Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

“Still not ready? How much longer do we have to wait, Hyoue?” 

“Please, just a little longer.” Hyoue replied to the seemingly impatient person. 

The person waiting for Hyoue closed his eyes pensively and walked away. Hyoue felt the wind blowing against him. The air was filled with the ''ki'' of the youma and passed beneath Hyoue’s palm like a wind that would swallow anyone. It was already dawn by the time the shredded remains of the three people were discovered. This unbelievably serious situation completely shocked the entire Kannagi clan. The Kannagi clan was undeniably astonished. Before their reflexes could respond, the three defensively-prepared people were killed, without anyone else even being alerted. The Fuuga clan had been summoned in order to better understand the situation. Hyoue had gathered the youma ''ki'' to understand who the enemy was. 




"Hmm"

"T—this is...."

Quiet concentration. Hyoue gathered the youma ''ki'' in his palms without letting any of it flow out. It was a very cold air. Even for powerful practitioners, the ''ki'' provided sufficient reasons to fear it. 

“This was caused by Fuujutsu, and was created by a practitioner who is on a completely different level from my Fuuga clan. This practitioner trapped the three victims in a wind ''kekkai'' and then killed them.” 

Hyoue’s report was not in the least, beneficial. Any practitioner could have easily deduced that from the sight of the incident.

“I understand that much. But, who did it?!” 

“If you require a detailed report, I would like you to allow me more time,” Hyoue replied indistinctly. 

“Then do it quickly! You and your clan can act...”

“Everyone be quiet!”

At Juugo's angry voice, everyone present became silent. Juugo then spoke in a consoling voice.

“So it's like that? Good job, you may retire... Right, how’s the health of Ryuuya?" 

Hyoue appeared surprised at that moment due to the Suzerain’s concern over his son’s health.

“Yes… If he quietly recuperates, there shouldn’t be any problems. However, he can no longer recover to the level of working for the Kannagi clan anymore. This unworthy son really is an embarrassment.” 

"It can't be helped if he is ill. Don't blame Ryuuya, just focus on his recovery."

Hyoue bowed to Juugo’s words of gratitude<!-- Sounds too western -->. 

“Yes… Thank you very much. I will now give instructions to my subordinates….”

“Then please, I await your reply, Hyoue.”

The head of the Fuuga clan bowed silently and left. 

                                                                     ***

The enemy was a Fuujutsu practitioner who loathed the Kannagi clan. Naturally, everyone thought of a certain person who had—coincidentally—just returned to Japan. 

“It’s Kazuma! He obtained strength for revenge and returned to Japan! My fellow clan members, let us destroy the traitor Kazuma. Find him without delay and kill him!” 

The person who made such an aggressive comment was the previous Suzerain, Yorimichi. Even though he was retired, he still had the air of a Suzerain. The entire clan loathed him, though he was unaware of it. 

“[[Kaze_no_Stigma:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Chichiue|Chichiue]], please. We don’t have enough evidence to prove that Kazuma did this.” Juugo said in an attempt to stop Yorimichi's tirade. 

“You—! Who but Kazuma could have done this...?”

“Yorimichi, please hold your tongue. When you speak like that, it becomes impossible for us to discuss the issue.” 

Genma coolly interrupted Yorimichi's ear-shattering ranting, with a cold look that clearly expressed his scorn. The truth is, Genma looked down on Yorimichi with disrespect from the depths of his heart. To him, Yorimichi was a person who had no strength apart from scheming, yet was chosen as the Suzerain. In Yorimichi’s thirty years as Suzerain, the strength of the Kannagi clan reached rock bottom. Yorimichi's inability to control the representative sword of the Kannagi clan and his inability to pass the sword onto someone else resulted in it being buried deep in the warehouse before Juugo’s succession to the Suzerain position.

However, Genma was not thinking about such a foolish item. He believed that the one to succeed the position of Suzerain should be the strongest practitioner of Kannagi. Because of this, he did not hate the current Suzerain, Juugo. Genma understood that his own strength couldn't compare. Previously, he wanted to prepare his son to be the next Suzerain. This was not really a scheme; he just wanted to train and prepare Kazuma to give him the strength to become the next Suzerain. 

Yorimichi didn’t have such beliefs, as he was the type of person who only had ambition for power. Or, at least that was what Genma thought of him. No matter how Genma tried to hide his thoughts, they were clearly revealed as he further enraged Yorimichi. Despite their close blood relationship of uncle and nephew, the hatred between the two deepened again. 

“Y-You want to shield Kazuma? No... should I say that this is your scheme? Allowing Kazuma to go outside the country, having him learn jutsu to kill Juugo and Ayano, and finally letting Ren succeed the position of Suzerain?" 

Yorimichi turned his accusing finger towards Genma. This kind of bad will was materializing like “sticky things connecting items together,” agitating the rest of the crowd. 

“That kind of idea would only come from someone with low scruples.” 

For Yorimichi to say such things was an almost insulting provocation. Genma did not try to contradict him out of the fear of making an extremely disrespectful reply if he did. 

“Chichiue, that’s enough!” 

Juugo cut in, interrupting the insulting diatribe. He decided to settle it by ordering Yorimichi to be taken away.

“Yorimichi, you must be tired. Please return to your room to rest.” 

“Wait, Juugo! Genma cannot be trusted! If you don’t listen to me now, you will end up regretting it sooner or later!” 

Yorimichi was hauled away like luggage. His harsh voice slowly decreased in volume until nothing could be heard. 

“I really am sorry for the insulting diatribes of my father. Please forgive him on my behalf.” 

Juugo placed both of his hands on the tatami in a slight bow. Genma replied indifferently, “I didn’t pay attention. The reason for such words is that the previous Suzerain cares deeply for the Kannagi clan.”

With an exchange of glances that instantly understood each other, they smiled at the same time. The time for chatting was over, and it was now time to discuss more serious matters. 

“As the previous Suzerain said, the timing is too much of a coincidence. It is better for us to meet again and talk.”

Genma maintained his silence from the start, perhaps because he did not want to discuss his own son. 

“Would Kazuma submit to our instructions willingly?”

“If he won’t submit, we will have to use force to bring him here. Even though he has gained strength, he is still Kazuma. Two or three people will be more than enough to capture him.” 

“...That’s good, then. The selection of persons in charge of this assignment will be your responsibility, Genma. No matter what, it is necessary to bring back Kazuma quickly.” 

“Understood.” Even though Genma had just received an order to capture his own son, Genma was tranquil compared to others.





“Ayano-sama has returned!”
 
The serious expression on Juugo’s face began to relax. Genma put on a highly energetic and fierce look as well. 

“Oh, I'm back!”

She appeared without even waiting a second. Bah! She pulled the sliding door open and caught everyone’s attention. 

“I’m home, [[Kaze_no_Stigma:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Otou-sama|Otou-sama]]! Ehh...? What’s going on?”

An assertive young teenage girl appeared before the crowd, noticing the mood a moment later. Her long, pink hair that almost reached her back flowed along with the movements of her head, representing the blooming of a [[Kaze_no_Stigma:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Bishoujo|bishoujo]]. At that moment, the 'dark and cold' atmosphere completely vanished. Her spiritual energy completely cleansed the room's atmosphere in one breath. The appearance of an unclear enemy who killed family members became muted. The people who had been discussing this situation nonstop now faced a blinding light. Their feelings of discomfort and distress completely vanished.

As if facing the rays of the sun, all movements in the dark ceased to exist. The girl in the doorway, a girl who had the ability to vanquish darkness with spiritual powers not unlike the power of light, was heir of the Suzerain, owner of Enraiha and Juugo’s daughter: Kannagi Ayano. 

“How’s the report, Ayano?” 

Juugo tested his daughter with the same serious expression that he used when asking other people. To him, that was the best way for a father to guide his daughter. 

“Excuse me.” Ayano at that moment finished bowing. “The youma that was released was completely vanquished.” 

“Hmm, good job.”

Finishing her report to the Suzerain as a practitioner, Ayano innocently continued her questioning. 

“So, what actually happened, Otou-sama?” 





“Hmm——earlier, three people had been killed without being noticed. This is a serious situation!"

Although they were distant relatives, Ayano quieted after hearing how three people from the family had been killed. The 'serious situation' wasn’t the fact that 'three people had been killed.' Rather, it was because it was 'without being noticed.' 

This was not some callous sentiment, but it was an understanding of what was of primary importance. For a girl of only sixteen years of age, who had such a strong will and discipline, it was surprising. 

“Nobody saw who it was? A Fuujutsu practitioner?”

“Of course there's a suspect.” Faced with Ayano’s questions, Juugo replied heavily, “...It’s Kazuma.”

“Who’s that?”

Faced with this kind of close and revealing speech, Juugo’s 'sun vein' furrowed.

“Think carefully about your older cousin’s name... the one who you fought against in the 'Succession Ceremony' for Enraiha, the representative sword of the Kannagi clan."

“Older cousin... Could it be the Kazuma who left the family four years ago? Could that even be called a fight?”

Juugo secretly spied on Genma’s expression to see if there were any changes from hearing Ayano's blunt words. Genma's inner feelings were not apparent, as his outer unreadable appearance didn’t change at all.

“Right, I heard he left the country... and trained elsewhere. Later, he became a Fuujutsu practitioner?” 

“That’s how it is. Supposedly, he returned to Japan recently and changed his name to Yagami Kazuma. Yesterday, he met with the late Shinji during a job, where he beautifully completed it. It seems like he has trained very hard in those four years.” 

“Kazuma... Looks like he hates us…” Finally remembering, Ayano looked distant. 

“It could be like that,” Genma replied without any facial expression. 

“But, even though it is like that, we cannot just kill him. If it was done by him, we need to use his life to pay for the crimes.” 

“If...?”

Ayano turned to look at Genma, searching for a clue as to what Genma was thinking. Genma accepted Ayano’s look without any change. The one who disinherited Kazuma and the one who provided the reason for his disinheritance crossed gazes. The first to look away was Ayano. Strength as practitioners aside, her life’s experience was immensely surpassed. In reality, even with careful searching, she still lacked the confidence in her ability to win. Ayano stopped her meaningless gaze, and turned to look towards Juugo.

“So, what do we do next? Eliminate him?"

After seeing his daughter say such words so easily, Juugo immediately replied.

“We still cannot be certain whether Kazuma was the one who did it, but no matter. We should find him and talk with him first.”

“...Yes...”

Perhaps due to the mighty power that Enraiha bears, whenever Ayano was faced with a problem, she was inclined to use power to resolve it. Juugo had always hoped that she understood her position as the next clan chief and therefore had to be more flexible in her thinking.

“You have just finished a mission, you must be tired, today get some good rest.” 

“...I understand.”

Even though she did not seem pleased, Ayano still obeyed her father’s words and quickly left the scene after bowing. The attitude she portrayed by not even looking at Juugo showed just how unhappy she was.

“......This stubborn child.”

Juugo sighed as he muttered this. However, despite his tone being so bitter, he was still unable to hide the overflowing love he had for her.