Rain fiercely assaulted Daisuke's face as he collapsed face-up.
The air mixed with the rain's smell was unchanged from how it was five years ago.
This was the smell of his birthplace.
Daisuke was born there and spent his days there up until the later grades of elementary school.
However, in the night sky reflected in Daisuke's pupils a scene far removed from reality spread out.
Through the cracks between the dark clouds one could catch a glimpse of a far too large purple-colored swallowtail butterfly. On the surface of its four wings, large enough to cover the entire town, was a pattern like human eyes. Purple scales emitting phosphorous light poured down from the butterfly in the sky.
"Thinking you can win against me - have you come this far telling yourself that?"
While he was being hit by the rain on the cold floor, Oogui's voice entered Daisuke's ears.
"You should have known though… Only you, who knows of my ability, should be aware that you can't win against me as I am now, right?"
Oogui's sweet whisper didn't change in the slightest ever since the time Daisuke had come there. This bewitching voice that took away the reason of all listeners made fun of him putting his life at stake to battle her and played with him as if he was a toy.
"Despite knowing you can't win, you still had no choice but to come here…"
The air mixed with the rain's smell was unchanged from how it was five years ago.
It was the same smell of creeping despair from that time.
"You've shouldered everything by yourself and continually fought by yourself. Nothing's changed in these five years."
Mustering all of his remaining power, Daisuke roused his body.
While he was trying to stand up, the rain wetting his entire body mixed up with endlessly flowing fresh blood. The red stream was being absorbed into the drainage of the already closed elementary school's roof. The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau's long coat he wore soaked up the rain and blood, changing colors.
"I'm different… from how I was five years ago…"
Standing up, Daisuke's face was dirtied by rain, blood and mud.
He raised his face and stared directly at Oogui.
"No, nothing's changed."
Gazing at the wounded Daisuke, she sneered at him.
"You're simply about to repeat the same from that day… from the time you turned into a Mushitsuki."
Purple scales were raining around the woman wrapped in a crimson-colored long coat.
These scales created countless masses in the air, transforming into atypically-shaped insects. The Mushi, crowding so densely as if to completely cover the field of vision, raised a yell that seemed like it would tear apart the rainclouds.
"When I rescued Senri I'd defeated Shinpu. —So I'll definitely beat you as well…!"
Daisuke raised his gun, pointing the muzzle fused with the jaw of the Cleridae insect toward Oogui.
He squeezed the trigger.
—Clink, a vain metallic sound echoed.
Facing Daisuke who had defeated Shinpu, Oogui gradually deepened her smile. She snickered suggestively while overlooking the townscape visible from the rooftop.
"It seems that the main dish has finally arrived."
Daisuke widened his eyes.
He couldn't see anything in front of Oogui's line of sight. But she was probably the only one would could sense a certain person approaching there.
I didn't make it in time—
He swept aside the sense of despair welling up in his heart.
No… I can still—
Throwing away his gun, Daisuke gathered up his remaining power. The green pattern covering his cheeks and fists emitted a bright light. The Cleridae insect assimilated with Daisuke handed out its power to him.
"I won't let you—"
He gazed at Oogui with his blood-dyed face, powerfully kicking the ground.
The green light tearing through the darkness of the night charged towards her.
"Oogui!!!"
The Mushi created around Oogui assaulted Daisuke. Some widened their mouthparts made of purple scales; others spread their wings and shot masses of flames and ice, lightning strikes or shockwaves.
Daisuke held his right fist aloft. The pattern etched to the fist exerting his full might shone in green.
His full-powered blow pounded the pursuing Mushi.
Annihilating the Mushi that were hit by it, the wave of the impact was yet to cease and so smashed the surrounding Mushi to smithereens. The school rooftop's floor caved in, wild cracks running through it. The energy created by the aftershock blew the metal fences away.
Daisuke raised his running speed, aiming directly for Oogui. The remaining Mushi all shot their attacks one after another, but he didn't stop. Several Mushi bit into him, but he pulled them along with him while shortening his distance to Oogui.
"Compared to back then - I became stronger."
Oogui was calmly sneering at Daisuke during his struggle through the curtain of Mushi.
He brandished his shining fist.
"—No matter how strong you've become, you can't defeat me… you should be aware of that, right?"
While Oogui smiled with enjoyment. a lone Mushi appeared in front of her.
Daisuke recognized the fake Mushi created by the purple scales - that Mushi which had a rear split into two.
This is Akatsuki's—
As he widened his eyes, Daisuke's vision was filled with countless laser beams.
The torrent of light shot toward the sky pierced him.
Several beams shot at his stomach, shoulders and legs, penetrating the long coat provided by the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.
Further laser beams were fired, vaporizing the violent rain.
Thrown into the sky, Daisuke was pierced by the heat rays again and again. Having already received irreversible injuries, he couldn't even evade.
By the vibration that came as a thud and the cold sensation touching his body he realized that he dropped on the ground.
He could also feel that along with the flowing blood his life was also spilling out.
He could hear his rapidly weakening heartbeats close to his ears.
"Please forget everything about both fighting and protecting… and sleep peacefully."
Oogui's voice sounded horribly distant.
She was facing him as he approached death—
But even so Daisuke tried standing up.