Editing Kaze no Stigma:Volume6 Chapter 5 (section)

=== Part 4 ===


Managing somehow to get up, leaning on one of the tree trunks nearby, Kazuma urged Gaia provocatively. 

"What's the matter, aren't you coming? "

"How about you speak so full of composure after you can stand up by yourself? "

"Against you, even standing down it's enough."

Together with the instant reply, Kazuma lifted his middle finger. But, Gaia didn't get angry, rather he was laughing happily.

"You didn't give on victory even this late in the game. I understand that. Bastard, are you still planing something? Not something that could change the tables in a second but something that could open you a path to victory? "

"That's right. If you don't want to die, don't move any closer. I can solve the problem with a long range attack without risking my safety. "

It was clearly a provocation. Using the things Gaia put a lot on emphasis on, pride and courage, he wanted to get him as close as possible. 

But he was doing it deliberately, stepping up the provocations. 

"Fine. Then I'll cut your head directly with this Mizuchi. "

And then, he bore Nozuchi on his shoulder and slowly started walking with his short legs. 

"Kuuh....fu fu....fu fu fu fu fu fu....."

While firmly taking one step at the time, a suppressed laugh escaped Gaia, enjoyed from the bottom of his heart. 

"Not being exhausted even after being corned to such an extent...On the contrary, it's like I'm the one whose being cornered. This tension and this feeling of exaltation--- it's fun, Yagami Kazuma. I feel like I have only been alive since I met you "

"..........that so? "

Contrastive to Gaia who displayed a somewhat ecstatic facial expression, Kazuma was thoroughly awake.

"By the way, they're something I want to ask you"

"What is it?"

Looking at Kazebami Kazuma asked.

"If you love to fight, why are you using something like that? "

"Hmmm, it's regrettable but I cannot win otherwise. "

".....In short, what you like is not ''to fight'' but ''to win'', right? "

"If I'd be pushed to say it, that's right. If I were to die, I couldn't fight anymore, right? "

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

At that thought too distant from his own sense of values, Kazuma understood asking question is meaningless. 

"It was a mistake thinking I can understand a battle junkie's mind. "

"What are you saying? Living is fighting. Then, there's no other meaning to life except aiming for victory. "

"Aah, I see, I see. That so? "

Gaia passionately began reciting his life philosophy but Kazuma, who already gave up understanding him, only made approving sounds not really listening. 

It seems that these two had a very bad affinity. 

But, it was only a conversation while walking and that distance wasn't all that long. Naturally, it quickly came to an end. 

"What's the matter? "

There were a little less that two meters. Stopping at a distance were, if he were to make another step the ax would reach, Gaia asked:

"You're already within my reach. Won't you use that ''plan'' that will definitely kill me? "

"Humph, I'm embarrassed", replied Kazuma in an absolutely not embarrassed tone while expressing a slack smile.

But the situation was desperate even for untrained eyes. Ayano was still in the middle of fighting with Chris and she will certainly not make it in time. 

In this situation where he didn't have strength enough to stand, is it really possible to defeat Gaia even with a plan. 

"Unfortunately I couldn't prepare yet. Therefore, because of my handicap wait until I count to three. "

Saying so, he raised two fingers. As expected, Gaia frowned. 

"There's no need to go along with you that far. This is enough, not knowing when to give up--- "

"One"

But, not minding that, Kazuma willfully started the count. The ring finger standing up was folded.

Gaia frowned even more. 

"I told you I won't go along with it. Fine, then just before it reaches three, I'll behead you"

"Two"

The middle finger was folded. 

Immediately following, in silence Gaia took the last step. At the same time he twisted his back, creating enough space for Nozuchi hidden on his back. 

A sweeping sideways slashing attack that would cut off his neck in one move.

That flash aimed for Kazuma's head much faster than when his finger should have folded. 

But, even quicker that that---

Suddenly, Kazebami was enveloped in flames. 

"Wha---!?"

At the sudden emergency Gaia interrupted his attack looking up at Kazebami. But, without time to do anything, the golden flame shining brilliantly burned Kazebami no nothing instantly. 

The Youma that was the vital point of his tactics quickly disappeared without leaving any trace. 

"No way, she's still......."

Murmuring in blank amazement, Gaia gasped sharply, looking back at Kazuma. 

That frightful gaze was was greeted with with a man-eating smile.

"Aah, I'm sorry. That was a bit fast, no? "

"Bastaaaaar----"

Gaia was about to curse at him but didn't manage to finish his words. 

Wind blew him off like a cannonball, flowing away ten meters.

Kazuma didn't run after him, looking up at the sky deploring. Next he looked over his shoulder and laughed cynically. 

"You made a very grand entrance but did you wait your turn, old man? "

"Don't be foolish. I'm not you"

A solemn voice replied so. Abruptly he faced the one who addressed him without any surprise. And then---

"Nii-sama! "

Obviously different from the previous one, a high clear voice that made one's ears comfortable and small footsteps running over. 

Kazuma greeted his important family member with a bottomless smile, unusual for him. 

"Yo, Ren"

"Onii-sama! "

Kazuma's real brother, Kannagi's direct descendant, the Enjutsushi Kannagi Ren responded to his brother smiling with his whole face. 

And then he prepared to hug him with all his strength but the instant he saw Kazuma's condition he froze. 

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

[[Image:Kaze no Stigma vol 06 267.jpg|thumb|]]

That third call was sorrowful, as if a different person called the first two times. 

But Kazuma didn't seem to notice, 

"Aah, you'd better not cling to me. Because my bones are broken here and there"

In a tone as if speaking about a different person, he urged Ren to be careful.

"........What on Earth happened for Nii-sama to receive so much damage? "

"Humph, you probably got excited and became negligent in the end and received a severe counterflow, right? "

That profound voice answered Ren from the background. The boy turned around, and replied to their father, Kannagi Genma, in a tone full of criticism. 

"You don't need to speak in that tone, Otou-sama"

"But, Kazuma is actually injured. Was the man just now so dangerous? That's impossible "

"Otou-sama--- "

"Ren, wait"

Kazuma restrained Ren, who was about to protest further. Of couse, it wasn't to prevent the parent-child argument. 

"You, how did you know about this? "

It was because he wanted to know the answer first. Ren and Genma who had just returned from a business trip had no way of knowing they were fighting here.

But Ren quickly answered. 

"How you ask, because Isurughi-san from the Special Investigation Unit reported to the Suzerain. "

"Isurughi......? Aah, that child-face. What did he report? "

"Eeh, that he had a verbal message from those who aimed at Enraiha? Do you not know of it? Then, Nii-sama, why are you here? "

"We chased after Xiaolei and it turned into a fight. Verbal message.....by the way, did the Suijutsushi son of a bitch said something about it? "

Both inclined their hear. Because their intel was too different, they couldn't understand the situation very well. 

Eventually, Kazuma gave up on it completely. 

"Anyway. We'll have time to talk things through when this is over. "

And finally he looked at his father and spoke words of thanks, unusually frank.

"At any rate you saved me. That was a desperate situation"

"Hoou--- I didn't notice that"

Genma replied coldly and shifted his focus underneath to where Kazebami had been flying. 

A darkened stick-like object was stuck into the ground. Because it had been burned at such high temperature, it fused and wouldn't return to its previous form but even so the seven dots carved in the middle could still be seen. 

That was supposed to have been blown away at the time he received that blow from Gaia, the ruin of the Seven Star Sword.  Ht means that when Genma attacked Kazebami he also burned the sword that was still there.

Of course, it wasn't a coincidence. Using wind Kazuma manipulated the sword's orbit, using words Kazuma controlled the positions of Gaia and Kazebami and turned the situation around in a surprise attack against the danger that stole his skill from the blind spot. 

The resuscitating move born from not knowing how to give up on victory even in the end. 

The outcome was pointless but until Genma and Ren appeared it was definitely not impossible recovering in that situation. 

But, Kazuma was modest. 

"Is that true? Even I were to hit it once that method was like leaving at to chance. There was a high possibility it would be off. "

"Humph, I wonder. You always seemed to like playing the shamisen. "

"Hah, are you still holding a grudge? The one getting tricked is the idiot, no?"

Genma looked with a long, blank gaze at his son, speaking so provocatively. That excessively cold atmosphere unbecoming for a father and his son drifted between them.

Ren looked at both of them astonished. 

"Nii-sama.......Otou-sama too, now it's not the time to do something like this...? "

"Humph, I agree"

Understanding it was pointless asking questions, Genma turned the conversation more practical.

"Ayano seems to be fighting the other way but where is the Fuan girl? "

"Who knows. Somewhere around there she's dead or she's about to die"

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

Ren again raised a voice of criticism against his brother's extremely heartless manner of speaking but this time Kazuma didn't back down.

"Running ahead by herself, defeated on her own. Very troublesome"

"But the Suzerain ordered us to protect that girl."

"That so? Then find her by yourselves. But, before that "

Gaia shifted his attention on Gaia laying down ten meters ahead of him. 

The blow from before, although it was meant to thrust him away not incapacitate, it gave enough damage to compare it to an iron ball used for wrecking houses.

"I need to finish this first"

Together with his murmur, Kazuma formed a wind blade above Gaia. And fired it instantly without hesitating. 

The wind blade that fell perpendicularly mercilessly aimed at Gaia's neck. 

"Nuuoo!?"

But just before it hit, Gaia tumbled on the ground raising a strange voice and narrowly escaped death. 

"Did- did you found out....."

"Obviously, you smurf. A Chijutsushi can't die just because of that"

Because the high-ranking Chijutsushi was directly taking the Earth's <<Ki>> inside its body he could boast about resilience beyond human understanding.

Therefore, even receiving damage that would instantly kill a regular human he would still be alive and kicking, just like that.

"Even so, this time playing dead, huh? Even though you say you are a ''brave-ish'' man, you don't really choose your methods. No, that only means you're self-centered. "

"Mmm, what are you saying? My body and heart are that of a brave man. But---"

"If you die you can't fight anymore? "

"Yeah! ", declared Gaia trowing out his chest with pride.

Clearly the means and the purpose suddenly reversed but the person in question didn't quite understand that.

".......Well, I don't care about your principles but there's something I want to hear. Will you sing for me, I wonder---on whose order are you two operating?  "

That moment Gaia's face convulsed magnificently. He was the kind of man who could not lie. 

"...........I don't know what you're saying"

He was doing his best to play innocent but Kazuma didn't even pay attention. 

"Don't try to deceive me, fool. A battle enthusiast meat-head asshole who is convinced he's so clever. Different from trying to make a name for yourself, to say nothing of the fact you managed to prepare that kind of Youma, it doesn't seem like the magic ceremony of gathering four Sacred Treasures is something you just ran across into"

"Unh....."

Gaia groaned unpleasantly but suddenly his lips turned into a broad grin. And then, he began talking.

"Is not that I can't tell you but it's not free of charge. "

"What will money do to you now? You can't use them in the next world. "

"But--but I didn't say that's what I need! "

Speedily giving up on that unsuitable round-about speaking style, Gaia asked directly. That was a military-man-like manner.

Matching that, Kazuma replied frankly.

"I see, that's fine. Die! "

"Whaa---? If- if I die you won't get your information! "

"That's not really important", declared Kazuma flatly.

"I'm not the one carrying a Sacred Treasure. It's the Kannagi's and Fuan's business. "

"But, can you fight with that wound? Wouldn't it be best to make a deal now for both of us? "

"Hah, how stupid. Why can I not fight in this situation? "

Declaring so matter-of-course, Kazuma looked at his father. And then pointed at Gaia with his arm and said the words he was most fearfull of.

"Go Kannagi Genma! Defeat the enemy of your family! "

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

Genma stared at his son who ordered him so in an unnatural narration-like clear tone with an extremely chilly gaze. 

And then, after a few seconds, he suddenly turned around and informed Ren. 

"There doesn't seem to be any problem on Ayano's end. We should focus on sheltering the Fuan girl. "

"That's right. "

Ren too looked at Kazuma with the same kind of glance his father used and followed him. Without once turning around, they both disappeared. 

Gaia saw them off with an amazed expression. 

Precisely because he feared Kannagi Genma he took the miserable attitude of playing dead but it turned out he will be able to escape this place somehow. 

And yet, should he be happy his plan worked so well? 

".....Are they really gone? Even though you have been disinherited isn't that a bit too cold for a real father and child? "

"Hmm, Aaah, that's fine. It was a joke anyway"

"A joke? ", asked Gaia back not understanding why use that word. 

But Kazuma didn't answer that,

"It's certainly tiresome and loathsome, I am hurt, but I couldn't agree more. "

He gave the sentence matter-of-fact.

"I, I had no intention from the beginning of leaving cleaning up you to someone else since the beginning! "

That instant, a sublime thirst for blood filled the space. 

"Kuuh! "

Feeling a chill, as if a gleaming sword was pushed against the rape of his neck, Gaia--- instantly backed off. 

In the same posture, sitting down with both his feet stretched out Kazuma couldn't stand up. 

He did not called the wind spirits.

But, but even so.

Faced with the intimidating air emitted by that man only sitting down, Gaia experienced personally the proximity of <<Death>>, like never before. 

"Guh.....nuu....."

But his reason negated that. Saying there's no need to fear some half-dead man with wounds all over his body. 

He clasped Nozuchi with both his hands raising it before his eyes. He backed off one step. And then, to encourage himself, he roared. 

"Don't babble dead man! No matter how tough you pretend to be, I know you have no more strength to battle! After collapsing so ungainly, you don't have the strength to stand up! "

"Well, that's generally not mistaken"

Kazuma agreed calmly. 

"But that's not a problem. I'm not primarily a martial artist. I can kill people without lifting a finger. It doesn't matter if I sit or if I lie down"

"Even me?  Without even moving, without Kokusen, do you think you can kill me with only wind? Don't look down on me! "

"I'm not. That's why--- "

A calm tone. But, that <<something>> dwelling in it, the premonition of death that put the screws on Gaia's body, changed into something more. 

At the same time he understood. Kannagi Genma's choice to leave this place was not because he abandoned his son but because he was certain of his victory. 

That was very clear now. Even about to die, even unable to stand, this man is <<the enemy>> that holds a superior power surpassing his own.

"I'll crush you with all my power"

"Daaaaa! "

That's why Gaia went ahead. Amassing power by jumping ahead several steps, he swung Nozuchi from underneath in a scoop up movement. 

The blown-up soil approached Kazuma like a tsunami.

Kazuma didn't stir. Just like he said, he didn't move a finger, only calling out the Wind in his thoughts. 

The gushing out hard wind crashed violently in the avalanche of earth and rocks, offsetting it.

The rivalry between wind and earth. 

Wind --- the spectacle of atmospheric flow stopping the violent torrent of stones was aberrant but Gaia observed it with a smile of joy. 

That's right, they're struggling for supremacy. No matter the medium, the avatar of death's, that man's power and he.

''"I won't, I won't loose! "''

Supported by his regained self-confidence and pride, Gaia charged even more power. The surging sea of soil with grown might, little by little pushed into the wind. 

But, immediately following---

The wind-blade approaching from behind, quickly and mercilessly looped off his head. 

"----Aah?"

The head separated from its torso fell down while rotating. Unable to understand what happened, inside that rotating field, Gaia observed his own body being shred to pieces by wind-blades. 

And then, the head fell on the ground with a plop. The last thing that interrupted consciousness perceived was the image of his enemy, the one who defeated him, collapsed and feeble.

But within that unshapely appearance he instantly recognized that pair of eyes shining in a vibrant blue --- the downpour of wind blades from overhead tore his brain to pieces and his consciousness was swallowed in darkness. 





"...........sigh"

Quite annoyed, Kazuma took a deep breath. Doing so, he seemed to loose his vitality together with the exhalation and the blue, transparent pupils were dyed a dark black. 

"Did my time come? "

Murmuring so without strength he took out tobacco from his breast pocket. He put it in his mouth and lit it with the lighter that was luckily safe. 

Breathing out the smoke with a sigh, he looked at the sky. Both his arms hanged, seeming to have used all their strength on the cigarette.

That pair of eyes looking at the sky grew somewhat hazy and yet very transparent. As if he finished achieving what he wanted to achieve, like a man who has no more regrets in this world. 

Not moving or rather unable to move--- Kazuma stood still as if all his power left him. 

A heavy silence filled his surroundings. 

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

Suddenly, holding the tobacco, his lips trembled. The ash that grew long fell on his chest and charred his clothes but without paying attention to it, he let out a small phrase. 

Very much like him, much too cynical, mixed with a bitter smile---

"........Isn't this my death flag? "

"Why are you joking like some happy idiot, you? "

A cold retort immediately returned. Kazuma slightly shifted his neck and looked at the girl holding a flame sword in her hand--- Ayano.

"Yo, Ayano. Don't you look healthy? "

"......It's all thanks to you. While you have suffered quite a lot. "

"It's all thanks to you"

Hearing Kazuma reply with the same words, Ayano made an extremely guilty face.

"......I'm very sorry"

"I did it because it was necessary"

"But, I wasn't back in time"

"That's true"

"Again. I couldn't do anything"

"If you think so, it must be so"

"I was supposed to bear that injury"

"Is that so?"

"Thank you"

Words of gratitude lost in the sea of self reproach. 

But, no matter how small that whisper was, Kazuma couldn't possibly miss it.

"You are welcome"

Mingling it with a smile, Kazuma responded to the girl who turned his back on him to try and hide her face dyed red.



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