Authoress here.

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Yujo Chronicles: The Final Chapter
Chapter Eight: Answers leading to Questions

Spirit World headquarters

A pretty, dark haired woman in a pale lavender kimono hurried down the expansive hallways of the Spirit World headquarters, also Prince Koenma's palace. It was Ayame, Koenma's assistant. In her hand was a thick stack of paper, and on her face was a tight look of worry.

"Boton-san!" Ayame burst through the large doors leading to Koenma's personal office. For now, while Koenma was out, Boton was using his information system to search for clues about the Spirit Detectives' whereabouts.

"Ayame-kun!" The blue haired Grim Reaper looked up from the glowing screen she had been studying, a hopeful look in her eyes. "Did you find anything?"

"Hai, Boton-san." Ayame made a small bow to her superior before handing over the stack of papers she held. "But, this only worries me more."

Boton accepted the papers, eyes scanning them quickly. The first few pages were a list of auction items of a demonic sort, all gruesome and bloody. Flipping back to a section labeled "Special Auctions" she ran a finger down the page. She had an idea about what she would find, but hoped against hope she was wrong. But no; halfway between a demonic sword and the entrails of an earth dragon was "Spirit Detective team," being put to auction by demons Tei, Tsurukai, Kahiru, and Tokuiwa.

"Oh no," Boton breathed. She quickly read the description of the "item" up for bid aloud.

"Auction itemnumber 5568245: Three out of the four Spirit Detectives, Urameshi Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, and traitorous demon Yoko Kurama (human form.) Will be sedated and mind-broken through methods of hypnosis and human machinery, all three in perfect condition, asking price; 1,000,000 yen. Highest bid: 1,885,250 yen."

"Gomen nasai, Boton-san." Ayame said in a small voice, watching the Reaper's eyes fill with tears.

Boton hastily whipped her tears with the back of a trembling hand. She sniffed hard, then turned back to the computer screen she sat in front of. "Well, they haven't been totally lost. It says they're not hurt...yet. And the auction has the names we need."

"Do you know of these demons?" Ayame asked, timid.

"No," Boton flicked her eyes over the four names listed. "But I'm sure someone does."

Ayame nodded and bowed, retreating from the room. She closed the great doors behind her. Boton turned to her computer and started typing furiously. She pressed a key, and information began scrolling across the screen.

"Boton!"

She turned, and saw George the Ogre standing in the door. "Yes?"

"Have you found anything?"

She glanced at the screen. "Apparently. Ayame found the names of Yusuke and crew's kidnappers. And also, it doesn't appear that Hiei is with them, leaving me to assume he's free but missing."

"That's slightly heartening." George walked around her chair and peer at the screen over her shoulder. "Looks like those four have been busy over the last year."

"Yes." Boton chewed on her lip pensively as she read. According to the search, the four demons had bought many different machines, none of which that seemed to have much relevance to the case. They were recorded as purchasing a building somewhere in Demon World, though the exact location was not mentioned.

As she continued down the screen, she noticed something familiar and stopped perusing to read more closely. She gasped as the new information registered.

"George, it says here the last thing they did before kidnapping our boys was to make a deal with Seto Kaiba!"

"Seto Kaiba?" The ogre frowned. "That name sounds familiar."

"It should!" Boton retorted. "Remember when Koenma was talking about Emiko and Katsu's friend, Kiamo? Seto Kaiba is her bishonen!"

Emiko's house, Human World

The phone rang shrilly, and Emiko and Katsu jumped. Emiko answered it immediately.

"Hello!"

"Hey, is this Komiko? This is Usagi, from your dad's work. Could I talk to him?"

"Sorry, he's not home." Emiko said quickly. "Could I take a message?" Inwardly she groaned. Usagi Kyojouyuka was a friend of the family, and was a chatty man. The last thing she wanted was to tie up her phone line when Boton could be calling!

"Nah, it's cool. Say, you don't sound so good." Usagi commented.

"Thanks okay I'll tell him you called." Emiko said breathlessly before hanging up abruptly.

Katsu groaned and sank back into the couch cushions. "That's like the hundredth false alarm."

Emiko went back to pacing around the living room, not responding to Katsu. Her nerves were almost on end, but the cool of the demoness she had been kept her under control and outwardly calm.

The phone rang shrilly, and Emiko lunged for it. "Hello?"

"Emiko!"

"Boton!" Emiko cried, relief lacing her voice. Katsu leapt from the couch and hurried to Emiko's side to hear the conversation.

"I have good and bad news. Good news is they're unhurt right now, we know who has them, and that Hiei is free somewhere. Bad news is they're in terrible danger."

"When are they not?" Katsu muttered, eyes misting a little. Emiko acted as if she hadn't heard, keeping the phone pressed tightly to her ear.

"Stranger still is the fact that somehow Seto Kaiba is involved." Boton finished.

"….What?" Emiko sputtered. "Kiamo's Seto Kaiba?"

"The very same." Boton said grimly. "Records say he made a huge business transaction with them, only under aliases. But it was them alright."

"We'll go to Domino City right away." Emiko said firmly. "We'll ask him what he knows."

"How do you do that without revealing Spirit and Demon World? Not to mention all of you, what you all are…" Boton trailed off uncertainty.

"If we reveal those things, so be it." Emiko said coolly. "My mate and my friends are in danger; nothing will stop Katsu and me from finding them."

"I understand." Boton said after a pause. "Good luck, then."

"Thanks." Emiko hung up abruptly. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" Her mother's voice wafted down the stairs.

"Katsu and I are going to Domino City to use the History Center there for a school project." Emiko's voice sounded sweet and innocent, a severe change to the harsh calm from moments before. The lie was convincing.

"Alright dear. Do you need bus fare?"

"I have a bus card we can use." Katsu called quickly. "We'll be fine, Mrs. Ishitono."

"Alright. I'll see you later, girls."

The teens slipped into their coats before hurrying towards the nearest bus stop. Emiko adjusted the dark green beret on her head as they waited. "I wonder if Seto knows what he did."

"I hope not." Katsu shuddered a little at the cold and pulled her scarf a little tighter around her neck. A few solitary snowflakes fell from the overcast sky, and a gust of chill wind held the promise of more to come. The bus pulled up to the curb, and the girls got on, hoping Seto wasn't in league with their enemies.

Domino City, Kaiba Corp, Seto Kaiba's office

Behind her, the world fell sharply to cold asphalt over fifty stories down. Seto Kaiba shoved her hard, and she stumbled backwards.

Kiamo was pushed up against the window in Seto's office as the teen millionaire kissed her passionately. She had been visiting him at his mansion-like home when he had been abruptly called into work. Seto had suggested she come along, and now, after a quick board meeting, the couple had commenced to take on the task of fogging up the large picture window in Seto's office.

Kiamo giggled a little as Seto kissed her neck, slipping his hands covertly beneath her sweater.

"Mr. Kaiba?"

The two jumped apart as the electronic voice sounded from a speaker on Seto's desk. The teen crossed the space from the window to the comlink and spoke into it. "What is it Reeve?"

"You have two guests waiting in the lobby."

"Who are they?" Seto snapped, very annoyed.

"They wouldn't tell me much more than they're friends of Miss Luniari."

Seto exchanged a glance with Kiamo, who shrugged. "Okay then. Send them up, Reeve."

End Chapter

Authoress here.

BAH! Speech was fun today. Do de do de do……