Prologue
In this world, the Power of Existence has been consumed by the Crimson Denizens, thus causing
distortion.
Alastor said so, and based on my current knowledge, I believe that this saying was correct too.
Yet, for me who has been taught such a concept by him (?), Wirhelmina and others even before I
know anything else, "this situation is a normal one." A world like this is the reality that is placed
before my eyes, and at the same time, like common sense.
Ever since a long time ago, this world has been continually invaded by its neighbors, the Crimson
Denizens, who are located at the other side that 'cannot be reached'. They do not belong to this
world before this, and for the sake of revealing themselves and to also be able to control things
'unrestrainedly', they have to obtain the fundamental energy to exist in this world from humans, the
'Power of Existence'.
Humans who are robbed of that energy, their existence itself...... that is to say, all the traces they left
behind and the memories of the people around them completely vanish, missing from the flow of
the world. And then, beings who did not exist in this world before this appeared, bringing forth
mysterious events that should not happen, thus creating dilemmas and unnatural states in that
system, causing the original condition of the world to distort.
Among the powerful existences in the Crimson Realm, the "Lords", there were the ones who were
anxious that this distortion would eventually cause irreparable calamity at both sides of the world.
For the sake of preventing this calamity, they made the painful decision to exterminate their own
kind who consumed the 'Power of Existence' in this world.
The "Lords" who wanted to avoid foolishness by personally materialize in this world, thus
consuming the "Power of Existence"; chose to resolve it by bestowing power to the human beings
who wanted revenge against the "Denizens"; in return they were forced to sacrifice their whole
existence as a tool for the "Lords". (Looks like for someone like me who is “one who existed
because she could exist” is an exception).
The hunters who possessed the extraordinary ability to hunt the Crimson Denizens are called 'Flame
Hazes'.
All of these, which normal humans know nothing about, belongs to my real world.
For the sake of protecting the balance of this world, the call is to exterminate the Denizens.
That is my everything, my existence, and apart from that, I had nothing else.
However, after coming to this city center, one thing was added to me.
Alastor and Wirhelmina did not give me, "The summoned one" that thing. The other Flame Hazes
and Denizens are only differentiated by the name of their favorite weapons.
Still, I am a Flame Haze known as 'Nietono no Shana'.
Being a Flame Haze is my everything, my existence, and only that.
Yet, in this city center, the guy I happened to meet added one thing to me.
A name called “Shana”.
And then, after that, only that continually changes.
My existence continually changes.
Chapter One - The Fire in The
Dark Night
At dusk, under the red sun which is gradually
setting along the horizon, at the back alley beside
the arrival terminal at an international Japan
airport, a violent act was occurring.
Fallen amidst the trash at the cul-de-sac, a youth
was struggling.
The five people surrounding him were youths
themselves. They were kicking and sending him
flying as much as they wanted and liked.
(Translator's note: The way these teenagers spoke
is quite rough1.)
"How dirty! Later rubbish scatter around."
The Westerner who was being kicked at was
fifteen years old. The wavy golden hair and the
petite body were being stained with trash.
Apparently, the ones kicking were a group of
Japanese teenagers in their teens respectively,
wearing fashionable street clothes. Sometimes
they would force the people from the airport who are not familiar with the geography, and also
Japanese during times when they would not be discovered; to come along with them to strip them
off their valuables, a modern way of robbery2.
"Gee, this guy can't even speak Japanese!"
"If he can't speak Japanese, don't come to Japan!"
Outside that circle of violence, the teenager's dark red jacket fell onto the floor. That thing which
was tailored excellently was smeared with rubbish, as well as its owner. At the area around it, a
smooth-surfaced handkerchief, pocket tissue, a fountain pen which looked like it was crushed et
cetera were scattered. Obviously, only the wallet which was bulging with bills was seized by one of
them.
“Yo, I am tired of this already, let's eat earlier, okay?”
While he was saying this, one of them trampled on the blond hair into the hair as if kneading dough.
Another person replied.
"Have you seen the contents of this guy's wallet? Befitting a young master indeed. ACTUALLY, I
thought of forcing him to tell us about his companions, and exhort them all, I guess......"
"'I can't speak Japanese'? This IDIOT!" [Translator's Note: The quotation is in English, while the
1 This can be seen by a few points:
* 1. The use of ぜ (ze) and the excessive use of よ [yo], which are sentence assertions.
* 2. Informal way of speaking like じゃねえ (janee) which is an informal variation of じゃない (janai) [It kind of
means 'no']
* 3. The frequent use of こいつ (koitsu) which is roughly means 'this guy'.
* 4 The use of 俺 (ore), which is a very rough way of saying 'I'.
2 The actual term is '追い剥ぎ' (oihagi) which means robbing passerbys and travellers' money and possessions.
rest, Japanese.]
Sneering laughter was on every face.
To them, their hands-on violence is not an expression of their dark impulse to destroy and vague
anguish, but an enjoyment of tormenting others, a kind of game. As for dispossessing others off
their possessions, they were not conscious that it is robbery. "Earning pocket money"; by rephrasing
robbery with these trivial words, its truth was falsified, which made its identification difficult. Of
course they were not conscious of their wrongdoings even a bit.
"Why did you let our hopes come to nothing? What a waste of effort! So, it won't do if you don't let
us vent out our anger, right?"
"Oh, nice...!"
The golden-haired boy got kicked at one side continuously, and could only curl up his body,
panting, unable to even scream. The face that could be said to be well-groomed and handsome
before this was now covered with dirty smudges. His pathetic, child-like state and his tears served
only to stir up the violent nature of the punks further.
"I say we take this as an exercise before our meal, eh?"
"That's right, take this!"
They are happily indulged in torturing the kid when suddenly, out of the blue-
"Stop it! You stinky bugs!!"
A sharp voice halted them in their actions.
"......Eh?"
Shocked, the guys looked towards the opening of the dead-end from which the voice came.
A flower that should not be in this terrible place was all they see.
Standing straight in this dark alley is a girl, so beautiful that they held their breath unknowingly.
Despite having strikingly similar faces with the victim, the golden-haired girl radiated a strong
determination. Wearing a western dress adorned with a butterfly knot at the back, with an elegant
hat on her head, she looked just like a living French doll.
Sadly, the look that these guys displayed upon seeing her was just like finding a top-graded prey.
Their exclamations directly resulted from their worldly desires.
"Hyuu...magic!"
"What a great gift to come along with!"
"How lucky of us!"
They did not even remember that it was the girl who has stopped them. Because, other than the
most primitive level of relationship, they knew no other way to communicate with others. They
leave the curled up, weeping boy and begin to close in on the beautiful girl slowly, preparing to use
the only method of human communication that they know.
Yet, the beauty completely ignored their actions, and simply used a pair of charmingly lovely and
gentle blue eyes to look at the golden hair boy. Her red lips, like flower petals, gave off a sweet and
beautiful voice; completely different from the one used to stop the guys earlier.
"Gee, Onii-sama3, you cannot be like this. I told you to wait for me, but you did not listen, and left
my Cradle Garden's effective range. What are you doing?"
3 The normal (/plain) term for elder brother is onii-san. The sama (様) honorific shows Tiriel's respect to Sorath.
"......He, hehe, onii-sama?"
The guys only picked up the parts they were interested in from the words she said.
"So they are brother and sister, how about it? Should we join in-"
One of them said, showing vulgar lust, but this time his words were cut in by the victim.
"Bu-but...I am hungry......"
These bullies were unable to understand the voice that came out from that curled-up body. Not that
it was in a foreign language that they did not understand, but because it was an eerie voice that upon
hearing would make one ponder "How can there be such a voice?".
Not alarmed by it, the girl answered in her sweet voice:
"Is that so? But as long as I am not around, you cannot even make up your mind."
"Ohoho......" The girl placed one hand by her mouth, laughing in a cute and enchanting manner.
This perfectly happy laughter, sent a chill down their spines instead.
("What is the matter with these two?")
The gorgeous girl, apart from stopping the guys in the beginning, had completely ignored them all
along. Now, she shifted her eyes from her brother, and, continuing to ignore them, looked straight to
the innermost part of the dead-end.
"Sydonay! What on earth are you here for?"
She shouted out in a serious tone unlike the way she spoke to her brother.
This time, the reply was of a language that can be understood completely.
"Don't shout out so loudly."
The guys turned back in shock.
Right at the very end of the dead-end in front, a man who was not there before was leaning his back
against the wall, standing.
Donned in a black western set was a tall and big-sized guy with white, silvery hair combed
backwards, and a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.
"This place is still within your Cradle Garden's effective range, and basically this should be
considered as a situation outside our contract, right? My duty is only limited to protecting the two of
you from the harm of a Flame Haze. Besides, this is nothing to Sorath."
So said the man called Sydonay, with a little smile on his finely chiseled face.
"No way. How can we let this bunch of dirty, stinky bugs touch my onii-sama...... Ah ah, this is too
much! The clothes that I picked so carefully became like this!? You bunch of stinky arrogant bugs,
there is a limit to not knowing one's place!"
Even though the guys did not understand what the girl meant in her words, saying that they did not
know their place (if it were meant to be easier to understand, the phrase would have been put in a
shallower manner like "what are you so boastful about"), they could at least tell that she was
insulting them. Their habit was to instantly vent out their anger the instant someone annoys them.
They stared at the beautiful girl once again.
"You actually called us stinky bugs?"
"You are really daring to say that!"
And yet they had already been decisively, or rather, fatally removed from the whole scenario.
Behind them, the golden-haired teenager called Sorath, stood up weakly while shrinking his
shoulders.
"Er, err...... Tiriel, can I...... cut these people up...and eat?"
Said the golden hair boy in a voice incomprehensible to the bullies.
Following that, the questioned girl Tiriel cheerfully tilted her head and answered:
"Sure, feel free to enjoy as much as you want, onii-sama."
"I am so sorry that our words seem to be too difficult for you."
As Sydonay says so carelessly......
"Ha?"
"Hmm?"
At this moment, all the guys were already......
"Aargh!"
"Oh!"
Swept away by a bloody wind.
"That...?"
The guys who were standing in a line were sliced by a slanting slash from the back. As they were
spinning in mid-air, they finally understood this:
At the instant of their death, in their eyes, they saw Sorath, fully clad in a magnificent western
armor, brandishing a gigantic sword, and kneeling with a knee on the ground. With soft, golden hair
overflowing from the helmet without a face guard, and a grim, cold expression, his heroic figure
was just like the main character of a classic fantasy RPG video game.
Nevertheless, he did not save people.
Just slicing people was also not enough.
He pouted his lips and started to "eat" them.
Half of the body in the sky and the remaining half on the ground began to burn ferociously. The tip
of the flame stretched out like a thin thread and continuously flowed into Sorath's mouth. Although
their whole body was in flames, their clothes were unscathed, and their skin did not rot. It's just that,
within the flames the swaying figures slowly blurred, shrinking along with the flame.
"Because Sorath is a child that cannot even control 'Tatsui no Gen4'."
Sydonay's voice which could neither comfort nor inform them in them echoed in vain in the back
alley.
At that moment, as the flame shrunk to the size of a candlelight, Sorath stopped sucking. The thread
that stretched out from the tip of the flame snaps with a "pak" sound. Numerically identical to the
number of people, the remaining flames glittered and danced in the back alley.
"Wow, that's great, onii-sama! You have already learned to leave the torches in complete numbers,
eh?"
Very happy, Tiriel clapped her hands.
Wearing a complete armor suit, Sorath lowered his head slightly, and smiled shyly at his sister.
"Hm...... Yup, because you told me before to do my best at times like this, and that I must make a
habit out of this, or else we would be found out."
4 Speech of Conveying. A skill to change a language they speak to one others understand.
"Yes, that is right, onii-sama...... You have done very well."
Tiriel, whose cheeks were flushed red, hugs her elder brother.
Sorath, being hugged, changed his expression suddenly.
"Because I have to do it. What I really want is not this blunt sword, but a more powerful one."
Sorath apathetically lifted the enormous sword that was shining with freshly red, bloody stains.
Tiriel gently caressed his head and answer:
"Yes, yes. I know, onii-sama."
Sorath's face lit up immediately.
"That samurai sword is very powerful, right? If I have that, regardless of whether it is a torch or a
Flame Haze, I can kill them all! That monster torch is called...called......"
"The most troublesome Mystes, which is the Tenmoku Ikko."
Sydonay answered promptly: "That is something which is well-known among both the Crimson
Denizens and the Flame Hazes. It doesn't mean that he is more knowledgeable or what."
Tiriel who had intended to answer that looks displeased. Ignoring her, he continued:
"I do not think that the 'Blood drinker- Blutsauger5' blade is blunt to the extent of you needing to get
a new weapon. Isn't it still sharp when you use it to cut them?"
Sydonay raised the object before his eyes, and looked at the smooth surface that had fresh blood
dripping from it.
Tiriel was just about to retort when...
"...!?"
In place of her speech. a shriek was about to escape from her when she forced it back.
Sydonay grabbed one of the guys who were killed by that slash with one of his hands.
When did he take it from her brother's killing hand? She actually failed to notice this.
"Ah, argh......"
Grabbed by his throat, the guy let out a groan unlike a blood-curling scream. As he happened to
stand at the furthest side, Sorath's slash curved up from his left knee to his right thigh. Because of
that, he had not died yet. So, Sydonay caught him and forced him to witness how his fellow
companions were eaten. At the extraordinary scene, facing inevitable death, his face was filled with
sheer terror.
"If we set up a Fūzetsu you people would be eaten away without realizing it...... But, our strategy is
to try our best not to use Jizaihō. Since people rarely come to this place, we can just skip this step.
Besides, you were the ones who picked this place, so regret upon your own misfortune!"
After finished talking on his own, Sydonay retracted his arm which was extended together with his
clothes just to look at the cut surface, to its original length. Then he brought the guy before Tiriel's
eyes......
"Give me this one."
The way he raised the guy was like how one toasts.
"You were of no use at all, yet when it comes to rewards, you never forget about them, eh?"
Against Tiriel's sneer, Sydonay smirked and replied:
5 "Blood drinker" in German.
"When you really need me, naturally, I will help out. Yet, for me who has a principle to '(always)
complete my tasks', the reward for it is just so little. To take my reward whenever possible should
be okay, right?"
Saying that, his arm once again curved to a U shape, making the guy face him. With a dumbfounded
look on his face, the person was already unconscious.
"He has lost his senses. What a boring meal right from the start."
Sydonay sneered, and literally "ate" the guy. He opened his mouth wide, and swallowed the guy
completely. A moment later, he became a flame in Sydonay's mouth and slid down his throat. With a
final "puh" [burp] sound, a flame was spat out as a finishing touch.
Tiriel frowned at this.
"The way you eat is really gross, Senpen Sydonay."
"It differs from each individual, Aizenta Tiriel. I can of course learn to be like you too." (Note: The
term, Aizen [engulfed in love] came from "Aizen-Myo-o6").
"Hmph!" Tiriel refused to reply.
At this moment, Sorath whom she was hugging, began to squirm like a little child.
"Go, go, Tiriel! Let's go find it quickly!"
"Okay, okay. This is the reason we come to such a rural and rundown place after all."
"Yeah, I know. This place is related to that thing which is going to be mine soon."
At Sorath's confident statement, Sydonay shrugged his shoulders.
" Aizenji Sorath's Yokubō no Kyūkaku deserves his name after all. If he can manipulate it more
unrestrainedly, I guess it would be a piece of cake to get lots of hidden treasures."
Why are they always bored to the extent of finding toys that can only be played alone? Unable to
comprehend them, Tiriel sighed and smiled.
"That is because my onii-sama's heart is always focused on seeking it. Thus, the heart connects the
thing he needs to him."
"To fulfill your brother's wish, we came all the way to this remote place to follow Flame Hazes,
ignoring all the dangers. Oh I see. No wonder you are always known as 'Dekiai no Hōyō'."
"Yup. Exactly. That's me."
It was said that in the recent years, a Flame Haze took away the blade named after the original
owner, Tenmoku Ikko, and rampaged in this area of East Asia. Regarding whose contractor it
was...... as there had not been any Crimson Denizens who survived after encountering it, rumors
which were spread were mere guesses. But in a nutshell, it is certain that the enemy was very hard
to deal with.
Though it might not be the reason, due to the disappearance of the Tenmoku Ikko, Flame Hazes
once again come into this area. To the Crimson Denizens, the reappearance of Banjō no Shite after
remaining hidden for long period of time, and the witnessing of the Chōshi no Yomite showed that
in these recent years the area of East Asia had become a zone where dangers lurked at all corners.
Actually, before coming to Japan, the faraway country that gave birth to the Tenmoku Ikko, they
had already encountered the "Banjō no Shite" in Hong Kong. Thanks to Sydonay who was hired to
be their bodyguard, they managed to avoid that unnecessary battle, though it was nevertheless a
close call.
6 It is a Aizen Myo-o deity of a religion, having two heads and six arms. Praying to this deity is said to bring a good
marriage, happiness among couples, and making up among people.
'The reason we came to such a dangerous place, is all due to my love as "Aizenta" towards my oniisama......'
Tiriel thought, and lifted the cheeks of the brother she loved with her palms.
"So onii-sama, before we begin the chase, please share with me."
"Yeah Tiriel, we must find Nietono no Shana quickly!!"
Sorath grinned, and without hesitating, placed his lips against the slightly opened lips of his sister.
As usual, he pecked lightly on the pale, peach-red flower petals, moisturizing them before sticking
his tongue in. He reached out to her waist roughly and tightly hugged her as though trying to be one
with her.
Finally, the two intertwined tongues were stained with a layer of golden flames- the Power of
Existence, usually obtained by devouring humans. Sorath used a mouth-to-mouth method to pass it
to Tiriel.
"Aahhhh~"
With an innocent passion, Sorath sought the price for sharing the power to his beloved sister,
greedily.
"Huh, uunnhhh......"
Tiriel was bound in a violent caress, and bright, golden yellow sparks
like incomplete sighs escaped from the edge of the lips.
If this were to be used to describe the kissing scene between a knight
and a princess, it shall be deemed too depraved. Without any choice,
Sydonay sighed and leaned against the wall again. The two would
probably remain like this for quite some time. He used the Jizaihō that
converts 'will' into 'words', the "Tatsui no Gen"......
(As far as I know, in this country it is called "to catch fire".
At the same time he laughed.
(What a suitable description, isn't it?)
Under his sunglasses, Sydonay giggled and released his energy.
Suddenly, the residues of the teenagers floating in mid-air and lying on the ground formed their
outer appearances just like when they were still alive, but slightly bloated. The guys recovered to a
state of "very shallow existence", and, as if they were unable to see other three at all, slowly walked
out of the alley with dumbfounded expressions and staggering footsteps.
To return to a life that gradually disappeared- five replacements.
Above the alley in between buildings, the dark gloomy sky faintly reflected the lights of the city at
night.
Continuously and passionately kissing each other was the perverted yet beautiful "Aizen siblings".
While admiring the spectacular sight, Senpen Sydonay enjoyed himself by smoking tobacco at the
same time.
Taking a cigarette box out of his chest pocket, his fingers tapped lightly against it to take one of the
cigarettes out. Pointing his finger upwards, a flame burst naturally from his fingertip.
The moonlight could not be seen. In this dark night, the flame had an eerily purple color.
Shana's delicate hand softly touched the rough finger of Yūji Sakai who was beside her.
"Fūzetsu."
A word comes out of the equally delicate lips. Instantly, fiery red flames appeared at a certain
corner of the city of Misaki.
The flames kept on expanding, with the rooftop of the Sakai household on which the two of them
were as the center, forming a barrier of rosy clouds. Within the barrier, the flames turned into eerie
wordings which began to draw a totem on the surface of the floor.
This is the formation of Fūzetsu that causes the area within the barrier to be cut off and isolated
from the outside world, thus creating a secluded dimension that has its own causality.
Inside the barrier which faintly shone with a fiery red color, wearing his sports jacket in place of his
pajamas, Yūji gazed at the girl beside him- the girl who was an ordinary high school student, whose
body underwent severe destruction, resulting in major alterations of her past and future.
Despite looking just like an eleven or twelve-year-old, her stern and heroic face impressed one
deeply. That petite figure gave off a contrastingly overwhelming existence. Wrapped in a black
overcoat, sitting side by side with Yūji, this scene looked just like a painting. (Although she was
wearing loose pajamas and slippers under the black coat)
Just by one look, one could tell that this girl is not a human.
Because her straight and smooth long hair gave off a fiery red glow, fire sparks dispersed all over
the area.
After that, her tightly closed eyes opened slowly.
Her pupils were fiery red as well.
...... Looking at her...... One would feel himself deeply immersed in love......
This lady is someone whose duty is to annihilate the Crimson Denizens from another world, who
consume the Power of Existence within humans. As a member of those bearing supernatural
powers, the Flame Hazes, she had made a contract with the Demon God, Tenjō no Gōka, therefore
abandoning her human identity to become the Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite.
Yūji gave her a name- Shana.
"......?"
At this moment, Yūji realized that Shana was looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Questioningly, she noted:
"Yūji, just now your Power of Existence flowed in more than usual."
"Ah, so you've realized?"
Shana used her blazing eyes to sweep across the area.
"I can feel it, since the Fūzetsu is bigger than usual."
"Ah ah, oh I see...... Actually, lately I have been able to clearly feel my Power of Existence. That is
why I am giving it a try, to see if I can increase the amount of power input through my own will."
Hearing Yūji's words, Shana's expression became severe:
"You must not attempt to casually control your Power of Existence while your skills are still not up
to it. If you fail to operate it properly and all your power flows out, you would cease to exist, you
know."
"So...... Sorry."
Yūji apologized immediately. But then......
(Was she worried about me just now?)
Deep inside, he felt an optimistic gladness. It had been more than a month since they met. They had
had disagreements and conflicts before, so to think that he still became closer with the aloof and
unpredictable Shana......
Yūji who thought he know the current situation very well, was splashed with cold water7.
(Translator's Notes: Alsator uses kisama8 as 'you' when he refers to Yūji.)
"Since your senses are so well developed and sharp, from now on in our special night-time training,
we shall add an extra module to let you learn how to control your powers."
The wet blanket happened to be a deep, coarse male voice which sounded like a distant roar of
thunder. It came from the pendant hanging in front of Shana's chest. It was attached by a silver
chain around her neck. The outer rim of the black spherical object had golden rings crossed around
it.
The owner of the voice is, the Tenjō no Gōka Alastor.
One of the Lords of the Crimson Realm who had bestowed the powers of a Flame Haze upon
Shana. His main body lies dormant within Shana. Only his consciousness is expressed through this
pendant-shaped divine artifact "Cocytus".
Towards this demonic being from another dimension, who is her father-cum-brother-cum-teachercum-
friend, Shana cheerfully agreed:
"That is right. Good idea."
"Great! I've just dug my own grave."
Yūji looked through the rosy clouds at the dark sky above him.
"Hehe." Shana laughed and replied:
"Does it matter? Until now, during our daily night-time practice, all you do is just watching me
perform. Now, by doing this, instead of being just a spectator, you will be involved in our activities
both during day and night. Then your everyday life won't be so mundane."
"Huh...fine. At least it is better than discovering things alone, and to make a big, irreparable
blunder."
"That's right. For today, just carefully feel how I use my powers."
Seeing Shana lifting her chest and putting on an air of haughtiness, Yūji smiled cheekily and
remarked:
"And it was only yesterday when you were saying that you were still not good enough..."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!9 Just keep quiet and feel it!"
Exclaiming loudly, she stood up. Her flame-red hair and her black coat danced with the wind as she
gripped Yūji by his finger to hold her position.
For the past month, both of them had been consistently conducting Flame Haze trainings on top of
the Fūzetsu-enveloped Sakai house. Their aim is to let their body get used to it, and also to
continually training the brand new power that was awakened in the battle one month ago, to the
point where they can use it at will.
This awakened power was set ablaze right before Yūji's eyes.
7 Literal translation here because English equivalent is unknown. It actually means 'emotions being drowned in cold
water, like meeting someone who is being a wet blanket.'
8 貴様. A rude and offensive way to say 'you'.
9 Original text: うるさいうるさいうるさい！ (Urusai, urusai, urusai!) The lines frequently used by Shana towards
Yūji.　Mainly used to cover up her embarrassment.
"-Ah!"
With a screech, fiery red flames burst out from Shana's back, forming a pair of spread out wings.
Falling short of the grandeur of an angel, yet too dazzling and resplendent to be described as a
devil: The perfect image of a warrior.
Yūji once again channeled his Power of Existence into Shana's body through their held hands. He
could feel the power being converted into a different form. He felt that he- not his body, but he
himself being drained. As a chilly depression seeps into him, the part of him that was drained out
becomes her wings, giving him a peaceful feeling of being one with her. He himself......not his
body, but he himself felt a chilly feeling like a part of him was being scraped off. That part of him
became her wings, and there was a sense of unity which resembled tranquillity.
It is impossible for a normal human to transfer their Power of Existence to others like this, as the
person would disappear right after that.
(Only I can do this.)
This also means that, Yūji Sakai who was feeling subtly satisfied right now, is not a human.
To be more precise, he is the remnants of the Yūji Sakai who was once a human. More than a month
ago, the real Yūji's Power of Existence was consumed by a Crimson Denizen. He had actually died.
After that, the Denizen used the remains to create a replacement for the deceased Yūji- a Torch.
That's what he is right now.
After feeling the sudden distortions in the world due to disappearances in existence, Flame Hazes
use this as a clue to track down Denizens. Torches are made to minimize the distortions that the
Flame Hazes sense to interfere with their tracking.
A torch retains the memories and the personality of the person when he was still alive. It slowly
uses up the remaining Power of Existence left in it. Even though its usual life carries on, its
strength, presence, its relationships with its surroundings and its place in the world will gradually
disappear.
Thus, when people are accustomed to not needing this person, this person will slowly fade away
unnoticed. The memories of the people around it, traces that prove it once existed, will all vanish.
Even these people will not notice any anomalies.
In other words, a complete annihilation, which is worse than mere death...... This is the fate of the
people who are consumed by Crimson Denizens; the ultimate end for torches.
Now, standing here, Yūji Sakai is one of them.
But, luckily (he feels so himself), he is what is known as a Mystes, meaning a special torch that has
a Crimson Denizen's Hōgu within him. The Hōgu within him is called Reiji Maigo. It is capable of
interfering with all phenomena associated with time, thus being known as the greatest of the great
treasures among the Crimson Denizens.
This is an everlasting device made by a Lord of Crimson Realm, who fell in love with a human of
this world, and wanted to make the lover immortal. Therefore, it has the ability to restore all the
Power of Existence spent throughout the day at midnight, everyday.
This Hōgu is too powerful to be wielded by a mortal. However, thanks to it, Yūji is able to retain his
original mentality and personality, and continue to lead a normal life.
Just like now. Before midnight, he ccould use his Power of Existence to help Shana with her
training, since it will recover by midnight.
"Wow! You are already able to materialize the wings in an instant."
Alastor awarded a passing grade.
Shana's ecstatic expression lasted for merely one second, as the wings disintegrated and scattered
everywhere as fire sparks. Putting on a serious expression, she mused:
"Since we have used these wings in actual combat before, the body still can remember that feeling.
But for the other parts, to reach such a level......more time is needed."
"Don't rush. Just do it slowly."
"Okay."
Unlike the Crimson Denizens who extract the Power of Existence from others for their own use,
Flame Hazes like Shana's motility comes from using their own power within the contractor, who
acts as a vessel for the Lord. It is similar to one's physical strength, which can be restored after
resting. Nevertheless, to them who may be in a battlefield at any time, to use their own energy
without conserving any is the worst thing to do.
That is why Shana and Alastor let Yūji who possesses the ability of complete regeneration, to
transfer his energy to help with Shana's training. Treating him like a bottle that will never run dry,
he has indeed been a great help to Shana.
(Hmph, since you find it convenient, feel free to use it as much as you want.)
Yūji had accepted the fact as well. He has already accepted his own existence.
A little energy flowed out from his hand. This energy kept on wriggling and tangling within Shana's
body.
Yūji focused, preparing to capture the feeling as it changes.
"Ugh..."
Shana gave a low moan, and stretched her other empty hand out to the front.
Just like those which constructed the wings, blazing-red fire sparks began to dance around her arm.
Like a tornado of flame, they shot up to the sky, expanding outwards at the same time. The density
of the fire sparks decreased. Surrounding the figure that forms a 3-D shape, the object looked like it
was made from a blazing red paper.
In this manner, a gigantic arm that was about ten meters in length appeared slowly within the dark
night. Sharp claws stretched out from its fingertips. One could not tell whether it is flesh or armor.
Yūji remembered this gigantic object formed by the flames.
He had seen it once before. Demon God of the Crimson Realm- Tenjō no Gōka Alastor took on this
form as he made his appearance...... But as far as he could remember, that was even larger, and the
thick flames formed a magnificent scene beyond comparison.
Now Shana was undergoing a training to completely control Alastor's power. Before this, she had
almost solely relied on her physical abilities in combat. If she could use and control this power, then
her combating style would naturally have more variety.
Nevertheless, in reality, the unique abilities that comes with a contract with a Lord of the Crimson
Realm is restricted. Apparently, this fact caused her to feel inferior. Since the second night after the
battle a month ago, she had been learning enthusiastically how to use this power. The current result
is that she was able to form the wings in an instant. Now, the following step was to try to let a part
of Alastor materialize.
"It looks smaller than what I have seen before."
Hearing Yūji's frank remark, Shana mildly replied:
"This is because I have purposely controlled the size of appearance. If I let the arm appear in its
original form, you would probably be used up to the very last drop immediately."
"Is...... Is that so?"
Yūji's cheek cramped.
Shana found his expression funny. Then, she swung that arm forcefully, after which she frowned
deeply and pouted:
"...... As I thought, it is not working."
The monstrous arm was unable to catch up with Shana's arm movement. Rotating from her
shoulder, countless fire sparks dropped off, and the whole thing became limp. The arm looked as if
it was paper-made.
"You still have not learned how to maintain the power that constitutes the form."
Alastor gave her a much lower grade.
"Okay. I will work harder."
Shana seemed down. She straightened her arm and formed a fist. And the other arm also formed a
fist in synchrony.
"I told you not to rush. Let's try to form a shape with the Nietono no Shana sword. I'll let my energy
flow through the samurai sword. You should be able to get used to the feeling easier this way."
"Okay."
Shana nodded and opened her tight fist. Synchronizing with this action, the gigantic arm spread out
wide.
Yūji was captivated by the dancing, blossoming fire sparks. Beside him, Shana pulled out a blade
from the black overcoat at her left waist. By right, judging from its size, it should be impossible to
be kept there.
That is the Hōgu that she uses for defense- the invincible samurai sword, Nietono no Shana.
Which was also how Yūji came up with the name "Shana".
The thick blade is almost as long as the height of its owner. Gleaming with a killer's instinct, it was
thrust forward.
"Huh!"
At Shana's loud cuing exclamation, Yūji's hand transferred energy once again. Unlike before, this
time he felt a sharp feeling.
That sensation materialized naturally, and fire sparks instantly surrounded the tip of the Nietono no
Shana which was held out, and the blade extended.
"Indeed. Using a weapon to focus the energy is faster."
Shana said so, satisfied. Waving the fire sparks samurai sword that extended from the tip of the
original blade, she swung it upwards. A "puuh" sound could be heard as the air is being burned. The
large samurai sword followed suit. With the giant blade unsteady, there was a slight delay before it
follows the samurai sword. However, compared to using that arm earlier, the form was more stable
and easier to retain.
Had Alastor used a samurai sword before?
Yūji tried to recollect his memories. Because, during the last time he saw Alastor, Yūji was dying.
Thus he was unable to look at him properly.
"That is one of the special attributes which are included in my existence."
"......?"
As usual, Alastor used complicated and confusing expressions to explain comprehensively. Despite
his astounding name, Tenjō no Gōka, he is actually completely different- amiable and polite. But,
due to (and ever since) a certain event, his attitude towards Yūji can be very strict at times.
"As we Crimson Denizens appear, we would convert certain attributes within us into a form that is
suitable for this world. The Jūrin no Sōga you saw is the same. In the Crimson Realm he does not
possess the form of a giant wolf. He changes to that form to let him materialize with his unique
attributes in this world."
His explanation was rather complicated. To put it simply, as Crimson Denizens appear in their
original features in this world, they would be converted into a form that suits their special
features...I guess.
Friagne transform into a small bird and escaped, is that his special attribute too?
Vaguely enlightened, Yūji lifted his head to look at the flame blade that points straight at the
heavens.
"So, this huge blade is also one form of the Demon God Tenjō no Gōka?"
"To be accurate, this is one of the imaginations I have on Alastor."
Shana said.
"This means, in my existence, an aggressive attribute like that of a samurai sword is included. As
long as it is within that region, the form can appear, unrestrained."
"Hmph. You're right. Whenever a demon god associated with flames is mentioned, they usually
carry knives or swords."
Yūji said in a manner as if he really understood. Actually, his impression towards Demon Gods
were at most the Acalanatha which he saw from the national television channel, or just some clay
figurines from famous movies with special effects in the past. That was his standard.
At that moment.
An alarm rang in his pocket. It was bought specially for this training. He gently tapped the alarm
clock from the outside of his pocket. The alarm quieted down.
"Errr...... Time is up."
It was almost midnight
"Is that so? Then let's stop here for today."
Shana let go of Yūji's fingertip. Although it looked like a strong pillar supporting the heavens, the
fire sparks blade disintegrated and dispersed just like that. She skillfully turned the tip of Nietono
no Shana around. Keeping it inside the black coat at the area of her left waist, it disappeared.
"......"
The 'swish' sound that normally accompanies this type of action was completely absent. Her
elegance as she waved the blade mesmerized Yūji.
At the same time, because she let go his hand, he began to feel lonely. This happened every night.
During this whole month, Yūji had been having fun in this training, although he was just a
spectator. He had never contemplated the reason though.
This thing is, after all, THAT. I do not even have any interest in THAT...of course I feel that Shana
is very pretty too and I don't dislike her-
"Umm...huh!?"
Shana had sat down again right in front of Yūji before without him noticing. Her flaming eyes were
scrutinizing him, and peering into that face in wonder.. Seeing Yūji's surprised expression, she tilted
her head.
"Anything wrong? What's with the dumb-looking face? We did not use up too much of your Power
of Existence, did we?"
"It should not have been too much...... Hmm, could it be that you......"
Alastor's intuition as Shana's guardian was displayed.
Aahhh! Is he going to ask me why? Very nervous, he tries to find a way out when...
A sudden surge of energy exited from his body.
"Oh! Umm. Mid...midnight has arrived."
The Hōgu, Reiji Maigo, enables his body to recover all the Power of Existence spent in the whole
day. Before this, he was incapable of feeling the recovery at all. However, because he had been
accompanying Shana in her trainings for some time now, his Power of Existence had been used
continually. Thus, he was able to differentiate it clearly now.
"......"
Maybe due to the look he had, Alastor decided not to probe further.
Trying to change the topic, though curious as well, Yūji asked:
"Errrm, regarding this Reiji Maigo......"
"What about it?"
Shana questioned back coldly.
Used to this attitude of hers, Yūji continued:
"What should I do, from now on?"
"......"
Faced with this tough question, Shana fell silent, waiting for Yūji to continue.
"During this past month, I have been observing myself. To be able to sense the Power of Existence,
the cause should also be...... thanks to this."
Yūji intended his question to sound casual. Instead, he sounded a bit rude.
The question served as an outlet for the emotions buried deep within his heart. Slowly, his emotions
were revealed.
"The Reiji Maigo within me will restore my Power of Existence everyday right? But why the things
that happened yesterday are not reset together with it? I can clearly remember all the things that
were taught in class. The things I learned in the morning trainings also do not disappear."
Not unlike the training just now, Yūji also learned her so-called "basic fighting skills" in the
courtyard every morning. Recently he could finally sense the birth of what she described as "killing
intent". But, only able to sense it, he had absolutely no idea how to face it.
"Now, I can finally sense the flow of the Power of Existence, and can activate it as I like. This
means that I am growing in some way or another, right?"
Though Yūji did not shout, there was an undeniable fervor in his voice. He conveyed the questions
he had asked himself in vain, as the emotions buried deep within became clearer gradually.
This was actually his fear for his future, something he thought he had managed to accept.
As if being urged, Yūji continued:
"Will a Mystes who possesses the everlasting device Reiji Maigo grow up and age?"
Facing the person right in front, Shana did not move, but answered in her usual clear voice:
"I don't know."
Still, she explained what she knew.
"It is said that before this, the 'eternal lover' who possessed that secret treasure lived with the Lord
for as long as three hundred years until he disappeared."
"Oh I see......"
His fears now seemed so far away. Yūji heaved a sigh of relief, and lowered his voice and asks:
"You've never met them directly?"
With a displeased look, she retorted:
"How can that be possible? It has already been over a century since they disappeared!"
She seemed to be saying: I am not so old, okay?
So how old is she now? Yūji wanted to ask that, but stopped.
Alastor replied in Shana's stead:
"That 'Engage Ring' had constantly exchanged their Power of Existence with each other, thus did
not cause any harm to the equilibrium of the world. Apart from that, they were both very powerful
professionals. You can understand, don't you, what this implies?"
After pondering for a moment, Yūji understood what he meant immediately.
"Yeah. Because they did not eat people, the Flame Hazes did not exterminate them, and due to their
strength, the Denizens will not risk of attacking them...... As they did not draw any attention at all,
detailed information couldn't be obtained, right?"
(......Gee, is this kid a big idiot (pure luck) or is he that smart?)
Hearing Yūji flawlessly explained in a proud tone, Alastor admitted it silently, and unhappily.
Now it was Shana's turn.
"What we are sure of is, he is immortal like us Flame Hazes."
"So, will I be immortal too?"
"How about spending three hundred years to find the answer?"
Hearing this ridiculous joke, Yūji could not help but give a dry smile......
"Three hundred..."
Its meaning hit him. He was momentarily stunned.
Immortality.
It sounded good, but if he would never grow at all...
Even if it is not three hundred years... Ten years- no, five years is enough, With his outward features
the remaining the same, what would his family and friends think about him? Father, mother, Ike,
Satō, Tanaka, Yoshida-san, his classmates, his neighbors, everyone... What would they think of
him?
He had accepted the fact that the one standing here now is the Yūji Sakai, a Torch.
But, the people around him might not feel this way.
To only have realized this now...... (Though he never had the time to think about it in the past.) No
matter what, he could not live a normal life ever again.
The stage where he could throw up a big fuss and refuse to budge had already passed.
Even if he decided to continue living on, he still could not find the road he could take.
Of course, the "fear for the future" that he felt earlier is not about whether he can accept and
understand his life and existence or not. Instead it is about the life he was leading now- far, distant
and full of uncertainties......In other words, his apprehension about the future.
The one who could point out the path he should take; perhaps the one who would always walk
alongside him, was right in front, accompanying him.
(Ah......)
Suddenly, he realized something: his apprehension about the future was actually coupled with the
existence of this lady named Shana. Maybe they cannot be together...... This is what he was most
afraid of.
This dread sprouted from the situation in which eventually, he would lose his one and only choice...
Is that it?
Or is it the feeling of having to rely on her, to be supported by her? Or maybe, treating her as if she
were a compass to guide his path?
(...... No.)
This is unlike a boring calculation of weighing the pros and cons.
(I just want to be with her. That is all.)
The conversation they had just now strikes Yūji, filling his heart with admiration- "...Engage
Ring...", "...eternal lover..." A naïve, wild idea, he thought.
Suddenly, acting on a sudden, strong impulse, Yūji called out:
"Shana."
(Please be with me, forever.)
This part, thought not expressed in words, was clearly conveyed through his clear, sincere heart.
"......!"
As if being struck by telepathy, Shana finally understood the reason for
Yūji's anxiety. Wearing a surprised look, Shana and Yūji exchanged
looks.
She could not reply. Unexpectedly presented with such a serious and
important request, between the two, their preparation, determination,
requirements, confidence, and many other things; all seemed
insufficient.
"............"
"............"
Silence dropped between the two who stared at each other, after which,
very quickly, unable to withstand this heavy atmosphere any longer,
Shana shifted her eyes away. She stood up swiftly, grabbed Yūji's collar and jumped off, landing at
the balcony outside his room.
"Hmph!"
Shana forcefully threw Yūji down, and sat on the handle at the balcony. Her legs stretched
outwards, with her back facing Yūji.
"That hurts..."
A low moan could be heard after Yūji hit the floor hard, despite landing on his butt. He could feel
the Fūzetsu around his house being lifted.
The barrier and the wordings on the floor gradually faded off. The causality within the area was
reconnected to the outside one, and began to operate normally again. The lights and sounds of the
city which should be non-existent in this dark night could be heard again.
A faint voice came from within.....
"I think......"
Shana said so with her back facing him. The fiery red hair had turned black and cooled down
unnoticed. Her petite figure and her black coat blended into the night altogether.
"...we should not talk about this now."
A simple rejection.
Being poured with a bucket of cold water, Yūji woke up from his thoughts and came back to reality.
"Err............ So, sorry......"
"Never mind. See you tomorrow."
Shana seemed to have forgotten the serious conversation they had earlier. She bade farewell softly
and left.
Yūji replied bluntly:
"......Yeah, good night."
Shana straightened her hair, leaped into the dark night, and disappeared.
Yūji thought he saw her red lips parted slightly as she was straightening her hair.
(Was she saying good night to me?)
In a stupor-like state, still sitting on the floor, he continued looking at the sky from which Shana
left. She had been masquerading as Yukari Hirai (平井・ゆかり Hirai Yukari)　, Yūji's classmate,
and living in this city. The whole Hirai family was devoured by Denizens, which turned them into
Torches. She replaced the only daughter of this family, thus having a temporary place to stay.
After that, she stayed there for more than a month. Now, the Torches of both parents had
extinguished, so she was the only one left in the apartment. Their relatives had long forgotten the
existence of the Hirai couple, believing that this girl is ‘a distant relative’. A high school student
living in an apartment all alone is indeed and absurd. But unless anything special happens which
raises their awareness, everyone else would just adopt an ‘I-don’t-care’ attitude and ignore it.
Things just happen to be like that, they believe, and thus do not think much about it.
This kind of situation was not unusual in Misaki City, where many people had been consumed by a
certain Lord of the Crimson Realm. These include children who lost their parents (and vice-versa),
pregnant ladies who lost their husbands, old people who lost their family, and disappearances of
bosses, employees and colleagues in working places…this happened everywhere in the city.
Even though Torches do reduce the influence to the outside world until they die out eventually, if
there is a massive amount of burned out Torches at the same place, the daily life of the society
would be hindered. In fact, many chaotic incidents had been happening all around the city.
In the end, all that is left was absurd "facts" with their reasons and developments unknown.
Suddenly, facing an uncanny and confusing situation, anyone would be at a loss of what to do.
This situation differed only in the number of disappeared people and the severity of the chaos. It
was not restricted to Misaki City.
The world had had these distortions caused by Crimson Denizens since a long time ago. Until this
day, life continues, though the machinery had apparently started to squeak. Thus, it is the duty of the
Flame Hazes to try their best to put a stop to this situation, and to get rid of the Denizens.
The reason Shana (who bears this duty) stayed in this city is to observe Yūji, the Mystes' condition.
However, Yūji silently believed that this was only her excuse. In reality, it should be out of her
personal wish, hopefully out of her kindness.
Even though she never expressed it in words, Yūji understood.
(The decision I made so determinedly back then; I could not even follow it well…)
The incident a month ago made him resolve not to cause her any more troubles, and more
importantly, to work hard to become stronger, so she would never have to be like that again.
(That was- how should I say it?- a strong, rash feeling that he had for a moment, causing him to
make such a brainless, reckless and heartless request, which resulted in his becoming her burden
and predicament.)
He should have understood long ago!
(Why? Why did I still do such a thing?)
Yūji felt that that ridiculous impulse of his was something similar to the fear of getting lost.
He felt as if there was a tightly compressed spring inside his chest, which kept trying to expand;
stinging him in the dark, completely beyond his control.
(This should not be the side effect of Reiji Maigo, I think.)
(Or could it be......)
He could blame how naïve he was. ‘Someone’ once described him that way…isn't it just as the
person has said?
Once again, he felt the hard feeling within his heart. With a "bang", he slammed himself against the
wall behind him.
(I really am someone who doesn’t learn at all…)
He thought in his heart.
"What am I doing? Gee......"
To a mere brat, this world is full of things which must happen, things he did not understand.
Chapter Two - Duel in the Rain
Though the sun was already up, thick clouds
covered the skies of Misaki City.
The warm moist air added to the sweet
atmosphere of the plum rains10.
After the morning training in the Sakai courtyard,
Shana idly enjoyed her morning bath just like any
other day. After bathing, with a relaxed
expression, she walked back to the living room
and Yūji, who was beaten up as always, went into
the bathroom after her for a quick shower.
During the training, Yūji seemed listless,
apparently affected by what happened last night.
Shana, holding a branch, sent him flying with her
strength. Actually, she had tried her best at lifting
his spirits- which she did, as Yūji eventually
continued his routine with the usual enthusiasm.
Because of that, Shana seemed elated and started
humming a tuneless melody.
She could be considered as a 'half-day tenant of
the Sakai family', since she was here every
morning, and during dinner she ate here most of the time too. This place had basically become her
home. As for the Hirai house that in which she was the sole occupant, it was merely a place to sleep.
Yūji’s mother, Chigusa Sakai also approved of this...no, ‘greatly encouraged’ should be the right
word. In her eyes, though unexpectedly inept at certain areas, Shana was very cute. At the first few
days when she began living alone......
“There are still many empty rooms in our house.”
She obstinately insisted Shana to live with them in their house (Chigusa thinks that her son did not
have the guts to do anything funny... Though due to some unknown reasons, this happened to be
true.) The members of the Sakai family are father, mother, and son- a family of three. Because the
breadwinner of the family, Kantarō Sakai is currently overseas alone, Chigusa and Yūji were the
only ones at home. Thus there was enough room for her.
Towards the reliable, strong, frank and intelligent (this comment was made by Alastor) Chigusa,
even though Shana did not resent the idea, she refused it eventually, so as not to get too close to
Yūji.
Despite her frustration, if there were any other opportunities in the future, Chigusa decided to give it
another shot.
“Shana-chan, can you help me to set up the table?”
Chigusa shouted through the door curtains from the kitchen beside. By the way, she knew
completely nothing about Shana’s real identity and background, all because Yūji told her: “This is
her nickname, so just call her that from now on.”
“Okay.”
10 (梅雨 tsuyu) - The frontal precipitation caused by the tsuyu front, a persistent east-west zone of disturbed weather
during spring. Plum rains refers to the season when the Japanese apricot (ume) ripens.
Shana answered in a simple manner. She arranged the serving plate which had ham and eggs for
three, the empty porcelain-made bowls and the wooden bowls on the table one by one. Lastly, she
placed Chigusa’s white chopsticks, Yūji’s blue ones, and hers (red-in-color) on the chopstick stands.
Looking at the eating utensils that were arranged nicely, Shana nodded, with a “hmm” sound,
expressing her satisfaction.
“Thank you.”
Chigusa said, as she walked in holding a soup pot at its handle, single-handed. She places the soup
pot on a heat-resistant layer at the center of the dining table. The aromatic smell of the miso soup
slowly spread over the living room, causing one’s stomach to grumble.
Chigusa looked at Shana, and smiled at her gently.
“Yup! That looks great, Shana-chan.”
“Is that so?”
Replying softly, Shana’s cheeks turned red, the reason not solely because she had just bathed.
From today onwards, her regular high school uniform was changed to the summer attire. The one
who prepared her uniform was Chigusa. She had handed it over to Shana before she went for her
bath.
Because she lives alone, Chigusa paid special attention to the area of dressing (probably because
she is interested in it). Come to think of it, she had gone shopping willingly and happily just to buy
this uniform.
Actually, Shana had already given the expenses for the things she needed (which even she is unsure
of) to Chigusa. This thick envelope had been lying in the cabinet, unopened, until a few days ago,
where it was discovered by a hungry Yūji who was looking for some snacks.
Shana seemed concerned. She looked down at the new uniform Chigusa prepared for her.
The collar and sleeve of the sailor uniform were of a deep green color. Apart from these, the rest
were dazzlingly white in color. The design of the skirt was basically the same; just that it was made
of a thinner material.
Wearing this light set (or so she described it), she felt as if her body becomes lighter, making her
immensely pleased. For someone who only used to care about the practical usage of clothes, Shana
learned many other ways of entertainment and enjoyment in different areas from Chigusa, after
coming to the Sakai household.
In fact, Chigusa’s knowledge is not limited to this area. She is just like a treasure chest filled with
amazing knowledge Shana knew nothing of.
(Until now, ever since I become a Flame Haze, I have to think of ways to take care of everything
myself……)
Rather than saying that she knew everything, the fact is that what needed to be done was just too
obvious…… In other words, her lifestyle had always been very plain and simple, Shana finally
realized.
Of course she looked down neither on her call nor every battle that came with it just because of that.
Those were things that are one with her: very strongly she believed in it. But she also did not mind
coming into contact with new surprises other than these things.
(Oh yeah……)
Shana would like to ask Chigusa something she has been checking out during her leisure time
recently. Maybe that could help her clear up the uncertainty and shock she felt after hearing what
Yūji said last night.
“Chigusa.”
From how Shana called her, one can tell that she sees Chigusa as a very good friend. Chigusa did
not seem to mind and instead, gladly accepted it.
“What is it?”
Chigusa walked in through the portière once more. In her hand was a can of peaches which was
apparently the dessert for breakfast.
Shana glanced at Chigusa, and continued:
“There is something I would like to ask. I’ve checked it up for a long time, but I still don’t get it.”
“Oh. What is it? If it is too difficult, I doubt I will know either.”
That is not possible! Shana defended Chigusa’s reputation in her heart, and asked in a simple
manner, straight to the point:
“What is the meaning of kissing?”
(………What?!)
Within the divine vessel Cocytus that was hanging at the chest of the summer uniform, the usually
calm and composed Tenjō no Gōka Alastor displayed an astounding self-restraint towards this
sudden shocking situation, and tried his best not to scream out.
(Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-)
It was a mess after that.
Chigusa did not reply instantly. She supported her cheeks with her hands to and asks in return:
“……Why are you asking this question?”
With slightly knit eyebrows, the reason she showed a troubled expression was due to her worrying
that her son might have taught her something. But this time she had completely wronged a good
person.
Shana replied quickly:
“Not too long ago, someone told Yūji that if he is ever in a bad mood, just kiss me. He even said:
‘This way, everything will be solved’.”
(So……So this is the case? Damn you Rasen no Fūkin! How dare you teach kids wrong things like
that!!)
Alastor released a powerful, unblockable psychic curse, and a righteous gentleman far away in
some place of the world felt a chill…… As for what really happened, no one knows for sure.
“So it really wasn’t Yūji who said something weird to you?”
“……? Nope.”
Unsure by what she meant by ‘something weird’, Shana simply nodded. Actually there was no way
that Yūji would say anything weird.
Chigusa contemplated this girl’s frank expression. She did not seem to want to split hairs the
question and did not seem to be deeply troubled by it. Instead, it was just out of pure curiosity and
interest.
“Hmph, ‘what is the meaning?’…… An easy-looking question, with a hard answer though...”
Chigusa placed the can on the dining table and sat down, facing her chopsticks.
Shana subconsciously followed her.
(Ma’am! Please, you must give me a logical and precise reply. I beg you!)
Facing Alastor’s high expectations, Chigusa opened her mouth:
“You mentioned you’ve checked it up for a long time…… That is to say, you should have spent
quite some time in the library. Even so you still do not understand?”
“Yeah, but, no matter which book it is, it only explains up to what I’ve already known. I know how
to give a kiss and who to give it to, and have seen it before. But I don’t understand why doing so
would make Yūji obtain an answer for his uneasiness. Because this is related to me, I would like to
know: What is the meaning behind such an action?”
“Have you ever read novels or literature works?”
“Alastor once said that contents that are based on the point of view of an individual, are not suitable
for accurate analysis and discussion. So I only memorized the important parts. I never used them as
research materials, though.”
Chigusa had already heard Shana mention the name of this foreigner proudly several times.
“I remember Alastor-san is something like your father who lives in a place far away, right? He
really seems to be someone who has a unique insight.”
“Yup.”
Hearing someone she esteemed being praised, Shana seemed rather pleased.
Yet Chigusa……
“But……”
She continued:
“? ”
(???)
“Under such a situation, you may still not understand.”
“What do you mean?”
Chigusa chose her words very carefully.
“Hmmm…About this, umm…… Data usually are usually based on facts and logic, containing
nothing other than these. Yet, what Shana-chan asks is something beyond these…… I mean, it is an
indefinite question without a complete answer, since it deals with feelings and emotions.”
Shana looked dumbstruck. Looks like these things were too much for her.
Facing the innocent and naïve girl, Chigusa continued to explain in a detailed and careful way:
“You understand that ‘touching between bodies' is a way to display love, right?”
“Yeah, kissing also belongs to this area right? Holding hands, hugging…everyone does them.”
“Yeah…”
Despite feeling she had slightly gone out of topic, Chigusa still continued asking, though rather
forcefully.
“Then, let’s say, do you think that it is alright to do this to Alastor-san, whom you like?”
Even though she was unable to imagine that scene at that moment, Shana nodded, naturally.
“Yes.”
(…………)
“In this case……”
Although she seemed to become a busybody, she reasoned to herself that this is not for Yūji, but for
Shana. To verify, Chigusa asked:
“Can you do this casually to Yū-chan too?”
“………Ah!? Erm, err, this……”
Unable to reply, Shana lowered her tiny face slowly.
(Such…… Such a carefree talk isn’t like madam at all!)
“Think about it carefully. It feels very embarrassing, doesn’t it? That’s the main point of our
discussion. Besides, for kissing, kissing on the cheek and on the lips carries completely different
meanings. That person who told Yū-chan to do such a thing probably meant lips to lips kissing.”
(Wh-what?)
Feeling that the topic was slowly venturing into dangerous waters, Alastor was so nervous he started
biting his lips. But, alas! He could not intervene.
“…… Lips……to…… Lips……?”
With her face still lowered, it took Shana a great effort to squeeze out a voice as soft as the cry of a
mosquito. One could see that her ears were bright red.
“…… this…this…… I don’t want to…I don’t like it……”
Seeing her stammering, Chigusa, nodded, satisfied.
“Very good. So don’t let others kiss you so easily, okay? Not even Alastor-san.”
“Huh?”
(Hmm?)
Shana involuntarily lifted her face. The gentle smile on Chigusa’s face reflected in her eyes.
“Shana-chan. Personally, I think that kissing at the lips is a kind of ‘pledge’.”
“Pledge……?”
“Yes, this action is a pledge…… To be allowed to touch everything that is yours; to entrust
everything you have to him. This is different from the ones you feel for your friends or relatives. It
is a form of expressing a strong emotion that is beyond one’s control. Unless the other party is
qualified enough to make you feel assured, you must not casually kiss that person; and also don’t let
that person do the same to you. Of course, the number of people making that pledge and the ability
to observe it varies from man to man.”
“……”
(……)
Looking at the girl (and the Demon God) who was listening attentively, Chigusa looked troubled
and said:
“I guess Yū-chan’s uneasiness must be because he is worrying about it, unsure whether he qualifies
for your approval.”
At this moment, she unexpectedly added, meaning it as a prank.
“…… But if a guy tries to do this to resolve his uneasiness, a girl can punch him hard. Since Shanachan
doesn’t think Yū-chan as a man worthy of exchanging the pledge, feel free to punch him and
knock him down. Even though my Yū-chan entered puberty late; and looks stupid, I cannot
guarantee that he will not forcibly do it when opportunity arises.”
“……Okay. I understand.”
Recalling what happened last night, Shana nodded again. If she dislikes it, just give him a punch;
that makes things much simpler. After hearing what Chigusa said, she felt as though everything
became very easy. How unbelievable!
Chigusa nodded in reply. For Shana’s sake, she repeated herself.
“Do not overestimate Yū-chan. Treasure, and never underestimate yourself. You are priceless, I can
guarantee that. So, before wanting exchange the pledge, you can keep increasing your self-worth,
and wait for Yū-chan to overcome the obstacles; or continue to prepare the next obstacle. If he gives
up, this means that Yū-chan’s feelings are too weak.”
“Hmm, hmph.”
The way Chigusa put it; it is as though she saw through everything between Yūji and her. Shana
blushed again.
(Hmmm…… To come to a conclusion just like this? Is this really going to work?)
On the other hand, Alastor seemed anxious towards the topic that ended with a conclusion he was
not very pleased with. No, not towards Chigusa, but to……
(This is the all Yūji Sakai’s fault.)
He is a gentleman, but he was unfriendly towards Yūji Sakai.
“What are you guys talking about me?”
The person in question, Yūji, entered the living room as he wiped his hair dry. He also changed to
summer uniform starting today, though for males, it was merely changing the collared uniform to a
short sleeve shirt.
As Shana was still pondering what was being said earlier, she seemed a
little nervous, and slowly turned her head over.
Chigusa on the other hand appeared to be cool and composed, making
one unable to sense the thick atmosphere from the earlier
conversation…
“The important thing is, don’t you have something you should say?”
She urged Yūji.
“Huh!? Say what?”
“Shana-chan, of course. Haven’t you realized?”
It looks great! Remembering how happy she was when Chigusa praised
her in the summer uniform, deep within her, Shana expected the same
from Yūji. She stole a glance at him.
Yūji looked at Shana from up to down, perplexed. Then he confidently shouted out what he thought
is the correct answer.
“…… Ah, ah! It became white, right?”
This tone made him sound like he was looking for trouble with everyone. Feeling VERY unhappy
with Yūji, Shana’s countenance stiffened in a moment. At her son’s incorrigible dumbness, Chigusa
could not help but to give a long sigh.
“What…… What is wrong with the two of you? My guess is correct right?”
Facing a completely unexpected reaction, Yūji seemed to be at a loss.
(Hmmm, everything is indeed Yūji Sakai’s fault.)
Ignoring Yūji, Alastor drew up this conclusion on his own as if enlightened.
Misaki is a city with simple and easily understandable landscape.
The main river- the Manakawa that flows from south to north, passing through the city center. At
the east is the densely populated business sector; at the west, housing estates equivalent to a big
satellite city. And the huge metallic bridge at the center of the city - the Misaki Bridge connects the
traffic from both sides.
Misaki High where Yūji and his friends study is located at the housing estate, just beside the middle
section of the main road. As its immediate neighbors are all houses, it occupies only a small area.
With ominous clouds hanging above them, the students of year one second class (Yūji included)
were running on the tracks of the remarkably small, narrow field of the school, each at a different
pace.
The fourth lesson of the day was Physical Education, and in terms of physical capabilities, this was
the toughest challenge of the whole day. To top it off, due to the plum rain season climate, the wind
was damp, like being soaked in hot water. Thus sticky sweat were pouring off from the students.
But to them, the one and only (and the luckiest) thing was, this lesson was neither strict nor boring.
“Huh, huh…… Ha,ha! Huh…. Ha, ha!”
The Spectacled Man Hayato Ike breathed rhythmically as he ran on the track at his own pace. Eita
Tanaka who was sprinting behind him shouts:
“Huh, huh……entirely, huh…slow by a round…”
Tanaka came to his side and slowed down. Despite his big size, he has a slender and well-built
figure. With his breathing consistent, he ran as if he were flying. The usual kindly face becomes
manly when he exercises.
Ike wiped the sweat with his hand, which was caused mainly by the moist, rather than his fatigue,
and replied:
“Anyway…it is fine…as long as…we finish running…in the allocated time…there is no need…to
run…so fast.”
“You have a point. Recently, I feel stronger. Satō as well……”
Running alongside Ike, Yūji said so with an indifferent look on his face, his eyes directed at
Keisaku Satō who was behind Tanaka, trying desperately to catch up with Tanaka’s speed.
“......This is...trai...ning......this is...trai...ning.”
The handsome youth was panting, and replied with a pet phrase they picked up recently.
Using the excuse of not having a good impression of curriculum activities, this lively and silly pair
of class clowns chose the go-home club like Yūji and Ike who were simply uninterested. Why the
sudden need to train? They never explained themselves. Yūji and the rest did not seem interested in
finding out the details either.
Sometimes the two of them would be absent together. However, judging from how they looked, the
need did not appear to be that urgent. If they were really in some trouble, they would surely speak
up themselves; Ike made such a conclusion, and Yūji felt the same way too.
At this moment, Tanaka recognized the girl ahead, who was running as if she were in a ‘heel-andtoe
walking race’ with choppy strides, and called out:
“Oi, Yoshida-saan. Alriiiight?”
With a sudden, big stride, he dashed towards her.
Shocked at how energetic he was, the remaining three followed suit to catch up with the girl, who
was slower than Ike and Yūji by one round; Tanaka and Satō by two rounds.
“I, I am…… am, fine.”
The cute face Kazumi Yoshida gives the impression of a reserved girl. Although she was tired, she
replied frankly as usual. She was so slow not because she loafed about, but because it was already
the greatest limit for her, someone who has never excelled in sports.
Ike showed his concern for her, which appeared to be his duty by now.
“Teacher said, if we are too tired, we can walk. No need to rush.”
Just like what he said, this run was merely preparation exercise, a warm-up session with time limit,
just moving around at a steady rate was enough. In fact, among the students, the only one showing a
clearly exhausted look was Satō, who was still trying to catch up with Tanaka’s speed.
“Yea…Yeah. Just walking…will…do…”
Satō agreed breathlessly.
Yoshida had fainted during physical education before. Thus, though it may be just a simple warmup,
it cannot be blamed that everyone is worried during every physical education lesson.
She wore a smile on her face, and repeated the same reply:
“I am…fine.”
She did not look like she was forcefully putting on a tough front; she was only working hard, that’s
all.
(She really looks fine.)
“Huh!?”
Yūji intended to keep the thought in his heart. At this moment Ike poked at the side with his elbow.
Unable to withstand the pain, tears welled up in his eyes. Glaring at the side, Ike showed an equally
serious expression, and indicated the front with his chin. Due to the friendship they had since Junior
High, Yūji could understand what Ike meant with a single glance. Ignoring Satō and Tanaka who
was laughing after some actions, he shouted at Yoshida who was two or three steps ahead.
“……Hey, Yoshida-san. If you really feel uncomfortable, you must let us know, okay?”
This sentence had an instantaneous effect.
Yoshida turned her head back immediately. Very shaken, her breathing rate increased. She
stammered a reply:
“Err…… O-okay…… I-I am f-fine…Really o-okay….”
Subconsciously displaying her feelings, Yoshida made Yūji happy from the bottom of his heart.
She has always harbored feelings towards Yūji, and Ike had been lending her a hand as much as he
could, employing his spirit of a busybody to the fullest. Since she made the once-in-a-lifetime
confession (Yoshida believed so herself) to Yūji a month ago, the two had been working side-byside.
The one they were against was not Yūji, but the formidable enemy, Yukari Hirai.
Yukari Hirai, who is also Shana, displayed antagonism towards Yoshida as well. But despite
that……
(To directly describe it as jealousy does not seem quite right; I am really unable to understand what
Shana is thinking…… Sigh……)
In other words, sandwiched between the two, like the pivot of a seesaw, Yūji was pushed to the
limit, unable to bear with the incessant pressure from both sides.
Of course he liked Yoshida, who is as cute as a wild flower blooming silently; with friendly, polite
smile and gentleness, she is even willing to make delicious bentō11 for him.
Yet……
(I am already not a human…… The original me died a long time ago…… The one standing here
now is only a remnant…… The way I am now, do I have the right to accept her feelings?)
At this moment, Yūji’s thought of something else.
On the other hand…
Regarding Shana (‘Why am I at the back!?’ I could almost hear her say that……) Of course she is
still considered, still liked… (Why the pause? And what’s with that kind of expression?) At the
same time I respect and idolize her. Being strong in many ways and overwhelmingly suave, though
there are still the vulnerable and pitiable looks that she shows from time to time.
Yet……
(From now on…… I do not know when I will be able to be qualified enough…… Am I supposed to
just adopt the plan of ‘I have to be with her’, and so continue to rely on her like this?)
Yūji’s thoughts did another double take.
Could it be that he does not really love either of them? No, every time they escaped from near-death
situations, surviving through the mishaps, he always had a strong emotion towards Shana. But, is
this love? Yet the feelings towards Yoshida; maybe it originated from his nostalgia towards life.
His thoughts kept spinning round and round.
Undetermined worries caused by the feeling of excessive self-consciousness which became soft
after kept receiving her favors......Even though he knew this very well, but a part of him begged to
differ: What is wrong with these troubles?
(Since I cannot come up with an answer, I guess I’ll have to continue fretting over these thoughts.)
Yūji rubbed his side as he obstinately searched for an explanation, though it might be wrong.
(Come to think of it, the reason Yoshida-san likes me: It is because Shana caused a commotion
during this physical education period.)
The PE teacher suddenly requested everyone (Yūji and Shana did not know, that the reason behind
it was none other than Shana herself) to run a long distance marathon. Shana had helped Yoshida
who fainted during the run, and kicked the teacher at the same time, sending him flying into the
air…… All Yūji did back then was to play along and cause a scene. How did that cause Yoshida to
have feelings for him?
(If it weren’t for Shana, Yoshida-san would not have liked me. How ironic……)
Ever since that incident, this period which before this could be said to be boring and torturing for
everyone, had improved greatly. The teacher whose pep suffered a major setback, had changed his
arrogant attitude, and he no longer stared at the female students with lustfully eyes.
As for the students, after the incident they no longer looked down upon the teacher, or obstructed
his lessons. This is of course not because of goodwill, but that in their hearts, they were afraid that if
they tried anything funny before Yukari Hirai, they might be the next to suffer. More importantly, it
was due to the fact that the lessons became less strict and more efficient.
Most of the students accepted it due to this reason, not because of the personality of the teacher. It
didn’t matter what the teacher was like; it didn’t matter why he changed for the better; be it
11 (弁当 bentō) - A single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bentō
consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish.
reflecting on his actions, or giving into fear; as long as the students could have proper lessons, they
would not be easily angered.
“It is almost time.”
Shana, the revolutionary who was still in the dark about this, caught up from behind Yūji and the
rest who were running together as a group. She did not look like she was sprinting hurriedly like
Tanaka, but was still running at a speed fit for this warm-up.
The sports attire which was too loose before this is now changed to a fitting one which was
prepared by Chigusa. Her long hair was also tied into two ponytails at the side.
In the recent PE lessons, she began to let her classmates help comb her hairstyle. Because her hair
was very long, silky and smooth, it was suitable for a variety of hairstyles. She did not resent the
idea. In spite of her cold attitude, she was still quite cooperative in this ‘game’. Satō said that the
male students were actually, though secretly, looking forward to it.
(…… It is not bad this way too…… Hmm……)
As Yūji saw Shana slowly mixing around with their classmates, he felt complicated within his heart.
Just like what Shana had said earlier, the teacher’s whistle was heard, signaling the end of the
warm-up.
Eventually- just like what Yūji verified in his encounters- humans seemed to be beings with very
powerful adaptation skills.
Shana borrowed the existence of Yūji’s classmate, Yukari Hirai, who became a torch, and had been
in this high school for more than one month now.
At first the big disturbance to “punish the students who do not have unconditional respect to the
teachers” and “close to complete annihilation revenge action” had quieted down completely by now.
Shana’s attitude did not change; it was the teachers' who were changed. Each of them found their
most effective diplomatic ways of dealing with Shana respectively, to make her “a part of their daily
lives”.
Once asked for a response, she would mercilessly hit the nail on the head, pointing out all the
wrongs and flaws of the lesson. But, as long as she was not involved, she is merely a harmless
existence. So by simply letting her be, would not cause any unnecessary troubles.
Most of them basically belong to the 'business men' category, not the imaginary existence of 'holy
workers' whom others idolize. So they would not want to waste extra effort, time, determination or
even risk their life and status for the attitude of just one student in class.
Yet, there was still a small group of those who held the right views as an 'educator' who, by
continual debate (actually it was almost entirely one-sided) with her, earnestly tried to improve their
personal skills.
Even though it was just a small group of exceptions, but the other students, under the influence or
perhaps the blessing of this phenomenon, were able to obtain efficient, serious and precise teaching
from the teachers. Based on this, other than occasional commotions from time to time, in the eyes of
the students, she is a savior that deserves gratitude from the bottom of their hearts.
Besides this, no matter what kind of unfortunate mishaps befell on the teachers, they could still
understand that her actions were not stemmed from untruths or rebellion. Among those teachers
who decided initially to leave her alone, some of them even began to seek her for opinions.
Nevertheless, overall it did not look like a situation which “created a trend of teachers
enthusiastically seeking educational ambitions”. It is just that the boring teaching contents were
reduced slightly. That’s all.
The impact that this girl, a Flame Haze, had on the school, actually is only a change of this
magnitude.
As a Flame Haze, the impact this girl brought to the school, was eventually only a change of
magnitude in this.
The Year 1, Class 2 students gathered at the center of the running track.
Before this, the physical education teacher used to kept absolute silence until everyone lined up.
Now, he only made sure that no one was chatting before going straight into the point.
“Okay, everyone listen up, today we are having a free-for-all competition.”
Actually, the physical fitness test he conducted had ended earlier than the other teacher (who also
teaches year one). Now they were just whiling time away so that both classes would proceed at the
same pace. Of course, there were a lot of unpleasant things due to it, but let’s not delve into further
details.
“It should be a competition that can be conducted in the field within the running tracks. Talk over it,
everyone.”
“Can we change it to free time instead-”
One student asked, to everyone's laughter.
“No, the other classes are now conducting their evaluations.”
Actually, he had wanted to do so, but it would end up in a noisy bickering, with everyone voicing
their opinions, which would end without any conclusion. So the teacher had to resort to forceful
measures.
“So, starting from that side, give a suggestion on what kind of competition you would like to have,
one by one.”
The students gave their respective suggestions, or the sports that they wanted to participate in.
Baseball requires a lot of tools and is too troublesome; basketball is too noisy and will cause others
around them to complain; soccer takes up too much space and was rejected by the teacher. They
filtered the suggestion once and repeated the list. Then they voted for the suggestions they wanted.
In the end, they came to a conclusion which was unlike primary school students- dodge ball.
Almost everyone had agreed to it. After all they were just whiling time away. The simpler the
activity, the better it is. Besides, they knew the rules, and those who were not playing can watch the
game from aside- these two points also garnered great support.
Yet, pertaining to the rules, one of them was an exception.
“Dodge ball?”
Every time Shana heard the name of an unfamiliar sports item, she would tilt her head.
“What is it? Hirai-san doesn’t know about it?”
“Ah, let me explain.”
“Compared to the softball last time, this is much simpler.”
The girls began to surround her, everyone saying one word and chatting all around. Lately, this
scene had become a routine too.
At this moment the teacher clapped his hands for attention:
“Okay, stop chatting. Quickly split into teams. Let’s go according to class seat numbers. Thus
Hirai’s team will be one of the lasts. Those in the same team as her can use this time to explain the
rules.”
The way he handled things nicely, is completely different from when that incident then; just that he
did not seem to realize it himself, or else he would have surely frowned.
Okay! Some held their tongue behind him; some obeyed quietly. The whole class was separated into
five teams, A to E. According to their seat numbers, Hayato Ike was in team A; Yūji Sakai and
Keisaku Satō, team B; Eita Tanaka, team C; Yukari Hirai, or Shana, team D; and Kazumi Yoshida,
team E. Looks like the gang was evenly separated.
After setting simple conditions of winning, white lines were drawn on the field. In a short moment,
the dodge ball tournament began.
The first match was between team A (with Ike) and (Yūji and Satō’s) team B.
During this period, the other teams became the spectators. The classmates who were on the same
team as Shana (team D), explained the rules to her. These classmates who had initially avoided
Shana, this exceptional existence, seemed have gotten used to her. Though they still seemed
respectful, at least they were no longer wary towards her.
Yūji's anxiety towards her lack of common sense and her habit of doing things rashly had faded
without him noticing. Instead, he began develop feelings which replaced them.
“……”
Turning in a circle, Yūji's eyes swept the whole field. The scene of the friendly, team D students
talking to Shana flitted across his eyes. The irritating feelings he felt when he was running just now
surged- a feeling mixed with loneliness and unhappiness.
(You people don’t understand her at all.)
At this moment, a male student 'crossed the boundary' and stuck himself out to talk to Shana......
(This...!?)
“Ah, IDIOT!”
As he heard Satō's voice beside him……
“Eh, huh!?”
Yūji who unconsciously stopped his motions, turned his head; and his face- even the physical
fitness teacher, the referee had forgotten his duty- was hit squarely by the ball. Shouting comically,
he fell backwards.
“Huh? Sa-Sakai, are you alright?”
The one who threw the ball, Ike, shouted frantically. Apparently, he did not expect to hit someone
with a force that knocked the other person down. The teacher hurried there and provided first aid.
Being treated so meticulously made Yūji really embarrassed, so he stood up, though his legs
wobbled.
“A minor head concussion. Now is not the time to talk about the rules of attacking at the face. Sit
down and rest.”
Looks like the PE teacher's opinion was quite true.
"Yes...…"
Yūji replied weakly, and with his legs wobbling, walked to the place where the eliminated ones
gathered. Pity and sneers greeted him.
The girls in team D, upon seeing this……
“Oh my...How shameful...”
“I thought Sakai-san has been quite cool recently, yet this had just made my impression of him
break apart slightly......"
Everyone was able to say whatever they wanted. They did not mind doing it, even before Shana, is
because they knew, even though they were considered a semi-official couple in class, she was very
strict towards Yūji. Sometimes she had even ignored him.
Yet at this moment, Shana only frowned, with an expression of “What are you doing?” hanging on
her face. Of course, the idea that Yūji was beside himself because of her never crossed her mind.
In the end, Ike’s team A won. Tanaka’s team C and Shana’s team D entered the field.
Satō who was the last man standing for team B grumbled to Yūji: “What are you doing-!”
The classmates behind her emanated an atmosphere of anxiety and excitement.
“Go for it! Tanakaaaa!”
“Yeah! Our champion is finally in!”
“Hirai-saaan, do your best!”
“Don’t lose to that muscular IDIOT-!”
Eita Tanaka versus Yukari Hirai.
Every time this kind of contest was held, it would mean the commencement of an important activity
for the whole class.
As a Flame Haze, Shana had already possessed abilities a normal person could not compare with. If
she unleashed them during physical education lessons, it would cause a ruckus. This was what Yūji
told her after what happened last time.
So to deal with this, after strict evaluations, Shana concluded that Tanaka is this school’s 'best
professional'. So she decided to adjust her strength, reflexes, agility and her other abilities, using
Tanaka as a standard.
“He is just a first year, isn’t he? Tanaka is so strong.”
Yūji exclaimed, stunned.
“You can't even see that? It shows that you are still not good enough.”
Shana reached a conclusion in a sentence.
Anyway, no matter how much of a disadvantage she would face; no matter how unpleasant the
outcome might be, she would stay firm and not go beyond this limit. In other words, she hated the
concept of 'going easy'.
She did it not because she cared about winning or losing, but to train her for impromptu reactions
when she faces adversity or if she is injured. Whatever reason it might be, the fight between the two
of them would be extremely vigorous; dodge ball was no exception.
No. Actually it is because dodge ball competitions are conducted at a lower age group, people tend
to think that this is a relaxing game. However, the fact is that when each team possesses a pro of
similar strength, their direct confrontation will keep continuing, with the battle getting fiercer and
fiercer.
Shana, due to the above reason, was always serious when she handled things.
Tanaka on the other hand, was full of vigor.
Which means, there was no room for negotiations between the two.
Abnormal warmth enveloped the whole field, though it was not only due to the hot, humid air of the
plum rain season.
Because this was a tournament in which both genders participated, Shana who should be standing
on the outside like other females, was naturally in the inner area.
After a game of scissors-paper-stone, with the dodge ball in his hand, Tanaka confronted Shana.
Separated only by the center line, Tanaka taunted Shana:
“Hu, hu ,hu! That three-up three-down humiliation I suffered during the softball tournament, I shall
redeem it today! Don't cry later, Hirai. Now I am the bad guy!”
With her blazing eyes emanating an aura that could spark off a fiery red glow any moment, Shana
retorted.
“Hmph! Doubtlessly, you will lose anyway. So why don’t you save your energy, and just surrender?
I will go easy on you.”
Fire sparks were emitted from the slanted eyesight due to their difference in heights, after which
they turned around simultaneously.
“......Alright, begin!”
The PE teacher shouted seriously, blew the whistle...
And a fierce battle began.
“Tanakaaaa! You must not lose at 'times like this'!”
Satō incited the person who was working towards a certain goal through this mutually understood
sentence.
With his lead, the whole class’s attention focused on the intense battle between Shana and Tanaka.
Even though it was just to pass their spare time, it was still a competition; and a serious fight was
very interesting.
The guys mainly supported Tanaka; the females, Shana. The reason is not because of a problem of
honor or being biased; in a duel, the similar the formula, the easier it is to be indulging.
Yūji sat apart from the crowd to rest.
“Er, are you...okay?”
Yoshida asked.
“Ah, ah......Yeah, I am fine now.”
“But, you are slightly bruised……”
Yoshida squatted beside him, anxiously staring at his cheek which was still red and swollen.
“It is alright. Small bruises like this, every morning surely...!?”
“?”
“Err, this…… Anyway I am really fine.”
Yūji who almost let his mouth slip rubbed his cheek and answered evasively.
At this moment, his hand touched the hand Yoshida stretched towards him.
“Ah! So-so…… Sorry! Because your face is bleeding slightly……”
Yoshida withdrew her hand hurriedly, with a handkerchief in hand.
“It is alright, I……I should be the one to apologize. Your handkerchief will be dirtied, so I think
there is no need for that.”
If they were seen by Shana at this moment...... This thought sent a chill down his spine. Putting
tomorrow morning aside, who knew what excuse she would find to beat him up badly tonight.
“But......Ah!”
Yoshida took Yūji’s actions as his courtesy to her. Just as she was about to continue speaking, a
relatively large rain drop hit her cheek.
“Wah! Is it raining?”
Yūji wondered aloud, standing up at the same time.
The gloomy sky that lasted throughout the entire morning, accompanied by a sudden ruckus, began
to shed countless water droplets.
Obviously……no, by chance, Shana was looking at both of them.
Tanaka who attempted to clear off all the weaklings with a ferocious ball speed sent two people off,
Shana on the other hand used skillful feigns to get rid of the problematic foe who was second to
Tanaka. During the game, the atmosphere of the two’s face-off rose bit by bit.
At this moment, Shana was just about to shout commands to the remaining teammates at their
respective defensive regions, and other than that to just catch the balls that flew over (She had
already understood the trick to this game)……
“!”
Revealed before her eyes was the scene of Yūji and Yoshida’s hands touching each other.
“Ah.......!?”
Shana almost gave out a shriek, she did not see the handkerchief that was mildly visible. She only
sensed that the two were touching each other. Such a minor issue, why did she have a fury that was
just about to explode, and a pain as if her chest was being cut by a knife. She even failed to notice
that she had stopped in her tracks.
Tanaka had completely no idea she was feeling, he only felt that it was a great chance to strike.
(Victory!!)
He would not do an idiotic move such as shouting out on purpose to grab the opponent’s attention.
“......tsk!?”
Hirai-chan! Her teammates shouted, sensing the warnings from them, Shana finally realized that the
dodge ball was flying straight at her.
“Ah!?”
There was not enough distance to dodge, no time to adjust her stance. Shana caught Tanaka’s fast
ball with unsteady moves, and flew off like that, landing hard on her butt.
“Argh, hmph!”
The tiny body hugged the ball tightly.
“…… This, should be considered a safe right?”
“Darn...! What a persistent fellow, jeez!”
Tanaka spat out the words of a third-rate villain, stamping the ground angrily.
This was perhaps the most exciting scene that makes the spectators excited, but suddenly, their
heads were sloshed with literally cold water of a downpour.
“Wa...Rain!?”
“Wai-wait...aargh!”
“Oh my, what a heavy rain!”
Just as the whole class was panicking, Tanaka shouted towards Shana who fell on her butt and still
had not gotten up.
“Hey, Hirai, I say……”
Of course, he intended to request to continue the match. It felt pathetic for it to end half way, and he
felt unhappy over his great shot being caught. To discontinue the match would mean that there was
no winner between them.
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
Shana replied, sitting on the floor, hugging the ball raised her head to look at Tanaka fearlessly.
Shana planned to dispel her moody anger through this match. Of course, she would settle the score
with Yūji separately, but that will be later on.
Other classes dispersed when it was just beginning to rain, the guys who saw the two excitedly
cheered them on.
“Good...!! Do it, do it...”
“The best part of a bout like this, don't interrupt...!”
All the females were trying their best to run to shelter, but that changed all because of one person’s
shout.
“Ah......! Hirai-san! Your bottom, your bottom!”
“?”
After being reminded, Shana’s view shifted downwards. Due to the sudden pouring rain, her cute
little butt was stuck in the mud. The ponytails at the sides touched the floor, and being soaked in the
muddy waters made a mess out of them. She was not self-conscious of it, and simply stood up and
patted on the mud lightly, however, unexpectedly, the girls around her gave a vigorous reaction.
“Wah! That's bad...”
“Full of mud......”
“Tanakaaa! What the heck are you doing...!”
The crowds were in an uproar.
“You… You cannot say things that way, it was before the rain began when she caught my ball and
fell!?”
Tanaka’s rarely rational explanation was not accepted.
“Wah! You are still finding excuses?”
“Horrible...!”
In the blink of an eye, he turned into a scoundrel.
“Now now, it does not mean that he did that intentionally.”
Satō wanted to step out and be a pacifier, but……
“What do you mean, Satō-kun? Are you trying to speak up for the enemy of all females...?”
“No, then to your hearts' content, pleeease.”
And he took back what he sais upon hearing those words from the females.
“You, you traitor...!”
Tanaka gave out a bitter scream.
But everyone ignored him……
“Ah, that’s right!”
Among the females, a tall and slim girl raised her voice.
“Wanna use the shower room of the clubhouse? There is a heater to dry your underwear, and there
are plenty of towels in the lockers!”
“Ah......But is it okay to use it without permission? Ogata.”
“Nooo problem, I heard from our seniors, we just have to use a little trick and we can use it.”
“No wonder you are the first-year regular! OGA-chan is great!”
“The new uprising star with the most potential in the female volleyball team even knows such tiny
tricks so clearly too.”
“So, teacher, it's okay right!?”
“Teacher!”
One group of females quickly closed in on the physical fitness teacher. When the matter concerned
them, the females would become very imposing. Whether they were lucky, or there was still plenty
of time, that was uncertain. It was about thirty minutes before their lunch break ended, enough to
take a shower.
“Errr...Bu-but...”
The teacher seemed hesitant, Ogata who taught them the little trick said:
“Teacher, you won’t want the students to catch a cold because of THIS right? 'If you want to punish
us', then we will be in charge of cleaning the room with physical fitness items, please!”
And following that, she lowered her head to bow forcefully. The little trick in the sports society
contains this entire series of actions as well. Using a reasonable excuse for the teacher to not let the
students catch a cold, and at the same time promising that they willingly accept punishment for
breaking school rules, seeking a compromise among them (Of course, in the usual cases of the
female volleyball team, the guys were usually the ones to bear the punishment).
In fact, to the physical fitness teachers, it was an unspoken rule to allow the students to use the
shower room. Just that it was not so common for first year students to request for it…… Oh well,
this class is more special…… The physical fitness teacher unwillingly nodded in agreement.
“Hmm…… I have no choice I guess. I will go switch on the boiler, those who want to go in, wait in
front of the shower room, I will go get the keys.”
With that, understanding that he himself could not bathe, the teacher hurriedly headed to the
management room. Staying there would only cause him to be soaked thoroughly.
Ogata waved her slim and soft arm, instigating all the females.
“Yahoooo! Wanna go in all together? I will teach everyone how to quickly dry our wet underwear!”
“Yeah, quickly let's go let's go...”
“Oh my...! Even my legs are stained with mud!”
The girls looked at their feet as they prepared to leave the field which had become a sea of mud.
The guys followed them.
At this moment……
“Wait.”
Shana’s words were loud and clear as always, despite the heavy rain. Everyone stopped on the spot.
“One on one will do, we must decide on the winner in the end.”
“...You’re so cool!! You truly deserve your name, Hirai-chan!!”
Tanaka shouted out, attempting to use this match to clear unreasonably obtained bad name. He
seemed to fail to notice the situation he would be in with the girls if he won…… especially if he
were to win.
Since it was not from that hot-headed Tanaka, but a request of Hirai-san…… The girls came to a
conclusion at this point. The guys on the other hand had no objections since the start, with a relaxed
attitude that “anyway things will dry up in a short while” to push the situation along, the whole
class attentively focused on this duel in the rain.
At the center of the spectators, Shana who was holding onto the dodge ball faced Tanaka. The white
line had already been covered by the heavy rain. The rules became very simple, as long as one side
faile to catch the ball, he is out. Everyone thought like that.
“……”
“……”
Just like dueling scenes in television dramas, the two slowly moved, revolving around a little circle
at the center.
Shana leaned her face slightly forward, letting the raindrops flow along her face into her eyes to fall
off along her fringe. Instead of that, Tanaka placed his arms at his forehead to directly stop the
rainwater.
“Huu......”
“……”
The strength Shana gathered as she breathed out made Tanaka raise his alertness. The entire weight
of his body was brought to the tip of his feet in the mud, at the same time he puts up one hand in a
posture to get ready to catch the ball. The tactic he was using is to use his abdomen to receive the
flying ball, and then use the arms at the sides to wrap it up directly.
“!”
Without warning, Shana tossed the dodge ball with a very small motion.
(Come!)
Swiftly taking down the arm placed at his forehead, he prepares to receive the impact that is coming
straight at him.
However……
Shana did not toss the ball. Pachuk! The dodgeball touched the ground directly, the mud below flew
all over.
(...Hm!)
Ignoring the fact that her entire body was stained with mud, Shana caught the ball that bounced up
softly from below, and uses the posture of an underhand pitch to toss the second ball out.
(Fe...)
His first prediction was wrong. The path of the ball was lower than most instances.
His second prediction was wrong too. Compared to normal balls that were tossed immediately after
catching it, it is much faster.
(...ign!?)
The dodge ball that flies in from a close range like a uppercut, striking Tanaka’s lower jaw with
might.
Tanaka was sent flying by the strike, and falling into the sea of mud directly, down in a single hit.
Shana won.
The sound of water which was weaker than the pouring rain, surrounded the wet echoing constant
chatters.
“That was great...! At the end 'Shu......' like that! It looked as though it bounced up from below!”
“Hey, don’t wave your hands like that.”
“How is it? Should I turn the hot water up......?”
“Hot, hot! Gee, you wanna die huh!”
“Hey stop playing a fool, it is very small here!”
“Ahaha! Tanigawa even said: “Normal dodge ball games does not allow that sort of gameplay!”
with a tone refusing to admit loss.......How pathetic......”
Honestly speaking, those outside heard everything.
Not just their conversation, but a lot other sounds that they should not hear.
“…… Hey, Ike.”
“…… Don’t talk.”
The voices inside showed no sign of stopping at all.
How unbelievable, they could actually have some much to chat about! The two were dumbstruck by
it.
“Hirai-sensei, regarding this, do you have any comment?”
“Because it is raining, that is why I used that kind of attack, there is another way of playing on fine
weathered days.”
“Wow...! Did you hear that? How cool...!”
“Yeah, Tanaka is not bad too, he did not try to argue with things like “it hit the face, and is not
counted”, made my impression of him change a lot......”
“All thanks to this rain, everyone can shower together like this.”
“But the stains on Hirai-san’s shorts cannot be cleaned if washed lightly.”
“It is fine to just wash away the dirt, oh yeah, don’t go across that red line, or else it will shrink, be
careful......”
“Yes...offiiiicer Ogata, thanks for your help, it dried up very quickly......!”
“Can I borrow that blower?”
“Sure......”
Staring at that aluminum door that fails to hide the laughing chatters at all, Yūji and Ike sat back to
back. The two were still in their track suits.
They showed an unhappy and bored expression, staring emptily at the corridor of the curriculum
society center. The raindrops that fell onto the closed glass window seemed few and small. It
seemed that the heavy rain did not last.
(Gee, how troublesome…… If only another hour had passed.)
As Yūji was thinking about nonsense, the conversations that he tried his best not to hear
consistently came from behind the door. As he sighed, he seemed as though he wanted to speak up
to join in, so once again he said weakly:
“…… How should I put this? This is just like an interrogation.”
“Which side?”
Ike asked him back. In order to not hear the chatter behind them, chatting to divert their attention is
the best strategy.
“What which side?”
“You mean, to only be able to hear but not see? Or to be forced to hear things you do not want to
hear?”
Yūji pondered about the boring choices, after a short pause, he replied simply:
“A little of both.”
“Oh, is it?”
Ike replied simply as well.
Earlier, everyone had a little argument over how to use the shower room that did not distinguish
between the males and the females (It seemed the little trick of the sports society did not mention
this part). The guys naturally wanted to shower very much. Tanaka who fell on the floor was
completely covered in mud, and everyone was drenched by the pouring rain.
Yet, be it to shower in sequence or together, the females seemed to oppose the ideas, and so the
atmosphere seemed about to break apart. The physical fitness teacher opened the door and……
“I shall go and return the key.”
After saying that, he makes a getaway, so everyone’s eyes naturally gathered at the class chairman,
the reasonable and fair Spectacled Man Hayato Ike.
“I am drenched too, and I want to shower just as much as you guys do.”
Ike said, his persuasion was totally different, equivalent to twice that of Tanaka. And his suggestion
following that was very reasonable too.
“First, let the guys wash up first, we only need to wash away the mud, so we need a very short time,
if we are to shower after you all, you will definitely be uncomfortable with that.”
No one raised any objections.
“Besides, you girls need to prepare a lot of things to shower, so you can go back to the classroom to
prepare, and we shall wash up while you all are preparing. Our sports uniform just needs to be
squeezed dry…… Ogata-san, please teach us how to use the blower to dry our underwear.”
Everything went fine up to this point.
That is, if he wasn’t caught by Ogata when they are leaving to let the girls use the shower room.
She shouted out to Ike who was preparing to return to the classroom.
“Ike, please stand guard here for a while.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you realize when you guys are washing up? This place can only be locked from the outside,
during curriculum activities, the females take turns to stand guard, but we cannot do that now, even
though it should be fine, considering that it is lesson time now, but it is better to be safe than sorry.”
“Is this the job of the class chairman as well?”
“I am treating you as a gentleman.”
Ogata deliberately sent a wave that, instead of being described as cute, it should fall under the
category of being suave.
“…… And a gentleman has to guard the shower room……?”
Feeling a big paradox in logic, Ike became dumbfounded at that moment.
Not just Ogata, but the other girls agreed all together saying:
“If it is Ike, he is sure to not try anything funny.”
“The Spectacled Man is the hero of justice after all......”
Ah! Ogata clapped her hands, as though she came up with a great idea.
“Oh yeah, why don’t Sakai join him as well?”
“Huh, me?”
Being called upon, this time it was Yūji’s turn to give a weird cry.
“Aren’t you Ike’s best friend? Besides, if you dare to try anything funny, someone will teach you a
lesson, and someone will cry.”
Before the eyes of Yūji who was panicking, several girls nod in agreement. Among which, Shana
had a solemn expression, while Yoshida had a trembling expression, looking at him at the same
time.
Ogata did not forget to remind them once more at the end:
“It’s decided right? Right?”
And so, it was decided.
(To be surrounded by a bunch of girls, even if there is no valid reason, I feel that my stand is very
weak, why is that so...)
In Yūji’s heart that wished to escape from reality, he thought to himself.
The sound of conversation came from the back once more.
“Wow! Kazumi, so you are the type to look slimmer in your clothes?”
“Errr...Really...?”
“Plea-please don’t stare at me like that.”
“What’s wrong with that, Yoshida-chan, let me touch it...”
“Ah! Me too...”
“Hya, wah, wah...”
The two can’t help but remain silent.
Cough! Ike coughed out purposely, as he was about to speak……
A familiar, soft yet clear voice came from behind him.
“So bigger is better?”
“Exactly. Guys like to see THESE sort of view.”
“Ple, please don’t touch them like that……”
“But, I think that Hirai-san is very beautiful LIKE THIS...”
“Un, un. Indeed, really beautiful, and it's not flattery.”
“…… I don’t really get it.”
“Aiyahyah...this means that Sakai-kun is a bad guy.”
“A popular philanderer that goes around flirting with girls...with that funny face...”
“Ahaha! What if he hears that?”
(I heard that! If I really reply like this, I bet the consequences will be unthinkable!)
Finally, Ike changed his original intentions and said:
“Hey, Sakai.”
“Hmm...?”
“Do you like Hirai-san?”
“Hmm!!”
Yūji almost fell back against the aluminum door behind them.
“You…… What are you, at a time like this......”
Yūji wanted to rebut at first, but after seeing how serious Ike’s expression was, he was unable to
talk for a moment.
“So how is it?”
Not an interrogation, but a tone of confirmation.
Yūji could not answer precisely. As he lowered his voice such that it would not reach the other end
of the aluminum door, he tried his best to explain his current situation.
“Now…… Right now it is still not so clear as to say exactly 'This is it.'”
“Huu…… So that is it, no matter whether it is the correct answer, it is a very interesting reply.”
Yūji wanted to take revenge on that triumphant expression, and so he said.
“When I was resting earlier, were you the one to instigate Yoshida-san to come and find me?”
“Hmm......Why do you think that is the case?”
“Yoshida-san cannot possibly do that on her own…… Ouck!?”
Suddenly, Ike used the back of his fist to hammer into Yūji’s chest.
“You are underestimating Yoshida-san like that, she is trying very hard, to step forward little by
little.”
“Err?”
This meant, she acted on her own account……The hesitant Yūji did not get a reply.
After a period of silence, with their backs facing the laughing chatter that came to them
continuously, Ike said:
“Still…… Not so clear as to say exactly “This is it.”...... So that’s it.”
“……?”
The rain was stopping.
Chapter Three - The Various
Paths
In this dark, gloomy night, despite the heavy
downpour, the business sector of Misaki City was
still working hard. The pedestrian walk and the
main road which are of the same network were
also at the mercy of the continuous raindrops, with
many parts flooded.
Now, in the rush hour, students after school and
office workers leaving their respective workplaces
had to brace themselves for a second wave of rain;
stepping into water puddles, evading the deeper
ones.
The streets were literally clogged with people.
Running through the heart of the city is a broad
avenue, dubbed the aorta of the city by the city
folks. At this moment, three conspicuous
foreigners were walking along it.
Besides this city, in the country of Japan which
has enclosed, special qualities and structures, non-
Japanese would have attracted considerable
attention. Needless to say, this special trio stood
out from the rest.
“Strange…Why are the Japanese so curious about strangers? Could it be that the comment of them
being cautious is just a nicer explanation for their narrow-mindedness?"
Donned in a Western dress adorned with a butterfly knot behind, wearing a broad hat, having an
upright, slim body, this life-sized French-doll like lady was one of the trio. Wavy, golden hairs cover
a smooth face which carried a determined look. The beauty in question- ‘Aizenta’ Tiriel.
“Ev-everyone is lo-looking a-at us…I’m scared, Tiriel...” The other one, whose looks befit a typical
‘young master’, wears a high class, red jacket made of goat skin.
The referred person, ‘Aizenji’ Sorath, looked exactly the same as her sister, thus also possessing
great looks. In spite of that, contrary to his calm (younger sister), the timid Sorath clutched her
sleeves, feeling very nervous.
“Both of you are so noticeable because your good looks match your exquisite clothes perfectly…
Let’s not talk about that first. In short, you two dressed up too fancily.” The last person is a man of
sturdy built who is in black, Western attire.
With a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, his golden hair was combed backwards. The one who
emanated an air of heaviness- ‘TSenpen’ Sydonay. As a bodyguard, he closely followed after them
to protect them.
“Forget it. No point crying over spilled milk.”
In response to this, Tiriel beamed like a flower.
“For someone like you who…” Caressing the hair of the onii-sama who was stuck fast to her, from
deep within her eyes, a surge of energy was slowly released.
“…are protected by my Cradle Garden, you have no right to admonish me.”
Golden light danced in her eyes. As the brightness increases, as if mutually agreed beforehand, their
body surface started to emanate an unknown substance in unison.
No, what initially looks like a layer of floating matter enclosing their body was slowly taking shape.
Countless leaves were formed from that golden light. It is as picturesque as a scene from autumn,
yet full of vigor, the leaves dances around fiercely. Then, as if struck by a whirlwind, leaving the
three behind, the leaves were scattered all over, whilst rapidly increasing the area they cover.
With the trio as the center, the leaves formed a semi sphere-like roof which covers the whole
walkway. The confined people did not move a muscle. The enclosure which has a diameter of about
7 yards appears to be completely invisible to the people outside.
Miraculously, this area turned into a place which, naturally, could not be passed through: People
who were heading towards this area either detour or turn back. With effects similar to Fūzetsu, this
barrier which was made from golden pages, is the Jizaihō Aizenta Tiriel is very proud of- Cradle
Garden.
This barrier is unlike any other typical Jizaihō. It is able to conceal the imbalance from the outside
world; something sufficient to serve as a clue which leads the Flame Hazes, whose duty is to
assassinate the Denizens, right to their prey.
Usually, it only encloses the target. During their meal time, the whole thing will expand to replace
Fūzetsu. All the activities inside will go unnoticed by the Flame Hazes, even if it is right under their
nose. This is a demonstration of Tiriel’s ability- ‘Doting Embrace’.
Sydonay pouted, as golden light reflected off his sunglasses.
“Eh? Protection? That’s why we shouldn’t waste our time engaging in battles with Flame Hazes.
Besides, both of you need my protection. In the end, this should instead e called as an ‘exchange of
interests’, right?”
As the powerful Demon Lord, he had changed his appearances, unlike other Crimson Denizens. His
presence, or rather the imbalance he brought to this world is extremely serious. Nevertheless, as
long as he stays in the Cradle Garden, he will not be detected by the Flame Hazes.
Naturally, he was grateful about this. However, submissiveness is never his principle. The same
goes to the Aizen siblings, and the Crimson Denizens who came to this world.
More or less, obstinacy plays a part in their behaviors. Confronting Sydonay’s attitude, Tiriel
replied coldly that it is an incorrigible habit.
“Umm…is it okay, Tiriel? Can I eat now?” Sorath asked while tugging her sleeves.
“Yes, onii-sama, but can you wait for a short while?” Tiriel requested.
She gracefully placed two slightly parted fingers at her lips and gently opened her lips right after,
forming a small opening. Then, a ribbon-like beam of dazzling gold light flows out of it.
There was no complicated and confusing words arrangement, nor any stereoscopic sets of symbols.
This dazzling beam of light is her Jizaishiki12- a demonstration of the power of Jizaihō, which
manipulates the Power of Existence to give rise to extraordinary events.
“What Jizaishiki is this?” Sydonay inquired. Since he had only accepted the siblings request not
long ago, he was still in the dark about the types of skills they possess and how powerful they were.
Hesitating like a child, Tiriel replied reluctantly:
“Because we keep discovering preys, a cage has to be prepared. If they escaped, wouldn’t our
wholehearted effort go down the drain? Right, onii-sama?”
“Uh-huh. Cannot let the preys escape, so have to lock them in our cradle.”
12 Unrestrained Design. A pattern which is expanded in order to invoke the Jizaihō.
“Exactly. Lock them up and squeeze them hard. When they have no longer have energy to resist, go
ahead and kill them all…until you are happy. Good boy.”
Tiriel gently caressed her onii-sama’s head, and spurred the Jizaishiki.
The floating ribbon-like beams of light radiated and and headed towards one of the unmoving
people within the Cradle Garden. Clad in creased Western attire and having an overall unkempt and
tired expression- this was how this normal-looking male officer looked like before the beam
penetrated into him.
When the golden ripples left by the ribbon fuse with the person, instantly, he turned into a flare,
though outwardly, he still looked like he hadn’t died yet. Only a minimal portion of the Power of
Existence was used to retain the ‘replacement’ of the currently dead person; the rest rearranged
within the body, preparing for the next stimulus.
“Come on, onii-sama. Please dig in. Except for that, just enjoy your meal.”
“Okay. Itadakimasu13!”
Nodding as of hammering a nail, Sorath darted forwards. “Ah…Umm…” Opening his mouth,
Sorath turned all the hapless people in the Cradle Garden into flares and consumed them. Enjoying
this scene, Tiriel asked him:
“Do you know orgel14?”
“Orgel?”
Sounds like a European country language. When he tried to activate ‘Speech of Conveying’,
unbelievably, it is a Japanese word. Looks like it is a word which was used in a foreign language,
whose pronunciation became generally accepted. Trying to ‘feel’ its implicit meaning, he found that
this word is nothing special.
“Oh…so it is referring to a music box.”
“Yes, it is not wrong to put it that way, but doesn’t orgel sound more pleasant? That’s why, since I
learnt of this word, I have always used it.”
She had in her palm a worn-out, shabby music box. In short, this should be the Hōgu she named
Orgel. Sydonay finally realized that she used hints to answer her own question.
“Is this the same Hōgu as the Jizaihō just now? The one you used to create this cage.”
“Yes. Its music is very nice, you know.” She held the cute box next to her cheek, and grinned
happily.
“I have never thought that for this purpose, I would come to the land from which this name
originated. This is precisely why I like this world so much.”
That smile which hid gorgeous cruelty looked just like a blooming demonic flower.
As if responding to the gloomy sky, both Yūji and Shana were displaying downcast looks. To avoid
any misunderstandings, they had parted ways at school and met up later separately. On their way
back to Yūji’s house, wearing long faces, both if them were silent, not uttering even a single word.
Minutes into their journey, after making sure no one was coming from the other direction, Shana
turned around to look at the obstinately quiet Yūji beside him. Not wanting to betray her meekness,
she asked harshly:
“What are you angry at?”
13 It may mean "let’s eat" or "I gratefully receive". But these are not the exact meaning because it is unique to Japanese
and cannot be translated at all!
14 In Japan, this word (オルゴール orugooru) refers to music box. 'Orgel' is adopted from the Dutch word originally
meaning 'organ'.
“I should be the one asking that. Why are you angry?”
Yūji asked indifferently.
That proud attitude angered Shana.
“I’m not,” she answered curtly.
“That…I’m not angry too.” Another indifferent reply.
“So what is it?”
“Nothing.”
“How can it be nothing?!”
“I said nothing so it’s nothing!”
Knowing that Yūji wanted to put an end to the topic, Shana felt within her a great surge of fury
which surprised even herself. It was not like the pain she felt from the argument just now. She knew
that Yūji purposely provoked her. Feeling this strange relationship with him, and being able to
preserve it is Shana’s joy- something she was reluctant to admit. Both of them were ‘heatedly
exchanging words’.
“Why are you so childish?”
Having the same feelings (being able to understand and feel it), Yūji raised his voice furiously:
“Now who’s the one being selfish? Almost breaking our promise, agreeing to go out and play with
others!”
Being hit at her Achilles heel, Shana was temporarily speechless.
“That-that engagement…I suggested it.”
“You mean just because you suggested it, you can break our promise?”
“Umm……”
The incident occurred during lunch break after the physical education session. As usual, Shana piled
her melon breads, cakes and snacks on top of the table. At this moment, a girl from the same team
as her during the game of dodge ball just now approached her and invited her.
“Hirai-san, if it is convenient, do you want to go for a movie with us this Sunday?”
After bathing together, they felt more intimate with each other, as if they had become better friends.
Yūji was not present when this transpired- he was changing in a room beside their toiler. Forced to
guard the girl’s toilet, he could only go back to the classroom with them after they were done, and
still had to find another place to change. Ike was of course changing too.
As a Hero of Justice, the price is to endure sufferings others know nothing of. When he returned to
class, everyone in the same team as Shana during the game, boys included, were surrounding her.
Listening attentively to one of the boys explaining about the storyline, Shana looked as if wanting
to agree to the invitation immediately.
Noticing this, Yūji wore a- according to Satō’s testimony, ‘furiously outraged’- look, walked
towards his seat right beside Shana’s, and sat down roughly. In a soft voice barely audible to even
the walls beside, with a deliberately queer intonation, he commented:
“Aahhh… What a busy Sunday I’ll be having this weekend…”
At her seat, a shocked expression flitted across her countenance. It is quite rare to see Shana so
nervous like this. With the excuse “I suddenly thought of something important to do”, she refused
the outing.
Actually, before this, Shana was to bring Yūji to the streets to hunt for bread shops in the city.
Yesterday, on her way back from school, Yūji let Shana tasted the greatest joy of life- that bread
shop specializes in selling melon bread. Especially Chigusa, who had promised Shana to bake some
melon bread especially for her. However, Chigusa is apparently still unhappy with her baking. So
the unfortunate Shana has to be refused continually.
Seeing how pitiful the Flame Haze was, Yūji decided to treat her to a good feast. For someone who
always eats mass-produced melon breads wrapped in plastic bags, this new taste is really a great
change in her palate. Three meals a day, not to mention morning bentōs, cakes, snacks, eating
without permission, buying from shops to eat, testing free samples from trays, even if it is a mere
look at melon bread, she would be filled with immense joy.
However, to Yūji’s astonishment, Shana did not even venture into shops specializing in selling
melon bread. After questioning her, the reason she never went into those shops is: “They do not sell
any other confectioneries.”- A reason that could not be any simpler. This is seemingly the side effect
that arose due to Alastor who warned her to eat foods other than sweet things.
Before this, Shana had elucidated extensively about the facts on melon bread, leading Yūji to think
all this while that she knew this subject like the back of her hand; whilst in fact, she had merely
repeated everything her old friend had told her earlier. (According to Alastor, she had even added
lots of weird ideas.) Because of this, they had decided to visit all the nearby bread stores this
Sunday.
Though unwilling, due to Shana’s unyielding attitude, Yūji had agreed. However, this engagement
was nearly canceled by Shana herself. That is why Yūji erupted in a fury even he could not believe.
Actually, he purposely wanted Shana to see him angry, to make her feel slightly distressed. In short,
Yūji was just making fun of Shana. On the other hand, Shana who suggested it was still unsure why
she was feeling unhappy; after all it is merely bread.
Nonetheless, this was the grim truth, since she was incapable of retorting just now (something she
usually does with ease). However, she had only wanted to make Yūji happy. So, she would be
happy even if she loses her life. Yet she did not want to show that she was weak, so she showed a
fuming look. “Now I say…”Apparently unconcerned on the surface; whilst facts proved easily how
much she cared about it, just that she still had not realized.
“During PE, you held hands with Kazumi Yoshida and smiled very happily, didn’t you?” The
unexpected attack tipped the scales in Shana’s favor.
“Huh!? You-you saw it? Erm…that’s different, and irrelevant. All Yoshida-san did was only
cleaning my abrasion, and when-when did I ‘smile very happily’?”
To see Yūji fumbling for words was more amusing that any other paybacks for his prank. The
unhappiness Shana felt when she looked at both of them, together with the misery in her heart,
vanished into nothingness. Tilting her head, Shana decided to lie:
“Yes! Very happily.”
Fumbling around, Yūji who wanted to explain himself cracked his brain to think of a sensible
explanation, but to no avail. Very tense right now, he shot back.
“What about you? Didn’t you and the others-” Yūji accidentally revealed certain feelings within
him.
“The others…?” Now it was Shana’s turn to be astonished. She looked at Yūji suspiciously.
(What do you mean by the others? Is he referring to people other than him? He is angry because of
that? Does he have the same feelings as I had when I saw him with Yoshida just now?)
Shana turns aside nervously. She must not let Yūji see her right now- reddened cheeks and ears, and
‘possibly wearing a grin on her face’.
“You-you…shouldn’t have criticized me…” she stammered, lifting her face high at the same time.
“Huh!?...Umm, that…sorry.”
Knowing Shana’s expression very well, able to clearly feel his emotions, he relaxed and smiled.
They walked unnaturally for a while, in silence. Then Yūji blurted out:
“This Sunday, are you still going?”
Still looking away, a bit moved, she replied: “This-this…Umm…Since you said it that way, then I
think I can accompany you.”
“…I thought you were the one who suggested it?”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up! I said I wanted to go. Isn’t it enough?”
At this moment, a third party unexpectedly uttered:
“Shana.”
“Hah!? Huh!? Wh-what is it Alastor?”
Like a child being caught at his mischief red-handed, Shana was terrified. Alastor usually does not
speak at such a moment.
“I want to buy something. Go back to the business sector for a while first.”
This was the first time she hears such a request. Despite feeling a bit down, she uttered an “Uh…”
in response. Figuring that this had something to do with him, Yūji said carefully:
“S-so, I think I’ll go back first…”
With a commanding voice, Alastor also stopped Yūji.
“Tonight, there is something for you to do too.”
“Umm…Not training again?”
“Correct.”
Yūji and Shana exchanged looks.
“…found it.”
In the coffee shop beside the main road, Tiriel quietly put down the cup filled with hot red tea. Just
like the other Crimson Denizens who come from another dimension, their entry into this world
would cause a sense of imbalance. So do the Flame Hazes, who emanates a strong Power of
Existence due to the Demon Lord within the artifact.
Residing in her Cradle Garden, she could sense the feeling known as ‘presence’ by both parties;
while the Flame Hazes could not sense her. Opposite her, the burly Sydonay who sat with his legs
crossed also nodded.
“Yup. Precisely. This hateful feeling has to be Flame Hazes. It’s really great, you Yokuhō no Kyuu-”
“Huh!? Where? Where are they?”
Sitting right beside Tiriel is Sorath who jumped to his feet in excitement. His knee knocked against
the table, almost upsetting the table on which the snacks he ordered (including chocolates and
parfaits) lay. He kept looking around, as if he found his beloved toy, the confectioneries on the table
lay forgotten. With cream stains and biscuit crumbs over his mouth, Sorath looked just like a little
kid.
As for why the came to this coffee shop, it was because Sorath yearned for chocolates and parfaits.
Before this, he had already greedily and wastefully ‘harvested’ ice-cream, balloons from those
advertising characters, cool-looking basketball shoes, a ruler, a pair of goggles, a broom, a cigarette
lighter…
What it means by him being ‘wasteful’ is that he loses interest in almost everything after he gets his
hands on them. The thing that amazed Sydonay most was: for someone with the name Aizenji, he
can suddenly sense the Power of Existence of the things he wanted without needing to lay his sight
on them.
This is precisely his ability- Yokubō no Kyūkaku. The reason they managed to track down Nietono
no Shana is because Sorath wanted to fulfill his craving for it. Tiriel who loved her onii-sama
deeply, pulled at his sleeve to stop him. In a gentle voice she said.
“Calm down, onii-sama. Now is still too early.”
“But, but…haven’t we found it? I want it!”
“If you want it, just be a little more patient, onii-sama. The fun after waiting patiently is the
sweetest.”
“Umm…”
After contemplating between the fun ahead of him and her younger sister’s words, Sorath chose the
latter and sat down. Tiriel took it as a proof of his love, and ignoring the people around them, tightly
embraced him. Closer and closer, they got more and more intimate by the second. Engrossed in it,
Aizenta Tiriel whose cheeks were stained with traces of the cream from Sorath’s mouth, was not
bothered by it.
“You did well, onii-sama. Good boy.”
(Good grief.)
Why must everyone look at both of you? Your demeanor and actions had to be the main reasons.
Since he was introduced to this duty, Sydonay has lost count the number of times he sighed
helplessly. He tastes his black coffee. Apart from Sorath, to the other Crimson Denizens, this
exciting world which is filled with various foods and cultures is regarded as one of their best
amusements (though the Flame Hazes beg to differ). Nevertheless, the coffee in this shop is really
awful. He looks back.
(Ah! Not again.)
The 'Aizenta siblings' were holding hands and mutually licking the cream stains on each other's
cheeks and mouth, as if carrying out a purification ceremony. Trailing traces of saliva, occasionally
pecking lightly and moving unnecessarily, and lastly, like the pre-established harmony, their hot lips
and tongues united.
While everyone’s attention was fully focused on this picturesque, out-of-the-world scenery, Tiriel
surrendered first.
“Hu, huh......ha, ah......o, onii-sama.”
Tidying up her rumpled collar and her skirt which was askew, inhaling a deep breath, the distressed
beauty announced the commencement of a massacre.
“So…let’s get ready next, okay?”
“Yeah!”
Hearing this reply from this innocent teenager, countless golden yellow leaves appeared out of
nowhere, spread all over the place, gradually expanding the area they cover. The people in the shop,
around fifteen of them, disappeared from the face of the earth.
Ike and Yoshida’s houses are situated at the same street on the eastern side of the housing area.
Nevertheless, since they are not involved in ‘that’ type of relationship, they do not go home
together. It is merely coincidental that their houses are located at the same area. Until now, they
have at most met each other occasionally; never advancing into another stage in their relationship.
In spite of that, for unknown reasons, Ike looked for Yoshida to return home together. Being an
efficient person, Ike started the conversation with lighter topics like homework and lectures, then
slowly steered it to their school life. Yoshida had been discussing things about Yūji with him quite
frequently.
Ike is a reliable person- too reliable, in fact, according to everyone’s view about him- with a clear
mind and composed self. The way he treats others and handle things are all done efficiently. When
it comes to studies, Ike is someone Yoshida worships.
However, she felt that the way he talked to her was quite different from normal situations. With
interesting topics to discuss, they talked enjoyably. Still, she strangely felt that Ike was beating
around the bush, hiding what he really wanted to say somewhere; slowing steering the topic towards
it. For someone who always goes straight to the topics, this wasn’t like him at all. Based on their
relationship (except the ‘love’ part), Yoshida could not understand him any better.
“So I say, just like that bathroom key. Everyone knows about it, yet no ones voices out for a better
one. Even though they have the will, they would need to seek the opinion of the Students Activities
Center, Student Council and the teachers. Besides, the drain…...”
“Err, Ike-kun?”
“Ah. I’m the only one talking all the time. Very boring, right?”
Yoshida felt his meticulous attitude strange. Besides, usually he listens to her first, then only voices
out his opinion or explanation.
“No, it’s not really like that…”
When he talks to boys, Ike is the only one to which she needs not talk respectively
“Do you have something…you want to tell me?”
“…Umm…This…” This superhero, Spectacled Man was struck dumb…
Yoshida observed how this fidgety Ike twitches his eyebrows, looking
very nervous- an expression no other students have seen before.
“Ike-kun?” Ike decided to let everything out, and stared at the dark sky.
He said:
“I’d like to ask you…”
“Wh-what?”
“Which part of Sakai do you like?”
Hearing this out of the blue question (though after careful
considerations, it is actually quite basic), Yoshida was really
astonished.
“Th-this…Why do you suddenly ask me this question…?” As she
spoke, her face reddened in embarrassment.
“So it really is because of that PE lesson?” For someone who always talks sense, it is natural for Ike
to use a question to verify the truth.
“……I think so.”
Yoshida had not the wildest idea that Ike would ask her something so ‘unanswerable’ like this. She
turned to this person, someone who always lends her a helping hand.
“At that moment, I really thought that Sakai-san was very cool…”
Until here, Ike understood it perfectly, yet Yoshida“
But…” -continued.
“That incident had only caused me to gather up my courage to talk to him…Actually, I had liked
him since I came into this high school…”
An unexpectedly frank answer. Ike’s curiosity was aroused.
“Err, did any special incident happen at that time?”
Yoshida shook her head, smiling faintly.
“It was during the first assembly when school just started. Before it began, I was at a loss because I
couldn’t find my classroom when…”
An image floated into her mind: A kindly teenager who smiled in an embarrassed way: “I’m lost
too.”
“He said that since we were in the same class, he guided me there. That’s all.”
“Because of that small incident, you have liked him, until now?”
“No, not exactly…because of that.”
To repay Ike who has always helps her, Yoshida tried hard to put her feelings and thoughts into
words.
“The kindness at that time and the coolness during the PE lesson are not the main reasons…”
“?”
“It is just because I sensed a feeling like ‘This is it.’ at my first sight of him...”
Ike recalled what Yūji told him when he was sitting in front of the bathroom.
(“Now…now I’m still not sure enough to say confidently ‘This is it.’”)
“It is completely the other way round. Or…did that fellow purposely held something back…?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Nothing of your concern.” Ike smiled dryly and shook his head.
Unconsciously, he muttered:
“Is it just depending on this ‘This is it.’ feeling? If so, maybe what the other party said is correct…
or, maybe both are correct…”
“???” Yoshida could not make head nor tail out of what he was saying.
Instantly, Ike reverted back to his usual cheerful self.
“I’m sorry, Yoshida-san. For suddenly asking you such a weird question…No, not weird. It should
be something important.”
Yoshida shook her head furiously, indicating that there was no need for an apology.
“Ah…no worries… But why did you ask this question?”
“Nothing in particular…I just feel that I have to be calmer. In short, just take this as a casual
conversation. Back to the topic-”
“Huh?”
Ike took out a black umbrella designed for men’s use.
“This Sakai, though he always remembers to bring an umbrella with him, he tends to forget about it
once the rain stops. That’s why I say, though he is a meticulous person, this fellow tends to make
some silly errors.”
“This umbrella…You mean you want me to return it to him?”
“It’s too late now. It’s not very safe outside. Tomorrow morning just walk a little further to pay him
a flying visit. Who knows, maybe you could even go to school with him!”
(Come! This is a map to Sakai’s house.)
In his excitement, he even tore out a page of short notes from his notebooks. Looks like he was all
prepared.
“Th-thank you…”
Ike-san hasn’t changed at all, Yoshida thinks happily.
Receiving the umbrella and the note from Ike, looking at his blissfully radiant smile, Yoshida felt a
bit sad. The feeling she has right now, can it be considered as ‘This is it.’?
Sydonay looked at the housing area, the wide, skyscraper-free sky, at the layer of dark clouds
through the slight gaps of the leaves of the Cradle Garden.
“Tiriel, what do you think of this area?” Holding hands intimately with Sorath, she was examining
this area whilst working on the next device.
“Umm…This place is greener than the business sector. Besides, the pedestrian walk is even paved
with bricks. Looks like the builders of this city made quite some effort in doing this.” Her words
were filled with sarcasm.
Being in a brown study, Tiriel did not even caress her onii-sama, who was clinging onto her tightly
whilst devouring an old man, who was out jogging. His companion- a kid around four, five years
old (probably his grandson), had been transformed into part of the device by Tiriel’s Jizaishiki.
After a short while, together with their existence, they vanished from the face of earth. Not bothered
by Tiriel’s attitude and her sacrifices, Sydonay continued:
“This is a city inhabited by Flame Hazes. We can see that the other Denizens who were destroyed
had created quite a number of Torches. However, the true situation is very grim. Though the
Torches we see now are quite a lot, there must have been more Torches, more people eaten by them,
right?”
On Tiriel’s face which was closely stuck to her onii-sama’s, a pair of elegant eyes scanned the
whole street painstakingly.
“You have a point. However, in order for the Orgel to sound and create the specific phenomenon, a
certain level of distortion actually works to our advantage. Maybe the distorted situation will
deteriorate quickly, but this is none of my business.”
“You’re right, Tiriel. If this dis-distorted too badly, the De-demon Lords, they will be angry. Cannot
distort too much, Hecate said before……huh!?”
“……Who did you just mention, onii-sama?”
As Tiriel said this, the hands which were hugging Sorath just now turned towards his neck instead.
Fine, delicate fingernails as precious as elephant tusks slowly sunk into it. As if resonating to her
high emotions, the golden leaves which were surrounding them radiated brighter and brighter like
an inferno.
“Aarrghh…ack, ack…!”
“Hecate? You cannot think about that conceited jerk who only knows how to play with stars.
Talking to her is also forbidden.”
Her cheerful smile was still unchanged, but her nails sunk deeper; the resonating light grew
brighter.
“Ti……ri……ack-” Sorath sputtered, whilst trembling in fear.
Under the sunglasses, Sydonay squinted his eyes. Finally realizing that they were not fooling
around, he ventured to stop the girl-
“Tiriel! That is enough.”
-only to have his advice fall on deaf ears.
Staring into the distressed eyes and his contorted face due to excruciating pain, smiling lightly,
Tiriel spoke sweetly (though on second thought, it sounds more like a threaten to swear an
immediate oath):
“……Onii-sama, besides me, you cannot think of other girls. I am the only one, the only one, the
only one, get it……?”
Unable to speak, using his last ounce of strength, the chocked head managed to nod slightly. After
ascertaining it, Tiriel lets him off. The dazzling light dimmed.
“That’s right, that’s right. This is it, onii-sama. My onii-sama, I hope I am the only one in your eyes.
You can only watch me and listen to me."
“Huh-huh-huh…er…hmm...huh! Tiri-el, so-sorry......I’m sorry!”
Sorath embraced her sister tightly, as if he couldn’t spare even another second perspiring. With the
same smile, Tiriel kissed Sorath’s ceaseless tears.
“Huh, glad that you understood, onii-sama……”
"..........."
With his mouth agape, the dumbstruck Sydonay could only stare at the siblings’ Aizen antics.
“Uurgh……puh. Ahh……I breel lait bo-bomitting……” [Translator’s note: I feel like vomiting.]
“You knew that you would become like this, so why did you still drink it?”
The outskirts of the business sector, east of Misaki City, is somewhere the rich landlords in the past
stay together, known as the old housing area. The residence of Keisaku Satō belonged to a handful
of wealthy clans, and it is certainly a huge mansion. However, using not very reasonable excuses,
all his family members never stepped into this mansion. That is why Satō is living alone all this
while.
Since a sensible age, apart from someone who takes care of him during daytime, he has practically
no chance of interacting with other people, thus living quite a lonely life (although he denies it).
Since he entered high school, Satō managed to come to terms with his loneliness, and lived a quite
happy life since then. Still, his days are still basically lonesome.
“After all, I have nothing……else t-to do, urrghh……”
“Ah! Ah! Don’t puke! Don’t puke! What happens if you throw up on me…?”
About a month ago, Satō and Eita Tanaka (田中・栄太 Tanaka Eita), a good friend of his, were
dragged into this matter. His routine was completely ruined, the culprit being a girl like Shana- a
Flame Haze-
“If I vo-vomit on you, will you be more qu-quiet?”
-who was also this drunkard lying on the counter in the indoor pub of Satō’s house- Chōshi no
Yomite, Margery Daw.
“Aarrghh! Stop, stop! My heavy drunkard Margery.”
He was on a chair by the counter beside Margery. This Crimson Lord who expressed his
consciousness through the book-like divine artifact “Grimoire” might suffer a puking assault
anytime. To pursue the Crimson Denizen known as Shikabane Hiroi Lamies, they had come to
Misaki city. Once discovering that the Crimson Denizens devoured the humans unreasonably, she
was filled with intense hatred and became murderous.
Under the guidance of Satō and Tanaka, Margery searched the whole city from pillar to post. Things
turned ugly when she met Alastor and Shana, who felt that Lamies does not cause any imbalance to
this world. Margery ended up crossing swords with Shana, Alastor and Yūji (even he was dragged
into it); in which she lost. Her motivation to fight, pride and self-confidence were completely
shattered.
“So…so just keep quiet, watch silently…ugh, urrghhh.”
“If I don’t say anything, you will intoxicate yourself again.”
From that time onwards, Margery could be described as an empty shell- she chose the indoor pub as
her base and spends- no, struggles through each day doing nothing. By the way, Satō and Tanaka
had absolutely no idea about Margery’s defeat and the fact that Shana is a Flame Haze; and of
course, Yūji being a Torch.
Margery refused to divulge her defeat because she hates to show her being weak in front of others.
On the other hand, she did not mention Yūji and Shana because she had not the slightest inclination
that they are Satō’s friends.
In other words, Shana, Alastor and Yūji knew about Margery, yet ignorant of the fact that she was
staying with Satō and Tanaka. Margery knew the true identity of the trio, yet had no idea that they
knew Satō and Tanaka. Satō and Tanaka knew that there were other Flame Hazes in the city, yet
they were unaware that Shana- Yukari Hirai and Yūji were involved in it. It really is a complicated
relationship.
“Just spit out your…Flame of Illusion and everything will be alright.”
“Okay, okay! I guess I’ll just follow your orders and watch silently.”
“Arrr……y-you…jerk…”
Today, the cheerful duo again returned to this lady who was at a complete loss. With a ‘pang’ sound,
they opened the door of the pub hard.
“We-we’re back… Margery ane-san15!”
“Ane-san, so how’s the day…?”
Satō called her ‘Margery ane-san’ while Tanaka shouted “Ane-san!”
“Aarrghh…so noisy…my brain is ringing now.”
Lying completely on the counter of the pub, she replied, whilst scratching her hair almost forcefully,
unwilling to budge even a bit. The once elegant and smooth red ponytail of hers had become
seriously disheveled- she had merely tied a simple knot behind her head.
With the sleeves rolled up, the blouse matched the moth-eaten pants badly. The only thing
unchanged was her plain glass spectacles which were for ornament purposes only. Before this, the
cool image of a Flame Haze in a fluttering dress with ribbons, destroying the Denizens so
wholeheartedly, had gone up in a puff of smoke.
Nevertheless, her situation now was not that bad, as she had gotten a grip of herself lately. These
two had been accompanying her throughout this month. During the first week, Margery was
practically motionless; the second, the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak; the third, sitting
about, sighing the whole day. And now, the fourth……
15 A term not usually used by people. "Ane-san" is used to show that the relationship between (Satō and Tanaka) and
Margery is something like yakuza mistress and henchmen. The usual term is onee-san (elder sister).
“Is ane-san still moody?”
Just like Satō's question, the whole pub was an utter mess, since she did nothing but drinking the
whole day. Since the second week, if Margery felt like it, she would bring Satō and Tanaka to shop
for groceries. (When this happens, they were forced to take the day off school) This not fully
recovered state was still continuing.
“If we don’t take the opportunity to ask the caretakers to clean this place while they are here during
the day, this place would continue to be dirty like this, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah! If ane-san refuses to leave this place for even a while, we would be ashamed to disturb
you.”
Treating his friend’s house as if his own, Tanaka gaped at the empty, multi-branded alcohol bottles,
glasses, measuring cups and leftovers of fruits. What he meant by ‘caretakers; are servants who had
served in Satō’s household before. So any occurrence which tarnished the name of the Satō family
is never spread out.
Fully responsible for everything within the house, their pride was to preserve the original condition
of the whole residence. This is also the reason they kept mum about the entry of this lady with
unknown origins, whose spokesperson would be doubted immediately if he attempted to explain
that Margery did not have any mental illness. Besides, those who would divulge the secret were not
at home.
Due to her proud attitude, Margery did not feel grateful towards the concern of the people around
her, and was also inconsiderate towards the situation. She replied casually:
“This moment I am about to…make…a good one. If the old man is with me, should be able to
make…a better…one.”
“You cannot be like this, you know,” advised Satō, while apologizing silently to the old caretaker.
“Hey ya, both of you. Sorry for troubling you two.”
Marchosias’ apology and gratefulness were expressed in his sharp voice. With a jolly demeanor, he
is just like a typical Demon God, although at the same time, filled with warm, human disposition.
Despite seeing his wasted, unkempt contractor, he never admonishes Margery.
“I told her, ‘Before the old people come, if you still want to sleep, sleep at the couch.’ But she
replied, ‘I-want-to-sleep-here!’ She ain’t a three-year-old anymore, hehe!”
He merely sneers her. The reply to this sneer came in the form of a skilled reverse kick at his ‘face’.
Margery turned around with her chair and delivered a hard kick- her movements and agility so
unlike a wasted drunkard.
“Ouch!” The several-drawing-boards-thick was sent flying to the center of the room.
“Stupid Marcho…..you don’t…talk so much- uurrghh!”
Margery’s flying kick made her nauseous again, so she lay prostrate on the counter of the pub. From
her back, a loud, impertinent laughter could be heard, relieved that he finally needed not to worry of
being puked on.
“He he he! Did I say anything wrong- oh! Thanks a lot!”
“You’re welcome.”
His face twitching, Satō forced a smile whilst heaving Marchosias with both hands (Due to the
sheer weight, Satō could not just ‘lift’ it). He put the book on a couch near the entrance. Satō and
Tanaka sat down beside and opposite him respectively. Then, they took out the topics for the day.
Marchosias questioned them:
“Both of you. What are you studying today?”
“Erm……A handy book in business?”
Removing the cover, Satō showed the contents- “Easy to understand! Perfect Superiors and Perfect
Subordinates”
“Mine is……why does it look like a collection of world maps?”
Tanaka also showed Marchosias his book- “The World’s Secret Cases”. Since they met Margerythe
perfect image of an ideal woman inside their heart, full of existence and powerful; their
enthusiasm and vigor to carry out what is known as ‘Striving to Work and Train Hard’ has been
instigated within the hearts of these young men. They did it rather secretly, though.
Although not clearly expressed, it looks like they were serious in going after her. Despite being in
her semi-conscious and ‘vacant’ state, Margery was still aware of this. Obviously, she completely
ignored their idiotic notion. Putting her replying to her aside, she was too lazy to even smirk at their
antics. After all, their interest must have merely been transient, she thought. So Margery just left it
aside and did not tell them off.
“Hehehe! Are you two really serious? No matter how hard you work, it will all be in vain!”
Margery laughed off the matter, implying he had the same feelings as Margery. Humans wanting to
work with Flame Hazes……Reckless and unheard of! In spite of that, throughout this month, these
two continue to strive and practice hard, with no hint whatsoever of their fervor decreasing.
During this period of time when Margery was distressed, they had made full use of their time.
Marchosias was not really in the mood to laugh at them, and Margery pretended she never saw their
hard work; but their zeal remained.
But……
(Their physical drills are still acceptable, but when it comes to studies, it seems a bit irrelevant.)
Marchosias could not help but to think that. Satō and Tanaka thought that the ‘normal curriculum’
they learned together with the other students was really not applicable. Luckily, Satō’s family is
quite well-to-do, so they had set a target- ‘Not necessary to memorize perfectly, but the more the
better.’
If their aim is to stay fit, this method is actually quite acceptable. However, if their goal is to
participate in the battles together with the Flame Hazes, can they learn anything from “Easy to
Understand! Perfect Superiors and Perfect Subordinates” and “The World’s Secret Cases”? Just as
he is about to question this, Marchosias noticed something strange at Tanaka’s chin.
“Hey, Eita. How did you get this injury at your chin?”
“Huh? Ah, err...This……”
Tanaka looked up from his map of international time zones, feeling his chin whereat a plaster was
used.
“Nothing much, just a small injury. I was hit by a ball during a game, that’s all.”
The corpse-like figure on the counter shuddered a little. Not noticing this reaction, Satō sniggered.
“When your mum looks at you like this, maybe she will exclaim “Not again!” and faint.”
“Okay, that’s enough. After all, I will remove it on my way home.”
Tanaka’s residence is also a rich one at the older housing area. His parents- especially his mother,
had been worried sick about his past deviant behaviors. So, she was very worried that Tanaka would
venture into the wrong path again.
For the past month, Tanaka’s routine was to come straight to Satō’s house right after school to
undergo the ‘drill’, and only went back at night. Although it was quite troublesome, he did not stay
in Satō’s house; despite the many empty rooms. This is simply because his mother’s influence was
just too strong.
“Actually, I am not that bad to the extent of causing my parents to suffer that many blows!”
From his position as a son, he retorted, showing a complicated-looking countenance.
“I rather remove it now. Ouch, ouch, ouch!”
Moaning in pain, Tanaka removed his plaster.
“……What was the outcome?”
Suddenly, Margery opened her mouth with a question.
“Ane-san?”
“You won……or lost?”
Not looking at the bewildered Tanaka, still prostrate on the counter, with her face covered, Margery
repeated herself. From within the faint voice due to drunkenness, her anxiousness could be sensed.
“…………”
“…………”
Thunderstruck, Satō and Tanaka could only stare at each other, and then look at Grimoire in unison.
Very unfortunately, Marchosias was unable to express his view via looks or actions. All they felt is a
hidden message from the half-sunk book in the sofa.
From Margery’s one month of despair, they knew that despite chasing away the Crimson Denizens
who damage this city, she had received not only numerous physical injuries, but also serious
emotional blows.
During this period of time, the reason they did not try to console this highly esteemed lady who
made them feel inferior, is that they thought this move risky and stupid. This is why despite feeling
down, they still held their silence.
Now, for the first time, she had willfully asked a question, though it is in an I-want-to-look-fortrouble
tone.
“So how was it?”
Thinking that this question carried an implicit meaning, Tanaka decided to answer truthfully.
“…………we lost.”
“But the opponent obviously fouled.”
“Don’t mention it anymore.”
Satō wanted to explain further, but was cut in by Tanaka.
After a few seconds of utter silence, their only reply was:
“…………Is that so?”
With that, Margery proceeded into a new topic.
“Tomorrow……I want to……shop.”
Which meant that they would have to take the day off tomorrow to help her carry the things. What
would be their best reply?
As they were pondering about this, regular breathings could be heard from the counter. Finally,
covered in a blanket, deeply buried within the alcohol bottles and glasses, the Flame Haze slipped
like a quicksand into dreamland.
The widespread light enveloped the city, banishing the darkness of night into nothingness. This is
the downward view from the big window of the restaurant-cum-hotel they were in. Thinking of the
preys which had to be within this sea if people, Tiriel could not help but to smile. She could pay
undivided attention to gathering the devices tomorrow.
Before the Flame Hazes who mingles with the people notice, she could quickly incarcerate them
into the gate from which getaways are impossible. In that case, no matter how tough the opponent
is, her victory was assured. And to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Tiriel had also employed
Sydonay, the ‘specialist’ bodyguard.
(He is in another room……No matter which world he is from, no one must interfere in me and my
onii-sama’s world.)
She did not expect a reply, because lying beside her, Sorath was already fast asleep. Feeding on
humans’ Power of Existence, the Crimson Denizens actually do not need to sleep. Still, the nonhumans
who love the ‘life and cultures’ of the humans naturally learn to adopt the humans’ lifestyle.
Just like what they were doing now, resting and sleeping is also part of it. Tiriel felt the warmth
under the covers.
“Don’t worry. I, Aizenta, will definitely protect my onii-sama!”
At some time during every night, Tiriel repeats the same oath without getting tired of doing it.
There were many pleasant surprises from this country, such as ‘orgel’. Using the ‘Yokubō no
Kyūkaku’, words were formed to describe them:
‘Inborn Countenance’
Pleasant to their ears, these words really fitted into this situation.
Tiriel hugged Sorath tightly. Drowning in the false feeling of being one flesh with him, she dreamed
about her future. She thought of her onii-sama, someone utterly helpless without her. She fantasized
about the day when Sorath would be ecstatic after fulfilling his craving; about her who could not
continue living without her onii-sama’s love; about the day when she would be shaking at the result
of her love.
At this time when he should be accompanying Shana with her practice, Yūji found himself handling
weird tools in his room.
“……What is he planning to accomplish?”
The table was laden with the newly bought tools. The one Alastor requested was right in the center,
with the fate of going to be dismantled.
That is a mobile phone.
“Don’t have so many questions, just follow my instructions.”
Alastor’s icy voice came from the pendant-like Cocytus. His request to Shana was to buy this
mobile phone and a set of tools. Now Yūji’s only duty was to……
“Remove the talking feature from the phone, and install Cocytus into it.”
Yūji knew that Alastor would not do anything absurd, and believed that he would find out Alastor’s
motive sooner of later. That is why although he didn’t understand a thing, Yūji paid full attention in
disassembling it.
“How is this?”
Using a drill and a saw, Yūji had made a hole on a piece of wood roughly. He lifted it up to let
Alastor see. Alastor replied after some time, though Yūji was unsure whether it was due to his
fastidiousness or not.
“Hmm…Next, use a file to smoothen the sides. You can see a bat-like thing, right? Remember to fix
it tightly. Don’t quiver because of my words, though. That’s the reason we bought Styrofoam.”
“Wah. Why do you know so much about this? Let me see……is it this? The one which looks like a
solid sponge. So I am supposed to smoothen it with a file, then stick with super glue?”
“Uh-uh. Correct. I do not expect a flawless result. Just do it carefully. Next, think of how to insert
the coiled up chain inside and fix its position.”
“You really do have lots of requests.”
“No complaints.”
“Okay, okay…”
Right above them, Shana was undergoing her training alone on the rooftop. Sitting on the ridge of
the roof, she stretched her hands out straight, and remained in this motionless state. It would drizzle
once in a while. The drizzles did not affect Shana, since she could dry herself quickly.
Shana continued with her training, paying no attention to the raindrops. Actually, her wet medium
length curly hair made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Because Yūji was not around, she could not
use too much energy. Since there weren’t any tremor-inducing actions, a Fūzetsu was not required.
Her training includes how to materialize a part of Alastor’s body; grasping the feeling of converting
imagination into reality; picture her existence envelope the entire area.
(…………)
But no matter how hard she tried, Shana could not focus at all. She was quite concerned about
what’s going on below her. But a more significant reason would be her not getting accustomed to
being alone. She gathered her energy, which suddenly disrupts……
(……I hate someone.)
Such an idea came to her naturally. Shana did not think it embarrassing, or that she should be
ashamed of it.
(Because when I am with Chigusa, I feel very happy.)
Serving her delicious food and providing a warm place to belong to- a woman with an affectionate
smile.
(When I am playing with the others, I feel very happy.)
Playing dodge ball together and fooling around having fun in the bathroom- a bunch of lively
classmates.
(Without Alastor, it’s so lonely.)
Before her chest, always protecting her- the kind-hearted Demon God from another dimension.
(Without Yūji……I hate it!)
And also, the youth she had gotten used to his being with her.
(Without everyone…………really, I hate it!)
Shana recalled what Alastor had said when they arrived here earlier.
“Mingling with others would only increase your worries, I’m afraid. However, the feeling’s not bad,
right?”
At that moment, Shana did not understand the meaning behind those words. She couldn't even
remember her reply. Nevertheless, now she was able to answer clearly, with just a simple word.
“Yeah.”
Chapter Four - The Day of
Conflicts
The next morning, thick, dark clouds were
scattered sparsely in the serene and blue sky,
embracing the strangely fine weather.
Just like that, under the sky near the sunrise, the
Sakai residence was facing an unprecedented
emergency.
Facing the narrow garden made muddy by the
lasts of the raindrops, a deep sigh was released.
In the window of the balcony which could not be
brushed clean, the usually jersey-clad Yūji was on
his seat.
"Fuu......"
From the small holes at the wall which are there
for easy indoor rubbish disposal, the usually
jersey-clad Yūji was on his seat.
Pondering on the things which would happen after
this, a sigh escaped from him.
(......The 'Fight of the Century16' should be
referring to this I think.)
He stopped sighing, instead inhaling the early morning's refreshing air, waiting for the arrival of
Shana and today's guest of honor......or more accurately, the mobile phone into which the guest of
honor was fixed.
After this, the extraordinary occurence in the Sakai residence......can be said to be the climax of the
decisive battle.
On one side, the Lord of the Crimson Realm which is also the Demon Lord “Tenjō no Gōka”
Alastor.
On the other, “Yūji Sakai's mother” Sakai Chigusa.
As for the latter, whilst her title sounded feeble (due to the weakness of the person such title usually
represents), her awesome qualities in an unconventional way were already well-known.
The evidence was seen last night; when Alastor announced this confrontation, Flame Haze “Enpatsu
Shakugan no Uchite” Shana was also greatly bewildered.
“Huh!? Alastor is going to have a talk with Chigusa-?”
In other words, Alastor wanted to use the mobile phone into which he made Yūji fix 'Cocytus', to
have a confrontation- or also known as a 'conversation' – with Chigusa.
Why on earth did such an idea hit him? What did he want to say? Leaving Yūji aside, not even
Shana had the faintest idea. From the usual respect Alastor had towards Chigusa, obviously he
meant no malice. Because of that, the purpose of doing this kind of unnecessary things was not
understood.
Besides,
16 Fight of the Century was the promotional nickname given to the first boxing match between champion Joe Frazier
and challenger Muhammad Ali, held on March 8, 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden.
“When my mobile phone is passed over to the lady, both of you leave. Until the time when the usual
training finishes, do not come back.”
He even warned them, causing Shana who had feelings of special, deep affection towards Alastor,
could not help but to feel uneasy. Because the two of them did not think of opposing him, no matter
what his intentions were, they would just obey his instructions......
However, the course of events was really disquieting.
Before long, the old doorbell of the house rang slowly. Nobody went to the entrance to answer the
call, since the person who rang the bell would head towards the garden immediately.
And then, as expected, Shana who was always in her track suit, appeared through the side of the
entrance. The knapsack in which her uniform was placed and her other school bag were as usual.
But,
“Good morning.”
Nervousness was shown through the expression during the greeting.
“Uh, good morning.”
Although he replied, he felt that he had the same expression as Shana. Their feelings should be like
students preparing for examinations who were forced to meet their guardians and teachers to discuss
about their future, or else like the accused in an absence referee system.
“Welcome, Shana-chan. A fine morning, right?”
Chigusa looked out from the inside, with a calm face displaying a gentle smile.
“Yeah. A fine morning.”
Shana replied briefly, at the same time placing her bag and her knapsack at the corridor. She
hesitated, then called out to Chigusa who was about to return to the kitchen.
“Uh, Chigusa.”
“What?”
Called to a halt, Chigusa showed her face again in the corridor. Sensing that Shana had something
to say, she bent her legs and sat down, facing her gaze. Shana admired this part of her.
“Umm... Alastor wants to talk to you with the phone...”
“Huh? Alastor-san...that Alastor-san?”
As expected, even Chigusa was astonished.
Shana produced the mobile phone Yūji modified yesterday from her bag.
Since only the interior of the brand-new phone was tampered with, its appearance did not look
special or strange. The battery had been removed in the first place. The buttons were all for
decoration only.
“This is the first time I use a mobile phone...I wonder if I am able to use it.”
Looking slightly anxious, Chigusa received the phone.
Shana explained in the simplest way.
“It is already connected. You can speak right away.”
“I see, if that's the case then I am relieved.”
(Is that so?) Yūji doubted it. Shana signaled him with her eyes, and left the place.
“So, let's have our special training outside today.”
“Huh?”
“We will come back at the usual time.”
From the meaning behind Shana's words and her complicated expression, Chigusa understood the
general situation. Without any further inquiries, she sent them off.
“I see. Itteirasshai17. Take care, okay?”
“Uhuh. Ittekimasu18. Yūji.”
Yūji rose from the corridor as well, and followed Shana.
“Well then, ittekimasu.”
“Okay, itteirasshai.”
Chigusa saw the two off, then scrutinized the mobile phone Shana gave her. Although she had
frequently seen strangers in the city center use mobile phones, when she picked it up, she could not
even grasp the approximate distinction between the sides.
For now, she just imitated other people and held the receiver to her ears. Shana had said that the line
was connected, so it should be connected.”
“Hello, thank you for waiting. Thanks for always helping of Yukari Hirai-san. I am Yūji Sakai's
mother, Chigusa. Is that Alastor-san?”
With her usual gentle manner, Chigusa talked to the Demon Lord of the Crimson Realm.
It was still some time before early morning. Yūji and Shana was on the streets walking towards the
riverbed of the Manakawa. It was on Shana’s instructions.
The walkway on the bank of the Manakawa which was not exempted was the jogging course of the
nearby residents. More people jogged in the dusk compared to noontime. For Shana who did not
like crowds to mention going to that place, she should have something she wanted to show.
“I wonder what Alastor’s intention was for speaking to her.”
“Come now, why don’t we ask him after we return?”
Shana made that concluding statement, showing that her worry which was on her face until some
time ago had gone.
Maybe it was because she entrusted Alastor to Chigusa, (or possibly the opposite) her mood lighten
up, and her footsteps became lighter.
(Come to think of it, this is the first time Alastor is not around; just Shana and I together.)
Yūji thought to himself.
Strictly speaking, Alastor’s true form was in Shana. Since ‘Cocytus’ can return to her hands
immediately if she has a desire with Alastor, regardless of what it is; it is dangerous to have
excessive fantasies- (-but, “if that’s the case, so what?”)
Lately, incidents had always cause him to relate to ‘that thing’. After all, before he could think
deeply about it, he always stopped with incomplete feelings.
Yūji somehow concealed his true thoughts, and continued the conversation.
“Incidentally, I wonder if he would tell me if I ask him.”
“If he feels that it is okay to say it, perhaps.”
17 Literally means "go and come back." [From iku and irassharu ]. This phrase is used towards people leaving their
home.
18 Literally means "(I will) go and come back." [From iku and kuru]. This phrase is used by people leaving their home.
“If that's the case, then there isn't any meaning in asking...”
“It's okay if we don't ask, right?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is like that. If we insist on finding it out, the answer would only be mixed with lies and
deceptions.”
Shana's manner did not change. Her manner of speaking was still undisguised and straightforward.
At that moment, her pace increased.
“Apart from that, hurry up a bit.”
“What do you want to show me?”
“If you go, you'll know.”
Behind those curt words, a tinge of her excitement could be sensed.
Feeling that made Yūji happy.
She was willing to let him know things like this, let him understand more about her innate being.
That made him happy, above all other things.
Deep within his heart, he could feel the stagnant feelings start to move again, little by little. Feeling
it, and together with fear, waiting for it.
Hurrying, Shana went into a half-run.
Not wanting to be left behind, Yūji followed.
"This is the first time I have the honour of hearing your voice, madam."
"I deeply appreciate your kindness."
The fellow guardians began with this old-fashioned greetings.
(Since he is the gentleman Shana-chan's is the fondest of, to start from the unnecessary pleasantries
would be...)
Chigusa thought, thus she went into the main topic immediately.
“And, for you to call specially, it must be because you have some business, right? I suppose it is
related to Yukari Hirai-san's welfare.”
(Wow, she surely is a lady with quick understanding, as might be expected.)
Despite his admiration, Alastor replied in a stern and forceful tone.
“Quite so. By the way, I have no objections to calling her Shana as well. I am also used to calling
her that.”
“Ah, so it is a nickname Alastor-san also recognizes, huh? What is the meaning behind this
nickname...?”
“Umm, it is something like that. As for my business for calling...”
“Yes?”
After a slight pause, Alastor spoke.
“Actually, it is about yesterday's incident.”
“Yesterday?”
Chigusa replied smilingly.
“In brief, so to speak, I don't mean to deny madam's philosophy of love...”
Ah! Chigusa finally realized. With her hand at her cheek, she replied a bit shyly.
“Shana-chan told you about it, right? An awkward matter indeed.”
“No, I...right, I found that out forcibly.”
“At any rate, for Shana-chan to be able to tell you such things, it is the proof that Shana has a deep
trust in you, right?”
“......If that is so, I would look too conceited.”
After all, he could not have said that he heard it together with Shana.
“Conceited? That is too humble of you, right? Every time Shana-chan talks about you, her tone
shows that she is really proud of you.”
“Um......”
Chigusa's words were not insincere 'flattery'. She conveyed the actual truth, which he received with
pleasure, a concern.
(Oops, looks like this lady had made my rhythm go out of order.)
Alastor who had thought he had that cheerful conversation with her had a sense of impending
danger. He had wanted to use a stricter tone to say: “Do not inspire her unnecessary things!” Now
look who's agreeing with who huh?
Yet Chigusa had unconsciously steer the conversation back to the main topic Alastor had been
waiting for.
“You had brought her up extremely seriously. An innocent, good child, right?”
“Of course. She is an invaluable child I brought up seriously. Full of confidence and determination,
completely fired up for her call-...um.”
“Call......Is it that her objective in her course of life has been determined?”
“Uh...Um...quite so.”
Alastor who accidentally drop his guard and let slip became anxious and voiced his demand
impatiently.
“Anyway, I want you to be more careful, and avoid suggestion like yesterday which can lead to
“unprepared contact” between Shana and Yūji Sakai.”
Alastor felt that the tension when he voiced his demand was less than what he planned.
(She is wise. With that, hopefully she can guess my concern.)
Based on the unconsciously created faith in her, he made that conclusion.
However, because of the same wisdom that Alastor had assessed, Chigusa noticed the parts that he
overlooked in his worry.
“Your request is understood. But, 'for Shana-chan's sake', may I have the privilege to say something
on this matter?”
The bank along the Manakawa is a roadway without traffic lights.
Randomly crossing that place which had little traffic, Shana and Yūji went up the stairs to the high
bank of the river.
Walking whilst avoiding the mud on the concrete stairs in the bank which looked old, Yūji asked.
“The thing you want to show...could it be sunrise?”
It was almost the time for it. But Shana who was beside him, walking up the stairs shook her head.
“What's the point in showing you such common things? You may not know, but this riverbed is a
good location.”
“?”
'Although she said so, what are the other things to see in this place apart from sunrise? It shouldn't
be the Manakawa, right?', thought Yūji, whilst harboring expectations from Shana's manner of
speaking.
“Because the view I like most will become such a huge spectacle to behold......look!”
It did not betray Yūji's expectations.
Before they could reach the top of the stairs, the scenery unfolded before their eyes.
“Ah......”
At the spacious parking lot beside the river.....
A blue sky twice as large could be seen.
The asphalt of the parking lot which turned into a jet black mirror because of yesterday's rain,
completely reflected the moment before sunrise- the blue sky which was dark but gradually
becoming clearer.
Shana called out elatedly to Yūji who was standing still, overwhelmed by the scenery,
“How is it?”
She was facing the blue sky which was twice as large, not Yūji.
Yūji did not look at Shana as well. He fixed his eyes on the scene and answered.
“Yeah.”
That was his complete approval to Shana.
Yūji avoided the foolishness of mentioning its beauty, but...
“To think that there are such views.”
He said.
“Yeah, there are still lots more!”
Shana's answer was simple yet awesome.
Yūji who was reflecting on that went silent for a while. His eyes were still set on the blue sky, and
he honestly voiced out the longing he had just now and his feelings right now
“I want to know more.”
Although Shana was aware of what he meant, without moving her gaze, she grinned.
“......still have a long way to go, eh?”
The same request.
The same request with the day before yesterday.
And yet, why did they sound so different?
Standing side by side, not looking at each other, but at the vast world.
“Do your best!”
“Alright.”
Shana squinted her eyes, satisfied with the vast scenery and the blowing wind of the river, and also
with Yūji.
“......? Yes, madam?”
“I agree that Shana-chan is a good child, full of determination and confidence. But on the other
hand, I can feel that she has the naïve and tender-hearted side.”
Chigusa stopped there, and requested permission from Alastor to go into deeper issues.
“......please continue.”
“Right. Well then, sorry for my impoliteness. Shana-chan has almost never experienced any other
forces other than those she recognizes yields every day...in other words, humans 'feelings' and
'love'......which possess complexity and power. Perhaps she doesn't even know the general range of
common sense?”
Chigusa stabbed at the painful spot.
It is true that that was the way Alastor and the others brought Shana up. The Flame Haze who lives
for her call, whole-heartedly, existing only for this sole purpose.
“For what I saw, Shana-chan is entirely unable to deal with this kind of forces. What she can do is
merely to be perplexed, lose her state of mind...”
Chigusa made that speech rather indifferently to the Demon Lord in the mobile phone.
“For example, Alastor-san is worried that because of his youth, Yūji
would act on impulse based on his thoughts, force Shana......The child
whose heart is exceedingly pure, will she be able to resist?”
“Umm......”
Alastor groaned. From the sound of it, that seemed to be the kind of
suggestion he wanted most.
“I felt that yesterday, that's why I had that sort of conversation with her.
The act of equipping her with principles to be able to handle things like
emotions and situations cannot be put aside. I think that ignorance and
purity are two different things.”
“That is......maybe what you say is true, but I was thinking to let her
spent more time, experiencing things slowly, teaching her
continually......Isn't now still too early?”
“That, is true. I am of the same opinion as well.”
What Alastor was referring to when he said “too early” is the time after Shana became a Flame
Haze, different from Chigusa who was thinking about the youthful outer appearance she had. But in
this case, both sides had no problem communicating with each other.
“However, the time she meets these things not necessarily conform with the time the people around
her hope for. Girls always mature earlier than they may look from the outside.”
“Is that information acquired from your experience, madam?”
At the question from the slightly insensitive Alastor, Chigusa's face reddened, and she answered.
“Err, sort of......Anyway, I feel that there is no such things as too early for disseminating necessary
knowledge. Because Shana-chan would sometimes show her dangerously defenseless side, she has
to learn how to deal with her feelings with the other party, to prevent her from being seduced and
deceived.”
“......”
Alastor awakened from the state of being a blind guardian and understood after such a long time.
Chigusa Sakai was also protecting Shana; nothing else. Moreover, it was in an area unreachable by
“Tenjō no Gōka” Alastor's power.
He released a huge sigh, because if he were to manifest, he might cause a huge fire storm. Gently,
he apologized to the humans who are tiny and yet possessing deep, inner wisdom.
“......Madam. Do you allow me to take back the sudden, thoughtless demand? Though I have been
in this world for a long time, my understanding towards human beings is still shallow.”
Chigusa took these face-value words as a clever jest. Smiling, and laughing lightly, she replied.
“It is I who should say so. I apologize. My distance with Shana-chan is close until I forgot myself
and started minding her business.”
“Nope, Yūji Sakai is fortunate to have a mother with such wisdom like madam. If madam doesn't
mind, from now on I would like madam to watch over Shana for me, giving her advice.”
"That's more than I've ever wished for. I'll do the best I can, however little that may be."
Unconsciously, it became something like that.
Alastor consented to developments and results like that, but he still had the desire to voice out his
dissatisfaction, not that he wanted to oppose Chigusa though.
“Nevertheless, 'I have no objection towards this person who would come into the picture sooner or
later.” Just that I had no idea that this day would come so quickly, moreover to a youngster with
such a standard......oops, a slip of tongue, madam.”
Chigusa empathized with him, and laughed.
“No, it doesn't matter, because it is the truth. Shana-chan is a good child; for her to befit my Yūji is
really a waste.”
Since the people in question were not present, both of them voice their thoughts as much as they
liked.
“Umm......I would like to ask you sincerely to take good care of Shana.”
“It is I who should say so. For the sake of Shana-chan, I would like Alastor-san to reprimand Yūji
sternly.”
(Uh, regarding this point, please do not worry, madam.)
“In addition to that, because she is Shana-chan, she'll be alright. If she is taught appropriately, from
now onwards, she will surely discover the right answer in her own special way. You have that
confidence in her, right?”
Regarding this matter, Alastor was able to give an immediate reply.
“Of course!”
Shana and Yūji was on time. They returned to the Sakai residence timidly, to see that Chigusa had
returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
There were only a jug of cold barley tea, two upside down cups, and a plate of heaped cookies on
the serving plate.
Shana resisted (for the time being) the temptation of the cookies. Leaving that aside, she looked
around her.
The mobile phone was beside her bag.
Gingerly picking that up, Shana moved to Chigusa's blind spot- the corner of the garden. After
exchanging glances with Yūji who was beside her, she nervously asked.
“......Alastor?”
“Shana, from now onwards listen carefully to madam's words!”
“Eh?”
“Yūji Sakai, strive harder. Do not bring shame upon your mother.”
“Ha?”
Both of them exchanged glances again.
On the same day, just like usual, Hayato Ike went to school quite early.
Once he entered the classroom, the first thing he looked at was the umbrella stand.
Because it is right beside the entrance, it is natural to look at it.
Even so, he discovered something which should not be there, sticking out of the place.
It was the umbrella Yūji Sakai forgot to bring home yesterday.
The umbrella which he had removed and passed it to someone.
Its significance hit him, and he looked around the classroom.
A young lady sat there, alone.
Lying face down, with her shoulders hanging lifelessly.
In the fine weather, the color of the sunlight keep changing from morning till noon.
Having estimated the opening hours of the local shopping area and the departmental stores in front
of the station, Margery and her two henchmen left Satō's house.
Obviously Margery was leading, and her beauty and tall figure were superior to even models, with
distinctive styles to boast of. The moment one becomes a Flame Haze and turns into a vessel for the
'Lords', the human's physical growth would stop. Because of that, it is the best timing, Satō and
Tanaka thought.
At this time as well, she was walking on the road connecting the old residential district to the town
areas. Wearing only yesterday's dress shirt and baggy pants, with a jacket over her; with that
appearance, that beauty and sense of existence were enough to trick people into thinking this “mere
unkempt person” as “fashionable ruffian”.
Only that the way she held 'Grimoire' in her armpit was lifeless, and the way she dragged the
slightly larger leather shoes was slow. Even if she were to be described as a model, it would be a
model who had just played mahjong the whole night.
Behind her, donned in a slightly fashionable casual wear, Satō and Tanaka followed. Generally
speaking, Satō had the standard physique of a first year high school student, while Tanaka of a
sturdy built almost looked like a university student. Even if he attracted “unnecessary things”,
because Margery would use her “understanding” Jizaihō to deal with the opponent, there was no
need to worry about that point. But they still did not want to go out in their school uniform.
“Erm, where are we going today, Margery-san?”
“Today, that massage...a female only place is......”
Satō asked lightly, whilst Tanaka, timidly.
Before this, they went to the lingerie shop, and at two o'clock, Margery was still persevering. Satō
was chatting nonchalantly with the shop employee, while Tanaka was indeed bored.
In a dispirited voice, Margery replied.
“Haven't decided yet. If there's anything interesting, just go in to have a look.”
“It is still a long time before we meet the interesting things.”
“You can waste about 10 minutes merely in front of the window.”
From behind her, a tiny grumble which was the representative of the men who were carrying the
woman's shopping goods was caught by the sharp ears. From the plain glass spectacles, the
previously sharp look seemed to be relaxed and slightly angry and dreamy.
“Quiet. Do you want to go shopping on an empty stomach?”
“Ah, for that, please FORGIVE us.”
“This is better, since that is what we've been looking forward to.”
Both of them had already arrived at the stage where they could match her conversations.
“Hi...hihi, well then, today work hard as well!”
That voice from an unseen person which caused passerby to jump in surprise was a usual matter; a
trivial matter. But the three of them who knew the strength of the common knowledge disregarded
it.
During lunch break, the school cafeteria group left the noisy and crowded classroom.
Amongst them, for some unknown reasons, the figures of Ike, Yūji, Shana and Yoshida as the bentō
group could be seen. Lately, Satō and Tanaka would be occasionally absent together. In other words,
the remnants of the group of six people got together around the same desk eating their bentōs as
usual.
Despite having bags and lunch boxes respectively in their hands, it did not mean that they were
going to the school cafeteria. Although there were friends who brought their bentōs to the school
cafeteria to eat together, these people were different from them.
“Let's eat at a different place occasionally.”
Ike abruptly proposed, so they went to the other place.
Yūji and Shana simply thought that Ike suggested eating under the rarely clear blue sky because of
his usual concern towards Yoshida who was dejected since morning. As usual, Yoshida followed
from behind like an adult.
Because of this morning's incident, Yūji's mood was good.
(Finally, about the incident of Shana being with the others..... I have the mood to......feel that she is
slightly forgiveable now.)
He was proudly harboring in his heart generosity, which was only the flipside of his excessive
possessiveness. Don't know whether it was unlucky or lucky, but there was no chance to test that
fortitude.
Before long, Ike started ascending the stairs which lead to the top. Behind him, the three of them
showed puzzled looks.
The city's Misaki High School divided the classes as such: the first-years at the first floor, the
second years, second floor, the third-years, the third floor. Yūji and the other first years did not
normally use the stairs which lead to the higher floors.
Although he had passed by the third floor, Ike was still going up.
(Huh, this place is......)
Yūji had a rough picture now.
Previously, there was a fierce Flame Haze who invaded this city. (Yūji's impression of the previous
fight with Margery was as such.) On that occasion, before the fight, Shana had smashed through the
door of the exit on this rooftop......
While he was thinking this, Ike opened the iron door which was indented from the center outwards.
"Before this someone had broke down the door. It is not repaired yet. The view here is nice!"
They had heard about the teacher said that he would call a repairman. Incidentally, the person who
damaged the door ignored this with an indifferent face.
The view before them was nothing unusual, just a plain concrete level surface. Wild grass grew at
the old wire netting fence and the crevices, which was the best possible decoration. Due to
yesterday's rain, the whole dark surface was still wet.
Nevertheless, the view was certainly nice. Because there weren't any tall buildings at the housing
district around Misaki High School, one was able to see the big sky from slightly tall places. A short
distance away, the Manakawa and its bank stretched out over a long area. After one crosses over the
large iron bridge- the Misaki Big Bridge to the opposite shore, buildings close together could
suddenly be seen.
"Because most of the students do not know that this place could be entered, and the teachers hardly
patrol this place, so we can relax. At the back of the entrance, there is a perfect place for a good
view."
Evidently he had already inspected the place. A meticulous chap; Yūji evaluated Ike, who produced
vinyl sheets from his hand bag and spread them out on the wet floor. That was a bit too meticulous,
Yūji added.
"Alright, let's eat our bentōs."
At the tone which sounded like he had something up his sleeves from the friend who never did
anything meaningless, Yuji felt a somewhat unpleasant premonition.
“Well then, almost there, I think.”
Inside the “Cradle Garden” which extended from a corner of the main street of the town area, Tiriel
paused for a while. She lowered her finger and casted her Jizaishiki at a young lady. (Whether she
was a university student or a high school student, this fact could not be confirmed.)
At that instant, that lady transformed into a Torch, and died.
All of her companions were consequently eaten by Sorath. Only the Torches were made and left
behind, the rest was completely devoured by him. Immediately he turned around and said.
“Very soon, right? Very soon we can get our hands on 'Nietono no Shana', right?”
“Yes, I agree, Onii-sama. Before the day is over, the mechanisms would be completely set up. Just
wait for tomorrow.”
“Hooray!”
Putting the simple-minded Sorath aside, Sydonay walked round the street, carrying out a quick
reconnoiter. Since yesterday, he had this continual behavior of stopping once in a while.
“Hooray! That's really great......Tiriel, did you feel any thing unusual about the presence of the
Flame Hazes in this city today?”
“What do you mean?”
“Since yesterday, I've been feeli-”
“Ah!”
Sorath cried out, cutting into Sydonay's words. Those twinkling blue eyes were looking beyond the
'Cradle Garden' towards the opposite of the road.
Ahead of his vision, there was a floating air balloon for advertisement near a department store-like
building.
“I want! I want! Tiriel. That new, sparkling toy!”
Tiriel smiled,
“Right. Should we go in then? Onii-sama.”
Sydonay let out a sigh.
“Good grief, again?”
Heading towards the kill which had been captured by Sorath's “Yokubō no Kyūkaku”, they started
moving out.
After eating their bentōs, Ike launched out an innocent-looking and yet a little severe attack towards
Yūji.
“Come to think of it, Sakai. Since we came into high school, I have never been to your house before
to play.”
Yūji who was eating the bentō passed to him which made by Yoshida which kept improving in its
taste almost vomitted.
“Ack!? Urgh, n, a, aa......Is it? Yeah, tha's right.”
“Big unoccupied houses like Satō's are everywhere. Though I don't dislike your mother, because she
always treats others like a child, I don't really want to go.”
“Ah? Mm.”
Somehow, saying that his head was choked by silk floss......or should he should say, he could feel
from Ike's words a stench of concrete imbuing from the surrounding of the coiling silk floss, a sense
of oppression which made one unable to escape.
Hayato Ike, this youth, when he talks in such a roundabout way, generally it wouldn't be a nice
thing. Based on Yūji's association with him until now, he understood this fact well.
Shifting his look away from him, Yūji noticed that the appearance of Yoshida who was sitting
opposite him was strange.
(Yoshida-san......?)
Her face which was down, on the verge of hitting the ground; was pure white, just like wax.
Holding the chopsticks, her hands were slightly shivering. Her mouth was opening and closing. Dis
she want to say something? Or was she breathing?
Ike continued talking.
“And, early this morning......”
“!!”
Yūji felt as if the “Reiji Maigo” inside him sprung up.
“I was thinking of returning the umbrella you forgot yesterday.”
(Ike-kun!?)
Yoshida was aware that Ike was skipping the main subject, and also understood what he wanted to
do from now on. She felt a slow, heavy piercing pain in her chest, and involuntarily shut her eyes,
forcefully.
Shana could not understand the meaning of this conversation completely.
(Early this morning? Was it referring to Yūji and she go to see something?)
While thinking over that fact, she stuffed her mouth with melon breads. Obviously the taste of the
bread from the specialized store was the best, but she did not the slightest hate the moist feeling of
the bread from the stores with which her tongue was familiar. Each had its good and bad.
Not realizing that Shana's carefree thoughts were far away, Ike continued his roundabout
inquisition.
“So, I saw......coming from the Manakawa.”
(......Stop......)
Yoshida felt as if her pitch black field of vision was shaking unsteadily. When she was asked by
him, by mistake she told him her pain and sadness towards what she had seen. This, she regretted
from the bottom of her heart.
“Since when? You have always been accepting Yoshida-san's goodwill.”
While he was saying this, Ike felt within him a fury which even he did not expect.
Is it because of pride? Or he was angry for her sake?
Or, could it be...
“...That is...that...”
Yūji did not know what was the best way to answer.
He had been receiving goodwill favors from her until he became self-complacent. At last, an
unexpectable impeachment from his friend had come. During his unrest regarding this matter,
excuses like “My relationship with Shana was not like that, I only asked her to train me.” could not
even come out from his mouth.
Yes, he knew that it was an 'excuse'.
(Stop.)
In the secluded darkness, Yoshida was harboring anger within her.
The youth who displayed strength to which she could not compare; the youth who always helps her
by speaking out her inner thoughts accurately; the youth who had until now, always been helping
her out, whom she adored......All the reliance and favors conversely aggravated her further.
“If you continue your indecision, eventually the sad ones would be-”
“Stop!!”
She shouted, at the same time throwing her bentō aside and stood up.
Ike was astonished and looked up at her, speechless.
“I, I didn't ask you to do this, Ike-kun! Such things!!”
From the eyes which were glaring at Ike, tears welled up and
overflowed.
“Yo, Yoshi-”
“I am not like that! No!!”
Throwing words of unclear meaning at them, Yoshida turned and left
immediately. Her petite, furiously stiffened back rejected everything.
Putting chasing after her aside, the remaining three could not even
stand up. Her figure disappeared from the rooftop, and the sound of the iron door slamming
resounded. Forgetting even to breathe, they just sat there.
Before long, Yūji looked at the friend who was the target of her senseless anger.
Ike sat there without even the slightest movement. However, he displayed a look which they had not
seen before.
I ought to protect this friend who showed such an expression, Yūji thought. Towards Shana, he said.
“Can you leave for a moment?”
“? ...... Ok.”
Shana who was surprised and dumbfounded at Yoshida's fury, followed his words obediently.
Forgetting even to bring her pastry bag, she left the rooftop. She turned around once to look at Yūji.
He shook his head without further explanation.
Soon, the sound of the iron door closing was heard. Yūji looked at Ike again.
He saw a weeping face.
The “Aizen” siblings were at the toy section of the departmental stores. They were already
attracting a lot of attention under normal circumstances, but in a place where the number of
shoppers were quite limited, they were completely eye-catching. But then Sydonay who was
thinking such things was no exception- donned in a dark suit, wearing a sunglasses, he seriously
stood out in that place.
Without hesitating, Sorath went straight for one of the many shelves displaying various, new
products which were full of luster and flamboyant embiance. Finding the set of toys he wanted, his
eyes shone.
Sydonay thought,
(......Now what?)
Looks like it was something which could change into a bike, an aeroplane or a cannon; a set of three
robots with colors similar to traffic lights. Nevertheless, it was just like any other toy, nothing
special about it.
Sorath gazed at the desired object on the shelves, fascinated. Squatting down, he looked up from
below as though looking up at the sun.
How many minutes will his interest last this time? Sydonay thought. At this moment, Tiriel
addressed him.
“Sydonay, what were you trying to say just now? What did you say about Flame Hazes' presence?”
Guess it was the concern that she voiced out for the sake of protecting her elder brother. Since
Sydonay's role was to be their bodyguard, he replied willingly.
“Yes. Since yesterday, we have covered and set traps in a vast area.”
“Anything wrong with that?”
“During that time, I kept sensing a strong presence which was almost unchanged.”
Thinking that someone was watching them from quite a close range, Tiriel said, slightly unhappily.
“......You mean my “Cradle Garden” had been penetrated?”
Sorath had absolutely no interest in such discussions. Currently. the robots on the shelf had fully
occupied “Aizenji” Sorath's heart.
I want Tiriel to get this for me. I want to play, I want to play, play this as much as I like......Err...after
that I don't know.
“How is this possible? If that's the case, the person would quickly challenge us, or else run away
from us, I guess. Haven't we been working hard setting up traps continually?”
“I know that......Then, what do you think?”
“Yeah. This is an extremely rare case. In this city-”
Meanwhile, outside this conversation,
A child ran from Sorath's side and took away the robot set he was looking at right before his eyes.
After that, he lifted it up to show it to a woman which seemed to be her mother.
“Mother, THIS! THIS!”
Presently, the shocked Sorath stood up to that robot set which was held up.
That woman who looked like his mother noted the presence of a golden-haired handsome youth in
the toy section, and was surprised. That childish behavior, and above all, the figure which stared at
the robot as if he was going to eat it, caused her to show a plain look of contempt. Looks like she
regarded him as a retarded child. She led the child and left the place quickly.
Sorath did not even look at the mother's actions. However, he felt the premonition that the object he
desired was being taken away.
“Hey, Tiriel. Can?”
Because she was in the midst of a conversation, Tiriel treated these words as a request- “Is it okay to
buy this toy?”. Thus, she agreed lightly.
“Alright, go ahead, onii-sama.”
That child was sliced into half.
A horizontal line could be seen at the abdomen. The upper and lower parts of the body were then
blown off.
Looks like the mother still could not grasp the situation.
She was dumbstruck and could only stare at the mist-like bloody breeze which was around the kid,
and also the shadow of the golden-haired teenager in a magnificent armor opposite him who turned
towards her and swung his huge sword downwards.
The mother was sliced cleanly into half as well.
With a speed which did not feel any resistance at all, Sorath cut her from her head to her groin using
“Blutsauger”. Golden hair fluttered from the face shield-free headpiece. As the reverberation of the
decapitation, the radiance of the color of the blood on the huge sword glittered.
The handsome youth looked like a knight of justice which appeared out of fairy tales. A few
seconds after the spectacular slaughters, screams could be heard.
“Waaahh!!”
“Mu...mu, murder!!”
“Call the police! Call the police!”
Not showing any interest whatsoever in these, Sorath turned the blown off child and the sliced
mother into flames, and consumed them in and consumed them in a single breath. Still her did not
forget to leave behind some flame which was the Torches' portion, and after that picked up the robot
set which was left behind. After that, the box which was dropped had a big dent due to the strong
impact. The robots inside were also a mess, losing the tidiness of a new product.
“......No, I don't want it anymore.”
Sorath lost interest and threw the box aside.
Tiriel looked at the state of her elder brother. With her arms akimbo and a worried look on her face,
she smiled.
“Oh my, what have you done, Onii-sama! Before you do such things, you have to set up a Fūzetsu.
And I had told you so many times...Now you caused a chaos, didn't you?”
Just as she said, the section had turned into a pandemonium. Until Torches were formed from leftover
flames, the humans were able to recognize that the murders occurred. (After the Torches were
formed, their reasoning of the previous mania would be changed into confusion.) The terror of the
frantic people who were escaping spread over the area. That section of the departmental store fell
into a state of panic with screams and confusion all over.
Sorath, the perpetrator who caused this, innocently shook his head hard.
“But, I don't know how to set up a Fūzetsu.”
“That's why I......never mind.”
She took it as her misunderstanding (she did not want to think of it as a 'blunder') and shrugged. She
talked to the bodyguard beside her.
“Sydonay, will our opponent sense what had just transpired?”
Sorath had accidentally consumed humans outside of the “Cradle Garden”. The imbalance caused
by that meal was by itself very small. But because they were in the same city with a short distance
between them, he also had the fear that the enemy would be able to sense them.
Sydonay agreed with her anxiety too.
“You are right. If the Flame Hazes are sharp, there can be no mistake about it. Since their presence
is still as strong as usual, they have to be quite near to us. We cannot wait for the fellow who
defeated 'Tenmoku Ikko' to overlook this, right? But still, in this 'Cradle Garden', our presence
should not leak out......”
“Yes. If our opponent uses Jizaihō to sense us, we would simply react to it. Looks like hide-andseek
ends here.”
Tiriel regretted her brother's actions. Of course she did not think of it as her brother's fault.
“Regarding the mechanisms, we can do a bit more to ensure perfection...let's begin, Sydonay. Let's
put life into this by making all the chaos here into a burning reception. I want to see a really big
flame.”
Sydonay smiled bitterly.
“Is this a free service?”
“If you like, you can take the 'wages'. No problem.”
“I'll take the payment when your brother is eating. In addition to that, self-service? Even though the
real part is about to begin and you are still hard-driving people......but.”
Together with the voice, both arms in the black suit extended. Whilst extending they became
steadily thicker, at the end of the palms murky were murky, violet flames. Those flames which were
hot on the tracks of the escaping, confused crowd had changed into the shape of the head of a tiger
without anyone noticing. It opened its mouth to reveal a look of it roaring, whilst revealing sharp
fangs. From that mouth grand flames which could melt and bring screams of death were breathed
out.
“Hmm, once in a while is not bad. Wreck as much havoc as you like!!”
Sydonay gave a big ferocious roar in those tigers' stead. At the same time, the arms of the tigers'
head wriggled within that floor of the building. Wherever they reached, murky, violet flames were
breathed out, occasionally devouring humans.
“Haha. The fire signaling the beginning of the war, isn't it reasonably lovely......”
Tiriel stared at it, fascinated by the disastrous scene, whilst whispering to the brother she was
embracing.
“Now, let's go onii-sama. Let's go to greet them first.”
“Yeah. Let's go quickly! Quickly!”
The three shadows left behind the countless death amidst the hellfire and the black smokes, and
disappeared.
Obviously, because the Flame Haze was sharp, she sensed the small imbalance in the departmental
store. However, the opponent was not the Flame Haze who had “Nietono no Shana”, the one they
were targeting. It was the other Flame Haze in this city- “Chōshi no Yomite” Margery Daw.
Because she was in the same city area, and because she was quite near to the scene, she was able to
sense the tiny imbalance which barely made her hair rustle.
(Wh-what is this!?)
She had sensed it, and was astonished, not because such things had appeared suddenly so suddenly
so near to her. Just that after the previous battle, she was bombarded with questions about the whole
matter from Satō and Tanaka, and forcibly guaranteed that...
“'Denizens' would not come to this city again, definitely. I have said before that it is rare for
consecutive damages to appear in one place. Not to mention that 'hunters' had attacked this city
once, and that “Shikabane Hiroi” had attacked this time.”
She did not feel that it was her who attacked “Shikabane Hiroi” and caused a huge commotion.
“This city had gone through so much commotion. That's why “Denizens” should not come again.”
Full of self-confidence, she declared. And generally speaking, that should be correct. However, all
things will have inevitable exceptions, and in most cases, they are unpredictable.
“Margery."
From the speaker “Grimoire” right next to her, Marchosias felt the same thing as her, and spoke in a
rarely heard serious tone.
"I know it already, you don't have to tell me! What the heck is it, man!?"
Margery replied in an angry voice which sounded like she was about to smash the saxophone she
was holding in her hands.
“Wh-what's the matter, Margery-san?”
Nearby, holding an electric guitar under his arms whilst enjoying himself, the surprised Satō asked.
Slightly further away, Tanaka who was fooling around with the drum also rushed over.
“Ane-san?”
At the musical instruments store which unexpectedly caught their attention, they were whiling time
away. In the rare place in which the three were able to enjoy, they were touching and playing with
the things in the shop. That was where the angry voice was heard. The shop assistants and the other
customers were shocked, with their eyes wide open.
Ignoring them, Margery roughly put the saxophone back to the display case.
(Can't one even have the leeway to think deeply about past memories? What the heck is wrong with
this world!?)
She had the look of one whose stomach was being burned due to distasteful tequila. In front of her,
Satō and Tanaka who were standing straight. She gave them a simple order.
“Both of you, go to the “Haridan” immediately!”
That was the name of the Hōgu they discovered due to their battle with “Shikabane Hiroi” a month
ago. At the same time, the place at which it was put could be said to be their secret base. Going to
this place means that......!
“I-it's a lie, right!?”
“Is it a 'Denizen'!?”
The two of them were so astonished that they almost did not jump. The two who trusted Margery
completely had accepted that 'Denizens' would not go to their city again. To them, it was a flawless,
undeniable fact. Now that the fact had been overturned, they looked shaken.
Seeing their pathetic looks, Margery snarled at them again.
“Although it is I, when I am mistaken, I am mistaken! Now, that's enough! Quickly!”
“B-but...”
“We, er... um...”
“...Huh?”
Margery realized that the looks on their faces were not just shaken ones.
“During this month, the trainings which were not considered special trainings must yield some
result today, immediately!”. The fear, recklessness and emptiness......Even they understood these
things. Because of that fervor, they stood their ground despite trembling and being fearful.
They looked as if they were bracing for inevitable death. At these looks, Margery could not help but
laughed. It was not a sneering laughter.
“These idiots!”
It was a cheerful and breezy laughter. She did not mean to laugh at them. And then only she realized
that she had said those words. Her smile turned into a bitter one, and she said to the two who had
turned very still.
“In battles both of you are of no use. Only now both of you are useful. Because you are able, follow
my instructions obediently! Understand!?”
Whilst speaking, Margery poked their foreheads lightly with her index finger.
“!”
“?”
On the foreheads which were poked, ultramarine luminous points could be seen.
As if being a Jizaihō which sealed all objections was cast on them, Satō and Tanaka was speechless.
Margery added.
“I hate INDECISIVE PEOPLE!”
“Un-understood! Do your best okay?”
“Well then, I'll be going now. Be careful, ane-san!”
As if being repelled, both of them broke into a run and left the shop.
(......Do your best? Be careful?)
Involuntarily, Margery burst into laughter. That two are quite good at being henchmen. While she
was feeling the pleasantness, she beckoned and spoke to the shop assistants and the other customers
who were surrounding them from a distance and watching them, not understanding the meaning of
the conversational exchange.
“Ah, don't mind this. Well then, goodbye.”
She took “Grimoire” beside her and left the shop.
Outside the shop, for some reasons there was a commotion.
Margery turned towards the direction of the sensation she felt just now.
In front, there was a departmental store which was in flames which looked like the source of the
commotion.
Several fire engines which were emitting shrill sirens were slowly making their way through the
traffic congestion in front of her eyes.
“Now what can I do...”
The Flame Haze who lost the reason and the desire to fight asked herself heavily.
The “Crimson Lord” who had contracted such a woman answered in a persistently cheerful voice.
“Hmm. Because you were always doing things slowly, problems come to you now! Hihi!”
After he had finished laughing, “Jūrin no Sōga” Marchosias asked her back.
“Now then, can you still sing? My lovely wine cup, my darling “Chōshi no Yomite” Margery
Daw?”
Obviously the idea of asking “Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite" for help did not cross their minds.
A fallen leaf.
In front of Margery, crystals which were sparkling with golden yellow energy were floating up and
down.
Then it slowly dropped onto the ground.
“!”
Right before that, Margery leaped aside.
At that spot where she was standing half a second ago, a muddy violet explosion was let off. Some
of the people nearby were shocked and focused on that spot, whilst the rest were caught in the aftereffect
and fell down, and what they were doing stopped half way.
“......This is!?”
Without anyone noticing, the golden yellow tree leaves surrounded Margery who landed, just like a
whirlwind. With the site of explosion as the center, a dome gradually formed from the spacious
walkway to part of the highway, wrapping the entire area.
“Isn't this...a...Fūzetsu?”
As a great Jizaihō specialist herself, at a glance, she felt and understood that this Jizaihō was
something that hid one's presence.
From the midst of the scattering, remaining violet fire dust, three figures appeared in front of her.
Taking opportunity of it, the surrounding crowd were turned into flames and were sucked in by one
of the figures.
Laughing in a high-pitched voice, a beautiful girl in the center spoke.
“Although I do not know who's contractor you are, I have to start with a greeting first, I think-”
She had a magnificent appearance like a French doll. On the contrary, her body hid an enormous
amount of “Power of Existence”.
Nevertheless, Margery's gaze was not directed towards her, nor the other one hidden behind her- the
armored, handsome youth who was sucking in the flames. Instead, she was looking at the other
person, the man in dark suit and sunglasses, and gave a smile like a fully stretched bowstring.
“Fu...what are you doing here, FLIMSY stud?”
That man, Sydonay was also a little surprised to see her.
“Hoho......It has been a while, boisterous, beautiful assassin.”
In this human-free alternate dimension with embers flying around, both of them glared at each
other.
“Eh? Your acquaintance?”
“Yeah. Let me introduce her, Tiriel. The means our foe had set up to destroy us “Crimson
Denizens”- Flame Hazes. One of the prominent assassins......“Chōshi no Yomite” Margery Daw.”
“Oh! So she is Jūrin no Sōga's?”
Facing the two who did not display fear in their words, a voice which was not Margery's came from
the divine artifact “Grimoire”.
“Tiriel......? You bastards are the 'Aizentas'!?”
That is the name the passionate, indulging and spiteful Jizaihō specialist siblings who use Jizaihō to
play with and kill their game.
“Yes. The rumors lately......The mad 'Lords' who kill their fellow brethren joyfully......Hehe.”
Tiriel sneered, while dearly embracing her brother close to her chest.
“Allow me to introduce. This is my onii-sama, “Aizenji” Sorath. I am 'Aizenta' Tiriel. You have
already known 'Senpen' Sydonay, right?”
Though Margery was irritated due to some issues, she replied in a provoking tone.
“Well, you two are not worthy of the rumor, since you only hide around SNEAKILY. You pervert
siblings, what are you doing at such a place?”
Tiriel's eyebrows shot up at the obvious insult. But the tone in which she replied was still gentle.
“Even if you refuse, you have to hand over the thing you have in your hands to my onii-sama. You
don't have the right to refuse. Because my onii-sama yearned for it.”
This was her request.
Margery was getting irritated, not because of those words of uncertain meaning, but because of her
own problems.
“I don't understand what you're saying, but you guys dare to criticize me, 'Chōshi no Yomite' in such
a tone? ......You guys have some nerve, eh?”
“After considering the differences between our abilities, I thought the request was quite sensible?
Now, don't play dumb anymore. Please hand it over.”
“But, what!?”
“Of course it is 'Nietono no Shana'.”
(Ha? ......Haa. Is that it?)
At that instant, Margery finally grasped the situation.
Actually, she had already guessed a little that the huge samurai sword which the flame-eyed girl
yielded was that famous demonic katana. And she had a first hand experience on the dreadful
sharpness of the blade. It really is a sharp sword that 'Aizenji' would eye.
(So, this is the brat's quarrel huh?)
This was not because of any ill-feelings, but merely a recognition of the present condition, to
composedly calculate the effects of those guys' purpose, and the steps she should take to become
more advantageous.
The conclusion is......ignorance.
It was pointless talking to the other party and giving them unnecessary information.
At Margery's decision to remain silent and not to give them the Hōgu they had been waiting for,
Tiriel made an unpleasant face.
(She looks like a short-tempered Flame Haze, if we stir her up a bit, she should draw out her sword
immediately but...... Isn't the name 'Chōshi no Yomite' just for show? I wonder.)
She did not voice out her evaluation, but continued her sneering and provoking conversation.
“Three against one. Do you still plan to keep your trump card? If that is so, then we cannot hold
back.”
Sorath was frightened by Margery's intense glint in her eyes, but Tiriel caressed his blond hair
which overflowed from the helmet. From the smooth hair, she asked her beloved brother for
permission to kill.
“Well then, is it okay, onii-sama?”
At his younger sister's voice, fire burned in his eyes.
“Alright!”
His head went up and down excitedly, nodding his approval. And then, he turned around.
Simultaneously, 'Blutsauger' was already swung to the front of her eyes.
“!!”
Due to her intuition, she did not use a defensive Jizaihō but bent backwards.
As the huge sword passed by her, red ripples followed. The distance was enough for the skin to
actually feel its existence.
Recovering from her recoil, matching her body movement, she shouted angrily.
“Don't look down on me!”
From the lips which parted several centimeters, ultramarine blue flames were spouted.
However, Sorath swung the tip of 'Blutsauger' around, like drawing a circle, and scattered the
flames easily.
There was absolutely nothing left from the scared look he had just now. The handsome youth had
become a composed warrior. His next move which extended into a gyration had already come
along.
“Who's the one looking down now, I wonder.”
To add to that, Sydonay's voice came from above. Noticing a break between Margery's attack, he
leapt, both arms had already turned into tiger heads which were formed from violet flames. To
block her path of escape, a spout of fire was emitted.
“-Ugh!?”
After four and a half seconds of consideration, Margery decided to abandon hiding around, and
commenced an attack which would surprise the there of them.
Using the ultramarine-colored explosion from the soles of her feet, she rotated as if she were
leaping forward. Like executing a resplendent dance,she dodged Blutsauger's assault by a paper-thin
distance and alighted behind Sorath. An technique of ridiculous dynamic vision and body maneuver.
She used Sorath as a shield to protect herself from the outburst of Sydonay's flames.
“You......”
With all her strength, she knocked his back with 'Grimoire'.
“BASTARD!!”
With he book which amounted to a drawing board, the Flame Haze smashed it into his back, using
her superhuman strength.
“!?”
Due to the unforeseen attack, Sorath fell forward, but immediately support himself on the ground
single-handedly, and using Blutsauger, took the opportunity to knock down the legs in front of his
eyes.
Like acrobatics, she jumped aside and avoided that, simultaneously shouted.
“Aargh!!”
Ultramarine blue-colored explosion occurred all around, blowing everything off. Due to huge
explosions within the the 'Cradle Garden' Tiriel formed, it was in imminent danger of tremors, with
its smoke dense enough to fill the entire interior.
Because Margery was not stupid, she did not consider taking the opponents down at this stage.
Promptly, she ran while preparing the next Jizaihō.
(Eeh......what on earth is this!?)
She did not have any moment to even think about the irritation she felt. The next moment, she
stooped.
From the sky, violet flames of tiger heads ripped the air apart with their fangs.
“As expected from the 'Chōshi no Yomite'! But......”
Like a whip, the sleeves of the dark suit stretched, still attached to the body...... 'Senpen' Sydonay
spoke from the other side of the fumes. Is it natural for his composed voice to be so near? Margery
thought bitterly.
“Why didn't you put on the 'toga' which represents your beastly slaughtering instinct? Why didn't
you sing the Tosatsu no Sokkyōshi which destroyed many of my sworn friends?”
“Ch...”
Marchosias made a small ‘tsk’ sound.
That’s right. No matter what, Margery did not put on the blazing red clothing ‘toga’, the evidence of
her seriousness as a Flame Haze. Nor was she interested in her poems which enables her to
manipulate her Jizaihō to her heart’s content. Since the beginning, she was irritated by this matter.
“None of your business! Are you an opponent worthy of it?!”
“Don’t you ever think of making fun of me!”
It made no sense to surpass the belief which was meditated by deathmatches. It was useless
communicating with him using deceptive or insolent words.
Whilst feeling this irritation, Margery was desperately evading the explosions due to the
consecutive explosives emitted from his two arms.
Suddenly, from a corner of the battlefield, a voice which sounded not anxious at all could be heard.
“No! Not this one. She doesn’t have it.”
It was Sorath.
“WHAT!! Onii-sama?”
As expected, the astonished Tiriel asked.
The one who answered this was Sydonay who landed beside her.
“Is that so? We really made a mistake huh? I kept having this feeling that it is impossible for her to
wield a sword.”
“Why is that so?”
While she welcomed Sorath who was rushing over noisily like a child into her arms, she casted
Margery a doubtful look.
Sydonay spoke again.
“Still remember the time I mentioned that I sensed a strong presence, Tiriel? Probably, because
there is another Flame Haze in this city.”
(We’ve been discovered?)
Margery thought, and snorted. She had no obligation to correct the wrong guess they made. She just
kept quiet and examined during the breaks in the battle.
“What!? Why didn't you say so earlier?”
At her question, Sorath raised his palms which had returned from the tiger's heads to their original
state, and continued.
“Because when I was just about to mention it, Sorath had already started the fight. Besides,
tentatively there is still a possibility that she has the sword. I thought perhaps that related to the
reason she did not put in her best effort. Just to be sure, that's why I engaged her in battle.”
“Oh, what a waste of time.”
Tiriel displayed an obvious look of disappointment.
“We thought of greeting the person, but in the end we got the wrong one......Before this person asks
for help from the other one, I think it is better to start up the 'Orgel' first.”
(Who's the one asking for help!)
Not caring about the incensed Margery, Tiriel gave instructions.
“How terrible, we actually let the enemy escaped the dome's effective range......Sydonay, I'll leave
this part of the Cradle Garden for you, stop her. When the 'Orgel' has started, I'll give further
instructions.”
“Understood.”
After getting that simple consent, Tiriel let the golden yellow tree leaves twirl under her and her
brother's legs, like a whirlwind. The whirlwind increased in strength, and caused the siblings to float
gradually.
Margery did not chase after them. She welcomed the dispersion of the enemy's fighting potential.
From what she said, looks like she was going to use either some unusual Jizaihō or Hōgu. But since
the one they were going to confront was that flame-eyed brat, it was none of her business. She only
had to clear the enemy in front of her.
Before she left, with deep malice hidden behind her smiling face, she said.
“Servant of Sōga, don't forget the words just now......I will take revenge to clear up your
insult......When I fulfill my onii-sama's wish, I will take the opportunity to kill you as brutally as I
can......”
In the force of the whirlwind, the scornful words became fragmented and unclear, and soon
disappeared together with her.
Margery did not retort, not even a single word. Instead of that game , she had other more important
problems, right in front of her.
She turned back towards the man who once again stepped forward, and called out to him softly.
“This time your client gave you a hard time, huh? 'Senpen'. Isn't it about time you leave this job?”
Facing the quiet behavior of the man, it seemed as if a gun was aimed at him. That transient figure
which hid dreadful combat strength inside gave a strange, faint smile and answered.
“Same goes to you. There is no need for you to forcibly strive so hard for your job in such a bad
condition. How about taking an eternal holiday?”
They exchanged fearless smiles for an instant.
And then, the clashing began again.
On the rooftop amongst the fleeting wind.
Leaning heavily on the old wire fence, as if he was tired of the long silence, Ike finally opened his
mouth.
“......Actually, the one who saw both of you this morning was Yoshida-san.”
“Oh...I see.”
Beside him, leaning against the fence as well, Yūji answered shortly.
Yoshida thought about the pain when she saw you both, and was overcame by the pain before she
finished.
The half-way, incomplete sympathy aggravated the situation. Although she understood the reason,
she still felt what she felt. Anyway, with/because he was really pampered by her goodwill favors, he
did not even sort out his own feelings, not even a bit. Which one, how far, he did not even......
Towards Yūji who was thinking absent-mindedly, Ike gave a hollow look and spoke ramblingly
towards empty air.
“Actually, the one who had handed the umbrella to Yoshida was me. How should I put it...I was to
nosy......I didn't have such an intention, but...”
His voice was fearful, while his face revealed his dejection.
Realizing this, wanting to stir him up, Yūji said.
“......So you make blunders too huh?”
The response was not as forceful as he anticipated.
“Looks like that's the case. I never thought that I would mess up......Even just now, I suddenly flared
up, unable to stop, um......sorry.”
Yūji did not turn to look at Ike, and gazed at the sky as well. With the body weights against it, the
wire fence groaned.
“It's alright. The things you said were......actually, quite deplorable, but......it is not your fault at all.
Still, if you had only spoken against me, it's okay. But dragging Yoshida-san into this matter is a bit
too reckless.”
“Yeah.”
He agreed in a regretful tone.
Just like that, both spoke nothing for a while, and instead gazed at the sky.
Yūji understood a little why Ike flew into a temper, and why he cried later. But naturally, there was
no reason for this Spectacled Man to lose his composure.
Yet, what was he feeling after seeing 'the feelings Ike had towards Yoshida'? That crucial part did
not manage to grasp it. He could not tell whether it was numbed or flaccid.
(When Shana was with the rest, to think that his anger gushed out to that extent......Is it because I
sympathized with Ike? Or is it......)
The feelings he had for her, was it merely innocent joy he felt because of her kindness to him? For a
child who longs for fancy and love, hadn't he merely hallucinated?)
(To begin with, fancy and love; favor and joy, what on earth is the best way to differentiate
them......?)
The doubts and questions which surfaced continually made Yūji lapse into a melancholic mood.
However, he still wanted Ike to confirm something.
“Umm...”
“Huh?”
Facing a casual answer, Yūji asked in a serious voice.
“......Did you like......Yoshida-san?”
He waited for 5 seconds. No reply. Is he troubled by it?
He waited for 10 seconds. No reply. Is he still troubled by it?
He waited for 15 seconds. No reply. Could it be that he did not know how to reply?
Whilst thinking and planning to ask Ike one more time, Yūji felt an uncomfortable feeling at the
sight of the view he saw.
Initially, he thought it was the reflection of the sun, but the next instant...
“!!”
His whole body felt it.
(Ji, Jizaihō!!)
A gigantic Jizaihō was being invoked!
The view from the rooftop was in an eerie light and shiny golden-colored fog.
That fog capture the whole Misaki city, making everything quiet and still.
Suddenly, very suddenly, he realized that it looked like the beginning of a battle.
Awoke from her angry confusion, Kazumi Yoshida started to violently hate herself.
(......I am an idiot......Really, an idiot......)
Thinking about what she had accidentally done, her face which she could not lift up; her shoulders
which dropped lifelessly; and her legs which walked totteringly, seemed so heavy that she was
going to fall.
(.......Yeah......I shouldn't have gotten mad at Ike-kun......He was not at fault.)
The one who is at fault is me. Keep asking him for help, keep asking him for favors, the utterly
useless I.
She was furious at Hayato Ike's words and actions, because it was something she had to say herself,
and someone apart from her had said it, in a firmer and clearer tone than she would. She was
frustrated at that point, and accidentally struck out at him.
(Since it is depressing, since it is painful, she should have expressed it to Sakai-kun herself in a
proper manner but......but I could only feel sad, I could only be depressed, I couldn't do anything at
all......No.)
'I cannot do it,' I was already fixated on that, and kept running away. Because I was timid, and with
that as an excuse, I kept relying and depending on the kind Hayato Ike...... At the end of the day, I
was jealous at his good qualities, and did such a shameful thing.
(I...am such a detestable girl, right......But...)
I am afraid. This morning, I saw how good Yūji Sakai and and Yukari Hirai's relationship was. Both
of them were not clinging on to each other. They had only walked and chatted together. But for
some unknown reasons, she could feel their feelings communicate with each other.
(If I were to do something which disturbs them......And if I accidentally destroy their young
relationship at this stage......)
Nevertheless, she thought of that, and the consequence of her shutting herself away cowardly, was
this.
Hayato Ike should be mad at me. Yūji Sakai should be amazed.
All of this is because of my weak spirit and incomplete resolution.
Some day, am I not making the decision? I have to do my best, on my own, I guess.
My feelings towards Yūji Sakai, is it that fragile until because of a single dread, I can’t do it?
(No.)
That is the only thing I can clearly feel.
So, why couldn’t I do it?
(That is because my preparation and determination were not enough.)
From now onwards, if I want to progress, I have to be firmer, hold my feelings tightly and
expressed it to Yūji Sakai. Only recognising the fear cannot help me to progress from now on.
(In that case, apart of doing that, there is nothing else.)
While she was thinking this, she forcibly lifted up her gaze, and saw the figure of a young lady who
was coming as if to really test her decision.
(I will not lose, I will not lose, I will not lose.)
That girl......Facing that girl who was unaware of her feelings, and her strong ability control Yūji
Sakai, burning rivalry gushed out.
(I will not lose to Yukari-chan.)
Kazumi Yoshida stepped forward.
During the lunch break, Shana was walking around without any purpose.
No, actually she was looking for Yoshida.
Although she did not know what to do next after finding Yoshida, she still kept looking.
(......I, what I am doing?......I haven't even touched my bentō......)
She did not dislike Kazumi Yoshida.
Instead, from the view of human nature, it could be said to be under the group of 'like'. However,
when she was together with Yūji, or when she approached Yūji, sometimes her mood would get
bad. During this month, she kept doing things which made me dislike her.
Because she took it out on Yūji afterwards, those feelings were gone immediately. Thus, until now,
she did not think more about them beyond that point.
However, her appearance just now, that expression which one could not tell whether it was sadness
or anger, was stuck somewhere in her heart, and made her feel something like a stinging pain.
(No, it is not...pain.)
Strictly speaking, is was a displeasure. From Yoshida's expression, Shana could feel that a kind of
omen which felt like Yoshida had made a decision to oppose her.
Because of that incident, Shana felt she saw a glimpse of the true feelings of the usually reserved
girl. For some reasons, that thing made her feel really displeased......
Probably Shana would ask her about her true colors when she meets her. What is the best way to ask
for a definite answer? Shana had absolutely no idea about that.
(!)
She is here.
Yoshida was walking on a path on the lawn of the back of the school building, a section which was
known by the students as the backyard. It was noon, and the area was exposed to sunlight, making it
a bad place to gather. And because of yesterday's rain, this place was still wet. Thus, there was no
other students there, as if it was a place cleared out specially for her and Yoshida.
(......)
Holding an unpleasant which she could not tell whether it was uneasiness or anger in her chest, she
strove forward.
The same went to Yoshida. Her usually lowered eyes were fixated on Shana, and she slowly walked.
Soon, they faced each other a few steps apart.
On Yoshida's face, one could not see even the slightest trace of the agitation she had just now.
Instead, she emitted a firm and resolute aura, stronger than usual. She fixed her eyes intently on
Shana.
From her experience in the other dimension, Shana could perfectly tell that this was a determined
face. And for some unknown reasons, the strong will hidden in that countenance made Shana feel a
nervous-like feeling. Nothing could happen what! She thought.
(......I'm scared.)
Come to think of it, Shana recalled seeing that type of face before.
(... “I will not lose to you!”...)
This was the expression when she told Shana that. At that moment, she did not feel anything at all.
And she did not understand it properly. When she asked Yūji about it, he looked like he did not
understand it as well, so in the end she did not manage to get an answer.
(......Ask Yūji?......)
The fear she was feeling right now, somehow she felt that it had a lot to do with Yūji.
Abruptly, Yoshida spoke.
“Yukari-chan, you are sly.”
At that indifferent tone, Shana felt like she pressurized by the atmospheric pressure. No retort flew
out of her at those contemptuous words though. She asked back dumbly.
“......What do you mean?”
Yoshida spoke again, brusquely.
A decisive statement.
“You like Sakai-kun, don't you?”
“Wh-!!”
Shana felt a piercing impact at her chest.
“......like? I, Yūji......?”
Thinking about those words over and over again, her chest felt collective pains. These words could
make one's body curl; a dreadful, preposterous strength which could crush anything.
Having set her determination, Yoshida lifted up her countenance stiffly and said.
“And yet, you are cold towards him, and acting dumb. And yet, you are always, always close to
him......You are sly!”
“.......ug......”
To counter her statement, Shana could only make a undignified groaning sound whilst accumulating
force.
The reply which came at last was more undignified.
A shaky voice.
“......Wh-why do you have to say such things?”
The usual Yoshida would be very frightened and would keep quiet at this stage. However, the
Yoshida now was truly agitated.
“I have the right to say such things.”
Yoshida's voice was overflowing with even more force.
Shana clearly felt fearful at that forceful voice.
Unmistakably, that was a force that threatened her.
“Because I like Sakai-kun too.”
“!!”
Stop, this word was bursting to come out of her.
(He is, only mine, mine!!)
A Flame Haze, the very 'Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite', at the words of a mere human girl, Shana's
legs were trembling, at the same time realizing the meaning behind those words which flashed
through her heart.
(Now, I...what......?)
The fear of the valuable thing possibly being snatched away, the uncontrollably insecure feeling, the
unsure feeling of losing all hope, all fused into one; a scream inside her heart. That started to form a
feeling similar to anger, an emotion which was about to burst out.
(......I, Yūji......I, Yūji......) [Translator's note: The first particle used after 'I' is 'ga', which conveys
the idea that she was just observing her feelings towards Yūji. The second one is 'wa', which shows
that she is making a fact. (of her feelings with Yūji)[1]]
Yoshida continued to challenge Shana.
“I......I, have decided. I will not be uncertain any more. I will not wait for other people's help, I will
not rely on them......On my own, I will try to do my best.”
“Ah......”
It was a blow to Shana's heart, causing it jumped high.
The thing she feared, had come.
“With my own mouth, this time I will surely tell Sakai-kun that I like him.”
“Nooooo!!”
Finally she understood.
She understood why she felt displeased when this girl was together with Yūji and when they came
into contact with one another.
She understood that, very clearly.
Until now, she had thought that Yūji did something wrong. That was why she released her anger on
him.
But, looks like that wasn't the case.
She did not want Yūji to be together with other females, and get along well with them.
The reason was her feelings towards Yūji.
Until now, the doubts and confusion which she felt but not comprehend, the strange, comfortable
happiness and fun, and the opposite feelings......That was the source of everything.
Her feelings towards Yūji.
That caused her to scream at the top of her voice.
“NO! Never! You cannot tell him!!"
However, the Yoshida right now was unstoppable.
The clouded eyes were determined and shining. She told Shana again.
“No, I will say it.”
At this stage, she was someone which could match Shana completely.
“The one who will decide is Sakai-kun. Yukari-chan who did not even
say 'I like you.'; I will not lose to you!”
Shana tried to steady her trembling legs, whilst clutching her painful
chest. Focusing her fluttering and blurring eyes, holding the intense
feeling which burned everything down, she took up the challenge.
She squeezed out a desperate reply.
“I, I...!!”
Her voice...
...was interrupted half-way.
Because in front of her, Yoshida was completely still, without even blinking.
Shana surveyed the surrounding quickly, while feeling simultaneously, trying to confirm the
situation she was in.
An eerie, shiny golden yellow fog which apparently caused the surrounding area to blur was
spreading around.
(Jizaihō!?)
The meaning behind this was obvious.
An attack of the 'Crimson Denizens'.
“......”
Nevertheless, the Shana right now had experienced a far greater blow in her heart.
“......”
It was an blow towards the interrupted act of attacking what she regarded as 'the strongest enemy'.
“......uh.”
The uncontrollable fury ran amok inside her.
“Wh-what the heck are y-you doing!?”
The fury turned into a voice, an angry bellow which was released.
“What!? You are interrupting me!!”
At this place, a purpose was added to her call which was just like thoroughly burning down heaven
and earth.
The flame-red eyes flared up.
Fire dusts danced around the burning hair.
Her body was wrapped in black clothes.
And then, the large samurai sword 'Nietono no Shana' was drawn out and thrust into the ground
with all her might.
Facing the still Kazumi Yoshida in front, Shana proclaimed war in a serious voice.
“I will show you immediately! My feelings, you cannot compare to it. Not at all! Yūji and I have
much more things between us!!”
Alastor could not even cut in. It was truly a fierce explosion of feelings.
As if she was spouting flames, she bellowed.
“I will definitely not lose to someone like you!!”
The golden yellow fog in Misaki city was corroding.
Enveloping everything, filling everything, halting everything.
In its core, in the shining whirlwind of tree leaves, two siblings were floating in mid-air whilst
embracing each other.
Feeling the thing he craved for being drawn out, Sorath shouted.
“It's here! It's in the cradle! Really! It's over there! It's my 'Nietono no Shana'!!”
From each corner of the flowing whirlwind of tree leaves, vines grew out and seemingly entangled
the siblings in the center into one.
Gently and sweetly cuddling her elder brother, ’Aizenta' Tiriel replied.
“Right. Well then, let's wreck havoc as much as we like, onii-sama. From now on, please do what
you want to your heart's content. I will protect you, onii-sama.”
At the summit where both of them were, the shining vines which extended from the corners
entwined, and the clump expanded continually.
And then, it disintegrated.
Riding the raging waves of shining vines, the 'Aizens' siblings attack began.
'Crimson Denizens' came to disturb the balance of this world, doing whatever they like.
Holding back that intention, the Flame Hazes who were ready to defeat and destroy them roared.
Containing all these inside, the world was not affected at all, and life went on.