Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume3 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 1===

"......................"

Inside the train, Ren was frozen solid.He sat in such a way that if someone poked him, he would roll on the floor while in sitting position.

The reason for that was the existence of the girl sitting earnestly on his left side, Ayumi. She was clinging to Ren's left arm in order for their bodies to be glued as close as possible. 

At the beginning of her teens, wearing a coat over the still immature body, although the sensation wasn't supposed to be very fresh, it's still impossible to be composed about it. 

Contrastive to Ayumi, who yielded herself to Ren with a peaceful appearance, his brain has been frozen for the last 10 minutes. 

- It happened approximately 10 minutes before. 

At the time they waited for the train on the platform of Tokyo Station, staring at Ren shivering from the coldness of the wind, Ayumi asked in a worried manner: 

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine."

Ren showed a smile meant to give her a piece of mind but the next moment that smile became frozen. 

"a... a... a... Ayumi-chan?"

"If we are like this it's warm, right?"

Feeling guilty for borrowing his coat and trying to transfer her own body temperature, she clung to Ren's arm.

"D-don't do that -"

Ren's brain, trying to separate his body, was pierced by Ayumi's expression, looking at him with upturned eyes.

"-No?"

"Eh, ah, no, that sort of..."

A stuttering Ren. He was unbelievably ashamed, he also thought this sort of thing is wrong, but before the girl's gaze, looking at him sadly, he couldn't shake his head.

''What to do.....''

The warm sense of touch transmitted by his left arm thoroughly snatched Ren's presence of mind. After that, when, how did they get into the train, he didn't remember any of it.



"I'm sorry."

"-Eh?"

Receiving such an abrupt apology, Ren's consciousness recovered after a long time. Ayumi's turned away expression, full of guilt was reflected in his eyes.

"About what?"

"For making such an odd request."

Ren replied while laughing.

"It's not a big deal, this much."

Actually the girl's wish was simple. What it required were traveling expenses and a little bit of time. Just those will suffice.  

''Take me to the sea.''

That's what Ayumi spoke in the park. It was just one wish. Naturally, Ren had no objection. 

Investigating those contents for a while, he asked only one thing.

"Is a harbor-like place acceptable? Or a sandy beach?"

Without wavering, Ayumi chose the latter. Therefore, together they boarded the Tokaido Line. That route was aimed at Chigasaki. 

If that was the nearest swimming beach, Ren doesn't know. But that was the only place he could lead her to. Because of his family's line of work he is a boy unrelated to family vacations et cetera. He had hardly any experience of swimming in the sea. Ren was deeply grateful to the girl who took him by force sea bathing last year's summer. 

While chasing the flowing scenery, Ayumi murmured:

"In the end, I wanted to see something beautiful with my own eyes."

"In the end, you say?"

"When I do so, I'm going back. To the Tsuwabuki."

"No!", Ren promptly shouted.

"No! They don't treat you like a fellow human. Only like a tool. If you return to those people you'll never be happy. If you have no place to go, you can come to my house. The Kannagi Clan will, without exception -"

"Ren, you see-"

Ayumi quietly interrupted Ren's desperate pleading words.

"Have you heard about the Tsuwabuki's Grand Festival?" 

"The Grand Festival - about that ceremony to appease the volcanic activity of Mt. Fuji? I'm not very familiar with it but the practitioner always lost his life... "

Going that far, Ren turned a terrified glance towards Ayumi. 

"No...way....."

What was reflected in those eyes was Ayumi's excessively tranquil smiling face. It was unbelievable. Ren completely denied that expression. There shouldn't be something like that. Such a thing cannot be allowed. Something like that- something like that-

"I have no family name, nor a family register, naming myself is not permitted, but-"

''No way.''

''I don't want to hear.''

Despite this - the body doesn't move. Even blocking his ears, he can't do it. Without waiting for agreement or disagreement, pouring into his ears, that tone calm as the surface of the lake. Admitting everything, allowing it, accepting it.

"I am called Tsuwabuki. According to the lineage, something like a direct descendant."

''I don't want to hear it.''

"The ceremony is tomorrow night. Therefore, I must get back until then. Because I- because I am the priest of the ritual."

''Because I am the priest of the ceremony.''

From Ren's body, with a water-like sound, blood flew backwards. 

The Yamatsumino Grand Festival - the origin of it goes back roughly 300 years.

The year is 1707 - during the Houei era was the last volcanic eruption of Mt. Fuji and the greatest since the dawn of history. The violent eruption reaching 15 days, it was said that the volcanic ash fell as far as the distant town of Edo. It was not only Kantō but a life or death crisis for Japan itself. No matter how many times Mt. Fuji erupted, it didn't show any signs of quieting down.

That raging <Ki> finally resulted in the embodiment of one demon beast. The impersonation of Fuji's <ki>. It is certain that was the largest, strongest devilishness that materialized in this country. If one tried to rank it among other demon beasts, the only reference it had would be the legendary monsters, like the eight tail serpent that couldn't be defeated without the help of god's power.

The beast's roar beckoned eruptions and its stepping feet invoked eruptions. Mowing down everything it touched, it exhausted the limits of tyranny. The ones who sealed it were the yet unknown Tsuwabuki family. A young girl leading the family offered prayers to the King of the Earth Spirits for seven days and seven nights and finally attained that divine protection. 

And then, by that divine protection, the girl managed to seal that demon beast. Thus Mt. Fuji calmed down and Japan's peace was protected. And they all lived happily ever after. 

-But that story has sequel.

First, that girl was not able to endure the release of such an over-sized power and lost her life with the seal. And then, even after applying such a powerful seal, the demon beast's lock couldn't continue forever. Being the personification of an active volcano, it's possible to say that was the unavoidable outcome.

Approximately 30 years - that was the limit of the seal. For the sake of continuing the sealing of a raging demon beast seeking release, Tsuwabuki family had no choice but to conduct the ceremony at fixed intervals for the sake of suppressing Mt. Fuji's <Ki>.

Because of the divine protection of the Spirit King that dwelt in their blood - the strongest unmarried woman was elected as the priest of the ceremony.

Until today, the sealing ceremony known under the bombastic name of "Grand Festival" took place 8 times. And there were 8 casualties. The fatality ratio was 100%. This is the reason the ceremony practitioner was named sacrifice.

With no other option, the 9th ceremony approached. The girl called Ayumi was a lamb led to slaughter.

How long was he in blank amazement, I wonder. When Ren came to his senses, Ayumi was smiling gently, looking at him.

Unable to meet that extremely pitiful smile, Ren muttered, while looking down.

"Why?....."

"Ren?"

"Why do you have to do such a...."

After examining for a short while Ren's expression, Ayumi replied:

"Because someone has to do it."

'''''"But it doesn't have to be you-"'''''

Ayumi softly touched Ren's lips with her fingers. The boy who unintentionally couldn't keep his mouth shut, she rebuked him gently.

"It's not good saying these kind of things. If you speak filthy words your heart will become filthy too."

"........I'm sorry.........."

Ayumi shook her head.

"No. It's alright. Truthfully I was a little happy. Because I was never regarded as something valuable."

From the moment she was born, it was decided that Ayumi will be a sacrifice. She wasn't regarded as part of the same family, not recognized as a human being. For this girl with no family register, with no choice but being a tool for the ceremony, so far there wasn't a single person to hold her life dear.

Pointlessly, Ren made sure of her acknowledgement. 

"Even so, you'll do it? For the sake of those who think of you as a tool?"

"It's different", Ayumi flatly shook her head.

"It has nothing to do with the Tsuwabuki family's expectations. Because it must be done no matter what, I'll do it. It's bad if Mt. Fuji erupts, right?"

"That is true..."

"If I am able to suppress it, my life, my death is not worthless.Even if the physical me dies, my prayers will fuse with the mountain and I will continue to watch over this country eternally. That's a very beautiful thing, don't you agree?"

"................."

Something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong, Ren thought so.

'''''-Don't try to glorify death with words of self-sacrifice -'''''

Kazuma's words, once intended for him were recalled to his mind. Doesn't Ayumi make the same mistake he did at the same time? But Ren had no persuasion words for the girl. He could not think of a path that doesn't result in Ayumi's death.

Only to let Mt. Fuji erupt-

To replace Ayumi as a sacrifice.

She would accept neither. There is no mistake about it, the girl known as Ayumi was the type that would sacrifice herself for others.

"That's why I'm not afraid of death. It's because I was born for this purpose. And yet, I desired memories before the time comes. Memories of my own, born from my own experience." 

In that peaceful pupil, that accepted everything dwelt the light of a faint longing.

''Memories of her own?''

It's only natural to display a strong attachment for one's dying wish. But even so, that was a strange expression. Memories are neither true nor false.

To the bewildered Ren, Ayumi threw another bomb.

"You see, I don't have my own memories."

"Eh?"

"I haven't lost my memories. It's not like I have something to remember and I don't, it's more like I have ''nothing'' to remember."

"..............."

Without saying anything, Ren starred at Ayumi dumbfounded.

"If it would be just like that, even speaking and moving my body would have been impossible. But the me right now is something ignorant of the ways of the world but I can communicate with other people. Do you know why?"

"Wasn't it because you kept studying it?"

Toward such an unbelievable circumstance, Ren said so, including a ray of hope.

But, as feared, Ayumi shook her head.

"In my head there are transcripts of another's memories. I don't know how it's been done, though."

Almost like it was somebody else's problem, Ayumi indifferently recited those grand circumstances. Ren finally had the feeling he understood the reason why Ayumi had no attachment to her life. She had nothing to be particular about.

Not even recognized as a person, her existence valued as nothing but a tool, day after day. Planted forged memories. Without beginning, Ayumi's life ended.

With no room to harbor hope, she has no attachment except despair. Together with that gentle resignation, Ayumi accepted everything. 

"That's why I wanted to see the world through my eyes even if it's just once. I wished for something that's not faked, real memories."

Like telling an unfulfilled dream, Ayumi whispered with a distant look. Toward the ordinary everyone was given as a natural privilege - no, the privilege they took for granted she felt endless longing and envy.

"The moment I saw the sky when I first left the residence, I was very surprised. How vast was the sky windows don't limit, Mt. Fuji was so big..."

"Ayumi-chan......"

"The sky, the stars, the moon were so much more beautiful than what I remembered. Surely, the sea must be very beautiful, right?"

The silhouette of the innocent girl in high spirits was reflected in Ren's eyes as overbearingly pitiful.

-She wanted to see beautiful things-

What sort of feelings did she include when she said those words? The words of a girl dreaming, escaping from reality, now that he knew everything, they were unbelievably heavy.

"-This is hopeless."

With a strong determination, Ren muttered in his heart.

''Such a thing cannot be. It cannot be forgiven.''

"Ayumi-chan!"

"W-what?" 

His immature sense of justice aroused, Red declared strongly.

"I will protect Ayumi-chan."

" - Ren?"

"So please, don't give up. Don't say it's OK to die. Because I'll protect you. I'll protect you for sure."

"Ren........."

Making a somewhat troubled face, she looked at the boy making a vow.

Joy and sadness and the kindness of a mother watching over her child were mixed in that complex gaze.

Without noticing that gaze, Ren continued.

"I'm sure it exists. A way in which Ayumi-chan doesn't have to die. I'll do whatever it's in my power. My own ability may be very small but if it's big brother, surely- "

"Your older brother?"

"Eh?"

Ayumi unintentionally asked in return and Ren reaffirmed with force those entrusting words.

"Ah-"

In those cornered eyes hope was shining. 

"That's right! I have my older brother! If it's big brother, he will definitely save you!"

Without a fragment of anxiety, with absolute faith in his voice, Ren clearly declared.

For a short while, Ayumi opened her eyes wide, staring at the smile of the boy, delighted as if the problem was already settled.

"Do you have such an amazing brother?"

"Yeah", Ren answered without a moment's hesitation. 

"Big brother is stronger than anyone. There is nothing he can't do. I'm sure."

"............Is that so........."

"So please don't say such lonesome things like last memories and let's do many more together. I want to show you many other things. That is...."

Embarrassed and blushing Ren invited the girl screwing up his courage.

"Because - I'll take you no matter where."

".............."

Receiving Ren's invitation, for one instant, Ayumi seemed to burst into tears. However, in just one moment she erased that bitter expression and replied with a calm and somewhat sad smile.

"Right.....If we could do that, it would be very nice....."