Kaze no Stigma – Ignition Vol 1 Chapter 4

“Ah, what fine thing did I find ♡?”

Pus.h.i.+ng her way, almost sprinting, through the crowd of people, who at the eastern entrance of the s.h.i.+njuku Station doesn't die out even during working days, the lady muttered so with a delightful expression.

This particular day, after practically no free time since the beginning of the new school term, Kannagi Ayano was in an extremely good mood. That figure, lightly stepping forward, showed a soft smile so lovely that it was inconceivable that such a body contains tremendous combat ability.

The season was light spring. The sunlight felt warm, the people lightly dressed, that sort of day.

Ayano put on a bolero on top of her dress, her outfit excluding a novel, high-cla.s.s lady appearance. Her figure – lovely because of her cleanliness and tidiness – just by standing there resembles a painting, drawing hot glances from the mesmerized men.

However, those glances, always unpleasant, didn’t damage Ayano’s mood. If it’s now, even if player-wannabes called out to her in an over familiar manner, maybe she wouldn't show those men the depths of h.e.l.l. I repeat again, Ayano is in a very good mood.

-At the very least, for a few more seconds.

“………Ua!?”

Before 10 minutes had pa.s.sed since leaving, Alta (Alter?) Ayano received a strong hit from the side. She immediately retreated a few steps in order to subdue the impact. Although she somehow avoided falling down, the paper bags she was holding hit the ground.

“What are you doing – uh!?”

The instant she started shouting at the aggressor, her face became stiff. Before her eyes was a smiling, beautiful woman in the middle of her twenties she had met a few times before. Her thoughts stopped by an ominous premonition, Ayano could only stare dumbly at the woman.

“Y – You…”

“Good day to you, Ayano-chan!”

Facing a petrified Ayano the woman greeted her with an out of place cheerful salute.

“This may be sudden, but I’m leaving it to you.”

The white finger indicated something behind Ayano. The three running men she saw instinctively turned her head around – every one of them were two meters tall.

“W-Wait….what is happ…”

With exquisite timing, a bewildered Ayano was pushed forward by the shoulders. Almost like falling forward she comes forth and realizes, standing in front of these men to protect another woman, that she has fallen to a new low.

“Just stop it alr…”

While Ayano was flaring up in a rage, shouting, her eyes fell at the feet of the three men. The change of her complexion was absolute.

“Ah…w-wait a minute!”

Naturally they didn’t stop.

The feet of the men stepped on the paper bags spread on the road almost as if taking careful aim to do so. The shoes, probably thirty centimeters long, tore through the paper bags, trampling on the wrapping paper. The white skirt hidden inside was smudged with distinct black shoe marks. The silk blouse a total loss. The sounds of accessories being transformed into junk could be heard. With a strange sound, something snapped inside her head.

“Y ...You...”

In front of the young lady’s anger, even the animosity towards the woman was forgotten. Towards the men who ruined the shopping’s results, the power of Ayano’s retort was similar to a hurricane. A charge full of force was placed on the fist driven into the stomach of the man in the middle.

Critical hit.

You could tell the shock pierced through the stomach, penetrating as far as the back. Ayano drew near to the remaining two, interposing between them. With no hesitation, she approached the left one first.

Evading the large strike she used his arm for a judo shoulder throw. Even if he was an amateur, the man’s defense wasn’t breached even as he was falling down. This much damage should be fine – he should walk again – in a week or so.

While she was turned the other way, the last man attacked. Without even turning back she jumped toward him and just before touching him she moved her leg, twisting her body ninety degrees while pus.h.i.+ng out her elbow. By kicking her hind foot, her speed was increased to its maximum and concentrating all her kinetic energy she thrust her left fist into the pit of the man's stomach. There was a strong backlash.

It was practically a certain kill. The large built man flew ten centimeters and collapsed like a doll, whose threads have been cut.

“Well – ”

With a sidelong glance at the fallen men, Ayano slowly turned back. That glance, no matter how you look at it, was more cold than what a hoodlum deserves.

“Will you explain?”

“I don’t mind but...”

However the woman wasn’t perturbed. Receiving the villainous glare without hesitation, with a smiling face, she points her finger forward a second time.

“It’s not over yet”

Simultaneously, the sound of the defeated men getting up can be heard.

“...............Hm!?”

Astonished, Ayano looks over her shoulder. It was an impossible thing. The degree of damage can’t be compensated by something like durability or will-power.

Judging from a biological point of view, for humans the result is absolute immobilization if such a powerful strike in such a place is applied.

However, in reality sure enough the men were resurrected. Trying to grasp the reason Ayano stares at them. The men’s bodies call to mind the transparency of dead bodies. One was only bones. Another one was a pitch-black corpse. And the last one – was a warrior dressed in armor.

Starring at the decomposing body clad in worn-out armor, Ayano mutters in blank amazement.

“These guys they’re possessed......you!!”

Unintentionally forgetting about the crisis right in front of her, she turns around. She shouts, letting anger take its natural course:

“A public servant using a civilian to do her work!”

“Well – don’t say that. Look look! They’re coming from behind.”

Certainly this was not the place for carefree quarrels. The men, possessed by the spirits of the dead, drew near for a second time. A bothersome opponent. Because spirits don’t feel pain and so on, hitting them or kicking them has no effect. If you don’t inflict enough damage to kill and then destroy their joints it seems you cannot permanently immobilize them.

Through physical means, that is.

“...........”

A deep inhale and then exhale.

Stimulating the entire body’s power by this one sequence, flexibly concentrating all consciousness in both palms, the contours of her wrists warp.

The pale gold heat haze enveloping the girl’s wrists disturbs the course of light.

Before her eyes is the skeleton corpse possessed man. Staring at Ayano with stagnant pupils, like those of rotten fish, he raises both arms overhead, rejecting the nuisance.

“Haa!”

Ayano hit with both palms at full power that virtually empty body. It was a double palm strike. Via those palms, a golden brightness was pumped into the man’s body. While his entire body was glowing in the golden light, the man bent backwards, as if suffering from electric shock.

“Giiiii.................”

During the soundless scream, the spirit of the dead was separated from the man’s body.

“I’m not letting you escape!”

From Ayano’s palms the golden light gushed out, changing to a violently rus.h.i.+ng stream. The light that hit him increased by far its density and radiance , transforming and manifesting itself as a golden flame, thoroughly burning the departed soul, without allowing resistance.

She repeated the process twice again.

“............Fuuuu”

After cleansing the three spirits through fire, Ayano took a light breath.

From behind indifferent applause can be heard.

“> it’s what I’d like to say now but you really took your time. Weren’t purification flames supposed to destroy only evil?”

“I’m sorry for being so inexperienced.”

Turning her body the other way, Ayano replied with a very threatening tone.

The wicked spirits called Youma – because the devilishness that holds resentment towards the world of men exists – it can be said it was inevitable that in order to resist, men have obtained power.

The girl’s name is “Kannagi” Ayano. Manipulating purification flames able to destroy evil – she is the daughter of the En-jutsu family known as the strongest. But then Ayano herself, can’t be helped but be called very inexperienced. Even if she possesses mighty power, she has yet to learn the art of perfect control.

Not to hurt the people depending on them and to purify only the possessing spirits – such a deed is possible only for the girl’s father – Juugo and her uncle Genma.

As for Ayano, one can say with confidence such high-cla.s.s techniques are outside her reach.

Therefore, her plan consisted of the following: before materializing her power as flames she is releasing it as a “heat” that won’t damage the human body, continually knocking out the departed souls that try to escape.

As a matter of course, this is a reckless and difficult operation. Taking as much time for the likes of departed souls, it can’t be helped that the famous Kannagi name could be distrusted, on account of such rumors.

However, Ayano has no intention of taking such criticism obediently. She thought so from the bottom of her heart: “this woman” has no right to complain.

“Will I receive some sort of explanation, I wonder...”

She started cross-examining, including enough drive for the other party to understand that depending on the answer, this isn’t over.

“...Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Data Arrangement, Miss Police Officer Tachibana Kirika?”

Calling her especially by the overlong job t.i.tle, as a matter of course this is a form of hara.s.sment. The Chief of the country’s one and only government organization for vanquis.h.i.+ng evil, the person on the position of protecting the nation from spiritual disasters, isn’t it absurd to drag civilians in her troubles? This is why.

“Well – don’t say that. You’re not someone unrelated.”

But the woman, Kirika was very composed. Being spoken to by this beautiful woman so over familiarly, Ayano answers in a freezing tone:

“What are you saying? To the likes of you, what else could I be except for an unrelated person? I’m fed up with your impertinent talk. Give me an explanation.”

“Well, that’s fine...”

Being questionably evasive, Kirika s.h.i.+fts her focus forward, behind Ayano.

“If I were to tell you that’s not all, would you get angry?”

“........Tch!”

Forcefully turning around, Ayano observes. Drawing near unnoticed, a crowd of men and women of all ages undoubtedly possessed by the spirits of the dead. There were roughly thirty of them. In the middle of this bizarre atmosphere the pedestrians that happened to be present by chance become noisy.

But one man among them – what was he thinking – stood in front of the a.s.sailants.

“Stop it! You guys – ”

Seeing a beautiful woman and a beautiful girl being attacked, it seems he thought to make himself to look better. It seems he has some sort of knowledge. But –

Bokyatsu!

The character manipulating the departed souls removed the limits of the bodies and some mediocre martial arts can’t win any sort of battle. Both his arms standing on guard broke his own chin, and the man flew through the air, thoughtlessly screaming.

Watching the convulsing man vomiting blood, pedestrians started to shriek. By mixing people who wanted to run away and people who, on the contrary had burning curiosity, chaos occurred.

The only calm people were those involved – the a.s.sailants and the a.s.saulted.

Staring at the attackers getting close, in spite of mowing down the people who got in their way, Kirika asks:

“Can you exorcise them all like you did earlier?”

“Absolutely impossible,” stated Ayano without hesitating for a moment.

“The sensitivity required for tuning the necessary caloric value is preposterous and for so many opponents gathered, I should burn half of them.”

“That’s dreadful.”

Imagining the gruesome spectacle, Kirika murmured in a monotonous tone.

“Well then, should we run away?”

“Do your best then.”

Kirika is suspiciously watching over Ayano’s “this is none of my business” reply.

“Will you not help me?”

“I didn’t receive such a commission. If you live through it, call me later and explain the situation.”

With those words Ayano tries to leave but watching the crowd blocking her path, she scowls.

“Hey! The one you’re aiming at is right there.”

Of course the spirits don’t answer. The possessed flesh moves with a somewhat supernatural ability, wiggling, and with no hesitation and killing intent faces Ayano.

“.........What is this?” a doubtful Ayano. The answer comes from the back.

“Ah, as I thought”

“What exactly is

To the enquiring Ayano, her glace fixed on the spirits of the dead, Kirika answers with a smiling face.

“Don’t you thing it must be difficult to control so many spirits of the dead at once from a distance? So, beside the comments given I thought that maybe they can move autonomously. For example, > or something”

“............Y – O – Uuuuuuuu!!”

Showing the vein on her temple, Ayano started screaming: “You planned on forcefully dragging me into this from the start, right? You stinking official!!”

For this reason, before explaining the circ.u.mstances, she involved Ayano in battle – for the sake of the enemy recognizing Ayano as an obstacle, so that she wouldn’t be able to run away.

“Don’t get so angry. In troubled times we are of equal status don’t you agree?”

But without showing any timidity, Kirika winked at the angry Ayano.

“Y...You...”

Although glaring at the very annoying woman, it was all too late. She was already dragged unknowingly in the turmoil’s upheaval or more likely at the core of it all.

“I’ll remember this!”

Replacing the boiling anger with flames, Ayano swung downward her right hand. The blaze slapped into the ground changes in a wall of fire, blocking the way before these two.

“DAAAAAAAA!?”

Being scared of the purifying flames, the attackers back off. Ignoring the screams of the ordinary people unfortunately involved, Ayano turns back and run.

“We’re running away!”

“I thank you for your cooperation. As I thought the voluntary cooperation of civilians is the secret for early settlements.”

“Be silent for a little bit, you public servant failure!”

Leaving behind boos somewhat filled with anguish, both of them managed a speedy flight.

“Ha...ha...for the time being we’ve done it right?”

“So it seems...”

Hiding themselves in a deserted, empty building, Ayano and Kirika muttered so, greedily devouring oxygen. As one would expect, a thirty minute sprint at full power was very demanding. Both of them were short of breath.

“By the way, I think it’s time you start explaining these circ.u.mstances.”

“Ah that’s right. I forgot.”

Seeing Kirika clap her hands, truly having forgotten to explain, Ayano sends her way a somewhat cynical, bitter smile.

“Even so, there’s not much explaining to do. If I were to say it in a few words, it’s only a matter of settling scores.”

“Settling scores?”

“Yes. In this business, it’s only natural to incur various people’s enmity. Particularly some puny organization like the Special Data Arrangement who does whatever it wants with the power of the State. The criticism can be severe, in various ways.”

“Hmmm...well, that may be true...” Ayano nodded vaguely.

The girl’s family can be considered the industry’s leader so she doesn’t really get the sorrows of this type of puny organization.

“I know, right? I got used to it but this time we came across a big-shot, sort of.”

“Big-shot?”

“Yes. Do you know Ghost Tamer?”

“.....I heard that name somewhere”

Ayano tried to remember, but it didn’t come out easily.

“If it’s Ayano-chan I’m sure that you heard about him before. He’s a celebrity.”

“That so? ... well it’s impossible for a necromancer who can simultaneously manipulate thirty spirits of the dead to be nameless.”

This doesn’t apply just for necromancers, increasing the number of techniques controlled at the same time, the degree of difficulty jumps through the window. As for necromancers, they are considered first cla.s.s when they can control ten bodies at the same time.

But Kirika revealed an even more frightful fact:

“That is just the beginning. Regarding the validation made to the best of our abilities, the maximum number he can control is one hundred and twenty.”

“One hundred and twenty!?” Ayano screamed with bulging eyes.

But at the same time, that absurd number made her remember that abominable incident.

“Say...you don’t say Ghost Tamer is... the one three years before in San Francisco...”

The desire to be wrong that fills Ayano’s question is heartlessly destroyed by Kirika.

“Yeah, that’s the one...”

“Uaa....” with an unpleasant feeling, from the bottom of her heart Ayano groans.

Ghost Tamer – despite being a necromancer he uses killing curses, possessing suitable humans and using them, its forte is a technique consisting of using physical means to kill its targets, different from a shaman, different from an a.s.sa.s.sin – a “curse a.s.sa.s.sin”

The incident that made him world-wide famous happened three years ago. For the sake of killing a certain mafia boss he made one hundred and twenty people, possessed by the spirits o the dead, to hold bombs and attack the target in a very special way. The casualties exceeded three hundred. It is said that the body fragments of the manipulated people, after being gathered in plastic bags, didn’t amount to 3% of the total.

“Another troublesome one appeared...”

With all her strength, Ayano unpleasantly puzzles over it. It’s as if an unrelated person all of a sudden turns into an a.s.sa.s.sin – that element of surprise and the almost infinite amount of supplies is the Ghost Tamer’s forte.

Because this is a metropolis, there is abundance of departed souls but also of human hosts. There is also the problem of the possessed humans who have been killed. The deceased can be captured by Ghost Tamer and turned into a new departed soul, possessing other humans in order to attack the target. In order to stop the domino effect there is no choice but use a high ranking white magic that can exorcize all of them in one go. Only if such a thing was possible, though.

“What do we do next?”

Needless to say, Ayano is not capable of such things. The girl’s power is not suited for such sensitive operations.

“There is that....”

To Ayano, demanding for a counter plan, Kirika tilted her head to the side, with a troubled appearance.

“The moment I found Ayano-chan, I thought all my troubles are gone...”

She is fleetingly looking at Ayano and then a deep sigh. At this “I can’t use her att.i.tude” Ayano is p.i.s.sed.

“What about you? You can’t perform spirit exorcism is spite of being an Onmyoji?”

“Of course I can. I’ve done it for thirty bodies or so but then I ran out of charms.”

“That so...”

Onmyoji is based on the general principle of the cosmic dual forces, Yin and Yiang, and they can use a mighty power. But the restriction is that in order to put the technique in operation, charms must absolutely be used. In this industry there is a well known verse, sang from ancient times.

“Charmless Onmyoji, ordinary man, right?” Ayano hums spontaneously, Kirika retorts with coolness:

“It doesn’t rhyme.”

“You’re noisy!”

“Well, anyway.”

Unusually restraining herself before exploding, Ayano makes the conversation advance.

“This is a stalemate. Can you think of something?”

“Well...” Kirika slowly opens her mouth:

“If it’s just the two of us, we can’t win in this situation. If that’s the case, we have no choice but to call for reinforcement.”

“Who? One of your subordinates?”

“Wrong. We know someone much more reliable, am I right?”

“Ah, that one?”

Because Ayano and Kirika don’t have many common acquaintances, she quickly understood who it was.

Certainly, ability wise he was the most reliable man. Ability wise

“........Fine, will you call him?”

To Ayano who reluctantly agreed, Kirika sends a meaningful smile.

“.......What?”

“Err, nothing in particular. Then, please get in touch with him.”

“Why me!?” Ayano unintentionally shouted. “It’s better if you call him, right? Because you two have a much more friendlier relations.h.i.+p!” The first time Ayano met Kirika, she and Kazuma were leaving the red-light district, arms linked. That’s why Ayano firmly believes these two have “that kind of relations.h.i.+p.”

“That’s not true. If it’s Ayano-chan, he’ll answer the phone. So, please?”

“............................”

Even if this doesn’t mean she believes Kirika’s words, Ayano gave up on resisting, taking out the mobile phone. As a matter of course, she has his number.

It’s just for work! It’s really just that!

She dialed it, they talked a few times before –

“What?”

Maybe because he knows it was Ayano, or maybe he does it for everyone – anyway, the voice reaching Ayano’s ears is excessively self-important.

“Ah, Kazuma? I have a favor –”

“I refuse.”

The answer comes back lightning fast. For a short while Ayano is silenced but she corrects herself in a low voice:

“I have a job request.”

“Say it.”

“................”

Still on the phone, Ayano throws a sidelong glance at Kirika, glaring at her.

Hey, is this what you call a good answer?

Although she didn’t say it loud, her twisted expression said it all. Not caring about it, Kirika encouraged her in a small voice: “Keep going!”

Giving up the investigation, Ayano concentrates her attention on the conversation with Kazuma.

“You see...” she explains, summarizing the situation.

Surprisingly, Kazuma quickly understood.

“Even though I think we can end it by killing them all, but since there is money in this, I don’t mind playing around with them. So, where are we meeting?”

“Ah, well.....”

Ayano considered her current surroundings. But without deliberating too much, she answered:

“Tee hee hee, I don’t know. Somewhere in s.h.i.+njuku. Will you search ♡?”

She tried to be as lovely as possible. But – it was useless.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaa,” an endless, deep sigh reached her ears. And then.....

“Did your brains go bad or something!!”

“Kyauu!?”

Because the angry roar explodes close to her ear Ayano involuntarily throws out the phone. Kirika skillfully caught it just before falling on the ground.

“Hey, it’s wrong to bully girls, you know?”

“.....Kirika, why are you there?”

From the mobile phone now in Kirika’s hands, Kazuma’s questioning tone can be heard. Throwing a sidelong glance at Ayano, listening attentively, Kirika moves the conversation forward.

“This was my work from the start. So it’s fine to bill me for the job. So, where are you? Your home? The one in Yokohama? Really – please hurry. Yeah, please. Well then... ”

Kirika settled the conversation at once, hang up and returned the telephone to Ayano. She received it with a blank facial expression.

“As I thought it turned out well because you did the talking, right?”

“I wonder...” Kirika responds to Ayano, who looks displeased, with a mature smile full of composure.

For some reason or another, feeling she is losing the mental battle, Ayano changes the subject.

“So, are we hiding until Kazuma gets here? If he’s in Yokohama, no matter how fast it still takes time.”

“That’s right, it would be ideal if circ.u.mstances allow, but.....”

In the middle of her words, Kirika s.h.i.+fts her attention inside the hallway. Almost simultaneously, so does Ayano. Looking at the ceiling, deploring, she corrects herself with a delicate expression:

“It would have been ideal...”

“Your everyday behavior must be very sinful, am I right?”

Standing up Ayano is brus.h.i.+ng off the dust from her skirt.

Without having to wait for them, they appeared in the front. With a rotten, fishy smell and fixed eyes, the man – a company worker – is of course possessed by the spirits of the dead.

“Good grief – it can’t be helped...”

Lightly kicking the floor, Ayano’s silhouette vanished in a blur. Swiftly rus.h.i.+ng in, her high speed movement is like she can leap over time restrains. Instantly plunging into the man’s chest she thrusts her elbow, using the force of the rush. Through the blow, purification power is pumped into his face. The golden radiance doesn’t allow any escape and the spirit dwelling on the man is burned to nothing.

“Oh, that did the trick.”

“That so? He’s kind of burning.”

Overlooking the man emitting fumes from here and there, Kirika says a touching, silent prayer.

“Don’t concern yourself with minor details!”

“Minor, huh?”

She has lots of things to say to this girl, but now it’s not the time to fuss over it. Chasing the already running Ayano, Kirika breaks into a forceful run.

“....I’m not letting you escape.... ”

In one of the rooms from a certain hotel in Akasaki, Ronald Wallace murmured so, in a heavy, low voice.

Aquiline nose – white hair – the name Ghost Tamer is appropriate; the old man’s appearance is that of an evil sorcerer come forth from fairy-tales. That figure gazing at the crystal ball is terrifying.

“You can’t get away..........no matter how you struggle.....”

Watching the women, reflected in the crystal ball, running around, trying to escape, Ronald laughs. That was because he knows victory is certain.

The net completely encircling them – there is no target whose technique can exorcize more than a hundred organized departed souls. Of course, not even the Enjutsus.h.i.+ who stumbled in the middle of it.

There is just one flaw. Following Ronald’s will manipulating the spirits and finding his location. The only way is to strike at him. But –

“The Enjutsus.h.i.+ whose only merit are combat abilities and the Onmyoji trying to escape with all her might, can you do it...?”

With absolute confidence, Ronald sneered. Even the Enjutsus.h.i.+’s flames are not scary if the person can avoid them. Departed souls and the like are after all pieces who have no choice but to do his work as a subst.i.tution.

“Perhaps capturing the Enjutsus.h.i.+’s soul could be fun. If it retains even a small portion of the power it has alive, maybe I can use it.”

“Stop it. That one’s is probably really hard to manipulate.”

That answer reached his ears much too naturally. Searching for the reb.u.t.tal words, Ronald turned around in terror.

A hundred and eighty degrees rotation, a body suspended in the air.

Since the head’s rotation doesn’t stop, approximately after another rotation, the balance is destroyed, the dead falls down and crashes.

Ronald – climbing in the revolving world finally recognizes the situation. The revolving universe. But someone tramples down on the head and the spinning stops.

“What’s more...”

Looking up with disgrace and humiliation, in the field of vision is reflected a man’s face, showing a cynical smile.

“I’ve decided I’m the only one allowed to play with her AND that’s the law of this country, you know!”

With these words the sensation of Ronald’s last moment was the smas.h.i.+ng of his cranium and his consciousness faded into darkness.

The headless body, standing erect, spurts out fresh blood as if remembering.

At the same time....

Ayano and Kirika were trapped in a desperate crisis. It is evening in the Imperial Garden of s.h.i.+njuku. The surroundings are flocked with more than a hundred possessed bodies. There is no way to escape.

“.......What are we going to do?” Ayano groans in a worn-out voice but Kirika either has no way out.

At such a troubled time, almost like aiming for it, the cell phone’s ringtone can be heard. Kirika fetched it really fast and stated shouting.

“How long do you plan to take Kazuma!? We’re at our limit!!”

A contrastive, hatefully calm voice can be heard.

“It’s over. Everything.”

“No it’s not! Right now we are in the middle of being attacked by nearly a hundred spirits!”

“.........Oh?” Kazuma’s voice is surprisingly serious. From the other side of the phone, a silence filled with confusion can be sensed.

“Hey....”

“Ah, I got it. Even if the pract.i.tioner dies, the last order pa.s.sed down is still effective. I see.”

The only one impressed is Kazuma because Kirika asks him in a low voice:

“I’m so glad you cleared the puzzle. So, how do you get here?”

“How, you ask...where are you now? s.h.i.+njukugyouen? That’s impossible. It’s totally outside my range. I’ll get there in twenty, thirty minutes so wait there.”

“We can’t wait that long! We’re already under pressure. It’s fine with you if Ayano-chan becomes a ma.s.s murderer?”

“Tell her this. If she dares to die, she can choose her favorite method for when HER PARTNER is going to kill her............Ah, that’s right. She’s there. Get her on the phone.”

“Eh?”

“Put Ayano on the phone,” Kazuma plainly repeated.

Kirika peeked at Ayano’s situation. She has already started the fight. For the time being, even if she is adjusting to the non-fatal amount, in reality it seems she has no choice but to minimally go easy on them, because the sound of blows is pretty severe.

While making appropriate judgment on the enemy, a telephone is pushed before her eyes.

“From Kazuma. He wants to talk to you.”

“I’m busy now!” Ayano shouted without taking it.

“Although I can see that wouldn’t it be better to take it? We’re not getting anywhere this way.”

“...................”

Ayano s.n.a.t.c.hed the telephone totally annoyed. While beating down the enemies with her free hand, her left hand holds the telephone to her ear. That instant, as if intentionally, Kazuma’s voice can be heard.

“Hey, feeling well?”

In addition to being very agitated, Ayano couldn’t endure it and her reason flipped out.

“Huff.....don’t mess around you fool! U – Until now....what have you...done.....”

Because of fatigue and anger, her breath was disturbed and her mouth didn’t work well.

As for Kazuma, he replied in a refres.h.i.+ng and calm voice:

“If you raise your voice like that, it feels like one of those dangerous phone calls >”

“Y........Youuuuuuuuuu!!”

With rage enveloping her mind, Ayano stroke down the nearby enemies with that violent emotion. There was the smell of something burning, but right now she doesn’t have time to worry about such things.

“Remember this! I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely kill you!! There won’t be any ash left by the time I’m finished with you!!”

“Uh huh”

“Just you wait! When the time comes I’m not letting you off even if you burst into tears!”

“Uh huh”

“....................”

Kazuma doesn’t say anything only some half-hearted replies.

Because there is no feedback Ayano regains her cool very quickly. Remembering the current state of affairs, she sobers up in one breath, informing him:

“Although I believe you know, I’m extremely busy right now. If you have no business with me, I’m hanging up.”

“W – Wait. Let’s talk a bit more.”

Surprisingly, Kazuma wanted to continue the telephone call. Without understanding his intention, Ayano looks into it, perplexed.

“Talk, you say... about what?”

“Anything will do. Just continue on like just now, talking about idiotic things like idiots.”

Speaking of too much, because of that excessive comment, a huge vein shows on Ayano’s temple. Because she was groping the telephone tightly, an ominous, recognizable sound can be heard.

“Y ....You low life rascal....! I hate you the most! You should try and learn something from Ren’s charm, even if it’s just a little.”

“Yeah yeah, is that so......fine, I caught you.”

“What?”

Without minding the bewildered Ayano, Kazuma one-sidedly said:

“GO!”

“What are you – huh?”

The wind gently swirls. In some respects already familiar with it, Ayano suppresses the questioning words.

The light blue radiance fills the surroundings. That is without doubt the color of purification. The supreme power cleansing all evil.

Aoooooooo.......

When those bodies are flooded with purification wind, the departed souls raise cries of pain. From the humans they cling to, they are being torn off, no resistance permitted.

“.......No..... this is......” Resistance and the like, there wasn’t any from the beginning. The thoughts raised by the departed souls were shots of joy, congratulations on their liberation. The spirits, released from the Ghost Tamer’s curse, by their own will dissolved the possession and accepted the power of purification.

The shapes of the dead spirits changed from the gruesomeness in the moment of death to those when they were alive. The healed spirits’ contours morphed, while floating with content smiles, being reduced to b.a.l.l.s of light returning to Heaven.

The countless light b.a.l.l.s, while dancing, ran beyond the sky. That fairytale-like spectacle, Ayano looks up at it, simply amazed.

“Amazing....”

A murmur from the back. When turning around, Kirika speaks with a bitter smile.

“How to say this...a scene ridiculing the efforts of mediocre people. This doesn’t seem like the work of men.”

“True. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t put great effort into it, don’t you think?”

“Well, that may be true. By the way, you didn’t hang up, did you?”

Although asking, Kirika plunders the telephone before hearing the answer.

“h.e.l.lo. Everything is finished. If you can do it, do it faster. What’s all that c.r.a.p about being outside range – huh?”

Unexpectedly Kirika raised her voice in hysterics, and glared at the phone like it was the enemy of her ancestors.

“That so? Well then, thank you very much! Ciao!!”

With a shout that raised the corners of her eyes she roughly hanged up. And then with a gaze, for some reason, packed with a certain something, she is staring at Ayano.

“W – What........?”

In front of such an emotional new Kirika, different from her usual calm self, Ayano involuntarily shrinks away.

But together with a solemn, long breath Kirika releases her anger, promptly recovering her calmness.

“I hanged up but....did you have something to say to him?”

Because for one reason or another she is overpowered in the mental battle, Ayano asks in a sulky tone:

“..........Not particularly. What are you trying to say?”

“Words of grat.i.tude among other things.”

“Don’t joke around!” Ayano shouts, furiously grasping her fists tightly.

“Why would I, to such a guy!? He is dismissing people just when they think of dismissing him, he is mocking them, doing as it pleases him, turning them into toys!”

“That’s all the same thing.”

“Next time I meet him, I’m definitely stabbing him with Enraiha.”

Without hearing Kirika’s retort, Ayano is thoroughly excited.

“You’re not honest with yourself,” mingled with a sigh, Kirika murmurs so.

The girl in front of her eyes and the absent man – she is facing these two.

Kazuma’s words from a while ago are resurrected in her ears.

It was true that he was outside range. But – “Because of Ayano’s voice, even if we’re separated by a hundred kilometers, I can get through,” he continued.

Good grief, he’s speaking so fondly of her.

For a second time she is focusing in Ayano. Without knowing to what extent and how carefully she is being protected, she is shouting abusive words even now.

But surely to notice that warped and twisted love, it seems unreasonable. Nevertheless, she has no intention of helping her.

“I’m not going to tell you. Realize it yourself, dumb bunny.”

Turning her back on the girl, with an ill-natured look, Kirika murmured so.