Kaze no Stigma:Volume2 Chapter 2

Kaze no Stigma Book 2 The Price of Soul

Chapter 2 – Assault – Determination After Removing All Doubts-

[actual title: 襲擊 -拋棄迷惘後的決心 -]

1

The boy’s arm is wreathed in a red flame.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

A wordless scream escapes the boy's mouth.

So hot- there is no room in his mind for anything but the heat, all thought stolen by the crimson flame.

To extinguish the flame, he continuously rolls on the floor. Nearby, some kids observe his pitiable state.

We say kids, but that belies the range of their ages. The smallest are young children of only four or five, while the oldest are full-grown teenagers of fifteen or sixteen.

Their sole common denominator can be seen on their faces.

Scorn.

This group of kids joyfully surrounds the burning youth, laughing gaily.

An unfeigned laughter that comes from the heart. Innocent. Naive. Cruel.

The cruelty of a child that cannot differentiate between right and wrong. Like children who pluck off the wings of a dragonfly just to watch it struggle, they enjoy the predicament of the youth, painfully struggling the same way.

“A member of the main family, getting burnt by fire!”

“How useless!”

"'A humiliation to the clan,' my father said!"

"Someone as worthless as you has no right to bear the name 'Kannagi!'"

The boy can only hug his burnt arm, his face showing a painful expression as the others continue to mock him, one after another.

“It's my turn!”

A young girl around ten years old raises her hand to declare.

“Oh- Go on. Quickly now!”

The children cheer. The girl, encouraged, holds her fist to her chest and begins to concentrate.

“Heh!”

Following the cute shout, above the cringing youth a red flame suddenly appears, like a ghost.

The fire slowly descends until it touches the back of the boy.

Sssssssss!

“------!”

The sound of burning meat can be heard. The youth's body, originally curled into a ball, forcefully straightens out. This scene serves only to amplify the mocking.

“My turn next!”

“I wanna go too!”

His legs, his back, his shoulder; all are continuously tattooed by the ferocious flame. Each time the boy's body instinctively twitches, each time a burnt smell is given off.

Despite the horrid cruelty of their actions, none present feel the least degree of guilt. To them, fire is nothing to fear.

Were they to be put in his shoes, they would not experience the smallest discomfort. Even for those whose "power" is 'weak,' the most that would burn would be their clothes - their bodies would remain completely unharmed.

This is because their clan has been blessed with fire's protection.

Because of this, these kids are completely unaware of the dangers of fire, nor do they understand the pain of being scorched.

You cannot imagine what you do not know, and because they are unable to imagine, they see nothing wrong with what they have done.

The boy silently endures alone the innocent and naive torture of the other children in the clan.

“Ah…… Ah……”

By the time the kids are finally satisfied, the youth is left to painfully contend with his smoking body.

“Ahhh- that was fun.”

“Bye bye, let’s play again~”

As part of their exit ritual, everyone present gives the twitching body a merciless kick. But before anyone can leave, the eldest and largest boy goes farther, and stomps on the boy's head.

“……Hmm?”

“What's wrong with Toru?”

Hearing the large boy, Kuga Toru, let out a pathetic cry, the others turn in surprise.

“You…… You foolish idiot!”

The head that Toru forcefully stepped on is now slowly lifting itself upwards. The youth uses his hands as support against the floor, and intently stares at Toru from below.

“You…… What are you trying to do……?”

Seeing those eyes, filled with murder, Toru cannot help but retreat in fright. Immediately filled with shame at his actions, he becomes angry.

“What's with that look? This worthless scum actually dares to resist?!”

Toru summons a flame, angrily throwing it in the youth's direction.

The youth quickly rises and dodges the incoming flame. Dragging his heavily wounded frame, he dashes at an incredible speed, closing in on Toru.

“Wa…… Wah……”

Aiming directly at the terrified Toru's face, he exerts all the strength in his body to strike him with his palm.

Pachunk! [SFX: something breaking]

Toru's nose has been broken.

“Toru!”

While the group can only stare, aghast at the sudden incident, the boy attacks two more people. Driven in his berserk rage, his fist breaks the first's cheekbones and the second's chin, causing them to roll in pain as he did earlier.

“……Wu……Ah……!”

But his mad rush ends here. The burden his actions have placed on his pained body are beyond the limits of his will. His stomach heaves, and as if trying to reject everything, he vomits over and over.

“You……! How dare you……!”

Realizing they are no longer at risk, the others take heart. In order to punish this thing that does not know its place, they begin to focus their mental energy.

But-

“You all…… get lost!”

A weak, yet furious voice stopped them. They look back in fear, and before their eyes is...

“I am going to slaughter you……”

Fresh blood streaming from his nose, Toru gazes at the boy with bloodshot eyes, insane eyes, devoid of reason.

“I am so going to slaughter you-!”

An insane fury amplifies Toru's abilities several-fold. Stretching his right hand directly upwards, he summons a huge fireball that seems encased by a pair of hands.

“Go and die!”

The youth's eyes do not blink, they can only stare at the fireball. Despite his body's inability to move, he refuses to give in. Like a wounded beast with death fast approaching, he searches for any sign of weakness in his enemy.

-- Kaboom!

“Hmph! Now you know my strength!”

Seeing the youth wrapped in flame, Toru smiles.

The flame gradually disperses. But amidst the disappearing flame, what appears is...

“Ah...ah?”

Contrary to Toru's expectations, the boy yet lives. Parts of his body are burnt black, but his limbs still remain; he has successfully withstood Toru's flame.

Using every last drop of his "ki" to create a defensive barrier, the youth has managed to survive just barely.

“You…… You asshole……”

Toru's expression grows more sinister. If he were to prove unable to beat this youth who lacked even a hint of ability as an En-jutsu, he would forever be looked down upon and despised by the others.

“Arrogant trash!”

This scream, filled with displeasure, failed to reach the boy's ears. His body has long since surpassed its limits, and having spent all his "ki," the boy is no different from a walking corpse.

Not content to simply leave the youth to die, Toru prepares to give him a fatal strike. Against his fate, the youth is helpless.

“------------------“

Kazuma suddenly opens his eyes. This is a rare occasion for him, who is usually hard to wake; his consciousness is fully awake.

But it is only to be expected, how could anyone refuse to wake up after having a dream like that?

Maintaining his waking posture, Kazuma faces upwards and he looks at the ceiling silently. Unblinking, he remains like this for a full half-minute.

“Frankly speaking, what an unpleasant dream.”

Closing his eyes, he empties all the air in his lungs with a moan.

Something that happened exactly ten years ago, a painful experience that causes nightmares.

Of the eighteen years he spent among the Kannagi, that was his most painful experience. Had no one put a stop to it, he might have died.

Due to the degree of injury, despite receiving daily the highest level recovery jutsus, it took him a month to recover.

But that is not what is important. To Kazuma, this was his first defeat.

Not in terms of the injuries he sustained.

But for giving in to despair.

Once he understood that he could not win against the Kannagi flame, that he would forever be a weakling, Kazuma gave up on fighting back.

He gave in to those that scorned him.

From that day forward, Kazuma would continue to run away. Unresisting, pitifully pleading for mercy, enduring endless torment, endless public humiliation.

But it no longer matters.

Because he is no longer willing to partake of that misery.

“…… I can’t forget.”

Kazuma realizes his memories of his past humiliations are as clear as if they had happened only yesterday, and murmurs to himself.

“I don't even mind.”

Even though he is now in Japan once more, he has never even considered taking revenge. Even though to do so would be a painfully simple task.

To bend his pinky three centimeters; if the effort needed to kill Toru were converted to energy - that would be precisely how much was required. Any strength he had gained in these last four years would be inconsequential.

(... That's odd...?)

Kazuma's train of thought was suddenly interrupted. He realized he could not picture Toru.

“Have I not seen him yet?”

Despite meeting several groups of branch family jutsushis, he hadn't spent any time verifying their identities, so he is unsure whether he or not he has met Toru.

“……Whatever. It doesn't matter.”

Pushing the question to the back of his mind, Kazuma covers himself with the blanket once more. Though fully awake, he has nothing in particular to do, and does not feel like getting up just yet.

(Let’s get some more sleep……)

Alas, the heavens do not seem to agree with this unproductive decision.

Dulululululululululu------

Kazuma glares at the ringing phone, openly displaying his irritation.

What a crafty ring. The more he tries to ignore the ringing, the more insistent it seems to get, and yet it is not so loud that he would wreck the phone in frustration.

“Damn it!”

Left with no other alternatives, Kazuma reaches for the phone. But instead of leaving his bed for the phone, he brings the phone to him.

“……Who's making a call so early in the morning?” he grumbles in a mournful tone, despite the fact it is already late morning.

“Hello?”

He speaks in a sluggish tone - giving away the fact that he has just woken - but his tranquil mind is pondering the courteous reply from the other end.

“Oh?”

This time, Kazuma is fully awake. On the face that suddenly emerged from the blanket, there is now no sign of tiredness.

“Today? Ah, sure. I'll be looking forward to it.”

Kazuma answers politely, and then hangs up. He flips the blanket back and crawls out, lazily stretching.

With his usual complacent smile now on his face, Kazuma mutters.

“Looks like it’s gonna be a busy day.”

2

This is something that happened when school ends, on the way back home.

Ayano’s eyes stops upon a small shadow walking ahead about ten meters away.

“Hey------“

She was just about to call out to it when she kept it within herself, and uses the expression of a prank to look at the shadow.

That person has not noticed Ayano’s presence at all. Ayano creeps in on the person’s back slowly, step by step.

“Wa wah!”

She stands right behind, suddenly hugging the target tight as if wanting to surround that whole small figure. Against the youth who is in her embrace giving off a cute scream and struggling with all his might, Ayano skillfully secures all his joints.

“Sis…… Sister!?”

“Completely unguarded, this means you still require more training, Ren.”

“To say this now is really…… Anyway just let me go first, sister.”

“No way------ Free yourself with your own might!”

Looking at the way the two are fooling around, passers-by can’t help but give a faint bitter smile.

This is because just from their appearance, they are like a rare and beautiful pair of “sisters.” Even though one of them looks like only around the age of ten, but they still are still pleasing to the eyes.

“Sis……Sister is really……!”

Realizing the gaze from the people, Ren’s face reddens in a moment. No matter how his appearance may be, he is after all a twelve year old boy. It is not weird to feel shy to be physically in touch with a female at this age.

“Gee------ What is sister thinking!”

After finally getting out from her binds, Ren questions Ayano as he pants.

However, that expression with wet eyes looking up instead makes one feel that he is really cute, and is not scary at all.

This look would most probably not even be feared by a three year old.

“Ahahaha! Sorry sorry, this is a display of love for Ren too.”

Of course, Ayano is not in the least afraid. She pats Ren’s shoulder, and cheekily ignores Ren’s complaints.

“Gee------!”

Ren became really unhappy, and his face tangles up instantly.

This method is very effective. Unlike earlier, because this is just too cute, so there is no way to ignore him.

“I am really sorry, how about I treat you to a meal?”

“I will not let you change the subject.”

Ren’s mood does not seem to get any better. He turns his head to the side, not wanting to meet with Ayano’s eyes.

Ayano uses both her hands to grab Ren’s head, and forces him to turn his face back towards her.

“If you still will not listen------

She places her face closer slowly, almost touching his nose.

“I will kiss you then [insert heart shape here]”

“Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

.------ This is how easily the youth is being played with by Ayano in the palm of her hand.

“Huh? So that kind of thing happened.”

On the second floor of the hamburger shop before the station, the two are chatting about the topic regarding the victory banquet a few days earlier.

Hearing Ren’s innocent reaction, Ayano shows an evil smile and answers.

“Yeah, when Ren was asleep.”

“……Gee, don’t bring that up anymore!”

Ren’s cheeks flush red, he was asleep on that day all the way until the banquet ended. The shock and shame when he woke up on Ayano’s legs shows no sign of subsiding even after three days.

He felt for the first time what it means to “really want to dig a hole in the ground and hide within.”

“What should I do if father found out about this……”

Seeing the uneasy Ren, Ayano grabs a French fry in her hand and says with ease.

“What else can you do? He already knows doesn’t he? There seems to be quite a number of people visiting him these few days.”

Ren’s father Genma did not participate in the battle against the Fuga clan, but instead he lost in the quarrel among the father and son, and is still in the hospital resting at the moment.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

Ren lies on the table, hugs his head and moans.

Genma who is very strict towards himself or others, is even more strict towards his relatives. It is not hard to imagine what his reaction would be when he hears of his son’s blunder [or gaffe].

“That is enough, don’t be so down.”

“But I am so down.”

Ren uses an incomparably downhearted voice to reproach Ayano who is giving an irresponsible remark.

“Because once father is angry, he is really strict.”

“……I guess!”

Ayano uses an ambiguous tone to reply. Whether he would be angry is another matter, the impression of a “friendly Genma” is way beyond her imagination already.

(Will that guy smile before Ren’s face?)

.------ Even though she has only seen him mocking or laughing whole-heartedly.

“When the time comes, you can just push everything to Kazuma.”

“To put the blame on others, father would become even angrier.”

“……That is true, this kind of person is really hard to deal with.”

“Awuuuuuuuuuh!”

Ren spreads himself on the table and moans.

“------Huh?”

This is all just a coincidence.

If he lifted his upper body, his view would be blocked by the branches that are protruding out, causing him to be unable to see that place. Just because he took on the posture of placing his entire cheek almost pasted on the table, so Ren is lucky enough to witness the scene before his eyes.

“What is it?”

“That person……”

Ayano lowers her head to look at the direction that Ren guided her to.

At the end of where she can see------ A female is standing there.

That is a beautiful woman that would make everyone mesmerized. A clean pure white coat with shiny black hair, the two create a great contrast that makes her even more attractive.

Ayano smiles at Ren with an evil thought in mind.

“What a beautiful person, you know her?”

Ren ignores her, but mutters..

“That person, isn’t that Sister Misao……”

“Eh eh------?”

Ayano quickly turns her head back to observe the female downstairs more closely. After a few seconds------

“It seems to be her……”

Indeed, that is Misao Ogami. However, she is completely different from how she was three days ago.

Just the fact that she is not wearing a kimono, she is completely different from the impression she gives. Even though she had known Misao ever since she was little, but in her memory, this is the first time seeing her wear a western outfit.

Perhaps because of that, the shank displayed from below her coat looks exceptionally gorgeous.

To describe it in a single word, it would be coquettish. Though she always seems plain normally, as if she wants to be buried in the surrounding crowds, but now she is giving people an unbelievably magnificent impression.

Actually, within the five minutes that the two stared silently at her, there have already been three men that came to try to hit on her.

Misao uses an extremely sedate attitude to refuse them. As she had given them face in her speech, the men did not pester her, but left briskly.

If this scene is to be seen by Nanase and Yukari, Ayano would most probably be coldly rebuked [actual text: 吐槽] saying “learn from her”.

After looking at her dumbfoundedly for a while, Ren grumbles saying.

“She seems to be waiting for someone.”

“This------ is really surprising.”

Ayano’s tone sounds as though she still cannot believe it. Because this is very different from the way she imagined earlier.

“Is it a date?”

“…… Is it not?”

For a girl like Misao, she would most probably not dress up in such a manner to meet a friend of the same gender!

Ayano becomes more and more interested.

“I wonder who is she dating?”

She drinks her orange juice, and observes outside the window, showing great interest in it. The way she looks, anyone looking at her from the side would think she is very suspicious.

“…… Sister.”

Ren looks at the Ayano who is spying on Misao with a bitter smile, he himself follows to observe the outside. At this moment, the other party appears.

“------Brother?”

He can’t help but doubt his own eyes. But, that is indeed Ren’s brother Kazuma. He does not seem to be coincidentally passing by, the proof being Misao showing a smile at this moment, and ran towards Kazuma.

Before Ren who is dumbfounded like a wooden chicken, the two intimately hold hands and walks off.

After the two disappears from view, Ren is still staring at the scenery outside the window dumbly. That is an absolutely impossible combination, because to Misao, Kazuma is “the man who killed brother.”

It was a faint sound that got Ren back to his senses.

Puchunk. [sound of something being squashed]

A light and soft something was being squashed, a sound that cannot be any more usual, but hearing it gives one an uneasy feeling instead.

Ren faces Ayano while on tenderhooks. As he does not dare to look directly at her, thus he shifts his eyes from below, following the table up in Ayano’s direction.

The first thing that came into his eyes is Ayano’s hand.

The tender fingers grips the paper cup that still has orange juice in it, and directly forms the shape of a fist. The orange juice spills out, and forms a patch of orange colored ocean. The fries and hamburger are soaked completely, and is no longer edible.[or makes one unable to swallow it down]

Ayano’s hand crackles. That is the sound of the ice that was unable to escape from the paper cup being crushed at the inner part of her palm. The tightly held hand trembles continuously.

Ren is so scared he does not dare to lift his head.

Even though he does not know the reason why, but Ayano is currently extremely angry. If he is not careful enough, he might become her target.

Pak!

Suddenly, Ayano slaps on the table and stands up.

“------Argh!”

Facing Ren who shrinks his body, Ayano tells him softly..

“……I am going to follow them.”

“……Huh?”

Before Ren can open his mouth to question, Ayano has already ran out of the shop.

“Wait…… Wait a minute……”

Ren hurriedly takes up their plates, and passes it to the big sister shop assistant [or female shop assistant who is elder than Ren?] who is standing before the rubbish bin waiting at one go.

“Thank you for your patronage.”

With his back facing the shop assistant who is showing a professional smile------ Ren swiftly runs towards the toilet.

3

After waiting several dozen seconds, Ren runs to catch up to Ayano.

“Nee-sama?”

But by now, there is no sign of Ayano. After looking around in vain, Ren runs in the direction from which Kazuma and Misao took their leave...

...and immediately discovers Ayano, whose actions make her presence immediately obvious.

“……Nee-sama……”

As a beautiful girl hiding behind an electric pole, sneakily surveying her prey, she stands out more than if she were doing nothing at all.

For a moment, he strongly considers pretending he does not know Ayano and returning home, but he entertains the thought only, unwilling to do such a thing.

Ren bravely steps forward, and walks up to Ayano, who can now be considered an exemplary suspicious character.

“……Nee-sama.”

"What were you doing, taking so long?"

Ren, speechless, silently takes out a wet handkerchief.

“What?”

“Please clean your hands.”

“Huh? Oh. Ah, thank you.”

Ayano takes the handkerchief and begins to clean her hand, sticky from the orange juice.

“You're pretty smart, Ren.”

“You are very welcome,” Ren answers calmly, as he observes Kazuma and Misao, about ten meters to the front.

The two are holding hands, walking on the road with an abnormally intimate shining stature. Though they are unable to hear what the two are saying, from the occasional smiles between them, it is easy to tell there is more to their relationship.

"Don't just stand there, hide! We'll be seen!"

Ayano grabs Ren's hand, and pulls him behind the pole alongside her, but no matter how you might try, it is simply impossible for an electric pole to hide two people.

“Nee-sama, you still want to follow them?”

”Of course.”

“Why?”

Faced with this candid question, Ayano is left momentarily speechless.

"Wh-What kind of question is that?!"

"Because, no matter how I look at it, they are simply on a date. What we are doing is simply prying."

Ren does not exaggerate, but simply says what he truly feels, and Ayano is deeply stung.

"Wh-what prying...This doesn't have such an indecent motive! I am just..."

“Just...?”

"Just...Misao…! That's right! Misao might still intend to take Kazuma's life!"

"No matter what method she may try, she will never beat him."

“Argh...”

Her hastily constructed excuse calmly rebutted, Ayano is left speechless once more.

“Do-Don’t you know? That guy is a sucker for beautiful women!”

“Beautiful women, is it?”

“That's right! Didn’t I tell you before? That guy even tried to force himself on Misao last time!” Ayano, finally raising her head, declares unashamedly.

Ren ponders this for a time, before blushing, and abashedly asking, "So, we will have to continue to spy on the two, until Misao nee-sama...until Misao nee-sama begins to use her beauty to seduce Nii-sama?"

Ayano cannot help but to visualize the scene in her mind. She pictures herself hiding in a dark corner, watching the two as they hug, kiss, and then continue to the next step...

(……Maybe I kind of hate doing this……)

Thinking about these scenes not meant for viewing, Ayano feels like turning back.

At this moment, if he had chosen to continue to persuade her along these lines, Ayano may just have given up. Unfortunately, Ren chose another method - a method so wrong, it couldn't have been worse.

Perhaps because he thinks this reason is more accurate, Ren opens his mouth to ask...

"Nee-sama, could it be that you are...jealous?"

He has no proof, just a feeling. Maybe the wish he holds, that "Kazuma nii-sama and Ayano nee-sama will get along" may be mixed in as well.

In other words, a careless statement.

“Ren...?”

Seeing a smile that could cause a child to live in eternal fear, Ren realizes he has stepped on a land mine.

(Wh-wh-wha?!)

This smile that was not a smile caught Ren, like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to run or even look away.

“Ah…… ah……”

“What did you just say?”

Faced with this question and the smile that, of course, does not reach her eyes, Ren can only shake his head, rigidly like a robot.

Ayano softly reaches out her hand, and places it on Ren's face, filled with fear.

“Ren is such a good kid, that's the way to live to a ripe, old age!”

Ren is helpless to do anything but nod.

“They are still following us.”

“Yeah.”

Misao says so softly and happily, Kazuma on the other hand, replies with a tired expression.

Without even needing to look, the two know they are being tailed - if it can even be considered tailing.

Hiding your tracks, disguising the tail, the precise selection of follow distance and position...no matter how you look at it, this doesn't qualify as tailing. To put it bluntly, even an amateur should do better. It almost makes you want to scream that if they really want to hide, they should at least shut up.

(To entrust those two with the future of the Kannagi...aren't you worried, clan chief?)

Kazuma cannot help but sympathize with Jugo, though never putting it to words. What he considers now is...

“What is it?”

Seeing Misao with an innocent smile, Kazuma gives her a smile in return.

“It’s nothing. I was just wondering, where are you taking me?”

“We are almost there.”

Given the way Misao is pulling Kazuma along, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she's forcing him along, but Kazuma offers no resistance and follows.

(The feeling of waiting for the gallows...I guess it would be just like this!)

This is what he thinks.

At an alley corner, Misao suddenly stops. This place is surrounded by rows of buildings, and even in broad daylight, it seems rather shady. Misao silently remains in place, while an icy chill fills the air.

Ignoring the rapidly changing atmosphere, Kazuma calmly asks, "Is this place fine?"

“Yup. This is the destination.”

Misao answers in a firm tone, followed with an exaggerated bow.

“So...I wish you luck.”

As she says those words, Kazuma's body flies.

As if hit by an invisible car, or struck in the head by a metallic bat, his body forcefully smashes into the ground.

Several moments later, a veritable explosion of sound shakes the air. As if Kazuma wasn't even given enough time to recognize the sound of gunfire, the body that rolls on the ground seems powerless, like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

On the other hand, Misao wears a smile, watching as Kazuma is blown away. She slowly retreats without ever looking away.

As if swapping positions, as Misao retreats, ten men appear from the shadow of the surrounding buildings. The men wore western suits, seemingly businessmen at first glance, but though their ethnicities and ages are all different, their teamwork is at a very high level.

They spread out and surround Kazuma, now lying on the floor, in a fan shaped formation, extracting the contents of their cases in a swift, practiced motion.

What lies within is not documents, or product samples, but a pitch black, metallic object, a device designed solely for killing - an MP5K, a smaller type of MP5, an assault rifle designed for portability.

The men casually place this thing that would not normally appear in a businessman's briefcase near their waists, as if it is only natural, and without hesitation, they pull the trigger.

The bullets are fired out in full-auto, and several hundred shots crash into Kazuma's body as one. Hit asphalt was crushed into a fine mist, staining their surroundings with gray.

The men take no notice, and continue to spray fire over a wide area in Kazuma's direction.

It takes less than three seconds for them to run through their magazines, and they quickly insert a new clip before resuming fire.

Then this scene repeated itself once more.

When all three cartridges have been expended, the men swiftly take cover, while something drops from the sky at high velocity.

-BOOM-

An explosion.

The violent explosion blew away everything where it landed.

“…… This way…… No matter how strong that man is……”

Looking at the dusty scene of the explosion, Misao mutters to herself without emotion.

Indeed, there aren't many who could survive such an encounter. To expend close to a thousand bullets and over a dozen missiles - to call this overkill would be an understatement.

An attack that would make you feel the objective is not to "kill," but to "eradicate," to the point that nothing would remain. This is just such an attack.

She shifts her eyes slightly, seeing Ayano and Ren hugging each other on the ground.

They seem to be too shocked to stand, but as long as the two are unharmed, it is fine. Even if she has already severed her ties, she is unable to forget her respect for the Kannagi, let alone have them as enemies.

On the other hand, in the corner where Kazuma lay, the remains of the destroyed building begin to collapse, forming a small hill of concrete rubble. Even were you to search under that hill, probably not a scrap of cloth remained.

“We must dig the corpse out.”

Witnessing the horrifying scene before her, Misao calmly says to herself. At this moment, the men bearing the assault rifles run out and encircle the small hill of concrete.

An awful silence looms over the area.

“………………”

Pa-chunk. [SFX: concrete shifting]

A faint sound emerged from the bottom of the small hill, slicing through the silence.

“----------------!”

The originally puppet-like, emotionless faces of the men seem shaken for the first time.

A black shadow appears from within the misty white dust, and the sound of steady footsteps flow forth.

“Fi-Fire!”

A command shouted in a voice that no longer radiates calm. Driven by fear, and the voice, the men reflexively pull the trigger.

The erupting gunfire, loud enough to cause deafness, echoes through the alley. After being hit by several hundred more bullets, the black shadow falls once more.

“…… Phew……”

Someone breathes out in relief, as if released from a heavy burden. Following his lead, the other men begin to relax, one by one. At this moment-

A tornado appears.

The seemingly rampaging tornado is tightly controlled, only cutting the bodies of the ten men. Five bodies, already torn to pieces, dance in the sky. Simultaneously, the tornado disperses all the dust. In the blink of an eye, the air has become unbelievably clear.

"Making such a scene, as always."

Kazuma smiles happily.

After recovering from momentary shock, Misao's face resumes its gentle smile as she looks at Kazuma.

Other than a little dirt, he suffered no damage at all. It appears he used a wind barrier to deflect everything.

Misao puts her hand in her pocket, as if nothing has happened, and radios a signal.

"Just to warn you, don't waste your energy," Kazuma unhurriedly advises Misao.

“The snipers are dead - both of them.”

After hearing this snide comment, delivered in a matter-of-course tone, Misao's smile instantly vanishes.

In addition to the first sniper, over one kilometer away, Misao had prepared a secondary sniper as a trump card. Placed in front of, and behind, with Kazuma in the center, two kilometers separated the two.

And yet Kazuma had killed them. This meant that while defending against such a savage attack, he was calmly scanning an area with a radius of at least one kilometer without missing a step.

Though what he says is unbelievable, the radio has yet to respond. Misao offers a bitter smile, and discards her radio.

“Gee, are you a monster?”

“People often say that I am,” Kazuma answers calmly.

"But, for you to think of such a method-! Compared to your en-jutsu, modern weaponry is definitely much more effective - alas, it still isn't enough."

“So it seems. How about cruise missiles next time?”

Both of them reveal a kind smile.

At this time, the bodies of the men killed by the tornado and thrown to the skies begin to rain down.

Kazuma deflects the corpses with his wind-

-KABOOM- [SFX: explosion]

Misao, on the other hand, remorselessly burns the corpses to ash with her fire.

Seeing the corpses turn to dust, to be blown away by the wind, Kazuma asks in a low voice, "Those men were hired by you, weren't they?"

“I don’t recall hiring dead people.”

Misao, smiling, replies.

Yes, Misao is smiling. Though the mercenaries she hired turned a street corner to ruin, causing death and injury to many, that smile holds not a shred of insincerity.

Pure and innocent, a smile to be pitied - the smile of someone who has crossed a line that should never be crossed, the smile of someone on the wrong path.

"You've changed, Misao...Was I the cause...?" Kazuma asks, in a rare, pained tone.

“I changed? Did you know me that well?”

“…… That is true.”

Kazuma waves away his sorrow, reverting to a cold expression.

“So, your plan ends here?”

“Yes, this is it for today.”

“Is that so? You may go then.”

Hearing these words, Misao is slightly shocked.

“Is it really okay to just let me go?”

“I have said this before. No matter what method you may try, you cannot even scratch me.”

"You will regret it.”

“Let's wait and see.”

Misao does not reply, and silently turns to leave.

Seeing the shadow of her back fade away in the distance, Kazuma sighs softly.

“Ten years…… is really a long time……”

His quiet words pass unheard, and disappear into the winds.