Kaze no Stigma

The dead of night - Without even a slight movement, Kazuma opened his eyes wide in silence.

A cynical remembrance of those magnificent, dream-like happy days.

He woke up because the happiness was too much. It was like being taught that he will never go back to those times, not even in the middle of dreaming.

"Ku.....Kuu ku ku..."

A hollow laughter escaped. As if sneering at his ugliness and the whole world.

As a result of losing everything, he obtained that which no matter how much he wished for evaded him.

That was a modest, commonplace happiness found everywhere.

There was a person who would smile at him, tell him Good morning when he woke up and Good night when it was the time to sleep - only that but those were irreplaceable days full of happiness.

Even the power he pursued like a mad-man disappeared like something from a dream.

Because he met a person who looked at him plainly, not at > or >.

If he could have protected that girl and the small world revolving around her, it would have been enough.

Even if he couldn"t hunt Youmas, there was no need for self-abas.e.m.e.nt.

He really thought so, from the bottom of his heart.

Until the time that happy paradise crumbled away without leaving any trace.

"Really......."

Inside the darkness, Kazuma laughed at his foolishness.

How naive was he.

If you"re weak, if you lose, you can"t protect anything. It means losing everything.

Just like he deserved, he became alone again.

No - he"s not alone.

There"s him and he - those two.

Revenge is vain, it"s a sterile act that doesn"t give back anything, an intelligent person will proclaim so with a triumphant expression.

Kazuma generally agreed with it. When he pursued that man, during that time he lived only for revenge he never thought revenge was meaningful.

But there was nothing else left except for that. There was nothing else to do.

That"s why, he desperately refined his ability. Throwing away anything else, all for the sake of killing one man. But -

"I made a mistake....."

Erasing his facial expression, just like a Noh mask, Kazuma murmured.

This is the result of thinking that dealing with that man was enough and neglecting his followers.

"If you find the answer, come again."

Those conceited parting words, won"t go away. Words said from the view-point of the superior one that completely look down on him.

Kazuma groaned, tightly clenching his fists at that disgrace.

"the answer, you said? Isn"t it obvious..........Kill you. Break that good-for-nothing doll - Aah, I"ll do it. This time, for sure"

His mouth warped, the same daring smile as ever. But, if Ayano or Ren were to see his eyes, they would probably be at a loss for words.

Hatred and insanity and the pair of eyes swirling in evil malice boiling hot with deeply rooted delusions, changed that cynical but cheerful smile in a different thing altogether.

That smile, expressed by most of the enemies they killed until now, was mad.

Late at night, there was a countless number of people surrounding the already closed public park.

Everyone was young. The eldest was maybe in the first half of his twenty. But, considering it was a gathering of young people a bizarre silence was floating around that place.

A heavy silence.

Even the noises made sometimes didn"t had a following and vainly disappeared in the air.

It couldn"t be concluded that they held their breath in fear of being seen trespa.s.sing on the park. They don"t care about such ethical viewpoints. They don"t have law-abiding intentions.

If they were accused, perhaps they would ask back with a straight face. What"s wrong with creeping in a closed park? They"re not troubling anyone, or something.

They weren"t silent, they were acc.u.mulating. Preparing for the moment of explosion drawing near, silently raising the pressure. They had one mind.

And then, a few minutes later - the time came.

"It - it came......."

"It"s coming........"

Together with the m.u.f.fled commotion the crowd of people separated in halves, and one man stepped forward to the center of the plaza. After him, another one.

Facing each other at a distance of roughly five meters, the two men.

Looking at them, a buzz spread among the members of the audience and this time the volume was raising without a pause.

Someone stamped his feet.

"Dan....Don.....Don...."

Swiftly propagating in the surroundings, it was like a rumble in the ground, making the earth tremble.

"Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! "

Excited cheering piercing the ears and earth tremor.

Those two men standing in the middle - didn"t need explanation, the situation was very clear.

It"s very improbable but a.s.suming there was a man who arrived here by accident, he would be able to see through this event instantly.

That this is an arena. That for the sake of watching the two man at the center fight for their lives, so many spectators gathered and they were widely enthusiastic, beyond reason.

It wasn"t unreasonable for the spectators to be so stimulated. The match tonight was the largest big game since the game started.

Among spectators there were many players like the two in the center.

For such people it was an aspiration but also a landmark - those belonging to the >, the > will for the first time fight each other tonight.

At a different level than those >, the spectators anxious to see the exchange of power beyond human understanding were raising their voices in joyous shouts similar to angry roars.

Contrastive with the members of the audience, the men standing still at the center, were silent.

Exchanged glances. Sneer versus scornful laughter.

On one side, a slender boy dressed in a school uniform, > Shin.

The other one, with a black leather jacket and black pants and metal accessories dangling here and there - > Kou.

At the time the spectators started fl.u.s.tering about the two continuing to stand off against each other, as if signalling the start of battle, Shin got the ball rolling.

"No way, you don"t really think you can win this match right?"

Words that were polite at first but clearly had no problem looking down on the opponent.

That figure properly wearing a blue school uniform from a famous high school was perhaps suited with that tone.

"You"re a demon-user. While you can summon powerful demons, you yourself have no power. You may be able to win against > small fry with only that but it won"t work on the >, the >", Shin declared, together with a blatant sneer.

"I don"t know how many > there are - but I"m prepared to bet. That you are the weakest"

"Che, shut the f.u.c.k up", Kou swore, without showing any hint of being shaken by Shin"s words.

"Don"t be so conceited for a tumbler whose only redeeming feature is sparkling. A boy from an elite school shouldn"t fight, how about you go home and study for a test, huh? With that power of yours you could lower[1] your electric bill so it"s pretty convenient, huh? "

" - Those words will cost you greatly", announced Shin in a frozen voice, closing his eyes partly.

"I"ll kick you down"

Kou raised his right hand middle finger. And then - the battle start.

"Coma out, Harpas!"

"You"re slow!"

In front of Kou the s.p.a.ce was warped. The summoned demon was an omen that appeared from the underworld, beyond our dimension. But, without waiting for it, Shin pushed out his right hand straight ahead.

"My ability is the fastest. And also, the strongest"

He had enough composure to say so, proudly.

That was by no means an exaggeration. At present, the fastest > confirmed until now was the > manipulating light, the > fired by >

Its natural shape was light collected into a wave, in a word a laser beam. Except the way it was produced, it was a purely physical light.

It had no special magic effects but the overwhelming caloric value burned through everything with the speed of light, literally.

"Just die!"

The spear of light was fired together with the death sentence. Shin was convinced of victory. But -

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

He faintly frowned.

A resistance from the place he hit should have been impossible but he felt he missed his chance to kill.

As if supporting that, the distortion in s.p.a.ce flickered without showing any sign the distortion ended. From inside there, the darkness of the underground peeked.

And then, two ominous red lights.

"Kuu!"

Although faltering, Shin fired the light once more. The ray glistening blue pierced at the center of the distorted place - and silently, it was repelled.

The light slipped off at a slightly different angle and grazed Shin"s cheek.

"Wha - ?"

Shin"s face was distorted with shock. Looking at it, showed a sneer full of superiority.

"Ku kuu, did you think I would appear in front of you without any counter-plan? It won"t work, you know. Because your power can"t even scratch me! "

"Ab - absurd......"

Opening his eyes wide in surprise, Shin stared at Kou.

The distortion in s.p.a.ce before he realized. But not one demon was summoned -

"N - No.......that"s...."

In front of Kou, a small bird was flying. With bright white feathers even in the dark. Crimson eyes.

"A pigeon? Are you saying a pigeon reflected my >?"

The pure white small bird was flying playfully around Kou, describing a helix. And then stopped on his shoulder.

Those red eyes pierced through Shin.

" - tch!"

Faced with that sinister thing, Shin involuntarily gasped.

He understood at a glance. That this thing has no connection with its outward appearance.

Profound understanding no ordinary bird would posses, overwhelming hatred and an evil disposition, everything was clamoring inside those eyes.

"Did you contract the Devil King Harpas Solomon, the ruler of seventy two demons?"

Clearly showing a knowledge of summoning, Shin raised a cry of shock. But -

"King Solomon? Who the heck is that? "

"Huh? "

Shin"s jaw fell.

"This guy is no devil king. it"s the demon Harpas - holding the power to reflect magic, my trump card!"

"R- reflect magic !?"

Not remembering any sort of such description in Lemegeton or The key of Solomon, Shin stared at Harpas with astonishment.

"Huh, it"s something an elite like you doesn"t know! It"s common sense, you understand, common sense! "

Kou was becoming increasingly elated. And then, he shouted loudly.

"I"m not finished yet! Come out, Fenrir! Flesberg!"

Responding to the summoning voice, new demons made an appearance. A huge wolf and an eagle.

Both their eyes filled with overwhelming energy, fixing their glares on the stand rock still Shin.

Of course, Harpas didn"t disappear.

"Impossible....Can you operate three demons at the same time? ", groaned Shin with a shuddering voice.

It was understandable. More than sealing direct attacks, beginning attacking in waves from the ground and the sky - it was practically an iron wall battle formation.

Right now, there was no way for him to resist.

"You s.h.i.t, you said earlier I was the weakest, huh? ", Kou said putting on airs of teasing him.

"Then, it means right now you are in the position of >. No, maybe outside the ranks, as if you were dead? "

"B- b.a.s.t.a.r.d......"

"Devour even his bones! Go, Fenrir! Flesberg!"

In response to the owner"s command, the two beast stir.

Fenrir forcefully gallop on the ground, Flesberg flaps his wings in the night sky.

"D - Don"t underestimate me!"

Aiming at the attacking demons, Shin fired rapidly >. But, because of their very beast-like movements he, no more than a human man, wasn"t able to reach them.

The light rays slipped through and danced like during a concert and the two beasts drew near fast like the wind.

"U - Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Without shame or honor, Shin tumbled on the ground dodging the beast"s attack.

The symbol of his excellence, the blue uniform was smeared in dust.

"Haa ha ha ha ha! Don"t you look good, elite boy! Do your best and show me just how far can you run! "

Shin glared with eyes boiling with hatred at Kou, laughing loudly.

But, the spear of light doesn"t reach the f.a.got.

For him right now there was no other option but wait for a chance to recover from this hopeless situation while running about like a hunted animal.

"s.h.i.t! s.h.i.t! s.h.i.t!! I"m - I"m - "

While this disgrace was burned into his consciousness, Shin continued running around in this ugly manner.

This could possibly the biggest disgrace of his life. Not, a close fight.

He was fighting one with the same rank. Although he verbally looked down on his opponent, he didn"t believe he could win easily from the start.

But, this is different.

He"s not fighting hard against the >. He"s fighting hard against the demons the > is employing.

Even though they are the same, the difference is so big.

The ones fighting, the two beasts versus the > itself. The > is only watching from a safe place.

He - the > was right now left behind the >. Not the ups and lows of abilities.

For example, it was like the existence of the piece called > itself was considered of lower rank.

He didn"t allow it.

He was a chosen one. In comparison to those ma.s.ses whose existence was optional, he was a superior being.

For someone like him to be considered the same rank as those enslaved beasts, to be looked down upon by such a vulgar man, it was something that shouldn"t exist.

"If I only had more power"

He desired power. He was keenly craving it.

And believed in it. The fact that he still had a dormant power.

He believed so because he was a chosen man. Because it"s impossible for him to loose to that sc.u.m.

That"s why he ought to have a hidden power.

At that time, something pulsated inside his body. A pulse that seemed to make his heart explode and made his blood boil.

Simultaneously he strangely could see clearly the movements of the beasts that until now only seemed an afterimage.

Even their paths as of now, their position one moment in the future were decided with level of foresight that exceeded simple prediction.

His glittering yellow pupils lengthened vertically and captured all vectors.

Equally simple like shooting the targets in slow motion, no as if they stopped, Shin shot the huge beast jumping low.

"Ghyaaaa!"

Shot through the side, Fenrir raised a cry of pain. From its mouth with barred teeth, a large quant.i.ty of blood was vomited.

"Fe - Fenrir!"

" - Did I miss killing him, huh?"

Kou was panicking but Shin spoke in a contrastive cool tone.

He still couldn"t use his body according to the future foresight. Conversely to the situation until now, Shin"s reading exceeded Fenrir"s movement but his aim was slightly off.

"R - retreat, Fenrir!"

With a suspicions discomposure, Kou made Fenrir retreat. The big wolf"s image blurred and returned to the underworld with a wounded body.

The fact that Kou became confused and was panicking over Fenrir"s wounds was only natural.

Summoning magic was a double edged sword. He was able to use the power of a mighty demon but the moment the demon died, his own body receives those damages.

Kou personally tested that with his own body.

"Kuu - Flesberg!"

Kou ordered the winged demon circling in the sky to attack.

Flesberg a.s.sailed Shin with an almost vertical attack. It was power drive (?).

Using the aid of gravity, its speed broke through the speed of sounds in the blink of an eye.

But for Shin"s eyes, strangely changed, it looked like a caterpillar even at the speed of sound.

Brandishing Javelin in a mow down motion he burned half of Flesberg"s right wing.

Flesberg suddenly lost momentum and crashed into the ground.

The huge bird that crashed down at a subsonic speed, and as compensation for crater it created on the ground it exploded and scattered in all directions without leaving any trace.

"Gaaaah!? "

The shriek of understanding of the familiars" death scream reach from a slightly far away place. Obviously it was the summons"s master - Kou"s scream.

"B - b.a.s.t.a.r.d......you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, how dare you"

"The turning wind, huh? it must be hard being a summon master...", said Shin blandly, staring coldly at Kou groaning in pain.

As he was knowledgeable in the occult, he obviously knew the dangers of it.

"What will you do, do you want to >? If you get down to your knees and apologize for your rudeness until now, I may forgive you"

"F - f.u.c.k off"

Although grasping his painful heart, Kou didn"t lost his will to fight. Seizing his telephone with the other hand, he pushed it forward proudly.

"Don"t believe you won after defeating only two. I stocked ten other demons inside this telephone. Seven still remain."

"That"s good", replied Shin with no indication of disturbance.

"Then call the next one already. The > of another seven - I"m very interested how long will you be able to endure that agony? "

Shin laughed, making those golden pupils shine bright in the dark night. From his lips turned up something as long as fangs and very sharp peeked.

" B - b.a.s.t.a.r.d..."

Overawed by Shin, who seemed like a different person, Kou instinctively backed off.

"What"s up with your eyes......and those teeth, are they fangs?"

"Is there something wrong with my eyes? "

Shin slightly curved his lips, fixing his gla.s.ses.

"Something like that doesn"t matter. What I am interested right now is your pain and you screams in the agony of death, only that. I think it"s obvious - "

From his warped lips, white fangs showed. The quiet insanity dwelling in those golden pupils. The Kehai of a devilish, inhuman person -

"Don"t worry, I won"t let you die"

"Come out, Fafnir! Mushufushu! Raksasha! "

Together with the sentence full of joy, Kou called out his most powerful demons.

Realizing the battle reached its climax the spectators screamed from the bottom of their lungs and stamped their feet.

At that time - that man appeared.

The cheers were interrupted, the commotion died out.

All sound vanished from the plaza.

The silence overflowed.

The spectators that moments before were wild with enthusiasm felt goose-flesh.

Frozen in place like all their hearts were caught in a tight hold, not one moved. No, they couldn"t move.

The group of people that originally lost their reason don"t have reason enough to recognize the change in atmosphere.

But even so, they noticed this.

As if at that moment the entire world became their enemy, from all direction an intimidating air was drawing near.

As if they had been swallowed in the belly of huge monster - most people had that kind of mental image.

That was true in a certain sense.

They had certainly been gulped down.

By the domain of the man who ruled the entire atmosphere covering this earth.

The air was sharply p.r.i.c.kling the skin. It weighted on as if squashing them.

Their necks exposed to the Shinigami"s sickle, almost all felt that freezing fear.

The crowd of people was divided. Just like the time the two were ushered into the ring.

But the decision was loaded with a different intention.

Everyone looked at that one man walking towards them holding their breath. No one tried to stop the impolite man becoming a hindrance for the battle at its climax. No one raised their voice. No one wanted to have anything to do with him.

Everyone realized. The origin of this presence full of death that altogether enshrouded the park, of the this sinister atmosphere was just this one man.

But - there were also people who didn"t notice. For example those sky-rocketing tensions, in the middle of the battle.

"Aaaaaaaaah!? Y - you - !!"

Kou - known as > before the >, knew the face of the man that appeared.

When he perceived the man he hated, the one who made him taste his first defeat he shouted in a voice trembling with anger.

"At last your time has come, b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Aren"t you together with the police dog?"

Looking around, he searched for the child-faced police officer that once defeated him. But, he wasn"t anywhere.

"He hee"

Confirming that the man was alone, on Kou"s face a broad, s.a.d.i.s.tic grin appeared.

The unfortunate part - was that he didn"t know this man"s - Yagami Kazuma"s power.

It was very unfortunate.

"Showing your mug around here by yourself, so nonchalantly... I"ll pay you hundred-fold for back then!"

Burning with resentment, Kou tried to spur his demons on Kazuma. But -

"Wait!"

The long beam shot together with the voice hindered Kou"s revenge. Obviously, it was the > shot by Shin.

" - huh!?"

Kou made Harpas receive that hit but Harpas"s magic reflecting ability couldn"t completely deflect the beam with increased output.

For a few seconds the light spear and Harpas" field struggled for supremacy but eventually it divided into parts and disappeared in the empty s.p.a.ce.

"Wh - what are you doing?"

"You can"t possibly ask me that. You"re fighting against me right now. Don"t confuse the order of things."

"Shut the f.u.c.k up! You"re coming after. I need to hurry so this guy doesn"t run!"

"That"s not my problem"

With that cold reply, Shin turned his eyes on Kazuma.

"I didn"t know what business you have but withdraw for a short while. If you become more of a nuisance I"ll kill you"

"> and > - both of you are > >"

Kazuma didn"t reply, ignoring those affected threatening words.

Having been ignored, Shin"s veins popped out but ignoring even that, the man one-sided announced his business.

"Answer to me. Where is Pandemonium, the place you sc.u.m cla.s.s changed."

"Che! There"s no need to tell someone like you!"

Spitting out in a rough manner, Kou ordered the demons to attack.

"But, that"s right, if you win against these guys maybe I will teach you -"

He didn"t had time to finish his phrase. The moment he uttered those words the three demons were beheaded by frozen wind blades.

What"s more, even Harpas, holding a magic reflective power, was divided in two.

"Gaaaaaahhh!"

Immediately before a scream that didn"t seem human but beast-like roared. All eyes gathered there.

On the writhing and screaming > Kou.

Experiencing the > of four demons at the same time, what he felt via his physical nerves what more than he could handle.

His body literally experiencing the an agony more painful than death, without even being able to faint all four of Kou"s limbs were convulsing and from his mouth opened to the limit, he gushed out fresh blood and shrieks.

But, because he already the resistance of a similar experience or because he had some kind of counter measure, Kou didn"t lose his awareness or sanity but continued to bear that suffering.

He was made to bear that suffering.

"Aah......aah......aah?"

Overhead Kou, lying down face up breathing roughly, a black shadow blocked the moonlight. Focusing his blurry eyes, he barely focused.

" - Hiii!"

He gasped involuntarily.

The Shinigami was looking down on him with a cold gaze.

"Aa.........aauaa........."

He wanted to run but his body was completely still. He cannot look away.

The embodiment of heath, that nihilistic pupil seized his conscience and won"t let go.

"N - No....stop........"

Trying to go against something he"ll never be able to go against, Kou finally became realized. That if he won"t obey, he"ll certainly be killed.

- Unfortunately, that was definitely a mistake.

With eyes full of supplication Kou looked up at the Shinigami - Kazuma. He desperately begged for his life.

"P - Please wait.......p-please, wait.......I don"t know where Pandemonium is......I really don"t, please believe me......"

It was true. Certainly, at the time he made the cla.s.s change he walked in the physical Pandemonium but he arrived there after walking aimlessly so he really didn"t remember it. The same happened on the way back.

" - I thought so"

After a brief period of silence, Kazuma blandly a.s.sented without asking twice. In Kou"s eyes the light of hope dwells.

"T - That"s right! I"m sorry for making you come all this way for nothing. B - But I"ll cooperate with you! I have friends who know things! So -"

"I don"t think he would behave so stupidly that even s.h.i.t like you would realize. But, at least a clue must have remained inside you"

Ignoring Kou"s words, frantically flattering him, Kazuma took out a black glove. He wore it on left hand. Inside the very dim light, it seemed Kazuma"s left hand disappeared.

If a person with a good judgement were to be present there, maybe it wound realize that the glove didn"t reflect any light.

"Before your brains burn and break, do your best to remember"

Saying that, Kazuma"s left hand completely stretched and was thrust before Kou"s forehead.

And, with no hesitation, pushed in.

Without resistance, four fingers wrapped in the glove sunk inside the skull.

"GRNNNNNNGYOEEEEEEOOOOOOOO!!!"

From Kou"s mouth that kind of sound came out.

Of course they weren"t words. Even his voice was barely recognizable.

It was as if raw pain was turned into the vibration of the air. It was as though that dissonance could break the ears.

Even appraised as an inhuman sound was wrong as the shriek couldn"t possibly originate from a living thing.

It was a sound that would remain forever in the eardrums and brains of the unlucky people who were present and revived every night during nightmares.

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

But without being the least perturbed in the least by Kou"s disgraceful behavior, Kazuma calmly continued doing his work.

The fingers piercing the brain were moving carefully as if searching for something.

Each time his handling was making the feet and hands to nervously springing up, his fingers were reaching deeper.

" - Che"

Smacking his lips a little, Kazuma stood up. Simultaneously, the fingers that churn the brain were drawn out.

From his fingertips, some sort of fluid was dripping.

And yet, whether it was the glove"s capability of Kazuma"s power, on Kou"s face not a trace remained.

But, that face opening its eyes wide and drooling and that body that was intermittently convulsing even now clearly demonstrated the abnormality produced in the man"s body.

I"d rather die than become that - everyone thought so when looking at that sorry state, it was that sort of atrocity.

" - well then"

Defying the h.e.l.lish, oppressive silence, Kazuma slowly turned around. In the line of his sight was -

"Will you also exercise your right to remain silent?", he asked in a quiet tone while gazing at > Shin.

With a start Shin"s body trembled and stared at the juice dripping from Kazuma"s left hand.

"Aah, this?"

With something that slightly resembled a bitter smile, Kazuma his left hand.

"It"s all right. This won"t damage your brain. It will only hurt a little"

The smile peeking around his mouth deeply grew. Together with a dark gloom and sadness.

"If you have a strong spirit, by the time I finish you"ll only be mad"

" - !!!"

That heartless but also half hearted sentence, filled Shin"s heart with horror.

His survival instinct was ordering retreat - no, capitulation.

He was no match for him. He absolutely cannot win. He won"t be allowed to run.

There"s no choice but to fall to his knees.

"Ridiculous, what are you thinking? The opponent is only a wind user!"

But the whisper of instinct was rejected by the voice of reason. Saying, he cannot be defeated by a wind user.

He was very intelligent so Shin overestimated intelligence and reason over instinct.

In comparison with baseless intuition, deriving answers from objective data and logical thinking was the sigh of a great man - that"s what he was thinking.

It was obvious which is faster between wind and light et cetera. If fact he defeated two wind users until now.

"That"s right. Loosing it"s impossible"

Promptly removing his fear and becoming very confident instead. And then, that s.a.d.i.s.tic enjoyment.

Dreaming of Kazuma"s silhouette writhing inside a pool of blood, Shin shivered with a dark delight.

"Ku ku - I"ll sever his feet and hands and teach him his place while crawling like a worm"

His golden eyes sparked and his sharp, long fangs peeked from the beginning from his curved lips.

Even hough he expressed such an inhuman smile, Shin warned with plenty of composure.

"If you think I"m the same as that trash, you"ll have a painful experience"

Kazuma was silent. Without showing any reaction, he stepped up with constant steps.

"Fuu, how foolish"

Murmuring in an affected tone, Shin pushed out his right hand. The surging out >

The flash exceeding the speed of light not to mention seeing all, he won"t give him even the time to notice the attack.

What happened to him, he will die even before understanding it - that is the fate of one opposing >.

This is the end.

" - huh!?"

Shin"s eyes opened wide in shock. In spite of firing a certain kill hit Kazuma was still standing.

That head that was supposed to evaporate was unscratched, not even his walking pace changed.

" - You undid it?"

Frowning his brows he pointed his right hand forward again.

Deciding on aiming at the center of his face, he fired.

The blue light glittered in the night air and split in two before Kazuma"s eyes.

The beam divided into parts faded on Kazuma"s both sides and vainly disappeared in the air.

"Wha - ?"

In front of the lack of common sense spectacle, Shin became rigid. But, a moment after.

But in order to hit Kazuma, approaching as if nothing happened, he rapid-fired > without taking aim.

All of it burst open and disappeared in front of Kazuma.

"S - slicing light using wind.....?"

If he were to explain the spectacle generated in front of him, that"s the only explanation he could think of.

Everything else was impossible. But, even so -

"D - don"t screw around -"

Letting anger take its course, Shin shouted.

"It"s impossible to cut light using wind! Besides, are you b.a.s.t.a.r.d trying to say you can see an attack at the speed of light?"

Those were some irrational words but to be expected from his, from their common sense.

A qualified person that could manipulate the flow of air, a > whose ability was granted by Pandemonium couldn"t possibly slice light.

But Kazuma was Fujutsushi - A Jutsushi who could concretely express his will and change the world via the Wind Spirits.

Although it seemed the same on the outside its true nature had a totally different dimension.

For Kazuma"s wind charged with thoughts of decapitation, there"s nothing it can"t cut.

Even if it were to run at the speed of light it"s unthinkable not to be able to cut only a laser-beam.

"Sh - s.h.i.t!"

Without learning his lesson, Shin fired >. But, faster than light Kazuma"s wind was of course quicker than even the technique"s activation.

Shin"s right arm pushed forward was silently severed from the joint.

The > fired while the arm was mid-way falling fired below and made a round hole in the ground.

".........eh?"

Shin looked down at the arm tumbling down on top of the the gra.s.s with a blank expression. That gaze gradually got up and stopped nearby his right shoulder.

Immediately, as if matching his timing, fresh blood gushed out from the wound.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaahh!!"

Screaming in panic, he held down the wound, the joint of his amputated right arm with his left hand. Obviously, the hemorrhage didn"t stop just because of that, fresh blood pouring from the gaps between his fingers.

That right side of his blue uniform only was dyed red.

"Uooo, Uaaaaa, Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!! "

Shin continued to scream.

In silence Kazuma took the last step and casually tripped up Shin. He trampled down on it, lying face down. On the body with just one arm.

Whether it was by purpose or by accident, with just that one move of stepping on his back, Kazuma perfectly blocked all of Shin"s resistance.

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

The screams stopped. The pain and shock were surpa.s.sed by the absolute fear.

Twisting his neck as much as possible, Shin looked up at Kazuma.

"W - Wait! Wait, please wait!"

With tears overflowing his wide eyes, Shin desperately begged for forgiveness.

"I"ll speak! I"ll tell you everything! So, so please -"

But the fierce chills that he felt in his head interrupted his heartbreaking pet.i.tion. As if taking a roundabout path because the back of his head was getting in the way, fingertips were approaching his forehead.

Slipping inside his head and mind, the fingertips of destruction that stole everything.

"N - No......No -"

The feel of fingers forcing their way through flash, bone and brains.

That physically impossible repulsiveness lightly broke Shin"s hard but brittle mind.

" ----------------------------!!"

The soundless scream roared in the night sky - and disappeared.

"Yo"

" - huh?"

His shoulder abruptly clapped from behind, Isurughi Daiki"s body shook.

Looking over his shoulder as if he was flipped, there was a man without any feeling of tension and a relaxed smile.

"Yagami-san! "

Containing the fact he had been frightened, with a tone full of criticism, Daiki called out the man"s name.

"What have you done until now? You made the Chief be worried about you!"

"That so? I thought about showing my face around here, though"

Without caring about the criticism, Kazuma shrugged his shoulders.

That att.i.tude, so very usual, secretly made Daiki relieved.

"What, isn"t he completely alright?"

"Don"t make eye contact"

"Don"t defy him in any way"

"Avoid getting in touch with him as much as possible, take refuge immediately and report the place he"s at afterwards"

- What was Kirika pointing to her subordinates the way to interact carefully with Kazuma as if he was some sort of atrocious criminal, Daiki felt like it was entirely unnecessary.

Even his smiling face, lively and a little cynical, even his casual att.i.tude with no affectation unlikely for the Jutsushi with the highest rank in this world, there was nothing unusual.

A dangerous presence was not to be found.

"I should tell the Chief when she returns. That "There"s no need to worry."

Even though a policeman, Daiki was nothing more but a newbie who had only just been a.s.signed.

The skills of a police detective such as the insight to see through the true feelings hidden behind a smiling face had yet to appear.

Consequently, not realizing Kazuma"s eyes were entirely not laughing, Daiki interacted with him just like before.

"So, I don"t know where you"ve been or what you have been doing but did you find something?"

"Absolutely nothing. Your way?"

At the light retort that betrayed his expectations, Daiki let out a dry laugh.

"Ha ha.......instead of progress, the problems increased"

" - Did something happen?"

"Utsumi Kousuke escaped"

"........."

Kazuma looked slightly upwards and was silent.

Ten seconds pa.s.sed. And then, looking at Daiki holding his breath and waiting for Kazuma"s reaction, he replied with a serious face.

"Who is that?"

"Whaaaa!?"

Daiki collapsed.

"Is that comedic stupidity? It"s the spell user acting violently at Ayano-san"s school!"

".....aah, now that you mention it there was that story"

Finally remembering, Kazuma made a small nod. As if searching around for memories, he spoke slowly.

"But, didn"t you catch him? The barrier there is not something an amateur can break, no?"

"Yeah, that"s right but -"

Pulling himself together, Daiki explained the situation with a serious face. As the story progressed, Kazuma"s face became more and more sharp.

"humph - I see"

For one moment all expression disappeared from Kazuma"s face. From the ruin of the smiling face mask came undone, a terribly dry and hollow face with no make-up peeked.

But Daiki didn"t became aware of it.

"I understand. I"ll also look for him"

"Aah, we"re saved"

Without showing distrust towards Kazuma"s words, who instantly smoothed over his facial expression, he was innocently glad.

"Ooh, this became a major incident. Even though we"re short-handed even at the best of times, we even had to guard the girl Utsumi is aiming at!"

"Well, it can"t be helped right? It"s Ayano"s acquittance. If you were to make a blunder she could kill all of you in a fit of anger. Even Kirika"s desperate, right?"

"........I don"t think Ayano-san is that kind of person."

"........aah?"

Kazuma raised his eyebrows quizzical and Daiki started to justify himself red in the face.

"Aah, no, you see, there"s no special meaning, ugh....... Ayano-san is a kind person, so maybe she won"t have such an unreasonable behavior or something.........it"s...it"s just that! Deeper feelings than those, I really......."

"Aah......., well, isn"t that fine?"

With a careless expression, Kazuma interrupted the excuse that continued for too long.

"I think that"s a peculiar taste but it"s got nothing to do with me."

" - You"re not mad?"

"Why would I?", asked Kazuma with a serious face.

"I think it would be terrible (for you) if it would turn out well but do your best. I"ll secretly root for you"

"Ha, haaa......"

With an irrelevant expression, Daiki nodded his head ambiguously. Taking that as the end of conversation Kazuma announced.

"Well then, tell me if you find something new"

"Aah, yes, roger that. Yagami-san too, get in tough with the Chief as soon as possible"

"I said I understand"

Waiving his hand across his back, Kazuma vanished inside the crowd of people. Because he send off that silhouette, Daiki returned inside the Police Department to inform Kirika of this.

After this, charged with the crime of not contacting her immediately, Kirika turned her highest level of anger on Daiki - That is a digression.

After parting from Daiki, as a matter of course Kazuma tore off the smiling mask.

What became visible from inside, although having the same smile, carried the opposite emotion - a desolate, humorless, dark smile.

Scattering an ominous presence that would put the fear of G.o.d even into a yakuza, Kazuma stepped forward inside the crowd of people as if conquering an inhabited land.

"Utsumi Kousuke, huh......?"

From that mouth chiseled in a smile one guy"s name leaked out. The thoughtless, foolish boy who could see only under his nose.

Attached to that boy, the face of a girl came to his mind. He saw her once or twice through Ayano, a clever girl with a strong will carried in her eyes.

"........I can use this", laughed Kazuma raising his lips.

The word heartless doesn"t even begin to describe the face smiling or rather sighing.

It was the face of a demon.