Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume2 Chapter 3 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

“Hey you girls, wanna&#x2014;”

''Bang!''

The poor guy didn't know how to look at the situation. Before he even completed his first sentence, he was sent flying into the air by the schoolbag that flew in from the side.

''“Scram!”''

Ayano yelled. His companions, seeing this, abandoned the unconscious man and instantly ran off. This was probably the most loyal and clever judgment made by self-survival instincts!

Yukari and Nanase did not rebut a single word all along; they knew better than anyone it wouldn't be a wise move.

The massive crowds all around the front of Ikebukuro station made it difficult for anyone to move on in a straight line&#x2014;yet no one blocked Ayano’s way.

Like Moses who split the red sea in two, Ayano walked boldly on the path cleared right in the middle of the crowd.

''What was that!? What was that!? Sorry I'll only be a nuisance! Too bad I'm weaker than you! Gee, I'm so sorry&#x2014;!''

In her heart, Ayano used her ''Enraiha'' to stab that flippant detestable face.

Yet, no matter how she mashed or beat up that face, the fury in her showed no signs of abating.

“''Erm''...... Ayano?”

“What is it?”

Ayano looked back at Yukari with scary eyes that would even scare a yakuza. But when she saw Yukari retreat back in fear, she reflected on her own behavior.

“Give me a moment.”

Ayano turned her back on the two and took in a few deep breaths. After she finally managed to give a relaxed expression, she turned back at them, wearing a smile once more.

“What’s wrong?”

“''Ah, erm''...... We took the wrong way.”

“&#x2014;''Huh?''”

Ayano looked around her, just to realize that this place seemed very unfamiliar to her.

“Where is this?”

“A small path by the main road.”

It seemed that because Ayano was walking without watching her way up till now, they had unknowingly walked into a separate road.

Even though this was a completely new place to them, they could still see the Tokyu Hands sign ahead. Apparently they hadn't strayed too far.

“''Ahaha''&#x2014; Sorry, sorry. I was thinking about something.”

“Geez, this will not do&#x2014; You should pay attention when you walk.”

Ayano gave an embarrassed smile. And Yukari smiled back at an appropriate time, lifting her hand to poke her forehead to lighten the mood.

“But, it's just one street away. Why did it become so empty suddenly?”

Ayano who didn't know too much about Ikebukuro said.

As she said, in this alleyway sandwiched between a car park and a love motel, there were just the three of them&#x2014;no one else.

“Yeah...... There's no one around......”

This place shouldn't be so empty to have no one at all.

It was just like having a gap that suddenly appeared amidst the noisy city; the silence made one feel an unimaginable uneasiness.

“This kind of situation happens once in a while I guess. Today's not a holiday after all.”

As if trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere, Nanase said confidently.

“Yeah, that’s right......”

“Alright, let’s go. Ayano too......”

At the instant she looked at Ayano, Nanase's eyes opened wide.

“Nanase......?”

Yukari looked in the direction of Nanase’s line of sight; her face also went stiff. An expression of a pale bloodless face filled with fear.

“Aww, don’t be like that&#x2014;there's no need to be so afraid. I won’t scare you guys again.”

“Behind you!”

Nanase shouted out in a rare tone of panic. When Ayano heard it she stopped smiling and turned her whole body around.

“&#x2014;!?”

Her heart almost jumped out from her throat.

Because that kind of thing was less than a meter away from her.

A semi-transparent and continuously wriggling piece of goo. It looked like a slime from an RPG, but Ayano clearly knew it wasn't something cute.

She ignored the eyes of the other two. Under an instinctive feeling of detest and irritation, Ayano released the flames.

''&#x2014;Kaboom!''

The golden flames burnt the goo till there was no trace of it left.

“That...... That was scary......”

What a dangerous moment that was. If she were killed like this, it would probably be told to generations to come as the biggest humiliation of the Kannagi clan.

No matter how slow and pathetic the senses of a ''En-jutsushi'' may be, no matter how his attention was focused on other things, to be completely unaware of an abnormality that even a normal person would realize like just now was, without question, the biggest disgrace of all.

''I mustn't let others know of this......''

Ayano silently swore to bury this deep in her heart for the rest of her life.

“A&#x2014;Ayano...... What was that just now......?”

“That's...... That's a good question...... I just saw a weird thing pop out, and then it suddenly caught fire......”

Ayano acted as though she knew nothing.

“Anyway, we better get out of this creepy place!”

She changed the topic immediately.

But Ayano had already sensed things were not that simple.

''This is not good...... This place is not Ikebukuro at all...... Can we get out......?''

All kinds of noise spread from the road just one street away. Yet this several tens of meters of distance was now even further away than the moon.

“A&#x2014;Ayano, that!”

“''Ah''&#x2014;Yeah.”

Ayano sensed it without even having to look at the thing Yukari pointed at.

Oozing continuously from all the gaps and cracks emerged a large mass of slime.

Not just from the sewer openings and water drains, the more exaggerating ones would be that they are coming out from the dispensing ports of automated selling machines, and from within the mailboxes.

The total number was countless.

“Those...... Those are&#x2014;!? What the hell are these things!?”

“Calm down, Yukari.”

Ayano observed Nanase while she comforted Yukari who was out of control.

Nanase's face, normally calm and fearless, looked slightly distorted, but not to a large extent.

“Let me see&#x2014; We should make a run for it first!”

Her mind was very clear despite how bad their situation was. As the opponent seemed to look very slow and clumsy, they should be able to escape easily.

So Nanase was indeed stunned as the globules all leaped at them. Who would have imagined that slimes could perform an amazing leap of over ten meters on the spot?

''&#x2014;Oh shit!''

Ayano reflexively stimulated the power in her body. She placed her right hand at her left hip, and then, as she made one big step forward, she slashed horizontally out.

This was the posture of a ''battoujutsu'' without the blade. Yet there was indeed a blade that appeared there.

It was a bright crimson-red, double-edged straight sword. A golden flame possessing a shining and brilliant great power engulfed the blade.

''Enraiha''&#x2014; The demon-slaying holy blade bestowed by the Lord of the Fire Spirits. The devastating flames that burst out from the blade burned all the "youma" in sight into a crisp.

“Phew&#x2014;”

Breathing out softly, Ayano began to verify the safety of the two.

The two people before her were still in a state of extreme fear.

“It's okay now&#x2014;don’t be afraid.”

Ayano wore a smile and took a step towards the two.

Yukari retreated three steps.

“Yukari......?”

Ayano only realized that what the two are afraid of now, was none other than herself.

Even Nanase, who tried her best to stand there, the fear on her face was plain to see.

“Ayano...... Just what are you......?”

“&#x2014;!”

Ayano hid the ''Enraiha'' behind her immediately&#x2014;but it was pointless doing so now.

''What...... What should I do......?''

She didn't feel ashamed of her powers, but instead she was very proud of them.

Even so, the fearful eyes that her best friends placed on her made her feel very painful.

It was not strange that the two would be afraid of Ayano. But, it was a kind of fear towards “a scary person”.

By now these two people had classified Ayano as “a scary person”. To them Ayano was the same as those blobs.

“N&#x2014;No...... I......”

The moment she opened her mouth, the expression of the two flinched. Seeing their expressions, Ayano understood it was pointless no matter how she tried to explain herself. She shut her mouth.

She couldn't face them; she lowered her head, her body trembling lightly. As she lost her will, the flames vanished from the blade of ''Enraiha''.

“&#x2014;Behind you!”

Nanase’s warning sounded off once more. Yet, Ayano had no strength to respond to her voice.

Behind Ayano who stood there emptily, a big lump of slime wriggled inexorably closer.

The blob that collapsed from above her head swallowed Ayano in the blink of an eye.



“&#x2014;Is this the place?’

Kazuma muttered after parking the motorcycle he borrowed.

Attracted by Ayano’s vigor, a large group of ''youma'' gathered here at one go. This would allow him to be able to conduct a reverse investigation.

“Good job, Ayano&#x2014; ''Hmm?''”

After nodding proudly, Kazuma finally realized something was amiss.

Ayano’s scent was very weak, and was surrounded by ''youma''&#x2014;or should it be said that she was swallowed within.

“Even if you are the bait, there's no need to go to such an extent! What is this girl doing?”

Kazuma knew very clearly how powerful this kind of ''youma'' was. Even if their numbers filled up the entire Tokyo Dome, it would be impossible for Ayano to lose.

However, Ayano was now being swallowed up.

“Gee, what a trouble-maker&#x2014;”

Kazuma grumbled unhappily. He stepped onto the motorcycle and flew off into the sky. He remained motionless in the air, and began to observe the inside of the ''kekkai''.

Even though it was only as thick as a piece of thin skin, but it was a space completely isolated from the real world. There was no way to get there through physical means.

Of course, it was the same for the wind.

A natural phenomenon like the wind could only operate revolving around the same world; it was unable to affect other worlds. If there was a wall that could be broken, it might still be possible&#x2014;but there was no way to affect a space of a different dimension.

&#x2014;That was the case for a “natural phenomenon."

Kazuma raised his right hand towards the sky. A large number of wind spirits responded to Kazuma’s summon, and gathered consistently.


In terms of spirit techniques, it was not just simply controlling a natural phenomenon. Using the phenomenon as a medium, so that his will could manifest in this world was the quintessence of it.


Imagining the edges of the abnormal space, Kazuma input the power into the wind to break that space.

From directly above it he took the thin and sharp “will” he made&#x2014;

''“Gah!”''

&#x2014;And fired it!

The raging wind broke the dimensional gap.