Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume2 Chapter 5 (section)

=== Part 4 ===

“Wha……”

Ayano stared in awe at the pillar of fire.

Black flames.

Unlike the black smoke created from burning of heavy oil, the flames themselves were black in color.

“Is that…… Misao……?”

“Is there anyone else that can use flames that are full of youki like this? Then it seems that the battle style of the Kannagi must have changed quite a bit ever since I left.”

Kazuma questioned her seriously. Perhaps he really wanted to know the answer to this question?

“We don't have anyone like that!” Ayano answered rudely. Of course, Kazuma didn't take offense and merely put an indifferent expression, shrugging as he walked off.

“H-hold it!”

Kazuma obediently stopped.

“What's the matter? Is there someone among those people there that you hope will die? Then I don’t mind waiting a bit longer; after all there are only three minutes left.”

Ayano took a while to truly understand the meaning behind that sentence. Ren, comprehending his brother, fearfully asked, “Is Misao really that strong? That even ten people working together are still unable to defeat her?"

“Six.”

Kazuma corrects truthfully.

“------Huh?”

“After that blast earlier, the presence of four people disappeared.”

Ren was struck speechless, and in turn Ayano roared, “You should've said something like that sooner!”

“You should've realized it much sooner.”

“Y...you...”

“Calm down, Onee-san.”

Ren tried in vain to pacify the near-exploding Ayano as he looked at his brother with blaming eyes.

“Onii-san, why can’t you just get along with onee-san?”

“What do you mean by "get along?" Our goals this time are entirely different. She's no friend of mine."

“Don’t tell me you still intend to defend Misao!?”

“Yup.”

Kazuma nods naturally at Ayano, who stared at him wide-eyed.

“……What are you thinking? Do you know how many people that girl killed!?”

“How would I know? I am not so kind as to pity a bunch of dead strangers.”

Kazuma spits this line out easily, and following that walks off without waiting for their reactions. Ayano hurriedly chased after him until she eventually overtook Kazuma.

The park wasn't very far. Even though she ran, she was only faster by around ten seconds. But, that was more than enough.

(Find her, and settle it in one blow!)

She was confident. No matter how strong Misao may have become, compared to herself of the main family, their levels of power were entirely different. Just one strike from Enraiha should be able to eliminate Misao.

Ayano reached the park. She jumped over the fence at the entrance, and ran into the square.

There was no need to search for her, as Misao stood at the centre of the square. Despite being surrounded by jutsushi of the branch families, there was not a single trace of anxiety on her face; on the contrary, it was the jutsushi that seemed to be trembling in fear.

The time to worry over the face of the Oogami was long past. Planning to finish Misao off in one go, Ayano pushed the Jutsushis surrounding Misao aside------ and was shocked herself.

[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 02 227.jpg|thumb]]
Misao did not even notice Ayano’s appearance as she happily played with a rubber ball. She wore an innocent smile, and gently dribbled the rubber ball at waist height. The group gaped at this simple repetition without any notion of boredom.

At a second glance, the rubber ball looked very old and tattered, its surface yellowish like the earth. The fading grayish black threads were spread around in great volumes, just like a bamboo curtain falling off continuously. Those wavering black threads, looked just like hair------

(Just like------?)

The instant she realized what that rubber ball was, Ayano felt goosebumps all over her body. Her hand clenched over her mouth, trying hard to keep from vomiting.

The messy black threads------ those were the hair of a man just over fifty years of age.

The red threads spread over the soil-yellow surface------ those were blood stains splattered on the victim’s skin.

The object that Misao was bouncing like a rubber ball was the head of a dead person. The face of the man who is planning to slay his own daughter for the survival of the family, now rebounded up and down between the ground and the white, tender hand.

Dum...dum...dum...

The sound of the bouncing “rubber ball” was abnormally heavy. Every time it hit the solid ground, more wounds gradually appeared on Masayuki’s painful and distorted expression.

Common sense dictates that it is impossible for a human head to bounce like a rubber ball. This may have been caused by psychic powers or something similar to move the head……

“…… Misao……”

Ayano was unable to say a word. What could she say to a girl happily playing with her father's head?

Before the eyes of Ayano and company who were staring with their breaths held, Misao bounced the “rubber ball” diligently. If there was any purpose behind this action, that could still have been seen in a more optimistic manner. Like venting her anger on the body, scaring the enemy with her power, or a part of a jutsu ritual------ anything else would have been fine. But this is different. Anyone could tell that this action was meaningless.

She treated it like a child's game. Like a kid using a crumpled piece of paper as a ball, Misao simply treated her father's head as a simple ball.

“…………”

Misao suddenly hit the “rubber ball” with force. Jumping higher than before, the “ball” bounced to her chest area, and Misao stretched her hands out to catch it.

“What have you been doing since just now?”

No one understood her murmuring.

Yet, a voice answered in reply.

“It's hard to explain so quickly, but I still rushed here.”

Like an avalanche, everyone’s eyes gathered at the same direction.

That relaxed expression without any tension did not waver at all under the stare of everyone in the area. Even though he possesses power that surpasses anyone, his demeanor was calmer and firmer than anyone.

Just that cheeky presence was enough to dispel the abnormal demonic aura given off by Misao.

Possessing the power to accept everything, Yagami Kazuma stood before the gathering as if his "right" to power was as natural as the air.

“Looks like I made it in time for the climax.”


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