Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 1

1.00 Shachito Part 1

"I can't stand this relationship anymore!"

The campus of Horanto Academy was a recreation of a 17^th century Dutch-style building made of bricks.

The grey of the pointed roof created a beautiful contrast with the brown walls, and even the large gymnasium had a triangular roof as a special feature.

The roofed passageway connecting the school building to the gymnasium had no walls, so it was pressed between the courtyard and the sports ground.

During the spring the courtyard's flowerbeds would be decorated by tulips of all colors, but during the current season only a rectangle surrounded by mere bricks could be seen. The sports clubs were busy with their club activities on the sports ground.  

The cold February wind blew through the wall-less corridor.

"I want to end it already."

Her long hair fanned by the wind, a female student clad in school uniform spoke. Judging from her expression, she seemed to be brooding over this matter.

"…"

On the other hand, the boy in front of her needed a bit of time to think.

Umm, this is—

He unconsciously sent his gaze around.

What kind of drama film is this…?

A boy and girl who were classmates; words that felt out of place; the campus illuminated by the setting sun after school.

It was the ideal situation to be part of a youth documentary or romantic drama shown on TV.

Yet there were no cameras around the two and obviously no director as well. The boy was also not an actor, as was the girl in front of him.

I want to end it already—

Since the girl in front of his eyes said this to him, she should have some reason for it. Something had supposedly started between them and she apparently wanted it to end.

He desperately fumbled around in his memories trying to recall it.

Yet nothing came to mind.

Because of that he asked her frankly.

"Umm, end what?"

A dry sound echoed through Horanto High School.

He only realized he had been slapped because he could see not the girl but the school clock. The force of her blow was apparently enough to rotate his neck by 90 degrees.

The girl was speaking of something to the boy standing stock still.

It was about him repeatedly acting suggestively toward her. As well as her dissatisfaction that despite this he was still flirting with other girls. There were also the cases where he'd gotten chocolate from someone who wasn't her on Valentine's day, and why hadn't he responded when she called out to him a few days ago? Weren't they supposed to be dating? And so forth.

"Say something, Shachito-kun!"

The girl shouted out these extremely unreasonable words. He wished for her to understand his position as someone who had suddenly been hit and given no time to speak back.

You watch too many dramas, he felt, but there was no way he could say that.

Horanto High School General Curriculum 2^nd year student Shiohara Shachito thought of something completely different.

Ah, this is bad—

The numbness caused from the stimulus to his cheek gave rise to a strange feeling.

He could feel some sort of discomfort. There was no doubt about that.

However, he couldn't think of it as his. It was an indescribable feeling as if only the "pain" split from his body and flew to another dimension.

Furthermore, he felt as if the "pain" flying to another dimension was also trying to drag him over to "that side". What would happen if he simply yielded his body without resisting? While feeling these doubts—

"…No, umm."

He smiled wryly.

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. It couldn't have been—geez, you really scared me. Uh, well, even if you think I've been acting suggestively toward you, I'm acting the same way with everyone. Well, I've been told I'm a universal flirt though…"

Shachito hurriedly explained himself. Even he himself didn't really understand what he was trying to say.

Because of his preemptive strike, even he was a bit confused. It was quite unlike him—it was all because of that different dimension or whatever that caused his thoughts to become all messed up.

This girl just seemed to have an excessively wrong impression and so hastily jumped to conclusions. As long as she realized it everything would be fine.

It's often said that you should talk out your problems… but what was I supposed to do after getting smacked by that surprised attack?

He had his doubts, but this wasn't the time to be thinking about them. If they could still talk out everything then he had to try talking as much as he could.

"And about the chocolates, there were plenty of other—oh, this isn't sarcasm, you see, It's because I received a lot of friend chocolates from my female acquaintances. …Umm, I believe that I thought your chocolate was also like that and so I misunderstood you. Because you haven't really said anything."

He frantically dug through his memories and replied. He was at a loss for words in the middle due to him completely forgetting the name of the girl in front of him, but he wasn't enough of an idiot to actually tell her that.

He had been told "let's end it" by someone whose name he couldn't even recall and was then slapped. He was thankful from the bottom of his heart the first strike wasn't with a sharp object.

"The same way with everyone?"

Coming to her senses, the girl probably realized her misunderstanding. She was taken aback and cast her eyes downward.

Now that the situation has calmed down he finally recalled that this girl was his classmate and that she recently became someone whom he would speak with often. If he wasn't mistaken she was part of the brass band club.

From now on, whenever he came in contact with her he should remember that she'd seen too many dramas and was liable to hastily jump to conclusions. So he vowed in his heart.

"That's right. So calm down, okay? Having our relationship turn sour because of such a thing would be a waste, wouldn't it?"

While pacifying her with a grin, he suddenly noticed.

…Hmm? Is it possible my pacifism created this situation in the first place?

Giving it a good thought, it was probably so.

Due to his personality that allowed him to become friendly with anyone and his neat facial features, Shachito had plenty of friends regardless of gender. He also cherished his relationships with them more than anything.

And so his favorite motto was "treat every encounter as once in a lifetime".

He wanted to cherish his relationship even with someone who suddenly slapped him.

"So it was my misunderstanding… I'm sorry."

Raising her face, the girl gazed at Shachito intently. He noticed that her gaze was directed at his cheek.

He recalled and rubbed it.

"Ah—"

He shook his hand lightly so that she wouldn't worry for him.

"Don't mind it. This doesn't hurt one bit."

It actually didn't hurt. He wasn't even sure if the cheek he rubbed was the one that had been slapped.

He couldn't feel "pain"—

Judging by his common knowledge this was probably abnormal.

Shachito was like this since long ago, and he carried a much bigger problem, an extremely abnormal secret, anyway.

Also, having his sense of pain dulled posed no problem to him spending his days enjoyably.

"I'm just fine with pain."

Seeing Shachito speaking with a grin, the girl bit her lips.

—After parting with her, Shachito returned to his classroom to grab his bag.

"Oh, Shachi's back."

"Hey, where have you been?"

"You snuck outside after seeing some message… were you possibly called out by someone?"

He became the center of attention of his classmates all at once. They were his classmates from the go-home club or those that had already finished up their club activities and came back.

Behind their backs, the view outside the window was already growing dark. The dark glass window reflected the fluorescent lights inside, making Shachito's features stand out clearly.

He had thin eyebrows, slightly drooping, double-lidded eyelids, and a sharp-pointed chin. Wearing a coat on top of his uniform, his body seemed tall yet was slender, so there were times where he was mistaken for a girl from behind. —No, it wasn't just from his back, since due to his androgynous facial features there were even times where he was told "you're tall for a girl" even when seen from the front.

"Mm…"

While retrieving his bag and half helmet from his locker, he tilted his head. How should he tell them about the event that took place in the passageway?

Explaining things as they happened was troublesome. He decided to smile and evade it.

"I just talked with someone I know. It was fun."

"It was fun, you say… but you're always having fun."

"Yeah, Shachi-kun's always smiling."

"Huh? I mean, it's fun."

He protested against his classmates' exasperated faces with a smile.

Surrounded by his many friends, there were no arguments whatsoever—except for being slapped today. Was there any other time as enjoyable as this to be spending his youth on?

"Huh, Shachi-kun, isn't your cheek a bit red?"

"Were you beat up? Did you have a fight? Lovers' quarrel?"

"No way. Since I'm all about love and peace there's no way I'd fight. And you know I'm not dating anyone right now, right?"

All at once the girls around raised a surprised voice.

"Eh, really? Weren't you on good terms with that girl from Class C?"

"Wasn't she from Class A? It became quite the topic among us girls."

"Oh, come on. It's not like I'm getting along only with girls… Why does the conversation always turn out like this? —Wait, argh! It's already this late!"

"Is this about helping that other class's band? Can you even play anything?"

"I'm just singing to the tune. It's mainly about cheering them on."

Showing a grin, Shachito left the classroom. Helping his friends who were working hard on something was a natural part of his daily life.

Shachito's classmates exchanged farewells to see him off.

The usual scenery after school.

Chatting with his friends like always.

He was relieved to feel this natural moment. Because he was able to clearly feel that this was where he belonged.

He blended naturally into this natural scenery.

This was Shachito's established reality, and he was definitely part of it. That was why he loved school, and he also loved Holland City where he was born and raised.

"Well then, I have to hurry."

Leaving the front gate, Shachito wore his helmet. Since it was of the type that covered one's ears he could somewhat stave off the cold. Carrying his bag, he headed toward the parking area with a jog.

"Oh no, this is horrible."

Horanto High School allowed commuting to school by motorbike. Shachito's beloved ride, the So1o, had two bicycles leaning on it from both sides. They probably belonged to students who hadn't left the school yet.

"Oh, c'mon…"

He tried pulling his motorbike from various angles, but the situation was unchanged. Maybe I should just use "that power", was what passed through his mind, but he soon gave up. He had no intention to reveal the power he had been hiding for years over such a trifle.

As he continued his hard struggle he felt a gaze on him.

Turning around, he saw a girl glaring at his direction. She probably had frizzy hair, as several spots in her short hair casually stood up, catching his eyes. Her mouth was concealed by a checkered scarf.

In Horanto High School the color of one's tie differed by the year. From the color of her tie he knew she was a first-year. So she was one year his junior.

He currently had his hands full—he had the feeling he used the expression wrong, but anyway, it was that sort of situation. Shachito made a friendly grin so that he would appear to be a kind upperclassman.

"Help me!"

Without any hesitation he called for help from this person that he had never met. The girl was taken aback and straightened her back.

"Y-ye!"

Along with this excited response she rushed at him, pulling the bicycle entangled with the motorbike. She looked so desperate that even Shachito who had asked her for help felt sorry.

"Ye?"

"I meant to respond 'yes'! H-how about this…? Maybe like this…"

"Ooh, amazing. Thank you."

Thanks to her holding the other bicycles, Shachito was able to rescue his beloved motorbike. The underclassman girl replied with a dull "yes" as if embarrassed.

Looking at her again, the girl seemed shorter than his first impression of her. It was because of her long limbs. From her energetic movements he thought she might be part of some sports club, but her skin seemed too fair for that.

"Well then, I'll be going. I am in a hurry."

"In a hurry? So should I send you off as thanks?"

As he said this casually, the girl who was trying to leave turned around. Her puzzled face reflected on the curved gas tank.

"Is it fine for two people to ride on that?"

"No, it's not. Even though it looks like that it's a motor scooter after all. But it's fine, I've never been caught giving a ride to another person."

"So we can't. NO law-breaking!"

With an angry face, the girl crossed her hands in an X shape.

"Someday you will be caught and expelled, Shiohara-senpai."

"I don't think I'll really be expelled. …Wait, how'd you know my name?"

"I know it. You are famous. You're the playboy Shiohara Shachito-senpai!"

"Heh, am I really famous?"

 Making an embarrassed grin, he suddenly noticed what she said.

"—Wait… playboy?"

The smile on his face froze.

It was unthinkable. Absolutely unthinkable.

Wasn't this assessment of Shachito, who simply possessed an extensive range of acquaintances and enjoyed his one-in-a-lifetime youth, thoroughly messed up?

In a certain sense it was a larger shock than even that slap in the passageway.

"…? What's wrong, Shiohara-senpai? You're falling with your motorbike."

"Did you possibly think something like, 'ah, it's Shiohara-senpai the playboy!' when you saw me now like I was some rare animal?"

"Huh! Incredible, how did you know?"

Raising his face, he saw the underclassman girl whose arms still indicated the shape of an X take a step back.

She was clearly acting cautious.

"Umm, this is a misunderstanding. Huh, this is the exact same line I said earlier…"

"A-a misunderstanding, is it? I see."

"You don't see it at all. You're slowly trying to run away. …Oh well, umm, goodbye."

"G-goodbye."

Quickly bowing her head, the girl ran away. Having even such an innocent underclassman be cautious of him probably meant the misunderstandings about Shachito spread through the entire school.

Today was an unlucky day.

If he were to think any deeper about this he would probably become depressed, so he decided to give up on it.

"Well, it's like that thing they say. A wonder lasts… lasts… how many days was it? Uh, never mind."

He equipped his goggles while muttering to himself. As he brought the motorbike to the school gate he started the engine. Its light purring echoed.

Taking off on his So1o, he cut into the roadway. The state of his beloved ride was passable today. Accelerating well, he advanced on the highway where cars went back and forth.

Feeling the cold February wind numb his cheeks, he looked at the mirror.

Seeing that his cheek was slightly red, he recalled being slapped by his classmate. Since he couldn't feel the pain, this swelling felt strange.

"Feeling no pain… that's definitely not normal."

Pain felt dull to him since long ago. He rubbed his cheek using his sleeve and then turned forward.

He only thought about his cheek for a second and it immediately vanished from his mind. He drove his motorbike, heading for a studio at the center of town. He should be able to arrive in a few minutes after entering the national highway that ran around Horanto High School.

Holland's dust townscape flowed to his back.

Passing by slow cars and evading those who cut in forcibly, he drove his beloved motorbike smoothly.

The scenery of Holland City where he was born and raised continued unchanged as it always was.

He could catch glimpses of the distant sea from between the gaps of the lines of buildings.

Now that night was approaching, the ocean was even darker than the sky. He could see the lights of tankers returning from the deep sea and the lamps of fishing vessels heading out to fish at night.

"Yeah yeah, I'm on my way."

Probably having received a message on his cellphone, Shachito felt a vibration from his pocket. It was probably from the friend he had arranged to meet.

He entered the national highway. The cars rushed through the double-lane roadway with great speed. Shachito brought his motorbike to the left lane, driving in full throttle.

At a place close to his destination he stopped in front of a traffic light, halting his So1o next to a pedestrian crossing.

He pulled the cellphone out of his pocket. Just like he thought the message was from his friend.

Putting the cellphone back, he grasped the throttle again in preparation for the green light.

Just as he saw the traffic light on the pedestrian crossing starting to blink, he could hear the sound of something crashing.

"Hmm?"

He shifted his gaze to the side. "Something" he had never seen before was approaching from the front of the national highway.

"What the hell… is that…?"

He muttered in shock. Shachito shouldn't have been the only one to doubt his eyes.

A ball of light—he could think of nothing but this clichéd expression to describe it.

The glittering orb rushed from the opposite lane. The cars coming in contact with it were sent spinning, crashing into one another, and their ruptured glass windows were absorbed into the shining sphere.

He wondered if this sight that lacked any sense of reality was from some movie.

But that was wrong. The people who were flung out of their cars collapsed while bleeding from their heads.

—Bump, his heart throbbed.

The identity of the light sphere became apparent as it grew closer with great speed.

In the center of the shining orb was a person wearing a full-face helmet riding on a large motorcycle. Surrounding this motorcycle was a cluster of fragments reflecting the neon lights—glass.

"N-no way—"

It was someone who could control a supernatural power that shouldn't exist in reality.

Shachito was perhaps the only person there to realize what sort of being this was when faced with this sight.

Why was he the only one able to guess what the deal with the full helmet man was?

The answer to that lay in the secret he had been hiding for many years.

"Is this for real…"

The large motorcycle reflected in his goggles grew larger. Shachito started emitting sweat from his entire body and strongly clenched the handlebar.

He realized that the large motorcycle rider had the same "disposition" as him.

Even Shachito, when he had become like this, was assaulted by urges to go on a rampage due to unstable emotions. Yet he had been able to somewhat endure that.

The full helmet man was unable to endure–and so went on a rampage.

"N-no… nonono."

There were many victims. The large motorcycle that rushed while destroying cars around it didn't seem about to stop.

I might be able to stop him—

Such a thought rose to his mind. It was because Shachito was something close enough to the rider so that he was able to notice his true nature.

Yet he soon denied his own thoughts.

"It's useless no matter how I think about it."

He smiled wryly and hesitated about his next move.

He stopped his So1o on the side of the road. Since he was out of the large motorcycle's "path" he shouldn't be in any danger as long as he wouldn't do anything.

"Letting him pass is for the best—hmm?"

While wearing a pathetic smile, Shachito could see a bus in his back mirror.

"…!"

The bus stopped behind him. If it kept going ahead it would coincide with the large motorcycle's path.

Shachito became speechless because the girl holding a strap in front of the passenger seats looked familiar.

It was the scarf girl who had helped him get out his motorbike from the parking area. She probably took this bus after parting with him.

—Well then, I'll be going. I am in a hurry.

He recalled the girl's smile when she refused his proposal to take her.

She was really cute. I should've asked for her name—

As thoughts completely irrelevant to the current situation rose to his mind, his body started moving of its own accord.

"I'm being called a playboy because I unconsciously think of such things…!"

Whoosh, Shachito's index and middle finger cut through the air.

His fingers pointed directly at the scheduled bus the girl was riding. The distance between them was probably just shy of 100 meters.

As he widened his eyes, orange shadows soared from the bus in front of his eyes as if bursting.

It wasn't just from the bus; a smoke-like luster rose the same way even from the cars parked around.

As the orange lights flew into air, they assembled a strange shape.

It was a creature with one compound eye on the front of its thin body and an orange rear—this appurtenance was similar to the dragonfly known as the autumn darter, yet unlike the real one it had eight sharp, flapping wings.

They only materialized for a second, instantly changing their form to orange rays of light. Leaving a glowing afterimage behind, they stabbed into the car right in front of the bus.

The large motorcycle passed next to Shachito.

He crossed gazes with the full helmet man for an instant—or so he felt.

The next moment, a loud sound echoed throughout the national highway.

The cluster of glass led by the large motorbike crashed into a car shining in orange and was blown away splendidly. As if it was tackled by a tank trucker.

"Whew…"

Seeing the large motorcycle roll over to the opposite lane and crash into a wall, Shachito exhaled.

As he raised his face to ascertain the safety of the bus, his shoulders were pulled away powerfully.

No; the thing being pulled wasn't his shoulders.

Shachito's consciousness was being severed by an intense gravitation.

His bodily senses were dulled and his vision distorted. Because of him releasing his powers for the first time in some years, he was assaulted by an exhaustion that scraped off his mind and body.

His consciousness on "this side" was being pulled to the mysterious world of "that side"—

"DAH!"

Yet Shachito shook his head and was somehow able to preserve his consciousness.

As he raised his head again, he could hear the high-pitched sound of glass rubbing against something.

The full helmet man that crashed into the wall rose up as if nothing happened to him. Scattered glass danced in air, creating a large form that resembled a living creature.

"So like I thought… you're 'the same' as me."

Beads of sweat covered Shachito's forehead rested on the handlebar.

The fine fragments of glass produced the form of a large insect several times larger than a human. Although its round body and small head resembled those of a scarab beetle, its massive, spread wings were sharp like saws. It was a nothing but a sphere of light earlier, yet it now changed completely, clearly possessing a will of its own, and it stuck its thick legs onto the surrounding ground.

The strange monster made of glass turned its body toward Shachito. Since his body was shrouded in an orange glow by the usage of the ability, the monster apparently regarded him as an enemy.

Mushi—

There were rumors about these beings that fed on people's dreams all over the country and Holland City was no exception. Yet in contrast to the big cities where there were plenty of eyewitness reports, in this area it was nothing more than an urban legend. Adolescent boys and girls found it amusing, but the rumor was being passed around with clear fear.

Those possessed by Mushi were named Mushitsuki and in exchange for them becoming able to use supernatural abilities, the Mushi possessing them would eat their dreams.

That was about all the knowledge the boys and girls of Holland City had about Mushi.

And the Mushitsuki in question—Shiohara Shachito, was also no exception to this.

"Umm… you're the one at fault for going on a rampage without caring about anything around you, right?"

He had no idea what to say, so for now he showed a friendly grin. Since he had used his powers without thinking of the consequences the fatigue made him run out of steam.

"Even someone like me wouldn't want to make friends with someone like you. Since you probably feel the same let's just forgive and forget. Okay?" 

The full helmet man pulled up his collapsed large motorcycle. Revving up the engine again, he accelerated toward Shachito without looking to the sides.

"W-wait a minute! I told you I don't wanna fight!"

It didn't look like he was going to talk with him. The large motorbike crossed over the lane and approached.

"…Gaah! At least listen to me!"

Shachito hurriedly turned the throttle. Sliding on the rear wheel, he changed his course.

His motorbike's engine displacement was different from that of his opponent's. It was obvious that even if he escaped on the national highway the full helmet man would immediately catch up to him.

He rushed up onto the sidewalk away from the now-noisy intersection, and then, weaving his way between buildings, he leapt into a narrow backstreet.

The large motorcycle was unconcerned. He chased after Shachito while using the glass Mushi to destroy the walls around.

"This can't be happening right…? Why do I—"

Have to be chased by a monster!

He was about to shout this out, but then recalled he was also a Mushitsuki and so held his tongue. Finding an illuminated street corner, he operated the handlebar while pulling on the emergency break.

As Shachito slid on his rear wheel while turning at the corner, the large motorcycle behind him crashed into the wall of a building. Yet even while causing horrible sounds of destruction, the other man soon changed his course and came after Shachito.

—He had a premonition.

And it was because of him hiding his abilities ever since becoming a Mushitsuki a few years ago.

If people knew he was a Mushitsuki—no, if he acknowledged he was a Mushitsuki, he felt as if he would have to part from his everyday life. Something like Mushi couldn't exist in reality after all.

And it wasn't just that.

The power of a Mushitsuki, at least for Shachito, was akin to magical energy.

When he used that power he felt as if he was becoming a different person. It was a strange feeling, as if some unseen stranger was pulling at his shoulders. Fearing this, Shachito had never turned around to look at "that side". He didn't even want to know who was trying to pull him away.

Although he normally didn't think of anything and lived irresponsibly, there was one thing he wanted to keep doing.

That was not using his power as a Mushitsuki.

"This isn't a joke… I'm…!"

It wasn't too late.

Knocking off a bucket, he pulled on the emergency brake. He curved his motorbike again while sparks were emitted from the muffler scraping the ground.

He decided to escape from the monster chasing after him and forget about the whole thing. He would reach his destination later than planned but return to his normal life as if nothing ever happened.

Shachito right now should have no other choice—

"—An excellent choice."

While he took the turn, a cheerful smile suddenly closed in on him.

The other person probably took the same turn like him from the alley on the opposite side. As Shachito thought next to him was another motorbike dragging on the ground and scattering sparks.

It was a Vespa; a foreign-made scooter just like Shachito's So1o.

He was also surprised at this sudden development, but found himself more confused by the rider's bizarre appearance.

Since her face was hidden by a half-helmet and goggles, he was unable to see anything except for her mouth distorted by a smile. However, Shachito could tell at a glance that this girl, who seemed to be around his age, was wearing yellow rain gear—a raincoat. In addition she wore rubber boots, carried a hockey stick on her back, and had a lollipop in her mouth.

A girl with this unrealistic getup appeared in this extreme situation. The raincoat girl reflected in Shachito's eyes looked—

Like a "traveller".

Since she was clad in a raincoat and had a lollipop instead of a reed in her mouth, if only she wore a sandogasa as well she would appear like some traveller from a period drama.

"Getting away from the national highway filled with people… yup, that's the correct answer. It's standard to minimize the amounts of damage when you have to 'fight'. I can also praise you for choosing tight turns around alleys after seeing your opponent exceeds you in maximum speed."

The girl spoke while being perfectly synchronized with Shachito as he kept zigzagging through alleys. Never mind Shachito desperately running away, the girl didn't even seem to be worried about the monster giving chase from behind.

"Huh? Your face seems to say 'I have no intention of fighting at all!' though… How strange, have I misunderstood you? But that can't be, after all you're—"

The nature of the girl's smile changed.

"—A Mushitsuki, right?"

Shachito was assaulted by a shudder. An irresistible fear much like having the grim reaper's scythe around his neck crawled up his spine.

"It's useless even if you hide. Because you're a Mushitsuki you can't run away from your destiny to 'fight'."

The girl's tone was light, but that made her words all the more ominous.

"Well, it's probably too sudden for you, but I have two things to tell you about this current situation. The first one is—I'm sorry, I actually intended of taking care of him myself but I ended up letting him get away. He was surprisingly fast, you see."

"Huh?"

As Shachito widened his eyes, the girl's Vespa suddenly decelerated and she was left behind.

"The second is that I ran outta gas. I'm leaving the rest to you, so do your best."

"Ah, wait!"

Losing its speed, the Vespa ended up stopping. As a consequence the girl became the prey of the monster pursuing from behind, vanishing along with the asphalt breaking to pieces.

"…!"

Shachito's blood froze through his entire body.

No way she just died—were his idiotic thoughts. There was no way a flesh-and-blood human could live through the sort of impact that destroyed even cars.

Death.

Only now the danger to his life felt real. This wasn't even the time to be thinking about returning to his normal life; at least he would just be crushed without anything remaining just like that Vespa girl.

Fear dazzled his eyes and he couldn't breathe well. He could only hear his heart beating and his teeth chattering.

Since his body was completely paralyzed, he wasn't able to avoid a puddle of water. His rear wheel slid on it, and he hurriedly tried to correct his posture, but his speed plummeted.

A fragment of the asphalt destroyed by the Mushi behind him hit Shachito's temporal region.

As his vision shook due to the impact, he could feel it slightly—yet clearly.

Shachito widened his eyes.

What he felt only for an instant, like a drop falling on the surface of water.

That was—"pain".

He felt as if someone suddenly pulled his shoulders.

As fear reached its peak inside him, Shachito felt as though someone was tearing off his personality from his physical body. As if another personality was being forcibly stuffed inside him instead—

"…"

—The one who had made Shachito into a Mushitsuki was an old man clad in a filthy robe.

He had no idea who that old man was.

He felt like he had spoken about something with that old man that abruptly appeared in front of him. However, his memories from the time were vague and so he couldn't clearly remember it. When he came to himself, the old man was already gone and "something" other than Shachito himself inhabited his body.

It was a Mushi.

In exchange for devouring his mind, it gave him a power he couldn't care less about.

At the same time, Shachito lost a certain sensation ever since that day.

"Pain".

The sensation that Shachito would feel when he was hurt had been left behind somewhere.

Even so it didn't disrupt his daily life, so Shachito decided to pay no heed to that and forget he was a Mushitsuki.

As long as it didn't hinder his peaceful student life, he didn't need even this "pain".

Or so he thought.

However—

"…So was it on 'that side'?"

Touching his forehead, he could feel lukewarm blood with his hand. There were the sensation of red blood and some heat, but the "pain" was already gone.

Yet he clearly felt it just now.

—Shachito turned around.

As he turned his head while still being pulled by something mysterious, he could see the Mushitsuki whose face was hidden by the full-face helmet in front of him.

The "pain" he had felt for the first time in years…

He was able to feel it during this extreme situation, but for some reason—Shachito was assaulted by an urge to regain it no matter what.

"…Give it back."

As Shachito murmured this, an orange radiance leapt from his body.

The shadow gushing out of Shachito and his So1o took the shape of an autumn darter for an instant. It then returned being orange light, stabbing into the large motorcycle behind in the speed of light.

"…!"

He could tell the full helmet man was agitated. His motorcycle's tires warped and he rapidly decelerated. The Mushi made out of a cluster of glass had its weight increased and sank into the ground.

Making use of the recoil, Shachito raised the front wheel of his So1o. When the rotating tire touched the wall of a building, the motorcycle fluttered in air while still advancing ahead.

The full helmet man's response came with a delay when confronted with this impossible scene. Shachito climbed up the wall, rotated once and leapt above the man's head.

While still floating, Shachito's fingertips cut the air. An autumn darter flew out of the large motorcycle he pointed at, instantly travelling to Shachito and his So1o.

A tremor shook the dark alley.

Clashing from the front, Shachito's So1o smashed both the glass Mushi and the large motorcycle together. After cutting the Mushi into two, the spot where the So1o has landed created large cracks on the ground.

The cluster of glasses dispersed and the full helmet driver was blown away.

Shachito stopped his So1o with the high-pitched sound of the brakes. Immediately afterwards, the orange glow left the motorbike and Shachito as if melting into thin air.

"…Hihah."

A light smile rose to Shachito's mouth as he got off his motorbike. He approached the collapsed full helmet man.

"Hey, do you have a moment? Is this a good time for you? Say, do you happen to know where my 'pain' is?"

Still sporting a huge grin, he kicked the completely unmoving man. Since there was no response he kicked him again.

Did he not move no matter how much he was kicked due to a lack of "pain"? Did this mean everyone who became a Mushitsuki felt no pain just like Shachito? Or perhaps he did feel pain but since he didn't want to return it to Shachito he stayed silent?

Since he didn't know the answer he kept kicking.

Even though his forehead was still bleeding, he could feel no pain.

"Say something, will you? Hellooo?"

As Shachito kept kicking him mechanically, he heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Do stop that. He already lost his Mushi and became a Fallen."

As he turned around, a purple glow passed through his field of vision.

"He was just a 'newborn' that went on a rampage. You seem to be different, though."

"…!"

As Shachito turned around he heard the continuation of these words from even further behind him—from next to the collapsed large motorcycle.

He reflexively jumped back, putting himself on guard. The smile was gone from his face.

Approaching him at some point, a single girl stood nearby.

The raincoat fluttering in the dark back alley emitted purple electricity. Her mouth with a lollipop inside it showed a relaxed smile. He could hear her rubber boots rubbing on the ground.

It was undoubtedly the girl that he thought to have been killed by the glass Mushi. He couldn't see her scooter around, but her unhurt figure was the exact same as before.

An orange autumn darter flew out of Shachito's body. Since she was someone unknown to him she might also be an enemy.

While Shachito concentrated so that he could activate his ability at any time, the girl removed her helmet and goggles.

"I watched the whole thing. Your ability uses weight—or rather mass as a medium, right?"

In contrast to her self-important way of speaking, the girl's uncovered face looked young. He couldn't tell if she was younger than him or simply had a baby face. If not for the bizarre combination of a raincoat and a hockey stick, perhaps she would have looked cute.

"But it seems like there are some rules to it. You can't simply increase or decrease mass. So do you 'transfer' it with your Mushi? Controlling it seems difficult, but it's an extremely rare type of ability."

"…"

Having his ability seen through, Shachito naturally became warier.

It was just like the girl said.

His ability was to transfer the mass of objects. He could control it at will in the range his ability could reach, but the more he increased his range the more mental and physical energy he exhausted. He could also amplify or reduce mass to a certain extent, but doing just that wouldn't be any useful.

"However, more importantly…"

The girl reequipped her goggles and lowered her body.

Here it comes—

Shachito felt goosebumps on his entire body. He instantly leapt to the side.

"You sure are 'broken' in a convenient way."

He had no idea what happened next.

The spot he was standing in just a moment before now had large cracks running through it. That was the only thing he could comprehend. If he hadn't reflexively evaded, he might have been ripped into two along with the ground.

"You seem to be in some sort of trance due to your state of extreme tension, but even so—your speed of response to an enemy is outstanding."

As he turned to look at the direction he heard the voice from, he widened his eyes.

The girl shrouded in purple electricity stood vertically on a wall. Her raincoat was fluttering and her hands grasped the hockey stick she had drawn from her back at some point.

As a result of her standing on the wall as if it was natural, Shachito felt as if he was the one standing sideways. His sense of balance was disrupted and he stood still without thinking.

When had she moved there?

How was she standing on the wall?

She surpassed the extent of Shachito's understanding—

"You have the makings to become a warrior."

The figure of the girl clearly asserting this disappeared.

The girl's hockey stick instantly approached and struck Shachito's chest. Feeling an impact, his body was thrust backwards.

However—

"Hihah!"

A broken smile rose to his face.

He reached with his right hand to grab the girl's head. —Since Shachito felt no pain, he also lacked fear toward taking damage. Although there was an overwhelming gap in their powers, he had no intention of being defeated so easily.

He felt a slight stimulus on his chest hit by the hockey stick.

The "pain" reborn amidst battle gradually exalted Shachito.

The more he fought the more he would be able to retrieve his "pain"—

He was convinced of this.

"Hmm, although I went easy on you, you didn't even move an eyebrow, huh. Are you perhaps unable to feel pain? You become increasingly more unique."

Even though her head was being grabbed, the girl stayed calm.

Shachito was convinced of his victory. He could just change the girl's weight, hurl her high in the air and let her crash into the ground.

The moment after Shachito thought this, the one blown away from behind was none other than himself.

"…!"

The girl shouldn't have been able to make a single move. And no one was behind him either.

As he crashed into the wall, Shachito was unable to evade the next attack.

"It's been a long time since an amateur Mushitsuki was able to touch me."

The girl's smile along with purple electricity approached from the front.

An impact completely incomparable to before shot through Shachito. It pierced through his body and crushed the wall behind him to pieces.

It had nothing to do with pain; he could feel he was forcibly being made to lose his consciousness.

Now that he slumped and fell to his knees, Shachito finally came to his senses.

Just before he blacked out he could see a glimpse of the full helmet man collapsed on the ground.

Have I… done that?

How had he been able to do such a thing?

How had he defeated him?

He couldn't understand what was happening to him.

"That Mushitsuki who used glass as a medium… since you killed his Mushi he became a Fallen—a state like a living corpse that lost all emotions and heart. Do relax, I won't kill your Mushi. You won't become a Fallen."

She apparently noticed his gaze. The girl spoke calmly.

Yet by the time he heard the explanation, Shachito was already thinking of something completely different.

What came to his mind was the underclassman girl riding the bus. The girl that helped him retrieve his motorbike after school. Shachito tried uncharacteristically helping her and so used his ability in order to save the bus she had been riding on.

She seemed to be hurrying somewhere… has she made it on time?

Just before his body succumbed to the drowsiness unaccompanied by any pain, he saw the figure of a girl pointing at him.

"You passed."

His greatest misfortune in this unlucky day…

Was being discovered by this raincoat-clad warrior.

Shiohara Shachito's "screening test"…

—Passed.

1.01 The Others

Looking down on the nightscape of Holland City from the height of several dozen meters above the ground, he was reminded of his nostalgic second home of New York.

This was obvious in the modernized townscape, but the fishing ships and tankers in the wide sea were also brimming with lights. This place probably developed this far by the land being blessed with the convenient location of the sea and river.

The circular lights he could see from afar belonged to the all-weather dome stadium that just finished its repairs. Adjacent to it were tourist sites reconstructing the era of trading with the Netherlands. Classic-style windmills and a trading ship floating in an artificial pond could be seen illuminated by floodlights.

All united by the dome, they were part of the theme park known as Oranje Land—"The Orange Land". Orange was the symbolic color of Holland.

His line of sight overlooking the nightscape was naturally drawn to the edges of Oranje Land. In a palace that was noticeably large even among the Oranje Land facilities he could see the "Concertgebouw". It was used both as a theater and as a concert hall, and it would be completely filled by an audience in a few weeks' time.

"Mister Harissi."

The one who called his name in English was his attendant manager.

Standing in the front of the group walking through the corridor of the high-rise building, Jarre Harissi turned around. His blue eyes turned from Holland City's nightscape to the overly thin suit-wearing Caucasian man.

"These are the profiles of the children who passed through the first examination. Here."

"Thank you."

He received the copies of resumes with a mild smile. The letters written on the covers consisting dozens of pages were the English translation added by the staff.

As Jarre proceeded in the corridor, he found a billboard in front of him.

"Auditions for the musical Beast" was written side by side in both Japanese and English along with an arrow.

According to the staff, the applicants have already gathered in the hall. It would be rude to make them wait with all their tension. Jarre quickened his pace.

The glass-sided wall reflected his figure along with the night view.

As someone born in South America, his large body towered over the staff walking in a line by a head. Although he approached the end of his thirties, his muscular body and the beard covering his chin were still in good shape. The buttons of his suit seemed too tight.

Even in Japan there should be plenty of people to know the name of Jarre Harissi.

After being selected in the tryouts for a musical at South America, he became known among the famous actors and related people of Broadway. With his large body used for large-scale dance moves and his heavy bass voice used for songs as his weapons, he was able to perform the main role of many musicals despite his lack of experience, and even received famous awards.

Yet as the musicals he performed in closed their curtains one after another, he lost his weapon known as youth and consequently also his place in Broadway.

At present, he hanged up his past awards and worked mainly on training actors and discovering talent. He received many offers from theater companies overseas, just like what caused him to come to Japan. Among those Jarre had "scouted" thus far there were also people who reached Broadway.

"Hmm, they're all making great faces."

Inside the resumes were pictures of the children brimming with dreams and hopes.

Although he was far from his past days of glory, he could feel some meaning in his current job. These children, a treasury of talent, overlapped with his past self that used to admire the brilliant Broadway. Just this made meeting up with them and watching over their growth enjoyable.

Since he had retired from active work, scouting and training young talent could be said to be his mission in life.

However—

"…Fufu."

He smiled wryly while looking at the window. In complete contrast to the pictures in his hand he could see his own ripened self.

Unable to fully give up on performing in Broadway again, even now he kept training his body.

"There's nothing as pitiful as a stubborn old soldier…"

He wore a self-derisive smile without thinking.

"What?"

One of the Japanese staff members tilted his head.

"Ah… no, this is nothing."

His shameful monologue had been overheard. Jarre smiled wryly and shook his head.

A cellphone's ringtone echoed.

"An accident? The time has already been decided though… I will try asking Mr. Jarre just to be sure."

One of the Japanese staff that held the phone spoke about something with Jarre's manager. The manager then turned to him.

"Mister Harissi. The applicant of resume number 92 would be late due to apparently being involved in a traffic accident. What do we do?"

"Are they safe?"

"The person herself contacted us, so there should be no problems. However, prolonging the time of the interview more than the schedule permits would be a bit…"

"Wouldn't it be a pity to crush her chance like that? And it's not like I'll give her special treatment just because of the accident. Can you tell them that at the very least I don't mind?"

As Jarre smiled, the staff member that heard his answer through the manager also smiled. He conveyed his consent to the person on the other side of the phone.

Even though the formal exam was meant to test these young people, they should all be given fair chances.

Jarre's consistent thinking made him known as a man of character to everyone involved. Although his exams were harsh, he would never forgive unfairness and compromise.

"…?"

It happened for some reason when he was about to open up the resume of the number said by the staff member.

Jarre's vision suddenly distorted. He stopped in place without thinking.

He felt as if he could hear a strange sound from somewhere. A sound much like something hitting thick metal resounded awfully near his ear.

He grimaced, feeling as if something stirred up the inside of his head.

"Is something the matter?"

"What was that sound just now? That horrible, grating sound."

Feeling dizzy, he shook his head. His face, that caused him to be jokingly called bear man, lion man and names like that even when he didn't do anything, twisted in a scowl.

The staff members have apparently not heard that sound. They shrugged in wonder.

There's no way they couldn't hear such a loud sound—

Jarre wanted to say this, but was interrupted by one of the staff raising their voice.

"Is that really fine?"

"What is?"

"I am talking about the matter just now. Are you really allowing that girl to not show up on time?"

A faint smile rising to his face, the man spoke in a sinister tone. The other staff members were startled and they all turned their heads toward him.

Jarre knit his eyebrows. He exchanged words with this man a few times, but had never seen him make that sort of face. He turned his back to the man and kept walking again.

"Stop beating around the bush. I admit these to be unusual measures, but this isn't any special treatment."

"You might regret it."

"Why?"

"You might be afraid of it."

"Me? Of what exactly?"

The man's persistent words were incredibly grating to his ears. The other staff members tried stopping him, but it didn't seem like he would back down.

"Of young talent."

"…!"

Jarre widened his eyes and turned around. Being stared by Jarre, the man's shoulders shook. With a surprised expression he looked around the faces of the other staff members.

"What sort of nonsense have I…!"

He could see something like a black haze separating from the man who seemed to come to his senses.

It was probably just some weird shadow—thinking this, Jarre faced forward again and hastened his walking.

"Come on, look at this. Has she not been doing her best?"

Looking at the resume he had been told about earlier, he saw the picture of a girl with a somewhat tense countenance. Checking her history, he found out that apart from belonging to a theatrical company she also took ballet lessons and even classes for Conversational English.

"And it's not just this girl; this world is overflowing with wonderful talent."

Thinking of these children's hope-filled future, Jarre smiled.

What should he be jealous of?

Jarre had already retired from active work. Even if he was about to give hope to these children he was going to test now, it wasn't anything that should pain him.

One of the children that appeared in these resumes was about to be scouted and trained by him.

"I look forward to raising them so much I can't help it."

Horanto Academy first-year student, Masaki Rio.

That name was written next to the photo of a girl who had frizzy hair as her special feature.

1.02 Inuko Part 1

Returning the hockey stick to her back, the girl grinned.

"I can't wait to raise you."

Looking down at the boy collapsed at her feet, she was satisfied at her unexpected harvest.

"Seems like I'm not gonna be bored while I'm here."

Silence returned to the gloomy alley.

Smoke rose from the destroyed large motorcycle, and the man wearing a full-face helmet lying next to it made no move.

Next to the other boy who was also unmoving was the collapsed motorbike known as a So1o. With its body toppled over, the engine stopped and its front wheel was spinning idly.

"Having me coach you means you have good luck. Do look forward to tomorrow."

She puffed her chest, which was moderate compared to her age, toward the unconscious boy.

Although she had been to many towns, there were very few times she happened across this much talent. His ability to control the mass of objects went without saying, and the balance of his mind was ideal.

Normally he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Yet he couldn't continue winning against this abnormal mental state.

Being "half-broken" was ideal.

—All in order to make him into a combatant that would never lose.

"Uh-huh, so you're Shiohara Shachito. What a strange name. Ah, and I'm burrowing this. I have no gasoline money anymore."

She pulled out the boy's wallet and used his license to confirm his name. And she swiped off only one bill.

"Have fun there. I still have a small job to do."

She returned the wallet to his pocket and wore her goggles again.

"Having two Special Type Mushitsuki being born in this city in so short a time… It's already a state of emergency. It's certainly a rare situation, but I know one thing for sure."

Leaving an afterimage behind, the figure of the smiling girl disappeared from the back alley.

"The Prototype Mushi that gives birth to Special Type Mushitsuki—Shinpu, is unmistakably in this city."

As the girl talked to herself, she was already looking down the scenery of Holland City from the sky.

Soaring up more than 10 meters in an instant, she landed on a building's roof. The yellow raincoat fluttered behind her. The hockey stick on her back and the helmet hanging from her neck generated an electrical discharge.

"Why does Shinpu, whom my friend had supposedly defeated, still exist? I, the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau Central Headquarters' Rank 3 member Asagi—Shishidou Inuko, must investigate this."

Inuko muttered this in a somewhat performative tone on top of a water tank. A belligerent smile rose to her lollipop-filled mouth.

Inuko closed her eyes behind the goggles and concentrated.

As she cut off her sense of sight, the townscape of Holland City immediately spread behind her eyelids. Yet the shape of this view was somewhat different from the real city; perhaps it could be said to be similar to an image created through thermography.

But the shape of the image Inuko could perceive was not through difference of temperatures.

What she could sense were "magnetic fields".

Inuko's ability, becoming a sensor of the strength of magnetism, perceived the location of an abnormal magnetic field.

"—Found you."

Opening her eyes wide, she looked down at one corner of the city.

It was a certain building sandwiched between several highways. She found a black shadow disappearing to the other side of the wall there.

As a reaction to Inuko's ability, sand from the ground rose up. These grains that had some iron in them—meaning iron sand, created the form of the butterfly known as a Chestnut Tiger, sparkling by the reflection of neon lights.

The next moment, Inuko teleported to the rooftop of the next building over.

Swoosh, with a sound of cutting through air, Inuko leapt further to another building. Her afterimage shrouded in purple electricity was moving toward the alley where the black shadow had disappeared.

On a building's rooftop, on a wall, on the top of a power pole, on the roof of a running car, on top of a mailbox.

Inuko moved hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye.

Shishidou Inuko's power as a Mushitsuki took "magnetism" as a medium. By either becoming a mass of magnetism herself or by manipulating magnetic objects, she would make herself and metals be pulled toward each other. At times she could even repulse.

A city that had plenty of iron in it, such as the bars of a building's framework or water pipes buried underground, served as Inuko's playground. With the laws of physics, she would create electrical discharges while moving inside these abnormal magnetic fields, but her insulated raincoat protected her from being shocked.

Moving at speeds the residents walking back and forth couldn't even perceive, Inuko pursued the black shadow.

"It's finally the time of reckoning for you, Shinpu."

While repeating her teleportation, Inuko concentrated in preparation for battle.

"If you want to blame anything at all, it has to be your own foolishness for giving birth to me—as well as your back luck that led my grown self to this city."

—There was an organization known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

This government agency devoted itself to handling the "nonexistent" (per the official stance) Mushi by capturing, concealing or isolating them. Commonly called the SEPB, they undertook any and all problems related to Mushi. Except for the Central Headquarters, the other branches monitored and controlled the entire country.

As Mushitsuki's abilities were wide-ranging, there were many times when ordinary firearms couldn't stand up to them. The decision taken by the SEPB was to manage the captured Mushitsuki, raising them to become soldiers through training.

Fight fire with fire.

Meaning they used Mushitsuki to capture Mushitsuki.

"So you've noticed me. Trying to run away, huh?"

Wearing her goggles again, Inuko raised the speed of her movements even further. A belt of purple electricity broke through a dark alley on the side of the road. This speed was enough to ruin her eyes by the air resistance if she hadn't worn her goggles.

For the last few years, the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau had secured and built their power inside the country. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they currently possessed enough firepower to rival even the JSDF.

And that meant that the numbers of Mushitsuki were increasing.

Mushitsuki kept multiplying.

"—Found ya!"

Inuko's field of vision perceived a retreating black figure turning in the alley in front of her.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau had confirmed the existence of the three designated as Prototype Mushi, beings that gave birth to Mushitsuki.

The first was Oogui. She greedily craved the dreams of boys and girl and thus kept increasing the numbers of Mushitsuki. There were many to become Mushitsuki after coming in contact with Oogui, who took the appearance of a human female. Since those who became Mushitsuki through her were able to control Mushi that possessed a form operated independently from them, they were called Minion Types.

Meanwhile, in complete opposition to Oogui was the one who barely made any appearances at all, Sanbikime. It was yet to be established what sort of form it took, but those who had been turned into Mushitsuki by it became Fusion Types. They were the kind that exhibited their abilities through merging with their Mushi.

And the remaining Prototype Mushi was what Inuko was chasing after right now—

"I never forgot that black robe."

As Inuko teleported to a street corner, a fluttering, filthy robe passed in front of her.

Since it had gone into a different road, she could see it only for an instant. Yet she would never mistake that robe by sight.

Inuko was a Special Type Mushitsuki. The type of Mushitsuki whose Mushi didn't materialize and instead used something else as a medium for its abilities.

The one who gave birth to Mushitsuki like Inuko was the Prototype Mushi known as Shinpu. Although he didn't appear frequently, he kept giving birth to Mushitsuki. His most distinctive feature was the black robe he wore.

No one could tell when and where these Prototype Mushi would appear.

It has been approximately ten years ever the existence of Mushi started being rumored around. Even the SEPB seemed to have given up on annihilating the Prototype Mushi, whose identity was yet to be found out even after all these months and years.

Yet Inuko was different.

No, as long as one was a Mushitsuki they probably all thought the same.

They would never forgive the ones who cast the deadly curse known as Mushi on them—

"…!"

Chasing after the black robe in a straight line, she finally caught up to it in an alley.

The moment she thought this, Inuko's vision was enveloped by a blinding light.

After passing through the back alley she found herself in front of the shopping district. With lines of buildings around, the front of an especially tall building was a plaza.  There were many suits-wearing adults and students on the way back from school around.

"Oh no—"

A black piece of cloth rose from within the crowds of people. That cloth, shaped like a filthy robe, rose above the people's head and dispersed as if melting into thin air.

The magnetic field was being erased—

Inuko scowled.

The magnetic fields would become disordered in the presence of many people. Also, Inuko's sensing ability wasn't searching for the Mushi itself; she perceived the waves induced by Mushitsuki abilities. She could use her ability to sense one's location, but if the disarranged magnetic field returned to how it was then tracking it was impossible.

"…So both of us haven't forgotten, huh. I was too impatient so I've forgotten… since I know Shinpu, he also obviously knows about my abilities."

This was clearly the result of him making use of the blind spot of Inuko's ability. As long as Shinpu didn't use his abilities again—until the moment he gave birth to a new Mushitsuki, she would probably be unable to perceive his wave.

Seeing the girl who was wearing a raincoat put a hand to her forehead and gaze at the night sky, passersby turned their heads in wonder. They all looked above, but there were obviously no signs of rain.

"This time I've fallen behind. But remember this, Shinpu. Next time I'll—"

"Hyau!"

"Gofbh!"

Just as she tried showing off while talking to herself, she was tackled by a girl that came out flying from the crowd.

"I-I-I'm sorry! Excuse me! Are you all right?"

The one who bumped into her was a girl with frizzy hair. She wore a duffle coat on top of a blazer of some high school's uniform.

"Ah, it dropped…"

The force of the other girl's shoulders hitting her solar plexus caused the lollipop to be expelled out of her mouth. She hurriedly felt around her pockets and brought out a new one. If she didn't have this Inuko would've been in trouble.

"D-dropped? There are no raindrops, it's fine! Oooh, you meant your candy, I'm sorry, I'll repay you!"

"Thank you for that. But don't worry about it, this is a special product that can't be bought anywhere. Leaving that aside, it was a nice tackle."

"C-can't be bought anywhere?! Is it some limited edition?"

The girl kept acting exaggeratedly surprised without calming down.

"Now, now, do calm down first. By the way, have you seen some suspicious-looking individual around here? I believe he looks like an old man."

Shinpu's face hidden by the hood was similar to an old man's. Since she had nothing to lose Inuko tried inquiring the girl.

"Hmm, I don't think I have…"

As she feared, the girl shook her head.

Since Inuko had imagined this response, she wasn't particularly disappointed. Yet she could feel something amiss from the girl in front of her, and gazed at her intently.

Isn't this girl's wave… a bit upset?

The fact that she acted with a delay and bumped into her was also because of that.

Yet it wasn't rare for the magnetic fields she could feel from normal people to be more distraught than during normal times. It would slightly vary when their physical condition deteriorated or when their mental condition was a mess.

"You seem to be out of breath. Do you feel anything strange? You seem to have a wave I've never perceived before."   

"Wave…? Oh, if you're talking about me being out of breath, it's because I was running here in a hurry—AHHH!"

Apparently recalling something, the girl widened her eyes.

"E-excuse me! I am in a great hurry! The audition is…!"

"Sorry for holding you back. Do be careful to not get into any accident."

"It's fine! I was in an accident just now after all!"

Lowering her head, the girl ran away.

Looking at the direction she had come from Inuko understood. It was the same direction as the highway where the Mushitsuki she had let escape fought with the So1o boy. The other girl had probably also been involved in that danger.

She was glad to see that girl was safe.

Inuko had no intention to involve a girl who lived a completely different life while keeping her dreams in her chest in the battle of Mushitsuki.

She pulled out her cellphone, pushing in the number she had memorized. She moved to the side of the road.

"Please confirm there is no third party in a radius of 10 meters and state your member code."

Hearing the voice on the other side, Inuko knitted her eyebrows. She mouthed her assigned member code.

"Member code confirmed. Comparing voice print. —Finished. Switching over to the internal communication channel."

"…"

"This is the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's Central Headquarters' information management division. Starting now the conversation will be voice recorded under the personal records of Central Headquarters member, Irregular Class Rank 3 Asagi. Please state the required information."

"What happened to C? My phone was supposed to have been connected to her even inside the information division."

"Concurrently with her reassignment as Secret Class Rank, C was transferred from the information management division to another duty."

"Where's her new team? I heard that Fuyuhotaru escaped from Central Headquarters last week… Does it have anything to do with that? Could I speak with her?"

"At present, any information related to C can only be revealed to those on the rank of branch director or above. It is also prohibited for members to get in contact with her."

"Hmm. By the way, how much time will it take you to use your abilities to interfere with the main database and draw out information? I want to know anything I can about Shinpu with the authority of a Rank 3. C would have done it in several seconds though."

"…The expected required time is 27 hours."

"You lack training, huh. Well, the disciple I'd found a while ago is about to finish his training soon, so there should be no problems with finding a successor for C. Once you gather up the information please contact me."

Cutting off the correspondence, she looked up at the moon-filled sky.

She looked in the direction of Akamaki City, where the Central Headquarters were located. The Rank 1 Mushitsuki Fuyuhotaru that had been captured during last year's Christmas Eve escaped from there just last week. Perhaps the excellent Mushitsuki called C, whom Inuko put great trust in, had also been involved in that incident.

"Fuyuhotaru causes nothing but trouble around her, just like always."

She spontaneously clenched her fists.

The fight revolving around Fuyuhotaru that started four years ago continued even now.

The multitudes of powers mingled with one another, involved not only Mushitsuki but also normal people, and even now seemed expanding all the more.

"All sorts of important battles are unfolding in places where I'm not present…"

Originally Inuko should have also been going around battlefields.

She was the "berserker" feared by both enemies and allies, Shishidou Inuko.

She had once even protected the back of the Rank 1 demon, but didn't possess any of the power she had after being exiled from the frontlines anymore. Her abilities were currently on decline, so even if she took part in important battles, it was obvious she would end up standing in the way of something crucial.

"There's nothing as pitiful as a warrior left behind in a battle…"

A lonely smile rose to Inuko's mouth.

"My body can't endure any big battles anymore."

A berserker left behind in battle.

A ruined fighter continuing her lone journey.

Inuko shook her head and recalled her position.

"That's not good, I'm already retired from active duty after all. I need to focus on my current mission."

Since she had already learned all techniques for fighting, there were still things she could do.

She lived to this day by believing so.

"Remember this well, you Original Three who keep giving birth to Mushi. You probably only think of humans as your prey. Yet you can't even begin to imagine our 'possibilities'."

The day will come for the Mushitsuki's greatest battle—the decisive fight against the Original Three.

As well as the clashing between the various powers revolving around Fuyuhotaru.

And Inuko herself would be unable to fight in those battlefields.

Before long they will be thrown into the war front: those who had been found and raised by Inuko, the new generation of Mushitsuki so to speak.

"By the time you produce one Mushitsuki I'll raise ten warriors."

Special Environmental Preservation Bureau Central Headquarters member Asagi, Shishidou Inuko.

The mission given to her by the organization was to search and capture undiscovered Mushitsuki, as well as to raise combatants.

"Scouting" those with a talent for fighting was Inuko's current duty.

Shishidou Inuko's "battle training".

The target was Shiohara Shachito.

—Start.

Notes

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