Itadaki no Hecate Second

The Scar of the First Encounter

A lone figure sat at a table, with all fragile bulbs but the one above her lit as she munched on the second of five packaged melon breads spread before her. Out the window before her, the stars twinkled dimly in the dark sea above the city of Misaki.

"I just don't get it," the Flame Haze said. "No matter where we go, there's not a single trace of anyone's existence being consumed recently."

"That's true," Alastor said before reviewing the facts. "Throughout our entire search, we have not discovered a single distortion, and any Torches we've come across are already close to burning out, but they have been fading away at their natural pace, rather than an accelerated one such as if too much has been drained from them."

"And we could not find any evidence of a cover-up either," said the Flame Haze before taking another nibble.

The Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter took a look at her hand and glanced around the room as Alastor made an addendum. "Oddly enough, the Torch you're using, even if it had only been consumed not too long ago, should be little more than a wisp by now, if no longer there; in my opinion, that Torch was fading away at an unnaturally slow rate. Besides those that have had Treasures in them, I don't think we' have encountered any Torch like this one."

"Speaking of which," the Flame Haze said, putting down her insubstantial meal, "maybe it also has something to do with that other Torch, the Mystes."

"You've had your mind on that Mystes before we even arrived here," Alastor told her with some concern. "Ever since we had retreated to Tokyo with the Manipulator of Objects and the other two, you seemed perplexed and confused. The extremely unexpected actions and mercy of the Supreme Throne and the Mystes of the Reiji Maigo have planted questions in your head, questions you feel should be answered, or they would consume you. Because of that I was reluctant to allow you to come here, but at the same time, it is also the reason why I accepted it. We have to be rid of distractions so that we can focus on Bal Masque."

The girl nodded. "Alright Alastor," she said.

She did not pick up her melon bread again and simply stared at it. There was still far too much on her mind for her to focus, and there were a few words she could not forget no matter how hard she tried.

"All titles, but no name. Then you are meaningless."

What would I need such a useless thing when Flame Hazes and Denizens like you can just use my title if you had to identify me?

"You'd throw your life away to fulfill your duty too?"

"Too"? Wouldn't any other Flame Haze do the same to protect the balance of the world?

"You can't be just a Flame Haze either."

But I am a Flame Haze! And "either" now; was he comparing me to the Chanter of Elegies?

"I think she pities you. The two of you, you're the same, you know?"

No, the whole time they've been comparing me to that Denizen, the Supreme Throne. I can't accept that. I am a Flame Haze! I only have to worry about my mission.

"Now I see why those Denizens keep calling us nothing more than Tools of Hunting and such. At least I have a home right here, but what do you have?"

In that dimly lit room lacking in life, the melon bread began to crumble under a tight grip.

Episode 4: The Scar of the First Encounter

"What's taking her so long? She should have been back hours ago," Keisaku said as he looked out the open window from where Margery had departed. Eita sat on a chair behind him, resting his arms and chin on the backrest.