Kaze no Stigma - Français:Volume1 Chapitre5

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Chapitre 5 - Le Sauvetage

1ère Partie

Page 179

Kazuma et Ayano étaient assis sur une banquette à l'intérieur d'un compartiment, attendant patiemment leur arrivée à Kyoto par le Shinkansen.

La climatisation était très agréable, et l'environnement était également très confortable. Cependant, la plupart des gens préféraient se serrer dans les compartiments du train déjà très encombrées plutôt que de s’asseoir dans le même qu'eux.

L'ambiance désagréable les entourant, rendait difficile de rester dans cette pièce.

Ignoble.

Tu es vraiment ignoble.

Ayano envoyait des regards meurtriers en direction de Kazuma, qui était assis en diagonale devant elle.

Même s'il était impossible de ne pas la remarquer, Kazuma ne regarda pas même une fois vers Ayano. Les jambes croisées tranquillement,

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il feuilletait un magazine qu'il avait acheté dans une boutique.

Ayano à nouveau, jeta un œil dehors par la fenêtre.

Elle ne s'était jamais sentie aussi mal de sa vie. Devoir travailler avec Kazuma lui déplaisait énormément. Sans parler de son père, Juugo, qui semblait avoir plus foi aux capacités de Kazuma qu'aux siennes, ce qui l'énervait encore d'avantage.

Le visage obstinément tourné vers la fenêtre, elle regardait par intermittence Kazuma avec des airs d'espion. En le regardant attentivement, c'était quelqu’un de totalement différent d'il y a quatre ans. Son apparence n'avait pas terriblement changé, mais sa présence était d'un niveau bien différent.

Elle haïssait Kazuma. C'était une profonde certitude en elle-même. Pourtant— elle n'arrivait pas à détacher ses yeux de lui. Inconsciemment elle espionnait Kazuma, le fixant au moindre de ses mouvements. Ayano ne pouvait tolérer une telle chose.

(Dans l'absolu, ce n'est pas impossible. Mais comment a-t-il bien pu devenir aussi fort en seulement quatre ans?)

Le Kazuma d'il y a quatre ans avait la même présence qu'une pierre sur le bord de la route pour Ayano. Au lieu de l'intimider, ou de le pousser à bout, elle l'avait tout simplement ignoré.

Ce fut ainsi durant la "Cérémonie de succession". Kazuma avait participé à la cérémonie seulement parce que Genma l'y avait forcé. Le combat entre Kazuma, qui ne savait pas utiliser l'Enjutsu, et Ayano, n'avait rien d'un duel. Après tout, chacun connaissait l’issue avant même le début de la cérémonie.

(Mais j'ai entendu dire que ses capacités de combat et de Jutsu étaient vraiment bonne…… qu'est ce que ça peut faire, pourquoi je cherche des qualités

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à ce type bon sang !?)

Ayano secoua la tête fièrement, enleva toutes ses pensés déplaisantes. Elle repris sa respiration et releva la tête. À ce moment, ses yeux croisèrent Kazuma.

— …… Tu as l'air contente.

Kazuma ne se moquait pas d'elle. Il était simplement surpris.

— Qui… Qui est contente !? Le simple fait d'être avec toi m'exaspère plus que tout !

— Ah, d'accord.

Répliqua Kazuma doucement. Il sortit une cigarette de la poche intérieur de sa veste comme si de rien n'était.

— Hé ! Ne fume pas dans une pièce aussi petite !

(… Nous-y revoilà.)

Alors qu'elle se plaignait, Ayano commença à avoir des doutes sur ses émotions incontrôlables. Aussi longtemps que Kazuma était proche d'elle, elle semblait inconsciemment devenir agressive.

Ses sentiments n'étaient simplement pas de la haine. Après tout, Ayano était plus du genre à ignorer ceux qu'elle détestait. Il lui était même impossible de simplement tourner la tête vers eux pour leur parler.

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(Alors ça signifie simplement que je ne le déteste pas, mais que je le haït vraiment vraiment beaucoup !)

Elle utilisa cette logique farfelue pour apaiser la désagréable sensation de son cœur. Mais, rien qu'en regardant ce type détestable mâchouiller sa cigarette et sortir son briquet, Ayano s'enragea de nouveau.

— T'es sourd ? Je t'ai dit de pas fumer !

Kazuma rempli ses poumons de fumée puis la libéra lentement. L'air entre eux s’épaissit par la fumée. Après avoir répété la même chose une nouvelle fois, il rencontra le regard furieux d'Ayano.

— … Je t'ai entendu.

Sa voix arriva au siège d'Ayano avec la fumée. Regardant Ayano s'étouffer, Kazuma continua de polluer l'air avec sa fumée.

— … Espèce de… !

Ayano regarda la bouche de Kazuma. Les esprits répondirent rapidement à la volonté de leur maître descendant du feu.

Bang!

Une explosion retentit. La cigarette que Kazuma mâchouillait brûla instantanément. Si Kazuma l'avait craché un instant trop tard, sa bouche aurait été brûlé.

— Hé hé !

Ignorant Ayano, qui semblait fière et contente d'elle, Kazuma prit une autre cigarette.

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Cette fois-ci il fit un mur protecteur autour de lui, bloquant ainsi les esprits de feu qui pourraient être hors de contrôle.

Ayano regarda furieusement une fois de plus Kazuma, qui commençait à faire beaucoup de fumée. Ce qui l’agaçait le plus, c'est que la fumée blanche passait à travers le mur et commençait à envahir son côté.

— Arrête de faire l'idiot, on doit parler de notre plan pour la mission !

Ayano s'était durement battu pour maitriser son envie de brûler la totalité du train et pour proposé à la place un plan de coopération. Ce fut apparemment un grand choc pour elle quand son père l'avait réprimandée et traité d'écervelé. Toute la montée d'émotion d'Ayano était pour ainsi dire dû à Juugo.

Kazuma dit alors calmement,

— Si tu parles de nous deux, il n'y a aucun plan. Tu as simplement à battre Ryuuya, et moi je reste en retrait et je te couvre. Y-a-t-il autre chose ?

— …… Pourquoi ai-je l'impression d'avoir la partie la plus risquée ?

Ayano savait bien que c'était la méthode la plus efficace, mais elle sentait que quelque chose n'allait pas. De plus elle n'avait toujours pas entièrement confiance en Kazuma, elle avait toujours le sentiment qu'il la manipulait.

— C'est le problème de ta famille ! Pourquoi devrais-je m'impliquer d'avantage ?

— Pour quelqu'un qui est payé pour ça, tu semble sûr de toi. Les mercenaires doivent se battre en première ligne ! Tu es obligé de me protéger.

— Tu veux dire que tu es trop faible pour le faire toi-même ?

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Kazuma émit un grognement de mépris qui sous-entendait : « Tu ne peux pas survivre sans quelqu'un pour te protéger »

— Toi……

Kazuma dit alors quelque chose d'encore plus dure à Ayano, qui était si en colère qu'elle était à court de mots.

— Écoutes moi bien, et souviens toi s'en. Je ne vais pas gaspiller mon énergie à te protéger. Ryuuya est très fort. Plus puissant que moi, et bien-sûr que toi. Nous devrons conjugué nos pouvoirs à leurs limites, ou nous n'aurons aucunes chance de gagner. Même si tu ne me fait pas confiance, essaies au moins de le faire aujourd'hui ! Sinon, nous sommes foutus tous les deux.

Kazuma le dit avec tant de franchise et de calme qu'Ayano ne fut pas capable de le contredire. Elle savait qu'elle était en train de perdre sa motivation. Un fort ki la retenait au point qu'elle ne pouvait même pas bouger le petit doigt.

— Je…… Je le sais déjà……

La seule résistance qu'elle pouvait mettre en place était un ton qui sonnait comme si elle battait en retraite, parce qu'elle sentait que si elle ne faisait aucune tentative de résistance, elle serait vaincu à la fois physiquement et mentalement et ne pourrait plus jamais résister à nouveau.

— Mais c'est seulement pour aujourd'hui…… Si la situation avait été différente, je n'aurais jamais……

Elle faisait de son mieux pour le nier, mais Kazuma ne répondit pas. Sa précédente présence semblait avoir disparu sans laisser de trace, comme si cela n'avait été qu'un simple rêve. Kazuma se détendit de tout son être et paresseusement jouait avec sa cigarette. Ayano pensa en elle-même, qu'il n'était qu'un simple insecte venimeux.

Page 185 - Illustration

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(…… Quelle genre de personne.)

Son cœur était partagé. Une dépendance à la nicotine aussi autodestructrice l'inquiétait, ce qui l'embarrassait.

— Je vais dormir.

Elle finit sa phrase puis ferma les yeux. Puis les rouvrit soudainement fixant Kazuma.

— Si tu tentes quoique ce soit d'étrange, je t'enflamme !

— Ne t'inquiètes pas ! Je ne suis pas intéressées par les créatures qui ne sont pas encore devenues des femmes.

— …………… !

Après avoir entendu une telle réponse insultante, Ayano leva son poing et se leva. Cependant, Kazuma continuait simplement à lire son magazine sans lui prêter la moindre attention, agissant clairement comme s'il venait de dire qu'il n'était pas intéressé.

En un instant, Ayano fut au bord des larmes. Elle cligna des yeux, qui devinrent humides sans raison particulière, retourna à sa place et ferma les yeux.

Ses sentiments flous devinrent comme un tourbillon dans son cœur. Elle ne savait plus si elle était triste ou furieuse.

(Pourquoi devrais-je me soucier de ce type…… ?)

Incapable de mettre au clair ses sentiments, Ayano confina ses pensées confuses dans son subconscient. D’ailleurs elle se força

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elle même, en focalisant ses pensées seulement sur son sommeil. En quelques secondes, Ayano oublia tout ses désagréments et fit entendre le son paisible de sa respiration.

Quand il fut assuré qu'Ayano dormait, Kazuma purifia l'air de la pièce. La fumée blanche se dissipa d'un seul coup.

Il dit aux esprits du vent de continuer à purifier l'air ambiant, puis Kazuma concentra son esprit sur ​​les environs. Il laissa ses sens se synchroniser avec les esprits du vent.

Il fusionna sa conscience avec le vent. Son corps, qui n'était plus qu'une coquille vide, mais il sourit légèrement quand Ayano commença à ronfler.

(Tss franchement, comment peut-elle s'endormir complètement, dans une telle situation !)

En sachant qu'ils pouvaient être attaqués pendant leurs déplacements, Kazuma avait du mal à se détendre. Même si son rayon de recherche était une zone d'une dizaine de kilomètres, quand on se déplace à trois cent kilomètres heure, ce n'est pas très rassurant surtout que ce monstre pourrait facilement attaquer à une distance de plus de vingt kilomètres.

Même si ce n'était que pour se sentir plus en sécurité, Kazuma continua à maintenir sa garde. Même s'il sentait une attaque, il ne serait capable que de bloquer un coup. L'ennemi n'avait aucune raison de se focaliser sur Kazuma, parce qu'il était plus simple pour lui de détruire toute la cabine pour atteindre son objectif.

(Après le premier tire, je dois m'échapper rapidement avant le second…… Et en plus de ça, je dois aussi emmener ce poids. Est-ce seulement possible ?)

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Regardant le « poids » dormir bruyamment, Kazuma se murmura à lui-même,

(Je pense que je n'aurais pas d'autre choix que de faire comme ça……)

Peu importe combien la gravité de la situation dans son ensemble était mauvaise, il semblait que la seule solution soit de prendre des mesures radicales. Attendre passivement sa chance n'aurait de résultat que la mort.

Cependant, au final, toutes ses précautions étaient trop tardive. Le clan FUUGA avait disparu sans laisser de trace et n'avait toujours pas été repéré. Ils étaient probablement en route pour leur lieu sacré. En fait, ils pourraient bien déjà y être !

Il n'avait pas l'intention de laisser le clan FUUGA atteindre leurs objectifs. Même si l'une des raisons était de sauver son adorable petit frère, Kazuma avait depuis longtemps décidé que toute personne se servant d'humain comme sacrifice devrait mourir.

…… Il y a peut-être des gens dans le clan FUUGA qui étaient contre la révolte, alors il faudra trouver un moyen de les protéger……

Se rappelant les mots du chef de clan, Kazuma afficha un sourire maléfique.

(Laisses-moi t'aider à économiser ton énergie !)

Juugo n'aurait pas à décider quoi faire du clan FUUGA. Après tout, Kazuma avait déjà condamné à mort tout le clan.

Une fois le train arrivé, le voyage nécessitait une voiture. Après être sortie de la station, ils se dirigèrent tous les deux vers le parking comme

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prévu.

À cause des chances de devoir aller en montagne, un 4x4 Range Rover avait été préparé. Kazuma inséra la clé donnée par Juugo dans le contact et mis en route le GPS avant de démarrer le moteur.

Ayano arriva par la porte opposé et s'assit. Apparemment inquiète des aptitudes de conduite de Kazuma, elle mis aussitôt sa ceinture de sécurité.

— Ne mets pas ta ceinture.

Dit Kazuma qui regardais le GPS.

— Pourquoi ?

— Ryuuya est bien plus effrayant qu'un accident de voiture. Prépares toi à sauter du véhicule à tout moment.

— …… Compris.

— Alors allons-y !

Kazuma enfonça la pédale de l'accélérateur.

Le Range Rover ne rencontra peu de désagréments et allait rapidement sur ​​la route. Après avoir quitté la ville, ils prirent une route touristique et firent le tour depuis l'arrière de la montagne.

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— Ah oui, il y a quelque chose que je voulais te demander.

— Quoi ?

— Tu as dis tout à l'heure, que le vent de Ryuuya était incontrôlable, n'est-ce pas ? Est-ce que les esprits que tu contrôles ne risquent pas également de devenir incontrôlable ?

— Et bien, s'ils ne font qu'attaquer, ça devrait aller. Mais je doute qu'ils le restent si notre combat s'éternise.

— Es-tu sûr que tout se passera bien ?

Demanda Ayano prise de doute.

— Fais-moi confiance ! Tiens, dans ce cas, pourquoi ne pas le vérifier… Allons-y !

Le vent de Kazuma riposta face au vent noir qui venait par en haut. Une furieuse rafale s'éclata contre les vents écrasant qui arrivaient, secouant même le poids lourd du Range Rover.

— Sautes !

Comme poussé par la voix de Kazuma, Ayano ouvrit la porte d'un coup de pied et sauta. Après avoir sauté, elle réalisa que Kazuma lui avait ordonné, et elle devint furieuse.

— Ne me dis pas se que je dois faire…

Elle regarda le siège conducteur, mais il n'y avait déjà plus personne.

Apparemment, Kazuma avait discrètement sauté de la voiture. Après quoi la porte avait été

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refermé. Il était pas facile de croire qu'il avait sauté, logiquement, il aurait dû le faire après Ayano.

— Attends……

S'expliquant encore une fois avec Ayano, Kazuma leva le doigt pour montrer quelque chose un peu plus haut. Les yeux d'Ayano suivirent instinctivement cette direction.

(Bon sang…… !)

Kazuma avait le contrôle, et elle était son jouet. Elle avait l'impression d'être incapable de se déplacer de son propre chef.

Elle était si en colère qu'elle voulait le tuer, mais elle n'avait apparemment pas le temps pour cela. Une ombre venait du ciel là où Kazuma l'avait désigné, et en plein centre du champs de vision d'Ayano.

Un esprit corrompu, sombre et terne autant que sa veste noire. De fines lèvres, un nez droit, et un visage qui aurait pu être beau s'il n'avait pas été aussi pâle qu'un masque.

— Ryuuya…… ? Je ne l'avait pas du tout remarqué……

Sans Kazuma, elle aurait sûrement été tué avant même de voir Ryuuya. Un frisson parcourut le dos d'Ayano.

— Ne le laisse pas faire comme le clan FUUGA. Si un Fuujutsu de premier ordre se cache, un Enjutsu sera incapable de le retrouver. Une fois dans la bataille, ne le laisse pas s'éloigner quoiqu'il arrive.

Kazuma fit un sourire pour encourager Ayano, qui était figé par l'intense situation.

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— Alors… T'es prête ?

— Ne me donne pas d'ordre. Fais seulement ton boulot et couvre-moi !

Après avoir lancé cette phrase, Ayano se précipita dehors. Alors qu'elle courrait, elle sorti Enraiha, et tira une boule de feu pour montrer sa puissance.

— Je t'ai dit, que ça ne marcherait pas !

Kazuma grogna frappé par la stupidité d'Ayano.

Ryuuya se tenait calmement face à la boule de feu en approche. Les flammes ardentes s'écrasèrent sur Ryuuya, qui ne fit rien pour se protéger.

… Gong !!

— Ça ne suffit pas ! Gardes-le sous pression !!

Kazuma criait, en regardant Ryuuya recouvert par les flammes.

— Je sais ! Je t'ai dit de ne pas me donner d'ordre !!

Ayano agita Enraiha en réponse. Elle ne s'attendait pas à grand chose avec un si bas niveau de flamme face à ce monstre. Cela suffirait tout au plus à attirer son attention.

(Mais… il n'y ai rien qu'Enraiha ne puisse détruire !)

Pourtant…

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Kying !

Sa confiante attaque vers le bas fut contré, puis rejeté avec tintement.

— Quoi…

Alors qu'Ayano laissait échapper un cri de surprise, Ryuuya en profita pour dissiper les flammes et se rapprocher. Elle vit ses griffes noires, courbées comme ceux d'un chat se relâcher et s'étendre sur une trentaine de centimètres.

Avait-il utilisé cela pour contrer Enraiha ? Ayano n'eut pas le temps de se poser la question.

Elle utilisa sa lame rougeoyante pour repousser loin d'elle les griffes tranchantes droite et gauche. Alors qu'elle essayait de riposter, l'adversaire avait déjà disparu.

(Derrière… !?)

Elle bougeait sa lame instinctivement, comme pour attraper Ryuuya. Les griffes noires bloquèrent Enraiha, avec un son strident pour seul signe de l'impacte.

Leurs armes s'entrechoquèrent, mais en termes de taille et de puissance, Ayano était désavantagé. Elle repoussa avec force la lame devant elle, puis sauta en arrière en utilisant la puissance de la riposte de Ryuuya pour créer une distance entre eux.

— En quoi me protèges-tu, Kazuma !!

Ayano n'avait pas l'air loin de Ryuuya, mais elle réprimanda furieusement son partenaire qui ne faisait rien. Cependant, même après un certain temps, elle n'eut aucune réponse.

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— …… Attends, Kazuma ?

Dû à un mauvais pressentiment, elle hésita à rappeler Kazuma. Cette fois, elle eut enfin une réponse…… sous la forme d'une voix transmise à distance par le vent.

— Je pars devant ! Toi, occupes-toi de Ryuuya. Bonne chance !

À l'écoute de ses mots enjoués venant du vent Ayano fut abasourdi durant dix secondes.

— ……………………

Ayano se tenait debout la tête penchée vers le bas. Soudainement, des flammes dorées jaillirent de sont corps. Peut-être tenait-elle le poignée trop fermement, car le bout d'Enraiha tremblait légèrement.

Ayano leva la tête, et regarda droit en direction de Ryuuya comme si elle voyait le coupable en personne bien qu'il se soit enfuit depuis longtemps.

Ayano cria d'une voix furieuse et tremblotante.

— Toi…… sale traitre !! Regarde bien ! Quand j'en aurait fini avec lui, tu seras le prochain…… !!

L'écho de son cri retentit à travers les montagnes vides.

2ème Partie

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Au même moment, Kazuma flottait dans les airs à une hauteur de trente mètres du sol.

— Dites donc, cette jeune demoiselle déborde d'énergie. Eh bien, du moment que tu fais de ton mieux pour ne pas mourir, et que tu me fait gagner du temps…

Alors qu'il prononçait ce monologue, qui ferait probablement éclaté de fureur Ayano si elle venait à l'entendre, Kazuma commença sa recherche de l'emplacement du sceau.

— Qu'est-ce que… ?

Ce qui fut inutile, car il le trouva immédiatement. C'était une flamme créé entièrement par la méditation. Pour les yeux spirituels de Kazuma, trouver une telle lumière, était comme rechercher le Soleil en plein jour.

Kazuma redescendit temporairement, et se servit à nouveau du vent pour faire un bond. Celui-ci était bien plus haut que précédemment, il était facilement à plus d'une centaine de mètre, maintenant il serait plus juste de dire qu'il volait ! Il perdit de l'altitude en arrivant presque au dessus du sceau, il semblait examiner en dessous.

— Hum… où est… mon frère.

Du ciel, il pouvait observer plus en détails la situation du sceau au sol. Probablement pour être facilement dissimulé, le sceau du sanctuaire était plus petit qu'il ne l'avait imaginé.

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D'un côté se trouvaient Hyoue et Ren. De l'autre un peu moins d'une vingtaine de personne qui les entouraient. Contrairement aux prévisions de Juugo, il semblait que presque tout les membres du clan FUUGA avaient prêtés assistance à la révolte.

Kazuma arrêta le vent, et descendit tranquillement comme sur un escalier d'une centaine de mètres. Il vit rapidement le sol se rapprocher de lui. Arrivé à une dizaine de mètre du sol Hyoue leva les yeux…

— Trop lent !!

Kazuma sépara de son vent Hyoue et Ren. Alors que Hyoue s'envolait, il tendit la main à Ren.

— Ren… !!

Il semblait inconscient. Ren étendit sa main autant que possible, et Kazuma la saisit.

Kazuma tira son petit corps d'un coup, et le serra fermement dans ses bras. Et en s'approchant de la surface, il atterrit en douceur.

— Ren, est-ce que ça va ?

Il était difficile de croire que cette douce voix venait de la même personne qui avait cruellement abandonné Ayano à son sort.

— Ou…… Oui……

— Très bien…… bon garçon.

Kazuma déposa Ren, suffisamment hors de portée d'Hyoue.

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— Toi…… comment……. Ou alors, tu t'es préalablement servi d'Ayano comme simple leure pour progresser ? Laisser cette fille mourir à ta place, quel homme misérable es-tu ?

— C'est toi qui dis ça ? Alors que tu as vendu ton propre fils au démon. Pour qui tu te prends ? La conscience de Ryuuya s'est déjà évanouit à jamais !

— Oui et alors ?

Hyoue replied without a care, acting fearless. Obviously, he had never regretted it.

— Why don't you think about this instead: If the flames of Kannagi are the Purifying Flames, then the winds of Fuuga are the Winds of Corruption! Our justice is to corrupt the world and fulfill our own desires! And for that justice, sacrificing one or two sons is nothing !

Ayano would have thought that Hyoue was insane. However, Kazuma understood his thinking very well.

When failure was not allowed, only the strong can fight righteously. If someone with insufficient power hoped to win, he could only seek to give up the morals of a human.

Wanting to seek his personal desires, even if it meant being looked down upon or being blamed by the whole world… It was all too familiar to Kazuma. Even so, he did not intend to let Hyoue off.

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“But everything is over now. Haven't you played enough?”

"Not yet! It is not over yet!"

Hyoue laughed fearlessly. His bloodshot eyes still did not show any sign of despair.

“If you think you have won, you are so wrong.”

“Is that so? Feel free to give it your all!”

Kazuma spoke in a way that would enrages any opponent. Ren, who was hiding behind him, laughed as well. However, the normal Ren would never give off such an evil smile.

Ren pulled out a hidden dagger and slowly stabbed it into Kazuma's waist.

Kazuma's body shook lightly, and his eyes widened.

“Ho......hohahahahaha! Fool! You shall die in the hands of your own brother!”

Hyoue laughed loudly, but his eyes began to narrow with doubt soon after.

Ren had stopped moving along with Kazuma. Or rather, Ren was trying to pull the dagger out, but it would not budge.

“What are you doing, 'Ren'! Kill him quickly!”

“I think that would be very difficult!”

Kazuma suddenly stretched his left hand forward, and in it was the dagger that was supposed

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to be in Ren's hand.

“You...... How did you......”

"Ren" gave a moan. Kazuma threw the dagger away and turned to face him.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice such malevolent youki in his body?"

Kazuma widened his hands to grab "Ren"'s face.

"Ren" struggled painfully. Kazuma easily overpowered him and began to gather ki.

"I don't know what you put inside, but this is Ren's body."

After saying that, Kazuma released his ki.

“Go back to hell!”

His strong ki instantly vanquished the youma that was in Ren, giving no chance for it to escape. Holding Ren's weak body, Kazuma waited for him to wake up.

“Argh...... Ah...... Nii-sama......?”

“Oh, you got up.”

Kazuma's voice was as calm as if all the tragic events that had happened at the hotel were just a dream.

“Nii...... Nii...... Nii-sama!”

Ren remembered everything. Just as he was about to run up to hug his brother, Kazuma raised his hand to block him off.

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“Nii...... Nii-sama?”

Ren had an unpleasant premonition from his brother's smile, and hurriedly tried to retreat...... But it was too late. Kazuma's hands grabbed Ren's cheeks and pressed hard into them.

“It...... It hurts......”

Kazuma ignored Ren's cries and, continuing to smile, stretched his cheeks to the sides.

“Why did you get caught so easily? You're a guy! Do you think you have the right to play the damsel in distress? Why do I have to come all the way to Kyoto to rescue you, you rascal?”

“Aii...... Aii errm soo saoii, iisama (I...... I am so sorry, Nii-sama)!”

Ren waved his hands and legs nervously, shedding tears and begging for his brother's forgiveness. Maybe after seeing this scene, he could no longer be angry, so Kazuma loosened his fingers.

“That...... That was so mean, Nii-sama......”

“You idiot, if you were someone else, I would have beaten the hell out of you.”

Pressing on his painful red cheeks, Ren raised his head up with watery eyes. His cute gesture could almost instantly knock out big sisters with strange interests. However, it didn't work on Kazuma. He pushed Ren away coldly and faced Hyoue once more.

“We've fooled around enough, I guess. Shall I make my move now?”

“Hmmm......”

Hyoue groaned. Kazuma's presence was completely out of his calculations. Not only did he possess great power, his techniques were also unbelievable.

Hyoue had never seen anything like the exorcism that Kazuma had just performed. He had made it look easy, but in reality, it might have been a very sophisticated and delicate technique. It was extraordinary for him to have been able to activate it in an instant.

“It seems like deciding to use you was the biggest mistake I made.”

“Yes, I think so too. If it weren't for all these petty tricks, maybe the Kannagi clan would have perished by now!”

The reason why Kazuma agreed so readily was because he knew that this would deal another blow to Hyoue. Kazuma never held back on anything that could distress other people.

"But why!? Why do you try to stop me!? You should know very well the hatred of someone who was bullied! The humiliation of being forced to kneel before others! You should have experienced them, felt them too!

You hate the Kannagi too, right? You despise them, right? Aren't we all the same? You should be on our side!!"

Ren lifted his head to look at his brother. As Hyoue had said, Kazuma had been through situations very similar to the Fuuga clan. Even though he had said that he no longer hated the Kannagi clan, wouldn't Hyoue's words remind him of his hatred once more?

“Yeah, that's right. My feelings are like yours. I wouldn't care less even if the Kannagi clan died out.”

“Nii-sama......!?”

Ren's expression changed immediately as he grabbed Kazuma's hand.

After seeing this scene, Hyoue smirked. If he could get Kazuma on his side, the battle situation would be turned around instantly. Even if Kazuma did not join him, as long as he no longer interfered......

“In that case, we have no reason to fight anymore, do we? I am not asking you to help, but to just stop interfering with us, as destroying the Kannagi clan is our wish.

These three hundred years, we were controlled by the Kannagi clan as slaves. Three hundred years! Our ancestors did commit a sin in the past. But just how long must we pay to redeem ourselves!? When will we ever be forgiven!?”

Kazuma silently watched Hyoue, who burst out with such passion and emotion. He took out a cigarette from a hidden pocket and lit it with a lighter.

“Besides, why must we pay for sins our ancestors committed? Why must we be used and humiliated like slaves? What crimes did we commit? No, no, no! I cannot accept this! I will never acknowledge the Kannagi's arrogance! This is a justified revenge! I have every right to destroy the Kannagi clan!”

“......Are you done yet?”

Stepping on the cigarette ashes with his foot, Kazuma asked,

“So you have nothing else left to say?”

After understanding the true meaning of that sentence, Hyoue widened his eyes in shock.

“You...... Still want to go against me...... Why? Why do you try so hard to please the Kannagi clan? You have such magnificent powers, and yet, why!?”

“Because the clan chief offered 100 million yen to hire me.”

Kazuma said frankly. Hyoue became dumbfounded, unable to say anything.

“Nii-sama......?”

Ren raised his tone and asked suspiciously,

“So that means Nii-sama came here to work? Not to save me?”

“My belief is to take whatever you can. It's just killing two birds with one stone!”

Ren's doubts were not erased even after hearing Kazuma's explanation. Kazuma faced his brother, who was looking at him with accusing eyes, and smiled bitterly.

“It's not easy to stay alive. One day, you'll come to understand that too...... Hey. Where do you think you're going, old man?”

Kazuma spotted Hyoue, who tried to escape while the two were chatting. He halted at Kazuma's words.

“So are you finished praying? What a coincidence that your God seems to be in the area too.”

Hehehehehe. Kazuma purposely sneered to mock his opponent.

“......Don't think you have won just yet!”

Hyoue's face grew red with anger. He gave a signal, and about ten people of both genders came out. Kazuma lazily looked at the daggers and clubs that they were holding.

“No matter how many Fuuga people come out...... Hey wait... Old man, what did you do to these people?”

These practitioners, who had unfocused pupils and staggering steps, were obviously not conscious.

“These people forgot the pride of the Fuuga clan! They are dumb fools who willingly wanted to be slaves of the Kannagi. They should think about who they are, to try to persuade and stop me. So I took away their consciousness, and they are now puppets. Hahahahaha......”

Hyoue's laughter was earsplitting. The look of that stubborn old man was beyond ugly.

"So how about it, Kazuma? These people are loyal to the Kannagi! They are practitioners who are righteous and respectable! You, who is a follower of the Kannagi, should not be able to kill them! So tell me, what are you going to do......?"

“This.”

Kazuma stopped Hyoue's speech and cut off their heads, all at the same time. As if it was just a joke, the ten heads flew up into the sky at the same time and landed on the ground one by one.

“You...... You bastard! Against innocent people who were merely being controlled...... Are you even human?”

“You stop talking about me. I'm not some hero of justice. I don't care if they're being controlled or blackmailed: Anyone who points a knife at me is my enemy. A little girl would be no exception.”

Hyoue was at a loss of words after hearing his cold-blooded declaration. At that moment......

“Da...... Damn you!”

A man broke from the lined up Fuuga clan, which was now half as large as it was before. Kazuma had killed his wife just now. Since his wife was unable to accept Hyoue's ambitions, her consciousness had been taken away. However, if the Kannagi was destroyed, she would have been turned back to normal, and they could have lived in a happier place than before.

“Woahhhhhhh!!”

The man threw wind blades at Kazuma. However, compared to Kazuma's wind, they were tiny and pitiful.

Kazuma seized control of those tiny wind blades and chopped off the caster's head with them. The man's head fell on the floor and rolled to a stop by his wife's head.

No one dared to move. The image of a person wrapped in northern winds and bringing down heartless punishment was just like a shinigami descending upon the real world......

“Ah ah...... By the way, how many people are left?”

"Wa...... Wahhhhhhhh!"

Those lazy words were just like a signal. The Fuuga clan lost control of themselves and scattered away.

“Stay...... Stay there!”

No one listened to Hyoue's orders. Even if it was just one step further, everyone fled from Kazuma as if their lives depended on it. A fear that surpassed the teachings of the Fuuga clan had taken control their hearts.

By now, the Fuuga clan was no more. But to Kazuma, the real problem began only now.

“Nii...... Nii-sama, you really overdid it! There was no need to kill those people who were controlled, was there!?”

Kazuma had to comfort Ren, who was tearfully interrogating Kazuma.

“Oh? Is...... Is that so?”

To Kazuma, he was already acting with Ren's feelings in mind by trying to prevent unnecessary deaths......

“Let's...... Let's put this aside for now, and take care of that old man first!”

Kazuma used Hyoue as a shield to change the topic.

“Sorry to make you wait. Are you ready?”

“Damn...... Kid......”

Hyoue angrily spewed out infinite curses at Kazuma, who was never shy with his words. He was now alone after having been abandoned by his subordinates.

Of course, he himself had tried to escape several times. But each time, Kazuma had stopped him.

Even when Kazuma turned around or was busy trying to comfort Ren, his eyes never left Hyoue.

“However, it is not over yet. Nothing has ended yet...... Bastard! Did you think that without Ryuuya, I am just a useless old man?”

Kazuma stayed quiet. This sentence was not fit enough for him to even reply to.

“If that is what you think, then you are very wrong! Ryuuya was not the only one who obtained power from the contract!”

“Ryuuya obtained nothing.”

Kazuma corrected him coldly.

“That guy lost everything.”

“Hmph, that is but a small problem.”

Hyoue then said at the top of his voice,

“Watch closely! This is the Power that I have obtained!”

As he made his declaration, an abnormal youki began spreading everywhere. Space was sliced open, and, from an unknown, hidden world, it...... No, they...... appeared.

“Wahhhhhh!?”

Ren screamed loudly, and for good reason. The two of them were now surrounded by all kinds of youma, packed so tightly together that even water might not have been able to get through. They were probably over a hundred strong.

Hyoue laughed out loud from behind the horde of youma.

“So, how is that? Shocked? This is my power!”

“......and how is this 'your' power?”

Kazuma countered lazily. The power that Hyoue was so proud of was nothing more than low level youma borrowed from the one that possessed Ryuuya. Borrowing something that was borrowed. As his power was something that had been borrowed twice, Hyoue himself possessed no power.

“Small issue.”

But Hyoue did not seem to care.

“I will meet up with Ryuuya, so why don't you stay and play with these guys!”

With that, Hyoue mingled into the large group of youma and disappeared.

The remaining two people were surrounded by the youma. It seemed like there was no way out of this. Ren became tense from fear.

“Nii...... Nii-sama...... I shall take care of the ones in the back......”

“Don't move, I'll take care of them all at once.”

As Kazuma had said, it was something that happened in the blink of an eye. A rapid wind from the skies became a metal hammer and came straight down, smashing into the surface. All of the youma were ripped and crushed by the tremendous force.

(How...... How powerful......)

Ren held his breath as he watched it happen. What a scary power. If it was power like that, it was not hard to understand how it had defeated Genma.

“What are you waiting for? Quickly, run after that old man!”

Kazuma grabbed Ren, who was still standing shocked, to fly off, but,

“......Ahhh?”

At this, Ren turned back and asked,

“What's wrong?”

Kazuma hesitated slightly before asking back,

“......Ayano came here too. Can you feel her?”

“Huh......? No, nothing.”

Ren continued to try to detect a presence...... But he could feel nothing.

“But, Enjutsushi are not good at detecting presence in the first place......”

“Not to the extent that you are unable to detect an Enraiha in battle...... Looks like she lost.”

“How can that be?! Impossible!”

Ren declared instantly. He was absolutely certain.

This was a sign of absolute trust. It was impossible for the wielder of Enraiha to lose, just like it was impossible of heaven and earth turning around.

“If Nee-sama's ki became quiet, then that means Nee-sama has already won. There can be no other possibility!”

“Let's hope so. That would save a lot of effort.”

Kazuma played along with the confident Ren, and once again picked him up as if he was an item.

Page 211

— Retrouvons d'abord Ayano ! Ce serait problématique si elle mourrait.

— C'est bon si on ne poursuit pas Hyoue ?

— Nous aurons plein d'autres occasions de tuer se vieillard...... Allons-y !

Termina Kazuma.

3ème Partie

The wind was very gentle, yet at the same time forcefully took them up to the skies. They overcame gravity easily, flying past tree branches to an even higher place......

— Ouah...... C'est génial...... Quelle vue magnifique !

Perhaps since it was his second time flying at a high altitude, Ren began to enjoy the spectacular view from above. Even though Kazuma wanted to let him watch longer, he continued to increase their speed.

— Hein ? C'est déjà terminé ?

Ren said sadly as he realized they were beginning to descend.

“When this is over, you can watch for as long as you want. Just bear with it for now!”

The two of them landed on a small, empty area.

— Elle est là…… Tu vois ? J'avais raison après tout.

Page 212

— Grande...... Grande-sœur !?

Ren doubted his eyes. Ayano was stained with blood all over and was coming towards them. She was dragging herself with staggering steps and seemed about to fall down at any time.

Enraiha was just barely dangling from her weakened, drooping right arm. The tip of the blade scraped the surface of the earth as she moved and produced an exceptionally earsplitting sound.

Ayano stopped before the two of them. Completely covered with wounds, she glared furiously at Kazuma with eyes that seemed as if they would shoot out fire.

“You lost completely!”

Kazuma did not seem to care about Ayano's murderous intent. His cold words did not carry any guilt of leaving behind Ayano as bait.

“You asshole......”

Ayano squeezed out the last of her remaining strength and pointed her Enraiha at the despicable traitor before her. A beautiful, shining flame surrounded the crimson blade.

However, she no longer had any strength to swing the blade. Ayano dropped Enraiha, which stopped shining and rolled onto the floor, and collapsed into Kazuma's arms from lack of strength.

The divine sword that fell to the ground began to disappear as if merging with the air.

“Idiot. Trying to swing a divine sword with a half-dead body? Of course she'd overexert herself and run out of strength.”

Kazuma's heartless words never reached Ayano's ears. She was completely unconscious. Her face was pale beyond pale - It was as white as a corpse.

“Nee-sama! Ayano nee-sama!”

“You're so noisy, shut up.”

Without even turning his head, Kazuma ordered his screaming brother to be quiet and grabbed Ayano's hair to lift up her face. He was apparently checking her body condition, but the way he went about it was so rough that he did not seem to be worried about Ayano.

After a long moment, Ren asked, flustered,

“Nii-sama, Ayano nee-sama is going to be fine... right......?”

“Nope, she's dead meat.”

Kazuma mercilessly crushed Ren's expectations.

“How...... How can that......”

“The wounds themselves aren't much. The problem is the youki that entered her body through them. She's just one step away from having her body be completely overrun by youki.”

He gave a diagnosis as if he was a doctor, but real doctors would most definitely had complained about his cold-blooded and straightforward words!

“But, what kind of youki could freeze a divine child of the flames, and Enraiha together with her? Just where did that old man Hyoue find such a youma?”

“Now is not the time to discuss that problem, right? If you don't save Ayano nee-sama soon......”

“Ren, catch.”

Kazuma suddenly tossed Ayano's body at Ren.

“Wah!”

Even though Ayano was slim and completely drained of strength, she was still far too heavy for a twelve year old youth to carry. The two of them fell onto the floor together.

“Wha...... What......”

Ren, who meant to make a fuss, suddenly realized how cold Ayano's body was. Even though she was still breathing, she was no different from a corpse. When Kazuma had said "freeze", it was not a metaphor - It was the truth, literally.

Ren, as an Enjutsushi, could clearly sense Ayano's flame of life burning out with every second.

“Is...... Is there no way to save Nee-sama, Nii-sama!?”

“Hmm...... It's not that it's impossible, but......”

“But what!?”

“It would be a waste.”

An indescribable silence filled the scene. Like a puppet, Ren stared at Kazuma with a frozen expression.

Kazuma watched Ren silently as well.

“......What did you say?”

Ren broke the silence with an exceptionally dull voice.

“It would be a waste.”

Kazuma repeated it calmly once more. He spoke naturally as if stating an obvious fact.

“It's a really valuable medicine, and I probably won't get another one like it.”

He shrugged his shoulders, as though saying that it can't be helped.

Ren could not believe that there existed someone who would say that a medicine was more important than a human life, and that the someone was his own brother. He expressed his shock in words.

“That is not the problem, is it? If this continues, Nee-sama will die, and saying that using medicine is too wasteful...... That cannot be true, right?”

“It's not a big deal even if Ayano dies! It's not like the main bloodline will die off completely. You can just inherit the Enraiha. Then our old man would also be very happy.”

This was the first time Ren had ever heard such inhumane words. The blood in his body grew hot as if boiling, and the flame spirits gave off a cheerful sound in anticipation of a battle.

“What's wrong?”

Kazuma looked at his brother, who bowed down in silence, with caring eyes.

“Don't......”

“'Don't'......?”

"Don't joke around with me......!!"

Ren's roar struck Kazuma as a physical shock. Kazuma used his ki to perform the lowest level of defense, smirking while letting Ren hit him.

Only Kazuma could understand that this phenomenon was the result of the spirits responding to Ren's rage.

(Yes, that's the way to go.)

The characteristic of fire is “aggressive flames”. A strong rage is the key factor of synchronizing with flame spirits. They will never lend their full powers to a human who is usually calm and timid.

Only when one possesses great rage, and is able to control that rage, can one be a first rate Enjutsushi.

Filling the area with stifling heat that felt like a metal smelting furnace, the flame spirits responded to Ren's rage and continued to gather.

“Give me the medicine.”

Ren ordered softly. He had no need to roar now, as he knew very well what he needed to do. If the opponent decided to resist, he would have to get the medicine even if he died in the process. Whether he succeeded or not was inconsequential - This was something he had to do.

“Okay...... I got it, don't threaten me anymore.”

Kazuma raised his hands to surrender. He was unable to keep his smile. With a calm fighting spirit and the mental energy to control it, Ren had already began his journey to become a first class Jutsushi.

Kazuma walked past Ren and stopped by Ayano, who was now lying motionless on the floor. Looking down at her, he toyed with a bottle he took out from his hidden pocket.

To say that he did it without hesitation would most definitely be a lie. After all, it was an extremely rare and valuable medicine. But even so, as long as it was for Ren's growth, he did not mind paying such a price, especially since it did not cost him a single cent in the first place.

He kneeled by Ayano's side and considered tipping the contents of the bottle into Ayano's pale lips, but gave up in the end. She did not seem to have the strength to even drink it, and spilling the medicine would really be a waste.

Kazuma stretched his hand under Ayano and lifted her upper body. He drank the medicine himself, then closed his lips onto Ayano's as if throwing his entire body onto her.

“Wah!”

From the corner of his eyes, Kazuma could see Ren, who was at his side, flushing red yet staring, mesmerized, as Kazuma poured the medicine into Ayano's lips by mouth-to-mouth.

(Hmmm............)

Ayano first felt warmth. Something seemed to be quickly removing the youki that was invading her body. Heat, or rather, life, came back bit by bit.

She slowly began to detect the situation around her. She knew she was being surrounded by a powerful force, and that a warm, healing spiritual energy was coming in from her lips.

Ayano felt as if someone had just pulled her back from the gates of death gently, yet powerfully.

She opened her eyes slowly, and, at the close distance that her eyes instantly focused on, the one before her was......

"......!!!"

Ayano's consciousness became awake in an instant and she used all of her strength to push Kazuma away.

Kazuma moved away lazily, as if he saw through Ayano's cute reactions out of nervousness, and steadily stood up.

Page 219: Illustration

Page 220

(Je...... J'ai été embrassé...... ? Pourquoi...... ?)

Ayano toucha ses lèvres de la main gauche. De sa main droite elle serrait fermement son corps. Telle une faible femme qui venait d'être assailli par un agresseur, elle croisa les jambes et serra fermement son propre corps.

(Que se passe-t-il...... ?)

It was impossible to understand the situation, as she did not know what was going on.

Maybe due to the youki that had invaded her, her memories did not seem to add up. Not just how she wanted to cut Kazuma with her sword - She could not even remember how they met up in the first place.

She lifted her head to look at Kazuma suspiciously, who stared back calmly as though he was observing some animal in an experiment. Actually, he was observing how effective the medicine was, but it was impossible for Ayano to know that.

Anger began to grow within her. After taking away a girl's kiss, and her first kiss at that, the other party did not even seem to have a shred of guilt. She could not accept this at all.

“Qu'as tu fais bon sang...... !!!”

“Est-ce ainsi que tu parles de ton bienfaiteur ?”

“Hein...... ?”

The cold reply weakened Ayano's attitude. Ren ran over with wet eyes and raised his head to look at Ayano, fighting back tears.

“Grande...... Grande-sœur......”

It was hard to imagine that the now revived Ayano, who was brimming with energy, was about to die just now. Even her wounds and blood had disappeared.

"Grand frère ! Grand frère ! Grand frère !"

Ren was happily hugging his beloved "sister" tightly as he began to cry. As if trying to confirm that this was not a dream, he continued to hug Ayano with all his might and continued to call her name.

Even though he was just a kid, a twelve year old still has some arm power. Though Ayano was uncomfortable, she still insisted on rubbing Ren's head gently.

“Ren, calmes toi...... Tout va bien. Je te protègerai, alors n'aies pas peur......”

“Idiot.”

Kazuma mercilessly shot down Ayano. Ignoring her murderous intent, he continued,

“Ren s’inquiétait pour toi. You were totally thrashed by Ryuuya earlier and almost died. By the way, the one who saved you is me, so be grateful.”

This speech, made by someone who claimed to be her benefactor, made Ayano's temple entangle together. Ren stopped his tears and immediately froze once he felt the strong atmosphere that could silence a crying child.

Ayano suddenly lowered her head and looked at Ren. She grabbed him, who was subconsciously trying to run away, and pressed his shoulder, asking with a scary face,

“Est-ce vrai ?”

“Huh...... Huh......”

Ren looked troubled, unsure of what she meant by the question. Ayano moved closer and repeated once more,

“Ce gars a dit m'avoir sauvé. Est-ce vrai ?”

Shivering, Ren answered in a soft and delicate voice,

“C'est...... c'est vrai. Grand-frère t'as donné une potion...... par...... bouche à bouche......”

“Oublions ça.”

Ayano stopped Ren's reply softly. The hand that was pressing his shoulder became more forceful, as if she was looking at Ren from above. Seeing her fake smile, Ren was so scared that his legs went limp.

“Tu n'as rien, compris ?”

Ren silently nodded.

“Oh yeah, what did you make me drink? It's not something with weird side effects, right?”

Ayano asked suspiciously. She knew that she almost died just now, so she could not trust something that was able to completely cure her in just a few minutes.

"Élixir."

Répliqua simplement Kazuma.

"Élixir ? Tu veux pas parler, de ce qu'on appelle, «l'Eau de Vie» !?"

“Ehhhhhhhhhh......!?”

Ayano, and in fact even Ren, who was on the verge of tears, gave off sounds of surprise. This was normal, since the so-called "Water of Life" is a miracle drug with amazing effects, made with the essence of alchemy. It is said to even be able to revive the dead. It is uncertain if such a miracle drug, or even its formula, exists at all.

"That kind of thing... Where did you get it......"

“Before that, don't you have anything to say?”

Kazuma seemed very calm since the beginning, in contrast to Ayano, who was shocked. Realizing what Kazuma meant, Ayano reluctantly thanked him,

“......Thank you.”

“Don't mention it. I'll just charge extra. Maybe another hundred million will do.”

“You...... You bastard! Can't you ignore some losses to help someone!? Isn't it too low for a human to measure everything in terms of money!?”

“You think this is something that can be bought with money!?”

“Argh............”

Kazuma raised his voice imposingly, making Ayano speechless. This was the first time Kazuma became so emotional. Apparently, his precious medicine being used made him feel very unhappy.

Indeed, something like elixir cannot be bought with money. It is something that can even revive the dead. It's not hard to believe that many people would want it even if it made them bankrupt, and selling it for just a hundred million was simply outrageous.

Even so, Kazuma managed to change his mood with just one sigh.

“Never mind. Let's forget what happened in the past! Oh yeah, Ayano. So, why did you lose?”

“......Why are you asking such a thing?”

Ayano replied bitterly to the question that shattered her pride.

“Of course I have to ask. I always thought of your Enraiha as the ultimate weapon. If it's useless, then I have to rethink the whole battle plan. Therefore, tell me, what's going on? Don't tell me Enraiha can't burn Ryuuya even if it cuts into him?”

“Huh...... Errr...... That is......”

Kazuma's gaze at Ayano became colder and colder, sapping her ability to speak. She was too scared to make eye contact, so she shifted her eyes about randomly.

“You mean, you didn't even hit him once? All of your attacks were predicted?”

“Hmm............”

“And you panicked, releasing Enjutsu that was completely repelled by his wind.”

"Errm... errr............"

“After taking his onslaught of one-sided attacks, your injuries continued to increase.”

“..............................”

“In the end, you somehow managed to escape. Since this is too embarrassing for you to bear, should I praise you on your ability to run away?”

“Wha...... What!? How can you say such a thing!?”

Ayano finally lost her temper from listening to Kazuma's cruel and heartless comments.

“After telling me to trust you so proudly before, in the end you just ran off and left me behind with a few words! For someone who leaves the biggest problems to other people, what right do you have to say such a thing!?”

“Oh, sorry.”

“......Huh?”

Ayano widened her eyes at this unexpected reply. She had expected him to retaliate by mocking her vigorously, so it was unimaginable that he would apologize so honestly.

As if he could not let it go, Kazuma continued,

“I never expected you to be that weak.”

Ba-doom!!

An explosive noise came from her heart. Crackling sounds began to surround Ayano. Ren quickly retreated away from Ayano as if bouncing off.

“I thought that before I rescued Ren, you could at least buy some more time. Too bad, I guess I was too hard on you after all. Sorry.”

Ayano gripped Enraiha's hilt with all of her strength. Her fighting spirit spread throughout her body, and the fallen leaves by her feet started dancing in the air. In the night of autumn, the temperature quickly rose until it became hotter than a sunlit day. Ren tensely watched as he was roasted by the hot air.

“When you tried to cut me before...... Back then, I had thought that you were taking it easy on me, since I'm part of your family. I totally didn't realize that you were serious, sorr......”

Ayano moved her hand to shut Kazuma up. With all of her concentration, she mercilessly and unhesitatingly swung the Enraiha.

“Oh oh!”

Kazuma easily shifted his body and avoided her initial swing. Following his movements, Ayano slashed diagonally upwards, but Kazuma escaped to the left.

(Don't even think about escaping!)

Ayano twisted her hand and pulled Enraiha back. With the blade pointed at Kazuma, she stepped out forcefully, ready to lunge forward with a stab......

“Nee-sama!”

Since Ren rushed over and hugged Ayano's waist tightly, Enraiha missed its target.

“What are you doing, Ren? Get away now!!”

“No! Now is not the time to be doing this, is it!?”

Ayano was speechless at being reprimanded by a boy four years younger.

"Nii-sama too! Why did you do something so detestable!?"

Ren directed the blame to Kazuma as well. The youth had finally gotten his responsibility up by now, realizing that nothing good would come out of leaving the two of them to do as they wish.

“I didn't annoy her.”

“Then why did you say all of that?”

Ren continued to ask Kazuma, who was replying randomly. A distrustful aura surrounded him.

“Just relieving some stress. That's all.”

“.................................”

“The one who was supposed to be our final weapon turned out to be a little kitten. Anyone would want to complain, right?”

“Nee...... Nee-sama...... Calm down......”

Ren tried his best to comfort Ayano, who seemed ready to explode.

“......I know. I won't get angry anymore, so you can let go now.”

Ayano, weakened by Ren's face that was on the verge of tears, said that with some measure of calmness. She exhaled as if letting out all the air in her lungs, relaxing her rage in the process.

“By the way, did you take care of Hyoue?”

“Nope, he escaped.”

"......What?"

Ayano suddenly shouted back. No matter what she said, she had deep faith in Kazuma's powers. If Kazuma was actually unable to finish off someone like Hyoue......

“......What happened?”

“That old man summoned over a hundred youma at once. I was busy taking care of that when he took the chance to run off.”

“Over a hundred?”

Seeing the doubtful Ayano, Ren confirmed Kazuma's words.

“It is true, Nee-sama. Youma that blocked all vision! Nii-sama used one move to get rid of all of them! The reason why we failed to catch Hyoue was......”

(To save Nee-sama......)

Kazuma stopped Ren from completing that sentence. Kazuma pressed his fingertip onto Ren's lips, awkwardly silencing him.

“What are you trying to hide?”

“Nothing important. Anyway, the biggest problem now is Ryuuya. If this happens again, we'll die for sure.”

“......You still intend to fight?”

Hearing this, Kazuma proceeded to judge the cowering Ayano.

(I never expected her to be so weak mentally.)

But now was definitely not the time to let her continue being depressed. He planned to fight against that monster alone, but the suffering and efforts had to be shared by everyone. That is Kazuma's belief.

“What, are you scared? Well, I won't blame you, since you lost so miserably just now. The next time you're caught, I promise not to laugh.”

After being completely humiliated in such a way, Ayano's cheeks became so red she put on blushers.

“Even if I can't win, at least I can commit seppuku before the enemy catches me! I won't leave even a cell to those guys! I have that kind of determination, so don't look down on me!”

She rebutted angrily. Her spirit was plenty, but the content was unacceptable.

Unsure of how to respond, Kazuma's eyebrows creased together as Ayano continued,

“What I meant was that we should head back and reorganize our fighting force. Since Ren is already rescued, there shouldn't be any risk of the seal breaking, so......”

“Rejected.”

Kazuma bluntly refused Ayano's suggestion.

“It won't work out if we're attacked while moving. If the entire transport vehicle is destroyed, are you sure you can escape?”

“But they won't be stupid enough to kill Ren, would they? If they do that, they can't break the seal.”

“Hyoue's goal is to destroy the Kannagi clan. From the looks of it, he hates the Kannagi clan to the core. Releasing the seal placed upon their god was probably just one of the ways he planned to do it.”

Even though he used the word "probably", Kazuma was actually very certain. If Ayano saw that insane hatred with her own eyes, perhaps she would be able to understand!

To Hyoue, God or Devil is nothing but power. In his heart, he only thinks about how he can use them. Since he had Ryuuya, who could be used to destroy the Kannagi clan, he did not need to obsessed over breaking the seal of their god.

"Besides, they'd win if they kill us. My old man is now heavy with injuries......"

“That was your fault!”

“Don't talk about that right now. No matter how powerful the clan chief may be, his body can't fight. The branch family is completely useless. In other words, if we die, it means the end of the Kannagi clan. Got it?”

After hearing his logical analysis, Ayano had no way of rebutting. Even though she knew that Kazuma was right, her body naturally rejected the fact that she would have to fight against Ryuuya once more.

But before she could recollect herself, Kazuma raised his head to look into the sky.

“No time to think...... We've been found.”

“......? Didn't you set up a kekkai?”

“Yeah, but after what the two of you did, I doubt it'll last.”

“......I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay...... By the way, Ren.”

“Ah, yes?”

Ren, who was called suddenly, replied in a rising voice.

Kazuma then made a cruel declaration,

“Hyoue will definitely target you, because he'd still want the power of a God. But we'll be struggling with just Ryuuya, so there's no way we can protect you. Therefore, handle your own problems by yourself.”

This sentence seemed to imply "you might as well die if you're a nuisance", so Ren became tense upon hearing it. But he recovered in a while, and looked back at his brother with determined eyes.

“I...... I got it. I can handle someone like Hyoue by myself. If I lose, I shall commit seppuku before I get caught, so I won't cause any trouble for Nii-sama. Will that do?”

Ren said, with a pale face.

Kazuma, unsure whether to laugh or cry, stared at Ren, and then turned his head to Ayano.

“Man, because you said such stupid things, now Ren has no clue what he's fighting so hard for.”

“What stupid things? As the main family of the Kannagi clan, this kind of determination is only natural!”

Kazuma, rather than concerning himself with Ayano, turned to Ren instead. He grabbed the tiny head that stood before his chest.

“Wha...... What's the matter, Nii-sama?”

“Ren, let me tell you the rules of this game. 'The survivor always wins'. Simple enough?”

Ren was at a loss due to the sudden roughness, but Kazuma continued without caring.

“Someone without the will to live will lose for sure. This is a rule that will never change, so remember that.

Listen well. You're just a kid - No one thinks you're of much use, so just doing what you can will be enough.”

“Doing what I can......?”

“That'd be 'to live'. Don't try to beautify death with terms like 'self-sacrifice'. Death is the end of everything. You'll lose your past, present and future in an instant. There is no way to start over. It is the absolute end.”

Unable to lose nor sacrifice, Kazuma could not accept exchanging the future of a twelve year old for peace.

He did not want to lose anything important anymore.

“But as long as you're still alive, there will be a chance to turn the tables around. So, even if your teeth are knocked out, you have to swallow them back along with your blood. No matter how pathetic or shameful it seems, never give up on surviving. Even if you must struggle to the very last moment, that is your battle. Can you do it?”

Kazuma looked at Ren closely, and Ren returned his gaze in the same way.

Never give up. Never throw hope away. That is what is required to win. That is what Ren

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learned from Kazuma. His pale face regained its natural color, and the dread of being pushed to a dead-end faded from his eyes.

(I am not alone.)

There are people who protect me, people who support me, so all I need to do is finish whatever I can. Because this is the best way to make the current me, who is still immature, useful.

“Yes!”

Hearing such an energetic reply, Kazuma gave off a gentle smile. Ren was comfortable with having his head rubbed so roughly.

“So then...”

Kazuma pushed Ren backwards lightly and told Ayano, without shifting his eyes,

“......He's here.”

Ayano raised her head to look into the sky. As if slicing open the blue sky, a black shadow darker than darkness itself emerged from a point in the sky. Following that, the shadow expanded quickly, clearly revealing its face.

“So he's here......”

Ayano mumbled in a trembling voice after seeing a human shadow form.

The black shadow, who seemed to be able absorb all light just by opening its arms like wings, landed on the ground. Kazuma smiled evilly at the demonic opponent that stood there silently.

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"Maintenant, la seconde manche commence......"

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