Mushi Uta:Volume 9 Chapter 4

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.

Notes

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