Kirashi opened both of his eyes. Kara was still in the massive Seele's grip.
With the beast's hand clamped around her neck, she strained against its grip.
"Kirashi-san! Take the letter!"
"Letter...?"
Kirashi snapped back to his senses.
"The Seele!"
Gritting his teeth, He immediately stood up.
"I have to take it down."
Raising his right hand, Kirashi fired a powerful blast of wind at the Seele's head.
"That did nothing..."
He gasped.
The Seele turned its attention to him. Its grip on Kara loosened slightly, but it still held her entire body.
"Kirashi-san! Take it!"
She raised a small envelope, and she slowly dropped it.
"Windgott-sama wants you to protect that. It's 'special' to him!"
Nearby, Itoshi stirred.
"Shit... my head..."
He sat up, holding his temple. He too got back to his senses,
"Kara!"
With no hesitation, He rushed towards the Seele.
But he was quickly stopped by Kirashi,
"Itoshi! Wait!"
Itoshi stopped on where he is, And he argued.
"Kirashi! We have no time!"
Kirashi prevailed,
"Wait!"
He paused.
"Look at it."
Itoshi turned his head to Kirashi, still questioning his decision.
"B-but Kara?!"
"The Seele isn't moving."
The creature stood motionless, staring at Kirashi.
Brows furrowed, Itoshi wondered.
"What is happening?"
"I don't know. Take Ryujin's weapon. Cut its hand."
Kirashi muttered.
"OK!"
Itoshi dashed to the unconscious Ryujin and checked for signs of life.
"Good! He's still alive."
He grunted as he took Ryujin's spear and ran to the back of the house. The Seele noticed and suddenly jumped in front of him.
"You bastard! Let go of Kara!"
He clashed with the creature, parrying its attack with the spear. Kirashi advanced slowly.
"Why is it... why isn't it hurting Kara? Why is it just holding her?"
Then Kirashi noticed—
"Her eyes... they were light blue, right? Why are they red now...?"
Itoshi was more exhausted than he had ever been in his life. But in exchange for Kara's life? he refused to give up.
"Damn you! Let go of her!"
He misjudged the Seele's massive arm and he was struck.
"Damn it!"
He was flung backward, but this time he landed on his feet, having blocked with the spear.
"Not gonna happen again."
He looked up as he wiped his cheeks—and again, the Seele stood still, watching Kirashi.
He turned to Kirashi, still searching for clue on what they're gonna do.
"Oi! What do we do? Do we distract it?"
"It's already distracted."
"Do you have a plan?!"
Itoshi shouted.
"Yeah..."
Kirashi hushed, just loud enough for Itoshi to hear.
He then took a deep breath, before..
"and that is to... run away!!"
Kirashi turned and bolted downhill into the forest.
Itoshi was stunned, a little to stunned, His eyes were wide, blinking and confused.
"What kind of plan is that?!"
The Seele took off after him, still holding Kara in its left hand.
"Come on, Itoshi! Save your sister!"
Kirashi thought to himself.
Itoshi saw the opportunity..
"I see!"
He leapt high into the air, Ryujin's spear ablaze with his flames. With one clean slash, he severed the Seele's left arm.
Kara dropped free. The Seele paused for a moment, glanced at them—then resumed its chase after Kirashi.
Itoshi rushed towards Kara as the seele's severed limb started to fade.
"Kara?! You okay?!"
Kara's eyes slowly fluttered open. When she saw her big brother, a gentle smile formed on her face.
"Yes, I am okay!"
Her eyes had already returned to cyan.
"Thank God.."
Itoshi muttered under his breath.
With Kara's weak voice, She suggested.
"Koya... let me help Ryujin-sama."
Itoshi didn't hesitated and he quickly nodded.
"OK..."
After that, he raised his head as he called for Kirashi.
"Kirashi!! Wait for me!!"
He lifted Kara onto his back. She held Ryujin's spear tightly as they ran back up the mountain.
~~~Kiraghie Against The Red Beast~~~
"I've been hit so many times... How am I still moving?"
Kirashi pushed forward, limbs burning, vision blurred. The adrenaline surging through him kept his body going long after his limits.
He glanced behind.
"Good, he's still coming... I need to get him away from the others. What is he after—This envelope?.. or me?"
Suddenly, his foot caught on something. He tumbled, rolling violently down the hillside until his body slammed into a rock, halting his momentum.
"Gah!!"
He forced himself to stand—barely. But the Seele was already upon him.
Its severed left hand had completely regenerated.
"This is it, isn't it...?"
He looked down at the envelope clutched tightly in his hand. His eyes scanned the surface.
From: Windgott.
He turned it over.
"To: "My Child"... Windgott-sama had a child, huh... That might be why he left."
"Well then... I need to get this delivered. No matter what."
The Seele reached out with its massive right hand, ready to end it.
But Kirashi wasn't done.
A furious gale erupted from him, a massive burst of wind energy that blasted the Seele backward and sent leaves and branches whipping through the surrounding forest.
[The Child of The Storm]
Kirashi's emerald eyes began to glow. He tucked the envelope safely inside the coat Ryujin had given him, then turned to face the Seele.
"Let's go."
The Seele's left hand, freshly severed by Itoshi, was now fully regenerated. It screeched, then charged.
As it lunged toward him, Kirashi attacked, channeling bursts of wind with each strike. Every blast that struck the creature made it shriek in pain.
"You feel pain from a simple cold breeze? Pathetic."
The Seele dropped to all fours, mouth wide open, and dashed forward in an attempt to swallow him whole.
Kirashi dodged effortlessly.
Again and again, the Seele tried, snapping its jaws at him, but each time he avoided its attack, staying just out of reach. The creature grew visibly agitated and slammed its fists into the ground over and over.
"Pissed off, aren't we?"
Hahaha.
He raised his left hand, palm facing outward as he took a huge breath.
"Wind Gale."
A small, transparent sphere formed in his hand. It floated forward slowly—then suddenly accelerated, rocketing toward the Seele.
The moment it struck the creature's chest, it bored a perfect circular hole through it.
For a second, silence.
Then the Seele's body crumbled, disintegrating into pieces.
But it wasn't over.
From the fragments, its body began regenerating—starting at the head and spreading downward.
"Not so fast."
He launched a flurry of wind attacks, hammering the Seele relentlessly and slowing the regeneration process with each hit.
~~~On Kirashis home~~~
Itoshi managed to bring Kara to Ryujin. Kara immediately knelt beside him and began tugging at her clothing.
Itoshi blushed, shocked on the sight.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Hand firmly gripped on her lower shirt, She turned to Itoshi.
"I need to patch up his wound!"
"Idiot! Not yours—use my t-shirt!"
He tore off his jacket, then ripped his shirt and quickly handed it to her.
Kara quickly took the long cloth as she ordered.
"Koya! Get some water!"
"O-OK!"
He sprinted to the nearby well and scooped up some water while Kara removed Ryujin's coat and laid him gently on the ground.
"Water!"
"Thank you!"
She carefully cleaned Ryujin's bleeding head, then wrapped the wound with the strips of Itoshi's shirt.
"Is there more you need?"
Itoshi asked, out of breath, but still determined.
"I'm good. Thanks!"
Itoshi: I'll go help Kirashi!
Kara: OK!
Itoshi dashed off down the mountain, following the trail of broken trees and scorched ground left by the Seele.
Back near Ryujin, a sharp beep sounded from his coat. His device was receiving a call—Hachi. Kara quickly answered.
Kara: Hello?!
Hachi: A woman?! Who are you? Where is Ryujin?!
Kara responded.
"I'm.."
She took a breath as she hesitated.
"I'm part of the squad. The leader is badly injured—his head's bleeding! We need help!"
Hachi was immediately alerted.
"OK! You guys are in Cape Hedo, right?"
"We're in Kirashi's.. .no, we're in the forest right now! South of Hedo!"
Hachi: Got it. I'll send the nearest team for backup. I'll track Ryujin's device.
The call cut off. Kara let out a breath of relief, knowing help was on the way.
Meanwhile, Itoshi was sprinting through the forest, weaving between trees and following the path of destruction.
"Damn it... I hope I make it."
Kirashi, still fighting the Seele, was at his limit. His breath was ragged, his body shaking.
"I can't... hold... any longer..."
He collapsed onto his knees. The wind stopped. He didn't black out, but he was barely conscious. His eyes followed the creature's body as it slowly regenerated again.
"Blue hair... hurry up..."
At that moment, a blaze streaked through the trees.
"Found you!"
It was Itoshi.
His fists ignited with fire as he soared into the air. He slammed his blazing fists into the Seele's half-regenerated head, lighting it up in flames.
The creature shrieked as fire consumed its face. It had only recovered half its torso and a single full right arm. It tried to claw at the flames, but Itoshi didn't let up—he kept burning it, his flames spreading across its body.
"Itoshi..."
~~~To be Continued~~~