Kaze no Stigma:Volume4 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - a certain cameraman's day

Part 1

"Uugh, why are you always like that?"

"Don't say vague words such as like that. What's there a problem?"

"A big one, you baka! You're always, always forcing everything on me! To think that just by standing there you get payed, don't you think of apologizing to the diligent working people?"

"Not at all"

"You low-life scoundreeeeeell!"

The girl's angry roar, rumbled in a big way.

It happened during the evening, in front of the Shinjuku Station. The lovely girl's scream, became the focal point for the people passing through.

"Ah"

Belatedly realizing the became the target of attention, the girl's face became colored with shame.

"You're the center of attention"

The man who seemed to accompany her, nonchalantly informed her. For a second time the girl frowned but being careful of the surroundings this time, she said in a whisper.

"Who- who's fault is it?"

"It's yours yours yours. Don't shift the responsibility"

"Uuu.......a- anyway, we're changing the place"

The girl took the man's hand and left that place behind as if running.

Without being particularly unusual, a commonplace act found anywhere.

But this was the beginning of everything.

"Go- good grief......I was so embarrassed"

While out of breath because of the powerful sprint, the girl glared at the man standing next to her.

The man, while running the same distance at the same speed, with no indication of heavy breath, he replied calmly.

"I already told you it was your fault. Don't complain to me"

"A- aren't you in the wrong for not working seriously?"

In short, it was like that.

The girl's name was Kannagi Ayano. The man's name was Yagami Kazuma.

Their occupation is to exorcise evil and protect the world from harm.

As the man's motto was earn money with ease, for people that possess first class battle abilities like Ayano whom he met during work he doesn't hesitate to bear the stigma of a salary thief.

That's what happened this time. Without literally raising a finger Kazuma watched over Ayano like a sightseer frivolously ridiculing the seriously fighting Ayano.

Being too serious and having pride towards herself as a practitioner, Ayano couldn't forgive Kazuma's attitude.

"J- just stop it already you you low-life scoundrel!!!"

Which means her anger exploded in the in the already familiar way.

What happened until now can be called an ordinary scene. But -

"That's no good, making your woman work while you have it easy, such a windward man is no good"

"eh?"

Called out from an unexpected direction, Ayano frowned with a twitch. Turning her face around, a strange man before his twenties, with a sloppy smile, approached grinning.

"Forge about that useless man and come with me. I'll make you happy"

.....what, a flirt.....

Ayano instantly lost her interest for the man. Ignoring him, she turned to where Kazuma was. But - no one was there.

Watching around even more, the useless man was putting a coin into a vending machine.

"Hey", said Ayano in a crushed to death tone.

But even so, without changing his facial expression Kazuma took a sip of the Oolong tea, enjoyed the cold liquid reaching his neck, sampled its flavor in full and finally answered.

"......what?"

"It's not .......what? is it!? Why, when I'm being involved with a left-over inferior man, are you ignoring it without taking any sort of position!?"

"Don't say that. The job is already finished, so i don't think I have any obligation to protect you"

In spite on absolutely not protecting her during the job, Kazuma said so, shamelessly.

Of course, Ayano can't be deceived with those words.

"This has nothing to do with work. Every man had the duty to protect the girl he's with at the same time!"

"I think that sort of sexual discrimination has no logic. To begin with, one or two dozen of skirt-chasers makes no difference for you right?"

"That's why I told you that's not it! With the technique of escorting a young woman - any man of caliber should care about that!"

"That caliber should be fine even without asking"

While arguing noisily both of them naturally took their leave.

The skirt chaser saw them off dumbfounded, but after finally noticing something he shouted with grim eyes.

"W- wait you!!"

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

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

Stopping at the same time, both turned around with bored expressions.

"Why couldn't he watch us off quietly?"

"He's really an idiot that can't read the atmosphere"

"You....you!!"

Completely mad fun of, the man's face flushed bright red. Of course, not being ashamed because he doesn't know his standing.

Gripping his fists, the man drew closer with a rough gait. No matter who you look at it, he wasn't in the disposition to flirt with Ayano anymore.

"Really......"

Letting out a bothersome sigh, Kazuma took a step forward. It seems he intended to become the man's opponent but from that figure, standing there with one Oolong tea can in his hand, no tension can be felt.

"You should pick your partner a little better. It's impossible to get this woman through flirting you know?"

".........what does that mean?"

At his tone that was definitely not praising her, while her temples were twitching, Ayano pressed a question.

Kazuma answered with nonchalantly.

"It means that your behavior is firm, that you're a very level-headed Ojou-sama"

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

With a pure white look, Ayano stared at Kazuma very long.

"Say that again while looking into my eyes"

"Sorry, that's impossible"

An immediate reply. Further more, he adverted his eyes making an unnatural face.

"kazuma?"

With a sweet smile but while her temple veins were pulsing Ayano grabbed Kazuma's collar.

She pulled Kazuma closer with a superhuman strength her slender arms didn't seem capable of and glared at him point blank, their faces very close.

No matter how those two think about it, that was from the start nothing more but a lover's quarrel.

What's more, they didn't even pay attention to the existence of the man drawing closer.

His very small pride stepped over, the skirt chaser's face was warped with anger.

"Yooooooooouuuuu!!"

Glaring at the two huddling closer preparing to kiss, the man struck.

But, just before the attack reached, Kazuma gently pushed Ayano aside and retreated himself, using that recoil.

The man's fist, and then his body slipped through the space between those two.

First his fist, and then his upper body and then his lower half of the body went through.

Nonchalantly, with his foot left in place, Kazuma wiped the man's feet.

"Gee!?"

Unable to defend, the man lively fell down. And soundlessly meeting him half-way, using the pointed end of his tiptoe, Kazuma kicked the man's jaw.

" - gh!"

Raising a voiceless shriek, he fell flat, the white of his eyes showing.

Without even making sure of the conclusion, Kazuma turned back to Ayano.

"well, let's go"

"yeah"

Heartless, the two started walking leaving the fainted man as it is. But, after advancing a few steps, Kazuma suddenly stopped.

"What happened?"

Without answering Ayano, Kazuma turned back unusually slow. Ayano too, followed his gaze, and looked at the same thing he was.

" - why?"

Ayano inclined her head a little. There's no mistake about it, Kazuma's kick shot the lights out of the man's jaw.

That man's cranium and his brain were violently shaken inside and he wouldn't be conscious for at least an hour.

"Hmmm - "

Icily looking at the man that was recovering with an unusual speed, Kazuma pushed out his Oolong tea to Ayano.

"Hold it"

"Ah, yeah", nodding obediently Ayano took the can.

Fleetingly looking t the can in her hand, for some reason her cheeks were dyed red.

"Y- You....u...."

Looking at Ayano, although staggering, the man got up. Admirably, his sturdiness is clearly exceeding his intellect.

"You made me so angry.......I won't go easy on you - I'll kill you!"

while spouting words with no ingenuity, the man was rapidly recovering. The unfocused pupil, was glaring at Kazuma now.

" - Raah!"

Raising a strange voice, the man started running towards Kazuma. He was fast.

The movement excluding any technique based only on force and the explosive power was closer to that of a beast.

Reaching top speed in just three steps, he brandished his hardened fists.

"Dieeee!"

The fist pushed out in a straight line. Kazuma handled that with a empty handed movement, parring by rotating. Simultaneously sizing the opponent's arm making sure to catch his fingertips, he lightly overturned its wrist.

Only by that movement, the man's body flew in mid-air. And then, with no sign of effort put into it, he was blown off with extreme force.

By seizing a linear motion thrust with a circular one it's swallowed up and the center of gravity crumbles.

This is a technique that in Japan it's called Aiki while in China Kakei(???).

By utilizing the opponent's power, a lager amount of power can be controlled with a smaller one - that is the advantage of this power but -

- bekiii! - 

But even so how much power did that man's attack had, to fling away with enough force to break the roadside trees he crashed into.

Kazuma looked down in silence at the man that tumbled from nearby crashed trees. There is no negligence in those eyes. It was an expression convinced that he will definitely get up.

"Heh......hehehehehehe.....there's no use......"

As he thought,the man with no sign of damage.

"On the me right now human attacks don't work!"

While screaming the man took off his jumper. That body dressed in a T-shirt is skinny. But -

"Koooo......"

Together with the exhalation, the thin body rapidly grows thicker.

The over-sized T-shirt was pushed and stretched by the inflating interior.

"Ooaaaa!!"

It was torn off when its limit crossed-over.

".....is this what you call pump up?", asked Ayano lacking a sense of reality.

By repeating muscle contraction, by means of pumping large quantities of blood containing oxigen, the muscles will dramatically expand - there certainly is such a technique. But still -

"well - did the human muscle fiber extend this much?", Kazuma returned with a bitter smile.

Practically, when seeing this you have no choice but to laugh. The man's transformation reached the limit of metamorphosis.

The thickness of his arms, the width of his chest, all his muscles, without exaggerating, swell up more than three times.

The body neglected because of laziness suddenly evolved to the utmost limits of a well trained bodybuilder.

"Ku ku ku ku ....."

Expressing a full smile, the man inserted power in his muscles. The body that increased its thickness to the limit became even wider.

"You'll die you know? There's no one who survived after seeing this body!"

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

With sober eyes Kazuma inspected the surroundings. It was obvious but they became the target of attention for many pedestrians crossing in front of the Shijuku station.

"This is a rough estimate but a hundred people are watching you. Do you intend to kill them all?"

"Shut- shut-up!"

since his cool line was calmly retorted, the man shouted with a red face.

"Don't talk down on me! Let's go!!"

Together with his voice, the man's figure disappeared. That's what it must have looked like through the eyes of ordinary men.

Much faster than the first charge, with a speed that obviously exceeds what a man can achieve, he dashed.

The fist pushed out second time, Kazuma dealt with it with the same circular motion.

But, whether Aiki or Kakei, although it appears like a supernatural movement for the untrained eyes, the principle is still the same.

Even using the principle of leverage, if the opponent's power is bigger, there won't be any effect.

The man's physical strength, drastically transcended the human limits. Although Kazuma has a far better posture, even using his whole energy, he can't change the thrust's trajectory.

As soon as he noticed that, he moved. Diagonally stepping ahead, he moved his body from the trajectory and going even further he went around the man's back.

The powerful fist dodged, his slovenly stance was destroyed, his back defenseless. Placing his foot in the knee's rear, Kazuma stepped on it with all his strength.

With a crumbling sound, the knee's ligament broke. But still he mercilessly stepped on it, beating the man's knee to the ground. The white tiles spread on the ground broke at the same time with the kneecap.

"Hikyaaa!"

His knee completely destroyed, the man screamed with intense pain. Maybe because of the dull sound made by the knee, his upper body arched with force on the watch for Kazuma behind him.

Using the foot he broke the knee with as a pivot, Kazuma raised his elbow overhead.

The cranium that was approaching from the opposite side was attacked by Kazuma's elbow that seemed to bore a hole in it.

The <<Ki>> pumped into the cranium via that extremely violent power blow penetrated his brain and came out through the forehead.

The man's body convulsed, fell down like a doll with broken strings and was silent.

As expected, he didn't get up this time.

"Many thanks"

"ah, I pointlessly used my physical strength"

At Ayano's thankful words, Kazuma made a sluggish reply.

Although it was minor, because he exercised he felt thirsty and extended his hand to Ayano.

"Oolong tea"

Kazuma carelessly stretched his hand but the next second he turned his entire body around.

He noticed that Ayano's hand was empty.

"My Oolong tea ?"

Cross-examined by Kazuma, Ayano's cheeks lightly colored and smiled while showing her tongue.

"I drank it"

"Aah!?"

Extremely childish, Kazuma's eyes peeled openly angry.

"You, don't behave selfishly with the social standing of a rich man! Return my Oolong tea!"

".....still, I don't you think it's that unsightly......", Ayano murmured, dejected by the excessive cheapness.

Rare nowadays, she was full of disappointment.

"Shut up. I can't stand when other people take my stuff"

"well, leaving that aside...."

Considerably displeased, Ayano forcefully changed the topic.

"What do we do with this?"

In front of her eyes, the fallen flirty man became a mere shadow of its former self.

His flesh deflated and his body returned to the modest former self.

No, it didn't just returned. Even after returning to the same shape, the muscles' atrophy doesn't stop.

Thoroughly endless as if air slipped out of it, the man's body shrunk until it turned to a creature only skin and bone.

"Is this...the backlash of power? But he doesn't seem dead."

"well then"

"Who on earth was this guy?"

Kazuma shrugs his shoulders but doesn't answer. Different from Ayano, tilting her head in wonder, he does not seem to have any sort of interest towards it.

Taking an attitude with no sense of responsibility, Ayano stares at Kazuma including blame.

"You'll just ignore it?"

"It doesn't concern me. Well, as for the obligation I have as a citizen, shall I inform the police ?"

Taking out his cellphone, he pressed the buttons. But, contrary to his words he didn't press 911.

"Kirika? There is knocked down half naked suspicious person at the south entrance of Shinjuku. If you catch it you may hear something interesting. Bye"

Without waiting for the other side to reply, he one-sided informed her about the business and closed the phone.

Ayano looked up at Kazuma with a stunned expression.

"How to say this, you can't be kind no matter the circumstance?"

She knew who he contacted. That's someone she definitely doesn't like but she can't help but feel pity for Kirika.

But, Kazuma replied very natural.

"It's fine because it's Kirika"

A casual tone full of trust. That careless contact, unkind but without omitting crucial steps, recognizing the signs of confidence in if it's Kirika, that's enough, for some reason Ayano felt discomfort.

"Hmmm, is Tachibana officer such a capable police officer?"

not in other areas - without using words just by placing accent, Ayano spit out the thorny words.

Tachibana Kirika is the name of the person Kazuma called. Her rank is police superintendent. She serves as the Chief of the Special Investigation Unit, the institution dealing with expelling evil spirits.

It would be better not saying this but as a matter of fact this organization is made of only puny abilities.

Especially their battle capabilities were really meager so after discovering the devilishness to be defeated, they leave the actual defeating to the big guns - the Kannagi Clan.

And so, the trust Kazuma was placing on Kirika seemed to be regarding to police business but -

"Aa, ahhh, Kirika is really capable even as a government worker."

It appears that Kazuma was trusting Kirika as a practitioner. Answering her question that was supposed to be mean earnestly, Ayano's face became even more grim.

"You meant very capable as a practitioner?"

"Yes, isn't she a top class Onmyoji?"

"But isn't that person from one of Tachibana's branch families?"

Even if it is an Onmyoji name, it belongs after all to one of the branch families. To say nothing of the do-nothing-job as a police chief.

In front of Ayano who was having such warped thoughts, Kazuma shamelessly praised another woman.

"Because she was more capable than the branch family she was gotten rid of to Tokyo MPD's Special Investigation Unit as some sort of exile"

".............really?"

"Especially for her, because she adopted fairly unprincipled different style techniques, they had various reasons for punishment. But, at the very least now there isn't a single person from the Tachibana more capable than her"

"Hmm, really?"

Seeming really displeased, Ayano made agreeable responses in short sentences with no intonation.

Incompletely understanding her obvious I'm angry attitude, Kazuma looked into Ayano's face.

"What happened?"

"Nothing"

Shouting angrily, Ayano turned her face away. Watching her reaction, Kazuma's lips curved as if finally noticing something.

"What's up with you,don't tell you have a sense of rivalry towards Kirika?"

"I- it's not like that!"

That was an almost reflex answer but it was definitely not a lie. The one Ayano was fussing over was not Kirika.

More than that woman, I was, by far...

She looked up to Kazuma peevishly.

As for Ayano, she was conceited about the fact that Kazuma was her partner. More than Kirika, she was far more helpful. She fought for the sake of Kazuma.

"It's fine because it's Kirika"

He never told her such words, not even once.

He doesn't trust in her. Perhaps he doesn't even have confidence in her.

Am I that useless?

It seems she'll forever be nothing more but an unskilled half-share. Thinking like that she becomes unbearably anxious.

Even so, this man never says what she wants to hear and only spouts worthless bullshit with a frivolous laugh.

"It's fine. In other areas it's out of the question but as a practitioner you won't loose. When exchanging blows you're absolutely stronger"

- like that 

At the expressively well timed reply, Ayano is helplessly enraged.

"That's not a follow-up! You baka! Just die!"

Kazuma stares at Ayano's fit of anger really, really happy.

Since before the trust comment, for the sake of enjoying himself with Ayano's such reactions, Kazuma takes careful aim with his words but before she will realize it, many of this incidents will happen.

Part 2

One ordinary day after school.

One section of the practice ground was filled with a silence full of tension. Everyone was neglecting their practice and while holding a hand to their mouths, their gazes were concentrating to one point.

Before their eyes...was that girl's figure. Elatedly reacting to the gaze that was already turned into physical pressure, she was standing there with a clear facial expression.

Someone gulped - strangely that sound clearly reached her ears. As if that was a signal, the girl lightly kicked the earth's surface and started running. Her route drew a light arc, a forward obliqueness, aiming at the bar the same height as her stature.

Stepping on her left foot, the girl was released from the restraints of gravity. Her bent chest aiming the sky, her slender limbs danced in midair.

"Oooh...."

While watching over the excited onlookers, the girl's head, then her beautiful arched body and her long stretched legs, passed above the bar.

The posture of a perfect jump. The body that jumped over the bar was once more caught by gravity but that one moment was beautiful.

With alight sound, the girl's body was buried in the mattress. Her limbs spread in abandon, overhead the bar was still, expressing the high success of the jump.

"........."

A moment of silence. And then - an explosion of applause and cheers.

"Veeeery goood! A new record!"

"Kudo-senpai is great!"

"Nanase, I love you!"

In the middle of the bursting cheers, the girl - Kudo Nanase slowly got up.

Not really exposing her emotions, it didn't look as if she sympathized with the uproar.

Looking up at the bar overhead, her lips faintly raised. That was all the joy she displayed for breaking a new record.

Nanase Kudo - a beautiful girl with androgynous features and straight short-cut hair.

Always calm, with quick movements and not an easy going tone like most girls and yet not boyish, she was enjoying an overwhelming popularity between girls her age - that's why, this kind of scene was a daily occurrence.

"Senpai, please use this!"

A first year, winning through a violent competition presented Nanase, descending from the mattress a towel.

"Ah, thank you"

Nanase accepted it with a small smile. She returned it after lightly whipping off her sweat.

"Haa..."

Inhaling with yearning senpai's perspiration, the girl embraced the towel with an ecstatic expression. The others in the big crowd having been outwitted, they glared at the girl with murder in their eyes.

Somewhere close the development on the all-girl's school-like act -

"........"

Clearly separating herself from that naive society, with a severe facial expression Nanase looked in the way of the tennis court.

She glared at the blackish shadow clinging to the fence with a violent repugnance.

"Is he here again?"

"Senpai?"

A girl's voice asked a question in a surprised tone. Noticing that, Nanase looked at the girl and showed a harmless smile.

"Nothing important. Just, you know?"

While answering, she gently brushed the girl's head in a casual manner. It as an action with no significance in particular but -

".........uu?"

With a scream that didn't seem to reach the surroundings, the girl in question fell to the ground with a swoon face.

".....what happened?"

"No- no......nothing....."

With a red face and clouded eyes, as if fever made her delirious, the girl slowly shook her head.

"I see. Then, take care"

Not really thinking about it, Nanase started walking aiming at the tennis court.

The moment she turned to it, she had already forgotten the conversation with the girl. She was concentrating on the suspicious figure clinging to the tennis court's fence.

With a cool expression, totally different from the one pointed at the girl before, unforgiving, as if giving a sentence.

"Hey, he's still coming?"

A second year in the tennis club, Sughino Mie murmured so, not pleased from the bottom of her heart. Before her eyes, sticking to the tennis court's fence, a short and fat shadow was peeking.

Just by looking, he was a suspicious man.

Setting up his digital camera, that figure taking snapshots of the girls' appearance, no other word describes him better than degenerate.

If this man wasn't a pupil of Seiryou Academy they would definitely call the police. Or perhaps, there a lot of people who think they should call the police nevertheless.

Utsumi Kousuke

That is this man's name. He is a second year but his results were so poor it's a miracle he managed to promote.

His facial features resemble a frogs. His whole face it's full of pimples, he has a greasy sweat regardless of season so his frog image is spot-on.

He belongs to the photography club but the subjects of his photos are just a step away from crime or maybe already crossing over that line, only that kind of crap.

But even so, the perpetrator is claiming this is art although nobody believes him.

It's only natural. If one were to see the expression in his while taking pictures there can be no place for misunderstanding.

The feeling of various dangers emitted from his blood-shot eyes gave the impression of a real sex-offender.

"As I thought, he's dangerous. Shouldn't we do something?"

"That's right, he's also scaring the first years....."

Weirdly starred at by Utsumi, pressing his shutter as if possessed, the girls were murmuring between themselves.

As if hiding behind her back the first years that have just joined the club, revealed their thought when looking for the firs time at the omnious living creature.

"Se- sempai......what is that? "

"That's a pervert"

Mie immediately replied with no hesitation. That answer was something the firs years, who didn't know the circumstance, could't comprehend but just because of that, their disgust and dread didn't soften.

"Can't you do something? Maybe calling the teacher..."

"Ah, yes.....he won't come...."

Staring at her couhais, supplication clear in their eyes, Mie's gaze wandered around, her face troubled.

No matter how suspicious he was Utsumi was a pupil of this school. Moreover he has the pretext of being a member of the photography club.

That means, photographing as a club activity was for him very reasonable. Just because his vulgar smile was eerie they can't stop him from photographing.

"No way..."

At that explanation based on last year's events, the first year's crying faces were pitiable but nothing can be done at the present. Just when she was instructing them to give up, it happened -

"Huh....Kudo-san...?", murmured Mie, recognizing the girl walking behind Utsumi.

Simultaneously Utsumi also realized this and turned around, separating his eyes from the fence.

At that moment -

"Bukyaa!?"

A foot sole with no leniency stroke Utsumi's back of the head. The blow more like stepping on him than trying to kick forced Utsumi to strongly kiss the fence.

"Gyaa.....Gyaabii.....?"

To Utsumi's ears, wordlessly screaming, reached a cold notice of conviction.

"How long did you think I would overlook your vulgar molestation, low-life?"

"Guugyaaa....bebii...."

Although Utsumi was trying to escape the restraint, his lazy, neglected body couldn't overcome the force of the foot trampling his head.

Vainly resisting, he was pressed down by the already doubled force. The flesh of his loosen face was squeezed through the mesh of the fence.

"Uuu......"

Because his already ugly face was distorted even more all the girls in the tennis club simultaneously adverted their eyes.

A dozen seconds after - at the time everyone was starting to see his face really getting cut in the mesh, the girl - Nanase removed her leg.

The released Utsumi crouched holding his face. Crawling unsightly, from the gaps between his fingers he raised his eyes to Nanase.

"Hiii......please....stop the violence...."

A high shriek escaped. He tried to escape , stepping back as if crawling on his ass but on the crowded place the fence blocked his escape route.

Fleetingly watching back, Utsumi's face became even more grim. On the other side of the fence, the girls belonging to the tennis club were watching him with grim eyes.

Being encouraged by Nanase's strong entrance, their eyes lost their fear for the ominous thing. Their looks filled with anger, flared up while their restraints towards the punishment of the insolent peeping demon broke.

In confusion, Utsumi started an explanation

"Please, please wait. As a member of the photography club, for the sake of the year book photos, I - "

"Don't joke around!"

"Hiii - "

In a fit of rage the women kicked the fence and Utsumi fled that place as if tumbling.

But of course, Nanase is in that direction. This time his face receiving a Yakuza Kick Utsumi was once again dragged in front of the girls.

"N- no, hey, listen....."

"Only lies, huh?", one of the girls shouted.

"How can you take such low angle photos for the year album? Everyone knows that you take dirty photos fot the sake of your hobby!"

"That's true! That's true!"

"You rotten fat otaku shit! Diee!"

"It stinks! Don't get closer than a hundred meters!", several girls unanimously shouted.

Obviously there were some unjust accusations mixed in between but Utsumi was quiet.

Originally, except for taking pictures of girl's lower parts he is a timid person. While being surrounded by female students, it's impossible for him to object coherently.

No matter how unreasonable verbal attacks he receives, there was nothing to do but to put up with it in silence.

"Uuu, uuuu....."

"This should be fine, right?"

But a helping hand appeared from an unexpected place.

That was Nanase.

Naturally, she had the character of someone feeling refreshed after <<splitting the bamboo>>. She doesn't like the act of a large group ganging up on someone.

To say nothing of the girls' words, already entered in a state of wild excitement, that began to drift from the point, changing into nothing but slander and ridicule.

Nanase disliked that development so she got back to the point.

It was just that, but -

"Ku- Kudo-san!"

With a face as if seeing Buddha from the depths of hell, Utsumi's eyes sparkled. It seems that he was convinced that Nanase became his ally.

"I - I knew you would understand! That's right, my photos are art. These women can't understand that!"

Bracing himself he stood up while talking non-stop. He didn't notice the cold anger filling Nanase's eyes.

"Aah, I understand! That's why you were angry. Because I didn't look at you and was taking pictures of this bunch. You don't have to worry, you're my most important subject. From now on, always - "

Perhaps Utsumi's character wasn't vulgar but simply stupid. If a neutral person were to stand there, it could only think that.

In the tennis girl's expressions there was already no anger. What dwelt there was pity and dread. As if looking at a bomb timer decreasing each moment, they observed nervously Utsumi and Nanase.

And then -

GASyAN!

An ominous sound interrupted Utsumi's triumphant speech. His camera, rolling on the ground,was trampled down with all her strength by Nanase.

"Aah, aaaaaaaaaa!?"

The expensive lens turned into shards of glass. Utsumi cried in a bitter voice.

"Wh- what are you doing?"

without answering, Nanase kicked the camera with her feet. Placing the camera with a crooked frame in the top of her feet and after half a rotation she volley-kicked it and sent it flying.

The camera that flew with power crashed into the school building and smashed.

"Hiiiiii!"

With a pose similar to Munch's Scream, Utsumi shouted.

"Ah, ah, a"

Leaking out a murmurs as if his soul escaped his body he looked up at Nanase in blank amazement.

A frozen gaze looked down on Utsumi.

"Hi, hiii......"

Nanase ordered the pale Utsumi with indifference.

"Get out of my sight!"

"Ah, waaa........waaaaa...."

Revealing a meaningless cry, Utsumi started running on all fours.

"Fucking trash! Just die!!"

"Don't ever come back!"

Showering his back in the tennis girls' boos Utsumi ran away nor very fast but faster.

Nanase stared at that retreating figure thoroughly indifferent.