Chapter 10: Last Names and Dependent Shames

"Azumi?" Ayano called as she knocked on the door.

"Tell her to let us in quick. Some of these older guys are giving us bad side glances…" Nolan said.

"You'd think the old fishermen wouldn't mind us getting rid of their demonic lake problem…" Kazuma gave the men a cold sideways stare.

"Sorry!"

Suddenly the door opened. Azumi looked surprised to see the group of them on her door step.

"Sorry Azumi! But I really didn't get enough information to appease these guys. Do you mind if we go over some details before it rains?" Ayano asked.

"Of course. Come in." She nodded and let them in. It was a classical style house with slanted roofs, very much fitting into the town, mostly one story, wooden siding on everything, and like the Ryokan, paper and glass doorways. They all sat down in the living space.

"So is this your family you came with?"

"Well not exactly. Ren, here, is my second cousin. Kazuma is my …uhm…once-removed… second cousin, and Nolan is here from America. We all have a spirit technique that we use to help with these kinds of problems."

"Oh, and is it not common for girls to be able to?" Azumi noticed the ratio.

"No, no. It's just I happen to be in a family of more boys than girls. Nolan actually has a sister too."

"I understand. I'm too in the same predicament with my brother and father. It's nice meeting you all." She bowed her head slightly. "I'm Azumi Izanamu. I'm sure you're aware then of the story I told Ayano?"

"She told us a version of it. However we need to know your grandfather's name. We found an engraved inscription on the ring of who we think his lover was, but we need to make sure it fits." Kazuma said.

"His name was Kenshin Kaneigi. My grandmother was Chieko Kaneigi. I really hope you don't think my grandfather was a bad man for what he did. He loved my grandmother. I remember that when I was young. She told me she never could have asked for a better husband… and I also don't believe he let this girl die on his own hand. I get the feeling my grandmother knew; deep down he'd always love her too. He was the noble type…would have done anything for anyone. I think that's why my grandmother believed he was so willing to go over the cliff with this mystery girl until that night." She looked at her hands.

"We don't! We only want to help out the town." Ren persisted.

"Did you know anything about a girl named Mizuko Ikari? Or the Ikari Shrine?" Kazuma asked.

"No I don't. I know there's an old run-down shrine down one of the trails near the lake but I never heard of that name. I take it she's the other woman…"

"So the ring is all you have?" Ayano asked.

"It is. It's all my grandmother gave to me." Azumi looked to her hands.

"On some off chance we manage to find more information about this girl…what she looked like…is it possible that you might have a photo of your grandfather we can use as reference? It might appease her more if she has something to remember him by…divide the dark energy from her heart." Kazuma asked.

"She left a lot of memorabilia when she died ten years ago when I was nineteen… but most of it was things from my mother, memories of her that my father wanted to keep…but I might be able to find one from when they were younger? I'm sure she wouldn't have gotten rid of anything of my grandfather's. I'll send it to Ms. Oksana's Ryokan as soon as I can. I just need to prepare for my father and brother incase they come home soon."

"Wait, your twenty-nine?" Ayano asked.

"Yes why?"

"Oh I just thought you were younger… like Kazuma or Nolan's age." She said. "I mean you're just really pretty."

"Well I appreciate that you think I'm holding onto my youth. I'm really nothing special though, quite plain I think. Ayano, you must be in your twenties though?"

"No, I'm only turning eighteen soon."

"And you two are?"

"Twenty-two."

"Twenty-one."

"Oh wow. It must be amazing to be so gifted so young and to have such a close family and friends."

"But you have your family?" Ren asked.

"My father wants me to move into the city...he hates that I'm not married yet. The only reason my father has stayed here is because I refuse to leave. I remember my mother here in this house…she died around the same time my grandfather did. I can't leave this house and the memories. She died the same age as I am now…meaning she had my brother at my age. This town is hard to live in, but if I'm going to leave soon, I want to make sure my grandfather's past has left no stain on this land." She sighed.

"I can see why you want us to look into it. It does seem likely that this girl is linked to the haunting." Kazuma nodded.

"Thanks for answering our questions." Ayano nodded.

"No problem. Did you get back to Ms. Oksana's Ryokan okay that other night?"

"Uhm…well-"

"Frankly she got herself soaked, but it was her own fault for not telling us, particularly someone like me with wind powers to divert the rain." Kazuma gave a sharp glance at Ayano.

"Hey! Leave me alone! I tried to get us groceries so you didn't have to starve!"

"But did you manage okay?" Azumi's eyes widened.

"She had a fever last night. Luckily I was nice enough to take care of it after going out to pick you up in the rain" Kazuma said with a sideways look, as if she was beneath him again, leaning back against the wall.

"I never asked you to, don't give me that look!" Ayano's voice raised giving him a crossed look.

Azumi laughed at their quarrel.

"Well lets go then if that's it." Nolan got up starkly as he instigated the movement to shuffle out of the Izanamu household.

"I hope we can help." Ayano lingered speaking to Azumi.

"You have already. Plus your lucky, you have people helping you and watching over you. It must be nice to have a boyfriend to look after you like that in those bad times."

"Boyfriend? Wait Kazuma? No, no he's just-"

"I'm sorry!" Azumi was still smiling. "But I do think you should appreciate that. I don't understand the wind powers he said he had exactly, and maybe that helped him get you out of that rain, but to spend a night with someone who is sick… that takes a bit of care don't you think?"

"Maybe your right…but…" Ayano trailed off.

"Plus, if I were you, I'd be happy to have such men surrounding me. You could be stuck like me you know." She looked at Ayano and then out to the trails where people came from and left.

"Okay, get back on." Kazuma said, pointing his thumb at his back, startling Ayano.

"No way, I can walk back! My legs didn't fall off you know."

"I'm offering to carry you back. You know this is a really limited-time offer." Kazuma raised a brow.

"I'm fine."

"It is almost a half an hour walk from this end of the town to Ms. Oksana's place." Ren added.

"You too Ren?" Ayano looked peeved. She still felt a bit tired, but nothing that she couldn't handle! She'd been way worse before.

"Fine. If you want to be stubborn..." Kazuma shrugged and started to walk off ahead.

"He's kind of controlling eh?" Nolan asked.

"No…Azumi probably is right, but still…I can walk so…whatever." Ayano marched briskly forward ahead of Nolan and Ren and then ahead of Kazuma.

"You'll out do yourself. We have a huge amount of ground to cover tomorrow between the Shrine and the cliff by the lake." Kazuma rolled his eyes.

Ayano shook her head. "I'm fine. You don't need to baby me all the time." She said it but she knew that Azumi's words were right. Kazuma was just trying to look out for her.

"Not babying you. But whatever you want to think." He shrugged off, and then used his wind powers to leave.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Ayano yelled after.

"I offered… I'd take all three of us but frankly I'd have to attach one of you to a kite." He gave a smirk.

"Just go back with him Ayano. I'm sure Nolan and I will be fine…" Ren looked up to her.

"I'll just use my spirit beast to scare the old guys off if I have to I guess." Nolan sighed. Frankly he wasn't much for carrying anyone on his back, and she wouldn't want to ride his spirit beast back.

"But I-"

"I'm leaving."

Ayano made a noise of agitation before she nodded.

"I'm sorry did I just see you actually asking for my help?" Kazuma smirked wider.

"Kazuma can you just give me the lift back to Ms. Oksana's. I'll tell my dad to give you that stupid raise or whatever." Her voice held restrain.

"I'll take it." He shrugged and lifted her up into his arms.

"I don't need this kind of treatment." She crossed her arms.

"I can drop you if you want me too… because if your goal is really to not come with us tomorrow I can make it happen."

"NO! Don't! I'd break a leg!" She inadvertently clutched one of her hands on his shirt.

He looked down at it. "I won't. But your stubbornness and evasive actions are getting ridiculous."

"I'm just trying to-"

"Even if you do have a lot of responsibility as future head of the family, you're going to get yourself killed. Ren doesn't have anyone else…he'd have to take over if that ever happened you know."

She thought about it. She couldn't see Ren like that. He was strong but could he handle the Enraiha? The only one left to take on the clan. She'd give him all of her responsibility if she ended up dying before she had the chance to take over…but it was only a small fever so what did Kazuma really think? She'd kill herself? She was way stronger than that.

"I won't get myself killed."

"Well your going to get yourself in more trouble and frankly the fighting youma vs. nursing ratio is getting a little too uneven." His voice was particularly flat.

"You get paid! What do you care?"

"I'm not a maid service. Also I know that reckless behavior gets a person nowhere, but hey what weight does my experience hold anyway?" He put her down on the footsteps of the inn and went through the front doors before she could say anything.

She put her hand to her chest. Was she really offending him that much? She was just trying to be independent this time around. Kazuma's powers would always be stronger than hers as a contractor. She always thought that as the holder of the Enraiha she would eventually be the strongest of the family, and the leader. She liked that Kazuma was back, but it was her nature to be competitive. She at least had to prove to herself that she could handle things on her own after all that happened. Maybe one day she would be as strong as him…

"Hey Ayano! We caught up!" Ren ran towards her from the path.

"I see. I'm just going to go to my room for the evening. I'm glad you got back before the rain." She didn't acknowledge him and went straight to her room.

"Is she okay?" Ren asked Nolan.

"Don't know. Maybe Kazuma pissed her off again." His voice was agitated as he too left for his room.

Ayano slammed the door shut. Was she really that much of a bother to Kazuma? Whether she ended up being independent or dependent… doing things on her own, or having to rely on help…Kazuma always ended up saving her. Was that all she could amount to? Just a younger family member, as someone incapable that he would have to go out of his way for? She thought back when she saved him from his own demons. For a moment she thought that she'd almost become equal to him…but even then he'd ended up coming back around without a scratch. She never wanted to hurt him, but she never wanted to be a chore. Less than equals.

She kicked her luggage in anger and frustration.

"OUCH!" She stubbed her toe and collapsed on the floor.

"You hurt yourself again?" Kazuma called over from his room, in a passive voice.

"No. I don't need anything. I'm fine." She called and then took her pillow in her hands. Since when did things like this get under her skin so badly? Why couldn't she just prove herself once?