Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume1 Chapter1 (section)

=== Part 2 ===

Even among the ''Enjutsu'' users who could freely manipulate fire, the Kannagi family was famous for their superior strength. It was not simply because their power was great. The reason lay in the special ability passed on in their family's blood. The flame they manipulated was not created by the physical phenomenon of simply accelerating molecular motion. It possessed the power to burn away impurities and destroy evil. 

Because of this "purifying flame" the Kannagi family practitioners held absolute dominance over ''youma'', evil spirits, and all beings who transgressed the law. However, even with the ability given by blood, depending on the extent to which their blood was diluted with each generation, it was inevitable that their power would eventually deteriorate. 

The branch family practitioners had long lost the highest rank of the "gold" flame attribute. If a youma with a fire attribute was their opponent, the flame that they released would merely be absorbed by the youma instead of purifying or destroying it.

...Which was what had happened just now——

The living room had become a purgatory. The high-class furniture and the shag carpet were already carbonizing. The glass from the chandelier on the ceiling had melted and turned into a grotesque art object. This wouldn't have happened if someone from the head family purified the youma. <!-- Nwms8: Removed ', though' since it seemed redundant -->

"I wonder if he's dead..." Kazuma muttered with a refreshed face. 

A cool breeze wrapped Kazuma, keeping the raging fire off him. Even the heat that the flame emitted was sealed off; not a drop of sweat was on Kazuma's face. <!-- Nwms8: Changed 'Even the heat that the flame present in the room emitted' to 'Even the heat that the flame emitted'. The part about the flame being in the room is obvious -->

"H-help……" 

A frail voice rang in his eardrums. Kazuma looked down at the blackened object at his feet.

His client Sakamoto had rolled into the [[Kaze_no_Stigma:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Kekkai|kekkai]], screaming. He didn't seem to be dead though he was burned here and there. 

"Aaaaaa! He-help me!" 

Sakamoto screamed as he clung onto Kazuma's legs. However, Kazuma heartlessly kicked away his client. 

''Thud!'' 

Sakamoto's face writhed in pain as he was mercilessly trampled upon. Since Kazuma didn't want to touch anything beyond his slippers, he brought down his heel instead of stepping on him. The skull could have been making a creaking sound, but that wasn't a big problem. 

Kazuma stepped on Sakamoto's head and stated clearly, "You're not my client and I don't have a knack of saving middle-aged men." 

"If it's money, I'll pay. Twice as much, or so…" 

"Twice? Is your life worth only a million?" 

Kazuma took out a cigarette from his pocket. He gently stretched out his hand, exposing the cigarette's tip outside of the kekkai and began to smoke.

[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 01 019.jpg|thumb]]

Sakamoto didn't have the luxury to be so relaxed, though. Whether by chance or on purpose, there were holes in the area of the kekkai near Sakamoto. Some of the flames passed through the holes and touched him. 

"Hot-! Ee-eeee! Help! Fine!! I'll pay 10 million!"

"Thanks for your business." 

Upon tossing away his cigarette, Kazuma's face let out a smile similar to that of a demon who had made a profitable deal. 

"All right now. Then, won't you please stand back?" 

Kazuma kicked Sakamoto in the rear, and, while sending Sakamoto rolling into the side of the room, Kazuma proclaimed, "You're in the way." 

He began muttering in a low voice and waved his right hand sideways in a mowing motion. As if being squeezed out by his hand, the raging fire was instantly expelled through the window. 

The fire didn't spread to the grass and trees in the garden. Instead, it scattered and then vanished. 

At that moment, a fireball with a distorted face floated in the center of the room. Now the youma's true form was in front of Kazuma.

''Hyuuoou-'' 

In place of the extinguished fire, wind raged across the room. Kazuma stood quietly and with his hand still in his jacket pocket, directed the wind to erase the flames still remaining in the room. 

The fight was already over. The youma was unable to even put up any resistance against Kazuma's overwhelming power while being torn to pieces. All that was left to do was wait for its annihilation. 

"And with this…" 

Kazuma slowly raised his right hand. A person gifted with the sixth sense would have been terrified upon seeing the amount of wind power that was gathering in his hand. 

"…The end!" 

The hand swung down ten times faster than it came up. From his right hand, an invisible blade that sliced through air came forth, slicing the youma neatly in two. 

There were no spirit fragments remaining. Kazuma quietly observed the destroyed youma with a calm look.

"Finished," Kazuma told Sakamoto. Sakamoto was still lying on the floor, dumbfounded. 

"Pay the money in three days. Otherwise, would you like to regret having ever been born?" 

It was identical to what a criminal would say. Even if it was a mistake, it wasn't the way one would speak to a client. 

However, Sakamoto, realizing the horror of going against Kazuma, didn't even dare to complain. 

"Y-yes. Understood. But something terrible has happened to Yuuki-kun. I never thought something so serious would happen." 

Without a word Kazuma approached what appeared to be the ashes of Shinji's remains and trampled on them to Sakamoto's despair. As expected, Sakamoto protested... <!-- Nwms8: Changed 'trampled on them in despair' to 'trampled on them to Sakamoto's despair' since Kazuma would not trample in despair. Also changed 'Sakamoto detested' to 'Sakamoto protested' -->

"Wh-what are you doing!? I don't know what happened between the two of you but please show some respect for the dead!" 

"He's not dead..." Kazuma dryly spat the words out and then continued to kick Shinji again and again. 

Upon doing so, the ash covering the surface fell off; Sakamoto noticed that Shinji appeared to be undamaged by the flame that had covered him a while ago.

"Wh-wha……?" 

Sakamoto doubted his eyes as he beheld the unbelievable scene. Kazuma gave an offhand explanation. 

"All of the Kannagi bloodline receive the divine protection of the fire spirits. Even people from the branch family wouldn't die from this degree of fire." <!-- Nwms8: Changed 'Kannagi's people' to 'the Kannagi bloodline' -->

Kazuma curled his lips in self-derision and added, "though I'm the exception." 

"Uu……Guu……"

Shinji murmured, waking up. After looking around him, he confirmed that the youma was destroyed.
 
"You did this?" 

"It's just like you saw." 

''Who do you think you are, saying whatever you please?''——Kazuma was already aware that Shinji was conscious the whole time. Shinji hurriedly attempted an explanation. 

"So you noticed……? But, I couldn't help. I honestly couldn't move." 

"I don't want to hear your excuses." 

Kazuma coldly stated this over his shoulder, as he turned his back. Shinji called out to the unhesitating figure leaving. There was still something he wanted to ask. 

"Why did you return?" 

"On a whim, I guess." 

At Kazuma's lazy answer, Shinji sharpened his gaze thinking that his question had been evaded. 

"'A whim...' Do you believe the elders will accept that?" 

"I was only disinherited, I wasn't exiled. Where I go is my business."
 
"What are you planning?"

"Nothing in particular," Kazuma answered curtly, shrugging his shoulders. 

"Are you returning to the Kannagi?" 

"Not even if I die." 

Kazuma answered as if spitting out the words. Then, this time, without hesitation, he walked off.
 
Shinji was driven by a sense of unease that he couldn't suppress. He continued to stare at Kazuma. 

''(I have to tell this to the [[Kaze_no_Stigma:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Soushu|soushu]] as soon as possible…)'' 

In a sense, Shinji's unease was right on the mark. From that moment, a war to push the Kannagi into the abyss of ruin began.