Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 2

2.00 Youko Part 1

There was a thing known as miniature garden therapy.

It was a kind of a psychological analysis method.

You create a small world inside a wooden box filled with white sand. From this one can surmise the components lacked by the creator's psychological state and mentality, meaning their wishes and desires.

A certain girl assembled many dolls, flowers and animals. The fact that the most prominent materials were spiritual—things like castles and angels that weren't part of reality, it was a proof of her abundant imagination. She was curious and heavily emotional, but on the other hand, she was idealistic and selfish.

A certain boy who lived in the capital created a miniature world with forests and mountains and he set a ship to sail, while only one doll represented himself. The shabby nature and lone doll was due to him having poor communication with his surroundings, symbolizing his wish to escape to some vague other world.

There was also a woman who gathered dolls of men and women dolls facing each other, surrounding them with vehicles and large buildings, bridges and tetrapod structures. Asking her about it, she was apparently having a fight with her boyfriend. She probably wanted to make up, so she set up their memories, but since her present feelings for him were weaker than they were before, she felt confused.

Youko's father was a therapist counselor.

He would usually open his clinic in a rented office near home, but if requested he would also come to schools, workplaces or personal homes.

Youko had no particular interest in her father's job.

When she started elementary school her parents divorced and she was taken in by her father. Since he was also fervent about research he tended to be absent most of the time, so she didn't really have the opportunity to know what her father was doing.

Apart from the fact she had no mother, Youko lived a perfectly normal youth. She started becoming interested in her father's work since the second summer of her middle school. Her father began going out more, and came back home less and less.

Forgetting her English workbook at school, Youko searched among her father's belonging for a replacement. It was then she'd dropped a file from one of his shelves.

It was data about her father's previous subjects. Aside from cards he also left notes probably regarding his own research. He wrote the details of what was known as the miniature garden therapy, and recorded what sorts of gardens were built by what kinds of people. Youko found it all fascinating to read.

But the more she read, the more she felt some déjà vu.

Asking the housemaid who worked for them ever since she was young, she was told that she'd once been brought along by her mother—who was her father's assistant back then—to view his therapy sessions. True, she really could remember these sorts of boxes from the past.

The most curious thing was about a certain girl.

The miniature garden created by the girl, who was in her teens at the time, had no sense of unity. There were the dolls of one woman and two men in the center, and she simply placed the materials wherever she saw fit.

When she read this record, for some reason Youko trembled.

—Youko remembered that girl.

She wasn't even in elementary school back then. Yet she had the feeling she could remember that girl's face and the miniature garden she'd created.

She had apparently attended counseling many times.

Youko could see from her father's writing that he merely became more confused with every session. Even her professional father wasn't able to fully analyze that girl's heart. The journey to the depths of her mind was written in details.

During the second, third and so on session of miniature garden therapy the girl apparently placed dolls and buildings haphazardly. But the fact that there were one woman and two men in the center never changed.

When her father asked the girl what she was thinking while creating that world, the girl shot a question back at him.

—What do you think are people's minds?

In a physical sense it would be the heart or the brain, and in a mental sense it would be instincts, her father had said. A serious answer, as expected of him.

Yet the girl said, "Unfortunately that's a bit wrong" as if it was somebody else's problem.

—What about cases where people receive horrible injuries but still survive? I've also heard of a case where a mother being crushed underneath a burning house was able to shield her baby and crawl outside with it. Physically, these wounds should have incapacitated her, and instinctively, she should have run by herself without worrying about her baby. In the case of parents and children there are also reverse examples, so there should be another reason rather than preserving the next generation…

Reading the records, she felt as if the pair had switched the roles of doctor and patient.

—You could say she surpassed the boundary of life at that point. But what caused that…? There is a theory that the true core of a human lies within the armor of their flesh and instincts.

Listening to the patient seriously was the counselor's duty. So her father listened to that girl.

—If we take that "thing", which is already so strong, and amplify it even further, what's going to happen? If it's destroyed, what does that mean for the person? What about fixing it afterward? And what if it was devoured by something? Nobody knows that. …Yet, at least.

The more sessions the girl came to, the less items she gathered around the three figures in the center of the miniature garden.

Youko recalled that scenery that looked as if the very world itself was being scraped off.

Since she was young, she couldn't recall it until she'd stumbled on her father's records. Yet these memories were engraved into her young heart.

—Youko felt as if the girl in her memories turned toward her.

Thinking about it, this might have been the first time in Youko's peaceful life ever since she was born that she'd felt "fear".

Feeling her breathing stop. Cold sweat all over her body.

Even the girl's face was vague in her memories, but she could vividly recall just the smile she had worn at the time.

It was a smile that made Youko's mind numb just by facing her. As if her whole body and emotions were seen through, with something in the center of her heart caught and restrained. It made her unable to run, neutralizing her preservation instincts. And if she had to describe it, it would be a—

"Chaining smile".

That was the only expression she could think of.

If she hadn't recalled it, she wouldn't have been scared.

But she did.

The girl's chaining smile she'd seen at the time crossed over time and space, capturing Satou Youko.

Assaulted by fear, Youko kept reading the materials about the girl.

Reading about her last appointment, she was stunned.

Her father probably hadn't noticed at the time. He'd probably forgotten it by now.

But Youko, who now recalled the world the girl had created, did notice. She was that scary of a being.

What was the thing inside the human spirit?

After scraping off the world for a bit, what miniature garden would be created?

Recalling the final counseling where the answer became apparent, it was only Youko that noticed the fearful truth of the conspiracy.

After all, it hadn't existed at the time, yet now it threatened the entire country—she realized that these were the seeds for the monsters known as Mushi.

She realized that during this last session, the connection of the girl with the chaining smile to Mushi became apparent.

It meant that her miniature garden play continued even today.

Commanding her armies of darkness made of Mushi like a Demon Lord, the girl was molding this country into the final form of her miniature garden.

Youko had had fear and anxiousness planted into her heart.

Even now that she was a high school senior, her days of fearing the Demon Lord's shadows were unchanged—

Satou Youko seemed like a completely normal girl.

Her classmates thought she was completely unremarkable. She wasn't jumpy and lively, but also not gloomy enough to be hated. If spoken to she replied normally, and she hadn't had any personality quirks. She had a plain appearance and didn't bear any complex toward others.

Looking back at her life, there was no big event to speak of. She couldn't meet her two parents freely, but since she felt as peace when she was alone it didn't affect her much. She didn't get into any accident or get some huge illness. She didn't experience any big romance. Her achievements were the average of average, not the sort of student the teachers would talk about.

She hadn't led such a boring life out of her own will.

The person known as Satou Youko was probably just built that way. She had the average desire for a thrill, but she didn't know what to do about it. Despite having interest in fashion or love, she couldn't imagine herself joining her peers over that.

Incidentally, there were two other Satous in Youko's class. One served as the basketball club captain, and the other was the vice-president of the school council. Since Youko had nothing to differentiate her, she was called "the third Satou".

Since she was so normal, Youko also experienced a normal love.

"Youko-senpai… why don't you wear contacts?"

One day, she was told this by the boy who had suddenly appeared in school.

The moment she met him, she thought he was cool.

He was one year her junior but seemed nice and was reliable. The name Ogata Akatsuki was slightly strange, but since Youko had a normal name she admired him.

"Eh?"

She emitted a stupid voice without thinking. Since she inadvertently locked gazes with him, she was late to notice the phone in her pockets was buzzing.

It wasn't the phone itself that buzzed. It was the strap attached to it.

She quickly slapped her pocket so it wouldn't be noticed.

—Loci-chan, you're not allowed to use your powers on your own!

She scolded her strap in her heart.

"I-I'm sorry! Saying your name all of a sudden, it's… it's nothing, don't mind it!"

"Ah, uh… No, it's completely fine! I'm the one who should apologize! Umm, sorry for saying strange things all of a sudden!"

There was no way that someone like Akatsuki who seemed to be popular with girls would call a girl like Youko by her name. There was probably some external factor that led to it.

While blushing, she rubbed her pocket.

—Loci-chan… you've used your power, right? So that means that Akatsuki-kun would look at me like this even without it?

She ended up having expectations. But soon she denied it within her heart.

—No, it's not possible right? I'm just plain, boring girl…

"Club member Akatsuki. I was sure you were following me. What are you scheming with Satou-senpai?"

Haemori Ako, her junior as well, cut between the two of them. She was the president of the journalism club and edited the publication known as Monthly AKO, which was indispensible to Youko. Just like Youko, Ako was one of the few who understood the Demon Lord's army of darkness.

Parting from her two underclassmen, Youko touched her own glasses in front of the class.

"Did he mean I should use contacts rather than glasses? There's no way he was being… serious about that, right?"

She mumbled to herself. Some of her friends had said similar things, but since they'd change the subject after a moment she didn't pay them any heed. Was she so conscious about this just because someone from the opposite sex told her that?

"B-but if I were to wear contacts… he'll think that I took him seriously."

She soon gave up. The pounding of her chest would settle down before long.

In the end, Youko would never change.

And that was fine, she thought. If she did wear contacts and Akatsuki laughed at her it would hurt.

Right now Youko had enough stimulation. She didn't need any more risk to make her heart pound.

"B-but if it's only for a bit… maybe I should try wearing contacts. I also feel like my glasses don't really fit me."

But Youko didn't want to give up so easily for once.

Oh no. Perhaps she was a bit serious this time.

"Ogata Akatsuki-kun, eh… hehe."

She felt a bit happier than the usual.

While feeling a small happiness, she returned to her classroom.

Satou Youko had no special features and spent a completely normal school life.

No one knew of the actions she had resolved upon in order to resist the seed of fear planted within her.

But Youko thought that was fine.

"Let's do our best today as well, Loci-chan."

She mumbled, rubbing her pocket.

The "Third Satou-san" acted to put a stop to the Demon Lord's evil plans.

Obviously, it would be embarrassing for people to refer to her as such, but she would often use a certain title to refer to herself in a hushed voice. For Youko was…

—The "Hero".

2.01 Youko Part 2

"It looks great."

The only department store in town.

She stopped at the makeup booth only because an employee called out to her on the way to the optometrist shop. Tempting her while speaking about the new spring color campaign, she managed to put a lipstick on Youko, who was standing dazed in front of the mirror. It was a liquid lipstick.

"…"

Fearing to look directly in the mirror, she gazed around herself, fidgeting. There were other girls with the same school uniform around. They all had fun trying makeup.

She gathered up the courage to glance in the mirror.

"Ah, umm… I-I'll take this. Please."

Averting her gaze, she reached toward a lipstick of a plainer color. But now that she looked at it, it was the kind that had shining powder on it. It definitely didn't suit her at all.

"That one would fit young girls better. Thank you."

Apparently she was glad to sell anything. The young woman clerk gave her a business-like smile.

"Dear customer? You've forgotten your belongings here."

"O-oh, I'm sorry!"

She'd left her huge leather suitcase on the counter, so she came back in a hurry. It was a classic-style suitcase that also didn't fit her high-schooler image. The high-class leather surface also had hooks and a folding rack on which to place the suitcase.

Exiting the cosmetics shop as if running away from it, she sighed in front of the escalator.

"I used up my money…"

She used up all of the money she'd planned to use to purchase contact lenses.

"But that can't be helped. Since I have no money I'll just give up this time."

While she'd muttered this, she mentally sighed in relief. She came there resolved, but she felt that suddenly wearing contact lenses was too big of a hurdle for a girl as plain as her.

She could simply use her credit card, but she made an excuse for giving up. Youko left the place just like this.

A pleasant spring wind was blowing. She felt as if even that wind asked her done already? in a disappointed voice. She turned her back to the main street near the station.

"It really doesn't fit me anyway. But it's actually not that strange, relatively speaking…"

The entrance to the department store was a glass door. Leaving her leather suitcase on the ground, she checked her reflection with the lipstick.

She changed the angles of her face, and got somewhat excited. She also tried parting her bangs that hid her face and removed her glasses.

There was a dull noise.

"Ouch…!"

"Ah, I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

Since she looked at her own face happily, she hadn't noticed the high schoolers coming through the exit. They were the girls inside the cosmetics shop just now. They were apparently so enthralled in their own chatting that they hadn't noticed Youko standing in front of the doors.

"I-it's fine! I-I'm sorry!"

She blushed and put on her glasses. Rubbing her forehead that had bumped into the glass door, she averted her eyes. She was embarrassed at having gotten overboard like that.

Picking up her suitcase, she left with a past pace. "Is she really from our school?" she could hear a voice from behind.

Pulling out a tissue in order to clean her lips, she put her hand inside the other pocket. Her cellphone fell to the ground. Along with her metallic device, a small strap attached to a small doll also fell and bounced on the asphalt.

"S-sorry, Loci-chan!"

She hurriedly picked it up. Her cellphone was secondary.

The doll looked like a round, plastic-like insect with a transparent body and two large, folded scythe-like legs. Although there was no wind, it still cluttered.

Youko relaxed only for a second, but then sighed at her own pitifulness.

"I'm worthless, huh… Will I ever defeat the Demon Lord like this?"

She spoke to the doll.

There were many passersby in the dusk-time street. The profiles of the students or company workers waiting at the bus stop were dyed in orange. Youko passed by them with a downcast face as not to let them see her lipstick.

"Oh, thinking about it—"

While walking, she turned back toward the bus stop. She saw a bus approaching.

"I once created a Spirit Zone inside a bus as well. I think it was the mental pollution one, where if you sit in a certain seat you hear the voice of someone from your memories… Since there's something much stronger of that sort behind the mountain I forgot about it. But, well, it's not a big Zone, so it's fine to let it be."

She spoke to the doll in her hand. Obviously there was no reply.

Youko returned the cellphone to her pocket and walked with her suitcase in hand. Despite her wearing lipstick, she was still the same old plain Youko that didn't cause any heads to turn.

Although this was the largest road in the town, there were not many cars.

The area suddenly became dark.

Turning back, she saw the radio tower overlapping with the setting sun. A large shadow fell on Youko.

"This isn't the time to complain. I have to create many more Spirit Zones."

Youko loved this town.

It was nice and peaceful, and the plain Youko felt right at home. If she didn't stand out there would be no trouble and she'd live safely. She'd seen how bright the capital was in TV every day, but even if she admired it, she never thought of actually going there.

Yet the Demon Lord had even such a town in their clutches.

After noticing this fact, Youko had to do something.

"But I get the feeling there're people searching for me lately…"

Mumbling to herself, a motorcycle passed next to her. The one gripping the handlebars was a jacket-wearing girl. Her face covered by a half-helmet was one familiar to Youko. Perhaps humming to herself, her mouth was slightly open.

"Could Orion have possibly noticed me?"

The Hornet the girl was riding was gone. She'd found out that the person who was known as Orion worked under a certain organization long ago.

Youko shook her head.

"No, if I'd been noticed then the Demon Lord would act. No matter how many them there are, I don't feel like being defeated by a mere subordinate. If that happens… well, it wouldn't really disturb me, but it'd be a bit annoying. Would she help me if I spoke to her?"

Thinking about it, she couldn't do that.

The opponent Youko was fighting was the Demon Lord and her subordinates, like Orion.

She couldn't do something unnecessary and gain more enemies right now, no matter how low the possibility was. If they wanted to search for Youko, then let them. If they really stood in her way, she could just take care of them then. As long as she was in town, Youko had the initiative no matter what.

"Becoming the Hero and defeating the Demon Lord sure is hard…"

Youko stopped in front of a national hospital. Entering the normal ward, she spoke to the receptionist.

Walking around the hospital full of patients and visitors, she saw a familiar middle-aged woman.

"Hello."

"Oh, thank you for always coming."

Stopping in place, they conversed about such things as the weather and school, making small talk.

"And you're the only one that keeps coming to visit… I never heard about you from her, but you were probably good friends."

Youko raised her face, and glanced at the woman with wet eyes.

The eyes behind her glasses rippled like a vast ocean.

She was able to ascertain her emotions. Sadness and fatigue were mixed in with gratitude to Youko. But Youko's eyes didn't stop at that. Peeling off the armor known as feelings, she saw through the depths of her heart.

There were impatience and resignation.

She smoothed it over with a smile and hid it with a firm voice, but Youko was able to see through the woman's real emotions.

"I believe she'll definitely get better. Don't give up and do your best."

She was bad at looking people directly in the eye. Hanging her head again, she cheered up the woman.

The woman looked surprised for a moment. Yet she quickly softened her expression. "Thank you," she said and nodded. Hearing the words she wanted to hear the most, she was relieved.

When they said their goodbyes, the woman raised her face as if suddenly noticing something.

"Oh, how unusual. You're wearing makeup today."

"Oh, umm, I was at the department store earlier and…"

She ended up speaking loudly without thinking. She felt gazes from the people in the hospital. She covered her mouth and cast her glance down.

"Don't overdo it, but… you should try a bit more makeup. It's really pretty."

Complimenting her, the woman left. Youko bowed slightly and started walking again.

Now she realized that she'd forgotten erasing the lipstick. Feeling as if the people around her all looked at her lips, she covered her mouth with her sleeve on the way to her destination.

The sickroom she came to was a large, individual room in a certain facility. "Right, so that was her name…" she recalled the name of the patient when she saw the name tag on the door.

She entered. Inside the dreary room was a single girl on a bed. Imposing machines were installed on the walls, and the girl was connected to artificial breathing equipment.

The girl, with her eyelids shut close and not moving a muscle, was a student from the same school as Youko's.

She got into an accident, but while her life was saved, she had yet to regain her consciousness. The woman Youko met just now was the girl's mother.

Youko sat in the chair and took her cellphone out of her pocket. She put the doll attached to the strap along with the cellphone next to the girl.

"Good. Your complexion looks good today too."

Peeking at the sleeping face of her classmate covered by the breathing mask, she smiled. Although she'd gotten much thinner during her hospitalization, her complexion was good.

Even so, it didn't change the fact that her classmate was in a highly unpredictable state. Since she was in danger many times in the past, they couldn't remove her life support.

On top of the bed Loci began to move.

Stretching its round body and separating from the strap, it looked at the classmate's face.

—Just as Youko had forgotten the name of her classmate, the other girl had definitely forgotten Youko's. She was dubious whether or not she knew her name in the first place.

They had only been in the class together one time. They had spoken only once.

"I'm glad your real master looks good after all this time."

She spoke to Loci with a smile.

The small Mushi raised its face, shrieking.

She first met the girl now sprawled on the bed during early winter. She'd been called to the roof, so she remembered how cold it was without a jacket.

Being the daughter of a counselor, Youko was sometimes asked for advice. She almost always refused, not being a professional, but there were times she was being pressed so hard that she couldn't refuse. Her skill didn't matter to them; Youko simply pretending to give them counseling would serve to relieve them.

Youko's special skill helped at such times.

She could read people's emotions better than most people. —It was just a trivial skill not worthy of any pride.

Youko herself didn't think of it as anything remarkable.

She knew she had obtained this ability only because she—who was completely transparent and plain—found other people to be admirable, no matter what small of an action they took. From her point of view, even someone moving their fingers was overflowing with individuality. This ability could be said to be borne out of her complex.

Even if she had no technique or specialist knowledge, it was enough to relieve those who came for advice. And as she kept pretending to psychologically assess them, the more her classmates heard about this and came to seek her help.

The girl sleeping in the bed was one of them.

Unable to deny her, Youko had opened up the rack and placed her suitcase on it like the usual, starting the analysis. She used that tool only because her counselees would feel calmer if she used something that seemed professional.

Her classmate had a radiant aura. She had told Youko that she'd fought with her parents over her wanting to go live by herself in the capital after graduating school.

Using her aforementioned technique, Youko had analyzed the girl.

She had noticed that there was something that she'd never analyzed before hiding in her. Thinking she should confirm this, Youko advanced the counseling process.

And Youko was finally able to draw it out.

And then—a monster appeared.

She learned that this monster was known as Oogui only later. In front of the shocked Youko that couldn't even understand the unfolding events, "something" had been eaten from the other girl.

A dream.

Youko finally understood the meaning of what she'd drawn out of the girl.

The girl had become a Mushitsuki.

Youko had become scared and had run away.

Reading her father's notes she had realized the connection between the Demon Lord and Mushi, and spent her days being afraid of them. Even so, one day—she herself had summoned her fear with her own counseling.

Shaking with fear and guilt, she couldn't get out of the house for a few days.

Finally showing up to school, Youko found out that the other girl had gotten into a traffic accident immediately after receiving Youko's therapy. The shock of becoming Mushitsuki caused her to be at a numb state and she passed the road despite the light being red.

Although she was still alive, the girl had entered a coma. —On the day of the accident, no one knew that Youko and the girl had met on the roof.

Hearing that she was reaching a critical state, Youko gathered her courage and went to visit her.

Youko, who was troubled by fear and guilt, couldn't be blamed by the sleeping girl.

Instead, appearing in front of her was the girl's Mushi. It looked like a pretty insect, but the shocked Youko stumbled on the spot. She thought it was going to eat her in revenge.

Yet in contrast to her fears, the Mushi clung to Youko. —Did it think she was his second host since she was there when it'd been born? Having these naïve thoughts, she felt her fear slightly lessening.

Youko soon realized that was only her conceit. Through the white Mushi—a mere "clone" of its "real body" hiding somewhere—a powerful hunger was transmitted to Youko.

It wanted to eat.

He apparently couldn't get the dreams of its unconscious host. The small Mushi had apparently clung to Youko to gain nutrients.

Mushi really were scary.

But by obtaining a Mushi that would listen to her, a certain thought rose to Youko's mind.

Using this Mushi, wouldn't she be able to strike back even against the Demon Lord who struck her heart with fear?

Although it was a complete coincidence, Youko had gained this—the only weapon that could eliminate the fear planted within her heart.

From that day Youko had obtained the way to resist the Demon Lord, and thus became the Hero.

"I'm scared, but I'll do my best. Don't give up… let's fight the Demon Lord."

Grasping both hands, Youko encouraged her sleeping classmate.

Giving "nutrients" to the real body through Loci, her classmate's situation was not merely preserved, but even improved. How meaningful was the connection between host and Mushi?

Youko's fight would erase her sin of turning the girl into a Mushitsuki.

She came to visit that girl occasionally to encourage herself every time she was about to lose against her fear of Mushi. Coming there allowed Youko to regain her will to fight.

"Let's go, Loci-chan."

The white Mushi connected to the strap and Youko turned her back to the bed. Almost as if having forgotten it possessed its original host, Loci followed her orders.

She left the hospital, dragging the suitcase behind her.

"When had I created the last Spirit Zone?"

While walking the national road, Youko mumbled to herself.

Reaffirming her duty to fight the Demon Lord, she felt brimming with motivation.

How many times had she fought ever since meeting Loci? Youko had named the special places created by these fight "Spirit Zones".

The Spirit Zones were the territory Youko protected, a symbol of her resistance against the Demon Lord.

Every time she created a Spirit Zone, she felt as if she was erasing the fear inside her little by little. She was willing to risk herself for that.

"Maybe we should create a new one soon."

Turning around at an almost empty street, she went toward a residential district.

With her resolve numbed, she had to fight. If she came back to her senses she'd be scared out of her wits. If Youko's way of fighting failed she would actually allow the armies of darkness to grow.

She didn't want to have such scary thoughts for even a second.

But she was the only one who could accomplish it. She alone knew of the Demon Lord's identity and possessed the power to fight against her.

So unlike with the contact lenses, she couldn't run away from this.

"Yup. That's much scarier than wearing contacts… oh, maybe it's the same, though."

Muttering to herself, she entered the residential district.

In the street where there were many old houses, it turned dark. The sun was sinking.

She saw a middle schooler walking in front of her. Confirming there was no one around her, she grasped her suitcase.

"Let's do him, Loci-chan."

Pulling out her cellphone, she removed the doll from the strap and put it on her shoulders.

Loci started moving. While emitting a creaking-like sound, it stretched its rounded body. With its tiny legs clinging to her uniform, it stretched its tiny scythes once like it was yawning.

Youko hastened her pace following the boy.

Parting her bangs, she widened her eyes.

"…?"

Probably on his way back from school, the uniform-clad middle schooler noticed Youko. Looking at her coming toward him in puzzlement, he tried turning to the side to let her pass.

"He's in range, Loci-chan."

It happened immediately after Youko's murmur.

Loci's body riding on her shoulder was covered in a faint glow. With its compound eyes glowing in red, Loci spread white particles around.

The particles glowing in pure white flowed between Youko and the boy's legs. At the same time a sickeningly sweet smell wafted in the air.

Above the shining carpet the boy's expression changed. All light was gone from his pupils, and he stood in place as if stunned.

Now standing in front of the boy, Youko acted quickly. She removed the rack from the suitcase in her hand and unfolded it.

Youko put the trunk on the rack. She grabbed the handle and let it fall to the side, turning the bottom of the suitcase to the boy.

"What's your name?"

Hearing the question coming from Youko—a complete stranger—the boy answered "Ryou" obediently.

Youko narrowed her eyes and opened the suitcase.

The lid opened with a click. Two shelves popped out of the suitcase using springs, with the top one holding out a white box toward the boy. The bottom shelf was rotatable and had all sorts of dolls and materials packed on it.

The hand of an antique clock decorating the very top of the shelf started moving.

The effective time of the hypnotism wasn't long. She couldn't waste even a second.

"Ryou-kun. I'll put one doll here. That would be you."

She took a doll modeled after a boy and placed it in the center of the empty box. The boy nodded.

"Now we will create the world you desire."

Inside the space filled with white particles, Youko and the boy faced one another. With the remodeled suitcase separating them, it felt like the flow of time was stopped.

"What's your favorite thing? A cool car? A beautiful building? Some fun game console? Or something more athletic?"

Looking in the boy's eyes, Youko switched material after material with flowing movements.

She had practiced this alone thoroughly. Changing the dolls and the materials, she didn't waste any time and made no mistakes.

The boy's eyes responded to something. A soccer ball.

Got it—

Youko widened her eyes further. It was finally showtime.

"So you play soccer. Where's your position? Here? Or here? You have teammates, huh? Here's the goal, too. Look at how many people are watching! Even your mom and dad came to cheer you."

The empty box was loaded with materials one after another. She didn't simply place them down; confirming them one by one by the boy's response, she assembled the small world like raging waves.

"Miniature Garden Therapy"—

It was the psychological treatment method her father specialized in, while also being what Youko had once mimicked to use on her friends.

Originally she would have the patient themselves assemble their own world and analyze that, looking at their box from the side.

But the current Youko couldn't have it be so slow.

"Where's the match being held? A large stadium? Oh, it's overseas? There's an Italian flag."

As if enchanted, the middle schooler stared at the imaginary soccer stadium. Having the doll in the center completely overlap with himself in his mind was only a matter of time.

"Look, you kicked the ball! GOAL!!! Wow! More and more people are coming to watch!"

Youko caused the soccer ball to reach the goal. As if this was the critical moment, she spaced the human dolls.

Youko's pupils moving like a deep sea found something being born inside the depths of the boy's heart.

By creating the garden, she amplified this something.

"Now look—"

Youko smiled stealthily, revealing the completed garden to the boy.

What she did was unforgivable by the method known as miniature garden therapy.

On top of producing it, she stimulated the feeling hidden underneath, tickled it, brought it up, flagged it, bloated it and tore off the armor of his heart.

And finally, she grasped it.

And dragged it out.

She dangled it in front of the person himself.

"Is this your dream world?"

It could be called a—

"Miniature Garden Assault".

It wasn't just a figure of speech. By creating their world, she was able to bring out the "dream" from the depths of the human heart.

That was Youko's ability as the Hero.

"This is—"

The middle schooler boy's sight was glued to the created miniature garden.

"My dream…"

He imagined his future self playing in an overseas soccer stadium.

—Although she was good at reading people's emotions, this couldn't happen with Youko's power alone.

Trying this power on her acquaintances and without using Loci's power, she wasn't able to achieve any change.

With the classmate that had turned into a Mushitsuki before, she probably simply brought to the surface what she already had in her heart. She would probably turn into a Mushitsuki at some point even without Youko's counseling.

Yet now Youko's power had a 100% success rate with anyone.

This was one of Loci's abilities. —Because it had the ability to temporarily rob a person of their will and make them defenseless, it also brought out Youko's power to its maximum potential as well.

On top of Youko's shoulder, Loci raised a small cry.

The surrounding air started crackling.

She's coming—

Pursing her lips, she waited for the arrival.

She could feel on her skin the presence approaching with incredible speed from the direction Loci's head was pointed to.

The sense of tension that seemed to rip her apart arrived at its peak.

"Fufu—"

Purple-colored scales covered Youko's line of sight.

It was as if she swam down the sky.

Or perhaps as if she had been standing there in the first place.

The beautiful woman covered in purple scales landed near Youko and the boy.

"It's you again, my cute Hero?"

Behind her round sunglasses, her rainbow-colored pupils laughed. Her red long coat cut through the space made of white particles.

A shudder welled inside Youko's body.

No matter how many times she'd seen her she couldn't get used to it.

With an inhuman monster in front of them, there was no human who could preserve their sanity.

She was one of the Original Three who gave birth to Mushi—Oogui.

"…"

Simply shivering, Youko couldn't even raise a voice. The same as always.

Oogui giggled and turned back to the boy. She raised his chin with her fingers and gazed at his face with her rainbow-colored pupils.

"Say, will you tell me your dream?"

As if enchanted, the boy spoke slowly.

"I want to… become a professional soccer player…"

The moment he mumbled this, a light flowed from the boy's body.

The light pouring from the boy's body was being absorbed inside Oogui's luscious lips. Gulp, her white throat moved as if drinking something.

"Thanks for the meal."

Oogui's pupils turned not to the boy, but to Youko.

But Youko wasn't focused on her anymore.

"Uh… Uuh…!"

Holding her body, she shivered and cowered.

Behind the boy whose dream was eaten a large monster appeared. Its round body separated to several carapaces floated in air, and its countless sharp legs squirmed. Spheres resembling eyes were lined up on its body, so it was impossible to know where its head was.

It was a Mushi.

Those who had their dream eaten by Oogui became Mushitsuki. Youko had seen this happen in front of her eyes countless times.

"Uugh…"

She gritted her teeth. Inside her mind, the scene engraved in her youth was reborn.

The miniature garden created by the girl with the chaining smile on her last session.

It connected the girl she'd seen in the past to the monsters known as Mushi in the present.

At the same time she'd been cursed by fear.

In order to resist the loathsome, fearsome Mushi—to fight against the schemes of the Demon Lord with the chaining smile, the only way was to fight fire with fire.

"—Loci-chan!"

Stifling the shivering of her body, Youko shouted.

"Eat it!"

Loci.

The thing Youko called for was also a Mushi.

Yet the small thing called Loci was only a clone meant to hide the real form. At times using white pheromones to muddle the senses of people, at times feeling the presence of others—it was the Mushi known as Loci. It only supplemented the real body, using Youko as its host.

On top of Youko's shoulder, Loci opened its small mouthpart.

The next instant, a tremor shook the ground under her legs.

"…!"

A large box came flying out of the road covered in asphalt.

More precisely it wasn't a box; perhaps it should be called a coffin made of hardened clay. With its eerie, trembling surface, it covered the entirety of the boy's Mushi and swallowed it.

The Mushi's scream reverberated inside.

Yet the coffin didn't let the Mushi go. Still holding the Mushi rampaging inside, it sank into the asphalt and vanished.

Loci's real body slept deep outside the town. It would grab Mushi using its feelers, which were the coffins, lock it there and take its time to convert it into nutrients.

—A Mushi-eating Mushi.

This was the husk of a Mushi that couldn't eat dreams from its original host.

"Hah… Hah…"

She felt the excessive fear stopping her breath. Youko stumbled down, breathing heavily.

The surroundings were illuminated by a blinding light for a moment.

Until the Mushi inside the coffin would be digested, its ability would affect the surrounding as it tried to escape.

That was the origin of the phenomenon Youko called a Spirit Zone.

Although she stopped the Mushi from escaping, she couldn't seal its ability.

Since Spirit Zone were affected by the abilities, there were also certain triggers. The triggers of each Spirit Zone varied, as well as their effects.

In the pond where a wind-controlling Mushi had been sealed, one could bring forth a storm by stimulating the water surface.

In the Spirit Zone of the mental control type Mushi, falling asleep on the couch would switch you with the person nearby.

In the Spirit Zone of a Mushi that could control inanimate materials, it would breathe fake life into an animal statue when it felt the power of another Mushi nearby.

Deciphering the conditions was hard, so Youko had managed to fully understand only a handful of Spirit Zones.

"Fufu, what are you planning to do by raising this Mushi?"

She forgot about Oogui being there. Raising her face, Youko saw the rainbow-eyed, sneering woman looking down at her.

"What a frightening child. I wonder if you think to eat me someday as well."

Youko's heart skipped a beat. She thought her pulse stopped.

"Fufu…"

Oogui said nothing else. Her form clad in a red coat was engulfed by purple scales and vanished.

Now that Oogui was gone, the middle schooler also started moving. Still absentminded, he stood with a staggering gait and left.

Loci's pheromones still affected him, but he would soon retrieve his normal thinking. The boy would not remember anything from these last minutes. Since he wasn't turned into a Fallen, he also didn't know he was a Mushitsuki.

Yet the boy's Mushi undoubtedly existed inside Loci's main body. After trying to escape, it would someday be completely devoured. And when it vanished, the boy would become a Fallen.

Hearing the engine noises of a motorcycle from afar, Youko hurriedly closed her suitcase. Holding the rack, she turned to the corner of the road.

Peeking from the corner, she could see a Hornet approaching at full speed.

It was Orion. Apparently even the shadowy organization she belonged to had Mushitsuki that could sense other Mushi. Receiving contact that a Mushitsuki was born, she probably came to check on it.

Even if she'd found the boy from now, there was no Mushi. It shouldn't be possible to expose him as a Mushitsuki.

In order to not be found out, she quickly went back home.

When she got back home like always, her housekeeper welcomed her like always. Greeting her simply, she went up to her room on the second floor.

"I'll have to check the ability of that Spirit Zone later."

Opening her door, she entered the room.

After leaving the suitcase on the floor and sitting on it, she finally calmed down.

On the desk, the shelves, and near her pillow. The miniature garden materials occupying each and every surface of the room were all looking at her from above. People and trees, animals and other shapes, all filled the room.

Youko herself had gathered all of these from one of her father's cardboard boxes. They were all her faithful allies.

"Defeating the Demon Lord is still far away. But—"

Completing a new Spirit Zone calmed the fear inside Youko a bit.

Mushi were scary.

The world would soon be in danger of becoming just like the miniature garden created by the girl with the chaining smile.

And so Youko would face her.

By giving birth to Mushi and letting Loci eat them, she would raise its real body—"Genius".

And before long—

"I have to do my best until I exterminate all Mushitsuki in the country."

She would eliminate the source of fear.

She would kill, kill, and kill Mushi over and over again.

And one day she would annihilate Mushitsuki.

Renewing her resolve, the Hero—Satou Youko—pumped her fist.

2.02 Youko Part 3

"I-I tried this on, but it definitely looks bad… it's weird, right?"

"T-that's not true at all! It looks great!"

In the school corridor, her lips were receiving Akatsuki's praise. She was glad to have had gotten the courage to put the lipstick on. She'd actually also shortened her skirt a bit, but she didn't think he'd notice that.

Since Akatsuki was kind, this might have been empty flattery.

But she was still happy. It was the first time in her life she had been complimented by a boy.

She could feel Loci was once again moving inside her pocket. Perhaps responding to Youko's violent heartbeats, he was emitting attraction pheromones.

Was that why Akatsuki's cheeks were slightly flushed? Unlike before, she couldn't scold Loci.

Maybe if we keep this up—

A small expectation crossed her mind.

If I keep using Loci-chan's power, will Akatsuki-kun keep looking at me?

Would she keep feeling the pleasant anxiousness flooding her chest?

Maybe it was a prize from God, rewarding her for her fight against the Demon Lord. Such thoughts surfaced in her mind.

"Well then, I'll get back to Ako…"

Akatsuki said his goodbyes while Youko spaced out. Perhaps he was perceptive or he was able to notice something abnormal about his mind.

"R-Right. Good luck with recruiting!"

I wonder if Akatsuki-kun has someone he likes—

Seeing her underclassman off, Youko mumbled inside her heart.

Even if he has, I can use Loci-chan's power to make him mine—

Youko did a double take.

"I-I can't… I can't use my powers as a Hero for things like this…"

Loci's ability could strip the hearts of people bare. If Akatsuki had a favorable opinion on Youko, it would be evidence that he liked her in the first place.

Pushing aside Akatsuki's feelings for the one he loved now, he would view Youko as number one. It was easy enough to change these sorts of cheap human emotions.

So even if she had her reservations with using her powers as a Hero for herself—she wouldn't feel any guilt toward manipulating Akatsuki's heart.

"But if I defeat the Demon Lord… it would be fine for me to use it, maybe?"

Youko's pupils gazed on the girl passing near Akatsuki.

It was a member of the army of darkness, Orion. Youko had already investigated long ago and found out that this girl infiltrated the school in order to monitor civilians.

A smile that no one could see rose to Youko's mole-covered mouth.

Orion passed by her as she kept her head down.

"I feel a bit motivated."

Youko's muttering voice vanished into thin air without reaching Orion's back.

That day, Youko skipped her afternoon classes.

She first came home to take her suitcase and then took the bus to a certain place.

Since it was still not after school, the bus was empty. Coincidentally it was also the bus where Youko had once created a Spirit Zone.

In midst of several passengers, she chose the two-people seat on the fifth row to the right.

When she did, she heard a voice of someone who wasn't there from behind.

"Your lipstick looks great."

It was Akatsuki's voice.

Youko became happy and her cheeks flushed.

"Ehehe…"

What number of Spirit Zone was it? Loci, still unused to cooperating with Youko at the time, had used its power on its own accord and turned a girl into a Mushitsuki without asking. The Mushi's ability caught in the coffin was trifling; it could merely create a comforting auditory illusion of someone you wanted to hear the voice of.

The Mushi in the coffin was trapped under her feet. Even Youko didn't know where it was hiding under the thin floor. At the very least it had no physical manifestation. Yet there definitely was a coffin there, and it connected to Loci's main body, Genius.

Only Youko knew that a Mushitsuki had been born that day here. Never mind the driver who'd been affected by Loci's ability, even the person herself hadn't noticed it. She felt sorry for the driver missing his schedule and getting scolded by his boss, though.

Mushi were scary, but turning them into Spirit Zones was Youko's habit. Once she'd found the conditions of the ability leaking into the ground from the rampaging Mushi trapped there, there was nothing to fear.

And perhaps—the coffin-like feelers were an entrance to another dimension where the main body slept underground. The more she'd gotten used to handling Loci and Genius the Mushi, she ended up thinking this.

"That pudding looks great."

"Ehehe…"

While smiling to herself, she didn't notice the other passenger looking at her, disturbed.

Youko took off the bus at the museum. After looking around and seeing there was nobody around, she turned toward a somewhat far corner and vanished.

Putting her suitcase on ground, she sat on it and waited. She pulled out her cellphone and spoke to Loci attached to its strap.

"I wonder if your true form will be satiated soon, Loci-chan?"

The more Spirit Zones she created, the more Loci's half-transparent body gained color. When it first took Youko as its host it was pretty like glass. Now it was nearly pure white.

The Mushi using Youko as a host and growing with her, Loci and Genius.

They were originally supposed to have vanished from this world along with their unconscious host.

Its abilities were supposed to only include emitting pheromones and feeling the presence of Mushi, and there was the main body underground that could attack using coffins.

But Loci then met Youko. Resisting its fate of vanishing with their host, it turned her into a host to gain a different source of sustenance.

And so it evolved into a Mushi-eating Mushi.

For Youko, Loci and Genius was a fated meeting. By using them she obtained the power to fight against the Demon Lord and wipe away the fear planted inside her.

Because of that, Loci was special to Youko despite her fear of Mushi.

They both needed each other and so cooperated.

"I don't know how many Spirit Zones I've created with you. And I also know the activation conditions for only a handful… I'd like to eliminate the Spirit Zone with effects I don't know, but that would cause too many Fallen."

Also bored, Youko mumbled to herself. Very recently, she'd failed in putting one into a coffin and created a single Fallen. She didn't want to leave any traces behind, if possible.

"Never mind the Demon Lord's minions, but people investigating me would be bad. Whaddya think, Loci-chan?"

Genius and Loci had been named by Youko.

Within miniature garden therapy, the concept of Genius Loci had an important meaning. The ground (Loci) housing the spirit (Genius) could bring people the power of imagination. Meaning, people used their imagination gained by the "earthbound spirit" (Genius Loci) and materialized it within a miniature garden.

As Youko had given birth to Genius and Loci using a miniature garden, that name fit them.

"I should investigate the underlings of the Demon Lord a bit more before I finish raising Genius."

Loci made no response to Youko's words. The only times Genius and Loci could perfectly understand her intentions was almost always in front of their prey Mushi.

She heard a motorcycle engine.

"There she is."

Peeking from the corner, she saw a motorcycle park in front of the museum. It was Orion's Hornet.

Confirming that Orion entered from the front, Youko also started her movements.

Crossing the fence near the museum, she entered the premises. She went around the road along the building and put her suitcase on the ground. She also put the cellphone Loci was attached to there.

"I guess it's fine now?"

After quite a while has passed, Youko lightly climbed on top of the fence. She passed to the entrance timidly. She climbed the water pipes to peek into the second floor corridor.

"Although she's a Demon Lord subordinate, being such a happy fool sure looks fun."

She could see the rest corner in the corridor, where Orion was sleeping on the couch.

Youko opened the locked window and snuck into the museum's second floor. Since it was a museum about to get closed, there were no security measures. There were also many holes in the security patrol.

Walking in the corridor, white grains warped around. The Spirit Zone was activated.

Without resisting the sudden sense of sleepiness, Youko collapsed on the spot.

"—Hmm, the second floor's closed? I guess that would be my final time using this body then."

When she opened her eyes again, she looked around the empty surroundings. Rising from the sofa, Youko approached her self collapsed in the corridor.

"I should shorten my skirt a bit more, meow."

Youko in Orion's form grinned at her own body collapsed on the floor.

She knew since a long time ago that Orion, who went to the same school, was the Demon Lord's underling.

It was because the girl had appeared many times after the creation of Spirit Zone. She would stealthily investigate the area for a while and then bring out her Mushi, probably as a precaution, so Youko had thus found out she was a Mushitsuki.

Starting then she'd investigated Orion. As not to be noticed by the person herself, she started innocently collecting rumors about the girl. She then found out that the girl turned napping in the museum to her raison d'etre.

Youko, who feared any Mushitsuki other than the ones she'd given birth to, tried defeating her. She created a Spirit Zone on top of the sofa she rested on.

The result was a personality switching ability. The activation method was having two people around, one of them sleeping on the couch. She'd created this Spirit Zone to defeat Orion, but decided to use this to investigate her.

After experiencing this result, Youko turned into Orion learnt about the armies of darkness. Incidentally, the method for cancellation was for the affected person to return inside the Spirit Zone or just wait a certain amount of time.

"Oh, I need to hurry meow."

White particles gushed from the nearby room.

There was another Spirit Zone nearby. It happened because during the moment she'd given birth to a Mushitsuki, she'd unfortunately been seen by another person. Since the eyewitness was a young girl, she cornered her in another room and made her into a Mushitsuki too. That Spirit Zone perfectly fit as a protector of the sofa.

A white Doberman appeared in the hallway.

"Oopsie daisy."

Youko in Orion's form dragged her own body.

The dog statue with no lower body leapt toward Youko's throat.

"Should I go for the toilet today, meow?"

A moment before it bit into Youko, the dog was repelled backward as if by an unseen barrier. —She had already confirmed the range of the inorganic matter-controlling ability long ago.

Without turning to even look at the dog, Youko took her own body to the girls' toilet. She sat her down inside one of the stalls. While their personalities were changed, she would not awaken while sleeping.

Exiting the toilet, the Doberman statue was still there. But after waiting for a while, it turned to the right and returned to the room it came from. The Spirit Zone activation time passed.

Going down one floor, she noticed the elevator moving. Youko hurriedly returned to the sofa and pretended to sleep.

"Hey you."

Since the second floor was sealed, the guard's time was apparently changed. Called by the man, she pretended to have just woken up.

"You're not allowed to enter here anymore. Didn't you see the paper on the elevator?"

"Sorry, meow. I didn't notice it at all~~"

She'd perfectly investigated Orion's personality and quirks.

"Sorry for the trouble, meow."

Going down to the first floor, she exited the elevator while wagging her hands.

It was fun becoming an eccentric person. When she turned into someone else, she felt as if her mood brightened up.

Youko especially admired people with personalities like Orion's. Going into town like this, she would go shopping in places she'd never normally go near.

Yet she had no time to play and she had to avoid human eyes more than was necessary. If she'd met with Orion's friends it could get troublesome.

"Ehehe. I learned how to ride this properly."

There was something she secretly looked forward to. She wanted to drive a motorcycle ever since she was born.

Wearing a helmet and plopping down the seat, the revved up the engine. For now she had to move to a place without any people. A little bit of playing around was fine.

"Blasting off, meow!"

Being carried over, she turned the throttle too much. The unexpected speed caused the front wheel to float in the air.

"Eek! Eek!"

Hurriedly restoring balance, she somehow managed to ride out into the road. With the sudden change in speed causing her to go from joy to despair, she headed toward the suburbs.

The countryside she was sick of seeing seemed different. She was moved by the speed and elation she'd never felt before, so even her driving blunder seemed so funny she laughed at herself.

"Ahahaha. This bike's so fun. Maybe I should also get a license, meow."

She stopped the Hornet on the river bank. Removing the helmet, she got off the bike.

She'd just said that on the spur of the moment.

The real Satou Youko would get depressed just imagining herself on a bike.

"Well then. Time for work."

Youko pulled out Orion's cellphone and picked a number in its memory.

The number indicated was "North Central Branch Information Division". —Orion was her enemy, but was it really fine for her to save such an important number like that? Well, Orion being so careless helped Youko.

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

The other party immediately answered the call. She recited the number that was in the memory the same way.

"Member code confirmed. Comparing voice print. Switching over to special communication channel. This is the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's North Central Branch information management division. Starting now the conversation will be voice recorded under the personal records of North Central Branch monitor squad member, Blaze Class Rank 6 Orion."

From the voice, the other party was probably a girl of Youko's age. This was the third time she used this same method to find out information about her enemy.

"Hello, Orion-chan. Did something happen?"

The girl's tone turned so friendly that it was hard to think of her as an underling of the Demon Lord.

"Nyathing special. I just wanted to reconfirm something 'bout the mission~~"

"Again? Ever since you came to the countryside you've turned into a stupid country bumpkin. If you don't work for your salary they'll send you to an uninhabited island next, y'know?"

"I don't mind meow!"

"Do mind it! —Ah, but maybe you really don't. Despite you being so strong you're still stationed here because of our branch's way of doing things. Well, what did you want to ask?"

"I just wanted to make sure no new information came in since the last time I asked, meow."

Youko had already confirmed that Orion was investigating the strange phenomenon happening in town—sensing the presence of Mushi despite no Mushitsuki ever being found.

"Hmm… Ever since finding the first Fallen there wasn't anything, really. There was nothing even in that residential district you've gone to before, right?"

"Meow~~"

"…Does that mean yes? Anyway there're no real new clues. We haven't received any reports from Kaguya-san either. Did you ask him?"

Kaguya?

She thought about asking, but held back.

Since the other girl talked about it normally, there was probably a new dark minion called Kaguya near Orion.

"Actually… I've seen Kaguya act a bit suspiciously~~"

She decided to deceive her. The girls' voice turned low as she muttered an Eh?

"Just to be safe I'd like you to tell me about Kaguya. Obviously don't tell him though~~"

"I can bring out the information in the range of what a Rank 6 member can obtain, but… what exactly was suspicious about him?"

"He adds stuff like 'meow' to his sentences. Pretty scary~~"

"So you're spreading it like a disease…? …I'll hang up if you keep messing with me, geez."

She bullied the other girl too much. Since she planned on switching with Orion for the last time, she played more than the usual.

"Well, you're always like that. I'm going to give you the information about Kaguya-san now, meow."

She really had infected her. She thanked god that this person was close to Orion.

"East Central Branch Battle Squad, Blaze Class Rank 2 Kaguya. He'd been sent here due to a request from the North Central Branch. I can only reveal the data regarding his real name and personal info to those at the level of branch head assistant and above. He's currently infiltrating the same place as Orion to help in her investigation. Once his required period passes, he's planned to return to the East Central Branch. …And you already know all that."

"Nothing else~~?"

"For a Rank 6 this is it. Why would East dispatch a big fish like a Rank 2 to us? It causes problems for us as well. The previous Branch Head Haji would have just told us in secret to 'bring out some disposable pawns'. I feel like the rumored incompetent Acting Branch Head is trying to gain points by sticking her nose in places she shouldn't and accomplishing nothing."

Seemed like even an evil organization had its own complex situations. Since she didn't want to expose herself, she merely hummed noncommittally.

What sort of monster was a Rank 2 Mushitsuki? Just imagining it gave her the chills.

"There's one last thing I want to know, meow."

"Sure, what is it?"

Youko gulped.

Since the museum's closing was near, this would be her last time to switch with Orion to gather information. She couldn't tell when she'd have another chance to investigate the evil organization.

That was why she had something she had to confirm right now.

The identity of her archnemesis, the Demon Lord—

"…If you know anything about that name, any special data or something, do tell me, meow."

She had said the name of the girl with the chaining smile from her father's records.

Her hand started shaking just from voicing that name. The fear engraved into her when she was young was revived.

She was certain.

That girl was definitely connected to the organization known as the SEPB.

"Hmm. Why do you ask?"

Yet the answer through the phone was too casual.

Youko hid the beatings of her heart and attacked with her normal tone.

"I just got curious about something and wondered if she had any connection to this~~ I might just be mistaken so I can't say anything for certain."

"I see. Who's that person?"

"I only know their name, meow."

"Oh, sorry. Could you repeat that name again."

"It's … ~~"

"Understood. —Oh, right. The other day the Vice-Director of Central Headquarters came to visit our Branch Director. That woman withdrew some of our forces again. Do you remember her?"

"Yup, I remember meow. But rather than that, tell me the—"

"Huh, even though you remember the Vice-Director you've forgotten only her name?"

Youko froze.

The voice coming from the phone instantly changed.

"Orion's suspicious remark confirmed. Commencing attack."

Shit, the moment she tried to cut the call, it was already too late.

"Sense Isolation!"

Concurrently with the girl's motivated shout, a loud voice erupted from the cellphone.

"…!"

Youko's entire body was pierced by invisible sound waves. Although her mouth ripped open for a shout, it didn't come out. Her limbs were numb and she couldn't move.

This is bad—

Gritting her teeth, she wrung out her power.

Her shivering fingers were placed on the button to end the call.

"Consciousness Isolation!"

The moment before the second wave pressed on her…

Youko's finger pressed the button.

"Kh…!"

But she still received a bit of effect. She felt drowsy and kneeled down on the spot.

"Hah! Hah…!"

Waterfalls of sweat poured from her skin. The other party apparently possessed an ability that could attack her even through the phone. She had nearly fainted.

Quite a bit of time passed before sensations returned to her limbs.

"Ugh… Mushitsuki really are scary. I was almost done for…"

Wearing her helmet, she straddled the Hornet. The enemy probably judged Orion as dangerous. Pursuers would soon arrive.

"But I finally understood."

She started the engine and rode the bike.

"She really is related to the Demon Lord—"

From the exchange until now, there was no mistake that the girl who'd planted fear in her when she was young now served as the Vice-Director in a place known as the Central Headquarters. It was obviously suspect for an underling to suddenly investigate their superior.

Youko was finally able to ascertain her enemy.

The Demon Lord was the Central Headquarters' Vice-Director.

The armies of darkness were known as the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

Controlling the fearsome monsters known as Mushi, they were scheming to lead the future where people were controlled by fear—

"I can't lose…"

Youko returned to an empty back alley near the museum.

Still straddled on the Hornet, the time for the personality change reached its limit.

"—Because I'm the Hero."

When she next opened her eyes, she was inside the museum's toilet. She confirmed in the mirror that she was Satou Youko again.

Exiting the corridor, she returned to the window she'd snuck in through.

She heard the sound of the elevator reaching behind her. Perhaps the guard came for another round. Youko hurriedly exited through the window and went down the same way she went up.

Grabbing the suitcase and cellphone she'd left behind, she headed for the back alley running.

She saw the parked Hornet. Orion was sleeping on the handle.

Youko tapped her shoulder and Orion awoke with a groan.

"Meow… hmm? Why am I—"

Looking around her, Orion noticed Youko standing behind her.

"Hello, Orion-san."

Seeing Youko smile at her, her complexion changed.

From the situation she found herself into, she probably realized Youko was an enemy. Orion's Mushi appeared at her back.

But Youko was already prepared for battle.

"Bon appetit, Loci-chan."

A large coffin appeared from her feet. The shivering clay structure swallowed Orion's Mushi instantly.

"I'll erase it all completely. I don't need it anymore."

Loci transmitted Youko's will to its real body as if it was a remote control. Crunching sounds came from inside the coffin receiving her orders.

"…!"

The death of her Mushi caused the girl straddling the bike to bend backward. She slumped without even raising a scream.

She became a Fallen. Orion looked at her with lifeless, empty eyes.

"Orion. Return to the museum and wait for your comrade's arrival."

Obeying Youko's order, the girl moved sluggishly to start the engine. —Fallen had no self-will or any feelings, but they would obey orders given to them unconditionally.

Once the Hornet left and the back-alley was silent again, Youko mumbled to herself.

"I can't go back anymore…"

Orion would soon be discovered.

This was Youko's declaration of war against the SEPB.

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