Mushi Uta:Volume 9

Novel Illustrations

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  Cover

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  Color Page 1

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  Color Page 3

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  Page 27

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  Page 71

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  Page 263

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  Page 401

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  Page 431

Prologue 0.00 The others

“Do you all feel proud of your business?”

The man sitting on an electrical wheelchair suddenly opened with this topic.

Despite his grizzled hair and the deep wrinkles carved around his eyes, the limbs visible from the jacket and shorts he was wearing exuded youth and power. To the extent it was strange he was in a wheelchair.

“Huh?”

The one uttering in surprise was a boy. He had sharp, clear-cut features and used the sunglasses pushed up to his forehead to hold up his swept-back bangs.

The swept-back haircut boy looked at the opposite side of the wheelchair—meaning, at her.

Why’s this wannabe merchant looking at me?

She became so angry that her thinking paused, so she pretended she hadn’t noticed his gaze.

“As for me, I do. Or perhaps it would be more precise to say that I have gained it at some point.”

Saying this, the wheelchair man looked at her. As if urging her to answer.

Hmph, she laughed it off in her heart. Since she was currently only wearing a jacket on top of a bikini, sitting on a wooden chair with no cushion was quite uncomfortable. Her gently curly hair clung to her skin by sweat.

The hut’s lobby was filled with humid, stuffy air. And what pissed her off the most of all was that the ceiling fan hanging above was spinning the wrong way. She recalled how that foolish woman, Anmoto Shiika, had amused herself by fiddling with the switch.

Since she was thinking of something else, she wanted to wrap up the conversation as soon as possible.

“Yahah. Must we have this conversation right here and now?” The effects of the wine she’d drunk just now still remained, so her speech was slightly slurred. Yielding herself to the pleasant drunkenness, she kept her thoughts.

Three merchants surrounded this wooden table.

Yet she couldn’t understand why one of them was even present.

Technically this was between her and the wheelchaired man.

Furthermore, they’d already reached a conclusion.

There was no need for this talk.

“Well, if we’re talking about pride… I do have some. Yes, I’m certain of it.”

The boy answered in a vague tone. He had plenty of his pride in his make-believe. But apparently the talk would not proceed until she answered, so she did it.

“Never really thought about pride. Yahah. What’s that? Can you sell it?”

The wheelchair man did not even nod. He flung another question at her.

“What do you all need money for?”

“It’s for whatever. Buying tickets for a game, the game itself, or the game’s prizes. It’s just staving off boredom.”

“Hmm… trust, maybe? I believe in ‘Sanpo Yoshi’, three-way satisfaction!”

“For me, it is simply a tool for self-assertion until I meet with a certain girl. If I carry plenty of money, I will be able to make people think I am superior.”

Exhausted by this long conversation, her drunkenness was wearing off. She had no interest at all, but still asked.

“Oh, and what will happen once you meet that girl?”

“Then it will become a means to finance the girl I’ve fallen for. That will be my pride.”

“Woah, seriously? I feel like I get it. Well, I do have one as well. One of my classmates is really cute—”

“If something like this will make her happy, she’s quite a cheap woman.”

“Was she happy, I wonder? By the way, I forgot to explain. If I take pride at simply using money for her sake, you’ll think that I’m just showing off.”

Isn’t that just being a sugar daddy?

She was disappointed at once having acknowledged this man as her rival.

Speaking of Munakata Kaiji, he was known as a large proprietor who rose in the world of business with flawless commerce. He controlled his employees as if they were his limbs, and his so-called self-centered style of management was, for better or worse, influenced by him being at the very top. For Munakata, this was probably the prime of his successes.

“You spoke in the past tense, so does that mean you’ve been dumped? Well, it’s in a man’s nature—and his privilege—to show off in front of a girl. You’ll feel like a complete idiot later, but even so, in the moment you wish to desperately catch their attention—“

She was filled with more and more doubts as to why this man was part of the meeting.

Was there any need to speak about this low-brow, poor, and the complete unknown called Chouya Nihei? If she was pressed to say anything, his way of doing things was similar to this country’s unique business style.

She wore her specialized business smile at Munakata. But she decided to be frank.

“If you failed, it means you’ve made a mistake in your way of using money, right? I feel confident I could buy anyone with money, no matter who they were.”

“Huh? Aren’t you contradicting what you’ve said before?”

“Is that so? I could buy a cheap woman for an even better bargain.”

Her own—Akasegawa Nanana’s style was closer to that of the west. She would analyze the market, cut away anything unneeded and invest in a different place. A style that controlled personnel and materials in addition to the market itself. It could also be called a form of destroying the status quo.

“What do you think business is… money is, exactly?”

She snorted at Munakata’s words without thinking.

“What’s happened to you? I’ve gone out of my way to save you, but did the shock from your prolonged imprisonment weaken even you, Munakata-san?”

There were three keywords—

Enclosure.

Bubble.

Paradigm Shift.

The one who found these mysteries was Munakata.

Even so, on the way there he’d stumbled and vanished.

The one to have saved him was Nanana.

Therefore, the right to solve these mysteries now passed to her. Since Munakata was also aware of it, it must’ve been quite vexing.

However, Munakata seemed unmoved by Nanana’s frivolous talk. He put an elbow on his wheelchair’s handrail and muttered.

“The thing that should be used for what’s important.”

“An accumulation of trash.”

“I think that… humanity, probably?”

A small conference of three merchants who differed in opinion and style.

A meaningless conversation.

Nothing more than a formality to ascertain who would get the reward.

The game was over.

It even reached the strongest Mushitsuki, Kakkou. Now that he left, there was no way it wouldn’t be over.

“Since I wish to be saved, I probably need to respect Akasegawa’s will.”

“And I don’t have any money in the first place. …Actually, it’s pretty scary…”

“So it’s settled then.”

“Umm… have you reached a decision? Sotheby-san’s still waiting.”

Opening the entrance to the hut, a swimsuit-clad Anmoto Shiika appeared.

Nihei muttered “Sotheby-san… why are you so friendly toward that monster?” while making a weird face.

“I will bid in that auction.”

The mystery of the three keywords.

The origin of the beings called Mushi.

Nanana practically had them all in her hands.

1.00 Enclosure

It could see a source of light.

After repeating slumber and awakening, it was still being invited by the light, so it headed toward it.

Leaping into its midst, it was instantly enveloped by a blinding radiance.

What appeared in front of it was a vast sea.

Reflecting the sunlight, it sparkled prettily.

Ah, it’s been a while—

It thought this. Looking closely, the sea was slightly clouded and not marine blue at all. Even so it looked really pretty to it, probably because it had been closed in the darkness for so long.

The strong wind was pleasant.

Getting tired of simply floating, it ascended to the sky.

After flying all the way up to the clouds, it started moving horizontally. Leaving the sea behind and leaping over mountains, it passed through the sky above manmade cities.

While it had its fill of freedom, the sun had sunk.

Flying beneath the starry sky, suddenly something stopped right next to it.

“I reached the coordinates of the sensed unidentified Mushi—w-what the heck is this? I’ve never seen—“

It was a human riding an insect-like monster. Clad in a large coat, their face was covered by mechanical goggles.

The person shouted as they put their hand to the goggles, but it couldn’t hear well because of the wind.

“Roger that—I’ll attempt attacking it to test the waters—”

The person riding the monster removed a hand from the goggles. The monster rotated and headed toward it.

Feeling hostility, it moved to the side.

“W-what—where did it—it moves too fast—”

The next instant, the air oscillated.

“Gwaaaah!”

Getting hit by the attack it fired, the monster’s shell broke. Losing half of its body, the monster fell to the ground along with the coated person.

Having eliminated the nuisance, it returned flying in the night sky as it pleased.

It flew through the sky calmly.

When it passed near the base of a mountain, it stopped its movements entirely.

For a moment it had the feeling that it sniffed something nostalgic.

Curious, it started lowering itself.

It then noticed a small point of light moving through a pitch-dark forest.

Several cars were travelling in this woodland path that had no lights in it. The front and back had cars painted in black, and between them a long limousine colored pure white.

With this being so different, it aroused its curiosity.

The nostalgic scent was only momentary and had already vanished. But perhaps that car’s owner had called this scent.

Let’s watch them for a while—

Feeling elated due to its release in a long while, it thought so on a whim.

1.01 Nanana Part 1

She heard that this mountain, far from the capital city, currently had no residents.

At some point there were talks about a dam project, but a collusion between the government and the construction company came to light and everything was stopped. Although next came an offer to turn it into a highway, as an aftermath of the budget’s revision caused by the change of authorities, the plan was dissolved.

Then the neighboring village raised funds, created a camping site and tried calling tourists there. Many cottages were built along the thin roadway. That apparently failed as well, however. There wasn’t any lake with a nice scenery nor a mountain stream to allow rafting or fishing. Nowadays, even outdoor activities required certain arrangements.

Thus, this mountain that was supposed to bring a large profit vanished from people’s memories. All that remained was the winding woodland road and the cottages that were barely used.

It was a mountain that dashed many hopes. The current owner would probably sell it for cheap.

No, if it was her, Akasegawa Nanana—since this mountain had no scent of money, she wouldn’t have bought it in the first place. Even if she knew it would cost her only a thousandth of her vast assets.

Inside one of the cars rushing through the woodland path, a long limousine, Nanana widened her eyes.

“You saw that? You saw it, right? Wasn’t it a deer? Definitely a deer.”

The vast car was built such that there were two seats on opposite sides along the window. In the middle was a long table with a wine cooler and several glasses.

“It’s my first time seeing one. Its eyes were shining. Was it getting ready to shoot out some sort of beam? Deer beam! Yahah. We have to run away or it’ll burn us to a crisp.”

As she tried pointing outside, the glass she was holding bumped against the window. She saw her reflection there. Clad in a cheongsam. Slightly curly long hair and flushed cheeks, as well as the slanted eyes she inherited from her grandfather that were now looking at her. This year she turned seventeen, but had a much more petite and slender body than girls her age, perhaps due to eating less meat, as she disliked the taste of blood.

“That wasn’t a deer, it was a boar. You can tell because the position of its eyes was closer to the ground. So it’d be a boar beam.”

Calmly pointing this out was the woman sitting across from Nanana. She was beauty who looked good in her skirt suit and glasses; Nanana heard that she was 23 years old. Other than the stuffed teddy bear left near her as if she was snuggling with it, she exuded a cold and calm atmosphere.

Nanana curled her lips, thrusting her glass before the woman’s nose. She then asked with a drunk-sounding tone.

“How could you even see it from there? Do you have eyes on your back? Never mind that, you’re going against what your boss said, so you’re fired, fired!”

“I saw it reflected on the window.”

Her expression set in stone, for some reason she bit the edge of Nana’s glass. Nana’s good mood was instantly restored. “Yahah. How amusing. Yeah, keep biting it,” she laughed. Following that request, the woman kept chattering her teeth.

“Hey, Pochi, you saw it as well, right? What do you think? Was it deer? A boar? Or perhaps a ghost?”

Turning toward the back of the car, she saw two suit-wearing boys sitting there.

“Huh? Umm…”

The boy Nanana called to mumbled in a low voice and hung his head. Perhaps having coarse hair, his bangs were disordered and spiky. On top of his suit, he wrapped a white cloth around his arms and legs.

“Don’t ‘umm’ me! Which is it?”

Moving on top of the seat, she thrust her glass at the cloth boy’s forehead. The recoil caused the back of his head to hit the back window, raising a dull sound. While wearing a painful-looking face, he smiled wryly.

“You haven’t seen it at all, right? Are you trying to trick me?”

“I…I’m very sorry, mistress…”

“What about you, Iruka-san? Did you see it?”

“…”

The other boy, a bit older than the other one, meaning he looked around Nanana’s age, was staring at the ceiling. He stripped the jacket of his suit, unfastened the first button and loosened his tie. Looking at his face covered in gangster-like sunglasses, she thought that he was quite the looker as long as he stayed silent. Leaning near him was a stick used for the sport of hockey.

Without thinking Nanana ended up gazing up the ceiling as well. Yet it was simply coated with soft leather and had nothing special about it. “What’s this… a forcefield of a kind I’ve never felt before. Should I go closer and investigate?” the boy was muttering about something.

“Iruka-san!”

She hit the boy’s forehead with her glass. “Agh,” he groaned, noticing her line of sight. Perhaps dull to pain, he didn’t even rub his forehead despite Nanana having hit him quite hard. He lowered his sunglasses.

“Hmm? What is it, Nanana-chan? Wow, this is such a bold approach from you. Wanna kiss?”

“Eeek!”

Seeing the boy thrusting out his lips, Nanana bent back.

As Iruka still attempted to draw near, his face was grabbed by the other boy. He directed a fierce glare at him from between his parted bangs.

“C’mon, it was a joke! I’m not doing anything! Don’t make that scary face at me, senpai! —So, what did you want, Nanana-chan?”

“Will you stop acting as if we’re friends? You suddenly told me to make you my bodyguard, and you do seem to be somewhat strong, so I hired you. Isn’t it common knowledge not to call your employer with the honorific ‘chan’?”

“Yeah yeah, sorry ‘bout being rude, Princess.”

“What’s up with him? Have you actually disciplined this guy?”

Nanana raised her eyebrows, turning toward the front. The suit-wearing woman averted her eyes.

“There’s a limit to what can be done in a few days.”

“Ah! Wait, my glass! You drank from it!”

“I did not.”

“The glass’s clearly emptier, you’ve brought out another one, and you’re still feigning ignorance? Ah! Looking closely, your bear’s mouth is purple! You made that thing drink my precious wine? How much are you going to dote on it?! I’ll forbid you bringing it along next time!”

“I am allowed to bring it under my current contract,” the woman played innocent.

“Geez, I can’t take it anymore! You’re all a bunch of freaks!”

Except for the driver, there were only four people riding the limousine.

Angry, Nanana kicked at the stick lying on the floor. It was her favorite stick, shaped like an upside-down “J”.

“That’s why I loathe Mushitsuki!”

Mushi.

Having appeared a little over ten years ago, these beings resembled insects and so were called like this.

Mushi possessed adolescent boys and girls, and in exchange for feasting on their hopes and dreams, granted their hosts supernatural abilities. Those possessed by Mushi were called Mushitsuki.

The country created an organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau and concealed the existence of Mushi. They captured Mushitsuki and used many methods to hide them. They trained those captured Mushitsuki and regulated them as soldiers to capture further unaffiliated Mushitsuki.

But there was no way that abnormal things as Mushi and Mushitsuki could be fully hidden. Rumors spreads among the populace and they became abhorred as targets of fear and discrimination.

“I am not a Mushitsuki.”

The suit woman said calmly.

“I’m aware.”

“In the first place, if you hate Mushitsuki, why have you launched this project?”

“Are you dissatisfied?”

“The risks are too simply large. At present, there is no need for our Foundation to take such a dangerous gamble.”

“I’ve been thinking about it, but money is something like a nutrient. You have to distribute it or you’ll rot. I know many people who smell horribly because they only accumulate money.”

“That’s why if you just spread it senselessly, you will only rot your crops.”

While tilting the wine glass, Nanana ignored the calm woman’s warning. Wiping off her soberness, her bad mood was fixed.

“Oh?”

The hockey stick boy looked outside the window, raising his voice.

“What is it, Iruka-san? Another deer? Or boar?”

Nanana’s eyes sparkling, she looked outside. The woodland night path was silent again, and she couldn’t hear anything except the limousine and the cars behind and ahead grinding gravel. From time to time there was perhaps a bird’s call as if it suddenly recalled to act its part.

The boy answered readily.

“Nope. A human.”

Nanana furrowed her brows. But soon she directed a wide smile at the white cloth boy.

“Collect them.”

The moment he heard the command, the boy opened the limousine door. He unhesitatingly threw his body into the night, running in the darkness.

“—Ouchhh! It really hurts! Huh? Can an arm even bend that way? This is really bad!”

With his hand brought behind his back by the wrapped cloth boy, another boy was dragged into the parked limousine. He was brought to forcibly prostrate in front of Nanana’s feet.

“Go.”

Grinning, Nanana ordered. The limousine drove through the woodland path again.

“Huh? What? What’s this? A prank show?”

The boy’s first impression was “a bundle of bags”. He was probably around Nanana’s age. His slightly dirty face, bangs pushed back by glasses and a swept back haircut were nothing special. But he carried a large leather bag on his back and had several other bags hanging from his shoulders. Perhaps his real body was the bag.

Nanana used her stick to raise her wineglass, rotating it and thrusting it against the boy’s shoulder.

“Say, Iruka-san. Is this ‘bag boy monster!’ a Mushitsuki?”

“A monster? What, where? Wait, you mean me! Where are you even looking… eek, a bag monster!”

As the boy became shocked to see his own reflection on the window, the hockey stick man reclined with his legs crossed. He shook his pointer finger to the sides.

“Hey, boss. Mai name iz, Shachito. Owkay?” he spoke in horrible English.

“But a dolphin’s much cuter than a killer whale. Anyway, how about it? You can tell, right Iruka-san?”

“I can just feel if a Mushitsuki’s using their abilities, alright? Well, doesn’t feel like he is one, though. Never mind abilities or whatnot, he didn’t seem wary in the least and I doubt he has any battle experience.”

“Hmm, so he’s not. —Say, you. Why are you here, then?”

There was no way a mere civilian would be there. He was too far from any private home to have been out gathering herbs, and it was too late for that too. Also, even if he kept going there, there were nothing but empty cottages.

“And why are you here? Who exactly are you lot?”

With tears welling up in his eyes, the boy asked back.

Stopping her subordinate from hurting the boy’s joints further, Nanana narrowed her eyes.

“My name is Akasegawa Nanana.”

“A…Akasegawa Nanana?”

The bag boy widened his eyes.

So he is related—

Confirming his response, Nanana smiled.

“No way, for real? That Akasegawa Nanana? From Akasegawa Group? You’re much cuter in real life than in that business magazine photo!”

“…?”

Nanana raised a brow. She noticed that the boy’s words and actions differed from her expectations.

Few people didn’t know the name Akasegawa Nanana. Not so much for the general populace, but among those in this country who dealt in finances, there was no one who was unaware of her.

Ironically, what caused her name to become well-known could only be said to be her grandfather’s death. He was the one who made his money-lending business a success and gathered the fortune of a lifetime. Acquiring many companies by using forceful methods and creating the joint enterprise known as Akasegawa Group was also his doing.

However, one day, her grandfather had met a sudden death. Even now the cause was uncertain.

And an unexpected person had inherited his position as the foundation’s chairman. Since his son and daughter-in-law had already been killed in an accident, he’d left the entire company to his granddaughter, Nanana. Since she’d inherited his vast properties and his job as a chairman while only a middle-schooler at the time, it became big news for a while.

But the only ones acting excited were unrelated civilians. The eyes of people around her were as cold as ice.

They probably all thought that Nanana had inherited the position in name only and would soon be driven out of the job. The foundation’s executives obviously thought this, but rival companies also all predicted this result.

However, Nanana still served as the chairman even at present.

Not only that, the Group was gathering even more momentum than when her grandfather was alive.

The reason for Akasegawa Group—or its more common name, the Akasegawa Foundation—to be still prospering was probably incomprehensible to everyone.

Only because they never thought the seemingly normal middle-schooler had inherited things other than her grandfather’s vast assets and company—

“This is my secretary. Her name is…”

Feeling some discomfort about the boy’s reaction, she pointed with her stick at the suited woman.

“What was your name again?”

She’d completely forgotten the name of her own secretary. She had the feeling she’d often referred to her as “hey” or “you there”.

“I do not mind being known as a mere secretary.”

The suited woman spoke with a cold face. When Nanana fired her previous useless secretary, she’d heard about a skilled individual in one of the companies she bought, and so brought her over to her.

She left her at her side for about a year, but now she could use her. She was somewhat strange—hauling around that stuffed teddy bear wherever she went—but at least Nanana hadn’t gotten tired of her.

“Really?” laughed Nanana, now pointing her stick at the boy with cloth wrapped on his limbs.

“And this is Pochi.”

“Pochi…?”

“Yahah, it’s actually pretty funny. When I first found him, this boy was living inside a cardboard box. He looked like a dog so I tried taking him in. He’s not a stray dog anymore; he ranked up to a watchdog.”

The boy called Pochi looked bashful. Normally he was quiet, but he was a martial artist Mushitsuki who was once used in a struggle between organized crime syndicates. Nanana hated stuffy-looking bodyguards, so she hired him as her personal guard. Incidentally, he had some comrades, and these Mushitsuki were being trained by her as well.

“And that deadbeat over there is Iruka-san. He’s Pochi’s kouhai. He looks like a bum, but he had a good fight against Pochi and I think he’s pretty strong in his own right.”

“Hi there, I’m Iruka! I can catch a ball with my mouth better than anyone!”

Perhaps having given up on his real name, the hockey stick boy raised his finger with a smile.

“A secretary with a teddy bear, a doggie and a dolphin; doesn’t it look fun?”

Perhaps it differed quite a lot from what the bags boy imagined. While Nanana wore a full smile and spread her arms, he merely gazed up absently.

“Our introduction is over. So, who are you?”

She raised the boy’s chin using the end of her stick.

“Chouya Nihei.”

After thinking for a bit, the boy gave his name. It was an awfully archaic-sounding name.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

“Huh? Well… no, I was just trying to meet someone—ouch!”

Pochi constricted the boy’s arms as he feigned ignorance.

“S-stop it already! Why do I have to go through all this? This is some prime information I have for sale here! Although I’m an amateur, I have my pride as a merchant, so I won’t speak without any compen—ouchhh!”

“I have a good idea. Why don’t we make a trade: your information for your arm?”

“Got it! You convinced me! I’ll talk!”

What an unexpectedly cheap pride. Nihei readily consented after Nanana exposed her true nature as a bully.

“…Geez, what a disappointment! I didn’t think that millionaire Akasegawa Nanana would be like this!”

“Pochi.”

“I was going to meet up with someone in that cottage! They chose the time and place, so I know nothing about what’s there!”

“Someone? Who?”

“Who knows. —Ouch! I don’t know, honest! I was introduced to them, so I have no idea who they are!”

“Hmm. —Oh, aren’t we close to your goal already? Then let’s settle this immediately. What have you gone up here to do?”

“…I just ended up in a bit of trouble. I want their protection, but I thought I might be able to get them to buy something on the way.”

“I’ll buy it.”

“Huh?”

“Whatever it is you’re trying to sell, I’ll buy it. Since you haven’t even negotiated anything with the one you’re meeting, it’s not like I’m snatching it from them, right?”

As Nanana grinned at him, Nihei could only mumble “Yeah, but…”

Speaking honestly, she had a hunch about the “someone” he was going to meet.

The current owner of this mountain abandoned by many ambitious people.

That person wouldn’t normally buy this mountain that had no scent of money. It had low value as real estate and wouldn’t serve well for a vacation home. If he wanted to house a hidden lover, it would be much better to buy an apartment at the capital.

At any rate, this was a rich landowner that stood in opposition to the Akasegawa Foundation. You could even call him Nanana’s business rival.

Since that person had bought this withered land, he should have something to hide there.

What is he hiding—

Nanana had a guess about that as well.

“It’s simply an item that you need to be a little cautious about. I mean, it is causing the scary organization called the SEPB to come after me.”

Having had his arms twisted too much, Nihei’s face was half-buried in the carpet on the car floor. Looking so worried was probably an act in order to raise his price.

“Eseepibi? Oh, you mean the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. Meaning, this is something related to Mushitsuki.”

Seeing Nanana say this so calmly, Nihei was stunned. If he was seeking to discuss business with this land’s owner, it had to be quite the item—so she thought, and hit bullseye.

“Then I simply must have it. I loathe the SEPB.”

Skillfully spinning her stick with her fingertips, she cackled.

Once, she’d been shown quite the unexpected sight by the SEPB—specifically the man called the strongest Mushitsuki. It would feel great to cause them some trouble.

“We have arrived.”

The secretary spoke in a mechanical tone, and Pochi opened the door. “Agh,” Nihei raised a shriek as he was kicked out, and Pochi himself leapt outside as well.

The limousine parked at the end of the woodland path.

It was an open plot of land around two times the size of a soccer field. There were several cottages there, none of them with any lights. She could also see a water-drawing place on the dust-covered region.

“Huh? What? What is it?”

Ignoring the confused Nihei, Pochi nimbly leapt to the front of the limousine.

Following Pochi came several other figures from the black cars escorting the limousine. The boys and girls clad in black suits—were the Mushitsuki who were Pochi’s comrades. Their trust in their leader deep, they followed Pochi’s actions rather than Nanana’s orders.

The empty camping site had a tense atmosphere.

The moon hung silently in the sky and the call of an early cicada echoed from somewhere.

Pochi and the rest surrounding the limousine to protect it took battle positions while not moving a single muscle.

On top of the soft seat, Nanana craned her head.

“Oh, was I wrong?”

“The ground is covered in people’s footprints. They also took perfect care of that water-drawing well. Furthermore, there’s not a speck of dust on the cottage.”

Folding his arms, Shachito spoke from the backseat.

“And most importantly, I can feel the power fields of Mushitsuki around there. Quite a lot are hiding.”

“Get out too, Iruka-san. Haven’t you come here to protect me?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, Princess. And with my full powers.” The boy shrugged exaggeratedly. “However, it is yet to be my stage. I’m not good at coordinated movements,” he asserted calmly.

As Nanana puffed her cheeks in annoyance, there was movement at the camp.

The lights turned on in one of the cottages.

At the same time several people appeared from behind the building’s shadow.

“Now then, let us begin negotiations.”

Supported by her secretary as she had poor control of her legs due to drunkenness, Nanana got off the car.

While spinning her stick, she tottered as she passed Pochi and the rest and stepped to the front.

“Yahah.”

Seeing the person revealed by the cottage’s lights, Nanana laughed.

Appearing there were several boys and girls. Since there were barely any adults among them, she could easily surmise their identity. Since they were waiting for them, they’d probably installed security cameras around.

“I knew this was connected to Mushibane. So you were taking refuge in the middle of nowhere, huh?”

Three men and women faced against Nanana’s cheerful laugh.

“Who are you?”

A tall, jacket-wearing woman glared at Nanana. From her tall nose and distinct facial features and cold atmosphere, she was apparently closer in age to Nanana’s secretary. However, unlike her mechanical secretary, this woman had a feral impression.

“If you know we’re Mushibane you’re no normal civilians.”

Her tone was like that of a samurai from some period drama, but it suited her well. She acted older than she was, so perhaps she was this place’s leader.

“Good evening, I am Akasegawa Nanana.”

From her wide smile Nanana switched to a business grin.

“I have come to talk business.”

“Business? I see.”

The one who sighed in boredom was a boy wearing a headband. With both hands in his pockets, not even looking wary, he glanced at them in a relaxed manner.

“You’ve got guts, coming here for that.”

“In business it’s important to have face-to-face meetings. Even when I know my opponent’s dangerous, nothing would come forth by being scared.”

They didn’t seem to be the mood to welcome her. But that was already within her expectations.

She was trying to do business where no people attempted before. She also acknowledged the risks. But to make her plans come true, she couldn’t avoid negotiating with the owner of this land—and consequently with Mushibane as well.

“So horrible…”

The one who muttered this was a petite girl. Her short hair suited her. Unlike the other two, she didn’t seem to be a combatant at all.

Ignoring the girl who mumbled incomprehensible things, Nanana decided to continue the negotiation.

“I would like to speak more concretely, sooo, who’s the one in charge—”

“What’re your demands?”

The jacket-wearing girl said with obvious hostility.

“Is it fine for us to discuss this out here? Isn’t our audience a bit too large?”

“Hmph. Then, come inside the cottage—”

“I think that what you are doing is the worst…!”

The short-haired girl interjected again.

Nanana let her business smile crumble in spite of herself. Since she loathed people hampering her negotiations, she unconsciously unveiled her true nature as she narrowed one eye.

“Can you make that kid over there shut up? She’s been very annoying.”

“Annoying? What’s annoying about her, you bastard!”

For some reason their leader started shouting at her angrily. Maybe that girl was her sister. She seemed to be awfully overprotective.

That was why Nanana hated negotiating with amateurs. She sighed.

“Understood. This is enough.”

“W-what’s enough? We have not had enough!”

Seeing the girl puff her cheeks angrily, Nanana snapped.

Nanana and the short-haired girl glared at each other, opening their mouths at the same time.

“I can’t have this talk with you. Will you bring out Munakata-shi already?”

“W-where have you hidden Munakata-san?!”

Munakata Kaiji.

Just like Nanana’s father, he was an entrepreneur who managed to raise an enormous fortune on his own.

Although his one-man business style resembled the Akasegawa clan’s, since he made use of no forceful methods he was more positively famous when compared to the Akasegawa Foundation.

Munakata Kaiji himself was this mountain’s current owner.

Since it was Munakata Kaiji, who wasted nothing while conducting business, there had to be a reason he’d bought this empty mountain.

Nanana’s surmise was apparently correct, but—

“…”

Nanana stood stunned in the silent camping site.

Her brain stopped thinking for a few moments due to this unforeseen situation. Finally, she spoke again.

“Munakata is… gone?”

“Are you not his kidnappers?”

The jacketed woman also unexpectedly groaned.

“U-umm… I’m sorry.”

She didn’t care about the small girl apologizing in a barely audible voice. Nanana bit her lips, turning back to the jacket woman.

“I would like to hear what happened in detail. Are you Mushibane’s leader?”

“No—”

Both the jacket-wearing woman and the headband-wearing boy moved their gaze to the short-haired girl.

“I-I’m sorry…”

For some reason, the girl apologized again to the speechless Nanana.

1.02 Nanana Part 2

The first Mushitsuki that Nanana had met was an untalkative girl.

Nanana was still young. She had been called by her grandfather, her only remaining blood relative, to participate in a party full of wealthy people.

While walking around the unfamiliar town to do some sightseeing, she’d gotten lost. She ended up in a dirty back alley, feeling so scared she was about to burst into tears.

The girl she’d met in that alley was slightly older and couldn’t be called pretty even as a compliment.

That girl wordlessly took hold of Nanana’s arm.

On the way, when Nanana got hurt, she even carried her.

Pulling the confused Nanana’s hand, the girl led her out of the labyrinthian alley in no time.

Nanana had been astonished at the view of the town that suddenly appeared in front of her.

It’s just like magic—

When she’d said that, the older girl also looked surprised.

Thank you—

After Nanana had thanked her, the girl froze for some reason.

When Nanana had brought out some reward, the girl instantly rejected it with a “I don’t need it”. Although it was obvious from her rough clothes and sickly thin body that she needed the money, she denied it.

At that moment the girl seemed to be full of pride, much more than any other person Nanana had ever met. Even more than any politician that ruled the country or any mainstream celebrity.

She’d met this older girl again only after a year passed.

One day the girl had appeared in front of Nanana.

She was completely changed from when Nanana had first met her, transforming into someone strong and beautiful. After that, the girl appeared to meet Nanana from time to time, always wearing large headphones.

Nanana, having thought of the world as beautiful at that time, had called that headphone girl “the Kind Magician”.

She would give Nanana advice every time she appeared and saved her using a mysterious power.

Without seeking anything in return.

She simply looked after Nanana while wearing a kind smile.

“You’re asking what I’m listening to? In these headphones?”

Was it that much of an unexcepted question? Almost as if it this the first time in her life that anyone had asked about her, the headphones girl widened her almond eyes.

It happened when Nanana stopped the girl who’d always immediately leave for a little talk. Seeing off the bus she took to school, they walked next to one another to wait for another one.

“Well… I’m not sure how to answer.”

At the time they didn’t even know each other’s names. Because their mysterious relationship required none of that.

“After all, I just told them to choose the loudest ones for me. I don’t even know the song names.”

While scratching her head, the girl spoke incoherently. Seeing this girl who was taller and more mature than Nanana so troubled caused her to start laughing.

“Choose for you? Like—was it a friend that chose?”

She actually wanted to ask “A friend or like a lover?”, but the latter half wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

“No, just someone in the shop… an employee.”

Nanana didn’t think there was any difference, but the older girl had the habit to try and use difficult words in front of her. She probably hadn’t received any proper education, or perhaps she had a complex about that. Nanana didn’t mind that one bit.

“I see,” Nanana said and wore a carefree smile. She was glad that she was able to keep this girl, who cared about her like family, all to herself.

“Oh, but maybe you’ll understand by seeing this.”

Pulling out the player connected to the headphone, she showed it to Nanana. Receiving the stick-shaped device, Nanana looked at the song names displayed there. They were in English.

“’Prometheus’.”

“Promi…ti?”

“I believe that’s a god from Greek Mythology. A hero who was executed because he’d stolen fire from the gods and gave them to the humans who were afraid of the dark.”

“You’re so knowledgeable.”

Narrowing her eyes, the headphones girl took back the player. Perhaps liking the name of the song, she put the player inside her coat’s pocket carefully.

“He’s just like me. I don’t mind being executed for your sake.”

Kidou Tsukasa.

That was apparently the name of the Mushitsuki who always had headphones hanging from her neck. She possessed a mental control-type ability which was rare even among Mushitsuki, and was so strong that she’d been able to toy with the government agency called the SEPB.

All of this Nanana learned much, much later.

And, even while using the entire powers of the Akasegawa Foundation, she’d been unable to find anything more than that—

“...?”

Seeing Nanana widen her eyes in surprise, Tsukasa looked confused. She apparently hadn’t realized what she’d just said.

No, she probably did, but treated it as completely natural. She wouldn’t care if she was executed even for Nanana, who was a complete stranger for her. —And without getting anything in return.

“Miss Magician—”

Why do you always help me?

She wanted to ask this, but closed her mouth. She wanted to ask it countless times in the past. But she never could. If she knew the reason for it, the magic would be lifted—at the time she believed so from the bottom of her heart.

“What are always doing when you go away?”

She changed her question.

Tsukasa brought up her chin. As the girl stretched her back at the bus stop, her form looked so ephemeral it wouldn’t be strange for her to disappear among the crowd at any moment.

“Hmm… can’t really explain it well.”

Nanana said nothing. If the Magician didn’t want to speak about it, she would ask no further.

But Tsukasa looked down her open hands and started speaking while choosing her words.

“I guess you could say I’m investigating the flow of money. Since that large flow of cash ends up sweeping even those who don’t have much money and takes it away. I wish I could build a wall… an embankment to protect those weak people.”

“Like volunteer work… or some sort of support group?”

“Since it’s something I’m doing myself, I don’t really think so. I don’t have any allies, so it’s not a group. And there’s something else that bothers me lately as well.”

“Something else?”

“Our power… why does this magic-like power exist? What should I do with this power?”

Nanana widened her eyes.

“Are there other magicians like you?”

“Yes.”

Tsukasa said this calmly and smiled.

“Apparently, the first person who had this sort of power was called Alpha.”

Alpha.

Nanana tilted her head. —Without knowing just how important that term spoken by the Kind Magician was. At that time, that Mushitsuki girl had grasped an outrageous secret.

“While poking the cartel, other rumors came to my ears. Enclosure, Bubble and… Paradigm Shift, was it? I don’t know what these all mean, but they’re apparently also related to the power I have.”

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… these are all economics jargon.”

“Are they? My power is suited for investigating, but it doesn’t help if I lack the knowledge. Things like that—I knew that it was best to leave them to other people.”

Smiling wryly, Tsukasa looked ahead.

“Right now I will do what needs to be done. The past should be left for smart people.”

Nanana looked down.

Although she wanted to help the Magician, she lacked power. Not only could she not use magic, but she also lacked brains.

“I’m jealous. I wish I could use magic too.”

“You don’t need it.”

“Huh?”

“I will be your power.”

As Nanana looked up at her, the Magician grinned.

“I don’t want anything in return from you—no compensation. Unlike this power.”

“Compensation…”

“You have thanked me. Even without this power, you’re enough of a good person… you can save people.”

Thank you—

She’d definitely said this.

After Tsukasa helped her when they’d first met, she had thanked her.

Nanana was confused.

Just for that single phrase?

Was Tsukasa saying that she wanted to help Nanana to that extent just in response to such a commonplace phrase of gratitude?

Whatever the circumstances might have been—it was just impossible.

Even with her dreamy ideals at the time Nanana thought it couldn’t be. There had to be another reason. She wouldn’t call Nanana a good person just for that.

“…”

Nanana wordlessly raised her right arm.

Kidou Tsukasa was smiling. Taking hold of Nanana’s shaking fingers, she firmly grabbed her hand back.

“If you’re ever in trouble, I want you to call me.”

—I will help you.

The Kind Magician had said so.

“Of course.”

Waiting for the bus while holding hands with the older girl, Nanana wore a carefree smile.

That was her memory with Kidou Tsukasa, the Kind Magician.

The first Mushitsuki Nanana had met.

Even after this the Magician had appeared in front of Nanana, gave her advice, and left with a smile.

The Magician that always came to help Nanana.

She had betrayed Nanana—only once.

After the death of her single remaining blood relative, Nanana had been given a large fortune and the job of a chairman of a large organization. The world that seemed so bright and beautiful to her until then now became infested with demons that were drawn to money, the most sullied world of all.

Nanana, having become the loneliest in the world, had no one to count on.

If there was, it could only be one—

The headphones girl, who took care of Nanana the most.

She believed without any doubt that the Kind Magician would come and help her.

While feeling lonely and fearing the cowardly, prideful adults, Nanana kept waiting for the Magician.

Yet the Kind Magician never appeared.

Even though during the last time they’d met she’d promised her that she’d keep being in the same city.

She’d believed her.

—If you’re ever in trouble, I want you to call me.

—Of course.

The first and only betrayal of the Magician.

These frozen scars overwrote the warmth of holding hands that day.

“—Yahah.”

On top of the sofa in the cottage’s lobby, Nanana burst into laughter. Knowing that she had no one to bargain with, there no longer was any need for her business smile.

“Have you heard? Munakata was kidnapped, they said! Yahaha, is he a kid? Was he offered candies by a stranger?”

Jumping to lean back on the sofa, she laughed at her subordinates. The secretary shrugged while holding her stuffed toy and Pochi grinned. Shachito was perhaps uninterested so he stared outside the window, waving amiably toward the Mushibane members outside.

“What’s so funny, you little…!”

The jacket woman bent forward displayed her anger.

As a result of the simple self-introduction, she came to know that this short-tempered woman was called Namie. She was relatively old, but wasn’t their leader.

“I-I don’t think it’s nice to laugh about people’s misfortune.”

With her ears reddening, the petite girl seated on the sofa puffed her cheeks. She was probably about as old as Nanana or slightly younger. Perhaps as a result of her baby face, her words and manner seemed childish.

At first Nanana had doubted her ears, but apparently it was true that this girl was the leader of Mushibane. Her name was Snow Fly. People around her called her Snow.

The headband boy near Snow was called Aijisupa. His sleepy-looking eyes silently observed how things went. He was probably the leader’s bodyguard.

There were two other Mushibane members inside the cottage. The one crossing her arms and sitting near the fireplace was the girl called Halensis, with characteristic Japanese glossy black hair. The fashionable girl sitting on the stairs at the back and fiddling with her cellphone was Lucifera. She’d been told that both were Mushibane executives.

Incidentally, the boy that Nanana had brought on the way here, Chouya Nihei, was outside the cottage. Apparently they would decide how to deal with him later.

“And you even mistakenly thought that I was the kidnapper… is this a joke?”

Being tired of laughing, Nanana turned back to the people of Mushibane.

“W-well… I’m sorry.”

Snow immediately shrunk and lowered her gaze. Namie stopped her.

“There is no need for you to apologize. They have unlawfully entered our property in the first place. Also, it is yet undecided that they are truly unrelated to Munakata.”

“So simple-minded. Jumping at conclusions. So stubborn.”

A voice echoed from the stairs. While playing with her cellphone, Lucifera mumbled in a bored voice.

“They wouldn’t have feigned ignorance if they really were related to this. Famous people like Akasegawa Nanana don’t have any reason to appear here directly. Normally one would kidnap Munakata-san and then ask for ransom money. If he’s really been kidnapped, that is.”

“You were the one who said he was kidnapped, Lucifera.”

“Will you please not stare at me like this, Halen-san? I just said that it was a bit too sudden for him to have simply run away. That meticulous man had plenty of work to be done, right? Apparently because of that, his real business was in upheaval. Because he does everything—whether his real job or supporting Mushibane—all by himself, we’ve instantly become dirt-poor. I wanna eat that special tart again.”

All Mushibane members in the cottage sank to silence.

Mushibane was an antigovernment group made by Mushitsuki—or more precisely a resistance organization created to oppose the SEPB. Their goal was to secure wild Mushitsuki before the SEPB captured or made them Fallen only on account of them being Mushitsuki.

Nanana heard that they had many members, including civilian collaborators. Even just guaranteeing the livelihoods of those who had no option but become runaways should take plenty of money.

Until now all financial support came from the bigwig businessman Munakata Kaiji. She wasn’t sure about his goals in doing this, but it probably wasn’t impossible given his assets.

However, Munakata had suddenly disappeared. There was no doubt that it was a matter of time before Mushibane was cornered.

“You seem to be at your wits’ end, ladies and gentlemen of Mushibane.”

Nanana coldly stared at all executives except one with a glare.

Only one person—the current leader, the girl known as Snow—hung her head.

“Akasegawa… umm… Nananana.”

“Ha. I will slap you, Leader. My name’s Nanana. Only three ‘na’.”

“I-I’m sorry. Akasegawa Nanana-san—do you know about us?”

“Yes. It might surprise you to hear I have some deep connection to Mushitsuki. —I’ve even met Mushibane’s previous leader.”

“Huh?”

Snow widened her eyes and her eyes sparkled with happiness. All other members also turned to look at Nanana.

“You’ve met Rina?”

“She was an intelligent woman.”

From some reason she heard the secretary mumble “of course” from behind.

Tachibana Rina was the founder and previous leader of Mushibane.

Because she was wise, Tachibana Rina had once done something Nanana couldn’t forgive her for—but that was in the past. If she was here, she’d start hitting her with a full smile, but had no intention to keep blaming her even after her death.

“She had no selfishness and never compromised. —She was that much of a beautiful person.”

She had a fastidious soul, the complete opposite of Nanana. Because of that she possessed an addictive charisma and corrupted those drawn to her. Nanana couldn’t do that.

“…My name is Anmoto Shiika.”

Thinking of something, Snow introduced herself again. Had she so easily forgiven her just because they had common acquaintances?

“Did you have some business with Munakata-san?”

Nanana saw a strange sight.

With Shiika’s simple words—just her uttering this calm question—the members of Mushibane who argued with each other became calm again. All their sights focused on Nanana.

She didn’t look reliable in the least, but her comrades all trusted in her. Nanana was completely fooled by the girl’s appearance, but she did have something that allowed her to inherit Tachibana Rina.

But she wasn’t going to lose to her in enchanting people.

Nanana wore her business smile again.

“Yes, I have invited him to rendezvous many times but I was ignored… although I know how rude it is, I came directly to meet him.”

“R-run the vow? What kind of vow?”

“Yahaha, you’re so funny. Rendezvous means a meeting. I’m really going to smack you.”

Nanana glared at the girl who said such stupid things with a straight face while still grinning. Shiika blushed and muttered a “S-sorry…” with a barely audible voice.

No matter how much of an idiot she was, she was the leader of the other party. Otherwise, she would have really started bullying her.

“Since Mushibane is not unrelated to all of this, I will reveal it to you as well.”

Prefacing with this, Nanana said.

“Akasegawa Group is here to forge a certain kind of contract with Mushitsuki like you.”

“A contract, you say?”

“Yes. I am aware that Mushitsuki’s powers comes in many forms. Building on that, I believe that you can support many different kinds of work.”

Shiika looked confused. She apparently couldn’t understand the meaning of Nanana’s words.

“You’re too roundabout. Too patronizing. In short...”

The girl called Lucifera interjected from her place back at the stairs.

“You’re trying to buy Mushitsuki with money, right?”

“Well, that is pretty much it.”

Nanana nodded with a smile.

As expected, Namie burst with “What…!” and her expression changed. Halensis in front of the fireplace scowled as well. “Buying us all with money?” she asked.

“Is it really so unexpected? Hadn’t Munakata-san used Mushitsuki for business as well?”

Nanana touched her cheek with her index finger, tilting her head.

“Since you’ll be working as Mushitsuki, you will need to act discreetly… but there are plenty of customers who require the use of supernatural abilities. Think about me us introducing Mushitsuki to those customers and dispatching the proper manpower. All you Mushibane would need to do is supply the requested Mushitsuki.”

Mushibane had many members. They shouldn’t have a shortage of needed abilities.

“Of course, we will also do our utmost to protect you against the SEPB. You will also gain employee benefits. You will be paid more the more dangerous it is, and in the worst case, we will also prepare reparations for the case when the merchandise is destroyed.”

A business utilizing Mushitsuki.

That was the new kind of business Nanana had thought up.

Even now Mushitsuki kept on multiplying. That truth was indisputable, and it would be unavoidable in the future as well. They could no longer hide them.

The existence of Mushitsuki was becoming normal in this country.

That was why, for this upcoming future—the victors would be those who secured the most merchandise. When Mushitsuki became exposed to the world at large, people who desire their supernatural abilities would also gain an explosive increase.

Future transactions were a basic part of commerce.

Akasegawa Group would monopolize the Mushitsuki that would be in demand in the near future.

Business of the new age would give birth to extraordinary profits. No matter the culture, those who secured as many real estate and energy sources as possible built the era. Mushibane with its vast resources was like an oil field or a gold mine.

Moreover, by being the first to secure Mushitsuki like that she could hold back those who’d become her rivals later. She would use the strength of numbers to crush her business rivals.

“All you executives would do the same work. You will secure as much merchandise as possible before the SEPB. From time to time, we will come and choose among them. —Oh, and obviously we don’t intend to ask you executives to—”

“Shut up.”

Spitting this, Namie rose up. The alert Pochi came to stand in front of Nanana.

“Merchandise? What do you think Mushitsuki are?”

“I had no intention to call you that. I have excluded your executives—”

“That doesn’t matter. We don’t feel the slightest like going along with your idea.”

Halensis also revealed her hostility as she glared at Nanana. Lucifera was quietly fiddling with her cellphone and Aijisupa was glancing away as if this had nothing to do with him.

As for Shiika, she was perhaps still unable to understand the conversation. She stared up vacantly at their arguments.

“If I cannot make this contract with Mushibane—I will next go to the SEPB.”

“…!”

“I have come to speak with you first because I believe your prices would be lower. But I am sure that the SEPB would be able to look at this business opportunity realistically and bargain with me. And if I end up creating a contract with the SEPB—”

Nanana spun her stick, narrowing one eye. She’d never seen her own face like that, but smiling while narrowing one eye probably revealed her true personality.

“Since you will become my greatest business rivals, I will be ruthless, you know?”

“How dare you…!”

“No matter where you hide, I will actively search for you just like I did to find this place, and I will destroy you. Even if I can’t see you, there are people wherever money flows to. You can tell anything from this flow of money, both in the past—and in the future as well. Even without the ability to sense Mushitsuki, no one can escape from me.”

The lobby engulfed in silence was permeated by Nanana’s cold voice.

“There’s nothing that I—Akasegawa Nanana—am unable to buy.”

To be honest, she wanted to bargain with their patron, Munakata Kaiji, before directly speaking with them. Of course, if the negotiations failed, she would have warned them.

Yet Munakata was said to be missing.

Nanana wasn’t an idiot who would miss this opportunity. Now that their money had been cut off at the source and they became weaklings, there was no need to advance any amiable talks.

She could attack quickly while Munakata was gone.

Once they were contracted to her, they belonged to her. Even if Munakata returned later, she wouldn’t let this man, who didn’t even arrive at the bargaining table, voice any complaints—

“Umm…”

A clear voice echoed in the lobby controlled by this explosive atmosphere.

It was Shiika.

Exchanging glances with the girl that listened quietly to the conversation, Nanana raised her eyebrows.

She had no doubts that this girl was too stupid to have followed the conversation, but she was apparently thinking of a different thing entirely.

“Nanana-san—do you hate Mushitsuki?”

This sudden question made everyone furrow their eyebrows. Even the until now apathetic Aijisupa looked at Shiika at Shiika. Not only that, but even Shachito turned around and for a change looked at her with a serious face.

Having everyone’s gazes focus on her made Shiika gasp. She blushed and cast her gaze.

“I-I’m sorry. I just got somewhat curious while listening to you…”

“Yes, I loathe them.”

Nanana smiled. A carefree grin. She wore a first-rate smile.

“But they’ll make money.”

The lobby sank into silence.

“I… see.”

Shiika didn’t look angry nor sad. She simply absently nodded.

What a strange woman—

Nanana mentally clicked her tongue. She thought that girl was childishly simple, and couldn’t go with the flow. She was apparently not calm enough.

But she noticed that everyone was listening to Shiika’s words. Like a pure snowfield that soaked up all sounds, it broke down all noise, sucking in even violent feelings and making them nothing.

“U-umm… it was too complicated so I couldn’t understand it.”

Wondering what she’d say next, Shiika easily raised the white flag.

“What do you think, Lucy-san?”

Turning to the stairs, she called toward the girl engrossed with her cellphone. —As could be deduced from her actions and words until now, Lucifera seemed to be the smartest one among the executives. Perhaps she served as counsellor.

“Is it fine for you to ask for my opinion? I don’t want to do much other than issuing battle orders.”

“I-I see…”

“There’s no need to give up. She’s actually weak against pressure. She puts on air and says ‘oh well, no choice’ after making sure she’s actually needed.”

“S-shut up!”

Lucifera’s ears reddened. “I’m already used to dealing with warped brats,” asserted Namie. Nanana thought that this woman was just short-tempered, but apparently she could take care of people, being older.

“This is something that you can understand by just thinking a little.”

Lucifera puckered her lips, making a gesture of cutting her own throat horizontally.

“Red signal. Eliminate all danger. Kill ‘em. Is what I think.”

“Kill ‘em…?”

“This person is someone dangerous. Since she went to the trouble of appearing to us, we should kill her right here and now. Moreover, if we miss this great chance, we’re sure to regret it.”

The lobby was momentarily filled with tension.

“She is the enemy.”

Being glared by Lucifera, Nanana grinned.

“I am actually offering you a helping hand, though? If you don’t contract with me, you will be unable to get any money and starve to death, you know?”

“We have plenty of other options to raise money!”

“Yahah, you liar. How much money do you think is needed to support this many people? Even if all members of Mushibane became burglars it wouldn’t be enough.”

“You don’t understand, do you? The one in danger right now is you, Akasegawa Nanana-san.”

Nanana and Lucifera locked gazes. Unlike her stupid appearance, the girl called Lucifera appeared to have understood Nanana better than anyone else there. When she said she’d do something, she’d actually do it.

Meanwhile, Nanana kept her composure.

She had trained Pochi and the other Mushitsuki as her guardians. They’d be able to easily handle all these amateurs. After suitably hurting them and running away, she’d go and talk with the SEPB.

“Excuse me, Lucy-san.”

Again, the one to have so easily cut this thread of tension was Shiika.

“P-please try another method.”

“Haa. I knew you were gonna say that.”

Lucifera raised her head. Namie and Pochi, both ready for battle, and Aijisupa about to rise, all returned to simple glaring.

“There is no other way. As long as we don’t know where Munakata-san is, the fact we are poor will not change. The more time passes, we will give Akasegawa more openings. Having said that, if we took on this contract with Akasegawa or whatever, we will clearly create an irreversible situation. If so, it would be much better to nip at least one danger in the bud right here and now.”

“But that is the wrong thing to do.”

Shiika said.

“We’ve decided we’ll not make any more enemies…”

All of Mushibane went silent. Lucifera clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“You really do not understand just how hard this is… a hundred times more difficult than just killing our enemies.”

Shiika hung her head. But perhaps thinking of something, she raised it with a smile.

“R-right. I have an idea.”

All people there looked at the baby-faced girl.

“How about we get Nanana to help us look for Munakata-san?”

“…Hah?”

Nanana raised this weird sound before anyone else.

“You came here to speak with him in the first place, after all. And we are in a lot of trouble since he isn’t here. Bringing him back would benefit both of us.”

Shiika explained as she looked down while happily entwining her fingers.

As Shiika seemed to be saying please praise me with her actions, it was actually awkward to say anything at all.

“Looks like you know Munakata-san well, Nanana-san. And just now you said that there’s nothing you can’t find. Then surely that also means—”

In the space where no one could speak, Shiika nodded again and again and looked satisfied.

While listening to Lucifera’s exaggerated sigh, Nanana stifled her laughter and spoke.

“Did you even listen to me? Munakata not being here is beneficial for me, you know? Unlike the nearly starving Mushibane, if I can’t make a deal with you, I’ll simply take the talk to SEPB.”

“But the SEPB would never go along with you, right?”

“…!”

This single sentence spoke by the puzzled Shiika made Nanana gasp. —She actually gasped.

Seeing her response, Lucifera’s eyes changed. Yet Nanana pretended not to notice and calmly burst in laughter.

“They will. There are no people that can’t be bought with money.”

“Really? I know several such people. —The person in HQ called Miguruma is also like that.”

When Shiika spoke softly, Nanana erased her smile.

—I don’t need it.

The woman who had once rejected her offer of a reward rose to mind. Thus spoke the Mushitsuki girl after her first meeting with Nanana, not intending to receive anything from her.

Nanana silently clicked her tongue.

She recalled a bad memory. She felt herself growing angrier.

“Even if the higher-ups wouldn’t agree, giving money to their subordinates would be enough. Buying government officials is my specialty. There’s no way I couldn’t illegally buy some members.”

“…”

“But that would still have a low chance of success.”

After Shiika sank into silence, Lucifera took over.

“You’re thinking about monopolizing Mushitsuki, right? Then leaving yourself the opportunity to still bargain with Mushibane should be much better from a business standpoint.”

The fact of being shaken to the core by someone unthinkable—Shiika, who looked like a simple idiot—brought her the greatest defeat of her life. Lucifera had seen through her split-second agitation.

The possibility of her dealing with the SEPB was actually a bluff.

She knew well that organization was not straightforward. Although she intended on truly bargaining with them if push came to shove, it was nothing when compared to the gains she could get with Mushibane. Just like her secretary told her, it was doubtful whether the profit would be worth the risk.

To think that this idiot would see through her bluff—

No, she doubted Shiika actually saw through her.

Everyone in the lobby was deceived by Nanana’s confident acting. Only Shiika had not been led astray and thus could easily see the hidden truth.

“We will sell the right to bargain with us, with Mushibane.”

Lucifera asserted.

“If you offer us a bit of assistance and help us in the search for Munakata-san, once he returns you will also be at the negotiation table. This was your plan in the first place, right? If you think about it as being just a little late than expected, it’s super cheap.”

“And what if I tell you that if you don’t negotiate with me right here and now I’ll go snitch on this place to the SEPB? And I’ll keep harassing you after that as well.”

“That would be a problem. But we will not negotiate with you ever again. We can just search for a different patron. It turns out we can make money.”

“And if Munakata is already dead?”

“Then let us say there will be no negotiations. Because we’ll not allow you to secretly kill Munakata-san after finding him.”

“…”

“Rather than both of us losing, let us choose the option that can lead both of us to profit.”

“—Understood.”

She hit her stick against the floor. Nanana stood upright.

“Let us finish this right here. This is definitely not something I must agree to. I decided to try thinking of another business.”

The scent of money vanished completely from this place. Since Munakata was gone, she tried angering them purposely to push through with that momentum. However, since she’d bought their animosity, if Munakata ever returned to the negotiation table there would be no advantages for Nanana.

“I will add a condition.”

As Nanana tried exiting the cottage, Shiika’s voice came from behind.

“If Munakata-san has passed away… I will contract with you, Nanana-san.”

The various members of Mushibane were obviously shocked. Nanana turned back.

“I have no need for you. Doesn’t look like I can use you for much.”

“But I can’t guarantee you the other Mushibane members…”

“I’ll contract as well.”

Aijisupa opened his mouth for the first time. He spoke as if it was completely natural.

“Me too.”

Namie also joined.

Nanana looked at Lucifera and Halensis. The cellphone girl shrugged with a dumbfounded look.

“Do not be too greedy. After all, you’re getting, according to the SEPB classification, two people of Rank 3—as well as the disaster incarnate, Secret Class Rank 1 Fuyuhotaru as collateral, you know?”

“Secret Class Rank 1—what?”

Nanana widened her eyes.

She obviously knew about how fearsome Rank 1 was. She had once seen with her very eyes just how their fighting strength was far removed from common sense. Thinking about it, she’d also heard about the remaining Rank 1, Fuyuhotaru.

The scent of money returned. And it was even stronger than before.

Just like she’d said before, searching for Munakata would be simple for her.

If Munakata was dead she’d be lucky. Nanana would be able to gain a Rank 1 Mushitsuki. And if he was alive, she’d be able to negotiate with Mushibane. Even if negotiations failed, she could just get much money from Munakata who she’d saved.

“Do you have any clues as to Munakata’s whereabouts?”

While inwardly chuckling, Nanana didn’t let it show on her face.

“Well… to be honest…”

Slightly hesitant, Shiika opened her mouth.

“Apparently Munakata was investigating something before his disappearance. He told me a little about it.”

“Investigating something?”

“I didn’t really understand it… Enclo? Bubble…? And then Paradise or something like that—”

“What—did you just say?”

This time Nanana really was speechless.

Seeing Nanana’s abnormal behavior, not only Mushibane but even the secretary and Pochi became suspicious.

“Enclosure—Bubble—Paradigm Shift.”

“T-that’s right! That’s definitely what he said. I don’t understand what it means, though…”

After a while, Nanana finally spoke again.

—Enclosure, Bubble and… Paradigm Shift, was it?

A memory from the past resurfaced.

The Mushitsuki who took care of Nanana more than anyone else and had betrayed her at the very end.

The Kind Magician had definitely spoken those words.

—I don’t know what these all mean, but they’re apparently also related to the power I have.

She remembered the conversation she’d had with Kidou Tsukasa word for word. She would have never misheard her.

Her pulse was quickening. Her heart was pounding to an annoying degree.

Was Munakata also attempting to grasp what she’d tried to?

No, perhaps—

“Understood. I will try to find Munakata-shi.”

Asserting this cleanly, everyone gazed at Nanana in surprise.

Perhaps—she’d be able to gain clues regarding the movements of the Magician.

She’d believed in her.

She had lost her one and only blood relative and was lonely.

Even so that woman betrayed her and never came to her again.

But perhaps she’d be able to find out where she was.

“The situation has changed. If Munakata isn’t alive I’d be in trouble.”

She needed to hear about it directly from Munakata Kaiji.

Nanana spoke briefly and turned on her heels. Her subordinates hurried after her.

Heading after the vestiges of the Kind Magician—

Nana vigorously opened the cottage’s door.

1.03 Nanana Part 3

Since the Kind Magician came to her, Nanana once again did not ride her bus.

While waiting for the regular bus, Kidou Tsukasa held hands with Nanana. For Nanana, who’d lost her parents when she was little and had only the housekeeper care for her, just feeling a person’s warmth filled her heart. Her grandfather had invited her to another grand party, but because he was busy with work, he barely came to visit Nanana’s home.

“They apparently caught the attacker who caused trouble around here.”

When Nanana said this, the Kind Magician looked down at her and grinned.

“As well as the molester they’d warned us about at school.”

“Right.”

“You were the one who caught them, right?”

“…”

“Thank you very much.”

For Nanana, the Kind Magician was like a superhero. When she innocently said her thanks, Kidou Tsukasa smiled wryly and used her free hand to scratch at her cheek.

“I was definitely the one who handed him to the police… but I wasn’t the one who actually did this.”

“…?”

“Since I had no education, I can’t really explain things. It was, how do I put it, something like destiny. Something like the flow of things and events… I wasn’t the one who created this destiny this time.”

Nanana looked puzzled, so Tsukasa made a troubled face. She let her free hand stray in the air, desperately trying to explain. Seeing the older girl like that felt funny and endearing.

“Even when I use the word destiny, it doesn’t mean everything was decided. For example, imagine something like a bathtub full of hot water—and just like some rubber duckie, people and things are floating in it. If we take this case as an example, the ducks would be the attacker, the victims, and the police. They were all left to the bathtub’s gentle tide, either clashing or passing one another.”

“Hah…”

“Obtaining the reason and motive to catch them—so that you will not become a victim—I leapt into the bathtub. I became one of the duckies and mixed among them. My investigation caused yet another gentle flow. Affected by this flow, the actions of perpetrator and victims also changed. The rubber duckies mingled together chaotically.”

“Umm… huh?”

“This time, however, a beautiful, large swan cut across them.”

The Kind Magician sliced the air with her finger.

“It became a very large flow. We were all caught in it; not only the attacker, but me and the police as well. All of us duckies got flustered, drowned, and were swept the same way—the result that was destined for us. Me and the attacker just happened to clash in the midst of that. Something like that, maybe.”

Yup, the Kind Magician nodded. She probably intended to finish her explanation there, so seeing Nanana still scowl, she hurriedly added more.

“It happens from time to time. A person who moves with a very violent—a very strong will and influence. They never look back, not even reflecting on the effects they have on others, and simply rush on headlong. —I believe that the flow called destiny was created by people like that. All of us were simply swept along by it.”

“People who… move with a strong will.”

“Although she moved for the sake of her classmates, this time the swan was very awkward and reckless… but such people brought forth the flow called fate.”

The Kind Magician smiled again.

“You have good friends.”

Nanana furrowed her brows. There were only very few people she could call her friends. The one she could call a true friend was probably only her classmate Ikarino Kirari. —Just to be sure, the next day she tried asking Kirari about it. The conversation ended with “I don’t know”, “I see. Right,” and “Yeah”.

“Destiny was definitely created by a swan.”

Tsukasa said.

“Us duckies are only swept in their flow. Seeing the flustered duckies after the swan’s passing, the people of the future call it history.”

“So the duckies are the past?”

“Yes. That is why history remains but destiny is invisible. Because after it created that destiny, the swan’d already left without looking back.”

Nanana felt that she’d been told something very important. Tsukasa was self-deprecating as she said she had no education, but what she taught Nanana was much more difficult than schoolwork.

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… these are history. As I am a mere duckie, I gave up on trying finding the swan who caused that.”

“Are those the things you said before? You’re not a duckie at all, Kind Magician.”

“It’s fine. I’m better off protecting the swan in front of me.”

Tsukasa looked at Nanana’s face, smiling.

“I-I am not a swan.”

“I believe you have the talent for that. You’ve met the attacker’s victims.”

“…? I just saw them assaulting people, but that doesn’t mean that I—”

Chancing upon the scene of the crime was very scary. —And she only went to two people for advice. She hadn’t even spoken to the police.

The Kind Magician and her friend Ikarino Kirari.

“I only became a Magician thanks to you, as well. —From now one, perhaps you will be able to transform other people into something as well…”

“…”

“No doubt about it. You can’t see it from the future, but… all those duckies have definitely witnessed the swan.”

The Magician, calling herself a duckie, put her hand on top of Nanana’s head with a smile.

That kind sensation was exactly the same as her one remaining blood relative.

“…Yes.”

Nanana didn’t think in the slightest that someone like her had that sort of talent.

However—the Kind Magician told her so.

She wanted to try and become a swan one day so that her precious person would not become a liar.

Visiting Mushibane’s hideout after a few days, a familiar person immediately greeted her.

“Oh, it’s been a while, Nanana-chan. You’re gotten even prettier!”

It was the boy called Chouya Nihei. Nanana picked him up when she’d first reached this camping spot, the boy she’d mistaken for a bag boy monster. Wearing work clothes, the sunglasses he used to push up his hair were clouded over with perspiration.

“Don’t come any closer, you’re going to sully my dress. Also, aren’t you acting overly familiar?”

Getting off the limousine, Nanana wore a lavish dress. It was a tiered dress with several layers and on top of her exposed shoulders she wore a shrug adorned with a gem.

Behind her, the secretary, Pochi and Shachito were all dressed up formally as well. The secretary wore an elegant dress—and, as a meaningless addition, her teddy bear had a jeweled hair ornament. Pochi and Shachito wore suits with tie.

“As cold as ever. Hang on, I’ll go call the leader.”

When Nanana turned her stick toward him as if to swat away a fly, Nihei’s smile turned wry. Going nearby with a friendly attitude, he closed what looked like a notepad.

“So, have you watched it? The Chronicler’s interview, I mean.”

Thinking about it, she’d bought a memory stick from him the other day. She decided to buy it from him after hearing he’d planned on selling it to Munakata, but since it was so cheap, she’d lost interest.

“Oh, that? Hmm, where have I put that?”

The last time she came it was night.

Now, however, perhaps because it was morning, many Mushibane members were around the camp. As always there were barely any adults, but people all the way from elementary school age to university age were preparing breakfast.

“No way! That caused me to go bankrupt, you know? You can definitely tell at a glance it’s high quality, right?”

“Then you should have given it the right price. That kind of price doesn’t even make me feel like watching it. I even thought you were making fun of me.”

“I won’t rip you off. I have my pride as a merchant.”

“Can you sell pride? —By the way, what are you even doing here?”

“I’ve created a ledger. Apparently, they left all money recording to Munakata-san until now. Since you’ve given us financial support, we have to record precisely what we used it on. —Oh, and you’re sober today, Nanana-chan.”

“No one did any accounting until now?”

As Nanana widened her eyes, Nihei replied “apparently” with a bitter smile. Even that was a huge surprise, but she was completely stunned at them leaving the accounting to a complete newcomer like Nihei.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

Mushibane’s leader—Anmoto Shiika—came running. Perhaps due to the rough t-shirt she was wearing, she looked so childlike that Nanana found it bizarre she was only one year older than Shiika. Just like before, Shiika was surrounded by the entourage of Aijisupa, Namie and Lucifera.

“Say, I just heard something from this guy.”

“Wait, stop. You’re making it sound as if I told something I shouldn’t. Wait, what’s up with ‘this guy’? I have a name, you know!”

“Is it true that no one was taking care of your money until now?”

“Huh? Y-yes. Until now, Munakata-san has prepared everything we need. —Nihei-san’s been a great help.”

“It makes me so happy to hear that. I mean, my motto’s ‘three-way satisfaction’ and all that!”

“Three-way satisfaction?”

As Shiika tilted her head, Nihei wore a full smile.

“Good for the seller! Good for the buyer! Good for society! That’s the three-way satisfaction. My style is to make a deal that makes everyone happy! That’s why you can count on me!”

Assuring this, the boy pounded his own chest. “Wow,” Shiika alone clapped her hand, sounding impressed.

“Yahah. Three-way satisfaction? The motto of a poor man indeed.”

Nanana snorted in laughter. She knew those words as well.

Sanpo Yoshi, or three-way satisfaction, was the merchant belief once popular in this country. Those were old and hackneyed words. Such naïve thinking would never work in modern times.

A deal where everyone could be happy—was a mere pipedream.

“That’s only the excuse of a useless businessman.”

When Nanana mocked him, Nihei’s face changed. He turned angry, his voice shaking.

“No! I-I mean, maybe compared to you, my earnings are little…”

“Wait, don’t lump us both together? Unlike you, I’m a pro. That stupidly naïve motto of three-way satisfaction won’t work anywhere these days.”

“…! Then I’ll say it, your way of doing business is—"

“Y-you two, please calm down.”

Unable to withstand it any longer, Shiika stepped to stop them. Nihei looked angry even now and Nanana stuck out her tongue.

“Well, leaving aside this wannabe businessman—”

“What was that!?”

“I’m tired of you. I wonder why Munakata only watched Mushibane play pretend?”

Looking around the camp, Nanana said.

Shiika looked surprised.

“U-umm… Munakata-san said that he didn’t want to meddle in Mushibane’s matters too much. He’d just give us the minimum support…”

Nanana snorted without thinking. Had he started feeling philanthropic in his age? She couldn’t believe that her business rival would suddenly become like that. He was tasteless in how he played with them.

“Yahah. Then I will meddle.”

Shiika looked puzzled as Nanana grinned.

“Although only temporary, I’m currently Mushibane’s sponsor, after all. I do have the right to, wouldn’t you say?”

Nanana cheerfully spun her stick. Seeing all of them being so carefree, she felt the need to bully them.

“There’s no way these are all of Mushibane’s members. Are there any others?”

“Huh? Umm… those here are only those without a current address. The other people live in houses or facilities prepared by Munakata.”

“Hmm. Just live there?”

“Those who wish to fight with us help save other Mushitsuki and stuff like that…”

“Meaning only those who want to? You have some guts, competing with the SPEB like that.”

“When we receive information that a Mushitsuki’s found, one of us proceeds to the field and assumes control. We never directly fight the SEPB.”

Namie interjected. By “one of us” she probably meant one of the four people there. Perhaps that was enough for guerilla warfare.

Nanana grinned.

“And the Mushitsuki you saved there are so kindly protected by you, living happily somewhere. Oh, what bliss, what paradise!”

“…”

“Being protected while offering nothing in return, getting free meals, and you act kind to them even if they say they don’t want to fight… after their tragic, tragic life, they believe all this to be a matter of course!”

Pacing around with exaggerated motions, Nanana pointed her stick at the various people in camp.

“—Please give some labor to everyone.”

Shiika could only mutter “eh?” in shock.

“Not just the ones here, but also those you’re hiding as well. Give them something to do that fits their skills. If those Mushitsuki can fight then obviously let them, but there’s also information gathering, making money… small children can even do something like help clean. Regardless, you need to give them jobs and discipline them to a proper level.”

“W-wait…”

“Yahah. Work equals money! It’s obvious!”

Among the stunned people, Nanana alone kept spinning her stick with great delight.

“In the first place, if they just keep on doing nothing, their hearts would never recover. —People without any sort of purpose only keep licking their wounds. And licking only causes the wounds to fester. Rather than that, it’s much better to let them work and forget the pain so that their wound will naturally close on its own.”

“…”

“Since I’m kind, I won’t tell you to exploit them. But if there’s something they can do, make them do it. And the most important thing—create rules to make them work, and punish those who break them.”

“P-punish them… this isn’t that kind of—”

“At least in that the SEPB is a rational system. Without working, without getting scolded, without thinking at all, people would atrophy. Stagnant water becomes murky. —I’m not telling you to ignore their human rights to that extent, but you should try to mimic them. It’s that valuable.”

Gazing at Shiika, she narrowed one eye.

“And this is just a freebie. This foolish rule of ‘protecting them as a matter of course’ will definitely make Mushibane useless. With such rotten thinking, when things get rough, they’ll all resent you executives. They’ll say, why couldn’t you protect us?”

“…!”

“Paradise can exist only when there is a god… since that woman’s gone, isn’t that dreamy time over?”

Shiika and the rest’s faces stiffened.

“Give them the self-awareness to protect themselves by their own powers. Also, by cooperating with others, you can create a feeling of solidarity. You executives should pave that road for them.”

She asserted toward the silent executives.

“Over! If you can’t do what I told you, I’ll stop supporting you right here! Understood?”

Finishing her presentation, Nanana spread her arms.

Apparently she hadn’t given the Mushibane members a positive impression. They seemed to be heavily doubtful about her words and rebellious about her behavior.

But one person, Anmoto Shiika, wore a troubled expression and seemed to be thinking seriously.

“—Understood.”

Finally, the leader nodded.

“I don’t know if this will go well… but I’ve been thinking that Mushibane should change from now on. I want us to talk and change little by little.”

Even her comrades that listened stunned to Nanana’s words now seemed to agree temporarily due to their leader agreeing. While still appearing confused, at least they calmed down.

How boring. It’s not worth bullying you if you don’t respond properly—

It was now Nanana who was disappointed, curling her lips.

“Let us talk about this later. You’re coming with me.”

“Eh?”

“When we go to rescue Munakata, someone from Mushibane would also be present. —You were the one who made that condition.”

“Eh…? Have you found Munakata-san? W-where is he?”

“I have a general idea—right.”

Nanana narrowed one eye, wearing a distorted smile.

She purposely wanted to show an innocent girl like Shiika the place they were heading to now. It would doubtlessly be funny for someone with an honest heart like hers.

“A wonderful, paradise-like world.”

A gathering for those who’re even worse than Mushi—

While smiling, Nanana spoke the complete opposite in her heart.

1.04 Nanana Part 4

Enclosure.

In economic history, this happened toward the end of the Middle Ages.

A powerful feudal lord had monopolized a land used as a communal farm. The citizens that owned that farmland were ruined and served as workers under that lord.

It could be said that the forcible movement called “enclosure” was established due to the conference between feudal lords and the corrupt government officials. In order to obtain what they desired, the feudal lords used entire fortunes and succeeded in hogging the treasure box known as land all to themselves.

Such methods were not uncommon.

When rich people conferred in secret with their allies, they whispered amongst themselves. And, obviously, the topic was how to make even more money—they sought advice on how to squeeze out even more from the peasants.

“The Round Table?”

Inside the limousine, Anmoto Shiika tilted her head. She wore a dress with exposed shoulders and a shrug on top, and her hair was slightly curled. All of that, including accessories, had been chosen for her by Nanana. The clothes were a bit too much for her, but it would give a better impression to all the old men.

“Yes, this is a members-only club of this country’s cartel—one that has extremely strict conditions to enter.”

Folding her legs on top of the seat, Nanana narrowed one eye. She still wore her tiered dress like in camp, having switched out only her dirtied pump heels.

Inside the car were Nanana, the secretary, Pochi, Shachito, as well as Shiika and Aijisupa who was wearing a formal suit. Aijisupa removed his cheap-looking headband, instead using a hair gel to hold his hair.

While playing with a glass full of wine, Nanana continued her irony-laced explanation.

“It is quite old. I heard it’s been going for about twenty years now. In the world of economics, full of ups and downs, only those whose quality and value were acknowledged to be above the standard are invited there. Yahah. Who is it that decides quality, anyhow? But it’s true that they have some proper pedigree there. Ichinokuro’s one of them, as well as Takakuwa—oh wait, haven’t they already fell off and chased out a while ago?”

“The Tachibanas were also members for a while.”

The secretary interjected from the side. “Oh, really?” Nanana responded nonchalantly.

“Eh? Tachibana, meaning—”

“Well, such distinguished families with strange tastes are rare. Almost all current members are active entrepreneurs that have a hold on the flow of money in this country. They have a fixed number of twelve members. I wonder if they’re really trying to seem like they’re the knights of the round table? Those wannabe westerners.”

“…I don’t really understand it, but what about you, Nanana-san?”

“You can call me just Nanana. And you can speak to me normally. …When we talk it feels like you’re a grade schooler forced to be polite, so it makes me sick.”

“G-got it. Okay. Umm… Nanana… are you also a member of the Round Table?”

“Yahah. At the end of the day, the Akasegawa family is only an upstart without any value. Actually, the Round Table is full of our enemies. Even if I ask them, they’ll probably not let me join. —Or so it was until now, anyway.”

Grinning, she brought her full glass to her lips. No one there would accuse her of drinking wine despite being a minor. Not even the police could stop Nanana.

The limousine Nanana and the rest were riding drove through an avenue.

Many old guesthouses lined the road, perhaps due to this being an area of hot springs. Mixed with the musty buildings was also one that looked like a high-class inn. With all this nature around, it looked good as a hiding place for the rich.

“Is the Round Table connected to Munakata-san’s disappearance?”

“I told you, didn’t I? The flow of money is always honest.”

“…?”

“Munakata is a one-man business. With him gone, the stocks and real estate in his possession would be affected. His businesses would encounter difficulties, and prices would lower. —There were people who started buying all of them at the same time. They tried masking the source of the money, but I knew immediately.”

Shiika goggled at her. She spoke again to make it easier to understand.

“That means that they were aiming for Munakata’s assets. And they were already fully prepared for it—as if they’d already known Munakata would vanish.”

“…!”

“The one who did this was a member of the Round Table. Not that I’m one to talk, but he’s strongly involved with some nasty people. Just pestering him about it will not make him talk, most likely.”

The road suddenly curved, and an open space ahead became visible.

It was a lake.

The sparkling surface that reflected the sun’s rays and a mountain in the background.

“—We’re fully prepared, right?”

She asked the secretary with her stuffed doll.

“Is that really fine? In the worst-case scenario, you will bring major losses. Half your assets are tied to your company, and if your executives found out, you will create an opening for them to—”

“We can just leave those old farts alone. It’s obvious those executives would hold a meeting. If I handle this well there wouldn’t be any problem at all. Yahah.”

“What do you mean?”

To Shiika’s question, Nanana smiled and turned her glass toward the window.

“We’re going to play there.”

Everyone in the limousine looked at the lake visible beyond the trees.

“There’s going to be a lunch party sponsored by the Round Table.”

Large pleasure boats floated in the lake. Three of them.

“Now, let’s embark on the Round Table’s boat.”

Nanana’s proclamation echoed inside the limousine.

Two bellboys opened the gold-rimmed double doors.

The first thing seen was the band performing on stage. A small orchestra made of a flute, horn tympani, cello and violin was accompanied by a light melody played on a grand piano.

Perhaps they replaced the inner furnishing for the party. The spectator seats were removed from the vast lounge, replaced with round tables loaded with high-quality cuisine. Several tables were installed on the deck bordering the lounge as well. The gentle breeze blowing outside seemed pleasant.

The numbers of invited guests they could see was about thirty people. The others were probably in similar parties on the other pleasure boats. The boat Nanana and the rest embarked on was pure white, but there was another ship modeled like a pirate ship and one modeled like a medieval castle floating besides them.

When their group appeared in the lounge, several of the invitees turned to them. Wearing the latest chic clothes, they practically oozed dignity. All of them were older than Nanana—young businessmen wearing black suit or women in kimono who looked like actresses were all perhaps about the end of their twenties.

“Woah…”

Perhaps overwhelmed by everything and everyone there, Shiika drew close to Nanana. It was clear she was a peasant, and from her spot behind Nanana she stared at everything around as if she’d never seen it before.

The pleasure boat they boarded took sail. The scenery of the beach soon grew distant.

“There’s still some time until our fun. You should eat all this excellent cuisine to your heart’s content.”

Nanana spoke casually. She picked up two wine glasses between her fingers from the plate of the waiter passing nearby. She stuck the one with a clear liquid toward Shiika.

“O-okay…”

When Nanana raised her chin, the secretary and Pochi bowed and then went away. The secretary left the lounge for some preparation and the boy took a waiting posture near the entrance.

“Go away, you two. I won’t be able to get drunk with such gloomy-looking people nearby. Yahah.”

She used her hand holding the stick to shoo away Aijisupa and Shachito. “There’s no idiot who’ll get any funny ideas to try something here,” she told them and finally Aijisupa moved away.

“Come now, Iruka-san, you as well. If you like water you can just leap off the deck into the lake.”

“Princess. I’ll warn you just once but—this place’s really bad.”

“Hmm? Whaddya mean?”

Her cheeks flushed due to the ingestion of alcohol, she tilted her head robotically.

Shachito wore a twisted—no, a nearly broken smile. Since he’d left his hockey stick with the staff at the entrance, he was currently unarmed.

“The power field’s all messed up. Something that’s hiding here paralyzed my sense of direction. Like a sea of trees. I feel bad, almost like I’m drunk.”

“Something powerful? If so, then isn’t it right here?”

When Nanana suddenly placed her arms around the other girl’s shoulder, Shiika twitched and raised her face. Perhaps having drunk wine, her ears were turning scarlet.

“M-me?”

“Snow-chan, was it? Have you done something?”

“N-no way…”

“Obviously. Actually, are you strong? It really doesn’t feel so. Your bodyguard seems pretty capable, though.”

“I am… not strong at all.”

As Shachito brought his face closer, Shiika withdrew. Seeing the girl use the glass to hide her face and cast her glance down, Shachito narrowed his eyes with a small huff.

“Well, if we’re talking about how cute you are, you’re in the top for sure! —Well, I warned you. Do be careful.”

Asserting this, Shachito turned his back to Nanana. He approached a kimono-clad lady, pretending he’d bumped into her by mistake and tried uselessly flirting with her.

“I do know that this is a nest of demons.”

Releasing Shiika, Nanana started walking shakily. She forcibly clinked her glass against the one of a wide-backed man, asking him “Good afternoon, how are you?” with a loose smile. The man scowled, finally distancing himself.

“N-Nanana, wait up.”

Perhaps feeling lonely, Shiika soon followed her. She clung close to her.

“Wha’dyou want? So annoying—wait, wow, what’s up with you? That’s hilarious.”

Seeing Shiika’s glass was already empty, she stared at it. When she took Shiika’s hand holding the glass and raised it soon a waiter came to refill it.

“I felt nervous and my throat was dry… so I had to drink something.”

Smiling embarrassedly, Shiika put the glass to her mouth again.

“Please, don’t get drunk and let out your Mushi…”

She never thought that alcohol would make her worry about another person. She grabbed Shiika’s arm and they passed near the party venue.

Applause echoed in the lounge. With a microphone near the stage, one of the sponsors greeted everyone.

“S-someone is speaking, shouldn’t we listen?”

“Old farts like that only talk about obvious things like the weather anyway. Now, watch out for your appearance. You’re so flat that it’s slipping off.”

Fixing the shocked Shiika’s dress, they slipped through the crowds of guests.

Noticing some of them gazing at them, Nanana would greet them, “Yahah. Good tidings to you, gentlemen,” with a drunken smile. None replied, just silently averting their gazes. —As expected from these business world bigwigs, they knew well about the audacious and arrogant behavior of the sole heiress to the Akasegawa clan.

The Akasegawa drunkard girl—

In the shadows of the classy high society, she knew that they mocked her so. They obviously chose that pet name due to the state of drunkenness she always exhibited at any given time.

She decided to just let them point at her and laugh.

And those that didn’t laugh—she would make them.

By doing so, everyone would be caught in her trap.

“C’mon, let’s get some fresh air.”

Nanana and Shiika came out to the deck at the front of the ship facing the lounge. It was probably refurnished as well, as the wooden material of the floor looked brand new.

The deck had tables filled with food but only Nanana and Shiika were there. No one except her would be so rude as to get out of the lounge without listening to the sponsor’s greetings.

“If you drink it all at once you’ll also become drunk quickly. You need to drink it slowly with some food. Sheesh, you don’t even know how to drink, so childish—”

“R-right. But you drank a lot as well, Nanana…”

The wind blowing on the lake shook Nanana and Shiika’s wavy hair.

On the other side of the glass window, the speech in the lounge continued still. As the many adults wore artificial smiles and bustled, the two girls sat around a table.

The other pleasure boats seemed to also have their own entertainment. The sound of the pirate ship launching its cannons echoed on the lake.

“I’m fine. I do it on purpose so it’ll show on my face.”

“On purpose? Why?”

“Because they wouldn’t actually listen even if a brat like me spoke seriously.”

“…?”

“But if I pretend to be a drunk idiot, they’d come over to talk to me. —They think they found an easy mark. They think they’ll be able to squeeze me for all that I’m worth.”

Nanana narrowed one eye, pointing at the lounge with her chin.

“That’s when they lower their guards, and then I bite.”

Shiika looked puzzled.

Perhaps she didn’t know this because she had no connection to business. Her past self was like this as well.

Thinking of it—she suddenly thought.

How long has it been since she spoke to one with no connection to money or business?

Nanana’s surrounding were filled only with people related to money. Her secretary and Pochi were employed for money, and the executives in her foundation couldn’t be said to be close to her as well. Including her business rivals, all of them were people who tried sinking their teeth into Nanana to get her money.

Ah, even without counting Shiika she’d spoken recently to the one who used to be her best friend.

But that woman was no longer her friend. Nanana herself had denied that relationship.

“Isn’t this simply beautiful? A bountiful scenery, first-class food, the best music… everything looks sparkling. And all of the ladies and gentlemen there are radiant as well.”

“…”

“But in reality, all of them are just greedy demons in human skin, you know? All those on the boats, as well as the Round Table—they’re only people who try to curry favor with the sponsor to get a tiny share of the profits.”

Seeing Nanana cackle, Shiika was speechless. Still holding the glass, she looked between Nanana and the lounge, comparing them by sight.

“But that has nothing to do with you. —You should remember all these beautiful things as beautiful.”

People were drawn to beauty.

To jewels and nature, and even to people themselves.

The girl called Anmoto Shiika was pure. Just like Nanana once was.

She should take care of that value. Since she was pure, people would aim for her. Nanana had brought her here out of malice, but she had no intention to sully her innocence. Jewels were meant to be exhibited, not scratched or dirtied.

“If these people here are the scary ones, then you’re not scared of me… of us Mushitsuki?”

Also, this girl called Shiika wasn’t just transparent, but also showed just a small glitter from time to time. Only for an instant, such that perhaps it was only Nanana’s imagination.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Shiika gazed at Nanana with clouded eyes.

What kind of a life had this girl led? She was unsullied as if she grew in a greenhouse, but her eyes were strong. She had the feeling that Shiika’s eyes saw through the thick walls created by lies and deceptions, and could naturally see what was hidden inside them.

“It’s not like I’m scared. I just hate them. All of those here… and Mushitsuki as well.”

Nanana wore a stretched smile.

—Destiny was created by a swan.

Seeing Shiika’s honest eyes, she recalled the words once spoken by the Magician.

Perhaps this girl right here, Anmoto Shiika—was a swan as well.

“Each and every one of them betrayed me. I’ve been betrayed especially by Mushitsuki many times. The Magician—that woman who was a mere impostor betrayed me, as well as the spear-user. At that time—during the night of the meteor swarm, my stupid wish to become a Mushitsuki was erased.”

Shiika looked surprised. She looked like she didn’t understand Nanana’s words, but she responded to something in the latter half.

“You wanted to become a Mushitsuki?”

“I mean, isn’t it convenient? Getting a magic power? And for free!”

“…”

“Yahah. You’re making a weird face! It’s the first time I made someone want to cry like that. Whenever I talked about this with Mushitsuki they were angry. There was also a half-hearted woman who slapped me.”

Finished her wine in one gulp, she breathed out and then threw the glass backwards. The high-quality crystal glass drew an arc in the air and fell into the lake.

Nanana supported her wavering body with a stick and looked at the lounge.

They were still applauding. The greeting was over and a woman appeared from behind the stage.

Although it was noon, she wore a black evening dress, a black feathered hat, and even had a black lipstick and eyeline—she was a woman drawn entirely in black. Because her hat was several times larger than her head, one eye was hidden.

Everyone there was swallowed by the woman’s alluring atmosphere.

Silently standing at the center of the stage, the woman opened her mouth. Her lips drawn with black lipstick quivered, weaving a soprano voice.

She was apparently a singer. Nanana felt a chill at the delicate and calm singing voice.

Shiika was the same. She clung to Nanana’s dress, seemingly fearful.

The singer’s calm voice was accompanied the orchestra’s melody. The guests brought there by the violin’s tone suddenly came back to their senses, moving again as if they were frozen in time before. They smacked their lips at the food, finding conversation partners and doing small talk.

“Is she the lover of someone in the Round Table? Never mind her skills, don’t these people who are oh-so-chic have some bad taste to bring that singer along?”

“The people of the… Round Table are here?”

“Yes, such as that old fart over there, the hag at the corner, and those two middle-aged men talking in the center. There are apparently four on this boat. By the way, my target is one of the two men. The one that looks like he has an extra-twisty cornetto attached to his face.”

When she pointed at the man with her stick, Shiika nearly burst out laughing. Seeing the man’s elongated chin, perhaps it did resemble a cornetto.

Winning for the first time in a while a laugh other than a polite smile, Nanana felt cheerful.

“Yahah. It looks similar, right? His beard must be made of chocolate.”

“Y-you shouldn’t make fun of him. …Pfft.”

No one came out to the deck. A member of the Round Table went to shake hands with people and they were all focused on currying his favor.

“I’ll wring everything out of him, down to the very last drop.”

“…? Haven’t you asked about Munakata-san?”

“Oh, you want me to just go and ask him ‘hello, do you know anything about the whereabouts of Munakata Kaiji’? Yahah, I have no idea if he’s involved, but I know what he’ll answer to such a question. A big, fat no.”

“…”

“In this industry you can’t just speak with words. Money talks for you. —Well, there is nothing to fret about.”

Nanana asserted this, drunkenly staggering walking toward the railing.

She bumped into it, nearly throwing herself into the water, but was supported by Shiika who hurriedly said, “b-be careful!” to her. “It’s fiiine. …Wait, when did you get hold of an entire bottle?” she asked. “I-it tastes really good…” The exasperated Nanana and blushing Shiika stood side by side next to the railing.

She pushed her back against the railing, leaning back hard. Her hair cascaded and she could see the water of the lake spread in her sight reversed. The lake surface reflected the sun, sparkling.

“Yahah.”

“This is too dangerous!”

“Save me if I fall. I’ll even pay ya for it.”

“I do want to save you, but I think both of us’ll drown. …I can’t swim.”

“Aren’t you a Rank 1? Can’t you go flying fast like whooosh?”

“I can’t… my Mushi can’t do anything.”

“The heck? Yahah, you’re so useless.”

You liar.

There was no way a Rank 1 wouldn’t be able to do anything. All of the others possessed inhuman strength. There was no way Shiika was the only exception.

But if what Shiika said was true, she understood why the people of Mushibane were so overprotective of her. Even right now Aijisupa kept a watching eye on them.

When Nanana stayed in that position for a while, Shiika started getting impatient. Wondering what was going on, she turned to look over at her.

“H-hey. You can’t copy me like that. You’re going to fall.”

“Eh… But it looks fun.”

“I told you not to. Look, you’re showing off your underwear. I’m not going to be able to take money from everyone inside like this. And your wine’s spilling.”

She wasn’t a peaceful drunk. As Nanana fixed her posture, Shiika mumbled “s-sorry” and curled her body.

“Is it really pricy, this wine?”

“The wine is pricy, yeah, but the wooden floorboards you dirtied just now are from overseas. Your pump heels are also dirty… if we count it all together, the money for reparations should be enough to buy a luxury car.”

“…”

“All of the food on the table is also first-rate. Even the glass itself you’re holding is a brand from overseas—oh, and can you see the ring on that woman’s finger? It was recently sold on an auction sponsored by an international organization. And the watch on that old fart from the Round Table—if I recall correctly, it is a rare piece created by an artisan from abroad. It probably has an old serial number as well. A normal salaried worker could work his butt off his entire life and not be able to buy it.”

“…Incredible.”

“It’s nothing much. Even I could buy all that.”

“No, I mean that you’re incredible. We’re about the same age but you know so many things.”

Shiika’s eyes were sparkling as she looked at Nanana.

“Yahah. I know everything. Should I tell you the worth of all items around here?”

Narrowing one eye, Nanana looked around the party venue.

Everything there was the finest. Evil people would probably be thinking of committing crimes to get them.

However—

“Say, Shiika. Do you have a favorite food?”

“Eh? Umm, maybe crepe.”

“As expected from the poor. Oh well, so if you had the choice to give up a crepe and get everything on this ship, what would you choose?”

Shiika looked extremely puzzled.

“If you could sell a crepe in exchange for a lot of money? Enough money to buy whatever you want.”

After thinking for a while, Shiika had a sudden flash. She wore her usual “please praise me” sort of face.

“Since I’m getting money, I’ll just buy a lotta crepe.”

“Bzzzt. Wrong answer. You can’t buy crepe with that money.”

“Eh?”

“Other than crepe you can buy anything. A large house or any other delicious food.”

“Umm…?”

“But even if I say this, anyone would definitely want the money.”

Nanana looked up the sky. Inside the white clouds, she saw something small and circular floating.

Was this an airplane?

No, the sense of perspective was too weird for that. She had a feeling that she’d seen this vaguely visible shape before—

“But humans… will definitely want to eat that crepe again.”

It was probably some bird.

Nanana ignored the strange dot in the sky.

“I know the value of everything here. But for me, who can’t ever buy that crepe again—can never forget its sweet taste—those things have no value at all.”

There was nothing Nanana couldn’t buy.

She really could get anything she wanted.

One day she’d be able to buy those sweet days back. No matter their price, she’d buy them back—thinking this, Nanana became zealous in earning money.

But the more she learned about money, the more she realized the value of that lost crepe.

The sweet halcyon days she’d lost in exchange for money were gone.

No matter how much money she gained, she’d never be able to buy them back—

“Do you have a dream, Nanana?”

Shiika then asked.

Still leaning on the railing, Nanana turned just her face toward Shiika.

“You wanted to become a Mushitsuki, right? Then you probably have a dream, right?”

“A dream… hmph, yeah.”

Had Nanana had anything like that?

She didn’t care about dreams at all.

What she clearly wanted was something else.

Something like family, like an older sister, a person who would protect her unconditionally.

And she didn’t require any help anymore. Nanana had already become stronger.

Just one more time, she wanted to feel the warmth of those hands—

“I want a space shuttle.”

“A space shuttle? You want to go to space?”

“I won’t ride it. What I’ll get on board is… money.”

Watching the sky again, she narrowed one eye.

“I’ll load up multiple shuttles with as much money as possible and throw them into space. Massive fortunes… I’ll gather up everything on this planet and throw it away like trash.”

Wasn’t it surprisingly easy to accomplish?

She thought so while talking.

Nanana had the talent she’d inherited from her grandfather along with his enormous assets.

“If I do that, will I destroy the world?”

People fought in wars for money.

After launching that space shuttle, the world will be probably engulfed in the flames of war as they fought for the remaining scraps of money.

Just imagining this scenario caused laughter to rise up from inside her.

Unable to retrieve that sweet flavor, Nanana would leave no regrets behind if she created such a world.

“That would be quite amusing. I can definitely do something like that. Yeah, this is my—”

The moment she was about to say this, something like a black fog appeared in her sight.

It happened in the forested area in the ravine enclosing the lake.

Gradually, a thick, polluted ink-like mist emerged, approaching them little by little—

“Princess.”

Nanana and Shiika turned back to the lounge.

A gangster—no, the boy wearing sunglasses and a formal suit walked to them. He’d somehow retrieved his weapon since the scratch-covered hockey stick was in his hand.

“Iruka-san?”

“Thank you for your patronage. We part ways here.”

Shachito kneeled in front of Nanana, taking and kissing the palm of her hand.

Nanana frowned.

“What’re you playing at? And you’re planning on leaving without even having done any real work? Haven’t you come here to protect me?”

“Well, I just feel like I’m not really cut out for this kinda work.”

Wearing a flippant smile, the boy loosened the tie around his shirt cuff. Nanana pouted.

“You insolent deadbeat. Fine, you’re fired. Go disappear somewhere.”

“Shiika-chan, was it? You should wait right here. —Other than my date, a lot of people seem to be gathering there. You should hide.”

Spinning his stick and putting it on his back, Shachito turned around. “Eh?” Shiika looked puzzled, but apparently he was not going to speak any further.

She thought he was going to leave just like that, but the boy turned back and smiled.

“Nanana-chan.”

“What now? Just go already.”

“It is possible that you’ve gotten yourself a dream. Try to rethink it carefully.”

How did he—

She didn’t think he listened in on her conversation with Shiika.

“An irreversible dream would only destroy you. Twisted dreams will only serve to summon those who devour them… I’ll take care of him this time, but he’s persistent. He might come again.”

“…?”

“Try choosing a better dream. Be a good woman, alright?”

She didn’t ask for his opinion.

But before she could say that, Shachito raised his face with a twitch. He seemed to notice something while looking up at the sky.

“Tch, so they’re here already. I wish you wouldn’t stand in my way, though.”

She followed Shachito’s line of sight. A black shadow passed above his head.

That black something drew an arc in the sky—and landed on top of the mast of the distant pirate ship.

A large thud accompanied by vibration resounded. The large pirate ship slightly sank from the recoil.

“—”

Nanana widened her eyes.

The thing that alighted on top of the pirate ship had the shape of a human. It was something that should be impossible—but that person seemed to leap straight to the ship from the shore. It was inhuman.

The one striking a daunting pose on top of the sail truly looked like a demon.

Even from afar it was visible that the figure wore a pitch-black coat. The hair pushed back by the mechanical goggles covering the face looked like horns.

Since he was quite far, she obviously couldn’t see his face clearly.

Even so, Nanana would never mistake that person’s appearance.

“Kakkou…!”

“Kakkou-kun…!”

Nanana and Shiika’s voices overlapped.

The strongest Mushitsuki among the members of the SEPB—Blaze Class Rank 1, Kakkou.

He’d grown taller from when she’d last seen him.

Yet his appearance befitting his title as a black demon remained unchanged.

Why was Kakkou here right now—

Nanana groaned in her heart.

Had he appeared to capture Mushibane’s leader, Shiika?

This thought passed through her mind, but Kakkou was acting strangely.

The demon standing atop the pirate ship appeared to be gazing up the sky. When Nanana followed his sight, she noticed something like a dot floating there.

It was the object Nanana had identified as a bird just before. The demon was apparently staring at it.

The black mist travelling through the mountain and the object hovering in the sky.

Both were not part of Nanana’s plans.

“Something’s floating up there. It has a weird forcefield… is that also a Mushi? Looks like that person in black’s trying to chase that… what? Is he an acquaintance of yours?”

Shachito asked in a voice completely lacking any tension.

Yet Nanana and Shiika were still speechless and made no answer.

“Oh well. Then I will go have a little dance with Shinpu-san.”

After hearing his casual reply, Shachito’s presence vanished from behind.

The pirate ship noticed the abnormality and was probably in an uproar. People appeared on the deck one after another.

But the guests boarding the same ship as Nanana apparently had no interest in the scenery outside. While a light singing voice echoed there, they continued their carefree chatter.

“W-why is Kakkou-kun…?”

“—Go back inside the lounge, Shiika. If Kakkou finds you we’ll be in deep trouble.”

She was surprised at Kakkou’s appearance, but it was apparently unrelated to Shiika or the party. Even the SEPB wouldn’t do something like attacking the Round Table. Even if Kakkou himself would unhesitatingly do that.

And if so, him appearing there was nothing more than a coincidence.

If that was true—it was a good play.

Kakkou’s appearance was no accident. It was a happening. For Nanana it was actually advantageous.

“It’s about time to start, I think.”

When Nanana tried going back to the lounge, Shiika was still watching Kakkou’s figure, unmoving.

“Come on, I’m telling you to go back. Or what? You seem like you know Kakkou, but do you have any business with him?”

“…No. Not yet.”

Shaking her head slightly hesitant, Shiika smiled.

“I’ll be the one to go and meet him someday.”

“Hmm. Is there any meaning in meeting someone like him?”

“Do you know Kakkou, Nanana?”

While pulling on Shiika’s arm, she spat, “Who knows?” She just met him for a short while in the past. There was no doubt he’d already completely forgotten about her.

As expected, when they finally went back inside the lounge the people around started clamoring. Perhaps having received contact from the pirate ship, the members of the Round Table gathered and conversed amongst themselves. Seeing their behavior, the other guests seemed to be suspicious.

“What will they do about the party? Stop it?”

“No way. The Round Table members will want to continue. Right about now Ichinokuro’s probably pressuring the government. What a waste, someone so popular and with so many personal connections having no one to succeed him… —That is why we need to have our own bit of entertainment.”

“Entertainment?”

As Nanana let go of Shiika’s hand, the secretary returned to her side. She whispered in her ears that preparations were complete.

The singer on top of the stage had disappeared at some point. Nanana took off to the Round Table members at the center of the venue, clapping her hands loudly.

“There’s not enough wine! Will someone come over to pour some high-quality alcohol for me?”

Everyone around immediately focused their gazes on her.

Wearing a strained smile, Nanana grasped the empty glass. Glancing around the now-silent venue, her eyes stopped on the four members of the Round Table whispering among themselves at one corner of the lounge.

“Oh, my? Good tidings to you, lady and gentlemen of the Round Table. I have been late with my introduction. I wonder if I could be so rude as to offer you to join my humble table?”

The atmosphere around froze completely.

In this country’s business world, when a business got carried away and went bankrupt in the blink of an eye, they used the metaphor “the Round Table acted”—everyone feared them. And there were actually times when this wasn’t simple metaphor.

Even though it was the Round Table, Nanana clapped and called to them to fill her glass of wine.

Everyone in the party hall was convinced of the oncoming downfall of the Akasegawa Foundation.

“Oh my? What’s with those stares? Have I said somethin’ strange? Yahah.”

Just like her drunkard girl nickname, Nanana spoke in slurred speech, laughing her head off.

Stopping the other members of the Round Table with a hand, the youngest among them stepped forward. They probably had a seniority-based hierarchy.

The man with a beard on his pointy chin—the man Nanana had acquired as a target. The soft smile he’d worn only in front of the guests did not melt. Yet it was obvious at a glance that his eyes were not those of an honest merchant. In the first place, he appeared in the corrupt business world only rarely.

“No, we are the ones who should apologize for our belated greetings to you, Akasegawa-san. You seem to be insinuating that there’s something lacking in our party?”

“There’s not enough wine. Also, no entertainment. I’m positively bored.”

“Today, the aim was to show our gratitude, as well as to deepen our amiable relationships with those mingling here. Or should we have prepared a delightful game of bingo? —Hey, you. This lass seemed to have drunk too much. Please escort her outside for some fresh air.”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone who’s not even a member of the Round Table.”

“…With all due respect, little girl, I am a member.”

Pochi stood in front of the bellboy approaching Nanana. The bearded man with hurt pride changed his expression slightly.

“Yahah, I apologize. But, oh! You really are in the Round Table? —Say, what do you think, Madame? Could I please become a member as well? I have much more money than this thing, right?”

“Unfortunately, the most important condition for entering the Round Table is dignity… also, we currently number twelve, so we’re full.”

“Say what! Are you saying I have no dignity? How rude! —Just kidding, yahah.”

Seeing Nanana laugh so much she stomped all over the place, everyone scowled. Even Shiika next to her watched over her anxiously.

“Ah, how boring. Say, since I’m already here, why don’t we bet on some horse racing?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Horse racing. You don’t know it? If you think games for the rich, that’s the first thing that pops into your mind. A hobby for nobles all the way from the times of the Roman Empire! C’mon, we have to do it, quickly! I can already hear the trumpets!”

“You seem to be hallucinating. Please continue doing so on the bed inside the cabin.”

“Not a hallucination at all. Both of us have horses, right? They’ve already entered the starting gate, waiting for the start signal.”

Standing erect, Nanana turned toward the other Round Table members and stooped while grabbing the hem of her skirt. She made a respectful bow.

“Lady and gentlemen of the Round Table. I, Akasegawa Nanana, have prepared a modest game for our enjoyment. As thanks for you inviting me here today, allow me to present you with this temporary amusement.”

The venue started clamoring again.

“Shortly, it will be the time for the afternoon stock trading to begin. We will use our assets as chips, selecting our racehorses—meaning our stocks from here. We will display a magnificent race.”

The three Round Table members didn’t move. People who’d be shaken from this paltry provocation would not be in the Round Table.

“But this is not a mere gamble. We will also be wearing blindfolds. —Meaning, even after placing this bet, we will be able to call without seeing what happened afterward or what we have affected.”

Already in turmoil, the venue now became an absolute uproar.

Stocks were the value of a company.

Investors would read the movements of their company and its subsidiaries and other businesses, or even the flow of the entire marketplace to make money. Investing while being unable to view any of that meant betting on their reasoning without knowing what happened now and what they had gotten themselves into by doing that.

“The units of our chips will come in a hundred million each. As for the place of the stocks exchange, I have already prepared it. —How about it?”

“Nothing about it. You have spoken nothing but foolishness.”

The bearded man added a laugh.

It was an obvious response. It wasn’t worth it to gamble on this. Even among those with plenty of money to spare, not many people would accept that offer.

Nanana narrowed one eyes and smiled.

“…Alpha.”

When she mumbled this, the bearded man raised a brow.

Only one person, the oldest man among the Round Table, seemed surprised.

She tried shaking him taking this opportunity, but apparently only the oldest farts knew of it. But this piece of information gotten by the Kind Magician definitely existed in the Round Table.

“Enclosure. Bubble. Paradigm Shift—”

This time, even the bearded man looked agitated.

The information grasped once by the Magician.

And the information chased after by the lost Munakata.

Both were apparently connected to the Round Table.

If those agitated the Round Table, they were definitely big secrets.

“So, how about it? To the outside it would just seem like you’re having another event. And the Round Table will never lose against outsiders, right?”

Kakkou’s appearance probably brought great chaos not only to this ship but to the pirate ship as well.

In order to stop the panic, they would not want their guests to see the situation outside.

“Do you still not understand? I am inviting you to a duel.”

If it became a duel between Nanana and the Round Table—the guests would obviously be interested.

“How moronic.”

The bearded man’s complexion worsened because he saw the other members of the Round Table consulting with someone on their cellphones. They were probably getting in contact with the Round Table members on the other ships.

Nanana grinned and then asserted.

“The time has come. Then I’ll begin. I will buy code 17428. My investment amount is…”

Hearing the number she spoke, the guests around all stammered. They were perhaps doubting Nanana’s sanity.

The secretary followed Nanana’s orders by cellphone.

“This is a bomb. I wonder what effect will this have on the market?”

The bearded man scowled.

“I never said I’m going to participate. Also, there is no guarantee that you will not do anything illegal—”

“We will not let her,” the other members of the Round Table interjected. Closing their cellphones, they added, “We, the Round table, will watch the market.”

That was effectively the green light.

The bearded man scowled even more for an instant.

“This is foolish… but a gentleman cannot step away from a duel.”

Wearing a smile only on the outside, he wrung out his voice. He was probably seething with rage on the inside for being played by the whims of Nanana and the Round Table.

“Yahah.”

Nanana narrowed one eye and gestured elegantly toward the table, inviting the man to sit.

“Welcome to the table of enjoyment.”

Starting with the tone of a violin, the orchestra began playing a light melody.

1.05 The Others

It was overlooking the lake because it was chasing a girl that interested it.

That girl had a nostalgic smell to her.

It headed toward the shore, slowly descending.

Three boats were floating on the sparkling water surface.

As it went there, it heard a familiar singing voice.

For a while it listened to it, absorbed.

Then, a black miasma was born in the mountain surrounding the lake.

It had a choking, dirty smell. There was no way it could forget that presence so full of greed.

It was the identity of the nostalgic smell surrounding the girl.

It could see the mass of miasma born within the mountains advancing little by little toward the lake. Ahead of it there was not land, but the pleasure boat that the interesting girl was boarding.

After watching the lake and mountains for a while, a black shadow passed in its sight.

That black object landed on the boat modeled after a pirate ship.

A black-clad silhouette.

That didn’t interest it at all.

When it ignored this, the black figure raised one arm toward it.

Along with a crack, its vision blurred for an instant.

It was being attacked.

Even so it was a gentle attack, almost as if it was being caressed.

And yet it turned to look at the black figure.

It had no interest in the figure themselves.

But since it had been attacked, it couldn’t stay silent.

As it looked at the black figure beneath it—it judged them to be an enemy.

1.06 Daisuke The Last

The deck of the pirate ship was in uproar.

Quite natural, considering a person suddenly stood on top of the sails. Since all the guests coming outside from the lounge were dressed well, it was probably not a civilian boat. Perhaps a party was hosted on it, since he could see tables laden with extravagant dishes.

“Is that… the Eye?”

Looking up at the object floating in the sky above the sail, the SEPB member Blaze Class Rank 1 Kakkou—Kusuriya Daisuke—mumbled this. He wore the East Central Branch’s standard equipment of a pitch-dark long coat and half of his face was hidden by mechanical goggles.

“No way, that’s…”

White smoke rose from Daisuke’s automatic handgun. He’d fired it while not fused with his Mushi, but it didn’t seem like the target received any damage.

“U-umm, please wait for a moment. I will check it now with my binoculars… ouch! I hit my glasses!”

He heard from the communications of his goggles the tense voice of an adult woman.

It was Goromaru Touko, the person who served as the Acting Branch Head of the East Central Branch. She was still leading the branch in place of the hospitalized Branch Head, Haji Keigo.

“W-where is it? The target’s too small for me to see… yeah, for some reason the wavelengths are all messed up and I can’t synchronize with the images from your goggle. Can you report its characteristics, Kakkou-san?”

Daisuke watched the strange object through his goggles.

It floated without moving at all at the height of several ten meters above the surface. He had no point of reference for its size, so he couldn’t tell for sure, but it was probably as large as a person’s head.

“It’s split like compound eyes, with the largest fragment looking like a human eyeball. These fragments are connected by what looks like nerve endings, but it’s all solid enough to repel even my bullets—”

While explaining, Daisuke scowled.

“I can’t see anyone that looks like the host anywhere… are they hiding on the boat?”

“P-probably, no, definitely that! Just like you reported! That’s an ‘Eye’!”

“Is there anyone suspicious around, Senri?”

“Uh—”

He heard from the goggles the groan of a person other than Touko.

“Senri? What’s wrong?”

“N-no, it’s fine… but this area’s strange, Dai-kun.”

Haji Senri, waiting at a different location, spoke in a pained voice.

“It feels as if the entire lake is wrapped in flames. Strong ‘flames’ appear and vanish all over the place. My eyes feel like they’re burning…!”

“It’s fine, don’t overexert yourself. Touko-san, have Senri pull back.”

“R-right.”

Daisuke had come to this place because of a request for support from the local branch.

A Mushi-sensing ability user had found a floating “eye”. When the members sent to investigate launched an attack, the Eye apparently counterattacked. The member had the tables turned back on him, and, having decided their branch could not handle it, the branch head applied to help from the East Central Branch, since their jurisdiction was close.

A completely undiscovered Mushi—no, since they couldn’t find a host, it wasn’t known if it was a Mushi in the first place.

That thing, which could be called a mysterious foreigner, was provisionally called the Eye and designated for elimination.

“B-but, are you fine by yourself, Kakkou-san?”

The Eye floating in the sky didn’t appear to be moving.

Was it seeing what he would do?

“You’ve only just returned to the East Central Branch… Although Yotsuba-san’s taken care of you, you’re still not fully healed from your battle against Marker User, right?”

“…”

“Even if your Maturation signs subsided and became stable, you should still rest—”

“No, it’s possible—that only I can defeat this.”

“Eh?”

“Also, you were the one who told me to fight before I run away, Touko-san.”

While putting his gun back in the holster on his back, he spoke emotionlessly.

His Maturation signs were stable. —Was it really true?

He knew it well, since it was him. Right now he could fight like he did before, but the next time he used his full powers, he wasn’t sure what would happen—

Because it was that sort of situation, he needed to ascertain the limits of what he could do now.

“Uh… that was because Haj—aah, Ha—ha… we have been desperate, well, I know we did some horrible things to you, but…”

“…? Never mind that anymore.”

Perhaps feeling guilt at having imprisoning Daisuke since they didn’t know when he would go wild, Touko mumbled incomprehensible words. Daisuke smiled wryly, scowling.

“Ugh—”

His vision blacked out and his five senses rapidly dimmed.

He couldn’t hear Touko’s voice anymore.

Although Daisuke was supposed to have been watching the lake, he could suddenly see an entirely different scene.

He saw a boy about the same age as him. However, his face seemed unfamiliar.

The plain features and clothes perhaps resembled him. As the boy with sparkling eyes ran ahead, several figures turned to look at him. Everyone looked tired, as if saying “not this again”.

The boy and the rest exchanged glances and started speaking.

A face Daisuke had never seen, a scene he’d never seen.

A secret meeting that was being held somewhere even now.

Daisuke watched that right in front of his eyes—

“—”

Gasping, he raised his face.

His senses returned and he was once again standing at the lake.

“Kakkou-san? Can you hear me?”

“Ah, yes.”

Daisuke shook his head and replied.

A strange feeling, as if he’d been replaced with someone else—

He began being attacked by that feeling soon after he came back to the East Central Branch from a certain city. Saved by the handyman called Ikarino Kirari, from the time he lost his chance to receive a certain necklace—a bizarre sensation clung to him.

For an illusion it all seemed very real.

Daisuke grinded his molars, clenching his fist as he thought of focusing on the enemy in front of him.

“Hey, you. You seem kinda sick, are you alright there?”

“…!”

Hearing a voice directly from behind him, Daisuke turned.

Right next to Daisuke—on top of the pirate ship’s sail, stood another unknown boy.

He looked like a gangster from the movies. He was dressed in a black suit and wore sunglasses.

Who on earth was he and when had he appeared?

More importantly, seeing the hockey stick he was holding made Daisuke widen his eyes.

“You’re from the SEPB, right? This might be my first time speaking to a member other than Inuko. Say, you’re aiming for that thing floating up there, right? I won’t be involving myself with it, so I’d like for you to avoid barging on my business as well. I have a date, you see.”

The boy kept rattling on and on to Daisuke, speaking quickly.

“Weeell, I was just hanging around that girl, but I served as her bodyguard. Now that my date’s finally here I didn’t want her to be in the way.”

He spoke casually without a hint of nervousness, almost as if he was simply asking a person on the street for directions.

“Who are—”

“Me? Oh, don’t mind it. I’m just a nameless warrior.”

“That stick… where’d you get it?”

“Kakkou-san, is something wrong? Hahe? Who’s that next to you?”

Ignoring Touko’s voice, Daisuke turned back to the boy with the hockey stick.

He’d never mistake it.

That thing the boy was so calmly holding was the one and only beloved weapon of Daisuke’s acquaintance.

The pirate ship floating in the lake.

Daisuke and the unknown boy confronted each other on top of its sails.

“This? I borrowed this from my teacher—wait, do you know Inuko?”

“…”

“No Answer! I guess it means ‘yes’. Say, how’s Inuko doing? Prolly running around somewhere. Have any idea?”

While smiling comfortably, the boy pounded the hockey stick against his back.

Borrowed this from my teacher—

He definitely said this now.

Not easily believing him, Daisuke stared at the boy. It was true that the hockey stick’s original owner, Shishidou Inuko, went around scouting Mushitsuki with talents all over the country.

So all of the combatants she’d raised would always join the SEPB.

However, the boy in front of him said that he wasn’t an SEPB member—

Daisuke opened his mouth.

A powerful side wind blew on the pirate ship.

“Wanko… Inuko is dead.”

Time seemed to stop.

The self-proclaimed warrior’s smile stiffened.

The hockey stick perched on his back nearly slipped off. His hand moved nimbly and he grasped it a moment before it fell.

“…Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that—”

“The last thing she did was fight against something at Holland City.”

Saying this expressionlessly, Daisuke extended his arm toward the boy.

The hockey stick’s owner was gone.

As a parting gift for the great warrior, he should offer that to her empty body.

However—

“—”

The boy shook off the arm holding the stick to avoid Daisuke’s hand.

Erasing his frivolous smile, he glared at Daisuke as if he was his hated enemy.

“…ch…”

The boy rotated his body. He turned his back to Daisuke as if to reject handing back the stick.

“Ouch…”

“…”

“I understand, actually… those wounds back then were obviously life-threatening… that’s why I was able to fight against Shinpu back then…”

He whispered as if to himself.

With his hand still extended, Daisuke was silent.

“—I’ll keep holding to this. Forever.”

“…”

“She had one guy that she acknowledged. He’s apparently the strongest. —If you happen to know about him, tell me.”

An orange glow leapt out of the boy’s body. The light turned into the shape of several dozen Autumn Darters.

“When I beat all of the remaining fragments—I’ll come and take his position.”

The small thud of the recoil felt much too light. The moment after he kicked the sail, the boy was already completely gone from Daisuke’s sight.

“Fragments…?”

The orange afterimages seemed to be flowing toward the mountain range.

Looking there, he noticed an abnormal black shadow moving through the trees.

Daisuke had seen that foul miasma many times before. —You said that you have defeated Diorestoi… but that was nothing more than a single fragment.

He recalled the words of Oogui, one of the Original Three.

Shinpu, that Daisuke thought he’d defeated, was a mere fragment.

And now, there was the familiar miasma right in front of his eyes.

“Is he after Shinpu?”

As a member of the SEPB, he should capture the boy seeing as he was an unknown Mushitsuki.

But Daisuke did not have the leisure to be facing against multiple enemies.

One of Shishidou Inuko’s disciples was moving without being constrained by the SEPB. And he was also seemingly after what was likely part of Shinpu.

While he understood only this much, Daisuke decided to let them go for now.

The boy himself had said this—that he would one day come to the strongest Mushitsuki.

When that time came—Daisuke would probably be able to meet that boy again.

“Kakkou-san? What on earth is happening?”

“Nothing. I’ll return to monitoring the Eye—”

Collecting himself and looking up the sky, his expression froze.

The Eye that had been floating there until a moment ago vanished without trace.

“…!”

When Daisuke turned around, right in front of him—close enough to touch his nose—he saw the abnormal mass floating there.

It was the Eye.

“Wha—”

The surface of the Eye, reflecting Daisuke’s frozen appearance like glass, began faintly emitting a blue glow. A sizzling sound came from his hair.

Azure light pierced the lake’s sky.

The heat ray launched in a straight line boiled a large amount of water on the lake surface, piercing into the distant mountains. Many trees exploded, creating a space with exposed ground.

After the heat ray passed, nothing remained.

By erasing the enemy from its sight, the Eye stopped moving.

“I’ve fought against you before—”

The Eye twitched.

Daisuke’s arm grabbed the Eye from behind in a tight hold. The moment before it fired the heat ray, Daisuke had evaded to the opposite side while leaping above it.

The unfused checkered beetle landed on Daisuke’s shoulder. Transforming its body to tentacles, it fused with Daisuke’s body. His body clad in a green pattern, Daisuke swung his fist.

“Though you are probably unaware of it.”

An explosive sound not unlike two large trucks colliding echoed across the lake.

Daisuke had thrown the grasped Eye with his full power.

The glowing in the compound eye shook for an instant while it was in Daisuke’s hand. As if there was noise mixed in with it, the light on the surface weakened.

Daisuke had once fought against an Eye—

Not many people knew of it. Since it was under extremely special circumstances, even his current boss Touko didn’t know about it.

As Daisuke attempted another attack, the Eye began glowing again.

“…Tch!”

Feeling danger, Daisuke flung the Eye toward the ground like a baseball pitcher.

His arm strength while fused with the Mushi blew the Eye far away. As it spun while shooting its heat ray, scorch marks were left indiscriminately across the mountain.

The Eye pounded against the base of the mountain with incredible speed, getting buried in the ground.

Glaring at the center of this crater, Daisuke reached for the gun at his back, but—

“—”

The pattern covering his body throbbed.

For an instant, all strength left his body and his knees folded. He blanked out for a second.

Use more power—

He had the feeling as if his Mushi was whispering this.

“Kakkou-san!”

Touko’s shout helped him regain his senses.

As Daisuke was right now, he would probably be unable to restrain his Mushi if he fused it with his gun—

It was much too reckless of a gamble right now when he needed to give his everything to hold back Maturing. Daisuke bit his lips, removing his fingers from his gun.

“A-are you alright? I-I had no idea it would be that strong—”

“But why is it still alive…? Never mind two years ago… when I fought Oogui at Shiou City… what’s going on? Is there some kind of cycle…? What is the host—no, rather than that, why is it even free…”

As he mumbled to himself, Daisuke’s face became pale.

It was like a rifle gun laser pointer. Noticing that he was being targeted, Daisuke sank his body.

The next moment, the azure heat ray passed above his head.

Daisuke knew that this wasn’t an opponent that could be dealt with by ordinary means.

Since he was unable to bring out his full power, would he even able to beat such a powerful foe?

Impatient at his own condition, he would perhaps make an irreversible lapse in judgment—

“Let’s change the battlefield to the shore. If any members are there, get them to evacuate.”

With superhuman leg strength, he leapt through the air toward the Eye.

At the edge of his vision—a different location of the mountain, there was an explosive sound. He could faintly see black miasma and an orange glow clashing. It was probably the boy from before, fighting.

“Kh…!”

He managed to dodge the Eye’s heat ray by flipping his body midair.

Letting the enemy’s attack fly past, Daisuke used the momentum of landing and stuck his fist toward the Eye. The crater burst and an even larger hole bore into the mountain.

But beneath his fist was only the now exposed ground.

Noticing the blue light illuminating him from the side, he reflexively jumped backwards.

The Eye’s heat ray immediately passing by his side mowed down a line of trees.

Daisuke kicked the ground, moving to the Eye’s vicinity instantaneously.

“Oooh!”

This time his fist hit. The Eye crashed to the ground, knocking down the surrounding trees as it was blown far away.

It moved in terrible speeds and its heat ray had unparalleled power. Against such an enemy Daisuke could only fight by actively closing the distance.

Dodging the heat rays, he attacked the Eye that was paralyzed a moment after the attack. On the other hand, perhaps loathe to keep fighting from short range, it stopped trying to corner Daisuke from nearby.

“Guh!”

Even the heavily resistant long coat couldn’t fully absorb the Eye’s attack. Every time an attack grazed against it, it was singed and cut, gouging into Daisuke’s skin and flesh.

But Daisuke didn’t stop his attack.

He was unable to use his gun and even his physical strengthening was far from his full power. Also, the more time passed, the more the throbbing he felt from the pattern on his body grew stronger.

If it became a long battle, he would be destroyed.

Since Daisuke knew that, he kept attacking even knowing he’d be wounded.

“Ooooh!”

His fist covered in a green, glowing pattern was buried into the Eye. As it pounded into the ground again, its movements looked a bit dull for an instant. Once again there was some noise on the glow of its surface.

“Hah… Hah…”

It seemed Daisuke would be able to finish the job with just a few more hits. His entire body covered in blood, Daisuke advanced with a heavy gait.

But Daisuke’s legs suddenly stopped.

The Eye’s behavior turned abnormal.

Trembling all over, its supposedly hard shell distorted as if it was made of rubber.

“—”

He was speechless at that sight.

Just as it seemed the Eye’s shape was being stretched to the sides—

Its shell parted and ripped.

Splitting into two while trembling, it floated as if nothing happened.

The two Eyes now goggled at Daisuke who stood there stunned.

Pale blue light illuminated the surroundings.

“Kh…”

Daisuke scowled—reaching for his gun. This wasn’t the time to not use his full power. An enemy he could barely match against alone now became two. At this rate he wouldn’t even be able to fight.

Shiika—

He recalled the Mushitsuki girl who bore the same dream.

He couldn’t die here.

Daisuke tried drawing his gun when it happened.

“Fire!”

Together with this sharp voice, the Eyes which even now prepared to fire their rays were engulfed in a column of flame.

The giant pillar of flames scorched the skies and the explosive wind knocked the trees around.

“Senri…!”

While fanned by the wind, Daisuke turned toward the voice.

On the other side of the assorted trees stood a girl with long hair. Her body wrapped in a black coat, she raised her hand with a finger pointed in the shape of a gun.

“Idiot…! Why did you come here!”

The high-density flames shot by Senri definitely damaged the enemies. Their shell scorched by the flames, the Eyes trembled with pain—and the next moment completely vanished from within the flames.

“Run!”

Instantly moving overhead, the Eyes started shining blue while glaring at Senri.

Senri would never be able to dodge their attacks with her own legs—

“Fire!”

Still gazing forward, Senri crossed her arms. The pistol-fingers on both hands pointed toward the Eyes’ location. —Although Senri was blind from birth, she possessed the rare ability to sense Mushi.

The two flame pillars assaulted the two Eyes.

But it wasn’t enough to finish them off. While swallowed by the flames, the Eyes tried shooting heat rays.

The next moment, golden-colored lasers fell from the skies. The light rays pouring down like rain skewered the Eyes.

“Akatsuki—”

From a different direction from Senri, a golden mayfly controlled by a boy appeared. Although he hadn’t equipped his goggles, he wore the same kind of coat as Daisuke and Senri. Just like Haji Senri, he, Ogata Akatsuki, was a member of the East Central Branch.

The mayfly’s tail, split into two, kept launching golden lasers. Drawing arcs in the air, they persistently pierced the Eyes as they kept stubbornly trying to move.

“…”

Not slackening his attacks on the enemies, Akatsuki glared at Daisuke. —Due to certain circumstances, the boy saw him as target for revenge.

“—Why are you not using your gun?”

His eyes were sharp, but Akatsuki’s tone was surprisingly calm.

Receiving focused attacks from the high-levelled combatants Akatsuki and Senri, the Eyes finally stopped moving. They broke down as if deflating, melting into thin air.

Daisuke averted his gaze away from Akatsuki.

“You shouldn’t have come here. If the enemy hit you even once, someone like you would be finished immediately. It’s better for me to fight alone.”

“You’re speaking like that even though you were nearly done for.”

“Wha—”

Turning back, Akatsuki passed near Daisuke with a composed expression. Since the job was over, he was hurriedly leaving. —It was only by a little, but Daisuke had the feeling that Akatsuki’s behavior toward him was different. He felt less hatred from his words and actions than before. He still remained as cold as ever, though.

“Dai-kun, are you alright? Ah… I smell blood. Are you hurt?”

Senri ran toward him. By becoming able to control her Mushi, Senri was now able to “see” people’s positions as well.

“Awawa… if you’re done, then everyone retreat! Retreat!”

Touko’s voice echoed from the goggles.

“…”

Suddenly recalling something, Daisuke looked toward the distant mountain.

The miasma seen between the trees now fully vanished. —The boy who inherited the hockey stick apparently won against that fragment or whatever.

“Apparently, the organizers of the boat parties are the Round Table! Umm, this Round Table is like a gathering of all rich people, umm, anyway, they’re very scary people! What are we going to do?! I’m going to get scolded so hard!”

Rich people—

Hearing this word, the face of a certain girl from a rich family passed through Daisuke’s mind.

The one called Akasegawa Nanana.

Once, Nanana had told Daisuke she wanted to become a Mushitsuki. Was that drunk girl also on one of these three ships?

If it was so, he sympathized with those on board.

Finishing his mission and turning his body, Daisuke thought.

Being involved with that woman would never end well—

1.07 Nanana Part 5

The inside of the pleasure boat was engulfed in ominous silence.

At times explosions were heard from the outside. Apparently Kakkou was doing something.

Even the SEPB couldn’t do anything about this party. Thinking of the Round Table’s influence, they would never allow any of them to ruin their events.

“I will buy code 12843. My investment amount is…”

Nanana announced this from the round table placed at the center of the party hall. Folding her legs, she directed a challenging smile toward the middle-aged man seated on the other side.

Using her cellphone, the secretary conveyed Nanana’s orders to the outside. The boy wearing a formal suit, Pochi, watched everything around to protect her, not moving a muscle. A bit further away Shiika who was standing with Aijisupa clenched her fists and looked at Nanana.

The crowd stirred like small ripples. “Something’s happening in the appliances industry…” she heard voices mumbling.

“I’ll sell all of code 12113.”

The middle-aged man facing Nanana spoke calmly with his sharp chin raised. A brawny foreigner bodyguard stood from behind, and another one was sending orders to the outside.

The guests stirred again. “It’s the one he bought just now.” “Is he selling at a loss?” “No, Akasegawa’s action just now made him profit—” they whispered among themselves.

More than an hour passed since the game Nanana had been waiting for, a so-called blind horseracing.

“I’ll buy code 12391. The investment amount will be…”

“I will buy code 12092. The investment amount will be…”

“I’ll sell all of code 12764.”

“I’ll buy code 12228. The investment amount will be…”

While continuing to mechanically announce her moves, Nanana took a glimpse at the other Round Table members.

Unlike the guests who swooned at each and every blow of Nanana’s fight, the three members simply watched them calmly from a table. The black-suited men around them frequently checked used their cellphones to contact someone, whispering announcements to the members’ ears. They probably gave them details about the movements of the market.

“Yahah. Oh right, have you heard this pleasant rumor? They say that Munakata Kaiji’s missing. —I’ll buy code 12512. The investment amount will be…”

While spinning her stick, Nanana spoke. Now a different kind of stirring was born in everyone present.

The bearded man shrugged. He looked as if he knew this was a trap that meant to shake him.

“I’ll sell all of code 12661. —Oh? That is news to me. I have met Mr. Munakata. He is often a topic for conversation at the Round Table. A reliable businessman.”

Seeing the bearded man feign ignorance, Nanana felt anger welling up from inside her. The fact that the distant Round Table members also showed no agitation pissed her off.

All of them were sly foxes.

They thought Nanana knew nothing and so could calmly look down on her.

Thinking about it, it was the same when her grandfather had died and she’s succeeded him as the Akasegawa Foundation Chairman. Various relatives who were employees in the company approached Nanana, saying they wanted to help her now that she was bereaved.

And although Nanana yearned for the Kind Magician, she vanished.

The lonely Nanana accepted the adults snuggling up to her. She did what they said and gave them what they wanted.

And so, gradually, Nanana started losing everything around her.

“Yahah. No, you know about it very well. After all, Munakata’s disappearance made you a hefty profit.”

“There you go, badmouthing people again. We want you to say we were prescient. We have simply bought the stocks we had our eyes on since a long time ago. —Have you forgotten to call, little girl?”

“Hmph. I’ll buy code 16243. The investment amount will be…”

Everything reflected in Nanana’s eyes turned into the scraps of paper called money.

The numbers written in bankbooks and bonds all began to lower every time she’d looked. The housekeeper who took care of her for many years vanished at some point, and even her cute dog became someone else’s. Cars vanished from the garage, and she even lost her favorite bicycle.

Staying at her empty home was too lonely, so she began loitering around the company building. Doing so, she found that her grandfather’s seat at his office—the chair that was supposed to be hers—was occupied by an old and unfamiliar man.

Even at school, where she’d been pampered by the teachers until now, they suddenly grew cold. Apparently, her pay of donation to the school was overdue. Although she did it as a favor, perhaps it became a source of stress; the teachers all changed and started venting their anger on her.

“Is there something not to your liking? You seem to be sulking all of a sudden. And you take longer thinking. —I will buy code 16117. The investment amount will be…”

Moving the stage to the food industry, the man laughed.

Her loss in the previous stage was apparent. While the others guests around all grinned and watched Nanana, the Round Table members still remained calm.

Nanana incurred vast losses, and the bearded man profited. All of the crowd could surmise as such, and the expressions of the Round Table members served as proof.

“You’re just imagining it. Yahah. I’ll buy code 16721. The investment amount will be…”

“Oh, that’s impossible. Just the other day, their child company’s new product was a huge hit and the price was raised. You’ll never buy it with that amount.”

“…Shuddup. You can’t tell that.”

“Oh, how scary. Have you now become sober? I will buy code 16449. The investment amount will be…”

Even Nanana had a single friend. When the teachers all turned their cold shoulders to her, none of the other students had a positive impression of Nanana, but one classmate grew close to her.

Her friend, called Ikarino Kirai, had advised Nanana in the middle of her crisis.

—I think you’d better forget about the Magician.

Since Nanana had waited for the Kind Magician like a form of escapism, one day Kirari said this to her.

It went without saying that Nanana had been shocked.

—If you keep waiting for someone that may never come back, you’ll never grow stronger.

She couldn’t understand what that girl was saying this. Wasn’t she supposed to be her friend? She had lost her one and only grandfather, then everything that belonged to her, and she even lost her very first supporter—the Magician, right?

At that time Nanana had been cornered.

No.

Perhaps that was the moment when the girl called Akasegawa Nanana realized that the world surrounding her was just an illusion.

When she’d been on the brink of losing even her house, Nanana thought to herself.

The days she’d spent with the grandfather and Kind Magician who cherished her were far too naïve.

Sweet halcyon memories, just like crepe.

Nanana lost them, and in exchange gained vast money. If she could trade it for crepe, perhaps she could raise that much money and exchange it again for this sweetness.

Thinking like this—Nanana had changed.

“Enclosure…”

“Hmm? Have you said something? Oh, I haven’t taken my turn yet.”

“Just before Munakata vanished, he uttered this word as one of the things he’d been investigating. Enclosure is a term from the economic history of the west. It apparently designates a feudal lord enclosing the shared lands of normal peasants.”

“Oh, how knowledgeable you are. What about your call?”

There was no need for her to call.

Even in this new stage Nanana was in the red. On the other hand, the bearded man was a huge winner. Both the grins of the guests and the serenity of the Round Table members said it clearly.

Nanana, completely forgoing her drunkard act, looked around with a stupid face.

“Surround and isolate using money. That is the history of enclosure…”

“So you’re not making a call? Surrendering before you become bankrupt is a wise decision. Your only one today.”

Laughter echoed in the venue.

“I also investigated it. Several decades ago, even this country went through something that could be called an enclosure. There were signs of the members of the Round Table at the time having moved large amounts of money. And after they desperately gathered all these funds, they all vanished somewhere…”

The voices laughing at Nanana now turned agitated. Perhaps they were doubting her sanity.

“As if they were trying to desperately monopolize something. What had they become so obsessed about? I thought about that. Perhaps that was a kind of—‘omen’?”

Without minding it, Nanana kept mumbling.

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… these events, just like the Magician said, were perhaps related to the thing that was born—so it hadn’t appeared all of a sudden around ten years ago… there was the omen called Enclosure. Meaning—the thing that should have been born, was indeed born.”

Did anyone in the party knew how big of a thing Nanana was saying? Other than the members of the Round Table, everyone looked at her with eyes full of pity.

All of them made fun of her.

Just like when Nanana had been about to lose everything and went on the counterattack.

“The history of enclosure amounted to nothing more than anxious duckies. And that became the origin of it all—the swan moving between them…”

Nanana apparently possessed her grandfather’s talent. The thing called money was meaningless to her, but she knew well how to increase or decrease it. —No, perhaps it was better to say that she learned by heart the nature of people who foolishly swarmed toward it.

It took no time at all to grow Nanana’s assets to how they were during her grandfather’s time.

She’d brought back her house, her housekeeper and her pet. She’d fired all of the employees who deceived her and had sent away all the teachers who treated her unreasonably to the countryside.

Even so—those sweet halcyon days never returned.

Since it took so long to get them back, would she get them with interest?

Nanana gradually gained more and more money.

But no matter how much time passed, she was never able to buy back her sweet crepe. She would trade away everything she owned to taste it even once, but it was no use.

She could get anything else she ever desired, but she could never regain that which she had eaten before.

“—I’ll buy the entirety of the following bank...”

Nanana mumbled.

The party hall became so quiet one could hear a pin drop in it.

What Nanana spoke was a brand name without a code. It was nothing more than a middling bank. But since it wasn’t in the country, no one would have acknowledged it. Since they did only business within the country until now, it was probably outside the monitoring eye of the Round Table as well.

Clatter. The table shook.

The bearded man’s eyes almost seemed to rip from how wide they were. He was so agitated that he apparently bumped his elbow against the table.

“There’s no way—”

Since he opened his mouth wide, his throat was probably parched. He tried to keep talking, but words didn’t form properly. Feigning calmness, he grabbed his glass with shaking hands and drank.

“There’s no way, you can buy that… it was growing until yesterday. There’s no way its prices would lower in these mere few hours—”

“Isn’t it your umbrella organization, though? Have you really not noticed the ‘omen’? You should at least be familiar with the names of businesses you loan from.”

Nanana tilted her head loosely. She narrowed one eye.

“The price indeed lowered. Because I worked hard on lowering it. All of the companies I bought on a loss here were loaning from this bank. If the price so foolishly swings like that, of course the market will doubt its finances from the bank… in the first place it’s just a temporary business for overseas mafia. Credit is of no importance there.”

The bearded man showed his true nature. With a vicious expression, he turned to look at the three Round Table members.

They have just received the reports from their underlings. They were probably checking the overseas market. Letting leak a huge sigh, they slowly shook their heads toward the bearded man.

“You haven’t even noticed my ‘enclosure’. After all, you are nothing more than a useful fool that can be bled dry.”

Shocked, the bearded man fell back to his chair.

“Now I am a major shareholder of your money. Even the money you’ve made before will now flow to the Akasegawa Foundation. —I’ll have you choose later if you want to become my dog or else present me with a certain someone who’s been missing. Yahaha.”

Laughing at the man who was groaning and unable to move, Nanana rose from her chair.

She made an elegant bow directed at the three Round Table members.

“How about it? Have you enjoyed our humble entertainment?”

Glancing outside, apparently the clamor at the mountainside was already settled. Kakkou probably concluded his mission as well.

“Oh dear me, would you look at that.”

Raising her face, Nanana made an exaggeratedly surprised expression.

“It appears that there is now a vacancy within the Round Table. Has someone gone bankrupt?”

After glancing around, Nanana spun her stick and pointed it at herself.

“By the way, I know a certain lady fit to work for the Round Table—so how about it?”

It still wasn’t enough.

From now on, Nanana would continue amassing money like trash.

Until she could one day buy back that sweet crepe—

The voice of Nanana, who narrowed one eye, echoed in the silent party hall.

2.00 Bubble

Repeating sleep and waking, it looked around in the darkness.

It saw a line of light.

The moment after it leapt to the light, a baptism of blinding brilliance welcomed it.

Just like it thought.

It could gain freedom using this small gap.

Yearning for more, along with its second sense of release, it leapt high into the sky.

Below it was a vast sea, reflecting the sunlight.

Was this a mere dream?

So it thought.

If it was a dream, it could indulge itself on utmost freedom.

It wandered the boundless skies.

Night fell, the sun climbed back up, and still it was flying.

At some point it would waken from its dream.

Last time, an abnormal human forcibly cut off its dream short. The demonic guy that wore a green pattern on its body.

Oh, right—

Along with the previous dream, it recalled a certain girl as well.

Although it was a dream, it remembered the girl’s scent.

Following that scent, it rushed through the sky.

Cutting through clouds and descending, it saw a pure-white beach.

The beach had a wooden shack and people playing around.

Found her.

The girl he liked was among them.

Although it was a dream, that girl’s figure seemed very vivid.

To the extent it made it wonder if it really was a dream.

No—perhaps, this meant that the time it would attain true freedom was close?

That soon it would be released?

Along with this hazy anticipation, it looked below.

The girl it found with the nostalgic scent.

It had no idea why it liked that girl so much.

However, until it understood the reason for it, it would keep watching her for a while.

On a whim, it wanted to see where that girl ended.

2.01 Shiika Part 1

If Shiika recalled correctly, it happened soon after she’d officially inherited the part of Mushibane’s leader.

Avoiding conflict with the SEPB, they prioritized securing wild Mushitsuki. Even if there were clashes with the SEPB during this they never fought and would not begin the chains of hatred.

Changing their policy, they were reborn as a new Mushibane.

Although they were resolved to this—at that period they were fully committed to recombining the divided Mushibane. After the organization lost its previous leader Tachibana Rina and the various regional leaders retired, Mushibane lost its connections and became easy prey for the SEPB.

They were lucky to have found the northern regional leader, Lucifera. She was the lone woman among the regional leaders and a Special Type Mushitsuki. She was smart, and advised Shiika to reconnect the information network of the various regions of Mushibane members.

Gathering all the confused members into one spot was extremely dangerous. Because of that, she’d dispatched Aijisupa and Namie to each place, gradually securing the contact networks there. Following that, they finally managed to retrieve Mushibane’s former connections.

That was when it happened.

“It is said that falling in love is a state of being while loving someone means acting on it.”

The man who never looked Shiika in the eyes, Munakata Kaiji, said this without any advance warning.

“Eh?”

It happened when she looked around their base which was the camp.

Munakata Kaiji and Shiika were of completely different ages and heights, and sometimes their allies would turn to look at them.

“Sorry, this old man likes saying strange things from time to time.”

Munakata Kaiji laughed. Yet he didn’t look at Shiika’s face.

“What does that mean?”

“Just like it sounds. Have you fallen in love?”

Being asked this, Shiika felt her cheeks flushing.

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke passed through her mind. She only spent a short time with him, but the happiness and bliss she felt during that time—as well as the bitterness and pain—were special in her life. Even now she cherished the painting of Daisuke drawn by Rina.

“…I see. Then, have you done anything for his sake? Even something you’ve done together with him.”

Thinking a bit, Shiika shook her head.

Daisuke had done many things for her. He invited her on a date, he consoled her when she was crying, and at Christmas, he held her hand and saved her.

On the other hand, had Shiika done anything for him? Had she accomplished something while with him?

She couldn’t nod to that.

“I see. Then in your case, you’re still just in love. Perhaps admiration. —But not real love, yet.”

“…”

“I hope you will forgive my boasting, but I was very popular with the ladies when I was young. I have done anything a man of my age could do, and my face wasn’t too bad either. And, above all else, I was good at making money.”

This sudden confession made Shiika twitch and look at Munakata. Since he looked very young even now, she could easily imagine how handsome he’d been in the past. But it was the first time Shiika saw a person say that sort of thing about themselves.

“So I think I’ve been blessed with chances to fall in love. Yes, I’ve fallen in love many times.”

“I-is that so?”

“Receiving goodwill from someone and responding with loyalty, I did everything I could to catch the attention of the woman I liked. But that was all definitely done just to attract the person I fell in love with to me—meaning, for my own sake. So it was mere falling in love.”

While Shiika’s cheeks reddened and she lowered her glance, Munakata was unabashedly monologuing.

“So there was only one person I felt true love for.”

He definitely wasn’t looking at her, but Shiika watched his profile.

“Do you… still love her even now?”

“Yes.”

Munakata Kaiji’s response sounded proud and grand.

“Since we’re very far removed in age, everyone would talk behind my back. However, it is for certain that I—for the first time—became obsessed, and came to knew what loving a person meant. Loving meant suffering, and it was much more pleasant than anything I felt so far. Oops, saying this much makes even me feel embarrassed.”

“…”

“When I lost the person I love, I became depressed. I realized how dull the world was. However… when Aijisupa dragged me back, I noticed something. That I could keep on loving her.”

“So that’s why you’re helping the Mushibane left by Rina… helping us?”

“That’s what I meant.”

Shiika looked puzzled.

“Past tense?”

“I gave a certain amount of money to Mushibane. But on the way I started thinking that this wasn’t enough. There were many other people who could make money.”

“…?”

“I know that thing called money. They had it in any era. Those that felt that everyone belonged to them were rampant in the world. Their curiosity, too, was something out of this world. At any given time in history, those guys were always next to fate.”

Even while speaking so nonchalantly as if they were discussing everyday matters, Munakata still looked ahead.

Once, he’d told Shiika that he couldn’t look in her eyes since he hated her for letting Rina die.

It was exactly so.

However, Munakata knew he was guilty of the same sin. Therefore, if he met Shiika’s eyes even once—he might end up forgiving her.

Wasn’t he trying not to look into her eyes because he knew that?

Even the sufferings incurred from love were better than any other sort of happiness—

Seeing him say that, she thought this.

To him, even hatred was the special privilege of those in love. He had no right to take it from Shiika.

“If my pet theory is accurate—the thing called money was definitely seen at the time.”

“The time?”

“The time when everything started.”

Munakata put his hand on his chin, sinking into deep thought. He kept talking like he was mumbling to himself.

“More than ten years ago, there were three incomprehensible movements in the business world… perhaps they were not without reason after all—they were perhaps hidden and unseen, but they existed…”

Ignoring Shiika who was completely out of her depths, Munakata kept muttering.

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift—”

These were all terms Shiika never heard.

“Should I try to nudge them more…? no, I can use slightly more forceful methods. The Round Table will—”

“Munakata-san?”

“O-oh, I apologize.”

Munakata nearly looked at Shiika as if only now recalling she was there, but soon dropped his gaze.

“Are you doing something dangerous?”

When Shiika asked, Munakata smiled bitterly.

“Rather than dangerous, I’m trying to do something unreasonable for my age. It might not end pretty.”

“Eh…?”

“No, you don’t need to worry.”

Noticing he was complaining, Munakata raised his face.

“To be honest, I’m still hesitating—but I’ll try doing it properly.”

At that time, Shiika had no idea what any of Munakata’s words meant.

But he was trying to do something in his own way. He had enough confidence to do that, and probably didn’t hesitate.

The man who kept loving a person who was dead, Munakata Kaiji.

He went missing a few days following that conversation.

The blazing sun’s early heat scorched the white beach.

The deep ocean spreading all around was calm and the waves hitting were also small. The boundary between the endless horizon and the blue sky swayed faintly as if in dance. Turning to the right there was a cliff, turning to the left there was a forest, turning back there was a shack, and all of them were distorted with heat haze.

A private beach.

She thought that this term only existed on TV or in books, but now she actually viewed it with her own eyes. The fact that it wasn’t overseas and that there was actually such a place inside the country was also a surprise.

Sweat dripped from her chin. Falling to the ground it drew a black line but soon evaporated.

As she vaguely stared at that, her vision suddenly shook.

“Here you go.”

“Ah… thank you, Aijisupa-san.”

Looking up at the boy that came to her at some point, Anmoto Shiika thanked him. Touching her own head, it now had a straw hat. Her two-piece swimsuit was sky blue and the bottom part was skirted. Adding the hoodie she wore on top of her swimsuit and the straw hat, she felt as if the sea ahead of her was even further.

“Can’t you swim?”

The boy wearing standard swimming trunks inquired in his usual flat tone. Because he’d removed his trademark hairband, his bangs were spilling out. It was Aijisupa, the boy who told her he’d protect her—Shiika didn’t know his real name.

“I-I still haven’t done my warmup exercises… please don’t mind me and go to swim.”

Shiika unconsciously averted her gaze. Her being unable to swim was a secret.

“I see,” said Aijisupa curtly. Standing still next to Shiika, they watched the resort-like scenery.

She saw the infinite ocean, a girl wearing a fashionable swimsuit and a tired-looking boy. Stuffing her cheeks with an extra-large serving of ice cream on top of a floating mat was Lucifera, and the one swimming and pulling that mat was the boy called Chouya Nihei.

In the space between the beach and the shack, a place covered in gravel, there was a roofed kitchen set. It was a full-fledged set that even had an ice cream-making machine on a metal board. A tall woman was there, receiving a drink from the chef.

The woman holding the drink came to Shiika. She wore the same kind of hoodie as Shiika, but even Shiika as a member of the same sex felt that it was a pity for the woman to hide her bikini-clad body like that when it looked so good on her.

“Are you not going to swim, Shiika?”

“T-the wind just feels nicer…”

As Shiika received the drink and averted her eyes, Namie nodded with “I see”. Not even noticing Aijisupa’s presence, she finished off all the remaining drink.

“It feels so strange.”

She mumbled this while seeing Nihei accidentally causing the mat to turn over and Lucifera slapping him.

“Munakata-san came back and it’s such an important time now. Should we be playing here like? I bet the other members of Mushibane feel bad…”

Namie smiled as she listened. Aijisupa smiled as well.

“You sure are kind, Shiika.”

“You don’t need to mind it too much. We’re simply participating in that selfish girl’s victory celebrations. Since this is rich people property, we also don’t need to fear the SEPB finding us.”

“Haa.”

“Yeah. Also, it’s just a small breather. And if you think that’s bad, then start working even harder starting tomorrow so no one could complain. Let’s get some souvenirs for Halen who’s still on her expedition.”

Namie, who said that while smiling, used to belong to the SEPB. She was an older Mushitsuki and often helped the other members, so she was popular even within Mushibane. She helped them emotionally and carried duties that the others executives couldn’t handle.

Aijisupa was unparalleled in combat and Lucifera was somewhat capricious but helped them countless times in tactics. Halensis managed the entirety of Mushbane’s manpower and intelligence, and as for managing and making money, the boy called Chouya Nihei stood out from the crowd in no time at all as a definite authority.

Looking at the result of Munakata’s disappearance, it gave the organization called Mushibane a chance to reform itself from the very root. One could say it gave them the power to be reborn in the full sense of the word.

“Yes… right. This is so we could do our best tomorrow.”

“You have to relax sometimes. So, let’s swim? I’ll go with you.”

“Umm, I don’t really feel like swimming… what should I do? I don’t really know how to play.”

“We can bring out the boat, we have a banana boat as well. Apparently we can even go parasailing. Or should we go fishing? There’s also a diving spot nearby.”

“Will you die if you don’t keep moving your body…?”

“Thinking about it, when I went with my older sister to the beach, we built sandcastles together.”

Shiika recalled elementary school, the time from before she became a Mushitsuki, and narrowed her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Namie changed her expression. She used her finger to scratch her cheeks. She mumbled softly while facing the other way.

“Sh-Shiika… I mean, if you’re lonely, umm… I-if you’re fine with me, ah… you can refer to me as your si—”

“Oh wow! Did you see it? Nihei-san just suplexed Lucy-san. They’re getting along so well.”

“Nihei was probably just pissed off.”

“—”

“Namie-san? Oh, I’m sorry, you were just saying something, right? What was it?”

Shiika tilted her head while Namie flapped her mouth. The older girl then suddenly pushed her drink to Aijisupa, took off her hoodie and flung it away. “I’m going to swim!” she yelled, dashing toward the sea.

She probably couldn’t hold herself back any longer. Shiika looked around, her eyes going to one of the parasols laid on the beach.

“Umm, I’ll go there. I’ll be fine alone.”

Aijisupa followed Shiika’s gaze and sighed. “Maybe I’ll take a nap…” Seeing off the boy walking toward the sun shelter, Shiika walked ahead on the sandy beach.

As she approached the parasol, she saw the girl around her age lying in a tube bed. She wore a floral bikini and was covered by pricy-looking accessories, including sunglasses.

“Are you not going to swim, Nanana?”

The owner of this beach and the one who invited Shiika and the rest—Akasegawa Nanana—lowered her sunglasses a bit with sluggish movements.

“I’ll get my swimsuit dirty. Doing warmups is also a bother, so being in the wind feels nicer.”

“…! Hehe.”

“Don’t do that ‘oh, you’re just like me!’ face… I’ll have you know that I can swim.”

“…”

“Well, sit down.”

Doing as she was told, Shiika lowered herself on the bed next to Nanana. Nanana gestured as if she was holding a glass, and the boy near her, Pochi, poured some wine for Shiika.

Looking at another further parasol, she could see that under it was Nanana’s secretary, clad in a one-piece bathing suit. She lay on one of two beach chairs side by side, while the other was occupied by a teddy bear with sunglasses.

“Well? Are you having fun?”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

Clink, the two glasses touched and a light sound echoed.

“But is it really fine? We’ve done nothing for you and yet you do this… You’ve even rescued Munakata-san, so in the end, you’re not even contracted with us.”

“I’ve still not given up on it, and it was decent for passing time.”

Nanana slid toward Shiika a card that was left on the table.

“What’s this?”

Pinching the card in her fingers, she fixed her gaze on it. It was about as large as a prepaid card, but its pitch-black surface had a golden circle that was surrounded by small stones embedded. They numbered twelve. They were precious stones unknown to Shiika, and one of them was larger than the others, probably made out of something like silver. The letters “XII” were carved on the edge of the card.

“This is my Round Table member card. The one I’d kicked down was apparently the twelfth member.”

“The Round Table was that group with only rich people in it…”

“I’ve snatched a whole lot from that bearded chin, and thanks to my new title as the Round Table I can advance any business I wish. I no longer have enemies. Maybe I’ll buy a submarine or something to reduce my taxes, yahah.”

“You’re incredible, Nanana.”

“Hehe, flattering me won’t get you anything—no, I won’t say anything as stingy as that. Right, shall I gift you whatever it is your heart desires?”

“I-I don’t need anything.”

Shiika hurriedly shook her head.

Don’t need anything—Nanana erased her smile at those words.

“You’ve already given us plenty. You’ve rescued Munakata-san and helped Mushibane as well.”

“…Is that it?”

“Eh?”

“Haven’t I given you some other things as well?”

As Nanana said this and laughed, Shiika desperately searched her memory.

“I’m joking.”

Seeing Shiika keep groaning as she thought, Nanana narrowed one eye.

“After all, I can’t give people anything other than money.”

Why was it?

When Nanana smiled while narrowing one eye she showed her true self much more when cackling drunkenly or when she wore her business smile—but even so, her face looked lonely.

“Oh, but you did give me a certain something.”

“…Eh?”

“Umm… You became my friend…”

Shiika spoke, fidgeting with her wine glass in hand.

Silence fell.

As her ears reddened Shiika thought it was strange and raised her face to see Nanana wear an odd expression.

“Haa? When have I become your friend?”

“Well, I mean… We’ve spoken a lot… And about me unable to swim as well…”

“You’re the one who spoke to me all on your own. Who’d even want to be a friend of a Mushitsuki?”

Nanana roused her body, pushing her wine glass against Shiika’s face. Shiika had noticed it during the party, but Nanana was very much a bully.

“Uu…”

“Yahah, you look so weird! Now, you come here too. Isn’t it amusing?”

The secretary slowly rose from her chair. Approaching them wordlessly, she obeyed the order and snatched Shiika’s glass from her hands. Now her face was getting squished by glasses from both sides.

“So squishy. Yahahah, what a strange face! I definitely don’t want you to be my friend!”

“Auu, s-stop it… i-it hurts, why’s the secretary doing it so seriously—”

“Will you please stop at this point? I do not wish for this beach to turn into a battle zone.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Shiika turned around.

The man, sitting in an electrical wheelchair, came to them. The only physical evidence of his age seemed to be the white mixed in his hair. He wore a hoodie and shorts.

“Munakata-san!”

Munakata raised his hand to the side as if to stop something.

Looking around, she saw Aijisupa having approached them at some point. Namie was also fiercely walking toward them, but she stopped with Munakata gesturing to her. They were probably going to save Shiika from being bullied. With the pair glaring at Nanana, they returned to their previous spots.

“Is your body alright?”

“Yeah. Sorry for making you worry.”

Munakata Kaiji was safe.

After the party, Nanana had questioned the man she’d kicked out of the round table. —Shiika hadn’t heard any details about the interrogation and whether the man had honestly confessed. However, just as expected, Munakata having gone missing during a certain negotiation was a crime arranged by the bearded man.

Munakata had been taken captive and was under house arrest at a certain hotel. But because his guard slacked off on the job, he’d apparently not received enough nutrition. When Pochi and the rest attacked the place, he was quite weakened. He was promptly taken to a hospital connected to his company, and had been recuperating until this very day.

Shiika had heard all this also after she’d received the invitation to this beach.

Today, Munakata had been “handed” to them by the Akasegawa Group.

“Please do not overdo yourself. You are quite old, after all.”

As Nanana wore her business smile, the white-streaked gentleman also smiled.

“How lovely. Being greeted by two beautiful flowers is a blessing for an old man as me.”

“Oh my, what a flirt.”

“Oh, you don’t have to wear a mask at this point. I have already heard the rumors about you.”

“Then I will oblige. You lecherous old man.”

“One should always compliment women. A person who doesn’t know women will never succeed in business.”

Munakata Kaiji and Akasegawa Nanana.

The two distinguished businessman even within the country smiled at each other, raising sparks. Was it a mere greeting or were they both exhibiting their displeasure for one another? Shiika timidly glanced between them.

“—No, this is not the time to badmouth one another.”

Munakata loosened his expression and lowered his head.

“I am indebted to you. I am grateful to you for saving me.”

“As long as you understand that. Yahah.”

Nanana seemed to become uplifted.

“Will you give me all of your money as thanks?”

“Please spare me. I will thank you, however.”

“I’m glad you’re safe, Munakata-san… I really do.”

Shiika mumbled, feeling a bit teary.

Munakata smiled bitterly—and averted his gaze, perhaps not to see the crying Shiika.

“I’ve also caused problems for Mushibane. I apologize, it was my complete defeat. I never thought they would use so blatantly illegal methods… he probably got carried away with the Round Table backing him up.”

“Things were chaotic while you were gone… it made me feel just how dependent we were on you. I wonder what would’ve happened to us if Nanana hadn’t saved us.”

“I didn’t volunteer to help you. I loaned my help, alright?”

“Oh, also, there’s a new—eek.”

Trying to point at the boy playing with Lucifera at sea, Shiika raised a shriek. Although he was far out in the sea until now, Chouya Nihei was now sitting seiza-style on the sand right near them.

“My name is Chouya Nihei! Wooow, you’re the real Munakata Kaiji-san, right? I didn’t know it when we spoke on the phone, but to think that you were the one who gave me a helping hand… I’m so moved! As a fellow businessman, I deeply admire you! Can I shake your hand?”

“Y-yeah. I don’t mind, but… this is the boy I introduced you to, right? Sorry for being unable to get to the campsite. I’m glad you were able to safely meet up with Mushibane regardless.”

“Wow, you’re so kind! As expected from an adult! You’re completely different from that bully who instantly threatens people! You’re completely different from that bully who instantly threatens people! “

“Why did you say that twice…” Nanana muttered angrily.

“Chouya-san was a great help to us with matters relating to money. He helped us make do with what small funds with have, so we were able to start over again somehow.”

“Ho? If you managed to grasp Mushibane’s accounting without even an account book, it’s quite impressive.”

Being praised by Munakata, Nihei’s face instantly glowed.

“Yes! I am a businessman, even if a small one! My motto is three-way satisfaction!”

“Three-way satisfaction? That is quite… rare, nowadays.”

Apparently troubled over what to say, Munakata smiled wryly. —Although his words were different, his response was similar to how Nanana rejected Nihei’s motto in the past.

Nihei probably also felt that. Although he’d gotten excited, his expression now became clouded.

“By the way, you can stand already. Isn’t the sand hot?”

“…No! What is this, a teppanyaki-style fried human? Or so it feels, but I don’t mind it! Let me study from you like this!”

“I-I see, so you’re very persevering. Well, the handyman who introduced you to this place is someone I trust. If you need anything, you can rely on her.”

“Yes! Right now I’m trying to earn money to pay her!”

“You too, Snow. I might have spoken to you a little about this before, but the girl called Ikarino Kirari could prove to be a huge help, so please remember her. She’s a rare person who helps Mushitsuki out of goodwill.”

“Yes.”

Why was he talking about this now—

Although she harbored these doubts, Shiika nodded, while next to her Nanana raised an angry voice.

“Ikarino Kirari, you say?”

She turned around and glared at him. This hateful stare pierced Munakata. This was an expression of pure, unconcealed hatred the likes of which Shiika had never seen before.

“Don’t screw with me. If you plan to involve Kirari I’ll be merciless.”

“N-Nanana?”

“Well, since she seems to have some connection to Akasegawa, when you talk to her, do so in secret.”

As the gentleman drank wine while wearing a bitter smile, Nanana snorted with a displeased face.

“I tire of this collusion. Let us resume what we spoke about before. That is why I let you recover while waiting here.”

Looking at Munakata, Nanana spoke with a serious expression.

Or rather than serious, perhaps it was more accurate to call it desperate. As if she had been looking for that answer for years upon years.

“Munakata. Why have you been confined by the Round Table’s underlings?”

“Hmm? Have you not heard? We’ve had a bit of a trouble in our business—”

“Enclosure. Bubble. Paradigm Shift.”

Munakata’s expression changed.

“That’s the real reason you were captured, right?”

“…You got me. So you already knew what I finally got hold of.”

Munakata easily surrendered. Yet Nanana didn’t seem to mind this sort of small victory.

“Why on earth have you been trying to investigate that? Why did you think it is related to the Round Table? And—how did you come to know these words in the first place?”

Munakata looked surprised. He raised an eyebrow.

“What a strange question. Have you not started investigating it for the same reason as me? Your way of saying it sounds as if—you only heard these words from someone.”

“Have you reached them with your own powers?”

“Of course. That is why this happened to me.”

“…Was a certain person involved in your way of investigating this? With long hair, always wearing a coat, at times covered in wounds, always wearing headphones—”

Even to Shiika it was obvious that Nanana was acting abnormally. She listed the characteristics of a certain person—but she expected a certain answer, and despite how desperate she seemed, she lowered the tone of her voice.

Munakata Kaiji shook his head to the sides.

“No, I don’t know anyone like that.”

Nanana was stunned. For an instant she looked about to cry—and scowled.

“There’s no freaking way—”

Rising up, she closed in on Munakata. Nanana’s hand grabbed his hoodie.

“You were looking for the same thing, right? There’s no way you don’t know! Now remember already!”

“I’m sorry, but I really have no clue.”

Munakata repeated this, looking disturbed. But Nanana still didn’t give up.

“Stop lying! Why do you think I’ve saved you?”

“N-Nanana?”

“Nanana-chan, stop! Munakata-san was only just discharged!”

Shiika and Nihei pulled Nanana away from Munakata.

“Why do you think…”

Glaring at Munakata angrily, Nanana bit her lips so hard they turned pale. She probably knew that Munakata wasn’t lying at all. Shaking off Shiika and Nihei, she hugged her legs on top of the chair, burying her face in them.

“Nanana? D-did something happen with that woman?”

“…It has nothing to do with it. Now keep explaining already.”

Apparently receiving a large shock, Nanana’s voice was shaking.

“…”

Only Shiika next to her heard her small sob. She had no idea about her circumstances, but this was probably something important for her. Thinking back, Nanana had agreed to help them rescue Munakata after hearing those terms from Shiika.

“Can you continue your story, Munakata-san?”

The one to pierce the silence was Nihei. He seemed to be trying to not look toward the silent Nanana as if to not embarrass her.

“You’re… no, it’s fine. Please listen to it as well. Since you appear to be a person involved with money as well.”

Namie swam beautifully in the sea distorted by the heat shimmer. As if on a competition, Lucifera on a dolphin-shaped float kicked the water in pursuit.

As for Aijisupa, he was breathing softly while sleeping at the sun shelter. He apparently had no interest in either swimming or tanning.

“This is something that all of us people who always count money have probably considered once.”

Munakata sounded calm.

“Money is the devil. —I have talked about this with Snow before, but people always take each other’s money, and so money, at any given era and time, serves to monitor people.”

What was Munakata actually seeing as he gazed into the sea? Shiika had no idea.

“Snow, you also understand this, right? You were with Akasegawa, even if only for a short while. She showed you how good at using money she is. With money, she found out Mushibane, found out where I was and rescued me.”

It was just like Munakata said.

Nanana used a form of power invisible to the eye and found the people she was looking for, rescuing Munakata in no time at all. She was just like—

“Right. Nanana was exactly like a… magician.”

Nanana’s shoulders twitched.

“Magic, huh? Perhaps all of us businessmen are entranced by that magical power.”

With a serious face, Chouya Nihei listened to Munakata.

“I also spoke about Snow about that. —Is it fine for me to simply distribute this magic power to Mushibane? I suddenly thought about this. Wasn’t there anything else I could do for the person I loved? And then I recalled her words.”

Munakata gazed at the horizon on the sea as if gazing even further than that.

“’I wonder what Mushi are?’”

Shiika widened her eyes.

“She would often say that. —I finally found what I need to do.”

“What you need to do…?”

“Finding out the roots of Mushi.”

The roots of Mushi—

Meaning, to find out when, where and how they were created.

In front of the man announcing this, Shiika was speechless.

“The roots… of Mushi.”

“The devil known as money had definitely observed the moment they were born. Starting then I thoroughly investigated the economics of this country. Eventually I discovered that at a certain time over ten years ago, there was a strange disturbance in the markets. You could say that it shook the entire country.”

Munakata calmly explained.

“It caused three movements. Vast amounts of money vanished as if stolen, and this backlash expanded the entire country’s economy, which then burst—causing the alternation of generations among those who ruled money. Naturally there were similar movements in the past as well. Those were the periods of economic turbulence that appear in history books. But that thing I noticed was obviously not recorded—and there was seemingly no cause for it to happen.”

“No cause at all… that’s impossible.”

Nihei interjected, sounding puzzled.

“There definitely should have been some opportunity. Whether some minor matter to something affecting the entire world, during both prosperity and depression, people will not move money without a reason behind it.”

“Exactly so. There definitely should have been one. So let me rephrase. For one of those movements, there was a reason—but it had been skillfully hidden.”

“Hidden…? I see, the Round Table!”

Shiika couldn’t follow the two men’s conversation.

“The Round Table was there even ten years ago! They obviously knew about the state of the economy at the time!”

“That was my expectation. But out of all members at the time, more than half fell out during the shift of the third and final movement. And that includes the ones who were thought to have participated in the chaos.”

“…!”

“The fallen members from back then vanished without a trace. Some are missing, some killed themselves. Even now most of their old stocks belong to those who watched the third wave from the sides. Even if they know of the three movements, they don’t know the truth behind them.”

“Then… are there no other clues?”

“No. There’s a reason the Round Table persevered despite losing most of its members. You could say these are the ‘aftereffects’ of riding those three waves a decade ago…”

“Aftereffects…?”

“Among them, they secretly called these three movements thusly. ‘Enclosure’, ‘Bubble’, and ‘Paradigm Shift’—”

The period of monopoly caused by Enclosure.

The excessive economic expansion of the Bubble.

The period of revolution caused by changing generations, Paradigm Shift.

Shiika burned these three words in her memories.

“As much as I could gather by investigating, everyone in the Round Tables knows these three words. Even those who were unrelated to the business at the time. Why do they all know it and made it a taboo? —I have the feeling that the gathering called the Round Table are all hiding something together.”

“Something…?”

“The aftereffects. They have inherited something born from these three movements and keep hiding it to this day. I heard that their membership fees are enormous. The steps taken to pursue the flow of that enormous money—ended up confining my own movements.”

“…Alpha.”

Hearing this mumble, everyone turned to look at the girl.

At some point Nanana raised her face, gazing absently at her feet with reddened eyes.

“What was that?”

“That money all flows to where the first Mushitsuki Alpha is…”

The first Mushitsuki, Alpha.

Shiika and the rest became speechless.

At present Mushitsuki existed in this country. Since they existed, there had to be a first one among them. But where was that person right now?

“Akasegawa… did you join the Round Table because you knew something?”

“I don’t know anything about the Round Table. I just heard about this from that person.”

“That person? Was there someone other than me that also investigated the Round Table?”

“There isn’t. I mean, she’s already—gave up there. She’d said that someone else had already found it.”

“I can’t believe this so easily. I thought that I was the only one who could investigate it from the outside… Alpha, huh… so this is my limit.”

Seeing Munakata distort his face in pain, Shiika looked at the girl next to her.

Nanana was staring at the sand with a powerless expression, not moving at all.

“Nanana… why did that person tell you about this?”

“For no reason. It was more like she was speaking to herself.”

“What kind of a person was she?”

“Just a Mushitsuki… the kind I hate the most.”

Nanana muttered in a completely flat tone, void of any emotion.

“Akasegawa. You might not know anything right now, but it might not stay that way forever.”

Munakata said.

“Now that you are also part of the Round Table, you will probably receive a greeting as well.”

“What the heck’s that…”

“Something that forces you to keep the secret. —But thinking another way, this might be your chance. You might be able to understand the meaning of the three movements from within the Round Table. And that is most likely…”

“I have no interest in it. It matters not.”

Nanana again lowered her gaze. She buried her face into her knees.

“I mean, there’s no way that person would be there after she gave up…”

The words of the despondent girl silenced Munakata. Even Nihei, who fervently listened to Munakata’s story, did not call out to Nanana.

When the three businessmen went silent, Shiika opened her mouth.

“U-umm, Nanana. Do you like that person?”

Nanana made no move.

Shiika clasped both hands together, fidgeting. Recalling her own love, her cheeks were blushing.

“I heard from Munakata-san. If you only think about a certain person all the time, then it’s love.”

“…She’s a woman. Can we keep the love gossip for later? I’m not in the mood.”

“He said that admiration is the same. Also, umm… if you do something with that person, or do something for them, that’s also called loving them.”

“…”

“She might not be there if she gave up, but—”

Shiika smiled, speaking to Nanana who kept her gaze down and didn’t move at all.

“There is… what she’s been trying to find.”

Nanana’s fist hugging her knees—clenched tightly.

“…You don’t even know anything about her.”

“R-right…”

“All of you are only interested in those secrets. Don’t push it on me.”

“I do want to know, but… I’m also envious.”

Nanana sank into silence again.

“I have no idea… what the person I like wants to do or wants to know.”

The boy called Kusuriya Daisuke did many things for her. Even so, Shiika knew practically nothing about him.

But Nanana knew.

And Shiika was jealous of that.

“Even if she’s not by your side right now… if you can achieve what she couldn’t, wouldn’t it be the same as if you’d done it together?”

“…No way. If she gave up there’s no way I could it.”

“Well, I understand if you didn’t want to—but if it’s something you can do, I’m sure you could do it.”

Shiika spoke what she truly thought.

“Because you’re like a magician, Nanana.”

Nanana slowly raised her face.

She bit her lips to stop herself from crying again.

“She… was also a magician.”

Nanana whispered in a hoarse voice as it happened.

“—Who’s that?”

This sharp voice belonged to Aijisupa. At some point he came out of the sun shelter and stood on the beach. He was looking at the area of the cabin, next to which was the road connecting to the entrance to this private area.

Shiika followed Aijisupa’s line of sight. The others did the same.

“I’ll have the gatekeeper check.”

Nanana’s recovery was quick. Grabbing the stick that lay nearby, she rose up.

“…Apparently no one has passed through the entrance.”

Hearing the secretary’s response, everyone stiffened their expression.

“Then who…?”

Seeing that abnormal thing, Shiika muttered in an unconsciously shaky voice.

It was—a dark mass.

Originally it was perhaps a suit. That pitch-dark cloth was now extremely worn out, so it preserved nothing of its original shape. The same went for the leather shoes and gloves. Also, wearing a large coat like that when it was so hot was also unnatural. That person’s entire face was hidden by tattered cloth and a wide-brimmed silk hat. The clock wrapped around their wrist was broken, turning into nothing more than a golden cord.

All of those clothes were probably originally of a high quality. However, as that person slowly turned and approached while covered in these rotten garments, it was much more like a vengeful ghost out of a nightmare.

If he didn’t pass through the entrance, where had he appeared from?

At the very least it seemed that Nanana didn’t invite him. Namie and Lucifera also came running.

“Who are you? I have no memory of inviting a bum such as yourself.”

Nanana asked with a cold voice.

The black mass continued slowly advancing. Dragging his feet audibly on the ground, he approached Shiika and the rest.

“If you approach us any further without saying anything, I will acknowledge you as an intruder. I’m going to attack you, is that clear?”

The shadow kept walking.

“Understood. You can go, Pochi. Attack—”

Aijisupa started moving even before Nanana issued her order. He thrust out his arm forward and flicked a finger. Pssh, a sound like pulling the tab of a carbonated beverage echoed.

The moment some cold moisture was produced—bright white light dyed the area. The bombardment of steam bursting from Aijisupa’s fingertips pierced the creepy figure.

“…!”

Everyone there widened their eyes.

It was probably meant for intimidation. Aijisupa’s attack was such that it could be easily evaded, and he aimed for the arm. Even so the figure in black hadn’t evaded at all and the white steam scored a direct hit on his arm.

The figure’s arm should have been blown away.

But only his sleeve was ripped off—and it had nothing inside.

The ripped suit gathered again and covered the empty space. While they watched this sight, stunned, the black human figure retrieved its previous form in no time. Shiika had the feeling that she glimpsed small, golden glints mixed in with the clothing.

“T-this is no human…!”

Nihei’s shout stopped the figure.

With dull movements as if moving in slow motion, the black figure put one knee on the ground.

“I congratulate you…”

It was a low man’s voice that oddly lingered in their ears.

“Congratulations, Akasegawa Nanana-sama, for your joining the Round Table…”

It was an excessively slow way of talking, invoking an insolent feeling. It was impossible to even tell if that voice was made by a human’s vocal cords.

“Munakata. Was this what you meant by the Round Table’s ‘greeting’?”

“Who knows? I obviously hadn’t imagined anything like this.”

As Nanana and Munakata cracked jokes, both stiffened their faces.

“Akasegawa Nanana-sama, as you have been appointed as the newest member… I have come to invite you to the auction.”

“An auction?”

“Pardon my late introduction… I am the auctioneer, Sotheby… As I am acquainted with the Round Table, I am also pleased to make your acquaintance…”

The person calling himself Sotheby slowly lowered his head again.

Although it was humid, it suddenly felt as if the temperature sank. Shiika’s body sweated all over and a chill ran through her spine.

“Hmm, you call yourself an auctioneer? Don’t you look a bit too seedy for that? Do you have any proof that you’re related to the Round Table?”

“Kukuku. Pardon me…”

Reaching to his pocket, Sotheby pulled out a black card.

It was the same member card like the one that Nanana possessed. Yet Sotheby’s card lost all of its gems and there wasn’t even a number written on it.

“If you doubt even this… you may ask me whatever you please about the Round Table… it does not have to be about the present; I do not mind talking about the past as well…”

Nanana’s eyebrows twitched.

“Oh? Then do you know these words? Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift.”

“I have heard that this is how they currently refer to what happened at that time…”

Sotheby answered smoothly without looking perturbed in the slightest.

“Enclosure… that refers to when everything started. It began slightly more than ten years ago from now, when the Round Table of the time had sought to finance a certain something…”

Nanana’s expression changed.

“…Do you really know about it?”

“But of course… at the time, several Round Table members financed it. That amount was incalculable, so to the world it appeared as though vast amounts of money vanished overnight… but in actuality, they were all used in order to isolate a certain something… and today that is called Enclosure…”

Nanana and Munakata exchanged glances.

Perhaps judging it to be true, or just wishing to drag out further information, Munakata spoke.

“And what was that thing?”

“That is the item of our current auction…”

“You really are a pompous jerk. Answer the question; tell us plainly the identity of that item.”

The black figure delayed for a while before answering Nanana’s question.

And then he spoke.

“…The original Mushitsuki, Alpha.”

Nanana widened her eyes at Sotheby’s declaration.

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… Alpha was the origin to all of those phenomena… Alpha could be called the pandora’s box to all disasters…”

“Is Alpha still… there? Really?”

Even Nanana was shaken, as expected. She repeated her question.

“But of course…”

The beach was wrapped in silence.

Shiika knew a bit about auctions. People who wanted the item would compete over its price, and the one who gave the most amount of money would end up possessing it.

“The starting price for bidding is—”

At first Shiika couldn’t understand the meaning of the amount stated by Sotheby. She only understood that all other people, especially the members of Mushibane, were speechless.

Even Nihei who prided himself as a merchant was frozen. Going back to his senses, he let a dry laugh.

“Ha…haha… so stupid. Will anyone pay that much for a complete unknown? Impossible.”

“…I would like to make sure of something. Are there any other bidders?”

“I cannot tell you.”

Sotheby answered immediately.

“However, for these last ten years… none have tried to get involved with Alpha…”

The expression Nanana wore upon hearing the answer—was a smile.

Narrowing one eye, she spun her stick again and again. She started walking in circles while humming a tune as if she truly enjoyed the situation.

She looked to be thinking.

No, Nanana was only pretending to think.

“N-Nanana-chan, don’t tell me that you…”

Seeing Nihei almost speechless, Nanana snickered.

“Wait, Akasegawa.”

Stopping the girl who was about to open her mouth was Munakata Kaiji.

“There’s something I’d like to check.”

Akasegawa Nanana, the new member of the Round Table. The bodyless auctioneer, Sotheby, was gazing at her from within the cloth that hid his face.

“Will you bid or fold?”

Would she bid—offer money, or else fold—drop out?

The mysterious auctioneer pressed Nanana for a decision.

2.02 Nanana Part 6

There’s something I’d like to check—

Saying this, Munakata Kaiji had brought Nanana and Nihei into the shack.

Sotheby waited for Nanana’s answer outside and Mushibane were watching over him. They were probably staring at that creepy visitor now.

“Do you all feel proud of your business?”

With the young merchants Nanana and Nihei in front of him, Munakata asked this.

It went without saying. What Munakata wanted to make sure of was their resolve, or perhaps their determination.

Who was going to bid in the auction?

Munakata probably wanted to confirm that. Thinking of the possibility of Nanana monopolizing it, perhaps she intended on asserting some sort of ownership.

But while talking with Munakata, Nanana thought of something entirely different.

The words she’d heard from Shiika just before reverberated in her head.

—Also, umm… if you do something with that person, or do something for them, that’s also called loving them.

This was apparently a speech she heard from Munakata, but right now that didn’t matter at all.

Doing something for someone was love.

“What do you need out of the thing called money?”

She was loved.

Without doubt, Nanana had been loved by the Kind Magician.

As well as her grandfather.

She was very important for the both of them. They protected her, expecting nothing in return.

And what about Nanana?

—Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift… these are history. As I am a mere duckie, I gave up on trying finding the swan who caused that.

Nanana had merely listened while the Magician said this.

And so—was this why she vanished?

Even back during their first meeting, the Magician had said she “didn’t want” any reward from Nanana. From then onwards, she also refused to receive anything from her.

Her grandfather was the same. Not accepting anything from Nanana, he showered her with unconditional love.

However, at that time…

Even if it was useless, shouldn’t Nanana have presented something to them?

“What do you think business—money is?”

On the other hand, all around Nanana were people who’d never leave her. Those of the Akasegawa Foundation, her secretary, and Pochi. As long as Nanana kept giving them money, they would stay at her side even if they hated it.

Meaning, wasn’t the truth like this?

Both the Kind Magician and her grandfather had left Nanana.

Those who lusted for money would always stay at her side.

—It’s fine. I’m better off protecting the swan in front of me.

If, at that time, Nanana had given to the girl something—would the Kind Magician have stayed at her side?

“Since I was saved by you, Akasegawa, I greatly respect your opinion on this.”

—Because you’re like a magician, Nanana.

Anmoto Shiika.

She felt no discomfort with that girl at her side. Nanana still loathed Mushitsuki, but that girl wasn’t to blame. Perhaps because she never wore a sorrowful, self-pitying face like the others? She’d probably actually went through a happy life with no major disasters. It was obvious just by looking at her.

When she was next to Shiika, so innocent and unreliable, she felt like looking at a poor younger sister.

What did Shiika think of Nanana?

—I-I don’t need anything.

Just like her precious person before, Shiika also refused getting anything from Nanana.

At this rate, she would lose Shiika as well.

If she made her accept anything right here and now, even by force, she would never vanish without a word like the Kind Magician or Nanana’s grandfather—

“So it’s settled then.”

Nanana grinned, clasping her hands.

Opening the shack’s door, the swimsuit-clad Shiika poked her face in.

“Umm… have you reached a decision? Sotheby-san’s still waiting.”

“I will be the one to bid on this auction.”

Declaring this, Nanana left her seat.

“Say, Shiika. Do you want to know about Alpha—about the roots of Mushitsuki?”

She stealthily asked Shiika who stood in front of the door. Shiika thought for a bit, then answered.

“Yeah. I do.”

The forsaken desire of the Kind Magician.

The secret desired by Anmoto Shiika.

Nanana was trying to obtain those. —She felt as if she finally found a way to use her money that was no more than trash unable to even buy back the sweet crepe.

“Leave it to me. I’ll definitely buy it.”

Using the magic known as money, Nanana looked like a magician, and if so…

Nanana would become just that.

Without turning into a Mushitsuki, Nanana would become a magician—

Shiika looked at Nanana, surprised.

Watching the two girls whispering among themselves, Munakata smiled.

“Perhaps there is no longer anything I can do for Mushibane.”

I no longer have any regrets—

The man’s calm face looked as if he was saying that.

As Nanana returned to the beach, Sotheby and Mushibane were glaring at each other just as expected.

No, actually only Mushibane was cautious while Sotheby’s face was calm. —Well, she couldn’t see his face that was hidden by the black cloth, but so it seemed to Nanana.

Nanana and the rest once again faced the abnormal auctioneer.

“This really isn’t normal… I’d never heard of conducting business with non-humans.”

Although everyone claimed to have resolved themselves, Chouya Nihei alone was as always hesitant. He was watching over them from a little way off.

“Have you finished your consultation…?”

Sotheby, body completely clad in decayed suit and accessories, spoke with a low voice. He was apparently looking at their faces with a slouched posture; everything about his stance seemed servile.

Yeah—

Nanana was about to say this and nod.

“W-wait.”

For some reason Shiika started the conversation.

“Can only members of the Round Table participate in that auction?”

She probably had something to say. Even though she was scared of the monster in front of them until now, for some reason she stared at Sotheby with a desperate expression.

“…Hmm.”

Sotheby stopped moving as if thinking a bit.

Twitch—

Seeing him act like this, Nihei raised an eyebrow. Perhaps there was something that bothered him.

“…Those aware of the true worth of Alpha are those who possess the most assets in this country, the Round Table… are you hoping to participate as well…?”

“Can I?”

Nanana couldn’t understand why Shiika with her sparkling eyes wanted to do.

It wasn’t only Nanana that didn’t understand her actions. Even Munakata and, of course, the other Mushibane members, the secretary and Pochi also looked confused.

“T-then… how about this.”

Shiika cheerfully brought something out of her hoodie pocket and handed it to Sotheby.

It was almost as if a question mark appeared over the heads of everyone there. Similarly, Nanana’s head was stuffed full of question marks.

“…”

The sound of waves coming nearby echoed on the beach.

The thing that Shiika had presented to him.

It was—several coins.

If she put them into a vending machine, she would probably be able to buy about two juice cans. Or possibly a single 500-ml large water bottle.

“I just want to do something for Alpha as well… umm, I know there’s no way I’d win, but if I can just try and participate—”

As Shiika mumbled this while fidgeting, Nanana stared at her with shock.

None of them had been able to foresee this action.

And even if they saw this action—as expected, none of them understood its meaning.

“…Pfft.”

Having stood there as if frozen, Sotheby’s body suddenly started shaking.

“Pff… Kuku…! What an amusing jest… I wonder if your ears have gone deaf while I spoke just now… h-however, it is not often that I see such a poor person… pfft!”

Just before, Sotheby had clearly announced the starting price of the bid. While everyone was shocked at that time, Shiika was probably troubled by something else entirely.

Bidding starting price meant that they would start the auction from that amount. Shiika had apparently not known that.

“Eh? Eh?”

Her cheeks blushing, Shiika glanced at the people around. Nanana and the rest of the Akasegawa Group were shocked, while Munakata, Aijisupa and the rest looked troubled, as if thinking who should explain to her.

“—Hey.”

This low voice was heard from afar.

“Merchants shouldn’t laugh at their clients.”

It was Chouya Nihei. His vision was focusing at none other than the one he was cowering from before, the abnormal auctioneer, glaring at him. —But looking more closely, his knees were shaking.

“Pff… cough,” while the surprised people all looked at Nihei, Sotheby recovered.

“I do apologize, it was simply such a surprise… I offer my most sincere apology. Currently only the members of the Round Table are invited to this auction…”

“I-I see.”

Seeing Sotheby stifle his laughter and bow, Shiika looked regretful. She apparently actually wanted to participate in the auction.

“Jeez… just leave it to me and watch from the side.”

Tapping Shiika’s shoulder, Nanana took a step forward. “Y-yeah,” Shiika drew back, nodding.

Facing Sotheby, Nanana spoke.

“I’ll pay the following sum.”

Hearing the sum she mentioned next, the people behind her were shocked.

“You fool…! That’s double the amount of the opening bid!”

Other than Munakata, no one could speak.

She wouldn’t feel sorry.

No matter how much money she’d lost, she could make it back.

In exchange, Nanana would obtain that which she could never get again.

Sotheby also had his entire body shaking. But unlike the time with Shiika, this time it looked like he was shaking from happiness.

Sotheby straightened his slouch, looking straight at Nanana.

“Will you bid or fold?”

Spinning her stick, Nanana declared.

“Bid.”

—Apparently, the first person who had this sort of power was called Alpha.

The Kind Magician so told her.

Alpha.

The first—the original Mushitsuki.

According to Sotheby, Alpha was the pandora box starting all disasters.

If that was actually true, then Nanana was a worthy owner.

“Thank you very much for your bid…”

Sotheby politely lowered his head.

“Charging will be in three days… as long as there is no other bidder to make a bid during that time, you will be the winner…”

Saying this with a happy voice, Sotheby rotated his body. Dragging his leather shoes on the sand, he was walking back the direction he came from.

“For close to ten years, none have touched Alpha. —Now it’s settled.”

Hearing Munakata’s mumble, Nanana kept cheerfully spinning her stick.

2.03 Nanana Part 7

“The risks are too high.”

Immediately after they came to the main offices of the Akasegawa Group from the private beach, the secretary spoke.

Nanana asked back without even looking back while walking through the corridor of the highest floor.

“Did you say anything?”

The large building over 200 meters tall was built in order to display the Akasegawa Group’s power. At present, after inheriting the money lending business of her grandfather, it was mainly involved in funding and managing the assets of multitudes of enterprises.

“Paying so much money for such a suspicious auction is not realistic.”

“As long as we pay there’s no problem. Yahah.”

This building, called the Akasegawa Offices, was full of empty rooms. Since the business grew too fast, the funds and the number of employees did not match. Although about half was divided to businesses affiliated with them, more than half was used by few clerks directly employed by the Akasegawa Foundation.

Although empty, it was gigantic.

Ironically, the building Nanana was in had also been under the situation that could be called a Bubble.

“Paying would only lead to problems. The Chairman’s personal assets also includes stocks from the Akasegawa’s Group affiliated companies. If you lose that, the Foundation itself will…”

“See that building?”

Nanana stopped in place, pointing her stick at the glass wall.

The entire topmost floor of the Akasegawa Offices was for the use of Chairman Nanana. The walls of the corridors were all covered in glass. The figure of Nanana wearing a dress was reflected on the glass.

The time was night.

The nightscape one could glance at from the height of 200 meters looked like a jewel box adorned many colored lights.

But there was a certain space that looked as if swallowed by darkness. Although this was the capital, that vast place alone had no lights.

It was a project the Akasegawa Foundation started trying to manage—a composite university facility. It was called MOCC, and would come into use only starting next year.

“Isn’t it pretty? I wanted that.”

Hugging her teddy bear, the secretary looked at Nanana with a deadpan face. Like always Pochi mumbled something softly, but she couldn’t hear him.

“I’ll get it next week. Yahaha.”

“…”

“That and… oh, that place as well. They’ll become the Akasegawa Group’s. Thinking about it, didn’t it look likely that I could buy that stadium’s naming rights as well? Also, over there, the preparations to make MOCC function proceed swimmingly, no?”

After using the stick to point at the townscape she spun it once then leaned it on her shoulder.

“The Akasegawa Group is doing great right now. We can easily retrieve whatever we will lose. Yahah.”

Nanana laughed cheerfully, walking again. But the secretary still hounded her.

“For a person involved with those called Mushitsuki it must be invaluable. However, I do not think it is needed for the Akasegawa Group.”

“It has nothing to do with the Foundation. It is I, Akasegawa Nanana, who desires it.”

“The Board will not stay silent.”

“None of their business.”

“Why are you so obsessed with Mushitsuki?”

“Because they’re a source of business.”

“Is that—really just this?”

“…If you’re too annoying I’ll just fire you, you know? If I stop paying you, how will you keep providing for your cute bear? Yahah.”

While laughing, Nanana continued walking. Putting her hand on the door to the Chairman’s office, she turned around.

“Please watch over the movements of the Round Table. If they intend on participating in the auction, there would definitely be a movement of money for the bidding. And if someone makes a move—tell me immediately.”

“…Understood.”

The secretary and Pochi bowed, leaving the place.

Nanana passed through the door, going through the secretary’s waiting room, and opened yet another door.

The Chairman’s Office, with a thick carpet laid out on the floor, was bigger than the classroom of the high school Nanana went to. She had an antique desk brought from overseas, and on top of the leather chair was a notebook-type pc used for information management.

This room was for the exclusive use of Nanana, but she only rarely came to it. She could issue her orders from wherever she was. Because today was the bidding day, she returned here to manage her stocks.

“Hah…”

Sitting on the sofa as if jumping onto it, she flung her stick away.

Her drunkenness was long gone. —Since she calmed down when she was sober, she hated it. She became extremely lonely.

Just like she herself had said before.

Right now Nanana was in a great position, almost invincible. Her assets today would swell by tomorrow. And they would swell even further the day after tomorrow.

Even so—she was never fulfilled.

Nanana herself was like this building.

There was a large, empty space in her chest.

When had her insides become so empty?

It went without saying. It happened when she’d lost her grandfather, the Kind Magician and her one and only friend. Ever since then she wore a mask made of money and ways of deceiving people and kept swelling more and more.

Nanana kept pouring wine to fill what was empty.

If she didn’t, her heart might become like a bubble—and burst upon the softest touch.

“…Miss Magician.”

Folding her knees on the sofa, she rounded her body.

“I’m a swan, right…?”

It was a shock for her that Munakata knew nothing about Kidou Tsukasa. She was so sure that if she saved him, she’d get a clue as to her whereabouts.

Once again, that existence had slipped away from within her grasp.

Although she should have hated the Mushitsuki that betrayed her—in the depths of her heart she kept waiting for the Magician to reappear.

But she was unable to find a single clue about her location.

Nanana bit her lips.

“I have the right to create fate itself, right…?”

Enclosure.

Bubble.

Paradigm Shift.

Once, these fates have changed the country.

By buying the primal Mushitsuki Alpha in the auction, she’d be able to solve these mysteries.

Honestly, Nanana had no interest in the origin of Mushi.

However—

“I’m going to handily win this auction…”

To make Anmoto Shiika connected to her, she would obtain that.

What was that girl to her? Even she herself didn’t know yet.

Yet Shiika called Nanana her friend, and said she didn’t need anything from her.

Just like her grandfather and the Kind Magician did.

Because it was the same, she recalled her fear. Shiika, too, would perhaps vanish.

If that happened, it would prove that the money Nanana so desperately accumulated was all for naught.

She would definitely buy back the sweet, sweet crepe.

That was the only reason for Nanana to collect the trash called money.

“…”

Raising her face with a lonely expression, she noticed something left on her desk.

A memory device in its case. A small memory card.

Thinking about it, she recalled what it was.

She’d bought it from Chouya Nihei upon first arriving at Mushibane’s camp.

“If I’m not wrong… this was the Chronicler’s something?”

Booting her computer, she stuck the memory card inside.

“…”

Without any prior warning, the video started. There wasn’t even a title.

Monsters were fighting.

They were Mushi.

The footage was of two Mushitsuki fighting. Nanana, who’s actually seen Mushi many times, knew that this wasn’t special effects or computer graphics.

Ugly and scary Mushi fought while spraying blood. Normal humans would have perhaps stopped the video.

“Hmm.”

In her seat, Nanana rested her cheek on her hand supported by the desk.

Nihei said he’d bought this from a video freak who got it from an amateur satellite transmission. It was likely that someone for whom normal broadcasting would be too dangerous secretly transmitted this video.

For an enthusiast, this would be a rare item that he would want very badly.

But Nanana who was used to seeing Mushi had no interest in it.

“…”

Since she had nothing else to do, she kept watching.

As she did, she noticed that the content was slightly different from what she expected. She thought it was a mere collection of rare videos, but then the person called Chronicler started interviewing Mushitsuki.

“Oh, not bad for an amateur.”

There were different situations. There were videos in the middle of fighting, as well as many that looked like they were running away. Regardless, this Chronicler found many Mushitsuki and questioned them.

“Her voice is young… a child? Being so reckless is also childish.”

Nanana imagined Chronicler to be around middle school age. Judging from the date said in the interview, perhaps by now she was the same age as Nanana.

“Still, what is she trying to… do—”

She snorted but then her expression froze.

Someone was again fighting in the video.

She soon understood who they were fighting against. She didn’t know what branch it was, but the goggles hiding their eyes made it clear this was a member of the SEPB.

The issue came from the person fighting against the SEPB member.

The slim and tall silhouette with long hair was instantly recognizable. She was fighting against two people in the gloomy alley. She skillfully danced around the two Mushi which were more than double her size.

Suddenly a leg was blown off of one Mushi. The host Mushitsuki held his ears, screaming, and the other Mushitsuki was blown away by something. The other member also fainted in agony, collapsing.

The long-haired person just avoided the Mushi’s assault. She made gestures as if flicking something with her fingers from time to time, but it didn’t look like she was doing anything in particular. Seeing the groaning members now unable to move, she gracefully turned around. Even just dodging her opponent’s attacks, she didn’t have to land a finishing blow. She was clearly on a class of her own.

“—”

When that person turned back, Nanana thought her heart stopped.

Actually, she knew this even just seeing her from behind. After all, the headphones hanging on the girl’s neck were awfully familiar—

“Ah—”

When Chronicler approached the person for an interview, the screen vanished.

Nanana had unconsciously reached out with her hand and knocked off the notebook computer from the desk.

“Ah… ah!”

Losing her composure like never before, she hurriedly picked up the computer. She plugged it back again and replayed the video.

“Ah—”

Seeing the person appearing there, Nanana clung to the display.

Her vision blurring, she gritted her teeth. She shed so many tears she was almost unable to see her.

“Miss Magician…”

She looked younger than how she’d been the last time she’d seen her, probably because Nanana had grown up. The one being surprised by Chronicler in the video was a girl about the same age as Nanana currently was.

The Kind Magician.

Although she’d treasured Nanana more than anyone, that Mushitsuki who’d left without saying anything was there.

According to the date this was a few years back. A while after Nanana had last seen her.

“And you are…?”

“I am Chronicler. Are you a Mushitsuki?”

Bringing her to an empty lot, Chronicler forcibly asked her. Her way of speaking was prideful, as if saying that as a journalist she was entitled to know everything.

On the other hand, the Magician—Kidou Tsukasa—looked very tired. Her body was covered in wounds here and there, and she made a gloomy face the likes of which Nanana had never seen before.

“This is an interview.”

“Please stop… if you involve yourself with me, you’ll be in danger.”

“Are you doing something dangerous? What exactly are you up to?”

“Why are you asking me this… will you not leave me alone?”

“Us, members of the general public, have the right to know about Mushitsuki. That is why I am investigating just what Mushitsuki are.”

“What a dangerous thing to do…”

“I am aware of the danger. But I’m the only one who can do it.”

She probably turned to glare at the prideful Chronicler. Tsukasa’s gaze turned toward the screen.

Nanana forgot to breath, and Tsukasa kept staring.

“Hehe…”

“Why are you laughing? Is something funny?”

“Just thought that you look like Hunter. You’re making a face like you’re being cornered by your own duty.”

“Hunter…?”

“You wanted to know what I’m doing, right? The answer’s simple. —I’m protecting someone.”

Protecting someone.

Nanana knew who she was thinking of. Only Nanana could.

She was here.

The person the Kind Magician wanted to protect was right here and now.

“Who’s that person? What are they to you?”

“I can’t tell you who it is, but that person’s important to me. The benefactor that taught me my own value… an irreplaceable existence to me.”

“Your value?”

“…At that time I was a person who couldn’t do anything well. I was small, weak, incompetent; simply a loser. I continued living like that, so I was worthless.”

Perhaps recalling the past, the Magician smiled.

“But… I was told a simple phrase. ‘Thank you’—”

Nanana gulped.

“I was saved… even someone like me could do some things.”

Thank you—

Nanana certainly said this.

When she first met the Magician, when she’d been saved by her, she said it.

“And so my life has been given value. So I had protected that person.”

Because of such small words—

Just because of Nanana having thanked her, the Magician had protected her—

She unconsciously tightened her grip on the display.

They were a very good match.

The reason why the Kind Magician treasured Nanana was over something so minor.

“Protected? In past tense?”

Tsukasa looked pained.

Nanana didn’t know why she was doing that face.

“I’m atoning for my sins…”

“Atoning?”

”I have committed a sin that I can never be forgiven for. Because of that, my reasons for protecting that person changed… and since they changed, we can’t meet up anymore.”

“…?”

“Dying while hiding that sin is my second sin. I will probably never be forgiven…”

“Die? Are you going to die? Why?”

“I can’t tell you. Right, I can’t even tell that person… obviously, since she’ll just hate me. But if she—what if she will be unable to bear a grudge against me? That scares me the most. Since she’s kind, if she can’t hate me… she might get distorted with all the conflicting emotions… I can’t commit this third sin.”

Dying? Why did the Kind Magician have to die?

There wasn’t even a single reason why she had to die.

“No, I’ve already committed this third sin… I’ve asked something truly unforgivable from ‘that girl’. Perhaps that girl will be hated by her instead of me… why is it, I wonder? In the end, I really was unable to do anything well.”

“…? …?”

“And so—I’m glad I didn’t have to do that.”

“That?”

“Didn’t you say it? That you want to know what Mushitsuki are.”

“…”

“I went just a step before that, but I’m glad I quit. Since I’m not a magician or anything like that, there’s no doubt it wouldn’t have gone well…”

Nanana shook her head.

Don’t say that—

For Nanana, Tsukasa was a Magician.

Since she was a Magician, she could do anything. Ever since she met Tsukasa she had deeply admired her, and even now she was attempting to grasp the identity of the thing she was trying to obtain before.

“Someone like me was meaningless…”

“…There’s… no… I… just…”

No way she was meaningless. If the Magician was meaningless, Nanana couldn’t understand anything in the entire world.

“I couldn’t do anything right… my life had no value…”

“No way… for me… I still haven’t… I want to see you again… so even now I’m…”

There was no way she had no value. If Nanana could meet the Magician again, even gathering all the money in the world wouldn’t be enough.

“And so, this mission of finding what Mushitsuki are—I leave it to you all.”

Tsukasa smiled.

“To those of you who are alive now and will keep on living.”

The Magician held out a dirty notebook toward the one filming.

“What’s this?”

“You could call it the SEPB monitoring network. I wanted to avoid needless strife, so I took memos of everyone I met. Since I’m an idiot, I would end up forgetting it, otherwise. I won’t use it anymore, so I’ll give it you. If you plan on continuing your interviews, it would definitely be useful.”

“…”

“Will you not take it? You’re also one who wants to find out what Mushitsuki are, right?”

After a while of silence, the Chronicler’s hand became visible on screen.

After handing over the notebook, the Kind Magician smiled. She turned back and left.

“…Over. This interview has come to a close. The interviewer is Chronicler—”

Speaking detachedly, Chronicler closed the interview with Kidou Tsukasa.

The footage changed and another Mushitsuki interview was recorded.

She noticed that Chronicler’s tone, while at first prideful, gradually became gentler.

At one point the date jumped and another Mushitsuki interview started. The voice of Chronicler interviewing the boy Mushitsuki sounded even like she was having fun.

The final interview was directed at a person who wasn’t even a Mushitsuki. An interview with a girl who looked like a demon lord commanding a gigantic mantis that was beautiful like nothing she’d ever seen before.

The video ended and Nanana bit her lips. Perhaps she even forgot to breathe and blink while watching.

Closing her notebook pc, she hugged it.

“Chairman. Have you not gone home yet?”

From the other side of the door, she heard the secretary’s voice.

Seeing she didn’t receive an answer no matter how much she waited, the secretary opened the door.

“…Is something the matter?”

It seemed like quite a while passed ever since she finished watching the video. Perhaps even several hours.

During that time, Nanana did nothing but hug her notebook computer.

“Chairman?”

Why did the Kind Magician vanish? She still didn’t know.

She also had no idea what was the sin that she had committed.

But what the Magician herself said was a mistake. Nanana had to fix that.

—Someone like me was meaningless…

She did have meaning.

—I couldn’t do anything right…

As a Magician, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

—My life had no value…

She had value.

At first she did this to obtain clues about the Magician.

Now that she knew she wasn’t there, she had lost her purpose once. Then, she acquired the new motive in the form of Shiika.

Now, however, she gained a new, robust reason to know the origin of Mushi.

Inheriting the Magician’s will, Nanana would obtain it—

She would ascertain the value of what Kidou Tsukasa sought after, and prove the worth of the one important to her.

“I’ll definitely get Alpha…”

Nanana mumbled, still holding the computer tight.

2.04 Nanana Part 8

“Did you see it? It was shining now, right? It was definitely a deer! Yahah.”

Inside the limousine driving through the forest, Nanana clung to the window. Since she hadn’t changed clothes after attending a certain party, she was still in a dress.

“You saw it, right Pochi? It was a deer for sure!”

“Ah… umm… I’m sor… Miss…”

The boy sitting at the back seat wore a vague smile and averted his gaze. Although he wore a formal suit, he was unable to fix his hair at several spots.

Nanana puffed her cheeks. Her drunkenness was no act.

“You didn’t!? You idiot! You saw it, right? It was a deer, right?”

“Probably a boar. Since its eyes were positioned low.”

The young woman wearing a cardigan on top of her dress said while adjusting her glasses. Next to her was a teddy bear wearing a suit.

“Geez! That’s why I loathe Mushitsuki!”

“I am not a Mushitsuki. —Must we have this exact same conversation every time we come here?”

“Nyahahahah.”

Inside the limousine driving in the dark road, Nanana’s laughter echoed.

Nanana was in a good mood.

She managed to preserve the Akasegawa Foundation as well as always. She had no enemies and her laughter wouldn’t stop.

Also, today Nanana would finally get it.

The Pandora’s box sought after by the Magician—

Since she would obtain it, she no longer hesitated. The fact that Nanana kept growing her assets would finally have meaning.

“Have you properly cleared up my schedule afterward like I told you to?”

“Of course.”

Ahead and behind the long limousine were several cars painted black guarding it. Since this empty road was completely pitch dark, the car’s headlights illuminated the path ahead.

She came back to visit this mountain for the exact same reason as the first time.

To meet up with Mushibane in the camp ahead.

“Good! For a change, the great Nanana will praise you! You were excellent, so I’ll pet your head. You must be happy, so purr for me.”

“Purrrr.”

“Don’t just say it! By the way. Weren’t you recruited by some CEO during that party just now? You were probably told to become his lover, right? What if you did? Wouldn’t he be your sugar daddy?”

“I live only for myself. I have no intention of becoming another person’s property.”

“Say whaaat? I give you a high salary, so don’t you belong to me?”

“I am ‘the secretary of the Akasegawa Foundation Chairman’. I only work to protect my current occupation.”

“So boooring. You cold-blooded woman. Teddy bear freak. Please just marry that stuffed thing.”

“He’s not a thing. His name is Coccinella Septempunctata-kun.”

“What’s up with that important-sounding name!? It’s so creepy that you’re giving names to toys at your age!”

“Umm… I… Miss… uh…”

“Say something? Pochi, just look outside until you see a deer.”

Tonight, Nanana came to Mushibane because of her promise to them.

While tilting a wine glass, Nanana checked in with the secretary.

“You’re prepared the cheque, right?”

“Yes, ma’am. But will he really appear?”

“He will. I know he will. He’s really greedy. Because of that, he’ll keep waiting for bidders until the very end—until the date itself changes.”

She would spend the night with Munakata Kaiji and Mushibane.

Nanana had promised them that on her private beach a few days ago.

The payment time for the aforementioned auction—for the first Mushitsuki, Alpha—was tonight.

For some reason, it appeared that Sotheby, the monster calling himself an auctioneer, knew where Nanana was. Since her visit to the private beach had been a secret, he would definitely appear to her no matter where she was. After all, he was to gain an absurd amount of money. And even if he didn’t, that servile monster would certainly search for her in a frenzy.

“But—there would be no other bidders.”

Narrowing one eye, Nanana grinned. The secretary nodded.

“I have continued my monitoring of the other Round Table members… but there was no noticeable movement of assets.”

“If they intended on bidding, they would have to move large amounts of money. And since I moved a lot of money… there’s no way they wouldn’t be noticed by us.”

She’d been told that only the twelve Round Table members were invited to the auction.

But excluding Nanana, the eleven other members showed no signs of acting.

None of them attempted to take part in the auction.

For more than ten years, no one tried touching Alpha.

The only one bidding was Nanana.

“Alpha belongs to me. I won’t hand it over to anyone.”

What the Kind Magician wanted, Nanana would gain instead.

She finally found the way to use her accumulated money.

“I look forward to it.”

They emerged out of the woods.

Arriving at the camp, the Nanana’s limousine parked.

Coming off the car, Nanana noticed there was shouting near the camp.

“…?”

Taking the secretary and Pochi with her, she walked toward the center of the camp.

People gathered in front of the cottage.

There were familiar faces there as well. Shiika and Aijisupa, Namie, Lucifera, Nihei and Halensis, all stood side to side as well as the wheelchaired Munakata Kaiji. In front of Shiika and the rest gathered on one side, several boys and girls were clamoring. “No!” “Stop it!” they were shouting.

“They seem to be in the middle of something.”

Nanana decided to watch for a while.

One person was rampaging and was held back by his comrades. He was probably about Nanana’s age. Blood was streaming down from his forehead and dirtying his clothes, so he’d probably fought against something somewhere. Namie, Lucifera and several other people bore similar wounds.

“It’s fine. Release him.”

Shiika spoke calmly.

Although hesitating, the people holding the enraged person let go. As expected, that person lunged toward Shiika. He violently grabbed her cuffs.

“Why did you do this!?”

Shiika’s small body was pounded against the cottage wall. Shiika’s grimace held back the executives who were immediately preparing to stop this.

“Why did we have to let them kill our comrades back there?!”

The boy, tall and with chiseled features, mercilessly pushed Shiika against the hard wall. The piercing on his ears reflected the illumination around.

“We could’ve still made it in time! Dunno if they were the SEPB or whatever, but why’d we have to run away while they slaughter us?! Even if we managed to secure one Mushitsuki, it’s fucking meaningless if we lost a comrade! Are you all idiots?!”

With blood streaming down his forehead, the boy shouted.

“Why’d we have to be taken there by force and have this shit happen?!”

“Impossible. Unfeasible. Too late. It would be meaningless to go back there, and if we do we’ll end up directly clashing against the SEPB. We simply had bad luck, bumping into them there.”

While shaking off the dust from her dirty clothes, Lucifera spoke as if none of it related to her.

“Also, you were brought along because you’re fit for battle. If you hate us, how about hating your own ability? —Rather, I’m honestly disappointed. Your fighting techniques were perfect, but once you saw the enemy numbers you were already ready to flee, so isn’t it your group’s fault?”

“Wha—how dare you…!”

“I’m sorry…”

Having remained silent until now, Shiika spoke with a pained expression. The boy widened his eyes.

“This is no time to apologize! I’m asking you why! Wasn’t Mushibane meant to save Mushitsuki? Ah?!”

“I do want to save them. But if we fight against the SEPN there, there would be even more casualties of the two—”

“You ain’t saving anyone! Casualties of both groups? Are you saying you’re so worried about our enemies you don’t mind us being picked off?!”

Shiika was pushed to silence. She bit her lips in anguish, raising her face.

The girl’s sight stared directly at the boy.

“—Yes.”

From time to time, Nanana couldn’t understand the girl called Anmoto Shiika.

She thought she was an airhead who grew up without knowing hardship, but at times she would show completely different sides of her.

Just like now.

Although usually she looked so fragile that she could break from a simple touch, she now accepted the boy’s anger and even returned his gaze. It wasn’t like her core was strong; it was as if there was a single pillar that supported her, that let her rise no matter what happened—something so certain was packed inside her small body.

“Why you—”

Unable to withstand this any longer, the boy swung his fist down to Shiika.

Shiika made no attempt to dodge.

Aijisupa next to her immediately caught that fist, but didn’t make it in time. The remaining momentum caused the back of Aijisupa’s hand to strike Shiika’s face.

“…Please endure it.”

Her eyes reddening and swelling, Shiika mumbled. Probably desperately holding back the pain, as she looked back at the boy her shoulders trembled.

“We need to endure it… and become stronger. Until we can protect those who can’t fight as well as ourselves—if we don’t become stronger, this fight will never end.”

The boy was lost for words. But he was still probably unable to settle his feelings. His fist stayed clenched.

Namie grabbed his shoulder. She glared at him.

“If you’re still not satisfied, then hit me. I was the one who served as commander back there. The responsibility for not protecting my comrades goes to me.”

“…Woooooa!”

He too probably couldn’t understand anything either. He reflexively tried hitting the side of Namie’s head. However—

“—Ugh...”

Namie dug her own fist in his solar plexus. With this ruthless counterattack, Shiika and the rest widened their eyes.

“You also have some responsibility, you bastard. If you don’t want to see anything like that again, become stronger.”

Namie blurted while wiping the blood from her split lip. With the air of a commander in charge of an army, she resolutely looked down on the kneeling boy.

“If you actually don’t want to fight—I will not tell you to fight ever again.”

Everyone stared at Shiika after she said those words.

Nanana was also surprised. That was different from what she’d promised.

“We’re not the SEPB… We will not drag unwilling people to the battlefield. —However, if you became stronger with us… there will come a day when we can avoid what happened today.”

“…”

“Since Lucy-san thinks so, I believe you have that power. So… will you please consider whether you will lend us your strength or not once more…?”

His shoulders shaking, the boy shouted.

“…Shit! Shit! Fuck!”

“…!”

A moment later, a strange thing happened around the camp. The lights around the cottage warped, distorted and began to assemble little by little.

The light gathered on Shiika, Namie and Lucifera’s foreheads. The wounds illuminated by the light were being slowly healed.

“This is…?”

After healing the wounds of Shiika and the rest, the light burst. Just like before, the camp was once again lit by the lights above the trees.

“Shit… Shit… I can’t agree to this… I just can’t…”

The boy rose up and turned around. While painfully holding his stomach, he pushed off his other comrades and left.

“W-wait…! Please also heal yourself…!”

Hearing Shiika’s voice, the boy spat “Shut your fucking mouth!” and vanished into the darkness. Just like Lucifera said, he was a valuable asset in battle. Mushitsuki with healing abilities, not to mention one who could affect multiple people at once and without touching them, were extremely rare.

Nanana spun her stick and laughed.

“Quite a show you’ve given me, yahah.”

“Oh… Nanana.”

“You’ve just started and already there’s internal issues? I’m worried about your future.”

“Y-yeah. But… I’ll do my best.”

Approaching Nanana, Shiika wore a strained smile. That saddened expression meant that she was probably made anxious by the loss of even a single comrade.

“Why are you here, Nanana? You came to hang out?”

“Huh?”

Munakata smiled bitterly.

“Snow. Today is the payment day for the auction.”

“Oh! I see. That’s right.”

“Have you really forgotten something so important? Huh? Huh?”

She pushed the end of her stick against Shiika’s cheek.

“I-I’m sorry… so Nanana, does it look like you’ll win?”

“Easy peasy. Obviously.”

It happened just as Nanana claimed this, full of confidence.

There was the sound of something dragging on the ground from somewhere.

“…!”

Nanana immediately looked back the road she came from. But she couldn’t see anything.

She heard the sound again.

This time it was heard much more than before. All people turned to the direction of the sound—to the forest wrapped in darkness.

They could see a small light from afar.

“This is… definitely no deer.”

When the sound of dragging came closer, the light did as well. From within the many packed trees emerged the figure of someone wearing a worn-out suit.

The source of light was an old-looking lantern. The lantern held by the person with tattered clothing had one of its four chains missing, so it was tilted.

While everyone watched this with bated breath, the strange auctioneer came in front of Nanana.

“How do you do, Akasegawa Nanana-sama…?”

Sotheby slowly bowed.

“You really stick out like a sore thumb as usual. Shall I buy you a better suit?”

“My, my… what an honor would that be…”

“Well, we can talk about that after I win Alpha, though.”

Nanana took the end of the spinning stick and thrust it into Sotheby’s shoulder.

“I have prepared the money. Bring out the merchandise already.”

She wasn’t even going to hear about her own victory.

Nanana’s victory was undoubtable. None of the Round Table members—those with the right to bid—seemed to make any move. Meaning, none have joined the bidding after Nanana’s initial bid.

Sotheby’s shoulders shook.

Was he laughing at her? Nanana frowned.

“A new bid has been announced by another bidder.”

“…!”

Nanana’s eyes widened in shock.

“The amount is—”

The amount mouthed by Sotheby vastly surpassed that of Nanana.

“Seriously…? What’s up with that cost.”

“Ridiculous…”

It was natural for Nihei and Munakata to freeze like that. It was an amount enough for an ordinary entrepreneur to become bankrupt.

Nanana turned back to the secretary, narrowing one eye.

“…What does this mean?”

“I have seen nothing of the like in my investigation. I cannot say that any Round Table member made a move.”

Nanana turned back to Sotheby, hitting his shoulder with her stick.

“Say, there’s no way, right—are you sure it’s not a lie? If this is just a bluff to raise the price, your head’s going to roll off.”

“I would never do such thing… I simply sell the item to the one who raised the price…”

“Who on earth is that? Who could have bidden on this except for me?”

“I am unable to reveal any and all information regarding the bidders… Because if you know their identity, the bidders could haggle among themselves…”

She knew he’d say something like that.

Actually, once she found out who her opponent was, Nanana was going to send an assassin after them. If they’d quietly hand over the merchandise to Nanana it was fine. If they refused, she didn’t fear using her true power.

“Will you bid or fold?”

Sotheby’s subservient question permeated the campsite.

Shiika and the rest all looked at Nanana.

“Stop, Akasegawa. This auction is too suspect.”

Munakata put a hand on Nanana’s shoulder.

But Nanana smacked it off using her stick.

“I’ll bid.”

She declared and quoted her bidding amount.

A silence fell.

“Akasegawa Nanana will not drop off so easily.”

Narrowing one eye, she smiled bewitchingly.

“I told you, no matter who I’m up against, my victory is set in stone. Even as we speak, I keep on making money.”

“…Sotheby. A question.”

In complete contrast to Nanana who sounded calm, Munakata’s expression was severe.

“Even if one made a bid… if they couldn’t pay that amount, what happens?”

“Bfh…” Sotheby laughed.

“Of course, they will incur a penalty… I cannot tell you what it portends, though…”

“Yahah, what a show-off! Not like you’re going to kill us!”

The penalty meant nothing.

Nanana was always protected by Pochi and the rest. They were elite troops, so that penalty or whatever would need to bring along an entire army, and yet still be unable to land even a single scratch on her.

Sotheby calmly lowered his head.

“Thank you very much… the next payment will be in three days. Now then…”

Turning around with movements as stiff as a statue’s, the auctioneer dragged his shoes as he vanished into the forest.

“Hehe, my opponent will be raising a fuss soon. I look forward to it.”

She didn’t like the fact that everyone went quiet.

Did they really think Nanana would fear that much?

“Akasegawa… you’re treating this auction too much like a game.”

Munakata glared at Nanana.

“We don’t even know if that guy’s a human being. We have no idea what’s going to happen…”

“Yahah. I really am glad I took the bid. If I left it to some old fart or coward, they’d definitely shake their knees and fold at the earliest opportunity!”

Perhaps hitting the nail on the head, Nihei groaned in front of her.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, have a good night.”

Giving an elegant greeting, Nanana turned her body.

While walking back to her limousine, she scowled.

It still wasn’t an amount she couldn’t pay.

However—her blood was boiling.

Being so cheerful about her certain victory now felt as if she’d been made fun of. She was embarrassed after meeting up with Mushibane in such high spirits.

“I don’t care what methods you use.”

While walking, she spoke to the secretary.

“Until the next payment comes, we must find the other bidder.”

Ignoring Shiika calling out to her, Nanana walked to her limousine.

2.05 Shiika Part 2

—Alpha.

Shiika didn’t really understand them, but they could be said the reason for Munakata’s disappearance.

Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift.

Munakata Kaiji investigated those mysteries, and now Akasegawa Nanana inherited them and tried solving them.

Money. Business.

Both were completely outside of Shiika’s understanding. She’d probably never understand what sort of movements occurred in this country even if she asked for an explanation. She also had no idea what the people of the Round Table were like, and she couldn’t even imagine the identity of the mysterious auctioneer called Sotheby.

So Shiika focused her thoughts on Alpha.

The phenomenon called Enclosure was said to have been as a result of monopolizing Alpha.

Then what about Bubble? And Paradigm Shift?

Once, there was a large incident involving Alpha. Since Nanana and Munakata said so, it had to be true.

However, thought Shiika.

In the end, had the Mushitsuki called Alpha wished for it to be so?

Shiika herself was a Mushitsuki. In addition, she’d met many Mushitsuki until now. Met and at times clashed with. Because of Shiika, many became Fallen.

A certain boy was hailed as the strongest Mushitsuki and feared as a demon.

A certain girl lent her help to anyone with kindness, thus providing courage and hope to countless people.

The girl who was scorned as the weakest fought all alone against many Mushitsuki. There were also assassins who criticized Shiika for not doing anything. There were also Mushitsuki who screamed at the top of their lungs that they would capture her. And now, she was being protected by Mushitsuki who decided to move forward despite still hesitating.

People spoke of them, especially about the demon and her friend, as legends.

Kakkou.

And Tachibana Rina.

Was Shiika the only one to feel discomfort at people feeling awe at them from completely opposite sides as if they were a devil and god?

When Kakkou had appeared in front of Shiika, he was supposed to have only been following the mission of defeating her. Even so, he’d asked for her dream, and was surprised at her having the same dream as his. And he hesitated.

Rina became Shiika’s friend. In front of Shiika she laughed, cried, and spoke of love. It made Shiika think that Rina’s usual gallant self was her pushing herself too hard.

To Shiika they were simply a normal boy and girl. If people who laughed, cried, worried, got hurt and yet still tried rising up weren’t normal, then what were they?

And so, she thought.

Wasn’t the Mushitsuki called Alpha just as normal of a person?

They too laughed and cried, worried, got hurt and still tried rising up?

I want to speak to them—

So she thought.

Why did you become a Mushitsuki?

When you first became a Mushitsuki, what did you think?

What did you see at the time?

And—what sort of dream did you have?

She wanted to meet them and converse.

In accordance with these feelings swelling in her chest, a different emotion was born inside Shiika.

When the auction first started, Shiika had only been barely able to follow the conversation. But as she started understanding it, she knew the auction’s true meaning.

There were people who used Mushitsuki as merchandise.

Even the fact that perhaps the first Mushitsuki knew the secrets about Mushi had nothing to do with it anymore.

Each and every Mushitsuki was actually just a person that could be found anywhere.

Even so—

Even now they were captured at some place—

Waiting for years and years for someone to bid on them—

Like they were mere property—

“…taru! Fuyuhotaru!”

The voice heard from afar caused Shiika to come back to her senses with a start.

“Stop it! Cancel your ability!”

It was Namie’s voice. Shiika hurriedly stopped her ability.

“Hah… Hah…”

Shiika was standing in a basin some distance away from Mushibane’s camp.

Absolving her ability and walking along the ravaged earth, she returned to Namie inside the forest.

“This isn’t good… I can’t save anyone with this.”

Turning around, Shiika bit her lips. Her hair stuck to her cheeks with sweat, and due to her fatigue and mental exhaustion, even her limbs clad in T-shirt and short pants felt lethargic.

Namie followed Shiika’s gaze. Her great figure was covered by work clothes.

“…It would certainly be no use like this.”

“I’m sorry. I was the one who asked for training and yet I can’t do it properly…”

“No, I also find it a pity I can’t help. I can give basic training to the entire Mushibane including you… but for any more than that we need a specialist. —No, with a strange ability only the user themselves could understand it. One of my juniors underwent training under a certain woman, but…”

“T-then, if she teaches me maybe I’ll be able to do something?”

“No—there’s a rumor… that she died in battle. Quite recently at that.”

Hearing the words of died in battle, Shiika felt her heart throb. Another person—another Mushitsuki died. Rather than simply seek her teaching, if she could meet her even once, what sort of tale would she have?

“Also, the SEPB gives up on training those who go berserk and they started turning them into Fallen immediately… anyway, we can’t start relying on people who’re no longer there. If we keep doing our best without giving up, at some point we’ll succeed.”

“…Right.”

Although Shiika nodded, her pain wasn’t gone.

Munakata and Nanana, as well as the people of Mushibane, did their best to help Mushitsuki.

Even so, she herself—was unable to do anything. She was only being protected.

But she wasn’t going to give up.

She too would attempt to grow up even a second earlier—

As she tried going back to the camp after this resolution of hers, a lone boy appeared from the forest.

“…Report. Returned just now. Saved a single person. No wounded.”

Speaking sullenly with a cold face was the boy with pierced ears. The boy who’d wailed while hitting Shiika just the other day.

“G-good work.”

Next to Shiika who lowered her head, Name stepped forward. She wordlessly beat the boy’s head.

“Ouch! What the fuck are you—”

As he held his head and raised it, he was speechless. Because he’d looked at Shiika sullenly until now, he hadn’t noticed what happened right behind them.

“What the hell.”

The basin that they were standing in was not a basin at all just an hour ago.

It was a forested area, just like the place the boy was standing at. However, Shiika’s ability turned a space as large as a baseball stadium to a wasteland.

Trees were knocked down, broken, and distorted until not even a single branch retained its form. Ground was lifted up, rocks broke and scattered about. Perhaps reaching into underground water channels, some parts of the ground had large water spouts. All plants met their death and all animals ran far away—it became a space with no remaining signs of life.

If Shiika participated in battle—other than her none would survive, with no regard to either friend or foe.

“Please speak more politely to someone above you in position.”

“U-umm, Namie-san. I don’t really mind…”

“We have to. One day, we’ll make him into a commander. Regulations are important. —What are you spacing out for? If your report is done, go back.”

The boy standing there with an empty face had his butt kicked and came back to his senses.

“Err, I… apologize for hitting you…”

“Eh? O-oh… please don’t mind it.”

Shiika talked to the boy who turned around back to the camp. Starting that night, while he still complained, the boy helped Mushibane. Since she kind of made up with that boy, she was happy.

When the three of them back in camp, a familiar girl was waiting for them.

“Nanana.”

“Yes! Akasegawa Nanana present! Yahaha.”

The rich girl looked drunk and cheerful today as well. While leaning on the limousine, she held up her stick as if this was a classroom roll call.

“Is today a payment day as well?”

“Wow! You actually knew it! I’m going to wait here until Sotheby comes.”

The girl had a bad reputation with Shiika’s other allies, but she didn’t hate Nanana. She knew many things that Shiika didn’t.

Looking at the corner of the cottage, Munakata on his wheelchair was there like always.

He probably hadn’t recovered yet—

Even asking him, he’d only reply “I’ll recover in due time” while smiling. Shiika couldn’t help but feel anxious at seeing Munakata like that.

“I’ll definitely win the auction.”

For an instant, Nanana showed a serious expression.

The surprised Shiika stared at the girl, but Nanana immediately blurted, “Nyahaha, I’m going to pray,” and headed to the cottage.

Nanana always looked like she was increasing her bids as if it was a game. On the other hand, her obsession about this was not half-hearted in the least. Perhaps she had her own kind of strong motive to participate in this auction.

Feeling reassured by Nanana’s confidence, Shiika turned to the secretary.

“Looks like we’ll win this time, then.”

“I was unable to grasp the identity of the other bidder.”

As always, the secretary spoke in a mechanical tone.

“The current situation will only bring about the ‘winner’s curse’.”

Unfamiliar words. Shiika tilted her head.

“The winner’s… curse?”

“It means becoming obsessed with the competition and bidding on an impossible price. At this rate, even if she wins the bid, the Akasegawa Foundation will…”

Even while explaining calmly, the woman’s expression looked stiff.

Even if Nanana won the auction, a curse would be cast on her—if it went according to what the secretary said, it would mean no winners existed in the auction.

It became night and the cottage’s door was opened from outside.

“Sotheby’s here.”

It was Nihei. He had apparently been waiting for the auctioneer outside.

Sotheby appeared and stood in front of the door.

“A new bid has been announced by another bidder…”

Those words sent the lobby to silence.

Shiika unconsciously looked at Nanana’s face. The girl with her cheeks dyed red due to alcohol stared at Sotheby while grinning.

“Who on earth could that be? Who’s that bidder? Do they even actually exist?”

“Why, I would never make this up…”

“Even though only the members of the Round Table have the right to participate? Even though none of the members made any move?”

“I have invited only the members of the Round Table…”

“…That was a funny way of phrasing it. How many people of the same caliber as the Round Table are there in the country?”

“If you have some idea, then you are free to try asking those people… I am unable to reveal the name of the bidder, but no matter what the bidder does, I cannot influence them…”

“I’ve already investigated every possible avenue. Couldn’t find anyone that was likely to be the bidder.”

Shiika had heard about this from Nanana when they waited for Sotheby.

The eleven Round Table members other than Nanana made no move.

Although no match for the Round Table, there were other millionaires with similar spending power. But she had thoroughly investigated all of them and found no hints of any of them bidding.

Not one of the other eleven Round Table members, nor one from the outside—

Did that person actually exist?

“Oh my… how mysterious indeed…”

Sotheby’s insolent behavior made Nanana erase her smile.

“Should I drop here? If that other bidder doesn’t exist, you’ll lose your chance for a big juicy cheque, right?”

For a moment Sotheby was silence.

But without any movement about, he started speaking with a creepy voice.

“Enclosure had happened due to an attempt to monopolize Alpha… the wealthy, including the Round Table, all took together to invest against this ‘omen’… For people who knew nothing about the situation, it probably looked as though mountains of money were swallowed by the ground…”

“…”

“And then Enclosure transformed—into Bubble. That Bubble was, so to speak, ‘greed’… those who felt something in regards to Alpha became ecstatic… the people involved with Alpha exploded with happiness, were elated, and threw around money as if in a trance… that whirlpool of bliss infected those people who were anxious from Enclosure, and suddenly the economic situation turned gleeful indeed… Bubble involved even those people who knew nothing about Alpha, and all the country basked in this senseless happiness…”

Shiika and the rest listened silently to Sotheby’s sermon.

“This bubble of greed led people astray… adding to Alpha—who could be said to be the prototype, it dragged forth three new possibilities… these should have all led toward the next step… however, the three had thorns, and they pierced the bubble of greed that swelled without end… soon, the bubble collapsed…”

“What happened when it collapsed?”

Sotheby lowered his head at Munakata’s question.

“This I shall tell you… at our next meeting…”

“Hmph.”

Nanana wore a defiant smile.

“My goal is not to deceive my precious bidders… my duty as an auctioneer is simple: to sell my merchandise… if you drop out of the bid and the other bidder does not pay the promised amount—you will incur the penalty…”

“But if they did pay, their victory would be certain?”

“That is indeed the case…”

Everything that Sotheby said was so abstract. He seemed to be explaining something, but hadn’t actually revealed anything. He was probably telling them that if they wanted to know the truth, they had to win Alpha.

But Shiika couldn’t help but ask the auctioneer in front of them.

“I don’t know what kind of a person Alpha is.”

Nanana and the rest all looked at Shiika.

“But you’re trying to sell them for money…”

“Alpha is an extremely invaluable item… if you win the auction, you will be able to learn all that you wish to know…”

“I don’t understand this value. But—”

Shiika glared straight at Sotheby.

Her black widened pupils reflected his form.

“Why can you call a human being, an item?”

Probably unconsciously, Sotheby took a small step backward.

The emotion Shiika had upon discovering Alpha was a Mushitsuki...

Was anger.

The more she heard from Sotheby—the more her desire to meet up with and speak to Alpha swelled like a bubble, the stronger those emotions grew.

She didn’t know the true identity of the auctioneer called Sotheby. But he declared the value of a Mushitsuki loudly and tried to raise the price even further. It was also obvious he was exhilarated at it working.

While the release of the Mushitsuki Alpha was delayed by another and yet another second, what were they thinking about, wherever they were?

“Will—”

As if to escape from Shiika’s gaze, Sotheby turned his body. He spoke to Nanana.

“Will you bid or fold?”

Nanana narrowed one eye.

“Bid.”

Shiika turned to Nanana.

“I told you I’ll definitely win this, right?”

Nanana apparently made up her mind. Even if she didn’t know the identity of the other bidder even until the very end, she was resolved to win in this battle of bids.

“Nanana…”

Shiika bit her lips.

Although she wanted to meet and speak with Alpha, she couldn’t do anything. About the only thing she could do was believe in Nanana.

“Yahah.”

Laughing at Shiika who directed an imploring look at her, Nanana spun her stick.

“Well then, when’s the next payment?”

Sotheby let out a vulgar laugh as he lowered his head.

2.06 The Others

“—Will you bid or fold?”

Sotheby asked inside the high-class clothing shop. Seeing how inappropriately he was dressed, other customers scowled.

“Bid.”

Akasegawa Nanana declared while choosing an elegant dress.

“—Will you bid or fold?”

Inside a soccer stadium that could house 40,000 people there were the echoes of loud cheers. Uniformed players were running atop the artificial grass kept in perfect condition at this cutting-edge facility.

The super-large display hanging from the center of the stands showed the word “GOAL!” dancing on it.

“Bid.”

Nanana announced, watching the soccer national tournament from her VIP quarters. The seedy-looking auctioneer behind her bowed respectfully.

“—Will you bid or fold?”

The opera singer illuminated by a spotlight sang in a high-pitched voice. Mixed with the darkness of the spectator seats, Sotheby came to inquire.

“Bid.”

Nanana declared, sitting in the special seat at the highest spot. All lights in the theater turned on and an applause rose from the audience.

“Thank you for your continued bidding…”

Sotheby bowed his head low.

How many days have passed already since he started this auction?

The bidding price was gradually rising. It was already several times the amount that it started with.

Nanana never retreated, and the other bidder also never withdrew.

The battle revolving around the primal Mushitsuki Alpha turned into the form of clashing large amounts of money and kept expanding. Like a balloon, ready to burst at any moment. Or like an ephemeral bubble—

Yes, a bubble.

“The next payment will be three days from now…”

Even as he lowered his head, Sotheby was gazing at Akasegawa Nanana from inside the cloth.

The girl was arrogantly and calmly looking down at the field.

What Sotheby felt toward Nanana who was like a king—was neither gratitude nor happiness for her bidding on his item.

Contempt.

Hatred.

Even while inwardly grinding his teeth, he kept the pleasant facade toward the bidder.

Everything was the fault of the Paradigm Shift that happened in the past.

That time everything went crazy.

At the time, everyone screamed. Not only those who flocked around the honey. Those who offered the honey, those who pretended to have the honey—everyone screamed from the bottom of their hearts.

The aftereffects that could be called a curse continued even now.

All of the people related to Alpha were being cursed.

Sotheby was also one such person.

The contempt and anger inside him kept growing. It was finally time to unleash them.

And he wasn’t simply going to unleash them.

Sotheby was going to sell—even this curse itself.

“Sotheby.”

After looking at the field, Nanana now turned to him. These condescending eyes of hers got his blood boiling. But he bit off his shame and lowered his head. —For now.

“Do you require anything…?”

“Who on earth are you?”

I am you—

He wanted to say so with a sneer.

Nanana truly was just like Sotheby in the past.

Sotheby too had a bubble. At the time anything and everything was his. There was nothing that he couldn’t obtain.

But the present Sotheby was a far cry from what he used to be.

Just because he couldn’t survive the Paradigm Shift—

“I am but a mere auctioneer…”

“Liar. You’re telling me that a mere auctioneer would hold the Round Table card and sell away Alpha like that? I have excellent eyes. The card’s genuine, and you know way too much about the Round Table’s situation—”

“…”

“Enclosure, Bubble, Paradigm Shift—you are related to these past disturbances as well, right? And that result is your current shabby appearance.”

Sotheby made no reply.

“—What a wretched being.”

Nanana laughed with one eye narrowed.

“…Bfft.”

He hid the anger and resentment about to burst from inside with a creepy laugh.

Even the girl in front of him was going to become just like Sotheby.

No, not just Nanana.

Everyone should keep getting carried away.

The Paradigm Shift was not yet over. Its curse continued even now, and one day it would affect everyone in the world.

The curse would rain upon everyone in the world. That was an inevitable destiny.

That was why Sotheby began the auction.

In order to steal the bidders’ throne—

To replace himself with the rulers residing over the winner of the auction—

To have only himself overcome the Paradigm Shift, this time—

“I eagerly await the next payment…”

Burying the contempt and rage he’d accumulated for many months and years, Sotheby bowed.

2.07 Shiika Part 3

This was Shiika’s second time being invited to a party by Nanana.

The first time was the party conducted on top of the pleasure boat floating in the lake. That party sponsored by the Round Table was chic and had a calm atmosphere.

This night, however, the party she’d been invited to was extravagant and its scale was much larger. It rented an entire floor in a high-class hotel and everything there was sparkling. The center of the hall had a champagne bottle tower, and the jewels sunk into the glasses reflected the illumination, shining in all seven colors.

Shouts rose from somewhere around.

A lady was being ecstatic about something she was holding up. Apparently, she’d found a diamond ring inside the cake she was eating. A round of applause thundered at the hosts’ generous plan.

“Oh wow…”

Shiika, clad in a dress borrowed from Nanana, tried digging in her own cake. It had only strawberry mousse inside it, but no ring.

“Yahah. It’s plain impossible. It’s obviously all an act. That woman’s a major stockholder of the jewelry company sponsoring this party. She probably ate the cake brought to her by the waiter.”

After drinking the entire glass of champagne, Nanana snuggled her reddened cheeks to Shiika. The disappointed Shiika brought the ruined cake to her mouth.

“I-I see.”

“Well, we can’t know unless you eat all the cakes here. If you want a ring, should I buy you one?”

“No. I just thought it’d be fun to find one in a cake.”

Other than Shiika and Nanana there were Aijisupa and Pochi clad in formal suits, and Nihei was also there for some reason. Nanana’s secretary was apparently conducting business at some other place, so she wasn’t coming.

“I’m glad you invited me to a party, but is it fine? I mean, I’m… the SEPB might…”

“It’s fiiine, this place is beyond the law. If you’re near rich people, nothing can get you. —Well, the Central Headquarters are the only exception. But if you stay out of their jurisdiction and stay near me it’s fine!”

“…Rich people sure are amazing.”

If what Nanana said was true, she was like a goddess. Shiika feared the SEPB, but they could even keep away from such an organization.

“See that white beard over here? He’s the prime minister of a small country. That uniformed man over there is the major general of an oil-producing country. Oh, we also have the religious leader of a disputed territory. Everyone in the jewelry business have such vulgar faces.”

“…”

“This place has no conflict or wars. Those who’d normally shoot missiles at each other can smile here and raise glasses. Yahah, isn’t money incredible? In a certain sense, don’t you think this is the very image of world peace?”

Money makes one forget wars.

If that was truth, would money also erase the fights between Mushitsuki?

Shiika couldn’t fully say it was impossible. If she was rich, even if she announced herself being a Mushitsuki, the people here would probably outwardly greet her with a smile.

“And if… the money’s gone?”

“Oh. Then they won’t even be looking in your direction.”

Nanana’s index finger poked the nose of the now-silent Shiika.

“Ah… w-what?”

“You’re making that face only because you don’t know the power of money. You’re thinking that this connection is superficial anyway, right?”

“…”

“Even so—it’s much better than vanishing without saying anything. As long as I make money, it’ll never vanish.”

A shadow befell Nanana’s drunken expression. Perhaps something like that happened to her before.

Shiika left the cake and intertwined her fingers.

She could understand what Nanana said. She had no intention to deny the fact that there were these kinds of relationships and that people treasured them.

“What is iiit? You look like you wanna say something. Do you think I’m lonely? Pokey poke.”

“Uh… I do think there are such relationships.”

“But?”

“I just wonder if they have any other important things… like family, friends, or lovers—”

“That also depends on money.”

“T-that’s not true.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I too had family, friends and other people important to me. —But they’re all gone.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m trying to buy them back with the power of money.”

Nanana grinned. Was she actually drunk or just acting? Her tone was certain and Shiika knew that the girl really believed she could do it.

Even so Shiika simply couldn’t agree with her. She fidgeted.

“Did the people important to you want money…?”

“…What does that mean?”

“I can’t say that relationships made with money are bad… but buying people who want other kinds of relationships… isn’t it a betrayal?”

Nanana’s face stiffened. Her cheerful smile vanished and she glared at Shiika.

“Then what are you telling me to do—”

What are you telling me to do then.

About to say this, Nanana was surprised at the man who suddenly appeared right in front of her eyes, becoming speechless.

It was Nihei. He held a plate with a mountain of food on it, stuffing his cheeks full. He hadn’t a shred of manners.

“Nanana-hyan.”

“Eek…! W-what do you want? You’re looking like a squirrel there with all that food!”

“Ngh… Mm. Say, isn’t it about time to tell me? Why did you bring me here?”

“T-there’s no reason in particular. I just wanted to show a wannabe businessman how the top looks like.”

“Hmm…”

As Nanana spoke while backing away, Nihei looked around the venue with a cold face.

“I can’t sense any value from what I see around, though. …Oh, but the ring that lady got just now was nice.”

“Acting like you’re a hotshot is fine and all, but your legs are shaking… aren’t you eating to hide your nervousness?

“A-at least say I’m excited.”

While Nihei tried acting brave, Nanana lowered her voice and spoke.

“—Have you been able to find Chronicler?”

“Oh, so you’ve seen that video. Wasn’t it amazing? You could feel her conviction.”

“I want to meet up with Chronicler. Could you get in contact with the one you bought the video from?”

“Hmm, that’s impossible. Apparently he was caught by the SEPB.”

“What about the possibility of other such videos? Even word of mouth from other aficionados is fine; just find someone who looks like they have such a video, can you get their information?”

“Oh, to think the great Chairman of Akasegawa Foundation would have a request for me… did something happen?”

“I don’t want the company to know about it. There’s not much money in it, and you should know better how to get in contact with those people, right? I’ll pay you, of course.”

As Nanana glared at him, Nihei’s face turned serious and he lightly slapped his own cheeks.

“I am very sorry for being rude and making fun of my client. —Fine, I’ll do it. Three-way satisfaction is my conviction.”

“Not that three-way satisfaction again? Won’t you stop that? It’s not going to end well.”

“It’s fine. I told ya I’ll do it.”

Finishing the conversation that Shiika didn’t understand, Nihei who was about to go load up on some food again stopped his legs.

“Oh right, Nanana-chan. How’s the auction going?”

“I’ll win this time.”

“Oh, how much did you bid?”

Nanana responded to Nihei’s question with only a grin. Her face was full of confidence.

Shiika tilted her head.

“Who was the other bidder anyway?”

“Who knows… but it doesn’t matter anymore. There won’t be any next bid.”

“Whoa, it means that no one can pay any more than that? I’m glad I didn’t ask the sum.”

It happened as Nihei groaned with a shudder.

Pochi noiselessly approached Nanana, handing her a cellphone.

“—Say what?”

Nanana speaking with someone, her face changed.

“I’ll head out.”

Pushing the cellphone back to Pochi, the girl spun her dress. Shiika and Nihee hurriedly followed her.

“W-what’s wrong?”

Shiika asked, but Nanana stayed silent.

Cutting through the party hall as if running, she leapt to the elevator. Arriving at the first floor and ignoring the hotel worker calling out to her, she entered the limousine waiting at the entrance.

“Nanana…?”

Even inside the car Nanana kept being silent. She didn’t even touch her wine, but bit her fingernails with an angry face. Shiika exchanged glances with Aijisupa and Nihei.

The white limousine and escorting guards rushed through the night capital.

The blinding lights outside the window passed as if being blown away.

Soon the limousine arrived at a large, circular building. The relief engraved on the main gate informed that this was the Akasegawa Group’s headquarters.

As it was way past office hours, the lighting was very sporadic. There were no people walking at the gate.

After the limousine parked right in front of the building, Nanana leapt out of the car. Shiika followed her.

“—What does that mean? Explain, now.”

The woman standing at the center glared at Nanana.

“Just like I explained on the phone.”

The woman holding the hand of a teddy bear—Nanana’s secretary—spoke in a mechanical tone.

“The affiliated businesses of Akasegawa Foundation are being bought.”

“I’m asking how come you haven’t noticed!”

“They were aiming for the drop in the Foundation’s stocks these last few days.”

“As if that sort of sniping could be so convenient! I don’t even know why the Foundation’s value dropped, and yet you look as if you already—”

A light shone on Nanana’s profile. She became speechless.

A new car appeared, driving through the Akasegawa Offices’ gate.

Getting off the car parked at the entrance was a gentleman in a wheelchair.

“Munakata-san?”

The surprised Shiika looked at the man, Munakata Kaiji. Nanana furrowed her brows at this sudden visitor.

“…”

Without any greeting, Munakata slowly rolled himself beside the secretary.

And that was when that appeared.

“…!”

The sound of shoes being dragged made everyone look back.

Appearing at the gate was the abnormal auctioneer clad in shabby suits and coat, Sotheby.

“Sotheby…? Today’s not a payment day, though?”

Nanana welcomed him with a puzzled expression. But Sotheby just passed by her.

He dragged his decayed leather shoes in front of the wheelchair man—Munakata Kaiji.

“—”

Perhaps realizing something, Nanana gasped.

Shiika recalled at the same time.

Aiming for a person’s assets as if one knew something like this was going to happen—

She’d already heard of this way of doing things.

That was definitely when Munakata Kaiji went missing—

“The payment’s deadline presses closer…”

In front of Sotheby lowering his head, Munakata pulled a card out of his pocket.

Its pitch-black surface had a golden circle on it. And it was studded with jewels that spelled the letters “XIII”—

“The board meeting has reached a decision about the responsibility for the losses of assets.”

Hearing the secretary’s words, Nanana’s shoulders trembled.

Shiika too was speechless at this sight.

Why did Munakata have the Round Table card?

Not to mention it was the thirteenth member card that wasn’t supposed to exist—

The secretary and Sotheby’s voice overlapped.

“Akasegawa Nanana, you will now be removed from your position as the Chairman, and the entirety of your assets will be used to provide for the losses under the jurisdiction of the Foundation.”

“Will you bid or fold?”

Nanana widened her eyes, shouting.

“Munakataaa!”

There was one.

They existed there.

A person who was neither one of the twelve members nor a rich outsider—

The thirteenth Round Table member, the unbelievable rich person among their allies, was right in front of them.

“W-wait, so Munakata-san was—the other bidder…?”

Shiika groaned in shock.

Even in such a situation Munakata Kaiji couldn’t look Shiika in the eyes. He just spoke calmly.

“—Fold.”

Nanana’s expression froze.

Sotheby turned back.

“The other bidder declared he was folding!”

The auctioneer’s declaration echoed through the empty building.

“Congratulations! Just now, Akasegawa Nanana-sama had been declared as the winner of the auction!”

“A-ah…”

Nanana’s expression kept twisting.

“Please pay up, Akasegawa Nanana-sama!”

“—She can no longer pay.”

The secretary said mechanically. Sotheby’s movements stopped completely.

“Why, this is a breach of contract! The violators must be penalized!”

“Aaah… Uaaaahhhh!!!”

Nanana, shocked at losing all her assets, held her head and crouched.

A singing voice echoed around.

It sounded somewhat familiar. A beautiful soprano—came from above.

“…!”

Looking up the night sky, Shiika became speechless.

She could see a woman clad in an evening dress falling down like dancing flower petals. Her lips, adorned with lipstick blacker than the darkest night, were singing high above.

“Christy! Punish the violators!”

“Waaahhhhh!!!”

Sotheby’s declaration.

Christy’s song.

Nanana’s scream.

Aijisupa, Pochi and the other bodyguards of Nanana moving at the same time.

While watching this scene straight out of a nightmare, Shiika—

Felt like she could hear the popping sound of the bubble of greed.

3.00 Bursting of the Bubble

A large stake driven inside the sparkling jewel case.

Or perhaps it was a tower made of jewels.

A towering round building was wrapped in neon lights.

It watched the building from the upper sky.

Just like always, it followed the girl it liked.

While watching over her, it was able to find a nostalgic figure.

The person wearing a worn-out suit and coat.

Yet in its memories the man had been wearing a much neater outfit. It also had no idea why he was hiding his head with a cloth. Even so, based on the coat, the suit, the leather shoes and the wristwatch, there was no doubt he was the same person.

There was another familiar person.

The woman in evening dress.

She always accompanied the suited man. However, in the past she hadn’t floated in the air with such a pale face and looking much like a ghoul.

Why did they become like this?

What made them into such monsters?

Seeing nostalgic people revived nostalgic memories.

Thinking about it—the scenery of the town seemed much more washed out then when it had known it.

Was this entire country changing?

Then what about itself?

Feeling a certain doubt, it tried looking at its own reflection on the glass window of the building.

Reflected there—was nothing but a monster.

A carapace separated into several fragments and exposed nerves connecting them. Buried in the largest fragment was like a combination between a human eye and compound insect eyes; a grotesque object.

Oh, right. I have also changed—

Why had it changed?

Before it changed, how was it?

It couldn’t quite recall anymore.

Until it did, it would watch the girl it liked and the nostalgic people—

It acquired this clear will and decided to observe the rampaging people below.

3.01 Nanana Part 9

Kneeling on the ground, Nanana screamed.

“AAAaaahhhh!!!”

She was dragged down from her position as the Akasegawa Foundation Chairman.

And not only that.

She lost her entire assets—down to the very last yen. All of Nanana’s money was deposited in the bank related to the Foundation. All of those were taken by the Foundation.

The thirteenth Round Table member, Munakata Kaiji—

She had completely let this man slip from her thoughts.

The Round Table member that should have not existed.

The invisible other bidder.

The person whose presence wasn’t even felt was this close to Nanana.

She didn’t think that she was careless. Did everything go according to Munakata Kaiji’s plan? To escape Nanana’s sight, he’d planted all sorts of traps.

Probably his disappearance itself was also a farce. Nanana was artfully invited by him, made to get deep into the group called the Round Table, and made to believe there were only twelve members. Also, by giving Nanana the rights to participate as the bidder, he made her think he was her ally.

She didn’t lower her guard. —It was her utter and complete loss.

From start to finish, she danced on the top of Munakata Kaiji’s palm.

“Nooooo!!!”

She thought she was a step away from gaining Alpha. She was supposed to succeed the Magician’s will and buy back the halcyon sweet days.

But even so—

She lost everything.

Just like a bubble popping off, everything was gone.

Nanana couldn’t obtain anything.

Even the people drawn to her by money were gone.

Nanana once more—became alone.

“Christy! Punish these violators!”

Drifting down from the skies was a lady dressed in a jet-black evening dress.

That woman floated above Nanana and the rest, ignoring gravity. A feathered hat several times larger than her head hid one of her eyes, but her face was as pale as a corpse’s. Her lipstick and eyeline were also creepy, but the most unnatural thing about her were her legs.

She—had no legs.

More precisely, no legs could be seen. The hem of her evening dress was transformed to black smoke, fusing with the night’s darkness. The dress fanned by the wind spread everywhere, and the woman’s head and shoulder almost seemed to pop out of it, as if she was drowning in the sea of her dress.

“Laaaah…”

The beautiful woman floating in the night sky raised a shriek-like song. Thrusting out her arms as if to embrace Nanana, she fell head first.

The stupefied Nanana was unmoving with her head dropped.

“Uwoooh!”

A roar echoed in the entrance.

The beauty pursuing Nanana was covered by white cloth shooting at her from the side.

It was Pochi. The cloth around his arm swelled, lengthened, and wrapped around Christy’s body. Rotating his body to wrap the cloth around his arm, like a competition of hammer throwing, he used centrifugal force to throw the dark woman against the building.

The strengthened glass window exploded. Vibrations shook the air, and the impact caused part of the building to crumble loudly. The wall Christy was pounded against caved in the shape of a half dome.

“Laaah—”

Even after receiving an impact that shook the entire building, nothing about Christy’s expression changed. Her dress wriggled like a living being, ripping the cloth ensnaring her body.

Now free, Christy flew, again gliding toward Nanana.

Pochi kicked empty air, extending the cloth on his leg. —He was a Special Type Mushitsuki who could control a certain kind of mineral wool. His battle style was to control clothes with his medium woven into them.

“Pochi! This person’s no longer the Chairman of—”

Pochi didn’t lend his ears to the secretary’s attempt to stop him. His normally calm face now contorted as he glared at Christy like a watchdog spotting an intruder.

“Uwoooh!”

Using the cloth extended by his kick that was wrapped around Christy, the rubber band-like recoil allowed him to leap high. In an instant Pochi flew above the woman’s head, landing his cloth-wrapped fist against her hat.

Christy crashed on the ground. The asphalt shattered and a small earthquake assaulted the surroundings. He headed to the hole to finish the job.

However—

“…!”

The boy’s face looked shaken.

The woman wasn’t inside the hole. Large amounts of darkness poured out, filling his vision.

“Laaaah—”

Shriek-like singing voice came from exactly next to Nanana.

The billowing darkness condensed and Christy’s white face emerged next to Nanana. The jet-black beauty extended both arms toward the girl.

But the next moment, a grotesque monster chomped on Christy’s body.

The Mushi suddenly appearing stuck its sharp fangs into the dressed woman, protecting Nanana. Pushing her with its weight, the large Mushi pounded Christy against a pillar.

“All of you—”

As the secretary turned back, several boys and girls appeared out of the black-painted car. Just like Pochi, they were bodyguard Mushitsuki. —They showed no hesitance in following the orders of their leader, Pochi.

But one of the Mushitsuki grimaced with a “Ugh…!” and fell to the ground.

The sound of something breaking was heard from the pillar Christy was on. The darkness covering her dress squirmed, and the Mushi that bit her was crushed as if by a powerful hug. Although it looked like its hide was tough, it raised creaks while being crushed, screaming as body fluids flew about.

Christy flew overhead.

“Laaah—”

Darkness engulfed the building.

“…!”

Perhaps having a bad premonition, Pochi leapt. —But then his movements stopped with a jerk.

An arm clung to one of the boy’s legs.

It was an arm created from darkness, its surface black and hard like a mannequin’s. He immediately tried grabbing it with cloth, but it was much too powerful and wouldn’t let go of the boy’s leg.

“Eeek!”

The same happened to the other Mushitsuki. The only one who shrieked was Shiika, but Aijisupa and the other Mushitsuki’s limbs were also grabbed by darkness-colored arms.

Along with Christy’s shriek-like voice, something came fluttering down from above. Shaped like a bird’s plume, these feathers all stopped in air, pointing their sharp edges at Nanana.

Pochi suddenly shook off the arm.

The cloth extending from the boy’s arm swelled, engulfing Nanana in a white curtain to protect her.

But Christy’s feathers blew through that curtain. Piercing through it like bullets, they pursued Nanana.

The rain of impacts rained down on the entrance. The storm of destruction tore down everything around Nanana like a gigantic tsunami.

“—Gfbh.”

“…”

Absently.

As Nanana raised her stunned face, she saw bright red.

His entire body stabbed by the dark feathers, Pochi grimaced while looking up at Christy.

Having become Nanana’s shield, the feathers stabbed all the way to his back. Furthermore—perhaps cut by his own cloth, one leg that was held by the hand of darkness had nothing beneath the knee. He wrapped the cloth around the leg that had a fountain of blood coming out of it, stopping the bleeding and crafting a prosthetic.

There was a thud.

Pochi’s arm pushed Nanana’s shoulder.

He said nothing. The boy couldn’t even tell her to run away.

Even while heavily wounded, the boy who fulfilled the role of a watchdog for Nanana howled toward Christy.

“WOOOOOOH!”

Vomiting large amount of blood, Pochi swiped his arm toward Christy. The extended cloth wrapped around the woman, and by pulling on that, he leapt toward Christy’s chest.

“…”

Pochi’s push caused Nanana to stagger and fall to the ground.

A spray of blood rose in her sight. Unheeding of their flesh being gouged, Nanana’s bodyguards shook off the hands of darkness. They raised a war cry and followed Pochi.

There was a white flash of light.

The steam explosion created by Aijisupa blew away the arms of darkness that tried restraining him and Shiika.

“You idiot! Run away…!”

Grabbing Nanana’s arm as she stared at empty air was Chouya Nihei. The cowardly boy grimaced with fear, but even so did his best to try and make Nanana stand up.

“Shiika. Go with them.”

Aijisupa said as he walked toward Christy.

Shiika, who was trying to approach Nanana, saw off Aijisupa with a worried look.

“Aijisupa-san…!”

“I’ll keep her busy.”

While throwing off his jacket and loosening his tie, Aijisupa smiled.

“You were going to order me to do it anyway, right?”

“…!”

Shiika looked like she was about to cry. Biting her lips—she nodded.

“Nanana-chan! Stand up!”

“Nanana!”

Nihei and the approaching Shiika shook Nanana’s body.

While she was being shaken a card fell out of her pocket. It was the Round Table member card. She’d always kept it on her.

“Ah…”

There was a golden circle on the pitch-black background. As well as jewel fragments and the inscription “XII”.

Nanana reached out to the card that symbolized glory.

“Shit…!”

Nanana’s hand was unable to grasp it. Nihei cussed and forcibly put her on his back.

Nanana, Shiika and Nihei went away from the entrance to the Akasegawa Offices.

“Aahhh…”

Nanana raised her face, once again seeing Pochi’s figure hit by Christy’s black feather attack.

After having fought at the frontlines, Pochi was now kneeling on the ground. She watched him slowly collapse as if in slow motion.

“Aaaahhhh…”

Nanana grimaced, still reaching her arm toward the distancing vision—

And on the other side of the popped bubble—

What Nanana tried grasping all slipped from between her fingers.

3.02 The Others

He first met the girl called Tachibana Rina at a certain high society party.

Something bumped against his back and the formal wear-clad Munakata turned around.

“I apologize.”

Seeing the girl look up to him while rubbing her forehead, he thought to himself that she was beautiful.

She was probably on the higher grades of elementary school. Her long hair was meticulously arranged and her face was even prettier than that of a pop singer. Her dress looked great on her.

“As long as you’re not hurt.”

He could only understand the girl’s following actions because it was him.

At first she turned around the venue. She was looking at a young man who seemed to be looking for someone.

The girl tried approaching Munakata and then stopped. She sighed as if resigned on something, and started walking toward the man.

Understanding the meaning of her actions, Munakata stepped in front of the girl.

He hid the girl behind him so that the man would not be able to see her. The young man looked all around him and then went away, looking troubled.

“Is that fine?”

“What is?”

As he turned around and smiled, the little lady feigned ignorance.

“You were hiding from that young man. You thought that it would be possible to hide behind me. —But you probably didn’t wish to cause me any trouble, right? So you gave up.”

“…Thank you very much, Munakata Kaiji-san.”

The girl’s behavior was pure. Without thinking anything about the fact she had been seen through, she dropped her expression and said her gratitude.

“Do you know me? Have we ever met before?”

“No, Father taught me about everyone here.”

“Oh, and here I was thinking I was special.”

“I’m good at remembering people’s names and faces. Even though I was bad at memorizing stuff for school.”

He purposely cracked an obvious joke there, but apparently the girl didn’t understand him. She let his words flow and reached toward the dishes on the table.

“Sorry for bothering you during your meal, but can I ask you something?”

“My name is Tachibana Rina.”

“…”

“I thought you were going to ask my name; was I mistaken?”

“No, you were right on the mark. —So you’re Tachibana-san’s little lady. Well, you do look exactly like your parents.”

Saying this, Rina visibly cringed. Her face suddenly took a childlike sulk and she ate faster. Apparently he’d insulted her somehow.

Even Munakata knew about the Tachibana family’s circumstances. He’d exchanged greetings with the current family head—the adopted son-in-law—and his wife before. The young man from before probably worked for the Tachibanas.

Actually, now that he looked at her, this girl in front of him looked like she inherited the good parts of her parents. —That convenient fact caused him some anxiety.

“What did your father tell you about me? He probably gave a short addendum, right?”

The girl hesitated for a moment. She had difficulty speaking.

“…He said that you ‘don’t trust other people. Don’t get involved with that man’.”

“Sheesh… This is the first time someone saw through me like that. As expected.”

That was his true opinion.

At the time Munakata had no enemies.

He flawlessly succeeded in business, stocking up on many assets. The common sense of the industry was that the more you profited the more enemies you had, but he was an exception.

That was because everyone was his “ally”.

Even if enemies appeared, Munakata did not fight them. For those who would become his enemies, he would present them with a different moneymaking idea, thus defending against them before they opposed him. He employed many other methods as well, and so without the other party even noticing, they began to think of Munakata as their “comrade”.

Don’t turn him into an enemy. Making business with him is way more profitable—

By the time people were being told so, Munakata had become surrounded by allies.

All of them decided by themselves to move along with their “comrade” Munakata. They would leap at the business opportunities they set their aims on, and if there was any trouble they’d take the fall instead of him. Then, the actual profits would come falling at the lap of the survivors, including Munakata.

He wasn’t doing it consciously. Because of that, no matter who became a victim, he wouldn’t stop them. They had to take the fall instead of Munakata—there was no other way except for not getting involved with him.

“Can I also ask you something?”

“I’m Munakata Kaiji.”

“I know that. Nice to meet you. —Are you alone?”

“Yes, at this age I’m all alone. I wasn’t blessed in relationships.”

It was a lie.

Munakata, who had all the relationships with the other sex he needed to, also had an escort at the time. But he didn’t feel like bringing her there, or marrying her for that matter. If he could marry and start a family, it would definitely go well—but just because he thought so it wasn’t a reason to actually do it.

Right, at the time he didn’t think that a family was anything special.

“I see. You look like you’d be popular, what a waste.”

“…It rather hurts when a child compliments me like this. Will you please stop speaking like that? Kids should talk about what they want to.”

“Only if you promise not to tell on me to Father. I was told not to get on anyone’s nerves here.”

As Rina finally showed him a childlike smile, he vowed to keep the promise.

Following that they spoke for a while.

It was strange for him to talk with a child so far removed from him in age—but Munakata never forgot the fun he had back then.

It felt like talking to an old friend. Technically, since he never had anyone like that, he felt like that was how it would be if he had.

That was why he was glad at what Rina said to him.

“We’re comrades, right?”

She told him something so childish.

“Comrades?”

“I mean, Munakata-san, it’s clear from your face that you don’t belong here. Although you look down on your surroundings, you’re smiling at escaping boredom.”

“…”

“It feels as though you’re building grand sandcastles to appease the people around you despite not finding it interesting at all. And you actually want to go right back to the park and build a real castle. Although you could do that, you feel elated that you supposedly protect the peace of the park.”

This was a merciless evaluation—but it was true.

He really had no people who’d become his enemies—but also no one he thought as comrades. In that sense, perhaps he really wasn’t blessed in relationships.

“Yeah. I really do think so. But it’s a secret, alright?”

“Now we both have secrets. So we’re even.”

“Do you have any other place you belong to?”

“I… at the very least, I hate my home. I loathe it.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t know if there’s any other place for me, but at the very least I’d like to try going to school normally. I do go to school now, but I can’t speak to friends or go shopping or eating stuff and all that.”

She wanted to have normal school life where she could laugh and play around—

Much later, when Rina would chase after Kakkou and go to Ouka City, Munakata would offer, “Well, why don’t you try going to school normally?” as a suggestion—this would happen a few years later.

“We’re both people who are unsatisfied with where we belong. So we’re comrades.”

“Comrades… right, we are.”

Munakata repeated those words countless of times.

Comrades.

He supposedly had many “comrades” up to this point.

Even so, it felt like a completely different word when it came from Rina’s mouth. That was because, to him, those so-called “comrades”—didn’t matter to him whether they were there or not. He had nothing in common with them, and never thought of them as useful.

But when Rina called him a comrade—it was the most reassuring thing he’d ever heard.

The first comrade he had since he was born was still young, but she was surprisingly reliable. On top of seeing through his true self, she said she was the same.

Oh, so I was lonely until now—

He only just noticed something so obvious despite his age.

The silver lining was that Rina now became his comrade. If he’d noticed that he had no real comrades—he would feel that his inability to notice something so simple was pathetic and lonely, and perhaps he would have lost his will to live.

“This is my first time having a comrade. Not bad at all…”

“Right?”

The middle-aged man trembling in a way unbefitting his age, and the proud girl puffing out her chest.

“One day, let us find our place to belong to.”

Thinking back, this was the time when Munakata had been charmed by the girl.

Since then, many things happened.

The girl became a Mushitsuki, gathered plenty of allies and fought against the SEPB. She met her archnemesis, Kakkou.

Even so, Munakata felt that as long as he was with her, his strongest comrade, he could do anything.

However—she had lost.

And the reason for Rina’s unreasonable conclusion was that very perfection.

Everyone relied on Rina and she accepted it. Even so, that meant she was so perfect she had no one to rely on. She carried the hopes of all Mushitsuki and tried saving them.

Munakata lost a comrade more precious than anything else and became despondent.

However, he was brought back by the boy called Aijisupa and became part of Mushibane’s resurrection.

Bringing up Shiika as the new leader was the least he could do. Even the perfect Rina couldn’t have done it. Which was why this time, he thought, a girl who possessed “weakness” and was far from perfect should lead them now.

Mushibane was reborn.

He’d fulfilled his duty to his past comrade.

Thus he was finally able to really accomplish what he needed to do.

He and he alone needed to do it.

Munakata Kaiji had that responsibility for the sake of his one and only comrade, Tachibana Rina.

The entrance to the Akasegawa Offices was wrapped in silence.

The ground was cracked and the glass windows of several floors were completely broken. The boys and girls collapsed around were the Mushitsuki that served as Akasegawa Nanana’s bodyguards. All of them became Fallen, but a single one of them, the boy nicknamed Pochi, lost his life.

Looking down this horrible sight, Munakata Kaiji in his wheelchair mumbled to himself. He did think that it wouldn’t be a light punishment, but never considered that anyone would die.

“So this is the penalty…”

The woman in the evening dress called Christy was no longer there. When she tried chasing down Nanana, Aijisupa stood in her way, so they probably kept fighting at a different place around now.

“Does it mean that those who are unable to fulfill their part in the bid pay with their lives instead?”

Although an unexcepted sacrifice, this was the result of his own actions. He would carry that sin.

Munakata meant on betting his life from the first place. He was ready to fight against obstacles.

That was the difference between him and Akasegawa Nanana.

This auction was not a game—

He never thought it was possible to obtain the roots of Mushi with such a lukewarm determination as hers.

“So this means that Akasegawa Nanana’s bidding now became invalid.”

Munakata glared at the strange auctioneer next to him.

“Based on the orthodox rules, we would return to previous bid, and I would gain the authority to win.”

He pulled out the member card from his pocket.

The seemingly impossible thirteenth Round Table member—

Munakata had obtained it a long time ago.

Although it was the Round Table, at present about half its members were simply stupid people who had money. They were grandchildren of investors or at times lucky people who managed to get a lot of money. Winning those people over was easy as pie.

All important decisions in the Round Table were made by majority vote.

The suggestion to set up the thirteenth seat that never existed before was easily decided by the “comrades” dragged in by Munakata.

“Now, please announce my win.”

Munakata spoke to Sotheby.

Him getting in contact with the Round Table to investigate the origin of Mushi was no lie.

His prediction that three economical movements from a decade ago—Enclosure, Bubble and Paradigm Shift—were related to it was right on the mark.

And the same time that he joined the Round Table, the auctioneer Sotheby appeared. He didn’t know how, but apparently he’d sniffed out that Munakata was looking for the source of Mushi.

He came to know of Alpha at that point at well.

Alpha existed.

The exorbitant member fees of the Round Table were apparently used to hide them. They had been handled and sealed so that they stayed hidden from people’s eyes and that the SEPB did not notice them.

Those who knew of this truth never tried speaking of it. They were the members who remained at the Round Table even now, knowing what events took place a decade before. These were the few genuine members of the Round Table.

Although Alpha had been thoroughly hidden like that, the unknown person called Sotheby decided to try selling them on his own. There were hints that Sotheby had also invited the other members of the Round Table to participate in the auction as well, but it was doubtful whether they would. To Munakata it looked like he was trying to outwit the Round Table.

“Unfortunately—”

The servile Sotheby bowed even further down.

“Since you have declared your folding, the auction will be reset, and I will invite bidders again…”

“Reset?”

Munakata’s expression distorted.

“Just how greedy are you… still looking for competitors to raise the price?”

“I am just an auctioneer who follows the rules to the letter…”

“There will be no other Akasegawa Nanana.”

Bringing that overly confident girl to the Round Table was Munakata’s idea.

When he’d brought up this idea, the man at the Round Table’s lowest seat readily agreed to it. Perhaps believing in the offer of his “comrade” to crush the Akasegawa Foundation, or perhaps he thought of using this to try and take over Munakata’s assets. Just like he planned, Munakata pretended to have been kidnapped by him.

He knew that Akasegawa Nanana had been trying to get in contact with him for a while now. She would probably be interested in his disappearance. He’d also left some hints with Shiika, so Nanana would interfere with the Round Table.

She then rescued Munakata, joined the Round Table and finally obtained the right to participate in the auction.

Why had he acted in such a roundabout way?

“Even if I looked through the entire country, there’d be no other person stupid enough to join this auction but that girl.”

That itself was the reason why Munakata chose to draw Nanana into the auction.

Munakata had no naïve outlook of this girl who was blessed with money.

Rather, from the very beginning he was looking at everything other than Akasegawa Nanana. Even when the auction started, it was obvious all the Round Table members were scared and ran off. No other rich person would know of Alpha’s value, and even if there were ones, none of them would be as powerful as the Round Table.

There was no one but Akasegawa Nanana.

That woman was curious about Munakata’s movements. If he attempted to bid, she would definitely sniff out the “scent” of his moving money. Since she would use any methods available to her to gather information, he knew very well she’d notice the auction.

He also knew about her deep relations to Mushi. If she participated in the auction and became Munakata’s rival, he would lose to her since his assets were inferior.

And so he’d purposely led Akasegawa Nanana to this auction in advance.

He purposely had her save him from the make-believe kidnapping so that he would owe her a favor—inviting Nanana to be his “comrade”. By doing so, he managed to avoid being blacklisted by her.

“I have not colluded with Akasegawa. If you are still unpleased with the current price, no one would ever be able to win the bid.”

Not fighting along with Akasegawa Nanana was because he was afraid of being outwitted by her. Since his full assets would lose to hers, the authority to bid would be with Nanana. By doing that, there was the possibility that Nanana would monopolize Alpha. And so Munakata would never be able to obtain them.

It was obvious. Even now, Munakata used his own style of business that he used even in the past.

Other than his real comrade, Tachibana Rina, he would never trust anyone—

“It is, indeed, true that you have splendidly raised the price, Munakata Kaiji-sama… this is but the mere final confirmation… if no one claiming to be a bidder appears, the rights to bid would return to you…”

Sotheby spoke impudently.

Making Akasegawa Nanana into a bidder was fine, but it was meaningless if he couldn’t win.

Kicking Nanana off was simple. She probably completely thought that he was her “comrade”. She was not cautious of Munakata and got carried away in success of her business. She didn’t even know that Munakata was actually helping her behind the scenes.

The violent success also caused anxiety to swell. When it finally reached the limits, Munakata had informed the Foundation’s board members about the auction. The fear of the Chairman being fully resolved to go bankrupt to get something that was a complete unknown reached her subordinates in no time at all—this affected their stocks, and by pressing it even further the large fallout began.

And the responsibility for that—was directed at the Chairman Nanana.

Thus Nanana lost everything in a single night and Munakata obtained victory.

A throb ran through Munakata’s chest and he coughed.

“When’s the next payment?”

“Please await my news three days from now… And now I bid you a good night…”

With the torn leather shoes dragging behind him, Sotheby left.

There was no need to hurry.

Munakata’s victory was as good as decided. No current member of the Round Table would want to violate Alpha’s seal or had the courage to touch the core of one of this country’s secrets.

He heard his cellphone ring. The secretary was getting in contact with someone.

“The Board has decided. They will welcome Munakata-sama, who’d bought back most of the stocks lost in this event, as a member. Will you accept it?”

“I will. Tell them to wait for things to cool off before they publicly announce about Akasegawa Nanana dropping off.”

Glancing at Munakata who said this and coughed, the secretary conveyed his orders.

“From now one, when you’re doing something related to the Foundation, I will accept your orders as a secretary. Pleased to be working with you.”

Cutting off the call, the secretary lowered her head. This woman, who moved not a single muscle in her face even after seeing Nanana’s complete loss, watched the coughing Munakata coolly.

“Should I call a doctor? I believe that you being in a wheelchair is not simply because your stamina has not recovered yet.”

“No, there’s no need for a doctor. —The truth is I have a heart disease. It is incurable.”

The secretary said nothing.

Oh, so this one’s a bust as well. I need to find another one—

Her face seemed to be saying this. Munakata smiled bitterly.

“You look like you have no interest in other people. Do you live only for yourself?”

While saying this, Munakata looked around the entrance.

Among the many collapsed boys and girls, the expired boy’s face alone was peaceful. It was as if he’d fulfilled the meaning of his life by simply protecting his master—his face looked that satisfied.

“What do you live for?”

The secretary inquired, only turning back the question at him.

“For love and revolution—who was it that said it? That’s exactly how I feel.”

Munakata loved a single girl.

For his love, he begun a revolution with that girl.

Thinking about it now—he felt extremely unsure if it was really love or just a father-like relationship toward a girl much younger than him.

So the word “comrade” fit perfectly.

“Since I failed with both, at least I can—”

His one and only miscalculation was to deepen the bonds between Nanana and Mushibane. He’d saved Mushibane due to his duty to his former comrade, but they probably think he’d betrayed them.

But he already finished his own part in Mushibane.

Starting now he’d do what he needed to.

“I wanted to find out the identity of the thing that had cornered her like this…”

Removing his sight from the cruel scene, he raised his face toward the starry sky.

The city sky had no stars, simply a curtain of darkness.

What were Mushi?

Munakata had no intention to hand that secret over secret to anyone else.

“For that, both money and the current Mushibane—do not matter to me in the least.”

As Munakata monologued, he looked ahead.

Although the sky did not have any stars, he had the feeling he could see some small object going away.

3.03 Nanana Part 10

Inside the gloomy alley, Nanana sank down to the floor. She hadn’t been to a dirty and dark place like this ever since she’d gotten lost as a child.

The smell of garbage tickled her nose and the hem of her order-made dress was dirtied by the unknown liquid covering the floor.

But right now Nanana didn’t care about such things at all.

No—she wasn’t in the right state of mind to care.

Everything Nanana had accomplished thus far popped like a bubble. She tried to become the richest person in the country, but became the poorest overnight. She was at complete zero. It was like she was sitting there completely naked.

“Aah…”

Absently grimacing, she held her head.

“Wah…”

She was scared.

Just imagining what would happen to her from now was scary.

Would Christy find her and rip her apart? Even if she wasn’t found, she might slowly starve to death. Or would she be caught by a violent gang, abused and in the end thrown away like trash?

Right now Nanana had nothing.

Since she had no money, Nanana couldn’t do anything.

Never mind protecting herself, she couldn’t even take a single step from there.

When she’d wandered into such a dirty alleyway before, she was saved by the Kind Magician.

However, that Magician—was gone.

“Nanana…”

Worriedly touching Nanana’s shoulder was Anmoto Shiika.

Nanana neither heard her voice nor felt her touch. There was no reason for the girl to protect her, and Nanana no longer had any way to thank her.

Just like her grandfather and the Magician in the past.

There was no doubt that Shiika too would soon abandon her.

“Looks like Christy isn’t following us for the time being…”

How much time had passed?

It was already close to dawn.

Chouya Nihei, watching over from the entrance to the alley, returned to the two girls.

“Her not chasing us means that Aijisupa-san and the rest beat her… or perhaps there’s a reason she can’t chase us. Well, the important thing’s that she gave up.”

The boy wearing a dirty formal wear sat on a large bag with a hole in the middle. The boy who’d carried Nanana and ran away now had dark circles under his eyes from fatigue and lack of sleep.

“What’s that, Nihei-san?”

“I picked it up. We can use it to store all sorts of stuff.”

Looking at Nihei wearing a weak smile, Nanana laughed deeply. It was rare for a dirty, holed bag to fit such a merchant.

“—We’re going to be found by Christy soon anyway…”

Shiika and Nihei turned toward Nanana.

“Look, she’s right behind you…”

“Eh!”

Shiika and Nihee looked around. But never mind Christy, no one was there.

“S-stop with these kinda jokes! It’s really not funny!”

“Yahah… it wasn’t a joke… she’ll come to kill me any moment now…”

Rounding up her body, Nanana mumbled.

Shiika bit her lips.

“…I’m sorry. If only I could fight—”

“Hey, don’t say that, Shiika-chan! It’s not your fault!”

“If it was at least some spacious area with no people around…”

Shiika looked pained from the bottom of her heart.

“Aijisupa-san… I pray he’s safe and sound…”

“A spacious area, huh. That’s tough. We’re smack dab in the city. Even if we weren’t, both you and me are being chased by the SEPB.”

“R-right. Moving a great distance while hiding from the SEPB… it would be very difficult.”

Nihei wore the bag again and let out a long sigh.

“Anyway, our main priority is getting in contact with Mushibane. Also—finding a place where we can safely catch our breath. We have to be ready to sleep outside for a few days. Oh and also, our clothes right now will stand out like a sore thumb anywhere we’d go. Thinking about our stamina, we also need food…”

“B-but, moneywise we’re…”

“We’ll manage somehow. There’s a limit, but… I’m used to handling small money.”

Nihei laughed, clearly not full of confidence, and Shiika’s expression was clouded with sadness.

“Who could have imagined that Munakata-san was the other bidder…”

A heavy silence befell the back alley.

“Why hadn’t he told us…”

Nihei thought for a while, his mouth drawing a thin line. He started speaking after getting resolved.

“No—I think Munakata-san was very rational.”

“Eh…?”

“How do I explain this… we were overwhelmed. It shows that this was the perfectly best way of doing it. If we hadn’t been friendly with Nanana-chan, perhaps we would have all seen Alpha together happily right now.”

“N-no way…! I mean, we were able to reach an agreement with her—”

“I wonder about that. Even if we reached an agreement, this doesn’t mean we trusted each other. In the end, all it means is that Munakata-san chose a surefire method.”

Shiika looked at Nihei, shocked. The boy grimaced.

“I will never forgive him either! His method of trade always leaves someone unhappy! It’s obviously wrong!”

“Nihei-san…”

“But we can’t do anything about it! I can’t forgive him… but I don’t know any way better than this… so I couldn’t do anything but watch—”

Seeing Nihei bite his lips with chagrin, Shiika clenched her fist.

“There definitely should’ve been a better way. That’s why I have to speak with Munakata-san again…”

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t forgive him. I think that Munakata-san—was ready to betray Mushibane right from the very beginning. Sotheby’s near him too, so it’s too dangerous to approach him right now…”

He trailed off, perhaps becoming depressed by his own words.

Perhaps scared of the silence, Nihei grabbed Nanana’s arm. He was trying to get her to stand up.

“Anyway, let’s move. We might’ve been seen by someone while coming here.”

Nanana shook off Nihei’s arm.

“Nanana…”

“…Stop this already! Don’t cry over spilled milk! Do it after you’ve reached a safe place!”

Neither Shiika’s worried face nor Nihei’s menacing look that seemed like he was trying to cover his fear felt like it was related to Nanana.

He legs hurt. After getting carried by Nihei, her stomach hurt. Leaning against the hard wall for several hours, her back and neck also hurt.

Nanana couldn’t move anymore.

If she moved, she wanted to be taken in a white, large limousine. Of course, high-quality wine would be waiting for her inside.

“It’s fine, stand up already! —Ouch.”

Once again, she shook off the arm trying to grab her. Her fingernails scratched Nihei’s face.

“…Goddammit! Who do you think we’re running away for?!”

“N-Nihei-san, Nanana’s still in shock…”

“Eh, what’s this, you’re pretending to be a delicate lady despite no longer having any money? That’s how it feels! I’m not your servant! I admired you no matter how cheeky you were, but I’m really disappointed! Waaah, all this shouting really pisses me off! Anyone? Please save me! In many different senses of the word!”

Nihei raised a tantrum for a while. He was probably putting on a bold front because he was the only man there. All tension was lost and paralyzed.

Shiika only glanced over the pair’s faces.

Nanana vaguely raised her face, narrowing one eye.

“Yeah, that’s fine… you can go away already… if you do at least that, Christy’s not going to attack you…”

“Wha—”

“Saving me doesn’t get you anything… I can’t pay you even a single yen as thanks…”

Shiika and Nihei looked so surprised obviously because she hit the nail on the head.

Inwardly, they were ready to abandon her at any time. She had seen through them and they were merely fighting against their small conscience.

Nihei glared at Nanana.

“Don’t misjudge us! I saved you because you’re my client!”

“…?”

“You told me to look for Chronicler! When you did, you became my client!”

Oh, she did ask for that.

However, even recalling it, did it have any meaning? Nanana was no longer able to pay him for that. So her request should be null and void.

“So I’ll save you, Nanana-chan! Since I believe in three-way satisfaction!”

That three-way satisfaction bullshit again?

Nanana snorted. That boy was really obsessed with that pipedream.

A sale where everyone was happy was a mere ideal. In reality the winners and losers were decided based on how well you deceived your opponent and how much you gained from it.

Right—just like Munakata Kaiji deceived her and obtained victory.

“And that’s why I can’t forgive your method as well as Munakata’s this time! Human trust is worthless! If it was me, I would’ve…!”

“Such an idiot… not like you can do anything… Yahah, stupid Nihei.”

“—Oh yeah?! If you weren’t my client I woulda done this and that, and it would be way worse for you!”

Nihei headbutted against the wall, kicked and hit it.

Nanana turned her cloudy eyes toward Shiika.

“You can run away too, you know…? If you’re going to abandon me soon, just do it already…”

“…”

“You have no reason to save me…”

As Nanana said this, Shiika puffed her cheeks.

Looking angry for the first time, she turned her face away. —As if admonishing her for not understanding something exceedingly simple.

“…?”

Since Shiika was an idiot, did she still think they had a chance to get Alpha?

That was no longer possible.

Nanana’s bubble had already burst.

To do something despite that, she would need a change massive enough to flip over the entire country—she would need to stage a revolution that itself could be called a Paradigm Shift.

“Enough already, just move your ass! You have to, Nanana-chan!”

She already had no energy to shake him off. Nihei forcibly made her stand up.

“Some people sacrificed themselves to protect you! Since Pochi and his group saved you, we must make sure you get away!”

Standing there like a doll, Nanana recalled her bodyguard Mushitsuki, Pochi.

But her head blanked out and she couldn’t think any deeper about it.

Only one thing—the sensation of her shoulder being pushed was reborn in her mind.

It was perhaps her first time to be touched by that boy who was always too shy to even look directly at all. Ever since she picked him up, he’d always protected Nanana. He always cared for her, so him pushing her body aside was unreasonable.

Even so, he pushed her away.

By force.

As if telling her to run away.

She was about to recall the moment she’d picked up that Mushitsuki boy—but her thought process shut down. She had the feeling she mustn’t remember what happened after that. If she did, something remaining inside her would break apart.

Her other Mushitsuki bodyguards were the same. They all followed the actions of their leader Pochi without a shred of hesitation. Thinking that they were all united that they were practically a hive mind with Pochi, perhaps it was the obvious decision.

Everyone fought for Nanana and was defeated.

“Oh, Pochi and the rest…”

That was definitely—a small payback.

So she thought.

Since Nanana had treated him so coldly until that moment, he used a bit of violence.

That was why she didn’t want to think any further.

“Mushitsuki really are all idiots… I’m not even their owner anymore…”

Seeing Nanana cackle to herself, Nihei scowled.

“You…!”

“Nihei-san.”

Shiika stopped the boy who tried approaching Nanana. He wordlessly shook his head to the sides.

“Shit! Why do I have to…”

Cursing under his breath, Nihei walked ahead.

Nanana, who stayed standing, had her hand grabbed by Shiika—

Since resisting would be too much of a bother, she started walking as well.

3.04 The Others

Wheelchair-bound Munakata Kaiji rolled through the corridor of the highest floor in the Akasegawa Group Headquarters.

“So I’m Acting Chairman. I have saved them from a big crash, but to think they’d come crying to me, a complete outsider, to get this role… the interior of this place is emptier than I thought.”

Outside the window spread the scenery of the shining townscape.

“It is true that they were dissatisfied with Akasegawa Nanana’s style, but they have also fully relied on their talent. In the first place, it would have been no surprise if this company collapsed when the first Chairman died.”

The secretary hugging a teddy bear spoke in a flowing tone.

“Just like a bubble. It is fine to pop it and dismiss the chairman, but there’s no manpower to blow it again, so it withers… how laughable.”

“Will you accept?”

Since it was decided by the members board, he probably couldn’t reject it. Munakata wore a cynical smile, raising his face toward the secretary next to him.

“Is it fine to accept? This might be the second coming of Akasegawa.”

“If you will allow me to speak… there will probably be no more bidders in the auction. If you simply win, there should be no problem. However, Munakata-sama, you obviously need to use your own personal assets.”

“So it’s fine as long as I don’t touch the Foundation’s money, then. I see, that’s easy to understand. —I will accept being the Acting Chairman.”

The secretary bowed, saying, “Then, I will serve as the Acting Chairman’s secretary.”

“Worry not, tonight the auction will reach its end.”

Tonight was the auction’s payment day.

Three days passed since he’d driven Akasegawa Nanana out of her position as the chairman.

He knew nothing about what happened to Nanana or Shiika and her group. Whether they escaped from Christy or killed by that monster—he had no interest in that.

As for Mushibane, he decided to wait and see how things played out. Since he’d already betrayed them once, they probably wouldn’t trust him anymore. If Aijisupa was already dead, perhaps they would want revenge. Once again they lost both of their sponsors, Munakata and Nanana. If they were cornered again after this, they couldn’t make this anyone’s fault. It was after he’d already helped them base themselves.

“I couldn’t have predicted Christy’s penalty, but—”

Nanana was the girl loved by money.

She could think of nothing but money. She didn’t know people’s hearts.

He thought that this pride was wholly incompatible with Mushibane.

Because of that—it was unexpected for Shiika and Nanana to confide in one another. That led to Mushibane’s involvement as well.

But that was a mere result.

He had plenty of chances to stop.

But he was resolved to all situations, and determined to obtain Alpha.

“Although I knew this, I took the same action…”

Arriving in front of the chairman’s office, a fierce pain assaulted Munakata’s chest.

He coughed violently.

Stopping the secretary from using her phone to call a doctor, he put a hand on the door.

“Sotheby will be here soon. When he does, call me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Munakata left the waiting room of the secretary, entering the chairman’s office.

As he flicked open the switch, the dreary interior was revealed. It was apparently not used much, so everything in the office was brand new.

Seeing the notebook computer on the desk, he raised a brow.

It was probably knocked off or fell. Among all things in the room, it was the only item to be covered in scratches. The cover on the terminal’s back was removed and couldn’t be closed.

He noticed that a memory stick was plugged in. He booted the computer and checked it.

It was apparently a video file. He played it.

“…”

A video of Mushitsuki.

Putting his chin on his hand while watching, he realized something.

“I see. That’s the footage that caused Nihei to be chased by the SEPB… and then Akasegawa bought it.”

He heard the basic story when the handyman called Ikarino Kirari had introduced him to Nihei.

Furthermore, he’d been asked by Kirari to look for the whereabouts of Chronicler. Chronicler was her acquaintance, apparently called Haemori Ako. When Munakata had investigated, she had already—

“Hmm.”

It was an interesting video.

It was asking those who were watching about the differences between normal people and Mushitsuki.

He felt a bit mischievous. He backed up the file on the disk and took out the memory card.

“Chairman. Sotheby’s here.”

Writing a certain address on the memo paper near him, Munakata left the chairman’s office.

“Send this to the following address.”

“Understood.”

Pushing the memory card and memo onto the secretary in the waiting room, he exited to the corridor.

With the nightscape spreading outside the window to his back, the seedy-looking auctioneer was waiting for him.

“A good evening to you, Munakata-sama…”

Sotheby lowered his already twisted back, bowing deeply.

“The money’s all ready.”

He pushed his electrical wheelchair in front of Sotheby, asserting this.

He didn’t even hear his declaration.

Right now, only Munakata alone was bidding for Alpha. He’d already removed his one and only competitor, Akasegawa Nanana. He no longer had any enemies.

Munakata would finally obtain Alpha.

He would be able to uncover the secrets of Mushi, those Mushi who took away the girl he loved—

“—A new bid has been announced by another bidder.”

Munakata widened his eyes.

Sotheby stifled his voice, his shoulders faintly shaking. He was probably laughing.

“How is that possible?!”

“The new amount is—”

He didn’t care about the next amount declared by Sotheby at all. Rather than that, he was shook at the impossible situation of there being another bidder.

“Why you…! Have you deceived me?!”

“I have of course done no such thing…”

While Munakata attacked Sotheby in spite of himself, the bizarre auctioneer responded calmly.

“If you have any doubts, you could fold now… if the other bidder cannot pay the bid, after receiving the penalty, I will present their head to you…”

Munakata folding. —That was impossible.

If there was another bidder and they could pay the bidding amount, he would be handing over Alpha to them. Since Munakata had chosen certain methods this far, he couldn’t take this sort of gamble so late into the game.

That was probably the true meaning of the penalty.

It was meant not only to punish the invisible competitor when push came to shove, but expose their identity to the other bidder as well.

Because he had that “final method”, Sotheby could be as aggressive as he liked.

“—Bursting of the bubble. It also indicates the demise of the overly swollen ‘Greed’… or perhaps, the age of ‘broken dreams’ and ‘betrayal’…”

While Munakata was thinking, Sotheby began one of his usual soliloquies.

“The period created by isolating and monopolizing Alpha… The omens brought forth greed, and throwing away the three possibilities called forth a huge failure… waking up from the long-standing dream, people fell to the depths of disappointment… everyone raised screams as they were knocked down by despair… in order to stand up again, there was a need for a great transformation, a so-called alternation of generations… a new dream was needed…”

Munakata didn’t even listen to Sotheby’s eloquent speech.

That story was meaningless. —As long as he didn’t know what happened when Alpha had been gained at the time, he wouldn’t understand what Sotheby was talking about.

“So has someone from the Round Table made a move? No…! Maybe all of the Round Table—“

Munakata grimaced. The announced amount wasn’t something the average investor could pay.

For the average Round Table member, it would be impossible.

“There were no movements within the Round table. I also believe the possibility of their collusion against you to be slim.”

“Then… the country!”

“Even if information about the auction has leaked, it would be impossible for them to gather such a budget on such a short notice.”

The secretary explained mechanically. Munakata thought the same.

That was why the appearance of another bidder was impossible.

His head working full throttle, he started thinking of the people who could be bidders. After eliminating people one by one, since no one remained, he suddenly had a hunch.

“Sotheby.”

Munakata glared at the auctioneer.

“Was Akasegawa Nanana killed?”

“I cannot reveal to you information about those who have the authority to be bidders… however, violators receiving their penalty is no sure matter…”

For a change, the secretary’s expression moved. She furrowed her brows, puzzled.

“She has already retired.”

“She was not yet publicly revealed to have lost her position. There is no doubt that she still counts as a Round Table member.”

“But her assets and Foundation are all…”

“What about hidden assets?”

At Munakata’s question, the secretary raised her chin.

“—Well, I cannot fully deny the possibility.”

“Start looking for any signs of life from her. No matter the means.”

“Yes, sir.” The secretary nodded at Munakata’s order.

He was still too naïve.

Munakata repented the weakness of his resolve, rattled simply by another bidder appearing.

In order to obtain Alpha—his resolve was not yet enough. When he’d planned on not going far as to take her life, perhaps he was too lenient.

He would no longer hesitate.

He would be merciless against those who might become enemies.

Sotheby turned toward him and asked.

“Will you bid or fold?”

“Bid.”

He could no longer retreat—

Munakata’s unhesitating declaration echoed in the tallest floor of the Akasegawa Offices.

4.00 Paradigm Shift

While watching the girl he liked from high above, it started thinking.

That girl was cowering in a corner of the city. It was some sort of meeting place or the like. Built on top of the premises surrounded by a thicket, it was a musty old building with rain shutters fully open.

The space between the backside of the building and the thicket wasn’t even two meters. The girl was hugging both knees and sitting there. She was watching the park near the assembly hall on the other side of the thicket intently. There were children running around the park and idly chatting housewives there.

Although it’d met the girl after following the nostalgic smell, this didn’t mean she herself was anything special. But even after the nostalgic smell passed, it still kept tailing the girl.

Why did it find this girl so curious?

At first the girl was so lively, then reached ecstasy.

And this time—she became empty.

She had the eyes of a person who lost it all.

Everything robbed from her, only despair pushed onto her—that was the form of the person there.

A lump of emptiness.

Just a being that lived in vain.

Why was she robbed?

Why was she there?

Not understanding anything, she couldn’t help but try to escape the cage of absurdity.

And she had given up on resisting against that fate. Blown away by the enemy’s strength, she could only despair at her own powerlessness.

Seeing the girl, it recalled.

It had the feeling that her form was somewhat similar to someone else.

It resembled the people that were observing it in the past.

At the same time, the girl right now also resembled itself.

Even now that it could freely fly through the heavens, it couldn’t help but escape the thing that bound it.

Not moving a single step from where it was, observing the scenery viewed by its Eye. —So that it wouldn’t have to look back at its own miserable self.

Ironically feeling a sense of camaraderie, it decided to watch over where the girl was heading.

At this rate, would she—just like itself right now—be swallowed whole by the era’s darkness?

Or perhaps…

Perhaps she would save herself by overturning fate enough for a large change—for a Paradigm Shift?

Overlapping itself with the girl, it kept staring down at her.

4.01 Nihei Part 1

What he was doing was, in the end, nothing more than revenge.

Gaining little money and buying little things.

He simply found some convenient words like “three-way satisfaction”.

Good for the seller.

Good for the buyer.

Good for society.

These words symbolized this country’s old-school, moldy merchant spirit.

But there was nothing like that in modern business. A limited amount of people would compete over large amounts of money that would make one’s jaw slacken, and there was nothing good or bad about it.

And these were the kind of people that moved the country.

A world that acted in accordance with the rich—

This era was made like that.

Money held unlimited power.

That was why those who held a lot of money were rulers, and no matter who cried or wailed, they couldn’t hear them from their spot above the clouds. They controlled fates like gods, not caring what happened to those people caught up in it—right, just like they didn’t care about Chouya Nihei’s father being swallowed by that large wave.

Nihei’s family used to run a small pawnshop.

His friendly father often lent money out of his own accord to neighbors who had troubles. He’d actually saved many people like this, so those who heard about it came to the pawnshop—thus starting the never-ending loop that led to no profit. The Chouya family always stayed poor, but those who came to their shop were always full of smiles.

When a large corporation tried to evacuate them for their land development project, they refused because they thought about all the troubled people. As the appeal for evacuation turned to land sharking in no time, and after receiving plenty of harassment, they ended receiving only a meager compensation as their land was stolen.

Nihei would never forget what happened then. Bad reviews about things that never happened started spreading about them, and the people always smiling were replaced with complaining customers. The young Nihei being violently attacked made his father finally give up. His mother was unable to bear it all and left home, his father collapsed of anxiety and was hospitalized even now.

Their savings were used to pay his father’s bills. The money Nihei made by working part-time or selling stuff online by himself he used to temporarily enter a high school. Since he’d been taught the value of everything since he was young, it could be said that his father’s pawnshop saved him.

Such were the times. He didn’t think of his own environment as particularly misfortunate. There were probably countless other unfortunate events even outside those that attacked the Chouya household.

Because of that—Nihei continuing his act as a merchant was a form of revenge.

He also felt like he shouldn’t begrudge the thing called money.

His father had proved that it wasn’t bad at all.

However, the system of the present meant that a million friendly merchants could be crushed under the foot of one ruler who was humming as he worked.

Nihei swore that he would someday show to these rulers.

He would burn into their eyes the scene of a good trade that made no one cry.

Thinking this, Nihei continued his own style of merchant work.

However, in the end—he didn’t have quick enough of a wit or business acumen to rise to the position of a ruler, and he hadn’t enough courage or aspiration to stir the world from above. After all, he vaguely realized that his ability as a merchant was only on the “so-so” level.

More importantly—he really admired them.

Those laughing rulers, sparkling from high above the cloud. Not even minding the fact that they were stomping his family underfoot, he fell in love with their overwhelming power—but didn’t have the capability to acknowledge it.

That was why Nihei kept screaming in a high voice.

The business he was conducting was something splendid that wouldn’t let anyone cry.

Someday he would make these rulers turn to look at his way of doing things.

Business operating with three-way satisfaction would move the world—

Acting this tragedy in the thin line between reality and delusion, he was like a Don Quixote.

While tricking his vanity with the pretext of revenge, his adventure continued.

Even as he found the fight between two rulers—Akasegawa Nanana and Munakata Kaiji—he could only fret and watch from a distance.

And Mushitsuki—

While meeting these bizarre beings that ate dreams, he kept his vain journey.

Money that made people smile, and money that controlled people.

Unable to grasp either one, unable to find any solution.

Nihei felt like laughing at himself.

There’s no way a half-assed merchant like myself could approach Mushi—

A pedestrian scramble near the train station was dyed by the sinking sun.

“Thank you very much!”

At a road slightly removed from that intersection, Nihei Chouya saw off his customer with a smile. Having obtained a hairclip for cheap, the high school-aged girl distanced herself with a smile.

Dressed in a shirt with a gaudy pattern and cheap jeans, as well as wearing sunglasses, Chouya Nihei opened up an extremely suspicious street stall. He hung clothes and accessories on the guardrails and arranged all sorts of junk and magazine on clothes spread on the ground. A sign made of carboard saying “also buying unwanted items” was fixed in place by a rock.

“Oh, this one? I’ll give it to you real cheap. You can trade it with an extra copy of a card you already have.”

The group of elementary schoolers had their eyes on a trading card. After clamoring for a while, they bought several cards together. Kids these days were quite rich and he was able to profit.

“A great wristband, isn’t it? It’s not too flashy and you won’t get found out even if you wear it to school. ‘Wow, isn’t he surprisingly fashionable?’—you could appeal to the girls in your class, even.”

A group of three high schoolers poked their shoulders and made fun of one another. While mouthing the name of a girl from school they were interested in, they bought the wristband.

“This is the latest issue. Eh? No, I didn’t pick it up, it’s all nice and clean. Mister, if you have any other magazines as well, we can trade for ‘em. Oh, a newspaper? Then it’s only a discount.”

A middle-aged man looked like he was on his way back from work said “Oh, you’re so shrewd,” while laughing and handed Nihei a newspaper and several coins. In exchange he went with the weekly magazine.

“Oh, you’re looking to sell? Thank you very much. —Oh, these are all rather pricy cosmetics. Hmm, nope, can’t do it. In those kinds of shop, they usually remove this—this tag here—after selling the product. Since it’s still attached, it means that… I should wash my hands off of this while I can. Yeah, goodbye.”

He waved with a smile toward the group of middle-school girls leaving in a hurry.

Next a couple of about college age came.

“Welcome, look at everything we have.”

Even while smiling amiably, Nihei glanced ahead. A group of housewives was looking toward him, whispering among themselves. Also, on the other side of the intersection, he could see a homeless person and yet another homeless person starting to glare at Nihei, as if he was encroaching on their territory.

Probably enough for today—

If someone reported about his to the police or if he contended with the homeless, he would stick out like a sore thumb. Nihei wasn’t quite a “big shot” like Shiika or Nanana, but if he caused a scene, he might end being caught in the SEPB’s net.

“Sorry, I’m closing up shop for today! My stomach started hurting.”

Several days passed since Nihei started making small money like this.

The following day after escaping the Akasegawa Offices, it was fortunate that a free market was being held in the neighborhood. Bargaining with people putting out their shops and trading their clothes, he was able to attain some money. After getting some good finds, he earned his day’s wages by selling various stuff on the roadside.

Since it was urgent, the high-quality although dirty suit and dresses didn’t sell for much. Simply getting replacement clothes and food drained their budget to the bottom.

For honest people, there were many ways to double 100,000 yen.

However, being an escapee and making money from zero—even if they had some money, it was extremely difficult.

“If I buy enough dinner for three people… nearly all of my current savings will be gone.”

Nihei carried a bag full of his wares, getting away from the capital’s noise.

“If I had just a bit more capital—well, can’t do anything about it.”

Buying groceries on the way back, he walked around town.

“…Apparently they’re not going to officially announce the retirement of the Akasegawa Foundation’s chairman for a while.”

While walking in the road lit by the sinking sun, he read the newspaper traded to him by the office worker. He couldn’t see any news about Nanana being dragged off of her throne.

The Akasegawa Group’s Chairman suddenly being shuffled away would be an unbelievable scandal. Since it would also have an effect on their stocks, they probably planned on keeping it a secret until they decided the next chairman.

“…!”

It wasn’t about the chairman retiring, but there was an Akasegawa Foundation advertisement. The agency business’s merchant ads and prize rewards and such were all listed. Seeing one of them, Nihei gasped.

There was a drawing of a sunglasses-wearing teddy bear with speech balloons.

“My type is a girl who likes drinking alcohol! If you hook me up with one, I’ll give you a present!”—.

The ad said that they were looking for people who liked alcohol to develop new items. One person would be chosen from among applicants and receive a cash reward.

Nihei knew that this ad was a fake. Because he noticed this was the exact same bear carried by that robotic secretary.

If you bring me Nanana, I’ll give you lots of money—

That was what she was actually saying. It was directed at the allies of the alcoholic girl—meaning Nihei or Shiika who ran away with her.

In a purposely massive font was written an amount of money with many zeroes in it.

This was an amount of money Nihei had never touched before. If he had that much money, never mind him being able to open a shop on his own, he could even try opening up a large business—

“…Nooo! What am I thinking about!? I shouldn’t look! It’s like poison to the poor!”

Buying people with money was outrageous.

It wasn’t something people should do, and Nihei’s pride as someone who believed in three-way satisfaction would never allow it.

“I’ll just throw it away! Doryah!”

Crumpling the newspaper, he almost flung it away. —Even so, he couldn’t let go of it.

Something that shouldn’t be done?

Against his pride?

Was that—truly so?

Wouldn’t it be allowed just once? Also—Nihei had a reason why if he did it, he alone would be forgiven. He and no-one else had that authority.

“…I shouldn’t just throw out the trash. We could use it for insulation against the cold as well.”

While nodding to himself, he put the rolled-up newspaper back into his bag.

While avoiding people’s sights and making sure he wasn’t being followed, he reached an old bungalow.

It was the area’s assembly hall, but was used only very infrequently. Since the small building’s rain shutters were fully closed, the knob of the entrance knob was covered in dust.

“Oh, welcome back.”

As he went around to the back of the house, Shiika welcomed him. She was wearing the dress he’d gotten for her.

The other girl there, Akasegawa Nanana, didn’t even turn to look at him. She sat between the building wall and the thicket, staring absently at a certain park.

“I’m back. Ah, being greeted by such beautiful ladies heals my tired heart. Oh, this is dinner. And I’ve gotten other things we might need.”

“Thank you. …I’m sorry, I wish I could have done something as well.”

“You promised not to say that, daddy.”

“Da…? I-I’m sorry for everything…?”

“Well, Shiika-chan, you just have to look after Nanana-chan.”

The three of them stayed overnight at the assembly hall. Having “bought” some lockpicking skills before, Nihei had opened the lock on the backdoor and they would spend the nights inside. Since it probably served a shelter in cases of disaster, there were beds, not to mention water and electricity.

Since they were intruders, they didn’t turn on the lights, but soon the water bills would come. It was only a matter of time before the owners found out that the water was being used. They would come to pay the bills one day, so they probably didn’t have a lot of time to spend there.

“Umm… have you gotten in contact with Mushibane today?”

“Nope, sorry. Nobody’s at the camp picking up. Maybe they took the initiative after Munakata-san betrayed us and changed their hideout, or maybe it was Munakata who stopped all of their lifelines such as electricity, water and gas. Even if we try to find our comrades, it would be difficult on our own, as we don’t have Halen-san’s member registry. There’s no use in hiding if someone like me is able to find them alone.”

He did have a cellphone for emergency contact, but since they suddenly got out of the party they’d inadvertently left it behind. And since Shiika was wearing a dress at the time, she’d given it to Aijisupa.

“I-I see.”

Shiika’s shoulders dropped and she lowered her head. Nihei also lowered his gaze following that—

“This mark…”

At the girl’s feet was a strange symbol drawn there. It was made of a slanted arrow pointing downwards and crisscrossed by two lines.

“Oh… yeah. This is just a good luck charm for us to quickly unite with everyone.”

Looking embarrassed, Shiika ran her fingers through air. She drew the same thing that was at her feet.

“Coatl Coatl Para Emile.”

A magic spell that would make anything come true—“Coatl Head”.

It was a fad that exploded in popularity all over the country a while ago, and then passed like a storm. It was only for a short while, but it was popular even within Mushibane as well. By drawing this mark and chanting the words, any wish would come true—

“Right, I can go to that handyman!”

Nihei raised his face. He recalled the person who told him to spread that spell far and wide.

She was the person who once saved him. That girl would definitely be able to help them, no doubt.

Nanana’s shoulders twitched.

“Right! I think her name was Ikarino Kirari-san.”

Shiika’s expression also started sparkling with expectation. Nihei nodded.

“I do feel bad that I can’t even thank her for helping me before… but maybe she knows someone from Mushibane. If she could at least introduce us—”

“Hehe… heheheh.”

Hearing this sudden low laughter, Nihei and Shiika startled and turned to Nanana.

The girl that barely spoke at all these last few days was laughing with her shoulders shaking.

“Kirari, dear old Kirari… you should definitely call her. When she sees how low I fell she would be exhilarated. And then she’ll come here and—smother me to death. Yahah.”

“T-to death…? Nanana, do you know her?”

“I do. I know her very well. After all, I’m the one who put her entire life to waste. There’s probably no one in the entire world that hates me as much as she does. She definitely wants to kill me even more than Christy.”

At Nanana’s creepy prophecy Nihei and Shiika became speechless. Seeing her face, it didn’t seem like she was lying—

—Thank you for using our services.

He didn’t think that the girl who said this while smiling kindly could do anything like that.

Ever since then he recalled her from time to time.

That girl with the star hairpin looked like a truly good-natured person.

It wasn’t an empty bluff to hide her lack of talent like Nihei. He could feel that she possessed clear will and faith and helped people while expecting nothing in return.

“Really? I don’t think that girl would do anything like that… but, thinking about it, she’s also related to Munakata-san. Maybe reaching out to her is quite dangerous.”

“O-oh. That’s right… but if we keep hiding somewhere like this, there will definitely be some chance to get in contact with Mushibane, right?”

“You really are positive, Shiika-chan. That’s somewhat unexpected.”

To be honest, he thought that Shiika would be the first to complain about their runaway lifestyle. Normally she appeared weak.

“I’m… already used to running away.”

Shiika looked abashed as she fidgeted with her gingers. He thought this wasn’t anything to feel ashamed about, but said nothing.

“Also, I’m not alone. —It makes me remember the time when I ran away with two other people.”

“…Yahah.”

Nanana burst out laughing.

“…So stupid…”

Nihei started getting angry.

Despite this being a difficult situation, Shiika was smiling. Even so, Nanana still kept going with her insolent attitude.

The three of them ate the meal bought by Nihei on the spot. Entering the building, it was completely pitch-dark, but at this place the city’s lights still reached there.

They wordlessly got out the bread and vegetables from the bag and ate them.

Nanana took one bite of the sandwich and mumbled something. “…” Her words remained in her mouth and she put what she was eating to the side. She made no further attempt to eat.

“Eat up.”

Nihei grabbed the sandwich and pressed it against Nanana’s shoulder.

“…It tastes bad. It’s dry rabbit-feed.”

“It’s fine, eat it already.”

“How about you eat it?”

“Just eat already!”

“I don’t need it!”

Nanana shook off Nihei’s arm. The sandwich fell from his hand inside the water puddle nearby.

He couldn’t bear it any longer. He grabbed Nanana’s arm.

“Stop it already! Who do you think you are…?!”

“You’re hurting me…!”

“Nihei-san, stop…!”

“I paid for this with my very last money!”

He ended up shouting. Seeing Shiika widen her eyes, he regained his senses.

“—Ah… no… I still have things to sell, so it’s not that…”

“…”

“If I sell those, we can still… somehow manage…”

Nihei’s words couldn’t console them at all. There was a heavy silence.

“Even though you were all gung-ho about letting you handle our money… what a useless guy.”

Nanana sighed, her face tired.

“What—did you say?”

“Hmph, you were lying when you said I was your client, right? Weren’t you thinking I had some hidden assets?”

“Hidden… assets?”

“Too bad. Don’t expect any of that. All of my money was kept in the Foundation.”

As if saying “serves you right”, Nanana started cackling.

What is that woman speaking about—

Passing through anger, he was now just exhausted.

Even though Nihei and Shiika have protected her to this point—she still thought they were doing it for her money?

She couldn’t think of anything but money.

She could value things only based on money.

Such an incarnation of money was right in front of him—

“Sorry for you as well, Shiika. Munakata probably won that auction ages ago. I can’t give you anything.”

Nanana looked to the side and laughed. As she did Shiika puffed her cheeks in apparent anger.

“What is it?”

“…”

“Spit it out.”

“…”

Shiika stopped eating her onigiri and mumbled with a peevish tone.

“I told you we’re friends, and yet you still…”

Nanana widened her eyes.

Nihei also was speechless. Shiika was apparently angry because Nanana hadn’t noticed she was helping her as a friend.

But Nanana didn’t seem to understand this even after hearing her words.

“T-that’s your reason…? You decided that all by yourself…”

“…”

“Didn’t I tell you I no longer have anything to give you…? Didn’t you hear me?”

“I don’t need anything.”

“T-then, what should I give you…”

“…”

“I don’t get this… Yahah, are you an idiot…? What’re you telling me to do… what do you want…?”

Nanana hugged both knees, mumbling to herself while staring at the ground.

That was an extremely bizarre scene.

Shiika called her a friend as if it was obvious and sulked, and Nanana who said she couldn’t understand it. Nihei, too, couldn’t understand them as he was watching.

“I got it… I understand… Later, I’ll give it back to you a thousand times more… I’ll make some money and give you lots… right, that wouldn’t be enough…”

Nanana’s muttering was already a bunch of nonsense.

“But—”

Shiika mumbled as if suddenly recalling.

“I did want to meet this Alpha person…”

“H-hey! See, what I said was right! You were looking forward to me winning this, right? It’s no longer possible though! Yahah!”

Unlike Nanana’s words when she raised her head, she looked to be relieved.

But Shiika calmly shook her head to the sides.

“No, it’s not that… I just have a lot I want to ask Alpha.”

“Like how they became the first Mushitsuki, for example?”

Shiika shook her head again at Nihei’s question.

“What was your dream? —That is was I wanted to ask.”

“…”

“If they’re really the first Mushitsuki just like Munakata-san said… perhaps they know how Mushi came into being. I don’t really understand Enclosure, Bubble and Paradigm Shift and all that, but perhaps amazing things happened just because that person became a Mushitsuki.”

As she spoke gently, Shiika’s profile looked calm. Perhaps she was imagining herself talking with the first Mushitsuki Alpha.

“But—I thought that the real beginning was that person’s dream.”

A dream.

Purely something like the crystallization of wanting to become someone or wanting something to happen.

Something that Nihei didn’t have.

“I wonder if it all started just because that person dreamt of something… if it’s true, it has a very amazing—how do I say it, a very amazing kind of power.”

The cowardly Nihei couldn’t fully wipe off his fear of Mushitsuki.

Even after he saw Chronicler’s interviews, that hadn’t changed.

No—seeing Shiika now, he felt like he finally understood what Chronicler had been asking in the interview.

What sort of people Mushitsuki were?

Wiping away the fake truth of fear, he felt as if he could see their true form.

“—Even if it’s their fault Mushi were created?”

Nanana narrowed one eye.

“It’s stupid to doubt it. Alpha lies at the source of the three movements of Enclosure, Bubble, and Paradigm Shift. —Meaning, Mushi were born in that period more than a decade ago.”

Turning back to Shiika, Nanana wore a twisted smile.

“It isn’t just that Alpha knows what Mushitsuki are. —It’s possible that Alpha themselves are the reason Mushi were created.”

“…”

“Meaning, even you being a Mushitsuki—is their fault.”

“—Yeah.”

To Nanana’s cornering words, Shiika nodded.

“If that’s true, then just like I said… I want to know what dream they possessed.”

Looking at Shiika smiling, Nihei—felt envious of Mushitsuki for the first time.

Were all Mushitsuki as pure as Shiika?

Did all of them possess such unshakable wills that half-hearted people like Nihei never would?

“…I wish I had more money.”

Without thinking, Nihei started to speak.

“Then I could compete in Sotheby’s auction and rescue Alpha.”

Without exaggeration, these were his true feelings.

He wanted to know more about the people called Mushitsuki.

That was why—he thought of rescuing the first Mushitsuki, called Alpha.

That was neither him being stubborn nor any kind of bluff, but his true opinion—

“Yahah. You?”

—Being made fun of by Nanana over this invited his anger.

“…What is it?”

“For someone like you it’s impossible no matter how much you have, obviously.”

You’re being really stupid, her tone seemed to be saying, as if she was sincerely tired of it.

“How come you don’t understand what Sotheby is?”

“Eh…? Do you know, Nanana?”

Answering Shiika’s question, Nanana smiled as if it was obvious.

“It’s been quite a while since the auction started. He gave us so many hints. Try thinking a little.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Sotheby’s the lookout… he’s also a traitor, and poor, pitiful, and sly ruined merchant… he’s trying to sell off his own role… Yahah.”

“…?”

“However, a self-proclaimed merchant like you would never be able to understand it.”

Nanana glanced at Nihei with challenging eyes.

Nihei grimaced. —It was just like Nanana said. She seemed like she had some idea about Sotheby’s identity, but Nihei knew nothing about it.

“Even when I enrolled in the auction you were only looking from the side. You didn’t have the courage to bid.”

“…Shuddup.”

“Say it plain and clear. You’re scared of handling great amounts of money, right? That’s why you’ve created that excuse of three-way satisfaction and ran away.”

“I’m different from you lot who treat money as nothing but numbers… if we’re talking about making deals between people, then no one else could—“

“Yahah. What a poor loser.”

Nanana looked at Nihei as if she was observing him from above.

“You’re reaching too high, you idiot. Yahah. Stupid Nihei!”

Shaken by Shiika’s words, she was probably just venting her anger.

However, Nihei right now wasn’t calm enough to just let it go.

“You little…!”

“Stop!”

Shiika stopped Nihei from trying to grab Nanana.

The momentum caused Nanana to look down on the lunch box trampled by Nihei, and she mumbled something under her breath.

“Nihei-san, stop this…! Nanana as well!”

“Yahah. Idiot, idiot, idiot Nihei! You loser!”

Loser—

For an instant, the image of his dad losing his shop passed through his mind.

Being bought off by a large business, even his family fell apart.

And Nanana called him a loser.

“—”

“N-Nihei-san?”

Nihei unconsciously let go of Nanana, instead grasping Shiika’s arm.

“It’s already too late—she’s way beyond saving.”

“Eh…”

“Let’s run, Shiika-chan. We’ll never escape if we keep this girl with us. I mean, she’s the one Christy’s after in the first place.”

“Nihei-san… are you being serious?”

Shiika’s gaze caused him to lose his nerve.

“—Why’re looking at me like that?”

“…”

“Am I the one at fault here? Why do I have to endure this? Or do think you can’t rely on me?”

“T-that’s not…”

“I understand! You also make fun of me, right? After all, I talk big while I only making chump change every day!”

Shouting like this made him even more pathetic.

He actually understood this.

Everything that Nanana said was the truth—

“Oh, but you shouldn’t mind any of that.”

Nanana leered at him again.

“It’s true you’re useless, but… no one could possibly save us from this situation.”

As Nanana laughed offhandedly, her pupils weren’t even viewing Nihei or Shiika.

Despair.

That was the only thing reflected in the girl’s eyes.

“The only thing that can save us would be a revolution large enough to overturn this entire country—and that would be impossible without another Paradigm Shift.”

Paradigm Shift—

Nihei obviously knew this term.

The reversal of all values.

A trigger that would change everything to the next era, a complete twist.

He would obviously not be able to accomplish anything like that—Nihei knew it well.

“…!”

Nihei let go of Shiika, turning around.

“Nihei-san…?”

“—I’m going to cool off for a bit.”

Picking up the newspaper that fell to the floor, he left through the assembly hall’s back entrance.

“I’ll be right back, so stay there.”

“R-right.”

“Don’t… move from there.”

“…? Okay.”

Leaving the dazed Shiika and the cackling Nanana behind, Nihei ran away from the assembly hall’s premises.

He walked through the dark residential area.

If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a convenience store with a public phone in it.

“I’m—not making a mistake.”

He mumbled.

In the newspaper he held was the ad with the teddy bear.

“That girl’s the worst. She’s just money-obsessed…”

While mumbling to himself, he hastened his pace.

His heart was beating so loudly it was about to burst.

“It’s no longer possible for me… why do I have to help her…”

Was it really fine?

Wasn’t he making the wrong choice?

Wasn’t he about to commit an outrageous mistake?

He was asking himself in his mind.

However—he could no longer think of any other way to save himself.

He’d already thrown away boring hopes and appalling ideals.

In the end, he was only a vessel until now.

Never mind inducing a Paradigm Shift to save the situation, he didn’t even have the confidence to make a single coin now.

“That was as far as I could… I was a person who could only reach this far…”

Grasping the newspaper with all those zeroes on it, Nihei came to the convenience store.

Putting the card that remained from his sales today into the phone machine, he pressed the number appearing in the ad.

“If Christy or whoever is going to kill that girl… it’s fine…”

Since he asked for the secretary of the Akasegawa Foundation to be brought to the phone, he kept mumbling while waiting for her.

The secretary came.

As she questioned him with a mechanical tone, Nihei promised to hand over Nanana to her.

4.02 The Others

In the stillness of night, the only sound around came from the motor of Munakata’s wheelchair.

There were no manmade lights in the vast sea of asphalt. The electric lights and illumination equipment buried into the ground were all silent, waiting intently for the time their function would be activated.

The vast premises had towering buildings like massive tombstones.

There were buildings that were perfect cubes as well as those that curved into a sharp point at their zenith. The roads were lined with verdant trees, dividing the premises into several parts.

An empty space that was much too vast.

Munakata drove his wheelchair alone, stopping in front of a certain building.

Its height was probably about that of a building ten stories high. If described extremely, it looked like two rectangular sandwiches put together in the shape of a cross. It was reinforced concrete coated in stainless steel, reflecting the moonlight and emitting a divine glow.

Munakata was at a university facility that started its building project.

It was built as part of the education and welfare projects of the Akasegawa Foundation. In reality it was also meant for tax reduction, but until now other businesses also invested in it. From there the Foundation formed a corporation for management of the school, and it ended up being not just a university but affiliated elementary, middle and high schools in a huge campus. There were only few corporations managing educational institutes in this country right now, but the Mind of Cosmopolitan College—MOCC in short—was the largest among them.

It was planned to start holding examinations for staff members this summer. By fall the entry exams to all levels from university to elementary school would be set, and students would start to actually enroll starting next year. As one of the investors, Munakata too ended up joining this project.

“…”

Just by looking up the cross-shaped building, he couldn’t bear to step inside.

Right now he was in the university part of the campus. The building in front of him was a shrine meant for religious studies, and it alone was shared with the other school grades.

The place where students of all ages would assemble, meaning the center of MOCC.

“A good evening to you, Munakata-sama…”

Behind the silent Munakata came the familiar, servile voice. The man’s shoes dragged on the ground as he approached, but Munakata didn’t even turn around.

“What a marvelous view… How solemn and avant-garde… One can truly feel the new era…”

With a muffled laughter, a whisper that was currying favor echoed about.

The strange auctioneer called Sotheby.

Today was the night of Munakata’s payment.

“Will we not enter…?”

“I haven’t come here for any repentance. —You really are talkative tonight, Sotheby.”

Munakata controlled his wheelchair, turning his body toward Sotheby sneaking up from behind. With the cross-shaped shrine to his back, he watched the mysterious auctioneer.

“It looks like the other bidder made quite the high bid.”

“Pfft… hehe. As expected of you. You have a discerning mind…”

Sotheby nodded.

“A new bid has been announced by another bidder… the amount is—”

Hearing that sum, Munakata’s mouth twisted without thinking.

How foolish.

To think there was someone so stupid to think up a sum like that other than himself or Nanana… just thinking this, perhaps the world was not yet beyond salvation.

“—Enclosure, Bubble, Bursting of the Bubble… their course has brought happiness and pain, and those thrown into hell are needed to bring the shift change to the next era…”

He probably thought Munakata went silent because he hesitated about the amount. Sotheby kept speaking.

“Dejection and large losses brought down half of the Round Table of the time, involving the entire country in the chaos… some yelled in despair, some cried while unable to accept reality, other screamed without even understanding what happened… among these only a handful managed to obtain their next dreams and stand up again, winning the authority of what would become the new era… that was the turning point, called Paradigm Shift…”

“I already can more or less guess it all.”

Munakata did not simply sit and wait to win the auction.

He turned the small clues that appeared from time to time into hints and managed to reason out the current events.

“At the time this Paradigm Shift occurred—Mushi were created.”

Sotheby’s muffled laughter affirmed those words.

“And Alpha witnessed exactly what Mushi was and the moment it was born—“

The Round Table existed even at that stage.

They were witnesses to the moment the abnormal being called Mushi was born.

That fear and guilt probably made them isolate Alpha somewhere. They decided to never let that forbidden memory leak outside.

They sealed them like a Pandora’s box that contained all the unhappiness and disasters of the world.

In continued all this time—the Round Table’s taboo.

“And you are the same, right?”

Munakata glared at the other man.

None other than the powerful Round Table have decided to seal Alpha.

It should have never been revealed for all eternity. Actually, even the SEPB was probably unaware of Alpha’s existence.

Even so, the auctioneer right in front of his eyes knew about the existence of this Pandora’s box—

“Sotheby. You’re just a Mushitsuki.”

“…”

“And you were also someone related at the time—have you betrayed the Round Table, guardians of this secret, for money?”

“…”

“Or, if you weren’t someone related, then a victim… perhaps you were a member of the Round Table unable to overcome the Paradigm Shift.”

“…”

“You know Alpha’s location. Meaning—it was you, right? The place where the large membership fees of the Round Table were flowing to… it was you yourself that bore the duty of sealing Alpha.”

“…Bfft.”

For an instant, the frozen Sotheby shook his shoulders.

While Munakata was looking at him, the strange auctioneer kept sneering.

“Hehe… Hahaha… Bfft…”

That muffled laughter sounded as if was sneering at how ridiculous Munakata was—no, perhaps at Sotheby himself. On the other hand, it also sounded like someone glad to have been finally identified by someone. Or perhaps it sounded as if he was happy about the current situation, about it being the time for the world to change.

“I am an auctioneer…”

Sotheby wrung out a shaky voice.

“I am not a lookout at all… even so, to keep watching over that thing, I must be bound to it… I am a noble auctioneer… Not an unsightly guardian…”

“…”

Munakata wordlessly watched the Mushitsuki’s wretched form.

Perhaps coming back to his senses, Sotheby laughed again. “Bfft…” He was probably the only one who understood what was so funny.

“At the time I—along with Christy—was a mere bystander… Enclosure made our hearts flutter with anticipation, the Bubble induced ecstasy, and then we were caught up in the Paradigm Shift… That is all that happened… We truly had no way to know what would have happened back then…”

“…”

“Also—my Paradigm Shift is not yet over…”

The Mushitsuki wrapped in an atmosphere far removed from humans spoke with his greed exposed.

“Alpha… if I had the money to sell that item, I could make a comeback…”

Alpha knew everything.

Sotheby was saying that.

But was it actually so?

On one hand, according to what Sotheby himself said, he was only a bystander.

His current form—was of a loser unable to overcome the Paradigm Shift.

The curse that befell him due to being involved in the moment of birth of Mushi was binding him even now—

“—Why do it ‘now’?”

There was only one thing Munakata still couldn’t understand.

“Although unsatisfied, you have fulfilled your duty until now. Even so, for some reason you decided to betray the Round Table now? Since I sniffed out the roots of Mushi… no way that’s only it.”

“The payment… is pressing ever closer…”

Sotheby spoke in amusement. Munakata arched his eyebrows.

“The payment? Are you saying you yourself are in debt?”

“If I have a loan, it would be all of humanity… the day of the ‘liquidation’—the payment—of all sins and greed is approaching…”

“…?”

As if laughing at Munakata who was cocking his head, Sotheby’s shoulders shook again.

“The revolution took a world without Mushi and turned it to a new world with Mushi—“

The dark auctioneer’s voice echoed around MOCC.

“Our item is the one who knew about the great transformation—Paradigm Shift—Alpha…”

The form of Sotheby who lowered his head seemed to foretell the moment of conclusion.

Right, it would end with this.

He would no longer have any mercy or lower his guard.

“Will you bid or fold?”

It didn’t matter who the other bidder was.

Munakata was getting Alpha.

He was going to grasp the mystery of Mushi—the truth behind the thing that cornered his one and only comrade, the one and only person he loved.

Munakata was different from Sotheby.

Even if there would be another Paradigm Shift, he would gain Alpha—

“—Bid.”

The pandora’s box was sealed for more than a decade.

Munakata and Akasegawa Nanana, the Round Table, as well as Sotheby and Christy.

For the merchants of the past and present, the fight between those who wanted to conceal and those who wanted to reveal.

Settling the long-standing auction, the last bid was declared.

4.03 The Others

At the entrance to MOCC, outside the brickwork gate, the secretary was waiting for Munakata Kaiji.

Not just her. More than ten burly men lowered their heads as Munakata appeared.

“Welcome back.”

“I will go back to the Akasegawa Offices. —I will leave the matter of Akasegawa Nanana to you.”

“Understood.”

As Munakata passed in front of the secretary, he seemed mysteriously resolute while operating his wheelchair.

But his illness was unexpectedly severe. She’d gotten a copy of his medical records and checked it. His disease was certainly proceeding, and his symptoms would probably soon appear on the surface.

The secretary called to Munakata as he entered the car parked at the slope.

“Acting Chairman.”

“What?”

“Have you met Sotheby?”

She knew that tonight was the day of payment.

“The other bidder announced a ridiculous bid. —I’ve folded.”

Munakata said while leaking a disappointed sigh.

“…”

The secretary’s expression was frozen.

“The auction’s over, but take hold of Akasegawa Nanana. There’s no reason to corner her anymore.”

“Another thing. Have you known that several of the participating businesses made some suspicious movements?”

While hugging her teddy bear, Coccinella Septempunctata, the secretary threw another question at Munakata.

“I didn’t. Launch an investigation and put out a report.”

“Understood.”

The car Munakata was riding started up. It drove away silently.

“It’s almost time. Let us go.”

The secretary spoke to the men, going through the gate.

Unlike the classic gate and roads, all buildings on campus were modern. Some were rectangular, some triangular, and some spherical.

The gate the secretary passed through was the university’s entrance. She walked through the dark road headed toward the center of MOCC. Tonight was a full moon, so even without any lighting she could walk around freely.

“…”

Since Munakata served as the Acting Chairman, the Akasegawa Group recovered its tranquility.

The chaos created by sacking Nanana soon settled; actually, all employees looked much calmer than they were during Nanana’s time. Everyone was grateful for Munakata’s capabilities and trusted him.

Nanana and Munakata.

In the end, this was the difference between the two.

Akasegawa Nanana could be said to be a girl loved by money. She saw nothing other than money, played with money, and so she was able to control money as she pleased.

Nanana’s playing with money was like magic.

That was why people—couldn’t understand her. They really couldn’t understand what she was doing. The people around her grew anxious, and when they saw that the money was growing, they only grew even more anxious.

On the other hand, Munakata excelled at controlling people. By moving toward the same goal with other people, he’d managed to plant a false sense of camaraderie at some point. Doing this he was able to obtain the shield and lance that would fight in his stead. At times his actions were kind, and he would spare no effort. But in actuality—he would not trust any other person.

The match between Akasegawa Nanana and Munakata Kaiji ended in Munakata’s victory.

Nanana was young and her heart was inexperienced.

Munakata aimed for that.

If this was a different way of fighting—such as a race to see who made the most money, similar to what she did at the Round Table party—Nanana would have won the battle.

Nanana saw nothing but money.

Munakata trusted no one.

The one to win the clash between people in the form of the auction—had been Munakata Kaiji.

“Well then…”

In front of her the cross-shaped building reflecting the moonlight was visible.

The large shrine, the center of MOCC.

Her “insurance” remained.

Correcting her posture, the secretary waited there.

After a while passed, she could see three shadows appear from the side.

While fearfully glancing about, they came to the temple in a trot, hiding in shadows.

“I’m here.”

As the secretary called out, the people came in a trot along the shrine’s wall.

Revealing their figure from the shadows, they were illuminated by the lights.

Akasegawa Nanana, Anmoto Shiika, and Chouya Nihei.

“A job well done, Chouya Nihei-kun.”

Seeing the secretary stand there, Nanana and Shiika looked at Nihei’s face.

“Nihei-kun…?”

“—Pfft.”

Nanana, staring frozen at Nihei, burst in laughter.

“Yahahah! I knew it, you sold me! Right, I thought you’d do it! That’s so much like you, you cheapskate! Yahahah!”

While raising shrill laughter, Nanana was crying. Despite her saying she expected being sold out, she probably had a small hope in a corner of her heart.

Nihei sold Nanana.

The secretary received contact from Nihei and they arranged to have her brought here. This was the Foundation’s private property. Just like the camping spot that Mushibane used as their headquarters, this was private area, so the SEPB wouldn’t be able to meddle.

“You sounded so conceited! I knew it, you’re just a coward!”

Hurling insults while she was laughing, Nanana didn’t seem to be acting. Nihei hadn’t revealed to the girl that he was going to meet the secretary. The secretary sympathized with Nihei after having received these sorts of barrages of insults every day, though.

“S-shut up! I just thought that—”

“What did you think about? If you really did, then spit it out! Yahah.”

“I-I mean… M-miss secretary, well… hehe…”

Nihei wore a pitiful smile, approaching her.

She really did sympathize with him.

He did have a bit of skill in commerce. However, he was simply too average when compared with Nanana and Munakata. Since he’d watched both of their talents from up close, he probably knew to a painful extent how powerless he was. It wasn’t his fault he was so average.

“Yes, I know.”

The secretary nodded.

Immediately after, a series of metallic sounds reverberated from the surroundings.

“…!”

Nihei and the rest’s expressions froze.

The black suits around the secretary all drew out handguns at once. The lustrous guns were aimed at Akasegawa Nanana.

“Eh? What’s that? It’s a joke, right? M-miss secretary?”

“…”

The secretary widened her eyes as well.

When Munakata had assigned her bodyguards despite her not asking for it, she found it odd.

But him choosing such a forceful method—

And that wasn’t the only strange thing.

Drag, drag—

Hearing that sound, the three of them twitched their shoulders.

Nihei, Shiika, and Nanana.

The other black suits were also agitated by that bizarre sound that appeared as if out of nowhere.

Drag, drag—

They heard this voice from above.

As the secretary looked up toward the source, her eyes reflected a shadow going down the cross-shaped building’s roof.

Slowly.

Like leaves falling off a tree, swerving without pause, that shadow fell to the ground.

Nihei raised his voice.

“Sotheby…!”

The shrine was right next to the secretary and the others. All people there looked at the strange auctioneer wearing shabby clothes.

The lantern-holding Sotheby then declared.

“—Just now, a new bid has been announced by another bidder.”

The secretary grimaced.

I knew it… that foolish man—

Munakata’s claim that he was folded was a complete lie.

No, what he said before was full of lies.

“W-why is Sotheby here…?”

With a surprised face, Nanana looked at the secretary.

“N-no way… are you the final bidder—”

“Before I confirm the next bid—let us exercise the penalty toward the violator!”

Sotheby shouted.

“Bestow judgment to the shameless violator, Akasegawa Nanana! Come, Christy!”

The full moon and starry sky were wiped off.

Along with high-pitched singing, the heavens were filled with darkness.

From the sky above the shrine, a belle clad in a darkness-colored dress alighted down.

4.04 Nihei The Last

Christy’s singing voice spread all over MOCC.

The dark-colored feathers created midair began falling down toward Nihei and the rest.

“Watch ou…!”

Grabbing both Nanana and Shiika into a hug, he threw them to the ground.

A vibration shook the shrine.

Roaring sound like the simultaneous fire of a battle helicopter wrapped Nihei and the rest. The sound of asphalt getting blown to pieces echoed and the debris scattered around.

“Ugh…!”

The impact that hit Nihei in the back caused him to grimace.

“Laaaaaaa—”

Christy, the beauty floating high in the night sky, was singing. In the sky that was as dark as though painted by thick ink, she watched empty space with her eye made with darkness-colored eyeline and her darkness-colored lips opened wide.

“Ni—Nihei-san—”

Held by him, Shiika glanced at his back and became speechless.

In an instant he felt like he was about to faint. But Nihei gritted his teeth and held on.

“I’m fine, so… m-more importantly, Shiika-chan—can you really handle this opponent?”

“Eh…?”

“’If it was at least some spacious area with no people around’—you said this, right?”

Hearing Nihei’s words, Shiika gasped and looked around her.

Several of the black-suited men were hit by Christy’s attack and collapsed. Probably hit directly by the feathers, they were drowning in a sea of blood. The remaining people raised screams and shot toward the thing floating in the sky, or ran while screaming.

“Please run away.”

Shiika changed her expression. She rose up from Nihei’s arm, looking up at Christy.

“I will do something about her…!”

“Knew we could count on you. So, good luck.”

“Ah… ah…?”

Nihei also rose up, grabbing Nanana whose face was twisted with fear.

“Let’s run, Nanana-chan!”

“Run, Nanana.”

Speaking this calmly, Shiika raised her arms as if in acceptance of something.

There was a shrill whistling sound as some small light alighted down.

On top of Shiika’s hands, a Mushi the size of a fist appeared. This was Nihei’s first time seeing it, but it was probably Shiika’s Mushi. It didn’t look powerful, but he had the feeling that something unthinkable was about to happen.

“Miss secretary, here…!”

Nihei grimaced, calling toward the woman kneeling far from them.

The secretary gasped. She ran toward them.

Nanana raised an eyebrow.

“Are you going to leave Shiika here and run…? Also, that woman…!”

“Shuddup! It’s fine, just run…!”

He dragged Nanana away from Shiika.

“This is no longer a safe place for any of us…!”

“Laaaaaaa—”

The soprano voice was rising yet again.

Countless black feathers were formed next to the songstress floating in air. They almost looked as though they had been plucked from Christy’s feather cap, and their sharp edges were all pointed at Nihei’s group.

But then a whisper interrupted Christy’s singing voice.

“Break…”

It was Shiika’s voice.

However, Shiika herself did not open her mouth, but simply faced her Mushi intently.

“Only a bit…”

Suddenly.

A small hole opened up in the night sky that Christ’s darkness interrupted.

Coming from there was a fragment of light.

A single snowflake.

This unreliable snow grazed Christy.

At that moment—

“Laaaaaa—”

The hem of Christy’s dress was destroyed. An ear-grating sound of destruction assaulted their eardrums as if the very space itself was being sheared. The snow that destroyed the dress’s hem preserved its unchanging shine, and one after another the darkness-colored feathers floating in the skies were being destroyed.

And—the snow kept falling to the ground as if there was no obstacle at all.

A large earthquake rocked the shrine.

The local quake pierced the ground, covering the asphalt in haphazard and bottomless fissures.

“Laaaaaa—”

“Break…”

Christy produced more feathers and Shiika made more snow fall.

The night sky was breaking down.

Snowflakes clad in a pale glow distorted, cracked and dispersed the darkness concealing the starry sky. Not just the darkness but even the lights of the stars became twisted and the full moon glanced in the night sky was distorted to a strange shape.

“—”

Nihei, Nanana and the secretary watched this, awestruck.

“Please run…! Before that snow falls…!”

Shiika, her brow covered with beads of sweat, said without turning around.

Nihei and the rest shook. It was just like Shiika said. Even a single flake of snow could turn the ground beneath their feet to a wreck. And if this endless snow was to fall—there was no doubt that the entire area would crumble, leaving nothing of its original form.

Why had Shiika done nothing during Christy’s attack outside the Akasegawa Offices?

The answer to this now lay in the sight in front of him.

If she used her powers in the middle of town—the number of victims would be much more than what Christy could do.

“…!”

Pulling Nanana by the hand, Nihei broke into a run. Sotheby had already vanished at some point.

“A-anyway—we need to get as far as—”

When he tried passing near the shrine, strength left his legs. He fell to his knees.

“Nihei…?”

“Nihei-kun, you—”

The secretary that ran along with them went silent when she saw Nihei. She was glaring at his back.

“No, I’m fine—anyway, we have to—”

While pouring cold sweat all over, Nihei rose again. At his back Shiika and Christy kept fighting.

Obviously, he wasn’t fine.

His back hurt like it was scorched—when he’d saved Nanana and Shiika, one of Christy’s feathers grazed his back. He knew that the laceration reached all the way to his bone. From the blood that dripped down his back and down at his feet, he knew this wasn’t a shallow wound.

But Nihei couldn’t worry about it.

Getting injured was within his expectations. Since he was a helpless coward and had no luck or talent, he already anticipated that there was no way he’d get out of this large battle zone unscathed.

He had that level of resolve in the first place.

But he mustn’t lose consciousness.

If he fainted here, his fate would be sealed and he wouldn’t be able to do anything—

“Quickly—come—”

Those words were not directed at Nanana or the secretary.

He tried running with an unsteady gaze, and apparently Nanana and the secretary came with him.

“Uh… Nihei… there’s so much blood—”

“You shouldn’t move anymore. Let us stop your bleeding here.”

The secretary’s words didn’t feel real.

Nihei could see the black suits approaching them.

“Shit—”

“Ahh…”

Nanana grimaced. The black suits all held automatic handguns. Other than those that came with the secretary, they were probably stationed inside MOCC.

Nanana pushed the secretary away.

“W-why are you coming with us! You were the one who let him know where we were!”

“—Allow me to apologize, Chairman.”

The secretary spoke calmly. However, she lightly bit her lips.

“I thought that Munakata was trying to take some action regarding the Foundation… but I didn’t think he would move this fast. I accepted his order to secure Akasegawa Nanana without thinking about it…”

“Wha…”

“His affiliated businesses made some suspicious movements… he probably let them inside the Foundation. I was unable to calculate what he was doing—but most likely, they intend to take over the Foundation. That is why he needed to assassinate the Chairman—you, lady Nanana.”

“No—”

Nihei grimaced, putting a hand on the building. He lost so much blood. Even just standing up became difficult.

“Munakata—trying to provoke it—”

While sending an empty gaze at the black suits, Nihei grinded his teeth.

“The Paradigm Shift—is coming—”

Probably not understanding what he was talking about, Nanana and the secretary just stared at him.

“It’s coming—the Paradigm Shift—”

Nihei clenched his fist. However, he was very weak and his vision was blurring.

“Shit—just a bit more—at this rate, I’ll—”

“W-what are you talking about, Nihei! I don’t understand you at all!”

“I also do not think this can end well for us. Let us split here.”

Nanana clung to him while the secretary was about to rise. He grabbed both of their arms.

“No—you two need to be near me—if both of you aren’t here—the Paradigm Shift won’t—”

Strength was leaving his body.

While his consciousness was about to cut off, bitterness rose up from within him.

Most likely, everybody including Nihei himself thought that he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything.

That was true.

Nihei could never win the auction. On top of that, he had no way to overcome what was going to happen now.

That was why Nihei did it.

Only a few more minutes.

No, if he could speak just one more sentence it would be enough.

Even so—

“The Paradigm Shift—is coming—and I’m—”

While the black suits were running, they aimed their guns at them.

“—”

Nihei and the rest readied their resolve and closed their eyes.

A piercing engine noise shook MOCC.

The lights of a vehicle tore through the darkness and the thicket on the other side of the men was broken.

Going over the hedge, a jeep leapt in. Sliding on its back wheels with shrill braking noises, it blew the men away while drifting.

The lone man that escaped the car ramming readied his gun. Yet something like a thin stick pierced his arm. —The jeep’s driver had shot the man using a crossbow.

Revving up the engine again, the jeep advanced toward Nihei and the rest. Just before it crashed into them its back wheels slid to the side and the passenger seat door opened toward them.

The girl sitting in the driver’s seat was familiar.

“—Thank you for using our services. I am Handyman Kirari☆.”

“K-Kirari—”

Nanana stood in shock.

The driver grabbing the wheel was the handyman girl who’d once introduced Nihei to Mushibane. Ikarino Kirari.

“Hurry. Put the wounded in the back seat.”

The secretary acted fast. She practically threw Nanana into the passenger seat, and carried Nihei in a hug to the backseat.

“Ugh…!”

The moment the door closed, Kirari took the jeep in reverse. The vibration caused a sharp pain in Nihei’s back and he grimaced.

“Lower your head, Nanana. And you there, take care of him. There is a first aid kit at your feet.”

“You really—came—”

Nihei smiled weakly. The newly appeared men drew the trigger toward the jeep. Kirari skillfully handled the wheel to rotate the car and stomped the gas pedal.

“Sorry—the reward I was supposed to pay you—I’ve already used all of it—”

Nihei was the one to have called Kirari.

The ad for “Handyman Kirari☆” he’d seen before had an address. Since Nihei had memorized it, he’d also called there after calling the secretary. —If she’d quit her job or moved out it would’ve been useless.

“Please don’t speak. It’ll affect your wounds…”

Unlike her sharp driving skill and decision-making ability, the tone of the driver was kind.

On top of not paying her reward, she might have gotten the Akasegawa Foundation as an enemy—

Even so, Kirari accepted Nihei’s request. Her overly calm response even made her thought that she wasn’t actually coming.

But she did come.

“Haha—”

Without thinking he started laughing.

This was what being a good person meant.

Unlike Nihei who was full of excuses. She was the Real Deal.

“Wha—What is it—”

Nanana in the passenger seat couldn’t look Kirari in the eyes. The profile of the girl intently dropping her gaze was even paler than when Christy appeared.

“Y-you just came to laugh at me… you must feel very happy to see how miserable I am.”

“…”

“O-or maybe you’ve come to save me again, and the moment I feel relieved you’re going to kill me—“

“…”

What on earth made Nanana so scared?

The trembling girl didn’t seem to be shaking in fear when faced with being hated or killed or whatever. Rather, she looked like she’d be actually relieved if Kirari said she’d kill her—he had this bizarre impression.

Nanana’s face suddenly twitched because Kirari took the crossbow in hand.

However, it wasn’t aimed at Nanana’s head. She removed her hand from the wheel for an instant to nock an arrow, firing a shot to dissuade one of the black suited men that just appeared.

While the enemy flinched, Kirari grasped the wheel again. She rushed between the strangely-shaped buildings.

“I will always help you, Nanana.”

Kirari mumbled. Her eyes directed to the front, she asserted with a serious expression.

“No matter when and how.”

Nanana was speechless.

What Kirari’s words brought to Nanana were not relief or happiness. Gradually becoming more and more shaken, Nanana held her head.

“I-I don’t get it—I don’t understand at all—”

Nanana mumbled to herself.

While receiving emergency care from the secretary, Nihei watched the faraway sky.

The sky above the cross-shaped shrine—became something not of this world. Grains of darkness and light fought over the sky. Had the refractive index of the light in the twisted space turned strange or was it actually breaking? The surrounding buildings now seemed to be made of impossible shapes.

The jeep they were riding made a sudden turn. Apparently more black suits approached. A bullet grazed his ear and the sounds of air being ripped passed by.

“I will head to a hospital now. Hold out until then.”

“No—you can’t—”

Nihei rejected Kirari’s words.

“I don’t need—a hospital—I just need—to speak a little—and then I—”

“But those wounds…!”

“I don’t care—about myself—the Paradigm Shift—please go to the—Akasegawa Offices—”

“Akasegawa Offices?”

“…Please…”

Nanana pounded the car hysterically.

“Enough already, just go to the hospital! I don’t give a shit about that Paradigm nonsense! I don’t care about the Akasegawa Offices!”

“No—the Offices—soon—he’s coming—secretary needs to be—there, so—”

“Me?”

The secretary raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly the jeep lurched and the hands holding Nihei released him. His face knocked against the car, he fell on his back. Absently gazing up the heavens, he saw the twinkle of starlight. Even Christy’s darkness hadn’t reached this far.

“Nihei-kun!”

“Hurry—let’s go—Paradigm Shift—is coming—”

“What? What are you talking about! Shiika! Kirari! Secretary! I don’t understand any single one of you!”

He actually hesitated about doing this.

He really did.

Perhaps what he was trying to do was way off the mark?

He kept worrying until the very moment he’d handed Nanana to the secretary.

But he decided to make it all happen.

When the girl called Akasegawa Nanana had been running away with Nihei, she would, from time to time, count something under her breath. Listening to her murmurs, he was shocked. Although she was completely stupefied, she was—counting the value of everything that was spent on her.

She probably did it due to the reason she herself had stated. She truly believed that she could return it all over a hundredfold.

More than getting angry, he felt tired.

She only believed in money—

She didn’t believe Nihei himself at all. He wasn’t even sure if her eyes were perceiving him. Considering this, he felt that saving her was foolish and that perhaps he should have let Christy kill her.

These feelings were unchanged even now.

“…! W-what’s that?”

Kirari grasping the wheel raised a voice of confusion. Perhaps unconsciously, she grabbed her crossbow with one arm.

Nihei moved his eyes, looking ahead through the driver’s seat.

In the road illuminated by the jeep’s light there was a figure wearing shabby clothes. It held a lantern in hand.

He’s here—

Nihei’s mouth distorted to a smile.

Finally the one he had been waiting for showed himself.

“Sotheby!”

“…!”

Nanana made a scream-like voice and Kirari was also similarly startled.

The strange auctioneer blocking the jeep’s path leapt high into the air with nimble movements the likes of which he’d never seen before.

Softly and soundlessly—he landed on top of the small window glass in front of Nanana and Kirari.

With a severe expression, Kirari hurriedly nocked another arrow in her crossbow. But Sotheby bowed politely before she could shoot.

“Good evening to you…”

The auctioneer raising his head again on top of the speeding jeep didn’t even turn to look at Nanana. He spoke toward the back seats.

“I have said this before, but a new amount has been announced by the other bidder…”

Perhaps feeling that something was odd, Kirari lowered her crossbow with a puzzled expression.

“You…!”

Nanana turned to the secretary with a demonic expression.

“You worked together with Munakata! That’s how you betrayed me…!”

The secretary returned the gaze.

“I knew it—”

While breathing erratically, Nihei smiled.

“You—possess a card, right?”

“…”

Wordlessly, the secretary brought out a card from her pocket.

A golden circle on black background. Small jewels strewn on it.

It was the member card of the Round Table.

“Y-you… how did you manage to get the Round Table card?!”

Nanana was shocked.

“Ha—so that’s why Sotheby’s here—”

Nihei felt an out-of-place relief.

He held out.

His life held this far.

Without thinking, he started laughing.

Someone like him, a poor merchant without any real assets, couldn’t hope to win the auction from the very beginning.

He just needed to let those who could win the bid do so.

That was why Nihei—could only hold out so far.

Now, his role was over.

“—What are you talking about, Chairman?”

The secretary raised a brow.

Nanana widened her eyes.

“This is what you had dropped back at the Akasegawa Offices, and I saved it for you.”

The secretary showed the card to Nanana.

The number written there was “XII”—

The very one she’d dropped when she was attacked by Christy.

Sotheby and Christy probably used it as a mark to locate its owner. Just like Nihei had surmised. This was why Christy hadn’t managed to find the runaway Nanana when she didn’t hold the card.

And now, just like Nihei planned, Sotheby was invited by the card to appear in front of them—

The secretary cocked her head.

“Miss, weren’t you the one who made this last bid against Munakata? Because of that Sotheby is—“

Nanana opened her eyes wide, returning the secretary’s gaze.

“Wha—what are you talking about? I-I dropped out! Wasn’t this why Christy was after me?”

“But your hidden assets…”

“Hidden assets? I-I don’t have any of that! Not a single yen!”

“Well? I am still awaiting your answer—”

Sotheby once again lowered his head deeply. His body was directed not at the secretary.

The one he was talking to was none other than—

“Chouya Nihei-sama.”

Nanana and the secretary both widened their eyes. They turned to look at him together.

Yes, and now—Nihei’s role ended.

The preparations to cause and to overcome the Paradigm Shift.

To be honest—

To be perfectly honest, he really thought of selling Nanana to the secretary. No, really.

He would pretend to not notice the Paradigm Shift about to occur, receive a lot of cash from the secretary, open up his shop and do his own business however he wanted; that too would be fine.

Or perhaps he would come to Munakata and tell him that he was going to fold, receiving plenty of money in return.

Whatever he chose, Nihei would end up with a lot of money.

He would prove himself against those who laughed at him—with his whole heart.

“Will you bid or fold?”

He obviously didn’t possess the amounts of money that could win the auction.

Even so, he had the authority of a bidder.

It was the gamble of the century.

He happened upon a chance—whether Nihei won the bet and received money from the secretary or received money from Munakata, he would get rich no matter what.

However, Nihei made a mistake in his choice.

This was a decision that would get him nothing.

He would protect against the incoming Paradigm Shift and furthermore send a certain item to the person most fitting to possess it.

The secret of Mushi.

The first Mushitsuki.

A small fish like him who could only bluff would never be able to handle something so huge.

The item that could shake this sort of world should be bought by the appropriate person.

Right, she was an incarnation of money—

So selfish that he wanted to hit her—

She knew nothing other than money—

Not even that, but she was the Chairman of the company that ruined Nihei’s family—

Even so, that girl could control money like it was magic—

Only one merchant foolish enough to leap into this situation existed.

And so—he would pass the baton to her.

Grinning, he declared as he faced Sotheby.

“I sell my bidding rights—to Akasegawa Nanana.”

4.05 Nanana The Last

“I sell my bidding rights—to Akasegawa Nanana.”

Nanana goggled at her name suddenly coming out.

Why would he call her name here?

In the first place, how did Chouya Nihei came to hold bidder rights—

“Nihei-kun… was the other bidder who fought with Munakata?”

The secretary was shocked as well. She was so stunned she nearly let her teddy bear fall.

Nanana completely thought that once she lost, Munakata would get Alpha.

But apparently the auction continued even now.

After Nanana dropped, Chouya Nihei continued the auction battle against Munakata Kaiji—

“B…but how? I-it’s impossible! I mean—”

Nanana had bought Chronicler’s video from him. With that money, he wished to revive his own account that was frozen by the SEPB.

At the time it seemed to her to be useless.

If those were the whole assets of Chouya Nihei—they were much too small. He wouldn’t be even able to buy a new car. With only this much money Nihei would never fulfill the condition of joining the auction, being a member of the Round Table.

“This is the first time someone has sold their bidder rights. And selling it to one who is supposed to be penalized. What a conundrum…”

Sotheby spoke in a pompous manner.

“Ha—y-you liar—you actually—don’t really care about that, right?”

Nihei pulled the corners of his mouth. Apparently he could no longer smile properly.

“The Round Table—doesn’t matter—you bastard—as long as you can get some ridiculous sum—then anyone’s fine—“

“…”

“When Shiika-chan first said she wanted to participate—you laughed at her—but if she did bring out a large sum—you wouldn’t have laughed—that’s how it is—”

Hearing Nihei’s words, Nanana widened her eyes.

She finally understood what he was saying. And it was probably the truth of the matter.

Was it actually like this?

While waiting for the bid, Nanana had frantically looked into the movements of the rich people in the Round Table. Munakata probably did the same.

A person who knew Alpha’s value and had enough assets to win the bid.

She only watched the people who filled these conditions.

That was why she forgot—about the possibility of a fool who knew Alpha’s value and would bid despite having no chance to win. There was the “precedent” of Anmoto Shiika, after all.

The decisive difference between Shiika and Nihei was only the amount of money they presented.

“Even my own bidder rights—in the end I’ve exchanged for a measly sum—so selling them to another person so late—well, I’m just complaining but still—“

Nihei had bought the bidder rights for money.

Sorry—the reward I was supposed to pay you—I’ve already used all of it—

He used whatever small assets he possessed as a bribe.

He had that chance. When he waited for Sotheby at the camp used by Mushibane, the one who had announced his arrival was none other than Chouya Nihei himself.

He’d probably obtained the bidder rights because he wanted to attempt a one-on-one fight against Nanana. However, when the other unfamiliar bidder—Munakata—had appeared, he folded once and gave up. Unless he could compete with a bidder he knew, his “bluff” would have no meaning.

But then came Nanana’s breach of contract.

“Hmm…”

Sotheby pretended to think. But that was merely acting.

He should have already known that Nihei didn’t possess enough money to compete. Even so—with Nanana’s dropping out of the race, Sotheby revived Nihei’s bidding rights.

“After all—it can be anyone—as long as there’s a stalking horse, meaning a feint—anyone can—”

Stalking horse.

A figure used in auctions.

Sotheby would want a bidder who could bring him even a single yen more. If they raised the value to the limits, even if he knew they couldn’t pay—he could simply have Christy kill them, present their heads to the other bidder and thereby make them agree.

That was Nihei’s role. As a stalking horse, he would serve to raise the bid among the contestants.

Nihei made money in town. He could have easily arranged meetings with Sotheby in advance and continue bidding.

“Bfft… the suggestion of none other than Chouya Nihei-sama… I will acknowledge it as a special exception…”

Along with that menial laughter, Sotheby lowered his head with exaggerated acting.

“—”

Nanana grimaced. She felt just about ready to collapse from how foolish this all was.

But—they’d been thoroughly fooled.

Nanana thought only about money.

Munakata thought only about Alpha.

These two of the richest had been both outwitted.

Since the boy saw through the auctioneer’s true disposition, he continued his bargaining with Sotheby.

Perhaps at the start he meant to do a mere gamble. But once he knew the results of the penalty, he should have realized his life was on the line. If Munakata fell he would be killed.

How much fear had he felt?

This cowardly boy acted the part of a stalking horse while risking his life.

He won the bet and got his great chance.

The reward he got for risking his life was huge. He could sell off Nanana to the secretary or fold to Munakata and receive a large amount of money.

Even though he’d gotten this far—

He sold the chance to none other than Nanana.

“I’m—as long as I can show you—I’m satisfied—”

While distorting his face painfully, Nihei groaned.

“Nanana-chan, you—should get Alpha—something as large as that, would be wasted on me—”

“…”

“If the Paradigm Shift happens—this country will be in shambles—and the weak ones will be in trouble—we can’t let that happen—”

“…”

“Hehe… that’s three-way satisfaction—right, Nanana-chan—didja see it?”

The self-proclaimed merchant wore a strained smile.

That cheerful smile blew Nanana back. If his goal was to return it to Nanana and the rest, then he did it exceptionally well.

She thought this battle was between her and Munakata.

But she was wrong. There were three of them.

The bravest merchant of all was right in front of her—

“The cost is fine—I’m already used to handling bills from my parents—this is called margin trading.”

“But why—”

Nanana tried retreating, hitting her back against the door. Although she wanted to escape, since it was a running car there was nowhere to escape to.

“I will move the ‘insurance’.”

The secretary said, calling somewhere on her cellphone.

“Why…? I don’t get it… I don’t understand anything!”

She knew.

She wouldn’t lose to anyone when it came to money.

She was already aware since long ago that she was a being loved by money.

And that—could also be called a curse.

Bound by the chains of money, she knew what was going to happen and how she could escape it unharmed; she now knew it all.

The Paradigm Shift was coming.

An outrageous event was about to happen.

And to overcome it, she needed the power of magic.

“It has to be you, Nanana-chan—otherwise it’s useless—I definitely couldn’t—”

“S-stop—”

Nanana almost fell into panic.

“I haven’t given you anything—so why are you—”

With the braking sound echoing, the jeep made a sudden stop. Black suits were coming from the front.

Kirari stopped the jeep in the shadow of a thicket, readying her crossbow in the driver’s seat.

“Pochi did the same—”

She didn’t want to think about it, but the figure of the boy collapsing in front of her came to her mind.

“I haven’t given you that much money, so why are you doing this for me—”

She simply picked up the Mushitsuki boy on a whim.

Apparently he’d begun living in cardboard after losing the crime syndicate that hired him. At first, he—who knew only how to hurt people—looked confused at Nanana’s orders. Protecting Nanana—even while confused at this job, he was frantic about it. Seeing how he acted, she just thought that a wild mutt was trying to become a watchdog.

But he decided to pay her back way beyond what she gave him.

And not only Pochi.

Shiika said that Nanana was her friend.

Despite having been beaten down cruelly by Nanana, Kirari said she’d protect her.

And Nihei—said he would pass this chance, that he risked his life to obtain, to Nanana.

“Why… I’m so stupid and my personality is the worst… I have nothing but money, so why would they all do this for someone like me…”

Holding her head, she groaned.

“Even if you stay near me, I can’t give you anything other than money… the Magician never came back because I hadn’t given her any money…!”

“Nanana, sorry for staying silent this far.”

While loading her crossbow with arrows, Kirari looked at Nanana.

“The Magician—Kidou Tsukasa, is dead.”

Nanana widened her eyes.

She wasn’t surprised. She already had a vague feeling of this, and she saw in Chronicler’s video that the person herself had prophesized her death, so she could understand it.

Ah, I knew it—

She only felt an unfathomable sadness.

The disappointment she’d accumulated in the depths of her heart was swelled even further by Kirari, and constricted her chest.

“Although she treasured me so much, since I never gave anything to her…”

The memories from the Kind Magician, Kidou Tsukasa, were vanishing from her mind.

—What I want? But I… I can’t really explain it well, but you’ve already given it to me.

—Then I don’t understand. Well, if you ever have something you want, please tell me about it.

This was the conversation that they had while waiting for Nanana’s bus like always.

Happy days where she could feel that she was being loved.

The Magician had given her so much happiness, but Nanana gave nothing in return.

“No, that’s wrong. —I definitely can’t tell you how she died… but she told me that she wanted to stay as the Kind Magician in front of you until the very last moment. She always said that this was your bond…”

“B-but—”

“She didn’t betray you.”

Kirari smiled.

“Even without you giving us money, we will never betray you, Nanana.”

Asserting this, Kirari prepared to leap out of the driver’s seat. Stuck in this place, she probably judged it impossible to break through the encampment. Holding a crossbow and a rod-like weapon, Kirari was going to charge toward the men to open a path.

But Nanana suddenly grasped Kirari’s arm.

“Why are you making this face—”

Kirari turned back.

“I don’t understand—I really don’t! Not the Magician! Not Kirari! Shiika! Nihei! Even Pochi! If it’s not money, what do you all want!?”

Nanana had nothing but money.

Other than that, she only had things that would be hated, she was the lowest of humans.

She couldn’t understand what was what; Nanana felt like she was going crazy.

“It’s so hard! Why do you look as if you already understood this difficult thing long ago?! Why am I the only one who doesn’t!”

“…It’s not hard at all.”

“…”

“I just think of repaying that person for what she gave to me.”

Kirari spoke as if it was natural.

“—”

“Just like she did for you, you need to do back to her. —You’ve never given the Magician money, right?”

Saying this, the handyman girl trying leaping from the jeep again.

However, Nanana wouldn’t let go.

“Nanana?”

Had Kirari noticed the contradiction in what she was saying?

Give that person back what she’d given her.

With that logic and Nanana as she was, even getting killed by Kirari countless times wouldn’t be enough. She had given so much abuse to Kirari just do divert from the sense of emptiness after losing the Magician. In return for that, even just killing her once or twice would never be equal.

Even so, Kirari wouldn’t do that.

Not only that, she was trying to do the exact opposite.

There was only one thing that Kirari wished to do despite all this.

The thing she wanted to do since long, long ago.

However, Nanana was always unable to.

“—I-I’m sorry.”

Tears streamed out of Nanana’s eyes.

They weren’t equal at all.

These words did not balance everything that Nanana did this far—

“D-don’t go—”

If she let go, the girl would vanish again—she had this feeling, so Nanana kept shedding tears. She didn’t want to lose important people any longer.

It was fine if they didn’t forgive her. It was natural. She would accept any sort of punishment.

But she didn’t want them to go.

Kirari had no need to do anything for someone like her—

“…”

Kirari looked surprised. Her eyes were wide open.

A tear came to her eyes, but she grinned.

And after strongly shaking off Nanana’s arm, she left the jeep.

“Ah, ahh—”

Kirari moved swiftly. Keeping the surrounding men in check with her crossbow and using the darkness and thickets around to her advantage, she leapt on them. The men couldn’t use their guns due to fear of friendly fire and Nanana saw them getting hit by the rod one after another. It was probably some gadget, as she could see sparks flying every time the rod struck.

Kirari’s movements were just like those of the Magician she’d seen in Chronicler’s video. As if the Magician herself returned to protect Nanana—

—I won’t betray you.

Nanana thought that the Magician had betrayed her.

But wasn’t it so?

Had the Kind Magician Kidou Tsukasa as well—left her emotions to Kirari and kept protecting Nanana?

“Nanana-chan—buy it from me—my bidder rights—”

The collapsed Nihei in the back seat was already out of her sight. The lower half of his body was soaked red with blood.

“What you need to do—You definitely understand, Nanana-chan—”

Nanana leaned forward, touching Nihei’s leg.

“N-no…”

Her voice mixed with sobs couldn’t even be called a voice anymore. It was only a coarse breath leaking from the very depths of the throat.

“No… don’t die…”

Kirari was hit by a man from the back. No matter how nimble her movements were, they were just too many. Just one attack was enough to dull her.

“This is not equal… with the life of someone like me…”

Nanana kept shaking her head.

From now on, she would repay love with love.

Repay kindness with kindness.

However, if it was life—she didn’t want life like Pochi’s to be lost for her sake.

There was no way the life of such a hopeless girl equaled their lives—

“D-don’t die…”

Nanana’s hair was ruffled by the wind as she wished this.

As she raised her head, she could see more and more swarms of people approaching.

Boys and girls of various appearances appeared next to Nanana’s group. Large Mushi defeated the men pointing guns at Kirari.

“Let’s charge through!”

A woman came rushing in front of Nanana’s eyes.

It was Namie. Leading her comrades, the direction they came in a formation from—was the center of MOCC, where the flakes of darkness and light clashed.

Nanana finally understood who all these people who rushed at them were.

They were Mushibane.

“Ouch!”

Thud, the jeep that Nanana and the rest were riding vibrated.

Two boys leapt into the driver’s seat. Nanana vaguely stared up at that face.

“Aijisupa—”

The boy with the hairband stood there. He’d probably survived the fight against Christy back at the Akasegawa Offices. Looking down on Nihei coldly, he grabbed him by the cuff and pushed him at the other boy.

“You stay here. I’m leaving Nihei to you.”

“Aah! Shuddup, I get it!”

Shaking off Aijisupa’s arm, the boy with pierced ear got on the back seat. Opening the door, he dragged Nihei’s body to the ground and dropped him off.

Nanana remembered that boy. If she recalled—he should be a Mushitsuki with healing abilities. A small sphere of light was produced around the boy, assembling on the collapsed Nihei’s back.

“But is this fine? If I stay here, I won’t be able to help Snow if anything happens to her, you know?”

Aijisupa stayed silent. Turning his body, he followed to chase after his comrades.

“…Shit! I don’t have enough of my medium! With just moonlight I can’t… Dammit, what’s Lucifera doing? Isn’t she slacking off again?!”

While shouting angrily, the boy with piercings focused on his healing. Just by seeing him this flustered she could see that saving Nihei would be difficult.

“Nanana-chan—the bidder rights—”

Nihei kept mumbling incoherently. He probably no longer knew what he himself was saying.

“Everything is ready.”

Finishing her cellphone call, the secretary looked at Nanana.

“Nanana… are you fine?”

A grimace on her face (perhaps due to getting wounded), Kirari also came back.

Nanana bit her lips hard.

What they wanted from her.

Nanana—knew what it was.

“…I will buy the bidder rights from Chouya Nihei.”

Turning around, she spoke toward the auctioneer who watched them all calmly as if he had nothing to do with the situation.

“Understood! I will pass the bidding rights from Chouya Nihei-sama to Akasegawa Nanana-sama!”

Sotheby’s declaration echoed around the nighttime MOCC.

Nanana had once—admired the Magician.

There was a time she believed that if she became a Mushitsuki like Kidou Tsukasa she could be a Magician as well.

But Nanana wasn’t able to become a Mushitsuki, and she came to realize it was neither magic nor anything else.

What the Kind Magician had given her was nothing like that power.

“Akasegawa Nanana-sama—”

Anmoto Shiika and Chouya Nihei said that her techniques of controlling money were like magic.

If that was true—

If they really believed so—

“Will you bid or fold?”

Nanana would use that power.

To overcome the looming Paradigm Shift.

Akasegawa Nanana narrowed one eye, preparing to invoke her magic.

“Fold.”

The girl’s gallant declaration echoed in MOCC.

4.06 Shiika Part 4

The center of MOCC.

The shrine lost its original shape, becoming a mountain of rubble made from concrete, iron and stainless steel.

Darkness filled the surroundings and a beauty was floating in the sky where no light could reach.

“Laaaaaaaa—“

Christy’s singing voice reverberated in the deathly quiet space. With her dress fluttering as she floated, the beauty opened her black-painted mouth wide and sang. The feathered cap hiding half of her face was being blown about violently despite there being no wind.

On the surface all signs of life were gone and nothing was moving.

At the zenith of the rubble floated countless arms. The dozens of arms produced from darkness coagulated, forming a round objet d'art.

Silence.

And a song.

In front of the shrine wrapped in death, a single flake of snow fell.

“Break…”

Christy raised a singing voice, attacking the snow with feathers made of darkness.

But the snow bringing faint glow repelled these fathers.

Snow danced on the surface, touching the masses of dark arms.

At that moment.

“More…”

The countless arms burst and were erased.

Released from the arms of darkness which were Christy’s ability, Shiika glared at her from the top of the rubble.

The firefly held aloft in her hands glowed brightly.

“More…!”

One flake and another tore through the sky painted in black, and faintly-glowing snow began to fall.

The whirl of destruction swallowed Christy. Distorting the darkness filling up the night sky, breaking it, blowing it away. The snow soon became a blizzard, reaping through the veil of death dominating the shrine.

“Laaaaaa—”

Tearing through the darkness, even the light itself was distorted, and everything in line of sight was being destroyed.

Flake after flake created a sphere of certain destruction. Perception distorted due to wavelengths beyond visible range, a loud sound beyond audible range, the soundless, silent destruction was wreaking havoc through MOCC. Even its host Shiika lost her sense of balance, now unaware if she was still in a world ruled by physical laws.

Other than the pale glowing snow, this space had nothing in it.

Even the darkness of death nullified, a world where the perfect destruction was silent.

The blizzard that allowed nothing to exist did not continue for long.

“Hah… hah…”

Light returned, darkness returned, and the distorted vision of MOCC returned.

Shiika stumbled in place.

Something important was leaking from her heart. Important feelings and emotions that she accumulated so far started falling as if there was a hole in her heart—

“Hah… hah…”

Shiika absently raised her deathly pale face.

She couldn’t see the figure of Christy in the night sky that retrieved all starlight. She looked around her with dull movements.

The next moment—

“Laaaaaa—”

As if she was crying.

As if she was shouting.

Christy’s song echoed around.

The sky Shiika was looking up to was being swallowed by darkness by the second.

The white-faced Christy once again floated in the sky dyed in black.

“Kh—”

Shiika bit her lips to barely hold on to her consciousness.

Again.

Shiika’s ability was powerful, and she knew that nothing could win against it in a direct clash. When Shiika made snow fall, Christy changed her tactics to retreat.

And when Shiika softened her attacks, she began the counterattack.

“Ugh…”

Seeing countless feathers flutter down from the sky, Shiika made snow fall.

However, it was definite that the power and breadth of her ability was diminishing. Blocking the rain of feathers took everything she had.

“Laaaaalaaaaa—”

How many hours passed since she started the fight against Christy?

Even Shiika realized what her enemy’s ability was.

Darkness—or perhaps it was “night”.

The beauty in the evening dress could freely control the night’s darkness. She could coagulate it to form feathers or arms, or simply move through darkness as if swimming in the ocean.

Christy’s range could be said to be infinite. During nighttime the darkness existed in everything, so she could go anywhere, and could produce as many feathers and arms as weapons as needed.

On the other hand, Shiika’s ability was confined to a certain range.

No matter how much of an unmatched and powerful ability she possessed, if her opponent took refuge in a place the snow couldn’t reach, she couldn’t do anything.

“—”

The recoil of using her ability made her consciousness fuzzy. About to fall over, she gasped and held her head.

But this moment of carelessness made Shiika lose sight of Christy. In the sky wrapped in darkness, she couldn’t see that white face anywhere.

“Eek—”

As she felt a chill and looked down, she almost raised a scream.

The beauty in the dress was clinging to Shiika’s legs. Extending that pale arm from leg to waist, from waist to shoulders, she climbed up Shiika’s body.

“…!”

In what could be called a gentle manner, Christy’s arm reached Shiika’s neck. In a distance of their lips nearly touching, the eyes made with pitch-black eyeline gazed directly at Shiika’s.

Shiika immediately tried shaking Christy off, but froze.

MOCC—was being eaten.

It was possibly the larva of a poisonous moth. The darkness was transforming to a swarm of these grotesque larvae. But those Mushi’s bodies were covered not only in hairs, but also in the plumage of a bird.

“Laaaaaa—”

Christy’s enchanting eyes and her affectionate embrace encroached on Shiika’s heart.

Powerful Special Type Mushi could create different worlds enclosed from reality—who had she heard this from? Just like the Church of Shinpu, the one who gave birth to them, they could cut off space from the outside world and drag someone inside—

Enchanted by the beauty’s hug, Shiika was losing her rationality.

Being eaten by the moth larvae, the surroundings turned completely to darkness.

“Laaa…”

As Shiika’s pupils lost light and she just stood there, Christy softly separated from her. She lovingly caressed Shiika’s cheeks with her cold fingertips, distancing from her as if in a dance.

“—”

As Shiika stood frozen, her body was being eaten by the darkness Mushi.

Being eaten by the dark from head to toe, before long Shiika herself became one with it—

She couldn’t see anything or hear anything.

She couldn’t touch anything.

This world without any of the five senses lacked even pain, and she was left pacified.

It felt as though only her heart was fluttering in this pitch black.

Shiika’s heart accompanied by light was also embraced by the darkness.

I hope Nanana and the rest managed to escape safely—

This world, where she was absolved from all pains, was pleasant.

Here there was no fear of her dream being eaten by her Mushi or being targeted by the SEPB. Not even the sadness of losing those important to her like Rina. Nor the pressure of carrying the destiny of all of Mushibane on her back.

Thinking about it, why did Kakkou come to the lake—

Shiika, having turned into a heart purer than being naked, thought of something inconsequential.

A world without fear, sadness or hatred.

Shiika was calmly sinking inside this world that had no need of fighting.

I wonder if Alpha’s also at a place like this—

The primal Mushitsuki, Alpha.

He? Or perhaps it was a she.

It was fun thinking about that Mushitsuki.

What did they dream about to become a Mushitsuki?

What happened that ended up with them being locked even now?

What dream did the Mushitsuki called Alpha possess?

What kind of dream started everything?

The darkness was shaving off Shiika’s heart.

Light was dulling and weakening.

“Christy-san—”

Shiika moved her mouth.

She no longer had a mouth or a voice to speak with. However, Shiika’s heart spoke a simple question to the darkness.

“What is your dream?”

The darkness made no reply.

“Why—did you sell Alpha?”

Perhaps she couldn’t hear the answer.

No, Shiika knew that the dress beauty would answer nothing.

“Or are you just following Sotheby’s orders?”

She always thought it strange.

Despite both of them being Mushitsuki.

Despite both of them having started because of some important dream.

Why did they turn Alpha the Mushitsuki into an item for sale?

“I am—”

She heard a weak voice.

No, she didn’t actually hear it. Shiika didn’t even know if that was actually a voice.

“I just need to keep existing the way he wishes me to…”

Shiika smiled.

She knew it. Christy was a Mushitsuki too.

Not a monster or anything like that.

Living by what’s important to her and existing for that sake—

“Have you also seen the moment that Mushi were born?”

Shiika inquired.

“What actually happened during the Paradigm Shift?”

In this situation where both body and mind were being eaten, how could she stay calm—

She realized that Christy was shaken. Shiika had the feeling that the darkness encroaching on her heart fluctuated ever so slightly.

“No one can touch Alpha…”

Shiika’s body was already lost, but the weak voice definitely came from “behind” her. The presence of Christy’s heart approached Shiika timidly.

It was as strange sensation. Although she had no body, Shiika felt as if she was sitting back-to-back with the woman called Christy and having a conversation with her.

“Why?”

“…”

“I want to talk to Alpha…”

“His crib is soon to break down… if so, then this world will be cursed…”

“Cursed?”

“I was… so happy, and yet…”

“…”

“Even if I fell to the role of a mere ‘lookout’… as long as I was with him… I did not feel either lonely or pitiful, and yet…”

Christy’s voice, with whom she was talking from a distance they could but couldn’t touch, sounded much younger than her appearance indicated. She was talking to Shiika, but didn’t seem to answer her question.

Was it because the both of their spirits became bare? The pain that permeated Christy’s heart pierced Shiika’s heart as well. As if dropped into deep water, she almost drowned in pain, suffering, and finally love for a certain someone that was many times larger than that.

“Please… stop this…”

She gasped for breath in the ocean of fierce emotions.

“Please… I beg you, stop doing this sort of…”

Shiika entreated her.

What she felt from Christy’s heart in the darkness was the complete opposite feeling from what she’d felt from Sotheby.

“I don’t need anything… Alpha’s hatred will destroy this world anyhow…”

She didn’t need anything—

Christy had no need for either money or position.

“But… he said it…”

It was simply that, more than loving someone—she hungered to be loved.

“That he will allow me to, once again—wear a beautiful dress…”

The darkness encroaching Shiika’s heart strengthened.

“Christy-san…”

Shiika bit her nonexistent lips.

“I want to keep going ahead… will you not come with me?”

That was Shiika’s final question toward Christy.

“Our time, of me and him, that time before the Paradigm Shift—stayed frozen…”

The invisible beauty whispered.

“If he wishes to go back to that time… I only wish for that as well…”

“…I see.”

She had vowed to not take any unnecessary fights.

She thought she could simply run away from fights as much as she wanted to. She thought that if she could throw away pride, will and hatred, if she could sever those chains, then she’d be able to run away no matter how hurt she was.

However—there were fights one simply couldn’t run away from.

One couldn’t escape the clashes between two dreams.

Why was that?

Once, Shiika had her Mushi killed by Kakkou, who possessed the same dream.

Kakkou also fought against Tachibana Rina who held the same dream as well.

If their situations were different, they could have all walked together, and yet—why were there fights you couldn’t run from in this world?

Shiika found that unbearable.

Because of that—

“…I’m sorry.”

After losing her body and having the outer surface of her heart shaved bare, only her very last pieces of heart remained.

The light that was almost eaten whole by the darkness transformed.

A small light lit up inside the darkness.

Shiika’s heart changed form—to a lone firefly.

The darkness cracked.

The snow born around the firefly was breaking through the domain controlled by the Mushi of darkness.

“Laaaa—”

She could hear Christy’s scream.

Enclosing Shiika also meant coagulating her ability near Shiika. The snow created by the firefly broke the space that controlled Shiika.

“Laaaa!”

Standing on top of the wreckage, Shiika held up her firefly in both hands.

The nearby Christy screeched. She tried escaping the darkness being destroyed by the raging snow by floating to air.

But Shiika’s snow wouldn’t let her. Christy’s darkness—her poisonous moth larvae were already captured in the range of Shiika’s snow.

“Laaaaaaa!”

The snow containing Shiika’s full power crushed the darkness defending Christy.

The world with nothing but darkness had been so tranquil.

The relief of not needing to get hurt anymore—no need to fight any longer. How easy would it be to just fall asleep?

However—the stillness was not full.

There wasn’t enough tranquility.

Shiika’s heart had been eroded that much.

She could no longer be filled with comfort—so she could only keep fighting to the very end.

Until, one day…

She would find the place that she belonged to—

“Laaaaa—”

Christy stopped trying to escape. She hugged her own body, showing an expression unlike what she’d had until now.

Immediately after that, dark-colored feathers were produced around the beauty. Unlike those she’d created in her range, she kept flying them in a circular motion as if to protect her.

She probably judged it impossible to run from the blizzard. She created extremely thick darkness around the space where she was floating. The circular wings cancelled the snow, and she created further feathers.

“Laaaaaa—”

“—”

Shiika and Christy.

A test of endurance between snow and darkness began.

Pushed by the blowing blizzard, the feathers protecting Christy were violently eradicated one by one.

And—

“—Hah…! Hah…!”

Grimacing, Shiika collapsed on the spot. She put her hand to the cracked asphalt.

While taking ragged breaths, she raised her sweat-drenched face.

“Laaa—”

The beauty in evening dress who lost her wings was floating in air.

As Shiika gazed up, she could see small, black objects drifting down from the starry sky.

These were dark-colored feathers.

“Laaaaaaaaa—”

As Christy sang in a shrill voice, she created more and more dark feathers.

On the other hand, the blizzard brought by Shiika was about to have its last flake fall on the ground.

Another step.

And another.

With such a small distance between them, Shiika’s energy reached its limits.

“—”

She vaguely gazed up at Christy melting with the surrounding darkness and retrieving her power.

Shiika wanted to face the future, but Christy who desired the past stood in her way.

Was Shiika not enough?

Were her own legs not sufficient to be walking ahead—

As Shiika scowled in pain, her profile was suddenly lit up.

“Eh…?”

Shiika stood in place, but from front, rear and all possible directions a bright light started illuminating her.

The buildings lined up in MOCC all lit up. One after another, the lights installed in all the premises were turned on.

The ruined shrine started glowing dazzlingly.

“Laaaaaa—”

Almost having retrieved her full powers, Christy raised a soprano scream. Engulfed by the blinding lights, the darkness around that she fused with was ripped and dispersed.

“Charge!”

The cry heard in front of the shrine was of a familiar voice.

A common albatross butterfly burning with a pale fire clashed against the darkness covering Christy.

“Namie-san…!”

Leading the Mushitsuki who appeared one after another was Namie.

Furthermore—

“Laaaaaa!”

A white flash of light shot through Christy’s newly produced feathers.

“Aijisupa-san—”

Tears rose to Shiika’s eyes.

The boy who’d served to stop Christy back at the Akasegawa Offices was shooting high-pressure steam into the sky. —This illumination was probably also his idea. There was no doubt that he’d seen through Christy’s ability after fighting her once. Since her medium was darkness, light would serve as her cage.

Shiika’s rapidly exhausted heart recovered a little of its power.

The firefly about to lose its light wore a pale glow again.

Seeing all those who fought along with her, Shiika thought.

No matter how hurt she was—

Even if she became Fallen—

As long as she could meet those who’d walked along with her, she’d return as many times as it’d take—

“Laaaaaa!”

Christy probably realized she was now in an inferior position. Her dress flapping, she suddenly rose up.

Escaping to the high skies where the light wouldn’t reach, she intended on wearing the darkness again.

Shiika’s firefly emitted a warm glow.

“Laaaa—”

Even while being hit by Mushibane’s attacks, Christy tried running away from the battlefield. With her dress scorched and her feathered cap blown through, she flew directly toward the full moon.

But above Christy there was a single falling shining star.

No, it wasn’t a star.

It was a flake of snow glowing in pale light.

“Laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Christy widened her eyes painted in the color of darkness.

The snow fell on the beauty’s evening dress—the beautiful dress that was so far untouched, protected by the darkness.

Christy’s body bent and started losing speed.

The snow’s light encroached the dress after touching it. Even the darkness remaining around Christy was wrapped up in the glow, dispersing as if bursting from within.

“—-samaaaaaaaaa!!!”

This was probably someone’s name. For the first time she screamed words that had meaning.

While the darkness covering her was blown off, the beauty fell to the surface.

And—

“…”

Aijisupa produced a cushion of steam, catching Christy.

Seeing her, Shiika bit her lips.

Christy lost all of her ability. A streak of tears was on the lady’s cheeks. Whether it became like this due to Shiika’s abilities or if it was her true appearance—her evening dress and hat were torn and decayed and the dark-color smudged on her eyes and lips the makeup was also gone. The lower part of her body hidden by the dress had two doll-like prosthetic legs.

“I’m sorry… we are—going to go get Alpha.”

Shiika declared toward the woman who was now a silent Fallen.

Something landed at her feet.

From the chest of her dress fell a member card with no number on it.

4.07 The Others

On the topmost floor of the Akasegawa Offices, Munakata Kaiji looked down on the city’s nightscape.

“…”

The wheelchaired Munakata saw that one of the lights in the jewel box-like city vanished.

One after another, lights from buildings that could be seen from afar were gone.

Another.

And another one.

The townscape he was gazing calmly at was slowly losing its lights.

As if the city was a living being and the blood circulating through its body was stopped—

“…”

Even seeing that happen, Munakata felt nothing.

Never mind regret, he couldn’t even feel sadness or guilt.

That building, that structure and all the lights vanishing like that were all under the ownership of the Akasegawa Foundation. Even now Munakata’s subordinates were buying them all at once using forceful methods.

This was—the beginning.

First he would sell off all of the Akasegawa Foundation’s personal assets.

He would also release all assets the Akasegawa Group had all over the country.

Once that was over, Munakata would start releasing his own property. It wouldn’t measure up to the assets of the entire Foundation, but businesses under Munakata’s patronage were also widespread.

He would convert the entirety of the Akasegawa Foundation and his own funds to cash.

Finally, after all that—Munakata would reach the amount of money he’d bid on the auction.

In this country there was no other person or organization that could prepare so much money. It was probably the same globally as well.

Therefore, Munakata’s victory was settled once he made that last bid.

No one could reach it.

No could touch it.

He prepared that much money.

“I wonder what’ll happen to this country…”

Munakata mumbled emotionlessly.

He could easily imagine what would happen.

The sum created by bringing together the full assets of the Akasegawa Foundation and Munakata Kaiji was preposterous. That money was all going to vanish overnight. This country’s economy would be in tumult, and other investors from countries would immediately leap onto them.

This capitalist country’s economics would be monopolized by foreigners.

The bloodless revolution of other countries would begin.

This night, this country was going to fully transform.

Paradigm Shift—

Will this country, with its fatal problem of Mushi, be able to withstand such a large wave of change?

Munakata lost interest in even that.

“Both before and now… since even dreaming about the future seems nostalgic to me, it has nothing to do with me.”

Munakata decided to throw away the future.

This wasn’t due to his illness. He was not going to make any excuses for that.

To obtain Alpha, he would abandon his own future.

That was his resolve.

Even if this result turned the entire world against him, he would no longer hesitate.

“Tonight I will kill this country. —Whether it would return to life or not depends on humans from now on.”

The Paradigm Shift would change the very shape of this world.

It would destroy anything and everything that existed in that era.

Would they be able to revive during the change of generations or would they grow weaker, unable to overcome yet another violent change? That was what the people would need to choose.

“…?”

There was a change in the nightscape heading to ruin.

While many lights were turning off, just one place was rekindled anew.

Akasegawa Foundation’s composite school facility—MOCC.

Munakata raised an eyebrow.

That place was not supposed to have received any electricity. Since they were about to bring the staff in that summer the installation had been completed, but it still hadn’t undergone operational testing.

Was today that test, then?

He gazed at the brilliant MOCC which was glowing as though it was the last bastion of this dying city.

After watching it for a while, he could hear several footsteps approaching in this topmost floor corridor.

Munakata turned to look.

Two women were approaching him.

One was a slender woman in suit hugging a teddy bear. He didn’t know her name, but apparently that stuffed animal was called Coccinella Septempunctata.

And the other petite individual was a teenage girl. Dressed in a dirty dress, she held a walking stick in the shape of an upside-down J.

“…”

Munakata calmly gazed at the girl making an elegant curtsey.

Tap, tap—

The girl tapped her stick on the window with a smile.

Munakata looked there.

He could only see there the dying townscape even now.

The girl started spinning her stick as if pantomiming. Walking around aimlessly with a theatrical manner, suddenly turning toward the window—

Tap.

She pounded her stick against the window.

“—”

Munakata widened his eyes.

Just as the girl’s stick pointed toward a building, its lights returned.

As if it was being revived from the dead.

Just like—magic.

“Yahah.”

The girl laughed foolishly, spinning her stick again.

Tap.

Her stick hit the window.

Once again, the lights returned to another building.

Tap.

Another tap.

The city was coming back to life.

Every time she waved her magic staff, she revived part of the city.

This girl was much like a magician from a fairytale.

Munakata already stopped looking at where the stick pointed.

“…Did I lose?”

Munakata knew exactly what happened.

As he closed an eye, the secretary’s mechanical tone pressed with a question.

“Acting Chairman Munakata. Have you any explanation regarding the selling of Akasegawa Group assets you have done on your own?”

“How quick. Truly quick. So have you gathered the executives…? Meaning you had an ‘insurance’.”

He’d noticed that the secretary was wary against him.

But he was confident he would win.

No matter what Munakata did, the executives would do nothing without an absolute ruler above them. He was convinced of this, and without the substitute ruler called Munakata, they would probably just restlessly observe what happened until everything was over.

That was why Munakata wanted to erase that very position.

The gun-wielding men and the fact the secretary had the card that would draw Christy to her location—he’d set up two traps at once.

No, considering the fact that Munakata had himself broken her, it was three traps.

Yet that girl managed to overcome all of it.

“I have none.”

“Then, Munakata Kaiji. I hereby dismiss you from your role as Acting Chairman. And as for the new Chairman—“

The secretary turned beside her.

There was the young magician waving her wand at town.

The cane dancing in air as though a conductor’s baton retrieved the city’s form as a jewel box.

“Due to the reinstatement of Akasegawa Nanana, her frozen assets will be released.”

There was the sound of something dragging on the ground.

A shabby figure appeared in the darkness at the topmost floor corridor ahead.

The auctioneer clad in a worn-out suit stepped in front of Munakata.

None there even turned to look at Sotheby.

“Just now, the other bidder has announced their folding.”

“…”

“Congratulations! Munakata-sama, you have won the bid on Alpha!”

The victory declaration of Sotheby vainly echoed in the corridor.

Munakata smiled, staring outside the window.

“Akasegawa Nanana. So you were the third bidder.”

“That’s wrong.”

While cheerfully waving her cane, Nanana instantly answered.

“Oh?”

In the end, Munakata did not found out who it was.

Not only him. There was no doubt that no people could have foreseen that bidder. The secretary and the Foundation members as well had been toyed with by that person. He was certain that Nanana falling off the race would end everything, but the appearance of another bidder collapsed his schemes.

The Akasegawa Foundation could not escape the auction.

If he had to win no matter what—rather than Munakata’s bid, there would be less victims with Nanana’s one. Including the secretary, everyone related to the Foundation would probably value it like that.

“The bidder was far beyond either you or I… a coward who was all talk. If you knew the bidder’s identity, you’d surely be disappointed. Yahah.”

While laughing, Nanana narrowed one eyes.

“Even so, he was much more valuable than me or you.”

“…”

“I simply bought my bidding rights from him.”

Munakata sighed. Along with his sigh he felt as if something that was caught inside him left.

“Just… what was I?”

He really thought it dubious.

What sort of being was he?

He’d lost his past—Tachibana Rina, lost his present—Mushibane, and even had the resolve to throw away his future; but it just wasn’t enough.

“She was my one and only comrade. I was unable to protect her, but I kept loving her even after her passing, so I wanted to monopolize the act of following her footsteps.”

“…”

“But—I couldn’t. Did I have any value?”

“’Swans create destiny’.”

“…?”

“’The duckies are merely involved in the flow created by their passing, leaving them flustered.’”

She was probably quoting someone. Nanana’s tone was embedded with strong emotions, but her eyes staring to the distance were calm.

Munakata’s expression crumbled. Being flustered was an apt description.

“I see. In the end I was a mere duck. —Being swept up in her flow was… very enjoyable. I do believe that.”

He never thought of creating his own flow. He never thought of changing the flow.

Simply getting tossed around by the flow created by that person was enjoyable. Even the suffering brought by that white swan made him happier than anything else.

“Are you a swan, Akasegawa Nanana?”

“Some people told me that. I don’t really know myself, though.”

Nanana’s sight was turned directly ahead. A completely different person from when she folded her knees in despair at the Akasegawa Offices, her gaze became fiercer.

“At the very least, I no longer plan on looking back.”

“…”

“Alpha—I will obtain them to move forward.”

“…I see.”

The compensation for nearly causing the Paradigm Shift was large.

Although Akasegawa Nanana promptly restored the flow, the sudden movement of large amounts of money would create chaos in the business world.

Shockwaves would beget shockwaves, and the entire country would fall into an economic state of unrest.

However, for people like that girl—the swans that only looked ahead—perhaps even such a change would not cause them to look back.

Thinking this, he didn’t even feel bitter.

Perhaps now that true Paradigm Shift would occur.

He decided to let the next generation to face the future—

Perhaps he had some value as a springing board for that purpose.

“I’ll abandon the payment. After all, all of my money already fell from between my hands.”

Munakata turned to Sotheby and declared this.

The strange auctioneer shook. He raised an angry voice toward the heavens.

“This is breach of contract! The shameless violator must be punished! Christy!”

The evening dress woman did not appear.

There was only an ominous silence.

“Christy? Christy…!”

Sotheby was shaken, keeping on calling the darkness-clad lady.

Munakata, Nanana and the secretary sent cold gazes at him.

“Chris—”

“Akasegawa Nanana, you will decide. I will accept any punishment you bestow on me.”

“Withdraw, Munakata Kaiji.”

The girl who’d lost her subordinate Pochi looked down on Munakata with a strong gaze.

“We will watch everything to the end—you at the hospital, and I with the rest of the Mushitsuki. That is the punishment I bestow on you.”

Nanana’s words served as proof she changed.

“However, before that, Shiika’s going to scold you hard.”

“That will be… quite unpleasant.”

Shiika would probably be mad at him. Also—she would probably tell him to fight again with them. But he couldn’t reply to that. It was a much better punishment to him than being executed.

“Sotheby.”

Nanana turned back to the auctioneer.

“What you need to do here is just reach a decision.”

The magician girl narrowed one eyes, spinning her stick.

“Will you revive the authority for the other bidder to win through the previous bid? Will you go looking for new bidders? —If you think there are any other suitable bidders other than us three, then you can go right away.”

Surrounded by cold gazes, Sotheby groaned.

The girl who was the incarnation of money dropped out, while the man who lived for love remained.

The man competed against his unknown opponent.

And that opponent—that undoubtedly brave person, left his hopes to the magician girl.

And the man lost.

Where there any people with enough resolve to match these three in the entire country?

The answer was obvious.

“C…congratulations! Akasegawa Nanana-sama, you have won the bid on Alpha!”

Sotheby’s declaration closed the book on the auction revolving around Alpha.

5.00 Payment

There was a change in the girl it was watching over.

She was degraded, she was dejected, and she was supposed to have been knocked down.

She was supposed to sink to the depths of despair just like it did.

However, the girl overcame it.

What had happened to her? It couldn’t understand.

There was only one thing for certain. Passing from despair to hope there was a large change—a paradigm shift.

Even while looking down from the high skies, the girl’s change was clear. Neither her appearance nor actions differed from before, but now there was a powerful will in her eyes. She had broken her past self that just ran away from everything and now had a powerful resolve to never run again.

Watching over her for a while after that, she started to move.

In the white limousine it’d seen before.

It kept following her from the air while she moved a large, large, large distance.

While flying through the heavens, it felt a déjà vu at the scenery.

Oh, I see. It’s this road—

The route it’d once taken.

A road it had come to while jubilant at its transient freedom and dreaming about flying all around the world.

Led by the girl’s white limousine, it finally returned whence it came.

When it could see the familiar sea far ahead, it was convinced.

Why had it been drawn to this girl?

Enclosure, Bubble, and Paradigm Shift—

Becoming surrounded and impounded, bursting after an overblown valuation, and calling forth the great revolution.

That was exactly the same as those that had been swept by these three phenomena, including itself.

Or not.

Its own Paradigm Shift was not yet complete.

It didn’t overcome it as well.

Even while it was flying around here, it hadn’t yet retrieved its freedom.

That was why it returned.

Even if one couldn’t escape despair, simply running away would never solve anything.

It had to overcome it, just like that girl.

Overcome the era—

Overcome despair—

And it returned to itself in the truest sense.

5.01 Shiika The Last

“’I have acquired Sanbikime, y’all’—”

Inside the limousine, Ikarino Kirari said this.

“That is the message from Shirakashi Ubuki-san. There’s also one from Ebina Yuu-san.”

For Shiika, these messages from her friends were, above all else, reassuring.

“’It looks like it’ll take a bit of time for Sanbikime to wake up, so you do your best as well, Shiika-san’.”

Kirari raised an index finger, putting it on her lip.

“Actually, since a certain someone told me not to reveal anything about Sanbikime, this is a secret.”

She was happy.

Ubuki and Yuu were both safe, and both were even now continuing to fight—

Even afar, they walked the same path.

What on earth lay ahead on that path? Until they found out, everyone would continue walking.

“Pochi’s funeral is over.”

“…Right.”

Nanana’s reply to the secretary’s words was brief. Apparently, the boy’s real name was engraved on the tombstone. Nanana didn’t tell Shiika that name.

“Shiika, do you know about Oogui’s power?”

Nanana’s question made Shiika tilted her head.

Did those Original Three have any power other than giving birth to Mushitsuki?

“…Well, even if you don’t know, we still have to defeat that thing.”

Saying this, she looked outside the window as if recalling something.

“If you intend on ending this, gather allies. More, more. After all, someone gave me the chance for that time that would come one day…”

With that, Nanana spoke no further about Oogui. Shiika thought it strange, but she nodded. If she said so, she had to have a reason.

Outside the window, several sceneries flowed by.

Sea and mountain, towns, all were left in the distance behind.

Not only the limousine was running on the road. Ahead and behind it was accompanied by cars painted in black and some helicopters were also following from above.

The drive that seemed like it would continue forever finally reached its destination.

After leaving the Akasegawa Offices early morning and going straight without any stops, it was already sunset when they reached the place.

The pure red sun was sinking into the sea that expanded ahead.

A small fishing harbor was there.

It was probably a long time since it was last used. The ground made of poor-quality asphalt was cracked. Entering the pier, they could see the wharf meant for ships to land was broken. Half of the fishing boats there sunk and the gantry crane near the wharf was rusted black. Even Shiika, a complete amateur, could see that the ships and crane were old.

Even the town they passed on their way there did not seem to have many people living in it. Perhaps they could no longer catch any fish there, or else there were large fishing wharfs built elsewhere. No one would even think of this place, so utterly bereft of any human presence.

“This is…?”

Going down from the limousine, Shiika looked around her. The scent of the sea stimulated her nostrils and she could hear the cries of waterfowl from the calm sea.

The wharf also had an old open storage yard and container port. A bit further was a line of warehouses. All of them were completely rusted and were on the edge of ruin.

“Apparently so. Yahah, it smells so salty.”

While spinning her stick, Nanana walked here and there with her pump heels clacking.

Shiika, Nanana, the secretary and Kirari—these four people got off the limousine. After them many other figures also did.

The wheelchair-bound Munakata Kaiji was also there. After Shiika scolding him about everything that happened and asking Nanana to let him attend, she agreed as a matter of course. She came to know that Munakata was being slowly afflicted by an illness immediately after the auction’s end. Now his wheelchair even had an attached IV drip.

Other than Munakata, Aijisupa, Namie, Halensis, Lucifera, the pierced boy and even Chouya Nihei who barely survived the ordeal were there. “Wow! This is so authentic!” the cowardly merchant’s voice echoed on the wharf.

Once, it was probably swarming with people.

However, no trace of that remained on this wharf.

“He’s here.”

Looking toward the edge of the wharf, Munakata announced that person’s arrival.

Dragging his weathered shoes behind him, the shabby-looking auctioneer appeared.

While spinning her stick, Nanana stepped ahead.

“I apologize to have kept you waiting, Akasegawa Nanana-sama…”

“Forget about the greetings. Where is Alpha?”

“Of course, he is nearby… however, before that—”

The auctioneer Sotheby bowed deeply toward Nanana.

“I would like for you to pay…”

“Fine. Take it.”

Nanana raised her stick.

Next to Shiika, the secretary put a wireless device to her ears. Receiving their orders, all helicopters descended from above at once.

The wind and noise made by their propellors enveloped the wharf.

And—

“Ooh… oh—”

Sotheby looked at the sky, raising a voice of ecstasy.

The sky of the wharf was filled with shining objects.

The gold nuggets carried by the helicopters were raining down on them.

The golden rain reflecting sunlight poured on the harbor.

“Bfft… bwahaha! I do thank you for your patronage, Akasegawa Nanana-sama!”

Blessed by the gold, Sotheby shook with delight.

Shiika, Munakata and the rest of Mushibane watched over him with cold eyes. Chouya Nihei alone groaned, “Wah… what a waste.”

As the helicopters finished their business and left, Nanana narrowed one eye.

While the helicopters finishing their business were leaving, Nanana narrowed one eye.

“Bfft… bwaha—please go that way. It is right there!”

Sotheby looked like he was trying to soak up the rain of gold until the very last drop. Spreading both arms excitedly, he pointed at the furthest warehouse.

“Yahah.”

Nanana started walking toward there.

Shiika also followed the girl, but she suddenly stopped.

“…”

As Shiika turned, her vision was once again filled with gold.

Although the gold nuggets supposedly fell to the ground, they now blew around like a storm with Sotheby in the center. Even his torn clothes had golden strings in them. Surrounded by the wind of gold, Sotheby’s clothes sparkled.

Seeing Sotheby—a Mushitsuki that used the medium of gold—Shiika bit her lips.

“All this time… all this time me and Christy have kept guarding this thing… while slowly, slowly making the walls thicker… but—“

Sotheby spoke. That voice was undoubtedly filled with murderous impulse toward Shiika and the rest.

“My hatred toward Alpha kept growing and growing, and now it reached past the point it could be suppressed…”

Sotheby’s form wrapped by the golden glow resembled that of Christy when she was clad in the darkness. He pressed closer to them, ready for an attack at any time.

“If you’re prepared to welcome him, be resolved to destroy the world…”

Aijisupa and the rest of Mushibane made no move.

Munakata and the secretary said nothing, just looking at Sotheby.

All were calm and silently watching the storm of gold.

Nanana laughed.

“You realize your actions and words don’t match? Aren’t you the one who led us to him?”

Sotheby was silent.

“All that money’s yours. Congratulations for your comeback.”

“…”

“—I will not pity you. You’ve experienced Enclosure, Bubble and Paradigm Shift. You should have had countless chances to notice this.”

“…”

“No matter how much money you gather, you will never be able to buy her that dress.”

The body of Sotheby wrapped in gold shook.

Clear droplets gathered at his feet.

—He said it… That he will allow me to, once again, wear a beautiful dress…

When Shiika had told Nanana about Christy, the girl grimaced as if this was about her.

And she told Shiika what actions Sotheby would make.

Everything now happened just as Nanana predicted it would.

“—”

Seeing the auctioneer, Shiika bit her lips.

Nanana’s words were like a spell. As if she used a curse to turn him into stone, Sotheby didn’t move a muscle.

That was—the end.

The storm of gold nuggets kept blowing around the wharf. But Sotheby just kept shedding tears from his face hidden by the hood, making no move at all. She felt like she could see a rusty prosthetic arm from within the holes in his sleeves.

Once a member of the Round Table, Alpha’s “lookout”, and an auctioneer.

The man who wore several shabby masks kept standing with the gold around him.

“You can’t make that face.”

Nanana lightly tapped Shiika’s shoulder as she was standing frozen just like Sotheby.

“It’s much too early to stop in place again.”

Nanana turned her body and started walking.

The amount she paid to Sotheby was more than half of her own personal funds. To retrieve the portion she lost, she would probably undergo many challenges.

But the magician’s gait was light. As if she was just talking a walk on the beach, she spun her stick and went ahead.

“—Yeah.”

Shiika nodded.

Glancing at Sotheby who let himself drown in a sea of gold—Shiika, too, turned on her heels.

Her Mushibane comrades waited for Shiika to slowly walk to them.

Nanana, Munakata, and Nihei also watched her.

Those three merchants were all completely different in their ways of thinking and living until the very end.

However—

All three of them were there right now.

Nihei decided to keep acting with Mushibane from now on and Munakata apparently decided to retire from the frontlines and undergo treatment.

And Nanana—would become Mushibane’s patron instead of Munakata.

She wouldn’t treat Mushitsuki as commodities. She said that she would watch over the fight of Mushitsuki by being along with Shiika and the rest.

The Paradigm Shift from over ten years ago.

Nanana said that the era changed from the tumultuous time.

From a world without Mushitsuki to a world where you could live with Mushitsuki—

That great change was continuing even now.

“Well then—“

Shiika stopped Nanana from getting closer with her hand.

“—”

Something came down from above Shiika’s head.

That was—an “Eye”.

She couldn’t think of any other way to describe that object.

Inside the fragments split like an insect’s compound eyes was a human pupil. Those fragments were all clustered together, connected by red strings that resembled veins.

The pupil goggled around, reflecting Shiika’s face.

Both looked at one another from up-close.

The Eye moved.

Ignoring gravity to float, it flew toward the warehouse.

Shiika had a hunch that she knew what it was.

“—I’m going to greet him.”

Shiika smiled to Nanana and Mushibane and followed after the Eye.

Passing over the wreckage of chapped asphalt, she followed the Eye to the warehouse ahead.

She couldn’t see any difference from the other warehouses. It was made of reinforced concrete and was about as large as an elementary school gym. Its paint was peeled and the roof was red with rust.

Suddenly.

She noticed a crack on a part of it.

There was a hole in the wall of concrete. Its size was just about enough for the Eye floating near Shiika to pass through it.

Creak—the crack moved.

Although it looked no different from the other warehouses around, Shiika standing in front of it felt her heart hasten.

Inside it there was something.

It was crowded to the extent it looked like it could rip at any moment.

—Alpha’s hatred will continue increasing; even now he is beyond his seal…

Recalling Sotheby’s words, Shiika realized.

Why did that auctioneer betray the Round Table now?

Why did he look to sell Alpha in the form of the auction now of all times?

That reason was probably within that crack.

Even now something was growing inside, trying to break its seal—

“…”

Shiika softly touched the door.

That was all it took.

The wall of the warehouse had countless cracks running through it.

As if she’d pressed some sort of switch, those cracks made the wall crumble—

“…!”

When the warehouse wall was destroyed Shiika’s hair was blown back.

Eyes, eyes and more eyes—

The swarm of hundreds, thousands, millions of Eyes flew outside to the wharf.

Behind the released eyes—inside the warehouse enclosed in darkness, she felt like she could see a different kind of Eyes, ones of a red color.

Is this the real body—

She only thought so for a moment. The Eyes flying out to the island all emitted a light.

As if trembling at their happiness of freedom.

As if scared of the light that they saw for the first time in a while.

The tens of thousands of Eyes started rampaging and destroying the wharf.

The mighty Eyes attacking one by one changed the shape of the wharf within seconds. They broke the asphalt, destroyed the other warehouses, and caused tremors big enough to change the terrain itself.

That was—a curse.

Alpha’s hatred.

Just like Sotheby and Christy said.

If these many Eyes were unleashed into the world and went wild—she couldn’t even imagine the number of victims. —Despite these apprehensions, the Eyes tried taking off to the sky.

However—

“Break…”

The snow pouring from the sky struck down the mad dance of the Eyes.

Destruction and destruction clashed, and the grating sound of space creaking echoed throughout the entire wharf.

One after another the Eyes were exterminated and Shiika approached the warehouse little by little.

“Please, don’t be scared—”

Shiika’s snow kept falling on the warehouse and pushing back the Eyes.

The outer wall was already completely destroyed, and the facility inside was revealed.

Shiika didn’t know what it was, but apparently the entire warehouse was some sort of apparatus. The steel and concrete camouflaging it as a warehouse were gone, and the exposed thick power lines and metal frames were blown away with sparks.

There was something like a tank. Although there was liquid inside, most of its contents were air. Or perhaps it was simply broken and the colorless, transparent liquid boiled away.

She recalled what Nanana and Munakata said.

They said that the Round Table used their exorbitant member fees to pay for something. Thinking about those words, the swarm of machines that Shiika could see—looked like a large life preservation device.

“I’m just like you—”

Withstanding the Eyes’ attacks.

Pushing it back.

Even while feeling her Mushi urgently eating away her dream.

Shiika slowly advanced to the back.

Epilogue: Release

He fell into panic.

He hadn’t been “conscious” for many years now. He only had the vague ego of a person like being in a dream, and he could watch the sights of “those things” he produced endlessly.

But the shock and light retrieved his clear consciousness.

His revived sense of sight was stimulated by real light.

His hearing was blasted by a cacophony.

The drifting scent of the sea stimulated his nose.

The flavor of the saliva in his mouth as he groaned was captured by his sense of taste.

And—an unbelievable pain pierced his entire body through the sense of touch.

These suddenly revived senses scrambled his mind. He had no idea what was happening. He had no idea where he was. And he had no idea who he was—

Regardless, wanting to shake off all these stimulations assaulting him, he raised a voiceless scream.

Answering his howl, his clones all emitted light everywhere.

Unable to understand anything, he—

Unleashed his hatred.

His hatred and anger that kept accumulating for some years, perhaps decades.

He hated this world.

This world that had pain in it and wouldn’t give anything to him other than pain.

A world without feeling anything was much calmer.

He rejected this world he was dragged back into, he hated it—he thought of destroying it all.

That was a momentary impulse, but his clones did attempt to grant his wishes. They flew around, destroying everything in sight.

However, something didn’t allow it.

Pushing back his clones, it approached him.

He was scared of it and desperately resisted it.

The people that came for him always tortured him.

So it was obviously going to be the same this time as well—

So he thought.

The structure he was inside crumbled, and following that the light also approached.

He trembled in fear, grimacing—

“Alpha-san…”

The person with the destruction behind them approached him.

He thought it was an enemy, so he was surprised at how calm their voice was.

“Please, don’t be scared—”

The sinking sun’s light revealed his current form, very different from the period he’d been conscious.

The Eyes that were his clones captured his form.

He could see himself sunk inside a giant “bed” as soft as a large balloon. He couldn’t tell what it was made from.

His body with countless life-support tubes attached to it was thin and his hair was pure white. His barely open eyes were red and bloodshot. The red Eyes that served as the core of his Mushi even now were flying all over and trying to attack the visitor.

“I am a Mushitsuki just like you.”

He—Alpha, as they kept on calling him—widened his red eyes.

The girl that said she was the same.

Her gaze was very kind—it was his first time being looked at like that.

Some fear and confusion left Alpha.

“I just wanted to talk to you… so I came for you.”

The girl smiled bashfully.

He finally understood what she was.

She herself embodied what he wanted—a true “welcome”.

He was locked up as Alpha, and she was the one to truly release him.

She stopped all of his hatred.

She accepted all of his pain.

He shed tears.

Let’s talk—

Feeling calm, he slowly closed his eyes.

He wanted to talk as much as possible. About who he was. About what happened back then—

Now he fell asleep again, but when he opened his eyes again.

If she would still be there.

He would speak about his dream to her—

So he thought as he smiled toward the girl who came for him.

Afterword

Hello. This is Iwai Kyouhei.

We have reached the 9th volume.

This one had a bit of a different atmosphere than the usual story. There were plenty of technical terms, but I hope you still enjoyed reading.

Speaking of, if you’re ever read my other series, “Shoukan no Chousensha”, perhaps you feel nostalgic. There are plenty of parts that resembled it.

However, this is Mushi Uta.

Even here I’ve been playing around with all sorts of people meeting, separating and becoming connected in unexpected places.

Most likely from now on past, present and future would all move together.

A few days following this volume—“Mushi Uta 09. The Magician Compensating for Dreams”—starting from 5th of July, the anime will begin broadcast.

Perhaps because it’s finally starting, but I’m already excited.

Since I was busy with work on this present manuscript, I only had few opportunities to go see the production, but all of the materials I’ve received were excellent. It was amazing how they expanded on my ideas. A lone author would never be able to expand it so far.

Anyway, the characters and the Mushi are cool. And they even move. Well, it’s animation, after all, but still. I think that both those who only came to know of this series and those who were reading it for a while are going to be surprised.

It’s the same Mushi Uta, while also being a new Mushi Uta.

I am grateful for this opportunity and watching it along with my readers will be amazing.

A new thing is starting, but the existing story continues still.

Now for some discussion about this volume.

Money.

A magic item.

Although it’s mere paper, it can transform into tasty food or pretty clothes. Depending on the time and place, perhaps it can even control something like people’s invisible feelings.

Most people, however, don’t look at the actual money itself, but at what they really want. Try thinking about what comes to mind when you consider a sum of about 10,000 yen. That would be what counts as the true value of 10,000 yen for each person.

Money itself has no value; it merely has the incantation called a price written on it.

Meaning, by piling on these chants, you can make a certain amount of your desires come true.

The theme of whether there are things money can’t buy is commonplace.

At the very least, I do believe there are things you can’t buy back.

If you obtain something by buying it with money and then lose it, can you really buy it back with money? When you get the same amount and try paying for the same price, you can’t return lost relationships or thoughts. As well as those people’s lives. If you can’t really get what you want, does money have any value?

I don’t think that loving money is a bad thing. You can dream about your favorite snack or a fancy house.

However, one needs to be cautious to not become completely blind to anything that’s not money.

Enchanted by money, you can even stop seeing what you’ve lost—and no matter how much you scrape together, it would never be enough.

This magic is addictive and cannot be sold back.

Personally, I think it should have a written warning on it more than anything else.

Perhaps write “discretion required” on its surface.

Also, several terms related to auctions and such have appeared in this volume.

I’ve changed and added things to them from my imagination, so parts of them differ from the proper usage and meaning. They have no relation to any existing bodies, organizations, businesses or trademarks.

Coming this far, I’m excited not about just this work, but everyone around it.

These include the helpful people of the supportive editorial department, the illustrator llo-sama, and above all else, the readers who have watched over me this far.

Thank you so much.

I would like to also use to opportunity to thank the production staff of the anime; I am much obliged.

Let us continue working together.

Iwai Kyouhei

Notes

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