Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume3 Chapter 6 (section)

=== Part 4 === 


"Well then isn't it about time?"

At Kazuma's words, standing alone, everyone's body shivered.

Even without having to say it they all noticed. That the earth was vibrating slightly but continuously.

The activity of the ground spirits already reached a state of wild excitement.

A great existence was in the process of waking up. The earth was being scared of that omen.

"It- it's coming!"

Suddenly Ayumi shouted. Immediately- 

The sky was dyed red.

"!!"

The light source that removed the darkness was a pillar of flame gushing out from Mt. Fuji's crater. The red hot magma running up as if aiming at the heavens was glittering in a vivid red.

"....This means the eruption comes first, huh? This is quite a surprise."

"Why are you so calm about the situation?"

Expressionless, Ren drew closer to Kazuma taking his time to admire at leisure the magnificence of the scenery.

"There wasn't supposed to be any damage."

"Well, calm down. It's no use arguing about spilled milk. Besides, just one eruption shot won't do too much damage. If it's that degree it will basically cool down by the time it reaches the foot of the mountain - Ooh?"

Kazuma, trying to comfort Ren and soothe him, forgot his words at the scene in front of his eyes. When Ren turned his head in confusion he had the same reaction.

The lava, unable to reach the heavens fell down and returned to the crater describing a clearly unnatural arc.

As if the mountain didn't want to let loose even a drop of its own heat. Taking back all it spit out with the same opening Mt. Fuji became apparently dull.

But -

"It's - not over."

Without a need for warning they all understood. That this is the beginning.

It's coming out. Something, extremely unbelievable.

"So, what will come out?"

With an expression used when tearing open a present's wrapping paper but with a facial expression that goes beyond dangerous, Kazuma said so.

The seal already lost its effect. Following the caldera, from the depths of earth an enormous power was crawling out. The footsteps that made the earth tremor, they had the feeling they could hear them.

"Eh?"

Before noticing it, that ''thing'' showed on the summit of the mountain. Omitting all the process.

"Just now, how did it appear?"

"As if I know. Maybe it teleported."

Kazuma casually answered Ayano's question. It seems that even by using his power of perception this man couldn't capture its movement process. The question on how it really crossed over the space was recurrent.

"Please stop it.......making that stupid appearance....." 

" - It doesn't particularly feel slow-witted."

"But isn't that a turtle!?"

"Well......it's a turtle."

It seems they both agree on this. Certainly, of all the living things it resembles a turtle the most.

Two short feet, protruding from a shell, a head and a tail. But that thing lacked all that made a turtle lovely. 

Almost like it was made of rock, the acute-angled body was composed of only planes and straight lines. From its mouth many atrocious fangs stood up in line. And then, among that boorish body that seemed made of inorganic substance, almost like a different creature only the tail, like a living thing, took the shape on a large snake.

And then, more dreadful than anything else, that appearance was ''understanding''.

The Demon Beast was at the top of the mountain, they were at the base of it. The distance between them was approximately ten kilometers. But - even so ''it was looking''. 

The fangs that were fully visible, sheet after sheet of snake scales, they could perceive it all as if it were in front of their eyes. 

It wasn't just big. The excessively overwhelming power, its own being was etched in detail in their consciousness not permitting a vague recognition.

"Is this.........Genbu (trad: The Black Tortoise)? But, that was supposed to be the Sacred Beast of water..."

"Well, it's impossible to be that thing right? Folklore about a mountain sustaining turtle exists in China but this has no association with it.", answered Kazuma without positive proof.

And then, Ayumi explained.

"That thing shape was decided by us."

"By the Tsuwabuki Family?"

"No, by humans."

Contemplating on it for a while, Kazuma reached an answer.

"Its shape was given by the power of the collective unconscious?"

"It's not something that grand. If we were to consult the records from those days, at first it had an indefinite shape but took one while fighting and finally became that. It's called Zenon."

" - Who the heck named it like that three hundred years ago?"

Achilles and the tortoise?[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno%27s_paradoxes#Achilles_and_the_tortoise]

Unintentionally Kazuma laughed at an inappropriate time.

The practitioners that fought ''Zenon'' and the people that saw it happen imagined it various ways.

''What is this thing'' or something. They saw the sturdy turtle they couldn't suppress no matter how much they attacked and maybe they remembered the same Chinese legend like Kazuma did.

Or maybe, unable to catch up with it no matter how long they chased, they found out the transcendent nature resembling a philosophical contradiction.

That kind of deed gave the course of action - the shape for that confusing power.

The fact that they fought with the intent to throw it down but on the contrary they couldn't kill the enemy can only be called ironic.

"That's why, the Tsuwabuki concealed Zenon's existence even after the sealing. For the sake of not giving it an even clearer form. If at a different time the seal is solved, they prayed it would revert to the original disorderly power."

"It seems that's a wasted effort."

"That's true. Maybe it already stabilized like this."

The two exchanged a dry smile. 

Ren viewed the situation somewhat displeased but he couldn't really complain.

"Hey - ", Ayano pulled the hem of Kazuma's jacket.

"Isn't it kind of looking at us?"

"Aah. As if it were a loaded gun.", Kazuma nodded.

The Demon Beast - Zenon, was starring here with a look full of hatred. That pressure could be felt on the skin.

Thinking what happened since the beginning, the manifestation of Zenon's crude <<Ki>> - he's a cluster of destructive impulses. It's impossible to turn its hatred on a particular somebody.

"And yet, why?"

"It's just a conjecture but will you listen?"

"Say it."

"It's Kureha.", Kazuma frankly answered.

"The plan failed but a part of the demon beast was mingled with her. Although impossible to capture, the emotion that occupied most of her consciousness - like her hate towards us is influencing it, maybe."

"Don't use ''us''. The only one Kureha hated was you. You're the one who fucked her up, made her despair and finally massacred her!"

"The same thing.", Kazuma eluded the riposte calmly, shrugging his shoulders.

"It seems we can omit the time needed to climb up to the top! It's coming!"

Simultaneously with his words, Zenon vanished. And one instant later, he reappeared.

Right in front of Ayano.

" - !!"

The head that opened its mouth in a big way, descended from right overhead. Time to react, there was none.

" - RAAAAAAAAH!!"

But Kazuma, jumping out in front of Ayano with a powerful gale, knocked the rock head with a fist clad in wind.

The demon beast's cranium was instantly pulverized and that huge build flew in midair.

"What the heck was that? Can it seriously teleport!?"

"No, that's wrong. That was reconstruction."

"What's that?"

"It temporarily reduced its body to <<Ki>> went through the dragon pulse and then reconstructed. It really helps that there is a time lag before reorganizing its body."

Saying that, Kazuma focused on Zenon. The head that was supposed to be pulverized was regenerated for the most part.

"Wow it's really not working - Ayumi!"

"Y- yes!"

"Run away. As far as your body can hold."

She drew out her chin. Maybe she became self-conscious of her own uselessness. Ayumi nodded deeply and started running without saying anything.

Around the time that silhouette disappeared Zenon finished regenerating and got up. Looking at him from the front he is really huge. Including his tail, his length measures more than a hundred meters. A majestic appearance certainly appropriate for the mountain's avatar.

"Hmm!"

Even so, without hesitating, Kazuma showed a fearless smile and looked up at that large build.

"Come, let's go! Hey vanguard, just knock him off already like we previously discussed. Isn't that your only redeeming feature?"

"Shut up baka!"

With a retort that was already close to a conditional reflex, Ayano began to run straight ahead.

Zenon overlooked the petty living thing that didn't know its place from a higher position looking bored.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

"Don't shout stupid turtle!!"

While backing up the advancing Ayano, the rear guard made up of two people starting attacking. Wind and flame - that power that would obliterate a dozen demon beasts in one go, how effective will it be against this opponent - 

Setting up Enraiha while running wind and flame passed her from both sides.

Using long distance attacks as a faint and using Enraiha for the finishing blow - that was their most basic tactic.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

Once again the Demon Beast howled. As if invited by that scream, rock snakes appeared from the underground - an infinite number of them.

Each was a serpent with two meters in diameter and they all blocked the way to Zenon. And then, using their bodies to stop the wind and flame, they gulped it down and were crushed.

''I can still go!!''

Ayano didn't stop from running. Forcibly breaking through the diminished snake barrier, she was aiming at Zenon's body.

A turbulent presence was generated high in the sky. The presence she grew accustomed to when fighting Kureha. She instantly understood.

A gravitation field.

And in addition to that, a different order of magnitude than Kureha's. An extravagant gravitation field was formed that right now was changing to something like a black hole. It's not like she can't oppose it but - 

"Kazuma!", she shouted without turning her face around.

Believing she could be understood only by that, Ayano ignored the gravitational field and went even further.

Zenon's foot that was soaring right in front of her, she cut it in one stroke. Simultaneously a wind blade split open the gravitational field.

That was an extremely exquisite combination - if it was successful, but -

"......wa!?"

Reverberating with a hard sound Enraiha bounced back without being able to scratch the surface. The wind blade that tried to cut the gravitational field was crushed and vanished instead.

"Che!"

"Nee-sama!"

Ren hit with all his power the gravitational field that tried to crush Ayano. And a new wind blade swung downward and this time managed to slice and tear up the warped space.

"Fall back!"

Obeying Kazuma's direction, Ayano speedily retreated. There was no pursuit.

"Wait a second, that's absurdly hard! How did you manage to smash its head?"

"No, it would turn bad if I would attempt it a second time."

Sidestepping Ayano that drew closer agitated, Kazuma casually shook his head.

"Eh? That means - "

"Yes, it hardened since then."

Ayano looked up at Kazuma with a pale complexion.

"Does that mean it's evolving?"

"Instead of evolving maybe adapting oneself would be more appropriate - well, it's the same no matter what we call it....this is bad."

Receiving damage and then enhancing itself so that it can withstand that degree of damage. Furthermore its energy reaches almost infinite levels so it can more or less immediately recover from that damage.

"How- how are we supposed to fight that kind of opponent?"

At Ayano's question Kazuma showed his open hands as if saying ''give up hope''.

"What to do?"

"''What to do?'' you say - "

Before the unintentionally speechless found a retort, the situation changed.

A group of remaining rock snakes opened their mouths simultaneously. From inside, darkness was peeking out.

" - Run!"

Coincident with the shout, Kazuma grabbed Ren and jumped with all his strength. Ayano too, left that place with all her energy.

Immediately following that, something invisible ran through the place the trio stood. That something drilled the thick sea of trees opening a straight road in it.

The Tsuwabuki mansion placed up ahead in a straight line was annihilated without trace. Without using an explosion or blaze - literally annihilated.

Descending on the ground surface with a new outlook on life, Kazuma murmured.

"Is this......what you call a gravity rifle........? This is turning more and more into a SF..."

"Now it's not the time for side comments! Just hurry up and get serious already!!"

Kazuma made a contract with the Spirit Lord and is holding a power that exceeds the human container.

Ayano is telling him to let it out but -

"I don't really care but if I were to do that but after five minutes I'm out. Do you take responsibility for what happens after?"

It's not like Kazuma is suppressing his power on a whim or to show off. Using a power that rises above humanity in a human body, first of all that sort of thing is impossible. 

If he were to overcome that impossibility a back lash will always appear.

He didn't test the limit but it's around five minutes. Anything more than that will fry his brain. Since they have yet to find a breach it would be reckless to use their only trump card.

"Ugh - you're useless!"

"Say that after you did something!"

Ren looked at these two, exchanging a bloodthirsty conversation, with anxiety. Becoming aware of that gaze, Kazuma softened his facial expression.

"It's fine. I fought a much stronger opponent than myself on countless occasions."

''Even I said that - ''

Silently, Kazuma continued.

''It's the first time I oppose such overwhelming odds. Can we do this?''

But before Kazuma had time to think of a counter plan, the situation deteriorated even more. 

Raising a howl Zenon summoned a large quantity of new rock snakes from underground.

The rock snakes whose numbers suddenly doubled simultaneously oppened their mouths.

"Wait a seeeeecond!!"

On the battlefield where the gravity guns were flying wildly about the trio could do nothing but run.

And then -




Disobeying Kazuma's command Ayumi was watching over the battlefield from a short distance.

Even for her untrained eyes it was clear that Ren's group was cornered.

''Wha- what to do.....''

"How unsightly."

"!?"

From the trembling Ayumi's back a voice full of scorn was suddenly raised. When turning around, in Ayumi's eyes war reflected the same face.

"Ma- Mayumi-sama - "

Without answering, Mayumi eyes were full of glee watching Kazuma and the rest being driven to the wall.

"After all that talking it eventually became such a sad sight, huh? It's impossible for humans to destroy that thing. Are they stupid?"

Openly expressing her scorn she overlooked her imitation, whose eyes were like those of a frightened puppy. 

"Well then, let's go."

"Eh? Wh- where?"

"Withdrawing for the moment, reorganizing our force and then resuming the ceremony. Because both these guys and Kureha were acting stupid the command line was torn.........so for now, we're leaving this place."

Mayumi took Ayumi's hand and tried to pull her but Ayumi resisted firmly planting her feet on the ground.

"Such a thing! Please wait! We can't abandon Ren - "

"I don't care about those guys! There're fighting Zenon by their own will so they can die for all I care!"

''by their own will''

Mayumi's words had the opposite effect - that exact phrase made Ayumi decide. Including force, she shook off Mayumi's hand.

"It's not yet decided that they are going to lose!"

"They can't possibly win!"

"They'll win! I - I will- "

Mayumi opened her eyes wide in shock watching the pathetic determination hardening on that face. What was Ayumi trying to do - she understood it.

"Y- you - "

"Mayumi-sama."

With a pale face but watching Mayumi steady the girl implored in a trembling voice.

"Lend me your strength! Not enough to perfectly seal it but if we could weaken it, Ren will definitely defeat Zenon."

"Don't- Don't mess around! Why would I have to - "

"Think about it calmly!"

Ayumi drew near, completely overturning the power relationship.

"If you were to go now and gather the remaining Chijutsushi do you think that this newly set free Zenon will let you do it? If you want to do it, now is the time! If there's the two of us surely - "

"No! I don't want to die!"

As if trying to deny Ayumi's words, Mayumi covered her ears. In those eyes, looking down on her own replica pure terror was floating.

"You don't have to do it until that point! Only to reduce Zenon's power - "

"No! Definitely no!", screamed Mayumi blocking her ears. Closing her eyes firmly as if to shut away reality, she shook her head and crouched down like a helpless child.
[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 03 333.jpg|thumb]]

Overlooking Mayumi refusing to listen to anything, Ayumi let out a sigh.

"I understand. Well then."

She lowered her head, accepting what she shouldn't have seen and started walking towards the battlefield.

Understanding that Ayumi intends on sealing Zenon by herself, Mayumi unintentionally asked.

"You...Do you feel like killing yourself?"

Ayumi quietly looked over her shoulder. Overawed by her determined gaze, Mayumi slightly looked away.

"Wrong.", Ayumi declared with no hesitation. 

"I want to live. I want to live together with Ren!"

Bowing her head once again in front of the speechless Mayumi, Ayumi started running.





".............I'm beaten..........there's no end to this........"

With a voice blurred with weariness, Kazuma coughed. Ayano and Ren were panting, lightly injured on different parts of their bodies.

They were not done yet. Chopping down rock snakes, they even managed to injure Zenon. But that was immediately healed. 

It was as if swinging their fists at the ground. Because the opponent was too large, there wasn't a meaning in attacking it. Even with a meaning there was no result from attacking it.

They didn't even had a match. The current status doesn't allow for a competition. One-sidedly scraping off their physical strength, it's only waiting for a chance to annihilate them - they were in the midst of such a hopeless situation. When Ayumi started participating in the war.

"Ayumi-chan?"

Suddenly recognizing Ayumi's appearance rushing in at the last minute, Ren changed his expression.

"Don't- don't to that! Run away quickly - "

Without answering, positioning herself at the same distance from Ren and Zenon, at the top of an equilateral triangle, she adjusted her breathing.

And then, slowly kneeling she joined hands taking a posture of prayer.

"Ayumi-chan...?"

After a few seconds, from Ayumi's body an enormous power was released. On earth light ripples ware running, and little by little they converged to where Zenon was.

What was she doing, Ren immediately understood.

"Ayumi-chan! No!"

Ren began to run trying to stop her. But from his back Kazuma asked a question on a low tone.

"Where are you going, brat?"

"What are you asking, Ayumi-chan is - "

Not concerned about Ren's agitation, indifferently, Kazuma asked again.

"What did you say to Ayumi?"

"Eh? That...that is..."

''What do you want to do?''

" - But!"

"Ayumi answered your question. What will you do?"

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

Biting his lip, Ren turned his back to Ayumi. He looked up at Zenon. Surely, its power was weakened. 

If it's like that - they can win.

"I'll butcher it. Nii-sama get serious!"

"Ok."

Nodding deeply, Kazuma closed his eyes. Several seconds after - the pair of eyes that showed a second time were dyed in a transparent blue. That was the carved seal engraved by the spirit Lord of the Wind. The wind spirits playing in the sky were the evidence that he was allowed to control everything. 

Holding a power that tremendously magnified in his hands, the supreme ruler of the sky fearlessly laughed.

"So, let's go - the spirit of reincarnation from just one mountain, smash it to pieces until there's nothing left!"