Shakugan no Shana Vol 2 CH1: Twisted Present
The early morning light and air tranquility fills the Sakai families narrow garden.
Tearing that tranquility to shreds however,
A lightning fast slash hurtles towards Yuji Sakai, leaving even the sound of the air being slashed behind.
Even Yuji could feel the deadly power of the sword as it swings up from the ground. Lacking the courage to stand in the face of such strength, he reflexively closes his eyes.
“…!”
The wind of the sword passes by him, grazing his eyelids.
Opening his eyes again Yuji saw that the sword had now changed direction, and was coming down from above onto his head. Shuddering at the thought of the weight and destruction behind the slash, he turns his head to dodge it.
Following its trajectory the sword plunges into the ground. Then suddenly it comes back up, still carrying quite a bit of strength as its trajectory aims towards the shins of the clumsy Yuji.
And then it hits him.
“Ouch! That hurt!”
Yuji instinctively grabs the shin where it was hurt, standing on one leg and jumping on the spot. The tree branch that had struck his shin earlier was expertly slipped under his foot.
“Eh, uwaaa!?”
With perfect timing Yuji’s foot is scooped up, causing him to fall onto his back.
“Nga!… Ugh…”
“Thirty-second.”
A petite girl with an arrogant face is looking down at Yuji, who is still squirming around in the ground in pain and agony.
Although she looks to be only 11 or 12 years old, her strong and dignified features and overwhelming presence overcome her petite form, giving her a unusually dignified appearance. That presence gave the tree branch held lightly in one of her hands more power than even a kings blade, and the baggy gym clothes she is wearing looked more reliable than a knights armour.
“This morning alone you failed 30, no, 32 times.”
Naturally such a girl cannot be a normal person, whether you look at her slashing attack or her unusual presence.
She is a supernatural being, a “Flame Haze” who eliminates the Crimson Denizens, residents of another world who come here to feed on the power of existence of human beings.
The name that Yuji gave her was Shana. Her real name is unknown… While she might have a real name no one knows what it is. Even she doesn’t.
Shana glares at the fallen Yuji with irritation evident on her face.
“What were you thinking?”
The weak yet sharp morning light filters through Yuji’s long straight black hair, making him squint.
Her appearance is dazzling, almost too dazzling to look straight at.
However, suddenly a deep male voices echoes from around Shana’s chest.
“Indeed. Even for you, there is a limit to how much concentration you can break.”
The voice came from the pendant, a black sphere connected by a silver chain with intersecting gold rings.
The owner of this voice is Alastor, the Heavenly Flame. He is one of the Crimson Lords who is concerned about the collapse of this world and the Crimson Realm caused by the over harvesting of Existence by his fellow Crimson Denizen’s, and is one of many lords to give someone their power under contract. In this case, Shana.
His(?) main body is sleeping within Shana, and he expresses his will through the pendant shaped treasure around Shana’s neck, the cocytus.
“Recently you have begun getting hit even more than the first day that you had begun this training, training that you suggested we do.”
“Well, ya, but…”
Yuji’s response is weak. Dusting off his jersey that he also slept with, he slowly began to pick himself up.
Seeing his lack of motivation, Shana’s expression becomes even more grim and irritated.
As Alastor had said, this training was none other than Yuji’s suggestion and request.
About ten days ago Yuji had met Shana and Alastor and against his will became involved in a battle between them and a Crimson Denizen who was consuming the power of existence here in this town. However, one thing that he had come to learn quickly was that he was in a situation where he would need protection.
Anyway, while the three of them managed to defeat Friagne through various twists and turns, Yuji’s position in the battle throughout the entire time was as a liability. There were times when his brain came in handy, but even so it was hard work for Shana to focus on protecting him and fighting back. This was the main reason why Shana’s body and mind were both so badly injured.
After the battle Yuji had asked the two of them, who had decided to stay in this town for the time being, to at least help him train himself to the point where he wouldn’t be a hindrance on them.
Shana appeared to be reluctant to accept but did not refuse, and so for a week now had been training Yuji even through Golden Week (although her sole purpose is to defeat Crimson Denizens so that didn’t end up being a problem for her).
However, despite training for a week now Yuji has shown no sign of improving in any way. He hasn’t made any progress in learning the basics of combat and has even started to show signs of losing any will to continue.
As for if the problem is Shana’s teaching style, that is not the case at all. After all, the only thing that Shana told Yuji to do is “do NOT close your eyes”.
She had told him that a week ago when they first started, the day after the final fight with Friagne.
Shana had been so drained from the fight the day before that she could barely stand (Alastor had told Yuji this, not Shana). As a means to mask her exhaustion she had bluntly but assertively told Yuji that what he was lacking was not combat skill.
“What you need to survive in a fight is not skill. What you need is to be able to feel the other persons “killing instinct”.”
It was a frank and brutal way of speaking, something typical of Shana.
“No matter what I teach you, if you cannot do this nothing else you learn will be helpful. On the other hand, if you can do this you will be able to avoid your opponents “kill” and insert your own “kill” into a gap. First, you should start by feeling the “kill” that is within me.”
“Even if you tell me that… Specifically, what should I do?”
When Yuji asked Shana this she began to smile happily, but it was a cruel smile on her lips.
“You will just have to get used to it by seeing it first hand. From now on I will be showing you all kinds of “kill”. You will just have to watch and hone your senses once you get a feel for it. Easy, right?”
The one condition that Shana gave to Yuji horrified him though, and that was,
“You may never close your eyes. If you do, I will not hesitate to slap you.”
That was it.
(… At first, things were going fine…)
Shana began to think back, hiding a deep, dark, and heavy feeling behind her frustrated expression.
When Yuji had first began his training he had had a lot of enthusiasm. Although that does not necessary mean it will reward him with good results his enthusiasm was evident in all of his movements. Shana had even found the training interesting and enjoyable herself for some reason and her body had responded in kind, allowing her to move her body to the point where she didn’t mind the wear and tear of the battle from before.
But then, before she had fully realized it, Yuji began to act strange. When mistakes were pointed out he would make weak excuses, and while he didn’t skip on the training… He had lost the spirit he once had.
As far as Shana was concerned she was not obligated to train Yuji at all, so if he wasn’t willing to put his all into it why should she? Even Alastor had told her to stop by now.
“But we need to be prepared for when the next Denizen shows up!”
Shana had protested in a loud and determined voice that even surprised herself, and Alastor quickly went silent. Shortly after Alastor apologized, calming Shana down.
(… I don’t know…)
Shana could not understand either Yuji’s feelings or her own.
She began to feel as if she were being rejected in some kind of roundabout way… When that thought began to cross her mind, a heavy and disgusting feeling that she could not merely dismiss as anger or confusion began to well up in her chest.
(At that time I had fought for myself as a Flame Haze, confident and resolved… Yuji had seen that… Even so… Why…)
Shana recalls Yuji’s screams during that fight and his smile. But recalling that made the pain in her chest even worse. Before now that smile, that laugh, their cries, it meant something more…
Yuji standing up faces her.
(It wasn’t like this.)
Shana is confident in that… But she doesn’t know why it is different. Everything feels worse, but why?
She lacks the words to explain it, the words to even ask Yuji to explain it for her.
So she has no choice but to throw at him whatever she has on hand.
In this case, a tree branch.
While inside she felt bad for him… What else could she do?
As if stuck in a dead-end in a maze with no exit, Shana again tries to unleash another slashing attack on Yuji.
Interrupting the confrontation between these two people who are only a gap away from one another now,
“Shana-chan, if you don’t finish up soon you are going to be late. You have school today, right?”
A timid female voice cuts in.
On the veranda of the Sakai family home (although truly it is just a window facing the garden) is Yuji;s mother, Chigusa Sakai, sitting on the floor with a tray.
On that tray are two glasses of chilled orange juice and a plate piled high with karinto. The sweets, slightly out of place for this occasion, are meant for Shana as a thank-you gift from Chigusa, it being no surprise by now to her that Shana has a super sweet tooth and has been helping Yuji with his training. Naturally, Yuji was not offered any.
“No luck this morning?”
Chigusa spoke with a gentle smile mixed with no hint of sarcasm on her face.
The Sakai family was originally a family of 3, but since Yuji’s father, Kantaro, is working abroad on his own, currently at the residence is only Yuji and his mother.
However since Shana had come to Misaki city, she has spent most of her time at the Sakai family residence.
This is partly due to the fact that this is Yuji’s home, which she inadvertently has to protect as well, but also since Chigusa has simply accepted everything and doesn’t pry unnecessarily. She did not show any disagreement or complain whenever Shana intrudes on her (granted more than likely she just doesn’t care what happens). On the contrary she seems to enjoy watching the training that Yuji does every day, which mainly just consisted of Shana beating her son with a stick.
Shana threw her tree branch to the side and sits down next to Chigusa. Then with a sullen face answers her question while reaching out to grab a karinto.
“This morning there was none at all. Nor is he getting better. On the contrary he is instead getting worse.”
With a bitter expression Shana began to chew on the karinto.
Chigusa didn’t seem to mind such talk from Shana who looks like a middle-shool girl, and instead sighs with her hand on her cheek at hearing Shana talk about Yuji’s incompetence.
“Is that so? Even with you coming over to visit every morning it isn’t worth doing if it isn’t working.”
In this town Shana has disguised herself as Yuji’s old classmate Yukari Hirai. At first Chigusa had used this name as well well but Yuji, who was tired of having to use two names in a place where he could call her by her own name, eventually got his mother to call her Shana as well.
“That is her nickname.”
And with that Chigusa was easily convinced.
Shana has nothing against Chigusa and in fact is a fan of her generous nature when it comes to food and snacks. Taking a karinto in hand,
“There is nothing to worry about Chigusa, this is all Yuji’s fault after all.”
“Regardless of if Yuji takes after either Kantaro-san or myself we are both quite athletic and have good reflexes…”
“It doesn’t matter if one has good qualities at birth if they lack the will to do anything with it.”
Shana spoke mercilessly, popping a small handful of karinto into her mouth. As she happily chews on it she made a loud crunching sound.
Chigusa sighs again, but looks on happily as she watches Shana enjoy the snacks.
This warm and motherly attitude from Chigusa was both a fresh sense of surprise and comfort, as until she had met Yuji almost all of her interactions with people had been in the form of either fighting or buying and selling.
Chigusa on the other hand found Shana to be a funny and kind petite girl. Over the past ten days Shana’s relation to her had gone from a distant “Yuji’s girlfriend”, to “Chigusa’s friend” to even “Chigusa’s daughter”. After waiting for Shana to finish her snack,
“Go and take a quick bath. Don’t forget to leave your gym clothes in the usual basket.”
“Okay.”
Shana answers obediently, and took a glass of orange juice off of the tray. Ignoring the straw she gulps down the drink and returns the empty cup to the tray. Standing up straight she walks up the veranda to the bathroom, her long and flowing black hair hiding her face.
Shana was half forced by Chigusa to take a bath after training every morning. While Chigusa on the surface appeared to be a calm and timid person she could be rather pushy and coercive at times. However Shana ended up liking taking baths and enjoying the hot water, and so her taking a long bath every morning after training was not uncommon at all.
Shana, who does not live life like a normal human being, did not have a habit of taking baths before this. It wasn’t that was perpetually dirty as a result mind you, there was simply no need for her to take a bath. Alastor’s cleansing flames would keep her body clean from any dirt, grime, or sweat.
Yuji had actually seen this cleansing flame before just once. For a mere moment it seemed like every corner of her body was coated in flames… It seemed like such a simple and convenient power, the ability to just purify and cleanse your body like that.
“It’s like using boiling water to sterilize yourself in an instant.”
Letting out that afterthought ended up with Yuji receiving a kick.
In any case, taking a bath was one of the few pastimes for the practical Shana, along with eating.
Yuji sat listless on the porch without looking at Shana’s back as she walked back inside. Suddenly, he could feel a glance from beside him.
He could feel it but ignores it, but then a voice like that of a small child spoke to him.
“Yuu-chan, mom isn’t impressed to see you bullying a girl.”
In response Yuji furrows his eyebrows and frowns.
“… Bullying? This is the opposite.”
Chigusa shakes her head with a sigh at her son’s serious reply.
“Fuu… Really, the only part of you that resembles Kantaro-san is your insensitivity.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I won’t tell you what it means. Think for yourself.”
Chigusa reaches out at the same time as Yuji for the remaining glass of orange juice, and put the straw into her mouth.
Yuji was just about to complain but stops himself.
“…”
In the changing room, Shana silently throws her gym clothes into the basket.
– An act that contrasts with the exhilaration of a cleansing flame that is over in an instant. Bathing, with its warm relaxation, and undressing in preparation for submerging yourself in warm water… At first Shana would happily hum to herself… But now there is only a deep sigh.
Inside the basket Alastor calls out to her in a muffled voice from his pendant, which Shana makes sure to hide at the bottom of her clothes whenever she is undressing.
“Are you still going to continue?”
“… Sorry.”
“That is not what I mean.”
This being from another world who has become Shana’s father, older brother, mentor, and friend, is a man of a unique personality and character with the disturbing true name of Heavenly Fire despite how he might speak. However Yuji’s recent attitude has made him displeased… And so in a calm voice he asks Shan a crucial question.
“I am asking you if you still want to continue living here.”
“!!”
Shana stiffen within the camisole that she was about to take off.
“Becoming Yukari Hirai and going to school… That was something you had to do due to the fight with Friagne and have done as a means of recuperation. Now it is time to potentially reevaluate your plans. You can simply erase Yuji and recover the Midnight Lost Child or destroy it as well.”
“…… Ugh…..”
Shana could merely open and close her mouth, her voice hoarse.
Regardless, Alastor continues.
“The only reason I allowed the boys existence to continue is because of you. What is your answer? Will you continue to live here?”
“I, I um…”
Alastor has never lectured her before like this, except when he is informing her of her mission. He merely continues to speak despite her inner conflict.
“You do not have to answer now, there is no rush.”
“Alastor, I, but…”
“Do not force yourself into and indecisive answer. Your words will turn deceptive.”
Alastor does not tolerate excuses.
And so, Shana finally replies with only one sentence.
“… I want to wait a little longer.”
“Alright. Hurry up and take your bath. You are going to be late.”
“Okay.”
Shana removes her camisole and underwear before entering the bathing room. Even the tiles below her bare feet feel extremely cold now.
(Why does my chest hurt so much over something like this? Why do I feel so worked up?)
The reason was simple.
Yuji had lost any and all motivation he had.
That is it.
(Why, why are you doing this?)
Shana turns on the shower and points the spout over her head.
Steam begins to fill the cold bathroom.
Amidst that steamy room, Shana began to sink into her thoughts.
(Am I feeling angry at Yuji because he is so weak? Or is it because of his lack of seriousness and being all talk?)
(But even if that is the case, why do I feel such a heavy and unpleasant feeling?)
(… I don’t know.)
Even though Shana was only thinking about her own feelings… She couldn’t understand anything.
(—Tch!!)
An urge begin to fill Shana, and with her clenched fist she began to punch her (albeit flat) chest as hard as she could.
It was as if Shana sought to destroy this incomprehensible feeling within her chest.
However, all that change was a dull sense of pain within her chest and a splash of warm water.
Unlike all the problems before, this was not something that could be solved with brute force.
Underneath a stream of warm water in a steamy room, a small petite naked girl hands her head perfectly still.
(… Power, strength…)
As Shana looks at her chest, hurting both on the inside and outside, she began to think.
(… Better yet, I wish a Denizen would come…)
The moment she thought that, she began to become excited.
(That’s it!)
This was not the usual fighting spirit beginning to flow within her. It was a passionate and earnest yearning, will with an unconscious and almost lustful expectation.
(Battle… If only I could fight, then maybe I would feel refreshed and content like at that time…)
She had felt this disgusting and painful feeling that she is feeling now before. However, that battle on the mall roof had blown it all away…
Yes, as long as there is something to fight.
As long as there is something to fight.
“!!”
And,
Like a miracle.
Or some kind of joke.
At that exact moment, Shana felt it.
(.. It’s there…)
A sense of discomfort in the world.
A strange feeling, a feeling of someone who is not supposed to be here existing in this world.
The presence of one who wields the power of existence, using it to interfere with this world.
(… A Crimson Denizen is nearby…!!)
Shana with a heart breaking smile of desperation on her face hid it with the stream of warm water from the shower.
However, the arrival of said battle would shatter and betray all of Shana’s hopes and expectations.
A woman is sitting with her long and slender legs crossed, wearing black pumps.
Based on appearances she appears to be in her twenties. While wearing only light makeup her beautiful features, which appear to be of typical European descent, are accentuated beautifully. From her shiny chestnut hair tied into a straight pony to the way she wore a short dress suit that hugs her proportions perfectly, she looks to be a top tier model waiting to be photographed.
However her beauty, which could easily be said to be “unparalleled when she smiles”, gives off a grim expression. The light in her eyes piercing through her rimless glasses… It has an intense sharpness.
She is sitting at a waiting area on a bench at a bus terminal at Misaki City Station. Located in the centre of Misaki City and sandwiched between the station building and the main street currently it is crowded with commuters.
The crowd, however, avoid the beautiful woman due to the strange look of irritation on her face as well, everyone standing 10 meters around her as if there was an invisible fence around her.
The woman speaks with a voice that sounds as displeased and irritated as she looks.
“… What is wrong with this town? It’s full of torches.”
She is sitting leisurely in the middle of a five person bench but no one is seated around her. However, under her hand on the backrest on the seat to her right is a strange object that seems to be owned by her as well as her only possession.
An unusually large and thick book.
In fact it looks more like a stack of drawing papers and held together by a string. Attached to it is a leather strap, supposedly to hold it by.
The woman looks at the book, and continues to speak.
“I wonder if Lamies is headed here. This certainly is the perfect hunting grounds for that bastard.”
Answering her question…
Is the book.
“Ah, that would be something the Corpse Collector would do. With this many of them even that coward wouldn’t be able to control himself to get at them. Let’s have some fun with him. How about a spate of jagged-edge kisses, hii haa!”
The woman furrows her beautiful eyebrows at the vulgar and screeching voice that the book responds with.
“Ahh, that’s right. But for now I am going to go and do a quick investigation into the reason why there are so many torches in this city. There are other denizens out there after all and I don’t want them getting in my way.”
“No worries, no worries, my beautiful goblet Margery Daw! Everyone, everyone, let’s tear them up and burn them all!” (TL Note: like in the anime this is the singing that the book does. I will try my best with this but its annoying af.)
The woman called Margery Daw punches the book with a thump.
“Marcosias! The only reason I am even chasing after some insignificant weakling like Lamies is because of your irresponsible behaviour! I’m tired of it!”
The book, apparently called Marcosias, replies back without missing a beat.
“I cannot believe you would say that young lady! You can never kill your target because you always end up massacring everyone you bump into while hunting the main target down, isn’t that right?”
“Of course you idiot! I am a Flame Haze, my mission is to kill Crimson Denizen’s!”
There was no objection to her policy of merely killing every enemy in her path.
However Marcosias spoke back with suspicion.
“…? Then what are you dissatisfied with?”
“It is damn annoying chasing the same prey forever! It is like an itch I cannot scratch! I need to kill that bastard already!” (TL Note: a more accurate translation doesn’t make much sense so I changed the second half of this sentence. Same meaning however.)
Marcosias bursts into laughter.
“Ahahahaha! I see! Well then, this time I might just act serious about killing him.”
“Yes, this time act serious.”
Margery replies with an irritated look on her face and began to lightly tap the book cover.
“Anyway, the amount of torches in this town is abnormal. Something must have happened. Since I will be investigating I might as well look for a guide.”
“Okay, okay.”
Suddenly a strange scene began to take place. The lock on the book keeping it shut opens up by itself, and the pages began to flip despite there being no wind. The pages, which look like vintage parchment, are filled with old-fashioned writing.
The book now occupying two seats to the right of Margery kept flipping until stopping at a page with a tag in between.
“So what is your selection criteria this time?”
In response to the books question Margery answers in a grumpy voice.
“Hmm, that’s right. Well he has to be young and call me beautiful.”
“Keh, you sure are boy crazy!”
As the books replies in a mocking manner, some of the old words and writing began to glow with an ultramarine light, radiating off of the pages. This is another way to use the power of existence, manipulating reality. In other words, an Unrestricted Method.
“Shut up idiot Marco. Older guys are troublesome to deal with, appearance wise aren’t the best, and are inconvenient to work with. It is more convenient to work with someone who is friendly to me as well.”
“Ahh, I see… Yes, let’s leave it at that.”
As his voice cuts off the ancient letters that appear from her right flow with a stronger light before disappearing.
In her mind Margery saw images of the people flowing around her, standing still, or watching her. Suddenly these images began to fade, leaving only two people left enveloped by ultramarine light. Her eyebrows twitch.
“There are two of them.”
“That brat is too young even for you.”
“It is easier for me if they are young. As for their looks, well… One of them is up to par for me.”
“Hihihi, after all you are boy craz…
“Shut up.”
Margery slams the book shut with a punch. Then, taking the leather strap and throwing it over her shoulder, she stands up off the bench.
Misaki city on its eastern side is an urban area while on the western side is its residential side, sandwiching the Manan River which flows between the middle of the city. The two sides are connected by the Otetsu Bridge and the Misaki Ohashi Bridge.
Keisaku Sato and Eita Tanaka, classmates of Yuji’s in Class 12 of Municipal Misaki High, have known each other since junior high, much like Yuji and Hayato have at another junior high.
“Wow she is beautiful. I’d like to get closer to and know her better.”
“Mm-hmm, she is a beauty, or should I say she is beyond even being hot?”
The two of them live in an area called the old residential area which is on the urban side of the town. Naturally, they also share the same route to the high school, which is located on the residential area on the other side of the river. Their route takes them from the front of the station, across the Misaki Bridge along the main street, and then continues on in a straight line to the high school. Compared to Yuji and Ike who live on the residential side of the town, their route is much longer, but it gives them the advantage of an easy side trip to the busy city centre.
“By the way, Tanaka. What exactly am I… Looking at here?”
Keisaki Sato, one among many in a crowd, is a slender boy with an appearance just good enough to be called “handsome”.
“To me… It looks like a pile of beaten up thugs.”
Eita Tanaka, tall enough to look over the heads of all those around him, is a large boy with a charming face.
These two had been on their way to school when they encountered a large group of people crowding around the station that had blocked their path. Whatever was going on seemed to be a good story to talk about with Yuji, Hayato, Yukari, and Kazumi who they hadn’t had a chance to talk with during Golden Week.
However, in the midst of this crowd they found a beautiful foreigner with an outstanding figure and mature sexy glasses… A woman who could be called “the perform form” that the two of them were admiring, standing in front of a mountain of seven or eight ugly-looking and beaten up men. And there she is, sitting calmly and proudly on a bench as if there is nothing out of the ordinary.
No one dares to approach the beautiful woman, perhaps due to the violent and harsh aura surrounding her. But still everyone observes from afar, watching for as long as they can.
“I wonder what her connection is to that pile of beaten up guys… And why is she mumbling to herself?”
In front of the two of them the beautiful woman has just been muttering to herself and flipping page after page of her strange looking book. However suddenly she slams it shut and stands up.
“Who knows? She doesn’t look like she is using her cellphone… Huh?”
Two police officers, who must have received information about what is happening here from some of the commuters, came running up to the beautiful woman who had started to walk away sharply but gracefully. However upon seeing the pile of beaten up thugs they became shocked for a moment before calling out to her.
“Hey, you!”
However the beautiful woman ignores them… And for some reason walks straight up to Sato and Tanaka. Ruining her stunning features is a frown of displeasure on her face.
“Hey you, stop!”
A policeman caught up to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.
And, in the next moment that their brains can make sense of,
With just a slight move of her elbow the beautiful woman had thrown the cop up into the air two or three meters away from her, as if she were merely brushing off a twig.
The only thing to even touch him was the tip of her finger, and the woman did not seem to put any effort into it. It was a strange sight, as if the police officer had weighed nothing at all. The strange events did not end there,
“– Go-ho!”
Watching his companion fall the other policeman began to scream.
“Ka, kazu-san!”
The other office began to scream at his colleague lying on the ground, and reaches for the baton at his hip.
Sato and Tanaka’s eyes saw clearly what happens next.
A look of exasperation crosses the face of the beautiful woman who turns to look at them, not even looking at the scene around her.
“Ahh, dammit.”
The beautiful woman began to murmur under her breath, touching the tip of her finger to the book hanging from her shoulder.
Suddenly the huge book began to move to her open palm, as if being sucked in my supernatural forces before opening up. The open book was then held up to the remaining officer, his face both hostile and full of fear.
For just a moment the pages shine a strong blue light, as if it were a strobe light.
When the officer and the surrounding audience came back to their senses they all could stare in awe at the mystical sight of a book seemingly defying gravity while stuck to the outstretched palm of the beautiful woman. But an even more and surreal sight would follow.
“There is no problem now, right? I just dealt with some thugs who were looking to trouble an old woman. You can take them away now.”
The beautiful woman said, pointing towards the thugs with a flick of her chin… And the police officers began to move.
“Yes! Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining public security!”
Ignoring their reply the woman turns back around again… And before anyone knew it the book had closed and was put back under her arm.
Sato and Tanaka could only look at each other, trying to make sense of what they just saw.
The officer, with a somewhat dazed look on his face, helps his groaning colleague back up to his feet.
As if the scene behind her did not concern her at all, the beautiful woman walks in a straight line towards the crowd that had formed around her.
Eventually the woman stops at the edge of the crowd, standing right in front of Sato and Tanaka.
Her short business skin tight dress reveals every curve in her tall body. Sato, who is the average height for a 15 year old, is about as tall as Tanaka however not as muscular. And yet, standing in front of such a woman, their dignity began to crumble.
Before either had realized it the crowd had retreated away from them, leaving the two alone. It was as if they were the only ones there who had been not allowed to move from their spot.
The beautiful woman with a blunt spoke asks the two of them a question, her annoyed expression still on her face. There was no flattery in her voice nor excuses, she merely spoke to them graceful while combing her hair.
“Am I beautiful?”
“YES!!”
The two of them spoke instantly and in unison.
And this is how, Keisaku Sato and Eita Tanaka became the guides for Margery Daw, the Flame Haze of Marcosias, the Claws and Fangs of Violation.
Yuji Sakai is not actually a human.
(Not like that matters anymore.)
To be more precise, the man here now is merely a “torch”, the remains of the late Yuji.
(I really should have sorted out my feelings about this a long time ago.)
Long long ago, the Crimson World had suddenly begin to invade the world, simply to feed on the power of existence of humans. These denizens did not care about the issue of distortions or the disappearance of those they consume, and would simply continue to eat, consume, and ravage the world, disrupting the fragile balance.
But soon, these denizens came to a realization. They were not alone in this world.
Flame Hazes, in contract with Crimson Lords became a feared being, relentlessly hunting down and killing those who over-fed on the power of existence… In other words, they would seek out the imbalances in the world caused by a rapid loss of existence and mercilessly massacre them.
And so soon the denizens came up with a method to minimize this distortion and thus the odds of them being hunted.
Rather than consuming a persons whole power of existence… Using the remains of the existence a replacement would be made.
These replacements, the aptly named torches, allow those who have had their power of existence taken to maintain a connection with the world and its people for the time being. Since these torches are made from the fragments of the victims themselves, their memories and personality remain as if they were still alive. They simply continue to live their life and normal activities.
However, as the small amount of remaining existence is slowly exhausted, the torch begins to become lethargic and loses their individuality, literally losing their existence. In this way their sudden loss will no longer cause people to notice a distortion or irregularity.
No matter how great of large a persons presence was, they will gradually become ignored and forgotten by those around them until they are eventually forgotten. Little by little they surrender their role and importance to those around them, and eventually, when the world has rearranged itself to a reality without them… They truly disappear. With no one noticing a thing.
With the creation of the torch, the sudden distortions that the Flame Hazes had once felt were gone… And so the Flame Hazes would have to travel around on foot, looking for areas of torches and then within them the denizen hunting.
However there is a certain sense of irony in all this. The torches, a tool used to deceive Flame Hazes, ultimately alleviated the distortion of the world from a sudden loss of existence. The denizens, the enemy of the Flame Hazes, helped to maintain the balance of the world which had been the goal of the Flame Hazes all along.
However, it is not like this simply made the denizens stop over gorging on existence. And so the merciless hunt led by Flame Hazes must continue.
Even with the appearance of the torches there is no end to the cat-and-mouse game between the two factions.
Yuji, or what is left of him, is also merely the remains of the person once called Yuji and is a torch. In other words… The real Yuji Sakai has long since died (or never existed), eaten by a crimson denizen that was attacking this town.
(Yes, and during that battle I thought… It doesn’t matter anymore, that’s all there was to it…)
However, for Yuji, the situation is a little more complicated.
He was a special type of torch called a mystes. Simply put he is a walking treasure vault, carrying a treasure within him.
(During that battle I thought about her… Even now I am probably still thinking about her…)
– Sometimes called a travelling treasure vault, a treasure from a crimson denizen hides itself with a mystes to protect itself. When a torch burns out the contents within it simply transfer itself to a new torch, constantly moving around the world from one torch to another.
The treasure within Yuji is a treasure to top all treasure, the Midnight Lost Child. This is a treasure that interferes with the lifespan of a torch. Long ago a Crimson Lord had fallen in love with a human in this world, and created a perpetual motion machine to make her lover into an eternal lover.
This treasure has the power to bind a torches remaining existence, which is slowly consumed, to a unit of a day, restoring their existence back to maximum when the clock strikes midnight.
Although there are many unknowns about this treasure, such as the circumstances that it transfers on or why it transferred to Yuji, the immediate benefit is that Yuji can live his day-to-day life with both his existence and sense of self intact. And in theory, forever.
Thinking on it Yuji has been living life with conviction, as if he had been given a second chance. However it is precisely that which troubles him in his daily life.
(… Why don’t I feel the usual tension and anxiety right now from when I am normally around her…)
Yuji is walking with Shana on his usual route to school.
Shana, walking beside him with a dignified pace despite her petite frame, had had her morning bath and breakfast at the Sakai house as was customary for her now.
The real Yukari Hirai, whom she had borrowed the name of, had been consumed by a denizen just like Yuji alongside the rest of her family… And just like all other torches had disappeared. Shana had used her existence and combined it with her own to take her place in the world, but Yukari’s family had recently had their torches burn out.
As a result the only member left of the Hirai family is “Yukari Hirai”, Shana, and so she is living alone. This is another reason why Chigusa makes it such a point to help Shana and take care of her.
For Shana, the Hirai family home, which is technically her own home, is now nothing more than a warehouse for her daily necessities as well as a place to sleep when necessary. Since she spends so much time at the Sakai family home now it could be considered to be her own home as well.
Today is their first day back at school. As was custom during Golden Week she had spent the morning there and so walked together back to school… In other words, this is the first time that the pair had spent the whole morning together.
And now, they are walking to school together.
(… The present is all I have right now… But if that is true, why do I feel so uncertain right now about it…)
A heavy feeling of doubt, uncertainty, and confusion began to build up within Yuji’s chest.
The feeling he once had within his chest is gone… That passion, that excitement, those feelings he had when he had fought alongside Shana against Friagne.
However, when Yuji began to wonder if he has now come to hate Shana,
(How could I have come to hate her?)
Yuji could confidently state that that isn’t true. …. On the condition that there was no one around to her him say that.
When he is honest with himself Yuji could not help but confidently state that Shana is an extraordinary girl in every sense of the word. But the thought of being in love with her was simply too mind-blowing to even contemplate. If he were to describe it with an example (and yes, only as an example), for a fellow classmate like Kazumi Yoshida Yuji could feel a simple love. An everyday emotion that boys his age would feel for girls. Something like that wasn’t possible for someone like Shana. But within him was an emotion, no a connection, born from their shared moments during the Friagne fight.
(Then where is this feeling of stagnation coming from?)
The morning light shines into his worried eyes.
When he had first met Shana the light shining into his eyes had encouraged him to calmly think about himself, but now the light feels more like an annoyance. His slightly damp hair, from when he had taken a shower after Shana, began to feel cold and heavy in the fresh morning breeze.
Everything felt cold, heavy, and pessimistic.
Suddenly, without warning, Shana opens her mouth,
“Yuji.”
With that, there is only silence for a moment.
Both Shana and Yuji look for the right time to speak… And eventually Shana speaks again.
“There is a denizen or another Flame Haze that has approached the town. We will be investigating it right after our lunch break.”
“…”
As if it was an everyday occurrence Shana broke the news to Yuji that either a denizen or a Flame Haze has just appeared.
However the stagnation in Yuji’s chest feels heavy, sticky, and dense, dulling his feelings and reactions.
And so is response,
“…. I see.”
That is it.
To be honest, Shana had expected more from Yuji.
Just like in their previous battle where he was surprised, flustered, and sometimes sharp if not all at once.
Shana was looking forward to seeing Yuji like that again. Finally, she had realized what she had been expecting all this time. And upon realizing this, her expectations for him only grew greater and stronger than before.
And in response to her growing expectations,
“What kind of useless things are you saying!!”
Her loud voice echoes on their morning commute to school
Shana began to feel anger seep into the gaping hole left by her betrayed expectations.
Ten days ago Yuji would have reacted with reluctance to her voice, but now… He merely frowns dully.
“Don’t yell so much.”
“—!! Did you hear me!? There could be denizens here!! They could be eating people somewhere right now you know!? How can you be so nonchalant about this!?”
Yuji felt nothing in response to her angry words, anger beginning to appear on Shana’s face bubbling to the surface.
It is not as if Yuji doesn’t understand what she is saying.
He understands it well, but… She is angry and even still Yuji feels nothing.
He turns his eyes down at the girl who is glaring up at him, thrusting her face as much as her petite body would allow right in front of his face.
And then, suddenly… A sentence forms amidst the stagnation within him.
“You will be fine even if I am not there.”
“!! ……”
Shana was speechless.
Unsure why her anger began to disappear.
instead, she began to feel empty, as if she couldn’t make sense of what was being said to her.
Yuji, herself, the upcoming battle, expectations, anger, pain, confusion, what she is, what she wants to do, why she is here,
Suddenly everything became unclear.
“…”
Yuji’s own words surprised himself as well.
Is what he said the truth? Are those really his inner thoughts?
Why did he say those words? Why… Does Shana look like that? Why is her expression frozen?
His voice left him. No more words could come out.
His brain froze, unable to know what to say next.
“…”
“…”
Eventually the two of them look away from each other on their final stretch to the school.
Even walking along the main street they could feel the heavy silence between the two of them, a blank void amidst the crowd surrounding them.
Almost unconsciously, the two of them longed for the other to fill this void between them, to be the one to make the move to fill this gap between them…. Both slow their pace, hoping…
From Shana’s chest pendant,
Alastor, the Heavenly Flame, supposedly capable of seeing all and a wealth of knowledge…
He could tell that both were hoping that he might say something,
And even then, he says nothing.
Kazumi Yoshida felt as if she were on the edge of life and death while standing in the entrance hall of Misaki Municipal High School, in the shadows of a shoe rack for first year students.
Of course this is just an analogy.
However, from her own perspective, this is truly a factual thing.
Her heart is beating harder than ten days ago she had collapsed on the ground while running during for gym class and even harder than when she had confessed to Yuji in front of her love rival, Yukari.
She was light headed, her eyesight is hazy, her legs are shaking, and her face is a bright and deep red. Her mind is racing even faster than her heart.
“… I can, it’s okay, I can say it, it’s okay, I can do it, I got this, I can say it…”
If you were to ask her right now if stress could literally kill someone… Yes. She would say yes.
Held in her hands are two pieces of paper. The thumbs of her hands are tightly clasping them and she is pressing down with all her might, as if concentrating on a talisman to seal away a monster.
She couldn’t even notice the suspicious glances from her classmates as they pass by her. She doesn’t have the luxury of the state of mind to notice them. After all, the greatest and biggest decision of her life is on her mind right now.
“Huh, so you are going to ask Sakai out on a date?”
“HIYAA!?”
Yoshida managed a magnificent performance of both shrinking her body and jumping at the same time.
When she turns around to see who it is she saw Hayato Ike, also known as four-eyes, standing just next to her. On his face is a calm expression, giving off a sense of omnipotence and knowing without a sense of sarcasm.
“I-, I-, Ike-kun, um, my dad gave me movies tickets and said that it might be fun, but um, I settled on these since I thought Yuji might like it too.”
Yoshida held out two tickets in her hand, as if a certificate to prove her story. Held in her hand are two tickets to the Glass Arts and Crafts Exhibition at the Misaki Atrium Arch Museum.
After confirming the location and the event itself, Ike couldn’t say that he was too surprised to see these tickets. Strange hobbies and interests like this were Yoshida’s thing after all.
“You don’t have to make excuses or anything like that. Well, if you want, when I see Yuji I can talk to him first.”
“Um, th-, thank you.”
Ike doesn’t make a commotion of it and merely waves his hand in response, and then begins to look around as if to mind his own business.
“By the way, have you seen Sato or Tanaka yet?”
“N-, no, I haven’t seen them.”
Ike scratches his head, as if saying “where are they…”.
“They borrowed my homework, the least they could do is be here early…”
For Yoshida, someone like Ike whose kindness is almost too much, was someone that she aspired to be like herself. He doesn’t try to stand out but he is smart and is above average for most things, and he does all that while not showing off. He is good with people (in fact he is the only person that Yoshida can talk to without using honorifics), and he has also helped Yoshida out many times before. That holds true especially for things like right now, regarding Yuji Sakai.
Yoshida decides to take the plunge and ask her reliable classmate something important.
“I-, Ike-kun.”
“Hm, what?”
“Sakai-kun… Does he like this kind of thing?”
Kazumi Yoshida is still holding the two tickets in her hand, looking anxious, shy, and small, making Ike feel as if he would be a bad guy to not help her out. Although she might not be aware of it herself, while Yoshida might not be considered sexy she falls quite well into the cute category, especially like moments now. She might not be a knockout beauty, but in her own way is quite attractive.
(Hmm, yup, Sakai, I hate you.)
Ike mentally gave Yuji about five or six punches, but still answers Yoshida.
“I think… If a date is considered fun or not is not based on what you do but who you do it with.”
“I see…”
Yoshida at the words “who you do it with” felt her confidence drop. She had wanted to seem mature and adult like so chose an exhibition like this, but in the end that might have been a waste…
Seeing Yoshida looking gloom, Ike hurriedly adds on another line.
“I-, it’s okay. Sakai will definitely be happy and have fun if it’s you who asks him!”
“… I don’t know if that’s true.”
“Ya, of course. If he says that he isn’t going to go…”
Mid sentence in trying to assure Yoshida suddenly the image of an extremely dignified but short girl standing next to Yuji, her eyebrows raised and her eyes blazing with entered his mind.
As if remembering this aspect of equation,
“… Anyway, I will find a way to convince him somehow.”
Yes, that is how he can compromise his own life and helping Yoshida.
Of course, any help for Yoshida was welcome help.
“Thank you, Ike-kun.”
“Really, you don’t have to thank me… Oh, look at that, perfect timing.”
Through his glasses Ike could see the figure of Yuji Sakai as he walks into the entrance hall.
But with a nearly audible thud, Yoshida’s body suddenly froze.
(… I can’t do this.)
Ike quickly gave up on letting Yoshida handle everything on her own and stepped forward to help out.
Then, he saw the petite girl next to Yuji.
(Oh my, so Hirai is with him.)
Lately those two have always been together, even though they are never particularly doing anything. Ike had thought that the best time to talk to Yuji would be in the morning when he was alone, but this morning it would seem that he was wrong.
Thinking that for now he could at least call out to him Ike pats Yoshida on the shoulder before heading towards him.
Even though this released Yoshida from her frozen state she merely stood there, still feeling unsteady and unsure.
However, the pair stop dead in their tracks after only a few steps.
Or more accurately, they were forced to stop.
Around Yukari Hirai and Yuki Sakai is a heavy and deafening silence.
All of the other students keep their distance, observing from the surroundings, horrified and terrified by the quiet threat.
Instead of her usual imposing presence, Yukari Hirai was instead spreading a concentrated pressure, enough to cause your skin to tingle from even being near her.
And next to her is Yukai Sakai, calm, as if he had lost any and all feeling.
It is an eerie sight.
Both of them are expressionless. However that is clearly not due to a calm and peaceful state of mind. In fact it seems to be the opposite… The swirling emotions in their hearts are too intense and complex, their facial expressions expressing that complex.
Those around could instinctively feel this.
The area around the pair felt as if it were full of gunpowder, and a single intrusion into that area would result in an explosion.
The pair change into their indoor shoes and walk up to Ike and Yoshida. Yukari Hirai just turns her head slightly towards them, Yuji briefly says good morning before leaving.
Unable to even move never mind respond, Ike and Yoshida could only watch as the two of them head off to the classroom.
During first period Ike had a few choice words to say about Sato and Tanaka, who due to them being late or skipping had resulted in Ike having a penalty for not having his completed homework.
Sato and Tanaka on the other hand, who had since been enamoured and captivated by a mysterious beauty at Misaki City Stations, are now at a coffee shop across the main street from the station’s waiting area.
(I guess I am skipping class today… Well it is worth it, I have the opportunity to have tea with a beautiful woman after all.)
(Come to think of it, this is the first time since entering high school that I am skipping… I feel bad about Ike but oh well.)
The two of them are sitting side by side, and across from them is the stunning woman Margery Daw, as well as her book Marcosias.
Amidst the quiet but busy atmosphere of a typical morning commute, Margery arrogantly calls out to a waitress as if she were the owner of the coffee shop.
“– The most expensive black tea you have, three of them, hot. Hurry up.”
Without waiting for the two boys to give their order she ordered for them, them beckons them to take their seats and, without trying at all to keep this information secret, suddenly cuts to the chase of who she is.
“A man-eating monster has come to this town. I came here to chase after it. So, please cooperate with me.”
“…”
“…”
”Oi, oi”… As if to further confirm that they are going crazy, suddenly the book next to Margery lets out a sigh of exasperation.
“What you are saying is too much to believe at once my hasty pursuer Margery Daw. Can you not explain the situation in a more believable manner?”
“…”
“…”
An unbelievable phenomenon just tried to tell a human being to make an unbelievable story more believable.
The two boys have no idea how to react to such a situation.
“Even if you were to explain this entire situation to them that does not necessarily mean that they will understand it. In that case, to save time and effort I will just have to explain everything from the beginning.”
This perpetual beauty seems to have a distaste for things that are troublesome or cumbersome.
“…”
“…”
Sato and Tanaka anxiously await the next words to come form her mouth with a (?) blank expression on their face, not even able to respond to say that they are confused.
Seeing the two of them, Margery began to grow irritated and began to explain the situation.
“Alright, I will tell you a little bit more. The true identity of this man eating monster is Lamies, the Corpse Collector. He is a denizen from the Crimson World, a world that is next door to your owns where you guys cannot travel to.”
The pair felt their head getting only more and more confuse, blown away like the cop from earlier, so they sat there in silence, thinking and contemplating.
(… A TV event?)
(… But that book still, how do they do it…)
It is not uncommon for those to refuse to accept what id readily in front of them as reality. People question their sanity, or believe that that which is right in front of them simply is wrong.
However these two are not those who doubt their sanity nor do they have the willpower (otherwise known as stubbornness) to deny that which is right in front of them. Of course they are not simply able to accept that which they are told outright though.
In other words, these two easy-going people choose the fourth option.
And reserve their decision making till later.
Instead of rushing and making a decision right now why not wait and let things take their course? Rather than prying into something potentially serious and dangerous they can just accompany this beautiful woman… On one condition though. While honest with themselves they are not stupid.
“Hmm, um… So what exactly do you want us to do?”
“By any chance are you expecting us to fight that monster?”
Margery began to laugh from the pit of her stomach.
“You idiot. Who would ask someone like you to do that? That is me and Marcosias’s mission as Flame Hazes, to kill denizens.”
Contrary to her appearance, the pair came to the conclusion that this beautiful woman must be quite fierce on the inside… A warrior.
While pondering this,
“Fu-lame?”
Sato pronounces the incomprehensible word out loud.
However instead of Margery, this time Marcosias, placed on the seat beside her, answers.
“She is talking about people like us, who exist to kill people that come here form the Crimson World, hehe.”
While Sato and Tanaka are wondering what is wrong with this book, Marcosias continues while letting out a high-pitched laugh.
“Hmm, the guy we are chasing right now, Lamies, is just some small fry, but he is good at hiding his presence. With all of the torches in this city as well there might be other denizens. That is why we need guides to investigate this place, in other words, you two.”
“To-chies?”
Tanaka asks this time.
“Umm, uhh…”
Margery began to comb her hair to the side, carefully styling it. Although she had said that she would explain the whole situation it seems that she had not thought about just how deeply she would explain it.
On top of her ferocity she seems to also be quite careless and quick tempered… While also being an easy going person. The two boys continue to construct their mental image of this strange but beautiful woman.
“I’ll pass on explaining any more. Marcosias, explain it to them.”
In line with their expectations, Margery quickly retracts her earlier promise of explaining everything to them.
“Eh? That is an abdication of responsibility, my fickle Margery Daw.”
Ban, Margery Daw slams a fist into the book.
“Shut it. You can explain things to them on the way.”
Margery doesn’t allow her partner any room to argue, and stands up before turning to the two boys.
“For now, you are going to show me the general outline of the city. After that you will take me to places where strange incidents and rumours have occurred recently.”
It would seem that refusal is not an option.
But before they can leave, Sato stops Margery.
“Ah, Margery-san.”
“What?”
“Umm, uhh…”
Pointing his finger beside her Margery notices the waitress standing there with three teas on a tray and a puzzled expression.
“…”
Margery glares at the waitress from behind her glasses and without a word takes a cup off of the tray. Then, without waiting or warning, brings the cup to her lips and drink the entire contents of the drink at once, as if she were a warrior drinking before a battle. Returning the cup to the tray with a nonchalant look on her face, Sato and Tanaka freezing at the sight before them before,
“You two, what are you doing?”
Margery signals the waitress with her chin.
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
The two of them make eye contact with the surprised waitress, then look towards the direction that Margery is indicating.
Two cups, filled with nearly boiling tea.
“We are leaving now, so hurry.”
Amidst the suffering both manage to leave the cafe with her, albeit with burnt tongues.
Silvered Tongue Reborn 