Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume6 Chapter 2 (section)

=== Part 2 ===



Receiving that gaze full of hostility pointed towards him rather comfortably, Gaia announced magnificently. 

"As far as it goes, let me name myself. I am Gaia. I have no family name. And then -"

Gaia pushed out the axe he was holding. What was dwelling in the blade with a dull shine was the power of the earth, strong enough to make one shiver. 

From the development until now it was easy to guess its true colors. 

"This is the sacred treasure of the earth - it's name is Nozuchi. Recognize it."

And then, as expected Gaia said those words. 

"Geez........what's up with this, one after another..." murmured Ayano as if mourning. 

That reaction was only justified. If Gaia's words were true, the sacred treasures of four elements gathered. 

It must have been the first time since the dawn of history. 

But clearly, Gaia wasn't affected by that deep emotion. The bright smile plastered to that boorish face was the sigh of great joy when meeting a formidable enemy - belonging to a race of people who found in fighting their reason for existence, without controlling that smile, the man took one step forward. 

"Being able to overwhelm Chris in a woman's body - it seems we underestimated you. It was more pleasant that I thought."

And then, while coughing really happy he looked down at the boy held down under Kazuma's foot, turning a clear scorn towards him. 

"At the very least, much more so that a certain ostentatious Fujutsushi family."

"-------!!"

The moment he heard those words, the boy squeezed an unbelievable amount of power from that weakened body and escaped Kazuma's restriction. 

"Ups."

His balance destroyed, Kazuma staggered. It may perhaps be believable that he made such an unusual error but since even Kokusen was taken from him, that was clearly his intention. 

With the regained wind's secret treasure in his hand, the boy turned bloodshot eyes full of hatred to Gaia. 

"Otou-sama's enemy!"

"------Humph."

With the expression of not being interested, Gaia snorted and expected the boy's rush. 

"Aaaaaaaah!!"

The jet black spear flashed. The point of the blade that seemed split by the excessive speed was carrying an overflowing killing intent was aiming at its bitter enemy. 

"Huh, it's fast."

Maneuvering Nozuchi, Gaia continued handling those high speed thrusts. But, by nature, an axe is not a weapon aimed at defending. 

Although avoiding those aiming for his vitals, the attacks he couldn't handle gave his body countless wounds. 

"Ooooooooooo!"

The boy continued attacking incessantly without a break. 

Accelerating the speed's rotation even more, finally even the afterimage disappeared. But as if disregarding that attack, Gaia raised Nozuchi across his head on a grand scale. 

Without minding the spurts of blood that covered all his body, his recognition and muscles expanded. 

"Huaa!"

With just one blow, he knocked down the countless thrusts, and even blew away the boy's body. 

"Guh......hah........"

"How worthless."

Staring at the moaning boy knocked to the ground with coldness, Gaia spat out.

"The attacks of you Fujutsushi are certainly fast. But it's only that. Something like an attack without weight it's only a diversion and not the finishing blow. 
That's the limit of Fujutsushi -- after all they're not a class made for battle."

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

At the Chijutsushi's reckless words, Ayano instinctively stole a glance at Kazuma's face. 

There was nothing particularly strange about that countenance. But - 

"........Kazuma?"

With the same aimless manner as always, Kazuma picked up Kokusen, separated from the boy's hand and directly confronted Gaia separated by  a few meters. 

"Hoo ---- are you motivated, Fujutsushi?"

"Ayano."

Entirely ignoring the mocking tone, Kazuma turned his face only to Ayano.

"You don't have to worry about this. You should finish the small fry on the other side. "

"Ah, yeah----"

"Wa- wait....."

At the time she reflexively nodded, a moan hoarse with agony called Kazuma to a halt. 

Turning there, the boy unable to get up yet after being blown off, stretched his hand with a desperate expression. 

From his mouth fresh blood was falling out of, a slender voice was released.

"That's.....not something.....you can handle......"

"By the way, that's true," nodded Ayano agreeing. 

"Can you use a spear?"

"No, I never touched one."

Kazuma readily replied. 

"But-----"

Compared to that he quickly turned around the spear in his hand holding it between his arm and armpit with the same expression full of confidence and composure like always. 

The way he handled the spear, without hesitation and openly fluid, was absolutely not amateur-like. 

"I used a cane though. If I put that to practical use, well, I should manage somehow."

"------I see. Well then, do your best."

Ayano sent Kazuma out with a tone that was visibly casual. She wasn't particularly shocked. 

More that the fact that this man said he ''should manage somehow'', she understood from the experiences until now that whatever the progress may be he will, one way or another come on top.

"Wa- wait........"

The boy who was the original possessor of the spear, seemed to have a different opinion yet. 

He tried to stop him a second time but Kazuma already didn't look back. 

As a substitute Ayano looked over the boy and asked. 

"Is there something else?"

"Of......of course there is! My family came to inherit Kokusen a long time ago, it can't be suddenly used by an outsider who is just a little bit talented!"

"Ah, I see."

Now that you mention it, it was a justified fear - if you apply common sense to your thinking. 

But.

Ayano deliberately spoke, not of the same opinion. 

"Well, isn't it fine either way?"

"Of course not!"

The boy who as a matter of course couldn't consent, objected to this.

At the same time, Kazuma carelessly pushed out the spear. 

Just by looking it was an unenthusiastic throw. But the wind blade that gushed out from  that spearhead, clashed into Nozuchi lightly crossing the speed of sound. 

"Meee......."

Having that heavy unendurable power pushed into him, Gaia's upper body was bent backwards. While he immediately planted his feet on the ground he was unable to stop the blow and backed off while staggering. 

"--------Eeh?"

"Wow---"


'I see. This ---- is very convenient."

While stared at by the boy who murmured like a mentally slow, Kazuma let out a voice of admiration without accent. 

"Wha-----"

''"Well, one would normally be surprised,"'' thought Ayano, aiming a look of sympathy at the astonished boy.

That's right, if you think about this normally, it was something impossible. 

The famous Fuan Family famous as the highest Fujutsushi continued inheriting for a long time the Wind sacred treasure, Kokusen. 

An outsider who only managed to get his hands on it couldn't handle it right away.

But, lucky or unlucky, in this time there was a being who was laughing scornfully at that kind of common sense. 

The ''''Contractor'''' - the one who contracted with the Spirit Lord of the Wind, the monster who although was was called the weakest, a Fujutsushi, was more than a match for the Enjutsushi from the Kannagi Clan. 

"Well then, let's continue, shall we?"

With an outward appearance that didn't look like it in the slightest, that legend came alive, together with that effortless pronouncement, unleashed the spear one after another. While Gaia barely received with Nozuchi, he continued to back off pressed down by that power blow after blow. 

"Guu.....meeeh........"

Kazuma's attack was so swift it didn't seem to be the same kind like the boy's and it was heavy. 

Although he didn't had a large build, his center of gravity was low and he was very muscular, Gaia stepped firmly into the ground like any Chijutsushi would, but even so it was very unusual he couldn't hold out against him. 

"Meeeeaaah........"

Gaia was driven into a one sided defence. He couldn't even grasp a clue on how to attack. 

If he were to give up on his defence and brandish his axe, in that moment the wind blades would make a great number of holes in his body. 

No - even now, he couldn't defend against his wind blades. The fact that Kazuma's attack was hitting Nozuchi and didn't struck Gaia was because Kazuma was naturally aiming at the axe. 

He was being played with - although he understood that, Gaia couldn't do anything. 

Those serial attacks he couldn't confirm by sight didn't become abate but on the contrary, raised their frequency even more. 

"Kuuh.....wa, so fast."

"No, is that all they're worth?"

Using Gaia's previous words against him, Kazuma cheerfully bragged. 

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

At the disgrace of being looked down upon by ''the likes'' of a Fujutsushi, Gaia grounded his teeth. And finally made his decision. 

Believing in his own tenaciousness more than in the fact that he was pressed down until now, he cast away his defence and brandished Nozuchi. 

He was slightly slow. Or else, together with Gaia's resolution and good fortune, Kazuma stopped the monotonous attack and took another approach. 

The aim were Gaia's legs. 

Throwing away the daring sharpness, the wind attack pierced the earth like a blunt weapon. That shock similar to an explosion blew up a large quantity of dust. 

"Kuuh - Don't underestimate me!"

But, the opponent was a Chijutsushi. A curtain of earth and sand was nothing more but a smoke screen. 

Recovering from that moment of surprise, Gaia got rid of all the dust swinging one arm. 

"Whaa--"

The moment his field of vision cleared up, Gaia screamed in shock once again. Suddenly in front of his eyes, he recognized the figure of his opponent separated only by a few centimeters but that was only to be expected. 

Gaia understood completely the sneer rising to Kazuma's mouth. 

This man, without missing that space of one moment necessary to remove the smoke screen, avoided being sensed by a Chijutsushi by jumping without running on the land and moved closer to him in an instant. 

He certainly understood. But, only understanding it is useless - even so, he couldn't react. 

"Kuuuuhh!"

"Slow."

Shortly informing Gaia, who was trying to prepare his axe in confusion, Kazuma suddenly rotated the spear. 

The end of the black handle - the sharp part, knocked the short man off his feet. 

"Meeeh!?"

His feet tripped up in such a skillful manner, Gaia splendidly danced in the air. 

The feeling of his body floating horizontally in the sky. But, that feeling that aroused some kind of pleasantness instantly turned to shivers when he recognized Kazuma's silhouette hanging over him from above. 

"I managed somehow with a such a weightless attack, huh?"

What dwelt in his voice and attitude was plain mockery. The naked blade glistening in his hand, was already sharply sung down aiming at the nape of his neck. 

Rather than capitalizing on its length the true worth of that long-handled spear was the phantasmagoria consecutive attack resembling a circular motion. 

To use both ends of the handle to attack it wasn't necessary to slash back like with a sword but to repeat the strike over and over as long as the momentum of the same vector could be maintain. 

That speed was obviously more that twice as faster that a sword. At the same time one end of the handle tripped and sprung him up, the blade at the reverse side was swung downwards.

"What kind!"

But, at that moment, Gaia extended his short arm with all his might and seized the ground. Responding to the silent command, the ground transformed to a firm shield and protected him and then, changing to a sharp lance, it attacked Kazuma. 

"-------Ha."

Laughing at the futile resistance, in one single blow Kazuma pulverized both shield and spear. 

Successively turning around Kokusen as if drawing the letter '''S''', he blew off Gaia with the dull point. 

"Gaahaah!"

Gaia rolled like a kicked ball and rushed into the building's wall. 

And then, at the same time - 

"Guubuh!"

As if it was covered by the sound of the crash, from the upper air a dull, heavy moan resounded.

Looking up to search for that voice, in the center of Gaia's field of vision, he recognized the figure of his companion magnificently dancing in midair. 

But, judging from that posture with limbs danging loosely and his pushed up chin, it was clear he didn't jump by his own volition. 

After the long, long flight passed, Chris landed on his back. 

A moment after he made a small bounce. he twitched and stopped moving. As it seemed like he could barely breath, it was impossible for him to continue the battle.

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

Slowly, as if looking at something he didn't want to, Gaia turned his eyes in the direction Chris came flying from. 

Just like he imagined, carrying Enraiha on her shoulder, her other hand on her hip Ayano was looking down this way. 

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

Even slower, he turned his head around ninety degrees. 

The man who blew him away so far, likewise, was holding Kokusen in one hand. 

"Well then."

Noticing that gaze, Kazuma showed a fearless smile. 

"This is checkmate," he mercilessly pronounced. 






Looking at Gaia who paled at the desperate crisis, Kazuma thought how to deal with them. 

Without letting even several seconds pass, the answer came out. 

It was ''"They're bothersome so I'll kill them."''

What was their relationship with the boy, why did they wanted to steal Enraiha, it would be a lie to say he really didn't care. 

But, in the end, that was someone else's problem. 

The boy, the Kannagi, they should all deal with their respective duty so Kazuma set up Kokusen to finish both of them off. 

".......Do you think you won with this?"

"That so? I think that depends upon you. If you still want to persist, I'll deal with you a little longer."

Declaring the unexpressed ''<<at any rate the result will be the same>>'' he was about to unleash the sword but this time Gaia finally took the initiative. 

[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 06 087.jpg|thumb|]]

"Don't get cocky, youngster!"

Together with the angry roar, Gaia knocked his fist into the ground. Immediately following, from that origin cracks ran on the ground freely. 

Although they weren't big enough that people would fall into them, naturally the ground was violently shaking. 

Unwillingly, Kazuma interrupted his attack. 

"Well, as expected you're going to struggle, huh---- "

But even so, he didn't lost his composure and assumed an attack stance a second time while laughing sarcastically but, when he shifted his attention to the ominous sounds coming from overhead - he instantly stopped his movement. 

"Tch."

On the outer wall of the building in the middle of construction, several cracks clearly impossible to repair started running. 

The outer wall that was originally organized in a straight line was insecurely undulating which was a clear omen of collapse even to inexpert eyes. 

"Don't be so rash, you guys-----hey?"

When accidentally looking back, Gaia and Chris were gone. He only heard the voice appearing out of nowhere. 

"This was a draw! Next time we won't go easy on you so prepare yourself!"

".......Don't exit with such witty words, Ossan."

At that parting threat fully loaded with the taste of the loser so much it was stereotypical, Kazuma let out a cough of admiration. 

But, this was not the place to calm down. The destruction of the building was drawing near before his very eyes. 

Looking up, the concrete already started peeling off. At this rate, it will hold on only a few seconds more. 

Moreover, based on dangerous slanting it won't be smashed right below but blown out - moreover, it's facing this way - it will certainly collapse. 

"-------Hmmm."

Understanding that much, Kazuma turned around and started running without looking right nor left. 

Helping his partner, defend against a secondary calamity, clearly not thinking about any of that, he escaped so fast he deserves admiration. 

"Hey, Kazuma!? Wait a minute!"

On the other side, Ayano doesn't have the merit (in a bad way ) of abandonment like Kazuma. 

While turning a gaze full of resentment to the partner who doesn't show any sigh of slowing down when calling him, even so she couldn't overlook this calamity. 

"Geez..."

It was lucky - it can be said so, that she learned how to practically deal with this kind of situation. 

It's already too late to stop the destruction. But, if that huge mass were to crash into the earth, the damage on the surrounding will be significant. Then ----

''"I'll burn everything to nothing ----"''

Ayano raised Enraiha overhead with all her power. The golden flame that gushed out of the crimson blade spread around the collapsing building as if wrapping it up and made that entire mass evaporate. 

A few seconds after, at the time the fire disappeared, the building in bare concrete completely vanished leaving only the foundation. 

In other words, the results of a few months of construction work came to nothing.

''"Aah---- but, because of that Chijutsushi's last attack they should have started from soil preparation all over again......it can't be helped."''

And so, when she tried to justify herself from the back the sound of apathetic applause could be heard. 

Ayano looked over her shoulder with a dangerous face. 

She understood without having to look but as expected, Kazuma was standing there with a frivolous, slack smile.

"Ya, good job."

"-----Didn't you ran away?"

"I ran away because it was dangerous. Since it's not dangerous anymore there's no need to run. It's a matter of course," replied Kazuma nonchalantly. 

Having a thorough knowledge of how meaningless it was to search about something sincere in this man, Ayano changed the conversation without deeply questioning him. 

"Those two?"

"They ran away."

"Didn't you let them ran away?"

As expected she investigated this. 

The interval he took his eyes off them, preoccupied with the building's destruction, he let them ran away --- it doesn't seem strange but Kazuma is a Fujutsushi. 

There wasn't any particular need to specially turn towards the collapsing building but even assuming so for the sake of the argument, he shouldn't have ''taken his eyes off'' those two. 

For Kazuma, tuning his senses to wind spirits, looking at two places at the same time was mundane, something he didn't even had to concentrate about. 

But, Kazuma persistently played dumb. 

"Not really, I didn't let them go. I just didn't felt like pro-actively catching them."

"Why....?"

"Because it's someone else's problem."

Those words that for Ayano seemed unbelievable, didn't even had a tiny amount of guilty conscience. 

"They're aiming at you and that brat, not me. There's no need to unjustifiably bring them down."

"You......."

Although Ayano couldn't agree to Kazuma's matter-of-course declaration, she couldn't verbally abuse him - 

"Well, leaving that aside, we should leave this place already. It will become noisy."

- Because she was forced into silence by Kazuma's next words. 

"........Yeah."

Reluctantly Ayano agreed. 

The Police and Fire Department will arrive any minute. She could silence them by using the Kannagi name but it is better to have few of that troublesome attention. 

"First of all, let's change the location."

Saying so, Ayano and Kazuma left that place behind.