Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume5 Chapter 6 (section)

=== Part 2 ===


"Hey, is this ----"

In front of the door she remembered, Ayano looked at Kazuma carrying a faint anxiety.

Kazuma made a small nod. 

"Aah. We met Bernhardt here before."

If this were the same Pandemonium, there would a huge hall beyond this door, and Bernhardt would be sitting down on a chair in the middle of it. 

"I don't know about now. For the time being, let's open it"

Without any kind of strong feelings, Kazuma seized the door's knob and pushed in. Raising a thick sound, the door slowly opened. 

"--------!"

The moment he stepped in the room, the lightnings turned on simultaneously. 

The same large hall as before was illuminated. Inside there was just one luxurious chair. 

And then, sitting down on that chair, a man in a black robe. 

"Welcome to Pandemonium"

Bathing in the trio's gaze, the man spoke in comfortable words of friendly reception. 

Behind him, like his servants, two quiet girls deeply bowed.

"Nanase! Yukari! ", shouted Ayano when seeing them. 

One was dressed in an inflammatory bondage garment, the girl with sharp features. 

The other one in a contrastive gentle image was a maid - but the shirt the girl wore was very close to a micro-mini.

There's no need to say it, they were Ayano's kidnapped friends, Kudou Nanase and Shinomiya Yukari. 

" - which means, you're Utsumi? "

"Call me <<Grand Mage>>"

Responding in a voice full of composure, Utsumi took down the the hood that was covering him. 

From the shadow of the hood that provoking but unforgettable frog face peeked. 

"Because, I already reached a higher existence than the lot of you. "

"That nonsense is inconsequential. I'm taking them back - Nanase! Yukari! "

Ignoring Utsumi's self-important speech, Ayano called her friends. But, there was no response. 

"It's useless", declared Utsumi, still self-important.

"About those two, nothing reaches them except for my voice. They are submissive only to me, they are my slaves"

"..........!! You......."

"Wait a little"

Kazuma got the better of Ayano enraged when her friends were branded as slaves. 

While seizing Ayano's right hand, he asked Utsumi.

"It's your choice to have a make-believe game with the maids but tell me this. Where is Bernhardt? "

"------Bernhardt?"

As Utsumi figuratively scratched his head, Kazuma corrected himself. 

"Does he still call himself Vesalius? He's wearing masks in spite of his age and dodgy costumes, the Lord of Pandemonium"

"The Lord of Pandemonium? That's me"

".............Where is Vesalius?"

"He's nowhere anymore"

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

Even though he was patiently repeating his question only to receive out of focus answers, this time receiving a Zen answer, Kazuma breathed a bitter sigh. 

"In short you are using your right to remain silent until we play the ''let's break the finger bones game'', right? "

".....You're way of talking is unpleasant. No way, do you think we are equals? "

"Don't say such idiotic things. I don't remember falling so low that I have to deal with bugs like you. Come again after you reach the vertebrate, fool"

Verbally knocking Utsumi down with continuous vilifying remarks, Kazuma asked again.

"Where is Vesalius? "

"-------He's dead. I killed him."

This time Utsumi answered clearly so that there would be no misunderstanding. 

"We're finished here, right? You have no more questions, right? Besides Vesalius was only born and lived until now only for my sake. "

"Hee...."

Kazuma negligently made a non-committal answer but without minding, Utsumi continued his fervent speech. 

"That's right. All those foolish <<Seeds>> that don't know anything, Vesalius, Pandemonium were born to make the existence of the excellent me complete. For example, do you know, Kannagi-san? "

"------what?"

Confused for abruptly having been brought up, Ayano replied.  

As if having just waited for the opportunity, Utsumi talked on and on. 

"The origin if the <<Seed>>'s power, the Youma turned to digital data and possessing them through the Internet, those Youma were all the copy of the same existence"

"Well - I knew of it"

Fleetingly looking at Kazuma, the source of that information, Ayano answered. 

Doing so, Utsumi asked again.

"Then, have you thought about investigating this further? If that's so, did you asked yourself where is the <<Original Youma>>? "

"------!!"

Surprised, Ayano opened her eyes wide. Since for her the <<Seeds>> had a low priority, she didn't thought about them to that extent.

Examining Kazuma's expression for a second time, he seemed not to give a damn.

Even now when that question was presented, he ignored it with zero interest. 

But, without waiting for their reaction, Utsumi triumphantly pointed to his own chest.

"That is inside me! I am the only true <<Seed>> that fused with the original Youma. The others were nothing else but lab rats to help me become complete! "

"Lab rats? "

"That's right, those guys fed to copy parasites unconsciously changing their bodies reported to Pandemonium. And deriving the optimal fusion process from that accumulated data manufactured the superman exceeding all humanity. That was Pandemonium's purpose! "

"I see"

Ayano nodded with a serious look. If one were to remove the empty superhuman slogan, she could understand everything else. 

"Then, what about the ultimate power? "

"There is no such thing! ", Utsumi promptly declared. 

"Why would the likes of lab rats should obtain such a thing? That was just garbage collecting! For the sake of managing with the used trash, they were lured here with a sweet bait and retrieved, only that! Hahahahahahahahaha!"

"Hey------"

While looking at Utsumi laughing loudly with an indifferent expression, Kazuma asked. 

"Do we still have to be around this thing? "

"Yeah, it's enough. I pretty much heard all I wanted to. Aah, but, Nanase and Yukari's rescue has maximum priority. You know right? "

"Aah"

With a short nod, Kazuma lightly changed his posture. Guessing that intention, Utsumi's body suddenly shivered - and then, he showed a studied sneer. 

"Do you intend to challenge me? A human? Kannagi-san, I heard you - your family has a reasonable amount of power for people. But that is after all only a human lev - "

Before he finished his sentence, Utsumi's head was half beheaded. The severe wound reaching his oral cavity made him scream disgracefully. 

"Hi, hiiiiiiiiiii!? No way, no way......"

As the barrier he thought sacred was cut through like paper, Utsumi's composure disappeared without a trace. 

Hiding himself behind the chair he stood on until now, he screamed in a loud voice.

"Na- Nanase! Yukari! Defend me! "

The order was launched from behind a chair but even so, those two faithfully followed. 

Nanase and Yukari, as if trying to protect him with their bodies, stood in front of him. But - 

At the time a gust of wind blew through and lifted the curse from both their bodies and souls without a trace. 

Simultaneously losing consciousness, their bodies about to collapse, as if scooping them out, the wind carried them behind Kazuma's group close to the wall. 

"--------And? "

Kazuma coldly asked Utsumi, who lost the second and his last defense. No matter how much a foolish human he was, the overwhelming difference in power was blatant. 

The fear of the closing in death. 

"U, uuu......uuuuuuuuu....."

Faced with the intense sense of urgency that he never experienced before, his brittle mind was insufficient and broke. 

"Uuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! "

Screaming and brandishing his magic wand like a spoiled child, Utsumi made his power run wild. 

Fireballs, lightning, water bullets stormed inside the hall spreading a confused destruction. 

Exceedingly calm, Kazuma only warded off the attack headed towards them and took the opportunity to take Utsumi's head. 

Like it was a joke, the severed head flew high in the air and tumbled lightly. 

From the headless still vertical body, fresh blood spurted out like a water fountain. 

"-------Is he dead? "

"What do you mean? ", asked Ayano as Kazuma for some reason murmured so, surprised. 

"No, I though he must have at least one more trick"

"You mean to have been remodeled without his knowledge and attack after a big transformation? "

Those words were intended as a joke but Kazuma nodded without laughing.

"Because the memory of him killing Bernhardt was added afterwards, to have the person himself appear before him on the verge of death, drag him to the depths of despair and die because of it"

At the excessively bad taste trick, Ayano grimaced and groaned. 

"What sort of guy is Bernhardt? "

"This is not something restricted to Bernhardt but it applies to the majority of Majutsushi from <<Almagest>> ", spit out Kazuma abhorred from the bottom of his heart. 

"The worst criminal is the one that takes delight in showing off "

"........waah - "

Since Kazuma was the one saying how nasty he was, Ayano couldn't even imagine it. 

She earnestly thought she doesn't want to be involved with that man. 

Of course, it was obvious that she wasn't able to do so.

"-----As expected, he wasn't able to finish the chat"

The clear resounding woman voice, indicated the beginning of the next development. 

The rolling about severed head - before they composed themselves, rolled in front of the girl who stood up unnoticed.

Chestnut-color hair, lapis lazuli blue eyes, her body dressed in a gothic lolita dress, that figure standing there gracefully was dream-like pretty -----

Lapis ---- born from the transient remnants of the broken memories of the girl Kazuma was forever parted with,  kicked with her tiptoe the head that came rolling.

She coldly ordered the headless body still standing.

"Pick it up"

The corpse obediently bent over, seized with both hands the returned cranium and placed it on top of its neck. At that moment, Utsumi was rebooted.

"Ri- ridiculous, this is - huh? "

Becoming aware of the gap in his consciousness, with a quizzical gaze Utsumi looked around and stopped when he saw Lapis. 

A bewildered voice leaked out.

"La - Lapis!? Just when did you - no, where were you until - "

"Shut up"

At Lapis's command Utsumi was immediately silent. 

That was clearly not the product of his own will but something froze it pinning down his mouth. 

His eyes opened to the utmost limit.

Disregarding Utsumi who started an unsightly pantomime Lapis turned to Kazuma's group. 

And then, she elegantly bowed. 

"As a substitute of Master, I welcome all of you. With all due respect, all of you will become our last guests. Please feel at home. "

"Bernhardt? "

"He had already departed. Right now he's up in the sky"

"Is he dead? "

As if blaming him, Lapis motionlessly stared at Kazuma, cracking jokes. But even so, she consciously corrected her answer.

"It means he's in the middle of traveling by plane. I won't tell you his whereabouts. Even so, I have a verbal message. Will you please listen?  "

"I will"

"''Allow me to leave at this point. I am unable to greet you directly and I truly apologize. But, I believe we'll meet soon enough'', he said "

A short period of silence. The pressure of a certain ''something'' rose closely to the critical point inside his body.

But, getting it out of his system with a cynical smile, Kazuma spoke in a light tone. 

"Fuu, he ran away, huh? Whatever. I was kind of expecting that. "

Facing Lapis, looking slightly doubtful and waiting in silence for a continuation, Kazuma concluded.

"Were you the one to direct this event? "

"Yes", agreed Lapis with a proud smile. 

Without feeling ashamed of how many humans were eaten by the Youma, their fates ruined. 

"How did you know? " 

[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 05 269.jpg|thumb|]]

"The scenario is cliché."

".......cliché, is it....."

Lapis was feeling dejected. The ups and down of a strange emotion were huge. 

Or possibly, they could be thought of as unnatural.

"Because Bernhardt would have twisted it a bit more. I thought it was strange. "

"I see......but I did my best"

"You need more training"

"-----That's right. I'll be diligent"

"Hey! "

Those two talked together comfortable for some reason. But, a crushed to death, dangerous voice forced its way between them.

It was Ayano.

"Why are you softening towards your mutual enemy!? Do you understand the situation? "

In a certain way it was a justified rebuke but calmly, Kazuma didn't show any indication of consideration.

But, Lapis was different. 

Deeply bowing her head as if she was impressed for some reason, with a look full of determination, she stared at them. And then - 

"That's right. If the villain is cheered on by the enemy, he will lose face. I will be strong for the sake of Master who entrusted this to me."

Tightly grasping her small fists, she declared gallantly. 

"This is how it is, so can I be more villain-like and proudly explain the diabolic plan? Please, can I? "

"The hell you can! "

Unsheathing Enraiha, Ayano shouts.

"Do you think I'll be caught in by your transparent stalling? "

Those violent words came with a thrusting sword. But even so, Lapis wasn't perturbed, and asked back in wonder. 

"Stalling, is it? For what purpose? "

"W- what - "

"Master is already high in the sky. No matter if it's a Fuujutsushi - or even a Contractor, you won't find him. Why would I need to stall? "

"Th - then, is it necessary to have this discussion? "

Resisting with a well-reasoned argument, Ayano raised her voice.  But -

Lapis' composed manner didn't waver. 

"Master said so - the villain proudly disclosing his secret before the climax is a ''rule''"

"Wha - "

Ayano's jaw dropped with a loud sound. Her tension and her knees grew weak in front on the too much stupidity. 

As she was about to crumble down she used Enraiha like a cane and glared at the girl smiling softly. 

"Y - you.....what's up with that great stupidity? Aren't you totally different from before! Are you an airhead? "

Lapis was totally unable to cope with the shouted criticism. 

On the contrary, as if she was praised, she bowed her head in agreement while happily smiling. 

"That's right. I did change. -- That is a good thing. "

"-----what? "

"I want a ''heart''", Lapis said to the dumbfounded Ayano. 

She included an earnest wish in her supplication. 

"I am nothing more that manufactured life but I think by myself and intelligence was given to me so that I judge. But, after all those are nothing more but ''functions'' given to me to that I can accurately execute orders.

And thus, I feel attached to Yagami Kazuma. But even that was inserted inside me when I was made, nothing more but a granted emotion.

Real feelings are not given by anyone, but naturally come from inside. I do not feel that."

The puppet desiring a heart. It had been talked about repeatedly in fairy-tales. A deeply moving theme. 

But, watching Lapis with half-opened eyes, Ayano asked. 

"I understand what you're trying to say but what does that have to do with the present situation? "

"Master told me so. The human - the existence possessing will, must always be flexible. "

"Flexible? "

"Yes. You could also call it the desire to have a good time. Even at the times one has a purpose, not to concentrate in realizing that purpose with all one's might but to have the flexibility of enjoying oneself in the process. "

".........And? "

"That's why, I was thinking of enjoying myself in the process and perform various tricks. Will you bear with me? "

Lapis smiled adorably and innocently. 

Unable to bear the gap between that smiling face full of cuteness and these crafty remarks, Ayano shouted.

"Hey you, think of others' troubles before thinking of your own enjoyment! "

"But, Master said, if you think about others troubles you won't benefit from free will."

Feeling a loss for words at the excessive selfish words, Ayano remembered the words Kazuma said about them. 

''"They're definitely the worst, these guys......."''

Even Bernhardt, the maker of that doll, filling her head with worthless ideas, even Lapis faithfully adhering to her master's teachings, both of them were the worst. 

"So, should I start my explanation? "

An the good ground  of silencing Ayano, Lapis started her explanation matter-of-fact. 

"I think Utsumi proudly said so before but there are a few grave errors in his exposition. First, it's about the origin of the copied Youma that infected those people - the existence Utsumi called <<Original Youma>>. 

Actually the summoning of the <<Original Youma>> has yet to achieved. The one that possessed Utsumi was nothing but a replica, just like the other <<Seeds>>. "

"Wh- what!?"

Raising a shout of extreme surprise, unnoticed, Utsumi regained his freedom. 

Not showing any sign of surprise, the trio waited for the continuation of the story with apathetic faces. 

Dissatisfied, Lapis pursed her lips and said in a reproachful manner.

"----you're not surprised, huh? "

"No, did some unexpected development happened for us to be surprised? "

The fact that Utsumi killed Bernhardt, the bullshit that the result of Bernhardt's creation was something like Utsumi - Kazuma didn't believed it for a second. 

For Kazuma, the present development was quite reasonable, or you could call it the natural turn of events. 

"Is that so - what a disappointment.", Lapis murmured truly disappointed and then continued. 

"The other mistake, the biggest one, was that he recognized himself as Utsumi Kousuke. The character called Utsumi Kousuke was already eaten by the parasitic Youma and disappeared. "

"Wh- what is that? "

Just like the previous time, Utsumi was the only one shouting. 

"I am right here! It's impossible for me to have disappeared! "

"Why is that? ", asked Lapis very directly.

"Wh- why, you ask.....? "

"For <<Seeds>> if their levels were raised that much, they would be eaten by Youma from the inside. Why would you, the one possessing the most power among <<Seeds>> be an exception? "

"That, that's......because I'm special......."

"Special? Does that means that you have something - a certain something where you excel above all humans? "

Lapis' words didn't allow any any deceit, no cheating. 

His ostentation scraped off bit by bit, Utsumi's complexion turned ashen. 

"There's absolutely nothing special about your attributes. No, you may be called especially inferior. Actually a few days after you became <<Third Class>> you were unable to preserve your ego. "

"No way.....no way.....but then, what am I? If I am supposed to be extinct, why am I still here? "

"You were bait to lure Yagami Kazuma inside. ", Lapis replied definitely.

"The existence of Utsumi Kousuke was the main factor that guided Kannagi Ayano inside Pandemonium. And then, when Kannagi Ayano acts we understood there was a high probability Yagami Kazuma would follow. That's why it was imperative that Utsumi's existence had to continue until now. 

For that purpose, Master created a virtual personality that would react just like the alive Utsumi. It was pasted on the outer layer of the Youma that usurped Utsumi's body. That is you. "

"No, no......that's ridiculous......."

"The most conclusive evidence are those girls."

Lapis pointed at Yukari and Nanase that were still unconscious. 

"If you were the genuine Utsumi, why were you satisfied of just keeping them close without raping them? It's because you were an extremely convenient existence that can never disobey. "

"Th- that's......"

"Wait a second! Is that true? "

Ayano cut her way through that conversation. If that was actually true - 

"It is. "

Lapis assured her with a gentle smile that was reassuring. 

"It's because such instinctive urges like sexual desires are not factored in a virtual personality. Utsumi didn't defile those girls. Don't worry. "

"I see.......I'm glad........"

Retelling the most pressing issue, Ayano was relieved from the bottom of her heart. 

But, on the other hand, Utsumi sank in a pit of desperation. 

Just like Lapis said, Utsumi finally realized the fact that he hadn't touched Nanase and Yukari and that he hadn't had any sexual desires for the last few days. 

Frightened by the truth, Utsumi opened his eyes wide. 

"Then....am I really a virtual personality.....?"

"Yes"

"I was made.....nothing more but a program, you say? "

"That's right"

"The real me, is already dead you said..........? "

"Just like that"

The instant the conclusion was clear, Utsumi fell to his knees like a puppet whose strings were cut and became heart-broken. 

From his partly opened lips, a meaningless sob escaped. 

That instant, Utsumi's self-identity was undermined from the basis and crumbled. 

His consciousness wasn't strong enough to bear the helpless reality he was something manufactured. He wasn't created strong.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa! "

A pathetic scream surged out. For example, if a manufactured human has a heart - no, if a manufactured human were to have a heart, that lament would touch anyone's heart.

And, the same way like humans, Lapis listened attentively to Utsumi's cry and looked at that expression. In her eyes the color of ecstasy was faintly but surely dwelling.

Kazuma asked the ecstatic Lapis staring at Utsumi.

"Are you happy? "

"----Eeh? Yeah, that's right. Because the plan was followed almost perfectly. 

Thanks to that, I have the feeling I managed to enjoy myself in the process for the first time. "

".........I see, you're happy, huh? About making others despair. ", Kazuma murmured in an unbelievable bitter voice.

Hearing that, Lapis showed for the first time an expression of understanding. But -

"Nevertheless, Master said so. No matter the shape, what moves a person's heart is an being that has a similar heart. '

But it's really disappointing that sadness is what's moving ones heart so, don't you think this was a big step for me? "

Saying so, she smiled. Full of joy from the bottom of her heart. 

"That's enough. "

In a calm voice Kazuma interrupted Lapis' speech. 

"Shut the fuck up. With Tsoi Rin's face, with Tsoi Rin's voice, don't speak another word. "

A surging killing intent. Feeling that just like physical coercion, Ayano and Ren backed off. 

But even so, Lapis' smile didn't waver. 

"Fu fu, your Tsoi Rin wouldn't do something do inhuman - is that what you try to say? 

It seems that inside you Tsoi Rin is being idolized like a holy woman, huh? "

"Not really, I don't think she was a holy woman but......at the very least she wasn't the kind of woman who would get happy by tricking people. "

"Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter. Just like you asked, I will shut my mouth. Beside the time came. "

Perceiving a enormously sinister stir at those words, the trio's faces stiffened. 

"What do you mean? "

"Just now, the last of <<Seed>> disappeared. The end is about to start. ", declared Lapis solemnly as if she was a shrine maiden speaking like an oracle. 

"Just like I said previously, the <<Original Youma>> has yet to be summoned. Because it's an existence of the highest rank, we haven't able to pay a corresponding compensation to summon it. 

But, from the moment Pandemonium was established until now, we offered the souls of a large number of men to the copies of that existence. 

Even if you reduced that number somewhat, the total number reached a hundred and thirty - so many souls were sacrificed and offered via the copies. 

The compensation was paid. The grand duke of Hell, Belial, will manifest itself in this world. "

"------!!"

In front of all present, catching their breath in shock, Lapis suddenly dispersed the solemn atmosphere and, appropriate for a girl her age, she smiled very lovely.

"I apologize. I lied. Just like Ayano-san said, I was stalling until now. "

Sticking out her tongue in a impish manner, she laughed thoroughly innocently. 

"This time, I caught you, huh? "

The angel trained by the devil, laughed -