These are the illustrations that were included in volume 2

Chapter One - Banquet for Victory -The Chosen

Ones-
Part 1
It was a common occurrence.

You could say it’s something that had become a part of their lives.

However, Yukari and Nanase could both sense the tension.

A tension that was hard to ignore.

“Didn’t I say so already? You girls definitely won’t be bored. I know

a great club! I just need to show my face for us to get in.”

“Come on! Let’s go! What fun is there to be had with only girls?”

As the two exchanged glances, a group of men with weak

appearances made a vulgar speech in a flippant manner. They didn’t
look too bad, but their idiotic speech and actions showed no class at
all.

In simpler terms, they were trying to pick the girls up.

It was a common occurrence.

Even though their appearances may have differed, the three were
beautiful girls that made one’s eyes light up. They knew exactly how to
deal with such pick-up artists. Or at least they did, until now.

“...”

Suddenly, the third girl, who had not spoken a word until now,
began to move. She slowly raised her head and looked into the eyes
of the man in front of her.
 “That place is frequently visited by idols, stars, and models! We
have many such friends, and if you are interested, we can introduce
them to you...”

Glared at by cold eyes that chilled to the bone, the originally glib
man was unable to speak another word.

“Get lost.”

“...Yes.”

The men left pitifully. Yet the girl did not even look at them and
instead put on an unchanging, cold expression and left as if nothing
had happened.

“...Ayano.”

“What’s wrong?”

The girl, Ayano Kannagi, seemed rather displeased, and turned her
head with those words.

“You seem to be really harsh to the people who’ve tried to pick us

up recently.”

“It’s just your imagination.”

Ayano replied, straying from the point.

“But...”

Yukari lifted her head to look at Nanase with pleading eyes.

Nanase nodded and said, “Yup, you’re really overdoing it recently.

Let’s take last time for example: you actually used the corner of your
schoolbag to hit the guy’s temple.”

“Ah, that one was really scary. The whites of his eyes showed, and
blood was flowing from his ears and nose–”
 “...Does it matter, anyway? We called an ambulance for him.”

Nanase looked hard at the moody Ayano and slowly closed in on

the main point.

“Ayano, something happened between you and a guy, didn’t it?”

“Wh–what... What are you talking about?!”

The sudden question left Ayano unable to hide the stir in her heart.

“Hehe~”

Nanase gave off a smile deep with meaning.

“You, a girl with a father-complex, finally seem to be starting to

show interest in guys other than your father.”

“I am not a father-lover.”

Ayano swiftly regained her composure, and said strongly, “I’ve just
never met a guy better than my father. That’s all.”

“...”

Nanase met Yukari’s eyes, as if to say “What a headache,” and

sighed.

“I admit, your father is indeed a mature and relaxed middle-aged

man, but you cannot possibly find that kind of feeling in a young guy,
right?”

“That’s not true. Father was young once too, so as long as I find
someone similar–”

Halfway through, she shut her mouth and frowned, as the

conversation had somehow reminded her of that detestable man.

Seemingly difficult to approach, yet uncommonly relaxed – a person

undoubtedly qualified to be compared to her father.

He was not like Juugo at all. Indeed, he was the total opposite.

But... he was very powerful. Not just his strength, but his entire
existence. In that sense, he was comparable to Juugo, the strongest
man that she knew–

“Aya---no~”

Hearing the call rife with laughter, Ayano, who had stopped moving,
returned to her senses.

“You are thinking of the guy you like right now, aren’t you?”

“Of... Of course not! That kind of guy!”

“What kind of guy?”

Having been asked such a question, Ayano lost her strength for a
moment.

“Nanase... Even you...”

“Be honest! It’s such an interesting topic. I bet even Yukari won’t let
it go easily either, right?”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

Yukari nodded happily. Ayano stared at her two friends who

intended to extract every single detail with antagonistic scrutiny.

Yukari Shinomiya and Nanase Kudo. They were both students of

Seiryo Academy, where Ayano studied, and also her best friends –
even though there were times when she wondered about the
friendship between them.
 Yukari’s shoulder-length, beautiful hair moved up and down like
waves, her face always showed a gentle smile, and her speech was
slightly slow. It was unclear whether she should be considered
“mellow” or just “slow.” Regardless, from this description, you can
probably imagine that she is a laid-back person.

In contrast, Nanase’s hairstyle was a refreshing, blunt bob. She

seemed casually calm, and her swift movements and tone showed no
sign that they belonged to a girl, giving people an unsettled feeling,
making her the type to receive a lot of chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
[1]

These two girls were opposites no matter how you look at it, but
what was truly remarkable was that when they teased Ayano, they
exhibited perfect harmony in their cooperation – although to Ayano,
this was something unbearable.

“Come on. Tell us. What kind of person is he?”

“I already said there is no such person! By the way...”

Ayano stared at Yukari with accusing eyes.

“Aren’t we going to eat some cake now?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then why are we on this road?!”

In the direction which Ayano pointed her finger stood a long row of
accommodations designed for a very specific purpose.

Just as with a haunted house in a backcountry area, though there

was nothing particularly odd about their appearance, they possessed
an atmosphere unlike that of a normal hotel.

That’s right. For, as the three (except for a certain someone) were
chatting happily, they had unintentionally come to the entrance of a
street of love hotels.

Having realized that they were arguing in a special area, Ayano

couldn’t help but blush. But Yukari’s smile did not change at all.

“This is a short-cut.”

“Even so, this kind of place...”

“Don’t worry. No one would think that we are going to play 3P.”

Ayano’s face carried a pained expression as she looked at this

innocently smiling friend who had just said something very shocking.

“You... Don’t use that cute face to say something so shocking,

okay?”

“Kay~ But this kind of thing is nothing compared to your normal

behavior.”

“... What do you mean by that?”

Against Ayano’s squinting eyes, Yukari put on her usual smiling

face. Though she may have looked easy-going, she was definitely not
on the losing side.

Ayano, who realized that she was at a disadvantage, decided to

forcefully end the conversation.

“Anyway, let’s not walk this way. Let’s go another way!”

“Geez, you are so squeaky clean.”

“Squeaky clean? That doesn’t even need to be said! This kind of

hotel, whose only use is for people to share a bed – who knows what
the people going in are thinking?!”

Ayano sounded violent and scowled angrily at the love hotels as

though they had killed her father, when suddenly, her expression
froze.

Yukari and Nanase followed Ayano’s line of sight. What lay there
was...

“As agitated as always.”

A man and a beautiful lady, sticking closely together, walking out

from the hotel street.

His age appeared to be about twenty-something, with an upright

face that could be considered handsome, but his expression seemed
to be rather sloven. A light smirk appeared on his mouth, forcefully
pulling his grade down thirty percent.

“You should at least think about where you are.”

The man made fun of the dumbfounded Ayano and continued to

speak.

“You're already a high school student. It’s about time you knew what
shame is...”

The man before her eyes was Kazuma Yagami. This was the man
who Ayano hated most. As for the woman beside him, she had never
seen her before. In addition, this was a love hotel street.

Having caught up to this point, Ayano’s brain, which had finally

returned to a normal temperature, suddenly began to heat up. Gripped
with an inexplicable fury, Ayano shouted, “You... What are you doing
in a place like this?!”

“...Ayano?”

Yukari and Nanase shared a puzzled look, looking at their friend

who had suddenly fallen into a rage. Neither pair of eyes showed any
indecision, and they seemed to be asking simultaneously, “What is
she talking about?”
 It wasn’t a question that needed to be asked. Just as Ayano had
said, there is only one thing to do in a love hotel – even if there are
many different ways and methods of doing it; there is basically only
one reason to be there.

On the other hand, Kazuma, who had drawn Ayano’s rage upon
him, simply showed a light smile, as usual.

“Asking me what I am doing... Ah, it is so hard to say it out loud~ ♥”

He acted shy, daintily using his hand to cover his mouth as he

spoke.

At that moment, the dozens of logic-related neural synapses in

Ayano’s brain snapped all at once.

Feeling the furious spiritual energy coming from Ayano, Yukari and
Nanase couldn’t help but move back. But even when engulfed in such
a strong murderous intent, one that even normal people would notice
and fear, Kazuma and the woman beside him did not change the
relaxed smiles on their faces.

The woman ignored Ayano’s furious eyes as if they were nothing.

She put her lips close to Kazuma’s ear and asked, “This girl, is she
your girlfriend?”

“Kirika... That joke isn’t funny at all!”

After such a semi-derogatory question, Kazuma answered with an

irritated look. Listening, Kirika glanced at Ayano and laughed lightly.

(...! This darn woman–!)

Seeing the seemingly taunting attitude of this person, Ayano viewed

Kirika as an “enemy.” As if seeking a weak spot, she sized up Kirika
from head to toe. But...

(Argh...)
 Though slim, she had a good figure filled with femininity.

From the angle of a “woman,” Ayano had no way to compete.

Ayano was also a rare beauty, but her state of maturity was far
below Kirika’s. Future development or hidden potential had no effect
now. Because in a battle in the real world, current capabilities decide
everything.

Even so, if her opponent were just someone who devoted all
nutrients – even those that should go to the brain – into her breasts
and hips, Ayano would not concede defeat.

But Kirika was different. Those thin, long eyes of hers carried the
light of wisdom, clearly indicating that she was not just some vulgar
woman who only knew how to fawn on guys.

Slightly older than Kazuma, she looked as if she was around

twenty-five. From the way she could casually face up to Ayano’s killing
intent as if it were not there, she was clearly not an average
businesswoman. Maybe they were in the same trade?

Ayano bore the silent torture of inferiority and continued to glare at

the two with angry eyes.

“Kazuma?”

Kirika accepted Ayano’s eyes generously and held her body even
more closely against Kazuma’s arm. Rather than a demonstration of
love, this action seemed more like she was trying to hang on tightly.

“Should I arrest you for lewd acts against an underage female?”

“Don’t be like that.”

Kazuma seemed very displeased.

“She is just a distant relative. I’ve done nothing, nor have any
intentions of doing anything.”
 “Then why is she angry?”

“She’s always angry. Just ignore her.”

“Oh~”

Kirika looked towards Ayano once more, her face showing a smile
with deep meaning. Ayano noticed, her mind tangling in an instant.
 “I think it would be better to explain.”

“There’s no need for that. It’s too troublesome. Let’s go!”

Upon saying this, Kazuma pulled Kirika and walked away. As his
eyes meet Ayano’s, he put on a serious expression and warned
Ayano, “Go back quickly! This is no place for children.”

Kazuma walked past Ayano with ease, who was so angry her whole
body was trembling. As the two sides passed one another, Kirika
looked at Ayano before departing in an utterly relaxed manner. Those
eyes, filled with sympathy, totally enraged Ayano.

Yukari remained where she was, silently sending off the close pair
with her eyes. She looked to the side and coincidentally met Nanase’s
eyes.

At that moment, silence was golden. The two exchanged bitter

smiles, and as if they had discussed it much earlier, looked towards
Ayano who still had not turned back.

“So that’s it.”

Nanase nodded heavily.

“No wonder you were so harsh to those people who tried to pick us
up.”

“That’s right. It is really tough to like someone like that.”

“But what a surprise. I never thought Ayano would like flippant guys
like that.”

“...You two...”

Ayano turned slowly.

 In a gentle, but equally chilling tone, she answered, “What are you
two talking about?”

“What else?”

Yukari answered straightforwardly.

“Ayano, you like that guy right? Although it looks one-sided.”

“You... What makes you two think that way?”

“Just think about your reaction just now. No matter how we look at
it, it is the reaction of ‘a jealous girl seeing the guy she likes getting
snatched away,’ right?”

“There is no such thing! It is definitely not that way!!”

Ayano shouted out, blushing. Her voice was so loud it almost

seemed to reach as far as the eye could see.

“Ayano, you’re too loud.”

Ignoring Yukari’s warning, Ayano furiously continued to say, “Why

would I like that kind of lowlife?! That is the type of person I hate most
in this world! If I could have, I would have sliced him into pieces!!”

“Then why are you angry?”

Yukari rebutted with a calm voice.

“If you really didn’t like him, then it wouldn’t matter who he sleeps
with, right? What would there be to be angry about?”

“That... That’s because... That...

...I just cannot bear to see someone like Kazuma sleep with that
kind of beauty! They are not at all compatible!”

Ayano gripped her fist tightly and tried her best to explain, as the
other two looked at her with cold eyes.

(What do you think?)

(She doesn’t seem to be lying... Could it be that she hasn’t even

realized it herself?)

(If that’s the case, then she’s not just slow – there’s something
completely wrong with her...)

(But... that is just like Ayano.)

(Yeah, that’s true)

“You two! Don’t whisper among yourselves right in front of me!”

Having gotten shouted at by Ayano, Nanase swiftly straightened her

body. Following this, she used a very serious expression, like
someone who is faking marriage just to grab a hold of the password to
a credit card, in order to say, “Ah. Okay, okay. I get it, you really hate
that man.”

“Yup, completely understood.”

Yukari chimed in instantly. They were indeed Ayano’s best friends,

their actions matching flawlessly.

Ayano’s expression revealed her continued suspicion.

“...Really?”

“Of course.”

“Fine then.”

Ayano nodded, though her expression still showed displeasure.

After everything had come to an end, and the two of them had given a
sigh of relief–
 “Ah, that is the girl. Mr. Hanagi.”

Those guys had chosen the worst possible time to appear.

“These are the ones?”

The man they called Hanagi pointed his finger towards the three
and said...

“You guys were scared off by these three girls?”

“Because the girl in the middle has a really scary stare...”

“That girl is really arrogant. Please teach her some manners, Go-
san!”

The men who were saying these things were the punks, numbers
one and two (temporarily named), who had been driven off by Ayano
earlier. It seemed that because they had been rejected so vehemently
by Ayano, resentment had arisen, and so they had found someone to
help them take their revenge!

– They don’t come any lower than that.

“We invited you so nicely to have some fun, and yet you told us to
‘get lost.’ That was really rude. Now apologize.”

“...”

Ayano stared at the group of men, her eyes indicating that they
were unworthy even of notice. Seeing those ice cold eyes, punks
numbers one and two couldn’t help but retreat several steps, though
Hanagi showed no sign of fear.

“That trick of yours won’t work! Hanagi-san knows Shaolin fist

techniques!”
 “Please do it! Go Hanagi-san!”

Numbers one and two cowered behind Hanagi and continued to

shout. Ignoring the two who were merely relying on Hanagi’s strength,
Ayano stared at Hanagi alone.

As they had mentioned, the man before her eyes seemed to have
undergone a certain level of training. As he wore only a thin,
sleeveless sweater under his leather coat, his protruding muscles
could be clearly seen. It was a body specially made for combat.

“For a woman to be so arrogant, that’s why you are having such an

unlucky encounter. Don’t try to go against men from now on.”

Hanagi reached his hand out in a rough manner, intending to grab

Ayano’s chin to lift her face.

At the instant his fingertips touched her chin, Ayano moved swiftly.

She angled her body and moved forward, while at the same time
dodging Hanagi’s hand. Ayano cleanly swung her bent left arm into
Hanagi’s defenseless chest.

Ayano’s elbow struck the lower region of Hanagi’s earlobe, where

his jaw was. This was a sudden, full-force attack and a powerful strike
that even contained ki. It would not have been surprising if his jaw had
fallen off of his face.

Hanagi’s body flew into the air in a spiral. His legs, which had left
the ground, tangled together like twisted bread and subsequently
splayed outwards with reactive force.

Hanagi’s body kept on spinning, and after a sickening three and a

half round rotation, he naturally had a failed landing – his whole body
flattened against the outer wall of a hotel.

Splat.

A wet sound propagated along the entire street. This was definitely
not a sound made by a human body. If a freshly slaughtered piece of
flesh, with blood still dripping, were smashed into a wall, it would
probably make this kind of sound.

Several seconds after Hanagi has been hammered into the wall, he
fell to the floor like a flattened cockroach.

On the red bricks of the hotel wall, a fluid even more red than the
bricks formed an eerie human figure.

“Uh... Uh~”

Seeing Hanagi, blood pouring out of seven holes and his body
twitching, Nanase drew a cross towards the sky. Beside her, Yukari
placed her hands together and closed her eyes to pray.

“Huh... Huh huh...”

“Hanagi-san...”

The remaining two guys gave voice to pitiful cries in tones that had
reached the utmost limit of fear.

Ayano silently walked past the two men, who were unable to move
their feet, and could only stand there like idiots.

She fired off two kicks at lightning speed. The tip of her foot hit right
in the center between the legs of the two men.

“Argh!”

“Wah!”

The tip of her pointed shoe hit the pelvis, while the most important
part was struck heavily. Ayano contemplated the two, now rolling on
the ground in pain with a pink foam of blood and spittle coming from
their mouths, with disgust.

“How dirty!”
 “Ah– Please send an ambulance over. There are three heavily
wounded people.”

A cold voice came from behind. Behind her, Nanase was using a
public phone to contact 911. She read out the number of the phone
booth to inform the other party of the location.

“Please be quick. One of them doesn’t seem likely to make it.”

After that, she hung up, ignoring their inquiries for her name. This
action could be said to be very well-trained since the reason she didn’t
use her own cellphone was to avoid leaving any trace.

“So, have you vented your anger?” Nanase asked Ayano calmly.

“...I didn't do it on purpose.”

Ayano pouted and replied unhappily, but the two did not believe her.

They had known very well since the beginning that she had just
been redirecting her anger at Kazuma. If she had not met Kazuma
earlier, Ayano would not have been so cruel!

But there was one thing they did not understand. Nanase leaned in
close to Yukari’s ear and quietly asked...

(By the way, is that guy really that good?)

(Hmm... I feel that he is above average, but...)

He did not seem like a man that would make Ayano feel jealous.
That was their opinion.

For though they had known Ayano for a long time, they still did not
know what the Kannagis did for a living, nor of the power that was
within their bloodline.

They would still have a few days to wait before witnessing for
themselves the true power of Kazuma.
Part 2
“Has Kazuma still not arrived?”

“Why are you asking me?”

Ayano replied to the Soushu’s, Juugo’s, question in a sour tone of

voice. She appeared to have drunken some alcohol, and her gaze
seemed blank.

Stared at by his daughter, who was radiating malcontent, Juugo

blinked.

“What is it between you and Kazuma?”

“Nothing.”

Ayano slammed the wine cup on the table with a bang.

“I hate that guy! I don’t want to see his face or hear his name ever
again! That sort of guy can just go have a good time with some old
woman!”

“...So that is it.”

Juugo could roughly guess what had happened and decided not to
probe any further.

“In celebration of the annihilation of the Fuuga clan!”

“Cheers to Hyoue who is now roasting in hell, suffering for all

eternity!”

“Cheers!”

Vulgar toasts like this one abounded. Everyone seemed exuberant,

and the air was filled with the sound of cups clinking in toasts.
 The cause for celebration was something that had happened about
a week ago.

The subordinates of the Kannagis, the Fuuga clan, had suddenly

revolted. The leader of the Fuuga clan, Hyoue Kazamaki, had allowed
his son Ryuuya to be possessed by a powerful youma, and many of
the Kannagis had been killed.

The ones who had fought them were Ayano and Ren, practitioners
of the Kannagi main family, and Ren’s brother, Kazuma Yagami, who
had been exiled due to his ineptitude as an En-jutsushi and had
eventually become a Fuu-jutsushi.

After a fierce battle, the three had finally defeated Hyoue and
Ryuuya. On the fourth day following, that is, that evening, a banquet
for their victory was being held.

The banquet was unlike any before it. Just about every member of
the Kannagi family able to attend was in attendance. They had all
joyfully joined the banquet and were now raising their cups in
celebration of the annihilation of their hated enemy.

This reaction came as no surprise. For these people, who claimed

to be the strongest, Hyoue and Ryuya, had been existences who
could not be permitted.

The fact that they had been able to possess a youma beyond their
powers was in and of itself unforgivable. Furthermore, they had been
of the Fuuga clan, a group of low level jutsushis who they had stepped
on for a long period of time.

For them, to fear weaklings like the Fuugas to the extent that they
had had to go into hiding was a humiliation that could never be
vindicated.

However, since the Fuuga clan had been completely destroyed, that
shame, if not erased, was at least forgotten. In their joy, it wasn’t at all
odd for them to be going somewhat overboard in their celebrations.
 “Hmph! For those dogs to forget who had raised and fed them and
to even go so far as to bite their masters’ hands! Those ungrateful
bastards!”

“How dare they resist us? We, who are blessed by the Spirit Lord!
What an outrage!”

“Cheers to the Fuuga clan’s demise!”

“Cheers!”

All around the tables, cups met, and everyone downed their cups in
one go.

Just as the banquet was approaching its climax, Kazuma appeared.

“Kazuma-san has arrived.”

As the servant made his announcement, all noise in the hall came
to an abrupt halt.

Amidst the silence, a youth walked through the paper door the
servant had opened and stepped into the hall with a confident
swagger.

Unfriendly eyes gathered upon this youth who walked in without a

word. Just for the record, among the glares, the one which bore the
greatest hatred was Ayano’s, but let’s leave that matter aside for now.

Actually, it was not without reason that this man was so despised.
The Kannagis had had over fifty jutsushis before the battle with the
Fuuga clan, and yet there were only a few more than thirty present at
the banquet. The total dead and wounded amounted to more than
twenty.

Seven were dead, the rest injured with varying degrees of severity.
Those seven had been attacked by Ryuya – the only ones attacked by
Ryuuya.
 In other words, the majority of the casualties were the work of
Kazuma. Everyone gathered here had family members who had been
sent to the hospital by Kazuma. Under such circumstances, it was
only natural that they didn’t wear smiles to welcome him.

Their hateful glares glanced off of Kazuma, who acted as if they

weren’t even there. His attitude served only to increase their hatred for
him.

This was the sort of feeling you get from being looked down on by
someone whom you had looked down on in the past. Needless to say,
Kazuma completely ignored their presence. He seemed to consider
them beneath contempt. No matter how much Juugo tried to defend
him, the negative feelings toward Kazuma only strengthened further.

Kazuma nodded toward Ren, the only one who smiled at him, and
then bowed before Juugo.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“I don’t mind at all. I am the one who forced you to join us.”

Juugo smiled, forgiving Kazuma’s tardiness, and told Kazuma to sit

beside him. In short order, wine and hors d’oeuvres were placed
before Kazuma’s eyes.

“Welcome back, Nii-sama!”

Ren ran over and hugged his brother’s arm tightly like a spoiled
puppy. Kazuma didn’t stop him. On the contrary, he reached out his
hand to caress his brother’s head. But he didn’t give the customary
reply, “I’m back.”

Because, for a long time now, this place had not been Kazuma’s,
that is, Kazuma Yagami’s, home.

Ren didn’t seem to notice Kazuma’s thoughts and served him

diligently.
 “Ah, let me pour you some wine.”

“...Okay.”

Kazuma lifted the cup with his hands but put it back on the table
without drinking a single drop.

Ren questioned hesitantly, “Nii-sama, why not have a drink?”

“I’m not thirsty.”

Ren looked at the untouched food.

“...Won’t you eat something?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“...”

Ren felt puzzled and lifted his eyes to look at his brother.

Kazuma continued to look straight ahead, ignoring Ren.

“Erm... Err...”

Just as Ren began to panic, thinking he had done something to

anger his brother, a big hand was placed lightly on Ren’s head.

“...Nii-sama?”

The direction of Kazuma’s gaze hadn’t changed, nor did he speak.

In spite of this, the feeling of that warm hand was enough to satisfy
Ren. Leaning against his brother’s body, Ren closed his eyes and
showed a peaceful smile.

To Kazuma, the Kannagi residence was still enemy territory. Not

only would he not eat any food placed before him, no matter how
relaxed the others might look, he wouldn’t let his guard down even for
an instant.
 That is why Kazuma noticed immediately when a young woman
approached him.

He deliberately didn’t move, observing her as if nothing untoward

was happening, waiting for her to take action.

The young woman was around twenty and was wearing a kimono.
She seemed to be used to wearing one, for her actions were not the
least bit awkward.

Her hairstyle, rather than being a blunt blob, was more of a round
and simple hairstyle with its sides cut evenly. Together with small,
cute cheeks, she was a beautiful Japanese-style woman that would
make you think of the outdated appellation “Yamato Nadeshiko.”

Seeing the girl kneeling before him bow deeply, Kazuma said with a
hazy expression, “If I recall... You are Ogami...”

“My name is Misao Ogami. I’ve been ordered to take care of

Kazuma-sama. If you have any needs, please just inform me.”

“...Oh?”

Kazuma used his fingertips to hold Misao’s chin and lift up her face.

Looking at her nervous expression, Kazuma smiled and asked

teasingly, “Even at night?”

Faced with such a direct intimation, Misao blushed and her eyes
shifted downward. Even though she was embarrassed, she didn’t try
to escape from Kazuma’s hand. She murmured in hardly a whisper,
“If... that is your wish.”

Seeing that Misao didn’t resist, Kazuma’s face closed in even more.
At that moment, Kazuma, as if repelled, suddenly leaned back.

A ray of red lightning pierced the air where Kazuma’s head had just
been. With a loud thunk, something embedded itself in the pillar
behind him.

“You despicable piece of shit! Get your dirty hands off her!”

Needless to say, the furious girl with the incomparable rage was
Ayano. Kazuma didn’t even bother to look at her, but instead turned
his head back.

A long, thin red stick was now embedded in the pillar – Ayano’s
chopstick.

The chopstick possessed no sharp point, and yet it was half-sunken

into the pillar. Guessing at the strength with which she must have
thrown it, Kazuma laughed.

Ayano stalked toward Kazuma and raised her hand for a karate
chop, aiming at Kazuma’s hand, which had been on Misao’s face the
entire time. Seeing a chop that carried the strength to break thirty tiles,
he quickly removed his hand.

Ayano had murder in her eyes as she scowled at Kazuma, who had
a smile on his face, and then slowly walked next to Misao.

“Misao, what are you thinking! Why ruin your life for scum like
that?!”

“Huh... Ermm... Sorry.”

Faced with such an aggressive aura, Misao couldn’t help but

apologize. Seeing such a happy scene, Kazuma purposely put on a
hurt expression.

“Why are you making me sound so bad?”

“I was just telling the truth, wasn’t I? You already have a girlfriend.
How dare you still lay your hands on other girls?! You jerk!”

“Girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

 “Liar! That one earlier...”

“If you mean Kirika, we’re not in that kind of relationship. She is
just–”

“Just your sex friend, right?”

Ayano finished Kazuma’s sentence in an eerily gentle tone. Even

though her face showed a smile, upon closer inspection, her temples
were pulsing with anger.

Observing her expression, Kazuma smiled at her comprehension,

and said, “Yup, you could put it that way too.”

Violent spiritual energy burst forth from Ayano’s entire body, and her
body subconsciously entered battle mode.

“Ayano-sama.”

However, she was stopped just before she could erupt. Confronted
with Misao’s appeal, Ayano was reluctantly forced to restrain her
murderous intent.

“Please, don’t be angry. It was Kazuma-sama who avenged my

brothers. To repay that debt, this sort of thing is nothing...”

“You should be grateful to me instead!” Ayano said proudly.

“This guy only fought because it was his job! We’ve already paid
him enough to reward him! There’s no need to thank him. You have a
problem with that?”

This last line was, of course, directed at Kazuma.

“Nope, that is largely true.” Kazuma admitted frankly.

“I don’t know what this fiery lass did that you should be grateful for,
but at the very least, there is no need to thank me. Leaving Masato
and Takeshi aside, you can consider half of the blame that Takeya
died to be mine.”

Upon such a shocking statement, a commotion erupted around

them.

After making so much noise, it was only natural that they had
attracted notice. Their bickering had become the center of attention,
and to hear such an alarming statement made everyone prick up their
ears and listen quietly.

“What do you mean?” Ayano asked in a sharp tone.

Kazuma brushed off her intensity like a thick-skinned willow tree

brushes off the wind and smiled.

“Even though the one who killed him was Ryuuya, he had already
been defeated earlier by me. Ryuuya only cut the unconscious Takeya
apart. Well, I guess that even if he had still been conscious then, the
result wouldn’t have been any different.”

Kazuma said this nonchalantly and shifted his eyes back to Misao.
He faced the bowed-down Misao, whose expression could not be
seen, and reassured her gently.

“So, you see? There’s no need to be so courteous. How about

taking that out of your sleeve?”
 At the instant Kazuma finished his sentence, Misao suddenly
moved. Her foot forcefully stomping on the tatami, she pulled out the
dagger which had been hidden in her sleeve all along.

“Ah... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

Screaming wildly, the dagger gripped tightly in her fists, Misao

jumped into Kazuma’s chest.

For a moment, everyone remained completely motionless. Though

everyone in the hall had witnessed the scene, it appeared that they
were unable to comprehend its implications in time and were at a loss
for what to do.

Misao and Kazuma both just sat there without flinching, like a pair of
intimate lovers, the two in a silent embrace.

“Ka... Kazuma?”

Ayano’s quivering voice called out the name of the man she hated
most.

He did not reply.

“Kazuma?! Ans... Answer me quickly! Kazuma! Kazuma!!”

“What?”

Kazuma suddenly raised his head and answered as if nothing had

happened. Using his fingertips to pinch the dagger that should have
been in Misao’s hands, he raised it before his eyes and waved it.

“...!”

Maybe because of her relief, Ayano fell to the floor, still in shock,
and shouted loudly, “If... If you heard me, you should have at least
made a sound! I’d thought that you’d died!”
 “Is there anything troubling to you about my death?”

“That... That...”

Ayano was momentarily unable to speak. She tried her best to stop
all the blood in her body from gathering at her face, while at the same
time working hard to come up with a rebuttal.

“I... I don’t want Misao to become a murderer.”

“That makes sense.”

“That’s right!”

(...?)

Ayano nodded in agreement, but felt that Kazuma’s reaction

seemed off somehow. At the same time, she couldn’t say with
certainty what was wrong about it.

Ignoring Ayano, who was puzzling over this, Kazuma placed his
eyes on Misao, who had fallen on him.

“So are you still angry?”

“...!”

Misao forcefully pushed herself off of Kazuma and used the

momentum to jump backward. She put a little distance between them
and stared at Kazuma with eyes full of hatred.

But Kazuma didn’t seem to mind those eyes at all. He calmly broke
eye contact with Misao and passed the dagger in his hand to Ayano.

“Take it.”

“Ah, okay.”

She took it reflexively and then looked closely at the dagger.

 The blade of the dagger was about ten centimeters long. It would
serve well for peeling apples and not much more. There didn’t appear
to be any poison on it either.

(...Did she really think that a fruit knife could kill Kazuma?)

What a foolish action. Ayano bitterly regretted her earlier display of

anxiousness.

At that point in time, the others were finally emerging from their
shock. However, none stood up to arrest Misao because all of the
people in the branch family felt the same way.

(What about Father?)

Ayano looked toward Juugo.

“What is the matter?”

“What do you mean by ‘What is the matter?’ Don’t just look. Do

something.”

“Hmm...”

Juugo looked at the scene of the crime with cold eyes.

“Kazuma.”

“Ah?”

“If you do not wish to deal with her, shall I punish Misao for you?”

Even though his tone seemed calm, its meaning was clear. “If you
want to kill her, just do it.” Juugo was usually kind and well-tempered,
but he was not so kind as to forgive someone who had just attempted
murder.

Kazuma’s reply was totally unexpected.

 “I don’t think this goes so far as to require punishment. Nothing
happened. Just let her go!”

Upon hearing this reply, Juugo revealed a surprised expression,

and Ayano’s puzzled look could be clearly seen.

Ayano finally realized why she has been feeling that something was
off. Misao was still alive. That alone was something which didn’t make
sense.

On the battlefield, Kazuma wouldn’t have cared about anything else.

Even if it was just a little girl, even if she was not moving of her own
free will or if she was being threatened or manipulated, Kazuma
wouldn’t have gone easy on her.

Given Kazuma’s habits, after he had dodged the attack, no, the
instant the dagger had been drawn, Misao’s head should have landed
on the floor.

(But this... What was going on?)

Filled with questions, Ayano began to look at the two.

Misao looked pale and weak. Though her eyes still bore hatred, it
seemed that she did not have the strength to act again.

Her area of expertise was in defending seals and providing support

from behind; she was not a jutsushi who fought on the frontline.
Although her abilities were not weak, her personality was simply not
suited to battle, let alone killing.

This may even have been the first time she had directed a knife at
someone. Her mentality of avoiding causing harm was no different
from a normal person’s. Just now she had acted on impulse, but after
her failure, she didn’t have the ability to try again.

Kazuma lowered his head and looked silently at Misao. Those eyes
carried no warmth, but neither did they show coldness.
 (This is too abnormal, too weird! And... this makes me feel very
unhappy!)

“What is the meaning of this–?”

“So be it. Since you have said as much, I have no reason to punish
her either.”

Juugo interrupted Ayano, who had lost her composure, and came to
a simple conclusion.

“But we cannot allow you to stay here either. Go back and reflect on
this for a while!”

With that, he ordered someone by his side to take Misao away.

Misao struggled to get rid of the hands that were about to catch her.

“Why?!”

Ignoring the man who seemed troubled by her struggling, Misao

stared at Kazuma and shouted, “Why did Nii-sama have to die?!”

“Because he was too weak.”

Kazuma replied very bluntly.

“...!!”

The hall was filled with rage in an instant. Misao was not alone in
feeling that Kazuma has caused deaths in the family. To these people,
Kazuma’s words had gone far beyond their ability to tolerate.

“You asshole...!!”

Ayano stood up, her face flushed red with anger. She placed her
hands on her hips and glared at Kazuma.

“What the hell is wrong with you! Can’t you differentiate between
what can and cannot be said?! What do you mean by ‘because he
was too weak?’ Don’t joke around! Is it because you have become
strong that you have forgotten what it was like to be weak?!”

Kazuma showed Ayano, who continued to lecture him, no sign of

remorse at all. Instead, he looked at her coldly.

“Looks like you still don’t understand.”

He then looked around at the people who were staring at him

angrily.

“Why are you all putting on the look of a victim?”

“What... What do you mean by that?”

Kazuma’s eyes swept across the room once more. All he saw were
puzzled yet angry expressions. Again confirming that no one had
understood what he meant, he sighed.

“I don’t think you guys have ever wondered why the Fuuga clan
revolted.”

“What do you mean by why... Of course it was to awaken their

God!”

“No.”

Kazuma rejected this flat-out.

“That was just a means to an end, just one of the powers they
needed to rise against the Kannagis.”

“Why don’t you tell us the reason then?” Ayano asked without even
thinking.

Kazuma gave Ayano a contemptuous look.

“...These people of the Fuuga clan were definitely not a group of

useless waste. Instead, they were even rather skilled Fuu-jutsushi.
Their combat abilities might have been very weak, but the inherent
characteristics of wind are not suited to battle in the first place.”

In terms of attack power, among the four main powers – earth,

water, fire, and wind – wind was the weakest.

This was because it was the lightest.

No matter how fast they might be, light attacks did not possess the
strength to kill with one blow.

I believe that everyone has had the experience of being cut by a

piece of paper before. With enough speed, and if timed well, even a
flimsy piece of paper can become a blade. And yet, it can only cut the
surface of the skin. A slash without weight is unable to cut off flesh
and bone all in one go.

The weight of water and earth is far beyond that of wind, and fire
possesses a large amount of energy. If they were to fight against
these powers, a Fuu-jutsushi would have to summon and control
several times more spirits than they would.

Precisely for this reason, the role Fuu-jutsushis played was to use
the wind’s mobility to search and to track, as well as to control the
surrounding air while providing battle support. The Fuuga clan could
actually have been said to have been a typical example of wind
practitioners.

“The Kannagis were born with combat abilities, and the Fuugas
excelled at information gathering and battle support. To provide for the
other’s inability, to coexist peacefully and equally, that should have
been the way that they interacted.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kazuma observed Juugo, who was
showing a bitter expression. He was the only one there who
understood the truth of Kazuma’s words.

“Unfortunately, you, who only know how to use raw power as a

standard, looked down on the Fuuga clan, who had no combat
abilities. But without the Fuuga, you would not even have known
where the enemy was!”

“What you are trying to say is... because we have always looked
down on the Fuuga, we deserved to be killed by them?” Ayano pouted
unhappily.

But Kazuma shook his head in denial.

“I never said that what you did was wrong. The strong are always
right; that is the unequivocal truth.”

“But then...”

“But as you execute your right to crush the weak, you must also
bear the burden of being crushed by people even stronger. Even if
you are killed, you can have no complaints as this is the very thing you
have done.”

“...!”

Ayano’s expression changed drastically. She seemed to have

understood what Kazuma was trying to say.

“Just because the Fuuga clan was ‘too weak,’ that was why you all
looked down on them. Just because you are ‘too weak,’ that is why
you were crushed by Ryuuya. It is a very simple thing to understand.”

This was not a question of who was right and who was wrong. Since
both sides believed in the “law of power,” in the end, only the strong
survived. That was all.

“If you people have acknowledged everything that you have done
toward the Fuuga clan, then the Fuuga clan can also only
acknowledge what they did to you. To crush the weak, does it not
allow you to be crushed by those even stronger? Just who do you
think you are?”
 This merciless accusation reached the ears of everyone present like
the roar of thunder, but it failed to touch their arrogant hearts.

“This, I am unable to accept.”

A voice of disagreement emerged from a place very close to

Juugo’s seat of honor.

“Kazuma-san, your argument seems to have neglected one very

important fact.”

The man spoke in a vicious and unrelenting tone. He was Masayuki

Ogami, the head of the Ogami family, and Misao’s father. But he did
not seem to care at all about his daughter, who had her head lowered
and was keeping quiet.

“The value of our lives is definitely not equal. We, the Kannagis, are
blessed by the spirits – a chosen clan! Yet you put us and the Fuugas,
those lowlifes, on the same level. That is very appalling. Not to
mention, it...”

He stared furiously at Kazuma, as if Kazuma was the killer of his

son.

“Not to mention, it gives those scum the right to kill us!”

Hearing Masayuki’s words, Kazuma answered with a calm smile.

“Who is it that was chosen?”

“...What?”

“Those words. Why don’t you wait until you have power like Ayano’s
before saying them! To hear a weakling boasting about his bloodline,
how pathetic! It is as if you have nothing else to boast about except
your bloodline.”

“You... You asshole...!”

 Masayuki instantly became agitated. In comparison, Kazuma’s
mocking tone still hadn’t changed.

“By the way, you should be thanking Hyoue instead!”

“?”

“He helped you to get rid of Masato, who was a nuisance in your
eyes. At the very least, go burn some incense and pay your respects!”

“...! You...! What did you just say...!”

When Masayuki Ogami’s younger brother, Masato Ogami, had been

alive, he had been known as the strongest practitioner of the branch
family. Everyone knew that had he not left his home to train because
he had hated fighting with his brother over the succession, he would
have been the one to lead the family.

Seeing the shaken Masayuki, Kazuma said as if taunting him.

“It is a nuisance to have a younger brother better than you, isn’t it?”

“Damn... Damn you, you asshole!!”

Masayuki’s face changed color as he shouted. He stood up from the

tatami, and with blood red eyes, stared murder at Kazuma.

This time, there was an almost palpable tension between the two.
The killing intents around the room formed a whirlpool and gathered
around Kazuma, who was still sitting in his original spot.

At that moment, Ren, who had been leaning against Kazuma’s

shoulder, moved. He wriggled his upper body, his whole body stuck
on Kazuma in a tight embrace. He looked as if he was trying to stop
Kazuma and lacked the strength to do so.

Seeing this, a question went through Ayano’s mind.

(This kid... Since when did he become so quiet?)

 Even when Misao had attempted to stab Kazuma, she had not
heard Ren’s voice. No matter how much faith he had in his brother’s
strength, it was unnatural for him to not so much as cry out.

Under everyone’s stare, Ren’s upper body slowly slid down along
Kazuma’s body. He placed his face on Kazuma’s leg, and after a few
seconds like this...

“Hmm... Nii-sama...”

“So he is asleep!” Ayano couldn’t help but say.

Before the blissful sleep-talking, the originally tense atmosphere

dispersed in an instant.

“...”

His bloodlust gone, Masayuki sat down once more. His expression
was solemn, but he no longer was in the mood to maintain his anger.

Masayuki’s reaction did not matter to Kazuma, as he had not cared

from the beginning.

“Soushu.”

“...Yes.”

Juugo understood everything very well, and because of that, his

voice sounded abnormally bitter.

“It is impossible to dream of these guys reflecting upon this. But

please do not forget, it is the Kannagis’ arrogance that sparked this
fight. If there are no changes, the same thing will just repeat itself.”

“...I understand.”

“Good.”

Kazuma lifted Ren’s head and placed him on Ayano’s leg.

“Kazuma?”

“There is nothing left for me here. I am going back.”

With this sentence, Kazuma left the residence without looking back.
Chapter Two - Assault – Determination After
Removing All Doubts
Part 1
The boy’s arm was wreathed in red flame.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

A wordless scream escaped the boy’s mouth.

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

He continuously rolled on the ground, attempting to extinguish the

flame. Nearby, some children observed his pitiable state.

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

Their sole common denominator could be seen on their faces.

Scorn.

This group of children joyfully surrounded the burning youth,

laughing with mirth.

An unfeigned laughter that came from the heart. Innocent. Naive.

Cruel.

The cruelty of a child who cannot differentiate between right and

wrong. Like children who pluck off the wings of a dragonfly just to
watch it struggle, they enjoyed the youth’s predicament as he painfully
struggled the same way.
 “A member of the main family getting burned 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 could only hug his burnt arm, his face showing a painful
expression as the others continued to mock him, one after another.

“It’s my turn!”

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

“Oh– Go on. Quickly now!”

The children cheered. The girl, encouraged, held her fist to her
chest and began to concentrate.

“Heh!”

Following the cute shout, a red flame suddenly appeared like a

ghost above the cringing youth.

The fire slowly descended until it touched the boy’s back.

Sssssssss!

“...!”

The sound of burning meat could be heard. The youth’s body,

originally curled into a ball, straightened out forcefully. This scene
served only to amplify the mocking.

“My turn next!”

“I wanna go too!”
 His legs, his back, his shoulders – all were continuously tattooed by
the ferocious flame. Each time the boy’s body instinctively twitched.
Each time it gave off a burning smell.

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

Were they to be put in his shoes, they would not experience the
smallest discomfort. Even for those whose “power” was ‘weak,’ the
most that would burn would be their clothes – their bodies would
remain completely unharmed.

This was because their clan had been blessed with fire‘s protection.

Because of this, these children were completely unaware of the

dangers of fire, and they did not understand the pain of being
scorched.

You cannot imagine what you do not know, and because they were
unable to imagine the pain, they saw nothing wrong with what they
were doing.

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

“Ah... Ah...”

By the time the children were finally satisfied, the youth was 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 gave the twitching body
a merciless kick. But before anyone could leave, the eldest and
largest boy went further and stomped on the boy’s head.
 “...Hmm?”

“What’s wrong with Toru?”

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

“You... You foolish idiot!”

The head that Toru had forcefully stepped on was now slowly lifting
itself upward. The youth used his hands as support against the ground
and stared intently at Toru from below.

“You... What are you trying to do...?”

Seeing those eyes, filled with murder, Toru couldn’t help but retreat
in fright. Immediately filled with shame at his actions, he became
angry.

“What’s with that look? This worthless scum actually dares to

resist?!”

Toru summoned a flame, angrily throwing it in the youth’s direction.

The youth quickly rose and dodged the incoming flame. Dragging
his heavily wounded frame, he dashed at incredible speed, closing in
on Toru.

“W... Wah...”

Aiming directly at the terrified Toru’s face, he exerted all the

strength in his body to strike him with his palm.

Pachunk! [SFX: something breaking]

Toru’s nose had broken.

“Toru!”
 While the group could only stare, aghast at the sudden incident, the
boy attacked two more people. Driven in his berserk rage, his fist
broke 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 ended there. The burden his actions had placed
on his pained body was beyond the limits of his will. His stomach
heaved, and as if trying to reject everything, he vomited over and over.

“You...! How dare you...!”

Realizing that they were no longer at risk, the others took heart. In
order to punish this thing that didn’t know its place, they began to
focus their mental energy.

But–

“All of you... Get lost!”

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

“I am going to slaughter you...”

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

“I am so going to slaughter you–!”

An insane fury amplified Toru’s abilities several-fold. Stretching his

right hand directly upward, he summoned a huge fireball that seemed
encased by a pair of hands.

“Go and die!”

The youth’s eyes didn’t blink. They could only stare at the fireball.
Despite his body’s inability to move, he refused to give in. Like a
wounded beast with death fast approaching, he searched for any sign
of weakness in his enemy.

– Kaboom!

“Hmph! Now you know my strength!”

Seeing the youth wrapped in flame, Toru smiled.

The flame gradually dispersed. But amidst the disappearing flame,

what appeared was...

“Ah... Ah?”

Contrary to Toru’s expectations, the boy yet lived. Parts of his body
were burnt black, but his limbs still remained; he had successfully
withstood Toru’s flame.

Using every last drop of his ki to create a defensive barrier, the

youth had just barely managed to survive.

“You... You asshole...”

Toru’s expression grew 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 had long since surpassed its limits, and having spent all his
ki, he was no different from a walking corpse.

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

“...”
 Kazuma suddenly opened his eyes. This was a rare occasion for
him – he usually had a hard time waking up – but his consciousness
was fully awake.

But it was only to be expected. How could anyone refuse to wake

up after having a dream like that?

Maintaining his waking posture, Kazuma faced upward and he

looked silently at the ceiling. Unblinking, he remained like this for a full
half-minute.

“Frankly speaking, what an unpleasant dream.”

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

Something that had happened exactly ten years ago, a painful

experience that caused nightmares.

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

Due to the level of his injuries, despite receiving the highest level
recovery jutsus daily, it had taken him a month to recover.

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

Not in terms of the injuries he sustained.

But for giving in to despair.

Once he had understood that he could not win against the

Kannagis’ flames, that he would forever be a weakling, Kazuma had
given up on fighting back.

He had given in to those that scorned him.

From that day forward, Kazuma had continued to run away. Not
resisting, pitifully pleading for mercy, enduring endless torment,
endless public humiliation.

But it no longer mattered.

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

“...I can’t forget.”

Kazuma realized that his memories of his past humiliations were as

clear as if they had happened only yesterday and murmured to
himself.

“I don’t even mind.”

Even though he was now in Japan once more, he had never even
considered taking revenge – even though doing so would have been 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 would
be required. Any strength Toru had gained in the 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 was unsure
whether or not he had met Toru.

“...Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

Pushing the question to the back of his mind, Kazuma covered

himself with the covers once more. Though fully awake, he had
nothing in particular to do, and didn’t feel like getting up just yet.

(Let’s get some more sleep...)

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

Dulululululululululu–

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

What a crafty ring. The more he tried to ignore the ringing, the more
insistent it seemed to get, and yet it wasn’t so loud that he would
wreck the phone in frustration.

“Damn it!”

Left with no other alternative, Kazuma reached for the phone. But
instead of leaving his bed for the phone, he brought the phone to him.

“...Who’s making a call so early in the morning?” he grumbled in a

mournful tone, despite the fact it was already late morning.

“Hello?”

He spoke in a sluggish tone – giving away the fact that he had just
woken up – but his tranquil mind was pondering the courteous reply
from the other end.

“Oh?”

This time, Kazuma was fully awake. There was no longer any sign
of fatigue on the face that suddenly emerged from the covers.

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

Kazuma answered politely, and then hung up. He flipped the covers
back and crawled out, stretching lazily.
 With his usual complacent smile now on his face, Kazuma muttered.

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

Part 2
While she was walking home after school, Ayano’s eyes caught a
small shadow about ten meters away from her.

“Hey–”

She was just about to call out when she suddenly stopped, and a
mischievous smile crept onto her face.

Ayano snuck up on the shadow slowly, step by step, it not having

yet noticed Ayano’s presence.

“Wh–wha!”

Standing immediately behind her target, she grabbed her victim in a

bear hug, as if to envelop the entirety of the small figure. Ayano
secured the youth caught in her embrace – now giving off a cute
scream and struggling to escape with all his might – so that he
couldn’t move.

“Nee... Nee-sama?!”

“Completely off-guard. That means you still need more training,

Ren.”

“To say that now is really... Anyway, just let go of me first, Nee-
sama!”

“No way~ Free yourself!”

Looking at the two fooling around, passersby couldn’t help but crack
faint, bittersweet smiles.
 Judging by their appearance, the two were a rare and beautiful pair
of “sisters.” Though one of them only looked to be around the age of
ten, they were still pleasing to the eyes.

“Nee... Nee-sama! Really...”

Realizing that they had become the center of attention, Ren’s face
reddened. Despite all appearances, he was, after all, a twelve-year-
old boy. So, it wasn’t strange for him to feel shy about female physical
contact.

After finally being released from confinement, Ren demanded,

“Seriously... What are you thinking?!” as he gasped for air.

However, his expression, along with wet, pleading eyes, instead

generated the feeling that he was really cute, and not scary in the
least. More than likely, it wouldn’t have scared even a three-year-old.

“Ahahaha! Sorry. Sorry. This is a display of love for you too.”

It goes without saying that Ayano was not in the least bit afraid. She
patted Ren’s shoulder and cheekily ignored Ren’s complaints.

“Honestly!”

Unable to vent his displeasure, Ren’s expression soured instantly.

This method was very effective. Because it was simply too cute,
there was no way to ignore him.

“I’m really sorry. How about I treat you to a meal?”

“I won’t let you change the subject.”

Ren’s mood showed no sign of improvement. He turned his head to

the side, unwilling to meet Ayano’s eyes.

Ayano used both hands to grab Ren’s head and forced him to turn
his face back toward her.
 “If you still won’t listen...

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

“Then I’ll kiss you! ♥”

“Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

This was how easily Ayano toyed with the youth, who was dancing
in the palm of her hand.

“Huh? So something like that happened.”

On the second floor of the hamburger shop near the station, the two
were chatting about the victory banquet that had happened a few days
earlier.

Hearing Ren’s innocent reaction, Ayano revealed an evil smirk and

answered.

“Yeah, when you were asleep.”

“...Geez. Don’t bring that up anymore!”

Ren’s cheeks flushed red. He’d been asleep that day, from
beginning to end. The shock and shame of waking up on Ayano’s lap
showed no sign of subsiding even now.

For the first time, he truly felt what it meant to want to hide his head
in the ground.

“What will I do if Father finds out about this...”

Seeing the uneasy Ren, Ayano grabbed a french fry and said with
ease, “What else can you do? He already knows doesn’t he? There
seems to be quite a few people visiting him these few days.”
 Ren’s father, Genma, had not participated in the battle against the
Fuugas, having earlier lost to Kazuma in a quarrel between father and
son, and was still resting in the hospital.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

Ren collapsed on the table, hugged his head, and moaned.

Genma, already very strict with himself, was even stricter with his
relatives. It wasn’t hard to imagine his reaction when he finally heard
of his son’s blunder.

“It’s fine. Don’t be so down.”

“But I am ‘so down.’”

Ren reproached Ayano’s irresponsible remark in an incomparably

downhearted voice.

“Because once Father’s angry, he’s really strict.”

“...I guess!”

Ayano replied in a carefree tone. Whether or not he would be angry

was another matter entirely. The image of an “easygoing Genma” was
beyond imagination.

(Will that guy smile in front of Ren’s face?)

Even though she had only ever seen him either mocking or whole-
heartedly laughing.

“When the time comes, you can just place all the blame on
Kazuma.”

“Placing blame on someone else would only make Father even

angrier.”

“...That's true... He's the kind of person who's really hard to deal
with.”

“Awuuuuuuuuuh!”

Ren spread himself out on the table and moaned.

“Huh?”

It was a coincidence, but...

If he had been sitting upright, his view would have been blocked by
protruding branches, causing the scene to have escaped his notice,
but because he had collapsed on the table in despair, he instead
became witness to an incredible sight.

“What is it?”

“That woman...”

Ayano lowered her head to look in the direction that Ren was
indicating.

Lying directly ahead, at the edge of her field of vision, a woman was
standing. A beautiful, mesmerizing woman with shiny black hair,
wearing a clean, pure white coat, the starkly contrasting colors making
her even more attractive.

Ayano smiled at Ren, with mischief in mind.

“What a beautiful woman. Do you know her?”

Ren ignored the implication, and muttered, “That woman, isn’t she
Misao nee-sama?”

“Eh? Ehhhhhh?”

Ayano quickly looked back to inspect the woman below more

closely. After a few seconds...
 “It seems to be her...”

Indeed, it was Misao Ogami. However, she had changed completely

from how she was three days ago. Even the simple fact that she was
not wearing a kimono made her give a completely different
impression. Though Ayano had known Misao ever since they were
little, as far as she could remember, this was the first time that she has
ever seen Misao in Western clothes.

Perhaps because of that, what could be seen of her legs extending

below her coat looked exceptionally appealing.

To describe the feeling in a single word, it would be coquettish.

Though normally she seemed plain, as if wanting to escape notice,
now she made a magnificent impression. Actually, within the five
minutes the two had been watching, there had already been three
attempts to pick her up.

Misao serenely rejected their advances, and as she had showed

them respect despite the rejection, all left without causing trouble. If
Nanase and Yukari had seen this scene, they would have chastised
Ayano, saying “Learn from her.”

After staring, awestruck, for a while, Ren grumbled.

“She seems to be waiting for someone.”

“That... is really surprising.”

Ayano sounded as though she still could not believe her eyes
because this was unimaginably different from what she had thought
earlier.

“Is it a date?”

“...Is it not?”

A girl like Misao would not dress up in such an extravagant manner

to meet a friend of the same gender!
 Ayano’s interest grew.

“I wonder who she’s dating.”

Inattentively sipping her orange juice, Ayano observed the scene

outside the window with great interest. Given the intensity of her gaze,
anyone watching from the side would have found her actions very
suspicious.

“...Nee-sama.”

Ren looked at Ayano, who was spying on Misao with a bitter smile.
He himself turned to follow the scene outside. At that moment, the
other party appeared.

“Nii-sama?!”

He couldn’t help but doubt his own eyes. But it was indeed Ren’s
brother, Kazuma. His appearance was no coincidence – the proof
being Misao, smiling broadly and running to meet him.

Before Ren, who was dumbstruck, the two intimately held hands
and walked off.

Even after the two disappeared from view, Ren was still frozen,
staring dumbly at the window. It was an absolutely impossible
occurrence, because to Misao, Kazuma was “the man who had killed
Nii-sama.”

A faint sound brought Ren back to his senses.

–squish– [SFX: something being squashed]

Something light and soft was being squashed. Not a rare sound by
any means, and yet hearing it fills one with unease.

Ren faced Ayano with unease. As he did not dare look directly at
her, he shifted his eyes upward from below, following the table upward
toward Ayano.

The first thing he saw was Ayano’s hand. Her slender fingers
gripped the paper cup, still full of juice, and crushed it into the shape
of her fist. The juice spilled out, forming an orange-colored ocean. Her
fries and hamburger were completely soaked and no longer worth
eating.

Ayano’s hand crackled – the sound of ice, unable to escape from

the cup, being pulverized by her hand, which continuously trembled.

Ren was so frightened that he dared not look up.

Though he didn’t understand the cause, he recognized Ayano’s

extreme anger. If he wasn’t careful, he might just become her target.

Pak!

Suddenly, Ayano slammed her hands on the table and stood up.

“Argh!”

To the cringing Ren, Ayano said softly...

“...I’m going to follow them.”

“...Huh?”

Before Ren could open his mouth, Ayano had already run out of the
shop.

“Wait... Wait a minute...”

Ren hurriedly picked up their plates, and, in one go, handed them to
the shop assistant lady waiting at the trash bin.

“Thank you for your patronage.”

With his back to the shop assistant, who showed a professional

smile, Ren swiftly ran toward the restroom.

Part 3
After waiting a minute or so, Ren ran to catch up to Ayano.

“Nee-sama?”

But by now, there was no sign of Ayano. After looking around in

vain, Ren ran in the direction in which Kazuma and Misao had gone...

...and immediately discovered Ayano, whose actions made her

presence immediately obvious.
 “...Nee-sama...”

As a beautiful girl hiding behind an electric pole, sneakily surveying

her prey, she stood out more than if she had been doing nothing at all.

For a moment, he strongly considered pretending that he didn’t

know her and returning home, but he only entertained the thought,
unwilling to do such a thing.

Ren bravely stepped forward and walked up to Ayano, who could

now be considered an exemplary example of a suspicious character.

“...Nee-sama.”

“What were you doing, taking so long?”

Ren, speechless, silently took out a wet handkerchief.

“What?”

“Please clean your hands.”

“Huh? Oh. Ah, thanks.”

Ayano took the handkerchief and began to clean her hands, sticky
from the orange juice.

“You’re pretty smart, Ren.”

“You’re very welcome,” Ren answered calmly, as he observed

Kazuma and Misao, about ten meters in front of them.

The two, walking down the road with arms locked, exuded an
unusually intimate atmosphere. Although they were unable to hear
what the two were saying, it was easy to tell from the occasional
smiles between them that there was more to their relationship.

“Don’t just stand there. Hide! We’ll be seen!”

 Ayano grabbed Ren’s hand and pulled 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, do you still want to follow them?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

Faced with this candid question, Ayano was 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’re doing is simply prying.”

Ren didn’t exaggerate but simply said what he truly felt, and Ayano
was deeply stung.

“Wh–What prying... I don’t have such an indecent motive! I’m just...”

“Just...?”

“Just... Misao...! That’s right! Misao might still intend to take

Kazuma’s life!”

“No matter what method she uses, she’ll never beat him.”

“Argh...”

Her hastily constructed excuse calmly rebutted, Ayano was left

speechless once more.

“Di–Didn’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 declared unashamedly, finally
raising her head.

Ren pondered this for a time before blushing and asking abashedly,
“So, we’ll have to continue spying on those two until Misao nee-
sama... until Misao nee-sama begins to use her beauty to seduce Nii-
sama?”

Ayano couldn’t help but visualize the scene in her mind. She
pictured herself hiding in a dark corner, watching the two as they
hugged, kissed, and then continued on to the next step...

(...Maybe I kind of hate doing this...)

Thinking about these scenes not meant to be seen, Ayano felt like
turning back.

At that moment, if Ren had chosen to continue to persuade her

along those lines, Ayano might just have given up. Unfortunately, Ren
chose another method – a method so wrong that it couldn’t have been
worse.

Perhaps because he thought this reason was more accurate, Ren

opened his mouth to ask...

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

He had no proof, just a feeling. Maybe the wish he held, that

“Kazuma nii-sama and Ayano nee-sama will get along” might have
been 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
realized that he had stepped on a land mine.
 (Wh–Wh–Wha?!)

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

“Ah... Ah...”

“What did you just say?”

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

Ayano reached out her hand and softly placed it on Ren’s face,
which was filled with fear.

“You are such a good kid. That’s the way to live to a ripe, old age!”

Ren was helpless to do anything but nod.

“They’re still following us.”

“Yeah.”

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

Without even needing to look, the two knew that they were being
tailed – if it could have even been considered tailing.

Hiding your tracks, disguising the tail, the precise selection of

following distance and position... No matter how you looked at it, what
they were doing didn’t qualify as tailing. To put it bluntly, even an
amateur should have done better. It almost made you want to scream
that if they really wanted to hide, they should at least shut up.

(To entrust those two with the future of the Kannagis... Aren’t you
worried, Soushu?)
 Kazuma couldn’t help but sympathize with Juugo, though he never
put it in words. What he was considering now was...

“What is it?”

Seeing Misao with an innocent smile, Kazuma gave her a smile in

return.

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

“We’re almost there.”

Given the way Misao was pulling Kazuma along, it wouldn’t be an

exaggeration to say that she was forcing him along, but Kazuma
offered no resistance and followed.

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

That’s what he was thinking.

At an alley corner, Misao suddenly stopped. The place where they

were was surrounded by rows of buildings, and, even in broad
daylight, it seemed rather shady. Misao remained silently in place
while an icy chill filled the air.

Ignoring the rapidly changing atmosphere, Kazuma calmly asked,

“Is this place okay?”

“Yup. This is our destination.”

Misao answered in a firm tone, following with an exaggerated bow.

“So... I wish you luck.”

As she said those words, Kazuma’s body flew.

As if hit by an invisible car, or struck in the head by a metallic bat,

his body smashed forcefully into the ground.

Several moments later, a veritable explosion of sound shook the air.

As if Kazuma hadn’t even been given enough time to recognize the
sound of gunfire, the body that rolled on the ground seemed
powerless – like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

On the other hand, Misao wore a smile, watching as Kazuma was

blown away. She slowly retreated without ever looking away.

As if swapping positions, as Misao retreated, ten men appeared

from the shadows of the surrounding buildings. They wore Western
suits, seemingly businessmen at first glance, but though their ethnicity
and ages were all different, their teamwork was at a very high level.

They spread out in a fan-shaped formation and surrounded Kazuma

– who now lay on the ground – extracting the contents of their cases
in swift, practiced motions.

What lay within were not documents, or product samples, but pitch
black, metallic objects, devices designed solely for killing – MP5Ks, a
smaller type of MP5, an assault rifle designed for portability.

The men casually placed this thing that would not normally appear
in a businessman’s briefcase near their waists, as if it were only
natural, and then, without hesitation, they pulled the trigger.

The bullets were fired out in full-auto, and several hundred shots
crashed into Kazuma’s body as one. Hit asphalt was crushed into a
fine mist, staining the surroundings gray.

The men took no notice and continued to spray fire over a wide area
in Kazuma’s direction.

It took less than three seconds for them to run through their
magazines, and they quickly inserted new clips before resuming fire.

Then this scene repeated itself once more.

 When each had expended all three of their cartridges, the men
swiftly took cover while something dropped 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 muttered 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
it overkill would be an understatement.

An attack that would have made you feel that the objective was not
to “kill”, but to “eradicate,” to attack to the point that nothing remained.
This was just such an attack.

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

They seemed to be too shocked to stand, but as long as the two of

them were unharmed, it was fine. Even if she had already severed all
ties with the Kannagis, she was unable to forget her respect for them,
let alone have them as enemies.

On the other hand, in the corner where Kazuma lay, the remains of
the destroyed building began to collapse, forming a small hill of
concrete rubble. Even were you to search under that hill, it would have
been unlikely for you to find even a scrap of cloth remaining.

“We must dig the corpse out.”

 Witnessing the horrifying scene before her, Misao said calmly to
herself. At that moment, the men bearing the assault rifles ran out and
encircled the small hill of concrete.

An awful silence loomed 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 seemed

shaken for the first time.

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

“Fi–Fire!”

It was a command shouted in a voice that no longer radiated calm.

Driven by fear and the voice, the men reflexively pulled the trigger.

The erupting gunfire, loud enough to cause deafness, echoed

through the alley. After being hit by several hundred more bullets, the
black shadow fell once more.

“...Phew...”

Someone breathed out in relief, as if released from a heavy burden.

Following his lead, the other men began to relax, one by one. At that
moment–

A tornado appeared.

The seemingly rampaging tornado was tightly controlled, only

cutting the bodies of the ten men. Five bodies, already torn to pieces,
danced in the sky. At the same time, the tornado dispersed all the
dust. In the blink of an eye, the air had become unbelievably clear.

“Making such a scene, as always.”

Kazuma smiled happily.

After recovering from momentary shock, Misao’s face resumed its

gentle smile as she looked at Kazuma.

Other than a little dirt, he had suffered no damage at all. It appeared

that he had used a wind barrier to deflect everything.

Misao put her hand in her pocket as if nothing had happened and
radioed a signal.

“Just to warn you, don’t waste your energy,” Kazuma advised Misao
unhurriedly.

“The snipers are dead – both of them.”

After hearing this snide comment, delivered in a matter-of-fact tone,

Misao’s smile vanished instantly.

In addition to the first sniper, over one kilometer away, Misao had
prepared a second sniper as a trump card. They had been placed
across from each other, two kilometers apart, with Kazuma in the
center.

Despite this, Kazuma had killed them. This meant that while
defending against such a savage attack, he had calmly been scanning
an area with a radius of at least one kilometer without missing a beat.

Though what he said was unbelievable, the radio had yet to

respond. Misao offered a bitter smile and discarded her radio.

“Gee, are you a monster?”

 “People often say that I am,” Kazuma answered 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 revealed kind smiles.

At that time, the bodies of the men killed by the tornado and thrown
into the sky began to rain down.

Kazuma deflected the corpses with his wind–

–KABOOM– [SFX: explosion]

Misao, on the other hand, remorselessly burned them to ash with

her fire.

Seeing the corpses turn to dust, to be blown away by the wind,

Kazuma asked in a low voice, “Those men were hired by you, weren’t
they?”

“I don’t recall hiring dead people.”

Misao replied while smiling.

Yes, Misao was smiling. Though the mercenaries she had hired had
turned a street corner to ruin, causing death and injury to many, that
smile held 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 asked, in a

rare, pained tone.
 “I changed? Did you know me that well?”

“...That's true.”

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

“So, your plan ends here?”

“Yes, that’s all for today.”

“Is that so? You may go then.”

Hearing these words, Misao was slightly shocked.

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

“I’ve said this before. No matter what method you try, you’ll never be
able to even scratch me.”

“You’ll regret it.”

“Let’s wait and see.”

Misao didn’t reply and silently turned to leave.

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

“Ten years... is really a long time...”

His quiet words passed unheard and disappeared into the wind.

Part 4
“Gunfire broke out at 4pm today in an incident in Chiyoda Ward,
Kudankita District, and claimed more than 30 lives.”

The nightly news was reporting on the earlier incident, which was
only to be expected. Even though the legend of Japanese security had
already long since broken down, things had yet to reach the point
where a firefight in the center of Tokyo was a common occurrence.

Because the incident had taken place near the royal residence, all
of Tokyo had instantly gone on high alert. As if under martial law,
police could be seen everywhere.

Pointing at the ruinous street corner appearing on the television,

Juugo showed Ayano a look of suspicion.

“You are saying that all of this is Misao’s doing?”

“Yes... Umm... It should be...”

Ayano answered hesitantly. The more she looked at the scene

depicted on the television, the less real it seemed.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Misao the two of them knew

would never be associated with such an incident. Normally a very
sympathetic girl, even were she to hold a grudge, she would never be
so cruel as to involve innocent people. And were she to decide to take
revenge, she would choose a method that wouldn’t involve others.

But...

“For an obedient, docile girl like Misao... Once she gets angry, her
actions are surprisingly audacious...” Ayano mumbled wholeheartedly.

From speaking with Masayuki, they had learned that Misao had
already disappeared two days prior, along with an eight digit sum from
the Ogami family account.

It went without saying that she had yet to be seen again.

“Don’t look as though this doesn’t concern you. Why didn’t you grab
her on the spot?”

“Because, Kazuma... He–”

 In response to Juugo’s reprimand, Ayano responded coquettishly.

“No excuses. After all, you are to be the next Soushu.”

(Just what do you expect me to do in that kind of situation...)

Ayano put on an obedient front in the face of Juugo’s lecture, but

the earlier incident was replaying itself within her.

“Ugh, I can’t hear a thing.”

With Kazuma’s safe return, and the subsequent exit of his

assailants, Ayano had become a stalker once more, but the distance
between them was too large, and she had been unable to listen in.

At such times, en-jutsu was useless. Among the various forms of

en-jutsu – which exhibited an overwhelming attack power – there was
nothing that could be used for reconnaissance.

In the end, Ayano didn’t manage to catch even a single word of the
conversation.

“That guy seems to be enjoying himself.”

“Is that so? He looks pained to me.”

“Pained? That guy? What a joyous occasion.”

“Nee-sama...”

The reason why Ayano could have such an attitude was because
she thought that it was all over.

She believed that Misao had no cards left to play and that all that
was left was the aftermath. Or so she thought.

Unfortunately...
 After the conversation had come to a peaceful resolution, Misao had
turned, not to run away, but to calmly walk away.

Kazuma didn’t give chase and just silently watched as she took her
leave.

In the moments during which Ayano was too stunned to move,

Misao had leisurely disappeared.

“Wa–Wait a minute!”

Coming back to her senses, Ayano ran to Kazuma’s side and

grabbed his collar.

“Why did you let her escape?!”

“Why should I capture her?”

Kazuma didn’t seem surprised by Ayano’s appearance and

questioned her in turn, as if only natural.

“What do you mean why... This incident was caused by Misao!”

“From the way I see it, they’re the ones responsible.”

In response to Ayano, who was pointing at the remains of the

building, Kazuma pointed instead at the corpses of the fallen men.

“That’s what I’m saying! They were following her orders!”

“Is that so? That’s news to me.”

“Yo–You really...”

The hand gripping his collar increased in force. From her attitude it
was plain to see that what Ayano really wanted to grab was Kazuma’s
throat.

“If you let her be, Misao will do the same thing again!”
 “Does it matter? There wasn’t any harm done anyway.”

“Are you blind?”

Ayano once again pointed to the pathetic scene behind her.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Kazuma corrected himself.

“No harm to me.”

Pachi.

“You bastard! Just stand there and receive your punishment!”

A flaming fist (Note: not a metaphor) struck at Kazuma. Dodging the

strike with ease, Kazuma began to chat with his brother, who walked
up to him.

“Oh, Ren. How’ve you been?”

“Well...”

“Damn it! Die! Die this instant!”

“How noisy!”

Kazuma closed the distance as Ayano drew her fist, and lightly
twisted her right hand upward.

“Gya!”

Ayano’s elbow was flipped up, and the joints in her arm, elbow, and
shoulder were all stretched to the limit at the same time. In such a
condition, Ayano could only arc her body, tip-toe and bear with it. Her
body completly lost balance, and all she could do was surrender.

“Ugh...”

Ignoring Ayano, who was trying her best to recover her balance,
Kazuma warned Ren, “I’m heading back. You guys should leave too.
It’ll be troublesome if the police see you.”

“See ya then.”

He carelessly waved his hand and swept his eyes toward Ayano –
who was now stumbling on the ground – with an expression of victory.

“Yo–You!”

With his back to Ayano, who was glaring at him, Kazuma walked
away.

“Nee-sama, are you okay?”

Treating Ren’s words of concern with the regard she would give a
gust of wind, Ayano silently watched Kazuma’s back.

(That guy–! One day I’ll definitely teach him a lesson!)

Ayano forgot that she was listening to her father lecture her and
grew angry at the thought.

Juugo did not fail to notice. When he saw that Ayano was not
paying attention, he stood up – Ayano showed no reaction – walked
forward – Ayano still didn’t react – and knocked his fist on the top of
her head.

Dong!

An extremely exaggerated sound came forth. Ayano was in such

pain that she couldn’t even scream, and her entire body collapsed on
the tatami.

Having suffered the blow on the top of her head while kneeling, the
impact had nowhere to go but straight down. Agonizing under a blow
that seemed as if it would crush her skull, Ayano could only endure it.
 “I... I object to violence...” Ayano protested with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t just say the words. Change.”

Juugo, of course, ignored her protest.

“It seems that I’ve spoiled you too much in the past. I will have to be
more strict from now on.”

“But that’s...”

Disregarding Ayano’s pitiful expression, Juugo returned to the topic

at hand.

“So? Did you notice any other clues?”

“Kazuma is very suspicious!” Ayano shouted at almost exactly the

same time.

“...”

Juugo simply looked at Ayano without saying a word. To call his

gaze critical would have been conservative.

“...Is that all?”

“Be... Because it’s weird, isn’t it?! Why didn’t Kazuma kill Misao?!”

“Hmm...”

Juugo grew silent, not speaking a word. Seizing this opportunity,

Ayano pressed on.

“Otou-sama, just think about it. Doesn’t Kazuma resent the

Kannagis to the core? To not even kill a single person up until now, it
just seems too weird.”

“He seems to have told Ren that he ‘no longer hates the Kannagi
family’.”
 “Who knows? Even if that’s true, if someone took the initiative to
attack him, that shouldn’t still be the case. Didn’t we see it already?
The fourteen or fifteen men who surrounded and attacked him, he
beat them to a pulp. That’s Kazuma’s ‘usual’ way of doing things.”

“...Mm-hmm...”

Juugo nodded. He had no objections to her point.

“But in that case, why didn’t he lay a hand on Misao?”

“I have no idea. But anyone can see that Misao is very special in
Kazuma’s eyes. There must be something between them,” Ayano said
bluntly, with a stern, or rather, sharp expression.

“He has fallen in love with Misao?”

Ayano’s body trembled slightly. She looked at her father with the
unsure eyes of a lost child.

“Otou-sama thinks so too?”

“Who knows?”

Juugo answered vaguely. He hoped that he was just thinking too

much.

(Kazuma must return to the Kannagis. But Misao is unable to be his

support.)

To say that he did not expect Kazuma to replace the Fuugas would
have been a lie. In addition, Juugo had not forgotten the danger
Kazuma posed.

Kazuma had shown his scars once before. Juugo couldn’t pretend
not to have seen that unhealed wound.

(Kazuma needs a place to return to. And for that...)

 Juugo looked at Ayano with eyes that held deep meaning, but at
that moment, Ayano was too focused on her own troubles and failed
to notice those eyes at all.

“Anyway, let’s find Kazuma and ask him about it first.”

Ayano returned to her senses and nodded in agreement.

“Ye... Yeah... By the way, why is that guy always so mysterious?”

“Indeed.”

Juugo gave a bitter smile. He felt uneasy precisely because he

understood that it was due to Kazuma’s mistrust of the Kannagis.

“Somehow, we must find a way...”

In the end, Juugo never got a chance to ask Kazuma about the
circumstances between him and Misao. And by that point, the
opportunity had already long passed.
Chapter Three - Friendship –Contributions and
Mistakes-
Part 1
Late night....

“Dammit! I'm not sure if I'll make it in time.”

A teenager rushed towards the station in order to catch the last

train.

Takahashi Shuuji was a 20 year-old university student.

As a formal participant of the Kendo club, his slender-seeming body

was actually very well trained—there was no fat on it at all.

His reflexes were benumbed due to an excessive intake of alcohol.

Even so, the steps he took on the brick floor did not seem so
disordered.

“...That’s weird.”

Shuuji suddenly had a strange feeling. He stopped in his tracks to

look around him.

He found nothing suspicious—just a very normal underground

passage that stretched a long way.

But—

“Hey... Why is there no one here?”

Besides him, not a single soul could be seen in the area.

This was the underground passage to the turnstiles. Even with it

past midnight—the time when the last train was about to reach the
station—it was impossible that there was nobody here at all.

“Rea— Really, anything can happen.”

Shuuji found some excuse to convince himself and tried to suppress

the uneasiness in his heart.

“I'm... I'm going to miss the train at this rate...”

Shuuji began to walk quickly with a loud and clear ta! ta! ta! sound
from his footsteps, . After a while it became a jog—and in the end he
ran at full speed, as if he was flying.

Ta! Ta! Ta!

The sound made by the soles of his leather shoes knocking against
the brick floor echoed throughout the entire vacant underground
passage. Yet, no matter how long he continued to walk, there was no
sign of the turnstiles before him.

“Wha—? What the hell!? It shouldn't be this long at all!”

The underground passage seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Surrounded by store windows with the metal shutters pulled down at
the sides, Shuuji gradually lost track of where he was.

He turned back to check on the way he came.

“—Eek!”

Shuuji gasped. Before him was a long tunnel that led to who knows
where. The stairs that led to the surface could no longer be seen.

“—!”

He changed his direction once more and continued in the direction

in which he had first been going. The scene reflected in his eyes made
Shuuji stare, his eyes wide open.
 The same as the way behind him—there was only one tunnel that
stretched until it vanished as far as he can see. Of course, there were
no stairs or crossroads there either.

Shuuji was stranded in the middle of a tunnel that stretched

endlessly—alone.

“What...? What's going on...?”

Cold sweat broke out from his face. Within the eyeballs that spun
continuously, his pupils slowly dilated.

“What the hell is this about?!”

No one replied to his scream. His cry reverberated between the

walls and ceiling and got sent back into Shuuji’s ears as a
reverberating echo.

The teenager stumbled onto the floor, staring blankly at the brick
with half mad, half sane eyes.

“...Ah?”

Suddenly, his eyes focused on one point—something was seeping

through the gaps between the bricks on the floor.

“What...?”

It was a semi-transparent substance with a glue-like texture. It was

originally the size of a ping-pong ball, then, it grew to the size of a
baseball in a moment, and, after not too long, it was the size of a
soccer ball.

The glue-like substance shone with a rainbow-colored glow. If this

thing was seen in a photo, maybe it would give a clear, lustrous, and
refreshing feeling.

But, the actual substance floating before his eyes could only be
described as ugly. It was just like a tumor, vomit, or a filthy gooey
piece of the two condensed to the maximum limit.

Instinctively, Shuuji hurriedly jumped backwards, reacting to his

disgust. He jumped with force, landing two meters behind where he
was, and the sound of his steps spreads across the entire
underground passage.

Squeelch.

"—!?”

He looked down at his feet in shock. There—! No, as far as he can

see, all of the brick was covered with the filthy pieces of goo.

“WA—! WAHHHH!”

The globules that were in contact from under his feet slowly latched
onto Shuuji’s body. Even though he attempted to peel the gooey
things off, he couldn't; they were tougher than expected, firmly
attaching themselves onto his limbs.

“...Huh?”

All of a sudden, his surroundings darkened. His eyeballs almost

popped out, when he looked up away from the area near his feet he
was staring at.

Before his eyes— At a distance so close he could touch it by

stretching out his hand, a wall made from the globules appeared.

The scattered globules on the floor gathered around Shuuji, forming

a semi-transparent, round bucket. Looking at the round bucket
emitting a lustrous glow, it looked like a distorted pillar, like an avant-
garde piece of art.

“...Argh... Ah...”

Shuuji shook his head, unwilling to believe what was happening. In

his mind, he tried hard to deny the existence of this gooey mass.
 However, his wish was not fulfilled.

At that moment, the globules, which were stacked even higher than
his body, collapsed on him all at once.

“—!”

Shuuji was too scared to say anything as his whole body was
completely wrapped within the blob.

Unable to withstand such a chilling experience, sending shivers

down his spine, Shuuji's consciousness was consumed by darkness.

And— He never woke up again.

“The way you manipulated them left me speechless, but—“

In the space where there was no one originally, a boy’s clear voice
spoke up.

“Don’t you think you wasted too much time?”

A gentle female voice replied, “This is the first time; naturally I had
to be more cautious.”

“Hmm, maybe!”

Ka-ta. The sound of one footstep could be heard.

Who could say when they were there? Two shadows suddenly
appeared in the abnormal space that trapped Shuuji.

There stood a seventeen or eighteen-year-old female with a boy

about ten years old. The girl’s height exceeded that of the boy by
about thirty centimeters—but, as for the position of the head, the boy’s
head was slightly higher.

The two looked at Shuuji, who was trapped in the globule, chatting
calmly.
 “But, if you use so much time like this, who knows when it will be
completed? To fulfill your wish, more power must be gathered.”

Right before the two of them, Shuuji slowly became emaciated.

He was being consumed.

Was it his blood—? No.

Was it his moisture content—? That was wrong too.

Being surrounded by the blob, Shuuji aged rapidly. All the vital
essence of the teenager’s whole body— The radiance of life was
being expropriated, his life that should last over half a century was
used to its limit within a short period of a few minutes.

“I understand this very clearly! I will do it more cleanly and quickly

next time!”

The girl raised her head to look at the boy, and used a determined
tone to reply. As if to pacify the displeased girl, the boy gave a light
smile.

“That's the way. You can do it.”

The short, neatly-cut golden hair waved lightly to follow his nodding
motion.

Judging from the tone the two spoke in, it seemed the young boy
was of a higher status.

Maybe his actual age was not as young as his appearance—the

emerald-green eyes that looked innocent and naïve at first sight
instead seemed deep beyond comprehension.

In a clear melodious voice like a silver bell, the boy said solemnly:

“Because he who is right will receive Heaven’s protection.”

 “...You mean this?”

Looking at the vital essence of the innocent teenager being

continuously sucked dry by the blob, the girl laughed mockingly.

“You're saying that this monster is the same as you? Tenshi-sama?

That sounds awful.”

The boy had no wings. A faint radiance emitted from all over his
body as he floated in the air. The beautiful angelic face of his showed
a bitter smile.

“Needless to say monsters—even devils—cannot escape the grasp

of God. Because the omnipotent God is capable of anything.”

The girl looked at the smiling angel (self-proclaimed) with puzzled

eyes. However, she did not reject his extended hand.

“No matter what your reason may be, I'm very thankful that you lent
me power. For mutual benefit, let us work together from now on!”

“—One day, you will surely experience the love of God, too.”

Before the teenager gradually withering away, two hands filled with
personal desires and hypocrisy were tightly clasped.

Part 2
Next day at the Kannagi residence:

“What’s the matter?”

Kazuma—who was sought out—suddenly decided to forgo the

pleasantries to ask Juugo directly.

He didn't even glance at Ayano who was sitting at his side.

Ayano, as usual, was in a silent anger. Kazuma, as usual, ignored

her presence and kept his gaze on Juugo only.

“From yesterday night up till this morning at zero hours, Ikebukoro

has a total of eight youngsters dying from being weakened by an
unknown reason, their age ranging from ten plus to twenty plus years
old.”

Juugo matched himself with Kazuma, going to the main point

directly.

“And so?”

Kazuma calmly hushed for his continuation. He had an extremely

high tolerance towards the suffering and misfortunes of others.

Even though you could just say how he was without blood or tears.

“They seem to have their vigor sucked dry. And so, I would like to
ask you to find this person, and, if possible, eliminate him.”

“Okay, I got it.”

Without a more detailed negotiation, Kazuma accepted the request

readily. This, too, was his usual style.

“I leave it to you. This is the data related to the incidents...”

With that said, Juugo takes out a thin sheaf of documents. Even
though they were said to be data, but the incidents only happened last
night, so there were no important clues. Just simple data about the
victims and where they were found, and some photos while they were
still alive, and some after their death.

“Oh oh.... These are just like residues.”

Kazuma compared the photos, and says the term that would make
the relatives of the deceased curse him.

Yet, this was probably the most direct thought of anyone who saw
the photos— Even though there were not many who dared say it out
loud.

Every victim looked very lively—just looking at their photos allowed

one to feel the brilliance of their lives.

Switching back to their photos after death... To be frank, they were

mummies. Nothing would seem out of place even if they were placed
directly in a museum for exhibition.

Dry and wrinkled skin, faces filled with wrinkles. In those open and
vacant eyes, there was no sign of fear, only just a supernatural
calmness.

Even if you told everyone how they had been still alive a few hours
ago, there wouldn’t be many who would believe you! That was just
how bad they looked after death.

“This time there is no time limit—but act fast. You will co-operate
with Ayano—“

Kazuma simply cut into Juugo’s sentence. “No need.”

“—What?”

“She'll just be in my way.”

Faced with Juugo’s question, Kazuma replied coldly.

“Wha—? What!?”

Ayano furiously cried out in protest. Juugo stopped her.

“—Kazuma.”

He called out Kazuma’s name like a sigh—but Kazuma showed no

intention of backing off.

“The job this time is primarily to search—right? Then En-jutsushi are

completely useless. If the opponent is not something I can handle, I'll
contact you guys again. Until then, just remain on stand-by!”

“But, if the enemy escapes because of this, then we'll have to go

through this trouble again.”

Juugo didn’t give up, and persistently attempted to let Ayano travel
along. Kazuma refused once more.

“I doubt that the number of Youma that I cannot handle by myself is

very high. So why should I bring a heavy burden to prevent such a
situation?”

Ayano jumped up in her anger. “Burden—!? Aren’t you being too

arrogant—!?”

Juugo restrained Ayano and pulled her back to her seat.

“You won’t bring her along no matter what?”

“Nope.”

“...Is that so?”

Under such a direct rejection, Juugo could only comply.

“I get it. I'll trust you on this, then. And one more thing—“

“What is it?”

“You seem to care a lot about Misao. But, for now, just forget about
her! At least until this matter is over.”

“----------------------“
 Kazuma made no reply. He stood up silently, turned and left the
room.

“You idiot—! Even if you come back crying, begging me, I will
definitely not help you—!”

Ayano raged at Kazuma's back as he gradually left.

Juugo looked at his daughter bitterly with a deep sigh.

“You should at least...”

“What!? You think I'm in the wrong?”

The ignorant Ayano said in a temper.

Slice!

Wind blades sped through to slice a bunch of eerily wriggling blobs

into pieces. Staring at the semi-transparent objects turned into
crumbs, Kazuma breathed out.

“Gee, another failure.”

Two days had passed since he had taken on Juugo's request.

During this period, he had been assaulted by these youma as many

as nine times.

They didn't seem to consider Kazuma a target. Even though he

himself walked into these areas with a strong youki, meeting them was
sheer coincidence.

Nine times.

A very abnormal number.

 And while he investigated, every day there were another five or six
victims....

Five or six? I doubt there were so few.

Indeed, such was only the number of corpses which had been
found. But after witnessing how a victim was devoured from start to
finish, Kazuma realized that Juugo’s assumption was wrong.

This type of "youma" didn't just absorb its victim's vigor. It also ate
their flesh as well as anything else it swallowed up—including clothes
and accessories. Everything got devoured.

Kazuma looked dejectedly at the victim, whose skin was now

dissolving. This was followed by the flesh until in the end even his
bones had dissolved. Kazuma's expression was not due to the
dissolution process being so gruesome, but because he understood
what this meant.

—The only reason why corpses remained was because it couldn't

digest them completely.

The estimated number of casualties might be off from the actual

number by a digit—or even two.

“No way....”

Kazuma sighed weakly.

Just how many more shape-shifting worms that fed on human flesh
resided within Tokyo city? Just thinking about it irritated him.

“There's no end to this... I'd better come up with a way —and fast—
to get to the core of this and end it once and for all!”

After nine battles, Kazuma almost completely understood the

characteristics of these youma.

Their appearance was similar to a single cell organism, with no

intelligence at all. They acted purely by instinct, continuously
devouring humans filled with vigor.

Their ability was “Absorption”—to completely drain away one’s

vigor. Even the bodies were converted to energy and taken in.

Alone, they posed a threat no different from any normal pest. But
what was troubling was that their numbers were not few as was
normal—and when they joined up they gained new abilities.

When enough of them had gathered, some kind of magical circuit

would then form among them. Using this circuit to create a kekkai,
they made it so that the targeted humans were unable to escape.

Kazuma predicted that these globules all together were just one
entity. The situation now was like that of split cells conducting
activities independently.

The ability of each “cell” was to absorb calories and then exhaust
them through activity. When they gathered together to form an
“organ,” they gained the ability to control the energy they absorbed.

Perhaps in the final stage, each “organ” would link up to form one
entity. But Kazuma didn't care about the true identity of this monster.

If it was just one entity, then there must be an organ like a brain
giving out commands... Something like a core. Things would be fine
so long as he found this core and destroyed it.

Currently, the enemy was acting separately, and thus its powers
were weakened. There was no reason not to strike during this
opportunity. He didn't have strange habits such as “hoping to fight with
strong enemies.”

As such, Kazuma had been trying to find clues from the “cells” that
would lead him to where the core might be, trying to find the real
enemy... But so far it was nine consecutive losses.
 “These guys are too dispersed. Some bait must be used in order to
get them to gather in one place...”

Kazuma suddenly went quiet.

Bait. Someone full of vigor.

“There just so happens to be one available.”

Just as he clapped in exultation at having come up with such a

brilliant plan, Kazuma sensed the appearance of the tenth batch of
youma. At the same time, he noticed the presence of a certain
someone he knew.

Kazuma's smile was arrogant.

“Hehe. Not bad. Without my needing to say anything, our bait took
up its role already.”

Listening to the wind, he identified the exact location.

“A little far... Should I jump?”

Jumping in the city might be seen by others. Kazuma's eyes

subconsciously turned to the road while he pondered. His ears and
eyes noticed “it” at the same time.

Okay. Let’s use that.

Kazuma made up his mind immediately. He hopped over the

protective railing and stood in the road. Following that, with his left leg
as the center, he spun round once to pass the side of a motorcycle
that sped through the sidewalk...

“Wha—!?”

The reverse spin kick swept at the neck of the rider.

While the rider was thrown off the motorcycle and still in mid-air,
Kazuma—as if doing a magic trick—straddled the motorcycle.

Thunk!

A blunt and heavy sound came from behind. It seemed the driver
fell head first onto the ground—but since he was wearing a helmet, he
wouldn't die at that kind of speed.

“I will try my best to return it to you.”

Kazuma muttered with his greatest sincerity—and then suavely

sped off.

Part 3
“Hey you girls, wanna—”

Bang!

The poor guy didn't know how to look at the situation. Before he
even completed his first sentence, he was sent flying into the air by
the schoolbag that flew in from the side.

“Scram!”

Ayano yelled. His companions, seeing this, abandoned the

unconscious man and instantly ran off. This was probably the most
loyal and clever judgment made by self-survival instincts!

Yukari and Nanase did not rebut a single word all along; they knew
better than anyone it wouldn't be a wise move.

The massive crowds all around the front of Ikebukuro station made
it difficult for anyone to move on in a straight line—yet no one blocked
Ayano’s way.

Like Moses who split the red sea in two, Ayano walked boldly on the
path cleared right in the middle of the crowd.
 What was that!? What was that!? Sorry I'll only be a nuisance! Too
bad I'm weaker than you! Gee, I'm so sorry—!

In her heart, Ayano used her Enraiha to stab that flippant detestable
face.

Yet, no matter how she mashed or beat up that face, the fury in her
showed no signs of abating.

“Erm...... Ayano?”

“What is it?”

Ayano looked back at Yukari with scary eyes that would even scare
a yakuza. But when she saw Yukari retreat back in fear, she reflected
on her own behavior.

“Give me a moment.”

Ayano turned her back on the two and took in a few deep breaths.
After she finally managed to give a relaxed expression, she turned
back at them, wearing a smile once more.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, erm...... We took the wrong way.”

“—Huh?”

Ayano looked around her, just to realize that this place seemed very
unfamiliar to her.

“Where is this?”

“A small path by the main road.”

It seemed that because Ayano was walking without watching her

way up till now, they had unknowingly walked into a separate road.
 Even though this was a completely new place to them, they could
still see the Tokyu Hands sign ahead. Apparently they hadn't strayed
too far.

“Ahaha— Sorry, sorry. I was thinking about something.”

“Geez, this will not do— You should pay attention when you walk.”

Ayano gave an embarrassed smile. And Yukari smiled back at an

appropriate time, lifting her hand to poke her forehead to lighten the
mood.

“But, it's just one street away. Why did it become so empty
suddenly?”

Ayano who didn't know too much about Ikebukuro said.

As she said, in this alleyway sandwiched between a car park and a

love motel, there were just the three of them—no one else.

“Yeah...... There's no one around......”

This place shouldn't be so empty to have no one at all.

It was just like having a gap that suddenly appeared amidst the
noisy city; the silence made one feel an unimaginable uneasiness.

“This kind of situation happens once in a while I guess. Today's not

a holiday after all.”

As if trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere, Nanase said

confidently.

“Yeah, that’s right......”

“Alright, let’s go. Ayano too......”

At the instant she looked at Ayano, Nanase's eyes opened wide.

 “Nanase......?”

Yukari looked in the direction of Nanase’s line of sight; her face also
went stiff. An expression of a pale bloodless face filled with fear.

“Aww, don’t be like that—there's no need to be so afraid. I won’t

scare you guys again.”

“Behind you!”

Nanase shouted out in a rare tone of panic. When Ayano heard it

she stopped smiling and turned her whole body around.

“—!?”

Her heart almost jumped out from her throat.

Because that kind of thing was less than a meter away from her.

A semi-transparent and continuously wriggling piece of goo. It

looked like a slime from an RPG, but Ayano clearly knew it wasn't
something cute.

She ignored the eyes of the other two. Under an instinctive feeling
of detest and irritation, Ayano released the flames.

—Kaboom!

The golden flames burnt the goo till there was no trace of it left.

“That...... That was scary......”

What a dangerous moment that was. If she were killed like this, it
would probably be told to generations to come as the biggest
humiliation of the Kannagi clan.

No matter how slow and pathetic the senses of a En-jutsushi may

be, no matter how his attention was focused on other things, to be
completely unaware of an abnormality that even a normal person
would realize like just now was, without question, the biggest disgrace
of all.

I mustn't let others know of this......

Ayano silently swore to bury this deep in her heart for the rest of her
life.

“A—Ayano...... What was that just now......?”

“That's...... That's a good question...... I just saw a weird thing pop

out, and then it suddenly caught fire......”

Ayano acted as though she knew nothing.

“Anyway, we better get out of this creepy place!”

She changed the topic immediately.

But Ayano had already sensed things were not that simple.

This is not good...... This place is not Ikebukuro at all...... Can we

get out......?

All kinds of noise spread from the road just one street away. Yet this
several tens of meters of distance was now even further away than
the moon.

“A—Ayano, that!”

“Ah—Yeah.”

Ayano sensed it without even having to look at the thing Yukari

pointed at.

Oozing continuously from all the gaps and cracks emerged a large
mass of slime.

Not just from the sewer openings and water drains, the more
exaggerating ones would be that they are coming out from the
dispensing ports of automated selling machines, and from within the
mailboxes.

The total number was countless.

“Those...... Those are—!? What the hell are these things!?”

“Calm down, Yukari.”

Ayano observed Nanase while she comforted Yukari who was out of
control.

Nanase's face, normally calm and fearless, looked slightly distorted,

but not to a large extent.

“Let me see— We should make a run for it first!”

Her mind was very clear despite how bad their situation was. As the
opponent seemed to look very slow and clumsy, they should be able
to escape easily.

So Nanase was indeed stunned as the globules all leaped at them.

Who would have imagined that slimes could perform an amazing leap
of over ten meters on the spot?

—Oh shit!

Ayano reflexively stimulated the power in her body. She placed her
right hand at her left hip, and then, as she made one big step forward,
she slashed horizontally out.

This was the posture of a battoujutsu without the blade. Yet there
was indeed a blade that appeared there.

It was a bright crimson-red, double-edged straight sword. A golden

flame possessing a shining and brilliant great power engulfed the
blade.
 Enraiha— The demon-slaying holy blade bestowed by the Lord of
the Fire Spirits. The devastating flames that burst out from the blade
burned all the "youma" in sight into a crisp.

“Phew—”

Breathing out softly, Ayano began to verify the safety of the two.

The two people before her were still in a state of extreme fear.

“It's okay now—don’t be afraid.”

Ayano wore a smile and took a step towards the two.

Yukari retreated three steps.

“Yukari......?”

Ayano only realized that what the two are afraid of now, was none
other than herself.

Even Nanase, who tried her best to stand there, the fear on her face
was plain to see.

“Ayano...... Just what are you......?”

“—!”

Ayano hid the Enraiha behind her immediately—but it was pointless

doing so now.

What...... What should I do......?

She didn't feel ashamed of her powers, but instead she was very
proud of them.

Even so, the fearful eyes that her best friends placed on her made
her feel very painful.
 It was not strange that the two would be afraid of Ayano. But, it was
a kind of fear towards “a scary person”.

By now these two people had classified Ayano as “a scary person”.

To them Ayano was the same as those blobs.

“N—No...... I......”

The moment she opened her mouth, the expression of the two
flinched. Seeing their expressions, Ayano understood it was pointless
no matter how she tried to explain herself. She shut her mouth.

She couldn't face them; she lowered her head, her body trembling
lightly. As she lost her will, the flames vanished from the blade of
Enraiha.

“—Behind you!”

Nanase’s warning sounded off once more. Yet, Ayano had no

strength to respond to her voice.

Behind Ayano who stood there emptily, a big lump of slime wriggled
inexorably closer.

The blob that collapsed from above her head swallowed Ayano in
the blink of an eye.

“—Is this the place?’

Kazuma muttered after parking the motorcycle he borrowed.

Attracted by Ayano’s vigor, a large group of youma gathered here at

one go. This would allow him to be able to conduct a reverse
investigation.

“Good job, Ayano— Hmm?”

 After nodding proudly, Kazuma finally realized something was
amiss.

Ayano’s scent was very weak, and was surrounded by youma—or

should it be said that she was swallowed within.

“Even if you are the bait, there's no need to go to such an extent!

What is this girl doing?”

Kazuma knew very clearly how powerful this kind of youma was.
Even if their numbers filled up the entire Tokyo Dome, it would be
impossible for Ayano to lose.

However, Ayano was now being swallowed up.

“Gee, what a trouble-maker—”

Kazuma grumbled unhappily. He stepped onto the motorcycle and

flew off into the sky. He remained motionless in the air, and began to
observe the inside of the kekkai.

Even though it was only as thick as a piece of thin skin, but it was a
space completely isolated from the real world. There was no way to
get there through physical means.

Of course, it was the same for the wind.

A natural phenomenon like the wind could only operate revolving

around the same world; it was unable to affect other worlds. If there
was a wall that could be broken, it might still be possible—but there
was no way to affect a space of a different dimension.

—That was the case for a “natural phenomenon."

Kazuma raised his right hand towards the sky. A large number of
wind spirits responded to Kazuma’s summon, and gathered
consistently.
In terms of spirit techniques, it was not just simply controlling a natural
phenomenon. Using the phenomenon as a medium, so that his will
could manifest in this world was the quintessence of it.

Imagining the edges of the abnormal space, Kazuma input the power
into the wind to break that space.

From directly above it he took the thin and sharp “will” he made—

“Gah!”

—And fired it!

The raging wind broke the dimensional gap.

Part 4
“I thought that it was the descent of God.”

Yukari said so after the incident.

This is the first time she felt the beauty of a powerful person.

Bringing forth the winds, an embodiment of great power descending

suavely. That scene was reflected in Yukari’s eyes.

An invisible force that came from the skies crushed the gigantic
"youma" in one blow.

Ayano rolls out from within that "youma" like a puppet. The amazing
thing is, she did not suffer any injuries, not just that, there is not a
single piece of goo sticking onto her.

This is the power of “purification” that only destroys demons------

The special demon slaying power that the Kannagi is so proud of.

“…… Cough……. Cough cough!”

 He uses a cold gaze to stare at the girl who is coughing vigorously
to try to breathe, and orders her strictly..

“Stand up.”

(…… What is she doing?)

After he clears off all the wriggling pieces of goo, Kazuma observes
Ayano once more.

Her “ki” is unbelievably weak. The amount of vigor that was

absorbed by the low level "youma" isn’t that much, yet she seems so
expended she is like an average person.

“…… Kazuma?”

The pathetic way she lies on the floor, looking at him dumbly made
him feel very displeased. Not a single shred of her usual dominance
could be felt from her, her expression looks as nervous and uneasy as
an abandoned puppy.

(Just what has she been doing since just now?)

“Stand up.”

He uses a pressurizing tone to command her. Even so, Ayano still

showed some form of resistance. She obeys the command, using
Enraiha as a crutch, she slowly stands up.

Against that pair of cold eyes that is staring right into her, Ayano
does not dare face it. All that can be seen is how she peeks behind
Kazuma’s right hand from time to time.

Of course, Kazuma noticed that there are two people there. Judging
from how they wear the same uniform as Ayano, they are probably not
people who are just passing by so coincidentally.
 “Erm...... Err…… This is……”

Ayano’s gaze shifts between Enraiha and the two girls, who are
standing there blankly, continuously. Just looking at her now, in his
heart, Kazuma guessed pretty much what this is about.

(Gee……)

He stretches one finger out between Ayano’s eyes. The eyes that
were originally busy shifting around, was captivated by the finger that
appeared suddenly before her.

While Ayano’s conscious is still focused on the finger, Kazuma

shouts loudly..

“ “Thou who hast been blessed by the spirits, where does thy power
lie?” “ [or more literally: People who receives the blessings of spirits,
what is your power used for? In a more olden days context, similar to
the ones used by Horo in S&W]

That is a pledge------ and an article during sermons. This is the most

basic pledge that spirit standard Jutsushis act upon.

Ever since Ayano was little, Juugo has been repeating this sentence
continuously. Even if she is completely out of it, she still remembers
clearly the line that follows.

“My…… “My power lies to protect. As a ministrant of the spirits, to

slay the demons in this world, to uphold the truth is where my duty
lies. Never to be forgotten------“ “

Suddenly, her tense speech stopped.

Ayano, whose eyes are focused at Kazuma’s fingertip, as if shocked

by electricity, she lifts her head up to stare at Kazuma. Those eyes
glow with a light of understanding.

She shifts her eyes to the side, looking at Yukari and Nanase. And
finally downwards------ At the Enraiha that is in her right hand.
 Ayano grabs the hilt that was originally hanging at her fingertips
tightly.

When she raised her head up once more, the lost looks she had
earlier has already vanished without a trace. Ayano uses her words to
reinforce that pledge all over again.

“To protect------ The people I love!”

A dazzling flame bursts out from Enraiha. That is no longer an

injured girl. Understanding the meaning of power, the duty that she
bears, as a powerful En-Jutsushi, she stares right back at Kazuma’s
eyes.

Kazuma shows a smile at his lips, and stretches a finger to poke

Ayano’s forehead gently. Pak! Ayano’s head tilts backwards.

“Ahhh!? What are you doing, don’t do that------“

Ignoring Ayano who bloats her cheek and complains, Kazuma

places his attention on the surroundings.

Unsure whether it is the self-regeneration of the remaining goo or a

new batch emerging out, by now, countless goo pieces are
surrounding them.

“So then------“

Not asking if she “can do it?” or “are you okay?”, that level of injury,
there is no need to show solicitude. To put it more plainly, it is the
level of it does not matter at all.

Because, the power they have exists precisely for this.

“I leave those at the back to you.”

“Leave it to me.”
 Ayano replies without hesitation. The two walk out back-to-back at
the same time.

“------ Kazuma.”

He did not answer, but he stopped in his steps.

“Thank you.”

Still, there was no answer. Only sounds of silent footsteps ring by

her ears.

Ayano closes her eyes gently, trying her best to remember what she
needs to do.

(Yukari, Nanase…… Farewell……)

It would be a lie to say that she doesn’t feel lonely or sad. But even
so------

(Even so, I must protect everyone------)

She opens her eyes. There is not a single trace of gloominess or

darkness in that pure and clear mind.

An explosion sounds off, golden flames bursts from all over her
body. Inputting all of her upsurge of powers---

“Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Under a sharp scream, Ayano swung her Enraiha.

“Looking quite good------“

His back filled with explosive “ki”, Kazuma can’t help but give a
bitter smile.
 At this rate, these monsters will not be able to hold out very long. He
must achieve his objective soon------

Kazuma blocks the two who are staring at Ayano with their eyes
wide open, and says leisurely..

“Stay where you are, if you run around, you might be killed!”

Following that, he releases wind blades once more with ease,

slicing the "youma" that is approaching consistently.

Shu! Pach! Pff! Puu!

In a radius of five meters around Kazuma, horrifying killing sounds

sounded off over and over again.

The wind that Kazuma manipulates becomes blades at times,

hammer at times, cutting the "youma" one by one, smashing them.

The "youma" is crushed in a moment, but in the blink of an eye, they

recover instantly. They are originally something similar to a shape-
shifting worm, without a standard form, so physical attacks have no
effect at all. Yet Kazuma still continues releasing wind. Even though it
cannot cause fatal damage, but the raging winds can make the groups
of "youma" unable to close in on them.

And so after a few minutes------

(------Found it.)

Kazuma who is surrounded by "youma" gives a proud smile. Almost

at the same time, Ayano who completed her mission broke through
the frontlines and appears before them.

“My side is finished------ What are you doing?”

Ayano uses a puzzled expression to stare at Kazuma who is playing

with the "youma".
 “Just as you can see.”

“No…… It is precisely because I don’t get it that I am asking you.”

“The enemy is a being without form, no matter how I slice it, it will
recover once more.”

“Then can’t you just purify them…… Or is that to say, you cannot
use the power of purification like this!?”

Kazuma usually seals his strength firmly. Even though when he

used the purifying winds in front of Ayano in the past, he had released
the seal------

“Nope.”

“Really? You better speak the truth, and fast!”

Ayano did not ease her questioning. Thinking that she might be able
to get hold of Kazuma’s weakness, her face becomes filled with
expectation.

“Really. Besides, I don’t really want to dampen your mood……”

“What?”

”Even if what you said is true, but if the opponent is human, there is
no such problem.”

“Hmm……”

Indeed, even if that is the truth, Ayano’s chances of winning will not
increase.

Ayano, who had been so excited about nothing, looks very

disappointed. Kazuma knocks her head and leaves the aftermath to
her.

“So, I leave the rest up to you. I am going to head straight for their
main camp.”

“You found it already!?”

”Yeah, things really are different when you have good bait.”

“Bait------?”

Ayano ponders on what this means. When she realized it, her face
flushed red instantly.

“You…… You asshole, you used me again didn’t you!?”

“This is a misunderstanding.”

“Just which part of it is a misunderstanding!?”

“When I thought of having you as bait, you had already ran up and
became the bait yourself, so it is not my fault at all.”

Kazuma says so seriously.

“You are really……”

“Sorry, I am in a rush for time. I shall listen to your complains in the

future!”

Kazuma throws down this sentence coldly, and turns to leave.

Ayano hurriedly shouts out to call out to him..

“Wait… Wait a minute! I am going with you too------“

“I see that you have a lot of things to settle? I will leave markings on
the road, so catch up on your own later!”

Obviously, the so called “a lot of things” does not only mean

eliminating the "youma".

As Ayano’s eyes are directed towards Yukari and Nanase, Kazuma

rides the wind, flying up into the sky.

“Ah, I told you to wait!”

Kazuma ignores the shout, and breaks the boundaries as when he

entered, and vanishes.

Logically, Ayano knows that Kazuma’s choice is correct. But, she is

unable to accept it like this. “She has been abandoned once more”,
“he is obviously looking down on her”, this kind of thinking lingers in
her heart, showing no sign of dispersing.

“Wuuuuu~~”

She groans in hatred, but Kazuma is long gone. So she places all
her unreleased fury onto the enemy.

Her fierce scary eyes stared directly at the goo pieces. Faced with
an abnormally strong murderous atmosphere, even the "youma" that
bears no intelligence can’t help but retreat.

“Kazuma……”

She instills all her power into Enraiha. A glaring golden glow that
makes one hard to look directly at it emerges from the crimson blade
vigorously.

“You idiot-------------------------------!!”

After releasing a massive load of plasma, she burns off most of the
"youma" at one go.

“------Phew.”

After burning up all the "youma", Ayano breathes out, satisfied.

The result from converting all her stress into destructive behavior,
she became very calm now. Just that some of the surrounding
buildings were dragged into this pointless disaster, being destroyed
together with the "youma".

If this is not a different dimension, there would probably be over a

hundred casualties?

After the "youma" that controls this dimension is destroyed, the area
begins to return to its original state slowly.

Everything returned to the way they should be. Ayano and her
friends returned to the original world as well.

(Now…… To settle “a lot of things”.)

Ayano looks at Yukari and Nanase. Perhaps because they have

finally calmed down, the two generously meet with her gaze.

“……………………..”

Even though there are a lot of things that she must explain to them,
Ayano cannot bring herself to say them.

For some time, the three exchanged silent stares.

“I……”

As though she had made up her mind, Ayano tries her best to put
up a calm front and smiled at the two of them.

“So, good bye.”

In the end, that is all she can say. Tossing all the necessary
explanations out of her mind, Ayano turns her back at the two of them.

She tries to hold back the tears that are swelling in her eyes and
walks off------ But she stopped almost immediately.

“Wait, Ayano!”
 Yukari grabs the lower area of her uniform, pulling her back
forcefully.

“Yukari……?”

Ayano turns around and upon seeing the scene before her, she
frowns instantly.

Yukari’s expression------ Looks perfectly normal, yet that is the most

abnormal part of it.

There is not a single shred of fear in her face, nor any determination
to attempt to overcome fear. All there is on that face is a brimming
light filled with curiosity.

Yukari shows an expression of a prankster and says to the puzzled

Ayano:

“After witnessing something so interesting, how can you leave

without explaining things first?”

“What……”

Her curiosity overwhelms her fear. Even though Ayano is very

puzzled by Yukari’s as per normal behavior, if she does not explain
clearly first, it seems that Yukari will not let her go. As she does not
want to turn and leave directly, Ayano started to make her long story
as short as possible.

“Frankly speaking, my family is of a En-jutsushi clan that

manipulates fire------“

”No! Not that!”

“……Huh?”

“I mean that man just now------ Kazuma-san! What kind of person is

he? How did you get to know each other? What is your relationship
with him now? Come on, spill everything, tell us all about how you two
met------“

“Hey!”

Nanase knocks lightly on Yukari’s head, who has been rattling on

and on.

“Ouch, that hurts, Nanase~”

“Be quiet. All because of your constant nonsensical rumblings,

Ayano has no idea what to do now. Besides, if you expect us to
pretend that nothing happened just now, that is wishful thinking on
your part!”

“Argh…… So that won’t happen huh?”

Before Ayano, who is at a complete loss, the two stood up. And------

“Sorry.”

Yukari bows down deeply.

“Yeah…… We are really sorry about earlier.”

Nanase at the side, embarrassed, avoids eye contact with Ayano,

and apologizes.

“…… What is going on?”

“Actually, I was really afraid at first. Because fire burst out all of a
sudden, and a sword came out from nowhere, Ayano seems to have
turned into a totally different person. But after seeing how you talk
back and forth with Kazuma-san like that, I know that you are still that
Ayano I used to know.”

“Talking back and forth with Kazuma...... You……”

To suddenly be taken that they were having a cross talk, Ayano is

displeased. Nanase continues to say at this moment:
 “That is to say, there is no need to change our attitude towards you
just because you can use some spells or supernatural powers.”

“B…… But…… Aren’t you afraid of me? If I want to, I can kill you
two without so much as lifting a finger?”

“So?”

Nanase asks back calmly.

“What……”

”You still don’t get it? There is no need for you to use some special
powers, you can kill us just with your bare hands!”

“That…… is true.”

“So then why should we start being afraid of you only from now on?
Even if you change a gun to a cannon, you still die in a single shot.”

There is a certain limit to the amount of damage a human can

withstand. Once he sustains an injury beyond this limit, he is doomed.
There can never be a negative value being created in this manner.

To someone who possesses ten points of HP, taking ten points of

damage and a thousand points of damage are basically the same.
The remaining nine hundred and ninety points of damage are but an
excess.

Yet, there are not many people that can understand such a simple
logic in reality. Being by the side of a murderer whom you do not
know, you will feel uneasy. That is to say------

“That is to say, the main point lies in whether you trust the person.
But I have faith in you all along.”

“Ayano has never been someone who would harm another without
a reason, so, I am not afraid at all.”
 Ayano looks dumbly at the two of them, Yukari asks uneasily:

“So…… Please don’t hate us, can we still be good friends from now
on?”

“……Yukari……”

Tears were about to fall from her eyes, but she never enjoyed
saddening atmospheres. Ayano gets a hold of herself, and straights
her thumb up from her raised fist.

“Of course! Even if you don’t want to, I will not let you go!”

After acknowledging their friendship again, Yukari begins her attack

once more.

“Since we have all made up, I say we should let Ayano explain
clearly, everything about that man of hers!”

“Who are you calling my man!”

“Kazuma-san.”

Yukari says as if it is only natural.

“I say, you------“

“Ayano, if you think that your love for him is only single sided, I think
you are wrong! I am sure Kazuma-san cares a lot about you as well.”

“That’s right. Let’s forget about whether it has reached the level of
love, but anyway you have created in him a liking towards you. So
there is still a chance!”

Even Nanase joined in the ruckus. This made Ayano feel very
troubled.
 “I already told you, that guy is…… What?”

Seeing the two of them giving her a supercilious look, Ayano

stopped even before she finished her rebut.

“You really are… Just earlier on you appeared to depend on him so

much, and now you want to say “I have no feelings at all”?”

“I…… I did not depend on him……”

”Oh? Then when you were so lost and depressed, who was it that
got you back up?”

“……You, the cause of it all, still dare to talk about that.”

“That is another matter.”

Nanase does not care about Ayano’s retaliation at all. In this world,
there are a lot of things in which people with strong attitudes usually
have an advantage over those who don’t.

“And, why do you two want to ask about Kazuma only now? You
were obviously not so interested when you met him last time.”

“Because he looked like just some flippant man then.”

“…… Isn’t that the way he is?”

“Huh------ Of course not. Kazuma-san is so suave!”

Yukari says so cheekily. Ayano on the other hand stares at her with
ice cold eyes below zero degrees Celsius.

“------ Yukari, your taste in men is rather unique.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t try to steal him away from you.”

Ayano’s eyes become even colder, but Yukari’s face continues to

wear that smile of hers:
 “So then, leaving Ayano’s feelings at one side, tell us about
Kazuma. When and where did you meet? Speaking of which, I don’t
think we have his name yet------“

Even though the questions are coming constantly and flooding her,
but Ayano sighs out in relief having escaped from her questioning. Her
mouth naturally became a little loose.

“The first time I met him, is probably the day I was born, even
though I have long since forgotten about it. His current surname
seems to be Yagami.”

“Current? You mean it is different last time?”

The two of them did not miss this small little detail. Faced with
Nanase who asked that question, Ayano replies calmly:

“His original name is Kazuma Kannagi. He is my second cousin,

and Ren’s biological elder brother at the same time.”

After explaining briefly her relationship with Kazuma, Yukari and

Nanase both have a strange expression on their face.

“What’s the matter?”

Ayano asks, puzzled. Yukari uses an earnest tone to say to her:

“Kazuma-san is so caring.”

“Ah!?”

Hearing such an unexpected answer, Ayano screamed out loudly.

But turning around to look at Nanase, she is nodding strongly as well.

“He…… Just which part of him is caring?”

“Don’t you know?”

Yukari asks Ayano back in a very surprised tone. Not just being
surprised at how slow Ayano is, her eyes carry a certain obvious
blaming glare.

“Kazuma-san has been constantly bullied in the past isn’t he? Not
only that, he was even chased out of the family because he did not
possess “power”. “

“After receiving such treatment, normally speaking he will not want

to have any interactions with you people. But if it is for revenge, that
would be a different case.”
 Nanase follows on to say:

“But, Yagami Kazuma protected you instead. And not just protect
you from all harm, and even encourage you to stand up once more
with your own strength.”

“How thoughtful, Kazuma-san is just like Ayano’s knight.”

“……Ah?”

After Yukari said this sentence from the bottom of her heart, Ayano
was at a loss for words.

“What…… What are you talking about! Who would want a knight
with a flawed personality like him! As long as I am around him, I have
an urge to kill him every five minutes.”

Ayano who finally got back to her senses tries hard to defend
herself, but the other two kept on sighing with a “What can we do with
her” kind of attitude instead.

Hearing that, Ayano became more furious.

“Just because you two have no idea how bad he is, that is why you
are mistaking him for a good guy. He even used me as bait, and I
almost died because of it!”

“But aren’t you still alive now?”

Nanase rebuts calmly:

“When you were really in danger, didn’t he come over to save you?”

“Argh……”

Spot on. But if she is to say such a thing, she will only receive even
more vigorous rebuts. There is no way she can reply honestly.
 “A……Anyway, that guy is one big badass! The reason he came to
save me purposely this time must be for his own joy.”

“Look at her, Ayano is really not honest with herself.”

“It is that Yukari is too naïve! Don’t drag everything into boy-girl
relationships!”

After shouting out in reflex, Ayano finally remembered that now is

not the time to chat casually. She looks in the direction Kazuma
disappeared in, her eyebrows shows a sign of anxiety.

“So, I shall make a move first. I don’t think anything will happen
anymore, but still, be careful!”

With that, Ayano runs off leaving the two behind.

Yukari bears a very displeased expression, looking at the back of

that person who ran off without turning her head back to look at them.

“Gee, that Ayano. It is so obvious that you have a love rival, if you
continues to be so stubborn, what are you going to do then?”

Nanase at the side seems more calm on the other hand.

“Don’t just look at the negative side, be more positive!”

“More positive?”

“For example……”

After keeping Yukari in suspense for a while, she says with a

serious look on her face:

“We can have some fun with this topic for quite a while.”

“………………”

Yukari’s eyes blink continuously. She looks dumbly at Nanase, her

entire body frozen for a few seconds.

And then------

“Good idea, Nanase.”

She puts up a boxing pose, placing tiny fists at her chest.

“Let us observe their development quietly from now on!”

With a pure and holy smile similar to a loving mother------ Yet the
contents of their speech is filled with bad intents.

That is to say, to not help the two develop their relationship to the
next level, but to observe Ayano’s reactions for fun.

“That is exactly what we should do.”

Of course, Nanase has no objections either.

“If some other party take part in this, maybe things will become even
more complicated.”

“Yeah, and there seems to be a lot of hidden complicated facts

mixed within as well.”

The two smiles to each other, holding each other’s hands strongly.

“Hoho, we are really thoughtful towards our friends.”

Yukari thinks so from the bottom of her heart------ As to what Ayano

thinks about this decision, that is another problem.
Chapter Four - Fall – The price for power-

Part 1
(Caught you……)

With absolute confidence in himself, Kazuma firmly believes that he

has already won.

He has complete grasp over the scent of the enemy. And to add
onto that, the enemy has not realized this yet.

Certain victory------ No, a sure kill situation. Because the only

difficult part of this job is merely “how to find the enemy”.

From the way he gathers energy, the act of sucking the vigor of
humans can be considered the last resort. Despite how efficient this
method may be, the risk is great in comparison.

Killing this many people, it is impossible to keep the operation

hidden, and the number of people investigating this will naturally
increase. If it is a clever jutsushi, he will probably try to avoid having
meaningless conflicts with these people, and in turn use a safer
method.

This enemy conducts such a large scale operation, from that it is

easily seen how crude his technique is. It is just like a normal human
being who by some chance obtained power, and making trouble from
his arrogance.

(Even though it is possible that this is just a farce------ Who cares, it

shouldn’t matter once I found him. Besides, I already prepared a
“safety precaution” here.)

Ayano will definitely chase after him. Regarding this, Kazuma has
no doubts at all. As long as she follows the route signs I left------
situated at every junction, the guiding winds that points in the right
direction, she should be able to reach me in the shortest distance.

“So, let’s just go at it!”

Kazuma murmurs, and then he steps out from “there”. Below him,
there is nothing in contact with his legs or body, and at the same time
he felt the chains of gravity pulling him mercilessly.

From the rooftop of a sixty stories tall building------ SUNSHINE60,

Kazuma drops down as if committing suicide.

Raging strong winds constantly trample upon Kazuma’s body, yet

Kazuma still carries a fearless smile on his face.

He controls the speed and direction of his fall, and flies to the side
of Ikebukuro central park. He lowers his speed, adjusting it to
approximately the speed of a fall from the second story and lands
gradually.

Right before the “enemy”.

“…… Kazuma-san……?”

The girl sitting on the bench looks dumbly at Kazuma who came
from the skies.

“…………”

Kazuma tilts his head downwards to look at her with a shocked

expression. After a long stare, he gives a deep sigh.

“…… I had considered that it might be you…… But I never expected

you to go to such an extent.”

The girl did not reply, and only continues to smile.

This girl seems to be the only one in the park. There is no kekkai set
up here, merely just that an average person would not be able to bear
the youki she releases.

Even without spiritual eyes, normal instincts of living things will

automatically reject abnormal presences. The youki that lingers in the
park is that dense.

At the girl’s feet, a smooth clear substance wriggles continuously.

Despite her feet being tangled by goo that Kazuma has gotten so
familiar with these few days------ A youma that can consume human
vigor, her expression still does not show any sign of being in pain.

This is unquestionably an obvious proof. She is the “enemy” that

Kazuma has been seeking.

Kazuma looks at the girl with painful eyes, and says bitterly:

“To go to such an extent, you really want to kill me that much------

Misao?”

“Of course.”

Ogami Misao------ A girl who is supposed to manipulate the purifying

flames, yet at this moment even though youki is being released from
all parts of her body, she is using an innocent smile to nod in reply.

“I never dreamt that you would find this place, the searching
capabilities of a Fuu-jutsushi are really impressive.”

As if chatting casually, Misao smiles at Kazuma. Maybe because

she is at ease in her heart, causing her to seem as though she has no
intentions of getting up from that bench. Or maybe she already saw
that Kazuma has no intentions of fighting.

In fact, it is very rare to see Kazuma being unable to decide what

actions to take like now.

He must not kill her. Yet, he must not let her escape.
 Misao is walking onto a wrong path. If left unattended, she would fall
into a deep abyss, and perhaps destroy herself in the end! Kazuma
cannot watch this happen idly.

(But, what should I do?)

Frankly speaking, he is out of ideas now. He has absolutely no idea

how to stop Misao without killing her.

There is nothing left to be said between the two, and so the two
stare at each other silently------ Alas, the still tension in the area was
broken immediately.

“Is this the place!?”

A loud and clear voice sounded off in the area, together with a
crimson red divine aura announcing the arrival of a divine descendent
of flames. An astonishing power like the sun swept away all the youki
in the park.

Kazuma turns his head slightly, and uses one corner of his eye to
look at her valiant appearance. She------ Ayano Kannagi seems more
courageous than usual, it makes one want to clap to praise her.

“…… She came.”

But at this moment in time, she is but a pesky little girl. Kazuma
can’t help but click his tongue, mainly displeased with his own
miscalculations.

(Darn------ I forgot to take back all the route signs.)

It is probably due to his wavering heart, to commit such a dumb

mistake. He knew that members of the Kannagi must not see Misao
now, yet he led the way for them------

“Ka……”

Ayano swallowed her words back as she tried to call out to Kazuma.
That is because she has noticed Misao’s presence, and her eyes of
shock reflected the image of someone who “was” in her clan, so much
so that it made her forget to blink.

“……Misao……?”

“Yes------ Is anything the matter?”

Misao answers calmly, and then stands up.

An image of her wearing silk kimono and standing there quietly and
vacantly entered her view. From the outside, this can be said to be
more like Misao compared to a few days back!

However------

Ayano saw a change at a much deeper level instantly.

That is but of course.

That is because as a Jutsushi, they exist to destroy “That thing”.

Her entire family has been training hard to improve their technique
for the past thousand years just for that purpose.

“How…… How can this……”

Ayano’s eyes stare hard at Misao as she shakes her head weakly.

To her, this is perhaps the worst situation, much worse than any
nightmare. As a member of a clan that does exorcising as an
occupation, an En-jutsushi that manipulates the purifying flames,
Misao ironically became the youma that they must defeat.

On the other hand, Misao no longer takes note of this newly arrived
character after a few seconds. She let Ayano who has yet to recover
from the shock become part of the background, and focuses on
Kazuma.
 A never-changing smile. Looking clear and pure, a simple smile that
bears only one emotion.

That is like pure water that contains no impurities, impossible to

exist naturally, normal people will definitely not be able to give off such
a smile.

Bearing an obvious expression of detest, Misao declares:

“Yagami Kazuma------ The hateful man that killed my brother. I have

sworn, no matter the price or sacrifice, I will defeat you.”

“…………”

This sentence sounds highly unreasonable. The one who killed

Takeya is Ryuya, and Hyoue who was manipulating Ryuya amidst the
shadows. Kazuma was just being made the scapegoat.

To be killed because of Kazuma------ This is probably the

explanation of only those who hate Kazuma would have. But, Kazuma
ignores the irony within, and asks calmly:

“Do you think that you can defeat me?”

“Definitely.”

Misao answers confidently:

”No matter how powerful you may be, you are still only a human. As
long as I continue taking in the vigor of hundreds or thousands of
people, my power will definitely surpass yours.”

“……Doesn’t matter, as long as you can not control it.”

“I can. I only need to take in enough to defeat you. After this is over,
it doesn’t matter what I become.”

This is not the encouraging tone that one would have when making
a declaration. Even though she challenged Kazuma, such a powerful
Jutsushi, Misao does not seem agitated at all.

But, can this really be considered a clear and still state of mind?
After draining the life of others to obtain power, can she really laugh it
out?

Even if she has fallen down the demonic path, her heart still
retained that innocent smile. A pure smile that is stained with blood all
over.

People call that “Madness”.

“Hey------ Is that all you want to say?”

The suppressed voice finally bursts out at one go. Ayano takes a
step forward, Enraiha in her hand since long ago.

“Ayano-san, this has nothing to do with you.”

“Move to one side.”

“Shut up!”

Ayano refutes the request made by both parties.

“If you want to kill Kazuma, I will not stop you. But, I will never
forgive you for degenerating into a youma, and the act of harming
innocent civilians. No matter the reason, things that are not meant to
be done are not to be done. This is something you should know very
well. Misao!”

“------ So?”

Faced with Ayano’s reprimanding, that cold smile shows no

indication of wavering. Hearing Misao’s reply, Ayano declares coldly:

“I have nothing else to say------ Begone, Misao!”

 The glow of Enraiha becomes more glaring. Before that powerful
golden power, Misao’s powers have no way of resisting.

If she really swung that blade down that is.

“Stop, Ayano!”

“What are you talking about!”

Ayano refuses the request for her to stop without even turning her
head around.

“This is the duty of the Kannagi main family, don’t interfere.”

She ignores Kazuma, and raises Enraiha high up, but she just could
not swing it down.

Because before she can strike off a plasma shot strong enough to
vaporize Misao in one shot, Kazuma’s hands held Ayano back.

“I told you to stop.”

“…………”

Ayano did not say a word. She maintains that posture with Enraiha
high up, and she lowers her head down.

In terms of physical techniques, the difference in strength between

the two is also as great as heaven and Earth. Ayano is unable to
escape Kazuma’s binds based on physical techniques alone.

Indeed, based on physical techniques alone.

Kazuma’s mistake, lies in him underestimating Ayano’s fury.

Seeing that Kazuma only cares for Misao, and is completely

ignoring her, Ayano’s fury has slowly risen to the level filled with killing
intent.
 This kind of emotion, she has not realized it at all. And because of
that, she cannot control herself, plus, Ayano’s greatest strong point
lies at how straightforward she is, she will not hesitate at anything.

“……Let……go……”

“------ What did you say?”

Kazuma, who did not catch her words, leans towards Ayano.

“Let go of me!!”

Kaboom!

Flames burst out from Ayano’s entire body.

“Woah!?”

Even though he was not burnt by it, but Kazuma in his shock
released Ayano’s hands slightly.

Grabbing this chance, Ayano leaps at Misao.

It is said that an expert in Jigen-Ryu can travel a distance of about

nine meters in every step. And Ayano’s strength is not below this
standard.

In the blink of an eye, Ayano has already closed in before Misao.

“Chuck------“

Kazuma manipulates the wind instantly, intending to blow Ayano

away. Yet at this point in time, it is perhaps a little too much to handle
with his power.

(Will I make it in time------?)

Kazuma is very anxious, yet the movement of a shadow is even

swifter than Kazuma.
 It is a shadow indeed.

Misao’s shadow begins to extend, and inflates into a three-

dimensional state. A huge pitch black face lies right before Misao.

“……Huh?”

That gigantic face opens its mouth wide, and Ayano raises the
Enraiha at the same moment. There is no way to stop them now.

As if she jumped into it herself, Ayano gets swallowed by the mouth

of that gigantic face.

“……………………………………Ah……”

Kazuma does not know how to express his feelings now. He

exaggeratedly swallows his saliva, and looks at the big face that
swallowed Ayano up.

Because it was too spectacular, he was unable to say anything at

all. This kamikaze attack style is just like Ayano. Maybe he should
worry about her, but with things having become the way they are, it is
very comical------ In fact, he can only laugh.

But, laughing will not solve all the problems at hand. Kazuma gives
a dry laugh for a while, and then leisurely begins to summon the wind.

“Gee------ What a troublemaker------“

As he is about to release wind blades, Misao halts Kazuma softly.

“It is best you do not do that.”

“------Ah ah?”

“If you kill it, Ayano-san will forever be lost amidst the gaps in time.”

Kazuma maintains that posture with his right hand raised up and
stopped his actions.
 Misao reaches out to cover her mouth, and finally broke into
laughter.

“Despite how heartless you sound, you still treasure Ayano-san.

Won’t it be better to just say so frankly to her face?”

“What will telling her do? She will only go overboard. By the way,
what do you intend to do with Ayano?”

Misao laughs even more happily.

“Don’t worry, I only intend to send her away slightly. Even though I
can use her as a hostage, you probably won't trade your life for hers,
right?”

“Of course.”

Kazuma says without hesitation:

“Even if she is the daughter of Soushu, I have no reason to go to

such an extent.”

“The daughter of Soushu? Is that the only reason?”

Misao laughs with some deep meaning. To that, Kazuma answers

clearly:

“What other reason would there be?”

“…… So be it, this is of no relevance to the two of us.”

“Indeed. So, what do you plan to do next?”

“I will be going off soon, because my power is insufficient to defeat

you now.”

As she says this, Misao’s shadow becomes a cone shape and

surrounds her. As Ayano is now her hostage, Kazuma is unable to
attack that thing.
 “Take care.”

Before Kazuma who is unable to do anything, Misao disappears as

if swallowed up by the shadow, leaving no trace behind. Up against
this kind of movement that travels beyond space, even Kazuma
cannot ask the wind to follow them.

“……Gee.”

Kazuma grumbles in a tired voice, and sat down at a bench nearby.

At the same time, Ayano’s scent suddenly appeared. The distance

is a little far------ But, Kazuma has no intention of travelling specially to
welcome her.

(Anyway she will definitely be angry again.)

If possible, he does not intend to meet her until she is no longer

angry. Even if he knows that that would be impossible.

He takes out a cigarette from his bosom and nibbles on it. After
drawing in the smoke to fill his entire lung area and letting his mood
settle down, Kazuma takes a relaxed position as he waits for the
return of the girl.

After about ten minutes.

Ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta!!

Sounds of bold footsteps as if planning to break the surface of the

ground appeared. Kazuma, who is leisurely sitting on the bench, turns
his head around, biting the cigarette, and praising the return of Ayano.

The place Ayano was thrown off, is on the other side of the station.
Even though the direct distance is not even three kilometers, with
confusing paths and many traffic lights, it is not that easy to pass
through.

Yet Ayano reached here in less than ten minutes. From this it is
easy to see that, be it the question of her physical fitness or traffic
morals, she had tossed them to the far ends of her mind.

Seeing Ayano who is panting continuously, Kazuma says in his

regular tone:

“Not bad. You wanna participate in mid-distance Olympics?”

“Where is Misao!?”

Cutting short Kazuma’s joke, Ayano questions with a scary look on

her face.

“Escaped.”

“Escaped------!? Why!?”

“How should I say this……”

Kazuma hesitates on how to explain, thinking back on what

happened a few minutes ago.

(So, how should I explain this……)

Thinking and thinking about it, he just could not find a suitable way
of phrasing it, and so in the end he decided to choose a way of
expressing it that sounds very superficial.

“Basically, a lot happened.”

This is the excuse he tried his best to come up with. But before that,
he could have perhaps considered the way he looks, as he spits out
smoke rings, he does not seem convincing at all.

“Oh------? “A lot happened”? Just what happened?”

 This reason naturally is unable to make Ayano submit. Ayano stares
at Kazuma with eyes of high suspicion, as if saying “don’t tell me you
were seduced by her”.

Kazuma just gives a bitter smile, and does not rebut in any way.

Indeed, he can hardly say he tried his best. Other than ensuring
Ayano’s safety, he must nab Misao at the same time------ This was not
impossible for him.

But------

(I am still too naïve……)

He sighs out as if mocking himself. What point is there being

bothered by something that the person concerned has long
forgotten……

Under Ayano’s blaming eyes, Kazuma stands up.

“------Where are you going?”

“Home. She will probably not come out again today.”

Against the back of that man leaving as if nothing happened, Ayano

uses a nervous voice to declare:

“Let me remind you, I will report everything today as it is. The

Kannagi will go full force at eliminating Misao. If you dare to obstruct
us------“

“Who are you talking to, girl?”

A cold voice interrupted Ayano’s words. Kazuma turns around, and

the cold smile on his face sends a chill down her spine.

“If you want to stop me, then don’t just talk, tell me with your
strength! If you are mentally prepared------ I will take you on anytime.”
 Ayano almost forgot to breathe, and just watched Kazuma who
stepped out once more. When the shadow had disappeared down the
stairs, she fell to her knees.

Her entire body could not stop trembling. Once again she has
experienced first-hand, that she must never become the enemy of this
man, Kazuma.

Even so, she must still eliminate Misao. If she didn’t, then the
Kannagi clan would lose the meaning of their existence.

“Just what do you expect me to do……”

She can’t help but begin to complain.

Part 2
“Ta…… Takeshi!?”

Seeing the blood-stained youth in Masayuki’s arms, Takeya’s

expression changes greatly, and runs to his father immediately.

“Father! What are you thinking------“

Masayuki walks past Takeya at his own pace, and places Takeshi
down before Misao who was stunned by the scene.

“Treat him.”

After giving that order, Masayuki turns around as if it is nothing.

“…… Wait.”

Takeya uses a suppressed voice to stop Masayuki who is about to

walk out of the room.

“Tell me, why did you cause Takeshi to be in such a state------“

 “Training.”

“Don’t joke around with me!”

Hearing his father’s straight reply, Takeya shouts out immediately to

scold:

“This is an illegal punishment! Why must you go to such an

extent!?”

“Takeshi did not get enough practice, that is why he is injured.”

“Takeshi is only ten!”

“So what?”

Masayuki questions back with an emotionless look on his face:

“This has nothing to do with age. Since he is born in the Ogami

family, then it is his duty to become strong. If you have time to
complain, why don’t you use that time to train.”

“You asshole……”

Takeya’s eyes are filled with hatred, totally unlike the attitude one
would normally have towards his own family. However, a slight
mockery was shown in those eyes unintentionally.

“Did you think such superficial efforts would actually be of use?”

“……What do you mean?”

“You are just trying to get back at uncle aren’t you? That uncle that
took the title of chief away from you without so much of an effort!”

After such a taunting speech was said, the originally emotionless

Masayuki’s expression changes entirely.

“Damn…… Damn you!”

 Bearing a black face, he hits his son’s face forcefully.

This is a strike when he is truly angry. Takeya’s whole body was

sent flying instantly, and aftering breaking the paper door, he rolled
onto the corridor.

“Onii-san!”

“……I am fine.”

Replying to Misao’s cry, Takeya moves the remains of the paper

door away and stands up. He spit out his saliva with blood mixed
within, and looks at Masayuki with extremely belittling eyes.

“I was right, wasn’t I?”

“…… Shut it!”

“If you want to beat uncle, then do it yourself------ You already

became a loser the moment you decided to push everything on to
your son!”

“I told you to shut it!!”

“Stop this!”

Misao hugs Masayuki who intends to beat up Takeya again tightly,

and tries her best to cry out to stop them:

“Please stop this…… Don’t do this anymore……”

“…………”

Masayuki does not seem willing to go to the extent of using violence

on Misao. He forcefully flings off Misao, who was hugging his right
arm, and leaves the room with irregular footsteps.

“Hehe, I finally said it.”

 “Are you alright, onii-san?”

Seeing Misao, who is looking very worried, Takeya waves at her

with a smile.

“This is nothing, don’t worry. By the way, you better hurry and take a
look at Takeshi’s injuries. When that is over, then help me over here.”

“------ Okay.” Misao takes out the first-aid kit hurriedly, and begins to
treat Takeshi who is covered with injuries all over his body.

“------ Let me tell you this, Misao.”

“Yes?”

“That ass of a father only treats us as tools of revenge.”

“Onii-san, about that------“

Takeya, with a solemn expression, stops Misao who intends to try to

cover up for their father.

“This is what it is, just accept this reality. It is the same for mum, she
has no intentions of raising us. So, we must become strong, so as to
be able to live independently without them.”

“Onii-san……”

“You must be strong too, Misao. You must become strong enough
to live on alone.”

Hearing her beloved brother say this, Misao shakes her head hard
in denial:

“No, I am not alone. I have onii-san with me, Takeshi as well.”

“------No.”

“Takeshi? You shouldn’t get up yet……”

 Takeshi who is supposed to be still unconscious, woke up without
them realizing it. He pushes away the hand that intends to make him
lie down on the bed once more, and slowly lifts his upper body up.

“Onee-san will be alone. Because------“

Suddenly, Takeshi’s head began swaying. His entire head tilts to an

angle where his neckbone obviously came off, and pa-chunk, drops
off.

“------ Ah!”

Takeshi’s head kept on rolling, and in the end it stopped right before
Misao, upside down.

“Because, we are already dead.”

(------ We?)

Misao turns her head around hurriedly.

(……Onii…… Onii-san……)

The connecting part of Takeya’s body is entirely cut off. Becoming a

lower half that lies facing down, and an upper half that lies facing
upwards. The open empty eyes stare into the ceiling.

“We were both killed by Kazuma.”

Misao turns her head around once more. The upside down head
uses a clear voice to say:

“How I wish to become strong, and protect onee-san.”

There was not a single drop of blood flowing out from the upwards
cut. That abnormally smooth surface looks just like a computed
tomography scan.

“But, I can’t do it. Because I have already been killed------ Like this!”
 A shadow appears suddenly without warning, and places his foot on
Takeshi’s head, stepping on it just like that.

Kachunk.

Her cute younger brother, his head shatters like a fragile glass art
piece.

“Hohoho……”

A hearty laugher came into her ears. Lifting her head, a man came
into the center of her view, mocking them.

Yagami Kazuma------ That is the name of her hateful enemy, the

person who took everything away from her.

This is the first time Ogami Misao has hated someone so much, so
much so that she hopes for him to die. Fantasizing herself stained with
Kazuma's spilt blood made her feel joy.

“Ah…… Ah…… Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

Her burning hatred became red lotus flames, locking Kazuma in a

scorching jail.

(I succeeded------!)

Yet, the joy of victory lasts but a moment. After the flames
disappeared, there lies Kazuma, uninjured.

“Too weak.”

He says so coldly, and reaches his hand to point at Misao. Raging

winds released from his fingertip blows Misao out of the residence.

(This place is……?)

 Gradually and unknowingly, Misao realizes that she is floating
amidst the darkness. Unable to see anything, nor feel anything. Her
five senses are not functional.

(Am I…… Dead……?)

The dreadful enemy that killed my brothers are right before me, yet I
cannot even avenge them------

Too weak------

Kazuma’s mockery rings in her ears, even if she goes full force, she
cannot fight against him. The difference in power is just too great.

(I don’t want to lose like this…… If only I had more power…… For
power, I am willing to do anything, it doesn’t matter no matter what I
will have to lose……)

In the darkness, Misao even hoped for a devil to come. If she can
use her soul to trade for power, she will do so without hesitation.

“Hoho, you seem to have had a good dream, Misao.”

 The youth shows an innocent smile, looking by his feet.

Just from the fact that he can smile looking at that scene, perhaps
people would consider him as one of the bad guys?

In the holy space that was originally meant for praying to God, it is
now filled with glue-like monsters.

The monster that covers the entire floor were completely packed up
to two meters in height, forming an area that could be called a sea of
goo.

The slime that stretches out from within like tentacles are tangling
on a statue of Jesus pinned on a cross. This scene is so disrespectful
to God that it would make a faithful believer faint upon seeing it.

At the bottom of this sea of goo, Misao is floating within, naked.

Maybe because she is still dreaming, her expression is distorted by
sadness from time to time.

It has been over a week since this kind of dream begin. A dream
mixed with both fantasies and reality, is slowly and gradually invading
Misao’s consciousness.

Which part is real, which part is but a fantasy, Misao cannot

differentiate clearly anymore. She only hates Kazuma, the Kazuma
who took away her precious family members from her------

(I want power…… A power that can defeat that man……)

“Then use all the power that is flooding this place!”

The youth solemnly commands her. Hearing a reply, which should

have been impossible, Misao’s body shook. In those wide empty eyes,
a youth that gives off a brilliant glow is reflected within.

(…… You are……?)

 “I am an angel. As a servant to the one absolute God, I will grant
your wish.”

(Angel……?)

“Let me bestow strength upon you! Because your wish is justified.

Justified wishes will get justified rewards------ This is what it means to
have “Justice”.”

(Give me…… Strength……?)

Impossible.

In her misty consciousness came a weak voice of refutation.

An angel means a messenger of God, a representative of absolute

justice. Such an existence will never bestow power upon her.

But at this moment, the voice appeared once more.

That voice said, "this is but of course".

Misao who is unable to find an answer, lifts her head and uses
begging eyes to look at the youth.

Before her eyes lie a being beyond any, giving off a holy glow from
all around his body. Despite how young he seems to be from the
outside, the wisdom hidden within his eyes are beyond measure,
showing a dignified figure worshipped by thousands.

Just questioning whether his words are true seems like a

disrespectful act.

There was no need to consider, as he is an existence that stands

above all man. That absolute will of heaven allows no arguments, Man
should just blindly follow the orders------

Misao does not know at all, that this is not the first time she has met
this youth, nor the fact that her memories has been changed countless
times already.

Every time this “first meeting” is repeated, Misao’s consciousness is

changed little by little. The cold eyes that she placed upon the youth
who claimed to be an angel, in their “real” first meeting, are no more.

Now, the way Misao looks at the youth, within her eyes, she is
almost worshipping him. With an expression like forgetting oneself
when having high fever, there is no reason left within her.

“To obtain power, are you prepared to sacrifice, Misao?”

To the question from the youth, Misao nods without hesitation.

(No matter what happens, I will not hesitate…… Angel-sama.)

“Good girl.”

The youth waves his right hand like a conductor waving his stick.
Following his movements, the grossly wriggling sea of goo begins to
give off a faint phosphorescent glow.

One, two------ The phosphorescence being made consistently

gathers around Misao, shining upon her naked body.

(This is…… Power……?)

Misao reaches out to the gentle phosphorescence uneasily with her

hand, and a passionate and uplifting power flows into her body from
her fingertips. Following that------

“Nooooooooooooooo!! Somebody……Somebody save me

ahhhhh!!”

Dying screams rings in Misao’s head. As the power flows in, the
hatred that comes along made her realize what these
phosphorescences really are.

That is the light of life. Just like picking the most matured fruit, the
essence of life that is harvested at the most fulfilling moments of these
people.

(------Arrrgh!)

Misao is unable to withstand such a horrifying feeling, her entire

body resists the power that is flowing in. The phosphorescence
released dims slightly, then as if being squeezed back by something,
returns to under Misao’s feet.

“What is the matter, Misao? Don’t you want power?”

The youth continues to wear a kind and loving smile, constantly

seducing her with the forbidden method of consuming her own kind.
Misao lifts her head to look at the youth, her eyes were those of fear.

(B…… But…… This is……)

”Don’t worry, this is not a crime. Because your wish is justified, and
as long as your wish is justified, anything you do for it will also be
justified. Right?”

This means, that the end justifies the means? This is not called
quibbling, this is a ridiculous logic.

But------

Faced with the phosphorescence that come forth upon being

released, Misao reaches out to grab them once more. Ignoring the
bone-chilling screams, she squeezes the light in her hand till they are
shattered. A fulfilling feeling surges out from her body, and she can
clearly sense that the power that flowed in has become hers.

“That is the way, keep absorbing!”

Hearing the youth’s hush, Misao nods in response. She has been
acknowledged by God------ This “fact” made Misao’s guilt instantly
disappear without a trace.
 The phosphorescence floating around flies into her body
continuously. Where did they come from, who do they belong to, these
questions are not important. The fact that her heart bears a strong
desire to kill Kazuma causes her to greedily take in the power.

(Power…… I need even more power!)

Her hatred for Kazuma grows and inflates consistently, logic and
views being ripped off entirely. Massive power continues flowing into
that unstable mind.

If it was an average person, he would have had a mental

breakdown long ago, and be unable to even maintain the shape of a
human. Even Misao, who is merely using her desire for revenge
against Kazuma to support her, is barely able to maintain
consciousness.

“Not bad, to actually not breakdown yet. The Kannagi bloodline is

really not to be underestimated.”

Lowering his head to look at that scene, the youth gives off a sigh.

“I had intended to just play a little…… But I guess I should get

serious!”

His large eyes squint to a line, from those eyes, a glow similar to
that of a carnivore was reflected within.

But that was just for an instant, those green eyes returned to their
original shine instantly. Those eyes are just that of a kid that knows
not of the suffering of others, with innocence and cruelty mixed
together at the same time.

“Misao------ Since your child wants to take revenge, as parents you

should help out too. Don’t you think so?”

Looking at the girl who is single-mindedly and greedily seeking

move vigor, the youth asks happily from deep within his heart.
Part 3
Seeing the shadow of Kazuma, Ayano shrinks her body at that
moment.

Juugo thinks it to be very strange and looks at her with eerie eyes,
but looks back at Kazuma after that.

Kazuma’s attitude is the same as always. Regarding Ayano who

seems unsettled, he does not even bother to look at her, his eyes
looking directly at Juugo.

“Sorry, to call you over suddenly.”

“It’s nothing------ What is the matter?”

Looking at Kazuma who has sat down, Juugo goes straight to the
point and declares:

“I would like to cancel my previous request.”

“Of course. To not do anything and hope to get money, how can
there be such a good thing in this world.”

Ayano suddenly smiles, her attitude becoming abnormally taunting.

(……Did something happen again?)

Juugo feels worried about his emotionally unstable daughter, but on

the surface he still maintains his calm attitude.

He orders the arrogant Ayano:

“You too, you are not to interfere with this from now on.”

“------Huh? W……Why?”

“Misao’s punishment, will be conducted with the leadership of the

Ogami. This has been decided.”

Juugo disregards all objections with a tone that does not allow any
doubt.

Ayano, who is at a loss, lifts her head to look at her father, but her
father seems to have no intentions of continuing to explain.

She looks at Kazuma. The usual satirizing smile is not on his face,
in replacement, it is an expression of mockery, insult------ and anger.

“------That is enough. Just because he intends to finish his daughter

with his own hands, he hopes that this ugly news will be forgotten?
And you accepted this proposal?”

“------ There is no choice, we cannot just cut our relations with the
Ogami.”

(…… So that is what is going on.)

Hearing the two’s straight conversation, Ayano finally understood

the situation now.

What Misao has done is clearly unforgivable. That is not to say that
taking a gun to start a terrorist attack can be forgiven, but that is just a
normal crime, and can be settled just by the police.

But, as a Jutsushi who is meant to exorcise youma, to degenerate

into a youma herself. The seriousness of this matter is something the
previous example cannot be compared with, as this is a grave matter
that can lead to the life or death of a clan.

Even if Ayano or Kazuma were to punish Misao, this responsibility is

not to be on Misao’s alone. The Ogami family will definitely be
dragged in as well!

Ogami Masayuki intends to punish his daughter who has committed

a forbidden and grave mistake by his very own hands, so as to clear
the name of the Ogami.
 This may be his wishful thinking, but logically it makes sense. As
long as he brings up the excuse that “it is the duty of her parents”,
there is probably no one who can refuse him.

(So in this case…… Kazuma must be very angry……)

Ayano even thinks that he would be so angry he would want to go

and kill Masayuki this instant. But surprisingly, Kazuma looks very
calm.

“So be it, since you are the one who requested for my help, you can
do as you wish to terminate your request, but I have my way of doing
things as well.”

Seeing that Kazuma insists on not letting the matter off, Juugo
frowns.

“You will take part in this no matter what?”

“Yes.”

“…… So that is the case.”

Knowing that he cannot persuade Kazuma out of this, Juugo sighs

heavily.

“By the way.”

Kazuma asks out of curiousity:

“You said that the Ogami will lead this, but is there any fighting
power left in the Ogami now? Or maybe I should say, since Misao has
become like that, then won’t there be no descendents left in the
Ogami family?”

From what Kazuma knows, the children of Masayuki are only

Takeya, Misao and Takeshi. Masato was not even married.
 So assuming that they did not find any illegitimate children within
these four years, there is no one to take up the title of the next head of
the Ogami.

However, Ayano toppled such a mindset.

“There is still Takeya’s son.”

“Huh? He is married?”

“He has been married two years ago. Just half a year ago, a pair of
male twins were born.”

“Oh------ That is really……”

Maybe he felt that he was getting old, that is why Kazuma had such
an emotional reply.

“Maybe I should have sent his wife a bouquet of flowers?”

“------ Don’t mention that, be careful that you don’t get stabbed with
a knife again.”

Hearing Kazuma’s lame joke, Ayano rebuts him, looking as though

she has a painful headache.

“But, their fighting power is still not enough! What can the head and
his wife do with just their daughter-in-law?”

“I never said that the Ogami will be doing this alone. The Kuga and
Shijou families have agreed to help.”

Just to mention, both these families are branch families of the

Kannagi. Especially the Kuga, as Takeya’s wife, Sei, is from the Kuga,
so their relationship is very close.

“------Hmm. Even though I don’t really think that those people in the
branch families can be of much help, but they still have to try whatever
they can do!”
 Kazuma says coldly, and then stands up.

“So, I will be going back now. Call me again when there is a job.”

“W…… Wait a minute!”

The foot that is just about to step out of the room stopped. Ayano
directs the question that she keep in her heart for a long time at the
back of that person who did not even turn his head back:

“Why…… Why are you so concerned about Misao? Is it

because…… You like her?”

Her usual imposing tone is not there at all. Even though she does
not wish to have to open her mouth to ask this question, yet at the
same time she must. This dilemma is reflected in her tone, so she
seems to be hesitating as she asked.

However, Kazuma’s attitude is the same as always.

“It doesn’t concern you.”

A very cold reply. The paper door, as if to obstruct further questions,

closes coldly.

Hearing the footsteps that leave gradually, Ayano curses softly:

“Idiot……”
Fall part two - The price of Soul-

Part 1
“…………!”

A man reading a horse racing paper while leaning against a wall

noticed a woman passing through the edge of his field of view.

Wearing a tidy blue silk kimono, she looked to be in her early

twenties. The man inconspicuously raised the newspaper to hide his
face, but did not take his eyes off the girl.

The woman, seemingly oblivious to her observer, continued walking

at the same pace. The man folded the paper under his armpit, and
drew a cell phone from his belt holster.

“I see her. Tailing the target.”

(Meanwhile...)

A middle-aged man dangled a silver chain over an opened map.

There is a platinum ring at the chain that forms a loop, wavering at a
height that almost touches the map.

“Hmm.....”

Suddenly, the chain began to shift in a certain direction, jerking

unnaturally as if pulled by some invisible force.

The man traced the direction of the chain's motion. Realizing he had
gone too far, he moved back to his starting point, and after some trial
and error he finally stopped at the point where the invisible force has
led him.
 “....Is this the place?”

The dowsing ring spun over a point on the map. The man noted the
name of the location and reached for the phone on the table.

A young woman is stared attentively at a crystal ball. The beauty

dressed up as a fortune teller that can be seen anywhere on the
streets gave off a mysterious aura, even though it would be
inappropriate to describe her this way.

The crystal ball of twenty centimeters is carved and polished

flawlessly, yet for some reason there was a white mist at the its
center.

In order to see through the mist, the woman glared intensely at the
crystal ball, almost popping a nerve at her temple.

“....!”

Perhaps because of her effort, the white mist gradually dispersed,

and an image resembling a building began to emerge.

The entire structure looked thin and long, and a black cross was set
in the upper half of the white wall.

Zooming the image in on the entrance, the "fortune teller" carefully

wrote down the words carved on the door.

“Speaking of which, how daring. This is indeed a blind spot.”

Smiling in praise at the unknown enemy, she walked out of the

room to make her report.

(An hour later...)

 The ten jutsu-shi led by Oogami Masayuki all gathered near a
certain church at Ikebukuro. The purpose, needless to say, is to hunt
down Misao, whom they have finally found.

The operation was a little rushed, as there was no time to hesitate.

Although the hunters had failed to locate Misao's hiding place up to
this point, they suddenly managed to find her through a few sources.

It was so easy as to almost be too suspicious... or rather, a trap that

couldn't be any more obvious, akin to Misao waving her hand before
their very eyes. One could say that she hid herself during a game of
hide-and-seek, and then purposely stuck her head out, as if
deliberately wanting Kazuma to catch her.

Nonetheless, Misao’s power should still be insufficient to defeat

Kazuma. Precisely because of this, Masayuki acted with haste in
order to put an end to this himself before Misao was defeated by
someone else...

“Listen up people, there may even be a few among you that are on
good terms with Misao, but such misconceptions end now. She is an
unforgivable evil that has been corrupted into a demon, so do not hold
back against her. In order to uphold the name and honor of the
Kannagi, we must eradicate her with all of our might so that not even a
single cell of her being remains!”

Standing before his gathered subordinates, Masayuki gave an

emphatic speech. No one failed to understand that he really meant
that “The survival of the Oogami family depends on this battle!”

Or rather, he meant nothing other than this. Emotions such as love,

pity, and the pain of having to end his own daughter by his very hands
were all but absent from the man. Perhaps he hardened his heart
simply because the target is his own daughter - that would be a
reasonable explanation, but it would certainly take a stretch of the
imagination to believe that Masayuki truly meant those words from the
bottom of his heart. His attitude was just like that.
 As Ayano left the group, she pondered while watching Masayuki's
back, "Maybe it was because of her father's insensitivity that Misao
couldn't stand losing her brothers..."

Even so, the unpleasant feelings lingered in her heart. Perhaps it

was merely the wishful thinking of a child, but Ayano felt that this was
not the right way to raise a family.

Ren seemed to have the same thoughts, as his unease was plain.

“So then...“

After finishing his speech, Masayuki turned in their direction, a

flattering smile on his face.

“If Kazuma comes over, please deal with him.”

“...Hmm.”

Under no obligation to put Masayuki at ease, Ayano blankly nodded

in reply. Unsure of her answer, Masayuki frowned and asked again,
“Are you sure it'll be fine?”

“What do you mean?”

”Are you confident you can win against Kazuma?”

“How could I possibly be confident about something like that?”

Ayano said frankly. Instead of trying to scare him, she simply stated
her true opinion.

However, Masayuki's expression immediately changed following

those words.

“How.. how can that be!? Then why did you promise to take care of
Kazuma!?”

“Do you even need to ask? It's because I am the only who can do
it.”
 Ayano looks coldly at the shocked Masayuki, and brusquely added,
“No matter what your thoughts may be, Misao must be eliminated - not
by the hands of others, but by us, the Kannagi clan, so I will not let
Kazuma make trouble regarding this matter. If was up to you guys,
you would all be killed within three seconds. But, I can buy you people
up to three minutes, so figure something out during this period of
time!”

The whole area became quiet instantly. Again, Ayano was not trying
to be an alarmist; the number she gave, three minutes, was already a
very optimistic estimate.

To think that they naively believed they could relax simply because
Ayano would be facing Kazuma for them... perhaps the image of the
"weak Kannagi Kazuma" is still buried deep in their hearts after all!

“So, what is the battle strategy?”

Ignoring the tension, Ayano cut to the chase and confronted

Masayuki. If they had intended to fight a prolonged battle, it was time
for a change of plans.

“Y-Yes. We intend to lure Misao out from the church, and then
chase her to the opposite park. This entire area has been secured, so
there is no worry that other people may get involved in this. After that
we are going to set up spiritual wards in the park. Misao will be like a
fish caught in a net. The plan is absolutely foolproof.”

“Oh...”

This actually wasn't a bad plan. In terms of battle strength, Misao is

not much of a threat, so by sealing off all possible escape routes they
shouldn't lose even with ten people.

“But, who is blocking the area off? And, the ward is...”

Ayano's voice trailed off when she recognized a female figure

walking towards the area. The woman is wearing a tall and slim outfit
with trousers. Though her face was partially obscured by sunglasses,
Ayano somehow felt that she had seen this person before.

“The barrier is ready. We can start any time.”

After a routine report, the woman took off her sunglasses. Ayano's
eyes widened instantly.

“A-..Ahhhhhh.....!!”

Without thinking, she pointed and cried out. That is undoubtedly the
woman from before, that Kirika holding hands with Kazuma at the love
hotel street.

“Hi, Ayano.”

Kirika smiles faintly, looking at Ayano expectantly.

“...You know each other?”

“We've met,” Kirika replied nonchalantly. Masayuki glared at her

with a grave expression.

“I hope you mind your tone. Ayano-sama has the bloodline of the
main family, so she should not be spoken to directly like this...“

“Oh, excuse my rudeness.”

Kirika apologizes respectfully, gracefully cutting off Masayuki's

inevitable lecture, and saluted Ayano formally.

“I am Superintendent Tachibana Kirika from the Tokyo Metropolitan

Police Department. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Police..? The surname Tachibana, could it be that...“

"I am from a branch family,” Kirika smiled as she shrugged her

shoulders.
 Ayano only got more confused. The Tachibana name belonged to a
famous Onmyouji clan. Even for a branch family, how is it possible for
a member of the Tachibana clan became a police officer?

("Prepare a ward"------?)

Ayano instantly shifted her strict gaze to Masayuki.

“You sought the help of police?”

The duty of the Kannagi clan is to eradicate demons through direct

combat, and the nature of their work requires cooperation from
governmental agencies such as the police. Because of the clan's
close relationship with the authorities and their astounding efforts at
protecting society for the past millenium, some unreasonable requests
are still accepted.

But in this case, unrelated personnel like the police should never
have been involved from the start. The criminal they are hunting down
is from their own family, a Kannagi jutsu-shi descended into a demon.
Moreover, that particular woman's murders of over a hundred have left
a great stain on the clan's reputation. Such a fact should not be
revealed to outsiders.

“N-No... This is because...”

Masayuki cowered at Ayano's interrogation, but Kirika maintained

her relaxed attitude.

“Please calm down, we are helping in response to Juugo-san’s

request.”

“Father...?” Ayano asks in doubt. Masayuki who is hiding behind

Kirika hurriedly nodded in agreement

“That's right, Oogami Misao’s hiding spot was also investigated and
located by us.”

Even so, Ayano still didn't understand. Why would her overly
cautious father do something that even she thought was dumb?
 Ignoring Ayano’s hostile eyes, Kirika defenselessly approached the
girl. Then, she leaned in by the the threatening Ayano's ear, and said
softly so that only she could hear, ”Be mindful of what we know.”

Ayano trembled lightly. Kirika continued speaking, looking as if

though she was stifling laughter, “Those things that you 'do not want
others to know', we already know very well. For example, what
Oogami Misao did.... But, we have still not yet confirmed actual
number of victims.”

(Should I kill her...?)

Ayano mulled it over. Although she would really rather not do so,
there was no ignoring what Kirika said.

“You intend to threaten the Kannagi?” Ayano asked to confirm it one

last time. If the other party nodded, there would be no turning back.

But Kirika calmly shook her head.

“Now, now, I am not so ignorant. Besides, a minor issue like this is

not enough to use as a threat.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Ultimately the 'value' of the Kannagi will not be shaken by this

minor scandal. The higher-ups might use it as a bargaining chip if they
knew of it, but this information will be kept safely with me.”

Ayano raised an eyebrow.

“Did you just say you won't threaten us?”

“Don't you get it? I'm trying to show my sincerity.”

“...?”

“What I mean is that you can kill me now... and nobody will ever
know.”

“...! Why are you...?”

“This is a small price to pay for the trust of the clan head. Besides,
we will also be on record as having helped the Kannagi.”

“....”

Ayano had a strange hunch. The "we" that had appeared several
times in Kirika’s speech did not seem to refer to the entire police
organization. There is only one explanation that she can think of -
something bridging the unrelated powers of the police and jutsu-shi.

“Could you be that...? That...unit called Information Consolidation

Department or something...?”

“To be more accurate, it would be the Special Investigation Unit. I

am the chief of that department,” Kirika nodded proudly.

The Special Investigation Unit of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police

Department, a department that was only recently established. As if
trying to hide from the others, the nameplate of this department lurks
quietly in a corner of the basement of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police
Department. Everyone knows of the existence of this department, but
the actual number of people that know what they do is very few, to the
extent that hardly anybody within the entire police department even
knows what the "Special Investigation" means at all.

In other words, no such department exists. Such an obscure

department name could only have been created to conceal the nature
of its operations.

For over a century after the ancient Bureau of Onmyou was

disbanded, Japan passed on most of the spiritual protecting jobs to its
people. In order to gain a foothold in the modern era, the SIU was
established - the only government-run exorcising organization.
 As they are unable to label themselves as exorcists in broad
daylight, the department picked a general name implying that it 'does
odd jobs'. It is even rumored that the name of the organization is even
derived from the same pronunciation as 'dead spirits'.

Leaving the etymology of government agencies, its establishment

made a considerable impact in the field of exorcism.

“Oh, so there really is such a department. I hadn't heard of any of its

activities, so I just figured it for some kind of urban legend.”

From Ayano’s current understanding, it is something like that.

“Hmph.”

Kirika looked hurt by such a harsh comment.

“O-Of course we have been active! Restoring distorted spiritual

fields, suppressing land-bound spirits and the like... it's only because
we've yet to obtain jutsu-shis with combat abilities that we've been
unable to plan large scale exorcisms.”

“Ah, so you are a bunch of people that works in the shadows. That
sure is befitting of a government function.”

Ayano put on a smug grin that was so arrogantly "cute" to the point
that it made one want slap her.

But Kirika was an adult, after all. Instead of showing her anger, she
kindly smiled, “Well, the higher-ups are always unable to understand
our unnoticeable activities. Ayano, do you want to come over and
work in the SIU? Even as part-time job?”

“I refuse.”

Ayano's reply was firm. Yet, as if she just thought of something,

looked questioningly at Kirika.

“Ah... could it be that, that one time you were trying to persuade
Kazuma to join?”

“Huh? Ah, you meant the last time we met?” Kirika simply smirked.

Their positions were switched instantly. Ayano, now at a

disadvantage, refused to give in and replied with a scowl, but her eyes
revealed nothing but empty threats.

“Deep down, you really hope that I met with Kazuma only because
of work, right?”

“N-No, I don’t...”

Despite her denying it with her mouth, Ayano couldn’t help but ask
again:

“...So, what was it for?”

Seeing Ayano's cowed look, Kirika replied, "I'm not telling."

“...!”

“Be it for private reasons or work, I am under no obligations to tell

you anything. Isn’t that right?”

(This.. This woman..!)

Ayano’s eyes burned with murderous intent. Even against such a

menacing glare, Kirika still maintained her relaxed smile.

As the two continued their battle of egos, a hand tugged at Ayano’s

sleeve. She glanced down before promptly turning back to face Kirika.

“Don’t interrupt me, Ren. I must settle things with this woman...“

“But everyone is waiting for us.”

“Huh...?”
 Ayano followed Ren's gaze, noticing ten very disgruntled jutsu-shi's
observing their catfight.

Masayuki seemed especially impatient. Despite his best attempts to

control his temper and anxiety, he was unable to hide a very obvious
nerve pulsing at his temple. It was almost as if he was using all of his
will to hold back the impulse to scream “Hurry up, you two brats!!!"

Instead of roaring, Masayuki asked with insincere calm, “It is about

time to head for the church... Are the both of you ready?”

But of course, these two were not mere brats who would be afraid of
someone like Masayuki. They turned to the man with the fake smile on
his face, and icily replied,

“Then shall we?”

“Feel free to go now.”

Masayuki’s smile froze. He looked dumbly at the two with an

expression that was neither laughing nor crying.

“I believe I said earlier that 'we can start anytime'. Or are you
implying that there is some reason that we must go together with
you?”

“Mm...”

“You better hurry and move along. If she escapes, are you going to
take responsibility?”

“Mmm...”

After being blasted by the two’s words continuously, Masayuki’s

face flushed red, unable to say any more. Facing the old man cursing
her with his eyes, Ayano waved him away with the indifference one
would shoo a dog away with.

“Mmmgghh... Everyone, let’s go!”

 After shouting out as if venting his anger, Masayuki stormed off with
loud and clear footsteps, pausing to angrily reprimand the jutsu-shi
who were looking at each other curiously.

“Will you hurry up!”

“G-Got it!”

Watching Masayaki and company retreat in a huff, Ayano let out a

sigh.

“Finally gone.”

At such a frank reaction, Kirika asked, smiling, “You seem to hate

that old man a lot, don't you, Ayano-chan?”

“Do you even need to ask! Someone who intends to harden his
heart and kill his daughter "for the survival of his clan"... There is no
need to put up with him!”

“Well in my case, it doesn’t matter as long as the Soushu is happy.

Besides, do you really see a future for that guy?”

Ayano could only shrug her shoulders with a bitter smile.

“All I can say is that Father has no intention of destroying the

Oogami family.”

Even so, as the head of the clan he can't push all the responsibility
onto someone else! Masayuki should know this is the head of his own
family!

“'The one who is to take responsibility exists precisely to take up the

responsibility'... I'm rather fond of that saying. By the way, do you
really intend to fight with Kazuma?”

Kirika nodded as if deep in thought, and then suddenly changed the

subject. Despite being slightly at a loss, Ayano still replied honestly,
“Yeah, there is no one else after all. Though I may not be able to win, I
can try to buy time.”

“...You don’t have to push yourself so hard. There is no shame in

losing to that man.”

“I know. I don’t intend to put my life on the line for it. Besides, I have
this kid with me.”

She patted Ren’s head, who had been silently standing beside her.
He looked at Ayano in surprise.

“Huh..? Me too..?”

Without answering, Ayano changed her kind hand on Ren's head

into a wicked claw. A sharp pain shot through Ren.

“O-Ouch! That hurts Onee-sama!”

“Let’s work hard together, Ren! ♥”

“O-Okay...”

Ren could only give in to the fear and pain, nodding with tears in his
eyes.

Part 2
“Thank you for your hard work.”

Kirika smiled sweetly in gratitude, eliciting an instant greeting from

the police officers.

The police roadblock shift slightly, opening a small gap large

enough for a single person. Passing through that small gap, Kirika,
Ayano and Ren entered into the secured zone.

“……What a thorough job,” Ayano conceded with shock, looking

with wonder at their surroundings.
 The normally bustling city corner had been transformed into a literal
ghost town. Not only were there no pedestrians, even the people
inside the buildings seemed to have been all cleared away.

Kirika shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“Actually we only evacuated a few people. Most of the people

sensed an abnormality and escaped before we did anything.”

“An abnormality...?”

Catching what seemed link the odor of rotten fish in the wind, Ayano
frowned. The asphalt road surface felt strangely gooey. With every
step, her sole seemed to be glued to the ground by a thin, sticky
thread. Perhaps because of the earth's corruption, the trees in the
park tilted at a dangerous angle under the wind’s blow, as if they
would topple any moment.

“It is rather common nowadays to hear others say that humans are
a type of animal that has lost its basic instincts. But judging from this,
it seems we have not completely lost them after all. Just think about it,
isn’t it strange that no civilians or reporters have come to investigate
the inspection area?”

“------Now that you mention it, it seems to be that way.”

Ayano recalled the scene when they were passing through the
checkpoints. The manpower present for this operation almost seems
excessive for the empty streets, which would definitely arouse
suspicion. Normally, Ikebukuro would never be so quiet with a police
cordon set up.

(Normally, huh...)

Faced with a meaningless imagination, Ayano couldn't help but

reveal a bitter smile. In a situation where youki causes the wind and
earth to be corroded, it isn't even appropriate to think of the word
"normal."
 It was convenient of the civilians to notice the unnaturalness and
escape. This way they wouldn't have to worry about witnesses or
casualties, and fight as they wished.

She grinned inwardly, and walked towards the center of the secured
zone. The small church here was perhaps the farthest away from the
word “Holy” in the world!

The preparations for battle were ready at the target area. Ten jutsu-
shi surrounded the church, not letting even an ant through.

Sensing Ayano's approach, Masayuki turned around.

“Ayano-sama and Ren-sama, please do not take part in this

operation.

“I know.”

Ayano impatiently waves her hand towards Masayuki who reminded

them once more.

The jutsu-shi are concentrating, waiting for Masayuki’s signal. He

knows that Misao is waiting inside, and at this stage he does not
intend to spend more time searching the interior.

He plans to burn down the entire church.

If ten Kannagi jutsus-shi were to release flames all at the same

time, this kind of building would be destroyed before it even began
burning.

It would be best if the matter could be settled just with this. In the
case that she survived, they would follow the plan and force her into
the park and eradicate her.

There exists no element nor chance of failure. Everyone believed

firmly in their victory.

“Okay, begi……”
 Right before Masayuki gave the go signal, the door of the church
opened slowly. Masayuki quickly stopped his hand, and stared closely
at the door.

Following a sharp squeaking sound, the door opened gradually.

They were unable to see the interior at all, the darkness within
rejecting the entry of all light.

On top of that, the darkness even began infesting the light. A certain
black object passed through the front door, and appeared in the space
filled with light.

It is someone dressed in a pitch black kimono - a black-haired girl

wearing funeral robes. The human-shaped darkness eyed the group
of people.

“…… Are you…… Misao……?”

Masayuki called his daughter’s name, as if moaning. The immense

youki surrounding Misao continued to spread and corrupt the area
around her.

“I welcome everyone’s arrival. Father as well, I am glad to see that

you are still so healthy.”

Misao elegantly greeted them, announcing her sincere welcome

with a gentle smile.

But anyone who knew Misao would have noticed that something
was wrong. In the last ten years or so, Misao had never smiled like
this towards Masayuki.

Of course, Masayuki did not even realize this. To him, Misao, who
as a woman was not fit to become a fighter, was nothing more than a
worthless existence to him.

Staring angrily at the daughter who is smiling innocently, Masayuki

shouted from the bottom of his heart, “Silence! A dirty and despicable
thing like you is not qualified to call me its Father!”

For a moment moment, the smile in Misao’s eyes vanished. But

remembering her facade, she returned to her original expression.

“Sorry to have been so rude then. By the way------“

Misao looked around, verifying the faces of everyone at the scene.

“Where is Kazuma-san?”

“That guy has already been dismissed!”

Ayano answered at an astonishing speed.

“Whether he is capable enough is only secondary. We have no

intention of hiring someone who does not plan to cooperate with us.
This is not charity work.”

Looking down on the girl who seemed to have been waiting to say
this, Misao's lips curled up in a smile.

Ayano's eyebrows jump up in an instant. Even if it was just for a

moment, she saw the meaning behind that smile.

It was a mockery, an expression of contempt that one would only

use to look down on others. It was an intolerable expression for a
jutsushi from a branch family to make, especially one that has been
corrupted into a demon.

“What is so funny……?”

Ayano questions in a suppressed tone.

“The attitude of Ayano-sama is too ugly,” Misao replied, still smiling.

swoosh. Ayano stepped out, leaning her right body into a battle
stance. A terrified Masayuki could only jump out of the way.
 Ignoring the killing intent directed at her, Misao smiled and said,
“Does Kazuma-san caring only for me make you that jealous?”

“------!”

The uprising murderous aura shakes the area, but Misao shows no
signs of backing off. Unsure whether she was confident in winning, or
had lost her sense of judgement-----

“Very well…… Speaking of which, we have yet to settle the score

from last time.”

“Is that so…… I can’t recall such a thing.”

The face-off was like one of clashing swords. Their exchanged

looks alone gave off sparks, building the tension until it seemed ready
to explode.

Ayano quietly drew her Enraiha, its golden brilliance exorcising the
nearby youki.

Faced with a sudden battle of femme fatales, the jutsushi from the
branch families began trembling.

“A…… Ayano-sama. Leave Misao to us……”

Masayuki hurriedly tried to halt Ayano, but was silenced by her

murderous aura. After all, the level between the two was completely
different.

No one can stop them. Just as everyone at the scene is thinking this
way------

“Excuse me, sorry to disturb when the two of you are so busy.”

With her ear at the mobile phone that is switched to vibration mode,
Kirika made a routine announcement.

“Yagami Kazuma has appeared. He is closing in from the direction

of the main road.”

Ayano’s body shook suddenly.

(I'm saved------)

Seeing this reaction, Masayuki sighs in relief.

“Ayano-sama------“

“I know.”

Keeping Enraiha raised, Ayano glared at Misao once more. The

woman only lifted her chin in a smug grin of victory, noticing Ayano's
furrowed brow.

(There should still be time after killing her first……)

For a moment, Ayano considered this seriously. But now that she
was calm, her personal feelings came second to the mission.

“Masayuki-san, please act as we have originally planned.

Superintendent Tachibana, I will not ask you to fight with Kazuma, but
please maintain the spiritual boundary. Okay?”

Ayano gives off commands one by one, and finally shifts her eyes to
Ren.

“Let’s go stall Kazuma!”

“…… Yes……”

Ren droops his eyes, and nods to reply with a helpless tone.
Ignoring Ren’s attitude, Ayano forcefully dragged him off.

Part 3
“Looks like I'm late, has it already begun?”
 Sprinting on the empty streets, Kazuma grumbles, swerving as he
turns a corner.

He saw Misao’s 'invitation', but noticed it an hour later than Kannagi

and the police. There was no special reason for it; he just happened to
have fallen asleep.

Even though he leapt out of bed immediately when he sensed the

rising youki, he could not deny the fact that he came late. The only
good thing about this was that it was happening next to the hotel he
was using as a base in his search for Misao.

(Speaking of which, to be located so close…… Even though I am

not sure who it may be, but he's good.)

Thinking about the real enemy who has yet to reveal himself,
Kazuma speeds up. Perhaps due to all his wrong-doings most of the
time, he did not reach the destination that easily.

Two shadows stood before Kazuma, stopping him. After identifying

them with sharp eyes, he eventually let out a bored sigh.

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Well, SORRY for being me.”

Hearing his disappointed voice, Ayano retorted impolitely in the

same manner. She held Enraiha in her hand, her intentions as plain
as day.

Leaving that aside...

“Why is Ren here as well?”

“Well, what do you think?”

Ayano opened her palm and slaped onto the bitterly smiling Ren’s
head. A loud smack echoed through the street
 “Obviously, we're working together to beat you up!” Ayano
exclaimed enthusiastically, but Ren backed off slightly, shaking his
head vigorously from a place that Ayano couldn't see.

Kazuma decided to leave Ren aside for now. Looking straight at

Ayano who seemed ready to fight anytime, Kazuma grinned
confidently.

“...Are you sure you came prepared?”

A fierce ki enveloped Ayano.

“Argh……”

It's frightening. Kazuma is only standing there, but even that was
scary enough already. She was completely unprepared, as there was
not a single hope of victory.

“Even so, I must do this! Because only I can!”

As if trying to throw away her fears and hesitations, she raises the
Enraiha with everything she has. She swings down the blade with all
her strength.

“Take this..!! KAZUMA!”

A massive plasma body burned the air and sped off. Looking at that
object closing in at a high speed, Kazuma effortlessly waved his hand.

The fist entangled with wind sent the plasma bullet flying. The
scorching flames veered off at a 90-degree angle, tearing a huge hole
in a building caught in the fireball's path.

(As expected, ranged attacks are useless...)

Ayano holds the Enraiha tightly, determined to go into melee

combat.

As she gradually reduced the distance between them, intending to

jump straight at Kazuma, he suddenly relaxed and took a step back.

“...?”

“I'm sorry to do this when you're all fired up, but I'm in a hurry. I'll
play with you next time!”

Leaving this selfish remark, Kazuma rode the wind, flew into the
sky... and disappeared. This was done by manipulating the density of
air and causing a change in the refraction of light to create an effect of
invisibility.

“Huhhh!?”

Ren who is standing further back gives off a sound of surprise. But
Ayano has already seen this kind of trick before, and has come up
with a method against it.

“Hmph...“

She raises Enraiha slowly.

“Did you think the same trick....“

Just as Fuu-jutsushi observe air flow, En-Jutsushi use fire- heat to

see the world. Ayano cannot possibly miss a heat source with more
than twice the temperature of the air.

“...would work on me twice?!”

A high-speed plasma bullet fired off, and accurately shot past the
invisible Kazuma. Fortunately, for Kazuma, the layer of wind kekkai
around him repelled the blast.

“Whoa!?”

Kazuma suddenly appeared in the sky. Having lost the protection of

the wind, Fuu-Jutsushi are naturally unable to fly in the air------ and will
of course fall down.
 “Here we go...!”

Just before falling onto the ground, Kazuma regained control of the
wind. His body flipped upright as his feet landed softly on the ground.

Looking at the proud Ayano, Kazuma sighed and lectured her,

“Didn’t I tell you before? If you have time to study small tricks like this,
you should go practice your sword skills.”

“It doesn't matter. It's pretty useful, after all.” Ayano shouldered
Enraiha, laughing proudly.

“Are you disappointed that your technique was exposed?”

“...Not really. That aside... what are you going to do now?”

Ayano has already dragged Kazuma onto the ground, so she can
use Enraiha to attack directly.

------That is, if she can hit him.

With Ayano's abilities, she can't even touch Kazuma. The difference
in power is too great to be bridged by hard work or determination.

However, Ayano's composed smile doesn't fade.

“Did you really think I would go against you without thinking of

anything?”

“Yup. After all, you're an animal that moves on instinct,” Kazuma

replied instantly. A vein rose in Ayano's temple.

“Why, you..! Then, watch this!”

Ayano stretched her hand behind her, thrusting out the 'thing' she
grabbed towards Kazuma.

“Ultimate technique! (Ren) Barrier!!”

------(Please wait a moment...)

The stopped time started to flow again.

Kazuma sighs as if emptying his lungs. He looked at Ayano with

pity.

“Anyway, explain to me just what on earth you're doing.”

“Heh heh heh, no matter how wicked and inhuman you are, I doubt
you'd be able to hurt Ren! As long as I have this Ren Barrier, even if I
can't win, I definitely won't lose either!”

Hiding behind Ren whose entire body was lifted up by the collar,
Ayano declared her stalemate with confidence.

While looking at this scene with a pained expression, Kazuma

muttered, “...how should I say this, don’t you feel any shame as the
next Soushu of the Kannagi?”

“I, for one, am embarrassed...” Hung like a doll that had just been
washed, Ren quietly mumbled.

“Shut up! I'll do whatever it takes to win!” Ayano shouted, flustered.

“No, you still can't win. You just won’t lose.”

“Ah...that's... anyway. If you think you can break through this Ren
Barrier, just try it!”

“Sure.”

Kazuma effortlessly released blades of wind that, arcing like

boomerangs, sliced at both of Ayano's arms from behind.

“Kya!”
 Although they didnt't reach the skin, both of Ayano's sleeves were
completely shredded, surprising her enough to drop Ren the Barrier.

Ren quickly escapes to a place where Ayano's hands couldnt't

reach him. He naturally didn't want to keep working with her.

“Hey, stop right there!”

Ayano tries to chase after Ren, but

------ Swoosh!

A blade of wind flying right before the tip of her nose made her stop
in her steps.

She happens to look below her feet, and noticed that the surface of
the asphalt was smoothly sliced through like butter.

A cold sweat ran down Ayano's back.

“Well, I understand somewhat. Basically, you're just trying to buy

some time, right?”

Ayano was frozen, her intentions exposed. Kazuma pronounced

coldly, “I think I told you already, but I'm in a hurry to get there. If you
keep fooling around... you'll die.”

“....!”

As if being pushed by a massive intent to kill, Ayano uses all her

strength to move to the side. A blade of wind flew through the place
where she had just stood.

This wasn't a threat or an attack meant to disable someone. It was

clearly aimed to slice a person in two.

(He's gotten serious...?)

A shiver ran down her back. Ayano prepared to aim for the eyes,
and focused every nerve in her body on the enemy in front of her.

Kazuma's attacks don't have any setup time or movements. He can

release a lethal strike without even moving a finger. In comparison to
dodging attacks like these, dodging bullets is much easier.

Ayano tossed aside her useless defense, prayed to God that she
wouldn't suffer fatal injuries, and thrust in a straight line.

Relentlessly striking wind blades continued to extinguish the flames

surrounding her entire body. Ayano gave up on meaningless dodging
attempts, and closed in on Kazuma in the shortest distance possible.

(...I reached him!)

Within striking distance, the sword is faster than jutsu.

Jutsu is the substantiation of one’s will. And so, when one uses
jutsu, one must think; that means the signal must cycle through the
brain. In comparison, when the body is using every muscle,
sometimes even the most basic will of to 'make the body move' may
be left out entirely. For someone whose fighting skills have been
trained to a certain extent, they have experienced the feeling of
'striking before thinking'. This speed cannot be surpassed by jutsu. No
matter how much one trains, it is logically impossible to active jutsu
subconsciously.

Ayano swung Enraiha down forcefully. It would be an

understatement to describe the destructive might of the sword as
merely "overwhelming." If a human was hit...no, even lightly grazed by
it, he would become a piece of charcoal.

Kazuma moved to the left to dodge the slice. Ayano pulled the blade
back, reversing her grip, and cut diagonally upwards.

Kazuma dodged left again, simultaneously dashing inside Ayano's

guard, who had exposed her torso for the upward slice. Targeting
Ayano's right wrist, Kazuma's disarm succeeded and Enraiha dropped
from Ayano's hand. If this had been a competition, the judge would
have probably announced Kazuma’s victory by now. But, this is an
actual battle... and the blade that Ayano wields is Enraiha.

After dodging the palm strike aimed at her chin by twisting her body,
Ayano focused her consciousness onto Enraiha. At the same time, the
Enraiha that was flying in midair disappeared. Following that, she
began collect energy in her chest area. Gripping her empty right hand
tightly and focusing that burning, throbbing power within, Ayano once
again formed Enraiha in her right hand within the blink of an eye.

She went for a vicious and sudden attack. Even though Ayano
thought that her surprise attack was successful, this seemed to be
within the opponent’s expectations as well. Kazuma bends backwards
slightly, the tip of the blade swept by his body by a mere 4 millimeters.

Kazuma leisurely put distance between them once more, a smile

appearing on his face. It was undoubtedly a smile of praise, though
Ayano failed to realize it.

(Smile all you want!)

Determined to close the distance, Ayano leapt right at Kazuma. She

slashed horizontally at Kazuma's body, and continued to swing as he
dodged backwards.

Kazuma eventually backed up against the wall of a building, unable

to retreat any further. The joy of having forced the enemy to his end
brought a sinister smile to Ayano's face.

(I've got him....!)

All the muscles in her body tensed up, and her condensed power
was all released at a single point. The sword tip struck straight at
Kazuma’s face at the shortest distance possible. There was no way to
dodge or defend against the scorching blade; Ayano firmly believed
she had won.
 A full-powered attack at that detestable face that is always laughing
and joking around...

“Wha-“

Ayano's eyes widened as Enraiha stopped dead before Kazuma’s

face, as if halted by an invisible wall. No matter how much strength
she used, the remaining distance of ten centimeters could not be
shortened any further.

(A wind kekkai...?)

The truth was before her eyes, but Ayano still couldn't believe
believe it. A high level spirit jutsu can surpass physical phenomena----
-- she understood this common knowledge very well. But, just how
much willpower must be concentrated to be able to make an air ward
that is strong enough to withstand Enraiha? It was utterly
incomprehensible to Ayano.

“Well, that's just how it is,” Kazuma mumbled as if it were only

natural, and the wind kekkai disappeared at the same time. Walking
past Ayano who fell forward as was unable to draw her strength back
in time, Kazuma used an intolerably arrogant tone to say, “Let’s stop
here for today.”

Ayano was, of course, very agitated.

“Wha..What do you mean by 'stop here for today'!? This is not a

practice!”

“I accompanied you for some time already, what else do you have
to complain about?”

"This isn't over.”

Ayano quickly regained her calm and pointed Enraiha at Kazuma.

“You must stay with me until Misao’s punishment is over. Because

this problem must be taken care of by our own people.”
 “You don’t have to worry about that, that side can hardly fend for
themselves.”

“...what do you mean?”

To Ayano’s question, Kazuma silently raised three fingers.

“Three? What..?”

Kazuma didn't answer, but instead he retracted his ring finger.

“Two.”

Following that, he retracted his middle finger.

“One.”

The last one. Kazuma retracts his index finger, showing a faint grin
on his face.

“Bang!”

Accompanied by an explosion, a pitch black pillar of fire erupted into

the sky.

Part 4
“Wha……”

Ayano stared in awe at the pillar of fire.

Black flames.

Unlike the black smoke created from burning of heavy oil, the
flames themselves were black in color.

“Is that…… Misao……?”

 “Is there anyone else that can use flames that are full of youki like
this? Then it seems that the battle style of the Kannagi must have
changed quite a bit ever since I left.”

Kazuma questioned her seriously. Perhaps he really wanted to

know the answer to this question?

“We don't have anyone like that!” Ayano answered rudely. Of

course, Kazuma didn't take offense and merely put an indifferent
expression, shrugging as he walked off.

“H-hold it!”

Kazuma obediently stopped.

“What's the matter? Is there someone among those people there

that you hope will die? Then I don’t mind waiting a bit longer; after all
there are only three minutes left.”

Ayano took a while to truly understand the meaning behind that

sentence. Ren, comprehending his brother, fearfully asked, “Is Misao
really that strong? That even ten people working together are still
unable to defeat her?"

“Six.”

Kazuma corrects truthfully.

“------Huh?”

“After that blast earlier, the presence of four people disappeared.”

Ren was struck speechless, and in turn Ayano roared, “You

should've said something like that sooner!”

“You should've realized it much sooner.”

“Y...you...”
 “Calm down, Onee-san.”

Ren tried in vain to pacify the near-exploding Ayano as he looked at

his brother with blaming eyes.

“Onii-san, why can’t you just get along with onee-san?”

“What do you mean by "get along?" Our goals this time are entirely
different. She's no friend of mine."

“Don’t tell me you still intend to defend Misao!?”

“Yup.”

Kazuma nods naturally at Ayano, who stared at him wide-eyed.

“……What are you thinking? Do you know how many people that
girl killed!?”

“How would I know? I am not so kind as to pity a bunch of dead

strangers.”

Kazuma spits this line out easily, and following that walks off without
waiting for their reactions. Ayano hurriedly chased after him until she
eventually overtook Kazuma.

The park wasn't very far. Even though she ran, she was only faster
by around ten seconds. But, that was more than enough.

(Find her, and settle it in one blow!)

She was confident. No matter how strong Misao may have become,
compared to herself of the main family, their levels of power were
entirely different. Just one strike from Enraiha should be able to
eliminate Misao.

Ayano reached the park. She jumped over the fence at the
entrance, and ran into the square.
 There was no need to search for her, as Misao stood at the centre
of the square. Despite being surrounded by jutsushi of the branch
families, there was not a single trace of anxiety on her face; on the
contrary, it was the jutsushi that seemed to be trembling in fear.

The time to worry over the face of the Oogami was long past.
Planning to finish Misao off in one go, Ayano pushed the Jutsushis
surrounding Misao aside------ and was shocked herself.
 Misao did not even notice Ayano’s appearance as she happily
played with a rubber ball. She wore an innocent smile, and gently
dribbled the rubber ball at waist height. The group gaped at this simple
repetition without any notion of boredom.

At a second glance, the rubber ball looked very old and tattered, its
surface yellowish like the earth. The fading grayish black threads were
spread around in great volumes, just like a bamboo curtain falling off
continuously. Those wavering black threads, looked just like hair------

(Just like------?)

The instant she realized what that rubber ball was, Ayano felt
goosebumps all over her body. Her hand clenched over her mouth,
trying hard to keep from vomiting.

The messy black threads------ those were the hair of a man just over
fifty years of age.

The red threads spread over the soil-yellow surface------ those were
blood stains splattered on the victim’s skin.

The object that Misao was bouncing like a rubber ball was the head
of a dead person. The face of the man who is planning to slay his own
daughter for the survival of the family, now rebounded up and down
between the ground and the white, tender hand.

Dum...dum...dum...

The sound of the bouncing “rubber ball” was abnormally heavy.

Every time it hit the solid ground, more wounds gradually appeared on
Masayuki’s painful and distorted expression.

Common sense dictates that it is impossible for a human head to

bounce like a rubber ball. This may have been caused by psychic
powers or something similar to move the head……

“…… Misao……”
 Ayano was unable to say a word. What could she say to a girl
happily playing with her father's head?

Before the eyes of Ayano and company who were staring with their
breaths held, Misao bounced the “rubber ball” diligently. If there was
any purpose behind this action, that could still have been seen in a
more optimistic manner. Like venting her anger on the body, scaring
the enemy with her power, or a part of a jutsu ritual------ anything else
would have been fine. But this is different. Anyone could tell that this
action was meaningless.

She treated it like a child's game. Like a kid using a crumpled piece
of paper as a ball, Misao simply treated her father's head as a simple
ball.

“…………”

Misao suddenly hit the “rubber ball” with force. Jumping higher than
before, the “ball” bounced to her chest area, and Misao stretched her
hands out to catch it.

“What have you been doing since just now?”

No one understood her murmuring.

Yet, a voice answered in reply.

“It's hard to explain so quickly, but I still rushed here.”

Like an avalanche, everyone’s eyes gathered at the same direction.

That relaxed expression without any tension did not waver at all
under the stare of everyone in the area. Even though he possesses
power that surpasses anyone, his demeanor was calmer and firmer
than anyone.

Just that cheeky presence was enough to dispel the abnormal

demonic aura given off by Misao.
 Possessing the power to accept everything, Yagami Kazuma stood
before the gathering as if his "right" to power was as natural as the air.

“Looks like I made it in time for the climax.”

Chapter Six - Finale - The Brave and Selfless
Rescuer
Part 1
“He” who observed all from the sky, had done so from the very
beginning.

For humans, the area directly above them has always been a blind
spot. The presence of "he" who lurked among dimensional intervals
was undetectable even by the greatest Fuu-Jutsushi.

“He” was content. Everything was proceeding as planned, everyone

moving as “he” had expected them to. They were completely unaware
that they were pawns, believing that they were acting according to
their own will.

Looking down like a god, "he" drank in this feeling of superiority.

(How lucky of me to have picked up such a useful tool.)

Oogami Misao - the first pawn “he” obtained. Blind with hatred, a
pawn that bore a special meaning to that man.

"He" thanked the stars - "they" worshipped neither gods nor devils,
after all - for guiding such a convenient pawn into his grasp.

From the start, it had never been much more than an amusing
game. Assisting that silly child's naive plans for revenge------ and at
such little cost. Such charitable actions were a favorite hobby of "his".
After "he" named his price - a small one, really - an amusing
expression that "he" could never get bored of appeared on her face.

Nonetheless, these were all but pointless amusements, because

now Misao had already become a sharp blade capable of killing that
man.
 (Yagami Kazuma------ I must eliminate that unforgivable sinner with
my own hands. Just what can be more glorious than that……)

Having such a prestigious record, “he” may be bestowed with an

extremely high position. Receiving continuous praises, envies and
admirations------ A future filled with glory.

That is neither a fantasy or a dream, that “tomorrow” that will

definitely come about is right before his very eyes.

Of course, the power he has now is not enough, there is no way he

can beat that monster head-on. But, he is very confident in his victory.

Even though he is powerful enough to do so, Kazuma can’t bring

himself to kill Misao. Furthermore, Misao has yet to reach the stage of
completion.

(Come on, Misao------ Just a little more.)

“He” reveals a smile filled with gentle love at the girl who is walking
down the road of destruction.

“……Finally……”

Those red lips give off an agitated voice of happiness.

“This moment has finally arrived……”

“I don’t know which moment it is you are referring to, but it is indeed
time to settle things.”

Kazuma nods, saying this meaningful line.

“I don’t really care------ But must you kill “that person”?”

“Ahh, you mean “this person”?”

 Misao lowers her head to look at her father’s head that she is
hugging.

“It is only right for the father to avenge his son right? But, not only
did otou-san not agree to help me, he even intended to kill his very
own daughter, me. So, I decided to just borrow his powers------ like
this.”

Something similar to a powerful current flowered into Misao’s hand

from Masayuki’s head. The skin of the head dries up rapidly, the hair
that turned white begins falling off.

In a matter of seconds, the chopped off head became a dried

mummy.

“Foolish otou-san.”

Misao grapples hard at her father’s head. At the same time as it is

giving off irritating squeaking sounds, Masayuki’s head was crushed
into pieces. The pieces were all disintegrated and blown off by the
wind before reaching the floor.

“Come on, otou-san------ Become one with me, and let’s take
revenge for onii-san together?”

Absorbing her father------ The life of the head of the Ogami, Misao’s
youki shows an explosive increase.

“Woah!”

“Mmm……”

The remaining Jutsushis moans. Even Ayano stretches her arms

before her, taking on a defensive stance.

An abnormally strong youki. Its strength is so, its quality is very

ominous as well. This is the power she obtained from draining the
lives of over a hundred, countless grudges from the souls are mixed
within, it can be considered reasonable in some way.
 “The few of you can just get back now!”

Ayano hurriedly warns the Jutsushis. Having evolved to such an

immense youki, the powers of the branch family cannot handle it at all.

“B…… But……”

“Get back!”

Ayano shouts at those hesitant Jutsushis. The Jutsushis look

towards each other.

“------Got it, we will obey Ayano-sama’s order.”

They discreetly stated that they are obeying orders, and then
rushed off the scene.

Following that, Misao’s youki began to gather into a bundle. Basked

in the youki that seemed as though one would be able to hear the
voices of hatred from the victims, the fire spirits manifested in the form
of pitch black flames.

(Oh…… That is rather quick……)

Looking at the black fireball created above Misao’s head, Ayano is

secretly impressed.

Misao stretches her right hand out swiftly, pointing at Kazuma

alone. Following that action, the fireball whistles off and closes in at
Kazuma.

“…………”

Kazuma does not move an inch, staring silently at the fireball that is
coming straight at him. Following that------ The sound of an explosion
can be heard, Kazuma’s body is surrounded by pitch black flames.

Misao shows a hearty smile. But, seeing Kazuma covered in flames,

there is no change on Ayano and Ren’s faces.

The flames disperses slowly. Appearing within is------

“------!”

Even though it may be unsuitable to say this, but it is naturally

Kazuma, without a scratch.

“------ And then?”

“Grr------”

As if being pushed back by his presence, Misao bites hard at her

teeth as she moves backwards, but after that she began gathering
youki once more.

“Then------ How about this!?”

A black fireball is created above Misao’s head once more. Not just
one. Two, three------ fireballs kept on appearing, each of the fireballs is
twice as hot as one just now.

“Wow……” Ren exclaims. “Misao is really talented.”

“Yeah. If anyone would still dare to say her personality is not

suitable for training now, that would be a joke. If she accumulates
experience properly, she would probably have been the strongest
Jutsushi among the branch families by now.”

Ayano praises Misao’s talent without any conservation. Yet, that

calm expression is just opposite to what she has just said, she does
not see Misao’s powers as a threat at all.

Up to ten fireballs came to Kazuma’s side one by one. The group of

fireballs that has their heat and kinetic energy completely under
control, surrounds Kazuma in a hemispherical manner and explodes.

Misao adjusts the direction of the explosion, causing all the energy
to be focused within the hemisphere. Being scorched by the great
heat, with the merciless pressure from explosion waves from all
directions, a normal Jutsushi will probably be completely destroyed,
leaving not a single piece of meat behind.

(That is really something. But……)

Needless to say, Kazuma is of course, not a normal Jutsushi. He

stands in the interior of the explosion that is gradually dispersing,
blocking off the black flames’ attack without a sweat.

“How can that be……”

“I say------”

Ayano informs Misao who is dumbstruck there with an impatient

tone.

“If Kazuma would die under flames of that level, he would have
been killed by me long ago.”

“Nee-san…… That is a little……”

“The way you handle your attacks is very flexible, but just looking at
power alone it is way weaker than Ren. To use that kind of warm
flames to kill Kazuma, it will not even be considered a joke to others.”

“How can that be…… This kind of thing should not happen!”

Faced with those heartless comments, Misao with a great change in

her expression tries hard to rebut:

“I have become even stronger than Kazuma-san! I can definitely

beat him now, Angel-sama guaranteed that!”

“Angel-sama?”

Ayano stares straight and hard at Misao.

 These words sound a little mad, but she does not seem to be joking
either.

(It seems something is helping her from behind the scenes------ and
it is the kind that is not too decent.)

Ayano grumbles in her heart.

“Angel”------ What a shameful name. That should not be a real

angel, but no matter whether it is a name he gave himself or by
others, the moment that person accepts that name readily, he is not
decent already.

“Just what kind of pervert is that?”

“It is insulting to call me a pervert.”

This answer that bears laughter within came from the sky suddenly.

“....!!”

Ayano raises her head abruptly to look up into the sky. About five
meters in the air------ There he is.

Ayano stares closely at the youth that is gradually descending from

the sky.

“So that’s it…… An “Angel”……”

His age appears to be around ten. Golden curly hair, round emerald
eyes, and a smile filled with benevolence.

That appearance with gentle light coming out from all over his body,
it is just like the angel that is drawn on the pictures of religions. If there
is background music and songs of praises now, then this would
certainly be filled with a solemn atmosphere.

“Angel-sama!”
 Misao runs to the youth’s side, looking very touched. She does not
seem to mind if her kimono is dirtied, she kneels right by his feet
entirely.

“Angel-sama, please guide me on what to do, please bestow upon

me the way to successfully take revenge.”

Like a lost child yearning for his mother, Misao relies on the youth
whole-heartedly.

The youth reveals a gentle smile, caressing Misao’s head gently,

and says:

“There is no such method.”

Misao slowly blinks her eyes.

“…… Huh?”

“For you to defeat Kazuma Yagami, that is an impossible task.”

The youth said every word out very clearly. Everyone else besides
Misao begins to notice, that that seemingly loving smile, is actually a
joyful expression of torment.

“B…… But…… Angel-sama told me that I have already obtained

enough power for revenge------”

“Oh, you mean that.”

The youth nods seriously, then lowers his head to look at Misao.
Misao still seem as though she can’t believe that the youth betrayed
her, her eyes shine with uneasiness.

“That is a lie.”

Misao is so shocked she is at a loss for words, and simply widens

her eyes. The youth looks at the expression happily, and then uses an
exaggerated tone to ask:

“Why do you seem so surprised? Didn’t you not even trust me from
the very beginning?”

------For our mutual benefit, let us work together from now on-------

Misao suddenly remembers this line. It was undoubtedly spoken

from her very lips. In less than a week’s time, she has completely
forgotten all about it------

“That’s right, we were just using each other, that was the
relationship between us. But now you believe in me unconditionally,
just what made you that way?”

“T……That is……”

Misao tries hard to recollect her memories, but------

“…………”

“It seems you noticed, nothing. But you trust me, why?”

The youth’s smile is very gentle all along, the name “Angel” suits it
very well.

“You…… What did you…… do to me……”

“Nothing special, just a little hypnosis. Don’t worry, it is dispelled

now. And------ You have something with me, I shall return it to you as
well!”

“------ Ahhh!”

Misao uses a very exaggerated motion to dodge the fingers that the
youth stretched out at her, as though there is lethal poison at his
fingertips.
 The youth uses gentle eyes to look at Misao who collapsed to the
floor and is unable to get up, moving her hips to try to get away, yet at
the same time he raises his stretched out hand up towards the sky.

“Actually there is no need for direct contact.”

Snap, the youth’s fingers gave off a sound.

“Come, recall. All your actions before today.”

“Huh……?”

(All my actions……)

In order to take revenge for my brothers, I killed over a hundred

innocent civilians to obtain their vigor------

(But, that was for revenge, it was for a justified cause, so……)

Just as she thought so naturally, her brain seems to have received

an impact suddenly.

“So” what?

Because it is for a justified cause, so all those people who were

killed would forgive her? And to willingly give their lives up?

That is impossible.

No matter the reason, taking away the lives of others is an

undeniable sin, it is an unacceptable action------

------ I don’t recall hiring dead people------

“No……”

------ As long as I continue taking in the vigor of hundreds,

thousands of people like this------

“No way……”

------ Foolish otou-san------

“No…… No way……”

“Angel” made a merciless declaration at Misao who is trying to run

away from reality.

“That is right, they were all killed by you.”

“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”

Misao screams out.

“No way! No way! No way! It’s not me! I didn’t want to do that kind of
thing!!”

“But you still did. In order to obtain power, so you manipulated

youma and took away the lives of hundreds, and you won’t even spare
your very own father.”

“------!”

Misao eyes expands to their limit. She raises her head to look at
that gentle smile directed at her with extreme fear.

“Ah…… Ahh…… Ahhhh……”

She thought she was very cautious, and to use him instead. The
result from such reckless actions------ Is this.

To not realize at all that she is the one being manipulated instead,
and killed over a hundred innocent people, and even killing her own
father in the end.
 Originally intending to take revenge for her family, yet she killed her
very family in the process. This can only be described as an extreme
irony.

“You worked hard all this time, Misao. By the way------“

The youth asks Misao, who is at a loss thinking about her own sins,
with a cheerful smile:

“Your father’s vigor, how did it taste?”

“----------------!!”

Her pupils shrink instantly, sweat coming out from her forehead.
The mouth that opened subconsciously gave off a choking moan:

“…… Ah…… Ah……”

A great power that is way beyond her actual strength residing in her
chest. The sound of that beating power became that of an attack,
constantly blaming Misao.

The evidence of her sin is so obvious, there is no way she can

escape the sound of those grudges coming from within her body.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Misao stretches her five fingers, stabbing them into the centre of her
chest. As if trying to use her fingers to pierce through the ribs, digging
that dreadful power out together with her heart.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

Misao rolls around on the floor with red eyes as she continued
screaming madly.

Part 2
 “What did you do……”

Ayano’s eyes shift away from the frantic Misao, and in turn stares at
the youth.

“What did you do to Misao!?”

“I can’t believe someone would complain about me doing that.”

Ignoring her fierce eyes, the youth smiles to say:

“Didn’t I say that earlier? I am just returning what I held onto back to
her.”

“What you held onto------?”

“This girl, Misao, is way too soft-hearted, even for revenge, she is
unwilling to harm anyone that is not related in any way.”

Hearing Ayano’s question, the youth cheerfully explains:

“So I took away some obstructing emotions from Misao’s heart. Like
how to respect others, worries as not hoping to cause trouble for
others------ Meaning what most would call conscience or ethics?”

“What……”

Such malicious methods left Ayano speechless.

Precisely because of that, Misao took the lives of others without

hesitation, and used the reason “for revenge” to justify it.

And then, when Misao’s hands are tainted with blood, the emotions
that were taken away earlier is put in once more. Converting her back
to the kind and gentle Misao who would rather get injured than to hurt
others.

All just to mock the way she crumples due to guilt.

 “You actually……”

“It is really too interesting.”

The youth uses a smile to reply to those blaming eyes, then shifts
his eyes slightly.

“So? Are you pleased?”

“……What is it that you want to do?”

Kazuma uses an emotionless tone to ask:

“To put in so much effort, and ruin a person just for fun?”

“That is one of my purposes as well, because I enjoy seeing how

people get ruined. Even though very few people would make me put in
this much effort, but------”

The youth’s smile becomes even more magnificent.

“Yagami Kazuma, to ruin someone that is special to you, won’t it be

rude if I don’t put in more effort?”

The youth’s smile is very eerie. Ayano can’t help but retreat
backwards, Ren on the other hand hides behind Kazuma.

There aren’t any changes in his tone and expression at all, but the
hatred shown amidst his words, made the two who have no resistance
against this kind of eccentric characters feel very scared.

Kazuma knits his brows slightly.

“……Have we met somewhere before?”

“This is the first time we met face to face. But I------ We did not
forget you even for a second. You must understand, you standing
here, alive, are in itself an unforgivable taboo.”
 The youth voices out to scold him, yet he is unable to move Kazuma
in any way.

“And here I was wondering what you wanted to say------”

Kazuma says with an obvious mockery:

“I offended way too many people, so I can’t really recall. Ahh, but
you don’t need to explain any further, I won’t recall anyway.”

“You won’t recall? That is a good thing. The noble name of our
master is not something that someone like you should remember, it is
best that you have forgotten it.”

The youth fights back, taunting Kazuma.

“But as I am benevolent, I shall tell you my name!

My name is Mikaeru! Mikaeru Hari!! In the name of the stars and

wisdom, I shall now eliminate our enemy Yagami Kazuma!”

“----------------!”

Kazuma’s expression vanished instantly. He bears that blank

expression, as if wearing a mask, and stares at Mikaeru who
announced his name with resolution.

------ In the name of the stars and wisdom------

Kazuma shut his eyes while facing the youth for a second.

In a certain way, this sentence made Kazuma who he is now. Four

years ago------ That day, when he experienced for himself that the lack
of power can sometimes be equivalent to a sin, “That man”
melodiously declared that sentence before him.
 ------ I only seek the truth ------

In his hand, he holds the girl whom Kazuma wanted to protect, yet
failed to do so, her heart.

When he opens his eyes once more, Kazuma’s usual arrogant smile
is back. But------

“…………”

Ren who stuck behind Kazuma, suddenly let go of his hand that is
grabbing the lower part of his jacket, and backs off. Ayano turns her
body, switching it to an angle that can see both Kazuma and Mikaeru
at the same time.

“Ahh------ So that’s it.”

Silently------ Kazuma smiles silently.

“I got it, so you wanted to follow in your master’s footsteps?”

At the next moment, Kazuma’s “ki” exploded.

“Ahhhh!”

“Wahhhh!”

Multiplied, expanded------ it is not such a simple phenomenon.

Basked in the pressure of the “ki” that is equivalent to a shockwave,
Ren’s body began to float.

“Wait……Wait a minite…… This is……”

 Ayano’s expression is very tense. Power of such intensity, she has
not seen anything like it even when Kazuma is fighting against Ryuya.

(Just what is this about------!?)

A “ki” that is responding towards his furious roar, the wind begins to
spin fiercely. All the energy that is being collected in a bundle is
compressed to a scary intensity------

“Fine then------ Let me help you. Pray to the demon lord, to bless
you such that you would follow your master to hell!”

The wind is released, a supersonic speed wind blade strikes

towards Mikaeru rapidly.

“How naïve.”

The youth reveals a cold smile, and disappears the moment before
he is cut by the wind blade.

“Che! Teleported?”

As if answering Kazuma, Mikaeru’s conscious echoed emptily.

“I did not run away, because there is no such need. Why did you
think I appeared before you? That is because I am not afraid of you----
-- Because I have obtained enough power to kill you!”

As he makes his declaration loudly, countless goo pieces emerge

from the ground surface.

“As you have seen just now, that is not Misao’s true power. She is
unable to completely control that great power------The method to use
that power as one pleases lies within my hands.”

“Misao------?”

Without realizing it, Misao’s screams had vanished. Ayano looks

around, and finds Misao lying on the floor as if dead.
 Her chest rises up slightly, but other than that there is no indication
of life. The body with sand all over lies motionless, there is nothing
reflected in those open, but empty eyes.

The goo pieces quietly crawls forward, pressing onto Misao’s body.
In the blink of an eye, Misao is wrapped by a small semi-transparent
mountain.

“Ah……”

First, the color changed.

The transparency disappeared, the surface began to bear the shine

of a metallic surface. That wavering, seemingly soft appearance, with
that ironic texture that can reflect light, makes one associate with
gigantic mercury.

Then, the shape changed.

The goo pieces that sat still like a bun grew four legs, and lifted its
gigantic body, then a head, tail reached out, and its back even grew
wings.

The shape-shifting continued to progress.

Its appearance that is rough like the clay product made by a child,
slowly and continuously adjusts its shape, gradually possessing a
clear outline.

Joints appeared in those legs that were originally but four sticks,
and sharp claws grew out of them. The surface of the body is covered
closely by scales, a set of skeleton appeared in the interior of the
head, tail and wings, evolving into a structure that is very logical in
biology.

These changes took no longer than thirty seconds. Within such a

short period of time, the semi-transparent slime changed into a huge
silvery white dragon.
 Ayano grumbles unknowingly:

“…… Why does a slime become a dragon upon job changing?”

“You play too many games, idiot.”

Kazuma rebuts bluntly.

“That is just changing into a form suited for combat, it is not a real
dragon.”

In the end it is just an imitation. The shape of a dragon does not

possess much meaning. Compared to its appearance, the main point
lies in that all the slimes combined into one.

A single slime is just like trash, but when a number of them

gathered, they can form a magical circuit. And, by connecting the
different circuits with each other, a more complicated, bigger system
can be formed.

A system so big that it can control the massive power that Misao
has gathered.

“Hahahahahaha! How’s that, Yagami Kazuma! Can you defeat this

“Vritra” that I created!?”

Mikaeru’s voice came from the gigantic dragon------ It seems its

name is Vritra------ ’s back region. That puny body is more than half
submerged into Vritra’s body.

“But then, by defeating it, Misao would die.”

After tossing this vicious sentence, the youth is completely merged

with Vritra. The statue-like Vritra began to move.

“GRRRR……”

Vritra’s gigantic mouth gave off a low groan. Its wings spread out
completely, the lowered head is raised upwards, looking at the sky
proudly.

“WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-----------------------------!”

As if challenging the skies, the gigantic dragon roars loudly.

The coarse roar that is like a broken bell slowly becomes clear.

This may be proof that Mikaeru has began controlling Vritra. That
clear sound that is like striking against crystal, reminds one of his high
pitch voice.

To kill him before he takes action------ Normally Kazuma may just do

so without hesitation, yet this is one of those rare exceptions. He looks
up at the silvery white dragon. From the way he looks, there doesn’t
seem to be any signs of him wanting to attack it.

“So, what to do……”

Ayano voices out to question Kazuma who is talking to himself:

“You still intend to save Misao?”

“Yes.”

Kazuma replies without any hesitation.

Ayano frowns and looks at Kazuma. After understanding all the truth
behind it, she does not have any unpleasant emotions against Misao
anymore, but------

“Listen, even though you may not want to heed what I say…… But,
judging from Misao’s current situation, won’t she be happier if she
dies?”

She has nothing now. Everything has been taken away by Hyoue,
Mikaeru, and------ Kazuma.
 Just remembering her scream then, Ayano’s chest felt as though it
is being squeezed tightly.

Maybe it really is possible to save Misao from the clutches of

Mikaeru. But, would that be the result that she would want?

Even if she survived, all that awaits her in the future, won’t it be only
days tormented by guilt?

“…… Perhaps so!”

She had originally expected Kazuma to be angered, but he agreed

unexpectedly.

“But, even so……”

There is soil in his mouth, as he raises his head to look up at that

back.

That tiny body can’t stop trembling.

But the girl still spread her arms courageously, determined to stand
before him.

------ Please stop! This is really too much! ------

The girl uses a tone that is close to bursting in tears to beg. Even if
she is right------ No, Precisely because it is right, that is why it would
not be accepted by others, this was such a sentence.

Even if she is stared at, even if she is blamed, the girl still did not
back off.

Her entire body trembled, a tiny back.

Burned into his blurred eyes, the one single time ten years ago that-
-----
 “Even so, I still hope that she will live on……”

“…………”

“…………”

Hearing Kazuma murmur to himself as if praying, Ayano and Ren

can’t help but wonder if they had heard right.

Especially Ren. He had even forgotten to hide his shocked

expression, and stares at Kazuma dumbly with his mouth wide open.

Kazuma stares at his dumbfounded brother.

“What? Is there something strange?”

“Huh……? Ah, no, there is nothing strange at all.”

Ren shakes his head hurriedly. At the same time as his tiny head
wavers, his eyes also stares straight at the silent Ayano who bears a
complicated expression.

“------What?”

Sensing Ren’s stare, Ayano asks impolitely.

“N…… Nothing…… Nothing at all.”

Ayano turns her back against the stuttering Ren, looks at Kazuma
and says calmly:

“There is nothing wrong with that. Let’s go save her! I will act
according to your instructions.”

“Is that so.”

Kazuma acts almighty, and nods his head as if that is how things
should be. Ayano did not feel angry towards his attitude, but calmly
listens to his plans.

“So then what should we do? If we do not know where Misao is, I
cannot burn that thing up at one go. Should I start burning it slowly
from the sides?”

“Why go to such trouble…… The purifying flames are used at times

like this. If you just burn off all the youki, all that remains would be the
living Misao. Simple right?”

“I can’t perform such a high level trick.”

“------------------------------------------ Ah?”

Kazuma stares straight at Ayano who replied instantly. He seems to

be really shocked, his eyes shifted away from Vritra.

“What did you say?”

“I said, I do not know that kind of high level technique that can burn
youki only.”

“……………………………”

After staring at Ayano blankly for some time, Kazuma looks towards
Ren for a shred of hope. Ren shakes his head hurriedly in denial.

Kazuma sighs out deeply, grumbling in his mouth:

“……Good-for-nothing……”

“Sorry for that.”

Ayano humphs and flicks the hair that is stuck on her cheek towards
the back.

“Damn! If my old man is here, this could be done so easily…… Why

is it that he is not around at crucial times like this?”
 “What do you mean by why------ You were the one to beat him up
remember? He is still in the hospital now.”

“…… Nii-sama, that is really willful for you to say that.”

The two’s simultaneous rebuts were completely ignored by Kazuma.

“Oh well, There is no point in wishing for things that just isn’t there.
It is better to have something than none, you can start burning from
the side then!”

Just as those words left his mouth.

“Is your little discussion finally over?”

A laughter suddenly sounded off from above them. Raising their

heads, they see the gigantic dragon using that big face that is of the
size of a small lorry to look at them.

Those eyes are a bright emerald green------ Just like Mikaeru’s.

That emerald luster that is reflected on that large silvery white body is
undoubtedly the proof that the gigantic dragon’s body is under
complete control of the dark mage.

“It should be about time that we begin.””

“It has begun long ago, you idiot.”

Faced with that will that can’t wait to start the fight, a mocking voice
and a wind blade responded to it at the same time. The wind blade did
not let Vritra have any time to react, and sliced off both its wings
entirely.

The sliced off wings changed back into the transparent slimes upon
leaving the dragon’s body. The slimes crawled forward on the ground
surface, and then stuck onto the dragon’s legs, combining with the
dragon directly from that spot.

After several seconds, wings sprouted from Vritra’s back once

more.

“That was mean.”

With a meaning completely different from what he said, Mikaeru

announces unhurriedly:

“And I was waiting so patiently for you guys. Yet to sneak attack
without even shouting start, how despicable. You really have no
sportsmanship.”

“Oh really, you flatter me.”

Kazuma acts humble, looking serious. The word “despicable” is but

a praise to his ears.

“Next it shall be my turn!”

Vritra draws in one deep breathe. As if it really possesses lungs, its

chest area begins to inflate.

After the crystal-like transparent teeth bite against each other, hot
sparks were flared out in its mouth. All the air that filled the entire
chest was blown out at the same time.

Dragon’s breath.

Pitch black flames stretched out in a straight line, passing through

where the three were just now.

“Dragons can breathe fire. This guy really faithfully acts as how a
dragon should be.”

Kazuma murmurs as he flies backwards. Vritra turns its head in

pursuit of Kazuma, the shining black flames burns the air, following
closely behind Kazuma.

“How persistent!”
 Kazuma waves his right hand horizontally, the wind generated by
this action blows the flames that are closing in at him off. At the same
time, an upward wind strikes at Vritra’s chin like an uppercut.

Kachunk, the dragon’s mouth is closed up, the dragon’s breathe

naturally stops as well. Kazuma lands onto the ground unhurriedly.

“Did you expect something like that can defeat me? If so, you are
really underestimating me too much!”

“We were just getting to the good part!”

Vritra roars as a strike from its front legs rushes at Kazuma.

The five hooked claws at its feet, each of them possesses a length
and sharpness similar to a katana. There is perhaps no organism on
earth that can get hit by such a strike and still possess a full corpse!

Faced with the attack coming in horizontally, Kazuma calmly

calculates the distance and dodges it easily. Having its full-scale
attack dodged by the opponent, Vritra’s body began wavering, having
lost balance.

“You fell for it.”

With its back towards Kazuma, Vritra bears its teeth and smirks.
With the centrifugal force that comes with making a semi-circular
rotation, its tail was flung out with a devastating force.

Kazuma originally intended to use wind blades to cut the tail off, but
at the last moment he decided not to.

That tail that is like a log, its size is enough to contain a person
within, and he cannot be certain that Misao is not inside.

“-------Che!”

He jumps up to evade, but he was just a little too late. The tail swept
past the tip of his feet, Kazuma who was in the air, his body began
rotating vigorously.

“Nii-sama!”

Ren releases fire pellets at Vritra who intends to follow up on its

attack. The golden flames hit the neck portion of the gigantic dragon---
---but are reflected off by the silvery white scales.

“Huh!?”

“Quit meddling around!!”

Ren jumps backwards, attempting to dodge the backhand claws.

However, pitch black fireballs were released from the tip of Vritra’s
claws.

“-------!!”

Ren who is in mid-air is unable to dodge at all. Seeing Ren who

hurriedly intends to use his hands to defend, Kazuma who regained
his posture shouts out loudly:
 “Don’t block it! Get away!”

This is an impossible request, the black flames mercilessly wraps

around Ren’s arms.

That filthy thing that bears youki can no longer be associated with
the word fire, it is just a boiling hot mass of filthy particles.

Having its properties changed to such an extent, the spirit’s

blessings are unable to take effect. The black flames mercilessly
erode the body that can originally resist against fire.

“Wahhh!”

“Ren!!”

Vritra uses its huge body to stand before Kazuma who is rushing to
his brother’s side.

“Get lost------------!!”

“GRRRRYYYYYYYWWWWW!!”

The shockwave met the dragon’s breathe head-on. Though the

wind sliced the black flames apart, the weakened shockwave is
insufficient to send Vritra’s huge body off.

“Don’t block my way------”

Kazuma waves his hand out once more. However, Vritra takes in a
huge breath as well, preparing to spit fire. Ignoring the opponent’s
actions entirely, Kazuma acts on his own and begins to gather wind
blades.

Yet, just before the conflict happens again, a plasma ball from the
side sent Vritra flying. The huge body that has a weight greater than a
blue whale, is now flying in the air like a stray cat being knocked down
by a car.
 “------ Ayano?”

“Leave this to me.”

Ayano uses a monotonous voice to say, and then began closing in

onto Vritra. She does not even look at Kazuma, and waves Enraiha
calmly.

“……?”

Though Kazuma is very puzzled by that cold behaviour, but right

now Ren’s situation is more important. He leaves Vritra to Ayano, and
runs to the side of Ren who is sitting on the floor.

“Are you still alive, Ren!?”

“Ah, yes…… I survived somehow. But, my flames actually bounced

off……”

“Well, since it is using Misao as its core, so its fire resistance

probably increased as well.”

In fact, it is too humble to say that it “probably increased as well”.

Having taken that attack from Ayano earlier, there is not even a trace
of burnt mark on those silvery white scales. Just looking at its fire
resistance, Vritra is comparable to a member of the Kannagi main
family.

(…… That is to say, I cannot expect much from the two of them,
and that I must take care of this myself? And to add on to that, this is
free service.)

Kazuma indulges in depressing thoughts as he checks Ren’s

injuries.

He was burnt from the back of his hand to his elbow, but it will not
place his life in danger. Ren seems to have used his own flames to
nullify the attack.
 “Hmm------ It looks fine. This should not leave a scar.”

Seeing that the injury is lighter than what he had expected, he

relaxes and caresses Ren’s tiny head.

“You can back off now, just leave everything else to Ayano and me.”

“I still can fight!”

Ren shouts out instantly. He raises his head and uses determined
eyes to look at the surprised Kazuma.

“I still can fight, I cannot back off just because of a small injury like
this.”

“----------------”

Kazuma looks straight at his brother, who possesses a strong will to

fight, for some time------ and then places his hand on Ren’s head once
more.

“I want to save Misao, lend me your strength!”

“Yes!”

Ren nods with pride. At this moment------

“GRRRRLLLLYYYY------------!!”

Vritra’s roar shook the air. Ren looks towards that direction, and
subconsciously widens his eyes.

A glowing magical formation suddenly appeared on the ground

surface, and began to wrap by the side of the gigantic dragon that is
giving off a silvery white glow.

The hexagonal formation that has two circles of different diameters

at the center slowly begins to spin. As the volume of the roar
increases, the glow becomes more glaring, lightning running at the
surface.

The lightning that is rampaging on the ground surface created

countless lightning balls, floating around Vritra. The lightning balls that
are connected to each other by thin lightning, is just like an electric
prison trapping a gigantic dragon.

“GYYYR!”

With its short cry as a signal, all the lightning balls shot off at the
same time. There were no fixed targets, just a bunch of lightning balls
being shot off in a wide area, following an unpredictable route to strike
at Ayano.

“Onee-sama!”

Ren cries out loudly. At this moment, Ayano uses a speed faster
than the speed of sound to sprint out.

Up against the lightning balls that are falling down like rain, the tiny
body speeds within their gaps at a godly speed.

An emergency stop that brings down her speed in an instant, a

sharp directional change that goes against the law of inertia, and an
amazing acceleration to speed up to her limit in an instant, Ayano
illustrates such a body motion that can be called a miracle. The
countless lightning balls are unable to touch their target at all, and
begins to lose their energy like that.

After passing through the torrent of lightning, Ayano buries herself

into the chest of Vritra. She dodges the claws and tail that strike at her
with ease, and jumps onto Vritra’s back at the same time, using the
entire weight of her body to stab Enraiha downwards.

Kachun!

A solid sound sounded off, the tip of Enraiha pierced through the
silvery white scale.
 Damage of this level, is nothing but a needle prick to Vritra. This is
not Ayano’s real intention.

“------ Huuu!”

As she breathes out, fire spirits are injected into the gigantic
dragon’s body from the tip of Enraiha. And then, ignited.

“GWYYYYYYYYYY!”

Even the sturdy scales seems fragile under the explosion from
within the body. A gap big enough to contain a person within was
made on the back of the dragon by the explosion.

“GRRRRWWWWWWWWWW!!”

Vritra gives off an angry roar as it twists its body. Ayano dodges the
randomly waving claws and tail calmly, and pulls a distance from
Vritra once more.

“------ Onee-sama is so powerful……”

After witnessing Ayano’s astonishing strength in battle, Ren gasps.

Yet, Kazuma beside him seems to look displeased.

“That girl…… What the hell is she thinking?”

Ren thought that he was commenting on Ayano, and speaks in her

aid hurriedly:

“B……But! Misao is also a Jutsushi of the Kannagi, she will

probably not be killed by that hit earlier------”

“I don’t mean that, that kind of fighting style is too reckless. She has
completely given up on defense------ Does she want to die?”

Kazuma’s voice did not carry any joke or mockery. Ren shivers, and
looks at Ayano who consistently performs kamikaze style attacks.
 “Onee-sama……!”

Part 3
Ayano did not have anything else on her mind, focusing solely on
waving the Enraiha.

Not thinking about anything at all, not hesitating, just focusing on

fighting alone. She had had thoughts of showing some mercy, but she
forgot about that instantly. Besides, if she goes easy against Vritra
which possesses superb fire resistance, she won’t be able to do so
much as to scratch it.

Wielding the divine blade that is shining with brilliance, Ayano

became a weapon.

Perhaps due to this, her mental capabilities were raised to a level

beyond any before. So much so that she can accurately predict the
movement of those thunderballs almost at the speed of light.

Ayano dodges the furious waves of attacks by her agile movements

alone. She did not have any efforts to spare to defend, and instead
transfers all her energy into Enraiha’s blade.

To run even further.

To move even faster.

Without any considerations at all regarding how to protect herself,

just viciously and calmly attacking the enemy. The way she is now is
no different from a fighting machine.

She dodged the claws and teeth by several millimeters, and thrusts
the Enraiha at the root of Vritra’s tail. The fire spirits that entered
through the sharp tip, materializes into its golden flame form.

“GRRRYYYYWWWWWWW!!”
 Dragging its tail that has more than half of it blown off, the giant
dragon roars loudly. Ayano attacks once more fearlessly, and slices
off the tail that is as big as two people hugging together entirely.

The severed tail loses its silvery white shine, turning back into a
semi transparent goo piece. But that was for just a moment------ The
goo piece that attaches itself with Vritra, transforms back into the
shape of a tail as if nothing has happened.

The gigantic dragon bares its crystal teeth to smirk. The body that
has completed its regeneration shines with a silvery white glow, there
is no trace of the damage done to it earlier.

“------------”

Ayano silently brings up her Enraiha. Even after witnessing the

seemingly infinite regeneration capabilities, her will to fight has not
wavered one bit.

That is of course. A machine does not fear, a weapon does not

hesitate, nor think at all------

------ Why are you so concerned about Misao? Is it because……

You like her?

That kind of thing does not matter anymore. No matter who is in

Kazuma’s heart, a machine would not be bothered by it at all.

------ Even so, I still hope that she will live on……

A fighting machine that will neither waver, nor feel at a loss, does
not require a heart that would be disturbed by a mere sentence.

Ayano steps onto the ground with force, plunging at Vritra’s chest.

Vritra’s hooked claws strike at Ayano at the same time, sandwiching

from both directions, left and right. For that massive size, such an
action may be considered very swift, but to Ayano now, it was as if it is
still.

Ayano slices the middle and ring finger of the right hooked claw off,
passing through the gap that she has just created, and took a detour,
getting to Vritra’s back.

Yet, this is a miscalculation that cannot be any more obvious.

Because Ayano still does not know, that Vritra is a combination of
magical beings, and that this dragon outer appearance is but a form it
took up.

Something like a tentacle grew out from somewhere around

dragon’s right elbow suddenly. The sharp tip did not have a moment of
hesitation, as it flies straight towards Ayano.

Her accelerated senses can already feel this gradually stretching

tentacle, its distance is less than one meter away.

(...It's unavoidable.)

Ayano calmly admits this fact.

Even though her senses are accelerated, her motion will not be
accelerated along with it. In this air that is sticky and gluey like tar,
Ayano’s movements are slower than that of the tentacle.

The tentacle aims directly and accurate at the dead centre of

Ayano’s body, causing Ayano to be unable to dodge by merely
twisting her body around. At this rate, the tentacle will clearly and
surely pierce through Ayano, and dealing her a fatal injury.

Ayano closes her eyes gently, quietly accepting the unavoidable

“death”.

“...Ugh!?”

Padong!

This is definitely not the feeling of a murderous weapon stabbing

into the body. It felt just like someone’s body come crashing into her---

“Are ya still sleeping!? Wake up! You dumb girl!”

“Ahh!?”

The angry shout by her ear pulled Ayano back to reality. She opens
her eyes, Kazuma’s angry expression appears ten centimeters before
her eyes.

“Ka……Kazuma!?”

The negative feelings she had ten seconds ago vanished without a
trace.

This is the shocking reality, her conscience was drawn in by the

glow in those eyes before her, the throbbing in her heart cannot be
suppressed.

(Was he the one who saved me……?)

On that expression that is tense with nervousness, he lost his usual

smile. Seeing the sweat that is coming out from his forehead, Ayano
showed a smile.

Looking at the smiling Ayano, Kazuma------

“Argh!?”

Pinches her nose.

“What are you staring blankly at? Didn’t I tell you to wake up?”
 “Who…… Who said I was sleeping!”

Ayano flings that hand away, but did not let go of the hand that
Kazuma is hugging tightly. Their bodies are flying several tens of
meters in the air. In the sky that is even higher and further up than
Vritra’s head.

(I don't have a choice.)

Ayano finds an excuse for herself, and then hugs Kazuma’s body
even more tightly. She subconsciously look towards Kazuma’s back.

“...Behind you!”

Before Ayano shouted, Kazuma had already turned his body agilely
in mid-air. Following that, he saw countless tentacles stretching
towards the two of them from all over Vritra’s body.

“Che------”

Kazuma raises his right hand at the tentacles------ but his body
tenses up suddenly for some unknown reason. The wind spirits that
had originally gathered at his right hand disperses immediately after
going out of control.

He summons the wind once more. Yet------ The tentacles was

quicker.

(Doomed!)

Right before the eyes of Ayano who once again prepared herself
death, golden flames burnt off the countless tentacles.

“Great job. Ren, you did us a great favor.”

Kazuma shows a bitter smile, his mouth not forgetting to praise

Ren. Looking downwards, Ren is standing on the floor with his hands
high up with a prideful smile.
 Kazuma reduces the speed of descent, landing cautiously. But at
the moment before the landing, he was unable to support Ayano’s
body weight and lost balance.

“Yoshh------“

“What’s the matter?”

Witnessing Kazuma’s rare stumble, Ayano gives off a simplistic

smile. However, at the moment when she landed, she accidentally felt
that warm texture at her lateral abdomen, her expression changes
entirely.

She raises her hand hurriedly. Just as she thought, her entire palm
is stained red.

“Wait…… Wait a minute, you're injured……”

“I'm fine, this is nothing.”

Kazuma uses his hand to press against the wound, then says with a
calm expression on his face.

But Ayano does not believe one bit of what he just said. If it is just a
minor wound, it would be impossible that Kazuma failed to control the
wind, and it would make even less sense that he is unable to even
support Ayano's weight.

With his back facing Ayano who seems to still want to ask some
questions, Kazuma confronts Vritra. Obviously, he shows no signs of
backing off. His determined resolve to “definitely save Misao” can be
seen from the shadow emitted by his back.

And thus, her tone became very unfriendly naturally.

“Why did you save me? You even got yourself injured for that.”

“You didn’t want me to save you?”

 Needless to say, that is not the answer Ayano was hoping for.
Ayano thought that he was trying to change the topic, so her attitude
became even more willful.

“No one asked for your help, I did not want someone like you to
save me at all!”

Hearing such an ungrateful speech, even Kazuma can’t help but be

a little enraged. Yet the still angry Ayano failed to notice Kazuma’s
expression.

“You are the one who wanted to be a busybody, yet you still want to
look as though you are the savior! You only have Misao in your mind,
then don’t come bothering me, just think about how to save Misao!”

“Even if Misao is saved, it would be pointless if you died.”

“……Huh?”

Ayano ponders about what that sentence means------ No matter the

conclusion, she flushes red completely.

“Wha……What! You want to be a two-timer!? I will absolutely not

allow this kind of thing!”

(Chinese text used is “You want to step on two boats at the same
time!?”)

“Ahh, two-timing, three-timing, they are all the same! Because I

have enough power to protect them all!”

(Chinese text used is “Be it two boats, three boats, they are all the
same!”)

“…………………….……………..Huh?
Protect……………………………..?”

(Wait…… This means……)

 Up to this point, Ayano finally realized that she has misunderstood
completely. But Kazuma has yet to finish what he wants to say.

“It is not because I am chosen that I was given power! But to not
lose again, to not let others take everything away------ I have already
decided on that! I will not give up on anyone! I will save Misao! And I
won't let you and Ren die either! I'm gonna kill that arrogant kid! Total
perfection! That is the only result I will accept! You got a problem with
that?!”

“Ah…… No…… Not at all.”

Faced with that imposing aura that doesn’t even allow the slightest
of doubts, Ayano unknowingly replies politely. And as she was
replying, she felt her expression loosen up gradually.

“Let’s forget about whether it has reached the level of love, but
anyway you have created him to have a liking towards you. So there is
still a chance!”

Ayano suddenly recalls what Nanase said then, her sixth sense has
always been so accurate.

Kazuma sees her as “someone that he must protect”. Just this

alone, all the negative feelings that has been stuck up in her heart
disappeared.

She lifts her head to see Vritra who is fighting against Ren. Maybe it
is just her imagination, but the opponent looks so much smaller as
compared to just now. She does not even think that she would lose.

Placing her eyes back onto Kazuma, Ayano smiles and says:

“Come, let’s finish this quickly and then go home. Kazuma------

Kazuma!?”

Her voice raised by an entire scale. In the few seconds that her
eyes left Kazuma, Kazuma------ That almighty Kazuma actually
kneeled onto the floor entirely. She looks at the incredible sight with a
pale look on her face.

“Kazuma! Ka------”

Ayano who panicked for a moment, finally recovers upon seeing

that pool of blood at her feet.

There is no time to be shocked. This amount of blood loss------ Not

good at all.

Even though he commands overwhelming power, he is still mortal.

He will still die when faced with dying situations, a critical amount of
blood loss cannot be compensated by mental strength.

Ayano doesn’t mind getting blood onto her clothes at all, and goes
up to kneel by Kazuma’s side.

“Kazuma?”

“I'm fine.”

“What do you mean by fine------”

Ayano swallows the words that almost spilled out from her mouth.

Within those quiet eyes looking upwards, a strong and undying

determination can be seen within. Those eyes beats any language or
words, and stops any refutes.

(It won’t work……)

There is no need to even ask, Ayano understood in an instant. Just

looking into those eyes, anyone would have had thought the same
thing!

------Nothing can stop him.

“Move aside.”
 Kazuma seems to feel impatient towards the motionless Ayano, and
began to take action. He grabs Ayano by her shoulder, wanting to
force her aside------ Yet that strength is pathetically weak.

Ayano breathes out lightly, and then gently removes the hand
pressing against her shoulder. Instead she grabs Kazuma by his arm,
who’s about to collapse, and pulls him to her side.

“You------”

“Stop your bleeding first!”

Ayano says to Kazuma who is staring at her with a fierce look.

“------Ahh?”

“I said “Stop your bleeding”! At the rate it is going, you would die
within five seconds of the battle. At least cover that wound on the
outside, then try to think of some way to recover your energy. Ren and
I will support buy you the time to recover.”

“What the hell are you talking about, how can I leave it to you two.”

Kazuma ignores Ayano’s kind suggestion, and tries to force his legs
to stand up. At this moment------

“You idiot! That is enough!”

Ayano finally got angry. She grabs Kazuma’s collar, then pulls him
back with force. Kazuma’s knee loses strength once more, and falls
into the pool of blood.

“What can you achieve by dragging that dying body! To just say you
did your best when you lost every ounce of energy, so as to satisfy
yourself, and then die just like that? Don’t make me laugh!”

Ayano continues to grab his collar, shaking Kazuma continuously.

This is way too vigorous for someone who is badly wounded, but
Ayano in her anger is not in the mood to care about such things.
 “You want to save Misao right? You want to protect me and Ren
right? Since you dare say “to protect everything”, then do what you
said you would! Don’t you dare use death to run away! I will definitely
not let you get away so easily! We will both leaving you your share, so
back off until you can move with ease!”

“…………”

For a while, Kazuma stares dumbfounded at Ayano who is so angry

she is about to cry------

“Wai……Wait……What are you doing……!?”

And then hugs her tightly.

Ayano’s ears turn red completely, her body tenses up entirely. She
opens her mouth wanting to say something, but due to the sudden
shock, her thoughts cannot be conveyed into words.

“……Kazuma?”

While she was being hugged, Ayano notices that Kazuma’s body
trembles from time to time. She originally thought that it was due to
the pain from the wound, but it seems slightly different.

It would be quite a while later that she realizes that this was him
laughing to himself.

“------Kazuma?”

Hearing that low and threatening questioning, Kazuma answers, still

with a bit of that laughter left on his face:

“No, I was just thinking------ You might become a fine woman in the
future.”

Hearing such sudden words of flattery, the temperature of Ayano’s

face went even higher. But to be able to express her joy frankly,
Ayano still lacks some experience.
 “Might? A fine woman? What a joke! I will definitely become a top
class beauty! When that time comes, it would be too late for you to
regret not having realized my potential!”

“That is hard to say, there are a lot of people who are younger than
you that are already women. This has nothing to do with virgin or not,
but as long as you keep thinking “someday”, you will never be a grown
up.”

“……You sure are talkative for a dying man.”

Kazuma smiles against that weak rebuttal, and makes a declaration:

“Five minutes.”

“------Huh?”

“Five minutes, buy me some time.”

“Is five minutes enough? Ten minutes, or maybe twenty would be

easier------”

“Five minutes.”

Kazuma holds his ground, repeating himself once more. This is not
the minimum time required, but probably that the maximum amount of
time he is willing to suppress his pride is five minutes?

“Fine, fine.”

Ayano replies simply, as if hoaxing a child, and then stands up. She
walks straight at Vritra, but turns around again after a few steps.

She lowers her head to look at Kazuma who is placing “ki” into his
palm and began healing his wound.

“------What?”

“I just wanted to ask you------ You have never thought about

sacrificing yourself to save Misao, did you?”

As if trying to seek the true meaning to her words, Kazuma stares at

Ayano, the side of his lips rises up suddenly.

“I------”

That originally frowning, serious look that doesn’t befit Kazuma is

gone. He uses an arrogant, invincible and easy smile------ the one
Ayano is most familiar with, the expression that suits Kazuma the
most, to reply:

“------I don’t like dying.”

“Great!”

Ayano smiles happily, and runs off without turning her head.

Running towards the battlefield.

Part 4
“GRRYYWWWWWW!!”

Ren jumps to avoid Vritra’s dragon breathe. Without a care for his
pride, he runs away everywhere, and timing it to release flames when
the breathe pauses from time to time.

Perhaps to try to imitate Kazuma’s wind blade, the sharp and tiny
golden flames he gathered, move into Vritra’s mouth in a manner
leaving a laser-like trail behind.

In the blink of an eye, the golden brilliance explodes within Vritra’s

mouth. Seeing the huge dragon that tries hard to shake its head in
order to put out the flames, Ren begins to adjust his irregular
breathing.

Seeing that, the impressed Ayano praises:

 “My, you are quite good at fighting.”

Hearing the voice behind him, Ren turns his entire body vigorous to
the back.

“Nee-sama!”

But that originally bright and delightful expression soon changed to

worry. Seeing the blood stains at Ayano’s feet and clothes, Ren asked
in a trembling voice:

“Nii-sama, he……?”

“He is off the scene for now, but he will be back very soon.”

Even hearing Ayano’s ascertained explanation, Ren’s expression

did not ease up. Ayano imitates Kazuma, and uses a slightly rough
motion to caress Ren’s head.

“Believe in him, your brother is a very strong guy.”

This is definitely not a consoling sentence that is said without basis.

Kazuma will be back within this period of time, regarding this, Ayano
has no doubt about it.

“You are right……”

Perhaps due to that sentence, Ren’s tense expression loosens up

gradually, Ayano nods her head naturally.

“That’s right, that guy won’t die even if you kill him.”

“Isn’t that going a little overboard……?”

Ignoring Ren’s objections as always, Ayano continues to say:

“So to say, our mission is to buy time and weaken the enemy’s
strength------ Let’s do it!”
 Ayano imbues all her strength as she waves Enraiha. The flames
that burst out from the blade spills out like a flood, surrounding the
silvery white dragon.

Vritra’s body which possesses outstanding fire resistance will not

suffer fatal damage if it suffers a direct hit from Enraiha. To use a
flame that spill out widely, without concentrating at any point, it should
be unable to beat through its defenses. Yet------

“GYYYYYYYWWWWWWWW!!”

The golden flames ruthlessly invades Vritra’s body. The silvery

white scales and crystal teeth are caught in the flames, and slowly
drop onto the floor one by one.

“Phew------”

Placing the swung Enraiha at her shoulder, Ayano breathes out in

satisfaction. Seeing that gesture, Ren laughs out, with a slight
intention of making fun of her amidst his joy.

“You are finally back to your normal self?”

“Guess you can say that. Sorry, for making you guys worried.”

The reason Ayano can wield Enraiha is not because of her father,
and she is certainly worthy of wielding it. Because she is undoubtedly
the Jutsushi with the purest Kannagi blood in this generation.

Before such power, one cannot relax no matter how strong one’s
flame resistance capabilities may be. As long as she removed
jealousy and machine-like ruthlessness, and uses her power in the
most natural state, it is very easy to break through Vritra’s defenses.

“Okay, one more time! Follow my timing.”

“Got it!”

Just as the two co-operate and prepare to follow up with another

attack on Vritra.

“You two…… don’t seem to know your own places?”

Mikaeru’s consciousness sounds off in their minds.

“Watch this!”

With that said, a horn protrudes from the inside of the dragon’s
forehead. That impressive sharp horn that matches its gigantic body
very well------ On its surface, there is a female figure like those statues
at the front of a ship.

After recognizing who this female is, Ren cries out loud:

“It’s Misao!”

The change does not end there.

“Woah……”

Misao’s face continues to emerge like bamboo shoots after the rain,
gradually covering the entire outer surface of Vritra. Seeing such an
eerie sight that would one find it hard to look at directly, Ayano and
Ren shifted their eyes away at the same time. (“Bamboo shoots after
the rain” is a saying in Japan, this is because the rain will wash away
the soil, revealing the bamboo shoots. It implies the appearance of
something after an event. Please ask Japanese translators to give a
better explanation if required.)

“See------ now you guys won’t be able to attack can you? You might
as well just get killed by Vritra, I will place your heads right before
Yagami’s eyes!”

“GRRRRRYYYYYYWWWWW!!”

While dodging the black flames that fall down like rain, Ayano
seems to be out of ideas, and asks Ren:
 “What do you think? Which one do you think is the real one?”

“Normally speaking it should be that horn…… But I don’t want to

push my luck.”

“Yeah, I agree. It feels as though it is placed there on purpose, as if

luring us to it.”

“GRRRRLLLLYYYY------!!”

A magical formation appears below the dragon’s feet. In resonance

with its roar, lighting emerges from the gaps in the patterns.

(Lightning strike------!)

Ayano shouts out immediately:

“Hide behind me!”

“O……Okay!”

Enraiha is swung out horizontally. A wide area of fire forms a

protective shield, blocking countless fireballs. (Chinese translation
error? I think it should be lightning balls…)

Withstanding the impact of hundreds of lightning balls, Ayano

curses angrily:

“He seems to be getting a little arrogant thinking that we cannot

retaliate……”

“Nee-sama! In front!”

“------!”

As Ayano is focusing on maintaining the kekkai, Vritra quietly snuck

towards them, its vicious hooked claws are now closing in right at
them..
 Ayano wanted to chop its entire arm off at first, but she saw Misao’s
face within the dragon’s palm. She was smiling.

“Argh------”

Ayano changes the path of her sword in an instant, and finally

managed to only cut the hooked claws. She hurriedly pulls her
distance away and gets back into her battle stance, but is completely
out of ideas on what to do.

“Nee-sama, what should we do?”

“------What do you think we should do?”

Ayano smiles and shrugs her shoulders as she thought to herself:

(Luckily he didn’t ask for twenty minutes.)

The promised five minutes is almost up, at this rate, they will
probably pull through.

(Come back quickly, Kazuma. If you dare say “give me another five
more minutes”, I will not let you off.)

“WRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY!!”

“Damn------ How annoying!”

Just as Ayano is using Enraiha to reflect the who-knows-what-

number wave of attack.

Suddenly, a certain feeling emerges from the back.

Even though there is someone at the back, Ayano shows no sign of

wavering, and instead accepted this feeling.

Clear with a sense of stability within. Basking in this feeling, she

adapted to it without even realizing it, as if she had been fighting like
this for years now.

The two stands at the most effective, and most comforting position
there is.

To click together as one. That is the kind of feeling.

Ayano asks without even turning her head:

“Isn’t this a little too quick?”

“Because a boastful someone was chased everywhere. I don’t have

a choice, but to return sooner. Be grateful!”

Hearing the usual sarcastic reply, Ayano laughs. This guy, he will
probably talk like this to his very last breath before his death?

The surrounding winds begin to glow with a faint blue shine. Ayano
grabs Enraiha tightly once more, gathering energy for this moment.
Like a bow pulled back fully, all the energy is gathered at a single
point------

“Go!”

Together with that angry shout, Ayano waves Enraiha down with all
the strength she can muster.

Ren and Ayano separated while they were running around evading
Vritra’s attacks.

“Nee…… Nee-sama……?”

As Ren is intending to confirm his nee-sama’s safety, an

exceptionally powerful energy wave flew into his consciousness all of
a sudden. As he is too close to it, there is no way for him to judge
where it originated from. This feeling that seems as though the
surrounding space shook, caused all his hair to stand up.

The impact came from the right side. An azure flame bursts out, and
uses its cleansing light to surround Vritra’s huge body. The cleansing
power burns off more than half of that silvery white body, Vritra loses
its dragon appearance in an instant.

“Otou-san?”

Even though he knows its impossible, Ren still called out without
thinking. A crystal clear azure glow, an incomparably powerful
cleansing power. Without a doubt, that is the ultimate flame that
Kannagi Genma controls------“The Azure Flame”.

But, Genma is still in the hospital, and he must definitely get some
quiet rest, there is no way that he can appear in a place like this.

Ren follows the path of the flame, and saw that……

“Ah……”

He sighs out in relief, as if a great burden has just been lifted, and
sits down onto the floor entirely. Just as he relaxes, he is also
completely drained, but it doesn’t matter. Because his mission is over,
all that is left is to cheer for those two.

“Go on! Nii-sama, Nee-sama!”

Ren roots for them softly.

“Wow……”

Ayano opens her eyes wide, staring at the flame that she is
releasing.

The azure wind------ winds in a spiraling motion stained with the

color of Kazuma’s “ki”, revolving around the golden flames that are
bursting out. The two powers combine together very naturally, and
boost each other.

Even hotter, even clearer------ a holy flame that pushes “cleansing”

to its extreme, achieving the goal of vanquishing evil, and perhaps
even through dimension, it might even be called a divine flame. Even
though it feels like she is being treated like a living kerosene gun, but
Ayano still continues to release flames.

Kazuma stands up to the front.

“------ Kazuma?”

“Continue.”

Kazuma gives a short command, and then rides the wind, flying up
into the sky. As if the synchronized feeling just now is just an illusion,
Kazuma leaves Ayano’s side without a care, flying towards the
remains of Vritra.

“…………”

What he is there for, there is no need to even ask. Because the

reason is so obvious, yet even though she knows the reason------

“Ahhhh! This is infuriating!”

In response to Ayano’s fury, the flame burns even more vigorously.

How can this be!?

Within Vritra’s gradually collapsing body, Mikaeru’s face becomes

stiff from fear.

(How can this…… Impossible…… This has collected several

hundreds------ almost one thousand people’s vigor! But, how is it
possible that it lost against a mere three people? Just who the hell are
they? Are there really anyone that can accommodate such an
immense power among humans?)

In the end he is still unable to understand. But in reality, he is being

beaten. Vritra has been destroyed beyond recovery, all the vigor
collected through Misao has all been used up as well.

Defeated.

He can only admit it. There is no way to turn this around, this is
failure.

Mikaeru decides to retreat instantly.

(Remember this------ Yagami Kazuma! One day I will definitely------)

He separates himself from the remains of Vritra------ the area which

had been the head, that place is already a sea of flames. The azure
flames mercilessly rip off the layers of youki.

The corroding horn stands tall before his eyes, Mikaeru uses eyes
of hatred to stare at the girl sealed within.

“Useless thing.”

He can’t help but curse, yet he never expected anyone to reply.

“I believe you don’t have the right to say that!”

Mikaeru turns around, as if struck by lightning.

“Ya……Yagami Kazuma!”

A pathetic voice can be heard with it. Kazuma has no intentions of

mocking his pathetic state, and just lowers his head to looks at
Mikaeru silently.

“I knew it, just as things doesn’t seem right, you will definitely run
off. Because a kid like you, don’t have the determination or will to fight
to your death.”

That is a plain tone that bears no emotions, as if the other party

does not even deserve to be humiliated.

This reaction hurts Mikaeru’s pride deeply, but he still forces a

smile.

“Just take it that you won this time. But, don’t think this is over, I will
come back again!”

With that, Mikaeru activates teleportation. Even though a kekkai that

prevents teleportation has been set in this area, but that is specially
designed against Misao, and is insufficient to seal Mikaeru’s
teleportation. If it is just a short distance teleportation, there should be
no problem------

“Wha------What?”

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing the shocked Mikaeru, Kazuma asks with an uninterested

expression.

Mikaeru stares at his dreaded enemy that bears an easy expression

on his face, and tries to activate teleportation once more.

------Failure.

No matter how many times he try, the result is still the same. The
distorted space created to link two points up, gets destroyed
immediately after it is created.

“How…… How can that……”

Mikaeru stares blankly at Kazuma. There is no doubt, this must be

Kazuma’s doing. But------

“You…… You can see it? Could it be that you can see through the
distorted space I created amidst this rampaging space!?”

“You can take it that way.”

“…………”

Kazuma nods as if its only natural, Mikaeru looks as though he is

about to go mad as he stares at Kazuma.

The azure flames release such a massive energy that even space
has begun to be distorted. Under such conditions, a small distortion
created for teleportation should not even be noticed.

To put it simply, it is just like locking onto a ripple made by a small

fish amidst the sea surface being rampaged by a storm. It is not
humanly possible.

“You…… Just “what” the hell are you?”

Watching the murmuring Mikaeru, Kazuma smiles proudly.

“------ To not even know this, you dare to challenge me?”

Mikaeru uses fearful eyes to look up at Kazuma, looking into those

blue eyes that bears a clear and deep luster within.

“A contractor……”

Someone under a contract with the spirit lord of the winds, to control
all winds. To form a contract with an extraordinary existence, the
world’s only “Contractor”.

Those blue eyes can be seen as proof of being a saint. A messiah

that represents a spirit lord on this Earth, the mark of a saint------
Stigma.

“The winds will tell me everything. Where there is air, nothing can
hide from me.”
 “Damn…… Dammit…… You monster……!”

Mikaeru murmurs unhappily, then draws a dagger out and jumps

out. Not towards Kazuma, but to that standing sharp horn at the back--
---- Misao who is sealed within.

“Don’t move!”

Placing the dagger at Misao’s throat, Mikaeru shouts:

“I know. I know very well, you will not stand to watch this girl die, so
I still have one last trump card. It is still to early for you to get cocky!
Yagami Kazuma!”

He shows a sinister smile, and uses a sharp voice to say.

That face no longer has any of that innocent look that a child would
have. A young appearance matched with an ugly, greedy expression,
that unsuitable feeling made him look even uglier.

Kazuma seems uninterested as he listened to Mikaeru’s threat, and

grumbles in his mouth:

“------ What an unworthy death.”

“Don’t move!”

Kazuma ignores his warning, and stretches his hand into his chest
to get a cigarette. The way he lighted the cigarette looks very lazy as
well, drawing the smoke deeply to fill his lungs.

“You……You think I am kidding you!? If you want this girl to live-----

-”

“Enough.”

Kazuma stops Mikaeru in his speech.

“Wha…… What------?”
 “I have seen this already. If you don’t have any other tricks, then
die!”

From a high altitude far away, Kazuma says that. As if saying, if you
can perform some interesting new trick to please him, then for this
period Kazuma will “let him live temporarily”.

“You bastard……”

Against this unbearable humiliation, Mikaeru’s voice and the hand

he uses to hold the dagger begins to tremble. His bloodshot emerald
eyes gradually loses rationality.

“You bastard…… You bastard…… You bastard------------!!”

Mikaeru gives off a scream at a frequency beyond what humans

can hear, then thrusts the dagger in his hand. Just as the sharp blade
is about to slit Misao’s throat.

------Swish!

Mikaeru’s right arm is severed from his elbow on, fresh blood
gushes out like a fountain.

“Ah……Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

Following that, the remaining two legs and left arm were sliced apart
from their roots. Mikaeru’s caterpillar-like body, then rolls into the pool
of his own blood.

Kazuma steps onto Mikaeru’s stomach with force. His stomach

seems to have been broken by the step, but at this point in time there
is no point in caring about that.

“I had originally intended to slowly torture you, but I don’t have that
much time either------ so bear with it.”

Kazuma kicks Mikaeru like a soccer ball and sends him flying. The
tiny body flew off in an instant, and falls into the fiercely burning azure
flames in the end.

This body that has suffered heavy injuries, no longer has any power
to withstand the power of the purifying flames. The blue flames burns
away the the youki that has soaked into the cells, purifying them
together with the body. There is no time to even scream, the existence
of Mikaeru Hari disappeared from this world entirely.

Kazuma sighs out lightly, and adjusts his breath.

“I wasted too much time, I must hurry……”

A contract with the spirit lord means to borrow the rights of the lord
under limitations.

The human body can withstand the power of an extraordinary

existence for some time, but this burden is beyond measure.

For example, it is like a person trying to block off an upcoming

tsunami alone, to withstand such a massive force based on mental
strength alone, there is no way it can last.

Needless to say that his body condition now is very bad, and is at its
limit.

Kazuma urges his tired body, and walks towards that sharp horn
with Misao sealed within.

To say that she is sealed is actually not accurate enough. Most of

the sharp horn has already been burnt away, all that is left is the
portion covering Misao’s waist and below. There is no constraint on
her upper body.

Kazuma stands right before Misao, and places his hand on her
forehand, forcing “ki” into her, and then gives a simple command:

“Get up.”

”……Mm……”
 Misao murmurs softly, her eyelids twitches, and slowly opens.

“……Ah……?”

She doesn’t seem to be able to apprehend the current situation, and

gives off a puzzled sound. The opened empty eyes gradually regains
focus------ and at the instant she recognized Kazuma, she opens her
eyes wide.

“Kazuma……san……”

She uses a coarse voice to call out his name, there is not a shred of
hatred within that expression and voice.

“Yup. Has mind control been completely released? Let’s go back

then!”

Kazuma announces calmly, then reaches out to her. Yet, Misao

turns her face around, her hands placed before her chest.

“------?”

“Please, just let me…… die……”

Misao says with a trembling voice.

Kazuma stares at Misao closely, as if trying to look through Misao’s

expression, with her head lowered and is covered by her hair.

“Why?”

“Because…… I am a sinner.”

“Oh? So?”

Kazuma seems to find this unbelievable, and asks once more.

Misao stares at Kazuma with slanted eyes, probably thinking that he is
teasing her on purpose.
 “I have committed an unforgivable sin…… So…… I can only
redeem myself through death……”

Kazuma looks coldly at Misao who is seeking atonement

continuously.

“You are really important aren’t you.”

“……Huh?”

Kazuma stands up before the puzzled Misao, and uses the tip of his
feet to kick below his feet.

“This guy, it was a really big dragon just now------ Did you know
what energy did it use to move?”

“Yes…… It uses……”

Towards the pale Misao, Kazuma announces the truth mercilessly:

“It is all the people you killed, their vigor.”

“------!”

“There is probably a few hundred people------ Energy capable of

moving that massive thing, I guess it would take more than just a
hundred or two people!”

Misao is at a loss for words, she feels grieved over her deep sins
and trembles over it.

“Using your “precious” one life, you can redeem the sin of killing
several hundred people?”

Kazuma uses an extremely unnatural gentle tone to question her,

and then grabs Misao’s hair, pulling her lowered face up forcefully.

“Quit joking! Are you some religious chief of some new religion!?
Did you think pinning you on a cross can save all the people in this
world? Don’t be so naïve! You are just trying to run away. Unwilling to
face the deep sins you have committed, and unwilling to seek any
method of atonement, to just try to escape through death, isn’t that
right!”

“Ah…… Ahhh……”

The weakness within her heart being revealed, Misao’s tears fall
down like rain.

“Even so…… Even so, what do you think I should do? With such
deep sins, could there possibly be some way to redeem myself?”

She urges Kazuma for an answer. However, the answer was cruel.

“How would I know.”

“You…… You……!”

Misao can’t help but show an angry expression.

“You are really full of yourself!”

“No matter what others say, I don’t know what I don’t know. I killed
plenty of people too, but let’s not mention atonement, I did not even
review myself even once.”

What a completely self-centered guy. If anyone is to ask for a way

to redeem himself, he is probably the most unsuitable person in the
world to ask.

“Besides, aren’t you getting the sequence wrong?”

“…… What do you mean?”

Not understanding what this sentence means, the puzzled Misao

questions Kazuma back.

“Who are the ones you must compensate to first? Is it those people
whom we do not even know their names? Or that dumb father that
wanted to kill his own daughter but got killed instead?”

Kazuma pauses for a second, then continues to say:

“No! Of course not! The one whom you created the most trouble for,
the one who needs compensation most is me! It is me! So before you
think about dying or to live, you should repay me first! To put it more
bluntly, you have to repay with your body!”

“…………Ah?”

Misao realizes that Kazuma is not looking at her face, but staring at
the location around a distance of one head below her eyes------
around her chest.

She follows Kazuma’s eyes towards her chest. Perhaps due to her
clothes being dissolved by slimes, Misao is naked, and revealing her
natural figure.

At the end of Kazuma’s glance, there are two soft bloated objects----
--

“------------!”

Misao senses an unknown danger, and uses her hands to cover her
exposed breasts immediately. At the very same time, a large plasma
bullet is shot from the ground.

“------Ahh?”

Kazuma uses the back of his hand to deflect the plasma shot
without even turning his head around.

“Please…… Please calm down, nee-sama!”

“Let me go, Ren! I am going to vaporize that lowdown thing right

here!”
 Seeing the ruckus on the ground, Kazuma complains with an
irritated look:

“What an annoying person, there is no way to calm down and talk

about the serious stuff like this.”

(------ Serious stuff?)

Misao can’t help but stare at Kazuma’s face.

“What’s up?”

“------Ha!”

Kazuma asks seriously. The moment she saw that expression,

Misao suddenly burst out in laughter.

Misao continues to bend over and laugh, Kazuma on the other hand
looks at her with a puzzled look on his face.

“------Have you gone mad?”

“N……No…… I am fine.”

Misao finally suppresses the urge to laugh, and reaches out to wipe
her tears.

Even though so saddened, people can still laugh. What a new

discovery.

“I…… I must first compensate Kazuma-san right?”

“Ahhh, yes.”
 Kazuma nods in response, and Misao nods lightly in agreement.

“I got it. Please let me compensate you with all my heart. While I
make my compensation to you, I will continue to find ways to
compensate the others.”

“------Is that so?”

“That is to say------ Please help me. I do not wish to die yet.”

Misao’s lower body is still connected to Vritra’s remains. At this rate,

she will face the same fate as Mikaeru.

“Understood. These remains, and the youki left in your body, I will
purify them altogether. It may waver a little, be careful.”

“Okay.”

Misao nods lightly, then closes her eyes.

Kazuma rides the wind flying up to the sky, pulling away the
distance. Following that, he raises his right hand in the air------ and
waves down at one go.

The blue wind comes tumbling down from the directly above Misao.
The wind blows away all surrounding flames, and purifies all that can
be considered “evil” completely.

Kazuma returns to the ground. Ayano and Ren come up to receive

him.

“Where’s Misao?”

Towards Ayano’s question, Kazuma only shifts his eyes slightly

upwards.

In the space where the blue light slowly grows faint, there is
something that is descending from the skies slowly. The naked female
covered in the light seems pure and beautiful, anyone that sees this
would be deeply mesmerized.

Kazuma removes his jacket, and places it on the girl that descended
from heaven.

As Ayano sees this scene, her eyebrow raised upwards. Perhaps

she is reminded of the previous incident------ Kazuma completely
unwilling to remove his jacket to cover her last time, until she had to
strip it off him herself.

“Still alive?”

Ayano observes Misao who is being carried by Kazuma. She is

unconscious, but still breathing.

“Yeah, you better go get a car, we are heading back.”

“Ah, yeah------ By the way, how’s your injury?”

“The bleeding stopped, I should be fine as long as I don’t move

around too much.”

Even though he sounds relaxed, but he looks really bad, obviously

having lost too much blood.

Ayano says worriedly:

“Should we go to the hospital first? You seem even weaker than

Misao.”

“I must hand Misao to Suzerain personally first.”

“Yeah------ you are really gentle aren’t you.”

“You jealous?”

Ayano reflexively pulls out Enraiha.

“What…… What are you talking about! Look at your body condition,
you really think you can still fight leisurely? I am definitely stronger
than you now!”

“Oh? You want to kill someone that got hurt because of you? Kids
these days don’t even know basic courtesy.”

Raising his head to look at the two staring at each other, Ren sighs
out painfully. Once again verifying that these adults before him cannot
be relied upon, he decides to contact their family by himself.

“Ah, is it Suou? We are done here, please come to get us. Try to
make it quick------ Huh? Yes, someone is injured, but if we don’t try to
put a stop to this, the surrounding areas…… Yes, I leave it to you.”

Keeping his cell phone, Ren’s focus shifts back to the two. There is
no need to even see them to feel that their “ki” is rising.

He really didn’t expect the two to be so childish, but just in case,

round two may start.

(Suou…… Come quick……)

Ren sighs once more, and praying that this calamity can be avoided
at the same time.
Epilogue
“Become a nun?”

Hearing a term that was rarely present, Kazuma repeated it blankly.

He had thought that it was a joke, but Juugo before him looked very
serious about it.

“------ What fun is there about it?”

“That is not what this is about!”

Hearing Kazuma’s question, Ayano sitting beside Juugo replied in a

rough manner:

“Misao intends to separate herself from the mortal world and uses
her entire lifetime to compensate for her sins. That is to say, there is
no room for you in her heart anymore, you deserve it.”

Ayano laughed, and seemed to be happy from the bottom of her

heart. As to why she is so happy------ there is no need to ask at this
point of time.

Ignoring the delightful Ayano, Kazuma asks Juugo:

“So, has she left?”

“Not yet, she was here just now to bid her final farewells, if you rush
over now, you will probably still make it.”

“You should have said so earlier.”

With that Kazuma stood up immediately, and left the room without
even turning back. Juugo quietly watched as Kazuma left. That was a
natural reaction, and his daughter following behind Kazuma quietly is
also within his expectations. In the empty Japanese room, Juugo
sipped his tea leisurely. What he has in mind, no one knows.
 “------ Why are you following me?”

Kazuma finds this unbelievable, and questions Ayano who is

walking beside him. Ayano raised her head, her eyes opened wide to
stare at Kazuma. Those eyes look as though they are looking at a
criminal under custody.

“How can I let you and Misao be together alone. Then you would
definitely threaten her, and take her to a motel.”

Kazuma did not reply, but only shrugged his shoulders, walking on
his own to the backdoor.

“Misao’s room is not there.”

He ignored the halting voice and opened the door. Misao is there.

“------Kazuma-san.”

Her voice seemed a little shocked. Misao did not shift her eyes
away, but stared at Kazuma without turning her eyes away.

“Are you really leaving?”

”Yes------ I have already decided.”

With a solid determination, Misao nodded in reply.

“Just praying alone, that will not lessen my sins. So, I have decided
to reevaluate myself through training, and find out what I can do to
redeem myself.”

“Is it, then good luck.”

He said easily. Misao's eyes widened in shock.

“What’s wrong?”
 “No…… Err……”

(The promise------)

On the gradually collapsing Vritra’s head, the promise made to

Kazuma. Since she has already decided on the path she wants to
take, even though she would never be able to fully keep her promise,
so she cannot but feel regret because of it. So, she had thought about
it. If she ever meets Kazuma, she will at least fulfill her promise once--
---- But, for an introverted girl like Misao, to place “that kind of thing” to
her mouth, that would really require courage of her lifetime.

------Besides, there’s an Ayano with a scary look on her face at the

back.

Just as Misao is hesitant about it, Kazuma decided that the chat is
over.

“Bye.”

He bid farewell and turned around, Misao hurriedly called out to

Kazuma from behind:

“Please…… Please wait a minute!”

“------Hmm?”

I must say it------ Misao bore an incomparable determination, yet the

question that came from her mouth is completely unrelated.

“Why did you help me? To the extent of having suffered such a
heavy injury.”

“I didn’t want to get hurt either.”

Kazuma turned back and looked at Ayano past his shoulder.

“If not for some dumb girl doing dumb stuff, I might have been able
to solve everything without a scratch.”
 “…………!”

Veins appeared at Ayano’s temple, but, she did not say anything to
rebut. Because in comparison to scolding him, she is more interested
in the truth.

“Even so, isn’t it much faster to just kill me?”

Misao did not loosen up her questioning. Even though things

weren’t going the same way as she expected, this was a question she
cannot leave unanswered. Perhaps sensing her determination,
Kazuma began to say with a bitter smile on his face:

“It has been ten years already…… You were still so small then.”

Saying that, Kazuma used his thumb and index finger to open up a
gap of around three centimeters.

Misao complains very politely:

“Erm…… I think that even when I was just born, I was not that
small. I am not a dwarf.”

“Don’t mind the minor details. Yup, around that time, just as I was
being bullied by those people of the branch clan, you saved me once.”

“…………”

She waited for the explanation to come, but Kazuma doesn’t seem
to want to open his mouth again. A silent atmosphere looms around
the two.

“……Is that it?”

“Yup.”

Kazuma simply nods in response to that question filled with

question marks.
 To Misao and Ayano, they will never know, when Kazuma was
belittled by everyone around him, during that period where his body
and mind are tortured continuously, that only one single time of
gentleness, how great a support it was to Kazuma in his heart.

Kazuma would never forget; that trembling voice, that small back.
Even reminiscing about it now, the image was as clear as though it
happened just yesterday. So, he did not hesitate. To save Misao------
That is the natural conclusion that doesn’t even require any thought.
Because Misao lent him a hand then, that is why he could live up till
now. With that said, there was no way he would say such an
embarrassing thing out loud. Kazuma began to forcefully end the
topic. He raised his hand to hold Misao’s chin, and lifted her face up.
As he slowly moved his face closer, Misao shyly blushes and closed
her eyes.

“Hey! Wait a minute!”

Ignoring the noise at the back, their lips touched gently. This shuts
one up both effectively and joyfully.

Kazuma showed a cheeky smile, and murmurs lightly to Misao who

blushed all the way to her ears:

“Let’s continue next time, I will not let you owe me anything, so just
go!”

“------Yes, I will be waiting.”

Misao smiles as she nods.

A sweet promise. Yet, Misao knew very well in her heart that this
will never be fulfilled. Kazuma was saying this to a girl whom he might
never meet again.

This also implied “I will never forget you”.

It was also meant to tell this lonely girl who lost her family, being
exiled from her clan, that she was not alone.

“Thank you to you all. Kazuma-san, Ayano-sama------ Please take

care.”

Misao lowered her head deeply in the end, and then walked out
once more. Those steps did not show any sign of doubt. She did not
turn back at all, and disappears from the sight of the two. The two
watched the leaving shadow silently.

------ But……

“What did you say just now?”

Closing the door, Ayano questioned Kazuma immediately. Her eyes

stared straight at him.

“Are you bothered by what I said?”

“Of course not! However, if you dare disturb Misao, I will not let you
off! Don’t tell me you intend to sneak into a nun’s living quarters?”

Kazuma’s eyes seem a little blurred, he seems to be fantasizing-----

- thinking about Misao in a nun’s costume.

”That seems not bad too.”

Hearing Kazuma’s mumble to himself, Ayano had a sensitive

reaction.

“Ka------zu------ma------!”

A deep low sound sounded off from below the ground, the tight fist
trembled due to a dangerous feeling. A vigorous explosion was at
hand.

Ayano still did not know now, why she was so angry. Or where that
immature, childish feeling of wanting to keep Kazuma to herself came
from. Whether she will ever realize what this feeling is------That is
another story.
Translator's Notes and References
1. ↑ In Japan, girls are the ones who give out chocolate on
Valentine’s, so the implication here is that Nanase is popular with
other girls.