickle? Passing above Mari’s head as she lowered her body to evade, the sickle pierced a faraway building.

The moment after the chain closed in, a grey shadow came leaping from behind it.

It was the gasmask grim reaper. She thought his jeep was overturned and he was left behind, but he was approaching Mari using a very unexpected way of moving.

As the grim reaper promptly closed in on her, he launched an attack using a large sickle.

"So you really are a grim reaper. First time I've seen that type of ability."

Mari was about to fight back using her spear, but then stopped to think.

She had a bad premonition.

It happened from time to time even during her life, when she’d been chased as Hunter. At such times the enemy was definitely hiding some sort of unthinkable ability.

"…!"

Following her instincts, she only lowered her head without parrying the grim reaper’s attack.

When they passed near each other, she could hear the grim reaper clicking his tongue.

He leapt over Mari, landing on the distant building top. It was probably a weapon with no physical substance in the first place. Countless small chains and sickles were created around the suit covering his entire body.

The sickles spread in all directions as if being shot. They tied buildings to buildings and power poles to power poles to form paths.

Going on top of the chain, the grim reaper was lying in wait for Mari.

"Ehehe."

She sneered once again.

Although he was a mere worm that came crawling out of somewhere—she was going to enjoy this.

His usage of his idiosyncratic ability was still immature, his fighting style was complex, and he couldn't fight along with his comrades.

Even so, he never stepped back even when facing Hunter—Mari.

Even so as one person, in front of Mari, she couldn't take a step back. He was apparently even more afraid to run from the battlefield than he was to face this enemy possessing overwhelming strength.

There was nothing to criticize about his potential.

But he was noticeably unused to battle.

"Try again after fighting a hundred Mushitsuki."

The edge of Mari’s spear expanded as she swung it.

The blade of the lance transformed to large Morpho butterfly wings brought forth an overwhelming number of scales.

"Ahaha!"

She laughed derisively and was about to blow away both the grim reaper and the building behind him.

Suddenly, as Mari rushed ahead to close the distance, the grim reaper threw something over her head.

Glowing while mixed with the wind and rain, that object looked like a metallic sphere.

"Sorry, Arisu-san!"

Ellie shouted, producing countless comma butterflies from her fingertips. The electricity-emitting butterflies used the medium of rain and danced toward Mari.

Gasping, Mari looked up the sky.

Between the thick clouds she could see lines of light.

"…!"

The roar shook the national road.

The various lightnings in the sky combines, striking Mari.

The metal sphere was probably a dielectric. It allowed Erii’s Mushi to connect the sky and earth and fulfilled its role to guide the lightning.

"—"

Her vision was filled with golden light.

This violent light was like the sun, the strongest light possible in nature.

The silver light permeating Mari's mind was instantly blown away.

Her thinking was recovered.

The other consciousness controlling it—slightly dulled.

"Kwah…!"

Mari flew out unscathed from within the blowing gale and smoke.

This was only Mari’s reason—but the most important thing in a battle is how to defend against an enemy’s surprise attack. How to definitely protect oneself in situations where the enemy’s ability is unknown or from some unknown situation. She figured that her accumulated battle experience had helped her with this.

"Ugh—"

That experience allowed her body to move on its own. Predicting that lightning would be called, she immediately escaped the line connecting the comma butterflies and the medium. If she moved even a nanosecond later, she would have undoubtedly received heavy damage.

"Eek…"

Being stared by Mari who held her forehead, Erii raised a shriek on the motorcycle.

She was slightly numb, but received no damage.

But more importantly, the inside of her mind was in completely disarray.

"I-I'm… why—"

Why am I running here?

Where was I heading?

What makes me have so much fun?

"—"

The silver light illuminated Mari as she attempted to think.

The light source was the lance she was gripping.

Bathed by that silver light, Mari's thinking was again dulled—

"…!"

The grim reaper didn't allow her to retrieve her calm. Leaping from the chain linked between buildings, he swung the large scythe held on his back aiming for Mari's thin neck.

A sharp pain ran through her head.

While grimacing, Mari dodged the blade, leaving the grim reaper behind.

But the grim reaper did not let up. Unleashing his sickles ahead, he reeled in the chains stabbed into the building to pull his own body ahead.

Mari dodged the large scythe swung down at her from behind without even turning around.

Once again, the grim reaper threw the chains ahead, trying to block Mari from jumping over him. He didn’t simply swing his weapon, but at times sent flurries of kicks and punches as well.

Moving along the routes created by his own chains, the grim reaper kept persistently swinging his scythe at Mari.

His movements were superhuman.

Truly a grim reaper.

It wasn't that his body was strengthened like Mari; this was perhaps the first time Mari had met someone who could match her movements.

“—You’re too stubborn, so I have to send you back to hell.”

Mari's mouth moved on its own. She was surprised at how low her voice was.

The silver scales pounded the grim reaper against the wall of a building.

"Yakugami-san!"

Erii’s scream flew from the motorcycle, but it was a needless worry.

Although he'd struck the concrete with high speed, the grim reaper soon unleashed another chain. Pulling on the chain that stuck to the distant building, he ran after Mari again. Since she couldn't see his face, she also couldn’t tell if he received damage or not.

“Will you not give up unless I cut you to shreds?”

The silver light emitted by the lance lit Mari’s cruel face.

No—

Somewhere inside Mari’s head, the barely remaining reason whispered against her cold sneer.

I do not want to do this sort of thing…!

Then what did she want to do—even if she tried thinking about this, the silver light assaulting her mind made that impossible.

The grim reaper flung another metal ball above Mari.

"How boring. Do you think the same trick will work twice?"

Snorting, Mari took evasive action.

But suddenly her body became sluggish.

The power she used to kick the building roof weakened for a split second.

"Eeeek…!"

The echoing boom shook Mari's eardrums.

Although she avoided direct impact, the lightning grazed her within a hairsbreadth.

"Eh…?"

The attacking Erii raised a surprised voice. She probably hadn’t expected to be successful.

It was natural for her to be surprised.

From what they saw—it probably looked like Mari herself leapt into the lightning.

"—"

The golden light pierced Mari along with an impact.

She gritted her teeth just as she felt about to faint.

The violent electric light pushed away the silver flash controlling her mind.

"Just like—I thought…"

With some of her clothes burned, without letting down her running speed, Mari gazed with anger at the Morpho butterfly lance in her hand.

"So it was you…!"

Shock therapy was too dangerous, but—by intentionally receiving that attack, Mari finally came back to her senses.

As if to resist Mari’s sharp gaze…

The silver lance emitted even stronger light.

"Ugh—"

Mari's consciousness blurred again.

However, by biting her lips, she kept her ego from being controlled.

“The one controlling me—no, in the first place you were behind it all…!”

She now realized.

Mari found out the nature of the impulse moving her until now.

No, never mind that, it was the cause for everything that happened today—

"…!"

The moment she understood everything, tears welled up from frustration.

This definitely was no happiness.

Even so, she felt pure bliss at this miraculous day and acted like an idiot.

There was no way this rod would be the cause. It was nothing more than a switch—yes, she'd noticed it already.

Her time spent today was too fun.

The day she spent as Arisu was full of too much happiness.

And so she forgot—about the enemy that hid the nearest to her.

"Ugh…!"

The Morpho butterfly lance kept shining.

Even if Mari desperately resisted, the inside of her head was gradually dyed in silver.

Her past memories.

The thing overwriting the personality of Hanashiro Mari was none other than—

"Do you want to Mature that badly…?!"

The edge of the lance—the surface of the blade made of wings bore eyes that glowed red.

This blood-like pure red eyes glared at Mari. It was waiting for its host to become nourishment.

The happiness Mari felt at freedom, and the desire that sought release.

Those came not from Mari herself, but from the Mushi possessing her.

"Using this rod, you kept eating my dream—"

A gift?

A joyous day?

They were nothing but a sham.

This highest-grade weapon in the form of a silver rod was simply a suitable tool for the Morpho butterfly that wanted eating her dreams. It became the switch to bring Mari’s sleeping personality—her dream—to the surface.

And then once she appeared it tried eating her consciousness.

It was an underhanded and a cruel Mushi.

"Uugh…!"

‘An unthinkable event’—

‘Have no idea what would happen’—

These words didn't refer to this rod, which was a mere tool.

The being these words referred to was always at her side.

Mari's Mushi.

The silver Morpho butterfly.

A being irregular in everything.

Her having awakened instead of Arisu this morning was nothing more than the Morpho butterfly’s trap.

"…!"

The grim reaper leaping above Mari's head once again assumed a chasing position.

Mari dodged the scythe attacking her from all directions while giddy.

"Kh…!"

The Morpho butterfly’s glow grew stronger and stronger, eroding Mari’s consciousness.

But Mari had to use the power of her Mushi. If she separated herself from the Morpho butterfly while moving at such speeds Arisu’s body would be smashed against the ground.

While feeling her sense of self diluting, Mari thought desperately.

How could she escape this situation?

How could she fight against the Morpho butterfly's Maturation?

"…!"

When she dodged the grim reaper's attack, Mari opened her eyes wide with surprise.

The thing that received the attack of the scythe instead of Mari was the board of a family restaurant.

The board had a non-physical scythe stabbing through it, but didn't seem to be damaged. However, the board's surface became rusted, and the neon light vanished from it with creaking sounds.

As she turned around and glared behind, the same phenomenon happened in another spot.

The places cut by the grim reaper's scythe, or perhaps the places stabbed and connected by the unleashed chains—all of them were assaulted by abnormalities.

The electric board installed on the power pole emitted sparks, a tall tree withered, a bird touched by the chain couldn't fly and leapt on the ground.

They were hurt.

Or perhaps dulled.

Whenever the grim reaper’s ability touched anything, its activities—were weakened.

A certain thought came to Mari's mind.

But to accomplish it she needed a great determination.

"Uh—"

As the Morpho butterfly was about to control her any second now, she had no other choice.

She knew that.

However—

"AAAAAHHH!"

It really was fun.

Even if it was just a trap, this day had given Mari unthinkable happiness.

Everything she felt was a bliss.

Just the joy of simply living.

That time was precious to her.

Right, she even wanted to become her supposed friend Arisu for that—

"…!"

She understood that the gasmask grim reaper was surprised due to his presence.

Mari—stopped the scythe with her silver lance.

The grim reaper's scythe clashed with the Morpho butterfly lance.

The next moment, the ashen chains floating to the scythe infected the silver lance. The Morpho butterfly fused with it rampaged with pain, separating its wings.

"…!"

Before the fusion was fully absolved, Mari swung her lance vertically.

The sharp tip slashed the gasmask to two.

Revealed then was a boy’s face that seemed too kind to be called a grim reaper.

"Oh… you've been 'touched'."

When she thought she saw the boy wore a thin smile, he soon grimaced.

"Uh—"

Being flung to the sky, he pressed on his exposed face and groaned.

"Waaaah!"

Countless sickles flew from the boy’s body to all directions. They reached walls and poles, stabbing into anywhere and everywhere to form a long chain prison.

Mari immediately leapt away from the boy.

He couldn't control his ability.

As he’d shown such a fearsome way of fighting, she thought that he was fully trained.

But in actuality it was different. Just like his friends, he was just another immature Mushitsuki.

"I-If I don't pass because of that I'll be depressed, really…"

Apparently he wasn’t rampaging. The boy with the anguished face flung his large scythe toward Erii’s Vespa before crashing into the ground.

"Eh—w-why…!"

When the blade stabbed the red vehicle, the engine sounds grew quieter. The doubtful Erii was left behind.

It was a decisive measure. —Erii was too immature to be fighting against Mari. If she continued fighting like this, the young girl would get seriously injured.

Whatever the case, he didn’t wish to fight Mari any longer.

She crushed the unknown assassin.

Mari further grimaced.

While running along the national road, she looked at the lance infected with rust.

The Morpho butterfly's wings already didn't take the form of blades. The body emitting a silver light was anguished with the rust that wouldn’t let go.

An unthinkable injury—it was not.

Mari had gotten hit by the grim reaper’s ability on purpose.

"…"

Mari bit her lips, focusing.

The essence of scales surrounding her instantly changed.

From scales that would slice whatever touched them, they became a warm and soft glow.

When the gently glowing scales wrapped the rod, finally the Morpho butterfly's movement calmed down. The progress of the rust on the rod's surface stopped and vanished a bit from the surface.

She couldn’t cancel the ability that could rust anything—the grim reaper’s curse.

She simply made the ability's effect sleep.

"Hahhh… Hahh…!"

Using this ability harshly consumed her energy.

But she had no other way.

Slowly.

Little by little, she would purify the rust eating the rod using the Morpho butterfly's power.

Although this rod had high specs and compatibility with the Mushi, until the day this rust would be perfectly purified it would be unable to use its original ability.

Meaning—the rod lost its role as the switch to let Mari appear on the surface like this.

She just returned it to how it was before this rod.

To the relationship of Mari and Arisu from before, when she’d been called only in battle.

Even so her heart ached so bad it nearly burst—perhaps because she came to experience this overly happy day.

"…"

The road's end.

On the rooftop of the very last building, Mari finally stopped.

More precisely, the road wasn't cut off here. It still continued and split off to connect to other cities.

This was the final stop of Akamaki City.

If she continued just a bit further, Mari would be able to leap into a new world—

"…"

But Mari didn't think of heading there.

Her bangs that were wet by the rain clung to her forehead.

The owner perhaps pouring their efforts to the greening of their rooftop, there was pretty grass on top of stone slabs. These flowerpots surrounded by water channels had the scent of spring. Born in a florist’s house, Mari felt pity at them being exposed to the rain and wind like this.

With droplets dripping from her forehead, Mari walked to the fence.

"…"

Putting her head on the fence, she stifled her voice and cried.

Even she didn't know why she was crying.

This day had been so much fun.

Everything around her was fresh and filled with happiness.

Her heart nearly danced with the excitement.

"Sorry, Arisu…"

While shedding endless tears, she apologized to her friend.

It didn't mean that her memories from when she was alive fully returned.

But she wanted to apologize for stealing today from her.

All of the happiness Mari felt belonged to Arisu.

Even so Mari stole that from her—and wanted to keep doing so.

"Sorry…"

If she stole Arisu’s body going on, she would be assaulted by the impulse to run away to where nobody knew her.

At the same time, though, she knew.

Mari had nowhere to go to—she had no way to escape from the Morpho butterfly she had left behind in this world.

"Why did I… leave the Morpho butterfly to you…"

She thought it was strange.

Did she want to steal her friend's body and keep on leaving?

If so—did she know that hell would wait her past there?

The sense of loneliness in a world where no one knew who she was.

The human called Hanashiro Mari was no longer anywhere in the truest sense of the world.

Even so, this overly sweet happiness had been prepared for her.

A dreamlike—living hell.

"Why… on earth…"

The Morpho butterfly detached from Mari's body and the rod.

Having controlled Mari until now, the Morpho butterfly landed on the fence and turned its red eyes to Mari.

Just a little longer and it would have stolen her body—

It wasn’t just Mari.

The Morpho butterfly also tried stealing Arisu’s body through Mari.

That was the Mushi's Maturation.

It wanted to control its host’s heart and then steal their body.

"Why…"

Would the one who could answer Mari’s self-question be where she was looking at?

It wasn't.

There was a strong person in town enough to save her.

He would come soon.

Following Mari.

Since she had no other person to leave matters to—Mari decided to wait there.

While gazing at the world she'd never known.

While dreaming about the world outside her hometown, she waited for him.

"—Took you long."

When her tears dried, the person she'd been waiting for appeared.

With his black wing-like coat flapping, the boy landed down near Mari.

He was another Fusion Type Mushitsuki, Kakkou.

The pitch-black demon slowly approached Mari.

"Don’t worry; I will soon return this body to Arisu."

The boy's legs stopped. He slowly raised his hand holding the handgun.

"Also, I'll vanish soon… back to waiting for Arisu to call me."

Having been reborn today, Mari would vanish just like droplets after the rain—

Mari looked at Daisuke, giggling.

“When that happens… perhaps it could be fun fighting against a fellow Fusion-Type.”

The boy's readied gun stopped right as it aimed at her forehead.

"Or actually—are you going to kill this Maturing Mushi now?"

Still holding his gun prepared, the demon opened his mouth.

"Which will you choose?"

Mari and Daisuke.

High up in the city, where the wind and rain blew, two Mushitsuki faced each other—

"Ehehe."

Mari opened her wet mouth, naming her wish. 

Part 5

The powerful wind swept away the fierce rain it had brought itself far away in no time.

The townscape wet from the fleeting violent rain now sparkled under the moonlight.

Just like a treasure box.

Did the people living in this beautiful world realize they were in this treasure-like moment?

Mari did.

For Mari, this entire day had brought her such happiness that no treasure could compare to.

Sitting in the bench installed on the rooftop garden, Mari gazed down the mortal world with a smile.

"What?! You were the one who decided to use Arisu for your training!"

Nearby, the boy called Kusuriya Daisuke was shouting at his phone. He was a Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like Mari, but unlike Mari he was a somewhat kind boy.

Daisuke had removed his goggle and wore a single shirt on his torso. His pitch-dark coat was currently wrapped around Mari's shoulders.

“I owe you one? It’s the other way! What? You wanna go at it, you stupid dog? Bring it on, I'll wait for you in the training ground!"

She didn't know who he was talking to, but Daisuke looked angry as he cut off the call. “’I knew I couldn’t really train so many unranked warriors’ my ass, after all this… go on your stupid journey and never return,” he cursed as he approached Mari. 

The boy's sneeze echoed on the rooftop. Although the rain stopped, the wind was still cold.

“Shall I return your coat?”

“It’s a hundred times better for me to get a cold than Arisu. Because she’ll definitely make me nurse her.”

“Isn’t it natural, with you being lovers?”

“What about us caused you to make that delightful misunderstanding, you idiot?”

It was the first time someone called her an idiot. She shrunk her body, asking if she was wrong. “Of course, you idiot,” he scolded her yet again.

Daisuke wore a displeased face and sat next to Mari.

Mari looked down the town encased with lights.

Daisuke looked up the starry, bright sky.

"Will you really do nothing to me?"

She mumbled.

Although she asked him for her wish, she didn't think he'd actually accept it.

“Because if you don’t turn back to Arisu… I’ll just kill the Morpho butterfly. That’s why.”

After staying silent for a while, the boy answered thus.

Daisuke seemed surprised at the way Mari chose to spend her remaining time.

—Could we talk for a little while?

That was Mari's wish.

Mari wanted to spend whatever time remained to her in rest.

She had already run around enough and fought enough.

She wanted to savor these moments to wrap up this great day—so she thought.

"You really are nicer than expected, Kusuriya Daisuke."

She said as if to mock him. Daisuke's expression was unchanged and he made no reply.

"Were the grim reaper and the rest your acquaintances?"

"They were SEPB trainees. As well as the one that tried turning you to a Fallen."

"Trainees?"

"The problem children from the SEPB I spoke about this morning. The instructor who gave them commands is sort of my acquaintance… or more like we have an inseparable relationship. It's too much of a bother to train them one on one, so she decided to use the one who’s giving the Headquarters trouble recently—meaning Arisu—as an opponent for real battle training.”

"…"

"Hearing that, I thought I’d warn you, but… since that trainee tried turning you to a Fallen first, it became more complicated. —They hadn’t reported anything to the higher-ups, including the fact there was a Fallen.”

Explaining this much, Daisuke scratched his head. He leaked a bothered-sounding sigh.

"Even so, it was quite the hassle. We probably won’t be able to fully hide this, but if we say the training just went overboard… I hope we’ll somehow manage. Seems like I’ll be in the debt not of that instructor but of that Miguruma woman, though.”

"Miguruma… Miguruma Yaeko."

"You know her?"

When Daisuke asked back in surprise, Mari vaguely mumbled in her mouth.

"Right, she… asked Sensei… about… kko… to ‘that side’… so—"

"Hey!"

Daisuke glared at Mari who was mumbling to herself.

"What do you know? There're plenty of things I want to ask you as well."

"I—don't remember anything."

He was probably thinking she was feigning ignorance. Daisuke's expression grew harsh.

“There are things I do remember… but I no longer know if these are my memories or not."

"…"

"Just like I explained before, my own memories were overwritten by the Maturing Morpho butterfly… no, actually it might be that…"

Rounding her body on top of the bench, she held her knees.

“I might also be… a personality created to mimic Hanashiro Mari. A fake.”

Yes, just like Sensei—

She added in her heart.

She had the feeling that she’d left her personality to her Mushi after receiving a hint from the strange Original Three called Sanbikime.

But there was no sense in talking about that with Kusuriya Daisuke.

Not yet.

"You left your Mushi so that you could become Arisu and keep living?"

Daisuke asked.

Arisu was probably seeking that answer.

Mari narrowed her eyes, smiling mischievously. She turned only her line of sight toward the boy’s face.

"If it was so, I'd be so cruel. Arisu… was my one and only friend."

Right, her one and only.

Arisu had become friends with Hanashiro Mari not out of sympathy or feeling bad for her.

And Mari was possessing the body of that important friend.

"I wonder… how it was."

Drowsiness weakened Mari's voice.

"Perhaps it was so. I mean—even just this day was unbelievably fun. I even thought that it was fine to betray my best friend, that I didn’t care about the name Hanashiro Mari…”

They were sinking.

The consciousness known as Mari…

Mari's dream…

They once again were being separated from this body and slowly being sucked into the Morpho butterfly.

"Yes, it was fun. Really, really fun…"

Her eyelids felt heavy.

She was very sleepy.

When she opened her eyes again, what sort of "Hanashiro Mari" would she become—

"Hey."

The boy's call made Mari raised her face.

Looking to the side, Kusuriya Daisuke grasped her shoulders. Since Mari falling asleep would bring back Arisu, why would he purposely try to rouse her?

"No—it's nothing."

As if regaining his senses, Daisuke left Mari's shoulders. He held his grimacing face.

"Sorry. I just… recalled the past a bit."

"…?"

“Just like you she didn’t want to give up but even so became—”

Although he almost said it, he apparently stopped himself. Perhaps angry at himself for falling to sentimentality, he clicked his tongue.

Mari chuckled.

It was just like she heard from Sensei.

He, a Fusion Type Mushitsuki just like her, was probably very strong.

Part of the reason for that was the existence of the other Mushitsuki he’d met.

“Is there… anything you’d like to you while you can?”

Perhaps he felt responsibility for waking her up again. She stared at Daisuke’s face as he said this sulkily.

"I want to see the sea."

"…"

"I'd like to go to the mountain too. And try to ride an airplane. Or go overseas. I wonder how it would feel like seeing the Arc of Triumph. I'd also like to ride a camel and see the Sphinx. Going on a shuttle to space would also be just as well."

All of them were destinations that the bedridden Mari would dream of when she was alive.

In the end—none of those came true.

“Please choose something that’s feasible tonight.”

As Mari counted on her fingers, Daisuke made a troubled face.

"If so, then…"

She lifted her index finger and smiled.

"’Follow Me’.”

"…"

“Ever since I was little, I was unable to play this and could only watch from the sidelines.”

She hadn’t even the slightest courage to join the circles of children.

Although she’d become a Mushitsuki and obtained great power, that didn’t change.

Perhaps Hanashiro Mari’s form as Hunter was born from her loneliness.

Mari, who had never played even tag, had a single source of happiness.

Battling Mushitsuki.

Her race with the SEPB trainees had been the same. She became a demon, running past those who pursued her.

Perhaps Mari had enjoyed it from the bottom of her heart.

Unable to join even the circle of Mushitsuki, she assuaged her loneliness by breaking it instead.

“I thought I had managed to enter the circle today—"

But she understood.

The one who actually participated was Ichinokuro Arisu.

The time she'd spent with Ena and Takako was as fun as could be.

The girl called Hanashiro Mari felt lonely.

The fun that had filled Mari that day belonged to none other than Arisu. It wasn’t Mari’s.

"I just thought I didn't mind if it was Arisu's—"

She was unable to wipe off the loneliness constricting her chest.

Today was very fun.

And, at the same time, it was also hell.

Was there anything worse than tasting happiness and loneliness at the same time?

Had she noticed this during the time she was alive?

"—"

Mari’s downcast face suddenly rose.

The girl's finger was wrapped by a warm sensation.

Kusuriya Daisuke extended his arm—and grasped Mari's index finger.

Both when she was alive, as well as today, no one had been able to catch Mari, but that boy did.

It was just a little bit, but…

She felt as if the hole opened up in heart was filled.

"Since we've come this far, I'll play along to the end."

Daisuke raised his face, gazing up the fluttering Morpho butterfly in the sky.

"We'll find you—the true Hanashiro Mari."

Mari vaguely gazed up the boy's face.

Her dream dwindled away with her death.

But what if, the continuation of Mari's dream—what if it still remained in this world?

"The 'next' me… I wonder if she'll remember the 'current' me."

Would she remember her time today?

This time when this person called Mari managed to join the circle of people for the first time.

"I am uncertain."

It was her true opinion.

She didn't think she'd be able to remember in the end.

Even so Mari smiled.

"But if you will remember, it's fine for me to forget."

Her time today, given to her by a god’s whim as well as her cunning Mushi, had been very enjoyable.

At the same time it was hell.

But in the end—

"Let us meet again."

The dream still continued further—

She would wait for when Arisu called her again.

Allowing her to wish this while smiling, it was a great day. 

Part 6

This morning, when she opened her eyes, the date was two days ahead.

"…?"

Seeing the time display on her cellphone, she was puzzled.

She saw her reflection on the screen, wearing a fully-buttoned pajama with half-open eyes. While scratching her bed-hair, she pushed aside the futon and stood up.

Her fingers touched something hard.

It was a silver rod. For a second, its surface looked like it was shining.

"…"

When she unconsciously grabbed it, she felt as if it became slightly heavier than it was yesterday. It was supposed to be as light as if it was part of her body, so it was strange.

But that didn't matter.

When she let go of the rod and exited her room, she found the maid in the corridor.

"Say, what's today's date? –Ugh, my body feels heavy…"

The maid greeted her with a "Good morning" and told her the date. Just like she thought, it was two days off from what she remembered.

"Have you gotten a cold? You were awfully wet yesterday… I heard you fell down and lost consciousness, so I changed your clothes."

"Cold? Fell down? Who?"

"Ah—no, it's nothing. Do not mind it."

Holding her mouth as if suddenly recalling something, the maid left. It was now obvious who told her to shut up.

Thinking a while, she walked in the corridor still dressed in her pajama.

Going through the wide mansion, she stood in front of a certain room.

"Daisuke! I'm coming in!"

Before she finished speaking, she pushed into the room.

She tore off the blanket from the boy sleeping at the very center of the dreary Japanese-style room and straddled him. “Gweh?!” she heard this painful groan from below.

“I have the feeling that something very unnatural happened! Is it my imagination? It is, right? If it isn't, then it's definitely your fault!"

While the boy living with her was groaning, he opened his heavy lids.

"Arisu… right?"

For some reason he spoke hoarsely and raised his languid face to look up at her.

"Who else do I look like? Cleopatra? Yang Guifei? Ono no Komachi? How boring, try to be funnier! What will remain of you if we take away the comedian?"

Raising her voice, Horusu Seijou Academy middle school senior Ichinokuro Arisu started pounding her fists on the boy from above.

"So it is Arisu… Haah…"

As he repeated the same words, for some reason he looked quite relieved.

"You're immodest…"

"I-immodest?? How unexpected for you to utter these words! And the first thing you say upon waking up! You’ve improved, Daisuke!"

"What are you trying to get me to d—ugh—I feel pretty bad… is it a cold…? S-stop—"

While being hit the boy couldn't move anymore, so she ended up getting out of the room.

Exiting to the mansion's courtyard, she was wrapped in the morning air.

The pleasant wind was just a little damp. —As if it was after rain.

The ground was covered by large puddles that reflected the sunlight.

Stretching exaggeratedly, she looked up at the sky.

There Arisu saw the being always at her side, the silver butterfly.

"Good morning, Mari."

Along with the Morpho butterfly left to her by her best friend—

Ichinokuro Arisu's "today" began. 

To be continued…

Afterword

Hello, this is Iwai Kyouhei.

More than three years passed since the serialization of "Mushi Uta Bug" started.

The same time that would take middle schoolers or high schoolers to graduate. That period of three years should be quite packed no matter who you are. Days when you learn many things, play around, fall in love, laugh, cry; day after day where something always changes, including you. Perhaps trying to figure out what changed in you from yesterday to today could be interesting. Something as small as learning new English vocabulary and up to some revolutionary event such as starting to like someone; it could be anything.

Even among the characters in this work there are no people who haven’t changed at all since the beginning of the story.

I hope you will enjoy their changes as well. Even "Mushi Uta" itself is changing. The comic version started serialization, and the anime is in production.

To you the readers, I am grateful for your support, and I will keep doing my very best. Look forward to it.

Iwai Kyouhei

Notes

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