Even up till now, my memory still remained fresh.
It was an incident that happened one year ago.
The memory of the time when my good friend, Hanashiro Mari, was still alive.
“…Yeah, I knew about it.”
Outside the sick ward, Arisu could hear these words. She knew Mari was talking to someone, but she was unable to hear the other party’s voice; it sounded as though she was talking to herself.
“Arisu is a very kind person, that is why my dream will ……”
Arisu pushed open the door to the sick ward.
The morning sight before her was so dazzling that she instinctively covered her eyes.
“Arisu.”
The scenery of that moment, Arisu would probably never forget in her life.
Silver wings were spreading outward from the back of the girl who was lying in bed with her rear facing the sun. They were the tiny wings of an out-of-season Morpho b.u.t.terfly.
[TL note: - Link - the insect that mushi was based on. Morpho Patroclus to be exact.]
There was not a soul in sight besides Mari inside the room. Although it was a bit unbelievable, but to Arisu right now, nothing was more important than her putting on a smile in front of her. Even if there was only one second remaining, even if there was only a short instant, Arisu didn’t want to waste any time that she could spend with Mari.
“Hey Arisu, can you listen to what I want to say, I……”
Mari slightly narrowed her eyes and said softly. The silver Morpho b.u.t.terfly on her shoulder started beating its wings and took flight.
~ 1 ~
Walking along the pavement under the morning sun, Ichinose Arisu gave a long yawn.
Arisu stopped in front of a large puddle. The puddles left behind by the rain last night reflected Arisu’s figure like a mirror.
Her black eyes were trying hard to stay half open, her beautiful hair reaching up to her shoulders that was maintained by her family’s personal hair stylist every three days was prim and proper, and her figure among those her age was a bit small.
Arisu took one big leap and jumped over the puddle on the pavement.
Moving with a crowd in the same direction, a lot of teenagers wearing the same uniform as Arisu could be seen. However the difference between Arisu and them was that none of them had a sleepy expression on their face; everybody was maintaining the right appearance, and chatting happily with high-cla.s.s smiles on their face.
Horusu Seijyou Gakuen Middle School is the school Arisu is currently studying at. Although the difference between it and other schools was that it wasn’t strict, the tuition of the school was unexpectedly high. In other words, the school student body consisted mainly of students from the upper cla.s.s; a high prestigious school. Arisu is currently 12 years old and attending the second year cla.s.ses.
Some familiar faces appeared nearby and Arisu sprinted forward to their position.
“Morning, Ena, Takako!”
Arisu jumped between the two girls, and placed her arms on their shoulders, causing the two of them to stumble forward.
“Morning to you but you know; why are you so energetic so early in the morning?”
“Mor-Morning, Arisu.”
One of them frowned, while the other gave a troubled smile on her face.
The two of them were Saionji Ena and Kujyou Takako, both belonged to the same cla.s.s as Arisu. They both came from distinguished families; Takako was clearly brought up well being raised like a precious pearl. And it was probably due to the fact that there were three daughters in her family that Ena’s personally was even more refined than Arisu’s.
Arisu let go of her hands pressing against their shoulders, and gave a low groan.
“I just can"t seem to get into the mood! This morning I was dragged out of my bed by that old monster lady!”
“Ah---That is your usual training right? It cannot be helped, your family is way more prestigious compared to ours, and you are also the only child; it would be bad if you’re kidnapped by anyone.”
“Then why don’t they just fetch me to and from school every day?! Rather than always being so strict in the weirdest areas, seriously!”
“It would be nice if you could have some sort of bodyguard.”
Listening to Takako’s words, Arisu’s expression slightly changed.
“Bodyguard….that might be a good idea!”
“Ah? Really?”
“My family has money, so this kind of small issue should not be a problem to them. And that way, I wouldn’t need to do any boring training anymore.”
“Ah--- But if you do that, you would need to stick with some frowning geezer all the time.”
“That’s not right! Of course it must be a handsome boy! He must always stick by my side even during school, and obey my every command! {Ah, I am feeling a bit thirsty…..} {Here is your drink, ma’am.”} {Hehe, what a good kid!}"
“--- Ah, why did I only think about it now?”
“Who do you think you are………but, that may be a really good idea after all!”
“Ah, not really……”
Seeing Takako’s face slowly becoming redder, Arisu chuckled. She looked at Ena in the eye, and she also started giving a smile similar to the one Arisu had on her face.
“Did you hear that Arisu?”
“Ah, loud and clear. Ena! Saying something like {Ah, not really…...} Seems like this was a bit too extreme for Miss Takako.”
“No such thing. Because our Miss Takako, has a person she likes already ~ what was his name again? Ah, that baby faced childhood friend from the art club……”
“No-No such thing! Please don’t tease me……”
In contrast to Takako who was at a loss looking back at the two people, Arisu and Ena both couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
However Ena suddenly stopped laughing.
“Something wrong, Ena?”
“Ah, sorry, talking about bullying, it caused me to remember some unhappy things.”
“Unhappy things…is that so?”
Looking at Arisu and Takako that were puzzled, Ena narrowed her eyebrows.
“My friend called me last night….saying that after school yesterday, it appeared in our school.”
“Appeared? What appeared?”
“(Mushi)”
Thump, thump ---
Arisu’s heart began to beat violently as if it was being punched by someone.
— Ah, Arisu, listen to what I have to say, I……
The scene that was burned deep into her memory, flashed forward just like a light. The warm smile of her dear friend that seemed like it would vanish in an instant, yet was filled with happiness, suddenly flashed through Arisu’s mind.
“My friend seemed to have heard it from another friend, although I am not sure how reliable it is.”
Ena continued.
“It was said that inside the school, a few boys were bullying someone, and suddenly, (Mushi) appeared……It seemed like a few people were seriously injured……That kid who witnessed everything was afraid to inform anyone, so he confided to the friend of another friend.”
(Mushi) ---
Their existence was revealed through rumors, and said to have taken place about ten years ago.
The so called (Mushi), were actually unknown beings that looked like insects in appearance, creatures that infected human beings, and depended on devouring their dreams in order to grow. Although there had been sightings in many areas, the government continued to deny the existence of (Mushi).
Even so, the rumors continued to spread. At first, people were just afraid of (Mushi), but gradually, even the humans that were infested by the (Mushi) --- Mus.h.i.tsuki, were also feared by the general public.
These kinds of rumors spread like wildfire.
The (Mushi) issue had already gone far beyond the limits of a rumor. Another issue that was often a.s.sociated with the (Mushi), was a government agency called the “Special Environmental Preservation Bureau”. Even though the only response from the government to the public was that the organization was only a group that dealt with the issues regarding living environments……
“Please, do not disclose this to anyone else……What’s the matter? It’s alright if it was just Takako, but Arisu, why are you also giving me such an expression?
“Ah……”
When Arisu came back to her senses, her eyes were wide open just like Takako’s. Ena seemed to have misunderstood that they were afraid.
“Ah don’t worry about it, I am sorry for forgetting that Arisu is also a girl…...Ouch!”
“Ohoho~that’s right. Even I, who seems bigger than average girls, am still a weak girl!”
Arisu rubbed her fists against Ena’s temples as she noticed Takako’s weird expression.
“Er…erm. I ……”
“Takako?”
“I-I saw a weird person… in… inside the school……”
“Really?”
Because of the shock, Arisu and Ena couldn’t help but raise their voices. Takako honestly nodded.
“A weird one, what kind of person was he?”
“Ah, he was…a big and scary looking male, around-around…middle aged……”
“Say, isn’t that bad if it’s true? Maybe those guys…are Mus.h.i.tsuki?”
Facing the serious expression that Takako had, Ena couldn’t help but become serious as well.
Mus.h.i.tsuki ---
Arisu tightened her fist silently.
“Weird guy…… Mus.h.i.tsuki …… ”
Later afterwards, they heard the news from their homeroom teacher about a male student from the same year being sent to hospital due to serious injuries during the morning’s homeroom period.
~ 2 ~
The bell ringing within the quiet school compound, signaled the start of cla.s.ses.
The time was just past 3 p.m. with cla.s.ses scheduled up until 6 p.m.
A *Kecha* sound was heard in the quiet and empty corridor; as the door of the girl’s toilet was suddenly pushed open.
“……”
Arisu stuck out her head from behind the door, and surveyed her surroundings.
The compound of the Horusu Seijyou Gakuen Middle School, was split up into different levels. The main block with the elegant style western exterior and the clock tower, the east block with special cla.s.srooms was connected with the teacher’s rooms and the gymnasium, the west block with the modern design; after that was the martial arts room, and the fitness facilities including the swimming pool.
Arisu was situated in the east block. From the start of the lessons at five, there was no lesson that required them to go to the cla.s.srooms on level two or three; this fact was undeniable. Arisu faked an illness as an excuse, and sneaked into the toilet secretly during break.
After Arisu confirmed that there was n.o.body around she came out into the corridor.
“Phew!”
Arisu let out a heavy of relief, and all of a sudden, a b.u.t.terfly floated down out of nowhere.
It was a brightly colored Morpho b.u.t.terfly with wings that gave off a silver light--- But looking closely, one could tell that this was no ordinary b.u.t.terfly. Other than this one, Arisu had yet to see a b.u.t.terfly that had four antennas.
The Morpho b.u.t.terfly fluttered towards the staircase.
“I know, Mari. I will definitely find a Mus.h.i.tsuki……”
Arisu whispered to herself as she gathered up courage deep within her.
Walking halfway, the staircase was cordoned off by rope. Beside the words “Off Limits”, was the name of the officer under the jurisdiction of Akamaki City Police, and there was even the name of the school director.
Arisu ignored the notice, and jumped across the rope in one leap. The Morpho b.u.t.terfly had already vanished to the other end of the third floor.
Up until noon, there were numerous patrol cars parked at the school entrance, but after lunch break, all the cars disappeared. Although it was a bit faster than she thought, maybe the investigation at the scene that started last night was finally over.
The entire three floors were completely silent. Arisu surveyed her surroundings.
“……!”
Seeing the sight before her, she couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
There were scars left behind by the destruction in the deep part of the messy corridor. Needless to say, the windows were shattered, and even the ground, ceiling and the entrance of the art room were all turned to rubble. At first, Arisu thought that the cause of this was an explosion, but taking a closer look at it, it seemed more as if it was caused by a ma.s.sive claw-like object that even dug out the concrete from the ground itself.
Arisu let out a low voice from her throat. Although she didn’t know exactly what happened, the image of the (Mushi) that Ena was talking about earlier slowly appeared in her mind.
“This probably is not the stage set up by the movie appreciation club……. those guys were only into big equipments.”
The artworks that were hung in the corridor by the members of the art club were also in complete disarray. A painting of the setting sun, which was lying on the floor, caught Arisu"s attention; and on this painting were the same large claw marks. Even the frame of the painting, which had the words "a tribute to our sister school" printed onto it, was torn beyond recognition. The signature, "R. Tachibana", could still be made out if one were to strain their eyes.
Just as Arisu was moving aside the debris and making her way to the art room.
“…...Yeah, I think I can find him very soon. I already know that he is a member of the art club.”
A voice came from inside the destroyed art room. Arisu quickly stopped in her tracks and held her breath.
“The target has not escaped, I’m sure he can be found--- “
This was the immature voice of a young boy. Although it seemed that he was talking to someone, the voice of the other party could not be heard.
Arisu thought about the way Takako described the suspicious figure, and slowly crept back to the corridor, and gently opened the cabinet doors where the cleaning tools were kept.
She chose a very long mop, and used her foot to step on the brush of the mop. After turning the handle a few times with her hands, the brush of the mop and the handle came apart silently.
Who could it be during cla.s.ses……..?
Arisu started feeling nervous, and entered the art room with the pole held tightly in her hands.
It seemed like the owner’s voice was still talking until it suddenly stopped.
“---Who-Who is there?!”
I was spotted--- the instant she realized this, Arisu’s body went into action, she kicked against the floor with one foot, and slid towards the door.
Inside the room, a shocked teenager widened his eyes. He was wearing the Horusu Seijyou Gakuen uniform, and was holding cellphone in his hand.
“Take this!”
Facing a sudden strike from a long pole, the boy was shocked, and bent down to dodge it.
But, contrary to the boy who was frantically dodging backwards, Arisu skillfully used the pole in her hand to press on, following closely to the boy’s feet.
“Uwaa!”
The pole struck the back of the boy’s knee, and he fell to the floor.
—The Ichinose family have pa.s.sed down old practices which have been kept ever since the olden days when they had many enemies, from the Edo period. The morning martial arts training that Arisu took every day were the aforementioned practices. Ever since she could remember, she was already undertaking various amounts of training; from wielding the Naginata to Akido, under the guidance of an instructor.
“Don’t move!”
Arisu’s voice was serious as she pointed the end of the pole towards the fallen boy.
The boy raised his head and looked at Arisu in a daze.
The boy was about the same age as Arisu, his height was about the same as other guys around his age, and there was nothing strange about his looks. But taking Takako"s words under consideration, even if the situation was sudden, she could drop her guard against someone she didn"t know. Coming from the cellphone held in the boy’s hand, an electronic reminder of ‘the signal is not available’ could be heard. “You, what’s your name?”
“Eh…?”
Maybe he still didn’t understand what just happened, the boy got up with a lost expression on his face.
“I told you to stop moving, didn’t you hear me!”
“Ah!”
One end of the pole hit the head of the boy lightly.
“Listen up; you only need to answer my questions. No other action is allowed besides that!”
Arisu said that with a determined expression. Maybe he was displeased by her treatment; the boy’s face was filled with anger but remained silent.
“What is your name?”
Arisu asked once more. The boy negatively moved his gaze; this action simply looked no different from a kid in his rebellious phase.
“If you want to ask someone for his name, shouldn’t you be the one that……Ow!”
“I don’t recall me dropping to the level of a suspicious figure. Come on, say it!”
“Don’t want to.”
“……………”
“Ouch! C-Cut it out! Stop!”
“………Whatever, it’s fine. Since I have no interest in your name anyway.”
Arisu waved the pole in front of the boy’s face, and changed the question.
“Next question, who exactly are you? It’s cla.s.s time right now, so what are you doing here?”
“………I’m not doing anything, I only wandered around after skipping cla.s.s, ended up being-------“
“Are you a student from this school?”
“Of course, look, I even have the student handbook right here.”
The boy took out the student handbook from his pocket, and opened it for Arisu to see. There was a red card inside the student handbook. In this school with tight security, entry cards were closely monitored during entry and exit. If one wanted to enter into the school, they must first scan their card in the designated machines. The entry and exit of the students and teachers had to be registered for management of security.
But Arisu looked at it once, and stared at the boy.
“That’s a fake!”
“Eh? How can that be?”
“The real card is yellow. Isn’t that one red?”
“Eh?”
The boy went to check his handbook on instinct; this action compromised his ident.i.ty to Arisu. The color of the card should have originally been red.
“……..I knew it; you aren’t a student from this school.”
The boy realized the fact that he had been cheated, and was wrapping his hands around his head.
“This childish prank……” the boy seems to have started loathing himself.
“What were you doing in this place?! Answer me!”
“It has nothing to do with you right?”
Looking at the expression of the boy who seemed to want to rebel to the end, Arisu really felt like knocking his brain, but took a deep breath and restrained herself.
“Well then, one last question.”
Arisu took a quick breath, and asked on,
“You, are you a Mus.h.i.tsuki?”
“………!”
The expression of the boy clearly changed.
Seeing his abnormal reaction, Arisu blinked her eyes, her heart started beating faster.
“Re-really…….? You really are a Mus.h.i.tsuki?”
In the next instant, the boy suddenly took action.
Taking advantage of the instant when Arisu was stunned, the boy pushed away the pole. Arisu could not help but let out an “Ah!” cry, the boy rolled towards the back in a straight line, and stood from the floor.
Arisu and the boy exchanged stares on equal ground. She tried her best to calm down her heart, and took up a stance once again with her pole.
“The incident yesterday, was it caused by you also?”
Arisu was very sure of it. Judging by the actions of the boy earlier, he knew that he was no ordinary person.
“………"
The boy’s face took a strange change as he looked at Arisu. It was completely different from the rebellious and childlike expression he had before.
“The boy who just happened to be at the scene yesterday, said he saw a (Mushi).“
To prevent herself from being overwhelmed by the other party’s presence, Arisu raised her voice and continued in a serious voice,
“And according to my friend, someone strange was spotted in the school. A scary big looking…middle aged…wait a sec…you don’t even look….eh?”
“Hmph!”
The boy gave a sarcastic smile.
“I am a Mus.h.i.tsuki, and the one who injured the students here was also me.”
“………!”
“--- If I were to say those words, what would you intend to do?”
Arisu took in a breath.
“Do you think that this pole here is enough to punish evil?”
Being stared at with such a cold gaze, Arisu couldn’t help but bite her lip.
“Of-of course not!”
“Then, what is it?”
“It’s because……I have something that I want to know.”
Arisu looked down with downcast eyes, and said softly:
“Meeting a Mus.h.i.tsuki, there are a few things that I want to confirm no matter what. That’s why I’m looking for Mus.h.i.tsuki, ever since a year ago. I’ve been……”
The boy remained silent, but suddenly said a line in a cold voice.
“You actually believe that something like a “Mus.h.i.tsuki" really exists?”
“Of course!”
“If they really did exist, then you would end up being killed by a Mushi, or taken away by those scary people.”
“Scary people?”
“The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau…...”
The boy said softly. Arisu couldn’t help but tilt her head.
The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau. Arisu only knew that this organization was an agency that took in complaints dealing with Mus.h.i.tsuki and (Mushi); nothing else beyond that. But in the past, she did hear it from the rumor-loving Ena.
The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau…... Which was also known as SEPB. It’s been said that they hide Mus.h.i.tsuki, and use Mus.h.i.tsuki to capture other Mus.h.i.tsuki------
“Whose side are you on?”
The words of the boy caused Arisu to return to her senses.
“If you were to continue this half a.s.sed way of thinking, I advise you to give up right now for your own good.”
“It’s not a half a.s.sed thought! Even if I have to put my life on the line, I must find the Mus.h.i.tsuki.”
“A sheltered little miss like you, what do you even know?”
The boy mocked.
"Even in such a stupid world, there are people who want to live on, even if they have to sacrifice others in order to do so. There are also those of don"t want to be sacrificed and merely live their lives in hiding... It"s just that... Those who want to live on despite being hated... despite their hands being tainted— are even more in number. A person who believes that it is acceptable to die... their deaths have no value at all."
The boy’s voice was full of a deep hatred, as if he was full of anger towards everything in this world. Arisu was overwhelmed by his presence and obediently kept quiet. The boy gave a snicker, and turned once more, preparing to leave.
“……..If it’s you, you probably wouldn’t get it I guess.”
Arisu suddenly said.
"No matter how much one wants to live on, in the end, they are unable to escape the destiny that is death; so they can only pa.s.s on their dream onto others and silently pa.s.s away... there are people like that as well."
“………”
“Those, who have been entrusted with their dreams, have a unavoidable responsibility up till the very end towards that person.”
“…...That kind of thing, even if you don’t say it ---“
As if he remembered about something, the boy gave an angry look.
Just after this.
A scream came out of nowhere. ~ 3 ~
The screams continued as the sound of windows shattering came at the same time.
“………!”
Arisu instinctively ran out into the corridor. Immediately after the shattering, as alarm sirens rang throughout the school compound. Arisu who was situated on the second floor of the school compound looked at the main block, and saw the instant when the windows shattered.
Turning back, her eyes connected with the boy"s. she exchanged glances with the boy.
“…………”
Arisu gave a serious expression; while on the other hand, the boy just quietly looked at her.
Finally, Arisu averted her gaze first, and ran out of the corridor with her back facing the boy.
The commotion happened on the second floor of the main block, the same floor as Arisu’s cla.s.sroom. Past the group of people who were fleeing in the corridor, was a big group of uneasy students and teachers gathering in the front.
Arisu ran there, and the scene that entered her eyes caused her to be stunned.
A few students were lying sprawled across the floor. The wall of the cla.s.sroom appeared to have a gaping hole, like it was chewed out, and shattered gla.s.s was scattered all over the surroundings.
There was a boy who was bleeding badly from an injured shoulder; although his wound was not fatal, his face was still in a daze even after being carried by the teacher.
“……Mushi……..”
A student who was dazedly standing in the area suddenly whispered. Arisu’s expression changed.
“Waaaaaaaaaa….! It hurts……..!”
“’Mushi!”
“Giant monsters!”
The boy with the injured shoulder cried out painfully, the teacher was hugging him, trying to calm him down. In the next moment a few students that were suffering from injuries were almost frantically clinging on the teacher.
(Mushi)…… exactly, who was it ---
Arisu suddenly felt a cold chill.
“………”
She turned her head around.
Pupils filled with animosity were staring hatefully at Arisu.
Behind her, stood the strange boy she met in the art room. Under the gaze of that cold stare, Arisu’s frozen legs were suddenly shaking.
This guy is definitely not as simply ---
Arisu couldn’t help but clench her fist, and was putting some strength into it.
“You are indeed a Mus.h.i.tsuki ---“
“This cla.s.s has two art club members, including that guy who collapsed on the floor……”
Ignoring Arisu’s words, the boy muttered a line. His gaze was not even looking at Arisu, but looking at something behind her.
Arisu followed the boy’s gaze and looked.
“……Eh…”
She was shocked.
At the door of the destroyed cla.s.sroom stood a male student that looked just like Arisu in the past. The boy’s gaze remained still, not moving at all.
“You’re really too happy go lucky, Harimoto Jyun.”
Hearing the cold voice of the boy, the male student finally responded. His expression changed, and dashed out of the corridor like he was fleeing.
The boy also ran out of the cla.s.sroom and began chasing Harimoto Jyun.
“Wait…. W-wait up……”
Arisu suddenly responded to them, and ran behind the two.
“Arisu!”
The students from the other cla.s.ses also ran out into the corridor for some reason. Ena called out to Arisu, but there was no sign of Takako in the vicinity.
Arisu ignored the calls from her friend, and ran in the direction where she came from earlier.
“Wai-Wait up! Harimoto-kun….!”
Arisu was shouting at the other party who was about to disappear. But at the same time, she took in a deep breath.
The wall of the staircase she just climbed down from was already wrecked beyond recognition, in the direction of the crushed rubble, a fence that seemed to have been forcefully wrecked apart could be seen.
“Harimoto-kun…could he be a Mus.h.i.tsuki …..?”
She originally thought that the mysterious boy was the only Mus.h.i.tsuki, but it seemed like she was mistaken. Arisu knew the male student called Harimoto Jyun, but why ---
“……..!”
Just when Arisu got past the hole in the wall and was running towards the backyard, she could hear the sound of fabric waving in the air. She took a look in that direction, and in the place where she just pa.s.sed, a black figure could be seen.
That figure was wearing a pitch black coat, and a large pair of goggles that was enough to cover his entire face; looking in her direction.
It was the boy that Arisu believed to be a Mus.h.i.tsuki. He was looking at Arisu like a stranger with his face covered by the goggles.
Ignoring the stunned Arisu, the boy made use of an incredible jump to get across the fence, his long coat waved in the air as he disappeared at the other end of the broken fence.
“Ah…….”
A b.u.t.terfly that came out of nowhere, gently landed on Arisu’s shoulder; it was a silver colored Morpho b.u.t.terfly.
Arisu bit her lip, and was preparing to chase after him, but a voice suddenly stopped her.
“Arisu……”
Arisu turned her head around, and saw a girl was narrowing her eyes, standing before her.
~ 4 ~
“That…..was a woman. No, regarding whether she was even human, I am not sure of it……”
Inside the taxi that was speeding through the streets, Kujyou Takako said it lightly with her head down.
The scene that Takako witnessed was just like this.
--- Hey, could you tell me your dream?
Takako could vaguely hear the voice of a woman.
The location was in that wide garden inside Harimoto Jyun’s place that Takako was about to enter.
Harimoto Jyun’s place planted a lot of herbs and popper, there was a mild fragrance surrounding the garden regardless of whether it was morning or night. But in that instant, the fragrance seemed to have disappeared completely, even the voice was gone.
Jyun was standing in the center of the garden.
A tall woman seemed be almost blocking Harimoto Jyun, and was whispering something in his ear. Takako saw that she was wearing a dark red coat, and had a pair of round sungla.s.ses on.
-----You don’t need to hold back anymore. Now then, please tell me, what are you thinking of doing right now?
Takako could hear the lady telling Jyun this.
----I……I…….
At the side of the boy whispering in a low voice, a strange black object was slowly appearing. It seemed to be painfully and joyfully vibrating and changing its appearance, in a part of the strange of object, the legs of an insect materialized.
The gaze of the woman with a pair round sungla.s.ses changed; Takako could see that there was an incredible light hidden in her eyes.
Fear caused Takako to flee from that place ---
“It was an incident…..that happened the day before.”
Takako was trembling as she said it.
“That means it was that woman who turned Harimoto-kun into a Mus.h.i.tsuki?”
Hearing Arisu’s question who was sitting next to her, Takako’s shoulder shuddered lightly; maybe it was the fear towards the name “Mus.h.i.tsuki”.
Harimoto Jyun and Takako were childhood friends that were very close like, brother and sister. The two families had traced back a long time, deep and strong relationships with one another, and naturally, there were many chances to meet up between the two. Both Arisu and Ena knew that.
“I……cannot believe everything that I saw that time… No, it was that I refused to accept it.”
“……”
“Listening to the words that Ena said earlier, I was shocked. Jyun he… Although I did not witness it myself, I heard rumors of him being bullied badly during club activities. Could it be that he --- When I thought of it, I felt that I really need to help him no matter what……”
Then that scary male was also a lie… I should have noticed it earlier, knowing that Takako was not good at telling lies.
“Jyun must really be in pain…… but he isn’t able to ask anyone for help….causing it to be even more painful to him…… and yet, he was saved by that kind of abnormal thing……”
Arisu silently clenched her fists.
The beings that was capable of giving birth to Mus.h.i.tsuki.
“Because of that person, Mus.h.i.tsuki appeared……”
The reason why Arisu was always searching for Mus.h.i.tsuki.
Mus.h.i.tsuki, what exactly are ---
Arisu gritted her teeth as a new doubt appeared in her heart. If what Takako said was true, then who exactly was that boy in the black coat? At least, she could confirm that he was definitely no ordinary human.
The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.
The words of the boy flashed though her mind.
Is there a connection between him and this matter?
The taxi stopped.
After paying, the two got out of the car.
“Is Harimoto-kun really here?”
“……Right before this place underwent construction, we would often sneak in to play. We used to think that this place would be a good hideout where n.o.body would be able to find us until it was completed.”
A giant high rise building with its rear facing the sun, stood in front of Arisu and Takako. This was a U shaped building that was inside the development area near the coastline. The building project was invested by the company that Takako’s father owned; it was to be the starting point for the entire street that people looked forward to.
In some parts of the large floor, which was expected to be up and running after a few months, some lights were brightly glowing. Inside the empty s.p.a.ce in the middle of the "U", was a giant sphere-like which seemed to house the facilities used for an observatory.
A barbed wire fence surrounding the area, appeared to have a part of it destroyed, and footprints still remained in the freshly laid asphalt.
“Bingo! Let’s go.”
Just when Arisu was about to signal forward, Takako suddenly held onto her hand.
“That……..Why, Arisu you…….? What about….the police……..”
“You want to inform the police?”
Takako thought about it, and immediately shook her head. Arisu smiled.
“That’s why, just me alone will be enough. I also want to meet him and confirm a few issues with him.”
“Confirm a few…..issues?”
“The so call Mus.h.i.tsuki, what exactly are they?”
Arisu suddenly started laughing after saying that while Takako was still staring blankly.
“You guys will just be a hindrance, just stay here!”
A voice suddenly came from the side, Arisu and Takako both looked back in a shock.
“You…….”
The boy wearing a long pitch black coat was standing there silently.
“If you want to be such a busybody, you’ll end up with more than a few bruises and cuts.”
The boy covering his face with the big goggles said that coldly, and walked past the two.
Arisu suddenly stretched out her hand, and grabbed on to the boy’s wrist.
“You were following us!”
“………”
“How do you intend on dealing with Harimoto-kun? Could it be, you intend on kill ---“
Takako’s expression turned pale the moment she heard Arisu’s words.
“I don’t intend on killing him. All I need to do is kill his (Mushi), and turn him into a Fallen.”
“……Fallen?”
“People who have lost their dreams and emotions …..It"s better than being killed by his own (Mushi) after having his dreams completely devoured. After he’s turned into a Fallen, we will then move him to an isolation facility.”
“You……who exactly are you?”
Despite being asked by Arisu, the boy continued to remain silent. He forcefully shook away the hand that was holding on to his wrist, and prepared to jump over the fence.
Suddenly, a figure sprung upon the boy. It was Takako. She desperately clung onto the boy, and shouted.
“Now, Arisu……!”
“Nice! Thanks Takako!”
Taking chance of the boy being distracted, Arisu crossed the destroyed fence. Hearing the clicking sound from the boy’s tongue, Arisu ran straight towards the building.
Following the light, she could immediately see the main entrance. Arisu ran inside without any hesitation.
It was dark inside the building. The sunlight that was projected into the room only illuminated one section of the s.p.a.cious room.
If she wanted to talk to Jyun, then she had to find him before the boy did. Arisu surveyed her surroundings, trying to look for Jyun’s figure.
But, she couldn’t sense any signs of anybody inside the room.
Arisu couldn’t help but feel more anxious. It sure was a s.p.a.cious place, big enough for one to boast, just looking around like this made the chance of finding him even slimmer.
A Morpho b.u.t.terfly glowing with a silver light gently floated in front of Arisu.
“Mari………”
The Morpho b.u.t.terfly flew above Arisu’s head a few times, before flying towards the deeper part of the building.
“……”
Arisu took a deep breath, and calmed down her uneasy feeling; she chose a metal pipe among those that were lying at the entrance and held it tightly.
Following behind the Morpho b.u.t.terfly, Arisu finally reached the tenth floor of the building.
The breathless Arisu, could hear voices from within the deep parts of the building floor.
“Who is it……?”
The voice caused Arisu to tense up.
Arisu carefully walked forward, and saw this sight after turning at the corner:
Perhaps they were prepared by the company for a certain purpose, there were many office supplies scattered on the floor. And next to a desk, a boy was standing still; it was Harimoto Jyun.
However, what Arisu was staring at was not Harimoto, but rather the unusual creature that was lying horizontally on the desk like it was its nest beside him.
It stretched out its horn, and its eight legs were fumbling about.
There was a black shine on its sh.e.l.l; it looked a bit like a beetle.
But its ma.s.sive size was about three times that of Harimoto.
This is the, (Mushi)---?
Arisu started breaking into a cold sweat.
“h.e.l.lo, Harimoto-kun. I am Ichinose Arisu, a friend of Takako’s, do you still remember?”
“….Takako’s?”
Jyun said softly. The sun shone on his face; Arisu saw the boy’s cold stare, and suddenly felt a cold chill inside her heart.
“What did that person’s friend come here for………?”
“To stop you of course. Although I don’t know about your plan for revenge, haven’t you had enough? Takako is also worried about you.”
“….Hmph!”
The boy gave a low laugh; the (Mushi) at his side started to get up slowly.
“Too bad, there’s still three more people.”
“Lame!”
“….What did you just say?”
“If you really want revenge, you should do it with your own hands! Commanding this thing to harm others, does that satisfy you? This only shows how weak you are!”
Arisu said it mercilessly without hesitation.
"You... don"t tell me you"ve become a Mus.h.i.tsuki for the sake of this boring vengeance? Since you"ve become a Mus.h.i.tsuki, it proves that you have a dream right?"
“Don’t tell me that you actually believe that everyone’s dreams are beautiful?”
Jyun suddenly laughed in a low voice.
Arisu couldn’t help but hold her breath. The boy’s smile was filled with a hatred that caused people to tremble before it.
This guy is different ---
Arisu suddenly realized.
This person and the Mus.h.i.tsuki that I met before are completely different ---
Arisu had once met a Mus.h.i.tsuki in the past; that person was completely different from the boy before her, it was a person who always had a warm smile on her face.
“Get rid of her!”
The (Mushi) obeyed the boy’s command and lunged towards Arisu.
Arisu came back to her senses, and held the metal pipe in her hand.
Her hands were sweaty. Arisu didn’t think that the metal pipe in her hand alone would be enough to repel the giant (Mushi). She had to think of a way to get past the (Mushi), and knock out Harimoto Jyun --- Although she didn’t know what would happen to the (Mushi) after the host became unconscious, however, there was no other choice.
“Ha!”
The metal pipe clashed with one of the legs of the (Mushi), the pet.i.te Arisu was unable to withstand such an intense impact, and was sent flying backwards.
Even so, Arisu moved her body to prevent herself from being hurt, but the giant incisors of the (Mushi) were already coming closer.
“Take this!”
Arisu spun her body to the back, and slammed down hard on the (Mushi)"s head. A numbing feeling like one felt after hitting a rock came, causing Arisu’s arms to go numb.
The (Mushi) stared at Arisu, and raised one foot to launch an attack. Arisu’s body instinctively moved forward and narrowly escaped through the crack between the (Mushi) and the floor.
After rolling to a standing position, Arisu continued to charge towards Harimoto Jyun relentlessly.
“Ugh…!”
The boy seemed to be a bit afraid. But in the next instant, the ear shattering roar of the (Mushi) rang throughout the floor.
A strong gust flew, and the office supplies lying around the place including Arisu was blown away.
“Ke ---“
The gla.s.s was shattered on the ground as the desk that was sent flying hurled towards Arisu. Arisu slipped on the floor, and fell into the interior of the floor.
“Ah……ah……”
Even so, Arisu still held onto the metal pipe; this was almost a miracle.
Her whole body was aching from pain; she wanted to get up but her legs were shaking and couldn’t stand up no matter how much she tried.
Arisu used the metal pipe to stand and raised her head, the (Mushi) was coming towards her once more.
Just like a slow motion playback of a video, the (Mushi) was approaching her step by step; the image of the (Mushi)"s incisors were clearly burned into her retinas.
--- Mari ---
The bright smile of her close friend appeared in her mind as Arisu realized her impending doom.
A girl who once talked about her dreams in a tone br.i.m.m.i.n.g with hope... But because of her fateful destiny, she was unable to realize her dream in the end.
When her life was almost at its end, Mari told Arisu:
--- Hey, Arisu, listen to what I have to say, I was actually thinking…...
There was a calm look on her friend’s face, neither fear nor sadness were seen on it before her death.
--- My dream, can I entrust it to you?
Mari, who always had a Silver colored Morpho b.u.t.terfly at her side.
She was a --- Mus.h.i.tsuki.
“……!”
Suddenly, a silver light came between the (Mushi) and Arisu.
It was a Morpho b.u.t.terfly that had beautiful pollen on its wings. Jyun’s (Mushi) seemed to fear the Morpho b.u.t.terfly, and stopped in its tracks all of a sudden.
The Morpho b.u.t.terfly flew around Arisu’s side before finally landing on the metal pipe she was holding in her hands.
“!”
The wings of the Morpho b.u.t.terfly twisted and slowly turned into a few tentacles, and gave out a sound as it wrapped around the metal pipe, fusing with the metal pipe as one.
In the hands of the stunned Arisu, a long silver lance appeared. The antennas of the Morpho b.u.t.terfly seemed to climb up to the handle like ivy, and was giving off an imposing presence akin to that of a polished sculpture; four big wings were spread out, and one of them became the pointed blade that glowed.
“This is ……”
The (Mushi) that was stunned came back to its senses and flashed a leg at Arisu.
“…...d.a.m.n it!”
Arisu instinctively raised the lance in her hand.
The next instant, the silver lance easily cut off the leg of the (Mushi).
At the same time, the scale pollen released by the lance body caused a giant crack in the ground, the office supplies and gla.s.s started flying around, and were repelled out of the building as it brushed past Jyun.
“Ugh……”
Jyun turned around, and ran towards the deeper part of the building.
His (Mushi) dragged its remaining seven feet and lumbered after its host.
Arisu was awed by the power of the lance, and after coming back to her senses; she chased after the boy.
“Wai-Wait up!”
Jyun was running towards the staircase deep within the floor. Hearing the sound of footsteps and the groaning sound of the (Mushi) coming from the stairs, Arisu held onto the lance in her hand and followed.
“………”
She climbed the staircase, and examined the lance in her hand closely.
The Morpho b.u.t.terfly that was always following Arisu’s side, used to be the (Mushi) of her good friend. Ever since the ill Mari stopped breathing, it had always followed Arisu.
“Mari……”
Arisu called out softly, but the lance in her hand did not respond to her. No matter how much she called out, the silver colored Morpho b.u.t.terfly probably wouldn’t give any response.
--- My dream, can I entrust it to you?
This was Mari’s last wish. These words, what meaning did it hold? Why did the Morpho b.u.t.terfly follow her?
The so-called Mus.h.i.tsuki, what exactly are they? --- Because she wanted to find out the answers to these questions, Arisu had been desperately trying to find Mus.h.i.tsuki.
But the Mus.h.i.tsuki that she found after so much effort ---Harimoto Jyun, he was totally different from Mari. With regards to the “being” that turned him into this state, Arisu felt an intense rage building up within her.
A sudden gust came, blowing Arisu’s hair into the air.
Finally reaching the end of the staircase, a destroyed door appeared within sight. This place was the rooftop, Jyun and his (Mushi) probably came here as well.
Outside, it was completely covered by darkness.
The night wind blew across the empty rooftop; the laser lights were emitting intense beams of light in the surroundings.
Jyun stood on the other side of the rooftop. Arisu walked over in his direction.
“Harimoto-kun………”
Jyun who was being pursued, was unexpectedly calm; he was only staring at Arisu with his cold gaze burning with intense hatred.
“What is your true dream? That (Mushi) wasn’t born solely for the sake of revenge right?”
“Looks like you know a Mus.h.i.tsuki other than me, and that person must be really nice right?”
Jyun said. Arisu did not reply to his question.
“I never thought about revenge in the past……”
Jyun’s expression became a lot gentler, and a kind smile could even be seen on his face.
“Do it. Let everything in my vicinity go to h.e.l.l……!”
Arisu widened her eyes in shock. Seeing her reaction, Jyun gave a strange smile.
“I really can’t believe I have such a dream ---It is just like your expression. But there are many other Mus.h.i.tsuki around just like me, I"m sure of it."
Arisu’s breath was taken away by the sight of this boy. She herself could not understand the wave of emotions she was experiencing, was it a chill, or sadness? But ---
“Idiot! You ……”
Arisu muttered to herself, and looked straight at Jyun.
“I got things to ask you. The woman who turned you into a Mus.h.i.tsuki….that person, who exactly is she?”
Jyun raised his head in shock. He searched through his mind for the answer as he looked at Arisu.
After a while he said in a soft voice:
“……She called herself (Oogui). That was what she said.”
"(Oogui)"
This name was burned deep into Arisu’s memory in an instant.
“Because of that person, Mus.h.i.tsuki were born ……people like Mari ……”
Arisu questioned Jyun once more.
“One more thing.”
Arisu pointed the head of her lance at Jyun.
“You must swear right here, not to cause anymore incidents like the one today.”
Jyun’s face gave no expression.
“There is someone waiting for you …… just this fact alone, is it not enough?”
Jyun slowly lowered his head. But soon later, the boy gave a twisted smile on his face once more.
“No matter who it is, don’t think about stopping me!”
Jyun’s (Mushi) pierced it"s sharp feet through the wall of the building; the boy hugged onto the (Mushi)’s leg, and disappeared from the rooftop.
“Why……”
Arisu gritted her teeth and endured her shout, and let out a groan.
The damp air of the night wind quietly blew. Arisu looked down from where she was standing on the rooftop, she could still faintly see the figure of Jyun clinging on to his (Mushi) as he jumped down from this height.
Takako said that she wanted to save Jyun. If Arisu just let him escape like this, wouldn’t it be going against her wishes?
“I can’t let this happen… right, Mari?”
Arisu said to her friend who was a Mus.h.i.tsuki. She already determined her next movement.
“I might really die from this…...”
Arisu looked down once, and held onto the silver lance in her hand tightly.
“Let’s go, Mari.”
Dong ---Arisu jumped down from the building rooftop. --- In the next instant, the winds and the intense gravity were felt by Arisu’s entire being.
Maybe it was the air resistance, or perhaps it was just that she was a bit afraid in her heart, Arisu closed her eyes.
Arisu who was completely freefalling, exchanged gazes with Jyun. He seemed to have seen something really unbelievable.
“Taaaaaaaaaaaaake Thisssssssss!”
In the instant she brushed past Jyun, Arisu struck with her silver lance.
The gla.s.s of the building was shattered like an explosion had just occurred.
The edges of the blade-like scale pollen tore Jyun’s (Mushi) into two. Not just that, the power of the scale pollen left a giant crack on the wall of the building.
At the same time when the (Mushi) was split into two, the expression on Jyun’s face completely disappeared. The next expression that he gave in front of Arisu was a lifeless one like a doll.
"Ta…ka…ko ---"
At last, Arisu could see Jyun’s lips moving, but after that, it remained frozen still; not moving one bit at all.
This was probably the “Fallen” state that the boy in the pitch-black coat was talking about --- Arisu’s mind rang with the words of the boy.
“Ke!”
Arisu used the lance"s other end that she spun halfway to hit Jyun’s chest lightly, the boy’s body was sent flying into the building through the broken gla.s.s window. But, it did not end here. Arisu raised the lance high above her head, and used its head to stab into the wall forcefully.
--- My dream, can I entrust it to you?
The face of her good friend who had the might to live on, but did not manage to do so; appeared in Arisu’s mind.
The her who was bearing Mari’s dream, how could she possibly die in a place like this!
The lance that stabbed into the wall, gradually slowed down her decent, her two arms that were bearing the full weight of her body were already aching painfully.
Suddenly, a black figure flashed past Arisu’s eyes.
It was the leg from the (Mushi) that was split into two.
“…Ah…”
The corpse of the falling (Mushi) above her head, knocked away both Arisu and the silver lance.
The body, that had no any other support, was once again falling with the weight of gravity.
I’m sorry. Mari ---
Arisu widened her eyes, and whispered in her heart.
I"m, already ---
Just when she was about to lose consciousness, all of a sudden in an instant --
The wall exploded forth once again.
But this time it was different from earlier, this explosion was caused from inside the building, like it came from some sort of blast.
Using the force of the explosion, a black figure appeared from within the building. The pitch black coat that she was familiar with, wearing a pair of large goggles, and holding an automatic revolver in his hand.
“You stupid woman…!”
The owner of the long coat held onto Arisu, and adjusted the aim of his revolver downwards.
An intense blast of cannon fire that did not match sound of a shot fired from a revolver rang out.
The center of the “U” shaped building, the rooftop of the observatory sphere was blown apart.
Before her screams could come out, the intense impact and deafening sound engulfed Arisu.
“…Ugh…”
A painful groan came into Arisu’s ears.
All of a sudden, the impact completely stopped. Maybe it was the instant when she pa.s.sed out.
Arisu"s tightly shut eyes slowly started to open.
This is the --- the place where the observatory area was supposed to be right?
The rooftop was completely overturned, the gla.s.s windows were shattered onto the floor, and the laser lights placed on the observatory area were all wrecked.
At that moment, Arisu remembered that the reason she escaped death was because someone grabbed onto her at the last second, and quickly looked up.
The boy had a completely displeased face as he stared at Arisu.
It seemed that he got injured in order to protect Arisu. The boy’s long coat was already torn beyond recognition, and there were cracks on the lens of the goggles covering his face.
“How did I end up like this…… d.a.m.n it…”
The tentacles wrapping around the boy gradually retracted from his body, and slowly turned into a green colored (Mushi).
This guy was indeed a Mus.h.i.tsu