Kaze no Stigma (風の聖痕, Kaze no Stigma? lit. Stigma of the Wind) is a Japanese light novel series written by Takahiro Yamato and illustrated by Hanamaru Nanto.
2
Even among the Enjutsu users who can freely manipulate fire the Kannagi family is the strongest and most famous family. It's not just because their power is simply great. There is a special ability in the family's blood; there the reason surely lies. The flame they manipulate is not through the physical phenomenon of simply accelerating molecular motion. It possesses the power to burn away impurities and destroy evil.
Because of this "purifying flame" the Kannagi family practitioners hold absolute dominance over youma, evil spirits, and all beings who transgress the law. Even with the ability given by blood, to the extent their blood is diluted, it is inevitable that their power will deteriorate.
Already, the branch family practitioners had long lost the highest rank of "gold". If a youma with fire attributes were the opponent, likely even the released flame would be absorbed.
Like just now for example——the living room was turned into purgatory. The high-class furniture and the shag carpet were already carbonizing. The glass from the chandelier on the ceiling was melted, turned into some grotesque art object.
"Wonder if he's dead?" Kazuma muttered with a refreshed-looking face.
A cool breeze wrapped around Kazuma; the raging flame wasn't even allowed to get close to him. Even the heat was sealed off; not a drop of sweat was apparent.
"H-help……"
A frail voice stimulated his eardrums. Kazuma looked down at the blackenedd object at his feet.
What had rolled screaming into the kekkai, was the former client, Sakamoto. He didn't seem to be dead but he was burned here and there.
"Aaaaaa! He-help me!"
Sakamoto screamed while clinging onto Kazuma's legs. However Kazuma heartlessly kicked away his former client.
Thud!
Sakamoto's face writhed in a new kind of pain as it was mercilessly trampled upon. Since Kazuma didn't want to touch anything beyond slippers, he brought down his heel instead of stepping on him. It seemed like you could hear the skull making a creaking sound, but that wasn't a big problem.
Kazuma, trampled, grinding on Sakamoto's head, and clearly stated: "You're not a client and I don't have a habit of saving middle-aged men."
"If it's money, I'll pay. Twice as much, or so…"
"Twice? Your life's worth only one million?
Kazuma took a cigarette from his pocket. He gently stretched out his hand, only exposing the cigarette's tip to the outside of the kekkai. He filled his lungs with tobacco smoke and slowly let it out.
Sakamoto didn't have the leisure to be so relaxed. Whether by chance or on purpose, only around Sakamoto were there holes in the kekkai. The tongues of flame began to lick him.
"Hot-! Ee-eeee! Help! I'll pay 10 million!"
"Thanks for your business."
Upon tossing away his cigarette Kazuma suddenly changed, smiling brightly. The smile of a demon who has made a profitable deal.
"All right now. Then, won't you please stand back?"
Kazuma kicked Sakamoto in the rear, sending him rolling, and, as if it were obvious, proclaimed: "You're in the way."
He began muttering in a staccato voice, and waved his right hand sideways in a mowing motion. As if being squeezed out by his hand, the raging fire was taken care of, expelled out the window.
The fire didn't spread to the grass and trees in the garden but scattered and vanished.
And then, inside the room, a distorted face attached to a fireball—only the youma's true body remained.
Hyuuoou-
In place of the extinguished fire, wind raged around the room. Kazuma stood quietly. With his hand still in his jacket pocket, he did not move a finger. And yet the wind followed Kazuma's intentions and erased the flame.
The fight was already over. The youma wasn't even able to put up any resistance in front of Kazuma's overwhelming power as it was torn to pieces. All that was left to do was wait for its annihilation.
"And with this…"
Kazuma slowly raised his right hand. For someone with the power to see spirits, the density of spirits crowding his hand would be terrifying.
"…the end!"
The hand swung down ten times faster than it came up. In a straight-line extension from the right hand, an invisible blade that cut even air molecules, cleaved the youma precisely in two.
Without sound, without any spirit fragments remaining, Kazuma regarded the destroyed youma with a calm look.
"Finished," Kazuma pronounced to Sakamoto. Sakamoto still lay on the floor, dumbfounded.
"Pay the money in three days. Otherwise, would you like to regret having ever been born?"
They were completely like a criminal's words. Even if that was a mistake, it wasn't the way you'd speak to a customer.
However Sakamoto, realizing the horror of going against Kazuma, did not complain.
"Y-yes. Understood. But something terrible has happened to Yuuki-kun. I never thought something so serious would happen."
Kazuma wordlessly came closer to what appeared to be the ashes of Shinji's remains and trampled on them in despair. As expected, Sakamoto also raised his voice.
"Wh-what are you doing!? I don't know whatever happened between you two, but you still shouldn't desecrate a corpse, right!?"
"He's not dead," Kazuma dryly spat the words out, and then continued to kick Shinji again and again.
Upon doing so, the ash covering the surface fell off, and almost unburned skin appeared.
"Wh-wha……?"
Sakamoto doubted his eyes at this unbelievable scene. Kazuma gave an offhand explanation.
"All of Kannagi's people receive the divine protection of fire spirits. Even people from a branch family wouldn't die in this degree of fire."
Kazuma curled his lips in self-derision, and added, "Though I'm the exception."
"Uu……Guu……"
Upon doing this Shinji woke up. Upon looking out around him, he confirmed the youma was already destroyed.
"You did this?"
"It's just like you saw."
Who do you think you are, saying whatever you please?——Kazuma answered in that kind of tone. He had already seen through how Shinji had kept his consciousness. Shinji hurriedly attempted an explanation.
"So you noticed……? But I couldn't help. I honestly couldn't move."
"I don't want to hear your excuses."
Kazuma coldly spoke this over his shoulder, as he turned his back. Shinji called out to the unhesitating figure leaving. There was still something he had to ask.
"Why did you return?"
"Must have been for something, I guess."
At that play-dumb answer, thinking he was being evaded, Shinji's gaze sharpened.
"'For something...' Do you think the elders will understand that?"
"I was only disinherited, I wasn't deported. Where I am is my business."
"What are you planning?"
"Nothing in particular," Kazuma answered curtly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Are you returning to the Kannagi?"
"Idiotic talk. Not even if I die."
He answered as if spitting out the words. Then Kazuma, this time, without hesitation, walked off.
Shinji was driven by an unease he couldn't stop. He continued to stare at Kazuma.
I have to tell this to the soushu as soon as possible…
In a sense Shinji's unease was on the mark. From this moment on began a war to push the Kannagi into an abyss of ruin.
To be continued...
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