Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume5 Chapter 1 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

"Shit"

Together with the spat out swear word, the sound of a weak fist striking the wall pointlessly reverberated.

This is an underground place below the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. It wasn't generally used, a police cell used for accommodating unique criminals.

Clean and simple, in that space resembling a hotel single room the boy grieved over his circumstance.

"Why did something like that happen......"

He was supposed to have obtained power.

An invincible power.

A power that can grant all wished.

An invincible power.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this......"

He suddenly rose in the world. 

A ''higher'' existence than those worthless masses whose existence doesn't matter. 

From here on he would be the one to look down on those who looked down on him, scorn them, and like an overwhelming man of courage -

That was how it was supposed to be.

And yet, right now, he had been clumsily caught by the police. The power he thought invincible was sealed easily, and tomorrow they will apply treatment in order to get rid of it for good.

Again, he turned to nothing but an incompetent person. And in addition to that, he will be held in police custody even for his previous offenses. 

He was disgraced. He was unbearably disgraced.

One girl's picture floated in his brain. The ringleader who forced him into such circumstance. The one who didn't listen his command, the command of a superior person, the disrespectful bitch who of all things, turned on him with savage weapons.

"Nanase.........."

The boy - Utsumi Kousuke, squeezed out the girl's name, including as much curse in it as possible. 

But, the anti-magic barrier installed in the police cell nullified every kind of power generated inside.

Utsumi's grudge, didn't attain form, fruitlessly melting in the atmosphere and disappearing.

".........shit......."

Reminded again that ''the invincible power'' had been sealed, Utsumi's body shook with rage.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Come out! Come out! I am the chosen one! I'm not supposed to be here!!"

He knocked the door as if going mad. When the privileges bestowed onto him were taken, that absurdity destroyed his mental balance.

"Why? Why do I have to suffer through this? What do you accuse me of?"

But, no one was there to reply to his egotistic claim and Utsumi's random screams, drifting inside the room, were sucked into the walls and disappeared.

After a turn, a silence similar to frozen time filled the room. The reverberation of noise reverted the vector of his spirit visibly changing Utsumi's character, pressing his forehead to the wall, he cowered. A frail murmur escaped him.

"What to do............"

If it continues like this and his power will be stolen what will happen - even his dumb brain could easily picture it.

''"They'll take revenge on me........"''

Even if they won't charge him for his crimes, the people he cursed will definitely not forgive him. The retribution will be more severe than whatever he experienced until now.

And, right now he had no means of defending himself.

"No........I don't want that........"

While moaning at the wits' end, Utsumi naturally regretted his behavior.

"'''It would have been better not to do that'''", or something

But that was not a remorseful contemplation. They were only the previous selfish thoughts fearing revenge, without a particle of Utsumi's compassion.

"It's not my fault........I'm not to blame......."

Racking his brain, he tried justifying himself. He wasn't in the wrong. He's not the one responsible. Because, because -

"But, I only used it, right? The one who's evil and pushed this unwanted power onto me is that Pandemonium's Vesalius, right? I'm just like a victim tricked by that man, right?"

Deriving a satisfactory answer, Utsumi's eyes sparkled.

"First of all, if the police had time to catch someone like me, shouldn't they search for Vesalius first? The police is always like this. They don't get involved with the really bad guys but only arrest underlings, worrying only about settling cases by framing victims like me. Do you think the country's peace can be protected like that?"

With persistently self centered words, at the time he was talking on and on loudly. 

" - Hm?"

On one point on the pure white wall, suddenly, a deep crimson spot appeared. A small dot, red like fresh blood. It grew as if being guided by an invisible pen and engraved letters on the wall.

These were the contents:





'''Congratulations!!'''

'''Congratulations for your level up!'''

'''In accordance with this level up, it's possible to class change and obtain even more power. If you wish so, a door reaching Pandemonium will open for you here, ushering you in.'''

'''Do you desire a class change?'''

'''Yes/No'''



"Wh- what........?"

At the sudden variation, Utsumi opened his eyes wide in blank amazement. But at the same time, he instantly understood the meaning of this message.

This was a '''mail''' from Pandemonium.

One Pandemonium sent every time one acquires experience points, an information email. The sentences written don the wall had the same literary style like the several tens he received before.

But - Utsumi racked his brain puzzled.

''"Level up?"''

The way of obtaining XP  is not just defeating one's enemy or in Utsumi's case fulfilling curses. Utilizing the power granted by Pandemonium, you're adding experience one by one.

Of course, when comparing it with killing one's enemy, the quantity is infinitly smaller.

Utsumi's recent results, is the amount he used on Nanase and his classmates. With just that it would have been impossible to level up, supposedly.

''"Wait - that doesn't matter"''

With more discernment than ever, Utsumi grasped the current situation. 

It doesn't mater if it's a mistake or something. If he can level up and then class change, there's no reason to hesitate. 

And then - 

''''If you wish so, a door reaching Pandemonium will open for you here, ushering you in''''

The message was very easily delivered to the room equipped with an anti-magical barrier. That existence itself is sufficient evidence for the contents of the message.

Clearly, it's impossible for this barrier to resist the mighty power of Pandemonium. In other words, if he wishes so, he can really go to Pandemonium. He can escape prison.

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

Gulping down his saliva, Utsumi stared at the '''mail''' from Pandemonium. 

Freedom. Even more power. It was an excessively sweet temptation. He can take back all he believed lost. He could obtain even more.

The woman who ridiculed him, this time...........

With an uncertain manner of walking, Utsumi walked to the wall the message was written down on. 

The blood red letters. The half dried ink pulled down by gravity smudged the wall giving an ominous impression of an evil spell.

But even so, for Utsumi right now it was similar to a sacred oracle. 

That ''reality'' that protected him revived his lost willpower.

"Like I thought, I am '''special'''"

Broadly grinning, his ugly lips warped, Utsumi laughed. An arrogant smile scorning everything beside himself. 

"Just wait, Nanase. This time I'll get even with you!"

With a loud shout, Utsumi '''clicked''' on the '''Yes''' end of the message.