Shakugan No Shana Series by Yashichiro Takahashi

Yuuji Sakai, a high school student who expected his very normal life to last forever, is dead. While on his way home one day he witnesses a shocking view: the world suddenly freezes, people are engulfed by blue flames and a monster resembling a large doll seems to swallow them. Just as the monster prepares to consume Yuuji, a sword-wielding girl in black attire with flaming red eyes and hair that burns like embers saves him... moreYuuji Sakai, a high school student who expected his very normal life to last forever, is dead. While on his way home one day he witnesses a shocking view: the world suddenly freezes, people are engulfed by blue flames and a monster resembling a large doll seems to swallow them. Just as the monster prepares to consume Yuuji, a sword-wielding girl in black attire with flaming red eyes and hair that burns like embers saves him. The girl calls herself a Flame Haze who hunts the Tomogara (formally Guze no Tomogara, or Crimson Denizens in English), creatures from another world. When Yuuji notices a blue flame in his chest, the Flame Haze tells him that the real Yuuji died some time ago, and that he is a Torch, a temporary replacement for erased humans. Torches take on the forms of those erased persons, but before long, they will vanish from the memories of the living. Unfazed by his apparent death, Yuuji befriends the strange girl and names her Shana. Expecting Yuuji to slowly fade away like all other Torches do, Shana is surprised to find that Yuuji is not a normal Torch, but instead a special kind called a Mistes: he has a hougu inside him, and an extremely powerful and valuable one at that. Shana resolves to protect Yuuji from the Tomogara, who would use the hougu to disrupt the balance of the world, and Yuuji decides to join Shana in her fight.Shana's fight is the long-standing struggle between Flame Hazes and Tomogara. The Tomogara are beings from the Crimson Realm and steal Power of Existence, the energy that forms the basis of the world, from the living people and utilize it for their own selfish ambitions. Flame Hazes are the mortal enemies of Tomogara, and attempt to retain balance. Thus, the Flame Hazes create Torches in the image of the dead in order to relieve the strain on reality resulting from the actions of the Tomogara. less

Yuji struggles to understand the strange world he has been thrust into, his relationship with Shana, as well as his own mortality. Shana, conversely, tries to adapt to the human world while protecting Yuji, the treasured Mistes.

Yuji has just started a new semester of high school and everything seems to be normal. That all changes when a mysterious man named Friagne begins turning people into blue flames. And wouldn't you know it? Now he's after poor Yuji To the rescue comes a girl named Shana. But is she too late? As it turns out, young Yuji may already be dead. What the heck is going on? A mysterious high school story written by Yashichiro Yakahashi... moreYuji has just started a new semester of high school and everything seems to be normal. That all changes when a mysterious man named Friagne begins turning people into blue flames. And wouldn't you know it? Now he's after poor Yuji To the rescue comes a girl named Shana. But is she too late? As it turns out, young Yuji may already be dead. What the heck is going on? A mysterious high school story written by Yashichiro Yakahashi. Friagne abducts Yuji as a decoy to get at Shana, and as a Flame Haze, Shana has no choice but to come to the rescue. Will she foil Friagne's plan to activate the Devourer of the City? Or is it the end for Shana and Yuji? less

L to R (Western Style). There's a sinister new Flame Haze in town by the name of Margery Daw, and soon she and Shana are in a fight to the death! Meanwhile Yuji runs into a strange old man named Lamies...who reveals himself to be a most unusual Crimson Denizen indeed.

R to L (Japanese Style). Saving The World Is Easier Than Falling In Love; The World’s On Fire—Don’t Be Late For Class! Lamies the Corpse Collector offers Yuji some advice about his strange relationship with Shana. But Yuji had better act fast if he wants to confess his true feelings, because Shana is trapped in a losing battle with the vicious Margery Daw! Who is Shana's worst enemy...the Crimson Denizens or her fellow Flame Haze?