Kaze no Stigma:Volume3 Chapter 5

Part 1

After changing the train at Kawaguchiko[1], one of the lake belonging to the Five Lakes of Mt. Fuji, Ayano and Ren took a taxi to the Tsuwabuki residence. Before the private road that led to the residence they got off and forcibly climbed over the iron fence with a clearly written ``NO TRESPASSING`` sign. After that was supposed to be a straight path.

Staring quite anxious at Ayano going forward, planing in a rude entrance, Ren asked.

"Still, is this OK? Approaching so boldly?"

"Then, do you want to try sneaking in? Climbing over the wall and slipping through the defense system and try to finally arrive at Ayumi-chan without the Chijutsushi noticing, do you have that confidence?"

"...........no"

That was impossible. The opponents are Chijutsushi. If they step on the ground of the premisses they will be noticed without mistake that instant.

"Right? That's what you call unsuitable orientation. For a Enjutsushi to take covert action is the same as telling the sun <<shine in a more humble manner>>."

"ha........"

They kept walking without change ten odd minutes. The sun fade out and around the time the world became engulfed in darkness the Tsuwabuki residence made an appearance before those two. Both of them looked up at the magnificent manor.

"Firs of all, we made it in time, huh?"

"Yeah."

Gazing at the majestic style entrance, Ren replied.

"So, how do we get in?"

Ayano was still looking at the gate. An inter phone was not found. It did not seen likely the sound of a knock would reach.

".......shall I burn it?"

".......older sister......"

At Ayano's bold words, Ren murmured in a lamenting voice.

"How can you make up your mind to go that far?"

"How, you ask........my disposition, I guess?"

"Please don't be so proud of it.......even if we don't do such an excessive thing, it's not that high we can't climb over, right?"

Leaving the gate aside, the height of the wall that followed it on both sides was, at best, approximately 3 meters. Certainly it wasn't a height that couldn't be climbed over.

"Well, I hope that's safe."

Ayano nodded and bent over in order to jump over the wall. At exactly the same time.

Raising a dull creak, the thick doors slowly opened.

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

Ayano and Ren exchanged glances and both shrugged their shoulders.

"We are being let in."

"How thoughtful."

Exchanging a sarcastic smile both stepped inside the grounds.

And then - they met the receptionist.

Approximately twenty minutes before

In the large underground gave, Yuuji looked up at the crystal pillar encasing Mayumi. Guiding the above moonlight the crystal produced a faint radiance shining in the darkness.

In the surroundings other Chijutsushi were hastening the preparation for the ceremony. But, he completely disregarded that clatter, turning his glance on Mayumi - and only her.

"You're really earnest, aren't you?"

A whisper shook his ear. Unaware of Kureha's presence standing right behind, Yuuji was not surprised anymore. Managing that level of presence was a matter of course. He knew it first hand.

"What?" he asked without turning around.

Kureha did not blame him for it. She informed him of what he had to do.

"We have a guest."

"Who is it?"

"Two fire presences. I still don't feel the wind. But if it's that man, he is quite capable of following us around without anyone noticing."

Talking serious words with a smiling face Kureha gave an order again.

"Go meet them. I'm leaving the rest to you."

"I will return before long."

Including a quiet self confidence, Yuuji consented. Without change, he started walking to the gateway but after going forward several steps he turned around.

"Can you answer me one thing?"

"Say it", Kureha generously nodded.

"Why did you seek so much power and violate the taboo?"

"Your ability was supposed to be the most powerful in the entire family"

"Why?"

For a moment Kureha had a blank facial expression, as if taken by surprise. Nevertheless she immediately raised her even lips, expressing a somewhat otherworldly archaic smile.

"Why? Isn't that obvious? Because I didn't have you."

".....ha?"

Yuuji frowned in doubt. But, Kureha did not permit further questioning.

"Go"

With a quiet and yet resolute tone she ordered. Yuuji had no right to oppose her.

".......yes"

With a small nod, Yuuji started walking once more. After looking hard at that retreating figure until it disappeared from her field of vision, Kureha looked up at the younger sister sealed in the crystal.

The shape of the girl sleeping inside the shining crystal was a fantastic spectacle that gave one the impression of a scene from a fairy-tale. Placing her hand on the crystal, Kureha looked up at Mayumi with a gaze full of affection.

"You didn't notice, did you? How blessed you were. How loved you were. I too, love you so very much. That's why - that's why I will let you go while being so blessed"

Visibly pouring out the peak of her emotion, Kureha pushed her forehead against the crystal pillar. After savoring the icy texture for a few seconds, she turned to the Chijutsushi underneath and informed the most high-ranking practitioner among them:

"I will temporarily excuse myself. Continue the preparation."

"Yes"

The practitioners nodded without showing surprise. Kureha could be said to be the one supervising but she couldn't directly participate in the ceremony. Therefore, if no unforeseen situation happened, the fact that she was not there was not a particular impediment.

Throwing a glance at the practitioners continuing to work, Kureha went towards the cave's interior. Arriving at the deepest part, where not even the light from the crystal pillar reached, she softly began to float.

It didn't have the sense of speed similar to Enjutsushi flying by wearing wind. It was a gentle float as if the body would be slightly lighter than the atmosphere, giving the impression of a balloon or a blimp.

Going beyond the ceiling of the cave, Kureha continued ascending. She quietly penetrated a shaft that opened in the ceiling, far from any light source, a gap unnoticed by anyone. Rising about four or five meters in the pit, Kureha chanted a small incantation.

"Light"

After frequent twinkling, the soft light born in the air illuminated the pit's appearance.

The pit had a diameter of roughly ten meters and a clean, bowling round shape. It seems it doesn't connect with the above ground but it is fairly long. No matter how you think about it, it wasn't made by nature. And in the center of it, there was a rock.

A cluster of rocks arranged in a rough elliptical shape.

If you consider this is a huge cave underground, it's not something especially unusual. That is, if you consider the fact that it is floating in the air without any kind of support.

"Fu fu"

Expressing a light smile, Kureha is approaching the rock lump. And then she motionlessly stares at that surface. Because it was flowing in the air, it was clear that was more than a lump of rocks.

On the surface the full length portrait of an elderly man was thrown into relief.

Enjoyed from the bottom of her heart, she gazed at the man's carving - it's hardened closed eyes, its expression warped with anguish. And then, she spoke:

"Greetings, Father."

For a while there was no reaction. Still, gradually, little by little, the rock lump began to shiver slightly.

Visibly moaning in agony, visibly twisting his humiliated body, the rock lump continued its frail oscillation. And then -

"O.......oo.....ooooo......you......yoooooouuuuuu......"

The man's eyes, engraved in stone opened. That eye, glares at Kureha floating in front and from the inorganic throat, curses spun out.

"You......Kurehaaaaaa.......haw dare......how dare you........to your father......"

That thing was once referred to as Tsuwabuki Iwao.

Kureha and Mayumi's father, the man praised as the strongest practitioner of the family - the man who, it was reported a week before, was recuperating in his own room because of illness - right now was reduced to a lump of rocks.

"Ah, that felt good."

That look full of hatred made Kureha's lips curve with contemptuous ease.

"If you have no answer, I believe it's time for you to die"

"Damn you....you....betrayer....."

Iwao groaned his words as if spitting blood, but he couldn't do anything more than that. No matted how much power he possessed once, now he can't move a finger and was nothing but a pitiful prisoner who had no choice but to spit out his grudge.

Kureha sneered at that unsightly appearance.

"Having said you are the strongest Chijutsushi, how silly of you unable to separate from the ground. Ignoring the poison that desecrated the body, you had no choice but to assimilate rocks within reach to save your life. That is truly unsightly."

She ridiculed him, enjoying herself from the bottom of her heart.