Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume5 Chapter 6 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

"Aaaaaaaaaa, by the way!! ", shouted Ren suddenly remembering something important.

"Wh- What's going on?  "

At the sudden voice, Ayano looked at him in shock. 

But without caring about that, Ren talked on and on in excitement. 

"Nee-sama, since when are you able to use Shinen? "

"-------ha? "

"You used it just now, didn't you? The crimson flame with the same aura as Nee-sama! "

"-----I did? "

Really not conscious about it, Ayano continuously fired rapid questions with an off the point face.

That unreliable attitude made Ren lose his confidence, instinctively asking his brother for help. 

"Nii-sama, you saw it.......right? "

"Aah"

Kazuma clearly agreed. 

Ayano stared at Kazuma in a daze. Gradually the meaning of those words permeated in her brain, her complexion rapidly changing. 

"Eeh? Really? Did I --- the god flame.......No way!? "

"It's true! Congratulations! "

Smiling with all his face, Ren blessed Ayano. 

But, immediately after, noticing Kazuma's face was extremely calm, he asked suspicious.

"Nii-sama, you don't seem very surprised"

"Yeah. Because I saw it before? "

''''"Eeeeeeeeeh!? "''''

Ren and Ayano shouted in chorus their surprise. 

Ayano grabbed Kazuma by the collar and cross-questioned him.

"S- since when? Where? "

"Last year. When you fought with Ryoya in Kyoto."

Answering straightforward, Kazuma sighted.

"It seems like you didn't tell the Suzerain - but, no way - You really didn't notice? "

"Why - why, didn't you tell me before!? "

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

Taking time to tease Ayano, Kazuma stared at her with an exceedingly cold gaze. 

Faced with that blatant feeling of contempt not even reptiles gave, Ayano's face became stiff.

"............Do you want to know the answer? "

"N- no, it's fine!"

She shook her head as much as possible. At the same time, she plugged her ears not to hear that severe cynicism.

"W- well, I'm sure it's because you were that much focused on the battle. "

Ren forced his way through in the space between the two and sternly scowled at Kazuma.

Of course, Kazuma won't feel sorry just because of that. 

"But even so, to have three divine flame users in the same period of time is amazing, right? "

Although trying to soothe Ayano, Ren was making merry innocently. 

It was easy to understand he was genuinely happy by Ayano's growth. 

For Ayano, who worried nowadays if she wasn't surpassed by Ren since her ''little brother'''s growth had been remarkable, that innocence gave her mixed feelings. 

But even so, she contain her happiness at being able to yield a divine flame. 

Her face broke into a smile. 

"Waah, what do I do, I'm so happy"

"No, I think being happy it's normal. What will you name it? "

"Hmm, that's right, ''''Red Divine Flame'''' is not really cool"

"I think it's meaningless thinking about it"

At the two who were in high spirits, a thoroughly indifferent voice poured water on them. Of course, it was Kazuma.

"You just used something that by chance looks like a divine flame and not only you weren't controlling it, you weren't even self-aware, right?

That kind of person can't be called a divine flame user. There's also the possibility it was just a miracle that only happens twice in your life. "

Ayano and Ren gazed at Kazuma with a purely spiteful look. 

"Why does this guy has to say such sensible things? "

"That's right, we have just gotten excited! "

"Look at reality - would it be better to say that? Besides, now it's not the time to frolic, right? "

Kazuma's gaze pointed at Pandemonium. At the same time -

"Wuaaaaaaaaaah!!"

Raising a war cry, a human like thing came running. With an expression like he was prepared for death, he headed for Pandemonium in a straight line.

"----Ah? "

While the trio was looking over him blankly, the man belonging to the <<Seeds>> reached the entrance. 

With both hands raised overhead, the man shouted loudly. 

"Yes, I did it! I did it! I'm first! ''The ultimate power'' is mine! "

The man was ecstatic. A soft light was suddenly lit at his feet. As if blessing the man, it illuminated on his figure - 

"O.....Oo....Oooooooooo!? " 

His body was slowly eroded. 

Inside the light, the man's body melted as if falling apart during cooking. His skin burst open, his flesh was torn off, his internal organs melted, and even his bones - 

Nothing remained. As if his existence wasn't there from the beginning, the man disappeared without trace. 

"Wh- what happened? "

"Well, he died, right? "

Contrastive with Ren who screamed openly shaken, Kazuma answered really not carrying from the bottom of his heart. 

"........that man, wasn't he the first? "

"No, he was the first."

"Then, what about that ultimate power? "

"Something like that didn't exist from the beginning, obviously"

"........you're very blunt, huh? "

"Because that's how the world is"

"Aah, another one"

Ayano pointed ahead where another <<Seed>> was aiming for Pandemonium. This time there was a slight deviation from the human form.

But, the result was the same. Wrapped up in the light, they melted and disappeared without leaving any trace.

It continued with the third and the fourth.

"How to say this, it's that, right?"

While looking at the <<Seeds>> practically blindly pushing their way to destruction, Kazuma murmured. 

"It's a spectacle like the suicide of lemmings"

"......Nii-sama......"

Hearing his brother's casual thoughts who really didn't care, Ren revealed a sorrowful groan.

But, Kazuma advanced the conversation without paying attention to him.

"Well, it's convenient if the other party kills them for us. Forget about them and thing about what comes after."

"-----yeah"

Ayano too, heartlessly agreed, shifting her attention to Pandemonium's entrance. 

This time there were no more <<Seeds>>. But -

"In this situation, it seems dangerous trying to enter from the front"

"You want to enter? "

Seeing Ayano murmuring so, including of a sense of crisis, Kazuma asked in return unexpectedly.

"It will be done quicker if you were to burn all of it from the outside, right? This is not really a game, there's no need to go to the dungeons and pick a fight with the big boss, you know?"

"You're such a....."

As Kazuma was thinking nothing else but killing the enemy, Ayano groaned as if she endured a headache. 

"It's possible that Nanase and Yukari are inside, you know!? we can't take such a violent action. "

"Nanase and Yukari?"

"If you ask ''Who are they?'' I'll kill you"

Warned in an ominous tone, very prudently Kazuma swallowed his words. 

"They were abducted because of you, so take responsibility! "

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

Leaving Nanase aside , it was unreasonable to make him take the blame for Yukari but, wisely Kazuma refrained from objecting.

"Then, let's get in already"

"But we can't use that entrance, right? "

Ayano was fearful of sharing the fate of the <<Seeds>> if she were to use the front entrance.

But Kazuma declared in the usual disposition. 

"Just by looking, the entrance doesn't seem to have any kind of trick but even if it had, it must have been inserted in the <<Seeds>>'s bodies. "

"But, if by any chance......"

"Then, how about this? "

The moment Kazuma said so, a sphere was gouged out in the Pandemonium wall and it collapsed inside. 

The new entrance had a diameter of two meters, enough for them to easily enter made to the right next to the entrance. 

"Let's go"

"------huh? Will you go first? ", asked Ayano looking quizzically at Kazuma.

"Is there a problem? "

"No, this is you we're talking about so won't make me go in front to confirm the security or something? "

"..........you, do you think of me as a cruel and heartless brute of a man? "

"Oh, did you hear that Ren?"

Unnaturally Ayano talked to Ren only. But clear enough for Kazuma to hear. 

"It seems this man would want to so ''that's not it'' as if he doesn't know his social position"

"..............well.............."

Worried about the reply, Ren mumbled.

On the other hand, without minding those two, Kazuma started to trespass on Pandemonium by himself. 

"Hey, come already"

"Aah, yes!"

"Don't order me around! "

While both showed typical responses both followed after Kazuma. Of course, he wasn't suddenly disintegrated.

While looking around inside Pandemonium, who also remained the same, Ayano asked. 

"So, what are you going to do? "

"''What'', you say. There's nothing else to do except search around, right? Because we don't know if the interior is the same as before."

"Aah, not about that. What I want to know is the way to deal with Lapis. "

"------------What are you trying to say? ", asked Kazuma without turning back.

"Well, Lapis is your former lover right? Will you fight - "

''''Dan!''''

Pushing out his arm just before Ayano's face, he hit the wall hard. 

"I don't know from who and what you heard but - "

With a tone that clearly endured something, Kazuma talked.

"Tsoi Rin died. In front of me. "

".........Kazuma........."

"Tsoi Rin died. She will never again revive. I know that is a certainty, more that anything else. Because the outward appearance is the same, because her mental core was made by using Tsoi Rin's residual thought, what of it? That's nothing but the proof she's a fake."

What was called the residual thought was nothing but the copy of the awareness that was etched in the space. It's true that was an accurate representation of the person's consciousness at that time but, after all it's nothing but an imitation - nothing but a one-sided <<record>> accurately reproduced. 

Naturally, what was there wasn't the heart - nor its soul. 

Even if the recorded information is numerous, it can't react any other way than the person when it was alive. 

But, of course that couldn't be called a thought but a mechanical feedback that was already imprinted - it cannot work any other way.

"If there's something she wanted to say I'll hear it as long as it doesn't get in the way of accomplishing our goal. If she does, I'll kill her - Do you have something else you want to know? "

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

Ayano silently shook her head. 

She understood she just made the greatest blunder possible. 

Surely, Kazuma's words are correct. 

Even if it's the way to deal with Lapis, is he really thinking like that?

But, there was no need to make him put it into words? 

Kazuma was silently starring at Ayano, hanging her head in shame, succumbing to feelings of remorse. 

But, several seconds after, with a playful smile he poked her forehead, forcibly pointing it upwards. 

"Hyan!? Ka- Kazuma------?"

Holding up her forehead and peering into Ayano's face, looking up with tears in her eyes, Kazuma said. 

"If you like, should I leave her to you? "

"Eeh? Wh- what? "

"Lapis' opponent. You lost big last time so you're probably not satisfied, right? "

Ayano's face flushed red and she shouted at the utterance that wounded her great pride. 

"Wh- who lost big time? I was just about to win but didn't you get in the way? "

"Is that so? Well, you can say whatever you like in a what-if story - "

"Waah, this man is really pissing me off"

"Nii-sama....Nee-sama too, could you please stop your lover's quarrel in this situation? "

"'''''W -H - O'''' is having a lover's quarrel? "

"I - I apologize! "

While talking so casually while walking, a solid door appeared before the group.