[Mushi Uta v2 ] Chapter 4.09: The Others

Here's the next one~

(Just when one thought that things couldn't get any worse...>.>)

Enjoy~

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Translated : Wing
Edited : Skat

Version: 1.01
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4.09

The Others


Aaah, Lord ---

In the first carriage where Iori had already disappeared, Azu was left completely dumbfounded.

She sat weakly on the floor as she gazed at the giant hole on the wall where Iori was thrown out.

Why ---?

The ugly (Mushi) wiggled its antennae in front of Azu, as the teenage boy who controlled the gigantic spider, looked over at her direction from a distance.

Why did it turn out like this ---?

She couldn’t even move her fingers or sound a word; she just stared blankly.

Her emotions were rejecting the reality in front of her, making her unable to feel the authenticity of anything.

The only thing she could feel were the traces of warm tears on her cheeks.

Azu always prayed before meals and she would always go to the Mass every Sunday as well ---

Just then, roars echoed throughout the carriage.

“…! What…?!”

A cyan-colored soldier ant crawled in from the giant hole in the wall— and not just one, but a total of three huge soldier ants. They immediately charged straight at the giant spider and the (Mushi).

“That……Endou’s…! Is he still alive?!”

A giant soldier ant bit into the (Mushi) that was in front of Azu, and crushed it apart with its strong mandibles. On the other hand, one of the soldier ants leapt at the spider, while the last one approached Azu.

“…I-Iori…?”

The cyan-colored soldier ant nudged Azu with its big head and gently pushed her towards the 2nd car— as if it was signaling her to not come any closer.

“…Is it … Iori…?”

Azu gently touched the solder ant’s head, but it didn’t respond; it just kept signaling her to escape quickly.

Just then, the soldier ant that eliminated the (Mushi), joined the battle against the spider. Facing two soldier ants at the same time, the spider moaned painfully as Yoichi's expression distorted from a pain in his side.

“Uuuaghhh…!”

“Iori---“

The soldier ant continued to shake its head desperately as if it was pleading with Azu to stay back, Azu then noticed.

The soldier ants' bodies began to fade away, as if they were dissipating into the air. When Azu saw that their outlines were becoming bleary, she could feel something similar to the fear from before, beginning to envelope her once again.

“No… Noo… Iori, Don’t…”

However, Azu’s plea had no effect at all; the soldier ants’ bodies were still decomposing.

“No… Please don’t go… Iori…”

Her arms suddenly lost support of the soldier ant.

Before it fully vanished, the soldier ant’s eyes gently gazed straight at Azu.

“Ahh…Ahhhh, Iori… Why did it turn out like this…”

Azu reached her hands toward the space where the soldier ant had disappeared as tears began to overflow once again.

Iori had finally changed into a great person, and although he had committed a lot of crimes in the past, he was in actuality a good person ---

Azu continued to search for an answer within her heart.

Why did it turn out like this… … Whose fault is it that everything turned out like this? Lord, please tell me ---

“Iori……”

Through the eyes of Azu, who was still searching for Iori’s presence with her hands, Yoichi’s approaching figure was reflected.

“Scared me a bit there… looks like that was his final struggle. What a hard-to-get-rid-of ant— felt just like a cockroach. Okay, Sunakozaka-san…”

The spider slowly raised its long, sharp clawed limbs up in the air.

“You hold the same role as Endou-kun once did. No matter how calm that man may be, if he were to see this sight, he probably wouldn't be able to take it, would he?”

Azu gazed dazedly at the view in front of her as an answer surfaced in her mind.

So it was like that ---
It was not her fault, nor Iori’s fault.

Then whose fault was it?

Azu watched the spider’s leg gradually closing in at her chest as she pondered.

It’s all Senri’s fault, right? Iori…..

Just then, the view in front of Azu suddenly stopped. The world began to lose its color as the spider’s leg came to a stop.

--- A heart throbbing ringing, suddenly rang throughout the surroundings.

“…!”

When Azu heard the sound, she came back to her sense.

After coming back to her senses, she then found herself at an unknown place.

The ringing continued to vibrate against the air. Every time the sound echoed, the surrounding air would gain a humid feeling as it became heavier.

In front of her stood a tree.

And behind that tree, was a half-ruined small building. To Azu, it was a building that she was very familiar with --- That building was just like a church. Yet on the tip of the building there was only a broken beam, the cross that was supposed to be there could not be seen.

Every time she heard the ringing, her consciousness would blank out even more; Azu couldn’t remember how she got there anymore.

“Oh lost one… cometh to mine side…”

Just then, a voice echoed out of nowhere. Although it was a hoarse voice which seemed to be coming from an elder, to Azu at that moment, the voice was just like a revelation from an oracle.

Azu's body stiffened due to nervousness.

“Oh lost one… cometh to mine side now…”

The voice rang once again; it seemed to be coming from the direction of the building.

Azu held tightly onto the rosary on her chest. Surprisingly, she felt no fear as her legs began to move towards the direction of the building very naturally.

After stepping into the building, the first thing that appeared into her view was the empty altar. Only darkness could be seen at the spot where the statue supposed to be.

Wooden benches could be seen neatly lined within the building, while candles mounted on the wall, surrounded the benches.

"Thou dost suffer from a sorrow most grave…"

The voice rang.

The memories of Iori’s final moment began to flash through her mind --- The moment when Iori was stabbed by the spider and thrown out the new bullet train.

Azu held tightly onto the rosary and mumbled:

“Yes… I lost a person that’s very precious to me… Why did he have to go through that?...”

Precious person.

That’s right, to Azu, Iori was more precious than everything else. She didn’t know exactly when she started to feel like that; thinking back at it now, it was probably when she met him for the first time that she became like this.

Azu never told him her feelings; she just treasured them deeply inside her heart.

On top of her praying hands holding the rosary, a small droplet of liquid splattered.

“Why…Why did no one want to save Iori……?”

Although Iori had done a lot of bad things in the past, he was slowly changing over time. Throughout this one year, he had gradually become a thoughtful and kind boy. Seeing this change, Azu felt happy for him from the bottom of her heart.

"Alas, the lad fell under the seduction of a devil."

Azu widened her eyes.

“Devil…?”

"Aye, an evil being, thou is well aware of this individual."

The person who incited Iori.

The person who was the trigger of Iori’s death.

--- Haji Senri!

The moment when Azu recalled that name, she could feel a dark emotion gradually rising within her.

“Senri……”

Azu’s expression suddenly changed.

Senri…

That’s right, it must be Senri.

Azu had prayed every day to the God.

Iori had changed compared to before; he was gradually becoming a kind and gentle boy.

God shouldn’t be miserly at bringing salvation to those who did good everyday right?

Then, whose fault was it?...

The answer was obvious; Azu actually knew it since a long time ago. Ever since that first encounter with her, Azu had hated that teenage girl.

Senri.

Senri.

Senri.

It was her that took away Iori from Azu.

And then took away his life from him.

“Senri……!”

The voice, that was echoing above her, seemed to have received her hateful blames.

“Allow I to bestow power upon thee…!”

The tone of the voice suddenly turned one hundred eighty degrees. It had become a deep suppressed voice as, if it was the evil coming from the abyss itself; totally different than the gentle tone before.

“Power…..”

Azu’s voice slowly synchronized with the evil voice, and became deep and cold as well.

"That devil hath failed mine expectations. Nay, that devil doth not comprehend how to use her power… Therefore thou shall inherit this power, and revenge!"

A grim smile slowly appeared on Azu’s face.

Right now she understood.

That voice --- it was coming from the god in the heaven that was summoned by Azu herself. The hatred and jealousy that Azu had been concealing had finally summoned the god.

"Now chooseth… Dost thou desire the flames which could rend all into ashes? Or the torrent which engulfs all in its path. Or perhaps a tempest to blow everything away? The earth which may crumble everything… Or the light? Darkness? Life? Death? Anger? Misery? Even the void is fine! Pick any power that thy desires! Thou shall become the "King" of Mushitsuki, and sacrifice many more dreams to I!"

“The King… of Mushitsuki.”

Azu thought from the bottom of her heart.

The reason why Iori didn’t choose her was definitely because that she wasn’t a Mushitsuki right? Was it because the fact that both of them were Mushitsuki that Iori chose that fragile teenage girl over her?

If so, if she herself was to become a Mushitsuki, then Iori would ---

“If I can become a Mushitsuki then……!”

She would be able to avenge Senri.

To make her fully suffer---

Iori’s pain… and her pain. Make that incompetent woman who couldn’t do anything without the cares of others, to make her suffer ---

Azu laughed sinisterly as she input more force into her hands that were holding the rosary. And because she used too much strength, the sharp edge of the rosary cut her skin.

A droplet of red liquid dropped onto the floor.

Azu felt pain, and slowly opened her hands; the silver rosary was stained by blood.

“Ah…”

A weak hoarse voice escaped her mouth.

--- Azu-chan, do you believe in god?...

Just then, Senri’s innocent smile flashed through her mind.

She then suddenly remembered --- She actually didn’t believe in god.

“Come, and accept me!...... Sunakozaka Azu!”

“……”

She continued to remember.

The moment when she told Iori that she wanted to become a Mushitsuki, why did Iori got mad?

How did Iori regain his kind-hearted self?

What was her real wish?

“Aahh, Lord… Thank you…”

Azu held the rosary properly, and closed her eyes.

“Pray… Which power dost thou desire---“

“I have truly received your grace… … Right now, I’m thankful to you from the bottom of my heart that I'm able to greet this moment.”

Azu held the rosary in front of her chest, and prayed wholeheartedly once again.

To Azu, her most precious person in this world was Iori. And because of the wish that he prayed for from the bottom of his heart, he was redeemed, and thus he saved Azu as well.

--- Can you feel?

At that time, the warmth that she received from her five most precious companions, could still be felt even then.

It’s okay, I can clearly feel it, Senri…

Iori must have felt it as well.

The warmth given by Senri caused Azu, who never believed in anything or ever desired for anything, to have a dream.

“You…?”

The owner of the voice seemed to have noticed the abnormality as the tone of his voice was beginning to waver.

“Even if Iori cannot come back to life, it’s fine.”

In the middle of the chapel, Azu was still praying to the invisible god.

“You don’t have to retain my life anymore.”

Why did she suddenly become so earnest? It was because the feeling of her most precious person’s.

His feelings were Azu’s wishes.

“So, please bless that child…… please protect our most precious Senri.”

It was not because the will of others, but the honest feeling that came from the bottom of her heart; a pure simple wish.

“Why---….”

The giant bell then sounded a discordant tone of destruction.

“WWWWHHHHYYYYY!!!”

A crispy loud sound akin to glasses being shattered into pieces echoed the surrounding as the church itself was falling apart.

With a sound of “Pong”, a vibration shook Azu’s body.

The world began to fill with colors once again as the time began to flow.

Azu held onto her rosary and smiled weakly as a droplet of blood, shed from the corner of her lip.

She then closed her eyes and whispered to her most precious person in her heart.

Iori… I've finally found it ---
 

Azu’s body was pierced by the spider’s leg as she recalled Senri for the last time.

Senri, you have to live on okay? And then, together with everyone ---

A voice suddenly came from behind her, but Azu’s embers of life had already faded to a point where she couldn’t even recognize that it was Daisuke’s voice anymore.

Together with everyone, let’s go back to Housawa Town once more ---

Azu carefully and gently treasured the dream that she finally found in the bottom of her heart as her consciousness began to fade before completely vanishing…

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Thank you for reading~
Feel free to leave comments for any questions or feedback~

... Another one...

Damn you, Iwai-sensei T^T. Dammnnn you~~~

And so, look forward to Daisuke's reaction~

P.s: let's give some credit to Skat for showing his awesomeness in Elizabethan English, shinpu sound much more bad-ass/old xD.