After the Pandamonium Incident, everything had gone back to normal... kinda.
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Ayano wakes up early in the morning as per usual, getting ready for school.
She hurriedly gets ready her first class is always History. Great for her since she's too tired in the morning and often passes out like a log, head to her desk.
It's not quite a comfortable position usually resulting in a stiff neck muscle for the next two days.
At 14:30 she off of school skipping her way off to wherever her friends Nanase and Yukari want to go. Karaoke, playing games from those sidewalk carts, and most importantly, eating desserts.
"Hey Ayano!" Catherine greets sitting across their table with her so called desserts. The desserts being set down by her puppet statue Metatron.
"Oh hey Catherine! What are you doing her?"
Ayano responds brightly no intention in her tone nor actions whatsoever.
Catherine was thrown off by Ayano's response.
"I-I didn't expect that. I came to enjoy the food you came to enjoy!" She retorts.
Ayano harrumphs. As the two girls giggle at the sidelines.
"Okay? What are you really here for?" Ayano asks her face serious as she asks, despite her mouth being covered by crumbs of cake bread and sugar frosting.
Catherine freezes, "So u-umm I'm just here to pass a message from Kaz-"
Ayano stands up abruptly, "Where's Kazuma?" She cuts off the blonde.
The two girls 'ooouu-ed' quietly in their corner.
"The two of you are supposed to meet at the head Kanna-"
"Okay!" She cuts off Catherine again.
The two girls can feel the heat radiate from the blonde American.
Ayano throws a jello in her mouth as she rushes out the door.
"WaNks AterN!" she yells her mouth full but, definitely not forgetting to pay the bill as she rushes off to the house. Her curfew isn't until 20:00 but she's going to meet with Kazuma there anyways so there's no big deal.
She swallows her mouthful of food as she steps into the room. Fugo already sitting there already, Kazuma with a little smirk on his face and Detective Kirika sitting next to him.
"Hey Princess! Loose your glass slipper?" Kazuma remarks.
Ayano rolls her eyes easily pushing away the urge to summon Enraiha. Fugo and Kirika giving her a few focused glances. She doesn't notice sitting down besides Kazuma, to his right.
Kazuma leans towards Ayano his fingertips holding her chin in place as he leans his face towards hers. Ayano scrunches her face up and squeezes her eyes tightly shut.
Kazuma licks up crumbs on her mouth.
A rich pink color flushes through her face. Fugo a proud smirk across his lips and Kirika staring quietly in shock.
Kazuma about to speak.
"Sorry. I was out with Nanase and Yukari." Ayano cuts him off as she apologizes.
The three in the room stare at the red-haired girl who was acting like someone they weren't used to.
"Introduce yourself." Jugo says.
Ayano gave him the are you crazy look.
"It's me. Ayano. Your daughter Ayano Kannagi." Ayano says her voice weak but her eyes showed how lost she was, how confused she was, and how she felt with what was happening.
"It's Ayano." Kazuma concluded after taking a second look at her.
"Who did you think I was!" Ayano yelled a fire starting to boil in her blood.
Fugo and Kirika let out sighs of relief. This was their Ayano the real Ayano. At least she was for now.
"It seems there's a yokai going around infecting people and it's in the air we breathe." Kirika says.
"So. You want to get us to get rid of it?" Ayano concludes.
"Yes." Kirika says.
"Though at the moment it seems you could be infected." She adds.
"No. She growing up." Fugo denies wanting to believe in this new Ayano.
"She would never change this much in this short amount of time." Kazuma points out.
"What do you mean I'm infected?" Ayano acts a bit confused.
"The yokai. It's a mind-hijacking type. The symptoms of being hijacked by this yokai though is short-period sudden personality change." Kirika says.
Ayano ponders for a moment.
She summons Enraiha. A bright yellow flame engulfing the sword, and she swings it at Kazuma.
"Hey!" He shouts.
"What was that for?" He retorts blocking her attack with a wind barrier.
"Make me angry." she demands him.
"U-umm okay? Hey! Hot headed! You should really think before acting!" He shouts.
Nothing happens to Ayano. The flames intensity on Enraiha stayed the same.
He shouted multiple other insults at her yet her facial expressions nor did her will increase nor decreased.
Finally, Kirika shouted, "Kazuma said he'd marry Catherine!"
In a millisecond, Ayano reacted. Her flames intensity increased and her face was a snarl, as if she was ready to kill.
She jumped away as if to run for her target. Too slow though, she was imprisoned in a wind barrier.
"Calm down Ayano. We lied."
Flames surrounding her continued to roar.
Kazuma sighed.
"Hey!" He yelled at Ayano.
She stares at him.
"I love you Ayano." He announces with passion.
The flames go out like a light snuffed out.
She hits the ground kneeling from disbelief.
"I've been infected by a yokai." she murmurs.
Kazuma sighs, "Hey! I just confessed to you and all you care about is a yokai infection?" he jokes attempting to lighten her mood.
It didn't work too well.
"Yeah. I love you too." She blandly responded.
Fugo smiles out of joy.
"Sir, I don't think she's saying that because she means it. I think she's too in-shock to realize anything." Kirika cuts in.
Fugo sighs. "You're right. We'll have to do something."
"For now let's watch Ayano for a few days to see how severe her hijacking case is." Kirika adds.
Kazuma nods as he stares at Ayano with concern. Fugo being worried for her.