Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume6 Chapter 5 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

Kazuma suddenly stopped and called Ayano, who was running ahead, to a halt. 

"Ayano, wait a second"

"What, you're not going to say you're tired, are you? ", replied Ayano but it was obvious that wasn't the case. 

In reality, looking over her shoulder, she saw this man breathing without disturbance. 

But then, when he had no motivation, he was the kind of man to say such shameless words as: ''I'm tired so I'll take a break''.

"Xiaolei started to move. She's fast. But it doesn't look like she's following something. Did she find some clue? "

This time was different. Ayano asked of Kazuma, who was investigating the surroundings, an even more detailed explanation. 

"Where is she headed? "

"This way. From here one is--- the ruins of the Tokyo Government Office? The ruins of Shinjuku Central Park? "

"yuck"

At those ill-omened names, Ayano involuntarily grimaced. Those places had been destructed in huge incidents before. 

The collapse of the Tokyo Government Office posed an especially big political problem, but Shinjuku's Central Park was even worse. 

Because an outrageous being had been summoned there at that time, the Ki released by it  made the soil and air there dark even today. You could say it was rotting. 

Like a plot of soil that was radiated, you couldn't expect it to naturally recover in a short term. 

Because of the preliminary calculations that said that the purification will take from several hundred years to a thousand, in the worst case scenario, Kannagi Genma was requested to use the divine flame and burn it all to the ground. 

Reasonably, that idea was frozen. If he didn't do so, nobody wanted to approach it. 

"That place is still sinister......Is there someone else there? "

"Hmmm, I don't feel anything in particular --- no"

Interrupting his speech, Kazuma strained his eyes as if looking far away.

And then, his mouth warped in a bitter smile or rather, a scornful laugh. 

"Oh dear!"

"What's happening? "

"The fight began. The enemies are a Suijutsushi and a Chijutsushi --- them"

"---!"

Ayano opened her eyes wide in surprise. 

"What on earth is that girl thinking!? She can't possibly win by herself! "

"Well, someone who thinks of revenge can't possibly be rational. I too was excessively rash at times. I had thoroughly attacked all of <<Almagest>>'s branches. "

"......Even though you had no proof Erwin Leszar was there? "

"Yeah. Although there seemed to have been only good civilians inside. But I did pray for their happiness in the next world. "

"You should be cursed, you damn heretic"

Saying so coldly over her shoulder, Ayano brought that dishonest conversation to an end and pressed for action. 

"Hurry! Follow me closely, guard! "

"Dear me"

The conclusion was slightly dull. 

They both arrived at that place --- at the Shinjuku Central Park, exactly at the moment when the water whip manipulated by Chris was piercing Xiaolei's abdomen. 

Of course, Gaia was standing beside him. 

"Gaah...."

Already without enough force to scream, the girl with wounds all over her body revealed a tiny groan, her knees loosing balance and folding.

The pointed tip of the whip that came out from her back undulated like a living thing. Its color was clearly stained light crimson of the flowing blood.  

Like a sneaky living thing, the water whip slipped out of Xiaolei's body. Loosing her support, powerless, the girl's body collapsed. 

The blood overflowing from that body collapsed face-up, turned into a pool of blood before her eyes. It was clearly a fatal wound. 

"Xi- Xiaolei! "

"Oh, did you too came too? "

Hearing Ayano's shriek, as if he just noticed their presence, Chris replied with an air of composure. 

"Although I did say tomorrow, you couldn't abide by the rule, huh? "

And then, complaining so, extremely annoyed, but for those two who didn't hear the massage, it didn't make any sense.

"''did say'', huh? Did you hear something about this?"

"No, but that's not the issue! "

Looking very impatient, Ayano pointed at Xiaolei laying in her own blood. 

"We must save Xiaolei quickly! "

"Right now it's impossible. To go and nonchalantly pick her up in front of those them will make us the target. I don't want something like that."

"If......If that's the case!! "

While she was about to complain, Ayano shut her mouth as if noticing something. 

"That's right"

Faster that Ayano's words, Kazuma nodded. 

"Kill them without delay and pick her up after. That is most reliable. "

Even if they couldn't loose in front of Chris and Gaia, they were so weak they could afford to totally disregard them. 

If she wanted to save Xiaolei, removing those two was after all the fastest method. 

In silence, Ayano unsheathed Enraiha. This time not to play or go easy on them. 

Faster than it was possible, with the decision to end this with one blow, she raised her power. 

She took a step forward. Behind her, th presence of wind swelled so much, enough to overwhelm hers. 

A feeling of almost omnipotent confidence gushed out from her chest. 

It's impossible to loose. She thought so from the bottom of her heart. If they are together. 

But, 

"Humph, so you're attacking right away. We're being underestimated. "

The expressions of Chris and Gaia were calm. In spite of seeing the difference in strength yesterday they faced  off with a smile of composure. 

"Did you thing we came here without a plan? Look at this! "

Together with that elated outcry, Gaia threw a capsule-like object that he took from his pocket. 

It suddenly burst open in the air, and a pure white smoke filled the surrounding atmosphere. 

And then, when the smoke cleared --- a grotesque animal was flapping its wings there. 

In short, from a huge eyeball, a  pair of bat-like wings were growing. Judging from that molding that wasn't natural and it didn't feel very powerful, there was no doubt it was some kind on Youma.

"Ooh, a Capsule monster, huh? " 

"........What's that?"

"Don't worry about it. Well, either way, it's not strong enough that it will become problematic......."

Kazuma's voice that was lightly flowing, was suddenly interrupted. Simultaneously, the presence of wind she felt from behind was rapidly weakening and then, discomposed.

"Kazuma!? This is---"

In Ayano's eyes, unintentionally turning around, were reflected Kazuma's, with a more grim stare than ever. 

The wind spirits that were whirling around him were rapidly torn off, as if sucked by something else. The direction of that flow was fixated to that Youma standing like a shield in front of Gaia. 

"Wha- what the heck is that? "

Unconcerned about Ayano's bewilderment, Gaia looked at Kazuma only and sneered. 

"Do you understand, youngster? This is a Youma that feeds on wind spirits --- it's called <<Kazebami>> (trad: Wind Eater) "

"Wha----? "

"And--- "

Following Gaia, Chris threw in the air the same kind of capsule. With the same exploding sound and white smoke--- but the thing that appeared from there was a thick mist with a red phosphorescence twinkling inside. 

It was an amorphous Youma, it's body without real form. 

Including a sneer, Chris declared.

"This is <<Homranagi>> (trad: Blaze Lull). I don't have to explain what it does, right? "

"Kuu---- "

Ayano let out a murmur full of worry. 

Something like that was self-explanatory. Together with Homranagi's appearance, the fire spirits were absorbed with great force --- and they were eaten. 

Even the flame cladding Enraiha became very small. 

She didn't turn completely powerless but her offensive ability went down to twenty of thirty percent. 

That wouldn't be so bad if they were small fry for becoming the opponents of those carrying Sacred Treasures, it was considerably unreliable.

''"This is bad"'', murmured Ayano inside her heart. 

It was an almost perfect trap. Most of their power was snatched away and in contrast, the opponent had no limitation, freely able to exercise all his power. 

That war potential ratio was perfectly reversed and even more, a hopeless gap was opened between them.

She recalled Kazuma's words from yesterday.

''" As long as they don't have some huge hidden trick, they're at a level me and Ayano can deal with"''

And this was a huge, gigantic hidden trick. Even where Kazuma was concerned, they greatly sealed his power---

"Can I ask one thing? "

Suddenly, that voice could be heard. Looking at him, facing the triumphant enemies, Kazuma asked in a quiet voice. 

"Leaving aside the issue of where you took those things from, you are Spirit Practitioners, right? Even if it's another kind, not the ones you associate with, don't you hesitate to let the spirits be eaten by Youma?  "

For a moment Gaia didn't seem to understand what he was saying so he stared in wonder but immediately turning his whole face into a sneer, he declared loudly. 

"I wondered what you were going to say--- how idiotic. You son of a bitch, do you think ''The spirits are our friends, our important partners! ''? What an idiot! The spirits are similar with tools, why would I consider their feelings? "

"Aaah, I understand. That's enough. "

"That's why, we cannot talk with the likes of you, belonging to the old clans! You are tied to things like tradition or convention and don't want to accept the changes and progress of a new era! The fact that such people possess Sacred Treasures is like pearls thrown before the swine! Quietly hand it over to me, I can use it more--- "

'''"I told you to shut up"'''

"wha---? "

Interrupting Gaia's statement, shouting his justice in a loud voice, similar to  murmur, were Kazuma's quiet words. 

That voice with an inferior volume was loaded with something that not only made Gaia shut his mouth, but warped his bearded face in terror, making him take a step back. 

But, that was only for a moment. Realizing he backed down, this time he laughed happily, barring his teeth. 

"Ha, ha ha --- even in front of this adversity you give off so much <<Ki>> to overwhelm me. --- that's fine. I have waited to fight with someone as strong as you! "

Gaia got excited. But, without following on that tension, Kazuma informed Ayano matter-of-fact. 

"We're changing opponents. I'll do the Suijutsushi. "

"Ah, yes. "

"I won't let you! "

Just at the moment they were about to execute that reasonable plan, Gaia trampled the ground with his short legs. 

Immediately following, as if a giant cut open the ground, enormous fissures were produced on the ground. 

The cracks spread at a too large scale to be an instant jutsu, it was obviously prepared before hand. 

In the end, even for Kazuma and Ayano who didn't hear the message, when thinking why did they picked a fight at this place, before they managed to find the answer, the cracks on the ground spread even more, separating them. 

"----che"

Kazuma smacked his lips. The gap made by the ground crack was a little more that ten meters. It wasn't he could normally jump over without problems but right not there was Kazebami.

The likelihood of him falling to his death if the wind spirits would be eaten in the middle of the jump was high so he couldn't behave recklessly. 

"----Let's see"

Like a cat teases a mouse, a voice full of composure reached his ears. Turning around, as expected, there was the short man resembling a dwarf, bearing a huge battle-axe on his shoulder. 

While the Kazebami was flapping his winds above him.

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

Kazuma ignored Gaia, shifting his attention on the other side of the crack. 

At that place he couldn't reach now, Ayano and Chris were standing, the battle having already begun. 

It was clear even at that distance that Ayano was being pressed down.

He turned to Gaia once more. He was standing still like before, waiting for Kazuma to prepare for battle. 

No way, while tricking them with this plan, he's not going to say right now: ''"I won't behave so cowardly as to attack you by surprise"''? 

"Are you prepared? "

Kazuma replied with a light shoulder shrug at that question oozing with joy. 

"No, please wait for three more hours. I am busy right now. "

"Don't prattle, youngster! "

Together with an angry roar, Gaia swung the battle-axe-- Nozuchi, down. 

The axe didn't reach far but the ground it blew up turned to throwing stones, leaping with tremendous velocity. 

Kazuma promptly raised a wind barrier. But the spirits he summoned were readily devoured by Kazebami and it didn't acquire enough strength to defend against the stones. 

There was no choice but to abandon defence. He jumped to the side as if tumbling and barely managed to avoid it. 

"Hey, hey, aren't you the impatient one? "

"No, I'm just glad to be able to kill you"

Kazuma stood in front of Gaia sure of his victory, without hesitating or showing negligence.

He didn't gave up just yet. In this circumstance he was certainly at an overwhelming disadvantage. But that doesn't mean there were no chances of winning. 

Kazebami was absorbing the wind spirits but that ability was definitely not infinite. 

Therefore, although he couldn't do much his Fujutsu ability couldn't be sealed. Still, he couldn't use his ability.

And because Gaia will definitely not interpose between him and Kazebami, close combat will be difficult.

From what he saw from the fight yesterday, Gaia's pride was the close combat. 

More than having the Sacred Treasure, which was a given, more that any jutsu, it was because the one who could mercilessly pummel more had the biggest power. 

''"which means, Ayano's side is more dangerous"''

Chris's Sacred Treasure -- that water whip's length could be changed at will. 

Which means that even in between Homranagi, he could attack at full power. 

If this were the usual Ayano, she could cut off the water whip and shorten the distance but it was unfair to expect something like that of her. 

Being attacked one-sided from a distance, there are low chances of being able to overcome the situation as it is. 

But, there was nothing they could do about it. Right now even protecting their bodies was dangerous. 

Until they found a way to overthrow the currently disadvantageous situation, they had no choice but to endure. 

"Be that as it may --- what to do?"

The very best method would be to reunite with Ayano without waisting another second. 

The current crisis is a crisis precisely because they are separated. 

If they could reunite and switch partners, both Kazebami and Homranagi will become something of little importance. 

To say nothing of the fact that would be just the freebie. 

But the enemy obviously understood that. 

That's why, they tried fabricating this circumstance by all means --- and that's why they will prevent their coming together by all means possible. 

"Ah ah, this became quite troublesome. "

Murmuring so together with a long breath, Kazuma reached for his breast pocket. 

He pulled out a dagger. It was simple, without curves. The double edge blade a little less that thirty centimeters was engraved with seven dots in the shape of the Bid Dipper. 

It was the blade commonly known as the Sacred Sword of Seven Stars. 

It was a famous magic artifact on the continent, that appeared on the market frequently. But even among them, although this wasn't the absolute best, it had a pretty high status. 

But.

"Guahahahahahaha! The Sacred Sword of Seven Stars? Do you think you can fight against this Nozuchi with that toy? "

As expected, against a Sacred Treasure, this kind of blade is the same as a bamboo sword. 

"No, no matter what, I have no intention of exchanging blows with that rustic axe. "

Vaguely warding off Gaia's scorn, Kazuma clasped the Seven Star with a backhand grip. 

"But well, if it's against someone of your caliber, I think this is enough. "

"Wow, shall we test that? "

Gaia was readily provoked. 

His nature was a very simple one but in circumstance such as these, where he had such an overwhelming advantage, he had enough self-confidence not to loose in spite of the opponent's calculations. 

And then ---

"Let's go! "

Raising a scream from the bottom of his belly, Gaia plunged in a straight line. 

"Wha---"

As one would expect, Kazuma was dismayed. 

The speed of Gaia's rush was faster that what those short legs of his could accomplish. 

Or rather, he manipulated the ground somehow, or he used some sort of acceleration technique. 

But, rather that that trivial question ---

"A- are you an idiot? why are choosing close combat in this situation? "

"Hah, because cutting you down from afar isn't really my style! "

The fact that he wrecked all his tactics was the more serious problem. 

Without minding Kazuma's bewilderment, Gaia swung down Nozuchi. 

Handling his body on the spur of the moment, Kazuma evaded that blow. 

He defended against the explosion of earth and sand born from the excessive force with which the ax crashed into the ground with a minimal wind barrier and aimed Seven Star at Gaia's neck.

"Neen!! "

Gaia blocked it by pushing out his right arm. It made a sound as is striking a dull, hard rock. 

Looking at it, that arm was completely covered in rock, protecting him like a clumsy glove. 

"I told you that thing won't work! "

With a gruff scream, Gaia raised overhead the enormous battle ax with his left arm. 

Kazuma safely dodged that and simultaneously  hit him with a wind blade. 

It was a point-blank blow and the jutsu, appearing faster that what could be absorbed, mangled Gaia's body. 

Fresh blood sprouted from dozens lacerations, adorning that body in a crimson aura. 

"----Hah! "

But, without worrying about the damage he received, Gaia lively wielded Nozuchi. 

"Was that supposed to be an attack? It was lighter than the Fuan's brat! If you sank so low, I don't even feel pity! "

"How noisy! It's none of your business, leave me alone! "

Kazuma strained himself to avoid while spitting out his reply. 

Luckily, no matter how much power one had for handling a gigantic, heavy ax-like weapon, the swordsmanship was limited. It wasn't difficult to dodge.

"Why won't it hit? Aren't you ashamed to keep running, youngster? "

"That was a tactical retreat"

"It's the same thing! "

While pretending he had enough composure to crack jokes, Kazuma continued to evade like he was tightrope walking. 

It was true he had no other choice, but he had a goal. 

Getting impatient with Kazuma's defensive fight, Gaia was attacking with larger swings. If he could hit there---

"--!!"

Together with a sharp exhalation, he threw the knife so fast his hand was invisible. The aim wasn't Gaia but Kazebami.

The power of that one blow, expecting a certain kill, loaded with the <<Ki>> of his entire body was match for a rifle. 

It's peculiar ability was being a nuisance but it seem like Kazebami had a meager power in itself and had no way of defending itself against such attacks. 

But.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiii! "

Together with a cry of dissatisfaction, Kazebami shot a beam from its eye. 

Its aim was the knife, that evaporated instantly. 

"-----Che"

"Gahahahaha, such a fool! ", laughed Gaia.

"Did you think absorption it's his only ability? What point is there to absorb power but not be able to use it? With your present offensive ability, you cannot defeat Kazebami. Of course, nor can you defeat me! "

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

Kazuma was silent. 

Honestly, he was fairly cornered. The chance of defeating Kazebami was very low now. 

And just like Gaia said, since he couldn't eliminate it, it was close to impossible defeating him.

He was in a desperate situation.

''"This is troublesome......can't Ayano do something......."''

While thinking such pathetic things, Kazuma hanged his hopes on Ayano who was fighting at a distant location.