Katsuo had some business today. Ayame stayed at home to look over Ryuno. She's sleeping, a wolf - like creature with some behavior of cat, dog and horse. Very beautiful, but very dangerous. 

" She likes to eat humans isn't she... ", Ayame thought, but she is quite scared.

Then she remembered Katsuo's words to her.

" They're extremely intelligent, wise and they know who is their friend, who is their enemy. They even help the enemy of their enemy. As long as you don't do any troubles and threaten gestures to her. Beware of her pupils, big and round when she's happy, narrow when she's amused or angered, also stay away if there're some weird black cross in her whitey fur. She can be as playful as a puppy, but also can be as aggressive as a wild boar, but I'm sure she'll enjoy being with you. "

Ayame's afraid to do anything because Ryuno's ears are very sensitive, and she didn't want to annoy its sleep. She looked at Katsuo's kimono, it had some scratches. She wanted to sew it back, and she thought that sewing won't make any annoying sound, so she silently took her stuffs out and started sewing. 

She's sewing the kimono peacefully, then suddenly Ryuno woke up. Ayame crept out, but it didn't seem to attack her. Ryuno's ears were all raising up, as if she has listened to something. She stood up and approach Ayame, but she didn't do any dangerous gesture or facial expressions to her. Ryuno wrapped her long white tail around Ayame, creating a circle, with blue flames surrounding it, which Ayame was sitting inside.

" Ryuno ? What's wrong sweetie ? The fire might burn the house... ", Ayame asked her. 

" Something just doesn't seem right here. ", Katsuo said, as he popped out of nowhere, which terrified Ayame. 

" Dear... you scared me. "

" My bad, but Ryuno summoned me, where am I suppose to appear but her circle ? "

" She summoned you ? "

" Our girl was trained to do this. She knows if it's a different ayakashi besides me and Miyuki. If it's a normal one, she would had beat it herself. But this is not a normal one, maybe... "

" Katsuo ? "

" Stay inside the circle, Ayame, do not come over here. "

" I got it. "

Katsuo stepped outside the circle. He looked around the house. 

.

.

.

Out of nowhere, a pillar of a kind of black liquid popped out from the floor. A human - like figure, but seemed to be made out of smoke appear from the pillar. 

" Master... I've found you... ", it said, with a low and tired voice.

The smoke figure was Enenra, the youkai that was made out of smoke, it can only be seen by the pure of the heart. But that's to normal people, Katsuo and Ryuno could saw him easily, and so did Ayame. 

" Enraenra... how can you find me ? "

" It's hard to find you, master. But I got it through the power of myself... praise me, master... "

" Not this time, I am sorry, Enraenra. " 

As Katsuo was trying to do something, a beautiful woman stood up behind Enraenra. 

" Master, why do you have to hide from us ? Why do you have to hide away from me ? "

" Hinoenma, get away from me, ero-onna! "

" How could you ?! "

The woman whose named was clearly Hinoenma looked at Ayame. 

" Is it because of that ugly hag ?! How dare her ?! " 

Hinoenma, unlike Enraenra, can do magic. She was creating a black ball, and throw it at Ayame. 

But before it could reach just to Ryuno's circle boundary, a golden shield covered in black fire protected them. Katsuo appeared before them.

" Hinoenma... how dare you... ", Katsuo furiously said. 

" Master... why... what is that that she has but I don't ?? Answer me !! "

" You and her are incomparable and matchless. "

" Master... ", Hinoenma ended up in tears. 

" You did that, now it's my turn. "

Katsuo again tried to cast a kind of spell. But when he tried to do that, another ayakashi appeared. The ayakashi and Katsuo have many similarities in appearance. Both have black hair, similar eye shape but in stead of Katsuo's black eyes, it's gold color. 

" Anii - sama, come back. ", the ayakashi said. 

" Never. "

" Then I'll have to do this. "

" What is it ? "

" Who is that beautiful woman ? She seems to be precious to you. "

" Urannei, don't you dare. "

" Katsuo - nii - sama, I take the lead of the clan now. "

" Urannei ! "

" Sorry, anii- sama. "

Before Katsuo could do anything, Enraenra created a big circle of smoke and covered the vision of Katsuo. He brightened his eyes to look through the smoke, but Hinoenma cast a spell that made Katsuo used the nearby katana and staffed himself. It's painful, as he fell down. He bleed, and fainted slowly.

" Ayame... "

Urannei approached the angry Ryuno and the terrified Ayame, who was screaming for her love. One whip, and Ryuno got wiped away from Ayame, thus broke the boundary. 

" It seems that you and my brother are in a sort of relationship. Let's see if he will come to you." 

" What do you mean ? "

" Come with me. "

Urannei raised his hand toward Ayame. She looked at him mischievously and smirked at him. Urannei confused by her action and realized his powers didn't work on her. 

" Sure... definitely anii - sama did something to protect his precious treasure. In this case... "

Urannei cast a spell on Ayame, which can make normal people and ayakashi unmovable. Ayame felt it but she could still stood up, but hardly. 

" Guess I have to do this in the hard way, it's been a while since I used my muscles for stuffs. "

Unrannei hit Ayame and she fainted, and he carried her.

" You know where to find her, anii - sama. "

Enraenra carried Hinoenma and Urannei away to the north. 

Snow started to fall down. The beautiful home where Katsuo and Ayame used to live together were a mess, they destroyed it. Ryuno tracked down and found an injured Katsuo and brought him to Miyuki. Miyuki immediately understood what happened, so she quickly healed both of them.  

" One that can damage both Katuo - sama and Ryuno must be them. Aya - chan is not around here, it must have been... " 

" Ayame... "

" Katsuo - sama ? "

" Where is Ayame ? Where is she ? Wait... where am I ? What am I doing here ? "

" You are in my house. They must have gotten to you. "

" That damn Enraenra... is Ryuno around here ? "

" She's with my wolf pack. "

" How long has it been ? "

" About 2 days. "

" 2 DAYS ALREADY ?! QUICK ! I MUST FIND HER ! "

Katsuo left the cushion and tried to get up.

" Your current health and strength won't allow you to do so. "

As Miyuki finished her sentence, Katsuo failed off.

" Told ya. You tried. "

" Miyuki... How long do you think that I'll be able to fight against them ? "

" The harder you train, the quicker it is. "

" What do I need to train ? "

" To a secret spell that I just got. Take your time. I'm going to check Ryuno. "

Katsuo sat down and think about Ayame, the love of his life. When he got to her, he didn't  dare to marry her, start a family with her because he's afraid that they'll get to his family and ruin it. She was his reason to live, she saved him from the accident, she helped him meet up with Miyuki, she was the one who cured his pains... 

-------------------------- End chapter --------------------------------------

It will be about how they evolve their relationship next chapter.