Here's a little secret about Aika. I am simply TERRIBLE with fight scenes. :U I dunno why, it's just not my genre. The only time I do good fight scenes is if the character is extreme flexible and is practically a ninja. :3 Anyways, thanks so much for reading, and thankyou for the epic reviews! I've made this one particularly long to celebrate the first chapter made by both me and Ayumi, and to make up what all I've never posted for 90 days.

Ayano's POV

A week, two weeks, and now three. It's been a full month, and I haven't bothered chatting with my miserable boyfriend. I sit, my legs crossed and a wild look on my face. My hair has been tangled and matted for almost the whole entire month.

Neither Jugo or Ren know of the degrading day between me and Kazuma, and I don't plan on telling them. They obviously think it's just regular boy problems. I scoop up another spoon of icecream, shooting daggers at Yukari and Nanase sit quietly, watching the animal known as me like it was on a rampage.

"And then, then he dumped me on his bed, and-and" I was making it rain tears, basically. I was like an innocent regular girl who had been dumped by the average teenage boyfriend. But, he wasn't teenage. He was a grown man. A man with needs. And a contract with something far more powerful that she could imagine.

Nanase comforted me by stroking my hair kindly, while Yukari snatched away the icecream and tossed it over her shoulder, landing perfectly in the trashcan beside the door.

"Ayano Kannagi! You are the future head of the Kannagi family, and you're just going to sit on a bed and cry while your man runs away to look for another girl? Honestly, I think that's weak." Nanase encourages me, and I'm quickly gathering myself together.

"Shut it, I'm not crying for him. I'm crying because he stole my dignity!" I shout, ignoring Yukari's coo-coo face in the background. Nanase sets her hands on her waist, before snapping back.

"What, are you going to let him steal that dignity? It's not like he looked you in the face and said 'I'm braking up with you' now is it? He simply told you he needed a break. A break to think things over. Isn't that what you told me!?" Nanase slaps me, gently but filled with intentions.

"Your crazy. Do you know what men mean when they want a break? That means they want to get with other girls, therefore leaving the ex in the dust!" Yukari spoke up, and Nanase shoots around to meet the eyes of her friend.

"No. This isn't any regular male human. This is Kazuma Yugami, womanizer. He wouldn't just leave Ayano simply, he would find a way to make her mad in the process. Which means they aren't over." Nanase crosses her arms, and soon I'm gritting my teeth and writhing with anger.

A knock interrupts the little girl party happening between us, and a maid is at the door, bowing with respect. "Miss Kannagi, Jugo requests your presence." She says, her voice monotone.

"Of course. I'll be there right away." I say, closing the door as the lady turns and disappears.

"I have a feeling the wind has come back for me. And I don't want him to." I snap, watching as the once angered Nanase and Yukari giggle obsessively over the couple's fights and deep passions. He better not play with me like he did before; or I'll personally dig his grave.

Kazuma's POV

I sit quietly, listening to the calm sound of water flowing outside, which is drowned out by Jugo sitting not far away, sipping his tea loudly.

"Jugo, why exactly did you call for me, anyways?" I ask, sounding rather bored. Jugo sighs, setting the tea down on the floor beside him.

"You are, indeed, Ayano's Bodygaurd and partner. Are you not? Besides, I have a case you and Ayano need to figure out. Kirika asked if you would assist her in a recently arrived case. Outbreaks have sprout up, an illness unknown. It engulfs the human, and then turns into a strange goo. People have reported it slaughtering people by drowning them, but obviously I have a feeling it's just a Youma doing what a Youma does. Creates more of themselves." Jugo answers, and I get the growing sensation that the old geezer wants more than what he's asking for.

"And?" I push the old man into a spotlight, and he admits to it. "I've been noticing Ayano's emotions recently, and I have a feeling you dumped her? Or just purely crushed her?" Jugo begs for an answer, just with the crook of an eyebrow. What was the old man going to do with the information, anyways?

"I kissed her, she pushed me back, all out war, she was kidnapped, and I saved her ass. Now she's pissed." I make it short and simple, and Jugo doesn't take this as an answer whatsoever.

"Ah, so you're telling me she's nervous? Or just purely to innocent to take what she can have?" Take what she can have? My thoughts come to an abrupt stop as the princess herself bursts through the door, stomping up to me, and kicks me in the side.

"You bastard! Disappeared for a whole month, didn't even bother calling me!" I grab her foot, and twist it until she's falling in a lump of pink and a sea-blue.

"So, I'm guessing I can trust you to get rid of this Youma's source, correct Kazuma?" Jugo asks me, and I look up from my adorable angry little Ayano, pouting about how rude I am."Sure, Jugo. Don't forget the pay, if you mind." Ayano ceases her angry wailing noises, and prods Kazuma on the shoulder.

"Jugo, you're not seriously going to waste money on this excuse for a bodygaurd? I don't even need a bodygaurd!" I stop her by making her sit up from her awkward position on the floor, her butt sticking up in the air, and excuse her before she can throw a tantrum. Jugo sighs as we take our leave, and I get the feeling it was more of a 'thank god' sigh than a 'oh god' sigh.

"So whats all this about, anyways? Some stupid Youma, considering your in this." She says, crossing her arms and avoiding eye contact with me.

"If you think I'm going to break down and beg for you back, you must be a very stupid little girl." I chuckle, watching her seethe with anger.

"KAZUMA!" She snaps, grabbing me by the collar and facing me with a tough angry expression.

"Tell me, you perverted womanizer, how many girls have you screwed this past month?!" She says, inches from my face. I decide to have fun with this. "Plenty. All of them were far more beautiful than the great Ayano Kannagi, all of them." I smirk as she releases my collar, and begins to throw an inside tantrum.

"Well I'm guessing you didn't even have a thought about me within those thirty days, now did you?" Her adorable tantrum reminds him of the old times, her screaming at the top of her lungs as he left her to fight off a tough Youma. Fun days indeed.

"I thought of you the whoooole time." I say sarcastically. Ayano bites her tongue, confused and angry. Ayano, oh my beautiful Ayano. Why must you be so clueless? I kiss her lightly on the nose, and she instantly lights up with relief.

"So you were joking, then?" She asks hopefully.

"Who said I was joking?"

Ayano's POV

"So how are we going to look for this particular Youma? There's millions of them, how are we going to tell which one is the core creator? And are we even sure if destroying the first will do it for the rest?" I ask, sipping on my chocolate milk shake. Being I was acting so 'politely' I was rewarded. Hey, it's not like I was his lap dog. I was just really thirsty, and had a need for sugar.

"I'm guessing only one of them be the creator, therefore it must carry some difference between the others. Perhaps aura might have a difference. Shape, size..." He trails off, and I find myself clinging desperately to a string of sanity.

"Kazuma..." I murmur, looking away. My cheeks were flushed, a deeper pink than usual, and Kazuma obviously noticed far before I could look away.

"So that's how it is, I can turn you on just by looking at you." His trademark smirk is ignored as I look him in the eyes, begging for some sort of emotion. Anything. I can only find one thing. Passion. He wraps his arm over my shoulders, and we look like a normal couple. Impossible to believe. It's been a so little time sense the death of Lapis. His beloved Tsui-ling. Maybe he's moved on. Maybe he can show love for me, instead of that dead memory. I feel no particular hate for Tsui-ling, but she might for me. For taking him away from her.

"Hey, Kazuma?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you beg for me? Would you kneel on your knees, and ask for me to marry you? Am I truly that much to you?" I murmur, not wanting to say it myself. But it was a question that needed answering, and if he wasn't going to answer than it would be his fault. He makes no reply, so I take it as a simple 'me to know, you to find out'. I press closer to him, setting my head on his shoulder as we walk. But I couldn't help feel like I was being used.

Abused.

It's official, there's no sign of interruption in the city of Tokyo, besides cars honking and people road raging. I've given up completely in asking Kazuma anymore questions concerning our relationship, and I've grown tired of hearing him grunt every time we pass an ally we've already been through. He finds this annoying, just like I do. "Isn't it obvious. There's nothing to be investigating!" I turn, stopping the wind magic user in his tracks.

"I bet a thousand I know why..." Kazuma mumbled, he gripped my hand tightly, which caused me to whimper in a strange guilt. "Why not give the old man exactly what he wants?" I look up at Kazuma, wandering what exactly going through that little brain of his. We keep walking after a little while.

"I'm sorry if I'm the only one who needs filling in on this, but what exactly do you think Jugo was thinking?" We stop walking, and I look around warily. We would be so vulnerable to Youma. Now it's mu turn to tighten my desperate grip on Kazuma's hand. Just to think. This man told me he loved me not long ago, and now he's playing around with me once more like his used toy is back to being his favorite. And I chose to cling to him.

"Ah, princess, no need to worry. Jugo's intentions were desperate. And if you ask me, us coming here wasn't exactly for nothing." He says, tilting his head in the direction of a pure shadow, clinging to the side of a building in an unnatural way. The shadow parts for only a quick second, a deep star-filled void replacing what is gone. And a roar erupts.

"Alright, so I'm the one who's going to kill this thing, just like I did almost every single time while you watched, and you'll do nothing whatsoever?" I question, summoning my trusty blade.

"Just try to catch it while it's mouth is open. Or... whatever the hell that thing is. I think that's it's weak spot." Kazuma advises me, and I snort in contempt. This man sometimes caused me to go berserk, and now I was taking his advice.

"Oh please, I could take this thing down with a hand behind my back." I twirl my sword, coming to a defensive stance in front of the Youma. It's mouth parts once more, and a charge begins to countdown. A large one. I gasp, and duck just before a ball of boiling goo flies over my head. It charges again, but this time I'm ready, and I slice the goo in half quickly and easily, the strange material incinerating as it hits the ground. I duck and make a run for it as the next charge begins, until I'm close by the creature, and I begin to swing my sword. Flames engulf the Youma, which is obviously in flames, and I'm the girl basically stabbing it to death with a flaming sword. Badassery. But none of it even puts a dent in the Youma, only makes it stronger. It releases another roar, revealing the same starry void hidden within itself. Oh. I spring forward, and dig my sword into the deep nothingness, causing the monster to slowly inflate, and finally explode. From existence.

"Job well done, princess." Kazuma is leaning against the ally wall, his eyes closed.

"Kazuma you good for nothing..." I pant, before realizing something. That monster spit out goo...

"Ah, I think we just found our culprit."

"WE?!"

"Don't get your panties tied in a knot, sweetheart. I found it, I gave you advice, and you kill it." Kazuma sits up, facing me, who's now in his face and clenching her teeth with pure anger.

Kazuma's POV

She always does the unexpected. Anything to make me crumble under her, to make me feel want. Need. But does she even know she's doing it? Ayano stops her ranting, and crosses her arms.

"Don't talk about my panties, especially if you can't get in them, asshole." She snaps, and I smirk at her quick remark.

"I could change your mind, you know." Ayano holds out her hands and shakes her head.

"No, no, no, no! I am NOT going to let you drag me to your bed." I roll my orangish-brownish eyes, giving the little princess a quick check for bruises or cuts and dragging her home. I didn't feel like abusing the princess with jokes about her loosing her precious virginity. Especially after that one night. She was a precious glimpse of what could have been; something I oh so desperately wished would've happened. But it just wouldn't. As we walk down the street, I think deeper and deeper into the mess I've made. Everything could have been beautiful, now. If it wasn't for my actions. For kissing her the way I did. She wasn't ready, and I should have known. For a close contact relationship.

"Kazuma, it's been a whole month and you literally have nothing to talk about, whatsoever? For gods sake, you could at least tell me about the girls you made love with while I was gone." Ayano's voice surprised me, and at the same time it made me smirk. "I mean, if you want to..."

"Ayano, I haven't touched any girl but you ever sense we got together." Kazuma murmurs, taken back by the time he grasped Ayano's beautiful flowing hair in the wind. How close we were. And now we are farther away than ever.

"You must be dying inside..."

"Why would you say that?"

"Kazuma, you've been in pain far longer than I have... I'm sorry for making anything worse." She says, crossing her arms and looking away, a slight blush on her pale skin. The moon was beginning to come up, and soon Jugo would begin wondering if we caught the Youma he's been speaking of.

"I've made it worse, Ayano. I've made it worse than it could have been. I let desire and memories get between what truly matters." Ayano sighs, obviously deleting any word said by me because she believes it's untrue.

"Kazuma." She pauses, looking at me with desire, a kind of desire I've never seen in a girl like her. But not for any pleasurable activity. I stop at her side, my hand entwined with hers, and her hand tightens it's grip on my own. "I-I'm ready..."

Ayano's POV

I say it like it'll be the last thing I say to him. In a sad, but exited way. Kind of ridiculous, if you ask me. I can almost feel his surprise as my own, and he knew exactly what I meant. He had needs, and I had neglected them. I only looked for something he had but overlooked what he needed. Four months. 120 days, almost. And I've only just understood that? What happens next I never expected. I'm pushed against an ally wall, like an innocent girl being prepared for rape, but it doesn't go like that. It isn't rape if you want it. Our lips collide, and I find myself hypnotized under his soft touch. I know I'm safe... he wouldn't pain me.

"K-Kazuma..." I whisper, tingles rushing through my body at even his slightest touch. I know this isn't being used or abused. Not like I was expecting it to be, but definitely better. I'm pushed against a wall, my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms around his neck. I just can't put my finger on the delight I feel, like a huge burden has been destroyed. He wouldn't make love to me, I know that much, what would Jugo say? He was only expressing deep compassion, and I was doing the same for him. Our two bodies pressed close together, I felt like this moment would never end. But it did, and I couldn't help but wonder if what I did was right.

He takes me to his apartment for the night, calling Jugo and explaining for me being so late, and Jugo gladly lets Kazuma take me away for the night. Honestly, I'm nervous. Nervous that I, Ayano Kannagi, forever innocent and virgin, would become a personal doll under the grasps of Kazuma. But I didn't hold that nervousness long, as we arrive at his room. It's dark and quiet, lonely. I flop down on his couch, forgetting completely of anything related with manners. He was my boyfriend, wasn't he? Whats wrong with sitting on his couch? He leaves to change, and so I just sit quietly watching a blank TV screen, thinking over our long kiss. How good it made me feel. I cross my legs, sucking on my finger in my same nervous way. I've never exactly thought things through, but does this turn on Kazuma? Sucking on my index finger awkwardly. Must remind him of something. Aha. Great. I've become a pervert.

My eyes surf the room I'm sitting in, searching for any sign of happiness within the small apartment. The only thing I find is a picture of me. Smiling, clinging to Ren happily. I rise to my feet, and slowly make my way to the counter it's sitting on, and pick it up. It's typical me, perhaps when I was 15. It's just... strange. How did he get the photos, anyways?

"Ah, Miss Ayano Kannagi. Lead detective, searching Kazuma Yugami's room for evidence." I shoot around, hiding the photo behind my back, blushing.

"W-what?! What is that suppose to mean?!" I snap, my hands hidden behind my back, alongside the photo.

"Stop looking around my apartment for something to take home as a souvenir, princess." Kazuma states plainly, walking past me into the kitchen.

"Souvenir? I don't have anything! Nothing at all!" I panic slightly, like a child being caught searching through a cookie jar. Kazuma's eyes are gentle, as if understanding. But even Kazuma wouldn't be the kind. He points to the empty spot where I had picked up the photo, and I blush harder. Damnit. I set down the photo, trying my best not to ignore the cute smirk Kazuma has plastered on his usually expressionless face, and I cross my arms.

"So what? I just forget to set it down, that's all..." I murmur, my eyes slits. I was angry, yes, just with a different source. It wasn't Kazuma, like the usual, it was something far more complex than anything Kazuma could conjure up to ruin my day. I flipped my hair back, sitting down neatly on the couch.

"So the princess is catching on to ladylike manners, is that it? Or is she just trying to impress me?" Kazuma sits down beside me, and I roll my eyes.

Tonight was going to be a very long night...

HEHEHEE. Holly grail of Kaze No Stigma! ITS OVER 9000!