Sayomi sighed as she stared up at the sky. She lounged on top of Yusuke's school, waiting for him to finish for the day. As she waited, she recalled their talk with Koenma the night before. "So… Instead of burying her, he kept Master Genkai's body in cold storage so she could be revived. Did he know that's what Yusuke would've wished for?"
"Well, not exactly," Botan answered casually.
"What do you –?" Sayomi paused and quickly turned to see Botan. She was wearing the same outfit as Keiko and all the other girls in the building. "Botan? When did you get here? And why are you dressed like Keiko?"
Botan smiled and said, "I'm undercover and this helps me blend in more. Besides, it's so cute!"
Sayomi scowled as Botan's voice hitched. She sighed and asked, "So what were you saying about 'not exactly'?"
"Oh, right!" Botan stopped fiddling with her outfit and said, "Toguro is actually the one who suggested it."
"Toguro did?" Sayomi tried to imagine the interaction, but it was too bizarre.
Botan nodded and said, "It doesn't seem to make sense, but Genkai and Toguro had something between them."
"Maybe…" There was a moment of silence before Sayomi asked, "So why are you here, Botan?"
"Hm? Oh." The reaper snapped out of her thoughts and said, "I told Yusuke to meet me after school. It will be easier to tell everyone at once so I won't need to repeat myself."
Sayomi turned away. She glared over the city and said, "You can tell me the truth. I get it. You guys don't trust me."
Botan's smile faltered and she said, "It's true, the Underworld is suspicious of you…" She looked down at the floor. "But that doesn't mean I have to be. I know I'm the one who reported you to Koenma in the first place, but I hope you understand I didn't mean you any ill will."
"I know." Sayomi couldn't bring herself to turn around. "Yusuke had just started his missions and you were cautious because I'm a demon. I understand why back then, but I don't understand why now."
Botan walked up next to Sayomi and looked through the chain-link fence that kept them from falling over the edge. She slid a glance towards the other girl and said, "I think it has to do with your brother. We know you're not bad, and I'm sure Koenma has kept on eye on you too so he should know." She stared back at the horizon. "But you need to understand it was a bit suspicious that you kept it hidden for so long."
"I was scared, Botan." Sayomi's voice lowered as she struggled to speak. "I've seen it… I know what it can do and I… I couldn't believe it was happening to me… I don't want to live in fear, but I remember it happened to my brother and I… I don't want… I don't want to be…"
Botan nodded and said, "There was a time when shadow demons were hunted down to the point of near extinction. They were believed to be too dangerous and a serious threat to humans and demons alike."
Sayomi took in a deep breath and slowly let it go. "Were any of them criminals?"
"Well, I don't really know." Botan's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Any files regarding them are very hard to find. Whatever we do end up finding is not enough information to draw any other conclusion."
"There are files? Do you think Koenma would be willing to let me look at them if I ask?" Sayomi could feel her nails digging into her palms. If I can read those files, maybe I can figure out what happened back then.
Botan grimaced and said, "I'm afraid not. Koenma has been investigating since I informed him of you. I don't even think King Enma is aware of it. I'm sure if he finds out anything, he'll let us know."
"Yeah…" Sayomi couldn't stop the disappointment from seeping into her tone. "Do you think you could snoop around his archives and try to find something?"
"I don't think that would be a problem. I'm sure he could use the extra eyes." Botan smiled, warming up to the new idea.
"And I guess I could try asking Kurama if he knows anything from his old life."
"That's a brilliant idea!" Botan cheered. "Even if the archives can't tell us much, I'm sure Kurama was around long enough."
"Thank you, Botan. I'm sorry if I came off a bit rude before." Sayomi's smile just barely touched her eyes. "You don't understand how important this is to me."
"Oh it's no problem." Botan waved off her apology. "I don't blame you for being so guarded, especially now. Things may be a little tough for a while, but please don't take it too personally. Your brother is the one we're after."
"About that…" Sayomi looked at Botan in the eye and asked, "What did Yasuhiro do?"
As the sun began to set, Botan led Sayomi to Yusuke's homeroom. The halls were empty, but every now and then Sayomi would see a group of kids talking or doing some random activity in a room. Why would they want to stay later? Isn't this place boring? I thought that was why Yusuke always skipped.
When they made it to Yusuke's classroom, they only found Kuwabara. He was sitting in the back of the room reading a book. Sayomi scanned the room and noticed the same desks that she saw in every other room. Two black rectangles hung on the front and back walls. This doesn't seem very fun at all…
Botan marched towards Kuwabara with her hands on her hips and asked, "Where's Yusuke? He knew we were supposed to meet after school."
Without looking away from his book, Kuwabara answered, "These three punks showed up and challenged him to a fight. He was moping around all day and said it was what he needed. He said to tell you hi."
"He wanted to have a fight?!" Botan huffed and crossed her arms. "That's infantile… and plain reckless!"
"Doesn't surprise me, honestly." Sayomi shrugged her shoulders.
"He's probably finished and gone home by now." Kuwabara turned a page in his book, unaffected by Botan's outburst.
"Well, you'll do, I guess." Botan tapped her chin as she came to terms with the situation.
"Whaddya mean by that?" Kuwabara smacked his book down and scowled at the blue-haired reaper.
"Don't worry." Sayomi sighed and leaned against the small square shelves that lined the lower back wall. "I'll relay the message to Yusuke when we finish here."
Botan smiled at Sayomi. "All right. I guess that's a plan." She turned back to Kuwabara. "Lord Koenma needs more information on a sudden outbreak of people exhibiting strange powers."
"More invading demons?" Kuwabara asked worriedly.
Botan raised her finger to correct him. "No, not demons…"
"You don't mean…" Sayomi raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Humans?!" Kuwabara yelled in disbelief.
Sayomi's eyes widened at the thought. Those punks Kuwabara mentioned… I know Yusuke fights kids all the time, but...
"Yeow!"
"Whazzat?!"
"A bird?!"
"Eh?" Kuwabara glanced up as the commotion gradually became louder.
"What's all the racket?" Botan asked curiously.
"Gyack!" Kuwabara yelped when he looked through the window.
"Pu!" Botan instantly recognized the small beast.
"Why is he here? Where's Yusuke?" Sayomi could see that Pu was agitated over something. He flapped like his life depended on it. If Pu is acting out in the open, then it can't be good news.
The students filled the doorway, watching the beast fly towards Sayomi and company. They watched the beast with open curiosity and began to fire off with questions.
"That thing yours, Kuwabara?"
"When did you get a pet?!"
Kuwabara glared at the students and yelled, "It's my new Hover-Beast! Cool, huh? Now scram!" Once the witnesses fled, he turned to the panicked beast. "What's going on, Pu?"
"You'll disrupt the entire school at this rate!" Botan scolded. "Pu?"
Pu made his way to one of the blackboards and grabbed a small stick of white chalk with his beak. He wrote on the board and turned to the trio.
"What?!" Sayomi became tense when she read Pu's message. Yusuke kidnapped?
Kuwabara clenched his teeth and took off running down the hall. Botan and Sayomi followed after him with Pu flapping close behind. He led them around to the back of the school. There was a wooden fence with a sign that read "no trespassing." They ignored it and ran through the opening. They ran past the construction until they reached a grassy field. Yusuke's school bag was on the ground with a note.
Kuwabara picked up the note and read it aloud for Botan and Sayomi. "We'll be waiting at 11 P.M. tonight at the Fourth Dimensional Mansion in Monster Town. Bring anyone you like, but the attendance of Kuwabara, Sayomi, Hiei, and Kurama is mandatory. Otherwise, Yusuke Urameshi's safety may be compromised. Yusuke… kidnapped? No way he'd let that happen."
Botan frowned. "They know of Sayomi, Kurama, and Hiei… so maybe they could nab Yusuke."
"And send Pu to us. Okay, it's serious." Kuwabara growled. "But what're they after?"
"Who knows?" Botan brushed off his question and said, "We gotta round up Kurama and Hiei! You know where they are?" She turned to the blue messenger and said, "You go on home, Pu!"
"Pu!" He quickly flapped up and out of sight.
"I've never been to Kurama's school. I can only guess where Hiei could be." Sayomi glared at the note and clenched her fists. For all I know he could be doing his damn best to avoid me. If Yusuke dies because of him, I'll hunt him down and show him what I'm really capable of.
"Kurama's neighborhood is two train stops from here!" Kuwabara took off running with the note clenched in his fist.
"Wait, Kuwabara!" Botan ran after him. "Don't just leave us behind!"
Sayomi watched them leave as she tried to stop shaking. Images of Yusuke flashed through her mind. Beaten. Bloody. Lifeless.
She inhaled as the gruesome thoughts flitted through her subconscious. When she exhaled, she recalled her dying king back in Demon World. She remembered her old teacher who initially taught her self-control. Then she remembered her mission. I must watch over him until he is strong enough to inherit the throne. I let his quick growth overshadow my mission and assumed he was strong enough to handle himself. If he dies tonight, it'll be my fault for letting it happen…
Sayomi relaxed her fists and let the darkness engulf her. She melded with the evening shadows and quickly conformed to Botan's running shadow. She stayed hidden as they arrived at the train station and boarded. It didn't take too long to reach their stop, but Sayomi felt anxious about their time limit. As soon as they left the station, she relinquished herself from Botan's shadow.
"I hate crowds." Sayomi sighed as she followed behind Botan and Kuwabara. "Are we almost there?"
"Where did you—?"
Sayomi sighed again and cut off Kuwabara's question. "If you haven't figured it out yet, then you'll just have to deal with it."
"I was just askin'. We thought we lost you for a while." Kuwabara crossed his arms and said, "I can't sense you or anything so it's even creepier than normal."
"Wait, what?" Sayomi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean you can't sense me?"
"I think it has to do with Suzuki's weapon. He said it would have side effects so…" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you think it's permanent?" Botan asked worriedly.
Kuwabara shook his head. "I don't know. I'm hoping if I go see Genkai soon, she might be able to help."
"Good idea." Sayomi agreed. "But for now let's focus on this. How far are we from Kurama?"
"Oh right!" Kuwabara exclaimed and took off running again. "It's just a few blocks from here!"
They ran until they reached a large building surrounded by a brick wall. Next to the entrance, a white sign read Meio Private High School. Trees grew along the path that led to the doors.
Inside the building, Sayomi noticed the students wearing similar outfits. The boys wore Kurama's usual pink clothing while the girls wore a dark red top and skirt. So different schools require different clothes? Humans are strange.
Kuwabara rushed through the halls, shouting as loud as he could. "Kurama! Yo, Kurama! We got big trouble! Kurama!"
They stopped when they spotted Kurama standing in the hall with another student. The red-head stepped forward and said, "Quiet! I'm right here."
"Oh, there you are! Been lookin' everywhere!" Kuwabara stopped and pulled the crumbled note from his pocket.
The bespectacled boy next to the red-head blinked. "Kurama? The sumo wrestler?"
"Heh… Just a nickname." Kurama smiled at his classmate before turning a stern glare on Kuwabara. He lowered his voice and whispered, "I'm Minamino here, got it?"
"Sure. Now look at this." Kuwabara gave to note to the red-head. "We gotta find Hiei, fast! You know where he is?"
Kurama finished reading the note and looked up at Kuwabara. "Not a clue, I'm afraid. Though he can't be that far away. We're both still on probation."
"What about you, Sayomi?" Botan turned to the demoness. "You two are pretty close, right?"
Sayomi scowled and crossed her arms. "Not that close. He usually finds me. Besides, we're not exactly on good terms at the moment."
Botan growled as she began to get annoyed. "If only he was here, he could use his Evil Eye to…"
"Whoa, Botan! Focus!" Kurama snapped her out of her train of thought.
"No leads, no clues, no nuthin'!" Kuwabara fussed. "What we need is Doraemon!"
"Doraemon? What's that?" Sayomi asked with an arched brow.
"I know!" Botan raised a finger in triumph. "The Underworld tools!"
"That stuff Urameshi had when he fought Goki? Aren't they all busted up…?" Kuwabara asked.
"You know about Goki?" Sayomi asked curiously.
"Sure," Kuwabara shrugged. "After the stuff with the Four Beasts, I asked Urameshi about his other missions."
"Cool." Sayomi turned to Botan. "And Yusuke broke all the tools?"
"They've been fixed up good as new in the Underworld. Better even!" Botan smiled as she launched into explaining each tool. "For instance, no demon can hide from the new and improved demonic aura-meter!"
"But…" Kurama interjected. "How will we be able to tell which is Hiei?"
"Kurama, the voice of reason…" Sayomi muttered under her breath.
"Oh…" Botan cheerfully explained, "That's no problem! We just put something of his inside it… Say a hair or a fingernail… and it'll direct us right to him, no matter how far away he might be!"
"And how do you propose we get this… item?" Kurama asked.
"Oh, yeah…" Botan's cheer deflated. "We'll scour the area with the see-through glass…"
"We have five hours, not five centuries!" Kuwabara growled in annoyance. "Anything else we can use?"
"Umm… Well…" Botan scratched her head, trying to think of something.
"Sayomi," Kurama turned to the shadow demoness. "You mentioned earlier that he usually finds you, correct?" When Sayomi nodded, Kurama turned back to Botan. "Is there a tool that could bring him to us?"
"Ah!" Botan perked up. "The Itako Whistle! It emits a sound normal humans can't hear. The stronger your aura, the farther its sound will travel."
"So where are these tools?" Sayomi asked.
"Right, I'll need to get them from the Underworld." Botan turned to Kurama and asked, "Where should we meet up?"
"There's a park not too far from here. It's already dark out so there shouldn't be many people." Kurama led the way to exit the school. "From there we can make our way to the house in time."
"Very well, see you guys soon!" As soon as she was out the door, she flew off to the Underworld.
About half an hour later, Sayomi and the boys made it to the park. She sat on a swing and began to slowly kick her legs forward. Kuwabara sat on the swing next to hers and just swayed back and forth with his feet on the ground. Kurama leaned against a pole with his hands in his pockets.
"So, you and the shrimp aren't on speaking terms anymore?" Kuwabara asked curiously.
Sayomi glared up at the moon as she swung higher. "Nope. Since I'm not gonna be fighting anymore, then he doesn't have to train me anymore. So why else would he stick around?"
"Well, I still think it's better that you're not fighting." Kuwabara replied. "Girls shouldn't really be fighting in the first place."
"Not this again." Sayomi huffed under her breath. "I'd rather fight than let others fight for me, Kuwabara. If Koenma didn't restrict me, then this wouldn't be an issue."
"I was curious about that actually." Kurama watched as Sayomi swung until she was almost parallel with the ground. "If the point of getting stronger is to be in control, why would he ban you from training?"
"I was actually hoping you could answer some questions for me, too." Sayomi stopped swinging her legs and just enjoyed the motion. "When you were the Fox Demon, did you know any shadow demons?"
Kurama smiled and said, "I'll answer yours if you answer mine."
"That's fair." Sayomi stared up at the moon again. "From what I can tell, these marks started appearing when I came here and started fighting. They started off small, but before I knew it, I was covered in them. Now Koenma wants me to stop fighting so I don't get worse."
"I see. So it acts as a kind of warning." Kurama pondered on it before answering her question. "As for the fox demon, I don't recall any shadow demon acquaintances. I only heard rumors and they were not exactly demons you wanted to mess with."
"What were the rumors?" Kuwabara asked.
"Shadow demons were known to be ruthless. They were usually thieves, assassins, or info brokers." Kurama held his chin as his thoughts took him to a different place and time. "While I never personally knew any, I would hear stories of their nightmarish abilities. They were powerful, but they were also few in number. None of them traveled in larger groups than two or three." He turned to Sayomi and said, "You mentioned a Void before. Can you elaborate?"
"I can't really tell you much. It's just something I was taught at a young age." Sayomi gradually lost momentum in her swing, but she still kept her eyes on the moon. "My brother said it was something all shadow demons used to control shadows. Without it, we were powerless. Too much of it and it would overpower us. So shadow demons who strayed away from the power would die because they were too weak. Others who fought to become stronger to survive would lose themselves in the Void. No one knows why it's like that, but there doesn't seem to be any safe medium."
"So you're doomed either way." Kuwabara muttered.
"What did you do before you came here?" Kurama asked.
"I just meditated all the time. I also practiced healing, but I've been doing that here too." Sayomi looked at Kurama and shrugged her shoulders. "I was hoping the healing would balance out with the fighting and the markings would diminish, but that didn't happen. At best, it slowed down but it didn't go away."
Kurama smiled and said, "Shadow demons are an interesting breed, but they're also very secretive. Even if I knew any, I doubt they would've shown me much."
"Probably…" Sayomi sighed. "I just wish I knew more. I don't really know what I'm doing. For all I know, I could be running myself into an early grave."
"You think if you stop fighting, they'll go away?" Kuwabara asked.
"Maybe." Sayomi shrugged. "I remember a point when my brother had these marks, but in my meditations, he doesn't seem to have them anymore."
"Your brother?" Kurama perked up at the mention. "He's the one Koenma said was a criminal, right?"
"Yeah, but Yasuhiro said he was accused." Sayomi defended him on reflex. "He told me to find out the truth from the Underworld, but I don't really know where to start. I was hoping you could give me some kind of lead."
"I apologize for my ignorance, but I'm afraid I can't help you much. Even back then, shadow demons were a mysterious bunch." Kurama's smile didn't reach his eyes.
Sayomi sighed. "It's okay. Every little bit helps."
"Your brother won't tell you anything if you ask?" Kuwabara asked.
"He said I wouldn't believe him." Sayomi glared down at her dirty feet. "I can see what Kurama means about being so secretive. Even to our own blood…"
Kurama and Kuwabara exchanged glances over Sayomi's head. Kuwabara looked worried while Kurama looked disturbed. A moment of silence passed before Botan flew in on her oar.
She was still in her school uniform and she carried a large silver briefcase. She kneeled down on the grass and opened it for everyone to see. "I've brought the whole set, just in case."
Kurama looked at Botan and said, "I'd love to give them all a try, but Hiei's our first priority."
"The whistle, then!" Botan grabbed the whistle and stood up. She raised her hand. "Stand back! Cover your ears. This thing's loud!"
Sayomi covered her ears just as Botan took in a deep breath. The effort was futile. The shrill noise bled through her hands and seeped into her skull. Memories of Shishiwakamaru's banshees played through her mind as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Gahh! What the hell?!"
"Wow! She wasn't kidding!" Kurama looked just as pained as he pressed his hands against his ears.
"I didn't hear nuthin'." Kuwabara released his ears as the sound didn't seem to affect him.
"Lucky you." Sayomi scowled. "Being powerless sounds pretty preferable after that noise."
Botan looked around urgently, scanning for any sign of Hiei. Just as Sayomi was about to scan for the fire demon, she saw him fall from a tree just behind Botan.
Hiei sat up from the ground and rubbed the back of his head where he landed. "That wail! Who's dying?"
"Hiei!" Botan exclaimed in relief.
"What's he, a beetle?" Kuwabara grumbled.
Sayomi couldn't stop from smiling when she saw the swordsman. He actually came… Are his sleeves white?
When Hiei noticed them and stood up, he sneered and said, "You guys again… Hmph! Bad enough I can't return to the Demon Plane."
"Look…" Kurama stepped forward and handed him the note.
After reading, Hiei scoffed. "Well… Serves him right. Getting full of himself after beating Toguro. He can stew in his own ego in the afterlife."
"Like you're one to talk about big egos." Sayomi met Hiei's glare with her own.
"You aren't curious about who captured him?" Kurama asked.
"Why?" Hiei ignored Sayomi and looked up at Kurama. "It's got nothing to do with me." Ignoring everyone's confusion and disapproval, he turned on his foot and began to walk away. "You don't like it? Too bad. I do what I want, when I want."
"Hey!" Botan yelled after the thief. "They might kill Yusuke if you don't come with us! You really don't care at all about that?!"
"No I don't!" Hiei stopped and glared coldly at Botan, scaring her into silence. "He takes down the ultimate demon warrior, then gets captured by a buncha humans! That's beyond stupid! I can't stand babysitting idiots."
"What if this wasn't just about Yusuke?" Kurama asked, catching Hiei's attention. "Botan, Kuwabara and Sayomi told me some humans have been displaying strange powers lately."
"And some of these captured Yusuke?" Hiei asked with feigned interest.
"How about this?" Botan huffed. "If you'll help, the Underworld will wipe your slate clean."
"You sure about that?" Kuwabara asked with open concern.
"I'll see to it!" Botan stated confidently then turned back to Hiei. "Well?"
"Full acquittal, huh? Fine, I'll come." Hiei smirked and followed after the group.
Sayomi kept her pace with him in the back out of habit. She snuck glimpses of him every now and again until he spoke up. "If you have something to say, then out with it."
"Do you really not care about Yusuke?" Sayomi couldn't bring herself to talk about her more personal concerns. I doubt he would understand anyways. I still don't fully understand it myself…
"No. If he dies then it's his own fault for allowing it to happen. He should've known by now it's kill or be killed." Hiei kept his eyes forward, not sparing her a single glance. "If you don't like it, that's not my problem. Once this is over, I'll be free to return to the Demon Plane."
"And that's really all you care about…" Sayomi looked at Hiei. "Never mind the fact that Yusuke wouldn't think twice about helping you."
"Yusuke is strong but he is a fool for letting his guard down. I would not be so easily captured by humans."
"You keep pointing out Yusuke's faults, but don't you think you have those same qualities that you're putting him down for?" Sayomi's eyebrows drew down into a stern glare. "The big egos, the overconfidence… If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were two peas in a pod."
"What the hell are you blathering about?" Hiei glared at Sayomi dangerously but she only smirked at his attempt to intimidate her.
"It's a human phrase that I overheard. Apparently it means you two are a lot alike. It kinda shows in the way you both act tough on the outside, yet on the inside you both actually care for the people around you."
"I don't care about any of you. I only showed up because of that vile noise. If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have bothered."
"Couldn't you have been able to tell with your Evil Eye or by sensing our auras?" Sayomi quirked an eyebrow teasingly. "Your excuses are just that, Hiei. Yukina may not be here, but you do care for us too. Maybe not as much, but it's still there."
"If you don't shut up with this nonsense, I will prove to you personally how little I care."
"But not until this is over, right?"
Hiei stopped walking and grabbed Sayomi's wrist, pulling her around to face him. He tightened his grip and lowered his voice. "I could take care of it before it starts if that is what you prefer."
Sayomi gasped as she came face-to-face with Hiei. She felt her face heat up as she realized how close they were. His blood red eyes put her in a sort of trance. Despite the intensity of his gaze, she wasn't scared. When she spoke, it was just barely above a whisper. "Why are you trying to scare me away, Hiei?"
Hiei's glare didn't waver, but he released his hold on her wrist and walked past her. "Just stay out of my way."
Sayomi watched him for just a moment before trailing after him. She couldn't look away from his back as they walked to the house. Hiei… Why are you so insistent on isolating yourself?
Once they made it to the house, Sayomi could feel a headache coming on. All the windows were boarded up and the bordering wall was covered in cracks. The house looked like a mess of odd angles and abstract art work.
"This is it," Kuwabara declared. "Pretty strange, huh?"
"That's one word for it…" Sayomi muttered quietly.
"An obscure artist designed and built it, but he died some time ago. It's been vacant ever since," Kurama explained for the group.
"It might not be safe," Kuwabara cautioned. "Maybe us guys should go in first…"
"No way!" Botan protested hotly. "I'm not staying behind! You haven't recovered your aura yet so I'm the only one who can use the tools."
"And you must be delusional if you think I'm just gonna sit out here and wait. I was requested to be here too, remember?" Sayomi glared up at Kuwabara.
"Oh yeah…" Kuwabara avoided her gaze as they made their way up the porch steps. They had to be careful of the rotting wood and holes in the floor. Posted on the door was a plain piece of paper with a note.
Sayomi stepped forward to read it aloud. "Any who enter must not say 'hot'. This is your only warning…"
"Huh?" Kuwabara scowled at the door. "What's the deal here? We can't say 'hot'? That's dumb!"
"Just keep it in mind," Kurama warned. "C'mon, let's go inside…"
As soon as they stepped into the house, Sayomi could instantly feel the contrast in temperature. She looked around at the shelves of books and plants scattered around the room. When she looked up, she saw an odd chandelier made of faces and heads with candles burning from the mouths. The black and white tiles felt cold and slick beneath her feet. "Well, at least it looks somewhat nicer on the inside."
"Whew!" Botan heaved a big sigh. "It sure is humid and h—"
Kurama quickly clapped his hand over Botan's mouth. "Say no more, please."
"Hmph!" Botan mumbled beneath his hand before he let go.
"Kurama, did you notice…?" Hiei glanced up at the red-head.
"Yes…" Kurama kept his eyes forward. "As we entered, it was like stepping into another world."
"Welcome."
Sayomi and the others quickly looked forward to see a young boy with glasses step out from behind a bookshelf. He had curly black hair and freckles dusted across his strong cheekbones. He's wearing the same clothes as Kurama. Do they know each other?
"That guy!" Kuwabara's eyes popped open and he pointed an accusing finger. "He's one of Yusuke's kidnappers!"
"Kaito!" Kurama instantly recognized the boy.
"Huh?" Kuwabara looked at the red-head in shock. "You know him?!"
"Not really," Kurama answered calmly. "He's just in my grade at school. Whatever he might know of us, he didn't get it from me." He addressed his classmate next. "Who did inform you of us?"
"And why did you kidnap Yusuke?!" Kuwabara interrogated angrily.
Kaito pushed up his glasses with his index finger and said, "Someone came to us and said you guys won some sort of competition… The Dark Tournament, I believe it was." He took a seat at a desk and he leaned back into the chair. "I didn't realize you were smart and powerful, Minamino. Would you show me how you control plants?"
Without a word, Kurama stared at Kaito with dangerous eyes.
"Ooh… Fierce!" Kaito smirked. "Yet always so mild in school. Anyway, I recently discovered that I have this weird ability… and I think challenging you will be the best way to reveal its full potential."
"I think you will find you've made an unwise decision." Hiei glared at Kaito as he drew his sword from the sheath.
"Perhaps." Unintimidated, Kaito began to read a book that he had tucked under his arm. "But perhaps not."
"Shut up!" Hiei quickly jumped and brought his sword down on the teen. A loud ring of metal echoed through the room as Hiei's blade snapped in half. His eyes widened as he stared down at his unaffected target. "Huh?"
Sayomi and the others tried to register what exactly happened. Was it a barrier?
"See?" Kaito glanced up from his book to look down at Hiei.
Hiei held his broken sword and glared at the human. "Okay, what's this about? This sword snapped in two… on nothing."
"Words are the only weapons that can be used in this room. That's my rule, and you must obey it."
"Your rule…" Kurama mused. "As posted on the door."
"Right." Kaito closed his book and set it down on the desk. "That's my ability, to create a weird kind of 'space' around me. Violence of any kind has no effect here. As you've seen. Hiei, was it? I've been told you're a master of the sword. Well, in here you're just another height-challenged punk."
"Steady, Hiei! He's baiting you!" Kurama warned. "Hiei!"
Ignoring Kurama, the swordsman stepped forward and said, "By your rule, then, I can't say 'hot'? What happens if I do say 'hot'? I drop dead on the spot?"
"Damn it, Hiei! You idiot!" Sayomi growled in frustration.
"Well… it's like this…" Kaito watched as Hiei became engulfed by a mystical violet flame. He stood motionless and silent as the flame rose from his body and shot across the room to Kaito's hand.
"Hiei?!" Kurama called out to his teammate but there was no answer.
Sayomi rushed around to face him and gasped when she noticed his vacant expression. "Oh no…" She turned around to glare at Kaito. "What did you do?!"
Kaito smirked and answered, "When you say the forbidden word in here… your soul gets sucked from your body. That makes two hostages for us." He raised his hand to show the sphere of purple flames. "Urameshi is on the second floor… and I now have Hiei's soul right here. How about the rest of you? Will you turn back… or fight?"