Mushi Uta:Volume 6 Chapter 4

4.00 Shachito Part 6

The days passed slowly.

The number of text messages decreased, but he noticed that they mainly came from girls. Yet when he tried recalling their correspondence, his thinking was led to a completely different direction.

As for his school life, it could be said to have changed.

There was no difference from the days when he concealed his status as a Mushitsuki and spent his days laughably.

And yet, why did—

"…"

Riding his So1o along the coastal road, Shachito looked at the sea through his goggles.

—Why did the scenery reflecting in his eyes seemed so different?

Had he really not noticed the beauty of this scene before?

Even when he went to school through the same road every morning.

And yet the wind hitting Shachito's skin, the sea sparkling from the morning sun, the smell of seawater tickling his nose, all of them were pleasant.

The world might be beautiful.

But at the same time, he also felt some misgivings about the way he lived his life so far.

Wasn't the world I've been living in been horribly twisted somewhere—

He could feel the discomfort he'd noticed while viewing the album in his room increase every day.

What led to this was undoubtedly his meeting with the girl who could be called nothing other than eccentric. The raincoat girl that suddenly appeared in front of him… The Mushitsuki girl who introduced herself as Shishidou Inuko said she would raise him into a warrior. Ever since then she forced him to go through battle training.

Ever since meeting Inuko, he had been involved in only dangerous happenings.

He'd fought against the monster known as Shinpu, and the other day he even ended up fighting Inuko herself. The days of being covered in fresh wounds continued.

And the broken Shachito that appeared every time he fought…

Was that form his talent as a warrior that Inuko had spoken about?

If so, then who on earth was the current Shachito who was able to spend his life peacefully?

"What's the strongest warrior, you ask?"

It happened yesterday.

Shishidou Inuko asked him back while he was collapsed on the beachside last night. He had asked her this after having received a unilateral spanking under the guise of hand-to-hand fighting and being knocked down. 

What is the strongest warrior? Could someone as weak as me who couldn't even touch you with one finger become one? He asked.

"First of all, if you think of yourself as weak then start working on it seriously. What were those movements just now? You haven't even the slightest intention of beating me, right?"

Preaching him no matter what happened was Inuko's habit. She sighed, spun the hockey stick in her hand and put it on her back.

"There's no way I can beat you. Aren't you that strongest warrior or whatever, Inuko? What does it even mean in the first place. Are we inside a game or a manga? There are plenty of ways to become one, such as having a legendary sword or receiving a god's blessing."

"Don't play innocent about your own lack of seriousness and complain, you moron. —It's true that I'm not the strongest despite reaching near that position, though. I was ultimately unable to become the strongest."

"Seriously? Is there anyone stronger than you?"

"There is. This is obvious, but only one person like that exists in the world."

Inuko's expression illuminated by the moonlight was proud despite not talking about herself. Yet it also seemed lonely and regretful.

There was a person this girl openly acknowledged despite being the crystallization of all battle techniques. 

Shachito couldn't believe it. At the same time he felt curious.

"What kind of monster are they?"

"Not a monster at all. There are other Mushitsuki who could be called monsters. All the powerful Mushitsuki you probably don't know about like Fuyuhotaru, Harukiyo, or Ladybird. No, they're definitely as powerful as monsters. But you know…"

"…?"

"That strongest warrior is a mere Mushitsuki. Although only for a short while, I have watched his back, so I know this better than anyone."

Squinting, Inuko sat next to Shachito. Sitting cross-legged and gazing at the sea, the girl's profile showed a smile. She was probably reminiscing.

"—I can't possibly defeat him. I have more of the qualities of a warrior, and at the time I was surely superior to him in my fighting abilities. I surpass him in analytic abilities, in rational thinking, in everything."

"…"

"And yet I felt like I couldn't win. No matter how much he was hurt, he stood up again and again. No matter how inferior he was, the decisive blow came from him. He fought, survived, and won. He seemed full of openings yet never broke down. He always looked like he was fighting something much larger than the opponent in front of him."

Inuko raised both of her hands and clenched them. As if she was holding something important.

"I feel like there's some conclusive difference between him and us other Mushitsuki. But it's also something that anyone can possess in their heart… that's how I feel. I believe that he chooses to confront something that we don't notice or pretend not to notice."

Seeing the girl speak somewhat happily, a small emotion welled up inside Shachito.

The first emotion—it was so small that even he himself couldn't notice it, but perhaps it was envy. He knew at a glance that Inuko trusted that person.

"So you're saying… I can become like him?"

"That depends on you. No, it would be better to say it depends on you lot."

Inuko looked down at Shachito, a carefree smile on her face. It was his first time seeing her with that expression.

"I would actually like to coach all Mushitsuki by my own hands. But that has its limits. Therefore, I only give one-on-one lessons to those who have the makings to become 'warriors around my level'. If they're about as strong as I am they should be able to survive most battles. And if they're able to survive, it means there're more chances for them to understand what the strongest warrior possesses."

Perhaps intoxicated by the calm beachside wind, Inuko was in a great mood. She was probably reminded of the countless Mushitsuki she had brought up in the past.

"It's difficult to conceal you're a Mushitsuki and live in this world, Shachito. There are other people who, just like me, can sense the existence of other Mushitsuki. There's no perfect sensing ability as far as I know, though. Mushitsuki will definitely get involved in some fight for some reason or another. You can't live defenselessly."

"So basically… you're saying I have a talent for surviving?"

"Indeed. —Survive, Shachito. Even though this world is so beautiful, it's far harsher and crueler than you imagine. Yet you have the power to survive."

She said with a lonely smile. Unclenching her fists, she averted her eyes from Shachito.

"…But I hope that even if you fail at being a warrior you won't be disgraceful and pitiful like me."

"You're not pitiful at all."

He blurted out without thinking. Inuko widened her eyes and looked at his face.

"Well, wearing a raincoat is weird and you have no feminine sex appeal, though."

"Wow."

"But sometimes… Like when you've fought Shinpu, there were times you looked pretty cool, and you taught me all sorts of things—well, I can go along with you as long as I think of it as good exercise."

Inuko's hand about to draw out her hockey stick stopped in place.

"You don't look pitiful at all to me, Inuko."

He said while hiding his embarrassment, which seemed strange even to him. He should've been able to say words of that level already no matter the recipient.

He had the feeling he now understood the reason why Masaki Rio was always so bashful while talking to him.

She apparently constantly worried about whether he would accept her "true intentions" that she was trying to hide—

"Thank you."

Now came Shachito's turn to be surprised.

He thought for sure that she would reply something like "even if you flatter me I won't go easy on you" with a light tone.

"Even if that's just sympathy, I'm glad you accept me."

But what differed from his expectations was Inuko's expression. Her smile vanished and she actually seemed hurt.

Thinking she had mistaken him to be sarcastic, Shachito became angry.

"I told you I don't pity you. I really think so. Since it's me saying that it may be hard to believe, but—"

"That's not it. It's just self-hatred. Please don't take offense."

She smiled as if to pacify him, standing up. This seemed to indicate their talk was over.

Yet Shachito's anger was not gone.

His words were light.

This was probably obvious from his usual speech and conduct. If he were his usual self, he wouldn't have become angry like that.

"…I'm telling you I really think so."

He felt pathetic being frustrated and asserting this.

"I know. It's just that I don't have the qualifications to accept your words. The one at fault is me for being a Mushitsuki with a certain sin."

"A sin?"

Shachito asked back, but Inuko didn't answer. She turned her back to him, walking on the sandy beach toward her parked Vespa.

"Shachito. You seem to be still trying to recall your dream, but—forget about it."

Yet her legs stopped midway. She spoke without even turning around.

"You're similar to me in everything. Starting from your fighting style to your condition of nearly breaking. So your dream is probably also… no, never mind."

"…?"

"You can go to school tomorrow. I'll be preparing your final test until the end of school day."

That was how he'd seen Inuko yesterday as she left.

Ever since the raincoat girl rode away on her Vespa, Shachito kept thinking alone.

What on earth was Inuko's sin?

And also—

"My dream, huh…"

As Shachito rode his beloved vehicle, his mutter rode the wind and vanished into the sea.

Even after reaching school the worries inside him were not gone.

He hadn't been there for a few days, but he chatted with his friends and went through classes just like always. Even when there was an inter-school announcement during lunch-time summoning him over his many absences, he skipped on it as always.

By the time afternoon classes started—Shachito's heart had retrieved its calm.

Even his dream, occupying his thoughts ever since morning, vanished from his mind. Fighting against Shinpu and receiving Inuko's training all felt like they belonged to a distant, bygone era.

"…"

Ignoring the voice of the teacher reading the textbook, he gazed at the scenery outside the window absentmindedly.

Something was strange—

Warning bells rang somewhere deep in his heart.

The time Shachito spent without fighting and getting hurt warped something inside him.

He felt some anxiety about him not caring about Mushitsuki, dreams and all that.

"…She said something about a final test. Maybe I'll just play hooky and go have some fun for a change."

He spontaneously mumbled to himself.

The blue sky that seemed so beautiful that morning stopped evoking any sort of emotion in him. This peaceful scenery stagnated, dulled, and became pleasant.

"Do rejoice, Shachi-kun!"

Shachito turned around with a start.

It was after school. A male student he was familiar with jumped at Shachito as he was trying to rise from his seat. He caught his shoulders tightly from both sides as if saying he won't let him escape.

"Don't scare me like this. And using 'do' like that is weird, really."

"Hah? Why're you surprised at that part. —More importantly, the mixer party we passed because of you cancelling in the last minute! I just got a message informing of its revival! It's a bit sudden but are you free now? You are, right?"

Shachito grew silent for a second. Today was going to be Inuko's final test.

He had to go for it.

He felt a premonition similar to impatience.

The world of "this side", filled with peace and pleasure, twisted Shachito's heart just like a drug—

"I'm not free."

Shachito replied.

It was a sweet world where he would never fight anyone and never get hurt.

And Shachito—had no way to resist it.

"…Is what you thought I'd say, right?!"

With a full smile, Shachito joined shoulders with his friends. They raised a cheerful voice.

Even if he had no dream, Shachito felt satisfied in his current life.

No matter who they were, no one had the right to take it away from him.

"As expected from Shachi-san! We'll gather for you as many pretty girls as we can!"

"For real? For real?"

"Sure thing! I understand your tastes perfectly! Well, only because you always kept blabbing things like 'she isn't my type', 'I can't get excited about her' and all that."

"That's obvious. It's fun to cheer on some girl who's shining with hope—"

As he started saying this, Shachito's smile froze.

His reasoning power, about to descend into this peaceful world, was barely holding on by a lone string. 

Always?

His type?

"Wha—"

His smile became tense.

He was aware of the fact that he liked cheering on his friends who made efforts aiming for something.

But something was different here—

The discomfort inside Shachito grew to the utmost extremes.

He had the feeling that there was a large deviation between what he thought of as "cheering" and how it looked to other people. That it was twisted.

"When you say always—what's that? What's my type—"

"Huh? What's up with that all of a sudden."

His friends exchanged glances. They spoke as if it was perfectly natural.

"Your type hasn't changed ever since middle school, right? You like girls who're giving their efforts to studying, clubs and stuff like that."

"Yup. It was awful last year. The first-year track-and-field club girl who went to the National Athletic Meet failed from the shock of breaking up with you. We're your bros, but that was just horrible."

His friend saying this cast a glance at the back of the class.

Following his gaze, he could see a female classmate biting her lips and leaving the class.

It was the girl who had called out Shachito to the corridor last month. The one who slapped his cheeks.

"That reaction, just like I thought… Shachi. So that rumor was true?"

"What rumor—"

"That you made a move on that girl from the brass band during their recital."

"Is that true, Shachi-san?! As expected from our school's playboy!"

Shachito saw the girl's back off absentmindedly.

"—N-no, I haven't done… anything like that."

He hadn't done anything?

Really?

"You see, that's why I said you were lying. You're doing it even now, right? I heard you're targeting what's her face from first year? The one who's into acting or whatever, they say she's going to perform in Oranje Land."

"Wow, that's totally in his strike zone."

"…No."

No.

He wanted to purely cheer on Rio, different from what he'd done until now—

"Until now"? What does that mean? What have I been doing until now—

"…Sorry, I can't go today after all."

Leaving this behind, Shachito flew out of the class. Voices of complaints concentrated behind him, but he ignored them.

He found the girl walking down the corridor and called out to her.

"Wait!"

The girl turned back. When he saw her expression, Shachito was once again astonished.

On the face of this girl who had slapped his cheek before—was now, without a doubt, an expression of disgust.

"What?"

"…Sorry, I'd like to talk to you for a bit. Come here."

"N-no, stop…!"

Pulling the arm of the reluctant girl, he brought her to an empty corner of the corridor.

"I said stop! Are you going to keep doing things to me…?"

With this abnormal gaze of anger, the girl managed to shake off Shachito's hands.

"Do things to you…?"

"I told you I wanted to end it, didn't I…! Please don't get involved with me anymore!"

Tears rose to the girl's eyes. Unable to understand what she was trying to say, Shachito couldn't do anything except show a faint smile.

"What… what have I done to you?"

He once again threw the same question as he did during the time she had slapped him.

The girl covered her mouth, shocked. She was probably trying to stop the sobbing that leaked out without thinking.

Contrary to his expectations of getting slapped again, the impact he had resolved himself against didn't come. The girl gazing at Shachito's face bit her lips and lowered her gaze. Clear drops fell to her feet as her shoulders shook.

"I was… so happy…! It was the first time anyone ever encouraged me… So I was also happy when you'd invite me to hang out as a breather, Shachito-kun… But the more I had fun being with you… the less I wanted to go through practice or anything else…"

Shachito widened his eyes.

While he was looking at the girl that spoke while sobbing, he started to recall what happened between them.

Until some time ago when she slapped him, he certainly had been going out with her. He went home with her, hanged out with her friends—they have shared a lot of time together. Yes, his room had been decorated with the photos of doing the same thing with all of his girlfriends.  

"…But I thought it was all my fault… Since you were supporting me I felt like I didn't have to think about anything and that it was my fault for becoming so irresponsible…"

It was just like Inuko said when they had fought on the building in front of the station.

Shachito had no dream.

And so he wanted to share other people's dreams, spending his days rooting for them.

"So I… destroyed your dream."

Shachito muttered, still wearing a faint smile.

—Yet this wasn't everything.

There was another thing that Shachito's lacked.

"Pain"—

The other Shachito tried sharing even that with other people—

"But everyone is the same for you, Shachito-kun, right…? You said so, right?"

The girl raised her tear-stained face.

He felt the same no matter who it was—exactly so.

The figures of the peoples whose dreams Shachito had destroyed firmly remained in his memories. And they weren't just girls. He even got close to male friends and by inviting them to hang out with him made them lose their goals.

All in order to share a dream he didn't have.

And in order to share another thing he didn't have—pain.

"Say, when I'd destroyed your dream—"

A carefree smile rose to Shachito's face. The same friendly smile he always wore.

"—Did it hurt?"

A dry sound echoed through the corridor.

She slapped him for the second time.

Even as he held his cheek, the smile didn't vanish from Shachito's face.

"What, this doesn't hurt at all."

Finally, the girl broke down crying. She cried in a loud voice, not caring about being seen by other people.

A normal human would feel pity seeing that painful figure.

Yet Shachito felt nothing.

All because he had forgotten what "pain" was.

"Sorry for taking your time. Umm… what was your name again?"

Since he felt no pain, this wasn't a major incident for him. The girl's name he had supposedly remembered just now was gone from his mind. He had no interest in a girl who'd lost her dream.

Turning his back to the crying that became even more violent, he walked through the corridor. When he returned to the class to retrieve his bag and helmet his friends were no longer there.

"Ah, it's too late to go to the mixer party now. Oh well, I'll go to Inuko."

He headed to the main gate, humming. It was bothersome but he had nothing better to do, so he decided to go along with that final test or whatever. Since she called it "final", if he were to pass it he would probably no longer need any training.

"Shachito-senpai."

When he arrived at the shoe racks he could see Masaki Rio waiting there. She waved her hand lively, fitting for someone who aspired to become a great actress.

"Rio-chan!"

Shachito's expression sparkled again and he approached Rio.

"What? So you were able to come to school today? And you even waited for me."

"Yes."

Rio nodded, seemingly a bit embarrassed.

Her face that he hadn't seen in a while seemed to be overflowing with hope and confidence.

Shachito knew the reason for it.

Rio had splendidly passed her audition for the musical. She had already informed him about this by mail, but since she had to go through concentrated practice for the performance that was just around the corner she took a break from school. He hadn't seen her in person ever since the day she had taken the final audition.

For him, who lived irresponsibly without wishing for anything, seeing her make her best efforts in pursuit of a single dream served as mental support.

He could feel himself sharing Rio's dream.

He only needed to share one other thing.

Picking up his motorcycle at the parking lot, he walked side-by-side with her.

"I'm quitting school."

Rio's confession was sudden.

Shachito stopped in place without thinking.

"—Eh?"

"I have already decided this before the final audition. If I were accepted we would perform all over the country, and so I wouldn't be able to come to school. Also, once this play ends, I will go to Akamaki City and enter an authentic theatrical company."

Rio also stopped and turned around.

The girl lived true to her dream, yet her face was clouded with anxiousness.

"Even though I don't know whether I will be able to act well or not, I can't wait. But I want to try out doing whatever I can. My role now is not that important, but… I thought I would aim for the main role next."

Rio sent a serious expression at Shachito who stood stock still.

"Shachito-senpai… will you root for me?"

Shachito's surprised expression changed into a grin.

Rio also eased into a smile out of relief.

"Should you really be going this far?"

The girl's expression froze.

"…Eh?"

"No matter how hard you work, what's impossible is just impossible. Even if you purposely put pressure on yourself nothing will come out of it. And I wanna be by your side when that happens. It's better for you to receive as little damage as possible when you find out reality's tough and that your dream will never come true."

"…"

Rio gazed at Shachito in astonishment as he said this with a light smile.

"It won't always be like this—"

Shachito's mouth moved on its own.

"You're not going to have this kind of luck every time."

Rio's expression stiffened.

She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words for it.

"It's not… luck—"

Just like a doll, she moved only her mouth.

"Since I… have done my best…"

Before Shachito would add any further words, Rio dropped her gaze, her bangs hanging down.

"But I did my best because you cheered for me, Shachito-senpai…! Were you always looking at me like this? You're saying that I only passed by coincidence—"

Raising her face again, large tears spilled from the girl's eyes.

"So you are really are—a superficial and irresponsible person after all."

She turned around, ran and left Shachito.

While looking at her back—

"I said so from the start."

Shachito put a hand on his chest.

He felt some sort of small discomfort.

It was a tiny twinge, different from a heartbeat.

"—Maybe it hurts a bit?"

Wearing a faint smile, he put on his helmet.

Equipping his goggles, he straddled his So1o and rode out of school.

While rushing through the city dyed by the orange sunset, Shachito kept smiling.

He completely retrieved his original form.

That was him.

He always lived like this until now. He only became close to people shining with dreams and hopes in order to witness the instant they lose that luster.

Since he had forgotten his own dream, he tried recalling it by sharing other people's dreams. Yet he was unable to do so no matter what, and always felt some discomfort.

Because of that, Shachito tried sharing the pain he had forgotten the same way.

Yet as expected he was unable to recall his pain.

Since he felt no pain, he would soon also forget other people's pain. Because of that, he didn't care at all about the people he had broken.

"Hmm."

While riding on his motorbike, he pressed on his chest.

Masaki Rio was also like all the other people he had gotten in contact with. They would shine with hope only for an instant, but were helplessly brittle. They would easily lose their confidence just by having Shachito simply shake them a bit.

And yet, different from until now, when he saw her crying, Shachito felt something akin to a small pain.

In that meaning, perhaps it was special.

Yet even the pain he'd felt for a split second was soon forgotten.

In the end, Shachito was unable to retrieve pain in its truest meaning.

Since he had no pain, his days were filled with peace.

His peaceful days, that had nothing to do with pain, would continue like this forever.

"So that girl's also no good already."

He rode his So1o with a carefree mood, heading toward his destination.

He had already been informed of the place where today's training would take place from a message sent by Shishidou Inuko. After riding his motorbike nonstop, he soon arrived there.

It probably used to be a printing factory. By entering a small path through the main street of the town center and advancing for a while, he reached vast premises with no signboards.

Going through the rusted and unmoving fences, he parked his bike. Throwing off his helmet, he entered through the broken front entrance with his goggles still equipped.

"You're late, Shachito. Your test partners grew tired of waiting."

Inside this space, which was a mere cave with all of the machinery removed, was Inuko. Sitting on a window on the higher part of the wall, she looked down at Shachito and at "them".

"Hihah."

There was the scent of a battle.

The premonition of battle made Shachito wear a broken smile.

Standing in his way were three large monsters. They were beasts that seemed like distorted insects made large.

There were three teens near the monsters. They turned back to look at Shachito, seemingly surprised.

"They're all part of the resistance group that goes against the SEPB, Mushibane. I drove them all the way here for them to become your test partners. This is your first time fighting Minion Types, right?"

Although he was facing these unsightly beasts, Shachito didn't feel disturbed. He even felt disappointed as if their looks were just for show.

"Your final test is a real battle. Remember what I've taught you and fight. They shouldn't pose any problem to you."

Inuko's tone sounded convinced of Shachito's victory.

The group calling themselves Mushibane moved all at once. Perhaps judging him to be an enemy, they set their Mushi on him.

Shachito leapt back with light steps. Autumn darters flew out of him.

The enemy couldn't even perceive Shachito as he evaded using instantaneous movements. As he distanced himself they looked for him frantically.

They wouldn't pose any problem. It was indeed so.

Compared to Shinpu or to Inuko whom he had fought before, they were equivalent to babies.

"…Listen, even if it's your first time fighting Minion Types, you shouldn't be so nervous."

Yet Inuko scolded him from above.

"Hmm?"

He looked at his own arm.

His uniform was torn and blood was flowing. He was apparently an instant too late in evading the attack.

"Hihah."

Not caring at all, he raised his face again.

Shachito could feel no pain. Such a wound would serve no obstacle to him fighting.

—Or so it should have been.

"…?"

He noticed a strange sensation running through his arm.

Throb, throb, it was a twinge as though a heart was beating through his arm.

It hurt.

Along with the revived sense of pain, memories of the past flashed into his mind.

It was a pure-white sickroom.

Then middle school student Shachito received grievous injuries in a traffic accident and came to the verge of death. He miraculously regained his consciousness and his family was overjoyed.

But the real hell started afterward.

The germs entering through his wounds inflamed all of his joints. Shachito spent his days writhing in unimaginable pain.

He couldn't move because of the pain. He was unable to eat or even sleep. A few seconds of pain felt like days to him.

While withstanding intense pain that seemed like it would drive him insane, Shachito was thinking.

Why am I the only one to go through such a—

Wrapped up in a blanket on his bed, Shachito always heard laughter around him. He heard the voices of visitors to the hospital, and of those who went outside.

Everyone except him felt no pain.

He was the only one suffering in the entire world.

I want to die… and if not—

He ended up thinking this.

I want everyone else to hurt and suffer like this—

Although he was in the midst of extreme agony, he had embraced an immature and selfish wish.

And the one to accept this wish was neither a god nor a demon.

Appearing along with the sounds of a bell was an abnormal being wrapped in a filthy robe.

And its name—was Shinpu.

—He remembered.

He recalled his dream.

The reason for Shachito to have become a Mushitsuki.

"…"

While staring at the blood running on his arm, Shachito wore a faint smile.

Until now he had seen the beautiful dreams of all sorts of people.

He thought that he would like for his dream to be as beautiful as theirs.

However—

"Hihah."

Could such a wish be even called a dream?

Did that dream turn him into a Mushitsuki?

It was the worst possible truth.

In order to forget that, Shachito had forgotten "pain".

He hated acknowledging the fact he had become a Mushitsuki due to that trifling dream, so for several years, he concealed his power.

In the end, everything he'd done until now—because of his dream, was the worst.

"…"

He looked at Inuko above.

The scent of battle—the battlefield caused the real Shachito to return.

He had only started thinking about things lately due to him fighting. Since he stopped concealing and further exposed his Mushitsuki self, he noticed too late that it served as the opportunity that led to the revival of his true self.

The one who had invited Shachito to battle was none other than Shishidou Inuko.

And Inuko knew this.

After all, she had never mentioned "which side" of Shachito was the broken one.

Shachito was helplessly twisted.

He was broken.

Yes, the real broken one was—

"So the broken one… was the part of me living irresponsibly and without thinking of anything, huh…"

The broken berserker, Shiohara Shachito.

The swarm of the assaulting Mushi was reflected in the eyes of this warrior discovered by Shishidou Inuko.

4.01 The Others

Her vision was blurry.

It shook, distorted, and trembled.

Transparent drops leaked on the ground at her feet.

Her vision slightly cleared up, yet soon the large tears flowing from her eyes made the scenery blurry again.

"…"

At some point rain started pouring on the town center of Holland City.

The rain, scattering here and there, washed Masaki Rio's tear marks.

The theatrical company which Rio belonged to had rented out a floor in the building where the audition took place for her practice.

In contrast to the front entrance facing the station, the backside of the building had neither lights nor any human presence.

Rio couldn't understand anything anymore.

She was told unimaginable things by Shachito and her mind was in shambles. Even so her legs naturally carried her to this building in an attempt to devote herself to practice.

"…Shachito-senpai…"

A hoarse voice spilled from Rio's mouth.

She didn't know why she was there.

She didn't know why she was seeing such a thing.

"He—"

A cracked bell sound was violently echoing from somewhere.

Every time it rang, the air became ever fouler. Even the rain that increased its vigor was encroached by the bell's sound and she felt as though it was clinging to her body.

Inside her vision, soggy due to her tears and the rain, something black other than the darkness was wriggling. That fog or smoke slowly coagulated, turning into a filthy robe.

"I welcome thee as mine vessel…"

She could hear a husky voice from somewhere.

White caterpillars slowly climbed on Rio's feet.

"—Help me…"

Having lost her light, Rio looked down at something.

It was a large, red circle. Mixing with the rain, it grew even larger.

What drew this circle was a large amount of fresh blood.

At the center of the fresh blood were the remains of a body as large as a bear.

The one dead with his mouth still agape in agony was undoubtedly the foreign famous actor—

Jarre Harissi.

4.02 Inuko Part 5

The sound of the rain hitting the factory's roof was loud.

Sitting on the window, Shishidou Inuko wore a smile on her face with all of her might.

"F—"

It was merely a coincidence she'd reached Holland City.

But perhaps it was her destiny.

Making Inuko, who never believed in either gods or demons but only in her own power to think about "fate" was like a miracle in itself.

That was how much the boy she had happened across in Holland City resembled her.

Shiohara Shachito.

Or even if it was fate, perhaps it had started a long way before her meeting with him.

In the past Inuko was called a heaven-sent warrior, passing through countless battlefields. Yet she was only able to fight for an instant, and it was far too fleeting. During the time she had failed and had even doubted the reason for her own existence there was someone who had given her another way of living.

Inuko had been given a duty.

Her wishes had been granted by the Central Headquarters. Making use of her sensory abilities, she would search for the Mushitsuki that slipped away from the SEPB's eyes throughout the entire country. And so she was permitted to head out on a journey as a so-called "scout".

Yet her real duties were passing along her cultivated fighting techniques and raising the warriors who would shoulder the battles of the next generation.

She had raised countless Mushitsuki until now.

Her ideal was the strongest warrior who would never lose to anyone. The Mushitsuki coached by her would probably soon be thrown into real battles and freely exhibit their possibilities.

Even so, a deep despair remained as an aftertaste deep inside Inuko's heart.

However, she had met Shachito in this city.

He was a Mushitsuki blessed with a sense for battle as if he was her clone. He absorbed her teaching just like silk floss could absorb water, learning rapidly.

He was another Inuko.

He was another berserker.

"F…f—"

Looking down at the scene below her, a shiver welled up from the depth of Inuko's body.

Everything happened due to fate.

Even though she grasped all battle techniques, she had been abandoned on the battlefield.

Like an empty, cast-off husk, Inuko had drifted to Holland City at the end of her lone journey.

Everything was in order to complete the berserker known as Shiohara Shachito.

Inuko had finally happened upon the strongest warrior.

"…ts…"

—Or so she thought.

"It hurts…"

Inuko's expression warped rapidly.

Inuko had never doubted the birth of her successor, yet a much too painful scene was reflected in her eyes.

Silence returned to the abandoned factory.

Never mind the Mushi, there were no signs of any of the Mushibane members either. It was after they had all run away from the factory.

One could only hear the fierce sound of rain and a servile, weak groan.

In the center of the building, Shiohara Shachito curled up in a fetal position.

His whole body was covered in wounds inflicted by Mushi. Yet none of them were life-threatening. Once they had realized he stopped moving and resisting—judging that continuing to fight him would be pointless, they left him behind and ran away.

Falling to this awkward form, there were no traces of Shachito's talent as a warrior.

"It hurts… It hurts…"

The only thing there was a loser.

It wasn't just Shachito.

Inuko was also included.

Inuko's despair-filled mutter echoed in the factory that contained nothing but failures.

"F-… failed."

Shishidou Inuko's "final test".

The target was Shiohara Shachito.

—Failed.

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