Fire Force [Fight With You]

1. Burn With a Smile

It's all happened so suddenly. When we least expected it, my father, the only one left in the family started bursting into flame. We called it Jintai Hakka Genshō or Spontaneous Human Combustion. They changed into fire demon, we called infernal.

It is a worldwide phenomenon which began about 250 years ago, shortly after The Great Cataclysm which causes humans to instantaneously burst into flames.

As if to naturally combat this condition, humans have also begun to adapt. Those people who turned into the internal we called them the first generation. In some cases, humans can adapt to the flames and awaken the ability to manipulate flames or ignite themselves or object. They are the second generation and third generation respectively. The origins and selectivity of the phenomenon are unknown.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Inside a large room, a waft of smoke can be seen. No, it's not a house burning down but only a girl burning some incenses.

A girl with black hair so long that it reaches the floor is prostrating before a picture frame on an altar of a medium sized home shrine. It was arranged with fake flowers made out of white papers. One can see by her black kimono, it is a funeral. The picture of a late-thirty years old man smiled back at the petite girl in front of him.

In her right hand she held a set of black prayer beads as she rises from her knees. She stood up and smiled back, albeit sadly at the picture.

"Otou-san..." A small tear slips down her left cheek and quickly she wiped it away. Her blue eyes said to be the colour of ocean by the man in the frame blurred with fresh tears as she start chanting the sutra.

"kan ji zai bo sa gyo jin han-nya ha ra mi ta ji..." she continues chanting the sutra nonstop for an hour.

With an elegance belong to a practitioner of the old religion she prostrate once again for a minute and sat back on her lower legs tucked underneath, in the Seiza posture.

"May thee rest in peace, Father. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. May thee return to the one and only goddess of sun, Amaterasu," she put her hands together flatly on the palms and chant the old words of the old religion.

That night after her prayers for her newly dead father, the girl went asleep in tears and sorrow. No one to relies on but herself. She slowly closed her eyes and the next moment she awakens in a sea of crimson fire. No longer inside her bedroom but a space of bright fire.

Everywhere she sees are set in flames. She was beyond confuse, scared to death of what's happening. She pulled her knees close to her naked body.

"Father... Help me," the girl cried to herself and suddenly notices it was hot enough to even evaporated her tears.

"It's not hot to me, but why?" She muttered to herself trying to make out whether this is reality or what. She thought maybe it was a dream but it felt too real to her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw another human. A blonde girl sitting uncomfortably naked just like her.

The blonde girl sob's began to get louder. The black haired girl then stand on her wobbly feet. Yeah, it's not hot. Don't cry. She moved her feet to the other girl direction. She walked to her facing her bare back and kneeled behind her.

With her right hand, she touches the blonde girl's left shoulder.

"Don't cry. I'm here," She muttered lowly to the blonde girl as she feels as if they shares the same fate.

Somehow, bound to the same fire and the same bad memories of the past.

The blonde girl stopped sobbing and slowly turned to face the one whose holding her shoulder.