Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume2 Chapter 3 (section)

=== Part 2 ===

Next day at the Kannagi residence:

“What’s the matter?”

Kazuma&#x2014;who was sought out&#x2014;suddenly decided to forgo the pleasantries to ask Juugo directly.

He didn't even glance at Ayano who was sitting at his side.

Ayano, as usual, was in a silent anger. Kazuma, as usual, ignored her presence and kept his gaze on Juugo only.

“From yesterday night up till this morning at zero hours, Ikebukoro has a total of eight youngsters dying from being weakened by an unknown reason, their age ranging from ten plus to twenty plus years old.”

Juugo matched himself with Kazuma, going to the main point directly.

“And so?”

Kazuma calmly hushed for his continuation. He had an extremely high tolerance towards the suffering and misfortunes of others.

Even though you could just say how he was without blood or tears.

“They seem to have their vigor sucked dry. And so, I would like to ask you to find this person, and, if possible, eliminate him.”

“Okay, I got it.”

Without a more detailed negotiation, Kazuma accepted the request readily. This, too, was his usual style.

“I leave it to you. This is the data related to the incidents...”

With that said, Juugo takes out a thin sheaf of documents. Even though they were said to be data, but the incidents only happened last night, so there were no important clues. Just simple data about the victims and where they were found, and some photos while they were still alive, and some after their death.

“Oh oh.... These are just like residues.”

Kazuma compared the photos, and says the term that would make the relatives of the deceased curse him.

Yet, this was probably the most direct thought of anyone who saw the photos&#x2014; Even though there were not many who dared say it out loud.

Every victim looked very lively&#x2014;just looking at their photos allowed one to feel the brilliance of their lives.

Switching back to their photos after death... To be frank, they were mummies. Nothing would seem out of place even if they were placed directly in a museum for exhibition. 

Dry and wrinkled skin, faces filled with wrinkles. In those open and vacant eyes, there was no sign of fear, only just a supernatural calmness.

Even if you told everyone how they had been still alive a few hours ago, there wouldn’t be many who would believe you! That was just how bad they looked after death.

“This time there is no time limit&#x2014;but act fast. You will co-operate with Ayano&#x2014;“

Kazuma simply cut into Juugo’s sentence. “No need.”

“&#x2014;What?”

“She'll just be in my way.”

Faced with Juugo’s question, Kazuma replied coldly.

“Wha&#x2014;? What!?”

Ayano furiously cried out in protest. Juugo stopped her.

“&#x2014;Kazuma.”

He called out Kazuma’s name like a sigh&#x2014;but Kazuma showed no intention of backing off.

“The job this time is primarily to search&#x2014;right? Then ''En-jutsushi'' are completely useless. If the opponent is not something I can handle, I'll contact you guys again. Until then, just remain on stand-by!”

“But, if the enemy escapes because of this, then we'll have to go through this trouble again.”

Juugo didn’t give up, and persistently attempted to let Ayano travel along. Kazuma refused once more.

“I doubt that the number of ''Youma'' that I cannot handle by myself is very high. So why should I bring a heavy burden to prevent such a situation?”

Ayano jumped up in her anger. “Burden&#x2014;!? Aren’t you being too arrogant&#x2014;!?”

Juugo restrained Ayano and pulled her back to her seat.

“You won’t bring her along no matter what?”

“Nope.”

“...Is that so?”

Under such a direct rejection, Juugo could only comply.

“I get it. I'll trust you on this, then. And one more thing&#x2014;“

“What is it?”

“You seem to care a lot about Misao. But, for now, just forget about her! At least until this matter is over.”

“----------------------“

[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 02 109.jpg|thumb]]
Kazuma made no reply. He stood up silently, turned and left the room.

“You idiot&#x2014;! Even if you come back crying, begging me, ''I will definitely not help you&#x2014;!''”

Ayano raged at Kazuma's back as he gradually left.

Juugo looked at his daughter bitterly with a deep sigh.

“You should at least...”

“What!? You think I'm in the wrong?”

The ignorant Ayano said in a temper.



''Slice!''

Wind blades sped through to slice a bunch of eerily wriggling blobs into pieces. Staring at the semi-transparent objects turned into crumbs, Kazuma breathed out.

“Gee, another failure.”

Two days had passed since he had taken on Juugo's request.

During this period, he had been assaulted by these ''youma'' as many as nine times.

They didn't seem to consider Kazuma a target. Even though he himself walked into these areas with a strong ''youki'', meeting them was sheer coincidence.

Nine times.

A very abnormal number.

And while he investigated, every day there were another five or six victims....

''Five or six? I doubt there were so few.''

Indeed, such was only the number of corpses which had been found. But after witnessing how a victim was devoured from start to finish, Kazuma realized that Juugo’s assumption was wrong.

This type of "youma" didn't just absorb its victim's vigor. It also ate their flesh as well as anything else it swallowed up&#x2014;including clothes and accessories. Everything got devoured.

Kazuma looked dejectedly at the victim, whose skin was now dissolving. This was followed by the flesh until in the end even his bones had dissolved. Kazuma's expression was not due to the dissolution process being so gruesome, but because he understood what this meant.

''&#x2014;The only reason why corpses remained was because it couldn't digest them completely.''

The estimated number of casualties might be off from the actual number by a digit&#x2014;or even two.

“No way....”

Kazuma sighed weakly.

Just how many more shape-shifting worms that fed on human flesh resided within Tokyo city? Just thinking about it irritated him.

“There's no end to this... I'd better come up with a way &#x2014;and fast&#x2014;to get to the core of this and end it once and for all!”

After nine battles, Kazuma almost completely understood the characteristics of these ''youma.''

Their appearance was similar to a single cell organism, with no intelligence at all. They acted purely by instinct, continuously devouring humans filled with vigor.

Their ability was “Absorption”&#x2014;to completely drain away one’s vigor. Even the bodies were converted to energy and taken in.

Alone, they posed a threat no different from any normal pest. But what was troubling was that their numbers were not few as was normal&#x2014;and when they joined up they gained new abilities.

When enough of them had gathered, some kind of magical circuit would then form among them. Using this circuit to create a ''kekkai,'' they made it so that the targeted humans were unable to escape.

Kazuma predicted that these globules all together were just one entity. The situation now was like that of split cells conducting activities independently.

The ability of each “cell” was to absorb calories and then exhaust them through activity. When they gathered together to form an “organ,” they gained the ability to control the energy they absorbed.

Perhaps in the final stage, each “organ” would link up to form one entity. But Kazuma didn't care about the true identity of this monster.

If it was just one entity, then there must be an organ like a brain giving out commands... Something like a core. Things would be fine so long as he found this core and destroyed it.

Currently, the enemy was acting separately, and thus its powers were weakened. There was no reason not to strike during this opportunity. He didn't have strange habits such as “hoping to fight with strong enemies.”

As such, Kazuma had been trying to find clues from the “cells” that would lead him to where the core might be, trying to find the real enemy... But so far it was nine consecutive losses.

“These guys are too dispersed. Some bait must be used in order to get them to gather in one place...”

Kazuma suddenly went quiet.

Bait. Someone full of vigor.

“There just so happens to be one available.”

Just as he clapped in exultation at having come up with such a brilliant plan, Kazuma sensed the appearance of the tenth batch of ''youma''. At the same time, he noticed the presence of a certain someone he knew.

Kazuma's smile was arrogant.

“''Hehe''. Not bad. Without my needing to say anything, our bait took up its role already.”

Listening to the wind, he identified the exact location.

“A little far... Should I jump?”

Jumping in the city might be seen by others. Kazuma's eyes subconsciously turned to the road while he pondered. His ears and eyes noticed “it” at the same time.

''Okay. Let’s use that.''

Kazuma made up his mind immediately. He hopped over the protective railing and stood in the road. Following that, with his left leg as the center, he spun round once to pass the side of a motorcycle that sped through the sidewalk...

''“Wha&#x2014;!?”''

The reverse spin kick swept at the neck of the rider.

While the rider was thrown off the motorcycle and still in mid-air, Kazuma&#x2014;as if doing a magic trick&#x2014;straddled the motorcycle.

''Thunk!''

A blunt and heavy sound came from behind. It seemed the driver fell head first onto the ground&#x2014;but since he was wearing a helmet, he wouldn't die at that kind of speed.

“I will try my best to return it to you.”

Kazuma muttered with his greatest sincerity&#x2014;and then suavely sped off.