Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume1 Chapter1 (section)

=== Part 4 ===

"Kannagi……no, Yagami Kazuma……? You came back at a very good time!" 

"Huo-huo-huo……" A hoarse laugh broke the strained silence. Not a single streak of light could be found in the single room <!-- as opposed to a an multiroom office complex -->filled with darkness. 

"And……?" 

"Yes, it's better if everyone hears this. Finally, the time has come. The time when we shall dispel the disgrace that has lasted 300 years. Now is the time for us to regain the power we lost, and return to our previous, glorious position." 

"Ohhhhhhhhh…………" 

A stifled commotion filled the air. No one shouted. Afraid of being discovered, they kept their breaths in check, keeping their tension locked inside the room. 

"Oh, when you finally realize it, you Kannagi... We will overthrow you and leave not a single one remaining… Kukuku…" 

A low and gloomy voice echoed with resentment darker than darkness... 

                                                                    ***

''"U-uwaaaaaaaaaaaa! Wha-what, what are you doing-?!"'' 

Late at night on that same day, Shinji screamed out in terror. Nearby were two freshly severed heads, which had tumbled down onto the floor. Following them were two headless corpses. And standing before him, a human? 

Shinji was unable to say for certain. There was nothing different from a human by outward appearance, but it possessed an aura that a human could not possibly have. 

The two corpses——who had been alive until 30 seconds ago——had been captured in a ''kekkai'' without any chance to prepare themselves and were immediately decapitated. 

The mysterious person had not moved a single finger. And yet Shinji had clearly witnessed an incredible force slicing the two heads off as if they were nothing. Or rather, Shinji had been forced to witness. 

Even though the other two surpassed him in skill, Shinji was the only person left alive. It wasn't because of luck. Shinji realized this more than anyone else. 

He was being toyed with. This demon in human shape was feeding on Shinji's fear and hopelessness. It held off killing him for the moment, playing with him lazily, enjoying his empty resistance. 

"What the hell?! What did I do…?" 

The ''thing'' gave no answer. It came closer without even making footsteps, taking its time. 

The ''thing'' remained completely silent. Nothing came out as it drew closer, wielding an invisible sword. 

Silence remained even after severing those heads. The two blood-covered heads rolling on the ground seemed not to have noticed their own deaths as they still had their drunken, relaxed slack smiles. 

Shinji knew of only one person who could do what this ''thing'' had just done. He had just met that person yesterday. In addition, that person had a just motive to kill them. 

Shinji became frantic, begging the ''thing'' for forgiveness. His voice did a complete turn. 

"Ka-Kazuma? You're Kazuma, right? Forgive me——it was my fault, I-I regret it, so please, forgive meeee——" 

The only reply was a flash from the wind-blade. It severed his right arm at the base. Formed from a high density of spirits, the blade cut through meat and bone as if it were tofu. 

''"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"''

While screaming, Shinji threw himself fully into starting Enjutsu. The intense concentration from being so close to death brought forth the greatest power of his 25 years of life. 

The ''thing'' became covered in a golden flame, the same one that had the power to destroy any and all demons, the highest level of purification. The flame burned brightly through the darkness. 

"Y-yeah! I think I——" 

Suddenly, ''that thing'', now a huge torch, began to move. Shinji's face, full of hope till now, froze. 

The ''thing'' stretched out a hand, taking hold of the golden flame, ''and in one movement, tore it from its body.'' <!-- There is an exclamation mark, even though it seems strange to me. --> 

The ''thing'' emerged from the flame's restraints, completely uninjured.  Its body, and even its clothes, remained undamaged without any sign of having been engulfed by fire.

The ''thing'' slowly turned to Shinji and began walking. Underneath the freezing moonlight, without a sound, it came closer, an ominous shadow.

This was, in some ways, twisted. There was something there that the eye could not help but be fascinated by. A scene filled with beauty that one had to admit was from the spirit world.

"Hee, heehee, heeheeeeheeheehee-, kyahahahaha, ahahahaha!"

Suddenly, Shinji began laughing in a strange voice.

Evidently, his mental equilibrium had snapped from an overload of fear. Even as the wind-blade soundlessly sliced through his body, splitting it in half, he tumbled over laughing without even showing a reaction.

Perhaps the ''thing'' got tired of Shinji's lack of response. It casually sliced off his head as if throwing away an unwanted toy.

There was a dull ''thunk.'' The third head rolled on the ground.

The ''thing'' remained dissatisfied even after killing everyone. It continued to slice up the bodies. Though it was only for a few minutes, the three bodies were cut into many small pieces that even the parents of the corpses would no longer recognize; they wouldn't even be able to tell what kind of flesh it was or what limb it was.

As the raw stink of blood and meat drifted through the kekkai, the ''thing'' laughed cruelly and vanished as if melting into the air. 

However, the three severed heads remained. Though the bodies were in pieces, there was not a single injury on those heads. 

Somehow, the three heads had ended up facing the gate in a straight line. Each had a strange smile, as if saying to anyone coming through that gate, "Welcome to a nightmare."



And so the tragedy began...

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