Kaze no Stigma:Volume4 Chapter 3

Shinjuku RPG

Part 1

"Kazuma! I heard you made some serious blunder, huh?"

Meeting Kazuma face to face, Ayano said so, extremely enjoyed.

"Aah"

But Kazuma's response was an indifferent nod and without giving any reply he entrusted his back to the wall, his limbs idle.

"Kazuma.....?"

In front of that attitude she couldn't sport with, Ayano forgot the next attack she already prepared and called out to him in doubt.

Kazuma didn't answer. Not like he was ignoring her, more like he didn't even hear.

"What's this?"

She involuntarily asked Kirika but of course, she doesn't have the answer.

"I don't know - By the way Isurugi-kun, how long are you going to stand there, come sit!"

That was the first time Ayano realized she had another visitor.

If this man came together with Kazuma, it means it must be the promising newcomer. From what she heart, he was definitely twenty three years old. But he seemed at least five years younger.

He had an extreme child-face. Because he came here while running, his cheeks were red. He stood stand still outside the room until he was permitted to come in.

But even so, why doesn't he move even after being called in.

"Good grief......"

Kirika stood up with a sigh, briskly walked to Daiki and brought him in by the ear.

"Isurugi policeman! Open your eyes!"

"Y- yes!"

The intense pain and scolding voice, brought Daiki's consciousness back to reality. His muscles extended as if an electric current run through them and stood vertically in front of Kirika.

"Th- this is Isurugi Daiki, I have just arrived!"

"I appreciate your efforts but first of all come sit down"

Responding in a worn-out voice, Kirika seized Daiki's hand. And then pulled him down as if he was a child who lost his composure, making him sit behind her.

He was acting like a suspect in a crime - Kirika thought so seeing him stand on the balls of the feet .

But then, Kirika quickly realized that was a misunderstanding.

While fleetingly stealing glances at Ayano, sitting down, Daiki asked:

"Ah, errr...this miss is....."

"........."

Feeling the approaching headache at the too easy to understand attitude, Kirika pressed her temples.

Even if she said he was a promising newcomer, she couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

Throwing a sidelong glance at Kirika, Ayano bowed with a graceful gesture.

"I was late in introducing myself. I am the daughter of Kannagi Juugo, my name is Ayano"

Her bow was polite and her salute very friendly.

All her gestures were, each and everyone, unimaginably refined and hugely different from the time she was with Kazuma.

"Y- you are?"

As expected, it seemed even he knew that name, his flushed face becoming nervous.

But, as the the face of the girl he was looking at smiled softly just now, his consciousness flew up to heaven.

"My- my name is Isurugi Daiki! I work as a policeman, I'm twenty three years old and single!"

Daiki returned the greeting in a much too excited voice, with a slightly different focus.

Maybe he was really planning for a formal marriage interview.

But Ayano didn't attack that happy idiot and bowed her head with a serious face.

"I heard about you from Inspector Tachibana. That you are a newcomer she has great hopes for in the future"

"N- no, how unthinkable! My power is almost like nonexistent when comparing it with the Kannagi Clan"

"It has nothing to do with the size of power. It's important what you can do and what you should do with your power. You can protect people with that power, right? I think that's something you can be proud of."

"Is- is that so?"

"Yes, of course"

Although clumsy, he talked freely for the first time.

"Appearing in disguise, huh?"

Kirika stared in admiration at Ayano's graceful attitude, so different from normal.

But in reality, this was how Kannagi Ayano appeared to the majority of people.

Without need of using the <<as if>> figurative expression she was the child of a genuine good family and it is obvious that she had a thorough instruction on etiquette.

As for Kirika, if their first meeting would have been different, they would have come in contact in a similar manner. As for Ayano, she's not aware of any sort of pretense. This is also the girl's true appearance.

But, in the middle of the pleasant talk, the flawless behavior made a slight crack. While nodding at Daiki's words, her glance seemed turned elsewhere, her lips sharp with dissatisfaction.

It was just for one moment so Daiki didn't notice. But Kirika didn't miss it. Turning in the direction Ayano's eyes just did, Kirika made a small, wry smile.

In one of the room's corners, in a posture with one knee up, Kazuma sits in silence, without minding Ayano, talking so cheerful with another man. Or perhaps, not even recognizing it.

"........."

Looking at Kazuma in such a state, Kirika's conviction that something did happened only deepened.

He wasn't a man with such an innocent charm as to behave jealously but normally he would at least make a few sarcastic comments on Ayano's elegant attitude and difference of standard for another.

But before she was able to investigate it, the conversation moved forward.

Kirika lightly clapped her hands and pulled back Daiki's consciousness, floating higher than the clouds.

"well, it's about time we got to the main point. First Isurugi Daiki, report"

Saying that, Kirika stared coldly at Daiki, now coming to his senses, and started speaking about the full particulars of his own error.

"What the fuck was that? Who was she or what was she?"

On the other side, Kazuma was completely ignoring the noisy surroundings, and was thinking about the girl he met.

She couldn't possibly Tsoi Rin. Even if that was a ghost, it wasn't Tsoi Rin's ghost.

But for some reason, he naturally accepted her as Tsoi Rin.

But, something was odd.

The fact is the girl supposed to be dead four years ago appeared unchanged was very abnormal in itself, what's more, she felt a somewhat uncomfortable feeling from her.

".........what was it.........?"

He compared the four years old memory and what he saw an hour before. The girl's smile he remembered in a long time.

Yes, she was a girl smiling with a carefree face.

Her cherry blossoms lips smiling broadly, making her pupils full of vitality sparkle -

"Aah, I see..."

Realizing the source of that uncomfortable feeling, Kazuma slapped his palms. And then spoke loudly without realizing.

"Tsoi Rin's were green, huh..."

That girl's eyes were lapis lazuli blue. Feeling good for finally settling the question, he finally became aware of the outside world.

And then realized he became the center of attention.

A stunned Kirika. An absolutely bewildered Daiki. And then, because he uttered Tsuo Rin's name aloud, glaring at him with angered eyes, Ayano.

All three's glance, in different ways, pierced into Kazuma.

"Kazuma - ", Kirika spoke together with a sigh.

"Did you, heard what we were saying?"

"No, not at all", Kazuma responded honestly but the atmosphere can't be calmed down just because of that.

Kirika got the better of Ayano, whose eyes emitted a much more dangerous atmosphere, and urged Kazuma.

"Just at the right time. Please explain today's fact from your point of view. It seems Isurugi-kun didn't understand anything"

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

Daiki made himself small. Everyone ignored him.

"Fine. But I'm telling you, I have yet to get to the bottom of this."

With that introduction, Kazuma started speaking about the circumstances of the fight with <<The Hell Hound>>. The meaningful words he spoke became the focus of the room.

"A class change at Pandemonium, huh? This seems more and more like a game"

After Kazuma's story was finished, Ayano whispered so in an amazed tone. But diagonally from her, Kirika kept quiet with a difficult facial expression.

"Did you thought of something?"

"There's also the site Shinomiya-san told us about. Something similar was written there"

"What you are trying to say is that this is not just <<The Hell Hound>>'s wild delusion?"

"There's also a possibility the people who wrote that think the same way"

Kirika replied so but she wasn't honest about that. The fact that she believes Kazuma's report and, the things written on the bulletin board as true, can be read between the lines from her speech.

But, that truth was not compatible with Ayano's common sense.

Piling up a great quantity of experience, that after exceeding a fixed number gave a level-up. If one were to raise their level even more, a class chance will happen and acquire a furthermore greater power.

"That sort of convenient power, where on earth can you find it?"

Finding a problem, Kirika opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"Ah, I didn't explain that incident. I'm sorry. Because I didn't hear from Shinomiya-san since, I didn't told you about that. Simply put - "

"Ayano-sama"

As if covering Kirika's voice, someone called Ayano from the hallway.

"What?"

At Ayano's short question, the servant replied with courtesy.

"You're wanted on the telephone"

".......come in"

"Sorry to bother you"

The fusuma was soundlessly opened. Carrying a wooden tray the telephone was placed on, the yet young servant quietly entered.

"Who is it?"

"Someone called Suzuhara"

"Suzuhara?"

Without having any idea who that is, Ayano was puzzled.

"She said she was Ren-sama's classmate"

"Ah, Kanon-chan? - and you - "

While remembering the girl with adorable looks and lively character, Ayano looked at the servant frowning.

The ones serving the Kannagi family obviously know the Clan's occupation and the importance of that duty.

Even if he was a servant, a blockhead that interrupts a meeting for a personal call has no qualifications to work in this household.

But, not realizing he was on the verge of unemployment, the servant continued his words blandly.

"It seems an emergency. She said Ren-sama is missing"

" - tch! Father?"

"Of course. As well as Genma-sama"

While answering frankly, the servant held out the tray. Ayano gripped the phone as if tearing it off.

"Hello?"

Coincident with Ayano's word, an upset voice flew in like a torrent.

"J- just calm down. Tell me what happened since the beginn - he disappeared? Suddenly, in front of your eyes? At Tokyo's Government Office? Why were you - Pandemonium?"

That last word frozen the already strained atmosphere of the room.

In the still as death space, only Ayano's voice resounded for a long time.